Author Topic: Legacies of the Valley (March 9 -- Sheil) Graveyard (Read 88630 times)

MarianT · « **on:** June 16, 2018, 01:52:07 PM »

LEGACIES OF THE VALLEY

This will be my attempt to get the Legacy Leader achievement (10 generations of 10 families), and I'll be playing on long, with seasons that last 4 weeks. The Valley is Stardew Valley, but with Sim neighborhoods: San Myshuno is the big city, Willow Creek and Newcrest are its nearest suburbs, with Magnolia Promenade as the shopping mall. Brindleton Bay is a suburb to the north, with Granite Falls farther north beyond that, and Oasis Springs is a small town in the desert, not far from Del Sol Valley. Windenburg and Forgotten Hollow are in Europe, and Selvadorada is in South America. If you're interested in the parents of these characters, their stories can be found here.

I'll be using the same playstyle as the Townie Ten-Gen dynasty, having one controlled Sim in each household, but with a free day every 10 points. The controlled Sims will have to accumulate 200 points before switching control to their heirs. Instead of rotating every week, I plan to change families after each free day.

I'm playing on long because I want my Sims to be able to do things that they don't have time for in a challenge with a normal life span -- bowling, going to festivals, and playing with voidcritters. That said, some ages are more tedious on long than others, so I'll be aging up babies when they're good friends with their parents, toddlers when they've made it to top-notch toddler, children when they've maxed all 4 childhood aspirations, and teens when they have gained 3 traits, good or bad, and completed a job or scouting.

Points are shown here:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Each heir's progress will be noted in a spoiler underneath their selfie. Instead of putting all 100 heirs in the same post, I'll put the next generation's table of contents in a separate post which will be linked to the initial table of contents.

I'd like to thank Eric Barone for his original Stardew Valley, which gave me the parents for these descendants; Carl Ratcliff, for maintaining the Guide and Forum, and ShaddBoi for his replicas of the Sears Catalog Houses.

There are many ways to read this -- you can follow all the families, or just go to the chapters for one or two. I'm also adding a quick update called The Watcher's Diary.

The Watcher's Diary, Spring, Year of the Penguin
Summer, Year of the Penguin
Fall, Year of the Penguin
Winter, Year of the Penguin
Spring, Year of the Llama
Summer, Year of the Llama
Fall, Year of the Llama
Winter, Year of the Llama
The Year of the Dog
The Year of the Womrat

I was hoping that I'd be able to use University to transition to the next generation, but instead they're all going to be in the military. Since the Army Interlude is set in Strangerville, it's possible that later chapters will contain spoilers.

Army Interlude 1
Army Interlude 2
Army Interlude 3 -- Spoiler Alert

Generation Two -- Table of Contents and Stats

MarianT · « **Reply #1 on:** June 16, 2018, 01:52:25 PM »

GENERATION ONE TABLE OF CONTENTS AND STATS

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Jeffrey Betancourt

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 1 -- Betancourt
Chapter 11
Chapter 21
Chapter 31
Chapter 41
Chapter 51
Chapter 61
Chapter 71

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Amy Bibbler

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 2 -- Bibbler
Chapter 12
Chapter 22
Chapter 32
Chapter 42
Chapter 52
Chapter 62
Chapter 72

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Stephen Carpenter

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 3 -- Carpenter
Chapter 13
Chapter 23
Chapter 33
Chapter 43
Chapter 53
Chapter 63
Chapter 73

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Valerie Farmer

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 4 -- Farmer
Chapter 14
Chapter 24
Chapter 34
Chapter 44
Chapter 54
Chapter 64
Chapter 74

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Kathy Harvey

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 5 -- Harvey
Chapter 15
Chapter 25
Chapter 35
Chapter 45
Chapter 55
Chapter 65
Chapter 75

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Jas Lewis

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 6 -- Lewis
Chapter 16
Chapter 26
Chapter 36
Chapter 46
Chapter 56
Chapter 66
Chapter 76

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Gus Maldonado

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 7 -- Maldonado
Chapter 17
Chapter 27
Chapter 37
Chapter 47
Chapter 57
Chapter 67
Chapter 77

