Post by NotJustaBook on Feb 11, 2014 12:45:22 GMT -5
5.0. Mariah Briar
(Iphigenia)
Everything in Isla Paradiso is happy-happy paradise time. The sun is always shining, except when it’s not, all people are beautiful and even those who have to work hard for their money are happy-happy. The beaches are absolutely crawling with people in the summer, and everyone is working on or near the beach and the many resorts. A happy bunch of people just enjoying the endless good weather and the beautiful surroundings.
Why a crazy, moody rich widower with two daughters and his elderly, reclusive parents would decide to settle down in a place like this is anybody’s guess. Maybe it’s because we were actually completely normal, healthy people.
There was my grandmother, the genius, the alchemist, who was clearly normal. Sure, she liked to sleep in her bathing suit during the full moon but we’ve all been there.
There was my little sister, who had lately decided that she liked books better than people and thus didn’t even care to try and make friends. Completely normal, just like me.
Me, I had seen my stepmother killed by an insane witch and her pale psycho friend, and while you might think that would fuck me up for good, I was actually just as normal as everyone else. I liked to shout at nothing sometimes, while it really was my dad I’d like to shout at, but that was normal. Right? Yeah, totally.
My granddad was the most normal of us all. While the rest of us mourned, he liked to try out new spells to try and bring back his daughter-in-law. If you’re thinking ‘Well, that’s not normal at all’, you’re just wrong. Who doesn’t have a wizard-witch-thing in the family? Well we did, and it was all normal.
Time passed and nothing really happened. Dad started working a regular job, my sister wowed everyone with her studying and no one with her social skills, Grandma and Granddad did their magic stuff. And I played the piano. I played and I made friends and grew up and changed.
And I missed her. Oh, how I missed her.
(Orestes)
Sometimes, it was like I was itching to get out. I was the one who had chosen to come to Isla Paradiso in the first place – because this was the furthest we could get from Starlight Shores – and yet I couldn’t help but wanting to solve problems the way I used to. By not solving them. It was hard getting up every day, facing Iphigenia’s tired eyes, answering Lyzzie’s questions when she asked about her mother.
Truth was, though, that I didn’t dare do it now. It wasn’t that I’d suddenly manned up and started doing the right thing, no. I was scared. I’d already lost so much that some days, getting up felt like a chore, but if I left and came back to find only dead bodies, I wouldn’t live through it. My parents and my girls were what I had left. I’d never had any other friends and we only communicated with my brother and Gally rarely. The two of them were best left out of it.
Everyone were best left out of it; I had become a pro at leaving other people out of my business and it would have stayed that way if it wasn’t for one interesting visit.
I’d sworn that we wouldn’t take anyone into our lives. The girls didn’t bring friends home. When neighbours came by, I always greeted them politely and then never contacted them again, we stayed away from the festivals.
And yet that was all thrown out the window when one redheaded woman stopped by one day.
We’d been living in the quarter for three years by then and she just waltzed up to the door, knocked and introduced herself. Around my age, red hair, pretty, and then she introduced herself: “Mariah Briar,” she said and I shook her hand and it was like time stood still for a while.
For a long while we just stood there, holding each other’s hands and I’m sure I saw just as much wonder in her eyes as I felt myself. “Orestes Ithaca,” I said, and ‘I’m really sorry I can’t invite you in but I’m so busy’ was right next in line and yet… I didn’t say it.
“Sorry,” she shook her head like she’d let her mind wander and just now come back to the real world. “But have we met before?”
“I… don’t know.”
I still hadn’t let go of her hand. Truth was, I couldn’t quite bring myself to let go, as though skin contact would bring me closer to finding out why I was so entranced by her. She finally took back her hand, smiling awkwardly. “Wow, okay, hi, yeah. Like I said, I’m Mariah Briar.”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“I’m one of the neighbours, or… well, sort of. I mean, I live down the road. Just moved in and I have a son and I thought…”
“Why don’t you come in,” I blurted.
