The Loveland Random Town Jump

[Beks]

I love all the toddler spam! McKenna is adorable! Colin and Cathleen look cute in their scout uniforms even if Colin looks less than enthused. And the kittens will be hard to choose from. Though I was never able to get the 'ask to adopt a pet' in the households I wanted them from! But....I've recently discovered MC>add sim that can be used on any households lot or home, even your active family, to add whatever sim or pet, you want to! Just a hint if 'ask to adopt pet' doesn't work for you! Another thing I read about is that the percentage for getting stung goes up dramatically on your active lot and for elders! So poor Gracie may want to hand over bee keeping to a younger family member so she can be in a good mood when she meets Grim!
I got a warming that a new reply had been posted and I might want to review my own. Turns out I was too late on the bees and elders hint---but maybe you can use it down the road. RIP Gracie. You will be missed.

I haven't had good luck with the neighborhood pet adoption system either, so I'll definitely need to use MC if I decide to adopt one of Miley's kittens. Of course I forgot about it for a few days and they're not kittens anymore...but we'll see.

I had no idea about the likelihood of getting stung. I thought I just forgot to have Gracie smoke the box or something. Good to know! Felicity and Francisco are the beekeepers now that Gracie is passed, and they're almost elders themselves, so I'll keep that in mind.

[Beks]

Chapter 30 - Moderate Mayhem

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Welcome back to the Loveland home. Breathe. Look at these fish. Relax. De-stress. After the mayhem of last chapter, we all need to take a moment of zen. Ahhhhh. Yes. Good.

Okay, that's enough. It's time for some moderate mayhem. Moderate.

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Diana ages up to an adult and does NOT get a midlife crisis. That's because she is a well-adjusted and responsible lady who don't need no fancy cars or fancy man.

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Soon after, Diana gets promoted to level 6 of the Law Enforcement career and chooses the Super Spy track. Her new uniform, as an Undercover Specialist, is this. A nightgown and bare feet. What exactly is she going undercover as? A newly pregnant townie?

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I'm confused as to why Ralston still eats her food lying down as a ghost. Also why she eats food at all. Also why she doesn't visit more often. I MISS YOU, RALSTON.

The twins will be aging up to teen soon.

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"Cathleen, what trait do YOU want for your birthday? I want something that will help me be more evil, like Dad. Maybe Insane or something!"
"I'd rather just get a car."

Aww, such a Vehicle Enthusiast.

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Once again, the Loveland kiddos are having a triple birthday. Mckenna goes first while her older siblings are at school.

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She ages up with PlantSim hair and I just about die laughing.

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She's growing into such a lovely little lady! Mckenna gets the very exciting Light Sleeper trait. So now, she's anxious all the time and ALSO doesn't get enough sleep. Poor thing. At least her blue eyes and favorite color (violet) make her really fun to dress.

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Her first real wish is to learn logic. She spends the rest of the day sitting by the window with a logic book.

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Everybody's learning logic these days. Francisco and Felicity both need it for their careers, so they spend many hours playing each other in chess between work shifts.

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After school that day, it's time for the twins to age up! Colin, the eldest, goes first.

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Mckenna is already afraid for what this boy's trait is going to be.

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Cathleen goes next and gets the extra-fancy sunset shot.

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Colin gets his wish (in a way) and becomes Charismatic, the perfect trait for an aspiring Evil leader. (He doesn't have the Emperor of Evil Lifetime Wish just yet...but if I had to guess right now, I'd say that's in his future.) Also, can you tell I recently went on a shopping spree in the Sims 3 store? Well, I did. Good thing Colin looks fabulous in eccentric clothes and hair.

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Cathleen gets an interesting trait of her own. She's now a Kleptomaniac! She and Colin have become quite the dangerous duo.

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Sometimes I forget that Colin is just Evil, not Evil and Insane. He just...acts so Insane sometimes.

With his son almost a man, Francisco decides it's time to take the lad under his wing and begin teaching him the ways of Evil.

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"Welcome, my son, to teenhood. You can cause much chaos during these years if you only set your mind to it."
"Great, can you tell me how you scam your clients at the gypsy wagon?"
"At the--what?! I don't scam my clients! Who told you that?!"

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That Evilness sure is coming out, though. One of Colin's first autonomous actions as a teen is to go upstairs and mock his Aunt Diana's outfit. Which is lingerie.

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"Oh, I'm going to have SO much fun arresting you when you're old enough!"
"For what, criticizing your underwear?"
"YES!"

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Gross. Anyway...Cathleen is proving to be a nicer person thus far. She voluntarily tucks her little sister into bed. The wrong bed, of course, but hey. These two are super cute together.

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And the next morning, off they all go to their first day of school. Go forth, younglings! Go forth and meet some spouses!

[Beks]

Chapter 31 - Marvelous

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Cathleen starts the spouse hunt without my help on her very first day by going over to Arthur Landgraab's after school. He's growing up to be a pleasant-looking fellow, eh?

