auspexsims

[auspexsims]

[auspexsims]

As June rolled onward and the first week of landing in Copperdale came to a close, Olivia found herself alone again in the tiny house owned by the Rossinis, smoothing down the wrinkles of a dress she hadn't had the opportunity yet to wear. Her heels carefully, thoughtfully turning on the hardwood floor was the only sound in the house - midmorning on a Wednesday meant that Luca had left before dawn to continue progress on their home, and their hosts had both left for work hours ago as well.

One of the first things Luca had insisted to her when they arrived was that she didn’t need to do anything. He knew how to build things, he’d worked in construction before - he didn’t want her anywhere near a job site, even their own, in case she got hurt. He would handle it - all of it. That meant, of course, that he wouldn’t be around much. It was part of the deal.

And yet, it was an aspect of 'the deal' that Olivia found herself... troubled by.

Olivia knew deep down that she had always relied too much on others. Her father had treated her like an angel, like a rare rose bush to be left completely undisturbed, untrimmed, and unfettered. And without Laurie's influence, Olivia was sure she’d still be in Brindleton under her papa's watchful gaze, looking after her siblings, perhaps marrying some local clerk or shopman so that she’d never be too far, doing small alterations on church clothes for the Brindletons, and spending entire afternoons staring at the sea, thinking no thoughts at all.

Laurie'd had the will and the determination to leave, to try, and to grow into the world. Olivia stared at herself in the mirror looking for a hint of her cousin’s same eye shape in hers, an angle of the chin that would make her feel closer to that quiet courage. She inhaled quietly, and exhaled deeply.

She could hear Madame Argent’s voice in her head like a clinging phantom as she prepared to venture out into Copperdale alone for the first time. ‘That color is so gaudy, Olivia. Whose attention are you looking for? And your hair, mon dieu. Limp and dirty. There is a scuff on the heel of your left shoe. Careless. What impression are you expecting to make like this?’

She reacted the same way she always tried to when Madame Argent would start her morning tirades - she smiled patiently into the mirror and held it, breathing through her nose, and admired the picture of grace and cheer she made. How could anyone find fault with this now?

Bernardo usually took his own truck to work in the mornings, picking up various neighbors along the route to work and dropping Maggie off at the textile mill, so Olivia set out into the freshness of mid-morning on the long walk to Copperdale alone.

Sitting in the house for another day looking for clothes to mend or re-reading the same books was not an appealing prospect, and Olivia had noticed that they were running low on salt, darning needles, and that nobody had had the opportunity to bring home a newspaper for the last few days. Today was as fine a day as any to do whatever small part she could to contribute - Maggie had been an eternally patient and friendly hostess, despite how certain Olivia was that they were an imposition.

Her shoes - scuffed as they were on the left heel - were her oldest and most comfortable pair, and coupled with the symphony of mountain sparrows the anxiety of her morning ruminations lifted itself off of her heart the longer she walked. It was greener than she anticipated in Colorado, though rockier and drier than New England, and arriving to lakeside Copperdale after passing the state’s eastern plains in the train had been a beautiful surprise.

In less than an hour Olivia arrived to town, and took her time to observe the surprising amount of bold colors and signage pointing people to laundries, groceries, employment offices, and cigar shops. A smattering of people were out this morning, but the smokestacks of the railyard just outside of town and wailing of children inside the buildings told her that most everyone was still tending to their own morning tasks.

Copperdale's bustle was quieter and more austere than the constant streams of strangers in New York, but somehow different in quality to the small town charm of her hometown of Brindleton Bay. In Brindleton, life had been slower. The sea air, the floral scent of the dogwoods, and the distant resonance of early dawn foghorns felt protective and meditative. Copperdale smelled a little like coal, red mineral earth, and the sweet-sticky tar of crushed spruce needles.

She inhaled. Exhaled. Newspaper, salt, needles. Newspaper, salt, needles.

Needles and salt were easy enough to find at a little general store called Eubank's Grocery, and a barefoot boy was perched outside what looked like a restaurant selling newspapers a stone's throw from the lakeside.

To the local women chatting at their usual spot, however, Olivia was... well. Not from around here.

Her hands and nails were as smooth as a picture in a catalogue, her sleeveless embroidered dress looked more like an evening gown, and the lustre of her ring flashed as she spoke to the newspaper seller.

"Hello, there," began the black-haired woman as her friend appraised her, "My, my. I don't think I've ever seen a girl who looks like you around here. I'm Ellen. This is Myrna."

“Oh-- hello. How do you do? I'm Olivia Rh– Calabria.”

“'Calabria'? Hm! What does your husband do, Mrs. Calabria?”

“He– works for the railroad. Or he will,” she amended proudly, though she felt unsure of why they were asking her about Luca's work and not her own, “Once he’s finished building our house.”

Myrna’s eyebrows shot up, but she didn’t seem impressed, somehow. Not as much as Olivia privately thought she ought to be.

“Building you a house. How lucky you are. Took us two years to leave the mill village. We shared the house with another family, and a latrine with the whole neighborhood.”

Olivia blinked, unsure of how to proceed. Her neck prickled. “... Oh.” she said lamely, “I see. Then yes. I am lucky.”

