The Honeyheart Short Dynasty

[Beks]

Introduction

This is a short dynasty, following cndneh’s Short Dynasty Project rules. I’ve just installed The Sims 3 on my boyfriend’s PC, which is a thousand times better than my laptop in terms of graphics and basically everything, but since I couldn’t transfer my saves, I’m starting anew. (Don’t worry if you’ve been reading my other story, the Middlemiss Random Legacy--that save is on my laptop, and I will definitely be continuing it!) I’ve also downloaded Supernatural and am playing with it for the first time. So, please excuse me while I spend the next ten generations flipping out over Supernatural and these beautiful, crystal-clear graphics.

We’re playing in Moonlight Falls, of course. The only mods I have installed are NRaas’s Story Progression and Master Controller.

Chapter Links

Chapter 1 - A Witch's Brew
Chapter 2 - And There Was Much Tragic
Chapter 3 – Fairy & Fairest
Chapter 4 - Snow & Zombies
Chapter 5 - In Which Carmella Fulfills Her Lifelong Dream Of Becoming A Princess
Chapter 6 - The Circle Of Life Is Indeed A Circle
Chapter 7 - The Rocking Chair Wars
Chapter 8 - In Which Yellow Makes An Unscheduled Appearance
Chapter 9 - The Girl Next Door
Chapter 10 - Sprouts
Chapter 11 - There Aren't Enough Red Assassin Bugs In China
Chapter 12 - Twice the Trouble
Chapter 13 - A Chapter Full Of Scary Creatures
Chapter 14 – In Which All The Things Fall Apart
Chapter 15 - Pretty Ghosts & Violent Tornadoes
Chapter 16 - Sweet As Apple Cider
Chapter 17 - Ida, I Do
Chapter 18 - French Kissing On French Benches
Chapter 19 - Limbs & Clothes Are Optional
Chapter 20 - All That Is Gold Is Not Living
Chapter 21 - Something Blue
Chapter 22 - When a Flower Catches a Fish
Chapter 23 – Short & Sweet
Chapter 24 – April Showers, Zombie Devours
Chapter 25 – Balloons Are Bad
Chapter 26 – Blooming
Chapter 27 – Signs of Life
Chapter 28 - This May Come as a Shock To You
Chapter 29 - Absolute Zero
Chapter 30 - Cribs & Cats
Chapter 31 - The End of Blue
Chapter 32 - What Do You Even Title A Chapter Like This
Chapter 33 - The Adventures of Daisy the Toad, Except Not
Chapter 34 - *insert moody break-up song here*
Chapter 35 - Fire & Ice
Chapter 36 - Vampire, Fairy, & Dog
Chapter 37 - Ghost Chain
Chapter 38 – Bones
Chapter 39 – Four Birds, One Stone
Chapter 40 - The Supernatural Scientists
Chapter 41 - Birthdays, Hot Dogs, Repossession, and Some Other Stuff
Chapter 42 – Laser Eye Beams
Chapter 43 – Going For Gold


Chapter 1 - A Witch's Brew

Meet our founder, Carmella Honeyheart.

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She is a witch, because witches are fun and, like I said, we’re really just flipping out over Supernatural here. Carmella’s traits, which were random, are Gatherer, Hopeless Romantic, Nurturing, Shy, and Unflirty. Quite an adorable mix--I love her already. Although the combination of Hopeless Romantic and Unflirty seems rather odd (if not impossible).

Carmella wants nothing more than to use her powers as a witch (and skills in alchemy) to help her fellow, uh, beings (not necessarily human). She has a tender heart, although she is a little shy and reserved. As such, her lifetime wish is to be a Mystic Healer––to cure 12 different transformed sims with either a Cure Elixir or some magic spell I forget the name of. (We’re going the elixir route.) She also wants to find the love of her life, although how she intends to secure him without flirting, I can’t imagine.

I have never even looked at the short lifespan before, and um, wow. It is SO SHORT. 26 days in all! This dynasty is going to fly by! And I’ll be amazed if I accrue any points at all...

Well, no point in waiting around. Carmella sets foot on the enormous dynasty lot which will be hers until she dies in approximately three weeks. (How are we ever going to fill this place up with everybody dying before they can make money?!)

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Here is Carmella’s sweet little cottage, with low quality everything and the same cheap walls inside and out:

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Now, time is really of the essence in this dynasty. It’s not even 8:15 in the morning on the first day (wait, where did those other 14 minutes go?!) before Carmella is riding her broom across town to acquire her intended spouse.

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Carmella, being unflirty, takes the friendly route with the ruggedly handsome Gladsten Farmwell. She spends literally all day talking him up, and has to ask him twice to move in before he agrees. His Commitment Issues are highly inconvenient in a short dynasty...but we’ll have to make do.

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So Gladsten comes home with Carmella. He gets a haircut and some new clothes; he doesn’t need much help otherwise.

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The evening is spent learning alchemy for Carmella, and practicing cooking and handiness for Gladsten. He only has four days left in his adult stage...and six more career levels to max before he achieves his LTW of becoming an astronaut. Yeah, right. It’s worth a shot, though, I guess.

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Before the night is over, I attempt to convince these two commitment-and-flirting-averse people to see each other in a more romantic, and less terrifying, light. Every fiber of Carmella’s being screams against the very idea of flirting, so it’s Gladsten that has to do the heavy lifting. Even though I control both of these Sims, getting them to flirt with each other is hard work!

Finally!

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Into the bed they go for their first woohoo, and hopefully their first nooboo. I don’t think there’s even time to get married! Agghh!

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Carmella spends the whole of the next day learning alchemy. It doesn’t take her long to learn the Cure Exilir recipe, the one she’ll be using most heavily to complete her LTW. Incidentally, she also learns the Zombification recipe. We might need to find someone to practice on…

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She also learns the recipe for vomit. It consists of one ingredient: Try For Baby. Yes, girl! That’s what I like to see!

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I didn’t get a screenshot of the spin, but Carmella is indeed pregnant by Tuesday afternoon. I find it a little ridiculous that pregnancy doesn’t get shortened with the short lifespan. Carmella is literally spending half of her young adult years pregnant. I guess it’s fine, because she can still practice alchemy and such, but it does take her twice as long to waddle around Moonlight Falls collecting gems and butterflies and Red Valerian Root. (So much Red Valerian Root.) Also, I can’t wait till we can afford a faster broom.

Gladsten brings in enough funds to add to the house a little bit, including some space for future kiddos. Carmella has also started a garden, and has acquired a bee box.

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Wednesday night is the first Full Moon. I absolutely love the greenish glow over everything. Time to keep an eye out for zombies!

Wow, that didn’t take long! Thanks for joining us, madam!

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Madam Zombie takes liberties the moment she appears and tries to sneak into Carmella's just-planted garden. Um, I don’t remember giving you permission to go in there...? Oh, I didn’t lock the gate. Whoops. Thankfully, Madam Zombie is obliging enough to exit the garden in order to have Carmella’s Cure Elixir thrown at her. One down, eleven more to go!

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Several zombies spawn in the yard overnight, but unfortunately, Carmella only had enough Red Valerien Root for one Cure Elixir. She gets lots of practice converting conjured apples into seeds and gems instead.

Carmella spends her pregnancy practicing alchemy and collecting various ingredients around Moonlight Falls. Gladsten ups his handy skill for work and upgrades the household appliances. Oh, and coos over the baby. See, Gladsten? Commitment isn't THAT bad!

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Carmella goes into labor the following afternoon.

