Nightshade: A SimLit

April 28, 2022

Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 108: A New Generation

25 Years Later...

Dear Diary,

You're kind of stupid. Dad said you'd be good for sorting out my feelings and keeping track of events and stuff, but I'm talking to a book and that makes me feel like a weirdo. Whatever, I guess. I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to start this off, so I'll start by introducing myself and telling you a little bit about my life...

My name is Ebony Nightshade. I'm sixteen years old, which means I'm in eleventh grade, which sucks, but I'll get to the school stuff later. I'm taping a picture in here for visual reference. I'm the cute one (obviously) with the long hair. The ugly one beside me is my obnoxiously annoying twin brother, Emrys. He loves to drive me crazy. I think he sort of takes after Uncle Alexander. Anyway, the one in the middle is my big brother, Adiran. He's the youngest aside from me and Rys, and he's a total nerd. He's in nerd college right now. The other two are Kiera and Nyx. Kiera's my only sister and she's super cool. They're both sort of like secret agents... wait, should I be telling you this? Probably not. Since they're the oldest siblings and they work together, they're basically besties. I wish I could say Emrys was my bestie, but he's kind of the worstie.

I go to Glimmerbrook Academy, a special school for supernaturals founded by the Sages. Of course, the whole supernatural aspect of the school has to be kept under wraps, but just about any creature you can imagine goes here -- so it must be the coolest high school ever, right?

Wrong. Really, it's just like all the normal ones, more or less.

For example, there's me, probably the least popular girl in school. I'm not all that interesting, and the only homework and projects that I ever turn in on time are for art class. Every school has the losers. I guess it runs in the family, cause my brother's one, too.

On the other hand, my cousin, Astra Galaxy, is pretty much worshipped as a goddess here. Boys literally fall over and grovel at her feet -- and then she just steps on them. I'm sworn to secrecy, but she's actually a total nerd. We play video games together for hours on weekends.

Oh, and every school has the creepy goth kids, right? We've got those too! Elm, Rowan and Willow Woods -- triplets that totally give everyone the heebie-jeebies. That's probably because they're studying to perfect necromancy magic. I've never met anyone else this young that knows as much about corpses as they do! They have an even creepier older brother, Aspen, but I don't really know him. My parents sort of know their dad, but they don't talk about him much. He teaches spellcasting classes at the school sometimes, but I'm a vampire, so I don't attend. I'm pretty sure he was actually doing weird rituals with frogs in there one time, though. There's also a rumor going around school that a sentient skeleton in a maid dress lives in their house. I have no idea if it's true.

And then there's the resident overly-attached couple, Oberon Umbriel and Alnilam Star. Some people think they're cute together, some people are sick of walking in on them making out in places they definitely aren't allowed to make out. I'm pretty good friends with both of them, but I think they're kinda weird because apparently, Oberon's dad, Uranus, was totally into Alnilam's dad, Orion, when they were close to their age, but it was unrequited love or something. History repeats itself, I guess. Talk about awkward...

Speaking of the ever-expanding Star family, there's one more classmate of mine I can't forget to mention:

Alnilam's twin, way hotter, less gay, totally dreamy brother...

...my boyfriend, Alnitak.

Where do I even start? How do I even describe him? He's so... perfect, like he was sculpted by gods. Or maybe one of those famous old guys that did the weirdly sexy statues of naked people. Either way, he's gorgeous. He has flawless, purple skin, which sounds kind of weird but it's a really nice color of purple. I like it. He has luscious pink hair and eyes to match. Even those boy bands everyone in school drools over aren't as cute as him. Not that I don't also drool over them.

Honestly, I really wish you had eyeballs, because you'd love to see him. Even a diary would think he's hot. Probably.

I'm getting tired of writing, so I suppose I'll end my first entry here. I'd thank you for listening, but you also don't have ears.

Love,

Ebony

"Are you even listening?"

Alnitak's voice snapped Ebony out of her daydreams, but not out of the lazy lounging position she'd taken beside of him. "Yeah, of course I am..."

"Then tell me the answer to the equation I just spent ten minutes explaining how to solve." She only stammered in response, eliciting a heavy sigh from him. "Come on, Ebony, how am I supposed to help you pass this exam if you can't pay attention?"

"I'm trying to, really! It's just..."

"...just...?"

The mattress shifted as she rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. A coquettish smile spread across her lips when she noticed the slight irritation evident on his face, which in turn only increased his annoyance. "You're distracting me..."

Alnitak flushed and tried to force back a smirk, but the hint of one broke through regardless. "Distracting you?"

"Yeah, you're doing so much talking that I can't help noticing your lips. And that makes me want to kiss you..."

His smirk only widened as he shifted closer to her. "That does sound more tempting than studying, I'll admit..."

