The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 46 (4 March 2017)

[Whirligig]

Safe travels to you, @Whirligig

(Incidentally, in your last photo, the girl sitting on Henry's left with the navy-blue top looks really cute. Who is she?)

Her name is Kasey Stone. She's one of Sergio's kids. In Chapter 10 there's a 'fisher woman who stole Candy's hair' at the park, and that would be Kasey's mother. :-)

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[Whirligig]

Wow! I'm so sorry about that giant, vivid fireball that seems to be engulfing all of Australia. Even the meteorologist looks like she wants to apologize. I don't do Celsius, but I'm pretty sure you should stay indoors. Yikes! Good luck!


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I think I read somewhere that's it's temperatures in the 110s if you're using farenheit. Which sounds far more impressive. Yesterday people were afraid the power would go out or they would need to resort to rolling blackouts, but that hasn't happened yet.

Also the wedding that was meant to happen on the beach has been moved to the (air conditioned) church.

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[Whirligig]

Chapter 31 - Powerful



Ah Iris, our faithful foundress. What's been keeping you busy as of late?

"To be honest," Iris replied, "not much. I'm still working in comedy - they haven't gotten sick of me yet. But the hours aren't exactly arduous so I have plenty of time for myself. Especially on days when everyone else is either at school or at work."



Yoga was still a relished pastime, but Iris had also returned to her love of the violin. This was mainly because she was working towards some of the musical genius milestones to pass the time (it would be a shared 'for points' aspiration throughout the dynasty), and so she wrote songs that reminded her of friends and years gone by.



But she also tried to find other means of being helpful. Rose and Norman had written books of life for everyone now. So whenever one of the children needed a little pick-me-up while at school, Iris was more than happy to help out.



When she was needed, of course, she would help the children complete their various tasks. Sometimes homework, often other skilling.



And even with Gerald helping out now, it seemed the sinks in the house were eternally in need of fixing. Gerald's help was all well and good when he was there, but when he was at school? Well, sometimes she found it easier just to do things herself. She couldn't wait until Edith could take it upon herself to upgrade all the appliances in the house.



Though she missed having her beloved Joaquin around all the time, she didn't necessarily go without him, and she of course relished every opportunity she got to spend time with him when he visited from the world beyond.



Still, she accepted that with her tasks complete, it wouldn't be long before she would completely fade into the background - the quiet solemn matriarch of the family, who keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes.

But while the mournful tune of Iris' violin echoed through the cemetery and across the island, in the evening dusk a young couple were enjoying the music and the evening breeze.



"So that's why I think she'd be the right fit for Gerald," Henry was saying.

"Mmmhmmm" breathed Karly Behr.

"You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?" asked Henry.

"Some of it," Karly replied.

"Well you make a terrible teen girl, if matchmaking talk doesn't interest you," Henry teased.

"We would make a good match," she mused.

Henry jumped to his feet, and extending a hand to help Karly to hers.



"We," he said, "make an excellent match."

Karly giggled. "Oh, Henry, this is beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it," he replied with a smile.

"But you know, if you choose her for Gerald," Karly whispered in his ear, "you'll have to live with her. Potentially for the rest of your life."

Henry pondered this. "Surely she wouldn't be that bad."

Karly shrugged. "You could pick me," she said.

"For Gerald?" asked Henry, confused.



"But then WE could live together."

Henry laughed dismissively. "Somehow I don't see that working out well. For any of the parties involved."

Karly pouted.

"Hey now," said Henry, drawing her into a hug. "It was a neat idea." He paused. "Say, it's getting a bit cold out here. Let's go inside?"

Karly followed him obediently as he led her up the back path.



"You see, Karly, if I let you move in, I'd have to share you with Gerald. And Gerald and I share rather a lot as it is," Henry explained. He leaned in, and planted a delicate kiss on her lips.

She gasped. Maybe she'd been wrong about Henry.

Maybe he would be loyal. Maybe she would have a chance.



She hoped, at the very least, that she would always be someone special to him, someone perhaps more special than all the rest.



She was, after all, his first.



Ugh, I thought I was finished urging you to write. Come on, you're due at work in a matter of hours. You can finish these darn articles.

"But, uh, watcher, I was, uh, I was thinking. I've written a lot of biographical articles about Rose. Is that weird?"

