Author Topic: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 46 (4 March 2017)  (Read 56649 times)

Offline MarianT

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 37 (21 Feb 2017)
« Reply #165 on: February 21, 2017, 02:40:54 PM »
Aww -- I'm really glad the baby is staying. And I can't wait to see Chimo as a toddler! Gerald and Harley make a really cute couple, too.
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Offline Whirligig

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 37 (21 Feb 2017)
« Reply #166 on: February 22, 2017, 04:43:19 AM »
@oshizu I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I kept wondering if, after all the buildup, this ending was somewhat anticlimactic, but I'm glad you found it sufficiently satisfying. :)

This whole situation has done wonders for Norman. I mean, just the fact that he got himself pregnant was such a typically, irritatingly Norman thing to do, but he's handled the fall-out brilliantly. :) He didn't spend years working his way to the top of the journalism career for nothing!

Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make anyone cry! Now let's hope this happy ending for Norman and Chimo doesn't result in an unhappy ending to the Morven Dynasty. (I mean, I'm pretty sure it won't, but I'm wondering if/when I'll ever have room again for a pollinator who isn't related to the rest of the town).

@FrancescaFiori I'm glad you liked it. :) As I mentioned to Oshizu, I was a bit worried it would be anticlimatic after all the build up. But, I mean, really, I couldn't just not keep my first alien abduction baby in TS4. ;) Now, I can't believe I even considered it. :P And yep, Norman didn't become a top-notch journalist and Bestselling Author for nothing - he does have some brains after all. :)

Haha, good cooking is still most definitely Gerald's weak spot, lol. Actually he was just sitting down to breakfast when Norman and Rose got home from the hospital, and when I commanded everyone to 'go here' to meet Chimo, I didn't check what they were up to. Gerald of course turned up with his food. I was going to try to make him put it down, but then I decided to just roll with it. Maybe Harley should take up cooking?

The intergalactic struggle could have made for a fun plan B, but you're right, this solution is definitely better.

@MarianT I'm glad I convinced myself to keep it. I mean, it will make the dynasty take a little bit longer, but I really couldn't have ever brought myself to part with him. :) Now let's just hope I don't have to face any similar decisions later on in the Dynasty. Touch wood.
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Offline Whirligig

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 38 (22 Feb 2017)
« Reply #167 on: February 22, 2017, 05:34:42 AM »
Chapter 38 - Soulmates, After All



With Chimo's position in the family cemented, life in the Morven household resumed a sense of normalcy.

Norman knew better than anyone that his time with his son would be limited. Maybe not as limited as he had initially been led to believe - he appreciated how generous Iris and Rose and even the Watcher were being, allowing him to keep and raise his son for himself as best he could. It was a precious gift he had no intention of taking for granted. His elder birthday was fast approaching, and he intended to retire from his job as soon as the opportunity presented itself, so that he could spend as many hours home with Chimo as possible.



"So this is the new study," Gerald explained, "with all of Mother and Father's career rewards in here. Mom's hoping for all ten of her books to be Bestsellers so it has to be as inspiring as possible."

Harley tried to look impressed, but honestly? She couldn't care less about the new study.



Gerald also threw a birthday party for his brother. Since his own birthday had been forgotten (a sin for which he'd yet to forgive the Watcher), he decided to go for gold for Henry.



Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as happening as everyone had hoped. Gerald was the only one who'd managed to pull himself away from the other activities long enough to watch Henry blow out his candles. They had difficulty with some of the requirements, and in the end, the party was only a silver (if Norman could have pulled himself away from the baby a smidge sooner to give Henry the fourth heartfelt compliment he needed, it would have been gold. But the clock ticked down just a few sim-minutes too soon). Nonetheless, a pleasant time was had by all.



And honestly? Henry wasn't torn up about the silver birthday party. He was just grateful to finally be an adult so that he could finally get started on his real dynasty duties.



His mother needed four grandchildren. And with Gerald's ability to produce offspring officially in limbo until further notice, the responsibility for completing this requirement fell squarely on Henry's shoulders.



And he certainly wasn't about to disappoint his family in that regard.



Rose (read: the Watcher) had made a miscalculation. She had not, as of yet, maximised her third required skill for her ambrosia requirements. She still needed to become a top-notch fisherwoman. And she had, at one point, planned to finish the Angling Ace aspiration as an adult, in case Big Happy Family started to look difficult to complete. Now, it seemed Angling Ace would not only be unnecessary, but also more trouble than it's worth to rush to complete. It, like Musical Genius, would be a fine aspiration to work on at her leisure, in her retirement. After her Immortality was cemented.

Especially as Henry was doing such a fine job of filling the shoes of Antwan and Sergio before him.