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Once they arrive at the Landgraab estate, however, things quickly go south. Cathleen kind of attacks Malcolm Arthur out of the blue by mocking his ignorance.

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Then she lets out a roaring belch right in Arthur's face.

"We do not--ahem--belch here on Summer Hill Court, Miss Loveland. I do not wish to report your behavior to my mother and father, but if you continue, I may have to do so."

Meanwhile, Colin isn't having much better luck. He regularly pops wishes to spend time with Marla Ursine (who is unfortunately still bald, the poor thing), but whenever he tries to invite her over, she's busy or doesn't feel like coming.

Colin's other best friend Shantell Alto is always available to hang out, though. (My mouth malfunctions every time I try to say her full name.)

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Shantell comes from a challenging gene pool--I've never had any desire to get an Alto in the family and have even actively avoided them in the past. But when she comes into the Loveland house for the first time, she has this adorable interaction with the plant in the foyer and pretty much wins my heart.

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"Hmmm. What do I think of you, plant?"

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"I know. You are MARVELOUS!"

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"Stunning! Acrobatic! Flourishing! Dynamic! If I could put you in a golden pot and display you on the steps of Versailles, I would!"

I think she's Avant Garde.

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Shantell isn't the most stunning Sim ever, and honestly, I'm a little afraid of what those Alto features will do if blended into the family. Still...there is something oddly cute about her. Plus, she and Colin are great friends, and she responds well when he tries a flirt or two.

Best of all, after Shantell goes home for the night, Colin has a wish to go on a date with her. Hooray! One of my Sims is showing actual romantic interest in someone! I thought this day would never come!

The next evening, Colin asks Shantell to meet him at the diner, which in retrospect was a terrible idea because there's no outdoor lighting whatsoever.

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It doesn't matter, though. The date goes poorly from the start. It doesn't even get to the point where it becomes a date. Shantell's Avant-Garde-ness takes over and she starts mocking Colin's outfit. You mean the same outfit he was wearing yesterday? When you flirted with him? That outfit?

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The date is over in a matter of moments and Colin is visibly bummed. He really wanted it to go well, the poor boy.

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Awww, don't worry, Colin. Things will work out for you, I promise. (This boy's facial expressions make me laugh so much.)

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Since that didn't go well, Colin tries again with his original interest, Marla. He manages to get her to come over after her shift ends the next day. (And I manage to sneak her into CAS purely to give her some hair.) Marla is really quite pretty, and she immediately starts playing with Ladybug, which is a great way to win my approval.

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However, Marla has some of the most boring traits imaginable. She's a Light Sleeper, a Virtuoso, Easily Impressed, and Frugal. Sorry girl, but *yawn*. Speaking of yawning, she falls asleep ten minutes after arriving by rolling out her sleeping bag and plopping down in front of the dishwasher. I can't decide if this is adorable or concerningly weird.

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Marla snoozes the evening away (until 2 am, to be precise), and Colin contentedly does his homework at the table as Marla's Zs drift upward in the background.

The rest of the week is spent trying to figure out what the twins want in their love lives, and testing the waters with various townies. Colin spends more time with both Marla and Shantell; they've all been best friends since elementary school, though, so in a sense no progress is made because there's none left to be made. Colin still has that unsatisfied wish to go on a date with Shantell, but other than that, he shows no particular romantic desires.

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Cathleen is getting nowhere at all. Every time she gets together with a guy, she just lets loose insulting and mocking him. I have no idea where this comes from, because Cathleen is Friendly; her only "bad" trait is Kleptomaniac, and I'm not aware of that having such an effect on friendly interactions. Poor Dereck Hart here gets invited over by a cute girl only to have his ignorance berated.

Since the twins are having some difficulties...how is our little Mckenna doing?

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Ah.

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Mckenna is actually more afraid of Bonehilda than any other Sim I've played. She's so afraid that instead of merely running out of the room, she runs OFF THE LOT and takes off down the street on her bicycle! After dark! Wearing her pajamas!

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Mckenna rides around the block and then takes off running into some space between houses. Where on earth could she be going--?

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Oh.

I get it now. You see, the Lovelands' home lot is weird because half of it is on a plateau of sorts, and half of it is, well, not. So to get to the "backyard", Sims have to literally run around to the parallel street to enter it from the back. Mckenna is simply escaping to the backyard here.

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With that mystery solved, let's get back to the twins. Friday night is prom! I have high hopes for this prom. Both twins have several friends and best friends, many of whom are (somehow) still single.

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Come on, prom. Work your magic! Pair these teens up with their soulmates!

The prom ends up being so lame it's almost not worth mentioning. The twins are crowned Prom King and Queen, but other than that, nothing interesting happens. They don't even get into any fights!

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In other news, Gracie has taken to haunting the kitchen where she died and breaking the appliances without cleaning up after herself. Come on, Gracie! Are you Neat or not?

"I am dead. Neatness does not matter anymore. Nothing does."

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To end this chapter, here's a picture I can't think of a caption for.

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And a bonus picture of Felicity getting stung by bees.