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She gets herself to the hospital right away (apparently being in labor doesn’t affect her ability to ride a broom). She soon gives birth to a girl, Ruby. Ruby is born a Virtuoso and a Light Sleeper.

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Now that our next heir is born (and we’ve earned our first point! yay!), it’s time to stop procrastinating and get these two hitched!

Oh...wait...I guess Gladsten has to age up first.

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With that out of the way, the little lovebirds go steady…

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...and get engaged…

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...and get married! And, whoops, now they’re both Farmwells instead of Honeyhearts. We’ll have to fix that tomorrow.

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I have to change my strategy a bit with Gladsten. He’s not going to get anywhere close to maxing out his career––he could be dead in a few days, and he’s off work now due to getting married anyway. So if I can’t get any points from his career or LTW, that leaves maxing out a skill. He’s got level 6 fishing already, so...that’s going to be the rest of his life. Fishing. Luckily, he’s an angler, and he seems to enjoy it.

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I’m also struggling to juggle Carmella’s priorities. Her LTW is top priority, of course, so that means alchemy...but she also needs to collect ingredients for her Cure Elixirs (and other elixirs…), which means lots of running around the town stealing from people’s gardens, and also some gardening and beekeeping. Gosh, I wish we had more time. And now she’s got a baby to take care of as well!

Although her time as the mother of a newborn baby is short, Carmella enjoys it as best she can.

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Soon (like, 24 hours after she’s born), it’s time for Ruby’s toddler birthday. (I didn't catch the sparkles, and also we're about out of screenshots.)

Here’s toddler Ruby. She has her mother’s hair (score!) and her daddy’s eyes. I think she’s going to grow up into a very pretty young lady. We’ll find out very soon!

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That’s all for this chapter. Phew! This dynasty is a whirlwind, but a very fun whirlwind. Stay tuned for Ruby’s growing up years and many, many zombies.

[Beks]

Chapter 2 - And There Was Much Tragic

There isn’t much time to teach Ruby toddler skills, but her daddy starts on potty training anyway.

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Then she plays the xylophone with a very serious look on her face.

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Ruby has such a short toddlerhood, there's hardly even time to get cute pictures of her. But don't worry. I MAKE time.

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At least a little bit.

Time flies, flies, flies and like three seconds later it’s Ruby’s child birthday!

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She is a copy of her dad, minus the hair color. Upon aging up, she informs her parents that, um, she can’t see a dang thing, and they obligingly fit her with her first pair of glasses. Unfortunately, because there was NO FREAKING TIME in her toddlerhood to teach her any skills (apart from the xylophone, which she mastered), she ages up with the Loser trait.

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Ruby rolls a wish to learn to paint. She’ll be learning the guitar skill (and possibly other instruments) primarily, but since she’s too young to start that yet, I let her start with painting. At any rate, she can earn the family a few bucks. She also begins learning to cook, because somebody in this family needs to not burn every attempt at Goopy Carbonara (I’m looking at you, Gladsten).

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Two very astounding things happen the following day. First, Gladsten gets the mail for the first time all game (I’m bad about that), and several wedding gifts are waiting. One of them is none other than that town square fountain thingy that is worth 50,000 simoleons! I feel sort of bad about selling it, since it’s such an odd and lucky thing that really shouldn’t happen organically in the game...but hey! I’ll take it. We use a chunk of the funds to build a lovely little greenhouse for Carmella. Fall is here, and we can’t have those Red Valerian Root plants freezing over.

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Secondly, Gladsten travels via LLAMA for the first time. As soon as he arrives at the fishing hole, he...turns into the Tragic Clown?!?

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"Carmellaaaa! Carmella, darling! Where are you?! I need your heeelp!!"

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One step closer to completing that Lifetime Wish!

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Gladsten’s age bar is about to fill up. So what does a dying man do?

“Hey baby. I might be dead in 24 hours. Ya wanna woohoo?”

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He spends what may be his last day fishing at his favorite fishing spot, Stone Troll Fishing Hole.

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That is one scary looking kid, Ruby. You sure you want to be hanging out with him? You don’t...you don’t have a crush on him, do you?!

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Carmella finally has enough ingredients to mix about 37 Cure Elixirs. She stocks up in preparation for tonight--the Full Moon. I’m praying that we get an absolute mob of zombies showing up, but we’ll have to wait and see. She also mixes an invigorating elixir for herself, so she can stay up all night.

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6:00 pm arrives, and the Full Moon rises. I pan over to check on Ruby, and she’s still doing homework while her werewolf homework buddy is tearing a hole in the carpet. And a zombie has already spawned on the lot where Gladsten is fishing! I think it’s time to go home, everyone!!

Phew! Everyone arrives home safely. And...no zombies appear. At all. For hours. Carmella waits outside, playing with magic to kill time, for another zombie to appear. The moment one materializes, she suddenly feels very ill and has to run inside to throw up.

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Afterwards, she comes back out and takes care of the zombie. Moments later…

No, Gladsten! Nooo, not yet!

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Carmella runs inside almost before it happens, as if she had a feeling something was wrong. She watches as the love of her life becomes a ghost before her eyes.

This short dynasty is TRAGIC!

RIP Gladsten. I didn’t even remember to change your name to Honeyheart. You will be missed.

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Oh, well. Time to go cure more zombies. But wait! First, Carmella discovers that she’s pregnant. With her dead husband’s child. Did I mention this dynasty is TRAGIC?

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In any case, by the end of this Full Moon, we’re halfway to the twelve cures we need to achieve Carmella’s LTW. Getting there!

[Beks]

Chapter 3 - Fairy & Fairest

We skipped an important event last chapter, in order to save screenshots. Just a couple of hours before Gladsten died, Ruby aged up to teen.

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She rolls the Insane trait, because of course. That makes her a Light Sleeper, Virtuoso, Insane Loser. Hmmm. Definitely not the best traits, but at least there’s a clear path for points in the future (if we’re lucky).

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Ruby has a rough first day at school. She’s mourning her father, of course, and she’s also having a mood swing, and she also didn’t get a chance to eat or take a shower or have any fun before getting on the bus. And also she’s a loser. I get a notification about somebody ripping out her hair extensions and mopping the floor with them. Lovely??? (I’m so sorry, Ruby. I tried to give you a good toddlerhood! I really did!)

While Ruby is off at school and Carmella is off getting her and her daughter’s names changed to Honeyheart at City Hall (finally), I use up the rest of our wedding-gift funds to rebuild the house. I modeled this house after another house in Moonlight Falls that I really love--I think it’s 1120 Merchant Way. Anyway, that house has a similar color scheme and first floor layout as the Honeyhearts’ new abode. We still need some landscaping (which I am terrible at and usually avoid) and some odds and ends (like railings on the decks, I just realized...), but we’ll get there eventually.

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After school, Ruby comes home feeling pretty miserable, but soothes herself by picking up a guitar for the first time.

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The next day is Spooky Day––a perfect opportunity to heal a few more afflicted sims. But first, we need to create some afflicted sims. A very pregnant Carmella prepares some elixirs to bring to Branch Timbley’s costume party.

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I should have kept track of the zombies that Carmella has already cured...because the first guest she zombifies was apparently already cured once. She doesn’t count towards Carmella’s total. The party ends before Carmella can get anybody else, so she stops at the Toadstool on the way home to curse (and then heal) Miriam Hoppcraft. Slooowly working our way up to twelve.

Later that night, Carmella goes into labor--and really wishes Gladsten was here to be with her.

