Jeremy Casson - An Architectural and Historical Journey Around Europe
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The Gestalt Legacy 1.3
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2. Thanks for reading Chapter 1.3 of the Gestalt Legacy! During the last chapter, Amarante and Jeremy were married, Nicholas grew up, and some shady characters are (still) interested in Amarante. From here on out, I do highly suggest reading the previous chapters, as things will become complicated in short order. ï
3. âAnyone?â Marissa Cleveland demanded of the group in front of her.âOr have our efforts to draw out Gestaltâs potential power amounted to nothing? Geoff, Iâm looking at you in particular.â
4. At the sound of his name, Geoff Rutherford broke out in a cold sweat. âI know I screwed up when I approached her, but I did get close enough to confirm your suspicions. Sheâs one of us, or at least thatâs what her aura suggests. But she claimed that she had no idea what I was talking about when I brought it up, and her aura didnât shift to yellow when she did soâso at least she believes she was telling the truth.â
5. With a condescending glance, Marissaâs husband Jason turned towards his failure of a brother-in-law. âWe know what a yellow aura signifies, Geoff,â he drawled. âBut there are some in this world who are powerful enough to change their auras as they see fit. StillâŠthere is no evidence sheâs done any work in some time, if Iâm correct.â
6. âYou are, Jason,â Marissa confirmed as she walked towards her husband. âWhich brings up another issue. If she had masked her aura, it would have to leave at least some evidenceâbut thereâs nothing to suggest any sort of willworking done outside of Belladonna Cove.â
7. Though he hadnât planned on speaking up during his parentâs meeting, Justin Cleveland couldnât help but point out the obvious faults in his eldersâ reasoning. âSo let me get this straight. She is a willworker, but sheâs not lying when she says she isnât? And even though she could, possibly, trick Uncle Geoff to think sheâs telling the truth, we know she didnât?â âAnd thereâs another problem,â Isabel Baldwin piped in. âIf sheâs powerful enough to change her aura to make it seem like sheâs not lying, wouldnât she also be powerful enough to make herself look like a sleeper?â
8. âNo,â Connor Weir confirmed. âNo matter what power sheâs got access to, she canât mask the essence of her beingânothing can. The hows and whys of her situation notwithstanding, we can be sure of one thing: Amarante Gestalt is a Mage.â âSee!â Geoff gleefully exclaimed. âI told you guys I didnât screw up!â
9. âYes, yes. Despite letting our target know sheâs being watched, and probably turning her against us in the process, you did well Geoff,â Jason seethed. âTo be honest,â Marissa considered, âIâm surprised our little plot in the park didnât work. A werewolfâs true form inspires intense fear in even the strongest of creatures, but Gestalt didnât throw up so much as a protective screen.â
10. âIt could be that sheâs unable to do magic at the moment. Though it wouldnât explain why she believes she isnât a Mage, it could explain her unwillingness to deal with us,â Connor wondered aloud.
11. âWait a minute,â Isabel countered. âWhy would she be unable to do magic?â âYeah,â Justin agreed. âItâs not like we can just quit being what we are.â
12. Marissa considered her options carefully. As the leader of her cabal and the most powerful Mage in Sim City County, she had dedicated her life to controlling and manipulating the local Mage population, bending most to the will of her masters and disposing of the rest. Amarante Gestalt could potentially prove to be an allyâor a pest that needed eradicating. âEnough speculation,â she demanded. âUntil we are assured otherwise, we can still consider Gestalt a potential ally. Isabel, continue to use your husbandâs resources to ensure our continued surveillance, understood?â
14. Marissa turned to her husband. âIâll put together a new course of action, but in the meantime, Iâm putting you in charge of weakening her resistance.â âMy pleasure, dear.â âAs for the rest of you, weâre done here.â
15. âHoney?â Amarante called to her husband across their newly blanketed lawn. âIâve been thinking, and Iâm wondering if we should renovate the house before the baby is born. Nicholasâ room is already so small, I donât want to make him share it with a new brother or sister.â
16. Jeremy turned his attention away from his new painting and considered his wifeâs proposal. âConsidering how well weâve been promoted over the past few months, I think we could afford it. What do you think, Nick?â
17. âI donât mind sharing my room Daddy,â Nicholas replied, not taking his eyes off of his telescope. âBut if we make the house bigger, can I get a chess table?â
18. Amarante smiled to herself. What a sweetheart. But I hope heâs able to stand up for himself when he grows up. âDonât worry sweetie, weâll get you a set first thing.â
19. After the renovations were complete, the grey walls and weathered wood that characterized 95 Woodland Drive were no more. With the addition of a second story, the foyer was considerably less crowded.
