Legacies of the Valley (March 9 -- Sheil) Graveyard

[MarianT]

Chapter 51

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The Bettancourts' cat Whisper was both mischievous and a free spirit. And spoiled. She liked poking her nose into forbidden places.

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And she especially liked annoying Coco the dog by sleeping on her bed instead of the elaborate structure provided for her benefit.

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One day Jeffrey discovered another way that Whisper had found to be mischievous. Here's her daughter, Murmur.

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Murmur is mischievous and spoiled like her mother. Coco hasn't made up her mind what she thinks about this new addition to the household yet.

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Jeffrey had to give Gunther a stern talking-to when he found him making a mess. "It's not like you're a toddler anymore," he said. "I know that this supposedly helps you boost your creativity, but there are better ways of doing that."

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Embarrassed, Gunther started drawing more. Later, he took up the violin.

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He also started experimenting with the chemistry set.

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He even helped with the laundry.

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His younger sister Robin had become a B student already. She celebrated by going for a swing.

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Later, she decided that she wanted to be a bear, and Jeffrey thought it might speed her through the phase if he dressed as a bear, too.

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Robin's bear phase coincided with Wonder Day. Meeting the Flower Bunny gave Jeffrey an idea for a new play. It would be about a 6-foot tall rabbit who could only be seen by the main character, a man named Elwood P. Dowd. He just had to think of a good name for the rabbit. Harold? Herman? Hubert?

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Robin met the Flower Bunny, too and told it about all the pretty eggs she'd discovered.

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Wendy became the Flower Bunny's good friend, partly because she'd planted some tulips.

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After the Flower Bunny left, Robin went to play on the swings again.

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Jeffrey told Elliott about his brilliant idea. "I just can't think of a good name for the rabbit," he said.
"Harvey," said Elliott.
"That's perfect!" Jeffrey exclaimed.
"It's been done," said his father. "Mary Chase wrote the play and it became a movie in 1950."
"Oh," said Jeffrey. "But the Flower Bunny is visible..."
"Work on it some more," his father advised.

Jeffrey has some interesting interviews in Chapter 61.

[Shewolf13]

Awww, Coco and Murmur are so cute! Hehehe, loved the bit about the Flower Bunny and the bear phase.

[Deme]

Sometimes, all the good ideas are taken... That shot of everyone in costume is so cute, though.

[MarianT]

Awww, Coco and Murmur are so cute! Hehehe, loved the bit about the Flower Bunny and the bear phase.

Sometimes, all the good ideas are taken... That shot of everyone in costume is so cute, though.

If I were titling chapters, this one would have been called "Bears and Bunnies."

[MarianT]

Chapter 52

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Once again, Amy Bibbler had a few moments in which to do some writing in her journal.

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Paul has been in a bad mood ever since his sister moved in with his father. "That could have been us," he grumbled, "but you had to move in a refugee family."
"It's just Salma and Hajar," I reminded him. "You're the one that wanted another cat. And besides, I thought you didn't want to live in Newcrest anyway."
"I don't," he said. "But if Dad had moved in with us, we could have afforded the Yuma Heights house."
I did some calling around and discovered that we did have enough money to buy Yuma Heights.

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I didn't want to leave our current neighborhood. The children were in Scouts with the Bettancourt children across the street, and my former supervisor, Dr. Harvey was another neighbor. No one lived in the old Landgraab house, so if we moved to Yuma Heights, we wouldn't have any near neighbors.

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Also I would miss being able to walk across the street to get a late afternoon cupcake or cocoa or cider, depending on what the food stall had on offer.

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But neighbors and cupcakes were a small price to pay if it made Paul happy. Although I must admit, when I looked at the house, my first thought was that it would take forever just to leave for work in the morning.

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But Paul won't hear any criticism. "Just look at that view," he exulted, and I agreed that it was spectacular.

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We've been in the house several days now, and Paul certainly is happier. More thoughtful, too, because he insisted that I set up my writing desk where I could enjoy the view. And yes, it is better than the close quarters of our old, tiny dining room. He insisted that I convert one of the bedrooms to an office/study where I could do yoga and work on the computer.

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Paul has also become better at helping around the house rather than leaving all the chores to Salma and our ambitious, but not always reliable, little scouts.

