The Loveland Random Town Jump

[Trip]

I'm always shocked as to where Nico's looks take us next. He's a really cute kid though and the world needs a bumbling absent-minded villain.

[deedee_828]

Well, even if it's a different red, it still works for me!
 
From what I've read, even using NRaas mods for genetics, and setting a specific percentage from grandparents, there's always a slim possibility of toddlers aging up with a random hair color.

Ones that have never been been seen in the family even.

For Ophelia, I'd say it was her mother's red, tempered a bit with her father's dark hair, but that would be me rationalizing it!

But that's my story and I'm sticking to it! lol

[Beks]

I'm always shocked as to where Nico's looks take us next. He's a really cute kid though and the world needs a bumbling absent-minded villain.

He does have interesting looks, doesn't he? Turns out Ronny's and Josie's features mix kind of weirdly. I agree that he's a cutie, though. His facial expressions as a toddler still crack me up when I go back and look at them again.

Well, even if it's a different red, it still works for me!
 
From what I've read, even using NRaas mods for genetics, and setting a specific percentage from grandparents, there's always a slim possibility of toddlers aging up with a random hair color.

Ones that have never been been seen in the family even.

For Ophelia, I'd say it was her mother's red, tempered a bit with her father's dark hair, but that would be me rationalizing it!

But that's my story and I'm sticking to it! lol

Yeah, I've had a lot of Sims get random hair colors before--but I always thought it had to be a pre-existing color, either a default base game color or one that you've saved yourself. But this color is a totally new one that I've never seen before. Maybe it does have something to do with my NRaas mods. I love the idea of Ophelia's color being a combination of both parents' colors, but I don't know if that's possible. We can certainly pretend.

[Beks]

Chapter 116 - Cloud-Clad

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Nico welcomes you back to the Loveland Random Town Jump, and reminds you to be very afraid.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

He still tries to put on an innocent face most of the time. I mean, I'm not very convinced by that cheeky smile, but maybe Moira is.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Josie has reached level 8 in all four instruments. She starts learning compositions, because I always forget to do that. She's watched by a townie cat belonging to the GilsCarbo family. This kitty, named Fred, shows up on the lot one day and ends up staying for multiple days, hanging out with the Loveland cats and using the Loveland litterbox. I certainly don't mind, but the Lovelands are always "asking him to behave". (Does the game know that cats can't understand English?)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ophelia's toddlerhood goes by smoothly. When her daddy finally has a day off work, he takes her to the library to read some toddler books.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Even Aunt Ida adores her little niece. And steals candy from her. But mostly, she adores her.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Nico builds his relationship with his baby sister by playing peek-a-boo for hours on end. See, it's cute right now, but in reality he's getting practice in at scaring people.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Lydell spends his remaining days at home, since he lost his job when he died the first time. He contentedly watches all the TV he wants and cuddles with the cats.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

He lasts about three days. Then, just after midnight, he wakes from sleep for the last time.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

While Grim struggles to reap him from the bathroom next door, Lydell decides, for some reason, to go downstairs to die. He ends up disappearing in a waft of golden light at the bottom of the stairs. Goodbye for real this time, Lydell. Rest in peace.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Birthdays often follow deaths in this family. Ophelia takes one last ride in the stroller because, you know, it's so very far to her birthday cake.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Happy birthday, Ophelia!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

She refused to look at the camera, but anyway, Ophelia becomes an Angler. That's a new one!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Naturally, all she wants to do is learn to fish. She rides her bike into the hills and visits the fishing park, where she catches minnows and watches the wild horses go streaking by.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

It's a beautiful day to go to beautiful places. Since Josie can't seem to get any tips no matter where she plays, she starts just going to interesting places to practice her instruments with no regard for whether there are people there or not. She's a Loner anyway, so it's not like she minds the solitude.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Nico starts school and struggles through his homework. I think it takes him longer because he's Absent-Minded. Ida helps him as best she can. It's my hope that these two become close friends, since they're both Evil...but we'll see.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

