Behind him is the heir for Gen 3, his granddaughter Vega. Beside him in the black and gray stripes is his grandson Antares, and slightly in front in the cream sweater is Ant's twin, Algol. And beside HIM is one of their guests on this auspicious outing, little Bailey.
Vega and Seven wasted no time engaging in a riveting game of chess.
SEVEN - This is how they do it back home on Sixam.
VEGA - *gasp* Mind . . . blown.
Meanwhile Antares caught up with his Voidcritter buddy, formerly known as 'Pony-Tail.' Her actual name is Addison. Algol got to know Bailey a little better as well, because we have plans. FUTURE plans.
Bwuahahaha
Nothing builds childhood friendships better than an afternoon spent on the space ship jungle gym. #trufax
Of course Seven made sure to play with Comet, who's STILL ALIVE. I'm so glad his aging seems to be frozen on a community lot. I really hope he manages to stick around for all 10 generations.
I went ahead and added a void critter battle station and a Don't Wake the Llama game table while they were there. I might go back and add in some more things from the Backyard Stuff pack now that I have it. We'll see.
Vega continued her chess battles while her brothers got their prepubescent mack on.
Ant and Addison played DWTL, Al and Bailey practiced their dance moves. Decent friendships were made before it was time to recall Gen 3 back to the home lot.
I was quite amused by this chinchilla motivational poster that J managed to earn through a promotion. It gives the Energized mood, so I put it outside next to the treadmill.
J continues to . . . mentor his family in fitness. With varying amounts of success.
J - Rub some dirt on it and get back up there, Graham.
GRAHAM - I think I just forgot grade school . . .
The twins like to show off their physically gifted bonus trait on their monkey bars.
ALGOL - Awesome?
ANTARES - Always.
They'd finished their Rambunctious Scamp aspirations last chapter and probably didn't have enough time to complete another one, but I gave them Whiz Kid (Antares) and Artistic Prodigy (Algol) for something to do and to earn extra satisfaction points. Thus Ant played his little sister at chess while Al doodled.
Seven is still taking care of his perfect dragonfruit crop. Which has seen the family into the 6 digits for household funds. Like a bawse.
The current reigning couple aren't doing terribly in that regard themselves, however. Graham is quite successful in his Tech Guru career (EGamer branch), and Cassiopeia's Criminal career (Oracle branch) is nothing to sneeze at either. Both are probably at about the mid-way point at this juncture.
Graham has to take frequent breaks in whatever he's doing to go flirt/socialize with his wife, though. He's constantly tense worrying about her leaving him/cheating/nonsense. The Jealous trait is turning out to be unexpectedly annoying AF.
Lucky for him, though, Cassi eats up the attention. So the only person he annoys with it is me. >:[
I recently got Backyard Stuff for Christmas (among other Sims packs I hadn't gotten around to buying myself--thanks family units!). I decided that Seven would enjoy some chimes and a bird feeder. Graham happened to be free, however, so he got nominated to fill it up first.
EEE birds! I love it. Can't wait for actual pets.
Vega's busy brewing some emotion potions and other concoctions for her Whiz Kid aspiration.
Graham catches up with Algol, J noms some cereal and Seven busies himself with upgrading the new gaming system.
During his own dinner of stir fry, Seven and J keep that spark alive.
SEVEN - J, I believe it's time to retest the durability of our bed springs. For science.
J - I love science.
Liar. Lol
Merak and Baily follow the twins home from school the next afternoon. And for some reason they feel like they need to stand in a perfect line to play Party Frenzy? There's a perfectly good couch and chair you could sit in . . .
ALGOL - Shh, I'm winning, and mostly because half my competition can't actually see the television.
CASSI - Visualize the goal!
J - That's it sweetie! I'm proud of you! And a little scared . . . .
J still mentoring when he can. I dunno if he'll be able to max out the Athletic-Bodybuilder career in the time he's got left but it won't be from lack of trying on his part.
ALGOL - And that's why Grandpa Seven had to come here! And that's why it's our family's mission to Pollinate Newcrest!
BAILEY - Wow! That's AMAZING.
MERAK - Were you really a war hero, Grandpa?
SEVEN - I was a pollination technician, Merak, not a soldier.
ANTARES - Sweet, Addison found a level 5 Meduso!
SEVEN - Why do you insist on using this pointless running-in-place machine?
CASSI - Really dad?
J - Don't let him break your focus, Cass! Concentrate!
CASSI - Hey, dad, I have just the thing for you to do!
SEVEN - Oh?
Cassi's mischief strikes again. She sent her elder alien father out streaking through the neighborhood. XD Classy. Real classy.
