tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77548167708104475462024-03-13T20:44:28.799-04:00Voss Random LegacyA Sims 3 Random Legacy challenge blogMaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-48363675077129038512014-01-12T10:58:00.004-05:002014-01-12T10:59:38.299-05:005.2 Goosebumps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Morgan and Troy are in no rush to have children. Which is kind of odd, as they'll need to have <i>four</i>! Maybe the reality of it all hasn't quite sunk in yet. That's probably it.<br />
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Granted, Morgan's career is pretty much going to be on hold the second she starts having babies... so maybe it's wise to wait a little bit.<br />
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Nothing is getting between Morgan and her ambition to rid Isla Paradiso of its ghost problem! She sleeps most of the morning only to wake up and head out while everyone else is in the midst of their day. Poor Mimi barely even sees her older sister anymore.<br />
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This doesn't mean that Morgan gets to avoid her mother's meddling, however. Ami is adamant on changing her daughter's mind about all this ghost banishing business. She tries to use her 'abilities' to convince Morgan all the pain and suffering the poor ghosts are experiencing.<br />
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It backfires, of course. Morgan is more adamant than ever that those ghosts need to go!<br />
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Morgan never had issues getting along with her father before, but ever since she's 'taken over', things have been tense between them. He's always nagging her about being a better person and perhaps not scaring the tar out of everyone she meets.<br />
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Ha! Not likely. Morgan is quite happy with her daily dose of freaking people out.<br />
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Mimi becomes a Young Adult and it's time for her to move out. It's a bittersweet parting, but if they're separated, then they can spread their evil more easily. They say goodbye with the promise of keeping in touch in an effort to better 'run' the island.<br />
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Morgan and Troy's schedules are completely opposite of one another, so they rarely get any time to spend together. Which is kind of okay with them. Troy spends time reading his business books while Morgan sleeps the day away.<br />
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It's an odd sort of relationship, but it works for them.<br />
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Morgan spends her early morning hours after work gazing up at the stars. Perhaps some aliens will wander past and offer to bestow their awesomeness upon her. It would certainly help with the whole 'ghost problem.'<br />
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As much as Morgan enjoys ridding her beloved home of the bothersome pests, it's quite laborious. They just won't quit. Every time she exterminates one, two more seem to pop up in its place. It is an endless cycle.<br />
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Ami becomes an elder and burns her first meal ever. She is not amused. Morgan is hell-bent on destroying all ghosts and now she's gone and burned the spaghetti. At least her kitchen hadn't been touched by the 'hot pink' bug yet.<br />
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That was one small relief.<br />
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On the rare days off that Morgan gets, Troy drags her outside. It's pretty well-known how much Morgan loathes the outdoors, but Troy is insistent. The fact that she doesn't strike him down with mighty fury and instead begrudgingly goes along with it--even when she nearly face plants while skating--says volumes.<br />
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Louie's time finally comes. The family is distraught. Jasen witnesses the event first-hand and is considerably bereft.<br />
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Poor Louie. :(<br />
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Luckily for Morgan, she and Troy were still at the park. Otherwise, she would have probably broken her evil facade and cried a little.<br />
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She'd always liked Louie.<br />
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Ami wants us to think she's upset about Louie, but I have a hard time believing that after what I've done to 'her' kitchen. Poor old girl. It isn't easy when you're no longer the one in charge!<br />
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Ami likes to flirt with danger and invites ghosts she meets over while Morgan is either sleeping or out at work. Her daughter may be insistent on destroying them, but Ami would rather understand them. They're not all bad.<br />
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Morgan's ambition is relentless. She's called to the place where it all began to rid of her bothersome ancestors who still haunt the place. She does so without a thought as to who these people once were. That was <i>forever</i> ago, in her mind. They need to move on!<br />
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Jasen is worried about their daughter and her priorities. Ami is, too, though she won't state it directly. Time is passing and Morgan has yet to have any children. Ami and Jasen may have waited, but not this long. Perhaps it was time to have a talk with her.<br />
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And maybe find a way to not go blind while walking through the house. <i>So much hot pink</i>.<br />
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Morgan is on to her mother's tricks. She's got a new gizmo that senses ghost levels or something of the sort. They're off the charts at her <i>own house</i>. She's not amused.<br />
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Her mother has been having <i>ghosts</i> over for brunch! How ridiculous!<br />
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Jasen takes it upon himself to confront Morgan about her negligence of duties. She's supposed to be providing heirs! She can't wait forever. What if something were to happen?<br />
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Morgan is not amused by this intrusion <i>at all</i>. First the ghosts over as guests and now her father jumping down her throat about babies!<br />
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Enough was enough! Morgan would have children when she was <i>good and read</i>y. And that wouldn't be until she was <i>certain</i> that stupid ghosts weren't haunting her own house!<br />
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Of course, that meant the possibility of eradicating her own sister's ghosts, but then that was the cost. Morgan was more than willing to pay it. She said as much to Jasen, who was visibly deflated after the whole thing.<br />
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Morgan was not going to be controlled, not by anyone.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Oh, Morgan. You're so obstinate! I really do love her, but she argues with Jasen quite a lot. That's not even part of her 'Evil' thing a day requirement, either. It happens autonomously. They argued about babies on their own! Hilarious. Kind of sad, too, though. :(</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I really want Morgan to get higher up in her career before she spits out babies. Troy has a baby wish and I'm sure Morgan will spin one up once she's already pregnant (this happens a lot with my sims, oddly enough.) Once she starts having kids, it's going to be impossible for her career to continue due to all the time off! I definitely want them to get the benefit of Ami and Jasen being able to help, though.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Troy is in business, so that's why you don't see him much. He's always at work, working overtime, or working on his charisma upstairs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Slowly, but surely, the house is going full-on hot pink. My eyes!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I took these pictures all before Christmas and kind of forgot about them. I didn't think I had enough for an update. I'm on a little break from this at the moment, as I kind of burned myself out on sims. But I'm still playing here and there. So I'm not done. Just resting. ;)</span></div>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-68878590387742922672013-12-16T11:01:00.003-05:002013-12-16T11:01:50.616-05:005.1 Who Ya Gonna Call?<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Morgan becomes a Young Adult and she doesn't seem that excited about it. Either that, or all the dust in the house has finally gotten to her.<br />
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I forgot to take a picture of the house before I expanded it, so no overview shot for generation four. :(<br />
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Morgan is sent off to college, not for an education, but <i>for a man</i>. We're setting the movement back decades with this stint. Morgan's not exactly thrilled about it, either. It's cold and rainy at University.<br />
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But there's computers! Poor Morgan hasn't seen a computer anywhere but school her entire life. Now she's got one with unlimited access to the internet. The possibilities are endless. Unfortunately for her, we're not here to learn or surf the web. It's time to go out looking for suitable guys.<br />
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She meets a barista at the coffee shop who isn't too bad, but he's got the wrong degree. Morgan flirts with him a little on her own while I scope out the rest of the crowd. It's a shame, because they really seem to hit it off. Few can withstand Morgan's impressive <i>charms</i>.<br />
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I do spot someone I wouldn't mind adding to the gene pool, Troy Francis. I try my best to ignore his name and Morgan chats him up. They're completely compatible, even their signs align. If this were TS2, they'd be three bolts!<br />
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Even better, he's got a business degree. Awww yeeah.<br />
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As I said, few can really handle Morgan's idea of 'charm'. She's like a bull in a china shop. It's really funny to watch. She's turning out to be a lot of fun to play. At least Troy is receptive... though I am worried. He's a 'Good' sims.<br />
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Mixing Good and Evil sims can be a bit of a chore, though it shouldn't be <i>too</i> bad as she won't be a Criminal Mastermind, so no evil glow. That glow <i>wrecks</i> relationships with Good sims!<br />
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With a man secured, it's time to leave University! She was barely there two days. Morgan's intended career has no bonus given by a degree, so it's really kind of pointless for her to stay. I just wanted to steal more DNA from the Uni students. For the most part, they are all pretty good looking and varied.<br />
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Back at home, Ami is trying to give Mimi pointers on her manifesto. Her criticisms are normal for this sort of thing: perhaps less fire and brimstone and more please and thank you. Maybe instead of hurtling people out into the sea to be eaten by the kraken, they could instead have a forum for discussion.<br />
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Mimi is nonplussed by her mother's plebeian worries.<br />
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There's no hiding Mimi's jealousy at the fact that Morgan gets a laptop. Poor Mimi was forced to draft her manifesto at school. Even worse, Morgan has taken to using her laptop at the breakfast table. When Mimi finally grumbles loudly enough about it, Morgan gets up and says:<br />
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"Fine. Use it."<br />
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Morgan had good reason to abandon her laptop to Mimi. Troy has turned up and he's out in the garden chatting with her shirtless, hippie father. Morgan has every right to be worried!<br />
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Morgan interrupts them and shows off her new ghost catching machine of awesome. Troy is impressed. This is another bonus to him. He is clearly well suited to deal with Morgan and her eccentric family. I mean, he didn't run away screaming while Jasen talked his ear off about eating green, proper fertilization methods, and how gardening shirtless guarantees no farmer tan.<br />
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Of course, Morgan's life isn't all fluffy bunnies and family moments. She <i>is</i> an Evil sim, after all. She gets quite a few jollies from scaring the crap out of unsuspecting strangers and reciting her goal to destroy each and every ghost she sees to anyone who will listen.<br />
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At least the girl has goals.<br />
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Troy joined the family towards the end of his visit and was given a much needed makeover. He's already started in the business career with that shiny degree of his. He should be pulling in promotions and money to redo the house in no time! All very exciting.<br />
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Most nights have Morgan out on the town, capturing rogue ghosts. It's kind of shocking, really, how many ghosts have infested the islands. Morgan won't rest until they're all removed!<br />
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With the money coming in, Morgan sets about redecorating the place in her vision. Ami really, really isn't sure how she feels about all of this. First, she built onto their house and now everything is either black or bright pink. This will eventually consume the entire house, not just the living room.<br />
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Clearly, Ami is not amused. Hot pink curtains, <i>really</i>?<br />
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Morgan used to sit at the table with Mimi and they'd do their homework together. These days, she's getting ready for work while Mimi is working on her homework. She still takes some time beforehand, usually waiting on a call to action, and discusses how their shared interests will benefit the community as a whole. Oh, and the money. There will be money!<br />
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Jasen becomes an old man and gardening shirtless just doesn't seem to have the same thrill it did in his youth. That and skin cancer! He could die! He can't die without perfecting his plant growing techniques.<br />
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Perhaps black pajamas aren't the best alternative, either. It gets rather hot in Isla Paradiso.<br />
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Generation Five begins! I really love Morgan. She's so much fun to play. She really did autonomously heat of the moment kiss Troy within like, five minutes of meeting him. Very funny. I won't lie, I had fun dressing her, too.</blockquote>
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The house, however, I am not so sure about. Hot pink is really hard to decorate with. So far, I've got the living room and her bedroom done. Those two were a challenge. The husband kept looking over at my screen and shaking his head! So much hot pink!</blockquote>
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I had planned on moving them to a new house or even a new world, but then I thought better of it. I might try to stick it out in this world until it becomes unbearable to do so. I'll be interested to see if Morgan passes on her mermaid DNA to any of her FOUR CHILDREN! Ugh. Cross your fingers for my next roll. I do not want another house full of kids!</blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-63621446404277847442013-12-13T22:30:00.003-05:002013-12-13T23:23:28.695-05:004.5 Bohemian Rhapsody<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mia lets her dad know about her plans for the future--she wants to live in the park and sleep on the benches. Jasen, understandably, is not too keen on this. Perhaps their way of life is too bohemian? His daughter aspires to be <i>homeless</i>.<br />
