The Branch Immortal Dynasty (Complete)

[Beks]

30 ~ Glitch in the Matrix

by Arthur Vanderburg

It’s me again, the best dancer in Hidden Springs, and in this chapter, I’m going to prove it!



It was the morning of our birthday - Meadowlark’s and mine. She woke up to a present waiting for her on the kitchen counter. After wishing for a new magic wand for several days, she got one! I think we all know who left it there for her, even though that person would never admit it. I think they’re trying to keep a low profile for the moment.

Meadow and I had our last day of high school, and I made sure to tell all of our friends that we were having a party that night and they’d be crazy not to come. Then after school I called them all again to remind them.



“There hasn’t been a party at the Nest in decades,” I told them. “And this one is being thrown by me. It’s going to be legendary. Show up. Okay? Okay.”

And it was pretty legendary! Goldfinch and Chickadee let me set up for the party. I got a fancy effects machine that I forgot to turn on until the party was almost over, and a new stereo, and I was going to change all the lightbulbs in the main room to be a funky color like purple or something but I forgot to do that too. They even let me install a bar for the occasion!



Of course, Chickadee put her foot down and wouldn’t let me serve drinks myself.

“But you don’t even know how to mix drinks,” I said.
“I’ve been making chemical potions since I was in primary school,” Chickadee said. “It can’t be that (*hic*) different, right?"

I guess I’ll have to teach myself mixology sometime when Chickadee’s not around to steal my thunder.

Lots of people showed up to the party, including Charles Winterly’s sons, Chip Cho and Osvaldo Haines, and some townies that are still alive after all these years due to their supernatural powers.



The most interesting guest was definitely Christy Carlisle. Meadow and I met Christy at school, and when we mentioned her name to Goldfinch once, Goldfinch was like, “I BEG your pardon?! Did you say Christy Carlisle?!?” It turns out that Christy is the long-lost daughter of Ryan Anderson and Ella Carlisle, and she should be around Goldfinch’s age. But for some reason she’s around our age instead! Crazy, right? Anyway, it was cool to meet a distant family member, even if she’s broken all the rules of time and might be some sort of glitch in the matrix.



Everybody hung out and chatted and danced for a while, and then it was birthday cake time!



Emmet Preston really liked Meadowlark’s transformation. I don’t think he’ll like his own transformation once I’m through with him, if I ever catch him doing any funny business.



Then it was my turn.



Not bad, if I do say so myself. I am the clone of a prince, after all.



Meadowlark has always been the most beautiful girl in the world to me, but wow. She grew up into a stunning lady. As a Great Kisser, I definitely approve of those luscious lips. Ahem. Anyway. I was thrilled about Meadowlark’s final trait - after years of struggling with anxiety, she seems to have developed a Good Sense of Humor as a coping mechanism. She told me that this was largely due to my influence. Her full set of traits: Neurotic, Clumsy, Hydrophobic, Savvy Sculptor, and Good Sense of Humor. Meadow chose Living in the Lap of Luxury as her Lifetime Wish - and she completed it instantly upon aging up. I guess we were already millionaires. (Chickadee said this was because of her turning off the lights so consistently. I feel like such a logical woman like Chickadee should know that that’s...not quite accurate.)



And here’s me. My last trait is Good, adding on to Great Kisser, Brave, Family Oriented, and Party Animal. I decided that for my Lifetime Wish I wanted to be Super Popular. I mean, I already consider myself to be super popular. But I guess it won't hurt to make it official.



I was pretty pleased with my grown-up appearance. It’s easy to throw great parties when you basically ARE a party.



Now that Meadowlark was a young adult and taking over as heir, she decided it was time to get herself a cat. Mulberry is getting pretty old, and besides, all witches need a familiar. So Meadow adopted this little white kitten from the shelter. Her name is Coconut, and she is the angriest looking cat I’ve ever seen in my life (in spite of her Hyper, Adventurous, and Playful traits).

“She’s terrifying,” Meadowlark whispered to me. “And yet...I can’t look away.”



Coconut was only on the lot for a few seconds before Meadow and I both whirled into our graduation gowns and were instructed by some strange, irresistible force to go to City Hall and graduate now, please. (At least Meadowlark got a cap with cat ears, appropriately.)



Conrad drove us all into town in Goldfinch’s vintage car. He and Meadowlark still have a strained relationship, but I can tell that Meadowlark is really trying to improve things with her dad.

“Thanks for driving us, Dad.”
“Mm.”
“Are you...are  you proud of me?”
“Hmm? Oh, of course, little lark.”

Conrad’s been pretty distant lately, for obvious reasons.



Do you think Chickadee wore her wedding dress to the graduation ceremony out of spite?



Well, Meadow and I graduated, both of us in funny hats. I got Valedictorian and was voted Most Likely to Have a Big Family. (I certainly won’t be having a lot of kids, but I mean, I already have a big family around me, so they’re not wrong.)



Meadowlark also graduated with Highest Honors. Our classmates voted her Class Clown. I think they meant it as a joke, but the joke's on them - Meadowlark actually does have a Good Sense of Humor now!



With graduation over, Meadowlark and I were free to settle into our all-important dynasty tasks. She was already a level 5 sculptor and had even gained a few career levels as a teen; I was more of a beginner. But I needed to pick up the pace, because one day, I would be creating Meadow’s ice sculptures for the museum.



We took plenty of breaks to make out in the sculpting studio, of course.



While we were at it, I figured we should make our relationship more official. Meadowlark shyly and happily agreed to be my girlfriend.

“But...what about Shanta?” she asked.
“Stay tuned,” I said.

It was a new era at the Nest, in many ways. Meadowlark and I were moving into position as the main focus of the household. Chickadee, though still working hard at the hospital, was nearing the completion of her requirements and would be an elder soon. She made sure to prep me for what was to come.



“So, Arthur,” she said over a breakfast of birthday cake. “You’ll be the man of the house soon enough. I’m sure you know what that entails.”
“Yep. Marry Meadowlark, support Meadowlark, have a kid with Meadowlark, sculpt Meadowlark, and throw the occasional legendary party. Bring it on! I’m ready.”
“You’re forgetting the most important thing.”
“Uh...make sure we don’t run out of ambrosia ingredients?”
“No. Don’t cheat on my daughter.”
“Oh, right. Of course. I wouldn’t dare.”
“Smart man. I will utilize my stores of Liquid Horror Potion if I have to."