I also gave the Pollinations a water slide and J was the first one to try it out. His attempts at a trick slide . . . did not go over well, however. Ouch.
Seven had fun on it too. I must say the animations are pretty adorable.
The family was randomly invited to Caelum's birthday party, so I happily accepted. Everyone (but Graham, who was at work) meets Caelum outside in their snazzy party outfits.
I had installed the MC Command Center mod in an attempt to get some story progression in my neighborhoods (namely marriages and pregnancies) and apparently Caelum and Lorelai were blessed, if this baby bump is any indication.
The caterer that they hired was typical in that he refused to do anything related to his job. So I tried to have Seven bake Cael a cake. And was promptly kicked off the lot for being inappropriate.
Well screw you guys, too! Humph.
Cassi had absolutely no f*cks to give about it. She rocked out on the water slide for a while before being sure to send Lorelai and Caelum several chain mails and prank calls.
All too soon it was the twins' teen birthday! Algol blows his candles out first.
Then Antares.
Uh . . . wow. For some reason both of them aged up with no hips and freakishly skinny . . . I fed them, I swear. O_o
Anyhow, this is Antares, who grew up with the Romantic trait and the Computer Whiz aspiration.
And Algol, who aged up with the Good trait and the Renaissance Sim aspiration.
I had them get an early start on their new homework while they waited for school to let out for the day. Grandpa Seven was on hand to lend assistance as needed.
While they're not the heirs, I still work a bit on their aspirations. Because I like goals. :P So Algol got started on reading some books.
ALGOL - Thought I'd start with a little bit of Reel Her In.
Whatever makes you happy, dear.
Meanwhile Antares started practicing his programming.
A final tally of Ant's voidcritter collection, since he can't play with them anymore. Which is kinda crappy, but oh wells.
Of course, once school let out, the boys invited over Addison and Bailey for 'reasons.'
Slightly creepy, stalkery reasons. :> #onlysims
Post age-up and after a quick trip to a closet, we have teenaged Bailey . . .
And Addison. And for some reason all four of them decided to crowd into the doorway to start their socialization-athon.
Being good friends, it wasn't long until Antares got his First Kiss.
Algol and Bailey as well. <3
VEGA - And that's game! I win!
SEVEN - And so you do! I'm proud of you! And I think . . . I think it might be time.
VEGA - Time for what, grandpa?
SEVEN - Oh don't mind me, little one. I think it's time for dinner, how about we head inside?
VEGA - Okay.
CASSIOPEIA - . . . so I hacked into their database and switched the paygrades of their CEOs and their janitors. It was HILARIOUS!
ALGOL - Wow, mom!
ANTARES - You have to teach me that algorithm.
J - Remember to always save the fist-bump for only the closest of your bros.
VEGA - I'll remember, grandpa.
SEVEN - *I have done all I can for the Mission. I couldn't be prouder of my progeny . . . I think they'll do just fine.*
SEVEN - So this is it, Mission Control. I'm ready to go.
BUT I'M NOT READY!!!!! NOOOOOO.
The entire family came outside to protest in my stead. Sadly, it couldn't change the fact that Seven's time on this planet had come to an end. Goodbye little buddy. You were an adorable founder who managed to complete your aspiration, build your park and put mad cash in the bank without breaking a sweat.
Pancakes were incredibly depressing that morning. And Algol let the Reaper have a piece of his mind, too.
ALGOL - You're a LLAMA-LOVER!
REAPER - That's speciest!
Graham spent his morning crying it out in the closet.
While Cassi called in a professional gardener to look after Seven's dragonfruit crop, since no one else in the family has the skill. Seven's (super cool-lookin) alien tombstone is amongst them for now, as I still haven't decided what to do with it precisely.
Should I move the gravestones of the heirs/spouses along with the family? Or leave them on the lot they perish on? Or put them on the lot they built (in Seven's case, the park)?
Poor J. He's inconsolable without Seven, and thanks to his Long-Lived reward trait, he's got quite a while to go before they're together again. ;_;
Graham and the boys played some Party Frenzy together to hopefully help get over their sadz. It had . . . varying success.
It was Graham's birthday into full adulthood. His expression states quite plainly how he felt about that. He doesn't look different at all afterward, thus no post-picture.
Cassiopeia is officially in the Oracle branch of the Criminal career, and netted herself this nifty satellite object.
Oh look, Merak has aged up into a teenager!
ALGOL - Wait, what? You can't move that piece like that, Vega.
VEGA - Sure I can. Grandpa Seven said this is how they play on Sixam.
