In which Julie says goodbye, and unlocks The Secret Modly Vault.
Firstly, a snapshot of your mods as I would so love for us to be remembered:
Sarah: did you guys know I am a WONDERFUL singer?
Sarah: i bet you didn't
Sarah: in singapore, i was in a BAND
Julie: .......... IT IS NOT EVERY DAY I GET TO HEAR THAT SENTENCE
Sarah: I KNOW
Emily has entered the room.
Emily: WHAT DID I MISS
Julie: EMILY
Julie: in singapore, Sarah was in a BAND
Emily: OMG WHAT
Emily: SING
Sarah: i am a wonderful singer
Emily: GUITAR
Emily: DRUM
Emily: YAY
Sarah: like, A+++
Sarah: excellent.
Emily: AWESOME FACE T
Sarah: i don't mind saying so myself.
Sarah: i would call you and sing to you but you're in canada
Sarah: and i don't know how long distance rates work
Ryan: I distinctly remember calling this meeting to order.
Ryan: This? This is not order.
Sarah: hahaha i BROKE THE ORDER WITH MY AWESOME
Julie: ORDER AND SARAH'S AWESOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
Sarah: YAY JULIE IS IN MY CORNER
Ryan: Being the sober one in the conversation sucks.
NOW TO THE LENGTHY GOODBYES. I am also in the Unfashionably Late Club, so much so because my Internet decided to die for the last five days. Could there have been any worse timing? No, there couldn't!
A couple late logs of mine will come drifting into the RPG comm like on an errant tide, but those are mainly for personal benefit -- I've finally managed to wrap up my main story arcs, for which I owe so many thanks to this game and to the people in it. I can't stress how unexpected all this was. When we opened up our little project, I was paranoid that we'd only get like six players -- which, obviously, turned out to be a really stupid fear, because instead we got a bigger playerbase than I can actually physically cram into my house at once.
FT lasted nine months, which means it went longer than my second year of university, and I just will not be able to think back to 2007-08 without remembering this game: all the way from its conception, the little label in my inbox marked "THE GAME" before we even thought of a name, to email spamming each other, to the way the modteam balanced each other, Sarah's Cornada, the creation of MECHA-JULIE-RYAN-SAURUS GO to cheer Emily up, from logistics and hoped-for spin-offs (the Pentamerone in 1905!) and Lyssa's amazing Sims models, to the way our players bonded and created, to the four of us having drunk modchats (which we promised you should never find out about, but I think the veil of secrecy can be lifted now), right on down to the final decision to close.
It's been a coordinated effort, you guys, and you have kind of ruined me for modding forevermore. Even this closing has surpassed my expectations; I've seen games go quietly with just one underwhelming mod post, so I love the fact that so many of you were willing to join us in chiming in for the last hurrah. IT MIGHT SOUND CHEESY, OK, but you guys helped us get to our own little happily ever after, and for that, I'm happy. The matching groups (Byrons, May/Kilroy, Toby/Anne, Piglandia and the Goats), rehabilitated villains (Edie + Elisa!), the Rub-a-dub-dub trio, Neil and Secret Tong and his pack of Wonderlandians on their ~pilgrimage~, the most thrilling dynamics, bizarre (dys)functional relationships (Reynard/Jess), the unexpected win (Edwina. Edwina getting Reynard to watch Grey's Anatomy. everything Edwina. everything Kelly.), Noah and his women (Lil, Monica, Whit, Eva), Reynard and Cygna's entire arcs, and AUGH I CANNOT GO ON. Your writing was excellent, your characterisations solid, and your wit like modern-day Wilde, and I fucking loved it.
Mostly I'm grateful for the new people I've met, and hope to stay in touch with. I'm chthonian at IJ, jyuulii on AIM, and just ping me if you ever feel like talking!
And now for the epic 20 years later!