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Vincent Marsh

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 8 -- Marsh
Chapter 18
Chapter 28
Chapter 38
Chapter 48
Chapter 58
Chapter 68
Chapter 78

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Cody Mullner

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 9 -- Mullner
Chapter 19
Chapter 29
Chapter 39
Chapter 49
Chapter 59
Chapter 69
Chapter 79

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Raina Soriano

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chapter 10 -- Soriano
Chapter 20
Chapter 30
Chapter 40
Chapter 50
Chapter 60
Chapter 70

GENERATION TWO TABLE OF CONTENTS AND STATS

MarianT · « **Reply #2 on:** June 16, 2018, 03:10:36 PM »

Chapter 1 -- Betancourt

“Dah da-da-da Dah da-da…” The tune had been running in Jeffrey’s head all morning, and it was driving him crazy trying to think of the words to it. All at once they popped into his head:

She’ll be waiting at the door
We won’t be lonely any more
Since Wendy
Lovely Wendy's here to stay.

From Peter Pan, the Broadway musical, not the Disney cartoon. Jeffrey sighed in relief. Thanks to Dadell’s love of theater, he’d been exposed to all the musicals of the past century, but he couldn’t always remember the lyrics.
Since he was dating Wendy Maldonado, and thinking about marrying her, he supposed he should look up the rest of the lyrics. It seemed self-evident: if there was a song with your girlfriend’s name in it, you’d better know everything that was in it. If it was cute, you could sing it to her, and if it wasn’t, you knew not to mention it.

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Jeffrey found the song on the Internet and listened. When the little lost boys chanted
She’ll be our mother
At last we’ll have a mother…

He took out the earphones in shock. Maybe it would be better not to sing the song to her; he certainly didn’t want Wendy thinking that he wanted a mother. His two fathers really had been all the parents he needed. And he fully understood why his mother had given him up for adoption. She’d been living on the street, addicted to bubbles, but at least had been aware that she was in no shape to take care of a baby. Popgun had assured her that she could find a home with them if she wanted to get rid of her addiction, and she’d said she would think about it. A few months later though, she’d had an overdose of laughing and died.

Anyway, Jeffrey didn’t have any unresolved issues there, and he certainly didn’t want Wendy thinking that he was in love with her because of her name. She could be called Hildegarde, and he’d still think she was adorable.

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Jeffrey had known that Wendy existed all his life, but he hadn't really become aware of her until he started a bowling club. He had started talking to her and gradually had come to realize that he would much rather talk (and listen, of course he listened too), than try to knock down a bunch of pins with a big ball.

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GeekCon had happened the next day, and Jeffrey had suggested they meet there. But it was the same thing again. Rather than go play video games or work on the rocket, he and Wendy had ended up talking and flirting in a nearby bar.

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At the next meeting of the bowling club, he'd been very daring and had moved in for a kiss. Wendy had been surprised, but she hadn't pushed him away or acted displeased. They weren't engaged yet, but Jeffrey already planned to marry her.

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There were still a few things to discuss, though. Like, how did she feel about dogs? Jeffrey couldn't imagine life without little Coco. The one time she'd run away had been the most miserable experience of his childhood. He knew that her family had a dog, but would Wendy want this dog to move in with them too? Jeffrey couldn't be sure that Coco would take kindly to the presence of another, larger dog. Wendy would come first, of course, and Coco could live with Popgun and Dadell, but Jeffrey would be sad if he had to leave her behind.
Equally important, he wanted to move to San Myshuno when they got married. Dadell might need the sound of the ocean to write, but Jeffrey was more interested in the frenetic life of the city. His ambition was to be a writer, too, but not one like his father. He wanted to fill his stories with short, snappy dialogue, not the rhythms of the tides. And besides, nothing ever happened in the suburbs. Oasis Springs, Willow Creek, and Newcrest were way too peaceful for a budding writer to find material. But would Wendy be happy living in the big city? There was only one way to find out.

Jeffrey's story continues in Chapter 11.