No weirder than writing articles about your mother in law. Ugh, why can't I queue up more than one of these at once. Let me know when you're done. No, Norman, don't go answer the…



"Oh ho, you must be one of Henry's friends!" Norman exclaimed, a bit too enthusiastically.

She didn't answer straight away. She gave him a once-over, then the house, then back to him. She sighed. Turning her attention back in his direction, she squinted. She seemed to be examining him carefully, in an almost analytical manner. Norman shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"I, uh, I guess I'll go find Henry for you?" he offered.



"I know what Henry's doing," she said suddenly.

"I, uh, I hope he's doing his homework," Norman replied. "He just got back from school."

But she went quiet again.

"I, uh, I think getting a good education is, uh, is important." Norman continued, trying to make conversation.

"Education is part of the machine that turns us all from free thinkers into slaves of the state." she said. It was a statement, not open for debate or question.

"Uh, right," said Norman, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"I know what Henry's doing," she repeated.

Then she turned and left, leaving Norman scratching his head.



"And that's the mental skill, all maxed out," said Rose. "And not a moment too soon, seeing as you'll be a teen the day after tomorrow. Why on earth hadn't you finished this aspiration before, Edith?"

Edith shrugged. "I knew it'd be the easiest."

"This watcher's gotten stuck with 'finish homework 3 times while focused' over the weekend too many times for her to think that," muttered Rose under her breath.

Gets me every time.

"No, but seriously sweetie, do you have anything left to do?"

Edith nodded. "Just the emotion potions."

Rose sighed. That was easy enough. No, definitely not the same mad dash they'd had with Henry.



This was glorious. Edith felt she was well and truly in her element. As the sparks flew and the dust settled on the small glass of liquid she felt something she hadn't felt before.

Something was kindled in her. Sure, she'd always known she'd be a brilliant scientist. But for whatever reason, the little green table had been neglected in favour of bears and dinosaurs and chess tables and swimming pools for much of her childhood.



But now she felt it. A surge of something that perhaps, until now, she had thought could only belong to her brother.

She felt powerful.

***



Before school the following morning, Henry found Gerald in the gym.

"Hey bro," he began, perhaps a bit cautiously, "would now be an okay time to chat?"

"Sure, Henry. Have you come to give me a status report?" asked Gerald. Henry couldn't decide whether or not he was being serious.



"Sort of," Henry replied. "Do you remember Harley Bjergsen?"

Gerald shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell," he replied.



"Blond ponytail, small eyes, lives in the lighthouse on the other side of the island?"

Gerald continued to stare at Henry blankly.

"She's one of Sergio's youngest kids," Henry continued. "She was in our kids club when we were younger, though she's a bit older than us. Her twin sister is Rosa?"



A hazy image of his playing chess with one of the Bjergsen girls came to mind. Was that Rosa or Harley, he wondered?



"Maybe," said Gerald, blinking. He eyed Henry suspiciously. "Why the sudden interest?"

"I just think she might be suitable for our purposes, Gerald. If I invite her over after school sometime, will you talk to her? Civilly. She's not a target for your latest pranks - she could prove a valuable ally."

"Okay Henry," Gerald said with nonchalance. "I'll talk to her."

"Great!" Henry replied. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna go to school now. You should probably shower first, though."

"Noted. Thanks, bro."

"No problem," said Henry, turning to leave.

"No problem at all."

[oshizu]

So many mysterious wheels turning now!
What will Gerald think of Harley?
How will Henry and Karly's relationship change once Gerald finds a bride?
And how will Edith wield her new-found sense of power?

Oh, Karly, moving in would be a terrible idea considering you'd have to, you know, have a child with Gerald...

I agree with you, Whirligig, that the Journalist career's Write articles task is a pain. It's so time-consuming yet can't be stacked! Going to work then writing 4 articles takes up the whole day!

Loved revisiting Iris! Thank you for that!

[FrancescaFiori]

Well, I don't know about Gerald, but I'm completely sold on Harley Bjergsen. She's amazing! That girl knows what's up. Oh, don't blow it, Gerald!

Henry is so gentle in his guidance of his brother, and also in his handling of Karly. He's so great. You write him so beautifully.

Edith's discovery of her power is very exciting, too! Can't wait to see what she does with it!

[Whirligig]

So many mysterious wheels turning now!
What will Gerald think of Harley?
How will Henry and Karly's relationship change once Gerald finds a bride?
And how will Edith wield her new-found sense of power?

Oh, Karly, moving in would be a terrible idea considering you'd have to, you know, have a child with Gerald...

