2. I came from humble origins. The single son of a single,
Knowledge-oriented mother, I was kept comfortable and well-
educated—but also isolated. Secrets surrounded me from birth.
Secrets of my father from me; secrets of my very existence from
the neighborhood.
I spend my early years in my mother’s basement. This wasn’t a
time when basements were common; it was designed and
implemented specially for me. I painted beautiful landscapes;
most of them were hung in the kitchen.
Sunlight and other children were both foreign things to me. I
knew of them, of course; I could read from an early age. But
reading and experiencing are two very different things.
3. ....and then it all goes blank.
I don’t know what I did as a teenager. Was I a horrible jerk? Did I
save the island from some foe? Did I ever leave the basement I was
raised in?
The answer is that I have no idea. Though I am a Family Sim, I was
raised in a house of knowledge. The knowledge that there is no
knowledge is a thought that still frightens me day in and day out.
I may not know who I was as a young man, but I know the man I am
today has made some grievous mistakes; or so it seems to me.
4. My first adult memory is of a woman. My
wife, Sasha; a Family Sim like me.
The most concerning part is being unable to
remember the wedding. All of a sudden—boom.
I have a wife. It concerned me. I couldn’t handle
it.
We talked. I explained. I don’t know if she
understood; but I couldn’t do it. A wife was not
something I could handle coming out of darkness
with only childhood memories.
5. I went on a journey of self-discovery. I didn’t get far; perhaps
half a mile down the road. I stumbled upon a local Casanova
of sorts; an enchanting young woman with a young child and
another on the way.
I wish fervently, to this day, that I had been able to stay
content and not leave Sasha; this was my first mistake. I
became involved, however insignificantly, with Linder
Phantasma. I didn’t care about the children that weren’t mine.
I loved all children. I didn’t care that a Romance Sim and a
Family Sim make a terrible match.
Her father cared. Erik Phantasma saw me for what I was when
both of us had missed it. Perhaps I should say OUR father—
I was identified as the fifth Phantasma child; an accident with
another woman.
6. My self-discovery had revealed the worst. I could
not bear to venture further, lest I find still more
harmful truths, and returned to Sasha.
Home once more, I was presented with the dearest
dream of every Family Sim; Sasha was to bear my
spawn. The time was too soon; I had fathered the
child during the Black Time, but it was mine just the
same.
I accepted my life. I happily took to the woman
who claimed me as her husband and father of a
child. In a choice between blissful ignorance and
the gruesome truth I had discovered haunting the
island, I chose bliss.
7. I was blessed with twin baby girls, who I
named Ruby andTina. I wish I could say
that they have my deep blue eyes and black
hair, but Sasha looks the same. Sometimes I
worry, but I never question—Sasha is the best
thing that ever happened to me; I do not wish
to discover another sister in that way.
Ruby andTina grew to be lovely little girls,
nearly identical, but not quite. I doted over
them—what more is a Family Sim to do?
8. In due course, another child graced my home; a
baby girl named Chrysanthemum. She resembled
her sisters very closely; with black hair, dark blue
eyes, and a curiosity for life.
Ruby andTina, meanwhile, grew into charming
young ladies who were quite inseparable. If you
didn’t look closely at who squinted ever so slightly
more, it would be difficult to tell them apart—
particularly as they had a habit of switching clothes.
I delighted in my family, worried ever so slightly less
with each passing day about my mysterious past.
9. As a special treat for the girls, the family adopted a
lovely Corgi by the name of Carli. She proceeded to
give birth to four puppies; Cassie, Kinky, Kirby, and
Sonic. Kinky was given to the mailman as a gift,
Kirby to a local friendly shopkeeper. Sonic and
Cassie were kept for the benefit of the children.
It was certainly a busy household, in more ways than
one. Sasha was expecting again, and we were eagerly
awaiting a new little one. I was personally beginning
to hope for a son; daughters were all well and good,
but I needed someone to pass on the name if my
daughters were to be married like proper ladies.
10. I was quite as surprised as anyone when Sasha gave
birth to not one, as could be expected, or even two, as
I had learned was possible—but four. Quadruplets,
one after the other, were laid in my arms. Among
them was the son I had wished for; Merlin—and his
three sisters, Minerva, Tarla, and Sabrina.