Wesley sort of fell by the wayside for a couple of days, since there was so much happening with the rest of the family. But I assure you he was doing just fine. Even though he doesn’t look it in this picture. (Chickadee also doesn’t look fine, but can you blame her?)



Whenever I wasn’t sculpting or hanging out with Meadowlark, I did some toddler training with Wesley. I was really good at it, I think. It made me excited for teaching my own child to walk one day.



As for our favorite divorcees...they’re trying. Sometimes the best way to fix a broken relationship is through violent, competitive video games. They’ve still got a long way to go, though.

Notes from a very confused watcher

Okay, STORY TIME. Christy Carlisle’s appearance is something of a miracle - and also a total mystery. Wayyyy back in the early days of this story, you may remember that Ryan Anderson had a son named Ariel with his girlfriend Ella Carlisle. And right before Ryan died, he and Ella had a baby girl (whose name I failed to write down at the time). Well, after Ryan went over to meet his daughter as a baby, I never saw that baby again. I stalked the Carlisle house for quite a while, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl as a toddler, and when that didn’t work, I waited outside of the school now and then to try and see her as a child or teen. But...nothing.

After a while, I gave up and figured that Ryan’s mysterious daughter had been culled by story progression or otherwise lost in time. (I also started to wonder if I was crazy, and Ryan had never had a daughter at all--but there’s a screenshot in Chapter 6 of him meeting her for the first time. That was my only proof for what otherwise seemed to be an imaginary event.) I added her to the family tree as “Mystery-Girl Carlisle” and left it at that.

Many years passed in the Branch Immortal Dynasty, and then one day, Meadowlark, as a teenager, met a girl named Christy Carlisle at school. I didn’t even notice the name at first, but when I saw Christy in Meadowlark’s relationship panel and saw that she was not a pudding face, I absolutely freaked out. Christy was obviously the daughter of Ryan Anderson. She reappeared as a teenager some unknowable number of decades later, alive and well!

So yeah, I have no idea what happened to Christy as a baby, or where she was living all that time, or why she took so long to reappear. When Christy was born, she was about 9 or 10 days younger than Goldfinch and Heron, so if she had aged correctly, she would have been an elder by now, if not long dead. Yet here she is, hanging out with Meadowlark at high school. She is Goldfinch’s first cousin, which I think makes her Meadowlark’s first cousin twice removed or something. Crazy!

[butterfly]

Well Christy Carlisle is apparently new Bella Goth. Maybe there was some alien interference when we weren't looking. But it's always good to have a few more non-pudding faced friends around.

[Beks]

Well Christy Carlisle is apparently new Bella Goth. Maybe there was some alien interference when we weren't looking. But it's always good to have a few more non-pudding faced friends around.

Hah! Maybe there was...

[Beks]

31 ~ No Jealousy

by Meadowlark Branch

I was so relieved to be done with high school and to have all the time in the world to sculpt. But I quickly discovered that young adulthood is a very busy time when you’re the heir of an immortal dynasty. I had a lot to do and, actually, NOT all the time in the world to do it in. First things first: I had to get sculpted. I like modeling a lot less than I like the actual sculpting. Twice I offered to switch jobs with Dad, but he just said “I’m not going to live forever, little lark. At least not if I have anything to say about it.”



I started practicing with ice, though. I was excited to try it out, though it comes with some...challenges.



Arthur was sculpting too, although he also spent a lot of time working with Wesley on his toddler skills. I think Arthur is more ready to be a parent than I am. I’m going to take my time on that, thank you very much.



Mother has gotten really into mixology. It’s a distraction, I think. It takes her back to her childhood of making potions in the upstairs hallway. Apparently that was her thing when she was younger.



Look, I made an ice chair! It’s cold to sit in. I figured I’d leave it in the main room for the family to...um...enjoy. Why did I do that? I’m having second thoughts.

For our birthdays, Arthur and I had decided to give ourselves some No Jealousy reward traits. This was our strategy for working things out with Shanta. If we could all be romantic with each other without any jealousy...well, that’s a perfect three-way relationship! Right?! Well, first I had to see if Shanta was even on board with the idea. She and I had never really talked about our feelings for each other. If they even existed on her end.

Once I had my reward trait, I invited Shanta out to Louie Falls for a chat. Apparently I wanted to make myself even more nervous than I already was by having a bunch of scary water falling in the background.



“Okay so Shanta, I know you and Arthur are kind of an item,” I said, hurrying through the words. “And I know you know the situation, like how Arthur and I are going to get married eventually - and this is all so awkward but - well, I wanted to tell you that I also have feelings for you and I have for a long time and I kind of wish I could marry both of you. Is that weird?”



Shanta just smiled, and produced a bouquet of flowers for me.

“I have feelings for you too,” she said.



I couldn’t help it. I kissed her. It was totally different from kissing Arthur, but...totally nice. Except her graduation cap was a little bit in the way. I was too flustered to ask her why the heck she was wearing her graduation outfit for this.

Well, with that settled, the next step would be to get the three of us together to work out the final details. I was psyched. And terrified. Mostly terrified.

The next day, the three of us met at Meadow Beach.



“So Shanta,” Arthur began. “Here’s what we’ve been thinking. Even though Meadow and I are officially together, we still want you to be a part of this relationship, and like, be an honorary Branch, essentially. And there will be no jealousy or fights or anything like that. As long as we’re all okay with it. And I think we are. Aren’t we?”



Shanta responded by telling me a flirtatious joke, which made me giggle and blush. And Arthur just...stared at us for a few seconds.

“Okay, so now it’s my turn to flirt with Meadowlark,” he announced, and stepped closer to me. And for some reason...I kinda freaked out.



“Not right now, Arthur!” I said. I was still a little bit in Shanta Land.
“Why not?”
“Because...I don’t know! I was just focusing on Shanta. I didn’t…it wasn't...I don’t know.”



Then he watched as Shanta gave me yet another bouquet of flowers. I could tell he was trying to be okay with things. But that smile fixed on his face...it wasn’t genuine.



“Yeah, I don’t know about this,” he said, and turned around to head home. Shanta looked worried, and then she turned around and left too. I had a bit of a panic attack. What had just happened??

I ran to catch up with Arthur. I found him on the front porch of our house, looking forlorn.