All three of our young adults become adults the same evening. Josie goes first, still out at the park.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Then Ronny takes his turn, cheered on by the most involved paparazzi ever. I think this guy is trying to live vicariously through the Lovelands and pretend he's a playable.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

A few hours later, Ida ages up after finishing her shift at the criminal warehouse.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Only her coworker, Franco Bianchi, is there to cheer for her. Ida is so overwhelmed with the excitement of the moment that she plants a kiss on him. Naughty girl, Ida! (Franco's a married man, but he's also Ida's best friend, and the two are very attracted to each other. Plus they're both criminals. Plus there are literally no single men in this town. Plus Ida is Evil. So like, what else would you have her do?)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Now that Nico and Ophelia are both school-aged, it's time to start spouse-hunting! Hooray! Saturday afternoon is the perfect time to throw a slumber party. A handful of townie kids come over and start enjoying the toys in the courtyard.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I find Josie upstairs at the bar, making a tray of quick drinks and...crying?

"There are just...so...many...KIDS! I d-don't know what to d-do!"

Make drinks and hide, Josie! You're doing exactly the right thing!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Honestly, it's hard to keep track of who's who in Monte Vista. All the kids look similar with their dark brown hair and olive complexions. I played this yesterday and I don't even remember this girl's name. But I know she and Nico spend a good couple hours in the sandbox together.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Most kids at this party are boys. Have I mentioned that about fifteen babies have been born since our arrival in Monte Vista, and only FOUR of them are girls?? Ophelia has infinite choice when it comes to future partners. Nico only has, like, two (that are close to his age). Anyway, here are two of the many boys. They spend the whole party doing their homework very seriously on one of the upstairs patios.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

This boy is notable because he's wearing cloud pajamas. Cloud-clad Ophelia simply must seesaw with him.

The party ends in the middle of the night, for some reason, and everybody goes home at random times. I don't think we really got anywhere in terms of spouse hunting, but least Nico and Ophelia have made some acquaintances. The hunt will start in earnest once these two age up to teen. Which is soon!

[hazelnut]

I think Ophelia's hair is probably one of the standard random colours - not the colours in the CAS palette but ones that regularly turn up randomly.  There are at least five: the darker and lighter greeny-browns that we all love to hate, a pale blonde (which may be Lydell's and Nico's colour, although it's not turned up in one of my games for a while, so I'm not sure).  Then there's a very dark black.  That's the only one where I know the RGB colour code: it's 60/60/60 for all four components of the hair colour (main body, roots, tips and highlights).  I used to think of that one as 'Landgraab black' because the first two Sims I saw with it were younger siblings of Malcolm in different games - but it's turned up in many other contexts since.  It's just resurfaced in my current immortal dynasty.  And there's also a red-brown, which I think is probably Ophelia's colour.

[Beks]

I think Ophelia's hair is probably one of the standard random colours - not the colours in the CAS palette but ones that regularly turn up randomly.  There are at least five: the darker and lighter greeny-browns that we all love to hate, a pale blonde (which may be Lydell's and Nico's colour, although it's not turned up in one of my games for a while, so I'm not sure).  Then there's a very dark black.  That's the only one where I know the RGB colour code: it's 60/60/60 for all four components of the hair colour (main body, roots, tips and highlights).  I used to think of that one as 'Landgraab black' because the first two Sims I saw with it were younger siblings of Malcolm in different games - but it's turned up in many other contexts since.  It's just resurfaced in my current immortal dynasty.  And there's also a red-brown, which I think is probably Ophelia's colour.

You're probably right! Thank you for sharing your in-depth research. I'm very familiar with the greeny brown, as we all are, and if I'd remembered it in my earlier post, maybe I'd have realized that it disproved my theory about random hairs only being "saved" hairs. The pale blonde you mentioned seems to show up a lot in my games (and seemingly replaced Gracie's whiter blonde a few generations back). I never thought that it might just be a standard random color. It all makes sense now! It'll be interesting to see, if Ophelia has kids (I haven't chosen the heir yet), whether any of them inherit her color, or if the Lancaster red comes back. Or something else entirely.