24. In preparation for their soon-to-be increased family, the Gestalts decided to add a new bathroom,
25. Though the new nursery was the biggest sign of the new baby.
26. Once the house was completed, Nicholas celebrated by inviting his two best friends over to play. âMommy? Can Christopher and Anthony stay the night tonight? I promise weâll be good!â *I know thereâs a discrepancy in some of these shots regarding the house makeover, not sure how that happened exactly
27. âThatâs fine with me, just be careful outside, ok? Itâs still cold outside.â
29. The boys played for hours outside, moving from snowmen to snowball fights. Though the three were the best of friends, the fight eventually turned into twins vs. Nicholas.
30. Though he put on a valiant effort, even the strongest of boys can only play for so long. After a long day, Nicholas and his friends changed into their jammies and moved inside.
31. âHow come we never get to play at your guysâ house Anthony?â Nicholas asked his friend as they settled down for the night. âIsnât your house really big? I bet we could find a bunch of cool stuff in the attic and the basement and stuff. We could probably even meet some ghosts!â
32. The more outgoing twin suddenly closed up at his friendâs question. âWe arenât allowed to have friends over.â âBut why?â Nicholas asked. ââŠ.Why? Because we arenât allowed.â Nicholas was confused by Anthonyâs refusal to elaborate. Normally, neither Nicholas nor Christopher could manage to get him to shut up, but now he wouldnât even answer a question. Is he mad at me? he worried.
33. âGrandpa says we arenât allowed to have friends over, thatâs all,â Christopher smiled. âBut didnât your grandpa say why?â Nicholas wondered. Christopherâs friendly expression faltered for a moment. âUmâŠyeah. Iâm sure he did, I just donât remember,â he explained, instantly regaining his nearly permanent smile.
34. âWe can still have fun here though, right?â Anthony asked with a hopeful glance. âOf course!â Nicholas assured his friend. âHey, do you guys wanna sleep in our tent? Itâs kinda cold, but we could bring a heater with us!â âYeah! Last one there has to sleep in the dirt!â
36. The next night, a familiar pain interrupted Amaranteâs musical efforts. âJeremy? I think you might want to get up here!â
37. Within seconds, Jeremy raced upstairs to witness the birth of his second child; an impressive effort made even more so by the fact that he had been using the telescope outside when he heard his wifeâs call. âDid I⊠miss⊠anything?â he asked between breaths.
38. âNot at all,â Amarante answered as she gazed into the eyes of their new baby boy. âIn factâŠâ
41. Luckily, Amarante and Jeremy showed great foresight in specifically designing the new nursery big enough to hold more than one child. âWhat you do think we should name them?â Jeremy asked as they looked down on their twin boys. âWell,â Amarante thought carefully. âWe had already planned on Samuel if we had a boy, and Arianne for a girl. So why not Samuel andâŠAaron?â âThat sounds perfect.â
42. As thrilled as his parents were at the new additions to their family, Nicholas was just as excited to meet his little brothers. âHi little guys. My name is Nicholas, and Iâm your big brother, so from now on Iâm gonna take care of you, ok? So be good babies, and hurry up and grow up so we can play!â
43. In both looks and temperament, Samuel Gestalt took after his father. Even more easygoing than his older brother at that age, Samuel rarely cried, even when he was hungry or ready for a diaper change. Somewhat uncommon for a baby, Samuel was rarely found without a smile on his face.
44. Of the newborns, Aaron was definitely the fussier. To Amarante, it seemed like the second she finished feeding him, he would need to be changed, or held, or simply decided to cry just because he felt like it. That didnât make either of his parents love him any less, of course. He just proved to be anâŠinteresting contrast to his brothers. At times, Jeremy believed that Aaron inherited his nervous temperament from his motherâthough he was smart enough not to bring that up.