ALGOL - I'm . . . pretty sure they don't even HAVE chess on Sixam, squirt.
While Algol and Vega build Logic together, Antares was busy neckin' on his girlfriend Addison. As well as exchanging promise rings. Dawwweh.
Then he went to 'train' Vega in dancing. Even though he has just as much skill in dancing (IE none) as she does. Lolwut.
Algol was still working on his Logic. Graham decided to join him instead, needing some of the skill for his work.
GRAHAM - Wait, you can't move that piece like that. Can you?
ALGOL - Uh . . . th-this is how they play on Sixam.
J spends a lot of his free time watching the fish aquarium. Since he's old, I let him, because he's earned the right to stare at fish if that's his fancy.
ADDISON - I don't get it.
You don't have to, leave him alone pls.
But then!!!!! GHOST SEVEN!!! J was asleep but I woke him right up. Because REASONS GDI.
J - Seven!
SEVEN - Hello J! I--mrmph!
Jeven returns! Even if just for a night. J didn't get dangerously uncomfortable from this either, because he's a fitness GOD I assume. Just some Very Satisfying woo for our founding couple.
Afterward J did have to go back to sleep (work in the AM), but ghostie Seven stuck around to play some chess.
SEVEN - Hmm . . . does this piece move like that? I can't remember . . .
In the morning Antares and Graham were happy to see Seven returned from beyond the grave.
ANTARES - So Grandpa, what's the afterlife like?
SEVEN - Oh, I can't disclose details. They make you sign a legal waiver when you arrive.
GRAHAM - What, really?
SEVEN - Affirmative.
That morning it was also time for our heiress to join her older brothers in adolescence.
Tadaaaah! I gave her Cassi and Seven's green hair, and I think it makes a great contrast to her dark skin (which I elected not to change). She rolled the Genius trait and per the challenge rules received the Bestselling Author aspiration.
Our hired gardener finally arrived (2 days after I placed the call) and then never returned. This is the first time I've tried to hire a gardener, is that working as intended? Because if so, that seems a little pointless.
Vega spent her first day of teendom practicing her writing on her brothers' computer. She skills up fairly quickly, too. This brings up an interesting question for me, though.
Technically Cassi's Mission isn't complete until her Aspiration is complete. And Big Happy Family requires her to have at least four grandchildren and to be good friends with children or said grandchildren. With as quickly as Vega is progressing, I have a feeling she'll complete her aspiration long before her mother does . . . so should I not be writing until after Cassi's is complete? Otherwise Vega's 'generation' is going to go by really quickly. Maybe I'll just refrain from putting her in the Writer career at first. We'll see, I suppose.
Graham is in the ESports branch of the Tech Guru career, so he plays a lot of games. And Cassi watches him, in order to spend time together. Sometimes she doesn't look entirely sure about it all, though.
A side-by-side shot to show you the similarities between mother and daughter, as well as the subtle differences. Vega has a lot of her face-shape from her mom, but her eye shape is actually all Graham.
CASSIOPEIA - UGH!
Aw, what's with the face Cassi? I think you look dapper AF in your work clothes.
Cousin Marek came home from school that afternoon.
MERAK - Hey guys!
VEGA - Studying. Can't talk.
MERAK - Ant?
ANTARES - Grilled cheezus. Can't talk.
MERAK - Al?
ALGOL - TV. Shush.
Wow. So much love.
Graham earned this little atom trophy for a promotion at work, so it joins J's on the display stand.
Algol's aspiration requires him to earn level 3 in a career, so I had him join the Retail teen job. Not sure if it'll count, but we can always try. Good luck bb!
Graham and Cassi decide to christen the closet. Rawr.
Before it was time for her to join her husband in full adulthood. She looks exactly the same too, so again no after shots.
Seven haunted angry that night. Thankfully he didn't break anything though, just let some forum trolls have a piece of his mind.
ANTARES - Woo! My parents are about to woo! AWESOME!
Wat! Seriously Ant?! That's beyond creepy. He was seriously cheering at them too, he had a thought bubble of his mother while randomly fist-pumping.
I decided Graham needed a middle-aged father of three teenagers make-over, as the faux-hawk and army jacket wasn't very appropriate anymore. So now he has a plaid shirt and tie and a receding hairline.
And now his constant tense moodlets from worrying about his hawt wife cheating on him are believable to me.
GRAHAM - I hate you.
<3
Another afternoon, another visit from Merak. This time all the Gen 3 Pollinations got their Party Frenzy game on.
A bigger surprise was this random visit of Caelum and Lorelai. Her previous pregnancy had aborted somehow, not sure what happened exactly. But I was happy to see that she's apparently pregnant again. We'll see if this one actually results in a nooboo.