"Then let's take a break from studying." Their lips were only inches apart now. "Algebra's stupid anyway... the only equation I need the answer to is you plus me."

"And what's the answer to that?"

"Why don't you find out?"

Ebony was on top of him in a flash, their schoolwork carelessly shoved aside as they kissed far too heatedly to be innocent. It wasn't an unusual occurrence between them; the most

seemingly well-behaved teenagers would still be teenagers, after all, hormonal and reckless -- and that was fine.

As long as they didn't get caught, of course.

"Hatsya, for the last time, please take your foot off of the table..."

"You can't make me!"

"No, but your mother can."

After briefly weighing out the options in her head and deciding her father was right, she repositioned herself to sit mostly properly.

"Having trouble?" Skylar placed her plate of pasta on the table and bit back an amused smile at the look of exasperation on her husband's face.

Orion sighed. "For whatever reason, Hatsya won't stop putting her feet on the-- hey," he interrupted himself, "no picking your nose at the table, either! That's gross!"

"Leave me alone, I can put my snot wherever I want it!"

The rest of the family were too wrapped up in quarrels of their own to care about her bad manners. Skylar pulled her chair out, momentarily surprised she had an opportunity to sit down and eat a meal while it was still warm, but it didn't last long enough for her to take a seat.

"What is your problem!?" Bella's fist slammed down onto the table hard enough to rattle the plates, snapping everyone's eyes to her and ending all prior conversations.

"Nothing, what's your problem, Bella?" Alnilam's reply was casual; her dramatic outbursts were far from an uncommon occurrence.

"You're breathing on my food and getting your... your germs all over it!"

"But I'm sitting all the way over here," he motioned to his side of the table, eyebrow cocked in confusion, "and your food's all the way over there."

"But I can feel it! Who knows what sort of mouth germs you're spewing onto my plate as you speak!? It's not just yours, either! It's germs from your boyfriend you're always making out with! Who knows where you've been!?" Bella wailed.

A few chairs down, Orion had attempted to take his first measly bite of pasta and promptly choked as he swallowed it in the middle of her sentence.

"That's enough, Bellatrix, please just eat your dinner," Skylar warned in the typical motherly scolding tone, unaffected by her antics. "You're an adult; you're too old for tantrums."

"Tantrums!? I--"

"Sounds to me like you're jealous, sis," Stella teased; grinning from ear to ear. "Jealous that you don't have a boyfriend to get germs from..."

"Like you're any less of a germaphobe than I am," Bella muttered.

"Don't get me wrong, I hate gross stuff, but boys aren't gross... including our brother and his boyfriend."

Bellatrix shriveled up her nose in the direction of her other brother. "Rigel's gross."

"Excuse me?" Rigel glared. "If anyone's gross, it's you."

"Hey, don't be meanies," Stella whined.

Shaking her head in disappointment, Skylar turned her attention to Orion. "Could you go upstairs and tell Alnitak dinner's ready? He's still in his room studying with Ebony, I think. You look like you could use, um... a minute away from the drama."

"What could possibly make you think that?" Orion flatly retorted, but then perked up into a half-smile. "Sure, I'll go get him. Sit down and get something to eat, okay?" He stood and kissed her cheek, quickly heading to the stairs. His footsteps were light and quiet against the hardwood floors underneath them, making the approach to his son's room relatively -- unintentionally -- silent. The door wasn't cracked as usual, but shut; he didn't think twice about opening it regardless.

He regretted that decision immediately.

Alnitak -- his sweet, innocent son -- was halfway on top of Ebony, locked in a fervent kiss, putting his hands in places they definitely shouldn't go and showing absolutely no intentions of stopping. Orion's stomach churned at the mere implications of the scene unfolding ahead of him. The teenagers didn't notice until he blew his cover with a shriek that sounded like what a miserable, dying cat would perhaps make.

Alnitak was the first to start stammering out an explanation when they parted. "D-Dad-- I-- this isn't what it looks like!"

"Yeah!" Ebony's face was red with embarrassment. "W-We were just--"

"I-I really don't need to know what you were doing!" Orion wailed, finally electing to cover his eyes with his hands. It didn't work. The image was burned into the back of his eyelids. He'd be seeing it every time he closed his eyes for weeks, maybe months, maybe forever.

"Studying!" Ebony insisted.

"Studying what!?"

Silence fell between the three of them. Ebony and Alnitak exchanged awkward glances, knowing they had no chance of getting out of this one. It was over. They were both about to be grounded for life. Eventually, with his last bit of courage and no dignity left, Alnitak spoke: "...sex ed?"

"I'm sure you're well aware of what we want to talk to you about."

Ebony crossed her arms with a huff, already prepared to make a scene if she needed to -- of course she'd need to, parents have absolutely no idea about anything. "No, dad, I think I'm going to need you to explain what exactly the problem here is."