CYGNA: Spends the next couple years encouraging Velvet to publish, keeping tabs on Benny from afar, hiatusing from life and travelling with Rick, seeing foreign places and having sex in classy hotels and generally experiencing life to its utmost. When she gets back to NYC, she is more confident, more worldly, and completely bursting with creative ideas. She becomes a vibrant new influence on the theatre scene and finally makes a lunge for costume designer, possibly gambling with the offer Sebastian Han made her a while ago. She becomes head of costumes for various high-range productions, has one child with Rick, essentially becomes Cygna Jones-Jones, keeps her husband from going off the deep end, and eventually does locate the rest of her brothers. She develops a yen for exotic travel, and enjoys vacationing in increasingly far-off places until the end of her days. Happily ever after!
NOAH: Has a Thing with Eva Lamontagne for a while, but it's extremely on-again off-again and he can't make it work, despite his strangely fierce loyalty to her. He does marry someone else, briefly, but a whole string of affairs means they don't stick it out long, and he constantly returns to his hedonistic drinking-sexing-lifestyle. He starts renovating motorcycles with Monica's help. At age forty-five, he finally signs his big breakthrough for Epic Records: a small starlet with a sort of sultry voice and down-to-earth personality, every talent scout's dream. They have an unconventional relationship for a while, before they split amicably. He got rich off her, though, which suited him well enough. But his new wealth would, unfortunately, lead to his being mugged a year later. He's stabbed to death, thus fulfilling the inevitable conclusion of his fable. No children of his own, remained favourite uncle to his nieces and nephews until his early death.
& WHAT NEVER WAS: There was going to be a Big Event in-game which would lead to his getting more in-touch with his wolfish side -- he would have become progressively worse and worse at being a sympathetic librarian, essentially bailing on his fables and turning against them. Noah's increasingly unsuccessful stint as librarian would have led to all of taledom being able to vote on whether or not he should keep his position, which may very well have led to a deposement somewhere down the line.
& EPILOGUE NARRATIVE.
TOBY: Moves into the new apartment Anne got him, and then spends the entire summer (and the next few years, really) trying to piece himself back together after the loss of his soulmate. He uses the help of friends and loved ones (Scott, Noreen, the Byrons, Ryoko and Wonderlandians, a growing and ~blossoming~ relationship with Kelly). He starts writing some clever columns for the local newspaper, but doesn't do much with it -- instead, he focuses on just taking things one step at a time and then going to grad school, inspired by Noreen's efforts. He manages to rebuild himself into a less selfish monarch, having realised what he was taking advantage of all along. A decade or two later, he and Anne finally patch things up as individuals, no longer dependent upon being the King and Queen. Toby is, needless to say, overjoyed and breathes a sigh of relief he didn't even know he'd been holding for twenty years. I don't know if he and Kelly last, but my inner fluff side would like to think they do -- he will be pretty much the coolest, quirkiest dad ever, albeit forgetful and far less stringent on his children than any of his other 'subjects'.
REYNARD: Would have aimed for head of surgery and eventually dumped Jess and her son on his own terms, had all things gone according to plan. But they didn't. Profoundly twisted by the similarities between Matty and himself, Reynard found himself more upset than he should have been when he and Jess (inevitably) trainwrecked. For the second time in his life -- the first being his almost-engagement, which woke up Mr. Fox for the first time -- he is actually devastated post-break-up.
& WHAT NEVER WAS: This would have sent Reynard spiralling back to his villainous roots, and actually killing young women around New York. The Atheneum would have tried to stop him, only to realise there was no bargaining with the tale who had become a murderer -- staying one step ahead of the police, he would take refuge with Gray Adams and Kelly Chandler, wholly abusing the latter's unhealthy loyalty to him. Finally, the Atheneum would have had to terminate him using Tom Locke, and Reynard would have died in-game, courtesy of the Butcher's bullet. He also probably would've drunkenly slept with any villainess (hello Devin!) who sided with him.
& EPILOGUE NARRATIVE
LOUISE: Using Kelly's masterful organisation techniques, she takes over the world. Or just finally makes it to the top in some high-ranking firm, finally sheds her work-induced crush on Napoleon (an occupational hazard, I tell you), which means the resentment of Nava goes away too. She grows up to look like Frédérique Bel, marries a younger man with boatloads of cash, and never has any children of her own, but amiably tries to win the love and affection of Lil's. She dies at a ripe old age as an outrageous granny-type, fond of high-speed scooter races, and on her deathbed mumbles something about stuck-up English princesses and a crown which was hers all along, HONESTLY.
