The Middlemiss Random Legacy (Completed)

[Beks]

A Brief Interlude / Author's Note Type Thing

First of all, I want to give a little celebratory shoutout to the fact that we just reached 1000 views on this story! I know this is, like, not a big deal at all, but it does make me pretty excited. Even though the Sims 3 side of this forum has been pretty quiet the last few years, I’m still thrilled to know that there are quite a few of you out there reading this and, I hope, getting some amount of joy out of it. Or maybe you’re hate-reading it. That’s fine too, I guess. At any rate, I want to thank every single one of you who has read this little story––past, present, and future.

Also, as part of this yay-1000-views thing, I have a special little surprise. I hinted at this in the last chapter or two of the story, but regardless…I have resurrected Llewellyn, our Generation Four heir! Llewellyn is one of my favorite Sims ever, and I received a request from a faithful reader to upload him to the Swap Shop. At long last, after a couple generations of sort of forgetting to work on this project (and toting Llewellyn's grave around in various family members' inventories), I have managed to resurrect Llewellyn via ambrosia. This really was a multi-generational project: Granville of Generation Six made the Young Again potion that I didn't end up using (aging Llewellyn down in CAS turned out to be much easier), Bambi of Generation Seven grew the life fruit, Leola of Generation Seven caught the death fish (that's what she was doing the night she proposed to Ramona by the river), and Hubert of Generation Eight learned the ambrosia recipe and made it himself. He also used his own Lifetime Happiness points to purchase a replicator, just in case we ever need ambrosia again in the future.

Here is the ghost of Llewellyn (already aged down), settling down to a plate of ambrosia after I spent several in-game hours chasing him around the house with it.

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The transformation.

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"Goodness me! Is this a face?!"

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"Hooray! Off to the Swap Shop!"

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So, yeah. That happened. You can find Llewellyn in his own little Swap Shop thread, found here.

And if any of you dear readers have any other requests for Middlemisses you'd like to see uploaded, please let me know! (Earlier generations are lost, for the most part, due to all the moving-to-a-new-town we've done in this legacy, but I've begun saving some later-generation Sims. Just give me a shout and I'll see what I can do.)

And finally...I'd like to wish you all a belated happy holidays and a wonderful New Year––from the Middlemisses and from me. Thank you as always for reading! –amaranthin

[Beks]

Chapter 56 – Inferno: Part II

First off, we have some birthdays to celebrate. This whole babies-born-on-a-strict-schedule thing does make for some nice, tidy shared birthdays. Dillie and Ursula get to age up together!

Big sister goes first, with Grandma Bambi showing the most support. (It’s early in the morning, and both Dillie’s parents are Heavy Sleepers, so…they'll get here when they get here, I guess.)

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Hey everybody! Let’s play a game. It’s called, Are You My Mom Or Am I Your Mom?

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Yeah. Dillie ages up into a grey hoodie and her mother’s hairstyle. What are the odds. I mean, I did hope that at least one of Polly’s kids would inherit some of her features. Some.

Alas, like most teenagers, Dillie has absolutely no desire to look anything like her mother––or at least to resemble her exactly. She opts for a different hairstyle and her own unique outfits. (Of course, her favorite color is white, which isn’t that far off from grey, and which looks very pretty with some grey accents. Sorry, Dillie.)

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Oh, and Dillie’s new trait? Unflirty. I don’t think I’ve ever played an Unflirty Sim before. Her other traits, in case you’ve forgotten, you fiend, are *checks notes* Artistic, Neurotic, and Perfectionist.

Little sister goes next. Look how excited Hubert is!

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Ursula decides to keep the pigtails into her child years, but adds a pair of glasses to help her see. She inherits her father’s Perfectionist trait, fulfilling our generational requirement of having a trait that runs in the family. (Ursula's other traits are Grumpy and Loves the Outdoors.)

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Dillie starts working on her teen requirements right away. Learning to drive is the one I’m most nervous about, because my usual learning-to-drive hack is not available to me in this legacy. I typically make use of the Motive Mobile when teaching teens to drive, since they can go on driving forever without any of their needs dropping (and driving in a regular car makes both teens and parents incredibly stressed out). But since that reward is banned in the Random Legacy, I’m stuck with Polly’s Margaret Vaguester. Which...makes both Polly and Dillie incredibly stressed out.

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Dillie also gets to work utilizing her birthday present from me: a drafting table.

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Bambi passes away at the age of 90 while wearing her work outfit and silly work hairstyle. I didn’t quite expect her to go so soon, but since Jarrod left us already, I think it’s appropriate that Bambi follow him as soon as she’s able.

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She shakes hands with Death and goes on her merry way.

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RIP, Bambi. I’ll miss your crazy antics, your colorful sunglasses, your varying hairstyles, and your delightful personality. Say hey to Jarrod for me, okay?

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Since Dillie is Unflirty, the hunt for a partner/spouse for her is going to be kind of interesting. I really want to let her take the lead when it comes to choosing someone. And luckily, one of her first popped wishes as a teen is to become BFFs with a boy from school––Nawwaf Bijou.

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Dillie visits Nawwaf after school one day to get to know him better. He’s certainly a cutie. And not only are these two attracted to each other, they have compatible star signs, and Nawwaf is Neurotic just like Dillie. That doesn’t necessarily make for a good match in real life, but at least these two can offload their worries on each other. They end the night as good friends and Dillie rushes home to collapse into bed (her teen years thus far have been plagued by a lack of sleep).

A couple of days later, Dillie goes to prom. Already somewhat sleep-deprived, Dillie starts the evening with a cup of coffee, then gets herself ready and takes a cab allllll the way down the mountain and across the river to prom. For some reason no limo comes to the house (and hasn’t, ever since we moved to Bridgeport). It takes absolutely forever for Dillie to get to the school, but at least she looks adorable in her dress and wedges.

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…And she’s voted Prom Queen! Unfortunately, the coffee only carries her an hour or so into the evening before she crashes into exhaustion. That, combined with the moodlet from getting into a fight (how could somebody have a duplicate of her custom-made dress?!), makes the rest of the night a bit rough for Dillie. I was really hoping she’d come out with a romantic interest, but there just isn’t enough time.

The romantic side of things takes another turn for the worse the very next day, when Dillie hears through the grapevine that Nawwaf is in a relationship with another girl from school. Being unflirty, she doesn’t care too much, but she is aware of her requirements for her generation, and, like all heirs, she is required to produce the next heir. So she needs a baby daddy. And she (and I) would like it to be someone she likes, and who likes her back. We’ll just have to see where things go with Nawwaf. And we have some other townie options out there as well.

Dillie is a busy girl these days, but what about Ursula? She gets right in on her requirements as well, and quickly rises through the Scouting ranks.

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Hubert and Polly continue to work diligently at their jobs. Polly has caught up to Hubert in terms of career level––they're both hovering at Level 8 in their respective careers. Between shifts, they find plenty of time to have romantic pillow fights. (Again, Polly makes the funniest, most irreverent faces.)

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We must put the romantic drama (or lack thereof) aside for a moment. For something UNIVERSALLY dramatic is happening at the Middlemiss homestead.

Dillie and Polly return home from a long evening of driving lessons. Just as Dillie is heading towards the house, a notification pops up. A notification that we haven’t seen since Generation One.

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I feel like Dillie’s facial expressions don’t always communicate what is going on very well. In the above screenshot, she is trying to express confusion. Confusion in a towards-the-sky direction.

Oh, no. Oh, no no no no no. This is NOT happening. I immediately instruct Dillie to run inside, because I will NOT lose another Sim this way. You all remember what happened in Generation One, right? Does the name Lincoln ring a bell? Or perhaps the words CRUSHED BY A METEOR? Thankfully, Dillie is not mid-dumpster dive at this moment, and is free to obey my directions and run inside. I breathe a sigh of relief, pull the camera back a bit, and wait.

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There’s such a long pause after Dillie goes inside that I wonder if the meteor changed its mind.

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Nope.

The meteor smashes into the front yard, exactly where Dillie was standing before. She definitely would have been smote had I not sent her inside when I did.

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The front yard leaps into flames. Everyone else is in bed by this time, and of course Polly and Hubert are both Heavy Sleepers, so they’d sleep right through it without my intervention. I have to rouse Polly myself and send her downstairs so she can help extinguish the fires.

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Ursula wakes up on her own, though, and helpfully prances around in the grass providing some lovely background screams.

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Polly and Dillie make a pretty good fire-fighting duo, though this screenshot of them, with their matching frightened smirks, kind of looks like a bad band photo. Even with their continual hard work, it takes Polly and Dillie half the night to extinguish all the fires.

All three ladies head to bed exhausted, but alive and okay. Hubert, meanwhile, has a lovely night’s sleep and wakes up shortly after this, blissfully unaware that his wife and daughters have spent the night saving everything he owns from meteor fire.

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“Hmm…why does it smell like brimstone in here? Must've left the fireplace on all night...”

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“Wait, what the…?!”

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“My stonework––my beautiful laid stonework! NOOOO!”

Eventually, Hubert calms himself down and realizes that he’s potentially a very rich man with these humongous space rocks in his front yard. (We actually got three of them––this huge one, and two smaller ones.) He collects all three and analyzes them, and altogether they’re worth over 7,000 simoleons. Not bad at all, and we didn’t even have to sacrifice a family member!

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Hubert also attempts to repair our teleporter that got damaged in the fires. Naturally, he gets electrocuted. It would’ve been really funny, and terrible, if he’d died from that.

I decide to leave the crater in the yard for now (minus the meteor itself), mostly because it’s right in the path of all visiting Sims that come to the lot, and every single one of them descends into the crater on their way to the front door, which I find hilarious. Hopefully you’ll get a glimpse of that in the next chapter.

Until the next chapter!

[Beks]

Chapter 57 – Playground Promises

Before we begin, here’s a glimpse of Llewellyn returned to life and bombing around Bridgeport. The game has made him homeless, but he is back in his original job at the Bistro, so I think he’s happy. Also, he and Hubert (his great-great grandson) have become good friends. They have a lot in common––they’re both Family-Oriented master chefs who married original townies and had daughters with food-related names.

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You may also notice that Hubert has a bowl of ground beef stuck to his hand. Something glitched out several days ago while he was preparing hamburgers, and he’s been like this ever since. I’m not fixing it yet because it entertains me.

Dillie is about halfway through her teen years, and as such, it is time to start looking for a romantic partner for her. She’s already a popular young lady at school––several boys have expressed interest in her, and they all do this when they pass by her out in public:

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Most of Dillie’s wishes center around Nawwaf, even if they aren’t romantic ones specifically. Still, I think it’s time we throw a slumber party to really get to know our options.