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Morgan can't wait until she's done with school. It may come easily to her younger sister Mimi, but every minute Morgan spends on homework is a minute she's not doing something more awesome.<br />
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Misty spends hours working on her powers of persuasion. She isn't sure <i>why</i> she cares, but she does. Maybe it will come in useful later in life. Right now, she's slaying in both Debate and Drama club.<br />
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Unfortunately, all those activities keep her late after school. Being a mermaid, that's bad, especially on the hot, dry days of summer in Isla Paradiso. She faints and dehydrates. Jasen, worried she isn't home, finds her just before she expires in the sun. He is horrified.<br />
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The family is quite shaken by the loss. Mia, especially, mourns the absence of her twin. She should have stayed behind and made sure she was all right. Her parents tell her it isn't her fault, it isn't anyone's fault, but she doesn't really listen to them.<br />
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Even the younger, Evil members of the family are hit by the tragedy. Morgan may have never really understood her older sister, but she certainly didn't want her to <i>die</i>. Mimi felt much the same way. Now who would teach her the finer points of manipulation using words?<br />
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Misty's bed goes unmade for as long as it bearable. Mia refuses to disturb it, though she has trouble looking at it whenever she's climbing to or from her own bunk.<br />
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Eventually, life moves on. Misty is not forgotten, but her family finds a routine without her. Ami brings home a domino table, which both Morgan and Mimi take an intense liking to. They often con others into playing them only to soundly stomp them in the end.<br />
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Morgan becomes a teenager and therefore, a lot more freedom opens up to her. She brings home sparklers, which everyone plays with. Morgan is a little disappointed that the sparklers are more sparkle and less destructive force of awesome, but they're still fun to wave around.<br />
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Mia and Mimi wish that their parents weren't so amorous, or at the very least, that they'd do it behind closed doors away from their eyes.<br />
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Mia has been trying to cook lately, but it's not going so well. She starts a fire, which she immediately puts out... but not before the entire house goes bananas.<br />
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Jasen gets the brilliant idea to get a hopscotch court. Mia drags Morgan outside and despite Morgan's intense dislike for the outdoors, she relents. She actually rather enjoys it.<br />
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Ami finally sees the ghost of her daughter, Misty. It's a bittersweet reunion, but Ami has always had this ability and so she knew it was only a matter of time.<br />
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"It's okay, mom," Misty assures her. "Don't worry about me. Sometimes, things just happen."<br />
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Ami is glad that her daughter is so well-adjusted for a teenage ghost, but she's not entirely certain that <i>she's</i> okay with all of this.<br />
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Mia becomes a young adult, which means she's moving out. Mimi becomes a teenager the same day. A lot of change in just a single day. Mia wastes no time moving out, though she does promise that she won't become a homeless vagrant that sleeps on park benches.<br />
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Morgan and Mimi become best friends forever. It's only natural, of course. They may be Evil, but even they know the value of a good friendship. Woe to those who dare cross them down the line.<br />
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Ami really doesn't mind that her youngest two daughters are a bit odd, but she wishes they wouldn't let their questionable pets roam free. Morgan's python has a tendency to escape when Mimi insists on carrying it around when she does chores. Ami always has to pick it up from wherever it has slithered off to and put it back before Jasen accidentally steps on it and freaks out.<br />
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Morgan meets Jeremy Collins at school and decides he's going to be her boyfriend. Never mind the fact that Jeremy is currently dating her cousin. Morgan isn't the type to care about such things. She plants one on him spontaneously one day after school at his house.<br />
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Jeremy rebuffs her advances and tells her that he's just not that kind of guy. Morgan is sort of taken back. Someone turning her down? That's impossible--she's <i>awesome</i>. Clearly, Jeremy is either too stupid to notice or just playing hard to get.<br />
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Either way, this isn't over.<br />
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Morgan has pretty much<i> had it</i> with all the ghosts that infest their house. She's grown up with them and decided that they're nothing more than an annoyance. She has her mother's abilities, but certainly <i>not</i> her empathy. Morgan still vows to take down every ghost she sees, even that of her dead sister.<br />
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Morgan and Mimi get back at Jeremy by egging his house and dropping off a flaming bag of poo. Of course, they choose to do this while he's home. Mimi gets carted off by the police, but Morgan evades them effortlessly.<br />
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She even manages to get her first (willing) kiss out of it. Jeremy seems to have been beaten down, though he refuses to stop dating her cousin. That's fine. Morgan wasn't really interested in the long term, she just kind of liked the chase.<br />
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Darla the cat heads off to the cat tree in the sky. Poor Louie loses his best friend. Everyone is pretty distraught.<br />
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There's not much time for mourning, however. Shortly after, it's Morgan's birthday and she becomes a Young Adult. The possibilities are endless!<br />
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First thing's first, though. This house needs a makeover.<br />
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Generation Five roll is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Couple</li>
<li>4 Children</li>
<li>Income: Ghost Hunter</li>
<ul>
<li> Business</li>
</ul>
<li>Gen. Goal: Fulfilled</li>
<li>Live Your Trait</li>
</ul>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-4915408846232915672013-12-10T10:14:00.006-05:002013-12-10T10:15:07.512-05:004.4 Smoke on the Water<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The twins have their birthdays, which causes Ami to invite her family over. It's one of the rare few times the Voss family can be found on the same lot.<br />
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Ami wasn't too happy about the fact that there was going to be cake for <i>days</i>, though. Why couldn't she just have made the cake herself? Stupid sim restrictions!<br />
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Phoenix, who is an elder, spends time with his grandchildren. He was never very keen on Ami's way of life or thinking, but she is his daughter.<br />
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Morgan becomes a child, which means she gets to help out with the chores. She chooses easy things like keeping Louie clean and taking care of the animals. Let her older sisters do the hard stuff.<br />
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Mia often gets stuck babysitting their baby sister Mimi. She doesn't <i>mind</i> it so much, but she doesn't necessarily <i>relish</i> in it, either. It would be ten times easier if Mimi wasn't so fussy.<br />
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Misty mostly helps with the cleaning, though she talks herself out of it more often than not, convincing her father to do it instead while she has a leisurely lunch.<br />
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Morgan tries to convince her mother that the house would look <i>much</i> better decorated in hot pink instead of boring grey. Ami is unconvinced. Grey stays. This is <i>her</i> generation, after all.<br />
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When Morgan doesn't get her way, she reduces herself to childish tactics--like scaring the crap out of her dad and demanding that he <i>fork over the diamonds!</i> Jasen is, of course, quite confused by the whole thing.<br />
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Misty still spends plenty of time fishing with Ami. They often go to Ami's favorite spot when she was a child on weekends, spending their entire afternoons chatting idly while they fish.<br />
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Morgan doesn't just terrorize her family, she brings the pets in on it, too. Of course, Louie rather enjoys all of the attention and everyone thinks that Morgan knows that. She just doesn't want to admit she likes playing with him.<br />
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She even throws him scraps from the table when she's eating. Morgan denies it, but Jasen and Mia are witnesses.<br />
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Misty favors their pet owl, Woody. She often spends time teaching him words and playing with him (when Jasen isn't there, of course.)<br />
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Much to her eternal frustration, Morgan has taken to leaving the cage door open, trying to prompt Woody to come out and get devoured by Darla the cat.<br />
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Mia and Misty have a hard time understanding their younger sibling. She's a little terror who hates the outdoors and seemingly, everything their family stands for. There are many arguments between them.<br />
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Morgan tries to find others who appreciate the best color in the world, but finds support woefully lacking. Even her distant relative, Lee Hashini-Patel, doesn't see the awesomeness that is hot pink.<br />
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In spite of her ways, Morgan is still very much loved. Ami never seems to be bothered by Morgan's behavior and is always happy to give her a hug.<br />
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All of the kids lack the keen understanding of the paranormal that their mother has. Seeing the ghost of their long-dead grandma sleeping in Mimi's soon-to-be bunk is just a bit more than they can take. Morgan is especially ruffled by this.<br />
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Mimi becomes a child and realizes that she's surrounded by crazy hippies. Jasen is nonplussed by his daughter's scathing words. He's used to it.<br />
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At least they know how to have fun! Mimi drags her dad into water balloon battles after he's done gardening for the day. They may not have any electronics, but they can still have a good time.<br />
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Ami is deeply saddened by the news that her dad, Phoenix, has died. It's so hard to believe that all this time has passed. Ami hardly feels as old as she's clearly getting.<br />
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Morgan and Mimi get along famously. Their older siblings may not 'get' them, but they certainly understand each other. They can talk for hours about schemes and ideas on how to bring this household out of the dark ages.<br />
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It's pretty clear to everyone that these two are cut from the same cloth. They're perfectly happy about that fact, too.<br />
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<blockquote>
Both Morgan AND Mimi randomly got Evil. I love it! I had the hardest time deciding on an heir. It got so difficult that I cheated and loaded all four of the girls into CAS with MC to see what they'd look like as adults. I had been hinging on Morgan after she rolled Evil as a baby (prior to that, it was Mia), but then Mimi came along. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Morgan's love of hot pink, the fact that she's evil, and that she got the least weird of Jasen's facial features means she's the heir. Normally, I hate pink and all things associated... but an evil sim that loves it? How can I deny that?! </blockquote>
<blockquote>
This house is pretty chaotic with all the pets and sims. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I'm going to relocate to a new lot or use this one (and substantially upgrade it.) They've actually got some money now. It's about time!</blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-39124672329708641092013-12-06T10:19:00.001-05:002013-12-06T10:20:01.441-05:004.3 I am The Walrus<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Misty and Mia become children. As twins, they're pretty close. This is good, as they have to share bunk beds and a room with their impending sibling.<br />
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Misty loves the outdoors, so she spends a lot of time outside. Ami takes her fishing at her favorite spots, happy to have company. It's Ami fish, after all, that fertilize Jasen's crop and being pregnant is a perfect time to connect with nature.<br />
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Mia, meanwhile, prefers to hang out at home and play with the animals. She especially enjoys time with Louie. They chase one another around the yard and goof off.<br />
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Mia isn't sure how she feels about having another sibling. She knows they'll all be crammed into the same room and sleeping with a noisy baby isn't exactly ideal. This also means Mia's hopes of ever having a gigantic, wall-sized mirror is out of the question.<br />
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Of course, Ami and Jasen value family and simplicity, so there's no hopes of any house expansions. It was the simple life for this family.<br />
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Despite the cramped lodgings, the twins continued to get along. Misty and Mia took turns making sure Louie didn't smell <i>completely</i> like dog at all times. Though, if you asked Misty, she'd say she was more thorough than Mia was.<br />
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Ami went into labor while preparing some sushi one evening. Misty was unaffected, figuring maybe her mother was just making silly noises for a reaction. She didn't react.<br />
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Little Morgan joined the family as their third child and daughter Yet another girl! Jasen was swimming in estrogen, but he didn't seem to mind at all.<br />
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Jasen and Ami were quite happy with their little life. They didn't have the riches that Ami had grown up with, but it suited them just fine. Their daughters complained sometimes about the cramped quarters, but when they were adults, they would look back fondly on all the time they got to spend together as a family.<br />
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Morgan was very much unlike her sisters. She was loud and demanding as a baby and gave her parents no quarter. They still loved her dearly, however. She was just too cute.<br />
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Kelsey continued to haunt, though she mostly kept quiet, content to watch her daughter's family grow and thrive. She wasn't an angry ghost, just a solemn and thoughtful one. She'd often take out the trash or sneak in a few cleanings here and there while everyone else was asleep.<br />