MarianT · « **Reply #3 on:** June 17, 2018, 01:09:31 PM »

Chapter 2 -- Bibbler

My name is Amy Bibbler. My dad took my mom’s name when they got married. He said it was more important to preserve her heritage since she was an only child and he had two brothers and a sister. Also, he wasn’t all that fond of his step-dad Demetrius. His mom assumed the two of them would get along because Demetrius was a scientist and Dad was into computers, but actually their different interests were a big source of friction.
Anyway, my uncles Stephen and Arthur are about the same age I am, so I only call them Uncle Stephen and Uncle Arthur when I’m teasing. I also have a brother named Brian, and two cousins named Gus and Wendy Maldonado, the children of my Aunt Maru and Uncle Shane.

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Mom was the only child of a single mother. My grandmother Pam was an alcoholic and also had a mean temper. I don’t remember her very well, but Mom told me that she and I did not hit it off. We moved from Oasis Springs to Willow Creek soon after I started school, and Grandma Pam died soon after that. Mom painted a picture of the trailer she lived in before we moved. She said she wanted us to know where she came from.

My ambition is to have a successful lineage with more children than Granny Robin even. I realize that’s kind of a retrograde ambition and I should want to be an astronaut like Aunt Maru, but children are what I want and I don’t want to leave them with a nanny when I go off to work.

Of course, to have children I need a husband first. Yes, I’m aware of modern technological developments, but I’m old-fashioned, retrograde, as I said. To find a husband I took a job as an orderly at the hospital, hoping to meet a handsome doctor.

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I did meet someone, Dr. Frank Harvey, who happens to be the father of my best friend Kathy. My supervising nurse is elderly, and the first adult patient I treated was my Uncle Shane.

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So I decided to form a yoga group for single young adults only. I put an ad on Simbook and waited for responses. The first five people who signed up were my brother Brian, my uncle Stephen, and my best friend Kathy. Meditating next to my brother wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I couldn't turn him and the others away. The next person who wanted to join was Evie Mullner. I wasn’t sure I wanted Evie in because she is drop-dead gorgeous and I don’t need the competition. On the other hand, if all the guys are going to be family members, it really doesn’t matter, so I said sure. The next application came from Paul Soriano.

You have to understand that he and his sister Raina are the uber-cool eligibles in the Valley. For one thing, their grandparents actually lived in the Magnolia Promenade mall, and they spent a lot of time there when they were kids because their mom Abigail was an archaeologist and their dad Sam was a rock star. And when they weren’t living in the mall, they were with their mom on location in Selvadorada or going to school in Windenburg, which is over in Europe. I hadn’t seen either of them since grade school really. When Paul signed up, I really wished I hadn’t told Evie she could join, but that’s the way it goes. I figured maybe I could meet someone else when we went to the spa for yoga.

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So here’s where it got weird. Paul and I started chatting. I asked him if he had a job, and he told me he was a painter. Then he suggested we go to the sauna.

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The next thing I knew we were steaming up the place. I went home feeling pretty bewildered. Did we just…woo-hoo?

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You see, I was angelic as a toddler, pretty well-behaved as a child, and I didn’t even date anyone as a teen. So this was uncharacteristic behavior for me, although Paul obviously knew what he was doing. I know I should be mad at him, but I’d kind of like to see him again.

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I can't talk about this with anyone, because I already know what Mom and Dad would say, and the same goes for my best friend Kathy. So I'm writing about it in my journal -- Oh darn, Mom just walked in the room. I don't know what I'll do if she comes over to talk to me, because if I slam this shut, she'll know something's up.

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Whew, she kept going. What I want is for Paul to call me up and say he’s madly in love with me, but that’s probably not going to happen. I could call him, but if he answered the phone and said “Who's this?” I would just die of embarrassment.

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A couple of days later. I didn’t call him, but I did call a club meeting. Sneaky, huh? And after class we talked and talked, and the upshot was that he asked me to move in with him.