Mariah Briar smiled warmly. “Oh, I… thanks, I can’t stay long, I’m off for work, but I’d love to.”
I let her walk in ahead of me, and I followed in a daze.
“Oh dear god, what a house!” she said as she sat down. “Sorry, but I sort of live in a container, so… Wow, I am out of my depth here. I’m really sorry to just come barging in like that. I just saw you were in and wanted to talk.”
“It’s okay. Come on, sit down.”
“I- thank you. Did I mention, I have a son? Ashton. He’s ten.”
“I have a daughter about that age.”
“I noticed, see that’s why I’m here. I thought maybe…” Her hands didn’t sit still when she were talking, she was gesturing and so alive. “What do you say we… arrange a playdate? I know that’s probably super lame and I’m the most embarrassing mother ever.”
I chuckled. “Well, aren’t parents always super lame?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Thing is, though, we just moved away from our nice home into that crappy container because my ex-husband is a bastard and… Ash, he isn’t good at making friends.”
“I know the feeling,” I said, thinking about Lysimache.
Sure, she insisted she didn’t want any friends, but sometimes she said that and there was a strange longing in her voice, like she really did want companionship.
“Oh, see that’s just… that’s perfect!” Mariah Briar let out a sigh of relief. “Do you want to plan something? It’s not like I usually go around to total strangers and ask them to have their kids play with mine, I’m just getting desperate here. He’s really lonely and it’s bugging me.”
“It’s always hard, when your life changes like that.”
“Tell me about it,” she sighed. “Oh man, I guess it would have been easier if I hadn’t spent all my money just keeping Ash with me but… Right, you don’t want to… that’s really private.”
“I’m sorry to hear all that. We were uprooted ourselves three years ago.” Was I really telling her that? Was I having casual conversation with someone? “I lost my wife and we moved away… It’s never… that sort of thing is never easy.”
“Oh, god, I had no idea. Wow, I’m… fuck, okay. I have to…” She got up from the sofa and I followed her to her feet. “I have to go to work. I work two jobs because the bastard… Okay, yeah, private again. Sorry, I have to go, but you can have my number and we can arrange for our kids to hang out.”
“That would be fantastic.”
“Brilliant.” She was just reaching out to shake my hand, but then she stopped short and said: “You know, it’s funny, I could have sworn I’ve seen you somewhere before – you look so familiar.”
“Yeah, same… I have travelled a lot but never here…”
“No, and that’s… because I’ve pretty much lived on this silly island my entire life, so there’s no way I could’ve seen you before, is there? Well... I have to go.”
“Yes, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Sure was.” She bit her lip and smiled at me. “I’ll be seeing you around, then.”
“I sure hope so.”
I said it without even thinking and her smile grew warmer. “Me, too.”
Then she dashed out the door and left me standing befuddled by the door. I was pretty sure I had just flirted with Mariah Briar and I wasn't sure what to think of that.
Author's note: Fun fact: I had, in fact, written five whole chapters of generation five. I had played up until the birth of generation six and I had photographed up until like chapter 8 of gen 5... and I hated it. The story itself wasn't bad, but I just hated the execution and so I decided to go back, move the family from the ending of gen four and start gen 5 over. Maybe you wouldn't have hated the story as much as I did, but I just couldn't with good conscience post something I loathed so much - and I didn't feel like playing the game or writing a story I was so displeased with. So yeah, I probably won't be pumping out an update a day from now on, but it'll be much more up to my standards.
So, instead, welcome to Isla Paradiso and welcome to Mariah Briar, a character whose name I can't help but keep saying over and over. Mariah Briar, Mariah Briar, Mariah Briar. I don't know why, but that name sounds so funny to me. Don't judge. Is she friend or foe? We'll just have to find out. Dun dun dun duuuuuuun *drama* ... I'm sorry I always feel compelled to ruin dramatic tension, it's so satisfying.
... Okay, shutting up now. Anyway! Hope that you'll like this gen 5, because I do feel like it's much better than what I had otherwise written.