The party has impressive turnout––I think most of the teens that currently live in Bridgeport show up at the Bungalow. Several express attraction to Dillie as soon as they arrive. A notable absentee, though, is…Nawwaf. He must be working or something.

Dillie gets to know a very enthusiastic Casey Strummer-Hamming, to the chagrin of the other two guys in the background. (Those two are Gerard Xu-Wilde and Doug Wells-Crewe. I accidentally left married names hyphenated in Story Progression for this town, and I decided to keep it because it’s easier to tell who is the offspring of who. Also, sometimes it turns out funny. Whenever I see Doug, I think, “Wells-Crewe you too!”)

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While Dillie is awkwardly trying to get the dancing started (so far everyone has been either standing around or doing homework), Beatrice Missoni-Fresco (the blonde bimbo) barges in wearing a bikini, for some reason. I guess she snuck out back to the hot tub? Anyway, this is only relevant because Beatrice is the chick who’s dating Nawwaf. She spends most of the party gossiping with the other guests and generally spreading drama.

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“Honestly, who sleeps in pajamas? I never sleep in anything but a neon bikini. It’s sooo much comfier.”

The party picks up after a little while. Dillie’s cousin Corey is in the foreground; Norma Angelista is in the turquoise nightgown; and I forget the name of the guy on the right, but he’s original townie offspring too.

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Oh, and that’s Hubert way in the back there.

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Hubert?

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“Yeah!!! I LOVE TEEN PARTIES!”

Maybe Hubert is just remembering his own teen years with fondness? Not that he was much of a partier…Clarence had that covered many times over. Who knows.

Surprise, it’s Ursula’s teen birthday!

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Look at this lovely crowd of fans cheering Ursula on.

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And how does Ursula feel about it?

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“Uh, can you guys, like, not? You’re giving me a migraine.”

There’s that Grumpy trait I love so much!

Anyway, here’s Ursula after her makeover. She gets the Eccentric trait, which I think is appropriate considering there’s a nice big pile of scrap up on the upstairs deck left behind by the meteor. I’m glad we have somebody in the household who will gladly make use of it!

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Here’s another shot of Beatrice spreading drama. She does this gleeful little clap and squeal many times during the party, usually when Dillie is talking to boys. It’s almost like she knows what’s going down.

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“Ooh, I hope she picks an ugly one, so I can flirt with all the cute ones! Teehehe!”

Gerard, meanwhile, decides he’s had enough of this version of The Bachelorette and heads upstairs for an early bedtime.

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Eventually, the other guests follow suit. I don’t know if we really got anywhere with this slumber party. Nobody jumped out as a great alternative to Nawwaf. If anything, Nawwaf’s elusiveness made him even more intriguing as a candidate. And Dillie keeps popping wishes to talk to him and hang out with him, so I think she misses him too.

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The next morning is Monday, and the whole troupe goes parading out the door and into the crater on their way to school. Bye, everyone! Don’t break your ankles on the way out!

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Life settles back into a routine after the party. Now that they’re in school together, the girls can do their homework together…or at least in the same room. Ursula appears to still have that migraine or something. I don’t know why else she’d be wearing her sunglasses (and swimsuit) at the breakfast table.

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Ursula starts experimenting on her workbench as well. The scrap from the meteor actually disappeared sometime before or after the party––I’m wondering if our new butler cleaned it up. But that’s okay. We have enough family funds now that purchasing scrap isn’t an issue.

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A couple of days later, Dillie has her final Art Club showcase, and afterwards, she calls Nawwaf and invites him to meet her at the park near the school. He’s very late in arriving––again, I think he works a lot of hours at the grocery story––but at least he’s wearing his favorite red tux, to match Dillie’s fancy dress.

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Dillie has called him up to have a heart-to-heart. Her teen years are coming to an end soon, and she has some big decisions ahead of her. One of them, of course, involves love.

“So, Nawwaf…you’ve been my best friend for a long time, and you know me better than anyone. So you know that this romance-y stuff is hard for me.”

Nawwaf smirks. “Yeah, I know.”

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“And you also know that I’m the heir to my family’s legacy, but I haven’t told you everything about that. See, like all my ancestors, I have to, um, produce an heir.”

“I figured.”

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Dillie swallows before continuing. “But here’s the thing. I’m not allowed to get married. I have to be a single parent––well, I’ll have help from a couple of friends, but my partner and I…we can’t live together. I just need someone who will have a baby with me, and be a father, but…from afar, if that makes sense. And, well…I was sort of hoping it would be you.”

Nawwaf is, understandably, a little shocked at this.

“You want me to be the father of your child?”

“Yep. Weird, I know.”

“Well, weird is pretty normal in a legacy. Okay, I’ll do it.”

“You WILL? Oh, Nawwaf, thank you!”

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All of a sudden, Dillie remembers something.

“But what about your girlfriend?! What if Beatrice doesn’t––“

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“Don’t even worry about Beatrice. Things aren’t going very well between us, and I don’t expect our relationship to last.” Nawwaf takes Dillie’s hands. “I’ve always liked you, Dillie. I just didn’t want to push anything for fear of scaring you away.”

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Dillie is shocked. And a little uncomfortable. She’s Unflirty, after all. “But…you’re okay with not getting married?”

“Sure. I’ll be happy just to be with you when I can, and to be the father of your child. Maybe we can get married when we’re old or something.”

Dillie smiles. And then, before things can get any more romantic, she says a quick goodbye and runs off into the night.

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Even though romance isn’t her thing…even she can tell she's found one of the good ones.

[Beks]

Chapter 58 – Cops & Robbers

I hear the burglar music while everyone is sleeping. First of all, WE HAD A METEOR YESTERDAY. CAN’T WE CATCH A BREAK?

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The burglar sneaks right past the blaring burglar alarm. These guys are never very bright…it takes this one a while to realize she’s in any danger.

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Or maybe she’s not in danger at all. The cop that comes to investigate sees Hubert and Polly coming down the stairs and focuses on them instead of the criminal at hand.

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“Hey, you in the stripes. Here’s my cell phone. Get a picture of me with the celebs, will ya?”

Neither of the Middlemisses seem very fazed by what’s going on. Especially not Polly.

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“Welcome, friendly strangers! We’re so pleased to welcome you to our humble bungalow this blessed night. Please, make yourselves at home!”

The burglar does so by promptly taking the cop to the floor and giving her a stern beating.

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Polly: “Should we do anything, Hue?”

Hubert: “Nah. I can't do much with this hamburger stuck to my hand, anyway.”

After getting soundly defeated by the burglar, the cop bounces right back up and gives her full attention to Hubert.

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“You, sir, are a sight for sore eyes! I’ve never seen such handsome pectorals on a crime victim before.”

At this point, the burglar decides to go for round two and tackles Polly to the floor. Maybe she’s trying to distract her from the cop that’s hitting on her husband?

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Cop: “How about a hug, handsome sir?”

After defeating Polly (a first), the burglar turns to her third and final victim––and decides that he’s attractive at the exact moment she takes him down.

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“You are just TOO ATTRACTIVE! MMMFFFRGHH!”

It’s getting light out by this point, and our lovely cop has still done nothing but take photos of and flirt with the Middlemisses. After Hubert refuses to give her a hug, the cop decides that she’s done with this crime scene. She turns her back as the burglar tackles Hubert, saying, “Unfortunately, it looks like the burglar got away this time.” Get out of here, lady. You’re useless!

And so! After taking down both adult Middlemisses and a cop (but stealing nothing), the burglar finally hops in her car and flees the scene, just as dawn is breaking over Bridgeport. (And Hubert, of course, pops wishes to become friends with both the burglar AND the cop after the fact. Go figure.)

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I think that’s enough freak events for one generation, don’t you? I’m just glad I don’t have Seasons anymore, because we’d probably have had a few alien abductions by now too. Oi.

Let’s get back to Dillie, our rising heir. On one of her last days as a teenager, Dillie invites Nawwaf out to the beautiful overlook near her house and scrounges up the courage to kiss him and ask him to be her boyfriend. Her insides scream against the romantic gestures the whole time, but she needs to lock Nawwaf in as her far-in-the-future spouse (and near-in-the-future baby daddy). Nawwaf is only too happy to reciprocate––he really seems into her.

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I love how wistful Nawwaf always looks whenever Dillie takes of running after their dates. She has a habit of running off just as things are heating up, but Nawwaf doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, he seems to think it’s adorable.

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Unfortunately, Dillie breaks curfew after her date with Nawwaf. Hubert is waiting at home to scold her. Dillie gives her father the deadliest death gaze I think I’ve ever seen.

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“Well I’ve just ensured that one day you’ll have a grandchild, Dad. You’re welcome.”

“A grandchild?! How can you be thinking of such things at this age?! Who’s the boy you’ve sold your soul to?!”

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“…”

“…Is he standing right over there?”

“Yep.”

Nawwaf, you naughty boy! I have no idea how he managed to sneak home with Dillie, but sneak home with her he did. He ends up staying till about 3 or 4 in the morning, doing his homework on the floor in the foyer. At least he uses his time responsibly.

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Things are quickly falling into place for the transition to Generation Nine. (Can you believe we’re already at Generation Nine? I know I can’t.) This past generation really flew by. And this transition feels like less of a transition than past ones, probably because we’re not moving to a new town or a new house this time around. Things are just calmly switching over to Dillie as soon as she has her young adult birthday.

The last of Dillie’s teen requirements is completed the day before her birthday. Polly takes her out on the town one last time in the trusty old Vaguester and completes her driving lessons.

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The same evening, Hubert earns his final promotion at the diner and becomes a Five-Star Chef (and gets the magic fridge, yay!). Congrats, Hubert!

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He got it just in time, too. The minute he walks in the door at home, he has his elder birthday.

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The next morning, Dillie calls all of her friends and invites them to her house for a birthday bash that afternoon. The purpose of this party is not so much to have fun as it is to find future members of the household. We’ll need to bring in some help for Dillie’s generation, and a party is just the thing to narrow it down to the right candidates.

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Before the party starts, Dillie calms herself down with some quality time at the drafting board. She’s getting pretty good at these architectural sketches. Some of them are really beautiful.

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It’s not the most exciting party ever, but we do get to see a family member we haven’t seen in a while––Bayleigh! She’s an Adult now and has been downgraded to pigtails, but she’s still lovely and seems to be thriving in her military career. She also just had her first baby with Lil Bling. Here she is telling a ghost story to…seemingly no one.

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Lots of celebrities attend Dillie’s party and watch her age up. Dillie’s neuroticism seems to get the better of her for a moment as the sparkles hit.