[Beks]

Note to my lovely readers: I'm back in graduate school for the fall semester, so chapter updates will be a bit less frequent for a while. (Posting almost every day all summer was fun, but um, not super practical.) We're not too far from the end of the Lovelands' story (only two towns left!), so I shall push through and post as much as I can in my severely shrunken spare time. Thanks as always for reading and commenting, y'all.


Chapter 117 - Mixing It Up


 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

The weekend is a pleasant time for all. Ronny takes his kids to the beach for a fishing lesson. (As in, Ophelia teaches her dad and brother how to fish. She's the only one with any skill so far.)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Josie finds yet another beautiful spot in the countryside to practice guitar. How many screenshots do I have of Josie playing instruments in various outdoor locations? Way too many.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

And Ida takes up her old teenage hobby of smashing sandcastles. Yes, it's a lovely, relaxing weekend for everyone.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

That's not all the naughty business Ida gets up to. She's carrying on a bit of an affair with her coworker, Franco. So far, they haven't been discovered (possibly because Franco and his wife don't seem to be getting along very well - I get frequent notifications that they had another argument).

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

After the not-so-successful slumber party last chapter, one guest still remains. Shamika Taylor-Modena stays on the lot long after the party ends, playing on all the toys in the courtyard and generally making herself at home. I think her PlantSim hair is super adorable. Hmm, maybe she's got a crush on Nico?

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Well, she's gonna have to wait a bit, because Nico is growing up.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Oh, lordy. Did he HAVE to age up looking like the creepy paparazzi? Get to the mirror, man, quick!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I tried just about every hairstyle in the game, and nothing looked quite right on this kid. So, weird spiky mullet thing it is. Nico, who's already Evil, Absent-Minded, and a Lover of the Outdoors, adds Irresistible to his fascinating personality. Yeah. This is going to go well. I don't think I've ever played with this trait before, actually.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

You know how birthdays always follow deaths this generation? Well, we're mixing it up, folks! This time, it's the other way around.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Moira passes away just shy of 100 days old. After maxing many skills and topping a tough career, not to mention raising a beautiful family, Moira is more than ready for a well-deserved rest. Rest in peace, Moira dear.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Grim sticks around after the death, long enough to have some sort of hush-hush conversation with Josie. You'd think a goth enthusiast like Josie would be thrilled to chat with death. Instead, she turns away from him with this look of seething boredom. It's a beautiful thing.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Now it's just the younger generations left in the household. Luckily, Nico and Ophelia get along surprisingly well. Ophelia hardly ever leaves the sandbox, and Nico often joins her there.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

He's also started actually building a relationship with his mother that extends beyond diaper changes and ritual greetings. Josie is visibly relieved to have a child who's...you know...no longer a child.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ida starts bonding with Nico, too--in her own way. (Nico is the one who rolled the wish to learn the athletic skill. You asked for it, kiddo!)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

All three adults are in the midst of midlife crises right now, but Josie seems to have it the worst. The poor thing spends every spare moment moaning dramatically in front of the mirror. Darling, you dress like a teenager in 2008, but less cringey. You're NEVER going to look old.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ida reaches the top of the criminal career in what is perhaps record time, at least for me. You can't see it very well in this terrible screenshot, but she's clutching her heart and sobbing over her mother's death.

"Mom, if only you could have lived to see me supersede everything you worked for in your morally upright career."

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I completely forgot about this aspect of the criminal career, but now that she's Empress of Evil, Ida has this lovely red glow that follows her everywhere. She and Nico get along famously, of course (not necessarily hindered by her choice of pajamas), but Ronny, being Good, suddenly can't stand his sister-in-law. Which is really tragic, honestly, because they were best friends from childhood.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Zuko ages up to elder and completely shatters my sense of time. Wasn't he a kitten just two seconds ago?! We need to get this boy a mate...

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ophelia has one more night as a child. Ronny helpfully uses the last bedtime story to teach his daughter about photography. Thanks, Ronny. Where did you even get that skill book?