45. âIâve been considering it a lot, and with my workload finally winding down,â Amarante brought up during lunch one afternoon. âWouldnât it be nice to have another baby? We could always try for another girl.â
47. âSo thatâs a no?â âBabe, the twinsâ birthdays are tomorrow,â Jeremy pointed out. âDo you really want to try and raise two toddlers while youâre pregnant? And then, raise another toddler as soon as Sam and Aaron have grown up?â âI think more brothers and sisters would be fun! Pretty soon, we could have our own soccer team with just our family, and I could be the captain!â Nicholas cheerfully disagreed. âPoint taken.â
48. The next day, the Gestalts gathered in the dining room to celebrate two important birthdays. On the count of three, Amarante and Jeremy simultaneously blew out the candles on their sonsâ cakes.
49. Unsurprisingly, the twins grew to look even more like their parents as they aged up, however Amarante decided the matching outfits were a bit much.
50. Unlike Nicholas, who inherited a mixture of his parentâs looks, Samuel (on the left) and Aaron (on the right), looked almost like little clones of their father and mother, respectively. Though he lacked his fatherâs blond hair, Samuel had his fatherâs blue eyes and wide, relatively thin mouth. With the exception of his gender, Aaron looked almost exactly like his mother, down to his grey eyes and fuller mouth.
51. Hoping to replicate their success in teaching Nicholas all of his toddler skills in one night, Amarante and Jeremy quickly began teaching the boys to talk. Unfortunately, the twins were less cooperative. âCome on, honeyâ Amarante pleaded with Aaron. âSay âMama.ââ ââŠâŠâ âMaaamaaa...you can do it Aaron, donât be shy.â ââŠâŠ.uh uh.â
52. âCalm down, little man!â Jeremy laughed as he watched Samuel giggle endlessly. âCan you say, âDada?â âHehehehe, wanna play!â
53. Aaron Gestalt was not a particularly shy boy, though he did prefer to do things on his terms, even for a toddler. Aaron much preferred quiet activities such as reading and playing with blocks to more active pursuits, and did not hesitate to demand stories from his parentsâat all hours, even the middle of the night, and even on nights when Mommy had to get up early the next morning. While his behavior may seem demanding (perhaps rightfully so), Aaron simply loved spending time with his family: especially his mother.
54. Samuel, on the other hand, enjoyed playing alone as much as he did with his brothers. He didnât enjoy more complex games like building castles with blocks or trying to read the books his parents bought him, but like his mother he loved making music with his xylophone.
55. And as much as his twin brother was calm, Samuel constantly searched for stimulation and physical activityâinvolving his father, if at all possible.
56. But without a doubt, both Aaron and Samuelâs best friend was their older brother.
57. Although his parents naturally focused more of their attention on his younger brothers, Nicholas remained the cheerful, friendly boy he always was. Indeed, the fact that his parents couldnât spend all their time on him forced Nicholas to discover different interestsâleading him to become something of a junior renaissance sim.
58. With all the commotion inherent in raising 3 children, Nicholas, Samuel, and Aaronâs shared birthday seemed to come much sooner than anyone expected. I wonder what I should wish for? Nicholas considered as he prepared to blow out his candles. Just being older would be fun, cause then Iâd finally catch up with Anthony and Christopher! HmmâŠI guess Iâll just wish to always be able to look after my baby brothers.
59. âWow! I guess that wasnât so bad, was it? It doesnât really seem like anything changed!â To no oneâs surprise, Nicholas continued his love of learning and natural curiosity by rolling the knowledge aspiration and the Media Magnate lifetime want.
60. âReady boys?â Though Samuel and Aaron werenât entirely sure what was going on, the smiles on their parentâs faces were all the confirmation they needed. â1, 2, 3âŠ!â
62. Once thebirthday boys finished aging, each party guest got down to having fun. âBam bam! You canât hide from me, criminal!â Officer Aaron proclaimed to the noted hoodlum, Sammy the Kid. âBut I donât wanna be the bad guy!â
63. After joy was had and cake was eaten, Nicholas rounded up Officers Aaron and Samuel (as neither would agree to be the bad guy), and tucked them in for the night. âNight, little man,â Nicholas whispered as Samuel immediately conked out. *YAWN* Oh man, I guess I gotta get to bed too. Unfortunately for him, Nicholas wouldnât get much sleep that nightâŠ
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75. âWhaâŠ? What the hell was that?!â Nicholas cried as he jumped out of bed. Nicholas had nightmares like everyone else, but unlike the nightmares every child dealt with at some time in their life, the intensity and lucidity of the dream that shook Nicholas awake were like nothing he had ever experienced.
