The Straud Dynasty (new -- Dec 11)

[Tilia]

I thought for sure Nadia would add an alien to the household instead of a random neighbor, but maybe someone as unpleasant as Kengo (but cute!) could use some time as a dynasty slave, eh?

[FrancescaFiori]

Nadia looks so stunning in that first shot in her formalwear! I love how her hair coordinates so perfectly with her dress! Far too elegant for those toddlers surrounding her with their pb&j's.

Kengo is really the total package, huh? Not sure what it's a package of but . . .!

So funny how Nadia has managed to make such good alien friends. I still hope her plan for Malcolm works out eventually!

[MarianT]

@Tilia, @FrancescaFiori, Kengo was a choice of desperation. Because of the Ten-Gen Townie rules (which I'm trying to keep as much as possible), day care isn't a possibility. So either Nadia had to stay home or find someone to be babysitter. But even if Kengo loved kids, he wouldn't contribute much to their care, so it's not too bad. He's just tense all the time.

[MarianT]

Chapter 34 -- I Will

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Al said yes, he wanted me to turn him. As I whirled into my dark form, I felt something odd on top of my head, which was usually bald. Was my dark form trying to tell me something?
Not that it mattered. Even before Al said he was willing to become a vampire, I knew what my decision was going to be. Gavin had told me that bros always went in the direction of adventure, and I knew which would be the greater adventure.

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At home, a few days later, I went through the first of my transformations -- the one from vampire to human. I mixed the cure and swallowed it, and then felt some trepidation because the only reaction was that some smoke started curling from my elbow. Before I could start to worry, though...

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...KAPOW!...And just like that, I was no longer a vampire.

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My second transformation was less visually explosive but just as complete. I became a woman in every way. But there were a couple of feminine options that I just couldn't go along with. High heels were out. Skirts were out -- the first time I tried one on, I kept pulling at the hem, trying to make it go down farther so my legs wouldn't feel so exposed. And long hair was out -- I didn't want a mane to keep knocking against my shoulders.

I wasn't too fond of lipstick, but if I thought of it as chapstick with some color added, it wasn't too bad.

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I'm lucky I didn't poke my eye out, trying to put on liner. I was happy that I couldn't feel it once it was on; the lipstick had felt kind of oily.

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Al couldn't meet me until evening, so I spent the afternoon relishing the delights of not being a vampire any more. I called a restaurant and got a job as a caterer. They wanted to know how much experience I had in mixology. "I grew up in a house with a fully-stocked bar," I said. Immediately after hanging up, I started practicing.

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But what I really wanted to do was cook something. I didn't care that onions made my eyes water; I wanted to eat some fish tacos, which had been my favorite meal when I was a child.

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Mmmm! Food, real food -- you can't imagine how good it tasted after ages of plasma fruit. And I would get paid to cook it -- that was the amazing part.

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I went over to my museum to hang my new selfie before meeting Al at Villa Bovine.  That was where we planned to celebrate my birthday.

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I arrived just in time to see Al completing his transformation.

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The manager didn't approve, though, and declared Al to be persona non grata. I thought that was a little unfair, considering that his daughter Olivia was a vampire, too, but I didn't protest. I would have had to change into my formal wear to eat there, and I didn't want Al to see me all dolled up just yet.

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I met him at the Sunny Side Up instead. He'd changed back to his regular form, but unfortunately had changed out of his formal wear, too. "I've decided to go by Zara now," I said. "But you'll always be my Bal?" he asked. "Of course," I answered.

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He cheered for me when I blew out the candles, and then we went to Forgotten Hollow.

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"You likey?" I asked nervously.
"Me likey very much," he said. Al gestured at his old clothes. "Luckily, you're beautiful enough for both of us."

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The proposal was only a formality, but we went through it anyway. "Will you?" I asked.

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"I will," he said. And then we sang our favorite song together in lieu of exchanging vows.

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"Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to, I will...

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..."Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart

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"And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you

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"For the things you do endear you to me
Oh, you know I will."*

*"I Will" by the Beatles, The White Album, 1968.