For the first time in my life, I was frightened by
children. Raising twins had been a delightful
challenge, and Chrysanthemum like a breath of fresh
air. Now my family had just doubled in one shot,
and I was beginning to panic.
11. I need not have panicked. Ruby andTina, both
sensible Knowledge, were quite large, and
Chrysanthemum could at the very least take care of
herself. I had hoped my firstborn girls could bring
themselves to stay and help with their new siblings,
but their interests lay more in the stars than in infant
siblings.
I sent them to college with my blessing, and I will
admit a few tears. They were not the first to be
accepted to Phantasma University—the college of
the family that claimed to by mine—but still they
went.
12. My littlest children grew up most admirably in the colorful
basement; enjoying the knowledge-rich isolation of my own
childhood with the additional company of each other. I admit I
spent rather too much time in that basement; enough to quite
neglect Chrysanthemum.
Ruby andTina did not call often. I kept waiting for them to
graduate, get married, present me with grandchildren with the
characteristic blue eyes and black hair. Not a peep; merely
“Father, I have discovered a new star”, and “Father, I have written
an excellent critical essay”. I wanted so much to hear the words
“Daddy, I’m engaged”, but no call came.
No matter. Five more at home to call their father and bring
home beautiful children. Four that I paid any attention to.
13. Chrysanthemum, without my supervision, grew into
a lovely young lady and began to make friends. The
men and women I knew vaguely to be my siblings
had done as I had; begun raising impressive families.
Cousins abounded for Chrysanthemum to socialize
with.
I spent too long in the basement. Chrysanthemum
didn’t know my history. She didn’t know that these
friends of hers were related. I couldn’t worry too
much; not only was I busy, but I knew from Sasha
that the ones she spoke of the most were young
ladies.
14. Perhaps I should have worried more.
Chrysanthemum went against everything any self-
respecting Family Sim would ever do—I realize that
she is Popularity, but perhaps if I had chosen to raise
her instead of Merlin and the girls, this would not
have happened.
She got involved.
A cousin. A close cousin; the daughter of Linder
Phantasma, the beginning and the end of my search
for myself.
A daughter.
15. I was bid a swift good-bye as, without warning,
Chrysanthemum ran away to college with her cousin
Ariana*. Sasha looked at me with dark eyes, and told
me that they had more than a friendship.
I worried. I hoped Chrysanthemum might fare better
than her sisters—both doctors, and both single.
Perhaps I could still get that call.
I returned to the nursery. My son needed my
guidance if he was to become the first proper child in
the family. I tried not to dwell on my three oldest
daughters, who were not the daughters I had wanted.
*You’re not crazy—I haven’t mentioned Ariana yet. She’s Linder’s eighth child.
16. I finally got the call.
“Daddy, I’m engaged.”
“Who’s the lucky suitor?”
“Ariana.”
“That’s wonderful. Just promise me one thing,
though, all right?”
“Anything, Daddy.”
“Bring home a grandchild for me.”
“Of course I will.”
I was as happy as I could me. The child might even
be mine by blood—there had been more to that
conversation. Ruby andTina were doctors—if
anyone could help, it would be them.
17. This is where I stand. I have a shady past and seven children. My twins are
doctors, helping those in need of it. My single child, my beautiful
Chrysanthemum, is due to be married to her first cousin Ariana. My four
youngest; my darling son Merlin and his three sisters, are still in the nursery.
Perhaps I will forget again. Sometimes I wish I could. I should have a
dozen grandbabies by now; sometimes I think it would be easiest to start
again. Then I think of my son and the girls I have yet to give a chance—
they deserve a father.
I will be that father. The best father I can be.
18. Technical Notes by Phantom
Noah has very nasty memory issues. He became badly glitched and
spent most of his teenage years in and out of existence. He literally has no
idea who he is or who he’s related to.
The quads are not true quads. I don’t play hacked; they’re two sets
of twins accelerated to be born the same day. Tarla and Sabrina are twins;
so are Minerva and Merlin. Ruby and Tina also moved out of the house
before they were born.
Chysanthemum got plastic-surgeried in college, as did Ruby and
Tina. Noah got the short end of the stick when it comes to looks, and I
couldn’t handle his genetics on innocent young ladies. They will look a bit
different in adult scenes.
Join the Phantasma family for their next chapter, coming soon.