“Arthur, I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess - I don’t know about this whole open relationship thing. When I’m with Shanta, I just want to be with Shanta, and when I’m with you, I just want to be with you.”
“I don’t know either,” he said. “When I see you and Shanta together...I just get jealous of Shanta.” He blushed. “I guess you’re the one who's more important to me, Meadow.”
“But why are you getting jealous at all? And why am I being all weird about it? Shouldn’t we be totally fine with this stuff?”
“Maybe our reward traits are broken.”

We stood there in silence for a few minutes. It was a dilemma. A dilemma that I will probably be able to laugh at one day, but not now.



Finally Arthur spoke. “Let’s just take a couple days to cool off, okay? Then we can invite Shanta over and...figure out a solution.”



A couple of days passed. Arthur did a lot of stress dancing, and I did a lot of stress...stressing.

Shanta came over, still in her graduation gown for watcher knows what reason. Arthur bravely took the harder job of going first.



“Shanta, Meadow and I have been talking, and...we actually think this isn’t going to work. We both care about you and love spending time with you, but we can’t all be in an open relationship together. It’s just not possible without someone, or all of us, getting jealous and hurt.”



Shanta was not happy. “You’ve been talking about the three of us for years!” she shouted. “I thought I was going to be the first ever pudding-faced townie to be in a romance with both a future immortal and a dynasty spouse! How can you just take that away from me?!”

When I came over to try and help mediate, Shanta got even angrier.



“So you’re ganging up on me, huh? I see.”
“Shanta,” I pleaded, “We don’t want to have to do this, but we can’t--”
“Break my heart twice in the same minute? Obviously, you can.”



Arthur and I exchanged a glance. This wasn’t going well.



And that’s when Goldfinch, my dear Proper grandmother, came over to join the circle and started flirting with my future husband.



Suddenly things were spiraling out of control. My dad saw that Arthur was responding well to my grandmother’s flirting and came over to yell at him. I couldn’t look. It was all too much.

“How stupid are you, kid?” my dad yelled. “Have you not seen what flirting with one’s grandmother-in-law does to this family?!”



So Goldfinch was banished, at least for now, to the flat on the corner of the lot where Granny Starling lives. Shanta returned home in a huff. And Arthur and I were left to figure things our for ourselves.



“Sorry about that, Meadow,” Arthur said later. “I guess we’d better make this really official, huh?”
“You're...you’re proposing?!”
“Of course. You’re much closer to me in age than Goldfinch.”
“Oh, very funny.”
“So...my darling Meadow, will you marry me?”
“Yes!”
“Really? That easily?”
“I’ve never been more stressed out in my life, but I know what my requirements are and one of them is to produce an heir and for that I need a male partner! So, YES!”
“Fair enough.”

Notes from a watcher who was honestly rather skeptical of healthy polyamory anyway

- I really thought the No Jealousy rewards would work. Maybe I’m an idiot. I assume it’s because Shanta did not have the reward and there was no way I could give it to her, but who knows.
- That heartwrenching breakup music did not play when Arthur did the “Ask to just be friends” interaction with Shanta. It did play when Meadowlark did the same interaction. There really was a strong attraction between the two girls, and maybe the early stages of love, too. Shanta was actually the only person Meadowlark ever expressed attraction for. (If I hadn’t prompted some flirty interactions between Meadowlark and Arthur as teenagers, I suspect Meadowlark would have maintained interest in females and females only.)  In another game, in another life, Shanta and Meadow would have belonged together. *sigh* Alas, the dynasty must go on. I’ll try to keep Shanta around as a close family friend, although I imagine it will be painful for her.

[mpart]

Ah darn! I was really rooting for Shanta. Maybe she'll become a supernatural in the future? Maybe? I think there's a mod that allows for healthy polyamory but I'm not sure if it is dynasty approved. I love Arthur, but I just love the chemistry between Meadowlark and Shanta too. Gah!

Also, Goldfinch WHY. Do all the clones have the flirty trait or it just a Branch thing? This mess never happened with Phil (at least I don't think it did)! Goldfinch has officially joined Starling in the "we need to apologize for going after our granddaughter's husbands/future husband's club." Darn it, Goldfinch! I had hopes for you! Even though I know that Conrad did a horrible thing, I still really like him. I like the fact that he's owning up to his mistakes in a way, you know? I can't wait to see what the next chapters hold.

[Beks]

Ah darn! I was really rooting for Shanta. Maybe she'll become a supernatural in the future? Maybe? I think there's a mod that allows for healthy polyamory but I'm not sure if it is dynasty approved. I love Arthur, but I just love the chemistry between Meadowlark and Shanta too. Gah!

Also, Goldfinch WHY. Do all the clones have the flirty trait or it just a Branch thing? This mess never happened with Phil (at least I don't think it did)! Goldfinch has officially joined Starling in the "we need to apologize for going after our granddaughter's husbands/future husband's club." Darn it, Goldfinch! I had hopes for you! Even though I know that Conrad did a horrible thing, I still really like him. I like the fact that he's owning up to his mistakes in a way, you know? I can't wait to see what the next chapters hold.

Ooh, Shanta could become a supernatural! It's all down to chance, of course, but it could happen. Then she could be Meadowlark's lover long after Arthur dies. That'd be lovely. And yeah, all mods are banned for dynasties, but maybe after the challenge is over I can figure something out.

I don't know what's going on with the flirting either! It's driving me insane. And Goldfinch even has the Proper trait, which, you'd think, would indicate that she knows who not to flirt with.

[Beks]

32 ~ A Party of Many Colors

by Arthur Vanderburg

We haven’t seen much of Starling lately. That’s because she’s been locked up in her flat for a while now, and she was recently joined by Goldfinch because Goldfinch started flirting with me. (I was flattered, honestly. But only flattered! I did not reciprocate the feeling!) Poor Goldfinch is alone with her crazy mother all the time. It’s probably wearing on her.



But I had more important things on my mind. Now that Meadowlark and I were engaged, it was time to throw the kind of party I’d always dreamed of throwing - a bachelor party. Booyeah! I got to wear a magical top hat that appeared out of nowhere, and I also remembered to turn the lights purple this time.



Everyone got dressed up in fancy new outfits. Chickadee once again took control of the bar and became a very methodical, if bored-looking, mixologist.



My party had great turnout, of course. And we got some party dancers too! I have to confess I always wanted to see party dancers. Cherie Pie and May Flower put on a great show, even though Shanta was standing in the middle of the action crying over her breakup with Meadow.



