The Straud Dynasty (new -- Dec 11)

[MarianT]

@PeregrineTook. I agree that Agatha is gorgeous. It took me forever to find a hairstyle for her because she looked good in everything. She needs to gain some weight though.

@FrancescaFiori, Glad you liked the shots of Gretchen. I used the "crazy cop" one as a teaser over on the official forum. And I left out her most annoying co-worker -- the one who was singing karaoke throughout her first investigation of a crime scene.

[MarianT]

Chapter 47 -- Second Quarter Report

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Nadia took a few minutes to celebrate with her colleagues. Although the Electroflux Wormhole Generator had always allowed Sixamites to come to Simworld, her team had finally made the breakthrough that might allow Sims to travel to Sixam.

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First she had to test the atmosphere, though. It did not look promising -- she might have to wear protective gear when she went, assuming that some day she'd be able to make the trip.

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Things were getting better at home, too. Nadia had offered every inducement to Malcolm to quit being a vampire that she could think of -- food tastes better than plasma, he'd no longer have to worry about frying in the sun -- but each time he'd turned down her offer to make the cure for him. Paolo, Alexander, and Cassandra had all wanted to become normal Sims as soon as they could, but Malcolm seemed to enjoy his vampire powers. She made her last pitch without much hope that it would have an effect on him. "You know, if you stay a vampire, you'll outlive me and the children." Nadia was sure that Malcolm would say that he could always marry again and have other children, but he nodded soberly.

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"You're right," he said. "Give me that potion."

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The change was painful. Nadia felt some of the burden lift from her heart as she watched Malcolm whirl helplessly in the clutch of the transformation. When it was over, he was an ordinary, mortal, Sim again, and she no longer felt any desire for revenge.

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The children were making progress. Argus had finally managed to get the high score on the Keyboard Commander.

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Andrew became friends with his cousin Rudy...

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...and also with his grandmother, so that he was now, officially, a Social Butterfly.

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Tabitha was the first of the younger twins to celebrate her birthday.

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Nadia took her to the park to play chess, as Tabitha was trying to become a Whiz Kid.

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Later that evening, Nadia overheard her telling Justine how much fun it was being a kid as opposed to being a toddler. "I can eat anything I want, when I want. And I can play on the computer and play chess and Don't Wake the Llama and Voidcritters...and...and...all kinds of stuff."

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Justine still enjoyed flying like Supergirl, though.

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Her day came at last.

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At work, Nadia got her final promotion. She now had the title Extraterrestrial Explorer, although she still hadn't left Simworld. She went over to see Zara and tell her about the promotion.

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She also dropped off a few of the inventions that Alexander had worked on. "He'll have to upgrade them himself," she told Zara, "but I think he'll find them quite useful."

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Back at home, the first thing that required her attention was a backed-up toilet. That was the way things went, Nadia reflected. Making it to the top one minute, cleaning toilets the next.

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She was up early the next morning, to make the modification necessary for travel to Sixam. It was Saturday, and she didn't want to have to wait until the next Monday rolled around. Besides, if the upgrade was a failure, she'd rather not have the whole team watching while she was bounced out of the Wormhole. When she was finished, she put the Wormhole Generator on the upstairs balcony off her bedroom and put a lock on the door to prevent the children from activating it.

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Sixam was AMAZING -- not just new plants and minerals, but a totally different world from any she'd ever visited. On Monday, Nadia would have to make a longer trip and start work on the survey then.

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In the meantime, everywhere she looked, there was something new and different. Was that plant as dangerous as it looked? Nadia tiptoed past it.

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And this red-leafed tree was so pretty -- would she be able to grow it in Oasis Springs? There were so many things to discover.

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All too soon the 15 minutes she'd allowed herself for the first visit came to an end. But Nadia knew that she'd come back to Sixam again and again. She didn't think she'd ever been so happy.