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

That night, Moira haunts for the first time--and is the FIRST SIM EVER to actually stop and watch Josie play an instrument. *sobs* Now that's a supportive mother. She even tips Josie a couple hundred simoleons, earning Josie her first ever paycheck.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Moira even sticks around long enough to see Ophelia age up in the morning.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Happy birthday, Ophelia!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I guess this is the official Loveland hairstyle now.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

She's looking more and more like her mum, isn't she? Josie's new trait is Dog Person. She's got quite the random combination of traits. (Her other ones are Grumpy, Disciplined, and Angler.)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

It's getting down to choose-the-heir-already time. Nico is so not ready for the smackdown.

[Trip]

School comes first, don't be the student I was! (my time on this forum started with college good LORD) Nico will get to make more faces if he's the heir but absent-minded sims are also annoying.

Some of my favorite sim kids got the plantsim hair to begin with but we also know that Nico's running low on options.

[Beks]

School comes first, don't be the student I was! (my time on this forum started with college good LORD) Nico will get to make more faces if he's the heir but absent-minded sims are also annoying.

Some of my favorite sim kids got the plantsim hair to begin with but we also know that Nico's running low on options.

Oh gosh. I was in college during the golden days of Sims 3, and I am so glad I hadn't discovered the game yet. I would have died. Or...my grades would have.

[Beks]

Chapter 118 - Irresistible

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

*kick*

Sorry, I couldn't think of a better caption. Other than "Ophelia can now start learning martial arts because she's a teenager and she's Disciplined". Which isn't very exciting.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Since Zuko is now an elder kitty, it's high time we found him a mate to bring in the next generation of kittens. Fortunately, Keira and Tina's cats have been very busy lately. Josie heads over to give a concert no one asked for see if there are any eligible kitties to take home.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Zuko takes a liking to one little lady in particular.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

The adorable kitten joins the family and is named Mai. She has the Neat and Genius traits. I think she'll make a fine mother for Zuko's kittens - once she ages up, of course.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Now, an important task is at hand: spouse hunting. Nico hosts a sleepover that weekend and invites all the teens he knows in Monte Vista. There are quite a lot of them.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

In this screenshot, you see Nico's only two options for female spouses at this point. On the left is Shamika Taylor-Modena (the girl who stayed after the last sleepover; sadly, she grew out of her PlantSim hair); on the right is Michell Lombardi-Haynes. (In the back there is the first guy that Ophelia shares attraction with, Carl Almeria.)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I've had Shamika in mind for Nico for quite a while, partially because she has the Insane trait. But when she starts interacting with Nico at this party, things go south very quickly. Nico wants nothing to do with her ramblings and funny sound effects. He rudely shuts her down every time.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Oooh, I like the look of this guy! This is Abram GilsCarbo, younger brother to Goopy and actual genetic jackpot.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Turns out he's kind of a jerk, though. He does nothing but yell at Nico for half the evening. I don't know why.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

All in all, this party turns out to be a bit of a mess. See how everybody looks vaguely miserable? All the teens get into arguments and turn down each other's attempts at conversation. Apparently everybody in this town has some sort of social problem. Maybe it's because they all grew up with parents who hid behind sunglasses 24/7? That's my theory.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Even though this party consists of zero children, Josie appears distinctly uncomfortable. She just sort of drifts around looking stressed. I'm starting to think Josie is my spirit animal.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ophelia is attracted to two guys at this party--Carl Almeria, already seen, and the droopy-eyed Zackary Perri-Ferrari. She gets to talk to Zackary before he ends the interaction and goes back to Josie's grand piano, where he's been plunking away all night. He seems more interested in playing moody music than talking to girls.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

To sum up this grand evening, here's a shot of our two most promising spouses (once upon a time, anyway) fighting with each other for no reason. *sigh* This is just not going as planned.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Bedtime hits and Josie can finally go about the house in her nightie and play with the cats in peace. This might be the worst spouse hunting party ever. The whole thing happened outside the front door, and everybody just yelled the whole time! I'm not too worried for Ophelia, since there are so many guys out there - she hasn't even met them all yet, and she's got two full weeks before her young adult birthday. Nico is the one I'm concerned about. After he showed clear distaste in Shamika and didn't even bother talking to Michell (who left the party early), I'm starting to wonder if he'll find love at all.