That’s when I hopped behind the bar and started getting juiced up. How do we deal with our feelings? That’s right, we dance them away. And sometimes we drink them away.



A couple hours in, I sneakily switched all the lightbulbs to green for a different sort of mood. The party dancers went wild! The guests crowded around the bar and tapped their feet impatiently! Chip Cho was the first guest to dance on the counter!



I was a few drinks in and having a great time, if you can’t tell.



My beautiful Meadowlark even joined in the fun. That’s my neurotic fiancee, letting go and having some fun for once. (She only stayed up there for about ten seconds, but I was still proud of her.)



Things took a dark turn around 11 pm, though. Well, not literally - the green light was still saturating everything and making us all feel a little crazy. It was like the full moon, except even more painful on the eyes. But when the party dancers stopped dancing and ran to the corner in distress, we all sensed that something was wrong. And that something...was Mulberry.

I quickly turned the lights back to normal so that Mulberry didn’t have to die in a room that looked like an alien aquarium. And after several minutes of us crowding around and waiting, the Grim Reaper burst from the bathroom and gave us all a withering look.



“What?” he said. “Even Death needs to powder his nose once in a while.”



He then proceeded with his duty. Mulberry, accidentally matching Emmit Preston’s awesome zebra jacket, gave her last cuddle on this earth.



RIP, Mulberry. We will all miss you, but especially Goldfinch, who could not be here to witness your death due to her naughty behavior. Rest well.



Where was Goldfinch, by the way? Still in the Elder Flat, being assaulted by a strange old lady in a hot pink nightie wielding a bottle of fizzy nectar. (The strange old lady is Starling. What was she wearing? I have no idea. Where did that hairstyle come from? Also no idea.) I guess the eldest two immortals somehow sensed that there was a party going on in the main house.

The stress and chaos of the evening was starting to get to Meadow. At some point around midnight, she suddenly noticed a puddle on the floor and realized that it was her armchair she’d sculpted out of ice.



“It’s just a PUDDLE now! I didn’t think it was ever going to melt! Why is it a puddle?!? I HATE puddles! They terrify me! Oh my gosh, I just realized why I’m hydrophobic.”

Suddenly it all made sense. Meadowlark prefers ice and that’s all there is to it.



The party was still raging, even though everybody was occasionally stopping to cry over the dead cat now and then. I tried blue lightbulbs this time in an attempt to acknowledge the sadness we were all feeling.



The blue didn't last long. I might have had enough drinks that I just forgot about changing colors after that. At some point, the loud music and talking woke little Wesley up. Meadow, overwhelmed from the party, decided that now was a good time to teach him to talk.



As we entered the wee hours of the morning, Chickadee got a little frisky with the fizzy nectar. She and Conrad had been avoiding each other for weeks now. What would spraying him with nectar do?



For a second, it almost seemed to work in her favor. Conrad autonomously tried to cheer her up, which was very thoughtful of him.



“Just kidding! Now I’m going to berate your ignorance!”

*sigh*



After reversing the progress of his relationship with his ex-wife and dragging things back down well into the red, Conrad ran out to the garden to throw up. I guess either the juice or the forces of repressed guilt were too much for him.

The party finally began to wind down around dawn. It was a thrilling night for all of us, for reasons good and bad. But there was one last reason it was a thrilling night, though almost none of us noticed it.



Heron haunted the Nest for the first time as dawn was breaking. No one actually saw her or talked to her, but she gave Meadowlark a congratulatory wave, then disappeared into the ether. Come back soon, Heron!



All of us were exhausted after the party, so we all slept in late. Then in the afternoon, I took Wesley to his birthday cake. He’d been largely forgotten about throughout his toddlerhood, poor kiddo. I figured he at least deserved a cake.





Wesley grew up with a bedhead and a new Absent-Minded trait (probably because Meadowlark didn’t quite finish teaching him to talk the night before). The next generation was already here, and the next heir was not far away. (That is NOT a pregnancy announcement, by the way. We’ll be ready when we’re ready!)

Notes from a partly blinded watcher

- What I really wanted was for Arthur to throw a blacklight bachelor party. (Did you know that you can set any and all household lights as blacklights?) Unfortunately, the blacklight effect was so jarring and weird that every screenshot I took looked awful. Also it hurt my eyes a little bit. The colored lights were slightly less blinding and still made the party more exciting.
-- Back when I was planning the dynasty out and chose Hydrophobic as one of Meadowlark’s traits, I thought it was so clever and funny. Now I'm older and wiser, and I've realized that I dedicated an entire immortal trait slot to one lame joke about melting ice sculptures. Ah well. Maybe I’ll add a swimming pool to the lot, and then we can all watch Meadowlark not go swimming. Doesn’t that sound fun?

[Beks]

33 ~ Black & White

by Meadowlark Branch

Arthur’s bachelor party was a lot of fun, but it was also...you know, a lot. Just a lot. We’d been planning to get married the next day with another party, but I expressed my weariness to Arthur and he jumped right on board with a new plan.



“How about we get married right here at Meadow Beach? All by ourselves?”
“You’d do that?!”
“Anything for you, baby. I can just throw a party, like, tomorrow or whatever.”



So we whirled into our formalwear and tied the knot right there (a safe distance away from the water, of course).



“I give this ring - what? What’s so funny?”
“I’m sorry, I’m just imagining your family being ridiculously mad at us for not inviting them to our wedding.”
“They’ll survive. They’re immortal.”
“Haha, good one. Sorry - continue.”



It was the perfect wedding, in my mind. Although I would have preferred not to see any water at all.



Back home, my parents were aging up to elder. Dad, at least.



Mom’s birthday didn’t hit right at the same time, but she knew it was coming.



Arthur and I retreated to my bedroom, which was now our bedroom, to enjoy our wedding night.

We didn’t actually get very far, though, because surprise! My mom’s birthday hit before we could even get our socks off.



“Ugh...I’m geriatric.”



My parents were now officially old. And were they making any progress towards fixing their relationship? You look at this picture and let me know.



Mom was really close to completing all her requirements. Unsurprisingly, the Genius of the family was on track to be the youngest immortal so far. She finished fully upgrading Han’s Tavern and Cafe (renamed the Black & White Cafe) to match her tastes.





Han’s had some history as being the most popular teen date spot for all of us thus far in the dynasty. This was where my parents spent time as teenagers; Arthur and I had first started hanging out with Shanta here as well. It was weird to see the tacky colors replaced by black and white, but I think it looks nice. Goldfinch was particularly pleased. (“Finally, a PROPER renovation!”)