[FrancescaFiori]

Wow! Zara is lovely, and I love that you can tell she's still Bal. Same person, just adjusted a bit. I loved the ceremony by the statue in Forgotten Hollow. The song was lovely, too! I'm so happy Al and Bal are together at last!

I giggled at "Me likey."

[oshizu]

I have been reading along but I seem to have missed a crucial element of the storyline.

Why does Alex have to be a vampire if Zara/Balthasar had been planning to drink the vampire cure?

And lovely wedding!

[MarianT]

I have been reading along but I seem to have missed a crucial element of the storyline.

Why does Alex have to be a vampire if Zara/Balthasar had been planning to drink the vampire cure?

And lovely wedding!

Vlad's descendants have to marry vampires so they'll experience some of what he put their mother through. It's part of the family curse.

[MarianT]

Chapter 35 -- The Problem with Vampires

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There was one thing I missed about not being a vampire anymore -- the energy. By the time I finished my shift at work, I was exhausted. When I was a vampire, I could go for almost 24/7 with just a few breaks for dark meditation here and there. Now, I had to spend one-third of each day sleeping.

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The pros of becoming human outweighed the cons, though. I loved being able to eat food again. "Mmm, this macaroni and cheese is wonderful!" I gushed. "The sauce is really smooth, but with a sharp cheddar tang that I enhanced with just a little bit of jalapeno pepper."
"Great," said Al.
"How's your  plasma pack?" I asked.
"Okay," he said.
"I made it from one of the fish I caught," I said.
"Thanks," he said.

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The other great thing about being human was that I could go outside and fish in the middle of the day, soaking up sunshine and watching sparkles on the creek. Incidentally, if it looks like I'm pregnant in the picture, that's because I am.

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I was worried at first because the first two or three times I took the pregnancy test, nothing happened. I even called my doctor to find out if I was actually capable of becoming pregnant, and she assured me I was.

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Al was less than thrilled when I gave him the glad tidings. "Did you forget that I hate children?" he asked.
"Did you forget that I'm a dynasty heir and expected to reproduce?" I responded. It was our first almost-fight.

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I'd been worried that I might have a horrible time while pregnant, but I had morning sickness only once. In fact, I was even able to throw a party -- it was one of my requirements for becoming a master chef.

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I invited all the Goths, of course, and also Mitchell from home so that there would be three people besides me who were capable of eating real food. Mitchell said the meal was as good as anything he'd ever made, which pleased me so much that we solidified our friendship.


Soon after I moved in, I made a few changes in the household. Cassandra wanted clothing and a hairstyle that didn't make her look like a schoolgirl. And Bella wanted clothing that was more suitable for a matron and soon-to-be grandmother. As for Al -- I folded up that green tank top and put it at the bottom of the dresser drawer. Yes, it showed off his muscles, but...

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To take care of my two vampires, I planted a plasmafruit tree and some garlic and wolfsbane in the back. Those are the ingredients I'll need if they ever decide to return to being human.

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I put a couple of coffins in the basement for them, and added a bathroom, too. As far as I was concerned, Al and Cassandra now had everything a vampire could need.

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And then, one afternoon, Cassandra shocked me. "I am sooo thirsty," she complained. I was distressed to see that she'd changed into her dark form.
"Have a plasma pack," I suggested. "I know you have some."
"I don't like frogs," she said.
"Frog plasma is loaded with anti-oxidants," I reminded her.
"If you weren't pregnant, I'd get some plasma from you," she said.
The way she said it made my plasma run cold.

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Cassandra went into the next room, and when I followed her, I was horrified to see her drinking from her mother.
"Didn't my father tell you never to drink from people in your own household?" I asked.
"Sorry," said Cassandra. "I was really thirsty."
"That's because you were so busy playing video games you forgot to have your plasma pack at lunchtime," I said tartly.