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She gives birth to a boy named Gabe. He is born with the traits Loves the Outdoors and Athletic. Not bad at all, considering his mother was absolutely miserable for the entirety of her pregnancy.

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And guess who is spotted drifting through the greenhouse on the night of his son’s birth?

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I'm sad that Gabe won't get to meet his daddy, but at least he has a very loving mother and sister to give him plenty of snuggles.

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On her last day as a young adult, Carmella learns how to craft a Potent Skill Booster elixir. She makes one, drinks it, and just like that, maxes alchemy. Finally, our third point!

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Now comes the challenging task of finding Ruby a spouse. She’s met a few teens in school, but they are all girls except for one––Gino Goodfellow, a fairy. Ruby invites him over and gets to know him a little.

He has good traits, and he’s not too bad looking. I’ve spied on some human townie boys and many of them are just not attractive. (What’s-his-face Wolff is one of them. I’m sorry, but I just do not find werewolves in any way appealing. Unless they are Remus Lupin. In which case sign me the heck up.) Gino is one of the better looking townies, for sure.

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I let Ruby get her flirt on a little bit at the end of their time together, and Gino responds well. He ends the “date” by giving her fairy dust (at her request). He’s already a sweetheart...perhaps it won’t be too far of a leap for him to become a Honeyheart.

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The problem, of course, is that Gino is a fairy, and the rules forbid occults that have long life as part of their powers. Of course, we could turn him human with a little splash of Potent Cure Elixir, but honestly, I’m a little reluctant to deprive him of his fairy-ness. He’s a Goodfellow––he comes from a family of fairies, and if he were to sacrifice his fairy form to become human, he’d also be sacrificing a much longer lifespan. Which is the point. But...I don’t know, I just feel a little weird about it.

Still...he’s here. He’s a good fellow (heh). We have the means to make him human. And he seems to like our Ruby. Why turn away a good thing?

He comes over again the next day, which is Saturday. He seems quite alarmed by the rocking chair. A little scarier than flying, isn’t it, bud?

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The two kiddos get talking, and before long, Ruby rolls a wish to kiss Gino for the first time. I take that as her choice. Gino seems very interested in her, too, even though she’s wearing her swimsuit and prescription goggles when it’s 45 degrees out. If he can see past her insanity enough to fall in love with her, well. That’s enough for me.

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This looks like the awkwardest first kiss known to man. But awww, how cute!

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As soon as the kiss is over, Ruby asks Gino to go steady. And rolls a wish to travel with him! Slow down there, girl, you’re not old enough for overnights with your boyfriend yet!

(A side note: I think it’s interesting how both Cure Elixirs--regular and potent--have a ruby as an ingredient. I didn’t discover that until after I chose the name Ruby for our second generation heir. I think it’s a lovely coincidence.)

Unfortunately, Carmella doesn’t have one of the ingredients required to make a Potent Cure Elixir, so we can’t humanify Gino just yet. She can age up to elder, though!

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Then Ruby ages up to young adult in the middle of using the bathroom.

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She rolls the Perfectionist trait, which is an excellent trait, except that I don’t know if it has any effect on her guitar playing. I’m guessing probably not. Ah, well. I was expecting something way worse, to be honest. Her lifetime wish is to become a Rock Star.

Ruby’s birthday present from me is, totally by accident, a Magic Mirror. (I just picked a pretty mirror from buy mode, not realizing it was the magic one.) When I go to give her a makeover, she gets...a magical makeover…?

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What in the…?

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Anyway...after a trip to a normal mirror, Ruby looks like this. Super cute! Although I'm having second thoughts about the top I picked for her. She kind of looks like a dental hygienist. Ruby aged up with this hairstyle as a teen and got it back as a young adult, and I decided to let her keep it. It suits her, especially with her new rockstar lifestyle.

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Surprise, it’s after midnight! Time for little Gabe to age up too!

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Oh. My. Goodness. Gabe has the biggest, greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. He is the sweetest little specimen I have ever laid eyes on. And what’s more, he got his daddy’s purple-streaked hair! What I would give to have Gabe be the heir! (No offense, Ruby. You’re lovely.)

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I think we’re going to have fun with this little guy around.

[Beks]

Chapter 4 - Snow & Zombies

It’s winter in Moonlight Falls, and I am kicking myself for leaving Seasons installed. Or at least for not being more thorough with my ingredient gathering before the snow hit. We have two main goals right now: (1) Finish Carmella’s LTW (that is, cure 5 more cursed Sims), and (2) transform Gino Goodfellow into a human so he can join the household and marry Ruby. The latter requires a Glow Orb mushroom, which Carmella has not yet found in her scavenging. I know where a couple grow around town, but now that it’s winter, they are dormant, and we cannot harvest them. This dynasty is so much trial and error, and I am really doing great on the “error” part.

Anyway! Before we do anything, you know, important, Ruby has to attend graduation. So that’s more than half the day gone. (I also walked away from the game without pausing it in order to fix myself a bowl of rice, so I lost a few more hours that way. *kicks self*)

The family heads out into a snowy world for graduation.

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Ruby graduates with honor (somehow), and is voted...Most Likely to Motive Fail? What does that even mean? (After some searching around, I’m guessing that to “motive fail” means to empty one’s motive bar completely? So, Ruby was voted most likely to pee herself, smell really bad, pass out from exhaustion, or starve to death. How lovely!  I know she’s a loser, but really?!

After graduation, Carmella stops by Aleister’s Elixirs and Sundries to look for Glow Orbs. Success! Back at home, she brews a Potent Cure Elixir while Ruby invites Gino over.

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He looks a bit horrified at first...but then he calms down. And becomes a very cute human. (He’s growing on me, this boy.)

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Ruby gets right down to business and asks her man to marry her.

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After a whirlwind change into her formal wear, she and Gino tie the knot right there in the doorway of the living room. Carmella watches from the rocking chair (or maybe she’s just zoned out).

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Congrats, lovelies!

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Here is Gino after a bit of a makeover. I couldn’t resist making him dress a little bit fairy-ish. His traits are Couch Potato, Loves the Outdoors, Bookworm, Coward, and Unflirty (thankfully he got that one last, after Ruby had secured his affections). His lifetime wish is Greener Gardens––I believe it’s only possible for fairies, so that is an impossible achievement, I’m afraid. His traits do point towards a writer career (or at least the writing skill), but then I notice that he’s already at level 4 of the gardening skill. Target acquired!

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He joins the Gardener career, which he probably won’t come close to maxing, and takes over the work in the greenhouse. He can also take over gardening for when Carmella...when she...never mind.

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Carmella finally makes some more zombification and cure elixirs, but by the time she finishes, it’s too late to invite anyone over. Fortunately, she hasn’t cured everyone in the household yet!

Surprise, Ruby!

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Yes, darling. You’re very scary. I’m practically shaking in my boots.

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All better.

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Look who’s making his toys disappear! (I’ve never seen this before, and it’s the cutest thing ever.)

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This little nugget makes the cutest faces, I swear. I almost can't handle it.

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Even when going potty.

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And playing in the toybox.

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The night of the Full Moon comes around again. Carmella cures a zombie in the front yard on her way to a party, where she easily knocks out her last few cures. Hooray! Lifetime Wish completed! And we’re up to four points total.