She did, however, have a limited amount of time to finally complete the Soulmates aspiration she and Norman had begun working towards a long time ago. All that remained now was the final milestone.

And given the strain their relationship had been placed under since Norman's abduction, well, let's just say they needed the opportunity to actively devote some time to their relationship. Rose even suggested they get away from the house and actually go into town for their required dates.



It…was a bit awkward at first. Rose almost felt the need to make small talk.

"It's a nice evening, isn't it, Norman?" she began, tentatively.

"Oh ho, Rose," chuckled Norman. She supposed he felt it too.

"Listen, no hard feelings, okay?" he said, gently. "I know you only wanted to do what was best for your family. I know you didn't really want to send him back. Luckily I managed to convince Iris." Norman beamed proudly.

Rose had to agree, the naming thing was rather clever. She supposed Norman hadn't risen through the ranks of the Journalism career without learning a thing or two. She was actually pretty proud of him for coming up with it.



"Oh Norman," she sighed, "I'm so, so sorry about that. Dear Plumbob, I still feel awful just thinking about it." It was all pretty raw now, but Rose supposed one day she would laugh about how she had nearly sent Chimo back to his other parents on his home planet.

No, she corrected herself, back to his parents on their home planet. If Chimo was raised here, Earth would be his home.



But one thing was certain - with his son safe at home in his bassinet, his toddler birthday fast approaching, Norman wouldn't be one to hold a grudge over this. No harm, no foul, right?



And soon enough, the tension between the two of them eased rather significantly.

So much so that soon they were laughing and chatting down the street, hand-in-hand like newlyweds on their way to the park. A far cry from the quarrelling, aging couple they were. With four children between them and, Rose reminded herself with a jolt, several grandchildren on their way.

They may have entirely forgotten to order so much as a hot chocolate from the café.



"Thank you Norman," Rose told her husband. "For a wonderful evening, and for a wonderful lifetime."

"Oh ho, Rose," laughed Norman, playfully. "Neither are over just yet." He winked.



---



Norman approached Chimo's cradle with trepidation.

It wasn't too late. Not yet. Chimo could still be returned to his planet, still be sent to his other parents to be raised as an alien child. One miss-step, one miss-click, and away he'd go, never to be seen again. If Norman did that and made that call, it would devastate him, but it would make things easier for future generations. He wondered briefly if he could be that selfless?

He sighed deeply as he pondered the idea.



No, he decided, he couldn't. Chimo was his son, and he would be the one to raise him.

And so in a leap and a jump, Chimo's place in the Morven household was cemented.



Rose and Norman may have been experienced parents, but they had never raised a toddler before. All three of their previous children had leapt out of the cradle and into the world, and so they initially wondered if alien children went through an extra life stage when compared to their entirely human counterparts - one which required a lot more work and dedication.

Some investigative journalism on Norman's part, however, seemed to prove that this would in fact be the case for all sim children from here on in, as a result of…well, he hadn't quite figured that part out yet. But family-oriented Rose very nearly didn't even care. She jumped, eagerly and enthusiastically, at the new opportunities that this would present, not only for Chimo, but for every future child born into the household.



Henry couldn't help but wonder what sort of role he would be required to play in the lives of his children, though with so many of them running around, he guessed it would be physically impossible for him to be too involved.

Kori Patel had contacted him not too long ago, announcing that she had given birth to a little girl she had named Brynlee. Rose and Norman's first grandchild! Mere hours later, Brittany Rosa announced the birth of a son named Dwight. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be visiting any of them just yet - there was rather a lot happening here. Henry did try to explain to Chimo that he was an uncle now, so he'd better stop filling his diaper, smarten up, and fly straight.



But Chimo, it seemed, was more interested in cereal than in being an uncle.



And Edith didn't care all that much about being an Aunt, either. She was a Loner. She kept to herself, usually in the basement, focusing on her own pursuit of knowledge.



Norman's birthday rolled around the day after that of his youngest son, and so Gerald took this opportunity to, once again, try for a gold medal event. This time, the watcher wasn't quite so complacent when it came to fulfilling the party requirements, and so the birthday party was a roaring success. So successful, in fact, that getting a picture of the birthday boy had proven rather, er, challenging.



Norman wasn't exactly excited to become an elder. Chimo was still so young, and still had so much to learn. And while he trusted Rose with his everything to raise him right, as she had their other children, the fact remained that she wasn't his biological parent as he was.

The fact also remained that Gerald was a criminal, Henry a dead-beat baby daddy, and Edith a social recluse, so Norman hoped that Chimo would fare, well, better. But he wasn't about to vocalise these particular concerns - he knew what was good for him.



As planned, he retired from his job as soon as he could.



