#doyle legacy

[antiquatedsimmer]

Happy Anniversary to The Doyle Legacy!

just realized yesterday was their 3 year anniversary of when I started this legacy. INSANE, I've never played a sims family for this long before.

[antiquatedsimmer]

Daisy allowed the worry to fray at the edges of her thoughts, like a thread you knew better than to pull, at least for tonight. To fret over Rosemary was life trying to cup a running river in your hands, her sister was a force of nature, all flushed cheeks and wild gestures. A creature of such vibrant, theatrical passion that you had to listen to Rosemary with a filter, sifting the genuine alarm from the sheer spectacle of it.

Rosemary craved freedom the way a flower craved the sun and Daisy would never have entertained such recklessness for anyone else. But for her sister, she decided to shove the worry in the back of her mind and pack it away with her Sunday shoes.

There was a sliver of truth snagged in her sisters "I can take it." remark. Tonight's drama might be inflated but the consequences wouldn't be. Josephine & Lucile weren't harsh parents, not truly. Their discipline was more tedious than any real sting. They raised their voices, droned on in tapestries of disappointment and imposed punishments that could easily be ignored.

The Will was by far the most punishment they've experienced of anything in their whole life. Annoying, but not the end of the world.

If they were caught, Daisy had to admit, Rosemary was right. They'd be fine.

The wine acted like solvent, slowly dissolving the sharp edges of reality with every sip Daisy took. Together, she and Rosemary drifted away from the mundane, their laughter bubbling up over the bank of their swimming hole and into the cliffs of the ridge. A fever took hold of them, a wild joyful impulse to sing, dance, twirl and fling pebbles across the waters surface. With each new bottle that materialized in their hands the world softened and every joke split their sides.

Daisy felt the first warning tremor when the earth began to sway beneath their feet and decided it was best to step back from the precipice of abandon. She took a seat on ground as her sister remained adrift, still being swept up in the current of the night.

It was a strange mix of awe and concern stirring in her as her sister continued to drink, her capacity for liquor was almost a spectacle!

It was only when the sky began to relinquish its deepest blacks for bruised purples at the first hints of morning that the relentless adrenaline in Rosemary finally began to falter, landing her right beside her sister on the bank of the river.

The manic energy had finally bled out, leaving only the steady hum of night insects and the constant murmuring of the river. The ground was cool and their was a feeling of grit that had been wedged into Daisy's stockings. Rosemary's fervor extinguished and now she took chained sips from her bottle while Daisy supplied the words for both of them.

she rambled on about School, books, and inevitably, like a stone in the shoe, complained about rules of The Will being pushed on them. How could they choose a path for their lives when they couldn't see past the next bend in the road?

It was only when Daisy finally turned her head that the illusion of peace shattered. The light from the moon caught a glint on rosemary's cheek, a tiny liquid star. And then another...a whole constellation of them tracing paths down her sister's face.

Daisy reached for her sisters arm, " I'm sorry," she murmured as Rose flinched away, hiding behind the bottle as she frantically wiped her tears away. The wine had doused out her vibrant flame leaving behind something small and afraid. "We can talk about something else-""I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT!" Rosemary cut her of with a raw sob as her face contorted in agony. "I try, and I try! It's never enough. I'M never enough!" she lifted the bottle again, drinking deeply.

" I'm so jealous of you and Aster." she whimpered, " I'd give anything for Ma to look at me the she looks at you two."

At those words, the nickname "Miss Perfect" twisted in Daisys gut like a knife. She watched, helpless as Rosemary tried to replace the tears flowing out of her with more wine.

"Rosey, no!" Daisy's hand shot out, covering the bottles opening before her sister could take another sip. "Please...you're sloshed. This is just the wine talking."

Rosemary sniffled, her face a mess of tears and snot, her words coming in ragged huffs. " Sometimes I wish we'd had a chance to know Pa. Maybe then I could at least know why I'm like this." Her sadness flickered to hot anger. "We never fucking talk about him! We have photos of our grandparents but not him! Lucille mentioned I remind Mother of him, why can't she just LOOK AT ME?" she shouted.