I agree with you, Whirligig, that the Journalist career's Write articles task is a pain. It's so time-consuming yet can't be stacked! Going to work then writing 4 articles takes up the whole day!

Loved revisiting Iris! Thank you for that!

I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I'm wondering if it's becoming a bit too complicated, in all honesty.

Karly will definitely be one to keep an eye on. I mean, Henry's not exactly one for monogamy, but I really like her, so I hope she'll at least have a bit of a recurring role in his life.

Yeah, write articles really is annoying. I'm surprised Norman's done as well as he has in journalism, because I haven't often prioritized getting it done, I find it so cumbersome. I just have the networked perk, send him to work in a good, inspired mood, and tell him to work hard, and he does get there. It would be easier if it was one of those careers with sporadic workdays, so you have full days off between shifts to write the articles, but oh well.

Glad you liked my little check-in with Iris. She makes for a pretty chill immortal.

Well, I don't know about Gerald, but I'm completely sold on Harley Bjergsen. She's amazing! That girl knows what's up. Oh, don't blow it, Gerald!

Henry is so gentle in his guidance of his brother, and also in his handling of Karly. He's so great. You write him so beautifully.

Edith's discovery of her power is very exciting, too! Can't wait to see what she does with it!

Well if I couldn't have Cressida for Gerald, I reckon Harley Bjergsen is the next best thing. I hope I can make her as entertaining for everyone else as she has been for me so far. (Also, I think this outtake was the occasion of her conception, so I mean really she's been destined to be part of the family from the start).

I love Henry. He's somehow turning out to be the sanest of the two.

[Whirligig]

Chapter 32 - Scribe of History, Creator of Worlds



"So I know you've never paid any attention to me, but I've always known you were a force to be reckoned with, and so here I am." Harley finished.

Gerald nodded in agreement, though he was entirely unsure how he'd gotten to this point so quickly. Had Henry invited her over, or did she invite herself? Why was she in his room? Was this really the same person he'd known as a kid?

Well, if anything could be said for her, it was that he was speechless. Perhaps for the first time in his life.

"I accept your offer, by the way," she continued.



"And, uh, which offer would that be?" asked Gerald, trying to clear his mind.

"Well you haven't made it yet, but I know what Henry's doing."

"Henry?" asked Gerald.

"He's part of it. Part of the whole thing. I thinks he knows more about than you do. Maybe. Actually, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm pretty sure someone in this town has been tipped off to it."

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I follow," said Gerald. He wondered if this was how his father felt when faced with daily life.



But Harley Bjergsen just laughed. Not an evil cackle, for she did not possess the trait, but a teasing 'I know more than you' laugh.

"You don't really need me," she said finally. "I should go. Let you find someone else."

"No, don't," said Gerald, though he wasn't sure why.

She stopped. "Do you want me to stay?" she asked.

Gerald managed a small nod.

"I'm not smart nor pretty, and I haven't got many friends. You've got everything you need to take over the world. Support, friends and family, money, looks, brains. You don't really need me," she repeated.

Gerald felt like the whole conversation was going in circles. But he couldn't look away. It was fascinating.



"There is one reason I should stay. I suppose I should tell you that," Harley said with a sigh.

"And what reason is that?" asked Gerald.

"I know how to access the information you seek. The information you need the most. I don't have it, but I know how to get it. It's my life's mission, you could say, though I've never been a particularly motivated sim. That's why I need you, too. It's a catch 22, Gerald. The watcher is in on it and she certainly can't be trusted. But without her, I can't proceed. So what do I do?"

Gerald hesitated. "The information I seek?" he prompted.

Harley nodded. "I know why it can't be changed. Well, I don't. But I can find out why. That's it. I know how to find out why it can't be changed."



To say Gerald was taken by this strange girl would be an understatement. She was right, of course. She wasn't smart nor pretty. It seemed like she was living in her own little world. But along with this self-awareness came a self-confidence and an assuredness that Gerald couldn't overlook. Plus, Henry had been correct. It was entirely possible she could - would - be a powerful ally.

Especially if this lead on this…information…proved useful.



The following afternoon, I am pleased to say, Norman returned from work with his final promotion.

"Oh ho! You didn't think I could do it!"

I never said I didn't think you could do it.

"I did it anyways. AND I finished mine before Rose finished hers. Oh ho, this is great!"