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He’s pretty sure we can afford a house with his paintings and my job in medicine. I know Mom and Dad would disapprove because we still haven’t known each other long, and of course they don’t know about our woo-hoo in the sauna.

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Anyway, I left in the middle of the night. I didn’t have pictures of everyone yet, so I snapped Mom while she was still asleep. I wrote a note to my parents, apologizing for leaving without telling them. I told them I wasn't mad at them or anything. It was just that I was in love with Paul and wanted to be with him.

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I took Prissy the cat with me because Paul says that he loves cats. Maybe we’ll find a mate for her so that she can have kittens.

Continue Amy's story in Chapter 12.

MarianT · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2018, 10:16:11 AM »

Chapter 3 -- Carpenter

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During yoga, Stephen couldn’t keep his eyes off Evie Mullner. She was so beautiful, as delicate as a fairy and graceful, even when hopping on one foot when she couldn’t hold the Tree pose. Stephen was in love. Before he could lose his concentration, though, he noticed that his nephew Brian was facing the wrong way behind him and was wearing socks identical to his. Stephen made a mental note to get a new pair of socks pronto.

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Evie left the room and came back after her shower to ask the teacher something. Stephen immediately tried a headstand, which he had held for a whole 10 seconds the other day. This time he fell right over. Luckily, sort of, Evie hadn’t noticed him at all.

Stephen hadn’t seen Evie since they were children, and even then he hadn’t known her well. Stephen had always been in the gifted track, while Evie and her brother Cody had both been held back a grade.

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After their yoga club meeting, Stephen suggested they go and grab a bite to eat. Trying to strike up a conversation, he said “How’s it going?” and Evie said “Fine,” and then Stephen made the horrifying discovery that being a genius didn’t help at all when trying to talk to the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

“What’s your favorite computer game?” he asked.
“Peggle,” said Evie. “My favorite helper is Jimmy Lightning. What’s yours?”
Stephen stared at her in a panic. He’d run through the game once, winning it in one afternoon, and hadn’t looked at it since. There were some animals, though… “The dog, I can’t remember its name,” he ventured.
Evie looked so cute when she frowned. “I don’t think there’s a dog,” she said.
Let lightning strike me now, Stephen prayed. “Right, I must have been thinking of the one with the, um, ears.”
“The rabbit?” said Evie. “But actually I was asking what your favorite game was.”
Well, at this point Stephen couldn’t say it was Peggle. And he couldn’t think of anything other than the truth. “Europa Universalis,” he confessed.

“That’s about history and stuff, isn’t it,” said Evie.
Stephen confessed that it was.
“I’ve heard you have to be really brainy to play it,” she said.
From the way she said “brainy,” Stephen got the impression she wasn’t impressed. It was like she might have used the word “dorky” instead but didn’t want to be insulting.

Feeling depressed and sorry for himself, Stephen went home. It didn’t matter that he was an up-and-coming programmer at Rainy Day Entertainment. It didn’t matter that his parents and siblings and even his niece and nephew all loved him. What mattered was that he didn’t know what to say to the most beautiful girl in the world.

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As soon as he showed up, Sooty was there to greet him. It’s a well-known fact that it’s impossible to feel angst when a dog is licking your face. And if you try to feel sorry for yourself because you have dog saliva dripping off your cheek, you’ll just start laughing.

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As he took Sooty on an adventure to the town square, it occurred to Stephen that he could tell Evie about Sooty. She seemed like the kind of person who might enjoy hearing stories about a dog. He knew that she didn’t have any pets because her mother Haley was allergic. It might not be a great plan but it was worth a shot.

Stephen's story continues in Chapter 13

MarianT · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2018, 09:14:18 AM »

Chapter 4 -- Farmer

For the tenth time that day, Matilda Farmer sighed. “She’s a good kid,” she said to no one in the room, but to her husband Rasmodius in her head. “She does help out with the gardening at night.”

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Nighttime was the only time when Valerie could go outside. She was a vampire and had to avoid sunlight.

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As a toddler she’d been fussy, as a child hot-headed, and now that she was an adult she had romantic inclinations but was also a loner. No wonder she was always at odds with everyone, thought Matilda.