Daisy reeled, her own head still fuzzy from the wine and was struggling to keep up with this sudden onslaught. Rosemary continued, " I don't know how you're so fine with it all." "I am not fine."

Daisy's tone was blunt enough to halt her sister in her tracks. She met her sister's gaze with her own eyes burning with unshed tears.

" I...we're not fine with it. Aster and I." She took a deep breath. " We know they're keeping secrets from us, and it really hurts. I keep holding on to the hope that maybe when we're older they'll tell us."

"Maybe memories of losing him just hurt Ma too much." Daisy drew another shaky breath. "Our family is...strange, but whatever happened, none of it is our fault."

"You know, you and Ma are alike in a lot of ways," Daisy said, watching Rosemary's gaze drift back toward the water but that observation snagged her sister's attention, pulling her right back to Daisy. "You're both so stubborn, love the finer things, and are so passionate...that's why you clash. She probably doesn't know how to handle you."

A faint huff of laughter escaped Rosemary and Daisy squeezed her hand.

"Rosey, you don't have to drink yourself into a stupor looking ghosts."

"Ma doesn't love you any less AND even if she did you still got me and Aster." She stood finally pulling a wobbly Rosemary to her feet. " Okay." Rose sniffled, her voice calmer.

Daisy smiled, " Duh, you dip. Think I'd leave you behind? With this family? I'd go crazy without you!"

With a smile rose mumbled," I...I don't think I can ride us back."

"And you think I can?" Daisy scoffed.

Together, a tangle of limbs and unsteady balance they started back on the long walk home stretched before them, as they trudged along the dirt path, Rosemary groaned pressing a hand to her temple.

"We're gonna be late for school."

WOO ITS BEEN FOREVER. I've had these screens for awhile, it just took me FOREVER to get this out because my orig draft got deleted.

I had to rewrite THE WHOLE THING, I was so pissed off. But the silver lining is I think this version is written better than my last draft. Hope to get more Doyle out soon ヾ(•̀ ヮ <)و

[antiquatedsimmer]

Daisy had followed her sister over the railing before her brain fully caught up with her feet.

Now she was clinging to the trellis, her wobbly ankles and death grip on the fence feeling like the only things between her and a very fast trip to the ground.

Despite Daisy's terrified expression, Rose was grinning ear to ear.

"I can't do it," Daisy whispered, breath shaking. "You can," Rose whispered back, cheerful as ever. "Imagine it's just a fancy decorative ladder." Daisy had inched downward, heart pounding, her shoes scraped against the wood and the trellis creaked in a way she didn't appreciate at all.

Her sister's cheers were only enough to carry her halfway before her courage ran out. Daisy squeezed her eyes shut and reached blindly down.

"Rose-"

"I"ve got you," Rosemary murmured.

Daisy felt her sister's hands close firmly around hers, steadying her as she managed the rest of the climb until her heels finally met the ground. Then, with a quick dash to the bicycles waiting at the side of the house, they were off!

"So?" Rose said, eyes bright.

"So what?" Daisy tilted her head.

"So look at you, being bad." Rose bumped her shoulder and laughed. "Miss Perfect finally got herself a mean streak?"

Daisy sighed. "I told you that isn't fair. It doesn't matter, I'd be in the soup just as much as you if they found out you were gone."

Rose scoffed before swinging her satchel around and digging into it. "Well, I've been doing this for a while now."

"And no one's caught me yet!" Rose went on, "Look. This is my time to relax, but I don't mind sharing as long as you can keep quiet about it."

Daisy leaned over, trying to see what she was rummaging for. A moment later, Rosemary's arm shot back out, triumphant.

"Look what I got!" Daisy's gasp came out louder than she meant it to. "Rose!"

It was one of Lucile's bottles, a dark glass shape Daisy recognized instantly from the cellar racks. Rose's shoulders slumped, her expression sharpening into annoyance. "Can you not be a giant stick in the mud for one night?"