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Ami didn't <i>hate</i> technology, but she didn't think it was absolutely necessary, either. This was the reason that there were no televisions, computers, or anything of the sort in the house. The twins spent a lot of their childhood either playing outside or reading the vast collection of books their mother had acquired over the years.<br />
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Misty is okay with her bookworm mother so long as she continues to be a fantastic cook. She may be a mermaid who thrives on kelp someday, but for her childhood, she <i>loves</i> cobbler and no one makes it better than Ami.<br />
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Ami is pregnant <i>again </i>with what they both promise to be their final child. Misty is dubious. Do they have enough books to go around?<br />
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Mia has stopped worrying over their impending sibling's arrival. If they're lucky, it won't be a stinky boy and they'll get to keep their hearts motif. Not that <i>all</i> boys are stinky. Her dad is pretty cool. They play tag outside when he's done gardening and Mia always wins.<br />
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Morgan becomes a rambunctious toddler. She's a feisty one, that's for sure. She's also inherited the mermaid magic from her mother. Unlike her siblings, though, she has her mother's eyes though Jasen's blonde hair still seems to dominate.<br />
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Having a genius for a sister is a mixed bag, Misty realizes. On one hand, they finish their homework too quickly, but on the other hand, they're <i>great</i> for helping you with your homework. Misty decides to make the best of it and insists that they always do their assignments together.<br />
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Ami is driven to talk to her ghostly mother, filled with warm and fuzzy familial feelings. Kelsey is quite excited about well Ami is doing and always happy to see another grandchild. Ami wishes there was something she could do for her mother, but Kelsey waves her off and says she's just happy she gets to see all of this, even if she can't be a direct part of it.<br />
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Ami gives birth to their final child and yet another girl they name Mimi. Again, Jasen is nonplussed. A house full of girls is fine with him. All of his daughters are beautiful, just like their mother.<br />
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He's a cheesy guy.<br />
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Jasen finds a strange looking owl while he's out looking for seeds and brings it home. The twins dub him 'Woody' and keep him in a cage in the living room. Ami worries that the neighbors will think they're hoarding pets, but then realizes, she doesn't really care because they're not.<br />
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Mimi becomes a noisy toddler, much the same as Morgan. Mia is not amused, she has to go to school in a few hours!<br />
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Mimi looks the most like Ami, even having the dark brown hair that goes all the way back to Ami's grandfather, Alex, and his father before that!<br />
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When he's not gardening, Jasen is taking care of Morgan and Mimi. Ami is still busy with work and trying to keep the house from collapsing in disarray. Teaching two rowdy toddlers to talk, however, turns out to be quite a challenge.<br />
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Morgan and Mimi seem to be cut from the same cloth and have agendas of their own.<br />
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<blockquote>
Annnd that takes care of the four children requirement! I was hoping to get Jasen's LTW, but I may not. I'm played up further than my posts and so far, no luck. It's a slow process, mostly because gardening takes forever and the kids have required a lot of care. </blockquote>
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Let me just say that this house is constantly a mess. It's everything I can do not to just break down and hire a maid, but I haven't yet. Hippies wouldn't hire a maid! </blockquote>
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Morgan and Mimi both got 'Evil'. I randomized their traits. I'm trying to randomize them and only change them if the trait is atrocious or if I've already picked an heir. I hadn't at this point. I have now. Also, I love Evil sims and an Evil sim that adores hot pink? Hilarious.</blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-21346458954426892892013-12-04T09:59:00.001-05:002013-12-04T11:58:27.395-05:004.2 Touch of Grey<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ami spends a lot of time perfecting her recipes. With Jasen's constant supply of delicious, fresh produce, she has plenty of ingredients to experiment with. Of course, Jasen ends up eating most of it (mermaids can eat food, but it isn't terribly filling.)<br />
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Not all of her time was spent cooped up in the house. She still had her job, which she wasn't quite determined with, and there was also convincing Alia the Unicorn to stay with them. Her persistence paid off and Alia joined the family late one evening.<br />
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Having a unicorn around was quite the boon. Alia was already an elder, but that didn't damper her magical capabilities at all. She helped Jasen with his crops by blessing them, which accelerated their growth rate and allowed him to bolster the quality quicker.<br />
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With Jasen's garden doing well and Ami slowly climbing the ranks of what her father referred to as a "gypsy", they were ready to expand their family. Sure, they weren't married, but what did that matter? Ami didn't tell her dad right away. It was just easier that way.<br />
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Ami's pregnancy progressed, which left her pretty tired most of the time. Evenings were spent quietly with Jasen reading what to expect when your girlfriend is expecting while Ami dozed on the rocking chair. The animals usually hung out nearby, though when the cats started noisily fighting, they'd rouse Ami from her stupor.<br />
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Telling her dad wasn't easy. Phoenix was still stuck on the fact that they weren't <i>married</i> and that she was having a baby with a gypsy. Ami was technically one now, too, but he refused to acknowledge that. He'd come around, eventually.<br />
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Gabby, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled at the prospect of being a grandmother. She'd had her last kid years before after Ami initially moved out and was having the baby itch again despite her age. Jasen's mother was ambivalent about the whole thing. Babies were babies.<br />
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Ami went into labor while fishing. Thankfully, it was relatively close to the house and she was able to get back and rouse Jasen before the pains took him out completely. They called her midwife and proceeded with her water birthing plan... which was a lot messier than Jasen had anticipated. He'd assumed water birth meant it would be relatively clean and not gross. He was wrong.<br />
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Twins Misty and Mia entered the world. Both parents were quite elated with their new bundles of joy and grateful that the nursery was almost finished. At least the cribs were there, which was more than enough for babies.<br />
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New twins were a bit more of a challenge than just a new baby, so Ami spent a lot of time in the rocking chair, trying to stay awake while holding either Mia or Misty. Sleep was a luxury of the past. Worse yet, she had to return to work shortly after giving birth.<br />
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When the twins grow into toddlers, both parents are relieved until they realize that now they're more mobile and require more attention--walking, talking, and potty training don't come naturally. At least Misty and Mia seemed to get along. Ami was even more shocked to see that Misty had inherited the mermaid magic. Everyone had assumed it would die out with her.<br />
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Jasen was a doting father for the twin girls, happy to teach them the skills necessary to succeed in life. His own childhood had been rather strange. He hadn't had much guidance and so he was determined to do better for his own children.<br />
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Jasen isn't thrilled about Ami's mother making random visits. He may have been raised a gypsy, but that didn't mean he wanted ghosts spooking him around every corner. Kelsey started popping up almost immediately after the twins were born, determined to see her grandchildren.<br />
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Alia the Unicorn passes on, having already been an elder by the time she joined the household. The family mourns their loss, Jasen especially. She was such a good unicorn!<br />
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Jasen and Ami are hit with the sudden urge to get married and so they do, quietly in their backyard. Ami's father isn't happy at all about it and he's certainly not thrilled to find out that she took his last name in the process. To him and the rest of Isla Paradiso, Ami is still a Voss, even if she technically goes by Hashini-Patel now.<br />
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Ami delights in teaching the girls their skills, especially talking. They're getting so big so fast that it's almost hard to believe that they'll soon be children.<br />
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As always, Gabby is more than happy to help out. She visits constantly now and is always playing with one of the twins. She's hoping for more babies and from what Jasen and Ami have said, there's a good chance of it. Gabby's age no longer bothers her with the thought of even more babies in the future.<br />
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Not long after, Ami is pregnant again. She enjoys her last moments with the twins as they are and tries to rest as much as she can. At least her job gives her time off while she's pregnant, saying that being so messes up her 'energies' and makes her readings off.<br />
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Whew. I am beginning to regret making this house so small! It's already absolute chaos with all of the animals and just two kids... but with four? Oh boy. </blockquote>
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I was so sad about Alia the Unicorn dying. :( I had no idea she was already an elder by the time Ami got her into the household. So sad! I had hoped she'd be around longer... I had even entertained the thought of unicorn foals. </blockquote>
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Ami and Jasen have to have four kids. The twins were incidental. I did nothing to increase the chances of multiples. I'm really shocked at how strong the mermaids genes are. Sheesh! And Ami's idle career is driving me nuts. I can do absolutely NOTHING to encourage promotions, so she sort of languishes. At least I've figured out how to make money with Jasen--red berry plants! </blockquote>
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I should mention I'm having some issues with the world now, but I don't want to give it up. :( I also just really love playing this style. It's so much fun! </blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-73260603252633862342013-11-24T09:44:00.002-05:002013-11-24T09:44:39.203-05:004.1 Earth, Wind, and Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ami was anxious to leave home and pursue her dreams of a better world and an understanding of why she could see ghosts, but she still had some time to kill before that happened. At least she had little Hugh to play with and Jasen was able to visit.<br />
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Tragedy struck the day of graduation. Maya shuffled off the mortal coil in her swim suit, which seemed fitting. She was ready to join Alex in the afterlife.<br />
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Despite the sadness of losing her grandma, Ami found something to be happy about when she was <i>finally</i> free of the tethers of high school! She could do anything now.<br />
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She was absolutely thrilled that Jasen seemed to share her views of things. They were determined to buy a plot of land with a small house and live out their lives being one with nature and trying to teach others about how better to treat the environment.<br />
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Before all of that, however, they took a trip to France on her father's dime. He wasn't exactly thrilled about his daughter leaving to become a 'gypsy'. He had hoped the trip would show her how good money could be.<br />
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Jasen spent a lot of time checking out the local foods and harvesting what he could to take home. He and Ami were completely serious about living truly off the land. He was going to grow the produce that Ami would later turn into delicious meals. There would be no wasteful, store bought business for them!<br />
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Ami brushed up on her fishing. She'd always loved it. A lot of her years as a child and teenager were spent at her favorite fishing spots for hours on end. It was a nice way to relax and feel at one with nature.<br />
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Of course, the couple spent plenty of time together. Phoenix had prodded about them getting married, but Ami hadn't said anything. They were happy just the way they were. If marriage eventually came up as something they both wanted, they'd do it. Until that time, they were going to enjoy themselves and not worry about society's silly need for labels.<br />
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Upon returning home, Ami was ready to leave. The plot of land was bought, the house was there, and it was time to move on. Phoenix gave her one last gift of the keys, followed by a small plea that she not take this too seriously and if she needed help, she should tell them.<br />
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Of course, that wouldn't happen. Ami would rather be poor than a spoiled rich kid!<br />
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Ami spent her days in the new house brushing up on her cooking skills and learning new recipes. She was excited at the prospect of cooking from only fresh produce.<br />
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Meanwhile, Jasen toiled outside at his garden. He started out small, but he was certain that one day it would be massive.<br />
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Life wasn't without issues. Jasen fell asleep in the rocking chair--as he had a tendency to do after a long day of gardening--and the fireplace erupted into flames. Ami was calm, saddened mostly by the fact that the incense burner they'd bought in France had been swallowed by the flames.<br />
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It was after the fire that Jasen realized he really needed to nail down his life. Robin had been left as a romantic interest, even though he wasn't even remotely interested in her. She was married now! He invited her over and they had a talk, parting rather amicably given the situation.<br />
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Ami continued befriending the unicorn she'd met as a child. It was her most fervent desire to convince it to join their household. Unfortunately, the unicorn needed to know that they were <i>serious</i> about their endeavors to be close to nature and to give back instead of taking.<br />
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So they adopted some pets. Jasen had been <i>dying</i> for a dog and a cat, but Ami had waved him off, worried that they wouldn't have enough time for them. Her 'job' (if you could even really call it that) kept odd hours. Still, Louie was a great addition to the family.<br />