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Here’s Dillie, all grown up. She keeps the same hairstyle but updates her makeup a little bit (and refuses to look into the camera as I’m trying to get a screenshot). Her final trait is Charismatic, to go along with her Artistic, Neurotic, Perfectionist, and Unflirty traits. She selects the same LTW her mother had––Super Popular. She’s already almost halfway there, and the LTW related to her career is bugged and impossible anyway.

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On that note, here are the rolls for Generation Nine.

Family Structure – Single Parent with Double Help
Number of Children – 1
Careers – Architect / Farmer or Nectar Maker / Day Care
Generational Goal – Awesome!
Misc. Fun – No Strangers

So Dillie, as we already know, will be a single parent while raising her child, but she will have the help of two non-romantic roommates (yet to be moved in). As you’ve probably guessed, she’ll become an Architect. The “Awesome!” goal just means that Dillie has to do something awesome, preferably related to her career and/or traits. I’ve got a couple of ideas cooking for that requirement already. And finally, “No Strangers” means that no service Sims are allowed on the lot. I am not happy about this one. Not at all.

So we are all set for Generation Nine! All that remains is to find our two missing cast members. Luckily, Dillie is already getting somewhere with that.

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“Hey, your name’s Bridgett, right? I have a proposition for you.”

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“What, live in this gigantic house? Run my own nectar-selling business? Feed off the blood of a famous legacy family? How can I say no?!”

Yep, we have our first new household member. Meet Bridgett Talon-Schlick. And yes, she is a vampire. She is my new obsession.

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This girl has been floating around Bridgeport for a while, showing up here and there in different family members’ relationship panels, coming to parties, the usual. Dillie ran into her in one of the penthouses downtown a few days before her birthday, and upon learning Bridgett’s traits, I just had to have her. She’s intense, troublesome, wild, and she loves the outdoors, which makes her a perfect candidate for a farmer/nectar maker. Plus, she’s rather terrifying, which I’m always a fan of. (She reminds me a little of Randi, I think.)

Bridgett’s parents are original townies Jessica Talon and Vladimir Schlick. Her traits are Loves the Outdoors, Inappropriate, Hot-Headed, Hopeless Romantic, and Friendly. She’s a torrentous bundle of extraverted intensity, and I love her for it. Her favorite things are Roots music, Lobster Thermidor, and Grey. (I’m interpreting her favorite color as more of a steely grey-black, to set her apart from the other women in the household who also like grey and white.) Bridgett’s LTW is to become a Fashion Phenomenon. Unfortunately, that career is not an option for her at this point, but maybe one day she can move out and start a vampire salon or something.

That’s all for now. Next chapter, we’ll move full-swing into Dillie’s generation, get to know our new family member, and hopefully find another weirdo to fill in our second empty space. Exciting stuff. See ya then!

[Beks]

Chapter 59 – Poison Apple & The Butterfly Dome

Bridgett is already proving to be a fun and interesting addition to the household. She’s always roping her housemates into pillow fights and games of catch (usually while wearing just her steely-grey undergarments). She is tireless (I guess ‘cause she’s a vampire…) and enthusiastic. I love her.

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She also starts working on a garden. Eventually, she’s going to start her own nectar business. Until then, she’s got to get her gardening skill up in order to plant some plasma fruit. Clicking on the fridge every six hours when she gets Thirsty started getting annoying on the second or third time.

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Dillie begins work as an architect. Most of her clients are her fellow big-name celebrities on the mountaintop outside Bridgeport. I’m glad––I wasn’t looking forward to renovating penthouses.

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Most of Dillie’s clients approve of her work, and she gets some good reviews early on. She also gets a few inexplicably terrible reviews. (One of the assignments was just to put windows and doors in. Seriously. I think it was one door and two windows. Dillie did just that, and the client had nothing but trash to say about her afterwards. How could Dillie possibly have messed that up?!)

Now that she’s a member of a famous legacy household, Bridgett decides to ride around the city in style. She buys herself a motorbike with Hubert’s debit card and cruises around Bridgeport all night, her pale gold eyes gleaming among the city lights.

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Speaking of gleaming eyes, a singed Bridgett is one of the more terrifying things I’ve seen in this legacy (right up there with an angry, pregnant Randi).

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Money isn’t the only thing Bridgett likes to mooch off the man of the household. She also likes to drink his blood (and look like a hungry rabbit while doing so).

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Hubert doesn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he looks positively besotted after Bridgett is finished with him. Whatever’s going on here, it’s disturbing, and I’m choosing not to comment further on it. 

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Around this time, Polly has her elder birthday. I can’t believe she’s old already…

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Ursula is getting older, too, but in a less dreary way. She goes to prom on one of her last nights as a teen. Aside from being voted Prom Queen, she has a pretty lousy night and gets rejected by multiple prospective dance partners.

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Bridgett seems to be the only one having a good time these days. She goes to visit her father once he becomes Emperor of Evil. I didn’t even know it was possible for a townie to reach that level, even with Nraas’s Story Progression turned on. He's glowing red and everything. So uh, congrats, Vladimir! I mean, Emperor Schlick. Sir.

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After about a week of gardening, Bridgett reaches level 7 of the skill. She flies through the levels thanks to doing most of her skilling at night. And with that achieved, it’s time for her to start her true calling.

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Dillie has begun the first phase of her Awesome requirement––she’s built Bridgett her very own underground lair, stocked with nectar makers, nectar racks, and one of those creepy vampire bed things so she can float to her heart’s content. (I’ll try to get a better picture in a future chapter.)

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So Bridgett starts stomping fruit to make her first nectar. She doesn’t have any grapes because we haven’t made a trip to France (I’m a little bit afraid to, since we’re so far along in the legacy and my game file is already so bloated and precarious), so she sticks with apples and limes for now. Her very first nectar blend, called Poison Apple, is…100% apple. How’d you guess?!

On Sunday of that week, Dillie pops the most unlikely wish for an Unflirty Sim––to propose marriage to Nawwaf. Oh Dillie, you are the most romantically inclined Unflirty Sim I’ve ever known. She must really like this guy! I decide to let her take the leap. Such an uncharacteristic wish must be important, and the two of them WILL be able to get married one day. Not for a very long time, but…eventually.

Dillie invites Nawwaf out to the most beautiful place in Bridgeport––the butterfly dome thingy.

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Wait, who’s that guy prancing around in the background?

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What the…?!

This, my friends, is Hackysack Middlemiss. He is an Imaginary Friend from…I don’t even know when. I want to say he belonged to Granville? He definitely didn’t belong to any of our Bridgeport family members. Bambi didn’t have an IF, I’m pretty sure, and Hubert still has his IF, Kiki, in his inventory. Hackysack has somehow managed to traverse time and space and appear as an actual Sim in a new town, generations after he existed in doll form. This is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen in this game. (And shortly after I take this screenshot, he disappears, and I can’t find him again. Okay then?)

Anyway! Nawwaf and Dillie meet up in a literal patch of flowers, within a literal cloud of butterflies. How much more romantic can you get?

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These two are thrilled to be reunited. Nawwaf is several days younger than Dillie, so it’s been a while since they’ve been able to interact romantically. They pick up right where they left off. Nawwaf looks very in love, does he not?

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And then…Dillie takes a deep breath and gets down on one knee. What’s a Neurotic, Unflirty proposal like, you ask? It’s fast and full of nerves.

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“Hey-Nawwaf-I-love-you-will-you-marry-me-one-day-eventually-some-time-far-in-the-future?”

Nawwaf, of course, breaks into a big grin and…

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…and…what?!

Nawwaf, how could you! He reaches out, closes the ring box, CHUCKLES, and shakes his head no.

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“But…Nawwaf! I don’t understand. You said you’d be the father of my child, and that you loved me…why don’t you want to get married?”

“Y’know, I really don’t know. I just think this whole thing is hilarious. I can’t stop laughing long enough to make a rational decision here. So I’m gonna say no, because reasons.”

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Dillie is devastated. She basically sold her soul to make this proposal, and now the love of her life has turned her down. Look at her poor face!

Personally, I’m having trouble figuring out how Nawwaf could have said no. Dillie’s the Unflirty one. Nawwaf is Insane and Neurotic, but otherwise fairly, uh, normal. No Commitment Issues or anything. Their relationship bar is full as always. What the heck, dude?!

After turning Dillie down, Nawwaf leaves the date, saying something about Dillie having “issues” that he doesn’t want to “stick around to deal with”. Yeah, whatever, man. I’m starting to think you really are insane.

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Let’s go home, Dillie. I guess it’s not meant to be…just yet.

Dillie goes home and paints her feelings, or possibly a scary vortex that she would like Nawwaf to be sucked into.

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And on that very happy note, it’s time to say goodbye to a family member. Ursula has her young adult birthday after hopping out of the shower and getting stuck with an incorrect hairdo.

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She decides to go back to the curls once she’s grown up, and add more of them. I think she’s quite lovely. Her final traits: Loves the Outdoors, Grumpy, Perfectionist, Eccentric, and Genius. She takes on the LTW of Living in the Lap of Luxury.

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I don’t establish Ursula in a career or a relationship before she heads out on her own; I think she can find her own way without my help. I’m curious to see where Story Progression will take her. Bye, Ursula! Good luck out there, and watch out for rogue Imaginary Friends!

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Next time, we’ll see if we can’t find ourselves a second helper for Dillie, and hopefully taste our first plasma fruit nectar. (Oh, how I wish I could taste in-game drinks for real.)

[Beks]

Chapter 60 – Struck

Bridgett is making rapid progress in her nectar making. She’s joined the career, but is waiting for her first several bottles of nectar to age a bit before taking them to the consignment store to sell. Here’s the cellar Dillie built for her, where she makes and stores her nectar (and takes creepy vampire naps):

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Bridgett’s garden is getting to be pretty abundant, too. She typically spends the nighttime gardening (out of the sun), then starts making nectar very early in the morning before crashing into bed around 10 am. And doing it all over again that night.

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Sometimes her schedule gets out of whack due to an inattentive watcher, though, and she winds up gardening in daylight. This typically causes her to not feel too well.

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After that, she…starts dancing? What, is she doing the can-can?

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Nope. After many close calls, Bridgett finally has her first loss of consciousness due to sunlight and has a nice involuntary nap under the sprinklers in her garden.

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Polly is doing well, too. She gets her final promotion and a new incorrect hairdo to celebrate her arrival at level 10 of the business career. Congrats, Polly!

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In other news, it’s about time we get our second household helper in place. I’ve had someone in mind for a while, and now that he’s almost old enough to make his own decisions sell his soul for the sake of a legacy, Dillie invites him over.

This is Melvin Striker, one of the many children of Richie and Stella Striker. (Stella seems to have contracted some sort of unending-youth bug and is still popping out babies, even though she should’ve aged up to elder a long time ago.) Once he arrives at the household on Dillie’s invitation, he stays for about two seconds and then goes, “You call that a fun time? I’m leaving.” Then he leaves the lot, descending into the meteor crater on his way out. Dillie doesn’t even get to make a clever retort, because she doesn’t even get to the front porch in time to greet him.