(Iphigenia)
Everything in Isla Paradiso is happy-happy paradise time. The sun is always shining, except when it’s not, all people are beautiful and even those who have to work hard for their money are happy-happy. The beaches are absolutely crawling with people in the summer, and everyone is working on or near the beach and the many resorts. A happy bunch of people just enjoying the endless good weather and the beautiful surroundings.
Why a crazy, moody rich widower with two daughters and his elderly, reclusive parents would decide to settle down in a place like this is anybody’s guess. Maybe it’s because we were actually completely normal, healthy people.
There was my grandmother, the genius, the alchemist, who was clearly normal. Sure, she liked to sleep in her bathing suit during the full moon but we’ve all been there.
There was my little sister, who had lately decided that she liked books better than people and thus didn’t even care to try and make friends. Completely normal, just like me.
Me, I had seen my stepmother killed by an insane witch and her pale psycho friend, and while you might think that would fuck me up for good, I was actually just as normal as everyone else. I liked to shout at nothing sometimes, while it really was my dad I’d like to shout at, but that was normal. Right? Yeah, totally.
My granddad was the most normal of us all. While the rest of us mourned, he liked to try out new spells to try and bring back his daughter-in-law. If you’re thinking ‘Well, that’s not normal at all’, you’re just wrong. Who doesn’t have a wizard-witch-thing in the family? Well we did, and it was all normal.
Time passed and nothing really happened. Dad started working a regular job, my sister wowed everyone with her studying and no one with her social skills, Grandma and Granddad did their magic stuff. And I played the piano. I played and I made friends and grew up and changed.
And I missed her. Oh, how I missed her.
(Orestes)
Sometimes, it was like I was itching to get out. I was the one who had chosen to come to Isla Paradiso in the first place – because this was the furthest we could get from Starlight Shores – and yet I couldn’t help but wanting to solve problems the way I used to. By not solving them. It was hard getting up every day, facing Iphigenia’s tired eyes, answering Lyzzie’s questions when she asked about her mother.
Truth was, though, that I didn’t dare do it now. It wasn’t that I’d suddenly manned up and started doing the right thing, no. I was scared. I’d already lost so much that some days, getting up felt like a chore, but if I left and came back to find only dead bodies, I wouldn’t live through it. My parents and my girls were what I had left. I’d never had any other friends and we only communicated with my brother and Gally rarely. The two of them were best left out of it.
Everyone were best left out of it; I had become a pro at leaving other people out of my business and it would have stayed that way if it wasn’t for one interesting visit.
I’d sworn that we wouldn’t take anyone into our lives. The girls didn’t bring friends home. When neighbours came by, I always greeted them politely and then never contacted them again, we stayed away from the festivals.
And yet that was all thrown out the window when one redheaded woman stopped by one day.
We’d been living in the quarter for three years by then and she just waltzed up to the door, knocked and introduced herself. Around my age, red hair, pretty, and then she introduced herself: “Mariah Briar,” she said and I shook her hand and it was like time stood still for a while.
For a long while we just stood there, holding each other’s hands and I’m sure I saw just as much wonder in her eyes as I felt myself. “Orestes Ithaca,” I said, and ‘I’m really sorry I can’t invite you in but I’m so busy’ was right next in line and yet… I didn’t say it.
“Sorry,” she shook her head like she’d let her mind wander and just now come back to the real world. “But have we met before?”
“I… don’t know.”
I still hadn’t let go of her hand. Truth was, I couldn’t quite bring myself to let go, as though skin contact would bring me closer to finding out why I was so entranced by her. She finally took back her hand, smiling awkwardly. “Wow, okay, hi, yeah. Like I said, I’m Mariah Briar.”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“I’m one of the neighbours, or… well, sort of. I mean, I live down the road. Just moved in and I have a son and I thought…”
“Why don’t you come in,” I blurted.