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Ami enjoyed the pets more than she thought she would. It all just seemed to fit so perfectly with their lifestyle. They had plenty of room, after all. Darla the cat was probably her favorite. She was just so cute playing with her feather toy.<br />
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Their finances were a day-to-day struggle, but it didn't affect them. They were completely happy with the way things were. Everything they wanted, they had. It was better than being miserable and surrounded by opulence any day!<br />
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And Ami needn't have worried about Darla and Louie being left out. When their owners were busy, they were more than happy to entertain themselves.<br />
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We're in the midst of moving--that part where you have some stuff at the new place and everything you need at the old place. Like eating utensils. Sigh! And my husband decided to do OT on our moving days, so I'm stuck here with nothing left to do until he comes home. Thus, update. :b</div>
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I had to wait to move Ami out so she could graduate and whatnot. I sent them to France because I wanted some 'exotic' fruits and Jasen had a wish to go there. Also, I wanted to test WA load times with my 64 cache HD. Really fast. Very nice!</div>
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I'd forgotten unicorns needed proof that you love animals and crap. Sigh. I've never actually adopted a unicorn before, so I'm looking forward to it! I will say, I was tempted to have these guys live in something that looked like a gypsy tent, but I decided against it. Too much of a pain! ;)</div>
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They are my first family to be consistently poor. They usually only have around a hundred simoleons available at any time. Wow! </div>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-91343518638261131322013-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:002013-11-22T10:00:02.468-05:00Generation Three HouseI built this house from scratch. You've been warned.<br />
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The shot of the exterior I put in one of the updates. The blue accents are an attempt to make it look tropical and keep with Phoenix's favorite color.<br />
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I did zero landscaping aside from that directly in front of the house.<br />
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First floor. Blue EVERYWHERE. I love blue; it's my favorite color. Anyway, the deck and all that extravagant luxury was the 'expansion' I added. There's two sets of spiral staircases. As lovely as they are, I've decided I <i>hate</i> them in TS3. Only one sim can queue up to use them at a time. Super annoying. There were pathing issues all over this house. I don't know why. Maybe because of the water.<br />
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All the rooms are pretty small, but I made sure to carefully decorate everything with expensive paintings, furnishings, etc. Those who know me and my gameplay know I cannot stand massive, sprawling houses. Takes forever for sims to cross them and I find them tiresome to play... so I had to show exuberant wealth without giant rooms. ;) The kids were all clustered into that one room.<br />
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I will say, the view from this house will be missed. Sigh. Building on the islands is GREAT if you don't have mermaids who refuse to use their damn boats. Maybe if they swam faster.<br />
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Ami is taking a bunch of the personalized portraits/etc with her, so that's why some walls are bare.<br />
<br />Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-49616649481705599252013-11-20T22:04:00.006-05:002013-11-20T22:05:26.891-05:003.5 Spooky Scary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The entire family went out to celebrate the arrival of the summer festival. Maya had complained about being 'Stir Crazy' and wanting to have some fun. The obvious conclusion was the festival, not that it wasn't always summer (with a tiny smidgen of Spring) in Isla Paradiso.<br />
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Poor Ami was beginning to realize that her 'second sight' wasn't limited at all to her home. A ghost was standing right there at the park, though no one else seemed to notice him. He tried speaking to Ami, but she'd fled towards her family almost immediately.<br />
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When Ami became a teen, she was taken for a very special swim with her grandma and father. It was time to learn the facts of mermaid life. Ami wasn't as freaked out as her dad had been at this age, but she did wonder what this meant for her eco-loving ways.<br />
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Life went on as normal, mermaid or not. Ami wasn't upset about her father remarrying or about Gabby, not even as a teen. She loved Gabby like a mother. She just kind of wished her parents would find somewhere else to makeout while she read up on the latest cooking tips.<br />
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Larry became a child, much to Ami's chagrin. Now he was capable of harassing her, which he did often, especially about her "weird hippie-isms." He was like their father, a total Snob!<br />
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At least Ami had found a like-minded individual in Jasen Hashini-Patel. He came from a pretty eccentric family--they lived like total gypsies--and was very informed on how to live green. Unfortunately for Ami, someone else in their glass had already had their eyes on him and was not happy about the 'over-privileged mermaid girl' getting what she had already assumed was <i>her</i> man.<br />
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The other girl needn't have worried. Poor Ami was kind of stuck in the 'friend zone.' They hung out constantly, shared pretty much all of their interests, but still... Jasen brushed off any of her attempts at flirtation. It was frustrating. Even her special fishing spot didn't seem to affect him any.<br />
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She'd brought him up the long path because she knew that he loved the outdoors as much as she did. He was quite taken with the place, but apparently, not with Ami. She was frustrated. Her father didn't really approve of her running around the islands with 'rabble', but Ami wasn't seeking his approval.<br />
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Ami didn't understand. She wasn't horrific looking and while she was a mermaid, most of the people of Isla Paradiso didn't find them 'odd' or 'fishy' anymore. She'd tried taking his hand and he'd reacted like <i>he</i> was the one who'd been slighted.<br />
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"We are from two very different worlds," he admitted, trying not to sound bitter. "You need to stop."<br />
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Ami was very upset. At that moment, she kind of hated her dad.<br />
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Making matters worse was, of course, the ghost that had been appearing to her since she'd been a child. She woke up with the sensation of someone watching her and saw it floating, waiting obviously for her. She got out of bed, determined not to be afraid.<br />
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It was her mother, Kelsey. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Ami stared at her and listened carefully as she spoke. Ami was <i>special; </i>she could see things that other people could not. It was something she was going to struggle with as she got older.<i> The Things Beyond</i> were expecting her to hone her abilities.<br />
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Well, as long as Ami's <i>entire future</i> wasn't already plotted out for her or anything. Her dad was going to have a fit. "Hi daddy, yes, I'm going to become a <i>Fortune Teller</i>!"<br />
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Her stomach sank at the thought.<br />
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Grandpa Alex seemed to take that as his cue to shuffle off this mortal coil. Everyone was devastated, but no one else had glimpsed his ghost having one last look around and then shaking hands with Grim. That was Ami's own private, and disturbing, show.<br />
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Maya was considerably upset. She'd missed out on years with Alex due to the migration and now he was gone. They'd spent pretty much every moment together since she'd returned.<br />
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It was clear that she was needed. These mermaids didn't know what they were doing half of the time! Phoenix had passed out on the court steps after a particularly heated debate. Maya, of course, had been the one to rouse him and force him into the ocean for a much-needed swim.<br />
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Grandpa Alex's death seemed to have a considerable effect on Ami's dad. Phoenix relaxed his stance on Jasen and his gypsy family (only a bit, though; he still thought they were all 'dirty hippies') enough for him to visit. Seeing the opulence was a bit different than hearing about it.<br />
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"This place... is something else."<br />
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"It's just a waste. Of everything." Ami sighed, clearly bothered. "The hot tub wastes gallons and gallons of water by itself. Don't even ask how many baths are taken here. It's a mermaid way of life..."<br />
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"So, you're not staying?"<br />
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Ami shook her head. "The view is great, but I just can't seem to get my dad to come around to my way of things. I want to be free and to do something good for nature."<br />
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"Wow. That's really admirable."<br />
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"Money isn't everything, you know..."<br />
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Ami's frank confession seemed to bring Jasen around. Of course, the only thing preventing him from really falling for her was the fact that she was part of the richest family on the islands. Knowing that she had no intention of staying under her father's influential thumb changed things significantly.<br />
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Ami was <i>quite</i> pleased to get her first kiss that night.<br />
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Gabby was thrilled with her life. She had a step-daughter and a son; a beautiful mansion and plenty to keep her busy. Unfortunately, Gabby was incredibly family-minded and was <i>dying</i> for more kids. Getting Phoenix to come around was the hard part.<br />
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He was quite thrilled that Larry seemed to be taking after his way of thinking, however.<br />
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Ami continued to puzzle her parents. She was caught out after curfew and <i>swore</i> to them that she had met the most fantastical creature she'd ever seen--a black unicorn. Phoenix was convinced that 'that scraggly gypsy kid' (aka Jasen) had gotten her to try acid or something equally as hallucinogenic.<br />
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Poor Ami was grounded for a very, very long time until she could convince him otherwise.<br />
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Phoenix had his own problems. He was having really bizarre dreams about Kelsey. She'd come back and accused him of cheating, which was pretty insane given that she'd been dead <i>well</i> over a decade now. He chose to keep the bizarre dreams to himself, not wanting to worry Gabby or encourage Ami's strange interest in the supernatural.<br />
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Gabby was pregnant again, having finally swayed Phoenix to her way of thinking. It had absolutely nothing to do with the guilt he felt about dreaming about his ex-wife. None at all.<br />
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Gabby gave birth to another son they named Hugh.<br />
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Ami and Larry were nonplussed about their new sibling. Larry was too busy rubbing in how much of a genius he was and how easily he could finish his own homework <i>and</i> figure out Ami's. She was less than impressed by this. Academia was not her 'thing.'<br />
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Something that <i>was</i> her 'thing' was kids. She was great with her younger brothers (even if Larry annoyed her with his intellect), especially little Hugh. Ami was the only mermaid out of the three, though Hugh certainly looked a great deal like Phoenix.<br />
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Larry eventually joined Ami at high school. He spent most of his time talking about genius stuff and trying to get their dad to give him money for tickets to concerts in secret clubs and whatnot. He was turning into a different kind of snob from Phoenix, though he <i>definitely</i> appreciated where they lived.<br />
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Ami was both shocked and relieved when her birthday arrived. She'd be stuck in the house just a little while longer, at least, until she convinced her dad to buy her that plot of land she'd seen on the main island. Until then, she was stuck here, in the land of opulence and riches.<br />
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Gen 4 Roll:<br />
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<li>Couple</li>
<li>4 Children</li>
<li>Income: Fortune Teller (genuine)</li>
<ul>
<li> Secondary: Farmer</li>
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<li>Generation Goal: Idle Career</li>
<li>Homemade</li>
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Whew! I kind of rushed through the last part of Ami's teenage years. I didn't really intend on giving Gabby and Phoenix more kids, but they literally rolled up like five wishes about children between them. Gabby even got a wish I had never seen before, "have at least 2 children." Weird.</div>
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Ami will be moving out and I'm glad. The house has weird pathing issues and I think it's because it is completely over water. Plus, I'm sick of the mermaids forgetting how to use boats and swimming everywhere. x_x</div>
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We're moving this weekend and I haven't had a chance to play because of serious NaNoWriMo cramming (I was trying to finish before we moved and I succeeded), so it's going to go quiet until I get a chance to play again! I am excited to play some hippies, though. ;) </div>
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Oh! And it's worth nothing that Kelsey's ghost really DID randomly accuse him of cheating. She woke him up to do it, too. She's been haunting for awhile. It only happened once Gabby was pregnant with Hugh. Very strange!</div>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-88529634544180313852013-11-16T00:55:00.000-05:002013-11-19T19:51:12.915-05:003.4 Bossy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gabby adjusted well to her position in the household. Unlike Kelsey, she didn't mind the wasteful spending on expensive luxury items. She rather enjoyed them, actually. Gabby definitely had an appreciation for the finer things in life.<br />
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She was also quite adventurous, dragging Phoenix out of the comfortable confines of the house and subjecting him to possible political scandal. It was all in good fun... as long as he ripped up the pictures into the smallest pieces possible.<br />
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Despite never really knowing her mother, Ami mirrored her ideals. She was concerned with the environment and how much waste they were causing. She lectured her father about all the things she'd learned about 'going green' and how they needed to do more for nature.<br />
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She'd even put recycling bins everywhere.<br />
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Overly concerned with using renewable resources, Ami was determined to show her family the value of a good, organic meal. It was an earnest effort, but she didn't quite the skill or ability to wow anyone quite yet.<br />