[deedee_828]

Wonderfully funny photos! Made me laugh out loud! FYI: The only time I've had prom pair up teens is when they asked someone to prom and then during the prom that boy or girl asks them to go steady. Otherwise just fights and being rejected for dances, and other awful things. Like one sims imaginary friend doll stalking her at prom as a sim, only to glitch out and never show up in her inventory again! (not a bad thing really)

[Beks]

Wonderfully funny photos! Made me laugh out loud! FYI: The only time I've had prom pair up teens is when they asked someone to prom and then during the prom that boy or girl asks them to go steady. Otherwise just fights and being rejected for dances, and other awful things. Like one sims imaginary friend doll stalking her at prom as a sim, only to glitch out and never show up in her inventory again! (not a bad thing really)

Ooooh. That explains a lot! I didn't think to have the twins ask anybody to prom, because I was hoping the game would choose among multiple options for them. Oh well. Hopefully I remember this in the next town!

[Beks]

Chapter 32 - Mixed Feelings

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We're about halfway through the twins' teen years, and Cathleen still hasn't found a spark in any of the guys she's met. I start to wonder if there's another reason for this, not just chance. So one day, I go in and take a look at Cathleen's gender preference in Master Controller. I didn't expect to find an answer here, but what do you know! There is. Cathleen's male preference? -1. Her female preference? 2! She's not even into guys at all! No wonder she wasn't hitting it off with any of them.

Cathleen needs to meet some girls, stat. Most of the teens in town seem to be boys, so I have to be strategic. Luckily, there is one house we need to visit anyway, to check up on a certain litter of kittens.

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Cathleen pays a visit to the Andrews home, where Otis, Maya, and Nona, Obi's kittens, are now adult cats and doing very well. Otis and mama Miley come to greet Cathleen at the door. Look, he inherited his daddy's mustache!

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The cats play around Cathleen's feet as she gets to know Bobbi Andrews, now a teen. There's no initial attraction between them or anything. I have no idea if Bobbi even likes girls.

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They become friends, and Cathleen throws out a couple of flirty interactions, which Bobbi receives well. But no romantic wishes are popped and Bobbi has to leave after just a few hours. At least Cathleen didn't start insulting Bobbi within five seconds like she has with every other teen she's met. We'll have to see where this goes over the next few days.

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While Cathleen is scoping out the Andrews home, Colin makes one last attempt to go on that date with Shantell Alto. It's still the only romantic wish he's ever had. And since it's the weekend, we must take advantage!

I'm happy to say that the date goes swimmingly.

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"Shantell, I really like you. I know you have mixed feelings about my outfits and stuff, but..."
"Oh Colin, I'm so Avant-Garde, I have mixed feelings about my OWN outfits. Just because you dress like a drunk 19th century courtesan doesn't mean I don't like you back."

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"Well, good."

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Colin asks Shantell to go steady just as a very pregnant Sandi French-Bunch (lol) gets pommeled by a football in the background. (Arlo Bunch is a rather inexperienced father.) Hooray, we have a future spouse!

And what about Mckenna, you ask? The spouse hunting continues, even for young Mckenna. Agnes Crumplebottom throws a lot of parties, shockingly, and I make a point of sending at least one Loveland to each of her get-togethers. Why?

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Because she has a cute son, of course! This is Alejandro Crumplebottom, son of Agnes and Xander Clavell. (A winning combo, in my experience. See: Gladys Kindle.)

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"Do you think he's okay, Dad? I've had 'Friendly Introduction' in my action queue for ten minutes and he hasn't moved."
"He probably just needs to finish all his homework first."
"ALL of it?!"

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"I'll be downstairs, kiddo. If he doesn't respond by midnight, holler for me."

It takes a while, and Mckenna has to follow him into the bathroom which always makes me squeamish, but Alejandro does eventually come out of his studious stupor and say hello.

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"Hello. *YAWN* It's my bed time now. I'll see you at school, Mckenna."

What a nice boy.

The very next day, Bobbi Andrews comes home with Colin on the bus after school. A perfect opportunity to try things out with Cathleen again!

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...Oh dear. Cathleen tries one flirty interaction and Bobbi flips out on her, revealing that she has actually acquired a boyfriend in the last 24 hours. Dang, I really thought we had something here!

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I'm starting to doubt whether Cathleen will be able to find love in this town. Maybe there's someone waiting in the next one to sweep her off her feet. Let's all keep our fingers crossed for her!

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Let's check in with the rest of the family. Felicity is doing pretty well in her music career. She finally gets to choose the Symphonic branch and gets to wear a decent work outfit. Always a cause for celebration.

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Diana is the more accomplished career woman, reaching level 9 of the law enforcement career and getting this really awesome getup. That nightgown is a thing of the past!

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Colin doesn't approve, though.

"How DARE you wear snazzy glasses! I'm snazzy glasses guy!" *SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP*

Yeah, Colin and Diana do not get along. At all. Their relationship is in the red now and only getting redder.

