Part 1
Sunday, Spring
Ophelia moved into the New Moon Shack in Moonwood Mill. She didn't have a lot of money to decorate it as she wished, but it will do for now.
She picked up the Scavenger and Self-Groom perks, and joined the Writer career. Her daily task was to read a book, so she did just that.
Soon, Kristopher Volkov and Lily Zhu came knocking. They introduced themselves to Ophelia with glum expressions (and fruitcake).
Ophelia: Hello, I've already heard so much about you!
Kristopher: Hello. I am Kristopher Volkov, leader of the Moonwood Collective. This is my friend, Lily Zhu.
Lily: Pleasure to meet you.
Ophelia: Why don't you come on in, out of this terrible weather?
Ophelia invited the two inside and got talking with them. She told them about how the Collective had saved her life as a child, and Kristopher shared his ideals.
Ophelia: Those are some wise words that I can get behind.
Kristopher: Well, I hope you join us in our mission, Ophelia.
Ophelia enjoyed a piece of fruitcake, and then got to know Lily a bit more. They had amazing compatibility.
Lily: The trick to suppressing the beast within you is through breathing exercises. You should try it out next time you feel the fury build up.
Ophelia: Thank you, I will.
Lily: And if you ever need help with that, I am always here.
After the pair left, Ophelia practised her charisma in the mirror until nightfall. She then decided to head out to the Grimtooth Bar and Bunker, where she met Celene Lopez.
Ophelia: You don't smell like a Werewolf...
Celene: That's 'cause I'm not a Werewolf.
Ophelia: Oh?
Celene: I do enjoy their presence though...I just could never do what they do.
Ophelia noticed the sizeable bite scars on Celene's arms.
Ophelia: Were you...attacked by one?
Celene: Oh these? Yeah...I went on a date with a Werewolf and he started a fight with Greg. Didn't end well.
Ophelia: Greggorius Lunvik?
Celene: Yep.
Ophelia: Oh wow...why would your date try to fight him?
Celene: I think he was trying to impress me, but it failed. Nice guy, but the date kinda traumatised me.
Ophelia: That's understandable.
After talking to Celene, Ophelia went to warm herself up by the fire, when Wolfgang Wilder approached her.
Wolfgang: You must be the new wolf in town. My name is Wolfgang, I work at the library.
Ophelia: Oh my, you're a librarian! You'll definitely be seeing a lot of me, then.
Wolfgang: I take it you enjoy literature?
Ophelia: Of course! I just got a job as a Writer, as well.
Wolfgang: Well if you ever need someone to look over your work, I'd be happy to lend a hand.
Wolfgang then left to buy a drink at the bar, so Ophelia soaked in the orange flames of the fire. Then, a grumpy, dishevelled man joined her at the fire, but he didn't say anything. He kept huffing and puffing.
Ophelia: Is something...bothering you?
Chase: It's none of your business.
Ophelia could smell that he was a Werewolf.
Ophelia: Fury is tough, isn't it?
Chase: Fuck off.
While Ophelia was struggling to talk to the man, she could smell the presence of a Vampire. For some reason, Daddy Vladdy had made an appearance. Was he looking to start a fight?
Before Ophelia could feel scared, Vlad disappeared into a cloud of thick, black smoke. As she looked terrified, Ophelia was intercepted by a transformed Werewolf.
Rory: What's with that terrified look?
Ophelia: Oh, um...I thought I could sense a Vampire.
Rory: Those freaks are nothing to be scared of. I'd deal with them immediately.
Ophelia: Thanks?
Rory: Who the fuck are you anyway? I haven't seen you before.
Ophelia: I'm Ophelia...I just moved here.
It was getting pretty late, and Ophelia had work in the morning, so she decided to call it a night. She headed home to get some sleep before her first day as a Writer.
Monday, Spring
Ophelia was excited to start her new job. She wasn't very pleased about her uniform (especially because she couldn't wear her glasses), but she tried not to think about that.
During work, Ophelia got a text from an unknown number, asking if they could crash at her place. Being the Good sim that she is, Ophelia accepted without thinking. So, Paolo Rocca turned up to her house with a bright pink suitcase.
After work, Ophelia met Paolo in her living room. He was sat watching TV while sipping on an energy drink. Not long after she sat down, she received a text from Kristopher, asking to hang out.
Ophelia: So, um, Paolo...I'm going to go to the Humour & Hijinks festival, want to come?
Paolo: Hell yeah...get me away from this depressing place. Er...no offence!
And so they caught a train to San Myshuno with Kristopher. Ophelia was not a city girl, so she was amazed by the place. The bustling atmosphere made her a bit nervous, which affected her fury levels. She could feel the wolf losing control inside her.
Ophelia: You look kind of sad...maybe you should drink some of this tea, it'll cheer you right up!
Kristopher: No thank you, I don't dabble in things that could affect my inner wolf...
Could he tell that Ophelia's fury was growing?