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Gabby had her own ideas about change in the house, specifically, where they were going to put Ami's soon-to-be half-sibling. It was only a matter of time. You can only be so careful for so long. Gabby was thrilled, but concerned about Phoenix's reaction. Kelsey's death had been years before and they'd been together for awhile since. Still, he had an election coming up and a pregnant girlfriend probably wouldn't look good on the polls.<br />
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Phoenix wasn't upset. Ami already treated Gabby like her mother and she was okay with having another baby in the family. Phoenix had been thinking about it for a while, but this certainly pushed his plans up. He and Gabby would have to get married quickly now versus having a nice, elaborate wedding.<br />
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The family took a trip to the beach to celebrate the news and unwind. Alex missed his houseboat, but he recognized how much easier things were now that he was an old man. He kept to the sand while the mermaids spent their time in the water.<br />
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Ami went on about catching some fish in an effort to prepare herself for a life of 'living off the land.' Yes, living off the land in a grand mansion on its own island. Phoenix just rolled his eyes. It was easier than arguing with her.<br />
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Phoenix and Gabby were okay with the arrangement. Honestly, Gabby was just happy to finally be a Voss--she'd done her time, put in all the hours, it was certainly time for her to take Kelsey's place at Phoenix's side officially. A grieving widower was great at the polls, but it was time for a new angle.<br />
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Ami hoped that her new sibling would be as green minded as she was. It was going to take a lot to turn this house around. All they were missing was a butler and they only reason they <i>didn't</i> have one was because Phoenix wasn't sure he wanted someone around pinching the good silver.<br />
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She was frustrated with her grandparents. They were too busy giving one another googly eyes to bother trying to correct their son's behavior. Her dad was too materialistic. He needed to realize that having stuff wasn't everything!<br />
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Gabby went into labor while Phoenix was lounging in the hot tub. Her angry shout was enough to have him out of it and at her side in an instant. Gabby wasn't the type of lady you messed with--she was tough. She even kept Phoenix in line.<br />
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Larry joined the family. Ami was unimpressed. She had been hoping for a little sister, not an annoying little brother. He'd just throw trash around and ruin stuff.<br />
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At least her grandpa Alex was always around to cheer her up. He even introduced her to the old Voss tradition of pillow fights. For being an old man, her grandpa sure did act like a little kid sometimes.<br />
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Gabby was a doting mother, almost too much so. Phoenix constantly called her a 'baby hog'. She wouldn't let anyone else near little Larry, wishing to keep him all to herself. It took Maya extricating himself from Gabby's arms for her to finally let other people have their turn at cooing over the new baby.<br />
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Ami was <i>not</i> impressed by the fact that she had to share her room with a crying baby. Of course, it was economically responsible, but still. He cried a lot. And he was annoying. Ami needed sleep to change the world!<br />
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Larry eventually became a toddler. He had his grandma Maya's hair, but seemed to take everything else from his mother, Gabby. Of course, grandpa Alex approved of his hair style.<br />
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Ami feels like she is far too busy trying researching solar panels to bother with homework, but Phoenix is adamant. He's very involved with her academia and has even mentioned university. Ami is pretty sure grandpa Alex told her about how Phoenix always skirted around his academics, so why was he all up in her grill? She sighed, knowing that arguing only got her the stern look.<br />
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At least Gabby is more willing to bend to Ami's likes. She teaches her about cooking and how to best use natural ingredients. Ami is enthralled. She can't wait until she's able to use the stove without her dad throwing a fit and threatening to hire a butler.<br />
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Gabby even gives her all of her old books and lets Ami read through them at her leisure. Ami loves reading, so she's happy to sit around in her room and read. Gabby is usually there with Larry, trying in vain to teach him how to say words other than 'poop' and random giggling.<br />
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Of course, <i>no one</i> was around when her toy boat mysteriously floated right in front of her. Ami thought maybe she was just delirious with hunger and inched by it. She ignored the cold feeling that followed and ran quickly downstairs for breakfast.<br />
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<blockquote>
Ami wears a long skirt, but if you look at her pajamas, you can see her cute little pink scales peeking out. She's a mermaid. Larry is not. Her favorite color is gray, but she came with pink scales. Gray is very drab, so I'm constantly pairing it with pink to match her scales. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Gabby is family-oriented, so she's all about babies. Maya is an elder now, but Alex is still quite a bit older than her. :( </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Ami is Eco-Friendly. I love how she's a complete counter to her father. ;) Kelsey's ghost continues to haunt, specifically poor Ami and her room!</blockquote>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-80708542196465027592013-11-14T12:26:00.000-05:002013-11-14T12:26:46.808-05:003.3 Born to Die<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kelsey's pregnancy was coming along well. Phoenix and Kelsey were both quite happy. Phoenix's career in politics was taking off. He was going to be Mayor before long.<br />
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Kelsey spent most of her pregnancy relaxing out on the back deck, reading about her impending pregnancy. It was all very exciting to her. Growing up as an only child, Kelsey had always looked forward to maybe having a kid or two of her own.<br />
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Her mother had raised her single, so it was certainly nice to be secure in a marriage, too.<br />
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Unfortunately, Phoenix had some news that Kelsey wasn't exactly thrilled about. Gabby was coming to visit. She remembered Phoenix talking about her and eventually, she'd even learned how the coed had saved his life. It was all well and good when she was miles away, but coming to stay with them for a visit? Kelsey was apprehensive. Sure, it was probably her pregnancy hormones talking, but still.<br />
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Gabby arrived that weekend, quite shocked when she got off the boat. She certainly hadn't expected <i>this</i>.<br />
<br />
"Nice digs. I see you're doing well for yourself!"<br />
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"Heh, it's all right, I guess. We've got the guest room made up for you."<br />
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"What, I don't have to sleep on the couch? How fancy!"<br />
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Gabby's visit had roused Kelsey's jealousy more than she thought possible. There was just something <i>off</i> there. They were too friendly, too uncaring of physical boundaries to just be... well, friends. Kelsey swiped Phoenix's phone while he was swimming and hid with it in the bathroom. He hadn't deleted most of his text history and she managed to find some from college.<br />
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It was clear that he and Gabby had been a bit more than friends.<br />
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She confronted Phoenix right in front of Gabby, slapping him hard across the face with no remorse.<br />
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"What the hell, Kelsey?!"<br />
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"You evil bastard! You lied to me!"<br />
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Gabby watched on, quiet and still. She didn't want to be the target of Kelsey's rage next.<br />
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"You and Gabby were sleeping with each other!"<br />
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When Kelsey became too distraught to continue, Gabby stepped in. She was careful, but determined.<br />
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"Oh, that's what this is about? That was nothing, Kelsey. Just stupid college stuff. You get wasted, things happen, that's it."<br />
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"W-what?"<br />
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"Yeah, Kelsey. It's no big deal." Phoenix added quickly.<br />
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"R-Really?"<br />
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"Really," Gabby assured her, "there's nothing going on. We're just friends. Phoenix was being nice and inviting me to visit because he knows I'm having a rough time. That's all."<br />
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"I wouldn't have brought her here for that while you're pregnant, Kelsey. That's just evil." Phoenix inserted, happy that Gabby's intervention was working.<br />
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"...I'm still mad about the college stuff."<br />
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"That's okay. It was stupid. It shouldn't have happened."<br />
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Kelsey's rage assuaged, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.<br />
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Later, outside, Gabby and Phoenix had a small laugh over the drama. They'd poured some drinks and were just talking companionably while Kelsey had a nap inside.<br />
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"Thanks for that," Phoenix said. "That could have been a mess."<br />
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"Yeah. Lucky you that I'm quick on my feet."<br />
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Phoenix laughed. "I remember. You <i>are</i> a life saver, after all."<br />
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"I hope what I said wasn't true, though... that it meant nothing. I was kind of hoping that it did..."<br />
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"Gabby..."<br />
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She leaned closer, "I like you, Phoenix. I don't really care that you're married and obviously, you didn't care that you were dating someone else before... so why should it matter now?"<br />
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"I love Kelsey."<br />
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"That's fine. She got to you first. But that doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to her only... especially not if I'm around."<br />
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Ignorant to Gabby's plotting, Kelsey went into labor near the stairs. One loud scream was all it took to draw everyone away from what they were doing to assist her.<br />
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She brought home a healthy baby girl named Ami. Ami was a bit of a noisy baby, but otherwise, she was perfectly adorable. Especially when she was sleeping.<br />
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Unfortunately, shortly after Ami's birth, Kelsey had taken it upon herself to try and fix their broken television. It ended in tragedy. The sink from the bathroom had been leaking all night and it had streamed underneath the door and into the living room. The shock plus the water was too much. She gave a cry before falling dead on the floor.<br />
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Alex and Maya were the first to see the scene, having been in the bathroom violating the shower. It was a grisly scene. Phoenix came running in shortly after they did.<br />
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He was, of course, quite upset. Maya felt awful. There was nothing you could do to protect your children from these sorts of things. All you could do was comfort them.<br />
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So that's what she did. Phoenix had messed up, he knew that. But he had loved Kelsey, despite it all. Maya wished that there was something they could do, but it was a bit beyond them now. Poor little Ami, too. She'd growing up not ever knowing her mother.<br />
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Phoenix did his best to fill the gap where Ami was concerned. The little baby was never able to guess that anything was amiss.<br />
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Gabby remained, wanting to help out however she could. She hadn't really known Kelsey and while it was nice that she was out of the way, Gabby hadn't wanted her dead or little Ami without a mother. So she took it upon herself to fill the role, even if Phoenix was decidedly neutral towards her for the time being.<br />
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Little Ami had her mother's hair and her dad's eyes. She was a cute and precocious little thing, her personality not the least bit touched by her mother's passing.<br />
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Ami wasn't without support. Her entire family rallied around her, happy to play and cuddle with her, as well as teach her the skills she needed to become a well-adjusted child. Alex took great delight in teaching her to talk.<br />
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It was obvious to Maya that little Ami had inherited the mermaid magic.<br />
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Gabby had been incredibly patient and supportive. Her help had been invaluable, even next to his parents. It had been long enough since Kelsey's passing that Phoenix had begun to remember what had attracted him to Gabby in the first place all those years ago at college (aside from the clear fact that she'd saved his ass.)<br />
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It was clear to everyone, Alex and Maya included, that there were feelings there. They decided to take it slow at first, not wanting to cause Ami any undue stress and perhaps to maybe just honor Kelsey's memory a little better.<br />
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They really didn't have to worry about Ami. She called Gabby 'mama' and treated her like her mother. She didn't know any better. Kelsey's memory had been lost to her, having only seen her as a tiny baby. Gabby was always around and always with her.<br />
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Of course, that wasn't to say that Ami hadn't <i>seen</i> her mother since then, she just didn't realize what she was seeing and that no one else could see it. Ami would point out the ghostly figure, but everyone was just perplexed. They assumed she had an imaginary friend.</div>
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Kelsey was keeping an eye on her daughter from beyond the grave.</div>
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<blockquote>
Poor Kelsey! I hated having to kill her off. I honestly hadn't expected her to go so quickly, either. I forget why I had moved the television, but it ended up in her dying. My first electrocution death in TS3! I still haven't had most of the accidental deaths in this game. I usually have to mod them. </blockquote>