Your job has more workdays than Rose's. She's hot on your tail, you know. Oh, whatever. Congrats Norman, you're a Scribe of History.



"Dad, I really don't think your final promotion actually makes you more qualified to help me with my homework," said Gerald with annoyance.

"Nonsense. Education is important, Gerald."

"It's all part of the process of turning us into mindless slaves of the establishment," Gerald muttered.

Norman paused. He was sure he'd heard that before. But who was he to question where Gerald got his ideas? He blinked. "That may be," he said, "but I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today without my-"

"C-grade high school education?" queried Gerald.



"No, no, no. Desert is spelled with one 's'. Dessert is spelled with two. Because you always want two desserts."

Gerald rolled his eyes. "Oh, look at the time, Dad. Edith's about to have a birthday, isn't she? Then you can go help her with her homework."

"Oh ho," Norman grinned. "But you know what comes first, eh? Dessert! I might just have two! It's time for Cake!"



"Oh, look. You've all remembered I still exist. That's nice." Edith scorned.

Rose exchanged a look with her husband. Were they ready to parent a teenaged girl? On top of Gerald? Probably not, but she pulled out the green trumpet and sounded it enthusiastically.

"Make a wish, Edith!" shouted Henry, as he showered his sister in confetti.



Edith didn't have to think twice about her wish. She crouched.



And spun.

"Eeee gads, it's horrible," she shrieked. "Don't any of you dare look, I'm going to go change."



After a quick trip to the closet, Edith was feeling much more like herself.



And so she settled in with the chess board, accepting her fate of being forever overlooked, in favour of her far more interesting brothers.



"At last," Rose exclaimed to no one in particular when she returned home from work with her final promotion, "I'm officially a Creator of Worlds!"

Congratulations! How would you like to celebrate?

"Well, I think a trip into Willow Creek is order," she replied.

"Oh?"



"Best place in the world for angelfish," Rose grinned.



"You know, I'm really glad you're so enthusiastic about this."



While Rose was busy literally keeping the dynasty alive, Iris decided to take the rare opportunity of actually completing her daily task of performing comedy routines to an actual audience.



But for someone who was allegedly the top stand up comedienne in her area, she didn't get many biters/laughs.

With a couple more angelfish in the bag and Iris' task of making a fool of herself complete, the two of them headed home.



"Mwa ha ha, what do you think of that, you fiends!" Gerald laughed. "Are you triggered? Whiny brats."

"Gerald!" I scolded him.

"And when I'm united with my Harley, we'll troll the entire simnet!"

"Gee," I mused "From taking over the world to merely trolling the entire simnet. It seems you've adjusted your expectations."



Gerald pondered this, then cackled. "First the simnet, and then the world."

"Now hold on there, Gerald," I cautioned him, "you may be jumping the gun there just a little with regards to Harley. Have you even kissed her yet?"

Gerald seems to consider my question for a few brief moments, before he whips out his phone.

"I'll invite her over straight away," he announces.



Gerald had asked Henry for a few pointers, and he was ready to win Harley's heart for good. He figured he didn't have much time left, either, before she would become a young adult. He was hoping to seal the deal that afternoon. And so, he met her under the branches of the same old cherry tree.

"Please accept this rose as, uh, how did it go? As a token of my admiration. That was it."

Harley giggled, in spite of herself.



"It's certainly a tokenistic gesture, Gerald. But I appreciate it, and I accept," she said, raising the red flower to her nose and inhaling its scent. Or maybe she was checking to see if it had been poisoned.

Gerald shifted his weight nervously. There was more he wanted…needed…to do.

"Harley, I'm sorry I ignored you before. I guess I was just so busily wrapped up in myself, I hadn't noticed the wonder that is you. Could you forgive me?"

Harley giggled again. She wasn't sure how she felt about this sap, in all honesty, but she supposed it was necessary. Still, she wondered what she could say to put him off this obviously rehearsed game.
She settled on "I don't mind if you're just using me. I know you think I'm valuable to your cause, and that's why you're being nice to me."



It had the desired effect.

"Is that what you think?" Gerald asked, slightly offended. It wasn't true, of course. He actually, really liked her. Sure, the intel she allegedly possessed was appealing, but, then again, so was she. How could he show that?



He took a deep breath, leaned in, and planted a kiss on her lips.

"There," he said, "that's not just being nice to you. I genuinely care about you, Harley, and I would love to make this relationship official. That is, if you don't mind."