A move which freed him up to become a full-time daddy to his little Chimo. As he watched his son playfully chewing away at the dollhouse house, and babbling contentedly to all the doting family members around the house, Norman gave a contented sigh.

He was certain that retirement would suit him just fine.
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Offline oshizu

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 38 (22 Feb 2017)
« Reply #168 on: February 22, 2017, 01:49:15 PM »
Chimo is so super adorable! I've never seen an alien with this color of skintone!
What a precious, special toddler! I imagine Chimo must have been the reason that you started the Tips for Top-Notch Toddlers thread.

I'm glad that Norman immediately retired to spend more time with his son. I've rarely seen Norman so happy as he seems to be now.
Indeed, Norman got hugely rewarded for completing Bestselling Author and his Journalism career. Chimo exercised great timing!
And Norman having misgivings about Chimo being raised amidst his other children seems so realistic.
Hey, Norman! You're not entirely free from blame for how they've turned out, you know? Except for Harley, who is a force of nature.

In some screenshots, Chimo appears almost white. Is he a shade of very pale blue?
Chimo growing older will be bittersweet....

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 38 (22 Feb 2017)
« Reply #169 on: February 22, 2017, 01:59:02 PM »
What a sweet chapter! Norman and Rose rekindling their romance, and lots of alien toddler adorableness. My heart swells! Norman truly does look like he's enjoying himself.
I'm so excited for incoming Henry babies! I'm sure Rose is excited, too! That was a bit of a nail-biter of an aspiration for her, but it's finally all happening. Yay!
Loved Rose photobombing the birthday boy shot. She looks exhausted. Love Harley's blue lipstick in that shot, too!

Offline Whirligig

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 38 (22 Feb 2017)
« Reply #170 on: February 23, 2017, 07:07:46 AM »
@oshizu
Nah, I started the thread after Norman was abducted but before I knew he was pregnant. I did a test run with toddlers and, well, didn't fail miserably, but didn't do as well as I'd liked. It was in anticipation for the Gen 4 heir. I returned to the thread after nearly finishing with Chimo, because while I did better than the first time through, top-notch didn't quite happen.

Norman really has come into his own in his golden years, hasn't he? And yeah, he's definitely not innocent of how the other three turned out.

Well, Chimo is one of the first aliens I've played, but yes, he's veeeery pale blue so that he does look white in some light.

@FrancescaFiori I'm so loving the alien toddler adorableness, so I'm glad everyone else is, too. :) Toddlers are hard work this time around, but I'm so happy they're back in the game.

Yeah, I was initially worried about that aspiration, but I wanted to give it a shot. I'm so glad it's working out. Also, as part of doing it, I realised successful lineage is a useful free-for-all aspiration for Immortals to work on - Iris has nearly finished it - I'm hoping when Rose finishes Big Happy Family, Iris' 'have a child complete an aspiration' will finally trigger, too. (It didn't with Soulmates or Bestselling Novelist or Mansion Baron or Fabulously Wealthy but, well, fifth time's a charm?)

I can't remember why Rose was tired. She'd probably just done an all-nighter writing session or fishing session or something, and here I was forcing her to attend her husband's last birthday. Heartless of me, I know...
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Offline Whirligig

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 39 (23 Feb 2017)
« Reply #171 on: February 23, 2017, 07:19:43 AM »
Chapter 39 - No Great Loss



Gerald had encountered a problem when it came to progressing in his aspirations. Namely, the family didn't exactly get out enough for him to pick fights with people on the street. And it wasn't like they got many walk-bys, living on an island as they did.

But just as his father had started a club so he could interview people for his journal articles, and Henry had started a club so he could keep track of his girlfriends, Gerald decided starting a club for sims he didn't particularly like seemed like it could be a good idea.



And so "Gerald's Enemies" was founded. Club activities include: being mean to club members, being mischievous to club members, and fighting.

Fighting club members during club gatherings where fighting is a club activity, however, didn't do quite as much damage to his relationships with his club-mates as he'd hoped it would. He also thought he would be doing more of the fighting himself, not just cheering on Amaya and…whoever the other guy was…from the sidelines.



And when Edith returned home from school in the middle of "Gerald's Enemies'" first meeting, she was appropriately unimpressed.

"I get that you're dynastically required to be a massive jerk to just about everyone in town, Gerald, but do you have to do that right here?"

"Woo, I hope you both die!" shouted Gerald, oblivious.

Edith rolled her eyes and retreated inside to the familiar cover of the basement.

Okay, so the first meeting of Gerald's Enemies was a bit of a flop. The fights counted towards the fight requirements, but they didn't seem to even make a dent in Gerald's relationship bars. I feel like he accomplished the equivalent of poking a few people and throwing a few insults - he certainly didn't declare any enemies. Maybe next time?