Sarah: did you guys know I am a WONDERFUL singer?
Sarah: i bet you didn't
Sarah: in singapore, i was in a BAND
Julie: .......... IT IS NOT EVERY DAY I GET TO HEAR THAT SENTENCE
Sarah: I KNOW
Emily has entered the room.
Emily: WHAT DID I MISS
Julie: EMILY
Julie: in singapore, Sarah was in a BAND
Emily: OMG WHAT
Emily: SING
Sarah: i am a wonderful singer
Emily: GUITAR
Emily: DRUM
Emily: YAY
Sarah: like, A+++
Sarah: excellent.
Emily: AWESOME FACE T
Sarah: i don't mind saying so myself.
Sarah: i would call you and sing to you but you're in canada
Sarah: and i don't know how long distance rates work
Ryan: I distinctly remember calling this meeting to order.
Ryan: This? This is not order.
Sarah: hahaha i BROKE THE ORDER WITH MY AWESOME
Julie: ORDER AND SARAH'S AWESOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
Sarah: YAY JULIE IS IN MY CORNER
Ryan: Being the sober one in the conversation sucks.
NOW TO THE LENGTHY GOODBYES. I am also in the Unfashionably Late Club, so much so because my Internet decided to die for the last five days. Could there have been any worse timing? No, there couldn't!
A couple late logs of mine will come drifting into the RPG comm like on an errant tide, but those are mainly for personal benefit -- I've finally managed to wrap up my main story arcs, for which I owe so many thanks to this game and to the people in it. I can't stress how unexpected all this was. When we opened up our little project, I was paranoid that we'd only get like six players -- which, obviously, turned out to be a really stupid fear, because instead we got a bigger playerbase than I can actually physically cram into my house at once.
FT lasted nine months, which means it went longer than my second year of university, and I just will not be able to think back to 2007-08 without remembering this game: all the way from its conception, the little label in my inbox marked "THE GAME" before we even thought of a name, to email spamming each other, to the way the modteam balanced each other, Sarah's Cornada, the creation of MECHA-JULIE-RYAN-SAURUS GO to cheer Emily up, from logistics and hoped-for spin-offs (the Pentamerone in 1905!) and Lyssa's amazing Sims models, to the way our players bonded and created, to the four of us having drunk modchats (which we promised you should never find out about, but I think the veil of secrecy can be lifted now), right on down to the final decision to close.
It's been a coordinated effort, you guys, and you have kind of ruined me for modding forevermore. Even this closing has surpassed my expectations; I've seen games go quietly with just one underwhelming mod post, so I love the fact that so many of you were willing to join us in chiming in for the last hurrah. IT MIGHT SOUND CHEESY, OK, but you guys helped us get to our own little happily ever after, and for that, I'm happy. The matching groups (Byrons, May/Kilroy, Toby/Anne, Piglandia and the Goats), rehabilitated villains (Edie + Elisa!), the Rub-a-dub-dub trio, Neil and Secret Tong and his pack of Wonderlandians on their ~pilgrimage~, the most thrilling dynamics, bizarre (dys)functional relationships (Reynard/Jess), the unexpected win (Edwina. Edwina getting Reynard to watch Grey's Anatomy. everything Edwina. everything Kelly.), Noah and his women (Lil, Monica, Whit, Eva), Reynard and Cygna's entire arcs, and AUGH I CANNOT GO ON. Your writing was excellent, your characterisations solid, and your wit like modern-day Wilde, and I fucking loved it.
Mostly I'm grateful for the new people I've met, and hope to stay in touch with. I'm chthonian at IJ, jyuulii on AIM, and just ping me if you ever feel like talking!
And now for the epic 20 years later!
CYGNA: Spends the next couple years encouraging Velvet to publish, keeping tabs on Benny from afar, hiatusing from life and travelling with Rick, seeing foreign places and having sex in classy hotels and generally experiencing life to its utmost. When she gets back to NYC, she is more confident, more worldly, and completely bursting with creative ideas. She becomes a vibrant new influence on the theatre scene and finally makes a lunge for costume designer, possibly gambling with the offer Sebastian Han made her a while ago. She becomes head of costumes for various high-range productions, has one child with Rick, essentially becomes Cygna Jones-Jones, keeps her husband from going off the deep end, and eventually does locate the rest of her brothers. She develops a yen for exotic travel, and enjoys vacationing in increasingly far-off places until the end of her days. Happily ever after!