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Polly overhears this nonsense and decides to take things into her own hands. After all, she has over 50 friends in Bridgeport (not even kidding), and is Melvin one of them? You bet he is. She gives him a call moments after he rides away in his taxi.

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“Hey there, sweet pea. Listen, don’t worry about Dillie. You don’t have to hang out with her if you don’t want to. How would you like to hang out with sweet old Polly? I’ll make you a cup of tea and we can talk about what’s bothering you.”

Surprisingly (or not surprisingly), Melvin agrees and pops right over as if his whole three-second rendez-vous with Dillie never happened.

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“You again? You literally just bailed on our hangout session.”

“Your mother invited me back. I couldn't say no. There’s just something about that woman I am unable to resist.”

“Okay, ew."

Polly takes Melvin under her wing and gets to know him better. It turns out he’s just having a bad day, which is why he decided to ditch Dillie earlier. At the end of their conversation, Polly throws in a last effort at getting the kid to stick around. “Oh hey, sweetums, I just remembered––there’s some cake in the kitchen if you want some.”

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“Cake? For me?!”

Even Hubert comes out of his reading cave to cheer on this young lad he’s never seen before in his life.

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So Melvin becomes a young adult…

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“Teehee! It tickles!”

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…and immediately notices the young woman in lingerie who meant nothing to him moments ago.

Dillie is smart enough to exit the scene before Melvin thinks to try anything. (Actually, she’s just invited Nawwaf over for their first, hopefully-not-awkward date since the rejected proposal, so she heads right upstairs to be with him.) Instead, Melvin turns his attention to Polly.

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“You look so enchanting in that red-and-yellow suit set, Polly. Like...ketchup and mustard. Mmm. Delicious.”

“Why thank you, young man! Have you noticed that your shirt matches my hair? And––oh, my, those muscles!”

Hubert is less than okay with this, of course. I didn’t get a good screenshot of the fury that crosses his face when he sees his wife flirting with the scrappy kid who was a teenager three seconds ago. But it's there, in full force.

Nawwaf makes an appearance at this exact moment, too. And what does Nawwaf do when he sees a guy younger than him flirting with his girlfriend’s mom?

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Classy, Nawwaf. Classy.

Anyway, I try to get Polly to stop flirting with the new kid long enough to ask him to join the household. Melvin happily agrees to move in to the big house on the hill filled with beautiful women, and tucks himself into bed like a good boy.

…Except that the only free bed is at the moment is in Dillie’s room. This isn’t Melvin’s fault. Really. I forgot to set up a bedroom for him.

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“Dude, are you kidding me?! Me and my BOYFRIEND are in here. Go sleep on the couch or something!”

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“Ahh, love! One day, perhaps I shall be the lucky man to woo a lady of such grace!”

With that out of the way, Dillie and Nawwaf settle in to have their first woohoo. It’s about time, I’d say. Even though Dillie still looks like she’s holding a little bit of a grudge over her spurned proposal.

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Anyway, here’s Melvin with some updated clothes. There’s something adorably dopey about him, even if he is a bit delusional when it comes to romance.

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Melvin’s traits are Good, Heavy Sleeper, Eco-Friendly, Nurturing, and Vehicle Enthusiast. He shares Leola’s strangely contradictory passions for the environment and cars. His LTW is to become a Dynamic DNA Profiler, but that's not going to be possible for him. I think he’ll be a joy to have around, as long as he keeps his paws away from the married and taken women of the household.

Melvin has a day or so to get settled before his career starts. When he’s not trying to talk to Polly, he is…drinking. I think we need to get this boy a girlfriend, stat.

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Or at least some friends. As soon as he gets a chance, Melvin approaches Dillie and begs her forgiveness for storming off the other day. “And I’m sorry for flirting with your mom,” he says. “Please forgive me?”

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Dillie reluctantly agrees.

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“Oh, Miss Middlemiss, you won’t be sorry! We’re going to be the BEST of friends! We can play hopscotch, and chess, and catch with the baseball, and––“

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Dillie has to run off in the middle of their conversation in order to throw up in the bathroom. Luckily, Melvin doesn’t seem to assume any connection between their conversation and Dillie’s nausea.

Probably because it’s caused by something else entirely. Looks like Dillie and Nawwaf's first woohoo was more productive than they realized!

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Someone else in the house is pretty excited to learn that Dillie is pregnant.

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“Mmmmm. I sense fresh blood. I give my vampiric blessing on this child.”

[Beks]

Chapter 61 – MMTFT

It’s time to return. To hearken back to something we have not visited in seven generations. It’s time to go back…to the IPTA.

Does anyone remember IPTA? The Inter-Planetary Toddler Academy? Anyone…?

Well, that was then. And this is now. (For a refresher on the IPTA, refer to Generation Two, chapter 14.) Instead of an alien running the town’s daycare, we have a sweet and slightly daffy human named Melvin. He’s renamed the centuries-old organization to suit his tastes. It’s now Melvin’s Marvelous Toddler Fun Time. I have to say, Mel, this name is…not as catchy.

Melvin’s first client is a little vampire named Richelle.

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The other toddler to visit that first day is Melvin’s nephew, Erwin Starr-Striker. (We’ll probably be seeing a lot of Strikers and Starr-Strikers come through MMTFT. Melvin has a lot of siblings, some of whom are having kids and some of whom are still kids themselves.)

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Melvin does well on his first day, except for the time I catch him heading upstairs towards the bar to grab a drink. Oh no you don’t, sir. Not until your shift is done!

Meanwhile, a slowly blooming Dillie works on her painting skill in the peaceful upstairs loft.

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And Polly…spends a lot of time at the bar on the upstairs deck. Maybe she realizes that her husband is not a young man anymore, and won’t be with us for very much longer? Or perhaps all that flirting with younger men has worn her out.

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When his daycare shift is over, Melvin invites Dillie out into the backyard for a game of catch. Thankfully they’re both beginners, so nobody chucks the ball directly at any pregnant bellies. Either way, though, this really shouldn’t be happening.

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Dillie goes into labor the following night, outside on the back deck. Nawwaf has joined the family for the evening, and has settled down on the picnic bench to read a book. Polly sees what’s happening and decides to follow suit.

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*pant pant* “Nawwaf, help! The baby…it’s coming! Mom, I’m going into labor!”

Nobody blinks an eye for the first hour or so of the birth. After a little while, Hubert sees the family gathering on the deck and comes to check out the action.

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“Hi, everyone! I didn’t realize we were having a reading party out here. Mind if I join?”

Hubert settles down with a book.

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Yes, the entire family is completely deaf to Dillie’s screams of agony.

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“Seriously? Not one of you is going to help me? Okay.”

Polly is the first to wake from her stupor.

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“Excuse me! I want to go inside, but some lady in labor is blocking the door!”

Polly exits the scene, closely followed by Hubert. As soon as they go inside, Dillie puts on her rabbit face.

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When the sparkles hit, Nawwaf is the only remaining witness.

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It’s a boy! Everyone give Scooter Middlemiss a big warm welcome, because he’s certainly not getting one from the rest of his family.

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At last, Dillie turns to Nawwaf.

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“Hey babe? Come meet your son.”

“Mm, can’t talk. Reading.”

“I’m thinking about naming him Stinky Baboon Face.”

“K.”

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And with that, Dillie turns around and walks back inside.

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“One day, my little man, your daddy will learn that you exist. And he will love you. But until then, he can freeze to death on the porch for all I care.”

So Scooter enters the world to the most ambivalent spectators ever seen in Bridgeport. At least his mommy cares about him. And she cares about keeping the family together, too––after having Scooter, Dillie keeps popping wish after wish to get married to Nawwaf. I never thought an Unflirty sim would be so desperate to get married, or so persistent in loving the same person. If she didn’t care so much, I’d be tempted to chuck Nawwaf out the window without a second glance. But I guess we’re stuck with him. Ah, well.

Speaking of looove, I’ve been trying to get some romance going in Melvin’s life as well. He’s such a sweet guy, and he deserves to be happy in the romance department. (Also, he needs distraction from Polly.) One afternoon he runs into one of his school friends at the poorly-lit consignment shop. A friend who has BLUE HAIR.

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This is Rosalie Smyth-Belle, and she’s celebrating a mysteriously sudden birthday today.

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Well, would you look at that! Rosalie is old enough to date young adults! How convenient!

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Melvin manages to nab his first kiss from a happily bewildered Rosalie. There’s no option for them to go steady, though––perhaps Melvin needs to end things with his old romantic interest first?

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Who’s his old romantic interest, you ask? Oh, just Nawwaf’s little sister.

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Melvin ends things with what’s-her-name Bijou, and I decide to give our blue-haired beauty a makeover to reveal the fantastical space witch that has been inside of her all along. Rosalie won’t be able to join the household, but at least she can LOOK like a member of a legacy family.

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Back home, a 90-year-old Hubert cuddles his only grandchild.

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His time is coming soon, and he knows just how to make the most of the time he has left.

[Beks]

Chapter 62 – The Sparkly Blue Ship Has Sailed

After a whirlwind first kiss with Rosalie in the last chapter, Melvin decides to invite her out for a romantic late-night date at the overlook. Rosalie arrives looking darkly radiant in her new clothes and improved hairstyle.

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“Hello, beautiful.”

“Oh. Hello, Melvin.”

The two of them greet each other with a passionate makeout…

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…which doesn’t end well.

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“Ugh, Melvin, get away from me!”

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“What is wrong, my gorgeous galactic girlfriend? Did I kiss you too hard?”

“Okay, first of all, I’m not your girlfriend. And second of all, I have to go.”

Rosalie takes off running before Melvin can say another word. Hmmm. After just one romantic interaction, Rosalie starts acting really weird and grossed out whenever Melvin tries to so much as hold her hand. The plan was to have Melvin ask Rosalie to go steady on this date, but not only did he never get a chance…the option to ask her to go steady never even came up, even though both of them are single. I’m starting to fear a repeat of the Nawwaf drama.

Oh, well––Melvin has to run home quick so he doesn’t miss Scooter’s toddler birthday!

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“Oh, Melvin, thank God you’re here. Birthdays make me feel so...elderly. May I clutch your bicep?”

Polly has certainly become a weird old lady in her old age. But anyway, here’s our Scooter!

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Scooter is a Polly clone, just like his mother. That woman has some strong genes! I think his skin tone is a little closer to Nawwaf’s, but other than that, he’s all Dillie/Polly. Scooter is a Genius and a Heavy Sleeper, and he likes Hip Hop music, Ratatouille, and the color Sea Foam.