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All too quickly, Mckenna's birthday rolls around. We're going to have three teenagers in the house!

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Do you think she'll grow up to look just like her sister and aunt and mother? I think the odds are pretty high, but that's just me.

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"Nobody look at me. I have helmet hair."

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Mckenna rolls the Eccentric trait. I haven't played an inventor in ages! This should be interesting.

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"Fellow clones! Hello!"

I mean, she's not EXACTLY like them, but pretty close.

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Now that she's a teenager, Mckenna's Neurotic trait is the one that emerges full-force.

The poor thing. Her grandfather upgraded the dishwasher for silent running, but then it broke beyond repair and had to be replaced. No one has ever minded as much as Mckenna.

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"Ugh, that noise! I Mckannot stand it!"

Sorry. I had to make that joke at least once.

[Beks]

Chapter 33 - Of Corsets & Eyebrows

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"So, Mckenna. You're a teenager now, like us. What do you say we throw you a party to celebrate?"

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"My first teen slumber party? How can I say no!"

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"My house. One hour. Bring all the single guys you know. And...maybe a few girls, too. Just...bring everyone."

Colin understands our situation thoroughly. Smart guy.

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Within the hour, as requested, the guys start showing up. They dash past the university mascot who's been standing out there like a lost puppy since dinnertime.

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A few familiar faces turn up, but also plenty of new ones. Yes, hello, young man! Where the HECK are your eyebrows?!

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Mckenna, Neurotic though she is, seems genuinely excited to meet some new people.

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I leave her alone in the foyer for about two seconds, and when I come back, she's talking to the eyebrow-less guy who's...actually pretty good-looking. And no wonder! This is Rory Jolina-McGraw. I've always thought Stiles McGraw is pretty good-looking and wondered what his kids might look like. Well.

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Rory is positively smitten with Mckenna. He starts flirting with her the second he meets her, and she happily flirts right back.

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He also, to my delight, has some truly hilarious facial expressions. I don't know what he's freaking out about here, but I hope he never stops.

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Mckenna still goes around and dutifully introduces herself to several of the guys, just to keep her options open. This is Dejuan McIrish-Langerak, son of River McIrish and Parker Langerak. Isn't he handsome? He even makes the mohawk look good.

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Ooh, we have attraction!

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Even the elusive Alejandro has aged up to teen. *sigh* I just love looking at him.

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Mckenna talks to Alejandro for a while, supervised by her mother, who insists on chowing down on a cupcake about two feet away. If any trouble starts, Felicity is ready and armed.

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All in all, it's a surprisingly dull party. Most of the guests just stand around doing nothing. It's nice to see some familiar friends, though.

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Night falls, and the living room transforms into a sleeping bag sanctuary. Obi keeps watch from the couch.

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Mckenna has to sleep in her own bed, because some glitch prevents her from using her sleeping bag. She falls asleep dreaming of all the boys asleep downstairs. I wonder which one she dreams of the most?

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The teens rise early, and simultaneously, the moment Felicity enters the room in her lime-green corset.

The very next night, Agnes Crumplebottom throws yet another party and invites Felicity. Felicity doesn't get out of work till after 9 pm, but even so, she rushes home, puts on a bikini, grabs Mckenna, and drives them across town to crash the party a couple hours late.

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Mckenna: "HEEEELP! I'm surrounded by old ladies in identical swimsuits and my mother has a strangely-shaped bosom!"

Seriously though, what is up with Felicity's chestal region?! I guess I've never seen her in a swimsuit before.

Once she gets over her anxiety about the old women (which is perhaps merited), Mckenna goes to find the real reason for her visit: Alejandro.

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"So, Alejandro, I was thinking...would you maybe want to go on a date with me sometime?"
Xander Clavell: *YAWN* "This young lady is boring, son. And she's from a playable family--EXTRA boring."

I don't know how much influence his dad has over his life, but either way...Alejandro outright rejects Mckenna's first flirt.

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"Jeez, Mckenna, stop being weird. This house is full of old women in swimsuits and you're just confusing me right now."

I don't know what the heck that means, but whatever the case, Alejandro shuts down any further attempts. Mckenna goes home disappointed, but hopeful for other possibilities.

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It's actually quite nice having three teens in the house right now. I was a little worried about the mood swings, but these three get along quite well and don't take their hormonal imbalances out on each other. They mostly just put whoopee cushions on the couches and pop wishes to un-friend each other, which I quickly cancel. No problem at all!

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And Mckenna periodically stabs herself in the throat with her pencil. Maybe she's a little more imbalanced than I thought.

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To finish off the chapter, Ladybug celebrates her elder birthday. I can't believe it. Wasn't she a teeny-weeny, roly-poly puppy just last week?

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Our sweet little Ladybug is now an Old Ladybug. May she reign the household in her final days with grace (and that adorable snoot).

[Beks]

Chapter 34 - First Crimes

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Obi becomes an elder just a few short days after Ladybug.

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He makes a very regal old man cat.