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Bonehilda has been in our family inventory for a while, and I pull her out again to see if she’ll help take care of Gabe while he’s a toddler. She doesn’t seem to do anything but clean--so far the butlers I’ve hired have been more helpful with toddler duty. I had put Bonehilda away initially because Carmella got a bad moodlet from her; now Gino not only gets the bad moodlet, he runs screaming from the house when he sees her. *sigh*

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Gino gets to know his mother-in-law with a snowy game of catch.

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All too soon, Gabe ages up to child, rolling the Neurotic trait.

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Time is chugging along at a rapid pace, and Ruby’s adult birthday is not far away. She and Gino decide to get busy while there’s still time.

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Gladsten continues to remain present on the outskirts of Honeyheart family life. I think he misses them. He's content to build igloos in the snow, though.

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He's nearby if they ever need him.

[Beks]

Chapter 5 - In Which Carmella Fulfills Her Lifelong Dream Of Becoming A Princess

When she’s not playing guitar or making out with her former fairy hubby, Ruby learns to cook. She’s getting pretty good, actually––her Perfectionist trait helps a lot.

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But of course, she spends most of her time playing guitar.

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And sometimes, when she practices her guitar, Ruby has an audience. Gino dances autonomously all the time, and on this occasion, Gabe joins in (wearing his prince costume). Poor Carmella is just trying to figure out the last few alchemy recipes...but she’s too nice to tell her daughter to please very kindly shut up.

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Ruby wakes up the next morning mysteriously feeling the urge to toss her cookies.

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Gino is such a family man. He doesn’t have the family oriented trait, but all he ever wants to do (when he’s not gardening) is have fun with his mother-in-law and little brother-in-law, whether it’s by playing catch, dancing together, or building things in the snow. It’s really quite adorable and I can’t wait to see how he does as a father.

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Speaking of which, Ruby is expecting her first child!

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Gabe ages up in the bathroom. (This seems to be becoming a family thing. Can this, like, not be a family thing? It’s so hard to get screenshots in these tiny rooms!)

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He’s a looker, all right. And he inherited his father’s musculature...as in, he is RIPPED. His newest trait is Loves the Cold, which is appropriate, I suppose, considering all the snowmen he and Gino have built together. And the fact that his entire life thus far has been in winter. (And there’s still like three days to go… *sigh*)

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I use some of Carmella’s LTH points to acquire the Flying Vacuum. I’ve never seen it before, and I’m SO curious.

Ehehehe.

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Gabe rises early the next morning and begins practicing magic. I’m happy to see that his talent for making faces has continued into his teen years.

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He also starts studying alchemy while his elderly mother looks on from the rocking chair. Her days of elixir-making are nearly over (unless she magically lives a long time). She is happy to see her son growing up and taking her place.

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Plus, now Carmella has free time to do stupid things, like sneaking upstairs and getting magical makeovers from Ruby’s magic mirror. She looks very pleased with herself. Yes, very funny, Carmella. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, are we?

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Late that night, Carmella continues to work at alchemy. She’s 29 now (her age bar maxed out at 27), so she could die anytime, but she hasn’t quite learned all the elixir recipes yet. I’m hoping she can get the last couple before she goes.

The ghost of Gladsten keeps her company long into the night.

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There are some mysteries in the world that even Carmella, a master alchemist and witch, can never understand.

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Gino is excited to be a daddy. How could he not be?

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The next day is spent waiting. After their gardening and alchemy research are done for the day, the boys play chess to pass the time, while Ruby continues to play guitar and Carmella watches and listens.

(There’s a very pregnant belly hiding behind that guitar.)

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Finally, in the evening, Ruby goes into labor.

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She doesn't seem too panicked...just uncomfortable. As is realistic.

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Let's take a closer look at that face, shall we?

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After possibly the fastest labor ever, Ruby gives birth to a boy. Say hello to Hickory Honeyheart! He is Friendly and Athletic. (I was really, really hoping for twins this time around, since we started kinda late and Ruby’s LTW is a career-based one. Oh well.)

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On the way home from the hospital, Gino stops and gets out of the taxi in order to have his adult birthday on the side of the road.

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He bikes the rest of the way home with this look of great anxiety on his face. You okay there, bud?

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As a bonus, allow me to show you one of the creepier glitches I've encountered in this game. I think this particular bed is glitched--unless I zoom in really close to it, the people sleeping in it look like this. Like stiff, lifeless dolls. That's our friend Gino sleeping with his tiny doll eyes open.

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Yeah. Not my favorite glitch ever.

Until next time!

[Beks]

Chapter 6 - The Circle Of Life Is Indeed A Circle

Carmella dies at at the age of 30––quite a bit later than I expected her to. Still, it’s always hard to say goodbye to a founder.

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(I know this isn’t a time to be funny...but this is one of the best screenshots I think I’ve ever gotten.)

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Poor Gino can’t handle the sight of death and passes out on the floor.

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Carmella is buried next to her husband, Gladsten, under the trees in the yard. RIP, Carmella Honeyheart. Thank you for your invaluable elixirs and for being a delight in every way.

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Points for Generation One
Children born – 2 (Ruby, Gabe)
LTWs completed – 1 (Carmella – Mystic Healer)
Skills maxed – 1 (Alchemy)
Medium gravestones – 1 (Carmella)
Total points thus far – 5

It feels very strange without Carmella in the house. I still feel like Ruby and Gino are just kids––weren’t they having their first kiss as teenagers, like, yesterday? In reality, they’re full-grown adults with a child of their own to raise. Ruby is torch bearer and she’s now head of the household. And she’s an insane loser. With a coward for a husband. And a neurotic brother. We’re in for a fun ride!

Poor Ruby is torn up about her mother’s death. Gino, although he’s barely holding it together after seeing the death of a loved one AND the Grim Reaper, takes the time to comfort his wife.

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Shortly after, Ruby has her adult birthday in the upstairs hallway. And has a midlife crisis. Of course. At least they’re shorter, with the short lifespan.

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The next morning, it’s time for Hickory to age up to toddler! His Uncle Gabe takes him to the cake.

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He gets Gino’s hair color, but aside from that, he looks like another mini Gladsten to me. Maybe that’ll change as he grows up, but boy, Gladsten has some strong genes! (Also, I’m just realizing how many names we have that start with G…)

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Hickory makes for an adorable toddler. His favorite thing is hiding in the toybox.

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Ruby and Gino make surprisingly good parents.

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Although they have approximately 9 seconds in which to teach Hickory his toddlers skills, they manage to potty train him and teach him to walk.

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Father and son take time to goof off together. (Gino is great at Attack of the Claw, for a coward.)

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Gabe has his young adult birthday way before I realize it’s even time. He ages up by his parents’ graves, where I sent him out to mourn in hopes of easing that -50 moodlet. Seriously, wasn’t this guy a toddler two seconds ago?!

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Gabe is quite a gorgeous specimen. He rolls the Born Salesman trait, which I laughed at at first, but if he’s doing the alchemy career, maybe it’ll help with elixir sales? He also acquires the Alchemy Artisan LTW, which might actually be achievable since he’s already at level 4 in alchemy.

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Gabe takes some of his new friendship elixirs and goes out into town to make some friends. He needs to use 50 elixirs, so we might as well start as early as possible. (Really, we should’ve started when he was a teen...but oh well.) While at the Toadstool, Gabe meets a good-looking fellow named Sri MacDuff (one of the later children of the original MacDuffs). They’re both Neurotic, which means they bond instantly. Hearts fly, and before long they’re making out and going steady. Gabe has expressed interest in women as well, but he and Sri got on so well so quickly that I had to give him this chance at happiness.

