Introduction - Welcome to Rosebud!
In a green valley nestled between rocky cliffs lies the tiny town of Rosebud. A farm stretched over the entire valley, but when the old farmer passed away with no heirs, the land was turned into a subdivision. Now, five families have discovered the lush land and are attempting to make a fresh start. The five families are vastly different in culture and composition, yet they all share the desire to begin anew and make the best of life in Rosebud.
The Beaumont family moved to Rosebud when corporate employment and city living failed to satisfy Armand and his wife Adelaide anymore. They decided they wanted to move away to enjoy a slower pace in a place where they could put their full energies into raising their sons, Arnaud and Alain.
The Vinci family had much more tragic circumstances. Brothers Pablo, Enzo, and Salvatore are facing the greatest challenge of their lives: trying to survive without their parents. Mom and Dad Vinci were wonderful parents, providing for their children by running a family pizzeria that their great grandparents started generations back. Tragically, there was a fire after hours one night at the business, and Mom and Dad couldn't escape in time. The pizzeria burnt to the ground, and the Vinci boys were left orphaned within the course of a night. Despite being devastated by the loss of their beloved parents, Pablo and Enzo are determined not to let social services come take away Salvatore and split them up. They learned during their parents' short lives that family means everything, and they won't lose what family they have left: one another.
The Cleary family has also been touched by loss. One night, Mom Cleary and her father went out for a Daddy/Daughter night. In the car on the way home, Mom Cleary's father clutched his chest, obviously having a heart attack. He lost control of the car, and in the ensuing accident, both he and his daughter were killed. The news hit both spouses like a ton of bricks. Roisin Cleary lost her husband and daughter, and Colm lost his wife and father-in-law. Immediately feeling the need to bond together in the face of such a horrible accident, Colm invited Roisin to move in with he and his three daughters...her now motherless granddaughters. Colm's mother Aisling knew that they would need all the help they could get, and so she moved in as well. Now, with the girls' two grandmothers joining their household, Colm is going to try to raise his girls in a way that would make his late wife proud.
The Villalobos family shares a lot of similarities with their neighbors, the Clearys. The parents of two girls and two boys, Catalina, Dorotea, Diego, and Vincente, are also gone. The children think their parents are dead because that is what their guardian and paternal grandfather Santiago has told them. Only he knows that his son and daughter-in-law skipped town one night while the grandchildren were visiting their grandfather, leaving only a few thousand dollars and a note that said they were tired of being parents, and for Santiago NOT to try to find them. Since that day, Santiago hasn't heard a word from them, and he knows he can never reveal this hurtful, damaging truth to his grandchildren, whom he loves more than life itself.
Last but not least, the Tanaka family moved to Rosebud when Mom and Dad Tanaka died in a plane crash, visiting the tiny island from which their parents hailed in Japan. Their tiny island-hopper plane was caught in a sudden storm and went down in the Pacific Ocean. Their bodies were never found. Mom Tanaka's mother, Yuuna, knew immediately that she would take care of the five children, three teens Kimi, Mariko, and Jiro, and the two toddlers Inari and Aki. Family came first, no matter what, and even though she suffered immensely, she kept it inside to be brave for the children. Family was life, and Yuuna won't allow her grandchildren to grow up without a loving home.
Can these five families embrace their similarities and differences to build a successful, thriving neighborhood in Rosebud? We'll see...
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[[Author's Notes: A few mentions for the name inspirations. Armand's name is a nod to Anne Rice's angel-faced vampire. Paolo's name is a distant nod to Snow Patrol bassist Paul Wilson a.k.a. Pablo. Enzo's name is a nod to Jason Kay of Jamiroquai's favorite automobile (his self-described "black devil car.") Tara's name is a nod to Amber Benson's character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fiona's name is a nod to musician Fiona Apple. The Villalobos surname is a nod to the character Esmerelda Villalobos, the cab driver in Pulp Fiction, who is played by a woman I ADORE. (Everyone go see the movie Curdled immediately.) Colm's name is a nod to Colm Mac Con Iomaire, the violinist for the Dublin band The Frames. Dorotea's name is a nod to my friend Dorothea, who also has the nickname "Dot." Diego's name is a nod to the yummy Diego Luna. The Tanaka surname is a nod to Mr. Tanaka from my favorite book Memoirs of a Geisha. And finally, Aki's name is a nod to my Japanese neighbor of whom I'm very fond. As for the naming scheme of flowers for the town, I just like flowers. :)]]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Beaumont
Vinci
Cleary
Villalobos
Tanaka
University
Total points: 29
Round 2 - Winter
Beaumont
Vinci
Cleary
Villalobos
Tanaka
University Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4
Round 3 - Spring
Beaumont
Vinci
Cleary
Villalobos
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
University Part 1 // Part 2
Round 4 - Summer
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary
Villalobos
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
University Part 1 // Part 2
Round 5 - Fall
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary
Villalobos
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
University Part 1 // Part 2
Round 6 - Winter
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villaloboc C
Villalobos D
Tanaka D
Tanaka E
University
Round 7 - Spring
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villalobos C
Villalobos D
Tanaka D
Vinci D
University
Round 8 - Summer
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villalobos C
Villalobos D
Tanaka D
Vinci D
University Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3
Round 9 - Fall
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villalobos C
Villalobos D
Tanaka D (future Cleary B and Tanaka D)
Vinci D
Chan (future Beaumont D)
Vinci E (future Villalobos E)
University Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3
Round 10 - Winter
**Hood View at the Beginning of Round 10**
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary A
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villalobos C
Villalobos D
Cleary B
Tanaka D
Vinci D
Beaumont D
Villlalobos E
University
Round 11 - Spring
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary A
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villalobos C
Villalobos D
Cleary B
Tanaka D
Vinci D
Beaumont D
Villalobos E
Vinci E
Vinci F
University Part 1 // Part 2
Round 12 - Summer
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary A
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villalobos C
Villalobos D
Tanaka D
Cleary B
Vinci D
Beaumont D
Villalobos E
Vinci E
Vinci F
Vinci G
University Part 1 // Part 2
Round 13 - Fall
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary A
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Tanaka B
Tanaka C
Beaumont B
Vinci B
Vinci C
Beaumont C
Villalobos B
Villalobos C
Villalobos D
Tanaka D
Cleary B
Vinci D
Beaumont D
Villalobos E
Vinci E
Vinci F
Vinci G
University Part 1 // Part 2
Round 14 - Winter
Beaumont A
Vinci A
Cleary A
Villalobos A
Tanaka A
Random Thanks:
twoflower (of the Apple Grove Prosperity) for showing me how totally rad, hilarious, and absolutely entertaining a prosperity blog can be.
robinaschatz (of the Emerald Isle Prosperity) for having so many great ideas that I had to borrow some of them - splitting the rounds up by season, including OOC "author notes" at the end, and keeping track of the family net worth at the end of each round.
Mao (of loads of stuff!) for inspiring me as a storyteller. I have NEVER seen such amazing stories!
Everyone on the yahoo group for being so wonderful, welcoming, and forthcoming with the game tips and feedback! Play on, lovely simmers.
xo,
S