All that remained was for Mom to get a few more hours of tutoring done, finish her museum pieces, and secure her sixth best friend. She wrangled Wesley into helping her with the first task.

When she tried to tutor him more the next day, Wesley protested.



“I already have the highest grade in the class after yesterday,” he said. “I have no more need of your assistance, Ms. Branch. I suggest you snag the paper boy. His name’s Jed. He only has a C.”

Meanwhile, Arthur and I dove straight into sculpting and hardly ever came up for air. Well, except when Arthur sculpted a toilet out of ice and insisted that we both try it out.



“You know, this really isn’t that bad.”
“Oh, shut up. It doesn’t count if you don’t actually sit on it.”



I sat on it. It was really cold. Ugh! Men.



Dad came back to the sculpting studio for the first time in a while, to do Mom’s ice sculpture. I think Mom chose that pose just to annoy him.



It was weird having him there with us. I’d hardly spoken to my dad for ages. We didn’t really have much to talk about.



I saw my Mom trying to be friendly towards him more often. I think maybe she realized that their time together was limited. Besides, she’d had the wish to be friends with Dad again ever since their divorce. Unfortunately, I think her Socially Awkward trait made things...well, more awkward.



One time she tried to lighten things up by offering to let Dad try an experimental treatment from her research. She put on her most adorable face and tried to convince him to swallow the giant pill.



“What do you mean you don’t trust me?? You’ve known me since we were children!”
“How do I know you didn’t put some fancy medical poison in there??”
“Medical poison? Honestly, Conrad, you embarrass me sometimes. Besides, I should be the untrusting one in this relationship, don’t you think?”



Enough about my parents fighting. I completed my third opportunity, and with the reward, maxed the sculpting skill. I was on my way to great things! I hope. (Honestly this first flush of success made me really nervous so I practiced magic to calm down.)



And in other exciting news, my cat, Coconut, aged up to adult, after too short a time as an adorable (if evil-looking) kitten.





She makes a very adorable adult, too.

[Beks]

34 ~ Just Friends

by Chickadee Branch

I never thought that my last moments pre-immortality would be spent tutoring the kid who brings the newspaper every day. Yet here we are. With all my other requirements completed, I had nothing left to do but finish those 20 hours of tutoring children. Thankfully, I managed it before lunchtime that day.

Now was the part I’d been dreading - going to find Starling. My grandmother was the founder of this dynasty and she held the key to the museum as well as the Longevity Laboratory (she calls it the Super Secret Cellar of Secrets, and my mother calls it the Vault of the Great Undying, but I’m going to call it by a more sensible name, thank you). I hadn’t spoken to Granny Starling in years - not since the early days of her affair with my husband. Ex-husband, technically.

I was going to go knock on the door to the Elder Flat, but she surprised me by appearing on the front porch of the main house the second I finished tutoring the paper boy.

“Whoa, how’d you get out?” I said.
“It’s ambrosia day,” she said. “I have my ways.”



Then she launched into what I assumed was her usual speech. “So!” she said, waving her arms grandly. “Here you are, an old lady with mysteriously youthful hair, standing on the cusp of immor--”
“Granny,” I interrupted, “Please spare me your delusions of grandeur. I just need the key to the Longevity Laboratory.”
“The what now?”
“The Longevity Laboratory. That’s what I’m calling it.”
“Why does everyone insist on changing the name?! I’m the founder, I get to decide--”
“Because your name is stupid, that's why. Now, the key, please.”



“Have you finished all your requirements?”
“Yes. I kept detailed records and I can submit them to your office if you need them. Now can we please just get this over with?”

Granny Starling paused, which is kind of unheard of for Starling Branch.



“Chickadee,” she said carefully, “I know you must be very angry with me after what I’ve done--”
“What, roping my husband into an affair? Destroying your own granddaughter’s marriage? Throwing this household into turmoil? Causing Meadowlark to grow up in a broken home? Yeah, I’m pretty angry about that.”
“And I...I’m sorry.”



“You’re sorry? Well, thank you, I guess.”
“I’m not just sorry. I’m also going to do what I can to fix things. I can’t take back all those...um...clandestine...never mind. But I can at least talk to Conrad and...well, break things off.”
“That sounds like a logical thing to do.”
“I thought you’d say that. Oh, and here’s the key to the Super Secret Cellar of Secrets. It’s invisible.”
“It’s invisible?”
“It’s a magic key! Whatever, I suppose you don’t have the imagination, being a logician. When you go over there, you’ll find that you can just enter the Super Secret Cellar of Secrets now. It’s been opened for you.”
“How?”
“Don’t ask me! It’s a magic invisible key! I don’t know how these things work!”



After that exhausting conversation, I found myself feeling slightly lighter as I walked towards the gated entrance to the Longevity Laboratory. I had thought I was never going to be on good terms with Granny Starling again, after what she did. But, well, she’d apologized. That was something. A step in the right direction.

While I was going down to the Laboratory, my husband was arriving home from work at the military base.



“Yoo-hoo! Conrad! We need to have a chat, young man!”



“Hello, Starling. Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah, I’ve been playing a lot of shuffleboard. Listen. We need to stop this. Our...affair thingy. Whatever it is. I’ve fallen madly in love with your hunkalicious body but it must end. We have ruined things for Chickadee, for Meadowlark, for the whole family. We must break off the affair, Conrad! After all these years--”
“You want to break it off? Okay. Fine with me.”
“What, you’re not...sad?”
“I’m sorry to hear that you fell madly in love with me. I didn’t realize this was so serious for you.”
“It’s just...your body…I couldn’t resist...”
“Stop. You know, I’m an old man now, and I’ve been spending a lot of time alone. When you’re somewhat close to dying, you figure out what’s important to you. And I’ve realized that making out with my wife’s grandmother is not it.”
“Oh. Well...if you say so. Just friends, then?”
“I think we should stick to Acquaintances.”



I heard none of this, of course. I was descending a rather dusty set of stairs into an unknown level of the property, beneath the garden, beneath everything I’d ever seen before.



After glancing briefly at the museum items, I made a beeline for the replicator. I’d always wanted to check it out. How did it work? Like Granny Starling’s invisible magic key that doesn’t actually exist, this replicator contraption seemed to defy science. A lot of things seem to defy science in this dynasty.