77. âHmm? Nicholas? What is it?â Jeremy asked through half-closed eyes. At the sound of her sonâs panicked voice, Amarante immediately sprung to her feet.
78. âNicky, what happened?â Amarante asked with an equally panicked tone. âI..I donât know. I went to sleep, and thenâŠthere was this girl. I...I donât know what was going on, but it looked like something really horrible happened, and she was so scaredâŠâ
79. âHold on,â Amarante held up her hands in an effort to get her sonâs attention. âWhat girl? Did someone break in?â Slightly calmed down now that the vision had passed, Nicholas stared at his mother quizzically. âNo, itâs not a real girl, at least thereâs not a girl here. I hadâŠa vision? Maybe? I saw a girl walk up some stairs, and then there was this big group of people that wanted to kill her with a big knifeâŠor kill someone at least, Iâm not sure.â StairsâŠand a knife? As she listened to her son explain his dream, Amarante couldnât help but feel a passing sensation ofâŠsomething. She couldnât tell what.
80. Jeremy placed his hand on Nicholasâ shoulder and gently turned him around. âSon, calm down. You just had a nightmare, itâs ok. Youâre awake now, nothing happened.â
81. âBut it seemed so real,â Nicholas insisted with an uncertain frown.
82. âHey, like I said, itâs ok now,â Jeremy comforted Nicholas as he pulled his son into a hug. âYou just grew up, and I bet the stress is causing some weird stuff to go on in your head. But youâre safe, so donât worry.â ââŠI guess youâre right. Thanks Dad.â Calmed down by his fatherâs encouragement, Nicholas headed back to his room.
83. Amarante was less convinced. âJeremy, Nicholasâ vision sounded awfulâwhat could have caused him to see someone about to be murdered?â Jeremy stared at his wife incredulously. âHis âvision?â Babe, come on: it was a nightmare. He didnât âseeâ anything. Like I said, heâs probably just stressed out over becoming a teenager.â âSince when does Nicky get stressed out over anything? I know it sounds strange but I really do think somethingâs wrong.â
84. Jeremy pulled his wife into a kiss. âI can see youâre worried, but even if there was anything weird about Nickâs dream, thereâs not much we could do about it right now, is there?â Recognizing the sense Jeremy was making, Amarante agreed.
85. By the next morning, if Nicholas felt any lingering unease about the night before, he wasnât about to show it in front of his brothers. But stillâŠwhy canât I get that nightmare out of my head? he thought to himself as he ignored his breakfast. âHey Nicholas? Could you help Aaron and me learn how to play soccer today? We want to get really good before our first day of school!â Samuel asked, jerking Nicholas out of his thoughts. âSure thing, let me just get dressed and weâll head out, ok?â âAwesome! Come on, Aaron, letâs go get our cool new uniforms!â ââŠokâ
86. âAw, good try! Next time, try and focus on the direction Samâs feet are going right as he kicks the ballâthat way, itâs easier to spot which part of the goal you need to move towards when he kicks.â
87. Amarante smiled as she watched her boys play. Yet as much as she tried to focus on them, Amaranteâs mind wandered back to Nicholasâ dream. Why am I so bothered by Nicholasâ nightmare? Jeremyâs right, there could be any number of reasons why it happened. But something Nicholas saidâŠitâs like every time I remember the way he described his dream, I feel like Iâm missing something.