"I'm not," Daisy protested, "I suppose it's fine for just one bottle but you know Lucile checks the books, right? And she has special people who also double check them, right?"

Rose faltered only half a second. "Oh." She hadn't thought about that.

Then she popped the cork anyway, tipped the bottle back, and took a swallow. "Oh well." "Not oh well, Rose!" Daisy whined, trailing after her as she started toward the riverbank. "I'm just trying to save your butt from more trouble!"

"You know me," Rosemary called softly over her shoulder. "I can take it. What are they going to do, ground me again? Give me another whipping?" She shrugged, then turned and held the bottle out to Daisy. "Like I said...This is my time. I've been doing this for a while." Rose sighed before kneeling down and rummaging into a bush by the bank. "Can we just…take it easy for a bit?"

[antiquatedsimmer]

By the time the first stars pricked through the sky, the house lamps blinked off one by one below them, to Daisy, that was her cue.

If Ma or Lucile caught her outside after they'd gone to bed, there'd be a whole new argument to add to the pile. Reluctantly, she slipped off the swing and made her way back to the house with the chill following her inside. She crept up the stairs as quietly as the old wood would allow.

One of their bedroom windows stood open, curtains breathing in and out with the night air. In the bed beside her own, Rosemary lay still, the blankets mounded over her. But still, the "stones" of the evening sat heavy in Daisy's middle. Sleep was going to impossible at this rate.

She crossed the room to Rose's bedside and sat beside her.

"Hey…" she whispered, giving a gentle nudge.

Nothing. She tried again, a bit firmer. "Rose? Are you okay?"

Silence. No grumbling, no dramatic sigh. That alone was suspicious. Daisy lifted the sheet and found a lumpy arrangement of pillows and old clothes staring back at her.

"what the." she breathed then a creak from just outside their window made her spin around.

" Rose are you! "

" For Fucks sake! Shut up! " Rose hissed through her teeth

Rosemary clung to the fence just beyond the sill, skirt hitched, boots searching for the next foothold on the trellis. They were on the second floor and below her, the garden looked a very long way down.

"Ma just went to bed," Rose whispered fiercely. "Do you want to wake her up?" Daisy leaned forward out the window, "If Ma catches you, you'll be dead." she whispered.

"Whatever," Rose muttered, already feeling along the trellis for her next step. "Just be quiet. I'll be back before dawn."

Daisy hovered, fingers curling over the edge of the sill watching her sister make her escape. She didn't really know what to do, but that heavy feeling in her gut was a clear warning, if she wanted any hope of sleeping tonight, she had to say something.

Daisy swung one leg over the windowsill. "Wait," she whispered,

"I'm coming too."

[antiquatedsimmer]

LOVE! Utopya's Ride together mod❤️

[antiquatedsimmer]

The children had barely been home ten minutes before they tried to escape again. They rode in from school, wrestled out of their uniforms, and were already halfway to the door in their everyday clothes when Josephine's voice rang through the house. "Ah! Children! One moment, please. Your aunt and I have something we'd like to discuss with you."

Three backs stiffened at once and gradually made their way over onto the sofa in the parlor. Lucile turned on her heel to face them, holding a sheet of paper in her hand. She was smiling politely and pleasantly, but something in the air told the Doyle siblings they were in trouble.

Lucile glanced at each of them, then at the paper.

"Children," she began, "I'd like to check in on your plans for the future... Completing high school and pursuing a higher education is important to me. Back in my day, my father would never have been able to afford such a luxury for me." Her voice softened, "But I am fortunate enough to do that for you, and to do that, I need to hear what your plans are. I need to know these things BEFORE you graduate."