I produced a plate of ambrosia and took it to the table with me, trying to ignore the smelly leftovers left behind by another immortal (I would bet you a lot of simoleons that it was Starling). And I took a taste.



The feeling was breathtaking - a marvel. I tried to detect the actual flavors of the ingredients in the dish, but instead of life fruit and death fish, I tasted successful experiments and long nights digging through medical records for the answers to big questions. I tasted the thrill of healing a patient, the gift of health, the adrenaline rush of responding to an emergency and saving a life. I tasted...well, life, I suppose. And once I finished eating, I was, against all scientific truths, immortal.


Third Immortal - Chickadee Branch

“A lot of people consider this bird cute. Whatever. They are curious and have a habit of energetically investigating everything and everyone that might possibly be a bird feeder.” - The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America

Traits: Genius, Good, Frugal, Socially Awkward, Lucky
Supermax Skill: Logic
Other maxed skills: None (so far)
Career: Medical
LTW: World-Renowned Surgeon
BlackOps: Scavenger Hunt: Butterfly Bonanza; Caring for the Careless; Equipment Needs; Fixing the Celestial Slump; Hot Dogs, Please; Good Friends with the Government
LTRs: The Hustler, Nerd Influence, Map to the Stars, Fertility Treatment (I accidentally gave her a fourth)
Best Friends: Goldfinch Branch, Jerri Shorter, Ella Forsythe, Dorian Perdue, Lucinda Norris, Yvette Renner
Building: Heron Hospital
Property: Black & White Cafe (Han's Tavern & Cafe)
Immortal at: 76 days (week 20, day 4)




Over the next few days, I found myself spending more time with Conrad. One such occasion was forced, because Wesley was playing tag with Conrad and then insisted that I join. Conrad and I were both too old to be sprinting around the property like children, but we did it to appease Wesley. And we built up our relationship slightly in the process.



I always felt very awkward when it was just me and Conrad, though. Why is which this whole thing was a surprise.



“So, Dee...I was thinking. Maybe we should spend some time together, just the two of us. Maybe at the old cafe?”
“You mean Han’s? I’ve renamed it. Now it’s the Black & White Cafe.”
“Catchy. Would you like to go there? With me?”



“Fine, but we’re taking the Motive Mobile because you absolutely reek right now.”
“Fair enough.”



This was actually the first time I’d gone to visit my new cafe. Conrad, in his orange stripes, clashed astoundingly with the decor I’d chosen.

“Well, what do you think?”
“Nice renovating job. It’s very...you.”

Then we got to chatting. It sort of felt like old times, when we were teenagers and not dating yet. Just hanging out, getting to know one another.



“So, Dee, how’s work been for you? You’re a World-Renowned Surgeon now, right? Last time we talked you were...um...I don’t remember.”
“Probably a Bed Pan Cleaner.”
“Was it that long ago?”



It was nice to talk to Conrad again. He let me go on and on about the latest treatments we’d discovered at the hospital, and about the vaccine clinics I’d held and the seminars I’d given around town. I’d forgotten how good of a listener Conrad was.

Then he surprised me again - with a gift.



“Here, I got you something.”
“Wow, Conrad! That's so nice of you.”



“This is...this is a set of photobooth pictures. Of you as a teen. All by yourself.”
“I know it’s lame, but the only other things in my inventory are my high school diploma and a bunch of apples I conjured.”



“In that case, I have something for you too. It’s a watermelon. Leftover from when I was pregnant with Meadowlark.”
“Wow, that’s so lame also!”



Our date hangout session ended soon after. I felt strangely...happy afterwards. Almost like I’d enjoyed myself. Maybe there was hope for the two of us - at least as friends.

[butterfly]

Congrats on your third immortal! I'm happy to see Chickadee and Conrad trying to work stuff out, hope they'll have enough time before he passes

[Beks]

Congrats on your third immortal! I'm happy to see Chickadee and Conrad trying to work stuff out, hope they'll have enough time before he passes

A very belated thank you! More Chickadee and Conrad stuff is coming right up.

[Beks]

35 ~ These Mortal Knees

by Conrad Nali (formerly Conrad Branch)

Hey, it’s me, Conrad. You may not remember me very well. It’s been a while since I gave my two cents here. I’ve been...uh, busy.

After Chickadee became immortal, she suddenly had a lot more time to spare. Seeing her around more often...well, it made me miss her. So when she invited me to help her practice mixology one Saturday morning, I said yes.

I regretted it instantly. But not for the reasons you think.



“What level of mixology did you say you’re at?”
“I just got to level 2. At level 3, I’ll be able to mix party drinks!”
“...But you’re not there yet.”
“I’ve been mixing potions since I could talk, okay? I’ve spent half my life in laboratories. I’m good at this kind of thing.”
“If you say so.”

I was trying to be nice, you see. I hadn’t been nice to Chickadee for most of the last few decades.



“Um, Dee?”
“How is it?”
“It’s...um...did you notice the green fumes coming off the top?”
“Yeah, it’s the result of a chemical reaction between the prune juice and the spearmint! How does it taste?”
“Er...terrible.”
“Come on, you’re just being a jerk. You have a tendency to be a jerk, remember? Here, I’ll make another one and you can try it again.”

I mean, I couldn’t argue with her on that point, could I?



I helped Chickadee mix drinks for most of the day. Amazingly, I still had enough of my sanity to duel with Meadowlark at night. And defeat her every time.



Meadowlark was doing great in her requirements, by the way. And Arthur was right there with her, learning to sculpt so he’d be ready to do her museum pieces once I’m gone. They even sculpted the same statue a number of times. I wonder what was on their minds when they simultaneously sculpted this rather buxom lady?



Life went on for us oldies in the house. It was nice to see Chickadee relaxing for once. (It was also nice to see her in a new set of pajamas. Don’t tell her I said that.) Heron occasionally visited us, too, which made Goldfinch ecstatic once she recovered from her inevitable faint.



Pamela the Lobster died. Don’t tell Meadowlark. We’re all hoping she never notices the empty fishbowl.



Wesley celebrated his birthday and became a teenager.





He added Bookworm to his traits. The poor kid grew up hardly knowing anyone his age, so I guess it’s no surprise that he’s become a bit of a recluse.



He did express interest in writing, and started working on his first nonfiction book, called Kid Alone: Memoirs of a Future Dynasty Spouse. At least he knows his life won’t always be this dull.