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There is a naming theme. It has a lot to do with something I'm playing on the 3DS. :) It started with Phoenix. Otherwise, I would never willingly use the misspelling of 'Ami.' Not a big fan of 'alternative' name spellings and my mum's name is Amy, so yeah. </blockquote>
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The shot of Kelsey on the toilet looking at the phone happened on its own. I just capitalized on it. Also, Kelsey is haunting now, which fits with the generation four roll!</blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-78441114737814773402013-11-13T10:30:00.000-05:002013-11-13T12:40:11.325-05:003.2 Opposites Attract<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Phoenix was quite proud of his new address. It had been in construction for a short time and those last few nights on the houseboat had been worth it. It had taken his mother all of her charm to get Alex to leave the houseboat behind. They now lived on an island he'd discovered while diving.<br />
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Kelsey, who moved in with them immediately after Phoenix arrived home from University, wasn't as happy about the mansion. It was beautiful and impressive, but it seemed like a complete and total waste of money. Kelsey was a frugal sim. The way Phoenix threw his wealth around sometimes made her a little nauseous.<br />
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Thankfully, that was the <i>only</i> thing that bothered her. If she had to live in a mansion, at least it was with him. His parents had come along as well, though Alex seemed a bit out of it now that he wasn't on the sea anymore.<br />
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One of the few times Kelsey didn't begrudge Phoenix's wealth is when he proposed. No girl in her right mind turns down a beautiful engagement ring, not even a frugal sim like Kelsey!<br />
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As much as Phoenix cared about Kelsey, she really drove him nuts sometimes. She didn't seem to understand boundaries between staff and employer. She was constantly chatting up 'the help' and treating them like friends. It was a wonder they ever got any work done with her following them around, acting like they were buddies all of the time!<br />
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Both Phoenix and Kelsey had parties before their wedding. Kelsey wanted a much smaller affair, happy to hang out with a few friends. Phoenix, however, rented out an entire venue. It was sheer unadulterated chaos.<br />
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There were <i>two</i> party dancers instead of one. They said they came as a pair and they were both named after sweets--Cherie Pie and Candy Bar. Magnificent, really.<br />
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Alex gave the toast, but by that time, everyone was kind of out of it, so Phoenix couldn't even remember what was said. All that mattered was that fun was had by all and that him and Alex had to call Maya to come get them at four in the morning.<br />
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Boating and driving in their state was just out of the question. <br />
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Phoenix and Alex were nursing their hangovers over a shared helping of Mushroom Omelet when Kelsey started gathering up the dishes. That was the maid's job. Kelsey's excuse was that she was giving him a hand. The house was too big for one man to handle.<br />
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Phoenix commented on how he'd wanted to hire a butler, but she'd adamantly refused. Kelsey ignored him, knowing he was just poking at her because of his rough morning.<br />
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Their wedding was lovely, held on the back deck of the house and facing the islands of Isla Paradiso. Unfortunately, the camera had bunged up and they'd been forced to re-stage one of the shots. At least Maya's camera seemed to be working, so their vows were forever preserved and placed on the wall within the mansion.<br />
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Of course, the wedding arch was quickly replaced by a hot tub. The back deck had been extended for that purpose entirely. It was now an entertainment area with a hot tub, chairs, a bar, and a stereo.<br />
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Phoenix's college education was helping him move quickly through the ranks of the political career, so he needed a place to hold campaign fundraisers. <br />
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Maya and Alex mostly just hung around the house or spent their days diving. Alex was soon to retire and Maya had always been unemployed. It was just the way she liked it. They had enough money now to not have to worry about anything at all. It was certainly different from the time Alex had moved into his houseboat with $2,000 to his name.<br />
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They'd been <i>hoping</i> for grandchildren since the wedding, but Phoenix and Kelsey were apt to take their time. Besides, they couldn't really agree on the timing. Kelsey thought now was the perfect time whereas Phoenix preferred to wait until they'd built up their cash reserves a bit more.<br />
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That didn't keep them from 'practicing' though.<br />
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Which inevitably left Kelsey getting sick in the bathroom. She felt awful. Did she have a virus? It <i>was</i> springtime.<br />
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She was also feeling overly hormonal, nearly biting Phoenix's head off when she caught him texting his old college friend, Gabby Ahmed. She'd saved his life, they were friends! But Kelsey's hormones couldn't have cared less.<br />
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By the time she figured it out, she was nearly showing. Kelsey was overjoyed at being pregnant, but she worried that maybe it was too soon for Phoenix.<br />
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Maya was there when Kelsey told Phoenix. Before Phoenix could even react, Maya had seized her and nearly squeezed the life out of her. She was <i>strong</i>. Thankfully, Phoenix wasn't upset, he was happy, even if it wasn't as he had planned.<br />
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Alex was just as overjoyed as Maya, having had his birthday recently. Now he would be a <i>true</i> grandpa and his gray hair would be a badge of honor instead of a curse.<br />
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Of course, just because Alex looked like an old man now didn't mean he'd act like one. He could still cut a rug with Maya at the festival, as they had done for so many years since their initial meeting. Maya would be joining him soon enough on the gray hair train and they could both be doting grandparents together.<br />
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This family is ridiculously wealthy. It's obscene. Building the house and adding on the deck/etc brought them back down to around 20k, but Phoenix's career is going fast so it'll probably replenish itself. Also, please excuse the awful house. I am a terrible builder. I was forced to do this because I wanted them to move onto one of the islands!</div>
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Maya and Alex came along because I didn't want to leave them to story progression and it was Alex's money Phoenix used to build his opulent mansion! That would just be rude.</div>
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Kelsey and Phoenix are polar opposites. I wish I had the misc. fun 'opposites' thing, would have made sense for them. ;) They never seem to fight, though. Kelsey's an Easily Impressed Frugal Mooch who Sleeps Lightly and is Neat. Go figure. A complete counter to Phoenix. I'll still be sad when I have to kick her out. She's cute like a Disney animal.</div>
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Also, I have NO wedding pictures because stupid Fraps wasn't taking shots and I wasn't checking to make sure. Sigh. </div>
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I found a trick for mermaids... a use for that LTR 'Hardly Hungry'... USE IT. Suddenly, they only need ONE kelp every two days or so. This is better than a billion kelp every day. Ugh. </blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-15838662444094841602013-11-11T00:14:00.000-05:002013-11-11T00:14:16.059-05:003.1 Letters Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/X3mgUCq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/X3mgUCq.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear Mom and Dad,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">University is going well. Have you seen Kelsey at all? She was pretty torn up about me leaving. I tried to convince her to go, too, but she just wasn't into it. She said that it 'was a waste of money.'</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, if you see her, tell her to stop ignoring my calls. I'll be back for spring break.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> There's so many people here that it's almost a little crazy. Plenty of girls, of course. Don't make that face, mom. I'm a mermaid, but I like to think I didn't inherit the 'fickle' part of it all. Kelsey is still forefront in my mind, even if she's being a total b-- err.. brat right now.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm hanging out a lot with the 'Jocks.' They're pretty cool, I guess. I mean, the rebels are just too 'out there' for me and the nerds... seriously? I was popular in high school. Grouping up with the nerds would be social suicide. I need connections, not <i>internet connections</i>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There was an incident. Mom, you might want to stop reading here. My course load was packed tight and I barely had a chance to think, much less remember to keep hydrated. I... kind of passed out in the quad. Luckily, a random girl saved me right in the nick of time with a bucket of water.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gabby Ahmed, my dame in a sweater vest. She made a snarky comment about me being a 'fish out of water' and then sauntered off. Don't tell Kelsey about this. You <i>know</i> how she gets. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gabby is just a friend. We're both Jocks, so we travel in the same circles. That's it. Studying together is just sort of what we have to do. It is University, after all.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also left the dorm. It was just too crazy. My useless dormies were constantly setting things on fire or fighting. It was a mad house! Made it really hard to concentrate. I ended up renting a place my last year...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And thanks for sending the kelp, mom. Stupid me, I forgot it and was stuck spending all my free time fishing up food. Who was the smart guy that made it so we can't satiate ourselves with normal food, anyway? Raw fish tastes gross no matter <i>what</i> manner of creature you are.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before I signed the lease on my new place, one of my dormies got abducted. Aunt Xandra is an alien, right dad? You should ask her about that. It was pretty wild... I did a news report on it for the campus radio station.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This place is so different from home. The trees change colors here and it gets cold, <i>real</i> cold. It's kind of neat, though. I mean the trees turn these brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow. I sent you guys some pictures.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mom keeps asking about my grades and I'm assuring you right now, they were stellar. Perfect, actually. All I did was study. No parties here, nope. No time for that!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If Kelsey says I sent her any weird texts last night, she's lying. You know how she is.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My final year, it snowed. I mean it <i>really snowed</i>. It was a blizzard. Have you ever seen snow, dad? I know mom did in her travels. It's cold and wet, but not the good kind. It freezes you to the bone.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I sent pictures, but they might be kind of blurry...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had a <i>small</i> gathering of friends to celebrate graduation. Nothing big. Everything was real quiet and subdued. If you get a letter from campus security, ignore it. I already cleared it all up. Just a simple misunderstanding about a noise violation that I <i>did not</i> cause. Seriously.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Saying goodbye to campus and friends was the worst, but it'll be nice to get back home and find a job. Have you talked to dad anymore about the island, mom? I'm so done with the houseboat. Mermaid or not, I want my feet on solid ground for once in my life. Being away from it really made be realize that...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">See you guys soon!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Phoenix</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Getting Phoenix through college was a pain in my butt. He's my first sim to graduate, even if the game bugged and he never <i>technically</i> graduated, despite completing the credits. It took him three terms to do so. Sigh.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Phoenix is also my first sim to get an extra trait from maxing out a social group. He ground out jock experience. His first two terms were so packed tight that he could barely breathe and I nearly lost him. He really did pass out from dehydration and he was ten seconds from expiring when Gabby walked up and saved him. Spouse #2, I believe we've found you! Anyway, Phoenix spent his last term partying non-stop to get to the top. Whew.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Also, no more houseboat. I spent hours building them a house on one of the islands that Alex found during his scuba diving. Phoenix is a Snob, so he's all about the good life. Plus, he's going to be a politician. He deserves a stately mansion. ;) </span></span></span></span></div>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-55457249323529708612013-11-10T11:03:00.002-05:002013-11-10T11:04:13.712-05:00Generation Two House(boat)Here's two crappy pictures of the houseboat. Again, I forgot to take pictures until they were in the process of moving... sigh. I have an excuse, though. I spent hours building and decorating them a new house on one of the lots that Alex found while diving.<br />
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Alex's favorite color is turquoise (or was it teal?) so there's accents of that all over the place. I wanted wood to make it look a bit more 'rustic' and houseboat-like!<br />
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I had big plans for using the patio upstairs for parties (before adding Phoenix's room, which he got when he aged to toddler.) Unfortunately, it never panned out. Alex was too busy grinding out his diving stuff so I could fulfill his ridiculous LTW.<br />
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Phoenix's favorite color is Blue (like Maya), but the current heir's color preference takes precedence. I relaxed that for personal rooms in the next house.<br />
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I really liked the open windows. Who wouldn't let the sea breeze in if they lived in a houseboat?!Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-45634260788094678502013-11-09T09:01:00.001-05:002013-11-09T09:07:52.655-05:002.5 Fins to the Left, Fins to the Right<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Phoenix is quite obsessed with being ruler of all. It's not so much the power that drives him, but the promise of being showered in 'shiny things.' Alex has learned to keep his treasures locked up before going off to auction, otherwise Phoenix totes them out and throws the gold coins in the air, declaring himself 'King of Everything Awesome!'<br />
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Luckily, his friends don't seem to mind his preoccupation with wealth. Kelsey Torres-Forman just laughs it off and hits Phoenix with a pillow. Her family lives in town and they're not hurting for cash, though there's rumors that her grandfather did some less-than-savory things to get it all.<br />