I'm just hesitant to leave the lot with a toddler as I'm not sure how that will work. Will they actually sleep if I leave them set to 'care for self'? They seem to sleep a lot. I feel like I'd have a far better chance at getting top-notch-toddlers if they didn't need to sleep so much. But I can't 'rally the troops' their needs, and Rose even tried writing a book of life for him, but that didn't work either. Can they drink moodlet solvers?

I mean, whenever Chimo is awake, Norman is by his side with flash cards or toddler books or talking lessons, but he's so seldom awake. When he does wake up, I almost always get the 'feed your toddler before we take it away' message, so by the time we're done sleeping and eating and pooping there's not much time left before he needs to sleep again. Why so much sleep?



"Okay, Iris, that was your second warning from Grim. Care to put that away now, and head upstairs for some Ambrosia?" I asked.

"I'll just finish this sculpture, then I'll be right up," Iris replied.



"Could you hurry it up?" I asked, feeling a little antsy.

"Patience, Watcher," Iris chided. "You can't rush art."

"Ugh, fine, I'll go see what the others are up to. Let me know when you're done."



Hmm, I've never seen that whim before. Why not? Off you go, Gerald.

Gerald tried not to look too excited as he made his way into the backyard.

"Evening, Gerald," Rose greeted her eldest. She had just finished tidying up the books in the museum (much to the Watcher's annoyance), and was on her way inside to check on Chimo.

"Mother," Gerald nodded in reply, trying to look nonchalant. After the flop that was his first enemies club meeting, he was looking for another way to make some trouble.



With the game table just sitting in the backyard, it's not like it can do any real damage, right?



Right?

"Oh God, Gerald, the whole family's gone tense and is freaking out about the fire on the lot. They've ALL dropped their queues. Ugh, whyyyy did I let you do that?"

"Mwaa ha ha haaaa, I am truly evil!" Gerald cackled.

"Truly annoying is more like it. Go on, put it out!"



"Ugh, fine," Gerald mumbled.

Good boy. Now go work on your fitness or your handiness or do something useful, okay?



"Oh hey, Harley? Uh, what are you doing with Chimo? Isn't he meant to be skilling or something?"

"Fire!" Harley shouted. "There's a fire on the lot!"

"Um, not anymore there isn't," Gerald replied.

"The baby must be saved from the fire! I have saved him, he is safe now!"

"Pretty sure he was never really in danger, Harley," sighed Gerald.



"Never in danger? Never in DANGER! Hah, I'll show all this family that I'm fit to be a mother yet, won't I Chimo? You were in danger, weren't you? And I saved your life, didn't I? Yes, I did."

"Huh. Maybe I misjudged you, Harley," I mused. Still, it's not like I really could've given Chimo up. Now, note to self, never light 'don't wake the llama' on fire again. Where were we?



"Do I have to eat this?" groaned Iris.

"Oh come on, I know what you're doing. You're not complaining about the food, you're still complaining about the fire. That's out. Calm down. Isn't there a +3 décor moodlet in this room? Why hasn't that kicked in yet?"

But Iris just shook her head, sadly.



"Gerald's such a loose cannon, Watcher. I really don't know if he has what it takes," she sighed. "I know you thought it was harmless, but lighting that fire could have done some serious harm."

"Oh Iris, I'm sure it was all just in good fun," I try to reassure her. "He rolled the whim because of the mischief skill. Not because of his being evil. Being a goofball yourself, I'm sure you can appreciate that."

I was feeling pretty exasperated when Iris was still looking glum. "Seriously? Most boring goofball ever." I sigh.



Though sometimes I can't help but wonder myself if the family's concerns about Gerald are justified.



"I'm kicking you out of the club, Andrew, because you're a clod."

"Woah, wait, what? I just let you beat me at that fight, and now this?"

"Well I want to make you my enemy, but I seem to be struggling with getting you to not like me enough," Gerald explained.



"Aww, man," Andrew mumbled, trying to stifle a sob. "That's really upsetting. You're a terrible person, Gerald Morven. I can't believe my sister actually fell in love with you."

"Unlike you," Gerald replied, "your sister recognises awesomeness when she sees it."



"And don't you ever show your face at this house again, Andrew Bjergsen." Gerald repeated, as if making a point.

"Sweetie, why are you shouting at Andrew?" asked a small voice.

"Oh hey Harley. I was just telling this low-life loser to take a hike."



Harley nodded. "I see. You realise that that low life loser is my brother, don't you?"

"So is half the town, Harley. What's your point?" asked Gerald, only half-interested.

"But like, Andrew and I properly grew up together, because we're also cousins," was the explanation Harley provided.