In the meantime, he became a very moody teenager. Honestly, I don’t blame him. Being a cloned dynasty spouse - and one whose spouse isn’t even born yet, to boot - is a weird, weird existence. I can understand that.



A little time passed. Chickadee and I had slowly been spending more time together. I managed not to insult her for a whole weekend. We even flirted a little bit. Testing the waters, you could say.



It was hard at times, for both of us. Chickadee would sometimes aggressively change the subject just when we were starting to really connect. Here, she was talking about video games. I don’t know if she’s ever played video games.



And it was hard for me to break out of my old habits, too. Why am I so tempted to use the "Berate Ignorance" interaction 1,000 times per day? It's like an invasive thought!



Chickadee calmly, yet firmly, reminded me that “One’s ignorance of comic books actually has nothing to do with anything and should not be the catalyst for the destruction of otherwise healthy relationships”. I think she needs to have a word with the game code about that one.



But in time, with much practice...we started feeling close again.



At the end of one of our chats in the upstairs hallway, I decided it was time to break the ice. I told Chickadee I missed her as more than just a friend. And that I was sorry. Really, really sorry for everything.



She seemed ready to forgive me at last. Or at least give me a second chance to show her how I feel. After so many years apart...kissing Dee felt so right.



She may have gotten a little too excited, though. These mortal knees aren’t very strong anymore.



Meadowlark even caught us flirting that night. I didn’t catch a glimpse of her face, but I hope she was happy to see her parents getting along again.



The next day, feeling a little high after my successful talk (and more than talk) with Dee, I went to work feeling extra motivated and maxed out my career. I was officially, finally, an astronaut.



In other job news, Arthur decided he wanted to get a job as a teacher. He’d completed the Ice Personality skill challenge, so he didn't need to do much sculpting anymore. He’d always been an outgoing and family-oriented guy, so teaching seemed like a natural choice for him.



Meadowlark kept sculpting, branching out into various mediums. She seemed very focused on her work. I don’t think much else was on her mind.



She always makes time for Arthur, though. Those two make a perfect pair. I admire them.


Notes from a relieved watcher
- THEY'RE FINALLY BACK TOGETHER YAY. It took a long time and a lot of careful guidance to get Conrad and Chickadee to cooperate and become friends again. They’d both had the wish to be friends since the day they divorced, but nothing was really happening naturally - and if I got them talking and then left them alone, they would usually start yelling at each other. (That goshdarn “Berate Ignorance” interaction for nerds is truly life-ruining.) Wesley making Conrad and Chickadee play tag together helped nudge their relationship into the green, and once they’d been chatting in a friendly manner for a while, they started rolling wishes to do things like give gifts to each other. And when I (very nervously) had one of them flirt, it went over well and they pretty much took it from there. I’M SO RELIEVED.

[Beks]

36 ~ Expectations

by Meadowlark Branch

My sleep schedule is really all over the place. That’s what happens when you use a Moodlet Manager to take care of your needs 90% of the time. So I knew that something strange was going on when I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling nauseous.



I ran to the bathroom and performed a delightful little activity known as "tossing one's cookies".



Feeling anxious, I decided to go down to the sculpting room and do some work on the metal sculpture I’d started. I was about halfway through when I discovered, by way of the worst maternity outfit ever, that I was pregnant. Pregnant with generation five!



Arthur was just arriving in the sculpting room at that moment. When I told him I was expecting, he was incredibly excited. I expected nothing less from my Arthur.



We invited Shanta to visit, and she was really excited too. She and I hadn’t spoken for a while, since I had to break off our romantic relationship. But she seemed happy to be back at the Nest, even if seeing Arthur and I together might be painful for her.



Shanta REALLY doesn’t get along with my grandmother, though. Yes, that is my grandmother, the practically perfect Goldfinch, kicking up dust clouds with my childhood best friend and girlfriend.



Shanta defeated her soundly. I can’t imagine where Goldfinch got the idea that she had a chance at winning a fight. She’s afraid of almost everything, including confrontation!



Shanta seemed to find the whole thing hilarious, and even ate dirt in front of Goldfinch just to freak her out. It definitely worked.



Then she went right back to cooing over the baby in my belly. I’ve decided that Shanta is just a mysterious woman and I will never know all her secrets.



Anyway, my pregnancy went pretty smoothly. It was a little nerve-wracking, but I’ve gotten better at keeping my neuroticism under control. It helped that Arthur was so encouraging and excited to be a dad.

He doesn’t always have the brightest ideas for how to deal with challenges, though.



“Are you sure this is a good idea, Arthur? I think I just hit my third trimester…”
“Vigorous dancing is always a good idea! Party activities are guaranteed to ease the aches and pains of pregnancy.”
“Did my mother tell you that?”
“Why would she tell me that? She’s a doctor, not a dancer.”
“That’s...exactly my point…”



“Whoa, Meadow! Don’t go TOO crazy! Is that safe for our baby to be--”
“You’re the one who’s making me do this, Arthur!”

I can only claim that I was beginning to lose my mind due to the stress of being pregnant. I have no other comment.



The next day, I tried to calm down with a nice expensive spa package. I’d barely been in there for an hour, though, when the contractions started. In a panic, I summoned a Motive Mobile from the depths of my inventory and raced (as much as a Motive Mobile can race) to Heron Hospital.



A few hours later, our daughter, Sandpiper, was born. Welcome to the world, baby girl.



It was an exciting day for multiple reasons. Just after I arrived home and placed Sandpiper in her crib, Wesley took off for prom. He had an eventful night, too: he was voted Prom King by his classmates, he got into a fight, and he found a romantic interest - a boy named Amit Suggs.



Amit visited the Nest that weekend and hung out with Wesley.



It’s good to see Wesley happy and busy. He’s had a rather lonely and unexciting life thus far. Of course, we all know, and he knows, that his romantic future lies elsewhere...but for now, we’re happy that he’s happy.



And it seemed, for the time being, that Wesley wasn’t totally opposed to the existence of his future spouse. He was often the first to the crib when the baby needed something, much to the chagrin of the grandparents.



Sandpiper was beloved and doted upon by the entire family.



Or maybe everyone just couldn't stand her crying.



In other news, I experienced my first butt fire! It was terrifying!



I handled it like a champ, though. Just kidding, I ran all over the lot screaming until I remembered that showers exist. I did manage to put myself out before it was too late. I’m not immortal yet.