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It seemed like the only time she’d seen her daughter happy recently had been when she was showing off her vampire skills with her brother Octavius, who was also a vampire.

Off in the distance, Matilda could hear angry voices — Valerie and her father again.
“I absolutely forbid you to take plasma from humans,” said Rasmodius. “If you insist on keeping the taint, you can at least conduct yourself in a manner that will not be offensive to the Junimos.”

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“To be honest, Father, I don’t really care what a bunch of hamsters think,” retorted Valerie. “And I don’t see why I have to leave humans alone. They’re all just prey.”

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“Do you regard your mother and me as prey?” Rasmodius’s voice was dangerously quiet.
“I would never—,” Valerie protested. “But I’m certainly not going to marry someone I think of as prey.”
“Go to your room this instant,” thundered Rasmodius, “and stay there until I say you can come out.” And because Rasmodius was a wizard, Valerie had to obey.

Matilda sighed again. Now she knew what the argument was all about. Valerie wanted to go to Forgotten Hollow, and that was the last thing Rasmodius wanted for her. If Valerie married a human, there was a fifty-fifty chance that her child would be a vampire, but if she married a vampire, it was a certainty.

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Up in the tower, Valerie was writing in her journal: Father thinks I’m stuck here because he’s locked the door on the outside, but I’m pretty sure that vampires have ways to bypass locks.
What Father doesn’t realize is that I assumed he’d be locking me in the tower eventually. I’m well prepared with plenty of plasma packs — blah-tasting though they are — and a coffin to sleep in.
What’s more important is that I gathered up all the books on vampire lore that I could find. I’m sure that somewhere in their musty pages is something I’ll find useful.

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Sure enough, at midnight the next night, a dark cloud could be seen forming outside the door of the tower’s second story.

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It resolved itself into a bat, which swiftly flew away.

Valerie's adventures continue in Chapter 14.

Vesper · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2018, 09:44:47 AM »

think Valerie's my favourite of the characters so far.

Good luck with this ambitious, and very long, challenge.

MarianT · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2018, 10:24:04 AM »

Quote from: Vesper on June 19, 2018, 09:44:47 AM

think Valerie's my favourite of the characters so far.

Good luck with this ambitious, and very long, challenge.

Given your avatar, I'm not surprised.

Vampires are always fun.

MarianT · « **Reply #8 on:** June 20, 2018, 08:19:17 AM »

Chapter 5 — Harvey

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As Amy Bibbler’s best friend, Kathy Harvey was also friends with Amy’s brother, Brian. One afternoon she pulled him inside for a moment. “I think there’s something going on between Amy and Paul Soriano,” she whispered. “They both came in late to yoga class.”
Brian sighed. “There’s more than ‘something,’” he said. “The two of them ran off together last night, and Mom and Dad are devastated. I don’t suppose you know where they are?”
“Not yet,” said Kathy, “but I work with Paul so should be able to find out soon.”

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Love was in the air, and Itsy and Bitsy were affected by it.

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One afternoon when Kathy came home from work, Bitsy proudly presented her puppies — Buzz and Teeny. Buzz looked like a miniature edition of his father, and Teeny looked as if she might have Itsy’s shape with Bitsy’s coloring. Kathy called Brian. “Are you interested in a puppy?” she asked.

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“Only if the owner comes with her,” Brian flirted.
It was the first time he’d stepped out of the friend zone, and Kathy was so pleased that she picked up Teeny for an impromptu hug.

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One person who was not pleased about the budding romance was her father. “I wish you could find a doctor or scientist to get involved with,” he said, as they ate breakfast. “What does Brian do anyway?”
“He’s thinking about becoming a vet,” said Kathy. Luckily it was time for Frank to go to work, so their conversation was cut short. Kathy had no idea whether Brian wanted to be a vet, but he did love animals, dogs especially, so it was a possibility.

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That evening Brian called up and suggested that they grab a bite at the Sunny Side Diner. As they ate and flirted, Kathy looked over and saw that the man at the next table was taking notes.