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The children seem happy here. There's room for their climbing bars and a swing set.

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They can watch TV in comfort, no, splendor.

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Phillip and Peter share a room, while Hajar, being a girl, has her own. But the boys can go in there to do their homework, and Hajar will often use their computer. Salma has her own room, too, and with 5 bathrooms, I think we should have enough.

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Work is going well for me. I've started doing surgery and am now qualified to deliver babies, so I'm just waiting for someone to get pregnant.

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There's only one fly in my ointment. Little Cecily Soriano showed up in the hospital the other day, angry already. "What's the problem?" I asked. "I haven't even said you need a shot yet."
"You're one of the people who think my mother is a thief," she said crossly.
"Honey, I don't think that," I told her. "I'm sure your mother is a wonderful person."
"Yeah, well, my uncle doesn't think so."

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It was almost time for breakfast, so Amy went downstairs to talk to Paul. "I don't have to work today," she said, "so I'm going to make friends with your sister. You're happy with this house, right?"
"Yes," said Paul.
"So there's no reason to keep the rift going. I don't want our niece and nephew to think of us as a bunch of materialistic money-grubbers."
"I suppose our house is bigger than theirs now," said Paul, "although they have a pool..."

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Raina was quite happy to meet Amy at the Futures Past museum. "Let's look at clouds in the street," she suggested.
"In the street?" squeaked Amy.
"Sure. It'll only be for a few minutes and there's nothing like doing something a little dangerous and crazy together to cement a friendship. Now I think that one looks just like a freezer bunny."
"The ears aren't long enough," said Amy, hoping that they would feel the vibration of an oncoming car soon enough to get out of its way.

Amy writes more in her journal in Chapter 62.

[Shewolf13]

Wow, congrats on moving to Yuma Heights (she's far too good to Paul, in my estimation; he doesn't deserve her). It is a big house.  I've played in it a few times.

[oshizu]

I love that Amy discovered the family could afford to move to Yuma Heights while Paul simply groused about the inheritance.
Haha, I can't believe he would still feel a pang of jealousy about Raina's pool! But a happier Paul is also a happier Amy!

Amy is awesome for trying to get closer to Raina.
Another family can't into Aflluista Mansion because the death of all the Landgraabs would have left the house unfurnished, wouldn't it?
That game mechanic really cripples most multi-gen challenges...

Nice going with Amy! She's very close to becoming Chief of Staff!

[MarianT]

Wow, congrats on moving to Yuma Heights (she's far too good to Paul, in my estimation; he doesn't deserve her). It is a big house.  I've played in it a few times.

I've played in it, too. It is big but easier to deal with than the Spencer-Kim-Lewis monster.

I love that Amy discovered the family could afford to move to Yuma Heights while Paul simply groused about the inheritance.
Haha, I can't believe he would still feel a pang of jealousy about Raina's pool! But a happier Paul is also a happier Amy!

Amy is awesome for trying to get closer to Raina.
Another family can't into Aflluista Mansion because the death of all the Landgraabs would have left the house unfurnished, wouldn't it?
That game mechanic really cripples most multi-gen challenges...

Nice going with Amy! She's very close to becoming Chief of Staff!

I don't think the lack of furniture matters if you're moving out of one household and into another. It's possible that it interferes with families moving in if you check the "Fill Empty Houses" box, although it seems to me that in my Ten-Gen Challenge, I had a family living in the BFF household without any furniture because everyone had died.

I hope Amy can make it to Chief of Staff. I don't know if she'll be able to deliver a baby any time soon, though. The house that I play just before hers is also full. Apparently, they fixed the "no pregnancies for the doctor" bug, but if not, I might have to play someone out of order.

[oshizu]

Thank you for reminding me about your challenge works.
I should have understood about empty houses, since Amy and Paul just moved into Yuma Heights!
Wow, the Doctor's delivering a baby goal becomes very tricky within 10-household rotation!
I will be following Amy's career timing with bated breath!

[MarianT]

Chapter 53

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Freedom Day went fairly well. Neither of their parents streaked, which was kind of a disappointment for Eloise and Juliet, but they hadn't really expected them to. Everyone appreciated something. What they were waiting for, though, were the fireworks. The sparklers were pretty, and both girls behaved responsibly with theirs.