Gerald was quite suddenly rather confused. "Wait, what?"

"Siblings on our Dad's side, cousins on our Moms' side," Harley explained. "Our moms were sisters, and we have the same Dad."

Gerald attempted to process this.



"What are you playing at," he finally exclaimed, his anger directed at Andrew, "trying to confuse me like this?"

But Harley just shrugged. "You should get used to it," she said, "happens all the time, wherever pollinators are involved."

"Dude, chill," gasped Andrew, "I had nothing to do with any of that! Not my fault your Nana's pal Sergio was such a dog. Ugh, you tick me off. See you 'round, Harley, if you're going to insist on hanging out with this maniac."

Way to make an enemy of your future brother-in-law, Gerald. How many more of those do you need? Two? Let's stick with will-probably-get-culled-soon-anyways townies from now on, mmkay?



Before anyone had really even realised it, Edith's adult birthday had rolled around. Since Gerald had no further need for birthday parties (and Edith, being a loner, really didn't care for parties anyways) her birthday was marked by Nana Iris baking a cake and singing a song for her while everyone else was doing other things.



Most likely other things involving her little brother.



Edith didn't exactly resent her little brother for getting a lot of attention. And she wasn't completely perturbed at suddenly being, well, not the baby anymore.



But as everyone else squeed and cooed and fawned over how 'cute' Chimo was, how 'simply adorable' his high pitched laugh made him, how much they just wanted to 'pinch his little cheeks', Edith well and truly didn’t see the appeal.

It was just as well she couldn't have any kids of her own, she decided.



Unlike her family-oriented mother, Edith, upon reaching adulthood, finally determined that she rather hated children. As a genius and a loner, the life of solitude she would lead, most likely hidden away in the basement working on experiments, would suit her just fine. Not having a family of her own would be of no great loss to her.
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Offline oshizu

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 39 (23 Feb 2017)
« Reply #172 on: February 23, 2017, 04:04:51 PM »
Haha, I loved your idea of the Fight Club (even though you shouldn't be talking about it, lol).
I giggled that making fighting a club activity didn't destroy relationships. Couldn't you just use the club to get members out of the Morven House?
What about making the Admission requirements "Insane" (for Gerald; did he have the Mean trait?) and "Good" for the others.
Then you'd have your pick of Good sims to fight with.

Wow, the relationship between Andrew and Harley is complicated!
Or could Gerald join then quit various clubs, just to meet more people? You don't want to make enemies of your future brother-in-law, man!
Who you gonna invite to all your gold-medal parties?
Oh Harley, how could not find Chimo utterly adorable!? He looks so cute listening to Norman's story and even cuter (if that's possible) in the bath!
As you know, a bubble bath will make him playful which speeds up Imagination gain (which I already wrote, I'm sure, but can't remember).
Also, doesn't a toddler tire less easily when Energized? Again, I'm so glad that Norman convinced Iris to keep Chimo! He's so precious!

Haha, Norman, you dawg! Way to get off angelfish duty!

Happy birthday, Edith!
Awww, poor Edith! A loner genius who hates children.... *feels sad
Well, that's one way to free up your focus to devote more time to Chimo and the current heir, hehe. I hope you'll buy her a big TV and a gaming console, at least!
If she had any friends or acquaintances, she could play online multiplayers game with them. Then I wouldn't feel so sad about her, lol.
Or she could be your scientist--she could make a cloning machine around Level 5 (think, moodlet solvers...)

Offline MarianT

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 39 (23 Feb 2017)
« Reply #173 on: February 23, 2017, 05:30:46 PM »
Aww! Now I want an alien toddler. I bet you were on tenterhooks with the fire and Iris dilly-dallying about eating her ambrosia.
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Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 39 (23 Feb 2017)
« Reply #174 on: February 23, 2017, 06:12:13 PM »
Oh, I love Edith's face as she walks past Gerald's Fight Club! So over it!
What a bummer that the club makes Gerald too likable! And the island location means too few sims walking by cruising for a bruising! Don't worry, Gerald. You'll make those enemies, yet. I believe in you!
I had a very similar experience with Otto and a whim to set the Don't Wake the Llama set on fire, though I was not smart enough to place it outside before I gave in to curiosity. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, that! I do love that the crisis caused Harley's maternal instincts to kick in.
That shot of Chimo in the bath is too adorable for words! How Edith can resist that face I have no idea!

Offline Whirligig

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 39 (23 Feb 2017)
« Reply #175 on: February 24, 2017, 05:26:36 AM »
@oshizu Gerald's traits are actually Evil, Klepto and Hot-Headed (hot-headed was a poor decision. Remember how I wasn't prepared when he became an adult?) And I hadn't thought of adding good sims! I actually just added sims he already had a red relationship bar with, but I'm probably going to reconfigure it next time I go into the game.