88. As she pondered what the significance of âa girl, some stairs, a big group and a knifeâ could be, realization sunk in. Maybe something in the way Nicholasâ described what he saw somehow reminds me of the memories Iâm missing! God, with everythingâs that happened, I hadnât even thought about why I left home in years! âHey Mom! Watch me make this goal!â Aaron yelled across the lawn. âI am honey, go ahead!â Amarante replied. I think itâs time I told Jeremy about my life before we met, she assured herself. I hope he isnât mad Iâve waited so longâŠ
89. After they managed to wrangle the twins into bed after dinner, and Amarante was sure Nicholas was busy using the telescope, she and Jeremy settled down upstairs. âYou know,â Jeremy proposed in an obviously affected voice, âI think I can come up with a few ways to spend the rest of the night, if you know what I meanâŠâ âJeremy, we need to talk.â
90. âI, wait, what? What did I do?â âOh, sweetie, you didnât do anything,â Amarante assured her husband. âNo, I just wanted to talk a little about my past, if you want to listen.â Relieved, Jeremy guaranteed his wife he would love to listen. âBut this is a little sudden, isnât it? Youâve never wanted to talk about your family or anything before, so whatâs changed?â
91. Amarante paused, reluctant even now to describe her situation. âWell, you know I spent most of my teenage years in foster care, right?â Jeremy narrowed his eyes at the thought of his wife in pain. âYeah, I do.â âBut I never told you why, exactly. The truth isâŠGod, this sounds so stupid before I even say it, I know.â Amarante sighed. âThe truth is, I canât remember why I left home in the first place.â
92. Jeremyâs eyes widened in shock. âYou donât remember? Like, you have amnesia?â âI guess, that seems like the only explanation. But, and I know this sounds crazy, I think the reason why Nicholasâ nightmare affected me like it did was that it reminded me of what happened. I mean, I donât remember anything specific, something in the way he spoke about his dream makes me feel like Iâm trying to relive a part of my past.â
93. âThat sounds really dumb, doesnât it?â âNo, not really.â Jeremy reflected on Amaranteâs confession. âItâs a lot to take in, but itâs not like Iâm an expert on the inner workings of anyoneâs mind.â âSo you donât think Iâm crazy, or some kind of freak?â
95. âOk guys, letâs get started on some drills. Tina, you be the goalie for now, and I want the rest of you to take turns shooting. Aaron, youâre first up.â Due to their brotherâs excellent training, Aaron and Samuel quickly rose to the top of PleasantviewElementaryâs soccer team, the Shooting Stars. Somehow or another, the boys convinced Nicholas to serve as the assistant coach on the weekends, and today was their first practice.
96. âGo Aaron! I know youâll make the shot!â Lucy Burb giggled. Though not as naturally athletically gifted as Samuel, Aaron was easily the most dedicated player on the team. Dedication that, combined with his natural stoicism and natural good looks, made him quite popular among the girls at school.
97. âEW!â Samuel yelled from across the field. âMom, Dad! Donât be so gross in public!â âFocus on the game, boys!â
98. âUgh, pathetic,â Jason muttered to himself. âSo wrapped up in each other they havenât even noticed Iâm here. This is the girl Marissaâs so concerned with? I could kill her right now and be done with it.â
99. But if you did that, you know youâd be next, darling. Jason jumped at his wifeâs sudden presence in his mind. Just wishful thinking, my dear,â he replied through their psychic connection. Rolling his eyes, Jason made a slashing gesture with his right arm, and whispered a few incomprehensible words. Itâs done Marissa, he confirmed as he quickly made his way out of the park.
100. âNicholas? I wanna go nex--*COUGH*â Nicholas turned at the sound of his brotherâs voice. âSam, youâve all gotta take turns, it wonât be much longerâŠhey, are you ok?â âI canât--*COUGH COUGH* breathe! Daddy?!â
107. After 3 agonizing hours, the barrage of tests the ER doctor ordered concluded. Though his coughing had subsided, Samuel was understandably exhausted by the ordeal. Consumed with worry over Samuelâs health, no one spoke as they waited for the results to arrive.
108. Consumed with worry over Samuelâs health, no one spoke as they waited for the results to arrive. Fortunately, the sound of an opening door eventually broke the uneasy silence.
109. âI donât mean to interrupt, but I have the results of your sonâs tests, Mr. and Mrs. Gestalt,â Dr. Samantha Cordial cautiously offered.
110. âThe woman from the concert? But why are you here?â Amarante quaked. âYou didnât have something to do with this, did you?â Jeremy angrily demanded.