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Hickory’s child birthday is here! I just can’t keep up with these birthdays…

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Here’s Hickory as a child. He acquires the Over-Emotional trait, in addition to Athletic and Friendly.

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Gabe enjoys his new relationship to the fullest extent. When Sri hosts a party for Love Day, Gabe hustles on over and has his first woohoo. He looks very fancy doing the strut in his Victorian getup.

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Father and son raise their cooking skill side by side.

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Gino has turned Carmella’s lovely little garden into a luscious paradise, bursting with ingredients for Gabe’s elixirs. It’s really quite beautiful.

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Ruby is pregnant again...FINALLY. (I think I’ve had her and Gino try for baby about...five times since she had Hickory?) (Also, finally, a cute pregnancy outfit!)

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Ruby tells her husband the big news––that she’s going to have another baby--after a lovely serenade on the guitar. He's absolutely thrilled.

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These two are about to become old...they're enjoying every last moment of their youth together. And I'm enjoying it, too. I've fallen in love with these two as a couple and I can't believe their lives are already almost over.

[KRae]

One good thing about the short life span is that witches don't really have time to terrorize the town with randomly cast love charms. This is really fun to read. I'm so glad you're posting.

[Beks]

I'm thrilled to know that you're enjoying the story, @KRae Honestly, with all the alchemy my two witches have been doing, I've hardly had time to explore spellcasting in more depth, so nobody's even had a chance to cast a love charm. Your description makes me curious, though...perhaps in another game (or generation) I'll be able to have some fun with that!

Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

[Beks]

Chapter 7 - The Rocking Chair Wars

Gino is about to age up to elder, and I’m seriously going to miss these two being young and adorable together. (Gino has become one of my favorite sims ever, and I can’t believe I’m already losing him to old age.)

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Oh, but first, apparently, Hickory must age up to teen. Time is moving TOO FAST. (The girl blowing the noisemaker is a townie, Brittany Bertiger, who has been a child since the start of the game. She was a potential spouse until I found that out.)

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Here’s teen Hickory. He gains the Schmoozer trait. I have no idea how that’s going to be useful, but you never know, I guess. He’s going to be working to max the athletic skill, and I have a couple other ideas in mind for him as well.

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Then it’s Gino’s turn.

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Life goes on in a skill-focused routine. Ruby spends her second pregnancy playing guitar, as she did her first.

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Gino gardens––and, when his gardening work is done for the day, goes back and continues working on the novel he started years ago before I decided to have him garden full-time. It’s called “I Was Once a Fairy”.

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Gabe studies alchemy and makes elixirs with ingredients from Gino's garden.

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And Hickory starts work on his athletic skill by jogging through the mists of Moonlight Falls.

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At a party on Full Moon night, Gabe makes friends with a werewolf.

This makes me very uncomfortable.

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And for the first time, both our ghosts come out to visit! I’m hoping they interact with each other, like, romantically, because that’d be adorable...but instead they just get tangled up over the rocking chair. Literally.

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Then Carmella just hovers in the general vicinity of Gladsten's knees, trying to telepathically get him to move. He was there first, babe! Deal with it!

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So then, when she can’t get a seat in the rocker, she just angrily works out. Something she never, ever did when she was alive. Ohkay, Carmella.

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Then Ruby comes downstairs after a good sleep, looking to rest her aching back with a good rock. Honey, I'm telling you, you don’t want to get involved in the Rocking Chair Wars.

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Oh. Oh that’s a good strategy. How do you get your old man out of the rocking chair? You tell him you’re pregnant with his grandchild and ask him to rub your tummy!

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Ruby shares the news with her mother as well. Carmella forgets all about her insatiable desire to sit down.

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Once the ghosts have gone, I leave Ruby on her own for a bit. When I come back, she is dumping a jar of fairy dust on her head. Is that the dust Gino gave you when you first started dating? What's going on with your face??

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A few hours later, Ruby goes into labor while practicing guitar in one of the bedrooms.

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Here we have the face again...I swear, Ruby has this face all the time when she’s just, like, standing around and stuff. I don’t understand it, but it’s hilarious.

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"Wait, wait! I think...I think I'm having a baby!"

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And...it’s another boy!

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Meet Glen Honeyheart. Glen is Perceptive and Evil. A pretty smashing combo, if you ask me.

[Beks]

Chapter 8 - In Which Yellow Makes An Unscheduled Appearance

Today, on Gabe Honeyheart Makes The Best Faces:

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(This was after eating some of Ruby's Firecracker Tofu. I LOL'd.)

Now that he’s a teen, Hickory is old enough to get started on both the skills he’ll be learning––athletics and…

*trumpets*

...Martial arts! I know, I know, very exciting.

Hickory and Ruby take the family’s first trip out of the country and visit China so Hickory can start learning martial arts. (I have World Adventures installed on my laptop, too, but WOW Shang Simla is ten times more beautiful on a decent computer.)

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Hickory heads right to the Academy and practices swatting at a dummy with his foot. I feel like flip flops are not the best shoe choice here, dude...but maybe that's just me.

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Ruby, meanwhile, plays for tips in the center of the city. Or at least, that’s the plan...until I notice a secret switch behind the market that leads to a tomb. Then Ruby spends the whole rest of the day exploring it. Oops. But hey, all those relics and money bags add up to the most money we’ve had so far in this game! (Well, aside from all those wedding gifts.)

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After a long day of dummy-whacking and tomb-diving, mother and son chat over a dinner of cheese plates. (I guess Ruby doesn’t know any Chinese recipes yet.)

“So, how are you liking China so far, Hickory?”

“I like it! I could get used to this whole time-not-passing thing. I mean, if we were home, you’d be an old lady by now, and I’d probably be getting married or something.” *shudders*

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“Yes. A frightening thought. Personally, I wish my self hadn’t come along. She’s a pain in the behind.”

“Uh...what?”

“Yeah, that’s right! I’m talking to YOU!”

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(Ruby talking to herself in the tombs was also hilarious. Unfortunately I didn’t get a screenshot of that.)

Can you imagine waking up to this every morning? Ugh. The wanderlust is real. This game makes me want to go places I never knew I wanted to go.

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On the second day, Ruby finally gets around to playing her guitar for tips. (Now I’m thinking I should have her work on getting her visa level up so Hickory can come back later and continue training...but I’m more anxious about her maxing guitar at this point.)

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Hickory, wafting stank, starts practicing with the board breaker.

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Ruby gets 90% of the way to a Level 1 visa. If I hadn’t wasted a day exploring that tomb without an adventure assignment, we probably would’ve gotten to Level 2. Ah well. We’ll just have to bring Hickory back later on, perhaps with his spouse when she appears. (I’m working on that…)

Back home, I build Hickory a nice little martial arts garden so he can practice in peace.

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And Gabe has his adult birthday.

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Moments later, Ruby has her elder birthday.

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I was about to say that Ruby makes a good grandma, but as it turns out, this lil’ baby is her son! Who knew?! (Not me. I'm losing my mind.) The aging in this game is so weird, and I’m starting to get seriously confused.

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Birthday time for Glen!

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He looks...exactly the same as Hickory. Like exactly. Except for the eyes, maybe. He’s yet another mini Gladsten.

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The older Ruby gets, the more ridiculous stuff she does when I’m not looking. Ruby, why are you glowing yellow? Are you dying?! Oh, she ate a Magic Jelly Bean. Ohkay. And here she's attempting to get a magic makeover, but the mirror refuses to give her one because she’s already so attractive…? Uh-huh. Sure.