I'm still annoyed at you guys for kicking us off your lot for trying to BAKE A BIRTHDAY CAKE, but your father just died so I guess I'll let you visit for a while.
I have to admit they were pretty cute together too. Cael and Lorelai still goin strong. <3
J was more than happy to greet his son and fellow Bro. Merak was incredibly excited about it, too.
Vega's still writing away.
And publishing! By the time her generation takes over she'll probably have quite the catalog going, no doubt taking over from Seven as the family's primary simoleon-earner.
I decided then that it was high time she got her own computer. Her room also got a minor teenager make-over as well.
I was highly amused when Seven haunted one night and elected to chat with some of his dragonfruit bushes.
And then he ripped my heart out when he became randomly sad and went to cry it out under the covers beside a sleeping J.
</3
As soon as J woke up I made it his mission to cheer Seven back up. I was rewarded when Seven started flirting immediately afterward.
<3
Cassi trying to share a conspiracy theory with her father. Pls don't break your neck, sweetie. Also, I'm amused by how nonplussed J is in the face of his daughter's antics.
Algol invited Bailey over one afternoon to join him in chess and (not pictured) exchange promise rings. I try to make sure the boys chat with and text their girlfriends at least once a day to keep up their relationships.
J's socialization was really low for some reason.
VEGA - Hey grandpa, how about we go cloud-gazing together!
Socialization AND a high-powered Inspired buff? Win/win. Also, adorable.
Alien baby!!! I'm happy to announce that Caelum and Lorelai finally got their second nooboo. And this randomly blue-skinned (seriously game, what's with the random skintones?) cutie is a boy named Bootes Pollination!
And because Toddlers had just released and I NEED ONE, I had Cassi age him up. I have no regrets. LOOK AT HOW CUTE ZOMG.
And . . . wait, what? Lorelai's an elder already? She, Cassi and Caelum are all the same age (or very near it, allowing for pregnancy delays), so she should barely be an adult. Weird.
Cassi had recently bought a voodoo doll and I attempted to have her bind it to her nemesis while she was there. But doing so while she was holding Bootes made her glitch out. She couldn't put the toddler down, and she couldn't bind the voodoo doll. I finally had to reset her.
Which made me miss Bootes' make-over picture. Bah.
Holy frapples! This bad@ss statuette means that J actually managed to max the Fitness career! GO J! I'd have him retire but he only goes to work like . . . 2 or 3 days a week and it gives him something to do with his time.
And we can always use the simoleons.
Since we can't torment Lorelai, I had Cassi bind her voodoo doll to her unsuspecting, slumbering husband instead. Then she cackled. Ah Cassi. Never change.
But what's this? Another birthday? Indeed! It's time for the twins to reach young adulthood already! I've finished building the other two lots in preparation (which I'll visit and show later).
First up to the cake and candles is Algol.
And . . . really? Apparently I missed any other birthday shots. Wow. Well, young adult Antares here rolled Foodie as his final trait and immediately contracted a case of Itchy Plumbob.
His twin Algol rolled Snob, doin his mama proud.
Once school was out the boys wasted no time in inviting over and aging up Bailey and Addison.
And much to my mounting fury, Addison then began rejecting every single romantic action that Antares tried to initiate.
ANTARES - Addy, what . . . what gives?
ADDISON - I'm sorry, Ant. I just . . . I think we're better friends than we are lovers.
ANTARES - So you . . . just want to be friends then?
ADDISON - Yeah, I think that's probably for the best.
So now they have no romantic bar whatsoever. BAH! I went ahead and moved Antares out into the single bedroom home, ALONE. Poor bb.
At least one of my boys is getting the romance he deserves, meanwhile.
OLD LADY - Good gracious, too much PDA! You should be ashamed of yourselves!
Nobody told you to walk by our house, lady. Kindly GTFO pls.
Algol wasted no time popping the question, and I was pleased to see that Bailey accepted without any delay.
Yep. I don't waste time. Cassi needs at least four grandchildren after all, and I don't want that to be all on Vega.
Success!
BAILEY - Guess what babe! Nooboos!
ALGOL - That's great but . . . maybe you should put some clothes on?
She did, and then they immediately eloped. Because no matter how much I luff him, Algol is a spare and time's a wastin. Afterwards the newlywed expectant parents got moved out into the last of the Low-Cost Neighborhood homes.
And that's it for this update! Join us next time as we wait out the final days of Vega's teen stage and Cassiopeia eagerly awaits her brood of grandbabies. Until then, happy simming!