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The next day, Al dealt me an even bigger blow.
"What did you do?" I demanded. "You totally drained your father. He's an old man. You might have killed him. And don't tell me you're out of plasma packs. I know better."
"I don't like the taste," said Al. "And Cass told me that fresh plasma tasted better."
"Well, yes, but you're supposed to go elsewhere for it, not hunt within your own household. Didn't your master tell you --" Belatedly, I realized that I was his master. In the excitement of getting married, I'd forgotten to give him basic instructions.
"I've got all the stuff I need to make you and Cassandra a cure," I said. "If you just say the word..." A sharp pain in my abdomen interrupted me.

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Al went with me to the hospital. "Does the doctor know you used to be a guy?" he asked. "What if the baby can't get out? What if it turns out funny? What if something goes wrong?"

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I went inside and checked myself in. "There's a crazy person hyperventilating outside," I said.
"Not to worry, ma'am, we'll take care of him," the ghostly receptionist told me.

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While the doctor was delivering the baby, I thought I saw a little bat flit by. I'll have to wait and see if my baby turns out to be a vampire.

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And here is my little girl. We named her Jocasta after Bella's mother.

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Al might hate children, but he seems to like little Jocasta quite a lot.

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And when he suggested that we take a whirl in his coffin, he didn't mind trying for baby.

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Judging by all the bats, our efforts were successful.

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My pregnancy test confirmed that, and this time Al wasn't at all happy with the news.
"I think being a vampire is affecting your emotions," I said. "I'll mix up the cure for you and Cassandra right away."

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"Feeling better?" I asked him.
"Yes," he said. "You know, I think I might look into becoming a PlantSim for a while."

Moving in Stats for Zara
Traits: cheerful, bro, foodie
Portraits: $1153
Collections: fish, worth $667
Satisfaction Points: 625
Household Income: $45,471
Lot Traits: On Ley Lines, Gremlins, Chef's Kitchen

[FrancescaFiori]

Welcome Jocasta! And congratulations on the second pregnancy. I'm excited even if Al is a little lukewarm.

My word! Starving vampires feasting on their families! Vampires you can't control seem like a huge challenge, indeed, although the other households don't seem to have give you this much trouble! Glad Zara was able to turn Al back so quickly.

Had to laugh at Zara alerting the hospital receptionist to the "crazy person hyperventilating outside." Oh, dear.

Excited to see how the Plantsim thing works out. Fortunately, sims seem to constantly drink water no matter what their life state, so hopefully mostly-uncontrolled Al will be all right.

[PeregrineTook]

Al and Bal Zara are so sweet.  I'll be interested to see how their genetics play out in the kiddos.  I'm guessing they'll be all sorts of lovely, though my biggest curiosity is if some of Grandpa Vlad's features will show up  :=)

[MarianT]

@FrancescaFiori, it was really a shock to me when Cassandra started in on Bella. She has the good trait in my game. And Malcolm, who's evil, always uses his plasma packs (none of them seem to choose the fruit voluntarily). And Alexander had been using his plasma pack, but after a conversation with Cassandra, he goes for Mortimer. It's a very strange family.

@PeregrineTook, I doubt that we'll see any of Vlad's features in the Goth grandkids, as Zara looks so much like Zoe. It looks like Agatha might pass on the white skin and Argus the eyes, eyebrows, and chin.

[MarianT]

Chapter 36 -- First Quarter Report

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Rudy was more than a little upset that I took more pictures of Agatha than I did of him. Batstraud bore the brunt of his anger, and sad to say, Batstraud takes a lot of abuse. I think it's because our witch's curse lot trait is Mean Vibes. People occasionally get into a bad mood, and take it out on Batstraud. I guess it's better than hitting each other.

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Rudy is working on the Artistic Prodigy aspiration, and has decorated the bathroom wall with his drawings. I think the elephant is my favorite.

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He has also taken up the violin. The thought that when he finishes, Agatha and then Alyssa will also be learning is one factor contributing to my stress level.

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But he's basically a good kid, taking time to entertain his baby sister.
"Not a baby!"
Yes, that was Alyssa.

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He and Agatha get along quite well, which is a relief.