“Must be quite a fellow, letting you spend his hard-earned money on clothes like that in a town like this, all while building the roof that’s going to go over your head himself.”

Her mind went blank. She looked down at the dress she had already stared at and memorized in the mirror just a couple of hours ago, for lack of anything better to do. "Oh, no, this dress was a gift from my mother, for my birthd--”

“Oh, from her mother. There’s money for things like that in her family.”

Something about the insistence of the teasing sprung a little metal trap in Olivia's chest, one that hardly ever made a sound but leapt to life now. “I have my own money," she began, distantly surprised by the coldness of her own tone - a voice she had only ever heard come out of her mother in rare moments when someone sneered at the state of their home, "I studied dressmaking under a French designer in New York.”

Ignoring the scoffs she got in reply, she finished, “... a-and it’s what I do for work. It’s a service I see you really should be interested in.”

Ellen laughed, but a dark, vulnerable expression flickered over Myrna's face. Her hand alighted softly on her son's mess of wild blonde curls, and he gazed up at to mother with shy puzzlement. Olivia's ears burned immediately. He wasn't wearing shoes.

“We already know how to sew, thank you," Myrna snapped as she ushered her son to begin walking away. "To make every single piece last as long as possible. You’ll understand when the babies start coming along. There won’t be a dime left for a new yellow dress from France then, Mrs. Calabria.”

[auspexsims]

i started a spellcaster legacy save as i get on my feet in a new city and had to remake the sages - L Faba is now charming me immensely

[auspexsims]

-- strangers at the bus stop

[auspexsims]

having ocs is so fucked .... i miss them so bad but im the guy who has to create new content. but im sleepy

[auspexsims]

*streetcar brakes screeching*

*heels on cobblestones, muffled sigh*

"Thanks for watching her for me."

"Anytime. Such a shame you two all on your own."

"Just me and you, baby."

[auspexsims]

creep. 🎧 first | prev | next

When was the last time he was truly happy? In truth, the answer was confusing. Could it really have been the ten seconds five years ago he had spent - on this bed that wasn't his, in a house that he didn't live in, kissing a boy that would probably never kiss him again, just because aforementioned boy needed to know what he tasted like? Was that even happiness? Was happiness the moment somewhere between seconds three and four when his brain started back up and Valerian realized how deeply he wanted to kiss this boy back? Or was it the space between seconds seven and eight when he desperately hoped that there was a chance when he finished counting, the boy who was kissing him wouldn't want to pull away either. Watcher he was pathetic. Time's up.

Val: [ OUT OF BREATH ] Ten. Chad: Fuck. I'm sorry I just - Val: I won't tell anyone I swear. Chad: I- I should go.

Val: This is your house. Chad: Right, yeah. … You should go. Val: Right - uh cool. Thank you? Chad: Same, yeah.

That was the first time Val ever really saw him. - All of him. And it felt like I had just spent the last ten seconds staring straight into the sun.

HANSEL: So what happens next?

[auspexsims]

something new coming soon

[auspexsims]

in the aaaaarms oooooof the aaaaaangels

[auspexsims]

so my occult legacy is over bc everyone died..

[auspexsims]

sigh. this is the last ill say of this without tagging it properly. the boyfriend was married with a baby and never disclosed that fact. enzo had a science baby with a friend bc he wanted to be a dad. his own dad (gen 1) dies on the day the baby is born. and just when i thought he'd find true love with julia wright:

my occult legacy save isnt letting me into CAS with my heir ;; just let me upload him to my gallery LET ME RESCUE HIM

[auspexsims]

he finally landed himself a boyfriend and the second he moves in he gets abductedddd

my occult legacy save isnt letting me into CAS with my heir ;; just let me upload him to my gallery LET ME RESCUE HIM

[auspexsims]

i rescued him and he got a makeover and a new save file to live in

my occult legacy save isnt letting me into CAS with my heir ;; just let me upload him to my gallery LET ME RESCUE HIM

[auspexsims]

my occult legacy save isnt letting me into CAS with my heir ;; just let me upload him to my gallery LET ME RESCUE HIM

[auspexsims]

'Song tag - Couples Edition'! Rules: Simply pick one of your OC couples and choose the song that best represents their relationship. Then post the song on your Simblr with a screenshot of your couple. Post the lyrics too if you want, it's up to you! Send this ask to some of your mutuals who also have OCs, or tag them in your post! No obligation, just have fun if you decide to do it! 💖

Your heart's a mess You won't admit to it It makes no sense But I'm desperate to connect And you can't live like this

[auspexsims]

We need to bring back ask game etiquette y'all no offense

[auspexsims]

I'm making a 5-gen legacy challenge and my best friend is beta testing it for me!! Follow along at your own peril 😈

Hey all, I emerge from the depths to bring you a new legacy!

Welcome to twist tie gen 1. Twist tie is by @auspexsims and is currently being beta tested, I'm really excited to experiment and have a casual, self indulgent save and I hope you'll enjoy the journey too!

This legacy will contain simspice and adult themes. You've been warned! Continue at your own risk!!

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