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Others aren't so accepting of Phoenix's love of the good life. Aren Matsuri brings him back down to earth, letting him know that while he might be obsessed with being King of the Shiny Things... he lived on a houseboat and he didn't technically have a mom. Kids can be harsh.<br />
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Of course, it wasn't long before Phoenix wasn't a kid. He'd grown up fast, faster than Alex would have liked. Worse yet, he was just so<i> moody</i> now. His temperament just seemed to take a complete nosedive after his birthday.<br />
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It certainly didn't help that he'd finally 'come into' his mermaid magic. He'd hopped in the ocean one day and realized his legs were <i>gone</i>.<br />
<br />
"Dad. I'm a fish."<br />
<br />
"No, you're a mermaid. There's a difference."<br />
<br />
"I HAVE A TAIL!"<br />
<br />
"A <i>mermaid</i> tail. It's all right. You'll get used to it after awhile. In fact, you might even come to like it..."<br />
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Phoenix was pretty sure he'd <i>never</i> grow to like being a fish! He spent ridiculous amounts of hours searching himself for gills, scales, and anything else weird. It all seemed to be focused on his legs. There were no scientific reasons for any of it. It was as his father had said--it was magic.<br />
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That was rubbish! Phoenix had big plans. He couldn't be saddled down with some ridiculous 'magic nonsense' inherited from a mother he didn't even know!<br />
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At least Kelsey wasn't freaked out. She said she'd always known. His legs were blue and weird even as a child. Mermaids were commonplace in Isla Paradiso. It was like vampires in Sunset Valley.<br />
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At least there was that. Phoenix was pretty sure he was ready for Kelsey to be more than a friend. They'd gone to prom together, but she'd been pretty shy the entire time.<br />
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It would have been easier if his dad wasn't coming down on him like a hammer every five seconds. What was the big deal? So he pulled a couple of pranks, so he <i>may</i> have released every single frog from the science lab, so<i> what</i>? The way his dad acted, you'd swear he'd bombed the entire island or something.<br />
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Phoenix just waved him off and tacked it all up to his midlife crisis. He'd get over it. <br />
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Alex got an even bigger surprised one rainy evening when Maya suddenly appeared. They'd returned, finally, after years of moving around the world. Maya hadn't seemed to age a day, looking the same as she did just before she left so long ago.<br />
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There was no awkwardness or hesitation. She all but barreled him over, throwing herself against him. Their reunion had been a long time coming. Maya had no intentions of leaving again.<br />
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Phoenix didn't share his father's happiness at the return of his mother. He was quite bitter about it, actually. For years, he'd stared out the windows and wondered where she was and what she was doing. What kept her from coming back? Why did she leave in the first place? None of it made any sense to him and now her sudden reappearance... well, he wasn't going to make it easy for her.<br />
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Maya had tried to hug him. And even if she genuinely cared when she asked after him and how he was, Phoenix took it all as an act. She was probably just going to leave again, anyway. What did it matter?<br />
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Maya was upset, but Alex assured her it would be fine. Phoenix would come around. He was just a little... difficult sometimes. Of course, Maya knew he had every right to hate her and to be upset. Still, she planned to make it right, even if he made it difficult for her. She wasn't going to give up.<br />
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At least things were going well for Phoenix. Kelsey was officially his girlfriend and he was quite happy about that fact.<br />
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They had their differences, though. Kelsey no longer thought Phoenix's obsession with wealth and the better things in life was endearing. She was quite easy to please and thought Phoenix was just being a straight-up snob.<br />
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Alex and Maya had no such problems. Despite their otherwise unconventional relationship and separation, they were still just as much in love--if not more so now--as they were all those years ago. Maya was happy to rejoin the family and move in. She assured Alex she wasn't going anywhere ever again.<br />
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Phoenix even seemed to come around, realizing that his mother was there to stay. She'd offered to teach him to drive--which Alex laughed about, given their combined lack of coordination with legs--but she was adamant about spending time alone with him. So they drove.<br />
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"Phoenix, what are you doing? You look ridiculous."<br />
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"All the cool kids drive this way, mom. Sheesh."<br />
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"We're going five miles an hour. I think you can do without the poses..."<br />
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While Maya helped Phoenix advance in life, Alex handled the less 'heavy' things. Spending time with Phoenix usually meant something silly like pillow fighting or having him assist on dives. It was always helpful to have a mermaid around.<br />
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Maya and Phoenix spent a lot of time in the ocean as he neared his Young Adult birthday. She was trying to show him all there was about being what they were and the magic behind it all.<br />
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Much to her dismay, Phoenix wasn't even sure he wanted to <i>be</i> a mermaid. When she spoke about the crippling loss of their magic, he was intrigued and asked for more details.<br />
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"It's very painful, Phoenix... and once it's gone, it will <i>never</i> come back."<br />
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"I think I could live with that. I mean, have you ever seen a mermaid go to college?"<br />
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Phoenix had big plans and being a mermaid wasn't one of them.<br />
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Phoenix was quite excited when his birthday finally arrived. Soon, his plans and dreams would be fully realized! Even better, he could surround himself with the luxury he'd always coveted. Of course, there were some things he had to do first...<br />
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Generation Three roll:<br />
<ul>
<li>Second Chance</li>
<li>2 Children</li>
<li>Income: Political</li>
<ul>
<li>Secondaries: Scuba Diver, Military </li>
</ul>
<li>Generation Goal: Expansionist</li>
<li>Misc. Fun: Random Traits </li>
</ul>
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The rules state that spouses of 'Single' parents can return once the heir is midway through their teenage stage, so Maya has come back and lives with them once more. I've been waiting for this since I had to kick her out. So happy to have her back! I wonder if mermaids age slower? Because she's younger than Alex now...</div>
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Phoenix got the 'Evil' trait from the random roll on his teenage birthday. Sigh. I have NO idea how that's going to fit into his career roll. I don't like random traits, you guys!</div>
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I don't think he'll stay a mermaid for long. It's driving me nuts. I installed Awesomemod (because I was getting crazy crashes and AM always fixes those for me), and mermaids now use boats/etc instead of SWIMMING everywhere... but keeping their hunger motive up is near impossible. Kelp is supposed to satiate them, but it never does and their bar always seems to plummet at obscene rates. Not even the 'good food' moodlet helps. Sigh. Plus the dehydration! Phoenix isn't as obsessed with the ocean as his parents.</div>
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Alex's midlife crisis was my first successful one ever. Pretty cool. He also completed his LTW (as per my 10 gen goal of fulfilling heir's ten different LTWs), which was earn 40k from diving. They have about 80k in the bank now. Money has not been an issue so far... </div>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-10346315532319478592013-11-07T18:50:00.000-05:002013-11-07T18:50:39.280-05:002.4 Undercurrent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having a baby was a huge adjustment for Alex. He was used to doing his own thing and being gone for days at a time on dives. That life was no more. He'd taken a sabbatical from work, at least until Phoenix was done being a baby, and devoted most of his time to his care. Of course, his mother Jamie was a huge help in the whole ordeal. Alex hadn't exactly known what to do with babies off the bat.<br />
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She visited often, helping care for little Phoenix and evening helping Alex keep the place tidy. Without her, Alex probably would have been a mess. He was still sad over Maya's departure, but he kept the thought of her coming back close to his heart. He believed her when she said that and he kind of knew what he signed up for when he got involved with a mermaid.<br />
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Jamie worried about Phoenix's possibility of taking after his mother, but it was too soon to tell. A mermaid's magic didn't fully present itself until puberty, though the signs started to appear a little earlier than that. They'd know for certain soon enough.<br />
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Even with his mom's help, Alex was exhausted. New babies were a handful. He hardly ever slept during the night, so he grabbed quick naps when he could. He missed the ocean and his job, but he was adamant about sticking around until he was absolutely sure Phoenix would be all right with a babysitter.<br />
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It was amazing how quickly time flew by when caring for a baby. Phoenix was getting bigger with every passing moment. Alex was finally okay leaving the houseboat and grateful for that fact. He'd definitely missed being in the ocean.<br />
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Alex was determined to make money now. He had a child to support. His job before had always been a casual fancy, it paid the bills, but it was more about the exploration and his love of the ocean. Now, however, he was ready to cash in on the truly big money-making opportunities.<br />
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He was still home as much as he could be, helping Alex learn all the necessary skills for his next stage of life. The babysitters he hired were all screened by Jamie, so Alex didn't have any fear of leaving Phoenix behind with them. Life took on a rhythm.<br />
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Eventually, Phoenix approached another milestone. He was going to be a child and he'd be attending school. This meant Alex could really step up his business endeavors. He'd have plenty of time to explore while Phoenix was in class during the day and they wouldn't need a sitter anymore. It was definitely a bittersweet relief to be rid of Phoenix's toddler years.<br />
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Phoenix didn't know much of his extended family. They'd all kind of gone their separate ways. He met some of them, but mostly he only saw his grandma Jamie and his Aunt Xandra. Auntie X was always good fun, she had the strangest stories.<br />
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Phoenix also loved going along with his dad whenever he was able. Alex couldn't take him along on dives, but they did go boating quite a bit. Phoenix had his own special appreciation for the ocean. It called to him. He'd been born with an affinity for it. Alex hadn't talked to him about it yet, but Phoenix knew he was different, though not the extent of why.<br />
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He started asking questions about his mother, which Alex answered without hesitation. There was a sadness there, though.<br />
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The way his dad spoke about his mom, you'd think she was some sort of goddess. If she were so good, why wasn't she there with them? It was clear his dad missed her and Phoenix wanted to know her, too. Unfortunately, his questions about that went unanswered. All Alex would offer were vague: "she's just gone away for awhile. She'll be back."<br />
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At least Phoenix was able to spend time with his dad. He liked that. They'd go to the ocean and swim around and just be goofy. Phoenix liked those days. It was better than going to school or doing homework.<br />
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Most of the other kids at school had moms who baked them cookies. Phoenix had something better. Not only did his dad make him cookies, but he made them <i>amazingly</i>. He was a really good cook.<br />
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Cookies were Phoenix's favorite. They failed to satiate his hunger, but he couldn't deny how happy the taste made him.<br />
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Unfortunately for Phoenix, his dad was a lot more coordinated for him. Alex often joked about Maya's failed attempts at skating, comparing them to Phoenix's less-than-stellar attempts in the present. Phoenix didn't understand it. He just seemed to be such a klutz when it came to his legs.<br />
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Phoenix wished he was able to go diving with his dad. Alex had recently been contracted to help out with a movie filming on location. It required him to wear a really goofy diving suit that was completely impractical, but it paid well.<br />
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Phoenix continued to ask questions about his mother. It was just hard for him to understand how his dad was still technically married to her when she wasn't with them. Why did she go away and when was she coming back? Alex didn't have any concrete answers for him. He would always just say things like "soon" or "it's just the way it is."<br />
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Of course, Phoenix wasn't the only one growing older. Alex was advancing in age, too. It was crazy how quickly the years sped by. It seemed like only yesterday that he'd left his home and moved into the houseboat. How many years had Maya been gone now? It felt like an eternity. Still, he didn't give up hope that she would return as she had promised.<br />
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At least he was making money hand over fist. Jobs were rolling in and it seemed as if every time he went on a leisurely dive, he discovered a new treasure or a ship. It was definitely invigorating to see his career take off. He was becoming a household name with his exploits.<br />
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You know how I said Phoenix looks like Maya? I was wrong. He's a complete clone of Alex. It's kind of crazy. I'm hoping <i>some</i> diversity introduces itself soon! All of these guys are going to have the same brown hair and the same faces, lol.</div>
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Phoenix is a mermaid, but I'll cover that later. I assumed he would be. It always seems to happen like that when it comes to supernaturals and babies.</div>
