Annie's Sims Stuff

ts3 simblr | 34 | she/her | sims 3 legacy story

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The only other patron, a man who was entirely focused on his drinking up until now, dashes Huxley’s plans for a quiet evening. He attempts to strike up a conversation and will not take a hint.

“I’m a bit of a virtuoso myself,” he says, and at this Hux perks up. With her flaky band members, she’s always on the lookout for competent musicians.

“Cool, what do you play?”

The guy takes a sip before he replies, “I dabble in this and that,” he smirks, “But if you’re a good girl, I’ll teach you how to play the flute sometime.”

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When Huxley is done jamming, she puts down the guitar and heads straight for the bar.

The bartender generously serves Hux a cocktail on the house, a meager payment for her performance. Still, Huxley takes it gratefully. A strong drink and some quiet is all she wants right now.

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Huxley knows nothing of her sister's dismay. She had a long day busking around town and decided spend the evening at one of her favorite haunts.

It’s a slow night at Barney's. There is no DJ tonight, which means that Offbeat Autonomy would be welcome to make use of the small stage for an impromptu gig. But as usual, the other band members offer nothing but excuses. Hux was mad at first, but now she is lost in the music, playing for no one but herself.

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Hazel notices Aidan’s mother Patricia Brooks standing at the edge of her property, staring blankly at the eyesore of a construction site.

“It's his way of getting back at me," she croaks. Hazel does not have to ask who - Mayor Wells must have been furious to find out that he is going to have an opponent in the upcoming elections for the first time in years.

"I don't flatter myself to think that this was the only reason, of course. I'm sure there was a lot of money involved," Patricia scoffs, "A mall, right in the center of these well-populated suburbs... The investors will make a fortune, though they seem to have an inexhaustible budget already.”

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What was once Hazel and Aidan’s favorite nature park turned into a filthy construction site seemingly overnight.

Hazel is devastated.

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Hazel wears simple jeans and blouses under a lab coat to work these days, to spare her boss any more trouble in case the mayor comes by for a surprise inspection of the facility.

On rainy days, when she is forced to use the car pool instead of riding her bike to work, she almost feels like she lost every last little part of her individuality. She is nothing but a soulless cog in a great machine.

But the sun always comes out again, brightening the small town and with it Hazel’s mood. Hazel smiles widely as she zooms along on her bicycle, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful autumn foliage on her way home.

Until she sees something that makes her skid to a halt.

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The running hypothesis is that the portal leads to an alternate universe, rather than to the future of Hazel’s own world. It is the only explanation that can be reconciled with what science knows about time and the laws of physics.

But something deep inside Hazel can’t help but wonder; what if? Could it be true? Did the brilliant minds of Oasis Landing really invent genuine time travel?

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“Time travel tourism? Not in MY town,” mayor Wells declares.

With elections coming up, the mayor isn’t interested in anything that won’t directly result in more votes. Futuristic thingamabobs are more likely to scare his voter base than excite them, but Dr Wolfson manages to convince the mayor not to cut their funding—for now.

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A portal to the future? It all sounds too crazy to be true. Luckily Hazel brought back proof! She pulls a tiny orb, barely the size of a marble, out of her pocket. When she presses her index finger to it, the object opens up, parts unfolding and reassembling into a much larger sphere, about the size of a basketball.

Dr Wolfson is excited. The mayor…not so much.

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As it turns out, Hazel was only gone for a fraction of a second in the present. It takes her a good while to recount what she just experienced to Dr Wolfson and Mayor Wells.

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My queue ran out a few days ago and I didn’t have time to set it up again until now. Planning to get around to it this week though!

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Somehow Hazel managed to keep worry from her mind for this long, but now, as it’s time to return home, it all comes crashing down.

Will it really possible to return to the past? It goes against all current scientific assumptions about how the universe works. More likely than not, Hazel will perish within the next few seconds, her body torn apart by the force pulling at her from every angle.

Moments later, she steps out of the portal, still intact.

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Finally, Emit gets Hazel to shut up by sending her to one of the dream pods to sleep.

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After a day of exploring, Hazel is back to bombard Emit with questions. Emit tells her he has never heard of a place called ‘Apple Loser Planes’ and doesn’t know where Oasis Landing may have been in the SimNation of her time.

“If you just moved forward in time," he says, with the air of someone explaining tying shoelaces to a toddler, "and you stayed in exactly the same physical spot as before, it’s more than likely you’d soon find yourself floating in outer space, much too far from any breathable atmosphere. And if you think that holding your breath would be a good idea in this scenario, think again, because doing that would make your lungs explode. Like, immediately.”

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Hazel sets out to explore Oasis Landing.

Her first stop is city hall, where she learns that Oasis Landing seems to share a past similar to the present Simnation Hazel knows. The records are spotty and incomplete though, which only serves to fuel Hazel's curiosity.

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Hazel starts drinking the orange concoction Emit gives her without question. “Better?” Emit Relevart asks kindly. Hazel nods. He continues, “Be sure to drink up, it’ll keep your insides from exploding due to time fluctuations.” At that, Hazel chokes and Emit guffaws. “Just kidding! Gosh, people from the past are so gullible. Don’t worry, there’s no danger of exploding insides. This is just a welcome cocktail! A simple, nutritious multivitamin smoothie.” Relieved, Hazel takes another sip. Emit continues, “Yes, nothing but vitamins...and a mild sedative.” Despite their less than ideal introduction, Hazel continues talking to Emit and he patiently answers all her questions. He tells her that yes, she will be able to go back. The portals have been installed as a means to promote tourism, not kidnapping. However, he advises her to rest up before heading back, as too much time travel can indeed cause unfortunate health hazards for first-timers. Read the full-length chapter on blogger.

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Time travel? Hazel is flabbergasted. As a scientist, Hazel knows that time travel to the future is, while most likely lethal according to most theories, technically possible. Returning to the past from said future however, is not. She feels her muscles tense as her mind goes over all the things she’s lost forever. Her home, her family, her love. All dead and gone now. That is the moment when Hazel’s legs give out under her. Emit rushes forward to catch her before she crumples to the ground. “Another one of those,” he grumbles as he leads her inside.