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“Let’s give him something to write about,” she told Brian as she took a provocative pose.

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They went to the park afterwards, and Kathy surprised Brian with a kiss. He followed up with an embrace, and then had to go use the bathroom.

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When he emerged, Kathy tried to propose, but he pushed the ring aside. “It’s not that I don’t love you,” he said, “but we have some things to settle. My parents are still upset about Amy’s moving in with Paul, and if I run off with you, I don’t know what they’ll do. I’m pretty sure they’ll want us to have a big wedding, and I think it would make them happy if we moved in with them. But I don’t know how my mom will feel about the dogs. She’s kind of a neat freak. Last but not least, when I propose to you, it’s going to be in some place more romantic than just outside the restroom.”

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A few days later, Kathy and Brian had reached an agreement. She moved in, bringing one of the puppies with her. Brian still hadn’t proposed, but he said he was just waiting for the right moment.

For the continuation of Kathy's story, go to Chapter 15.

MarianT · « **Reply #9 on:** June 20, 2018, 10:01:04 AM »

Chapter 6 — Lewis

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The Lewises were a loving, close-knit family, on-camera as well as off. As long-time Mayor (although retired now), Ted Lewis felt that it was his duty to set an example for the residents of the Valley. His wife Marnie was in politics, too, although she was involved with fund-raising and policy-making.

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“There’s some stuff you need to know about my family,” Jas Lewis tried to tell her new boyfriend, Arthur Carpenter.

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“My Uncle Ted had a near-death experience a while back,” she began. “He was watching the Comedy Channel and then started laughing and was unable to stop.

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“Luckily my Aunt Marnie was on hand and able to persuade the Grim Reaper to give him a second chance. But we’ve all been concerned about him ever since.”
“I understand, babe,” he said, “and—"

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“And just last week, my brother Marlon proposed to Raina Soriano, and now they’re married and he’s moved out,” Jas continued. “So I’m going to have to live with the two of them — not that I mind, but it might be a problem for my future husband…”

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“And here’s where you’re in luck,” said Arthur, “because it just so happens that S.I.M.S. has assigned me to be a bodyguard to your Aunt Marnie. It looks like she’s gotten high enough up on the political totem pole to be a target for Simnation’s enemies. So I’ll be camping out in your back yard unless some kind person invites me indoors.”
“And you think I might be that kind person?” Jas giggled.
“If the shoe fits, Cinderella,” said Arthur.

Later that evening, Double Agent 7734 sent the following text:
[Redacted]In like Flynn[Redacted]. Await further instructions.

For more of Jas's story plus the reports of Double Agent 7734, go to Chapter 16.

MarianT · « **Reply #10 on:** June 21, 2018, 02:46:36 PM »

Chapter 7 — Maldonado

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“This place is gorgeous!” Gus told his sister Wendy. “I can’t wait to go and explore the jungle, but I’m going to do some research first.”

Gus Maldonado loved the outdoors, and he’d always been inquisitive. Even as a child he’d been intrigued by tales of adventure and derring-do, so it was only natural that he would want to go to Selvadorada at the first opportunity.

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Gus’s idea of research was to talk to the locals in the cantina. They mostly warned him about snakes and jaguars, but one man was more positive. “There’s good fishing,” he told Gus. “You have to watch out for El Senex, though — Old Man Croc,” he translated for Gus.

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He went fishing that evening, but he didn’t catch much. “I’ll need to find out what kind of bait attracts them,” Gus thought.

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Early the next morning, he set off for the jungle. The locals said there was a temple in its depths. Gus wasn’t able to find it, but he did locate a plane that had crashed. He took a picture and uploaded it to the Internet, hoping that it might help someone find out what had happened to their long-lost relative.

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Modern technology was amazing. Early the next morning, as Gus was crossing a bridge next to the most beautiful waterfall he’d ever seen, his phone rang. A woman was on the other end, and Gus’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t know whether it was her voice or the scenery, but he felt like he was falling in love. “Was there a registration number on the plane?” asked the woman. “My mother, Emily Hudson, left town fifteen years ago in search of adventure, and we never heard from her again. Flying to Selvadorada is the kind of thing she might do.”