I also made a "Gerald's Friends" club around the same time, which at the moment consists of mostly teens (younger than Gerald = not going to be dead when he eats Ambrosia) who live in houses - consequently, most of Antwan's children. This was also to remind me that Gerald can behave as he pleases to anyone but those, well, 5 at the moment because I haven't actually got the points for that club to add a 7th member.

I had such a hard time getting Chimo to be energized, though. He seemed to get mostly playful or happy moodlets from bathtime. I figured bubble baths gave playful. so when I wanted energized I know I didn't click 'bubble bath' but he seemed to get playful anyways. I am glad I installed the mod to get rid of the blur mosaic - the bathtime animations are so cute, but they of course get blurred out if you don't have the mod. I am so proud of myself though - that's still the only mod/cc/piece of third party content full stop I have in my game. (There was a time in my life where my sims 2 downloads folder contained around 18gb of CC. I'm trying to be good with my Dynasty family, and funnily enough, I don't miss it all that much).

Yeah, with everything else going on, Edith was kind of destined to be lonely from the start. At least this way she'll be happy in her basement lab? And yes, she is most definitely slotted in to be the resident scientist. Has been since before she was born. :)

@MarianT Yeah, that was pretty stressful. I got her first warning and tried to make a mental note to give her Ambrosia 'soon' but when the second warning came and I realized I'd forgotten to, well, I didn't really want to waste time. I wasn't expecting everyone in the house to just drop all their actions and run outside when Gerald set the game on fire - not sure why, tbh, and I'm feeling rather foolish about it now. Alien toddler is a lot of fun. 10/10 would recommend. Especially for the cutesy little alien-y voice which I unfortunately can't share with all of you.

@FrancescaFiori The fight club thing was a bit dissapointing, I'll admit. The other thing is, he can't invite over people he dislikes, because they'll just reject his invitation. So unfortunately, most of his enemies will have to be friends with other people in the house (unless I just go off-lot to finish it up. Which I might do once Chimo ages up). But the club will still be useful for his 'mean interactions' daily task. Mischief he could do well enough with family/by trolling teh forums, but Mean? No Gerald, please don't be mean to your family.

Yeah, I knew I'd read about it in someone else's story so it must've been Otto. So I knew it would actually start a fire (hence outside) but what I wasn't expecting was the queue-dropping, tension-causing panic from everyone else (this has been my first real fire in game in a very long time, and possibly even the first for the Morvens - I'd forgotten how dramatically sims react to such things).

Haha, the trait just seemed fitting after my throwaway comments about her not wanting a younger sibling. But also, she's not allowed to have kids of her own anyways so this way I'll feel less guilty about it? It also feels like a nice throwback to Sergio.
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Offline Whirligig

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 40 (24 Feb 2017)
« Reply #176 on: February 24, 2017, 05:46:15 AM »
Chapter 40 - Quit Slacking, Watcher!

Writer's Note: This chapter is brought to you by: a really slow day at work where not much of the stuff I actually get paid to do got done, but during which I talked myself into going straight home and completely finishing off Rose's requirements. That hasn't happened yet, but we're much closer now.



A full sim-week had passed since the arrival of little Chimo into the Morven household. And it couldn't be denied that the little guy demanded all of the attention of everyone in the family. But Rose and Norman were especially at Chimo's beck-and-call.



Chimo was a clingy child, especially where his father was concerned. He did nearly everything with Norman by his side, and wouldn't have it any other way. Norman couldn't help but seriously question whether or not the child would have fared as well with his other parents, as he had with him. And once again, Norman was so, so grateful for the opportunity he had been given to raise his youngest child himself.



But the sheer amount of attention Chimo was getting when compared with the other sims in the house hadn't gone completely unnoticed by the others. Sure, he was a toddler, and he needed encouragement and support, but the fact remained that he was a spare, not an heir, and that the existing heirs and their requirements weren't quite progressing as quickly as some would have liked.

And Harley, who had recently taken it upon herself to learn as much as she could about the ins and outs of Dynasty life, including its requirements, couldn't help but notice this.



"Not good enough, not good enough!" Harley muttered, pacing the floor. She was clearly engaged in a deeply enthralling, and highly animated, conversation with herself.
"We're not making progress, and time is slipping away!" She continued. "Weddings and parties, skills and collections. Progress, no progress. Children and grandchildren, aspirations and angelfish. Not enough, not enough, there's just not enough! Promotions! We need more promotions! Bestsellers, three more! Good friends – lots! How on earth will Gerald ever speak civilly to someone long enough for them to become good friends? Camping trips, camping mascots, away we go! But no time, no time for the children. Chimo, it's Chimo's fault!"