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Stephen, despite being a genius and a rising tech guru, forgot the cardinal rule of fireworks and tried to set one off inside.

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After a quick shower, he tried to light the other one. "Don't get too --" he tried to warn the girls against getting too close, and they listened, but Evelyn approached just as he was lighting it. And of course Stephen was too close, so both of them got singed. Stephen had a second shower that night.

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Both girls were making progress, as scouts and also at school, with both of them currently B students.

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Juliet completed her aspiration to become an Artistic Prodigy and switched to Whiz Kid. Stephen read to both girls because Eloise said that she wanted to be a Whiz Kid as soon as she finished being a Social Butterfly.

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Helping Juliet become a Whiz Kid meant that Stephen had to play several games of chess with her.

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"Don't distract me," Juliet complained to her sister. "He's meckchated me twice already, and I want to win this one."

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Sooty has been working on a new trick -- rolling over. Sometimes she gets it, but sometimes she just sits and stares at Stephen.

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Just when Stephen was beginning to despair, Sooty finally mastered the command and the concept.

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Now she just has to learn that certain late-night visitors are not welcome.

Stephen's non-adventures continue in Chapter 63.

[Deme]

Isn't that just the way of dogs? You'll think they'll protect your home, but they just see a vampire and think "WELCOME!" Nice to see the girls doing well.

[MarianT]

In defense of Sooty, Vlad probably has an interesting smell.

[oshizu]

Haha, I'm smiling at the "defense of Sooty."

Luckily, both parents survived the firework mishaps!

[Shewolf13]

XD Oh my.  Poor Sooty.  She just doesn't know what being a vampire means yet.  Gotta train them!  Wow, look at all those fireworks mishaps!  Stephen, in the house?  Really!?

[MarianT]

Chapter 54

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This is the week that I've been dreading. Vladislaus told me when Vixenna was born that I would have until Love Day in the Year of the Dog to provide him with a bride. Love Day has come and gone, and of course Bridget is nowhere near ready to marry anyone.

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I pointed this out when he summoned me to his mansion.

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"She's a lovely child," I said, "but still a child. "There's no way she could have become an adult within the time you stipulated. I naturally assumed you meant the next Year of the Dog rather than this one."

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"Hmph," he grunted. "I would think a wizard as adept as your father would know how to move someone more quickly through the stages of life. And who is that little redhead she's talking to?"
"That's my son, Plotinus," I said, stressing the word "son".
"Pity," said Vladislaus. "I was hoping you would provide me with a red-haired bride."
"You said you definitely didn't want red hair," I reminded him.
"Because I knew that you would defy me in that small matter. I suppose your father's wizardry doesn't extend to gender transformation either?"

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I thought about my adorable son.

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How much he enjoyed being tossed about, much more so than his sister, who had invariably complained of an "owie" when rough-housing.
"Gender transformation is something he refuses to do unless it is requested by the person to be transformed," I said.

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"So you and your father will do this and won't do that," Vladislaus said with a sneer. "Listen to me well and mark my words. I shall go looking for a bride myself, and if I find one to my taste before your daughter is 'ready,' then I will make good on my threat -- you will be stripped of vampirism and become my primary source of sustenance. And when you die, as you no doubt will do quickly, your descendants will continue as my larder. Do you understand?"
"Yes," I stammered.

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It was stormy, and the sun was setting as I returned to Willow Creek. I had been at Straud Mansion for a night and a day.

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Vixenna was on the porch with my mother, building a model of the solar system. Vladislaus wouldn't attack his own daughter, I thought, but my other two little ones, Bridget and Plotinus would be in danger.

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I tried to steady my nerves with flower arranging, but kept snipping off the flower when I was trying to just shorten the stem.

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I kept sneezing as well.
 
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Eventually I gave up on the flowers and went upstairs to watch television with the rest of the family. The program was the premiere of "Peach is the New Orange," but I couldn't tell you anything else about the show.
 
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Over the next few days I heard reports from friends that Vladislaus was checking out houses in the neighborhood, not just looking for plasma donors, but also asking about young women with red hair. I don't know of any children his fancy might alight upon, but it has occurred to me that Wendy, Amy, and Kathy are all redheads. I think Vladislaus would prefer someone who is not married, but he has never been one to respect the conventions.