Friday, March 22, 2013

Chapter 9: Family


The Compound allowed you to get jobs as long as they didn't interfere with the many scheduled classes they had. Did you ever get a job?

Yes, I did. It was very easy to get cabin fever living there. The days were monotonous because of the classes. I wanted a change of pace so that I could at least leave The Compound for a few hours.


Camo is pacing around his and Titanium's room. He's been quiet the whole morning, which seems weird to Titanium.


"What's wrong, Camo?"

"Uh... my intimacy session was- uh... less than desirable.. fuck, it was weird. I got a fat chick. She was all over me and I was not attracted to her in the least little bit."

"Did you go through with it?"

"Uh, yeah... but that was so not how I pictured it. It was really bad."

"How bad?"

"Uh, it took a while for me to be ready and when I was, I went really fast because I wanted it to be over. I'm a little pissed off I guess."

Camo finally stops pacing and sits down in front of Titanium. He crosses his legs and just stares, disappointed. The two sit in silence for a few minutes until Titanium gets an idea.


"Hey Camo, do you want to get a job with me? Um, I thought it might help you get your mind off.. well, that."

"Yeah, that sounds good. It will be nice to get some fresh air and leave this dump for a while."

The boys eat breakfast and then go out to see what kind of jobs they can find. They decide the Silicon Shores Bookstore seems like an okay place to apply. There are comfy chairs everywhere and a small cafe that serves coffee and pastries. There is also a spa connected to the building.


Titanium and Camo walk up to one of the counters at the bookstore where a young brunette is standing. When she turns around, Camo's eyes light up. It's his crush from the beach. Her name tag reads 'Verona.'

"Hi. How can I help you today?"


Camo stands frozen in place with a ridiculous expression on his face. It seems like he has lost the ability to speak. His head tells him to open his mouth and stop staring at her pretty face, her gorgeous eyes, her luscious lips, her silky hair, and her sexy body, but he is at a loss for words for the first time in his life. Titanium notices Camo is stunned, so he speaks up.

"We were wondering if you had any job openings."


Verona smiles and gets some papers out of the cabinet she is standing behind.

"We are looking for some people to help stock shelves. You can fill these out here and return them to me."

Camo thinks to himself, oh my god, her voice is smooth like satin, low pitched and seductive.

"Thanks."

"Um, is your friend okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine."




The Compound taught about love, even though it was very different from real love. What sort of examples do you have about that?

Love was based on what residents could do for The Compound, despite being taught that we were one big family. Now that I know there is such a thing as unconditional love, or real love, I understand why relationships in The Compound felt so strange.


"Family. That is what we are here in this house. No one else will ever love you like the other residents in this house. We look out for each other and push each other to do great things for this house. Sometimes we might have to do things that seem bad on the surface, such as reporting other residents, but those things are done out of good intentions."

Camo seems to be in a different world today. Usually he would say something to make the teacher uncomfortable, but instead of his usual scowl, he has a calm expression on his face as if he is thinking about something else entirely.


"How can we love each other? I don't understand. I got in trouble because Barry put his arm around me. Isn't touching a form of love?"

"Yes, touching is a form of love, Zinfandel. However, touching in this house is reserved for the Intimacy Room. We don't touch people in this house other than that because it leads to impurity. It is okay in the Intimacy Room because it is necessary for reproduction. We teach platonic love in this house, which means everyone is your friend. It is dangerous to gain romantic feelings for other people, as that also leads to impurity. This is why there are no couples in this house and why we do not encourage marriage."

"Would it have been okay to continue talking to Barry if he hadn't put his arm around me?"

"Yes, Zinfandel, that would have been okay. If you had kept your friendship with Barry at a platonic level, you would not have been punished. Do you understand?"

Zinfandel nods her head. There's still something bothering her, but she seems less disturbed about it today since she's participating in class.


"Titanium? Are you listening to the discussion?"

Titanium is just as bored by this topic as he is with most other class topics. He doesn't look up from his desk, but answers the teacher so he doesn't get in trouble.

"Yes. Platonic love is the only love we should practice in this house because romantic love leads to impurity. Touching should be avoided because that also leads to impurity. Touching is only allowed in the Intimacy Room."

"Very good, Titanium."



My father was drunk last night, again, and he punched me because I was sitting in the chair he wanted to sit in. It was even worse because last night was my eighteenth birthday. I got punched on my birthday. Now that it was morning, and he was hungover, he thought he could yell at me because I was giving him a headache. I had packed my gym bag with all my belongings, which wasn't much, just a few clothes and a water bottle, because I was leaving today.


"What the fuck, Absolon?! Could you go down the stairs a little louder? My head is pounding!"

"That's not my fault, Dad!"

"Shut up! Why are you dressed like that?! You look like a punk!"

"Since when do you care how I dress?! Since when do you care at all?!"


"I don't care, I just like insulting you."

"You are a shitty person, Dad. I'm moving out, I hate you!"

"Good riddance! I hate you too. I never wanted you anyway, your mother was the one who insisted on having fucking kids!"

"Fuck you, Dad!"

I slammed the door as I walked down the front steps of that wretched place I used to call home. I didn't know where the hell I wanted to go, I just knew I couldn't stay with him any longer. The way he'd come home drunk, not even know my name, and then beat the shit out of me all the time made me sick to my stomach.



Credit: Mypalsim's Poses for Sims 3

17 comments:

  1. So that's what upset Zinfandel. Poor thing... kinda... she's starting to get a clue that The Compound ain't all sunshine and roses.

