Yeah, I'm ending A Tartosan Wedding with a cliffhanger... because I'm me.
Obviously, there is another story to come, though I'm frankly a little behind on it so we'll have a bit of a break. Not sure at this point how long a break, but I'll get there.
For a simple short story about a wedding, this was surprisingly difficult to write. For one thing, I had some pretty ambitious goals.
A Tartosan Wedding represents a return to my "main" storyline, bringing Miranda and Mariah - along with their friends and family - back onto center stage. The last time we were here was 2023. That was two years ago! So, a big goal of A Tartosan Wedding was to reintroduce these characters... or possibly introduce them for new readers.
Another challenge was that some idiot decided to make his main character precognitive. Miranda has flawless visions of future Moments, and one of those Moments was her own wedding. So, I had to try to recreate that scene as closely as possible two years, and I don't know how many game updates, later. (Just to add a complication, I started trying to do this while the Wedding Arch was glitched.)
I wanted a much larger wedding party but I just couldn't pull it off. There are hard limits on how many sims can be in one scene and "soft" limits on how many actually behave properly. Getting the screenshots of the wedding and reception took several tries. While there are things I would have liked to be different, it worked out in the end.
Finally, writing this came at a very challenging time for me personally. As I'm sure many of my readers are aware, my mother passed away in January. I found myself trying to write the one of the happiest moments in Miranda and Mariah's lives during one of the saddest times in my own. I'd like to say it was therapeutic, but in all honesty, I think the best I can manage is that it was a pleasant distraction. Fortunately, I have the unwavering support - in writing and in every other aspect of my life - of my own wonderful spouse.
Well, our M&M's are married. Gwen and Lucius are talking again. We've reintroduced Aadi (a fan favorite), Genie, and Jenny Poole (who is a personal favorite). Mariah even got to be genuinely and completely happy for a day.
Trouble is coming. It wouldn't be much of a story without it.
Our M&M's can face the challenges with the unwavering support of their wonderful spouse.
Wyrd Tales will return.