Scooter is going to have an interesting toddlerhood––he’s surrounded by other toddlers on a daily basis, so there’s plenty of competition for the peg box and xylophone.

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He also gets lots of early exposure to vampires. (Bridgett has started autonomously helping out with daycare duties. Can you guess which client is her favorite?)

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After the failed date the other night, Melvin invites Rosalie back to have a serious talk about their relationship. And from the first interaction…it doesn’t go well.

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“Hey, babe, I’ve missed you! And I’ve been thinking––babe, what’s wrong?”

“Melvin, stop! You’re being totally weird!”

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“How am I being weird, my love? You are my beautiful space witch. We are meant to be together. It's fate.”

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“That does it.”

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“Rosalie! Where are you going?”

“This makeover wasn’t my idea. I never asked to be anyone’s fantastical space witch. I was just living my life, when suddenly I got kidnapped and makeovered and forced into a relationship with some guy who runs a daycare out of his house. Which is SUPER WEIRD, by the way. Anyway, I’m done with this. I’m leaving.”

And that is that.

Sorry, Rosalie. I had no idea you had such strong feelings about being forcibly transformed into the HORRIBLE WITCH-WOMAN YOU ARE.

Melvin is left standing alone in the front yard. He stares at the spot where Rosalie vanished into a taxi a few minutes ago, feeling dejected. When he looks up, he finds himself locking eyes with Bridgett over the garbage can.

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“Don’t get any ideas, lover boy.”

Well, I’m sorry that things had to end this way with Melvin and Rosalie. I tried so hard to get them together, but it just wasn’t happening. This last attempt at forcing the romance was the nail in the coffin. It got to the point in the last couple of dates where Melvin couldn’t do a single romantic interaction without getting shot down, even though Rosalie seemed so willing and interested the first couple times they met. I dunno, man. Maybe there’s some sort of love curse hanging around Bridgeport, ruining everyone’s love lives.

Well, except Bridgett’s. Did I mention that Bridgett has a boyfriend? She’s been dating Chin-Han Middlemiss (one of Clarence and Matilda’s sons) since she was a teenager. They haven’t seen each other at all since Bridgett joined the household, until Bridgett invites him out to dinner one night. I like seeing them together because Chin-Han looks so dorky, and yet he’s dating this seductive vampiress who struts around in thigh-high boots and a sleazy backless top.

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Oh, who am I kidding––if he’s displaying his chest hair so proudly, they probably get along fine.

After all that drama with Rosalie, Melvin takes a few days to gather his thoughts. Perhaps he needs to take a break from trying to date anyone––so far he hasn’t had much luck, and there aren’t really any single women left in town, anyway. Story Progression scoops them all up the moment they become young adults.

A couple days later, though, something happens. Early in the morning, before everyone in the house is even awake, Ursula shows up at the house. Since moving out, Ursula has taken a job at the day spa and gotten married to Barry Tenderlove. She’s been doing quite well. So why is she suddenly hanging out around our front door like a lost paparazzi?

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It turns out that Ursula’s husband, Barry, has died of old age. Heartbroken, Ursula has returned home to seek comfort from her family.

It’s an unfamiliar face who greets her at the door, though.

Ursula and Melvin have never met before. I guess it’s about time they did. (Melvin is certainly excited to learn that his housemate has a very pretty younger sister.)

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The two of them get to talking. Ursula spills her grief on Melvin, who listens, sympathizes, and tries his best to cheer her up.

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It turns out that they really like each other. There’s attraction, for sure. Melvin starts popping wishes to befriend her, give her gifts, and learn more about her. And before long, Melvin and Ursula are flirting like crazy and getting along splendidly.

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By lunchtime, they share their first kiss. Melvin asks Ursula to go steady, and she says yes.

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Sure, this new relationship is very sudden after the death of Ursula’s husband. But Barry was far too old for her anyway. (He was already a young adult before Ursula was even born!) She hardly had time to get to know him before he passed away. And besides…I dunno. Something about this just sort of makes sense.

Back inside, Scooter is asserting his personality early. Or just being a toddler. Actually this is the only picture I have of him being difficult. Sorry, Polly.

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Yes, in reality, Scooter is one of the sweetest and best-behaved toddlers ever. He’s also super adorable, especially when he plays with the peg box. Look at that smile!

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He works hard at learning to walk with his mommy and picks it up in no time.

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I really see his resemblance to Dillie in this picture. I don’t know why.

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And since we haven’t seen too much of Bridgett in this chapter, enjoy this picture of Bridgett’s first exploded nectar maker. Even though she’s exhausted and thirsty for plasma, I make her fix it.

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Or I try. She gives up and sneaks off for a vampiric slumber before I realize what’s happening. *sigh*

Next time, we'll come a little closer to the end of this legacy. I can't believe Scooter is the tenth heir. I might cry when we get to the end.

[Beks]

Chapter 63 – The Lucky One

Scooter has an easygoing toddlerhood (aside from having to hang out with multiple toddler vampires on an almost-daily basis). He spends a lot of time with his grandmother in particular, who enjoys reliving her days as a young mother when she had to raise perfect children. She’s gotten pretty good at this whole toddler skills thing, and she gets Scooter trained up by day three of his toddlerhood.

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Hubert helps out with things, too, of course. He looks very serious as he’s teaching Scooter to talk.

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Bridgett has been working hard at her nectar making these last few weeks, and with several dozen bottles in her inventory, she heads to the consignment shop to see about selling them.

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“Hello there, young lad. How would you like to sell some exclusive vampiric wines? I specialize in blends that boast flavors of fire, blood, and eternal life. Does that sound like something you could sell here?”

In the end, Bridgett makes about 8,000 simoleons off her first few weeks of nectar making. Not bad at all! She also rockets up to level 6 of the career in one go.

Hubert passes away at the age of 94, in the middle of fixing his beloved hot tub.

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Polly almost misses the whole thing––she’s busy playing with her grandson in the nursery and doesn’t realize what’s happening. I send her running out to the backyard, hoping she can catch a glimpse of her husband before he goes.

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Well, she gets to see him do the flip. That’s something, I guess.

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But she doesn’t quite get there in time to say goodbye.

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Farewell, Hubert. You were a kind, quiet, and lovable sim, and one of the handsomest Middlemisses to date. I’ll miss your calming presence and your perfect French Toasts (even though I don’t get to eat them). Rest in peace.

Polly is heartbroken to have lost her husband, and Dillie is just as sad to have lost her father. They express their grief in vaguely similar, slightly goofy facial expressions. (I feel bad that I laughed at this picture, but...I laughed at this picture.)

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Melvin knows just how to make things better, though. “Worry not, my lady friends. I shall finish what the late Mr. Middlemiss started. This hot tub will be crystal clear again in no time!”

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“…Eww, this water is disgusting.”

Things slowly return to normal after Hubert’s death. Scooter never fails to cheer his mommy up.

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He even keeps her company when she has to fix the flooded washing machine. (Hubert was my go-to repair guy, but, well...)

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Melvin and Ursula are doing well. They go on dates fairly often, and Melvin seems truly infatuated with her.

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Things aren’t perfect between them, though. When Melvin invites Ursula upstairs to woohoo for the first time…

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…Ursula turns him down. Maybe their relationship isn’t high enough yet?

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In any case, her refusal catches me off guard, and poor Melvin has to suffer through yet another rejection (even if this one doesn’t mean the end of a relationship). Look at the poor guy! He’s had such a hard time romantically. Maybe Ursula’s just having an off night and will be willing to try again some other time. Here’s hoping.

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Dillie and Nawwaf are doing well also (such as it is). They haven’t seen much of each other since Scooter was born, but Dillie goes to meet him after he finishes work one night. She’s still torn up about Hubert, and Nawwaf is sweet enough to comfort her.

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Slowly but surely, these two are repairing their relationship. (And Dillie saved up enough LTH points for the Master of Seduction reward, which I thiiink means that Nawwaf won’t reject her if she proposes again. Hopefully.)

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Dillie’s adult birthday sneaks up on all of us. Why she chooses to age up in Bridgett’s bedroom, I have no idea.

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Bridgett: “Ugh, do you have to do this HERE?”

Apparently she does.

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Weirdly, at the exact moment she becomes an adult, Dillie also completes her Lifetime Wish of becoming Super Popular. I swear, two seconds ago she only had eighteen friends, and suddenly she has twenty? Ohkay then. (Apparently Bridgett finds this really funny.)

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Dillie’s not the only one with a birthday. All too soon, it’s time for Scooter to stop being a cute toddler and start being a cute kid.

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I love his face in the above picture. “No like those candles, Mommy…”

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“Mommy! Candles on FIRE!”

Scooter ages up surrounded by sparkles and legs.

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And here he is! He just keeps looking more and more like Dillie.

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Scooter becomes Lucky––a great trait for the final heir of a legacy.

[Beks]

Chapter 64 – A Puff of Smoke

Melvin is still plugging away at the daycare career, and doing very well. It’s starting to get a little crazy with four toddlers a day, though. Sometimes Melvin looks a little…wired. Or something.

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“Help…me…”

Or maybe he’s just extra gleeful because he and Ursula finally had their first woohoo. And it was Ursula who did the wooing! Or at least, it looks that way.

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“Hey baby. You look hot in that blue polo shirt. Wanna take it off?”

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“Well, okay. Anything for you, dearest.”

Ursula does the strut through the house afterwards, which is kind of the cutest thing ever. (Is it weird, though, since this is her childhood home?)

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Bridgett continues to thrive in her gardening and nectar making. She maxed the gardening skill a while ago and has focused her efforts on special plants. Flame fruit is a particular favorite. Oh wait––this isn’t flame fruit. This is an apple, that Bridgett is transmogrifying into flame fruit. Because Bridgett has a secret. She’s a VAMPYROMANIAC.

The “Transmogrify” action is really glitchy, though. She holds a piece of fruit, and then it either morphs into this weird floaty lava-like mass that envelopes her whole hand…

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…or it just evaporates in a puff of smoke.

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I’ve actually known about Bridgett’s pyromania since she moved in (thank you, Master Controller), but I wasn’t sure how it worked or what the “Transmogrify” action did. Until now. I wasted so many apples making poor-quality Poison Apple nectar. Those could’ve all been flame fruits!

Ah, well. Back to the rest of the family. Scooter is thoroughly enjoying his childhood, and his grandmother in particular. (Isn’t Polly’s face the cutest?)

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Polly and Scooter actually spend a lot of time together. She teaches him to play chess…

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…and helps him with his homework. Scooter has no problems at all in school, thanks to his Genius trait. (Which, by the way, I did not choose. The game selected it for him when he was born.)