This screenshot doesn’t fit anywhere in the story, but I can’t not include it. I may still be mad at Starling for ruining Chickadee’s marriage, but...it’s hard to stay mad at her when she pulls shenanigans like this. I’m pretty sure that’s Heron’s snake charmer basket, which Starling must have inherited when Heron died. It has suddenly become Starling’s favorite hobby - and she only uses it under the sprinklers in the garden. Hey, it’s better than flirting with your descendents’ spouses.

Notes from a watcher who is still laughing at that screenshot
- I didn’t even realize that Goldfinch and Shanta were arguing (or had ever even spoken to each other, for that matter) until I caught them actively trying to claw each other’s eyeballs out. I have no idea why they hate each other so much. It really is a marvelous mystery.
- This is the second generation in a row where either the heir or the heir’s spouse turns out to be gay. I just feel so bad for Wesley - he’s been neglected amid all the drama and chaos of recent generations, he grew up alone surrounded by bickering adults, his future spouse is currently a featureless infant, and now he’s shown part of his true self that ultimately will have to fall secondary to the dynasty rules. *sigh* Please forgive me, Wesley.

[butterfly]

It breaks my heart every time I realise a dynasty sim is gay. It's almost always heirs, never the spares. It's horrible when I have to force a straight romance for dynasty purpose, especially since my sims show same-sex affection quite rarely.
Welcome baby Sandpiper, can't wait to see how you turn out!

[Beks]

Hi friends! It's been a minute. Or rather, almost three months. Oops. I'm back playing the Branches again and I'm excited to post some new chapters. I also did some renovations of the Nest recently - I'm hoping to put together a post showing the whole Branch property as a kind of "halfway-through-the-dynasty" interlude. None of ye asked, but ye shall receive anyway! (At some point. When I get around to it.)

For now, I've got a chapter that I played through a few months ago but never posted. This is all pre-renovation. Stay tuned for further updates. And thank you to those of you that are still reading!

37 ~ Marriage & Marshmallows

by Chickadee Branch

I must admit I was immensely surprised when Conrad asked me to spend a weekend with him. He and I had made up and were getting along fine, but we still hadn’t really spent much time alone together - and definitely not alone AWAY together - in many years. He suggested we spend the evening up at the lodge in the mountains, just the two of us. Intrigued, I said yes.



That’s where he asked me, very nervously, to be his girlfriend.

“I haven’t said the word ‘girlfriend’ since we were teenagers,” Conrad said. “But it seems like the next step for us, don’t you think?”



I got slight heart palpitations over this conversation. I would have been worried about that if I hadn’t had that very reassuring “Heavenly Meal” moodlet protecting me from any age-related medical concerns.



“Now that that’s out of the way,” Conrad said, “How about the next step after that?”



I said yes, of course. And leapt for joy. Hey, I’m immortal now. I can do what I want - and that includes doing things that very old people shouldn't really do.



I hadn’t felt this happy in years. Even achieving my Lifetime Wish hadn’t brought me this kind of joy. Conrad was mine again, and he would be forever.



We spent the rest of the evening roasting marshmallows (and magic apples) over a campfire and admiring the gorgeous views all around us.



And we admired each other plenty, too.



We made sure to be back the next morning in time for Sandpiper’s first birthday.



Sandpiper seemingly inherited everything from Meadowlark and next to nothing from her father, which was unexpected. She was born with the Artistic trait, which she would never be able to use, and the Eccentric trait, which she would definitely be able to use. Her favorite things were kids music, French toast, and spice brown.



Even I found the lack of genetic variety in Sandpiper’s features strange. Meadowlark may as well have cloned herself! (She didn’t, I promise.)



Even so, little Piper was a welcome addition to the family, and she started learning about hygiene and self-care right away.



Her daddy helped her learn to walk.



Meadowlark returned to the sculpting room. She seemed noticeably relieved to have the birth behind her and more predictable things to work on.



She became anxious all over again when she went to do Sandpiper’s first ice sculpture. Arthur reported that Meadow spent almost an hour hyperventilating and murmuring “I don’t want it to melt!”. He had to remind her multiple times that now that she had the Ice Personality challenge completed, it was impossible for any of her ice sculptures to melt. Piper waited patiently and then wandered off to play with her toys again.



The next exciting event was one I never thought I’d experience a second time: my own wedding. Conrad thought the whole thing was rather funny. And, well, I don’t disagree.



We did invite some friends and relatives to watch us tie the knot. Unfortunately, someone’s poor planning meant that the entire wedding was cast in darkness and I don’t remember who any of those people are anymore.



We renewed our vows with all the sincerity and joy we could muster. I was thrilled to be marrying my best friend again.



And Conrad was happy to be a Branch again. He was always meant to be one, anyway.



My son-in-law caught a glimpse of us making use of Starling’s old bedroom after the ceremony ended. Fortunately, he couldn’t see anything other than a violently bucking bedspread. I simply told myself that facts are facts, and everyone knows what happens after a wedding. Telling myself that did not help.



Thankfully, there was another distraction for Arthur: distant-relative Christy Carlisle protesting celebrities in the living room.



By this time, Conrad was really getting on in years. I had high hopes that, being in a household full of immortals, some of our longevity would rub off on him. Just kidding, I know that’s not a real possibility. But luck was certainly a real thing. I desperately hoped he would be around to see his granddaughter grow up a bit. Just in case, he spent as much time with her as possible.



Meadowlark sculpted a fountain in an attempt to challenge her hydrophobia. I was proud of her for simply making it to the point of completion. Then she sold it off immediately and didn’t sculpt again for a day or two.



And in the background, young Wesley was getting to know his future bride. He’s a good kid, that one--you’d never know that he was already in love with a boy his own age.


Notes from a confused-as-always watcher
- Sandpiper is a cutie, but I was honestly a little devastated that she didn’t inherit ANYTHING from Arthur (at least not that I can tell as of yet). I really like Arthur’s facial features and I was hoping he’d pass some of them on to his daughter, or maybe his butter-blond hair. Maybe once Sandpiper gets older, she’ll reveal a bit more variation from her mother. *sigh*
- Sandpiper being born with the Artistic trait was a mystery to me. Meadowlark had a perfectly normal pregnancy--she didn’t spend the whole three days in the spa or anything, but I kept her needs up and made sure she wasn’t getting too stressed. Apparently it wasn’t enough. Looks like I’ll have to be dragging Sandpiper away from the painting room for the rest of eternity! Yay!