Chapter 1.01

Hello! Author’s Note: This is my first sims 4 legacy story and I’m having lots of fun with it so far. Yay for firsts! I hope anybody who reads this enjoys. I love feedback of any kind.

Meet our Founder: Camille Thoreau

Traits: Geek, Genius, Good

Aspiration: Computer Whiz

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I looked at my small, new house in Newcrest. I’d gotten it for cheap at a foreclosure sale, and I could certainly see why. It wasn’t horribly run down, but it wasn’t much to look at, either. The inside, as I knew only from pictures, was a little worse for wear; the paint was chipped and the carpet was worn. The furniture that had come with the place wasn’t too bad; a few pieces I had brought myself. There was at least nothing growing in the toilet. The thing that had really motivated me to spend almost every penny I had on this place was the property, not the house. I was now the proud owner of the largest parcel of land in the city.

One day, I thought dreamily as I stepped into my home for the first time, I’ll build a big, gorgeous house here. The kind of house that, just maybe, my descendants could live in. Wasn’t that a neat thought? To have generations of my family living in a home that I’d worked hard to build.

That, of course, was going to take a long time. One day in the distant future, I wanted to have children, one or two maybe. But children do not fit anywhere in my “right now” plan, as I like to call it. I’m not even going to think of spawning until I’m at the height of my tech career. As long as I work hard, I should still be plenty young enough to have a few children by then. I’ll be financially stable, and I’ll be home more. It just makes sense to wait. I really don’t even want to get married until I’m at that point in my life, either. Dating, sure, why not, but live-ins are so complicated. My mother never could keep a spouse for very long. She always said she was best at relationships when they each had different addresses.

Someday, I’d like a husband or wife of my own, maybe, but one would just get in my way right now. Some would say I’m too focused, too driven, but I don’t want to spend my whole life trying to work my way up the ladder.

With a promotion already in my mind, I settled down at my computer to check my email. I had sent in an application to Rainy Day Entertainment for a starting position in support; I was hopeful that they had gotten back to me by now. I had always loved games, so what better to do with (part of) my life than become a video game developer?

We are pleased to say…read the email.

I continued reading and crowed with delight. I was the newest employee at Rainy Day Entertainment and I could start work tomorrow. I celebrated with a quick game of Sims Forever before settling in to the joys of programming. It was hard, and confusing, but I was going to get it. I wasn’t going to be like my mother who never accomplished anything or my father who seemed content to be a fry cook for the rest of his life. I was going to make it.

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I poured myself into my work. Even though I knew that it was important to have a healthy social life, most of my time was spent at my computer. Whenever I needed a break from programming, I just played Sims Forever or another game and then got back to programming. I started making some money by making plug-ins and apps. They didn’t bring in big bucks, but I had to look at it as a stepping stone. They were the stepping stones to bigger fish.

I don’t know what actually motivated me to do it, but on one of my days off, I decided to actually see some sunlight. Maybe I was just sick to death of my co-worker’s inane chatter. Whatever the reason, I wound up at Willow Creek Park. I wandered around, enjoying the fresh air and the sound of birds. I need to do this more, I thought, smiling serenely at a couple of children playing together. I want to get ahead, but I guess it’s not exactly healthy to be a basement dweller.

As I meandered, a man at one of the chess tables caught my eye. Impulsively, I sat down and asked if I could join his game, even though I knew nothing at all about chess. He smiled – he had a wonderful one, by the way – and said that he’d be delighted for me to join him.

“I’m Huy Casillas,” he introduced himself.

“Camille Thoreau.”

“That sounds French. Are you from Willow Creek? There are a lot of French descendants there, I think.”

I actually was, but that wasn’t where the name came from. “Actually, my father was from France, specifically Champs Les Sims.”

He leaned across the table, looking at me with interest. “Really? Have you ever been? I’ve never been further than Newcrest.”

I shrugged. “When I was a little girl. My parents took me to visit my grandparents. Not long after they died, my parents divorced and my father never made enough on his own to afford another trip. I do remember it was a beautiful place, though. I liked the music. There was a song my grandmother taught me…” I smiled softly and hummed a few broken bars, trying to remember the tune. “I guess it’s been too long since I thought about it. I can’t remember it now.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure learning it is a lovely memory anyway.”

We fell into talking, forgetting about the unfinished chess game in front of us. As it turned out, Huy lived with his brother and two sisters in a large house in Willow Creek, not that far from the neighborhood where I had grown up. We talked until the outdoor lights came on. When we finally parted ways, I found myself looking forward to the next time I would see him.

I tried not to bury myself quite as deeply into my work. I was rising through the lower levels of the tech world quickly; evidently, it wasn’t only obvious to me that I was meant for better things. I tried to make time to see Huy more than just on my days off. I wasn’t sure if I wanted something serious, but I did like him quite a lot and enjoyed having him in my life. He often joked that he was just a booty call, since I often asked him to come over in the evening after work and we inevitably fell into bed. I would just laugh it off and remind him of the crazy hours I had. To myself, I would admit that it was kind of nice to know that he’d come over whenever I called and that I could count on a bit of woohoo when that happened.

We were on one of our rare, real dates at Rattlesnake Juice when I happened to catch the eye of a really cute red-headed woman. When Huy excused himself to the bathroom, I couldn’t resist starting up a conversation with her, so I slid onto a chair beside her.

“Can I get you a drink?”

She laughed quietly as she faced me. “That’s original.”

“I prefer to think of it as reliable.” I grinned. “So, how about that drink?”

The waitress set a glass down in front of her and she raised it up, tilting it slightly towards me. “I have one, but thanks.” I thought that was going to be the end of things, shut down hard, but she smiled at me instead. “I’m Shirley.”

I returned her smile. “Camille.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Huy returning to our table, so I quickly rummaged in my pocket for a pen and wrote my number on Shirley’s napkin. “I’ve got to get home – work in the morning. But I’d like it if you’d call me sometime.”

She looked at the napkin and slowly put her hand on it and slid it towards herself. “I might just do that.”

I smiled as I made my way back to Huy and hustled him out of the bar, excusing our quick exit much the same as I just had to Shirley.

Back at my house, alone in my living room, I felt appalled at my behavior. I hadnever cheated on one of my partners before. What in Watcher’s name had possessed me? I cared about Huy, even if I wasn’t in love with him. He was a good man who didn’t deserve to be cheated on. And I’m sure that Shirley wouldn’t want to be the “other woman.” And yet…I really wanted to get to know her. In a more-than-friendly sense. And I also wanted to keep seeing Huy.

What a mess.