Her mother gave her the silent side-eye that your mother always gives you when you're in deep trouble, so she decided to bite her tongue before saying anything more.

"We're just... concerned." Amelia, surprisingly, tried the cautious approach first. "It's just--"

"The problem is Orion called me, mid-anxiety-attack, I'm pretty sure he was puking or about to -- actually that's besides the point; he said -- and I quote -- that you and his son were doing adult stuff! In bed!" Onyx blurted.

Amelia snickered. "Wait, is that really what he said? Adult stuff?"

"T-That's what he said, this isn't funny!"

"Really? First of all, his definition of adult stuff is probably holding hands." Ebony rolled her eyes. "Second of all, so what if we were? I'm sixteen! I'm a grown woman!"

Onyx took a deep breath, composing himself. "Okay, fine. You're a grown woman. But being an adult -- a woman -- comes with responsibility. We just want to be sure that you're being, uh... responsible, and establish a few... rules and boundaries, alright?"

Ebony's nose wrinkled in disgust. "We aren't having this talk, I'm not stupid, okay?"

"I didn't say you were--"

"Don't think I don't know that the actual problem here is that you think I'm gonna turn out like Kiera and her stupid boyfriend. It's not my fault she got pregnant as a teenager! I'm not going by any rules and boundaries because of what someone else did! It's not fair!"

"This isn't about Kiera!" Amelia interjected. "This is about us wanting what's best for you."

Ebony's temper only burned hotter by the second. "I'm old enough to make my own choices! You can't tell me how to live my life just because you're my parents! Isn't that what you both hated about your own parents? I know what's best for me, and he's what's best for me."

Onyx pinched his nose and decided to avoid the prying mommy issues question. "For goodness' sake, Ebony, he's a teenage boy! They're never best for anyone."

Amelia bit back another snicker.

"You're overreacting. It's our job as your mother and father to make rules. They can be broken, we can't force you to follow them, but we only ask these things of you because we love you," he continued. "We were your age once. We get it, I swear, it's just..."

"It's just that you can't accept the fact that I'm not daddy's little girl anymore?" She sneered. "News flash, I can't stay that way forever. I grew up, dad. Maybe you should grow up too if this bothers you so much--"

"Ebony Raven Nightshade!"

She shut up instantly. Hearing your full name is bad. Hearing it from Amelia is an advanced notice to start digging your grave.

Onyx just stared for a few moments, stunned, before speaking. "Alright, since this conversation really isn't getting anywhere, I guess I'll allow you to finish your moody teenager moment." He stood from his seat and promptly approached the door. "I think I need a moment myself..."

As he left, Amelia followed, shooting her daughter an "I'll-deal-with-you-later" glance on the way out.

"Onyx, wait..."

His shoulders slumped in defeat when he turned to look at her. "There's no point in trying to talk to her right now."

She frowned. "This isn't about talking to her, I want to talk to you."

Onyx turned to face her fully. "About...?"

"I know we're both worried, but we shouldn't be so hard on her. She's a great kid, doesn't get into any trouble, tries her best to make decent grades," Amelia began, "and all things considered, she's the least chaotic kid we've had aside from Adiran."

"Well, that much is certainly true."

She managed to crack a smile at him. "What she's going through is a normal part of growing up. We can't stop her from making out with boys, but by scolding her, we can make her think she can't talk to us about things... and that could be worse."

"I know that!" Onyx groaned. "I just... maybe she's right, okay? I don't want to think about her growing up. Not... like that."

Amelia simply laughed in response and came closer, idly running her hands along his sides. "Don't you remember when we were her age?"

"...of course I do, but we weren't..."

"We weren't what? The way I remember it, we were doing a whole lot of things," she said with a grin. "Were we not going behind our parents' backs to see each other?"

"Well, yes."

"Wasn't I making out with a boy? Such as you? My mom thought she knew best for me, too, but I disagreed. You were best for me. Sound familiar?"

"Yes," he repeated, "but--"

"And weren't you sneaking into my room at night to make out with me?"

"I-It wasn't like that, though!"

"What, you mean the adult stuff?"

"Exactly."

"True," she replied, raising a hand to his cheek, "but we came veeeery close a few times, or maybe more than a few... and if we had? I wouldn't have regretted it."

He placed a hand over hers and cocked an eyebrow. "That's a scandalous confession."

"Is it?" Her other hand ran up to rest on his chest.

"...I wouldn't have regretted it, either," he admitted.

"Well, now it's starting to sound like we regret not doing adult stuff sooner..."

"Mmm, maybe a little, but that's just teenage me talking." Onyx smirked. "It doesn't matter. We can make up for that now."