Harley wasn't quite expecting the kiss, but she returned it without hesitating. She was astonished to find how electrifying it was. She pulled away with a gasp, her mind buzzing and reeling and, well, bubbling.

She needed to get out of here.



"Uh, I gotta go," Harley said suddenly. She quickly planted a small peck on Gerald's cheek before she was gone.

Gerald was left standing by himself under the cherry tree, wondering just what he'd done wrong.



-------

Writer's Note

Okay, okay, confession time. I still haven't actually played this family since December, apart from briefly entering the game to check up on some things (townies' names, were those actually promotion pics, etc). All that you've seen so far happened at the end of last year IRL. I've struggled to put these chapters together, through a bit of memory jogging and a lot of creativity. While everything pictured happened, I may have taken some liberties with the exact order of events in order to try to piece it all together into a semi-coherent story. I now have the first ... ten-ish, maybe? ... photos for the next chapter, and the rest? Well, I think I'm going to have to actually play for a bit. Woah!

[oshizu]

Congrats to both Norman and Rose on maxing their careers! *throws confetti
Poor Norman--he works his finger to the bone, rising the ranks of that pesky Journalist career and only gets a "Oh, whatever." *dies laughing

I love Harley and Gerald together--you worked wonders with her/their dialogue! I'm so glad she ran off before they could exchange promise rings which is bugged, so don't do it, hehe.

You really dodged a bullet there, Watcher, with your three kids before the advent of Toddlers, haha.
With your recent thread about Top-Notch Toddlers, I'm guessing that the fourth-generation Morven heir will be arriving soon, if they haven't already.

Can't wait to see what happens between Gerald and Harley--I'm so pleased that Harley so intrigues him! (Good job, Henry!)

[FrancescaFiori]

This was exquisite, right down to the sunset first kiss. I love Gerald comparing his confusion about dealing with Harley to his father coping with daily life. So casually evil!
I'm so delighted that Gerald and Harley have genuine feelings for each other, even if it wasn't what they planned. It's very sweet and fun to read about.
It all flows beautifully. I would never have known you're juggling things around a bit, and I think creative license gives you every right to do so.
Exciting that you get to go back to playing! Hooray!

[Whirligig]

Chapter 33 - Making it Official



"Oh ho, this cool dad still has the moves! Oh yeah."

"Morning, Norman. You seem in a good mood." I greet him.

"Just doing my thing, watcher," Norman murmured.

"So you've sufficiently recovered from last night I take it?"



"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Norman.

"Sure, sure. I just hope you didn't come back pregnant. That could be a disaster."

"Oh ho, you mean I could have another baby?" asked Norman, suddenly excited.

"I hope not. There's no room in the house, and I love alien babies - I would be devastated if we had to - say, you're not doing anything productive at the moment. Care to help me out with something?"



"I have come," Harley announced "to make my commitment to Gerald official."

Norman stared. "Uhh, pretty sure you can't marry him until he's an adult," he sputtered.

"That may be," Harley said, "but I am an adult, and I would like to join your Dynasty now."

"Oh! Well we're gonna have to be friends for that," Norman said.

"Very well, future father-in-law," replied Harley, without missing a beat.



"Befriend me."

"Oh, hugs," said Norman. "I like hugs."

"Are we friends yet?"

"Not yet."



"Surely this must solidify our friendship, future-father-in-law," Harley enthused.

"Oh ho, I do love selfies," Norman exclaimed in agreement, "but I'm afraid we're still not friends."

"Nonsense! I will make us friends. What is the best way to become friends?"



"Like this," said Norman, leading Harley around to the side of the house.

"Oooh, I like this," Harley replied. "Are we friends now?"

"I think so, yes," Norman replied. "Welcome to the family?"

"Excellent. It's official," said Harley, satisfied.



"I sense a difference in the family dynamic," said Edith. "Has something changed?"

"What do you mean, Edith?" asked Henry.

"I didn't even see Harley at school today," moped Gerald. "What have I done?"

"I'm sure everything is fine," said Henry, suddenly realising what Edith was on about.



But when Gerald found Harley waiting for him inside, he was stoked.

"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you."

"I was just trying out your pool. The chlorination levels are slightly high, but there was no sign of hidden cameras. That's not to say our every move isn't being watched, of course."

Gerald pulled away from the hug and gasped. "You're a young adult now!"

Harley smiled. "I persuaded your father to allow me to join your household. And you know how it is - once we're here, we can't leave. How's that for 'making it official'?"