Her voice started to break up towards the end. “I’m having a hard time hearing you,” said Gus. “Text me your name and phone number. I don’t want to lose you.”

The woman’s name was Madilyn Barnhart, and Gus could tell from the phone number that she lived in Newcrest. That was the suburb next to Willow Creek, not far away at all. He punched in the registration number that had been on the plane and continued exploring.

Gus never found the temple, but he did pick up a small frog made of gold. He had to lose his machete to get it, but it was well worth the trade. Not having a machete made further exploring difficult, so Gus took the next flight home.
In the airport he received a text from Madilyn. Here’s my address, it said. Next time you’re near San Myshuno, I’d like to meet you. The warm loving happiness that Gus had felt by the waterfall swept over him again.

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As soon as his plane landed, Gus made his way to Newcrest.
“I don’t know how I can thank you,” said Madilyn, taking his hands. “It’s sad news, but you’ve given closure to me and my father. My mother was the last known pilot of that plane. We have always assumed she crashed somewhere, but we were never sure.”

“If you like, I can take you to the spot the next time I go,” said Gus, and Madilyn thanked him.

They spent several hours talking, and at the end of the evening, Gus knew that he’d found the only woman for him. He got down on one knee to propose.

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Madilyn turned him down. “We’ve only just met,” she said. “And whoever marries me would have to agree to live with my father. I’m the only one he’s got, now that we know my mother is gone.”

Sadly Gus returned to his parents’ home.

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His sister Wendy was awake, and she listened to his whole story.
“Well, duh,” she said. “She’s right — you have only just met. And she can’t just up and marry someone without thinking about her father. Sometimes you’re too impulsive, Gus.”

“You’re right,” he said. “But what about you — you look a bit sad.”
“It’s Jeffrey,” said Wendy. “He wants to move to San Myshuno and become an investigative reporter.”
“And who is Jeff—, oh,” said Gus, as realization dawned.
“He’s in our bowling league,” said Wendy.
“I think it’s still possible for people who live in San Myshuno to go bowling,” teased Gus. “I don’t think there’s a law against it or anything.”
Wendy just rolled her eyes.

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A couple of days later, after he’d had the diamond he’d found in Selvadorada set into a ring, Gus returned to Newcrest. This time when he proposed, Madilyn accepted him.

Gus Maldonado's adventures continue in Chapter 17.

MarianT · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2018, 09:49:26 AM »

The Watcher's Diary

This will be a brief daily (Sim day) entry, noting the weather for the active household. Significant events will also be noted: weddings, births, deaths, promotions, holidays and festivals. Spoilers will abound, but if you want a quick update, look here.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

PeregrineTook · « **Reply #12 on:** June 22, 2018, 10:16:54 AM »

Wow! Quite the massive undertaking you've given yourself here!! 10 gens of 10 families on long? I don't think I could do it, but I certainly look forward to reading all about it ;=)
It's early, I know, but Valerie is an early favorite for me.
Best of luck with this and I'm looking forward to reading more!

MarianT · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2018, 02:15:54 PM »

Chapter 8 — Marsh

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With a father who was a police officer and a mother who was a member of the church choir, Vincent Marsh had a very moral upbringing. “You’ll have as much wealth as you need if you work hard,” his dad always told him. Vincent had worked hard. He’d maxed the fitness skill and gotten a job as a personal trainer at Burners and Builders. But the pay was lousy and the work dull, nothing like the life in his favorite movie “Diamonds are for Sims.”

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One day his client at the gym was Big Bugsy Seagull, the head of Mobwives. “You’re pretty strong, aren’t you kid,” he said. Vincent nodded.
“And you got those light fingers, too, eh? I saw you pinch that lamp.”
Vincent blushed. True, he was a kleptomaniac, but it wasn’t something he wanted everyone to know.
“There could be a place for you in my organization. Mind, anything you take from me had better be returned within 24 hours. But you’ve got the looks of a good confidence man. If you have the brains, too, we can do business together.”
“Yessir,” said Vincent.