Kristopher: Just be careful. You don't want to unleash it here. This city isn't used to Werewolves.
Ophelia: Right...I think I'm fine at the moment. We don't have to stay here too long.
Before she headed home, Ophelia wanted to try some of the cuisine at the food stalls. She tried pho for the first time, and it was a bit too spicy.
It was delicious, but the uncomfortable tingling in her mouth was not doing her fury any favours. Ophelia left before she got out of control.
When she arrived home, she let some of her anger out by howling. Ophelia made sure that Paolo was not around to see her.
Tuesday, Spring (Love Day)
Ophelia had a day off work, she she decided to explore Moonwood a little. She came across two Werewolves fighting, which startled her.
It was terrifying to see them scrapping with each other, as they could get hurt. Ophelia recognised one of them as the woman who spoke to her at the bar. Once the Werewolves saw Ophelia observing, they ended their brawl. The unknown Werewolf approached her.
Lou: You're the new girl in town...Ophelia, right?
Ophelia: Yes...
Lou: Wow, Rory never mentioned how pretty you are. Anyway, I'm Lou, nice to meet you.
Ophelia: Oh, um, hello. Why were the two of you fighting...?
Lou: It was just a friendly brawl, we do it a lot. It's good training.
Ophelia: Training...for what?
Lou: To become strong, of course. It's important for us Werewolves!
Ophelia: I think there's more to being a Werewolf than that...
Rory could overhear the two talking, and she did not like what Ophelia was saying.
Lou: Right, but isn't it cool how strong Werewolves are?
Ophelia: I...I am not too keen on that aspect. It draws a lot of attention...
Lou: Well, you shouldn't care what others think. It's important to be yourself and all. Rory can teach you about that...so can I.
Rory: You sound just like my father, Ophelia.
Rory had joined the conversation. Ophelia's words were reminiscent of what Kristopher believed.
Ophelia: Is that...a good thing?
Rory: Absolutely not, he's a control freak.
Ophelia: Oh...I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be controlling, or-
Rory: He tried to make me suppress my inner wolf, and it fucked me up. There's nothing good about hiding your true self away like that.
Ophelia: I think if I didn't hide my wolf, it would have grave consequences. I wouldn't have gotten far in life otherwise...
Rory: That's just what the Collective want you to believe. It's all lies.
Ophelia: I just...don't want to hurt others...
Rory: You're just hurting yourself instead.
Lou decided to finally pipe up.
Ophelia: I'm glad the Wildfangs were able to help you, Lou. But the Moonwood Collective have helped me since I was a pup. They raised me.
Rory: They raised me, too, and look what happened.
Lou: Hey, there's nothing wrong with having a different belief. We're all Werewolves at the end of the day.
Even though Lou was a part of the rival Wildfangs, he didn't seem to all that bad. Ophelia liked his optimistic attitude.
It was time for Ophelia to check in with Kristopher and the Collective. She wanted to become a fully fledged member, although she could feel her fury getting stronger. Kristopher welcomed her with open arms.
To become a full member, Ophelia had to prove her worth through trials. She showcased her scavenger abilities.
Luckily, she found a rare figurine, which she immediately gifted to Kristopher.
For her last trial, Ophelia wanted to cook or bake something. She headed home to get started. First, she made an easy baked good - brownies.
But they weren't the best, and so Ophelia tried again. This time, she made some milk bread.
Again, it didn't turn out very well. Baking was harder than she thought. Ophelia made another attempt by making cupcakes.
Still, they weren't great. She had spent all night baking various things, but it wasn't turning out right. Ophelia thought she would never be able to join the Collective if she couldn't even master simple baking recipes. She decided to call it a night and headed to bed.
Wednesday, Spring
Ophelia woke up feeling quite sad. Her self-esteem was low due to her baking failures and the pressure of joining the Collective. Then she realised she had missed Love Day, a holiday she greatly enjoyed. It wasn't like she had anyone special to celebrate it with, anyway.
But there was no use in moping about it. While Ophelia ate her breakfast, she thought that if baking wasn't her strong suit, perhaps she could try cooking a savoury dish. However, what would she cook?
It would be quite sentimental to prepare a dish she shared in the company of Kristopher. So, Ophelia looked online for a pho recipe, and got cracking.
It was the perfect dish because it contained a good deal of meat, something Werewolves loved. Low and behold, Ophelia's Pho was excellent. She was very pleased with herself.
Ophelia immediately wrapped up her baked goods and pho, and headed to the Collective tree. She was then accepted as a full member. Then, she headed off to work and came home with a promotion. Unfortunately, Ophelia couldn't be too excited about it, as she was nervous for the coming full moon.
She also came back to a pig sty, as Paolo hadn't been cleaning up. He spent most of his time watching TV and dancing to no music?
Ophelia asked Paolo to help around the house a little, and she went to the library to work on her Writing skill.
That is all for now! In the next part, Ophelia will be experiencing her first Full Moon, and we're going to try searching for her Fate Mate.
