@Joria Thanks! Yeah, Betty gets a little less prickly now that everything is sorted out. She's a sweet girl, really.
@Caterina Thank you! Now your comment is making me smile! I really appreciate you reading my story.
@oshizu Yeah, Gemma is pretty great, but you're right, I'm trying to avoid mixing the Lothario bloodline in as long as possible. I totally would have gone to the Windenburg library, but I didn't have Get Together when I was playing this part of the story. The date could have gotten a lot more inappropriate if there had been closets handy!
@Lisa46 Thank you so much! I have a lot of fun writing it.
@Nettlejuice I know. Poor Gemma. She gets her own happy(ish) ending, though, eventually.
Chapter 8: Postcards from the Edge of Immortality 
Arianna: Aaaaand . . . career maxed!
Arianna: Hey there, handsome. How would you like to get frisked by a Double Diamond Agent?
J: Oh my.
Bob: Yup. This is good. Arianna’s career is maxed, the kids are finally together, and I’m having a sour punch in the hot tub with my beautiful wife. This dynasty nonsense is officially worth it.
Don: Why I am the only one not getting lucky in this chapter? How does that work? When did I become an actual handyman?
Arianna: Cheer up, Dina! You’re a regular clown, not a tragic clown!
Dina: You’d feel tragic, too, if your boyfriend was dating both your mother and your sister.
Arianna: Fair enough. Just go stand by the playful painting, okay? I’ve failed at my last three birthday parties and I really need this one to happen.
Arianna: Okay, parties finally done. Now for some frantic late-night gardening. Evolve, you little green monsters. EVOLVE!
Arianna: It’s not enough I have to weed all night; now there are weird floating lights in my yard that I have to investigate - oh dear!
Arianna: I so do not have time for this.
Arianna: So stargazing, am I right?
Christine: Totally.
Arianna: So you’re sure you’ve never met anyone else in my household?
Christine: I’m sure.
Arianna: And you’re not planning to die anytime soon?
Christine: I was a kid when we met on your first week here. Don’t you remember?
Arianna: Well, I um, I have a lot of friends, but congratulations! You’ve met all the requirements to be my very best friend!
Christine: Sweet!
Arianna: So, I think that’s it. I know the elder thing is happening soon, but all I really need now is for my produce to get a little more valuable and for my friends not to die, and I’ll be golden!
Don: I’m proud of you, kid. I had my doubts, but you’ve really come through. Now comes the hard part.
Arianna: What’s that?
Don: Stay alive for eight more generations.
Arianna: Yikes.
Don: And after that comes the REAL hard part-
Arianna: Okay, that’s enough hard parts. Let’s just take things one day at a time, shall we?
Don: Fair enough.
Morris: The clay, it calls me.
Betty: You’re so weird. Why are you in such a good mood today?
Morris: It’s my birthday! And your birthday! Which means I can finally marry you and we can embark on our glorious life together and I can say I told you so.
Betty: Oh, is that what this was all about? You don’t actually want to marry me, you just want to gloat.
Morris: I want to marry you AND gloat.
Morris: Hey, Gemma. Thanks for coming to my birthday party, but listen, I need to break things off. I’m in love with Betty. I always have been. I’m sorry I led you on.
Gemma: Oh *sobs* that’s okay, Morris. I forgive you. All I really want is for you to be happy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to ruin the mood of your party with my weeping, so I’ll go and grieve privately.
Morris: *sighs* That’s predictably thoughtful of you, Gemma. Before you go, I’m curious. What trait did you age up with?
Gemma: Oh, *sniffle* I’m a genius.
Morris: So you’re a cheerful, good, genius?
Gemma: *wipes tear* Yes, that’s right.
Morris: Yup. Yes it is. Should have seen that one coming. See you around.
Gemma: Goodbye, Morris.
Morris: Betty Pancakes, will you marry me?
Betty: This is the surprised face I’ve been practicing since I was a small child. And yes, I will.
Bob: Okay, okay! Step right up! Birthdays all around! We got one, we got two, we got three old guys comin’ atcha! Let’s celebrate!
Don: I have to hand it to us. We are the three best-looking elder men in all of Newcrest.
Arianna: You really did age up beautifully, dear.
J: Oh yeah? Do you hate my hair less now that it’s grey?
Arianna: No, I’ll always hate your hair, but I think now I sort of love to hate it.
J: Well that’s sweet.
Bob: Better stock up on a few plates of this, now that my death is imminent. *whistles*
Eliza: Wow, I really wish I hadn’t worn my swimsuit for this.
Bob: You still look great to me, baby.
Betty: Morris, why are we sneaking out to the hot tub in the middle of the night? We’re getting married in a couple of days. It’s not like anybody’s checking up on us.
Morris: It’s more romantic this way!
Betty: I’m not super jazzed about the idea of being a pregnant bride.
Morris: Pssh! Pregnant brides are the cutest! Now get your arm out of the window frame and hop in that tub!
Betty: Wow, the lighting is really terrible in here. You’d think they’d have done something about that after the last wedding.
Morris: All I see is you, darling, and you look good in any light.
Betty: Don’t try to distract me. The lighting is not so bad that I haven’t noticed you’re still wearing your everyday clothes.
Morris: It’s symbolic of the way my love for you will grow every day.
Betty: You’re so weird.
J: Well the lighting is still bad, but at least the walls are up in this picture.
Eliza: ‘Scuse me. Old lady coming through. Not that any of you bothered to acknowledge my birthday.
Arianna: You’re telling me! I’m the founder and nobody is even going to know who I am in these pictures.
Don: Shhh! You’re ruining a beautiful moment.
Betty: With this ring, I pledge to faithfully care for our green and pink bars, so that we may remain forever happy together.
Morris: Betty, I would marry you every single day if game mechanics allowed it. As it is, I pledge to uphold my vows to you, and renew them as often as possible.
*confetti*
Arianna: Oh, that’s better. The lighting is much nicer out here. So, pretty good party, wouldn’t you say?
J: Yeah, I think Bob really outdid himself with the food, too.
Alice: Guys, I’m just going to leave these dishes here, okay? Man, this view is great. I’m so glad I decided not to actually tend the bar tonight.
Arianna: Alice, you’ve been the bartender at nearly all the parties that have taken place in this house, and to my knowledge you have never mixed a single drink. Put ‘er there, old friend.
Don: Wow. Nicely done.
Arianna: Well, she’s been getting on my nerves for ages, and I’ve been dying to try that tranquilizing handshake out.
Eliza: Ouch!