Nadia's Second 50 Points
Skills: 3 -- gardening, 2; pipe organ, 1
Promotions: 9 -- Nadia, 3; Malcolm, 2; Sharon, 1; Argus, 1; Andrew, 2
Satisfaction Points: 6
Collections: 4 -- magic beans, metals
Good Friends: 3 -- Tabitha and Justine Straud, Invention Constructor
Maxed Skills/Aspirations/Career: 26 -- Nadia, logic, 2; Argus, mental, social, 4; Andrew, creativity, 2; Tabitha, potty, communication, movement, thinking, 8; Justine, potty, thinking, 4/Nadia, The Curator, 2; Argus, Whiz Kid, 2/Nadia, Scientist -- Extraterrestrial Explorer, 2

[oshizu]

And Nadia forges fearlessly forward, with or without Malcolm's support.
I noticed how most of the points seem to come from Nadia and the children then wondered if it's a particular shortcoming of Malcolm or if that's just how the cookie crumbles with uncontrolled spouses.
After looking at several previous reports of the different households, I see that it happens in the other households as well. Is it because the higher-level promotions are more difficult for the spouses?

I love how you pick out and showcase little details in the game that I'd never noticed or don't remember. (Like the red pingpong paddle-like thing she uses in front of the wormhole generator.)
And where did she get that space uniform! Go, Nadia!

[MarianT]

@oshizu, The ping-pong paddle is what she used to "test the alien environment." If you look closely, you can see a red unhappy face on it, suggesting the environment is harmful. Anyway, I haven't done that before with a Sim, but this time, it was one of her job requirements.
I think the space uniform came with her promotion.

After the controlled Sim, toddlers are the easiest to gain points from because you can have the controlled Sim help them gain skills. Children come next, although there are some things they have to do on their own so you may have to wait for free days. Adult Sims can pick up promotions quickly in the early stages, but when you get to the point where they need more skills, again, you have to wait for free days.

[oshizu]

Thank you for explaining how your challenge is working out.
I've never played an ISBI-type challenge so your details and strategies are endlessly fascinating.

The timing of the free days seems extremely tricky!

[FrancescaFiori]

Nadia! She's found her niche at last! She does look at home on Sixam. And so official and determined in her spacesuit! Loved the contrast of super high-level scientist and mother of small children who must scrub toilets.

I'm glad Malcolm has given up his vampirism, and I'm surprised and touched by his reason for doing so. Also glad Nadia's desire for revenge has dissipated.

[PeregrineTook]

Nadia looks like a Ghostbuster in that final shot!
Well, here's hoping that normal Sim Malcolm is not a jerk like vampire Malcolm.
Tabitha's a cutie pie!  I'll be curious to see if she inherits the nose.

[MarianT]

I'm hoping that Nadia and Malcolm will be happier in the future, too. I can't remember if it's Tabitha or Justine who inherited the nose; we'll find out soon!

[MarianT]

Chapter 48  -- Jocasta's World

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Can you guess that my favorite color is red? That's one thing I like about our parlor. Grannibella's bedroom is in red, too, and she says that's her favorite color as well.

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I like playing chess, but I like making potions and experimenting with my chemistry table even better. Mama says that I should only do that when there are adults in the house in case I set the table on fire. She says she did that once when she was about my age.

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I also like playing dolls with my little sister Chiara.

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My brother Gavin likes the dollhouse, too. Sadly, it's often broken because Papa is always kicking it. Mama says it's his way of releasing tension and she doesn't mind because it gives her a way to build up her handiness skill. When she becomes a master of handiness, she's going to go and open up an old mining shaft so that she can catch lots of interesting fish.

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Chiara and Gavin are twins and younger than I am. They're both very cute.

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I'm looking forward to the day when they stop being cute and become ordinary kids, just like me. Not that I'm very ordinary. Besides being a genius, I'm also a future vampire (although I'll have to get cured). And I'm a dynasty heir, too, which means that someday I'll have my own house and the full attention of the Watcher.

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Even though Papa is always releasing his tension by destroying the dollhouse, he also likes reading to me. But he says pretty soon I'll be able to read by myself.

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Mama is a famous chef, but she still takes time to help me with my homework.

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Later...The twins aren't little and cute anymore, but they're old enough to play with now. After they had their birthdays, we all got to have cake. Mama also made us fish tacos, so we would have something more healthy to eat.

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Gavin still likes playing with the dollhouse -- when it's not broken, that is.