"Now now?" Amelia inquired, a bit too excitedly.

"...no wonder Ebony's like this."

Aurora knew there wouldn't be such a thing as resting from her trip the moment she walked in the bedroom door. Her suitcases were left leaning sloppily against the wall; a pair of desperate lips began their merciless assault before she could even let go of the handles. She had no chances to complain because she didn't have a single second to breathe between then and getting to the bed, but when their lips parted momentarily, she made a half-hearted objection. "Alexander, I was on a plane all day and I haven't even had a chance to shower..."

"Mmhmm..."

"or sleep... or unpack my bags... wait, are you even paying attention...?"

Her voice wavered as a firm hand traveled up her thigh. His lips brushed against hers as he spoke. "Is that a no?"

"...no," she confessed.

"Then I don't care," Alexander replied, hastily moving lower to kiss her neck, "because you've been gone for two weeks and I've been losing my mind waiting for you to come home..."

Aurora leaned into his touch. "You mean waiting to make out with me?"

"No, I mean I've really missed you, babe," he whined, wrapping his arms around her torso to pull her closer.

She sighed. "I know, I've missed you too. But you know these trips are really important for my company. There are so many opportunities in Champs les Sims for modeling and my fashion label... ones that I can't pass up."

"I know that, but I get so sad when you leave me." His poutiness was definitely being exaggerated. Even if just a little. "Not as sad as the dog, though, and that just makes it worse..."

"Well, I'm pretty sure you and Nova are the only ones that don't appreciate the privacy. I think the kids secretly love it when I'm gone, that's one less parent to annoy them."

"...yeah, maybe," Alexander teased, then went back to kissing her, "but I never said I didn't secretly love it when you're not here to annoy me, too."

Aurora's brows furrowed. "Excuse me? You were just making a big fuss over how much you missed me!"

"What can I say? Mixed feelings." He grinned.

"Remind me why I married you?"

"Because you love me," he said innocently.

"I question that every day."

She felt him smirking against her skin. "Mmm, careful, don't make me bite you..."

"MOM! DAAAAAAD!"

He swore under his breath and let go of her, easily identifying the source of the ear-splitting screech. "What could Astra possibly want, and why does she always want it when I'm trying to--"

"I don't know," Aurora spoke over him with a sigh, "but I guess we better go see."

"Maybe Nova's eating her homework again..."

"Again?"

Alexander laughed and reached out to stroke her cheek. "Don't worry about it. I'll go deal with... whatever the situation is. You have other things to do, and you really need some sleep anyway..."

She nuzzled her cheek against his hand like a cat -- but, also like a cat, she certainly wouldn't admit just how much she'd missed him. It was a little more than she let on, or maybe more than she'd even admit to herself. "Are you suggesting that I use this bed to actually sleep in? At night? What happened to you while I was gone?"

He dropped his hand. "What is that supposed to mean!?"

"You know what it means."

With a melodramatic eyeroll, he stood and left the room.

When he got to the living room, he assumed his daughter would be in a full-blown teenager meltdown about something completely unreasonable. Judging by the scene he arrived to, he wasn't far off. "Uh... what, exactly, is the problem here?"

Astra, clad in a bath towel and an unpleasantly green skincare product, paced around the living room anxiously. "Everything!" She wailed. "I have TWO blackheads and my pore strips aren't working, I have literally nothing to wear, I dropped my hairbrush in the toilet and I forgot to shave my--"

"She's freaking out over going on a date with some boy," Artemis interrupted. "A minute ago she accused Apollo of stealing her favorite lipstick..."

"I don't even wear lipstick," the younger brother murmured, still irritated.

Alexander rubbed his temple, struggling to process the chaos. "Okay, sorry, she's going where with a what? No one told me about this!"

"Date, boy," Artemis casually repeated.

"I know that, I meant--"

"I'm gonna be hideous! What if he doesn't like me!?" Astra's whining continued. "I-I have to leave in fifteen minutes! Do something, dad!"

"You're going out this late? But-- I-- never mind." He decided to save the questions for later and carefully approached her.

"Just... calm down, okay? It's not the end of the world. I know you think it is, but it's gonna be fine."

"B-But--"

"You have a whole closet full of clothes, just pick something you like and stop worrying about what some boy thinks. Really, when I was your age, I was just glad when girls wanted me. He's probably not picky." He managed a smile. "You don't need to try so hard to be perfect. You already are."

"Y-You really mean that...?"

"Of course I do." Alexander's smile widened to a grin. "You are my daughter, after all, how could you not be perfect? Whoever this boy is, he's lucky to go on a date with you, not the other way around. And, uh... just putting this out there, of course... if he does anything to hurt you, big or small, I'll freeze him solid with my SimRay. Actually, I might do that anyway before he gets the chance to..."