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But it’s okay, because a few hours later, Ruby finally maxes out the guitar skill. Atta girl!

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Poor Gino is the victim of one of Hickory's only teen pranks. Hey, you used to be a fairy, man! Do you remember what color your wings were? No? Never mind.

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And that night, while breaking some oak boards, Hickory becomes a young adult. (He's wearing glasses in this picture because this particular belt outfit for martial arts came with glasses, for some reason. Maybe Hickory kept missing the boards and the game wanted to help him out?)

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He’s grown up to be a very good-looking guy! I’m a little bit obsessed with that hairstyle...

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I was really hoping Hickory would get Physical Perfection as a LTW. That way, he could max two skills in order to knock out his LTW, earning three points all at the same time. Alas, that option did not come up when he aged up. All he got were career-related LTWs. I picked International Super Spy because Hickory has expressed interest in learning the logic skill (and even got himself to level 2 while in China when I wasn’t looking), so he might have an interest in that career. But I may not give him a career at all. He’ll be busy enough just trying to max out two skills. His final set of traits: Athletic, Friendly, Over-Emotional, Schmoozer, Vegetarian.

Little Glen gets more time with his grandparents parents than Hickory did, perhaps, since Ruby is done with her requirements and Gino has nearly maxed out gardening.

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That's all for now. Big things happening next time as we transition to Generation Three!

[Beks]

Chapter 9 - The Girl Next Door

Now that Hickory is a young adult, it’s crunch time for spouse hunting. Master Controller is a lifesaver in this type of dynasty––I can figure out who’s eligible without so much as a friendship elixir. As it is, there is exactly one young lady in town who is the proper age, the proper occult type (that is, not an occult), and, somehow, still single: Kylee Hoppcraft.

Hickory waits for her outside the high school. Today is her last day as a teenager, so she’s only one day behind Hickory. Perfecto.

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They cross paths, but she escapes before Hickory gets a chance to say hello. It turns out, though, that Kylee Hoppcraft has lived right next door to us all along.

Just as Hickory is invited inside, the camera pans back over to the house. Another birthday I’m forgetting about…?

Nooo! Gino, nooo!!!

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I didn’t even realize his age bar was full. And he was probably one big gardening session away from maxing gardening. GAH. Grim, why do you have to show up the second somebody’s old enough to die?! Can’t you just chill out?!?!?

"Nope."

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Well, Gino is gone. Poor Ruby is heartbroken.

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Hickory gets the news while he’s next door, moments after throwing a friendship elixir at Kylee.

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As a first demonstration of their new closeness, he cries on her shoulder.

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The poor girl looks a little overwhelmed that this slightly older young man is soaking her shirt with his tears. Maybe even a little...excited? It’s really hard to tell what she looks like at allwith that hairstyle. (That horrible, horrible hairstyle that I will never not hate.)

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Anyway, even though Kylee is exhausted and about to pass out, she agrees to come over and meet the rest of the family--such as it is. Minus Gino. Man, Gino was about one hour away from getting to meet his future daughter-in-law. Come on, Grim! *shakes fist*

“I’m sorry you won’t get to meet my dad, Kylee.”

Kylee: “Not even as a ghost? ‘Cause that would be super coo––I mean––an honor.”

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Gabe to the rescue! He revives poor sleepy Kylee with an invigorating elixir. Then it’s time for Kylee’s birthday! (Don’t worry, I checked––it’s her birthday anyway. But if I can beat her automatic birthday by a couple of hours with a cake, you can bet I’m going to do it.)

Please get a different hairstyle…?

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No? Okay.

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It is indeed a little hard to tell what Kylee looks like under that hair, but I get the sense that she’s an unconventional beauty. The hair also gives her a sort of shyness that may or may not be a real part of her personality. In any case, Hickory is stuck with her. He asks her to move in, and she agrees.

Here is Kylee after a bit of a makeover. She’s quite beautiful, though a little strange-looking. Her cheekbones are particularly odd. But she has very lovely eyes and a unique white-streaked hair color that I’m a fan of. Her traits, if you’re curious, are Virtuoso, Never Nude, Charismatic, Hates the Outdoors, and Handy.

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I looked back through Kylee’s family tree, and I’m having trouble figuring out where her strange facial structure came from. Her grandparents are the original Hoppcrafts (Miriam and James), and Argus Brown and Haley Sumari. Argus is a werewolf (and still alive, I believe), but when he’s in human form, he looks relatively normal. Haley, meanwhile, is a very pretty and normal-looking sim. Argus and Haley gave birth to Kylee’s mother (whose name is, hilariously, Kiley), who is VERY strange-looking. So it must have been the combination of their genes. All speculation.

In any case, Kylee is infatuated with Hickory. They have their first kiss, go steady, and get engaged in a typical rapid fashion.

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"I know we've only just met, Kylee, and about an hour ago you were underage, but...do you want to be my girlfriend?"

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"...and my wife?"

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Once they’re in a steady relationship, I get a notification that Kylee now has a Manipulator reputation. I’ve never had a Sim with that reputation...a glance in her relationship panel tells me that she has THREE romantic interests?!? Good lord, woman! I got the impression that you were shy!

At any rate, these two are happy to be together. Kylee doesn't seem to mind the breakneck speed at which their relationship has progressed. I think she had a crush on Hickory from the moment she first saw him.

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We've got momentum, so let's not stop now! After a quick sleep, Hickory and Kylee are up early-ish for a wedding outside under the trees, near Hickory's martial arts practice area.

They say their vows and exchange rings.

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Congrats, Hickory and Kylee! (Hickylee?) Poor Gabe cries like a baby through the whole ceremony.

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The newlyweds head straight upstairs to celebrate and get some alone time. Except...why hello, Bonehilda.

"Hey, Hildie. Uh...do you think you could...you know, leave the room for a bit?"

"I beg your pardon, sir, but I don't think so. Your bed is unmade and it's my job to make it."

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"You can leave it. It's fine. Really. We're trying to...we need some alone time, Hilda."

"Of course you do! That is why I INSIST on making this bed. You can't woohoo on a wrinkled duvet!"

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Thanks, Bonehilda...I guess.

Alone at last, the kids get busy.

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Later that day, Glen ages up to child. His evil birthday giggle is moderately terrifying.

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Here’s our evil little sneak. He gains the Light Sleeper trait and dresses in his favorite color, red.

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Next time, we'll see Kylee settle in to life as a Honeyheart. And we'll find out why she suddenly can't seem to keep her lunch down.

[Beks]

Chapter 10 - Sprouts

I’ve never seen a household so upset over a death as this household is over Gino. Over the two days for which the mourning moodlet is present, everyone breaks down sobbing every three seconds. It’s quite depressing (and a little annoying). It takes longer to do things with everybody pausing to remember and weep. Gino was a well-loved man, that’s for sure.

“I miss you so much, Gino!”

“And I miss food. I mean, I miss you too, darling.”

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With Gino gone, the garden has been neglected. Gabe and Kylee team up to save the plants from certain doom. Glen will probably take over the garden once he’s old enough.

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Kylee is pregnant! She instantly wishes for a girl. She’s going to be spending much of her pregnancy in front of the TV, with kids music playing in the background, for no real reason in particular.

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Life settles into a pleasant routine. Hickory hits the treadmill in his new upstairs gym, which is so tiny I have to get crazy with the camera angles to get a picture of him.

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Glen practices his logic skill with *pauses to sketch out family tree* Mother Ruby. (I literally was about to type grandma. What is WRONG with me.)