Her frustration was building, and I couldn't help but share in it. Eight sims in the house? Who ever thought I'd be able to manage that? I guess this is how it's going to be, from here on in.

"Priorities," Harley decided. "Gerald needs to set his priorities straight." She sounded resolute. "I must speak with him about his priorities. He's never cared about the dynasty he said, just a bunch of stupid rules, he said. Well he'll care soon, if he doesn't work this out. Max mischief, perform voodoo, plug some drains. And a wedding! We need to have a wedding!"



It all seemed too much. She couldn't figure it all out herself, but no one else seemed terribly concerned. Even Henry had grown slack after an initial burst of woohoo with the ladies of the town. And he was hardly flying through the ranks of the secret agent career, either. Edith was an adult now, but who knew how quickly she would be able to progress through the science career without the watcher ever being able to give her any attention at the lab?



Harley examined herself in the mirror. She just wanted to take a nap, but she felt like too much napping was what had gotten her into this mess. When had the weight of the dynasty fallen to her shoulders, rather than those of Iris or Rose? Gerald wanted, needed her to find answers, but why was she the one carrying the family? When would Gerald pick up the slack? He had work to do, too. Chief of Mischief should have been simple. He should have finished it as a teenager. Why hadn't he?



Then there was Chimo. Harley blamed him. Maybe keeping him was a bad idea after all – children were so much work now! All the work Norman was putting into teaching Chimo how to be a decent toddler could have been better spent on other projects. On her child, perhaps.



She thought about her inevitable, impending motherhood more and more often, now. Almost as much as she thought about the wedding. When she'd first moved in, she agreed she wasn't ready. But now? The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. Her twin sister Rosa was pregnant now; Henry's child of course. If her relationship to Andrew made her head spin (both half-siblings as well as cousins), how much more did this one. Her...nephew? She supposed he would be her nephew twice – both by blood and by marriage. Weird.



Either way, she looked forward to it now. To raising a child, that was. She would be a good mother, she decided resolutely, and even if she wasn't, there was Iris and Rose and the others to help. She even thought maybe Gerald would make an okay father. He'd helped with Chimo's potty training. Once.



But of greatest concern to Harley was how much Rose herself had left to do. Mainly in the friendship department. Rose wanted to have bestsellers in the family museum – nothing else would be good enough. And so she was spending far too much writing when she needed to be socialising. Especially with her grandchildren. Harley thought she needed to visit the Goth girl and make friends with the twins. Would a toddler grandchild outside the home suffice as a friend for the six friends requirement? Harley wondered.



Rose would have an easy time making friends, Harley was sure of that. But Gerald would struggle. Gerald made enemies, not friends. Gerald was rude and abrasive when it came to keeping civil company. Even with her, his manner was often curt and impatient. They had a very romantic relationship, but often had to work at their friendship. And that was with her! How Gerald would fare with sims outside the household, Harley would never know.



Finally, having thought about and thought about and over-thought about some more all the woes of the family that she, for whatever reason, felt rested squarely on her shoulders, she turned her attention to me.
 
"You need to pick up the pace, missy," she chided.

"What do you mean?" I asked, though I knew full well that the problem lay mainly with me.



"You need more focus in your playing. Forget me and Gerald and Chimo. We'll chug right along at our own pace, thank you. You need to think about Rose, first and foremost. Get her fishing maxed, get her friends sorted, get that aspiration finished. Once she's had her Ambrosia, worry about the rest of us."

"Fair point," I replied. "But in order to finish her aspiration, you and Gerald need to tie the knot."

Harley considered this, then nodded. "Fine," she said. "We'll get married tomorrow."



"Tomorrow? But tomorrow is Thursday?"

Harley glared at me. "It is, yes. And if you wanted us to get married on a Saturday, you needed to be paying more attention. We get married in the morning, before we go to work. Henry takes a vacation day - Edith hasn't started working yet, has she? I thought not. The wedding will be tomorrow."

There was no arguing with her.

"Now, where's Gerald?" She asked, pointedly. "I need to sort this out with him, don't I?"  



Harley eventually found Gerald in the basement, working on a sculpture.

"Gerald, honey," she said, sweetly, "I need to ask you something."

"Can it wait?" Asked Gerald, "I feel like I've finally got my mojo."

"I think it's waited long enough," Harley replied.



Now, how did they do this on TV shows? Usually on a bridge or in a beautiful garden or something like that. Oh well, the focused room in the basement would have to do. She got down on one knee and pulled out a ring.
 
"Gerald Morven," she said pointedly, dramatically, with almost a bit too much flair. "Will you marry me? Tomorrow, so that your Mom can finish her aspiration, would be preferable."