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Dillie is making progress in her architect career, though not as much as I would like––Melvin’s daycare career takes a great deal of attention from me most weekdays, and trying to have Dillie complete renovations simultaneously is really difficult. For a while, Dillie was only making career progress due to her painting skill, but once she reached level 10, her progress slowed significantly. I still try to get her out and doing renovations at least a couple times a week. She does very well when she gets out there. (It helps that she’s already friends with, like, everyone in town.)

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In other news…Ursula is pregnant! She comes over late in her pregnancy to give Melvin the news.

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Bridgett is overjoyed, too. Or…something. She corners Ursula in the library and displays that Inappropriate trait for the first time possibly ever.

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“Hey, congrats on the pregnancy! Wanna make out?”

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“Get away from me, vampire! What’s wrong with you?!”

Well, that happened. I completely forgot that Bridgett is Inappropriate until that moment. She hides it well. (Also, I haven’t really thought much about her constant wishes to skinny dip with every female that comes on the lot. Now they’re starting to make more sense. Bridgett might be the first truly bisexual sim I’ve encountered––she rolls wishes to interact romantically with females, AND with her longtime boyfriend.)

Ursula picked a good time to show up, I guess. Not because of the attempted vampire kiss. Because she’s about to go into labor.

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*pant pant* “Hey––Scooter––can you like––scoot out of here and tell––ARGH!––Melvin that I’m––AAGGGH––having the––the oh, God––the BABY!”

“I don’t know, Auntie Ursula. I have a really bad feeling all of a sudden.”

That’s because something horrible is happening just outside in the living room.

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Polly chooses this very opportune moment to say her farewells to this world. Come on Polly, really?

She’s kind enough to leave us with one last goofy face, though. This woman is something else.

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Unlike most Middlemisses who have died of old age, Polly begs Grim for a second chance.

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“Can’t you let me stay a little longer? My daughter is giving birth in the next room!”

“Birth is not under my jurisdiction, madam. Only death. And you are dying. So let’s get on with it.”

RIP, Polly Maloney Middlemiss. You were one of my favorite original townie spouses and a true sweetheart. Go find your hubby in the sky and rest well knowing that you’ll never have to worry about wasting electricity again.

Meanwhile, back in the library…

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Melvin finally learns that his girlfriend is giving birth and runs over to meet her.

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“Babe, come on! You couldn’t wait until your mother was finished dying?!”

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“You think I have any CONTROL over this?!”

Horrible timing aside, the chaos does end eventually. Ursula and Melvin rush to the hospital, where Ursula gives birth to an Athletic, Easily Impressed baby girl named Mary.

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And Melvin is officially a father.

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I think he’ll be a great one.

[Beks]

Chapter 65 – Pajama Pact

The family seems a bit down after the loss of Polly. Dillie pours herself into her painting and architectural sketches with newfound fervor.

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Scooter pours himself into a 9x9 inch pan learning how to bake.

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He also starts picking up the writing skill. It will be useful for his career later in life––more useful than logic, it turns out.

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Melvin goes back to his old habit of making drinks at weird times. For instance, at 9 in the morning. Forgetting that he promised to babysit one of his clients’ toddlers today.

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“Was that the doorbell? Oh…oh crap!”

It’s only one kid today, though, since it’s a Saturday. With only one kiddo, Melvin actually has time to teach this little nugget to walk. Hooray!

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To lighten the mood around here, and to get Scooter to make some friends his own age, I decide to throw a slumber party. Scooter has hardly met anyone at school so far, and I’m worried he’ll be halfway through his teen years before he meets any potential spouses.

The first guest to arrive is the lovely Kylie Striker. Oooh, Striker! Does she have any relation to Melvin, you ask? Why, yes. She’s actually his youngest sister. Uh oh. In any case, she’s an option, so Scooter gets to know her a little bit.

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Next is Priscilla King-Striker, the most chipmunk-like young vampire I’ve ever seen. Yikes, girl. Yikes.

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Actually, a lot of the kids at this party are vampires, including all but two of the girls. Also, half the kids are best friends with Melvin because he took care of them in daycare. Yay?

The other non-vampire female in attendance is the shockingly-colored, flashily-named Guadalupe Chique-Marks. Scooter makes sure to get to know her a bit as well.

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Berjes Chique-Middlemiss, one of the grandchildren of Clarence and Matilda, is the first to actually start having fun at this party. Then he’s joined by Nikita Hemlock (another vampire). The two of them Presiding over the Royal Court at the same time is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.

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Bryon Pala-Shutter, sandwiched between two vampires, has the time of his life on a joyride. This kid has absolutely no fear. (And he’s adorable. If the heir was a girl, I think Bryon would be my top pick for spouse.)

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Side note: I’m really impressed with the variety of pajamas we have at this party. No monochromatic color scheme this time around! We’ve got dragon pajamas, fish pajamas, racecar pajamas, cowboy pajamas, outer space pajamas, pink camo pajamas, butterfly pajamas, and treasure map pajamas. (Scooter is proud to be a member of the Treasure Map Pajamas Club, though a racecar might have been more appropriate.)

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That’s it, kids. Model those PJs!

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I just noticed this kid’s hair. It’s black tingued with BLUE. OMG. This is Keith Chique-Marks. He is, not surprisingly, Guadalupe’s brother. And yet another favorite spouse contender for our nonexistent female heir.

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Look at all these blue burritos! Scooter settles down right in the middle of the pack. How adorable. Even if there wasn’t time to truly befriend anyone, I’m glad Scooter got to meet so many kids his age at this party.

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In the morning, the kids all stream out into the morning sunlight and head home. Is Scooter’s future spouse in this picture? We’ll have to wait and see! (Worry not––at this point in time, I still have no idea.)

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With that exciting event over, it’s time for another one. Dillie and Nawwaf have been mending their relationship over the last few weeks, and they are more secure and happy in their relationship than ever. Nawwaf seems to be growing out of his skittishness (or whatever it was that made him so fickle and moronic as a younger man).

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I’m still a little hesitant to trust Nawwaf fully after his long history of being an idiot, but Dillie is prepared to give him a second chance. And hey…now is as good a time as any, right?

So, on a normal Sunday afternoon, wearing her bathing suit, Dillie gets down on one knee and asks Nawwaf to marry her. Again.

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And he finally, finally says yes.

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Unfortunately, these two can’t get married for a little while longer, but the time isn’t too far off. In the meantime, they’re free to enjoy each other’s company in the assurance that their love really will last forever. (At least, it had better. I’m keeping an eye on you, Nawwaf.)

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That same night, Polly makes her first appearance as a ghost.

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And where does she choose to haunt? The secret nectar cellar.

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“Hah hah, you don't scare me anymore, Bridgett! I'm dead!”

To wrap things up…can you believe it’s time for Scooter’s teen birthday already?

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“Ewww, who made my cake vanilla?”

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“EEEEE I LOVE VANILLA”

Glad to see you've inherited the Maloney talent for weird faces, Scooter.

Will he look even more like Dillie? Or will he look even more like Dillie?

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Or…like Nawwaf?

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I think it’s just the hair. Either way, Scooter looks freaked out. Maybe it’s that cake.

Aaand it looks like we’re out of screenshots for this chapter. You’ll have to see Scooter’s makeover (and learn his new trait) next time. Toodle-oo!

[Beks]

Chapter 66 – The Final Hunt

Scooter ages up into a handsome teenager and acquires the Bookworm trait.

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Melvin also has his adult birthday (not pictured) and goes to see his daughter, Mary, after she’s grown up into a toddler. Looks like she mostly inherited her mommy's features.

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Bridgett has a birthday, too! Just kidding, she’s a vampire who’s never going to die. But she does reach an exciting achievement––she maxes the nectar making skill!

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The primary focus of Scooter’s life right now is to find his future spouse. Story Progression is a very powerful force, but there is a startlingly high number of single girls in town right now. Scooter needs to find the right one and claim her before she gets fed to the wolves left to choose for herself among the other townie boys.

To start with, Scooter goes on a date with each of the three eligible ladies. First up is Guadalupe Chique-Marks, she of the pink hair tips. She comes home after school with Scooter one day.

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Guadalupe has decent traits and cute hair, plus the coolest name ever of all time. She and Scooter get along fine, but there’s no attraction between them, and Scooter doesn’t roll any wishes for her. A day or so later, Guadalupe gets into a relationship with another boy from school. Scooter doesn’t seem too torn up about it. Looks like Guadalupe is out. (Shame. I really loved her name.)

Two options remain, and one of them Scooter actually hasn’t met yet. I’m not sure why Mellissa Angelista-Round didn’t show up to the slumber party, but I know she’s around. I also can’t find her in anyone’s relationship panels, even though I swear she was friends with someone at some point.

Friday afternoon rolls around, along with Scooter’s first day of Drama Club. And who should he meet there but FOUR MORE TOWNIE GIRLS. ALL OF WHOM ARE ATTRACTED TO HIM. Only one of them matters, though––Mellissa Angelista-Round, who is the only one close enough to Scooter’s age. (The others, I’m pretty sure, all aged up to teen approximately ten minutes before Drama Club started.)

On Saturday, Scooter successfuly asks Mellissa out on a date. They meet at the park and quickly become friends (Drama Club is not only bringing Scooter access to girls––it’s also improving his charisma at a rapid pace).

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They get pretty far with the flirting, but I end the date before things get too hot and heavy. Scooter gives Kylie Striker a call and invites her to meet him at the very same park.

Kylie arrives, and I quickly decide that I prefer Kylie over Mellissa. Both girls are beautiful and have good traits, and they even look kind of similar––but there’s something more down-to-earth about Kylie that I really like. And so far, Scooter has rolled the most wishes to get to know Kylie. Hooray!

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Just as I’m deciding this, though…Scooter starts popping wishes to get back with Mellissa. And kiss her. And ask her to prom. Oh…okay.

Scooter and Kylie flirt for the rest of the night, whilst Scooter continually pops wishes for both girls. This guy is really having a hard time making up his mind! The next morning, he pops another wish for Mellissa (to become her BFF) around the same time I get a notification that Mellissa is now dating someone else. That leaves Kylie as the only single girl left.

It’s Sunday, and prom is on Monday. I’ll give Scooter one more day to figure out which girl he wants to take to prom. (My original plan was just to see what happens at prom, but now that Mellissa has a boyfriend, the game would probably decide on Kylie by default––or someone else entirely.) Scooter calls up both girls and invites them over to the house to meet the family.

Kylie immediately starts catching up with her big brother, whom she hasn’t talked to in ages or possibly ever.