"You rascal!" Gerald laughed.



And so Harley Bjergsen joined the family. She's the daughter of Sergio Romeo and Sofia Bjergsen (both deceased), and has a total of 13 half-siblings, as well as a twin sister, Rosa (which means, in the end, Sergio actually had 15 kids! I wasn't able to check before he died so I never did know for sure). Like most kids who become grown ups outside the house, she doesn't have a bonus trait that comes with her aspiration (which in this case was Bodybuilder. Again, we'll work towards it, but won't be finishing it). Ironically enough, her traits are lazy, insane and materialistic.



Harley spent the weekend doing her best to settle in with the family. She joined the Morvens' club, and tried to help Edith with her homework on Saturday morning.

"But you do know, Edith, that all of this is just a ruse to turn you into a slave of the state."

Edith shot her a look. "No, Harley, I don't think it is," she retorted.

Harley shrugged. "Suit yourself. But you're being indoctrinated."

"You know what?" said Edith, "I don't think I need your help with my homework. I can do it myself."

"Okie dokie," said Harley, leaving Edith to indoctrinate herself.



"If only we could figure out a way to indoctrinate everyone else," Gerald said. "Then we'd have a sure-fire way to take down the government and rule ourselves."

"Hmm," mused Harley, "Some way to influence the contents of the curriculum, perhaps?" She shrugged. "I'm sure there's a way. I'm just going to have find it. I will find it."



"What are you looking at, watcher?" asked Norman.

"You were doing…a thing." I said.

"What was I doing?"

"Your thought bubble was a rattle, and you were touching your tummy. Norman, I'm really starting to wonder about…"

"Well I'm not doing it now," said Norman. "I'm going to play don't wake the llama."

I sigh. "I can see that. Look, I need to get you out of my hair for a while so I can think."

Now Norman sighs.



"I know what that means," he mutters.



Relieved to have completed his side-task of finding a girl to bring in the next Immortal Morven, Henry was eager to get right back into completing his own girls goals. Upon discovering that Karly has also become a young adult, he invites the only teen girl in town (until Anwan's kids start growing up), Matilda.



"You know, Henry," Matilda said, "Karly's gone and told the whole school that the two of you are exclusive."

"Has she?" asked Henry, a bit surprised. "That's a bit…hmm. I'll talk to her. You know it's not true, hey Matilda?"

"I know your type, Henry,' she replied, matter-of-factly.



"And you trust me all the same?" Henry asked, leaning in.

"I…well, I don't want to get hurt," said Matlida.

"I can't promise anything you know. It's a risk you'll have to take. But I do care about you, you know that much, right?"

"Oh to heck with it," Matilda exclaimed. "Monogamy is overrated anyways."



Henry smiled. "That's the spirit," he said.



"So if the mainframe is connected to the system that runs, maybe I can connect in to the original network to discover. Hmm. I might need to make a virus. I wonder if I could test the grass here for resid…oh, gee. Uh, bugs! Bugs, there are bugs!"



"Bugs everywhere! So many bugs!" Harley continued, swatting at the air.

Gerald looked at her carefully. "Are you okay, er…" Hmm. Snookums? Lovely? Sweetheart? No, none of those felt quite right. "Harley? Still struggling to find your place among the Morvens?



Harley straightened up. "No, no, I was just thinking, Gerald. This is about where your father was abducted, right?"

Gerald looked at her curiously. "My dad wasn't abducted. He's just gone fishing."

"No no," said Harley, "last night. He was abducted by aliens, right out here. I think they've implanted a tracking device in him. Maybe even pollinated him."



Gerald gave his…girlfriend? A hug. "I'm sure if my dad's been abducted by aliens, Mom and Nana Iris will know how to help him, Harley. We don't need to worry about that sort of thing, we have to focus on taking over the world, remember?"

Harley smiled. "Of course. The world. How silly of me to forget."



"Hold that thought, Gerald," she continued. "If we want to take over the world, we'll need a bit more money."

"What do you mean?" asked Gerald. "We've got about half a million in the bank, remember? Both of my parents are widely published novelists."

"We need to have the right connections," Harley continued, as if she hadn't been listening.



"There now, that's all done," she said.

"What did you just do?" asked Gerald, curious.

"I got myself a job." Harley said. "It was surprisingly easy, actually. Not sure why I never did that before." She slipped her phone back in her pocket and looked up at Gerald.