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The romantic quests of the three Loveland teens continue full steam ahead. A pair of Hatch-Frio offspring are newly aged up, so Mckenna goes over to meet them. This is Delbert, whom I love simply for his name.

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Cathleen tags along and scores her first kiss with Delbert's twin sister Lakeshia. Cathleen is almost a young adult already, so I'm not confident this relationship will work out long-term (we'd have to wait aaaages for Lakeshia to age up), but at least Cathleen has someone to make out with.

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Colin is thoroughly enjoying his relationship with Shantell. He even gets to know her family a little bit. (He's wearing his pajamas because I may or may not have teleported him to the park out of laziness.)

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In fact, he enjoys her so much that he gets arrested after staying at her house till after midnight. As a future criminal, Colin isn't much bothered by this.

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He's not the only one to get arrested. Cathleen has her turn when she wakes up super early and goes out to steal something at 4 am (at the Alto house, no less). This is my fault, as I forget about curfew and just send her out for something to do.

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"But officer, I didn't even steal anything!"
"Who said anything about theft? I'm arresting you for being out after curfew."
"Oh."
"Is there...something else I should know?"
"Nope, nothing."

Cathleen arrives home at the crack of dawn, when the rest of the family is stirring.

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Colin: "There you are. Looks like somebody got a ride home from the coppers."
Cathleen: "Yeah. The officer says hi."

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Francisco meets Cathleen at the door and reads her the riot act.

"If you're going to get arrested, at LEAST get caught doing something noteworthy! Breaking curfew is for amateurs!"

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"Well I was GOING to steal a lamp post, but I didn't get a chance to--"
"A LAMP POST?? I thought you were a Vehicle Enthusiast! At least steal something with WHEELS!"

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Francisco is just cranky because he hasn't had a true night's sleep in several days. He spends long hours in the library, drinking Potent Invigorating Elixirs and reading up on logic and charisma for work.

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He and Felicity have both been working extra hard at their careers lately. I'd like to have both careers maxed before we move to the next town.

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Fortunately, they have each other to help ease the tension between shifts.

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Mckenna still has a few options open when it comes to boys, but her interests seem pretty focused on Rory Jolina-McGraw. Whenever he sees Mckenna he gets this puppy-dog look on his face that just melts me.

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He's starting to get to know the family a little, too. It looks like Diana is grilling the young man on his worthiness here, but actually she's just Complaining about the Dirty Dishes.

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"I don't know what to tell you, Ms. Loveland. This is my first time visiting your family home and the dirty dish situation looks perfectly normal to me. If you want, I could wash--"

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"Nah, that's okay. Come on sis, let's make silly faces!"
"Hehe, okay!"

Rory's eyebrow doesn't know what to think of this family, and neither do I.

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Lakeshia Hatch-Frio comes over a couple of times to spend time with Cathleen. They pretty much do nothing but make out right next to Mckenna's workbench.

My hunch about Lakeshia turns out to be correct, though, and not just because of the age difference between her and Cathleen. I don't know what it is about the "Ask to Be Protected" interaction, but some sims really don't seem to like it. Including Lakeshia.

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"Protect you?! I hardly KNOW you!"

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After that, Lakeshia won't accept any flirts from Cathleen. Jeez, it's just a metaphor, I think! This town doesn't even have any zombies or werewolves!

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"You won't protect me from...anything?? Not even my rapidly approaching young adulthood??"

I really need to stop using that interaction.

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At least Mckenna is thriving. She's in a semi-permanent state of singed-ness lately, thanks to all her inventing. She doesn't seem to mind.

[deedee_828]

Wow--some very interesting partner possibilities for this gen! I have found cake to be a great equalizer when it comes to teen/YA age discrepancies---if the relationship is working out. In fact, since my TJ family all have the doubled life-span due to a genie wish, my heir grandparents spend a lot of time visiting their kids/grandkids and providing birthday cakes, to keep all the spare grandchildren approximately the right age. Though that has proven to be more difficult as no one likes to stay home in my last few towns. I've even resorted to inviting half the town to a birthday party and having multiple birthdays just to get kids ages in sync again. Or, in the case of partners, the same age again. Watchers must do what they must for their charges! lol I can't wait to see how it all plays out for your three teens!

FYI: If a sim has the Brave trait they will violently reject it when another sim uses 'offer to protect' and a Coward sim will get upset when 'ask to protect' is requested of them. I'm not sure if any other traits affect that but those are the two where I've seen that action rejected.

[Beks]

Wow--some very interesting partner possibilities for this gen! I have found cake to be a great equalizer when it comes to teen/YA age discrepancies---if the relationship is working out. In fact, since my TJ family all have the doubled life-span due to a genie wish, my heir grandparents spend a lot of time visiting their kids/grandkids and providing birthday cakes, to keep all the spare grandchildren approximately the right age. Though that has proven to be more difficult as no one likes to stay home in my last few towns. I've even resorted to inviting half the town to a birthday party and having multiple birthdays just to get kids ages in sync again. Or, in the case of partners, the same age again. Watchers must do what they must for their charges! lol I can't wait to see how it all plays out for your three teens!