    I have a feeling I know where Absolon is headed.

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    1. LOL. It's hard for me to feel sorry for Zinfandel, her character is based on the obedient phase I went through when I was part of that group. She is upset about a little more than Barry, but that is part of why she's upset.

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  2. What a loving relationship *cough* Abs and his dad had >.<
    Personally I think Absolon looks cool with this outfit and his two- coloured hair... but if he indeed is heading for the compound now, this no- shit attitude he has will clash SO badly with the rules... ah I can´t wait *g*

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    1. His attitude is worse than Camo's. LOL! Isn't their relationship SO awesome? NOT. :D

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    2. Yes, seriously, I mean, wut? "I don´t care, I just like insulting you"?? What a cutie... *shakeshead*

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    3. LOL, his dad never wanted children, so he always resented Absolon.

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  3. Good update! I like Absolon's new hair ;) haha!
    His relationship with his Dad sounds really shitty, haha, I'm glad he found Titanium to have a good life with, seeing as they love one another so much. And is Absolon going to end up joining the Compound!? O_O That would be crazy.
    Can't wait for more :)

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    1. Hello darling! Thanks so much for that hairstyle, I love it! :) Yeah, Absolon's family life was pretty shitty. Hmm.. it seems everyone thinks that he will join.. I'm glad you're liking the story! :)

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  4. I do feel bad for Zinfandel. She's so taken in by the bullshit, I just want to shake her eyes open!

    I loved Camo's expression in the bookstore, lol. That was perfect.

    Poor Absolon! He's in a really shitty situation.

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    1. LOL, thanks! Out of the three of them, Zinfandel is the most brainwashed. Absolon has always had a shitty life. Ha-ha, I love to use that expression on Sims, it always cracks me up. :D

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  5. Is there any hope for Zinfandel? She's really thinking though, but always turns back toward The Compound. Camo and Titanium may have their eyes opened further. Good for them that they are getting out sometimes. I hope that the experience leads to action. Absolon was right to leave. Such a tough decision, stay with food and shelter or risk everything and leave. I hope he doesn't go to The Compound. If he does, it may be a good thing though, he will see how messed up it is and get everyone out of there.

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    1. Umm... I don't know? Haha, I don't want to spoil anything for you. Zinfandel's character is an example of someone who doesn't think for herself. Now, I know it looks like she's thinking for herself in this chapter, but she's more thinking of how she can be a better resident. She's still trying to understand and make sense of The Compound's rules, which you and I both know, The Compound's rules are ridiculous. That's why she's so confused. Whether or not Zinfandel finds out that The Compound's rules are wrong is yet to be determined.

      Camo and Titanium hate The Compound, Camo for now, more than Titanium. You are right, they do have their eyes opened further, at least, they know something is wrong. Eventually the experience will lead to action since the story starts out with them both living in the outside world. That is the hope I wanted to put in the story line, and that's the reason I wrote it as a series of memories.

      Absolon is a smart boy, which is why he decided to take action and remove himself from his abusive home life. Whether he goes to The Compound or not... >:D

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  6. I couldn't help but laugh at Camo's experience lol. I'm seriously disturbed with how one-sided everything is. They keep pushing the idea of reproduction yet they aren't telling them about safe sex. I mean seriously a condom isn't just about preventing pregnancies....Do they even test the new comers for diseases? Disgusting...These people need to get reported, they make me sick.

    I can't wait to see what happens to the boys if they get jobs, they need to be exposed to the real world. I guess Veronas appearance helped Camo forget about his horrible experience earlier that day lol.

    Zinfandel keeps asking questions and she receives the same b.s. answers...you would think by now she would put two and two together. Touching is okay in the intimacy room but not outside of it...Titanium words felt so robotic when he said all of that lol.

    I was really surprised reading that last part of this chapter....Absolon did not strike me as the type who would join the compound...I really hope he doesn't even though his dad is an asshole...Ugh but then again he has his bags packed...I think that's enough of a hint :/

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    1. LOL, it's totally fine, I wanted Camo's experience to be somewhat humorous. There is a clinic on site, that's where the first chapter of the story took place, with baby Titanium in his crib. They have a nursery, where some cult members are trained to be medical staff. They keep their members clean and disease free, obviously birth control is not allowed, but there's treatment for STDs. New Compound members get tested before they are allowed to be put on the reproduction schedule. These are just little details I didn't write about in the story because it's not really important to the main focus, which is how Titanium and Camo got out of The Compound.

      Camo has been struck with "love at first sight" LOL. Or at least second sight, since he saw her at the beach a while ago. He definitely forgot about his intimacy experience. Pretty girls will do that to straight boys. LOL.

      That's the thing, though, brainwashed people like Zinfandel don't know how to think for themselves, so "putting two and two together" is not possible. Titanium himself felt robotic when he said it LOL.

      Oh, hey, hey now... I never said Absolon joined The Compound, did I? At the end of this chapter, all he was doing was standing outside on the porch of his house with his bag trying to figure out what to do. Don't assume things... LOL.

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    2. "Don't assume things... LOL." --> Oh, and I thought I would add, I'm not mad or trying to be mean to you, just so you know. :) I guess just the way you worded this part "I think that's enough of a hint :/" of your comment, just irked me a little. XD Anyway, sorry if that came across mean. *hugs*

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    3. Lol it's fine I wasn't offended. :) *hugs*

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