111. Samantha spoke frankly. âIâm here because Iâm a resident at Mercy Hospital, and no, of course I had nothing to do with this.â Ashamed by his unfounded accusation, Jeremy backed off. âIâm sorry, I had no reason to think you were. Itâs justâŠâ A small smile formed on Samanthaâs lips. âThis must be devastating, I understand.â âWhat can you tell us about Samuel?â Amarante insisted. âThe good news is, he doesnât seem to be in any danger. But Iâd like to speak to you and your husband privately, if thatâs alright.â
112. Amarante turned to her eldest son. âNicholas, would you mind keeping an eye on the twins for a while?â âYeah Mom, of course.â
113. Samantha led the group to a quiet corner of the hospitalâs cafeteria. âAlright, weâre alone,â Jeremy pointed out. âNow what is it thatâs wrong with our son?â Samantha considered her words carefully. âThe answer to that is complicated, and honestly a little hard to believe.â âPleaseâŠâ Amaranteâs voice wavered. âJust tell us.â
114. Samantha took a deep breath. âAccording to the tests, thereâs nothing wrong with him. However, I have reason to believe that Samuel was the victim of an attack by someone who wanted to send you a message.â Amarante and Jeremy stared at the woman across from them. âWhat are you talking about?â Jeremy demanded. âLike I said, I know this is hard to believe, but please, bear with me. My friends and I have been observing Amarante for quite some time, and we believe she possess some sort of latent magical abilityâin other words, youâre a Mage.â
115. âThatâs insane!â Amarante cried, earning the attention of some of the other diners. âYouâre speaking nonsense.â Samantha raised her hands in what was supposed to be a soothing gesture. âPlease, keep your voice down!â she whispered. âI know it sounds a bit âout-there,â and this isnât an ideal place to reveal it to you, but I promise you, Iâm telling the truth.
116. âBabe, letâs hear her out,â Jeremy interjected. âBut thereâs no way Iâm some kind of magician or wizard, orâŠwhatever!â âI know how it sounds, but if I remember correctly, thereâs some parts of your life that sound a little unbelievable too, right? So letâs give her a chance.â Amarante leaned back into her seat, a suspicious glare lingering in her eyes. âIf this will help Samuel some how, then Iâll listen.â
117. âThank you.â Samantha cleared her throat before continuing. âAccording to our traditions, thousands of years before recorded history, humanity existed in a near utopia, and everyone possessed some sort of control over the world around them. But then, for whatever reason, some cataclysmic event occurred that not only wiped out the present civilization, but also cut off humanityâs access to that control. For the most part, humans remain cut off. âHowever, a small part of humanity is able to regain the power our ancestors lost. We call ourselves âawakenedâ to the supernal world, and ânormalâ humans are âsleepers.â Some scholars believe that everyone possesses the potential to awaken, while others think awakening depends on any number of factors. And while each mage is unique, we all share one power: we can recognize other mages. And even though you claim you have no idea what Iâm talking about, I can tell, as clear as day, that youâve awakened.â
118. âIâm not lying!â Amarante insisted. âI know, and thatâs the confusing part,â Samantha assured her. âSome of us can read othersâ auras, and yoursâ tells us that youâre telling the truth. Unfortunately, that hasnât stopped the Seers of the Throne from taking an interest in you.â Before Amarante could respond, Jeremy butted in. âWhoâs got an interest in my wife?!â
119. âThe Seers of the Throne,â Samantha answered with a grim smile. âLike any âsupernaturalâ group, we Mages generally form our own societal and governmental institutions to deal with our unique concerns. The Seers of the Throne are an extremely wide-reaching cult that refuses to abide by our societyâs rules. They believe that, by controlling humanity and amassing huge amounts of wealth and power, they are honoring their masters: the Exarchs, who supposedly caused the fall of the utopia.â Samanthaâs smile faltered. âUsually, the Seers and the Hierarchy, which is what we call our society, clash--but donât necessarily engage in all out war. However,â Samantha continued with a sad voice, âabout 15 years ago, a woman named Marissa Cleveland took control of the local Seer cabal. With power no one knew they possessed, the group proceeded to massacre every Mage who refused to join them. Now, only a few of the Hierarchy remain, and weâre forced to hide our power. Since youâre obviously new in town, we think Marissa is still trying to get a feel for youâbut sooner or later, sheâll recruit you.â