FYI: If a sim has the Brave trait they will violently reject it when another sim uses 'offer to protect' and a Coward sim will get upset when 'ask to protect' is requested of them. I'm not sure if any other traits affect that but those are the two where I've seen that action rejected.

I didn't know about the Brave/Coward thing! At least YOU know what you're doing, even if I don't. And yes, I've used cake as a "great equalizer" (lol) occasionally in the past. I didn't end up using it this time around. It worked out for the best.

[Trip]

I do feel bad for Cathleen but constant rejection and having few dating options based on orientation alone is...realistic. 😔 Had no clue about traits and protection either! McKenna might have the best options for teens that will actually date her but I want to see the weird babies that Colin and Shantell might have later more than anything.

[Beks]

Chapter 35 - Hear Me Roar

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After several days of gentle flirting and side-by-side study sessions, Mckenna and Rory have become pretty close. Mckenna continually pops wishes to go on dates with Rory. At last, one afternoon, it happens.

Rory arrives at Recurve Strand looking very dapper in a full-on tux. Have I mentioned that he has the Proper trait?

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"Hi, Rory! Wow, you look great!"
"And you look...smudgy?"

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"What was that, handsome?"
"Uh...n-nothing..."

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They share their first kiss, which Rory eagerly reciprocates in spite of Mckenna's severe lack of propriety in this moment.

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Then they become boyfriend and girlfriend and spend the rest of the evening at the beach together. Awww, Rory's such a gentleman to his sooty new girlfriend.

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The date ends at dusk and Mckenna goes home to shower. As she's heading upstairs to her room, I spot a certain somebody out the window. Yes, that's Rory, making his way home on the path that goes by the Loveland house. Romantic? Slightly creepy? You decide.

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Francisco's elder birthday arrives. I can't believe our Evil, Insane Francisco is going to be an old man.

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He and Felicity share a birthday, so naturally she goes next.

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And the first thing Francisco does as an elder? Leap into his wife's arms. Good thing he's lost all his muscle mass and weighs a lot less now. (Don't mind Cathleen letting one rip in the background.)

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Diana reaches the top of her career and becomes an International Super Spy. Of course, I didn't make that her Lifetime Wish, so her to-do list is far from complete. But she's making boat loads of money now. I don't know if I've ever seen anybody fly up through this career so fast. Go Diana! (Side note: I think work uniforms might be bugged in this save file. Shouldn't she be wearing something less...I don't know, suburban? Teacher-y?)

The next day, it's finally the twins' young adult birthday. They've had some rather dramatic teen years, wouldn't you say?

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Colin sneezes on his birthday cake. That's really not okay, Colin--I mean, not EVER, but especially not right now!

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(I gave Francisco back his original lion's mane hairstyle when he aged up, and also gave him a beard. I include this picture merely because he looks so funny with his new hair and his goggles and swim trunks.)

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Colin ages up into a kind of adorable hairstyle that I might have kept if he didn't look perfect in his curly one.

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Cathleen goes next, looking like she wants to pounce on the cake rather than blow on it. (That's how I usually feel about cake, too.)

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Somebody's not excited to be a grown-up.

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Colin remains utterly adorable and picks up the Daredevil trait. He's got quite the bold personality! His other four traits: Evil, Neurotic, Heavy Sleeper, and Charismatic. Unsurprisingly, he wants to be Emperor of Evil.

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Cathleen becomes Excitable in addition to her Friendly, Slob, Vehicle Enthusiast, and Kleptomaniac traits. She decides to join her brother in the criminal career and Become a Master Thief.

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That very night, the twins sneak out to the criminal warehouse to start the next chapter of their lives. Of course, they do it separately, without telling each other.

"Colin? What are you doing here?"
"I might ask you the same question."

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"I won't tell Mom and Dad if you won't."
"I was planning on telling Dad because he only talks to me when I'm actively being Evil, but sure. Secrecy is probably better anyway."

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Look at this fully (well, almost) grown-up family! I think this is the first time they've all sat together for a meal. Mostly because I never think to use the "Call to Meal" option. And because this house is so full of routing issues that send everyone to the kitchen at the same time is generally a bad idea.

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Colin and Cathleen graduate alongside many other townies. Cathleen graduates with Highest Honors and is voted Most Likely to Get Arrested.

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Colin also graduates with Highest Honors. He also wins Valedictorian and Most Popular. Yep, he's going to have no problems being Emperor of Evil. In spite of the danger to their own wellbeing, everyone loves him!

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Looks like somebody else is a grown-up now, too. Someone Colin is very happy to see.

[Beks]

I do feel bad for Cathleen but constant rejection and having few dating options based on orientation alone is...realistic. 😔 Had no clue about traits and protection either! McKenna might have the best options for teens that will actually date her but I want to see the weird babies that Colin and Shantell might have later more than anything.

You make a good point I really hope to find someone for Cathleen in the next town. There's somebody out there for her, I know it! We just have to find them before Story Progression does...