"Oh!" Exclaimed Gerald. Funny, this had always been the plan. Why did she even need to bother with the asking. "Wasn't I meant to do that part?"

"Well you were taking your sweet time about it, so I thought I'd do it. It needs to happen, you know. So much depends on it."



Gerald smiled. He fingered the ring Harley had presented in his hands. Trust her to be more on top of these things than he was.



"Oh Harley," he smiled, as he slipped the ring on his finger and examined it thoughtfully. "What would I ever do without you?"
 
"Fail, probably." Harley replied with a smirk.



But she allowed herself to be enfolded in his embrace all the same.



"They're finally doing it," Henry announced to his mother and sister the following morning. "They're finally tying the knot. Gerald texted me at about 3 in the morning to ask me to be his best man. I accepted, of course."

"So you're still Gerald's BFF?" Rose asked.

"Well duh, Mom. And his partner in crime. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," mused Rose. She just stowed the information to the back of her mind for later.



"Does this mean we have to have a party?" groaned Edith.

"Heck yeah it does!" Henry enthused. He'd been outgoing since he was a child. He actually wondered if it would be possible for him to be more different to his sister than he already was. She hated children; he now had five and counting. He loved meeting new people, she preferred solitude.

"They're part of the dynasty requirements, Edith," Rose explained, though Edith was all too familiar with the dynasty requirements, "so you really should get used to the idea of having several."

Edith let out a rather annoyed sigh.



Meanwhile, downstairs, Gerald finally found the time to call all of his, er, acquaintances, really, to invite them over for a wedding.

He tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, as he kept his voice even and polite.



"Hey, this is Gerald. Yeah, from high school, you remember me, don't you? Say, uh, want to come to my wedding?"
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Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 40 (24 Feb 2017)
« Reply #177 on: February 24, 2017, 12:47:08 PM »
Oh, gosh! Poor Harley. She's really working herself up into a frenzy! I'm glad she's taking action, though. I'm very excited for her and Gerald's wedding! I sincerely hope he can convince a few guests to show up! It made me smile that he was so nervous to call people, and had to struggle to be polite on the phone. :) Oh, Gerald!

So excited to hear about all of Henry's children! Do we get to meet them? I want to see!

Edith's Hates Children trait is a nice throwback to Sergio. Awww. I still miss that guy.

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 40 (24 Feb 2017)
« Reply #178 on: February 24, 2017, 01:28:44 PM »
I love the energy and objective wisdom that Harley brings to your household and, by extension, your story!!!
It can be difficult to keep a full household on track with their various "stuff."
Edith will be easy, though.
    As long as she has enough breakthroughs at home and leaves for work Very Focused (Citrus bath soak with Saffron incense), you never have to follow her to work, not even once.
   You can buy the Invention Constructor in Buy Mode and have her invent stuff in her basement science lab, too.  Sorry for blathering. I'm sure you knew that already. *grins sheepishly

I'm glad to read in your little head note that Rose completed all her requirements.
Gerald looks happy to be tying the knot. Good for you, Harley! You are worth your weight in gold.
Awww, Norman and his goopy eyes whenever he's with baby Chimo. Oh! You mentioned a week had passed since Chimo's arrival, which means he ages up in your next update!!!

Well, I hope your charges at work are very low-maintenance so you can writing another update at work, hehe.

Offline Whirligig

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Re: The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 40 (24 Feb 2017)
« Reply #179 on: February 25, 2017, 03:29:55 AM »
@FrancescaFiori Gerald's really not on very good terms with many sims outside the household.

I'll definitely try to do a few posts with Henry's children. They're all still toddlers at the moment, and I didn't realise until recently that you could invite toddlers over to visit. But once they're children, I'll try to get around to see more of them. And of course, Rose is going to want to meet most of them. :P

@oshizu Thanks for the tips about Edith's career. I keep forgetting to make good use of the Spa Day content, but I'm trying to train myself to make better use of the 'pause' button. Somewhere on the internet I'm sure there's a list of activities you can do to get breakthroughs - I'm just going to have to find it.

Rose hasn't actually completed her requirements yet. She still needs 5 more good friends and to finish Big Happy Family by becoming good friends with one of her grandchildren. (Funnily enough, Norman has finished Big Happy Family before her, because of Chimo (he's good friends with all four of his children). The next time I get in game, she'll be aging up to elder, but I'm pretty sure we'll be able to manage those requirements long before any warnings from Grim.

Chimo also won't be aging up until next time I'm in game. I was counting a week from when he was born, not a week from toddlerfication. The next chapter consists almost entirely of the wedding, but I think his and Rose's birthdays will just make it into the following chapter.
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