Late that night, I get a notification about a birthday. A girl named Ada Rossi has just aged up to teen - too late to come to the party, but not too late to meet Nico! It just so happens that they're already almost friends from school, too.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Nico invites her out to the park.

Ada is so excited to talk to Nico, the sweet thing.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

"Oh my gosh, HI! Wow, I haven't seen you since you aged up. Now we're both so much better looking! Um, I mean - you're better looking. I...yeah."

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Yup, just after their initial greeting, Ada flirts right off the bat. It could be Nico's Irresistible trait. Or it could be real love at first sight.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Speaking of that Irresistible trait, Nico autonomously puts it to use and gives Ada a fancy wink.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

You guys, I'm dying over here. I can't. I just can't.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

These two proceed to flirt and talk and giggle autonomously for the rest of the morning. Ada's wildly excited expressions win me over 100%. Quick, Nico, ask her to prom!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

He does. And just a few hours later, he's ready to hit the limo in his smashing tux.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ophelia's going too, of course. I don't have high hopes that she'll find a romantic interest at prom...but we'll see.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ada doesn't show up to catch the limo. But that's okay, because the paparazzi lady is here to...ahem...insert herself into the festivities.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

It's a wonderful prom for Nico. Ada asks him to go steady and kisses him under the spotlight (satisfying his own wish to kiss her for the first time). He also wins prom king. Ophelia is voted prom queen, but other than that she just gets into fights over things like spilled punch and somebody wearing the same dress as her. Poor girl.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

So Nico's future spouse is sealed, and I couldn't be happier about it. Ophelia's future remains more uncertain. And Ida goes to Keira's house for dinner and ends up with a bowl of green slime stuck to her hand. You can't have everything, you know. Except a bowl of green slime.

[deedee_828]

Congrats Nico and Ada!
I'm sure Ophelia will find a partner with all the time she has as a teen still.
And Mai is super adorable!

Glad to see you got in another chapter even with grad school taking precedence.

[Trip]

What a surprise with Ada, mostly because I like her a little better than the other two girls. I think my favorite of the boys was Zackary because he looks very friendly with those droopy eyes. Depending on how friendly you want the heirs to look though!

Anyways I'm glad I get to drink the tears of Zuko x Katara shippers yet again. Mai was the goth girlfriend I wished I had. And now a cute kitten.

[hazelnut]

Don't worry about updates: real life comes first.  Your readers will still be here.  Well, that is assuming our own real lives don't get in the way .

Glad to see Nico's still pulling faces .

Paparazzi standing in the prom taxi's a new one.  Weird.

[Beks]

Congrats Nico and Ada!
I'm sure Ophelia will find a partner with all the time she has as a teen still.
And Mai is super adorable!

Glad to see you got in another chapter even with grad school taking precedence.

Thanks deedee! Finding Ophelia a partner is proving to be surprisingly difficult, considering there are about 97 eligible boys around town.

What a surprise with Ada, mostly because I like her a little better than the other two girls. I think my favorite of the boys was Zackary because he looks very friendly with those droopy eyes. Depending on how friendly you want the heirs to look though!

Anyways I'm glad I get to drink the tears of Zuko x Katara shippers yet again. Mai was the goth girlfriend I wished I had. And now a cute kitten.

I was surprised too, and I definitely like Ada better than the other two girls (who both gave me catty high schooler vibes).

Haha...if only I'd arranged things so Zuko and Katara could've been mates. (I'm a former hardcore Zutara shipper but now I'm trying really hard to see the light. Largely due to a new respect for Mai now that I'm a cynical adult instead of a hyper teenager.)

Don't worry about updates: real life comes first.  Your readers will still be here.  Well, that is assuming our own real lives don't get in the way .

Glad to see Nico's still pulling faces .

Paparazzi standing in the prom taxi's a new one.  Weird.