Mariah Briar smiled warmly. “Oh, I… thanks, I can’t stay long, I’m off for work, but I’d love to.”
I let her walk in ahead of me, and I followed in a daze.
“Oh dear god, what a house!” she said as she sat down. “Sorry, but I sort of live in a container, so… Wow, I am out of my depth here. I’m really sorry to just come barging in like that. I just saw you were in and wanted to talk.”
“It’s okay. Come on, sit down.”
“I- thank you. Did I mention, I have a son? Ashton. He’s ten.”
“I have a daughter about that age.”
“I noticed, see that’s why I’m here. I thought maybe…” Her hands didn’t sit still when she were talking, she was gesturing and so alive. “What do you say we… arrange a playdate? I know that’s probably super lame and I’m the most embarrassing mother ever.”
I chuckled. “Well, aren’t parents always super lame?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Thing is, though, we just moved away from our nice home into that crappy container because my ex-husband is a bastard and… Ash, he isn’t good at making friends.”
“I know the feeling,” I said, thinking about Lysimache.
Sure, she insisted she didn’t want any friends, but sometimes she said that and there was a strange longing in her voice, like she really did want companionship.
“Oh, see that’s just… that’s perfect!” Mariah Briar let out a sigh of relief. “Do you want to plan something? It’s not like I usually go around to total strangers and ask them to have their kids play with mine, I’m just getting desperate here. He’s really lonely and it’s bugging me.”
“It’s always hard, when your life changes like that.”
“Tell me about it,” she sighed. “Oh man, I guess it would have been easier if I hadn’t spent all my money just keeping Ash with me but… Right, you don’t want to… that’s really private.”
“I’m sorry to hear all that. We were uprooted ourselves three years ago.” Was I really telling her that? Was I having casual conversation with someone? “I lost my wife and we moved away… It’s never… that sort of thing is never easy.”
“Oh, god, I had no idea. Wow, I’m… fuck, okay. I have to…” She got up from the sofa and I followed her to her feet. “I have to go to work. I work two jobs because the bastard… Okay, yeah, private again. Sorry, I have to go, but you can have my number and we can arrange for our kids to hang out.”
“That would be fantastic.”
“Brilliant.” She was just reaching out to shake my hand, but then she stopped short and said: “You know, it’s funny, I could have sworn I’ve seen you somewhere before – you look so familiar.”
“Yeah, same… I have travelled a lot but never here…”
“No, and that’s… because I’ve pretty much lived on this silly island my entire life, so there’s no way I could’ve seen you before, is there? Well... I have to go.”
“Yes, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Sure was.” She bit her lip and smiled at me. “I’ll be seeing you around, then.”
“I sure hope so.”
I said it without even thinking and her smile grew warmer. “Me, too.”
Then she dashed out the door and left me standing befuddled by the door. I was pretty sure I had just flirted with Mariah Briar and I wasn't sure what to think of that.
Author's note: Fun fact: I had, in fact, written five whole chapters of generation five. I had played up until the birth of generation six and I had photographed up until like chapter 8 of gen 5... and I hated it. The story itself wasn't bad, but I just hated the execution and so I decided to go back, move the family from the ending of gen four and start gen 5 over. Maybe you wouldn't have hated the story as much as I did, but I just couldn't with good conscience post something I loathed so much - and I didn't feel like playing the game or writing a story I was so displeased with. So yeah, I probably won't be pumping out an update a day from now on, but it'll be much more up to my standards.
So, instead, welcome to Isla Paradiso and welcome to Mariah Briar, a character whose name I can't help but keep saying over and over. Mariah Briar, Mariah Briar, Mariah Briar. I don't know why, but that name sounds so funny to me. Don't judge. Is she friend or foe? We'll just have to find out. Dun dun dun duuuuuuun *drama* ... I'm sorry I always feel compelled to ruin dramatic tension, it's so satisfying.
... Okay, shutting up now. Anyway! Hope that you'll like this gen 5, because I do feel like it's much better than what I had otherwise written.