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This wasn’t something he could tell the truth about to his parents — he told them he had a job in an import-export business in San Myshuno — but he opened up a bit more to his brother Sam and his sister Bethany. “I’m going to be making good money, a lot more than I got at the gym, and I want you guys to know that I’ll always be there for you.”

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Later on he had a chat with his older brother Sam. “I’m worried about Bethany,” he said. “She just doesn’t seem to be interested in guys — or girls, for that matter.”
Sam chuckled. “There’s one guy she likes — Cody Mullner. She’s had a crush on him since grade school.”
“He’s not the slickest patch on the ice rink,” said Vincent. “But then, neither is Bethany. I’ll talk to him.”

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Now that his work days were 9 to 5 — pm to am — Vincent made most of his social calls at night.
“Cody, how long have we known each other?” he asked.
“I think I was six when I started school, and I’m twenty now, so that would be…” There was a long pause.
“It was a rhetorical question,” Vincent said hastily, “I mean, it didn’t require math. A long time, anyway.”
They played another hand of cards. Vincent stretched. “I’ve got to leave for work. By the way, Bethany was asking about you the other day.”
“Asking what?” said Cody.

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A week went by without any sign from Cody. “I was too subtle,” Vincent told Sam. “Are you sure Bethany likes him?”
“You can ask her yourself,” said Sam.
So Vincent sat down for a heart-to-heart with his little sister. “I hear you like Cody Mullner,” he started.
“He is kind of cute,” she said. “And once he told me I looked almost as pretty as his sister Evie. I was wearing a V-neck sweater at the time.”
It wasn’t much, but it was enough to start something.

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Vincent got his brother and his father together and the three of them went over to confront Cody.
“What’s going on between you and my sister?” Sam demanded.
“Nothing,” said Cody. “Honest, I never laid a finger on her. And I promise, I never will.”
“You mistake our meaning,” said Vincent. “Bethany’s pretty sweet on you. I think we’d all be happy if the two of you got married.”
“M-married?” gasped Cody. “I don’t think I’m ready to be tied down.”
“Oh I think you’ll be tied down whichever way you look at it,” said Vincent.
This time Cody was able to grasp what he was saying. “I’ll ask her out for a date,” he promised.
“And you’ll see that she has a good time,” said Sam.
“The best,” said Cody.
“Because if she sheds one tear over you…” Vincent didn’t complete the threat.

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Meanwhile, living at home was getting to be difficult for Vincent. His dad was starting to wonder about his working hours, and his mom kept asking where the stuff he brought home came from. And they were both getting a bit absent-minded. "You should have told me the toilet needed repairing," Vincent complained to his mother when she had an accident. And one night his dad was so tired when he got home from work that he fell asleep on the lawn. It was time to move, and Vincent found an apartment in San Myshuno.

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Supposedly it was haunted, so he was able to get it fairly cheaply. Cheaply meant that it just took all the money he had on hand for the security deposit.

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Rumor had it that there was a wishing well where the wizard lived in Willow Creek, and rumor was right. But money wasn’t the only treasure Vincent found there.

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“Come see our Junimos,” said Octavius. “They’re forest spirits, but they like to pretend to be pets. They go all over the world and send us postcards.”
Vincent hardly knew what Octavius was saying; he was too much impressed by the strength with which Octavius had gripped his shoulder. Having Octavius stand close to him was also making him feel a bit faint -- in a good way.

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“You ought to come see moonrise from my apartment window,” he said. “It’s pretty spectacular."

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Octavius accepted that invitation…

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…and then another. By the time Vincent left for work that evening, Octavius had agreed to move in with him.

Vincent's story continues in Chapter 18.

PeregrineTook · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2018, 03:19:10 PM »

Vincent the kind-hearted fellow and protective big brother who happens to work for the mob. This is good! Valerie may have just found some competition for that coveted spot of being my favorite ;=)
Hmmm, Vincent or Valerie. Apparently, I'm just prone to picking Sims whose names start with "V." ;=)

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