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And Chiara went over to the park and played on the pirate ship with Mama pretending to be a sea monster. Mama has promised to do that for me and Gavin sometime soon.
 
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The first day I went to school, I met my cousin Alyssa, who is only a little older than I am. She told me that she went out to dinner one evening with her family...

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...and she saw my Aunt Cass having dinner with a strange man.

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And I told her that the other day when I was down in the basement making a health potion, I saw Aunt Cass talking with a different strange man. I love Aunt Cass -- she plays the violin beautifully, although not as well as Mama -- but I'm curious about what she's up to. Mama is always warning us not to talk to strangers, so what is Aunt Cass doing?

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The other night, while Mama was at work, the gremlins struck and broke all the plumbing and appliances in the house. It was a mess.

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Mama took care of the necessary stuff first, like the stove and the toilets.

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After she got some sleep, she fixed all the sinks. Mama told me that we have gremlins because of a curse that was placed on our family before she was born. I don't know all the details, but apparently a witch got angry with my grandfather, who was a vampire. Mama says she'll explain it all to me when I'm older.

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We got our pictures taken at school the other day, so Mama told me to include them in my story. Chiara and I both have eyes like Papa, Aunt Cass, and Grannibella, but Gavin's eyes are like Mama's. Chiara's eyebrows are like Papa's, too.
I'm doing pretty well -- I came home with a B the other day, but I'm hoping to get to an A soon. That's all for now. Bye.

[Nancy01905]

The kids are cute, they sure take after the family

[oshizu]

Wow, the Patel/Goth genes totally pushed out the Straud genes in these three chidlren!
I enjoy how Jocasta is quite different from her mother.
I'm hoping that she will find much in common with Auntie Nadia.

And what exactly is Auntie Cass up to? Talking to strange men...hmmmm.  Looking forward to find out!

[PeregrineTook]

It was rather enjoyable getting Jocasta's update including the obligatory, "I'm including these pictures 'cause mom said I have to" moment  :=)
Looking forward to seeing how her genius personality mehes (or doesn't) with her siblings.

[MarianT]

Chapter 49 -- Oddities

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For all of Marcus's fans -- yes, he's still going strong. Perhaps he's found a way to become immortal that doesn't require plasma fruit, ambrosia, or the mythic youth potion.

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We started the week on a high note, with Alyssa finishing her Artistic Prodigy aspiration despite some painful moments along the way.

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I helped Rudy max his motor skill and complete Rambunctious Scamp by playing endless games of foosball with him.

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Although I hate losing, I did get a kick out of watching him bounce up and down whenever he won.

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Both Alyssa and Rudy elected to become Social Butterflies next. I took Alyssa to the park (Rudy was tired from all that foosball) where she met and became friends with her cousin Chiara.

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The next day, she and Rudy went over to their grandparents' house. Both of them were at work, but they were able to become friends with Mitchell and Gavin.

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I had Monday off and spent the day working on DJ Mixing, with the result that I maxed the skill.

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Agatha decided on her own to take up yoga. I don't know what pose she's doing here -- the Falling Tree?

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The next day at work I was given all the evidence I needed to solve my third case -- fingerprints, good photographs, and a credible witness. I even got a promotion at the end of the day.

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The following day I lucked out. Someone matching the alleged perp's description was at the first place I went to. I confronted him...

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...and he let himself be arrested. But then my luck ran out.

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When I arrived at the station, I no longer had my perp in custody, but my young nephew, Gavin.
"How did you get here?" I asked.
"A guy asked me if I wanted to take a ride in the squad car, and I said yes."
"Was he wearing a yellow shirt?" I asked.
"Uh-huh," said Gavin. "Am I in trouble?"

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"No but I am," I muttered. The chief wanted a full report from me -- specifically focussed on how the perp could have gotten out of handcuffs, left the car, and substituted a small boy.
"My back must have been turned," I said.
"You're sure you weren't in a cafe eating donuts?" asked the chief.

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He sent me out on patrol, with instructions not to come back until I'd issued a least three citations.
"But what did I do?" Dina Caliente protested.
"You know what you did," I said sternly. "But if you want me to write something down, I can." I was not in a good mood.

