Down & Out In Del Sol – Backstory

Have you ever wanted to become a superstar? Someone so famous that everyone knows your name and everyone wants to be like you?

Well, that is the dream of many sims, but more importantly, it was the dream of Mariel Masters.

Ahhh….but who is Mariel Masters, you ask? Well, let us start at the beginning…

Mariel Masters grew up in Willow Creek with her grandfather. Her parents had died when Mariel was very young. Mariel didn’t know how they had died, but her grandfather had told her it was very tragic.

He would never dwell on the subject and Mariel, although very curious about her parents, never asked her grandfather any more questions. Talking about the past seemed to make him sad. She often saw him gazing at their picture and it looked like there were tears in his eyes. But he told Mariel it was just the dust in the room and quickly looked away.

All Mariel knew about her parents is that they were “stars”, and when she looked up at the sky, she somehow felt closer to them.

Mariel’s childhood was carefree and fun and she and her grandfather would do all sorts of things together. They especially loved to go fishing, and watching scary movies together at home.

Mariel was a creative child, and her grandfather often found her making crafts, drawing or playing the violin.

The years passed and soon Mariel was ready for high school. She continued her pursuits of the arts and even enrolled in the drama club, which was an after-school activity.

When Mariel reached her eighteenth birthday, her grandfather sat her down and brought out a faded photo album and a stack of newspapers. He rummaged through the news clippings, and handed one to Mariel. She gasped when she saw it. It was her parents! Her grandfather told her that it was time that she learned about her parents. Her mother, Stella, had been a great actress, and her father, Kenneth, had been a famous director.

Mariel’s parents had met on vacation. Mariel’s father had been rehearsing his audition for a summer stock production of “Grease” and asked Stella if she could help him with his lines. The director just happened to be staying at the oceanside resort and heard them practicing together on the beach, and cast them both in the lead roles. That role was the start of Stella’s rise to fame. Kenneth had done quite a good job as well, but his interest was more behind the camera directing.

Working on that summer production together drew Stella and Kenneth closer and closer. They became fast friends and well, both developed deep feelings for each other. They were young and in love.

When the summer was over, they were married. They were called the “golden couple” and the fans and paparazzi alike adored them.

Stella went on to star in many films, and Kenneth became one of the most sought-after directors in Del Sol Valley. They were very much in love, and pretty soon, Stella gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They named her Mariel, which means “star of the sea”. Since they had met by the ocean, the name seemed fitting.

Not long after Mariel’s birth, Stella was nominated for an award and they made plans to attend the Starlight Accolades. The event was held in Del Sol Valley at the Studio PBP Club on Starlight Boulevard. Stella and Kenneth made arrangements for Stella’s father, who lived in Willow Creek, to look after Mariel. Stella’s father told them to stay overnight in Del Sol, but Stella was adamant that they would return later in the evening. Stella could not bear to spend too much time away from her precious daughter. Both Stella and Kenneth loved their daughter so much. Stella’s father was more than happy to babysit little Mariel because he loved his little granddaughter. So with a long list of instructions and a hired limo, Stella and Kenneth set off for the Award Ceremony.

At the Starlight Accolades, heading down the red carpet, they made a stunning couple. The place was packed with Rising stars, B-Listers and Global Superstars. Stella and Kenneth hobnobbed with all of them, but never forgot their fans. They graciously signed autographs, talked to their fans and posed for photos. They were Del Sol Valley’s sweethearts. It was even rumored that they would be making Del Sol their permanent home, as Kenneth had invested in some land in the valley.

The star-studded Starlight Accolades was even more spectacular when Stella won an award for best actress.

When it was time to head home, a terrible thunderstorm had struck. The wind and rain pelted the car making it weave to and fro on the road and the visibility was next to nothing. It is said that the limo driver lost control of the car when he tried to avoid two llamas on the winding hills of Del Sol Valley. His brakes failed and they careened over a cliff.

It was later discovered that the llamas had been at a party at The Pinnacles and had gone missing after a few hours and had somehow wandered onto the road.

The following morning, the local papers plastered Stella and Kenneth’s photo from the Starlight Accolades Ceremony on the front page. It was the last picture that the Simworld would see of Stella and Kenneth. They were gone.

Mariel looked at the photo and couldn’t control her emotions any longer. She wept openly and her grandfather apologized for having to tell her this on her birthday. He wouldn’t have told her at all, but there was an item in the will that needed to be given to Mariel. It was the deed to a lot in Del Sol Valley. It was where her father was going to build his movie studio.

Mariel’s grandfather excused himself and said he would go for a walk to leave her alone to think about things. Mariel heard the door close and she sat there looking at the photos for a long time. She didn’t actually know how long she just sat there, but as Mariel picked up the newspaper and was reading the article, a rapid knocking sounded on the door.

Her neighbor was standing at the door and grabbed her hand, “Mariel, come quick – it’s your grandfather!”

But by the time Mariel got there, it was too late. Her grandfather was now gone, too.

That had all happened just a few short weeks ago, but to Mariel it seemed like yesterday. So much had changed. The house she had lived in with her grandfather was a furnished rental, so nothing belonged to her. She couldn’t afford the rent and the landlord had given her until the end of the month to move out. She had sold a few belongings, given items to her neighbors and had donated her grandfather’s clothes to charity. With those meager funds, she had bought a one-way bus ticket to Del Sol Valley.

She looked down at her suitcases, containing all her worldly possessions and studied the deed in her hand. Yes, Del Sol Valley was her future…her road to fame…her dream of becoming a superstar.

Mariel Masters- Aspiration: Master Actress; Traits: Music Lover, Cheerful, Goofball

Link to “Limelight” Challenge by Euphorial Queen: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/951109/limelight-a-ts4getfamous-gameplay-challenge-by-eqcreations/p1

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