120. âMarissa Cleveland?...Oh my God, I know her! Or sheâs introduced herself to me at least.â Amarante shuddered at the memory. âBut I donât have any powerâŠand that doesnât explain why she would send someone to hurt my son.â A thoughtful expression crossed over Samanthaâs face. âMages typically awaken in times of great stress or anguish, so she may have ordered the attack hoping you would expose yourself. But stillâŠI donât know what could be blocking your powers, but considered how sheâs dealt with Mages in the past, I doubt whatever it is will stop her from trying to neutralize you.â âBut there must be something I can do!â Amarante cried, nearly consumed with fear over the threat this group posed to her family. âHow does your group stay hidden?â
121. Samantha laughed. âMarissa Cleveland may be powerful, but sheâs a Morosâwhich is one of the five types of Mages.â Samantha chuckled. âI keep forgetting you donât know anything about us! But yeah, each Mage assumes a path at the time of their awakening, and each path is better at some kinds of magic, and worse at others. Morosâ are basically crap at spirit magic, which is the branch that allows a Mage to, among other things, read auras.â Samantha smiled proudly. âAs far as we know, only a few of their group knows any spirit magic, and none of them are as good as our Mastigosâthe path thatâs best at Mind manipulation. She can alter their perceptions to a degree, but since they already know you, thereâs not much we can do in that area.â âBut donât worry!â Samantha assured the couple. âWeâve got someone on the inside, and through them weâre working on sabotaging the Seersâ plans.â A loud beeping sound interrupted their conversation.
122. âAw, crap,â Samantha grimaced. Iâve gotta go, but Iâm leaving some contact information. Weâre willing to help, but only if you agree to work with us on figuring out whatâs keeping you from using your powersâwe want to be sure you donât accidently hurt yourself or anyone else. If youâre interested, let us know.â With that, Samantha hurried towards her next patients. As she left, Amarante and Jeremy turned towards each other. âWell, Iâm slightly confused, what about you?â Jeremy joked to his wife. âMe too. Letâs go get the boys; we can try and figure this out at home.â
123. Upstairs, Aaron and Nicholas discussed their own problems. âIâm not even worried about it, Samuelâs going to be fine, so itâs not like Iâm worriedâŠor anythingâŠâ Aaron insisted, though a slight tremble in his voice betrayed his tough assertion.
124. Nicholas looked into his younger brotherâs eyes. Poor kid, he thought to himself. Heâs taking this a lot harder than anyone else, I bet.âI know Samuelâs gonna be ok, but itâs also ok to be a little scared. I know I was before the doctor told us he was fineâ
125. Before Aaron could vigorously deny he was ever scared, a loud yawn interrupted him. âHey guys,â Samuel greeted his brothers sleepily. âWhere are we?â
126. As Samuel climbed out of bed, Amarante and Jeremy made their way to the 5th story suite. âYou ready to go home, big guy?â Jeremy asked Samuel. Samuel rubbed his eyes as he tried to shake off the lingering effects of his nap. âUm, yeah. Letâs go home, ok?â âAlright boys, the Doctor said we could leave, so letâs head home.â
127. Though the accident put the entire Gestalt family on edge, one event gave everyone permission to let loose. While Amarante insisted that the party be a small, family affair, that didnât stop the birthday boys from enjoying the (relatively quiet) festivities.
128. âAlright!â Samuel exclaimed once the confetti and lights died down. âMe and Aaron are going out for a joyride, be back later Mom!â âABSOLUTELY NOT!â Amarante emphatically replied. âPlus, we donât even have a car, Samuelâ Aaron pointed out. âPshawâŠI swear, youâre so much like Mom, itâs not even funny,â Samuel muttered under his breath.
129. Bolstered by Samanthaâs still-hidden groupâs efforts, Nicholas, Samuel, and Aaronâs teenage years were remarkable in their unremarkability*. Nicholas continued to pursue knowledge in all itâs forms. *I donât think this is a real wordâŠ
130. Aaron rolled the âBecome a Visionaryâ lifetime want, and as such spent a great deal of his time at the various museums of Sim City County. While some of his less sophisticated classmates didnât understand Aaronâs appreciation for the arts, his mature, serious air did nothing but maintain his title of âcoolest boy in school.â
131. âŠa fact that worked to his great benefit once he rolled the Romance aspiration.