Thanks, hazelnut Nico's faces are my favorite thing about this generation.

And yeah, I don't know what the paparazzi was doing there. They're usually drifting about the house right up in everybody's business due to the open walls and archways; they hardly ever leave the lot. This one must have followed the teens out to the limo and gotten stuck.

[Beks]

Chapter 119 - Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy

Phew, it's been a while! Okay, let's catch up.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

It's already time for Mai to leave kittenhood and enter cathood.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Yikes. Is this what a goth cat looks like? Spooky.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ronny has kind of been in the background recently, but he's doing well. This picture is supposed to signify that he completes his Lifetime Wish of becoming a Creature-Robot Cross Breeder. Congrats, Ronny!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Josie is close to maxing all her instruments. An exciting event occurs one day in the form of a real, actual jam session at one of the gardens across town. She and Jalissa Rivers play together for hours and even make a few tips! That's a big deal in this extremely quiet town.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Josie and Ida have a continuously wholesome relationship. For every scare Ida pulls on her sister, she makes up for it with anywhere from three to five pillow fights.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Nico and Ada are full-on dating now. They're quite possibly the cutest couple yet in this whole Random Town Jump, mostly because of the faces they make.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

After school one day, Nico brings Zackary Perry-Ferrari home. Since Ophelia still has no leads in the husband hunt, I consider this a perfect opportunity for Zackary and Ophelia to get to know each other.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

It, uh...it doesn't go very well. And I don't think Ophelia's B.O. has anything to do with it. Turns out Zackary has a bit of a volatile personality. When I originally wrote this, I forgot what his negative trait was. I just went back in and checked, and it's Diva. Goodness, how could I forget?

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

"So, Zack my man! What do you think of my sister? She's on the hunt for a spouse, you see, and--"

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

"NICO. Shut. Up. I don't need your help 'spouse hunting'. Besides, I already know that Zackary's insufferable."
"Hey!"

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

"I was just trying to help..."

The rest of the evening with Zackary continues to go downhill. He sticks around after Nico and Ophelia have gone to bed, and that's when a certain Evil aunt finds him.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

"YOU! You rejected my niece's advances when she's under time constraints to find a husband! I should have you drawn and quartered!"

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

"I just don't like her that way, okay? Back off."

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

THEN HE SLAPS HER. I knew Divas were...challenging, but I didn't know they were THIS challenging.

Ida's not one to just sit back and take a punch, though.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

"You want a piece of this contorted bosom? Well, HERE! COME AND GET IT!"

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

This whole situation makes me really uncomfortable. You know, Ida assaulting a minor and all, even if he did act first. But then Zackary goes and makes it all the more disturbing.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Dear Zackary, you're officially out of the running for spouse because YOU SCARE ME. Sincerely, me.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

For some reason this whole encounter sets Ida on a bit of an Evil streak. She's a pretty tame Evil Sim overall, at least until she discovers the megaphone in her inventory. (That megaphone has been passed down from Shantell, and I've been waiting for somebody to remember it's there and start doing wacky things with it for generations. I should've known it'd be Ida.)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ophelia's search for a life partner continues. I legit don't remember this boy's name. (I just checked! It's Aubrey Rivers-Moretti.) But anyway, he agrees to meet Ophelia at the park on the weekend to get to know her a little.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

He doesn't respond well to Ophelia's first attempts at flirting. I'm about to dismiss him as yet another discard when Ophelia rolls her first romantic wish ever. Specifically, she wishes to kiss Aubrey for the first time! Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

But before I can be jubilant (and hesitantly so, cuz this guy does have a girlfriend already), I'm pulled back to the home lot, where Grim has come for Katara.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I almost break into tears when Katara gets into the pounce position at Grim's feet. I remember the first time I saw her in some forgotten family's front yard in Starlight Shores, and all she did was pounce on Boba over and over and over.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Oh, my sweet Katara. You beautiful pouncy girl. I'll miss you so. Rest in peace, my darling.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

With Katara gone, the remaining cats go into deep mourning. At least they have each other.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I mean, they REALLY have each other. New kittens are on the way!