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He'll even play chess with her to help her with her Whiz Kid aspiration.

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Agatha is quite the dedicated little scientist. We had to put her chemistry set away for a while -- she would have gone all night without any sleep. And we were also afraid she might start a fire.

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Agatha is quite bright and breezes through her homework when she takes the time to do it. She says that she wants to be an astronaut when she grows up.

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For a short while we had a peaceful house, and then Alyssa became a toddler.

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I thought that after the twins, taking care of just one would be easy, perhaps even fun.

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But I guess I forgot about the food-throwing. Alyssa has made it clear that she does not like cereal. Or peas. Or yogurt. Anything that comes in a bowl, basically.

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I don't know if I've made progress as a mom or lowered my standards. I never would have let Agatha or Rudy eat in a dirty high chair, but Alyssa? There's no point in cleaning it if she's just going to mess it up again is my new motto.

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Anyway, the stress has definitely been getting to me. Father wanted a report from me on my progress, and I felt like I wasn't making any progress.

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To make things worse, both Eva and Marcus were going without sleep until they collapsed on the floor. It's very worrying in Marcus's case, as he has received his first notification from Grim.

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It all came to a head one night when I looked out the window and saw the space ship.

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"Please! Take me away from all this!" I called, and they obliged. It was just enough of the break that I needed.

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When I returned, Paolo took Alyssa off my hands for a while, reading to her so I could watch the news like a real grown-up.

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Before I went to bed, he gave me a wonderful massage.

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As I left the room, I saw that Alyssa had picked up the rest of the chicken stir-fry that I'd been too tired to finish. Stir-fry's good for toddlers, isn't it? I mean, it has vegetables and stuff. The last thing I heard him say was "Let's see how quiet we can be so Mommy can get some sleep." I love Paolo.

Gretchen's First 50 Points
Skills: 11 -- DJ mixing, 6; fitness, 5
Promotions: 13 -- Paolo, 4; Jade, 4; Eva, 3; Agatha, 1; Rudolfo, 1
Satisfaction Points: 3
Good Friends: 5 -- Rudolfo, Agatha, Marcus, Alyssa, Eva
Maxed Skills: 28 -- Gretchen, 4, cooking, vampire lore; Paolo, 2, fitness; Marcus, 2, fitness; Agatha, 8, potty, communication, movement, imagination; Rudolfo, 10, potty, imagination, communication, thinking, movement; Alyssa, 2, potty
Negatives: -10 -- Marcus, -3, fire, pass out; Jade, -3, pass out; Eva, -4, pass out

[PeregrineTook]

Awww, Paolo's doing such a good job of spoiling dear, sweet Gretchen.  Agatha is easily still my favorite, but Alyssa is definitely a cutie pie!  Although, perhaps Batstraud is the most important member of the household at the moment  ;=)

[MarianT]

Chapter 37 -- First Quarter Report

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Sunday was when the aliens usually came over. Nadia didn't even have to set the satellite dish to contact them anymore. The word was out that her house was the place to be on Sundays. She quickly discovered that they were more than willing to help Andrew learn his shapes so he could become a big boy. So willing were they that Andrew soon got cross about having so many teachers.

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Nevertheless, after his nap, he was ready to quit being a toddler. At last Nadia could get a good night's sleep.

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She'd forgotten about the monster under the bed. And besides, she was pregnant again.

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"I've been thinking about the house across the street," Malcolm mentioned one evening. "It's nice and large. I'm certain it's one that your father would want to become available for one of his descendants. Unfortunately the two sisters who live there are middle-aged and past what your father considers the prime time for being turned, but if one of them were to become pregnant..."

"Are you suggesting that I send Kengo over?" asked Nadia.

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"No, I was thinking I might do it myself," said Malcolm.
"I don't want to hear any more." Nadia stood up and put her book down. It was The Untamed Treachery of the Heart.
"It was just an idea," said Malcolm.

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What he didn't tell Nadia was that he'd already made the acquaintance of Tatiana Fonseca, one of the sisters living there. She was of a romantic disposition and had been binge-watching "Simton Abbey."