She had a funny smile on her face and a gleam in her eye that Gerald knew could only mean trouble.

[Whirligig]

Congrats to both Norman and Rose on maxing their careers! *throws confetti
Poor Norman--he works his finger to the bone, rising the ranks of that pesky Journalist career and only gets a "Oh, whatever." *dies laughing

I love Harley and Gerald together--you worked wonders with her/their dialogue! I'm so glad she ran off before they could exchange promise rings which is bugged, so don't do it, hehe.

You really dodged a bullet there, Watcher, with your three kids before the advent of Toddlers, haha.
With your recent thread about Top-Notch Toddlers, I'm guessing that the fourth-generation Morven heir will be arriving soon, if they haven't already.

Can't wait to see what happens between Gerald and Harley--I'm so pleased that Harley so intrigues him! (Good job, Henry!)

Yep, glad their careers are done. Also glad about the toddler thing. Like, really glad. It would've prolonged the amount of time it would have taken Rose to finish Big Happy Family, too, I assume, if I'd had to play through an extra week of toddlerhood for the boys.

I actually had no idea about promise rings being bugged. But I never used them anyways. I just suddenly had no more photos of the two of them until Harley was a YA, so that was how I ended it.

As for the next generation, this is more or less where I'm up to in gameplay now, but with everything that's happening, I'm thinking I might hold off a little bit on Gen 4, and give Harley (read: me) a bit of time to settle back into things before bringing a toddler into this busy house. When I started the thread yesterday, that hadn't exactly been my plan of attack, but here we are.

This was exquisite, right down to the sunset first kiss. I love Gerald comparing his confusion about dealing with Harley to his father coping with daily life. So casually evil!
I'm so delighted that Gerald and Harley have genuine feelings for each other, even if it wasn't what they planned. It's very sweet and fun to read about.
It all flows beautifully. I would never have known you're juggling things around a bit, and I think creative license gives you every right to do so.
Exciting that you get to go back to playing! Hooray!

Haha, I'm glad you like the two of them together.

It felt a bit forced to write in some places, but I'm glad it didn't read that way. And yes, I'm very excited about getting back into playing! The game went and took all my plans for the nice, neat storylines I was setting up and threw a huge spanner in the middle of them (you have no experience whatsoever with that sort of thing, do you? ). Ah, sims!

[oshizu]

Harley is really so perfect for Gerald! She is unpredictable, too, which keeps him on his toes and never boring.
And I like the way interacting with Harley brings out a different side of Gerald's personality, too.
Wow, he could actually miss someone!

Rofl, Norman! We finally get past all your duck novels and your journalist career and now this.
He's looking very youthful in this chapter--I'm sure the aliens noticed last night how attractive he is, too!

Looking forward to learning what career Harley joins.

As for your future top-notch toddler, think of ways your adults can multitask with the todder,  then have the toddler request help/teaching.
If you notice your sims are spaced around the lot, have the toddler "Watch" them (Movement/Thinking)
Whenever a toddler eats, read them a story (Imagination)
If you're feeling overwhelmed and want your sims to do other activities, hire a nanny. Nannies aren't that helpful with toddlers unless the toddler spams "teach/help me" socials.

[FrancescaFiori]

Oh, Norman. What have you done? Or rather, what has been done to you? Yikes.

I'm so glad Harley's moved in! I loved her impatience with the friend-making process. And I'm excited about her plans for infiltrating school curriculum. She's really ready to take practical steps in implementing Gerald's grand ideas. They complement each other so well. I'm glad they're getting in plenty of hugs even though they can't be romantic right now. Excited to see what career she chose!

[Whirligig]

@oshizu  Harley is definitely growing on me! It was actually her lazy trait that initially piqued my interest (has to do with her career choice) but when I saw she was also insane, I really couldn't pass her up. I was initially hesitant about marrying in the pollinator's line so soon, but then I figured, if Henry's going to be the next pollinator, they're all going to be related to the family for a few generations anyways, so I might as well have some fun.

Norman is definitely a piece of work.

And thanks heaps for the top-notch toddler tips - especially the nanny one. They're usually awful so I probably wouldn't have even considered it.

@FrancescaFiori I'm still super torn about what to do about Norman's situation.

I'm glad to have Harley in the house, too! They really are turning out to be an excellent power couple. Harley's really random and fun to write, too.

[oshizu]

@Whirligig

What? Norman has a "situation"?  o.O