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Back at the station, I had a chance to confront the witch who'd cursed our family so long ago.
"I can't do a thing about it, dearie, now that I'm dead," she told me. "You'll just have to play out the full ten generations."
It was a relief to get home. Surely the next day couldn't be any worse.

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But Gavin showed up the next day, too.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" I asked.
"The principal won't let me come back until I get a 'zonnerating' statement from you," he told me with a winsome smile. In the meantime he was being stuffed with microwave pastries and beating the rest of the staff at chess. Oh, and befriending some of San Myshuno's finest felons.

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I took him home with me, thinking that at least he could make friends with Rudy. I think Rudy beat him too often at foosball, though, for that to happen.

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Rudy and I went with Gavin over to his house, where Rudy lost at Don't Wake the Llama. That helped their relationship, but they still weren't friends yet.

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At least Paolo still loves me.

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Agatha got a job in retail, which meant that I hardly saw her during the week. She left for school before I went to work, and she went to work just as I was getting home. By the time she came home, I was usually asleep. But I had to get up in the middle of the night once. "What are you reading?" I asked.
"How I Dumped Your Father," she said.
"I didn't know we had a copy of that."
"I picked it up at work," she said.

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When I looked in on her a couple of days later, I noticed a couple of posters that hadn't been on the wall before (circled in black, Exhibit A). One of them was a very expensive picture of the star of the team that won the World Cup, autographed.

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Early the next morning, I confronted her. "Sweetie, I know we said you could spend your earnings on anything," I said, "but you do need to learn how to manage money more wisely. That soccer poster, for example --"
"Oh, I didn't pay for that," said Agatha. "I stole it."
I could feel my blood pressure spike. "YOU WHAT?"
"I'm a kleptomaniac," she said. "Relax, Mom, it's no big deal."
"I think you'd better quit that job," I said shakily. "And return whatever you took."
"That would get me into trouble," said Agatha. "But I will quit. Now that I've been promoted to Customer Support, I don't have access to the stockroom anyway." She went off to take a shower.
For a long time I contemplated locking her up in the basement, except that living next to the canal as we do, we don't have a basement.

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I couldn't imagine what the chief would say if the next perp I brought in was my daughter.  I couldn't imagine what I would do if I got a BOLO for a teen-aged girl with the geek trait. Maybe there was a better choice I could have made, but I called the station and quit my job.

[Marsh_Mallow]

Oh the drama! Marcus is still looking fine  and congrats to the kids on their aspirations too. That screenshot of Agatha attempting yoga reminds me of me attempting yoga 

[MarianT]

Chapter 50 -- Par-tay!

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As a former wild toddler, Justine decided to start with Rambunctious Scamp. After conquering a few Klingons...

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...she went home to practice typing.

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Meanwhile, Tabitha was working on Whiz Kid. Sitting next to her, Sharon wondered -- with the few brain cells she had left -- whether listening to The Pizzi-cat-o Polka a gazillion times would constitute sufficient motive for a plea of self-defense.

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Soon the weekend was over, and the two girls joined their older brother at school.

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Argus, however, took some time off to become friends with his grandfather.

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At work, Nadia upgraded her Sim Ray so that it could change the hair and skin color of other Sims. Her co-worker Pari, for example, normally had pale skin and black hair. Presently, someone reminded her that if she wanted to explore Sixam, she had better get moving.

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When Nadia arrived, she couldn't figure out what was going on at first. There were a great many more people around than she had seen on her first visit.

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Simworld was rising behind her, and she took a moment to admire the view.

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Nadia heard some noise coming from a group of people, and saw that they seemed to form a band. Since the guitarist and the violinist were playing different tunes, neither of which was what the singer was singing, and they were all doing it badly, Nadia concluded that the Sixamites had a different definition of music from her own.

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She sat down at a bar and ordered a much-needed drink. "What's going on?" she asked the woman next to her.
"It's a party!" said the woman. "We're celebrating the arrival of the first visitor from Simworld -- that's you."
Nadia was touched. No one had ever thrown a party in her honor before.

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She decided not to complain about the band, but joined the throng and started dancing.

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Finally it was time for her to go, but the party was still going strong. She waved happily at everyone and shouted out her thanks. "I'll never forget this," she promised. "Never!"