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“Okay, so you wanna get with Scooter? You have come to the right man, little sis! I am a Middlemiss expert, after all. I have made romantic passes at three different Middlemiss women! Now, I found my success by working my way down the line of ladies until I came to the aloof, newly widowed younger sibling, whom I then wooed with copious amounts of sympathy hugs and tearful kisses. Does Scooter have any aloof younger siblings, do you think?”

Mellissa, meanwhile, encounters Dillie on the upstairs deck. And the two of them do NOT get along well. It’s probably because Mellissa Can’t Stand Art, and art is essentially Dillie’s whole life. (Incidentally, Kylie Can’t Stand Art either…but she seems to hide it better when Dillie is around.) Dillie looks like she’s about to scratch Mellissa’s face off. RAWR.

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Scooter spends time talking to both girls as well, and I try to let him act autonomously as much as possible. He still seems undecided. Mellissa definitely has no qualms about flirting with him even though she has a boyfriend now. But at one point, I look away for a minute, and when I come back to Scooter he has the “creeped out” moodlet in response to something Mellissa said. It could be due to her Insane trait, but it’s impossible to know for sure. (Dillie has the same moodlet after speaking to Mellissa. Hmm…)

After a long day of trying to get somewhere with at least one of the girls, Scooter doesn’t really get anywhere. After both the girls leave, he goes to his computer and works on his writing for a while. During that time, he pops one last wish––to go on another date with Kylie.

Aaaand five seconds after that, a notification arrives, saying that Kylie has a new Romantic Interest. And Scooter panics. Just as he’s figuring out who he wants to be with, that very girl gets scooped up!

So he does the only sensible thing. He tracks Kylie down. She happens to be outside The Grind, schmoozing with her new guy. Scooter tugs her away from Andy Angelista-Round (and yes, he and Mellissa are siblings––well, half-siblings) and gets right down to business. He begs her to go to prom with him.

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And thank all the watchers, she says yes.

The next day, it’s finally time for prom. Scooter steps out of the house looking like a million bucks in his sea foam tuxedo.

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Scooter and Kylie have a wonderful prom together. He’s crowned Prom King about five seconds after walking in the door (not surprising, since he’s befriended so many females in order to choose one as his future bride), and soon after that, Kylie asks him to go steady.

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This also might be the funniest prom picture I’ve ever seen. What’s up with Kylie’s face?

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After it’s over, Scooter immediately wishes to travel with Kylie. Ohkay, slow down there, bud. Let’s get you graduated first!

Well, now that that’s settled, we can turn back to another love story unfolding in this household. Well, it’s already been unfolding for years––it's just finally getting somewhere, kind of.

Several of Dillie’s friends have been pestering her to throw a bachelorette party ever since she got engaged to Nawwaf, and I decide we might as well appease them. Scooter will be a young adult soon, and Dillie will be free to get married as soon as that happens (or even before, since he’s halfway thorugh his teen years already). Bring on the generic bachelorette outfit! I know, Dillie, it's not the best look for you. Please don't look at me like that.

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The party gets started right away with a party dancer. Melvin is VERY fascinated by his dance moves, or maybe his camouflaged caboose.

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After the guests arrive and mingle for a little while, Dillie asks her longtime friend and housemate––the one and only Bridgett––to make a toast. I’m very excited to hear Bridgett’s toast, myself. But…she doesn’t seem too keen on giving one. She responds to Dillie’s request by passing out on the spot.

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It’s not like she would’ve been able to make one anyway, because at that moment, Matilda Middlemiss decides to up and die.

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Party Dancer: “Attention, men! We have a code…something! An old woman is dying in our territory! I repeat, code––do we have a code for this…?”

Matilda’s death ends up taking over an hour to complete because Grim gets stuck on the back deck with his scythe jammed through the wall. All the guests stand around looking miserable while Matilda floats patiently, waiting for Grim to find a way inside. Eventually, Matilda just drifts away in a wisp of light, finally clearing a path for Grim to enter the house. (RIP, Matilda. Fun fact: Clarence, her husband and Hubert’s twin brother, is apparently still kicking. He’s got to be, like, a hundred and ten by now, at least.)

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Once inside, Grim has one interest: washing his hands, and then flirting with Bridgett in the bathroom. Or maybe it was Bridgett who initiated that. That's probably more likely.

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After that, the party resumes. Dillie lightens up and enjoys a spray of nectar from her vampire BFF. (Unfortunately, that vampire BFF never gets to make her speech. Oh, well.)

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Ursula is at this party too, and she and Melvin find each other on the dance floor and dance the night away.

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It’s around two or three in the morning when Melvin takes advantage of an ideal opportunity to propose.

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Ursula says yes! Aww, I’m so happy for these two.

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Afterwards, I pause the game while my camera is elsewhere, then pan back and find Melvin in mid-Leap-Into-Arms. He looks like he’s taking a jumpshot on a basketball court. Or like he's at a disco. Or something.

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The party lasts until dawn, with Dillie’s friends frequenting the bar and continuing to dance long after they ought to be passing out from exhaustion.

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Everyone finally heads home around 9 am, and Dillie is left to pick up the massive mess. I can’t wait till this generation is over and we can have service sims in the house again!

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Next time, we have two weddings to look forward to, along with the coming-of-age of our tenth and final heir. See ya then!

[Beks]

Chapter 67 – Two Weddings and a Vampire Silo

Melvin’s daycare career is bugged. He’s very close to reaching level 5 (the highest level), but since he was about halfway through level 4, no kids have shown up to the house except for the occasional grade school kid in the afternoon. He should’ve been at level 5 about a week ago. And so, I decide to reward him with what he should have gotten anyway: his very own daycare van. (Available for purchase at your local buydebug for just $3,599.99!) Now Melvin, a Vehicle Enthusiast, already has a car for a best friend––his trusty Vistoso Speed Machine named Brenna. But now, it’s time for him to downgrade like crazy. He names his new van…I kid you not…Elvin. (Or at least, that’s the name the game generates for the van, and I love it.)

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Now that Scooter is more than halfway through his teenage years, and Dillie has completed her requirements (more on that later), we can begin the transition to Generation Ten.

Dillie gets things rolling by inviting Nawwaf over and asking him to move in.

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At long last, this gorgeous piece of man meat is a member of our household. I’ve waited a long time for this moment. It turns out that Nawwaf has a fascinating hair color––sort of a fiery golden-brown color. I almost gave him a full head of hair, but it didn’t feel right after his decades of shavedness. I opted for a full beard instead. This man really is beautiful. If only he’d passed on some more of his features to his son!

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Nawwaf’s traits, by the way, are Excitable, Insane, Neurotic, Virtuoso, and Slob, and he likes Egyptian Music, Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches, and the color Violet. His LTW is Jack of All Trades, though he’s doing very well sticking with the medical career thus far.

That very same day, Nawwaf and Dillie head down to a quiet spot on the beach and have a private wedding with just the two of them. (And Ursula, swimming in the background.)

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(And Clarence, who at this moment in time is 113 days old. He lives for a couple more days after this and then passes away.)

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Anyway, back to the wedding!

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Congratulations, Dillie and Nawwaf! Together at last. <3

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During the wedding, I get a notification that Dillie has been invited to, um, Nawwaf’s party. Ohkay? I guess the game hasn’t fully registered that he’s moved in yet. I hit the “No thanks” option and continue on with the day.

Then, later that evening, I spot a random dude strolling through the house.

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Dillie: “Honey? Why is there a strange man in our kitchen?”

“Uh…”

I also come across a random lady dancing in the living room.

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“Gee, what a fun party! And this venue is quite an upgrade from the last one!”

So, turns out that Nawwaf’s party is happening. It’s just been transferred from Nawwaf’s old residence to his new residence. Which is here. Great!

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“Nawwaf! You invited a bunch of people to our house for a party? And you didn’t think to TELL ME?”

“Babe, I was going to throw a party tonight anyway, and then you insisted we get married all of a sudden! It’s not like I was going to cancel my party just because of THAT. I just changed venues!”

“But you can’t just––why didn’t you even MENTION it?!”

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“Hmph. I didn’t think you’d be so against the idea of a party. You know what? I’m un-inviting you.”

“What?!”

“You heard me. You are no longer on my guest list.”

“…”

“…”

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“Okay, I’m sorry. Please just ask next time, okay? Can I go make a tray of drinks now?”

“All right, darling.”

It turns out to be an extremely chill party, thankfully––and a small one, in terms of attendance. Half the guests probably got lost trying to figure out where the party was moved to at the last minute.

And this guy clearly got lost on his way to…somewhere.

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The next day is another exciting one. It’s Melvin and Ursula’s wedding day! They opt to throw a wedding party, since Nawwaf and Dillie had a private one yesterday.

It’s at the wedding, before the ceremony, that Scooter and Kylie share their first kiss (after already dating for a few days).

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Melvin and Ursula get married in the, uh, poorly lit backyard. Sorry about that, guys. I am also sorry about Polly's gravestone back there, which I forgot to move to the family inventory. I promise it's not meant to be an omen.

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Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Striker! Everyone, please ignore the vampires beginning to smolder in the audience.

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Melvin has had a wish to cut the cake since he woke up this morning, so Ursula lets him do the honors (even though she looks afraid that he’s about to chop his fingers off).

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Look who’s here––the daughter of the happy couple! Mary totally would’ve been the flower girl at this shindig, if the Sims allowed that sort of thing.

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Nawwaf’s insanity is already beginning to make itself known. He seems to have a fondness for eating things in Bridgett’s creepy nectar cellar, all by himself. I left the garden gate unlocked once and now Nawwaf wants to be down there all the time. Weirdo.

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And with that…it’s time for Ursula, Melvin, and the lovely Bridgett to move out and start their own, independent lives. Remember how one of Dillie’s requirements was to do something Awesome relating to her traits or career? Well, this is part one of her Awesome project. She finally got to take her abilities as an architect to the next level and built a brand new lot for her friends! (Again, sorry for the poor lighting in these pictures. The mountains outside Bridgeport never seem to see the full light of day.)

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On the left is Melvin and Ursula’s new house––a comfortable family home with enough space for plenty of nooboos. On the right is Bridgett’s very own creepy vampire silo.

Here’s the top floor of the Striker house, with two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.

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And here’s the main floor––foyer, bathroom, kitchen / dining area, and living room. (Clearly, I didn't think to turn the lights on.)

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The interior of the vampire silo consists of four identical floors with a spiral staircase going up the middle. (One of the floors is––you guessed it––a nectar cellar.) Since they all look the same, I’ll just show you the main floor, which functions as the kitchen (stocked with a fridge for plasma juice and nothing else), office, and living area. Above this floor is the bedroom, and the top floor is a private bathroom.

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I’m going to miss these three, but they’ve been wonderful additions to the family this past generation. Good luck in your endeavors, friends!

