The End of an Era
Linden: Thanks for mentoring me in writing, Aunt Daisy. I really appreciate your guidance.
Daisy: I’m happy to help. Are you considering a career in journalism?
Linden: Sort of…I hope to be a food critic someday.
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Hestia: This new cupcake machine is the best, Mother. Would you like to try a cupcake or a tart?
Wendy: No thank you, honey. I haven’t had human food in ages. It’s nice to see you putting the machine to good use, but perhaps you should not sample so many of the sweets yourself.
Hestia: Don’t be silly, Mother. I have to sample them to make sure they are good.
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Wendy: Yes, but if you eat too many…well, never mind. I’ll leave you to it. I have to meet your father for a date.
Hestia: A date? Why do married people need to go on dates?
Wendy: For soulmates, of course!
Aster: Are you ready for seven gold-medal dates in a row, my dearest?
Wendy: I thought only the last three dates were required to be gold.
Aster: True, but we never do anything halfway.
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Wendy: In that case, I am ready to be swept off my feet.
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Daisy: I really hate to interrupt the dating montage, but I think it’s time…
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Grim: Oh geez…even the butler and the pets came to grieve this time! Now I feel like a real heel.
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Aster: You were the best sister a guy could have. I recovered Daichi’s headstone for you and I hope you like the flowers. They are the closest thing to daisies that I could find for now. Please tell Fig that I’m sorry I couldn’t recover Evie’s urn. It seems to have vanished.
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Laurel: Why are we back in Granite Falls, Father?
Aster: I thought we could all use a change of scenery after your aunt Daisy’s death. Also, you still need to finish your Outdoor Enthusiast aspiration.
Hestia: I don’t think the change of scenery is working. Now I’m sad and homesick.
Wendy: Why don’t you kids all get a good night’s sleep and we’ll start fresh in the morning.
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The next day…
Hestia: Mother was right, I feel so much better this morning. I wonder how Laurel is doing?
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Laurel: Okay. I emptied all the herbs out of my inventory so I’ll know which ones I still need to identify. Hmm…this is noxious elderberry.
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Laurel: I can’t believe I was missing chamomile and toxic chamomile!
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Laurel: Now I just need to catch some bugs and we can all go home.
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Meanwhile:
Wendy: Congratulations on catching that mountain lionfish, Hess. Those are rare!
Hestia: I can’t believe I’m the one who caught it. My fishing skill is only level 3!
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Back at home…
Aster: We would love to participate in your Positivity Challenge, Miss Holiday. But we are a little confused; we were expecting someone named Millie Bobby Brown.
Jasmine Holiday: I’m just as confused as you are.
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Aster: Is this a challenge or an aspiration?
Wendy: Maybe both? And look…gifts!
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Laurel: Now I just have to sleep in a tent for five nights. It seems silly to set it up inside a locked room, but the dogs kept waking me up when I tried sleeping outdoors.
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Aster: There is another reason you should do your tent sleeping indoors. My Farmers’ Almanac predicts that the decades of perfect weather we have experienced will be coming to an end soon. I’ve built a greenhouse for many of the plants in preparation.
Laurel: Ooo…the trees are so pretty! Mother used to read me a book about seasons when I was little. I thought it was just a fairytale.
Aster: Seasons are real, and they’re here.
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Aster: I also ordered a beehive. You should probably go ahead and start bonding with the bees.
Laurel: Uh…sure. I wonder how I’m supposed to do that?
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A few days later…
Hypnos: Hey, Hermes. Mother said you wanted to talk to me?
Hermes: Yeah, I have a favor to ask. Today is Linden and Laurel’s birthday party which means one of them will officially take over the legacy from Father.
Hypnos: I know, but what does that have to do with us?
Hermes: Well…I can’t help but feel guilty that I’m taking up three spots in the house right now with me and my two dogs. The new heir will have to find a spouse and then there will be children; they will need that space. I’d like to reach the top of my career before I move out, but I don’t want to be in the way.
Hypnos: That’s understandable, but how can I help?
Hermes: If you could take Belle home with you, that would free up enough space for the heir’s spouse. Then, Link and I can join you after I get my last two promotions at work.
Hypnos: Sure! Why didn’t you just say so? I’d be happy to take Belle.
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At the party…
Aster: Before we go in for your party, I’d like the two of you to meet the Faust twins. They are neighbors that your Mother and I have been meaning to introduce you to.
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Elektra: So…Linden…were you named after a tree?
Linden: Um…yes, actually. You see, my grandmother loved the outdoors and she…
Elektra: Yeah…I was just trying to make a joke. Most people think my name is unusual so I like to turn that around and tease them about their common names. For instance, if I meet someone named John, I’ll ask them if they were named after an outhouse. Get it?
Linden: Uh…okay. Well if you are interested in names, perhaps you’d like to meet my brother, Hermes. He was named after a Greek god.
Elektra: Oh! I can see why!
Linden: *mutters* Feeling pretty awkward right now. Guess I’ll just go blow out the candles on my cake.
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Linden (thinks to himself): I know what I’m not going to wish for…
Laurel: Don’t tell me your third trait until after I go.
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Linden: Hey sis! I knew it’d be you.
Laurel: Are you okay with this?
Linden: I’m more than okay. This is the way it was meant to be.
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Linden adds Ambitious (like Aster) to Creative and Perfectionist. Laurel adds Perfectionist (like Wendy) to Art Lover and Loves the Outdoors
Shari: Congratulations, Laurel dear! You are officially an heir.
Laurel: I hope I make you proud, Grandmama Behr. I’m afraid I don’t know what I’m doing.
Shari: Oh honey! I didn’t have a clue what I was doing when I started this whole thing.
Aster: You’ll do great, Laurel. And you’ll have Linden and Hess to help you, just like I had Daisy and Fig.
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At home, after the party…
Hestia: I don’t know why everyone was worried about the weather changing. So far, I think it’s great.
Laurel: Yeah, it got a little colder, but we’ve only had a few rain showers.
Hestia: I hope it snows soon. None of us have ever seen snow. Oh, and by the way, congratulations on being officially named the heir.
Laurel: Thanks. Tomorrow I’ll have to get a job and start making plans, but today I just want to enjoy this perfect day.
Hestia: Amen to that!
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Notes: Laurel needs to sleep in a tent for 2 more nights to complete Outdoor Enthusiast (her 2nd aspiration). Linden is currently working on Freelance Botanist (his 4th aspiration).
I added the Fausts to the game as teens a while ago. They kept their Loves Outdoors and Foodie traits, and the game randomly assigned them a young adult trait. Jaxton got Ambitious, which is a unique trait (for spouses, anyway). Elektra got Materialistic, which is not unique. Ironically, materialistic was the Fausts’ original third trait.
I had Aster and Wendy go meet Jaxton/Elektra while they were still teens, but that part got cut from the story. Linden and Laurel met them at the birthday party and learned their traits.