Weird babies are definitely in the future.

[Beks]

Chapter 36 - Four Hearts

Shantell moves into the household and will get a CAS makeover presently. For some reason, the game has placed her in the criminal career. You'll see from her traits that this makes very little sense, but until I decide what else to do with her...well...crime it is!

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The twins bring their new housemate along to the gym for a group workout session. They all need athletic skill for work and none of them have even looked at a treadmill before, so they need all the help they can get from each other.

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After just a few hours on the treadmill, Shantell emerges a new woman. I liked her fluffiness before, but she was starting to look really unhealthy after aging up to young adult. Hopefully we can find a happy medium--she lost a little more weight here than I was hoping she would.

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Colin pretty much cancels out any exercise he does by going down to the lobby and downing four or five quick drinks after the fact. But hey, those buff shoulders are making up for it.

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Shantell gets a full makeover. She really is beautiful--sort of a softer, prettier version of her mother. (I never imagined that was possible.) Her traits: Avant-Garde, Couch Potato, Brave, Unlucky, and Cat Person. She likes Pop music, Autumn Salad, and grey, and her lifetime wish is to be a Chess Legend. Again, not sure what the game was thinking with that one. She's Unlucky--won't she lose most of her ranked chess matches?

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The rest of the family is doing well. Well, sort of. Mckenna keeps getting invited over to Alejandro Crumplebottom's after school, only to be immediately sent home or not even let in the house. He's all "Come over after school, Mckenna!" and then he's all "I have to go now. I think it's time you left also." Poor Mckenna doesn't know what to think. In retrospect, I'm glad she chose Rory over Alejandro, because clearly Mr. Crumplebottom has some issues.

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Francisco is doing well, I can say for sure! He loves his new hairdo and beard. I've never seen him "check self out" before, but now he does it a couple times a day. Looking foxy, Fox.

Shantell has a secret that I did not expect to find upon moving her in. I discover it when I find her and Colin arguing after they get home from the gym--so much so that all the green in their relationship is almost gone!

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"I just went out with a few different guys in high school, Colin! It's not a big deal!"
"Oh yeah? How many guys, exactly?"

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"FOUR?! You have four romantic interests?!?"

Yup. She has four. I've never seen a townie with so many. And she and Colin started dating pretty early in their teen years, so she must've racked the other ones up in record time!

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"I can't believe you'd do this to me, Shantell. I'm not speaking to you until you fix this."

She doesn't need to be told twice. Shantell spends the rest of the evening asking all her old flames to just be friends.

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One of her old flames is...Rory. He's only too excited to have his heart broken by his future sister-in-law.

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To make things easier, she even invites over two at once and breaks the news to Dereck Hart and Arthur Landgraab simultaneously. Jeez, did every boy who failed to win Cathleen's heart just go running to Shantell instead?

For some reason, even after Shantell's relationship panel is wiped clean of pink hearts, Colin still goes out of his way to yell at her.

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"But...but I love you! They're all in the past now! They always have been!"
"Yes, but until we repair our relationship with an ungodly number of vaguely friendly interactions, I MUST REMAIN FURIOUS!"

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Shantell just gives him this look of pure venom which is all the proof we need that she's an Alto. (Well, that and her face.)

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As angry as he is, Colin does show signs of regret. His "Betrayed" moodlet prevents him from sharing a bed with Shantell. When he wakes up in the middle of the night and finds her sleeping on the floor, he has a bit of a meltdown.

Things are still tense the next day. Luckily, Felicity has enough Lifetime Happiness points to invest in a Moodlet Manager, which she then bequeaths to her future daughter-in-law.

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"Hold still. This might feel a bit funny."
*sniff* "I'm a future Emperor of Evil. Nothing can make me feel funny."

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That awful moodlet disappears, and these two start slowly working their way back up to a strong relationship. By dinnertime, they're friends again, and Colin accepts his first flirty interaction in two days. Huzzah!

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Now that that's figured out, Shantell settles into the family properly. She pops a wish to practice street art and starts decorating the front walkway. (If I wanted to take the time to send her to university, I probably would. Then she could have been an Art Appraiser. But alas, I'm impatient and two weeks of juice keggers doesn't sound like fun right now.)

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Diana invites her downtown to try and earn some tips as a team. Diana makes about a thousand bucks and Shantell makes zip, but they have some good bonding time and now there's a picture of the-world-as-a-melting-popsicle in front of the theatre.

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The twins and Shantell all have their first day of work at the warehouse. It goes very well for Colin, who gets arrested within the first three hours and spends the rest of the day in jail. He positively prances his way to the cop car. He's that excited to see the inside of the slammer for the first time.

It goes well enough for Cathleen, too, who emerges from the day in a good mood and with a wish to befriend all her coworkers.

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"Well that was a fun first day! What did you think, Shantell?"
"Fine. I don't know. I just need to...it was fine."