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One thing had led to another.

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And another.

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As Nadia had suspected she was pregnant with twins.

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Tabitha was the first to be born, and Argus was quite fond of talking to her.

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Justine was the second. To Nadia's surprise, Kengo was actually helping out with her despite his aversion to children.

The doctor stopped in for a check-up soon after they were born. "There must be something going around," she remarked. "Your neighbor across the street is due in a few days."

Nadia knew exactly what was going around. Its name was Malcolm.

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At that moment she decided she would dedicate her life to science.

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In particular she would study alternate life forms. Now that she had a direct link to Sixam, it would only take a short time for her to be able to visit someday. Vampires she already had ample opportunity to study (would Malcolm ever decide he wanted a cure? No matter. There were a couple of experiments she could try with him that she would be reluctant to do on Argus when he aged up.).

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As for Plantsims, she would be her own guinea pig.
"The path is arduous and long," Jasmine Holiday warned her. "The Forbidden Fruit is intended only for those dedicated few who are capable of staying with the quest."
"I know, I know," said Nadia. "Just give me the stump."

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It took a few days to get everything she needed. Uncomfortable, confident, and sad Plantsims soon passed her house, and were willing to give her their magic beans. Making a Plantsim flirty might have been difficult once, but Nadia remembered Malcolm's perfidy and was able to flirt enough to put Nawwaf Cardona in the mood. He wasn't bad-looking, she noticed. As for making a Sim playful, she just had to produce a few of her knock-knock jokes and the task was done. That left getting one angry. It helped that Jalen was male. She just closed her eyes, pretended he was Malcolm, and started shouting.

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A passing stranger reminded her of the task at hand. "I am so sorry," Nadia told the Plantsim. "Please, could you give me a bean while you're still angry? I'd hate to have to insult you again."
"Lady, you got some anger management issues," the Plantsim said. "Have you ever considered therapy?" But he gave her the bean anyway.

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Nadia was curious how long it would take the portal tree to grow. She watered it, as Jasmine Holiday had directed.

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Not long at all, she discovered, as the tree zoomed upwards.

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On the other side of the portal was a place quite beautiful -- grassy swards surrounding flower beds, twittering birds, fluttering butterflies, and in the middle of it all, a tree with a single seed -- the Forbidden Fruit. As she walked towards the tree, Nadia was dimly aware of someone screaming in the distance.

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That's right -- it was about time for Malcolm to come home from work, and instead of going inside like an intelligent vampire, he was probably just standing there, staring at the tree. Well, she wasn't going to leave this place until she'd picked her fruit.

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As she emerged, she saw little flames bursting through his clothing. "You'd better go inside," she said. "Come on, let's go play chess." But Malcolm was too far gone to pay any attention to her. Suddenly, with a last burst of energy, he ran for the door and went upstairs to lie down.

Nadia couldn't help wondering what might happen if she locked the front door. In the interest of science, of course.

Nadia's First 50 Points
Skills: 8 -- gardening, 3; pipe organ, 5
Promotions: 10 -- Nadia, 4; Malcolm, 4; Sharon, 2
Satisfaction Points: 3
$30,000: 2
Good Friends: 3 -- Andrew, Argus, Sharon Ricci
Maxed Skills: 24 -- Nadia, 4, cooking, vampire lore; Argus, 10, potty training, communication, imagination, thinking, movement; Andrew, 10, potty training, movement, communication, imagination, thinking
Places Visited: 1 -- Magnolia Blossom Park
Negatives: -1 -- Sharon pass out

[FrancescaFiori]

Oh, wow! Close call with Malcolm. Can't say I'd be too sorry to see him go after his antics this chapter, though. :/ Now I'm even more anxious to see him pollinated. Hope they throw in a little extra probing. For science, of course.

I like Nadia throwing herself into her scientific pursuits. Will she eat the forbidden fruit herself? It will be interesting to see what she looks like with a green skintone instead of one that's vampirically pale.