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Whoa dude, it’s your birthday already? All right then. (He ages up whilst “Searching for Evil Doings” on the telescope.)

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Here’s teenage Glen. He gets the Dislikes Children trait, because Evil isn’t bad enough. He’s going to have lots of fun once his niece or nephew is born.

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Then it’s Gabe’s turn to become an elder at last.

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He’s still a cutie, even though he’s old.

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Ruby notices that I’ve been neglecting the garden and takes it upon herself to water the plants. Thanks, Ruby! Because Kylee and Gabe are actually really busy and Ruby has already completed her requirements, the garden becomes Ruby’s responsibility from then on.

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Kylee goes into labor the next afternoon.

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While everyone else in the family is busy gardening, playing chess, or working out, she calmly gets herself to the hospital.

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It takes a heck of a woman to ride a broom while in labor.

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Kylee gives birth to...twins! Hooray! A boy named Alfie (short for Alfalfa, at least in my mind––I’m dancing around a few different naming themes, and apparently “unpopular foods” is one of them) and a girl named Olive (see?).

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Although our family funds are still very low, I scrape together enough to build a small addition onto the kitchen/dining room to become our official nursery. It’s about time we had one.

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The twins are well loved by their family members. Their mama is especially adoring.

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Even Glen takes initiative to feed his little nephew when he’s hungry! How sweet!

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Of course, two minutes later he’s fiendishly delighted over his niece’s distress.

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Protective Kylee goes on the defensive.

“Look, I can't hear myself think either when the babies are crying, but you DON’T need to go around cackling about it!”

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I believe this is the second time-out she’s given to Glen since moving in. This woman doesn’t stand for disrespect, and I love her for it.

There’s been some tension among the various family members lately. I think it’s probably all Glen’s doing, but even Ruby has autonomously yelled at her family members a couple times. I’m beginning to wonder if having Glen around is really worth it...but maybe things will ease up once he’s past his teen years.

And at any rate, Kylee is always happy to soothe tensions by playing her piano. She has a knack for doing it just at the right time––just before Glen intends to scare someone, for example. And she often plays my all-time favorite piano piece, Debussey’s La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin.

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To finish, here’s a shot of Gabe running around Moonlight Falls looking for Red Valerian Root. (Somehow he’s managed to use up every single bit we had, including everything that was in the garden.) This town never fails to awe me with its eerie beauty.

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Until next time! (Which is practically right now, since I’ve got three posts ready to go!)

[Beks]

Chapter 11 - There Aren't Enough Red Assassin Bugs In China

Now that the twins are born, Hickory decides to return to China to continue working on his martial arts skill. Kylee has recently purchased the Prepared Traveler reward (which I forgot about, and which is a lifesaver), so she comes along.

Hickory gets right to work breaking boards.

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Once he’s fatigued, he hops over to the Scholar’s Garden to meditate.

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Kylee, meanwhile, starts working on those visa points. That means lots of scurrying around the map collecting gems and metals. (I forgot that she Hates the Outdoors. Sorry, Kylee! She is a trooper though and never shows a sign of her discomfort, aside from the negative moodlet.) One task requires her to collect three red assassin bugs. It takes three days for the map to spawn them. Three. Days. Poor Kylee. Poor me.

A side note: While in town, these two townie kids stroll by the market stall where Kylee is turning in some gems. That is Bebe Hue in the pink helmet, rumpled jeans, and ballet flats. Shen Fong accompanies her in watermelon shorts, a muscle shirt, a winter hat, and hiking boots. These kids are prepared for literally anything.

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Hickory has started breaking space rock blocks, and holy wow! So many gems! One of these, Vampire’s Eye, I’ve never even heard of before!

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After a long day of bug hunting, Kylee returns to market (the indoor part, of course) and plays piano for the townspeople. Very moodily, I might add. Look at that face!

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DID YOU KNOW THAT ZOMBIES CAN SPAWN IN CHINA TOO? I DID NOT.  Yes, we have a Full Moon happening in China. How very spooky!

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This zombie gets tired of acting scary and jumps in the pool outside the market. And that’s pretty much the extent of these zombies’ creepiness. They pretty much just stand around gawking, or change into bathing suits and spend their time splish-splashing instead of attacking anyone.

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The next day, it’s back to skilling for these two. Hickory meets a (very pretty) lady at the Martial Arts Academy and has his first spar.

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“Excuse me, would you be so kind as to scratch my foot? Yes, right there. Thank you.”

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Kylee plays for the locals. They come about and dance a little bit, but very few offer any tips. Luckily, we’re going to come home with buckets of gems and metals from this trip, so I’m not too worried about money at the moment. (Although I just checked our funds and we’re at less than 1500 simoleons. Whoops.)

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With the help of Gabe’s Invigorating Elixirs and plenty of dried food, Hickory works his way steadily up through the levels of Martial Arts. He also breaks dozens of space rock blocks. We’re going to be rich when we get home! (Or at least a lot less poor.)

While in China, both Kylee and Hickory roll wishes to have another child. The house is already at 7 people, but that number may drop soon, and they both seem so eager to try...so I let them give it a go. Why not? This may as well be a belated honeymoon!

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On the fifth day of their “vacation”, Hickory returns to the academy––and maxes Martial Arts!

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Now that he’s got some time to kill, Hickory starts challenging opponents in ranked sparring matches. I doubt he has time to win a tournament before he has to go back to Riverview, but he rolls the 10,000 point wish, so why not give it a shot?

He gets really into his matches. He IS over-emotional.

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Before heading home, Hickory purchases a couple of useful items at the market for future adventures, including the cheapest camera. With that in his inventory, he now has the option to ask people to pose. Hickory asks Liang Yat Sen to pose as a ruse to get him of the weight machine that he intends to use. Even though I cancel the “ask to pose” action, Liang Yat Sen goes ahead and does a series of poses anyway. Including this sideways peace sign right on top of Hickory’s head.

“Hold still, man. There’s a bug in your hair. No, don’t move! I’m gonna chop it in half.”

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He keeps going. He also does this “I’m dying inside” fake smile, which is a little painful to watch.

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Well, I think this poor guy is glitched. He keeps on posing for hours.

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Several hours.

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I think this is my favorite.

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“I will now attempt to hypnotize you. You may start to feel a little...tingly.”

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The poor guy finally goes home around 9 pm. Bye, friend! Thanks for making me crack up for ten minutes straight!

By trip’s end, Kylee has reached level 7 of the piano skill. Not bad, but I was hoping for better. She’s still got a long way to go. At least she got 90% of the way to a level 1 visa, just like Ruby! *rolls eyes* And Hickory, after maxing Martial Arts, gets to level 8 of the athletic skill as well. This was a vacation well spent! Hickory has now maxed out his allowed vacation days (each sim is allowed 9), but Kylee will be able to travel for three more days in the future if she desires (and if anyone else in the family needs to travel).

Hickory and Kylee return home feeling closer than ever before.

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Maybe even a little too close.

[Beks]

Chapter 12 - Twice the Trouble

We begin our chapter with yet another stomach bug. Or...there could be another reason. Who knows. (The moodlet says “Unknown Causes.” Who am I to decide what that means?)

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Hickory ages up to adult mid-workout.

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Kylee serenades her darlings to sleep long after the rest of the house has gone to bed (she sat in the rocker half the day, so she’s well rested).

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I was about to write something along the lines of, Glen is such an attentive uncle! Look, he just scooped up Olive without even––

Oh.