NOAH: Has a Thing with Eva Lamontagne for a while, but it's extremely on-again off-again and he can't make it work, despite his strangely fierce loyalty to her. He does marry someone else, briefly, but a whole string of affairs means they don't stick it out long, and he constantly returns to his hedonistic drinking-sexing-lifestyle. He starts renovating motorcycles with Monica's help. At age forty-five, he finally signs his big breakthrough for Epic Records: a small starlet with a sort of sultry voice and down-to-earth personality, every talent scout's dream. They have an unconventional relationship for a while, before they split amicably. He got rich off her, though, which suited him well enough. But his new wealth would, unfortunately, lead to his being mugged a year later. He's stabbed to death, thus fulfilling the inevitable conclusion of his fable. No children of his own, remained favourite uncle to his nieces and nephews until his early death.
& WHAT NEVER WAS: There was going to be a Big Event in-game which would lead to his getting more in-touch with his wolfish side -- he would have become progressively worse and worse at being a sympathetic librarian, essentially bailing on his fables and turning against them. Noah's increasingly unsuccessful stint as librarian would have led to all of taledom being able to vote on whether or not he should keep his position, which may very well have led to a deposement somewhere down the line.
& EPILOGUE NARRATIVE.
TOBY: Moves into the new apartment Anne got him, and then spends the entire summer (and the next few years, really) trying to piece himself back together after the loss of his soulmate. He uses the help of friends and loved ones (Scott, Noreen, the Byrons, Ryoko and Wonderlandians, a growing and ~blossoming~ relationship with Kelly). He starts writing some clever columns for the local newspaper, but doesn't do much with it -- instead, he focuses on just taking things one step at a time and then going to grad school, inspired by Noreen's efforts. He manages to rebuild himself into a less selfish monarch, having realised what he was taking advantage of all along. A decade or two later, he and Anne finally patch things up as individuals, no longer dependent upon being the King and Queen. Toby is, needless to say, overjoyed and breathes a sigh of relief he didn't even know he'd been holding for twenty years. I don't know if he and Kelly last, but my inner fluff side would like to think they do -- he will be pretty much the coolest, quirkiest dad ever, albeit forgetful and far less stringent on his children than any of his other 'subjects'.
REYNARD: Would have aimed for head of surgery and eventually dumped Jess and her son on his own terms, had all things gone according to plan. But they didn't. Profoundly twisted by the similarities between Matty and himself, Reynard found himself more upset than he should have been when he and Jess (inevitably) trainwrecked. For the second time in his life -- the first being his almost-engagement, which woke up Mr. Fox for the first time -- he is actually devastated post-break-up.
& WHAT NEVER WAS: This would have sent Reynard spiralling back to his villainous roots, and actually killing young women around New York. The Atheneum would have tried to stop him, only to realise there was no bargaining with the tale who had become a murderer -- staying one step ahead of the police, he would take refuge with Gray Adams and Kelly Chandler, wholly abusing the latter's unhealthy loyalty to him. Finally, the Atheneum would have had to terminate him using Tom Locke, and Reynard would have died in-game, courtesy of the Butcher's bullet. He also probably would've drunkenly slept with any villainess (hello Devin!) who sided with him.
& EPILOGUE NARRATIVE
LOUISE: Using Kelly's masterful organisation techniques, she takes over the world. Or just finally makes it to the top in some high-ranking firm, finally sheds her work-induced crush on Napoleon (an occupational hazard, I tell you), which means the resentment of Nava goes away too. She grows up to look like Frédérique Bel, marries a younger man with boatloads of cash, and never has any children of her own, but amiably tries to win the love and affection of Lil's. She dies at a ripe old age as an outrageous granny-type, fond of high-speed scooter races, and on her deathbed mumbles something about stuck-up English princesses and a crown which was hers all along, HONESTLY.