It wasn't fine for Shantell. Not only does she get a horrible work outfit (or any work outfit at all--Colin and Cathleen didn't even have to wear uniforms, for some reason), she also gets horribly stressed during the day and comes home with most of her needs in the red.

This career never really made sense for her anyway. She calls the warehouse that evening to quit.

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"Hi, criminal warehouse? Sorry, warehouse. This is Shantell Alto. I had my first day there today? Yes. So um, I quit. What? Oh, because I hated it. Yes. Thank you. Goodbye."

My plans for Shantell's career are still a bit fuzzy, but I think she's going to be much happier elsewhere. She spends the rest of the evening on the couch watching TV and goes to bed feeling better about life.

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Speaking of careers, Francisco is at level 9 of the fortune teller career and has a smashing work uniform. He has told countless lies to the people of Sunset Valley and robbed most of his fellow residents of their money and their self-sufficiency. Alas, his work schedule is such that he won't be able to reach level 10 before the move. (He works, like, Thursday-Friday-Saturday afternoons or something ridiculous and is off the rest of the week. Super weird.) He finishes his last day at the gypsy wagon feeling proud--and wondering what the clientele in the next town will be like.

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Meanwhile, Diana is out playing for tips as usual, and her elder birthday arrives. It's only fitting that she ages up surrounded by her fans. (Also, goodbye, snazzy outfit.)

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And to make her evening even more memorable, she maxes the drums skill just a few hours later as dozens of exhausted townies begin to pass out at her feet. What a queen.

[Beks]

Chapter 37 - Wild Beach Wedding

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Colin gets down to business (and a knee) and proposes to Shantell while she's painting in the old nursery. This man doesn't need a fancy landscape in the background to declare his love. Which is good, because that landscape Shantell painted is not fancy.

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Shantell accepts, of course. This engagement feels like the most natural thing in the world. It's been a long time coming. Congrats, you two!

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"Aunt Diana, guess what! Shantell and I are getting married!"
"Can't hear you. Trying to drown out the sound of old age."

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Speaking of old age, the elder ladies of the household have reached a couple of big milestones. Felicity finally maxes the music career and becomes a Hit Movie Composer, completing her Lifetime Wish. I don't realize it's happened until she's at home in her conductor's tuxedo staring blankly over her empty plate of goopy carbonara, but there it is. Great job, darling!

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Diana maxes the martial arts skill whilst smashing space rock blocks on the back deck. Just one more skill to go (probably athletic), and she'll complete her LTW.

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The wedding happens that Sunday afternoon. The Lovelands book Old Pier Beach for a true beach wedding, complete with reluctant brides trying to hide underwater before the ceremony. Nice try, Shantell. Get back up to that wedding arch!

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Admittedly, Colin is nervous too. He briefly transforms himself into a chicken in an attempt to ease tension.

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Eventually, the crowd gathers and hushes, and the vows begin.

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Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Loveland!

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It's a well-attended ceremony. We even have a wild horse acting as a bridesmaid.

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Uh, Bella? What are you doing?

"Just reminiscing about a time when I was the center of attention in the Sims universe."

You'll get your chance, dear. Ever wanted to have your picture on the side of a milk carton?

The rest of the wedding is, you know, a typical Sims wedding.

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There's cake...

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...and a brief, impromptu horse wedding, cheered on by Stiles McGraw...

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...two sims stuck cheering and throwing rice for eternity...

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...and plenty of swimming in inappropriate clothing.

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Doesn't Mckenna look lovely? She would have worn this dress to prom tonight, if she'd decided to go. Instead she chose to attend her brother's wedding. Running around with wild horses whilst eating cake is much more exciting anyway.

This is actually one of my favorite Sim weddings ever. It's entertaining, but doesn't feel chaotic; there's a lot happening but at the same time there is this pervasive feeling of calm. Everyone happily chats, swims, and eats the day away, and all throughout, Colin and Shantell autonomously kiss and hold hands like the adorable lovebirds they are.

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As the evening winds down, Felicity comes up to the terrace after a swim and serenades her son and his new wife. I swear this moment happens autonomously, and lasts for a good long while, too.

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The newlyweds head across town to spend their wedding night at Varg's Tavern, which has been purged of townies via resetsim and has been furnished with a double bed in the upstairs bar area.

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Dang it! As soon as I purge everyone, somebody else shows up. Christopher Steel just can't stay away from a legacy wedding night, apparently. Or from that magic mirror.

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I reset Mr. Steel and all is quiet again. Colin and Shantell revel in the peace and romantic eerieness of the empty tavern on this beautiful last night in Sunset Valley.

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"Did I just hear someone come up the stairs?"
"Shhh. It's just Ethan Bunch. Don't turn around--maybe if we stay still he'll go away."

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*sigh* Okay, I think that's everyone. Let's get to woohooing before anyone else comes in and--

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GYAHH! Christopher Steel went home and sent his teenage daughter in his stead! Shield your eyes, Debra! Shield your eyes!!

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Yeah, that's what I thought. You regret everything now, I hope? Now GET OUT OF HERE before the happy couple sees you!