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At any rate, it’s time for the twins to age up. Ruby is very pensive as she carries her *checks family tree* grandson to the cake. She’s now 30 days old––three days past the end of her life bar. This is very likely her last birthday party with the family.

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Alfie carries on the family tradition of Looking Exactly Like Gladsten. I don’t know if he really got anything from his mother––perhaps some aspect of his eyes, but the whole family seems to have those dark grey eyes, so it’s difficult to know exactly where they came from. In any case, Mr. Farmwell has some of the strongest genes I’ve ever seen!

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I think it makes more sense to introduce sims’ traits and favorites when you can actually see what they look like, so that’s my plan from now on. Alfie is a Loner and a Slob, and his favorites are indie music, sushi, and turquoise.

Next up is Olive.

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Well! Olive is all Kylee. One hundred percent. Look at that brow! Thank goodness for the hat that pushes her bangs down to cover her eyebrows a bit.

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Her sleepwear, of course, includes no hat. Here you can see her brow in all its glory. Lord have mercy on our souls.

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Olive is Easily Impressed and Brave, and she likes classical music, fish & chips, and yellow.

Oh by the way, you may have noticed in the birthday pictures––Kylee is pregnant again, with a baby conceived in China!

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Let’s see how Olive’s scary brow translates to the “trying to poop” face.

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Yep. Just as scary as I thought.

Gabe is about a dozen elixir-uses away from completing his LTW. He’ll be the first since Carmella (who is...oh right, his mother) to complete one.

“Uncle! How could you! I never said I WANTED to improve my logic skill!”

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Gabe spends the whole next 24 hours throwing elixirs at his family members––mostly Potent Bliss elixirs and Skill Boosters. Once his family is far happier and skillful than should be possible under the laws of physics, Gabe only has a couple more to go. The next day, with one last Invigorating Elixir, he completes his Lifetime Wish.

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Congrats, Gabe!

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Moments later, Gabe maxes the athletic skill while lifting weights upstairs.

“Wait, for real?!”

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I know, it’s hard to believe. But you did it! That’s two skills maxed for Hickory, and it would be a LTW if I’d been able to give him the one I wanted to. *sigh*

We interrupt this program for some toddler spam.

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I pretty much only have pictures of Olive on the potty, for some reason. Sorry, Olive.

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That night, Glen has his young adult birthday while having some Brain Freeze a la mode in a lonely corner of the Red Velvet Lounge. I intended to have him stay out past curfew, just for funsies, but I forgot he was going to age up anyway. You get away with it this time, Glen! And...every other time...in the future...

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Here’s our grown up kiddo. Glen is going to be a Private Investigator––an Evil one––and I did my best to make him look the part. (In actuality I’m a little scared of him, but I mean, that’s probably what he wants.) He rolls the Schmoozer trait, to go with his Perceptive, Evil, Light Sleeper, and Dislikes Children traits.

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Oh my goodness oh my goodness oh my goodness! Look who turns up in the night to meet her *checks family tree* great-grandchildren! Hello, Carmella darling.

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Carmella takes our little heir to the rocking chair. I CANNOT HANDLE THE CUTE.

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A couple hours later, Carmella returns little Alfie to his crib with a kiss. Alfie already wants her back.

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I wonder if he’ll ever see her again?

[Beks]

Chapter 13 - A Chapter Full Of Scary Creatures

Kylee wakes up at the crack of dawn and starts having contractions.

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Scariest. Face. Ever.

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Let's look more closely at that profile, yeah?

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Say hello to Koi Honeyheart! Man, this dynasty is full of boys so far.

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You know what might be even scarier than Kylee’s OMG-it’s-a-baby face? An evil investigator zooming through town on a flying vacuum.

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Glen registers as a Private Investigator. His first client is Sri MacDuff––technically Gabe’s boyfriend, although I confess, I pretty much completely forgot about him so the two of them haven’t seen each other in years. Oops.

“Hello, young man. I was wondering if you could tell me what became of my boyfriend. We started dating years ago, and he’s never contacted me since! It really is most mysterious.”

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That night––the night of the Full Moon––the twins age up to children.

Alfie goes first.

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Poor Olive has to age up under the shadow of her brother, who is in this moment attempting to sneak in before she ages up and steal candy from her. Fortunately, the sparkles hit just in time.

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Both kids age up in the same jammies, and Olive ages up without hair. To the mirror, before I pee myself in fear.

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Here’s Alfie, the Gladsten clone. He rolls the Evil trait. Yay!

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And here’s Olive. She rolls the Perceptive trait, which isn’t bad, I suppose. She’s one of the few sims I’ve ever had for whom this heavy-banged hairstyle is a blessing rather than a curse. (That brow is as terrifying as ever. If only she’d aged up to be Evil––at least it would’ve made sense with her face.)

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Soon after the birthday stuff ends, my camera pans over to the bathroom. Someone is dying. And it’s not Ruby or Gabe.

It’s...Bonehilda?!???

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Bonehilda can die???

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Okay then…? Bonehilda makes the creepiest ghost I’ve ever seen in the game, by a long shot. For once, I understand Gabe's reaction.

"I didn't think there was anything scarier than a skeleton maid! But there is! It's called A DEAD SKELETON GHOST MAID!"

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Once things settle down, I go to delete her coffin and buy a new Bonehilda (I never imagined I’d need more than one), but I cannot. Because her coffin is still in use. When I click on it, the option to "Dismiss Bonehilda" comes up. But of course nothing happens.

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Bonehilda, from the ground: “Don’t you dare. I might come back! You never know!”

Well, Bonehilda will just have to stay in the backyard until she decides to haunt the house. Maybe I’ll be able to dismiss her then, and start fresh with a new Hildie. This game is WEIRD.

This household is starting to be very overwhelming for me. At eight sims, we are a full house, and it’s hard to know what to do at any given moment. The weird thing is, we’re kind of in a limbo state––Generation Three is pretty much done with its requirements (and has earned me more points than any generation so far), but Generation Four is too young to start anything. And of course, we have both members of Generation Two, Ruby and Gabe, sticking around past the ends of their age bars.

So I ease up on the reins a little bit for a couple of days, at least until the twins’ teen birthday. Let’s see what everybody does when left to their own devices.

Alfie is a surprisingly good boy and entertains himself in the treehouse out back.

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Whoa, is that...Gator Wolff?? How are you stil a child?! The last time we saw him, he was doing homework after school with Ruby! That was decades ago!

“Yeah, I remember you as a baby, Mr. Middlemiss. You were annooooying.”

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Um, excuse me? What do you think you are doing?! Carmella bought those chairs! How dare you! Hickory, ask this boy to leave!

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Hey guys. Remember Gabe's Firecracker Tofu face? It got better.

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Kylee gets a Magical Makeover for the occasion of feeding baby Koi.

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Hickory sneaks outside and comes back inside a different hue. I always forget that I have a Magic Jelly Bean bush in the front yard. I don’t even know what it does, really. Apparently this is one of its capabilities. Honestly, Hickory, you’re good-looking no matter what your hue.

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The camera pans by itself again and my heart skips a beat, but it’s just Kylee aging up to adult.

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Are you kidding me?

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“I can hardly see my own face! Is this what growing old is like??”

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“What happened to you, Dad? Is it a phenomenon that can be recreated artificially and inflicted upon other sims at will?”

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You probably shouldn’t tell your son about the Magic Jelly Bean bush, Hickory. Let him figure it out for himself.