132. Ironically enough, Samuelâs injury affected him the least. Whether he was spending time with friends, or refining his creative skill, Samuel rarely took a break in experiencing all aspects of lifeâexcept during the odd sick day now and then. Though he followed after his big brotherâs footsteps and rolled the Knowledge aspiration, Samuel took after his father yet again with the âBecome Captain Heroâ lifetime want.
133. As interested in the opposite sex as his brothers were (or in both sexes, in Aaronâs case), Samuel was the only one with a steady girlfriend throughout high school. After a completely coincidental meeting*, he and Tessa Ramirez became inseparable. *i.e, she was dropped off by the Wishing Fountain
134. As time went on, the time came when not even Amarante could argue that the boys werenât ready for the next step in their lifeâŠnot that she didnât try. âBut youâre all still so young, why not wait a few more years? Or maybe you could stay at home and get your degrees online?â
135. Nicholas let out an exasperated sigh.âMoooom! What do you mean, âweâre still so young?â If I donât head to college soon, Iâll grow up and miss my chance! And besides,â Nicholas continued with a wide grin, âAs long as Iâm looking after the two runts, nothingâs gonna happen!â
136. âAnd besides,â Nicholas jumped in. âArenât you the one thatâs always said you wanted us to have the best education possible?
137. âThatâs all well and good, but Iâm not going unless Tessa can go with us.â Samuel turned to his twin. âThatâs not gonna be a big deal, right? I mean, itâs not like we can keep sharing a room in college, right?â âWhat? Oh, I donât care,â Aaron disinterestingly* remarked. *Another made up word! I am such a keen wordsmith :P
138. âBabe, I donât see a reason why the boys canât head off now, I think itâs been long enough.â Jeremy tried to assure his wife that the Seers didnât pose much of a threat if the boys went as far as Academie Le Tour, but the best he could come up with without getting their sonsâ attention as well was a pointed look. âSee! Dad doesnât think itâs a big deal!â
139. Nicholas put on his most convincing* grin. âPleeaaase?â *If you know what I mean
140. As she looked across the table at her family, Amarante couldnât help but marvel at the life sheâd managed to build. Who would have thought Iâd ever be able to make this decisionâto let my, MY sons go to a college that my husband and I could easily pay for. As she grasped the message Jeremy was trying to send with his eyes, Amarante just as silently agreed. âAlright, you can go. But I expect daily phone calls home, got it?â âYes!â âThanks Mom!â âGreat, Iâve gotta call Tessa and pack!â
141. As the boys raced to pack their belongings, Amarante called her eldest son outside for a quick talk. âNicky, you know Iâm counting on you. Your father and I wonât be there to take care of you and your brothers, so itâs up to you now. I know youâll take great care of Samuel and Aaron, but if ANYTHING goes wrong, you all will always have a place here.â
142. âI know, Mom. Iâll take care of them, I promise.â And as quickly as Amarante made her decision, a group of four teenagers found themselves, for the first time, on their own.
144. And thatâs it for the third, and last, part of Chapter One! This one took a little longer than expected, but I hope youâll still enjoy. Iâm playing around with the layout of the story, so if you see something you like, or donât like, please let me know by commenting on my boolprop thread or on my livejournal. And while Iâm always willing to look up where I got any particular piece of custom content if anyone asks, I do want to make sure and give credit to sunni9676 at MTS2 for the AMAZING Mercy Hospital you saw in this chapter. Thanks again for reading! ->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->
145. Before I go, introductions! Aaron Gestalt Romance/ Visionary - 10/9/3/1/9 Favorite Hobby: Science Likes: Entertainment, Travel, School Dislikes: Politics, Money, Environment, Culture, Food, Crim *So yes, Aaron wants to be an Artist, but hates Culture. Maybe he finds the art world to be pretentious, but enjoys creating art?
146. Samuel Gestalt Knowledge/Captain Hero â 8/10/4/3/7 Favorite Hobby: Music and Dance Likes: Sports, Toys Dislikes: Politics, Money, Environment, Crime, Culture, Food *This means that each member of Generation 2 is Neat, Outgoing, Lazy, Serious, and Nice (to slightly varying degrees), plus each has somewhat similar likes/dislikes. *sigh* Iâm having to work to make them seem more different than they really are!