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Next time, we’ll see the official takeover of Generation Ten. Hold onto your handkerchiefs, folks. This ain’t over yet!

[Beks]

Chapter 68 – Falling Into Place

Before he ages up, Scooter needs to find a helper to move into the household along with his future spouse. He recently met a girl in Drama Club who happens to have a trait that will come in handy for one of the rolled careers. He heads downtown to meet her at her apartment, intending to befriend her so that when she’s old enough, she can move in.

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This is Susanna Rubble-Clavier. She has the trait we’re looking for, but upon talking to her, Scooter discovers that she’s both Mean-Spirited and Absent-Minded––two of my least favorite traits. That’s when I notice the guy sitting on the floor behind her, scribbling away at his homework. Who knew she had a brother? Not me!

Scooter tries getting to know Susanna’s brother, Simon––something about him catches my eye. And what do you know? The first thing Scooter learns is that Simon is in a band. What?! That’s a job that townies can have?! I like this kid already. Plus, he’s adorkable, and neither Mean-Spirited nor Absent-Minded. (Well, he is Inappropriate, but that trait at least has some variation and humor.) Also, he keeps flexing his skinny little arms and smiling proudly at them. So cute.

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“Dude, yeah, you should totally come see my band sometime! We’re called the Rubble Claviers. Y’know, like my last name, Rubble-Clavier?”

Scooter invites Simon to spend the afternoon at the bungalow. The two boys get to know each other and slaughter each other with pillows.

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By dinnertime, they’re best friends, and I’ve decided to take action.

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“Eeeee! Suddenly I feel so excited! Yaaayy!”

Simon has a convenient, impromptu birthday right there in the pillow war zone.

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Isn’t he a cutie pie? Simon’s traits are Loner, Star Quality, Mooch, Inappropriate, and Athletic. Not the greatest traits ever, but he’ll do fine with his required career. Hopefully. His favorites are French music, Fruit Parfait, and the color Lavender, and his LTW is Illustrious Author. Which makes no sense at all. But okay.

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Right away, Simon starts practicing his career-related skill. I could have picked any instrument, but I had to go with the keyboard. If your last name is Clavier, you have to be a pianist. It’s just a rule.

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A day or so later, Scooter celebrates his Young Adult birthday surrounded by family and…friend. (Dillie invited Ursula, Melvin, and Bridgett over, but they all left within five seconds, saying “You need to learn how to have fun!” or something. Then, Scooter invited Mellissa and Kylie over, but Kylie got stuck on the front porch doing her homework. So Mellissa is the only one outside the family witnessing Scooter’s birthday. And I didn’t even get her in the screenshot. Figures.)

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“I wish for…a full beard, like my dad’s.”

Maybe one day, kiddo. For now, a little stubble will do.

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Scooter’s final trait is Ambitious, to be added to his Genius, Heavy Sleeper, Bookworm, and Lucky traits. I’d like to change his Genius trait later on, since he doesn’t really need it, but we’ll see how things go. Scooter’s Lifetime Wish has actually been in place since his childhood––he dreams of becoming a Distinguished Director and reaching level 10 of the Film career.

And now, it’s time to reveal our final set of rolls. Can you believe we’re already on the last one?

Generation 10 Rolls
Family Structure – Couple with Help
Number of Children – 5
Careers – Film (director) / Busker / Military
Generational Goal – Perfectionist
Misc. Fun – Random Traits

You may remember the Perfectionist goal from alllll the way back in Generation One. It just means that Scooter must supermax one skill. I’ve chosen Charisma. I may regret it. As for Random Traits, that applies to all five(!) of Scooter’s future children. I actually chose this roll (we can choose one of the Generation Ten rolls, according to the rules) because it sounds fun, and traits won’t matter next generation anyway.

Here’s the deal regarding the end of the challenge. The rules state that the challenge is over when either (a) the tenth heir completes his or her requirements, or (b) the eleventh generation becomes a Young Adult, whichever comes last. I’m guessing that Scooter will complete his requirements long before his fifth child is a young adult, but only time will tell.

And that is that! Scooter could go ahead and join the Film career, but he decides to wait and marry Kylie first to avoid losing too many work days. (Kylie has a two days left as a teenager.) Instead, Scooter will spend the next couple of days building up his charisma and writing skills in preparation for his first day on the job.

As a birthday present for Scooter, Dillie reveals part two of her Awesome project: some renovations of the bungalow! First, she combines Bridgett’s old bedroom and Bambi’s old office to create a spacious new library / piano room.

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The upstairs is updated as well. The master bedroom is recolored to Scooter’s tastes, and the two smaller bedrooms are combined into one.

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And finally, the upstairs deck is transformed into two brand new bedrooms. We’re going to have a full house this generation, so the more beds, the better!

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Just as she finishes this impressive task, Dillie becomes an old lady.

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Things are pretty calm over the next two days. Simon starts playing for tips in the park. The disadvantage (or…advantage) to having a teleporter is that you can travel anywhere in just your underwear, possibly without even realizing it. Simon demonstrates this with enthusiasm.

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And Scooter makes use of his new writing space to finish up that novel he started back in high school. He titled it “Drama Club Girls”. Too bad the publisher won’t let you change it, Scoot. Hah!

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Dillie transitions comfortably into her elderhood. As the best cook in the house these days, she spends a lot of time stocking the fridge with Scooter’s favorite dish––ratatouille. (Her level 5ish cooking skill, plus all the perfect quality produce in the fridge, results in perfect meals most of the time.)

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Dillie also gets back into renovating houses around town. (Now that Melvin’s daycare career isn’t sucking up all of my time, I can give Dillie some proper attention again.) She’s been hovering midway through level 9 of the architect career for a couple weeks, so I’m eager to get her across the finish line.

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On Thursday of that week, Scooter gets a call from his girlfriend, whom he hasn’t seen since his birthday. “It's time,” she says.

And so it is. Kylie comes over to the bungalow looking cute as heck in her Latrine Cleaner uniform. She’s a young adult and ready to rumble!

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Isn’t she beautiful? Kylie has pretty great traits––Excitable, Loves the Outdoors, Over-Emotional, Can’t Stand Art, and Disciplined. (Well, I’m not a fan of Can’t Stand Art, but other than that she’s lovely.) Her favorite things are French music, Veggie Burgers, and Irish Green. Her Lifetime Wish, conveniently, is to Become an Astronaut. She’s already joined the Military career without me doing a thing.

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That very night, Scooter brings Kylie to one of his favorite spots that I completely forgot about for the last three generations––that resort thingy up in the hills past the bungalow.

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And there, in the rapidly setting sun (like, seriously, slow down a little!), Scooter asks Kylie to marry him.

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Of course she says yes. These two were meant to be.

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And that’s our final spouse in the bag! Well, not quite. They’ve got to get married still. But that’s just the icing on the cake, really.

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Back home, Dillie gets to work on the final stage of her Awesome project. This one makes her a little sad. Or maybe she’s just being her normal Neurotic, Perfectionistic self. Yeah, that’s probably it.

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Next time, we’ll throw the last wedding party of the Middlemiss Random Legacy (unless I decide to get the Generation Eleven kids hitched at the end…but no promises). It’s gonna be a good one.

[Beks]

Chapter 69 – Skylie

The morning of the last Middlemiss wedding arrives. I send Kylie and Scooter to the venue a couple of hours early to get set up and enjoy the peace and quiet for a little while before the guests arrive.

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Scooter the bookworm spends the early part of the wedding perched at a bar table, calmly enjoying a book. That’s goals right there.

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A little while later, under a grove of pines and surrounded by white hydrangeas, Scooter and Kylie say their vows.

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Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Middlemiss!

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At least a few of the guests figured out how to sit down.

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Kylie’s mother, Stella Striker, is by far the most enthusiastic rice-thrower. This woman is essentially the matriarch of Bridgeport. One of the city’s original Young Adult townies, she’s had many children and grandchildren, has outlived her husband by a couple of decades, and continues to run around town and host parties and date young men and old men alike. Kylie is her youngest child, I believe, so of course she’s here to cheer her daughter on. Stella ends up outliving her eldest son, Sebastian, as well––I think he passes away a day or two after this.

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What a lovely crowd! Here we have Nawwaf, who for some reason is in his swim trunks; Rosalie Smyth-Belle, who’s lost her awesome hairstyle but has kept the galactic space-witch outfit; and Mellissa Angelista-Round, who is so happy that her best friend is getting married to someone other than her.

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The ceremony ends and the Middlemisses boogie down on the dance floor. Who knew that they were all such accomplished dancers?

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Melvin and Rosalie are the unfortunates left cheering and throwing rice late into the night.

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“You know, Rosalie, that could’ve been us up there. You and me, dressed in finery, vowing to love and cherish one anoth… ”

“Shut up and throw your rice, Melvin.”

The bride and groom dance longer than anybody else. Oh wait––except Stella in the back there.

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They also find plenty of time to sneak off to the mountaintop pond and gaze into each other’s eyes, though.

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With everyone distracted by the dance floor and buffet table, Scooter and Kylie decide to sneak into the lodge and embark on their first woohoo.

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“You can’t go in there, miss. There’s a naked man in the shower.”

The redheaded cousin (I’m pretty sure she’s someone’s cousin) eventually runs off to find a plate of cookies, and Kylie and Scooter enjoy a thrilling (and sudsy) round of woohoo.

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As the party winds down, I find Nawwaf and Simon hanging out together in the hot tub. I was hoping the hot tub would be a party-wide hit, but I think only these guys knew it was there.

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And with that, the final wedding of the Middlemiss Random Legacy is over. *sniffle*

The family wakes up bright and early the next morning and congregates downstairs for their last breakfast together.

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Why last, you say?

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“Scooter, honey, it’s time. Your father and I have decided to move out and leave you and Kylie to start your own family. You’ll need all the space you can get, and Nawwaf and I are ready to have a place of our own to enjoy our last few years together.”

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“I’ll miss you, Mom.”

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“Hey, Dad, can you, uh, come down here for a second? We need to say goodbye…”

“Not now, fiend! I must vanquish this band of brigands with my super-turbo electrocuting trident!”

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Nawwaf: “HAHA! Virtual reality is so much better than real life!!”

Scooter: "..."

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“So, uh…bye, Dad. I'm glad I finally got to live with you for a few years.”

“Bye, son. Call me if you need a powerful superhero for any of your movies.”

“…k.”

So Dillie and Nawwaf leave the household and retire to their own little cottage on the beach at the base of the mountain. This is the final part of Dillie’s Awesome project, the thing she’s been dreaming of and working on for years.

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It’s a simple house, but it's all that she and Nawwaf need at this point in their lives. I think it suits them perfectly.

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Back at the bungalow on the mountaintop, Scooter and Kylie have work to do.

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A lot of work.