The silence that followed said plenty. Shoes scuffed the rug. Aster cleared his throat and then pretended he hadn't, while Daisy tried to be brave first to answer. "Well…" She fiddled with the cloth of her skirt, "I thought maybe I could go into teaching? I can write pretty well." Lucile didn't dismiss it, but she didn't let it slide either. "Maybe. But is teaching something you are passionate about?" Daisy opened her mouth, searching for the answer, and came up empty. "I… not really," she admitted. Lucile's gaze slid to Aster. "Aster?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "It's not that I don’t know what to do," he said slowly. "It's just… finding something is intimidating. I don't do well with people. I joined the chess club like you mentioned, it's-" "Why not become a veterinarian?" Lucile interrupted, "You love bugs, bugs are animals. I know someone you could shadow. That would be fairly close to your interests."

Aster blinked, offended on a deep level. "I just find insects interesting-wait, No, it wouldn't! That's not the same thing at all!"

Before he could elaborate on the difference between beetles and mammals, Josephine spoke. "Rose." The air tightened. It always did when Rosemary and her mother were involved in the same sentence. Josephine linked her fingers on her knee, "Have you even considered something outside of theatre, like we discussed?"

Rosemary straightened. "It's not a bad idea," she said. "Movies are really popular now, Mama. I really think I can do it, if you would believe in me."

"Rosemary, stop," Lucile cut in, "I've told all three of you what my expectations are. The main point is that you need a backup plan. Not everyone who starts acting becomes a famous actress." She let that sit for a moment.

"Even with schooling and dedication, the world out there is harsh," she went on. "I want you to have something you can fall back on. Something that will actually support you."

Lucile drew in a steadying breath and looked down at the paper in her hand. She has given this speech many times, but this time, it was going to end a little differently.

"I have made a decision."

Three pairs of eyes snapped back to her. "I won't be here forever. And no matter how much I want you all to be successful, I cannot force you to do things exactly how I want them done. So instead, I'm putting the responsibility in your hands."

She turned to the parlor chair and sat, smoothing the page in her hands. "I've contacted a lawyer and had a will drawn up," she said. "Your mother and I have agreed on certain conditions attached to your inheritance." A beat of silence coated the room; even Rosemary stopped glaring long enough to refocus on the paper in Lucile's hands. "Specifically," Lucile continued, "to receive your inheritance at all, you must complete one of four conditions in your life. If you are unable to, your share will be donated to charity after your mother and I have passed."

"What?!" Rosemary blurted. "That's so unfair! We're not even graduated yet!"

"Do not interrupt," Josephine snapped. "We are trying to plan for your futures. All day, every day, the three of you have been goofing off. What was the plan? That you'd collect money from us and carry on like this after high school? We did not raise you to be bums!"

Rose scoffed. "Tch. So? Lucile buys everything while you relax at home. You're no better than us."

"Enough!" Lucile's voice boomed, "Believe it or not, your mother and I are on your side. We are trying to be wise about your futures while also allowing each of you to make your own choices!"

She tapped the document twice with her fingers. "Just listen, please."

Lucile took a deep breath and continued, "To claim your inheritance, you must do one of four things before we eventually pass away."

She counted them off, one by one.

"One. Earn a degree or complete a trade school, and work in that field for a minimum of ten consecutive years. Two. Support your household for at least ten years without using Doyle funds. Three. Complete an apprenticeship and officially take on the family business, working in it for ten to twenty years. Or four. Marry a suitable partner and remain married for at least ten years. That partner must contribute to the household during those years. If, during that time, a child is born, you may access your inheritance early. But, only under the condition that the money is used solely to support and raise that child."

Lucille let the words settle over them. Daisy and Aster both seemed horribly uncomfortable while Rosemary had slid so low on the sofa as she pouted.

Lucile sighed, a small, weary smile tugged at her mouth. "This isn't a punishment…" she said quietly. "You are young and have plenty of time to plan. This way, you can live your lives as you see fit and will still be moving toward something. I am sure that, one way or another, each of you will manage at least one of these goals."

She looked at all of them, one by one. "Do we understand each other?" and was met with a low, grudging chorus of " Yes, Ma'am's". "Good," Lucile nodded. "You're all free to go. Have fun, and be back before it’s too late."

The tension in the room began to thin until Josephine added crisply, "Except you, Rosemary Doyle. Go upstairs, you're grounded."

Rosemary spun around. "What? Why?" "Because you can't mouth off to me like that, I. AM. YOUR. MOTHER." Josephine shot back. " You're just mad because I'm right! Rose snapped. "You just want to punish me for it!"

"Rose!" Lucile started, but the storm had already broken. "I'm going to bed!" Rosemary shouted, turning on her heel She stomped back up the stairs, each step ringing through the house. "Goodnight!" Then the bedroom door slammed a moment later.

[antiquatedsimmer]

Random screens I had just chillin in my Drafts♥

[antiquatedsimmer]

(1918 – Near the end of WW1)

Despite the joyful moments of watching the children grow into young adults, and with America now in the war, life for the Doyles has slowed to a crawl.

The Doyle family found themselves making the same sacrifices as everyone else. Lucile's finances kept them comfortable, but her business did not emerge unscathed.

Rationing for the troops made certain foods, fabrics, and other necessities hard to come by. Of them all, the restriction on sugar hurt the most.

Sugar was essential for fermentation. The limits on how much she was allowed to purchase were nowhere near enough to continue work for the next season, and so reluctantly Lucile decided to put the business on hiatus.

If things grew tighter and the family's income failed to recover, she would sit them down and discuss it. For now, she had her backstock and private reserve to rely on.

With the winery temporarily closed, Lucile found herself with more time to spend at home. The streets outside were plastered with war posters but given it was a European war she preferred they not discuss it within their home. She believed the children needed peace if they were to focus on school.

Daisy had grown into a bookish young lady. She devoured romantic dramas and mystery novels with such fervor that she often spoke of them endlessly at the dinner table.

Now and then, Daisy would mention her own ideas and opinions about the stories, and the way she spoke gave Lucile the budding suspicion that her girl might be hinting at wanting to become an author.

Pride often filled Lucile's heart. Yet that pride was increasingly shadowed by another feeling, one that drew her thoughts back, again and again, to her father.

"Papa…" she sighed one quiet evening, standing by the fireplace.

"The children are nearly halfway through high school now," Lucile began, her words trailing off as Rosemary's voice carried in from the next room, reciting lines from yet another play. Lucile paused by the interruption then refocused on the portrait above the mantle.

"I am so proud of them," she murmured. "But I worry about their little passions and pastimes… what if they never grow beyond them? I'm glad they've had such luxuries, but I can't help wondering if the futures they choose will truly serve them."

Her gaze lingered on the family portrait before her shoulders slumped.

"I wish I could ask you if this is how you felt with Silas." she whispered. "It's been so long, and yet I still think of him. After everything he's done, he's still my brother. I can't help but mourn the life we might have had if things had been different…"

Lucile drew in a trembling breath.

"The children remind me of him, you know. Brilliant, all of them. They haven't show any special interest in the family business...which is fine it's never something I want them to feel forced to take on."

"But they've shown so little interest in anything else," she went on, shaking her head. "They live in their own small world… and I don't think they realize it’s shrinking."

"An author, an actress, and… well, I'm not entirely sure what Aster is meant to be. His room is a pigsty." A tired smile touched her lips. "But my point is, the world can be cruel. As much as I admire their passions, I don't see how any of them could become steady work. Not in times like these."

Lucile's brow furrowed.

"Even if they could, they're hardly mature enough for it. They've been at each other's throats all week.

"Yesterday, Rosemary blamed daisy for misplacing her comb, and Aster was certain one of his sisters had been in his room, disturbing his "perfectly organized chaos".

"I thought perhaps a firm talking to might help," Lucile continued. "I told them each was responsible for their own belongings, and that whoever had touched something that wasn't theirs ought to own up to it."

She sank into the stool beside the fireplace with a small, weary exhale.

"But still no one confessed."

Her gaze lifted again to her father's face in the portrait, as if he might somehow answer her.

"They're young, I know… emotions run high, "she said softly. "I just wish you or Ma were here to give me some advice. I don't know how to help them grow up any faster."