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I'm being forced to randomize his traits. He's an Eccentric Heavy Sleeper who is also a bit of a Snob. </div>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-24847437165116632852013-11-06T09:54:00.001-05:002013-11-06T13:57:35.779-05:002.3 Just Keep Swimming<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Maya barely had a chance to adjust to the news of being pregnant before even more news hit her--it was time to go. Her mermaid family was preparing to migrate. She'd known the time was coming, only it seemed like it had come much quicker than she anticipated.<br />
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"It won't be long now. We've already got our next destination lined up."<br />
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"You may want to tie up your loose ends now... and tell your <i>human</i> goodbye."<br />
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Maya looked stricken. "Uh, yeah..."<br />
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"We'll let you know when we're leaving. I expect you'll be ready?"<br />
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"Yes... I'll be ready..."<br />
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Maya had wanted to tell Alex the truth, but it was just too much all at once. Instead, she opted to just tell him about the baby. He was surprised, but happy. Maya couldn't lie, she felt the same. Despite it being against what she was, Maya was happy with Alex. A part of her didn't want to leave. Perhaps she could be happy staying in one place.<br />
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Alex took some time off of work to spend time with Maya during the early parts of her pregnancy. Neither one of them really knew what to expect. She was a mermaid, after all. Still, it seemed as if things would progress as normally as if she were a human.<br />
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It was nice to take a break and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Isla Paradiso, though.<br />
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Alex even introduced her to his family. His mother, Jamie Voss, seemed quite taken with her... which was a huge relief. Of course, it probably had more to do with the fact that she was carrying her grandchild. Jamie was such a sucker for babies!<br />
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It shouldn't have been a surprise when Alex popped the question. Obviously, he'd introduced her to his family with an ulterior motive. Still, Maya couldn't help but be stunned. A part of her recoiled from the idea, fearful of being tied down and unable to move or breathe. A bigger part of her, however, accepted with a gladdened heart.<br />
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She really did love him, even if he was just a human.<br />
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They were married on a beautiful, sunny day late into Maya's pregnancy. She was set to pop at any moment, so the wedding was both a happy and anxious occasion.<br />
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Salty, unfortunately, dropped in uninvited. He seemed amused by the proceedings and wasted no time needling her afterwards during the reception.<br />
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"This isn't quite what I meant when I said prepare, Maya."<br />
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"I'm not sure if I'm going. I'm pregnant."<br />
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Salty shook his head. "Leave the child here. You can't deny what you are. Even if you stay here, you'll only leave later or risk losing your magic entirely."<br />
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"It isn't that simple, Salty! You just don't understand..."<br />
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He rolled his eyes, unconvinced. "We warned you about becoming too attached to your <i>human</i>, Maya. This isn't our way. You're married to him under their law, but not ours."<br />
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"What if the baby is a mermaid?"<br />
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"Then we'll come back for it. But you know they don't come into their magic until later in life. You can't bring it along."<br />
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Alex saw the stranger talking to Maya and the look on Maya's face. Still, he didn't dare butt in. He wasn't an idiot. This was clearly a matter that went beyond him. There were other mermaids out there, this much he knew. Whatever they were discussing, though, it didn't look good. Maya stormed off and went to the bathroom. Alex followed her.<br />
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Inside the bathroom, Maya was looking at her reflection in the mirror. Upon seeing Alex, she spun around and tried to put on a happy face.<br />
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"Are you okay?"<br />
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"Yes... well, no," Maya admitted finally, "I... it's... remember what I told you about mermaids, Alex? How we migrate? Our time is coming up... I may have to leave."<br />
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Alex looked saddened, but he wasn't angry. "Don't worry about it now, okay? It'll be all right. Whatever happens."<br />
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Maya went into labor some time later, caught by surprise. She couldn't go to the hospital. She didn't want the doctors poking and prodding at her possibly hybrid child. Instead, she buckled down and endured the pain, giving birth in the bathroom tub. It wasn't exactly a luxurious way to give birth, but it was the only option available to her at the moment.<br />
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Alex was out on an assignment. He was likely several leagues under the sea when their child came into the world.<br />
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Phoenix was a beautiful baby. Maya stood there awhile, just gazing at him. He didn't cry or scream loudly. He just watched her watching him. It was unclear if he had any of her magic or not. It wouldn't present itself for a few years yet. Maya wished that he was normal, so he could live the life she could not. It broke her heart to realize that she would be leaving him and Alex behind.<br />
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She could hear the calling in the back of her mind--the pull to move on with her family. They were waiting for her.<br />
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She gave Phoenix a quick kiss on the head and tucked him snugly into his crib. She sent a quick text message to Alex's phone and then to his mother. Someone would be there shortly to watch him. Maya lingered a moment or two, taking one last look at her little baby.<br />
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Salty was there waiting when she left the bedroom. He was expectant, giving her a dubious look as she approached him.<br />
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"I'm ready. Let's go."<br />
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"We can't deny what we are, Maya. Your child will be fine."<br />
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"I want to come back. I want to see him when he's grown."<br />
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"He may be one of us and if he is, we must know. But it will be some time before that happens."<br />
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Leaving a note for Alex where he would see it, Maya left the houseboat for the last time and jumped into the ocean. She swam past it, thankful that Phoenix hadn't begun to cry in her absence. It would have broke her heart even more.<br />
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It would be a very long time before Maya saw Isla Paradiso and its beautiful waters again.<br />
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Alex arrived home in a hurry, his mother waiting for him with a saddened face in the living room. She'd beat him there, their house only a few minutes up the road. Phoenix laid fast asleep in his crib. Jamie handed Maya's note to her son and gave him a hug. She would be back in the morning to check on them.<br />
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<blockquote>
<i>Alex,</i><i><br /></i><i>I'm sorry. I thought that I could change, that I would be okay living a normal life... and maybe I would, maybe I could... but I have a responsibility to my people, to my family. I'm sorry that I'm leaving you behind and I'm even more sorry that Phoenix will grow up without me.</i><i><br /></i><i>Oceans willing, I'll be back. It may not be soon, but I will return. I hope against hope that Phoenix is normal and happy.</i><i><br /></i><i>Love,</i><i>Maya</i></blockquote>
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Darn it! I wanted a girl. I even made Maya eat a billion watermelons. Sigh. I was at least hoping the child would get her beautiful hair, but no... Rubisel's hair genes are STRONG. Phoenix is already a toddler in my game and he seems to have his mother's eyes/face and his grandfather Rubisel's dark hair (which Alex and all his siblings also have.)<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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Breaking this family up made me <i>so</i> sad! :( Also, I rolled Phoenix's requirements and I won't list them all, but I will say, I got 'Random Traits.' ARGH! He ended up Eccentric and a Heavy Sleeper. I am not enthused about this. At least I only have to do it for HIM and not any children he has...</div>
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Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-27107367789724759652013-11-04T12:37:00.000-05:002013-11-06T13:57:29.494-05:002.2 Under the Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After revealing her true identity to Alex, Maya started hanging around a lot more. She'd drop in without Alex having to summon her with a conch shell. She'd even been receptive to his romantic advances, though she skirted the issue anytime Alex tried to make things 'official' between them.<br />
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After a month or two of her hanging around, Alex finally decided to bite the bullet and ask her if she'd just like to stay. Maya was hesitant. She explained that mermaids were nomads--they rarely stayed in one place for very long, preferring to migrate around the oceans. Still, she rather liked Alex and didn't seem like they were leaving anytime soon.<br />
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Maya agreed to move in with him for as long as the rest of her mermaid family hung around.<br />
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Having a girlfriend for a mermaid was definitely a boon to Alex's career. She swam so much faster than he did and knew where all the best treasures were hidden. He was really beginning to make a name for himself amongst the diving circle of Isla Paradiso. His phone rang constantly with job offers to seek out random things.<br />
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Alex was still quite capable of diving on his own, however. When Maya was busy with her 'mermaid stuff', Alex went on his long treks out into the ocean and into its depths. Sometimes, he'd go with a team. It was just safer that way. Any native of Isla Paradiso knew there were sharks everywhere in the waters.<br />
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Of course, Alex's growing popularity had its downsides. A local thief had gotten wind of all of the treasure Alex was accumulating and was quite intent on securing some for himself.<br />
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Unfortunately for the burglar, all that diving and swimming left Alex is peak physical condition. He kicked the burglar's butt and called the cops, who collected the hapless fool and took him off to jail. A burglar alarm was installed shortly after the incident.<br />
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Despite the burglary, things between Maya and Alex were going great. Long gone were her days of brushing off his flirtations or avoiding his attempts at making things official. It was almost as if a switch had flicked on in her head and suddenly, she was diving headfirst into everything.<br />
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It was definitely a nice change. Alex had no interest in pursuing anyone but Maya. She was perfect in his eyes.<br />
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Unfortunately, things weren't so cut and dry for Maya. Throwing herself into her life with Alex had left some gaps in her mermaid life. She'd grown lax with swimming with her family and they'd taken notice. She'd been called to meet with one of her brothers. She didn't tell Alex about it, she only told him she was going for a swim.<br />
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They were worried about her. They were concerned that she was getting too attached to this human and the double-life she was leading. He warned her that they would be leaving soon, off to another ocean. Maya was expected to come with them.<br />
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"I'm still a mermaid."<br />
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"Then act like it. Stop trying to be a human. Do you really want to lose your magic?"<br />
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"No," Maya said quickly, slightly frightened. "Never! Don't be stupid. I know what I'm doing."<br />
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Maya had wanted to tell Alex. She'd tried, but it fell dead on her lips. He was just too sweet, too completely enamored with her. Her mermaid family had always told her that humans were prejudiced against her kind and that it was best not to bother with them. Alex was different, though. She wished that they could see that.<br />
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Unfortunately, the more time she spent with Alex on land, the less she felt like a mermaid. It wasn't until she'd fallen sick that she realized how much things had changed. Was this the sickness her family had warned her about? She'd grown up listing to tales of mermaids who lost their magic by spending too much time with humans on land. The thought scared her beyond measure.<br />
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Alex, meanwhile, was ignorant to Maya's plight. His life was going great. He'd discovered some cool ruins off the coast of Isla Paradiso and had a team surveying it. It was guaranteed to be a big find.<br />
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One day, as Maya was heading to the ocean, a horrible wave of nausea overcame her. She was shocked when she threw up right there and then. Worried, Maya rushed home to the house boat. Was she really going to lose her magic?<br />
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Maya was shocked to learn that she wasn't losing her magic, she was pregnant. It was so completely unexpected. She didn't even know how to read the signs. Mermaids handled things quite differently than humans. It was frowned upon to fraternize with humans, but this? This was going to cause some even bigger issues.<br />
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I left it up to Risky WooHoo to determine when generation three would make its appearance. ;) I'm hoping for a girl, but Maya wants a boy. Too bad, girly! Eat ALL the watermelon! Also, I'm not gonna lie. I love taking pictures underwater. It's worth also noting that these two IMMEDIATELY spun up 'Get Married' wishes... the specific ones, not the generic ones. So I may have to fulfill those before Maya has to go.</blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-43207065297916341292013-11-03T10:41:00.000-05:002013-11-06T13:57:23.204-05:002.1 Moving On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jamie was decidedly upset that Alex wasn't staying in the house. Graduation had come and gone far too quickly. In just a few days, he'd be off on his own.<br />
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She had tried to convince him to stay, but Alex couldn't be swayed. He had dreams of living in a house boat and he'd found the perfect one. Thankfully, he'd docked it just down the road, so he wasn't too far away.<br />
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Alex shunned regular work and opted to go into business for himself. He was going to become a professional diver. The ocean was practically his life, so it was the best solution to do what he loved and get paid for it.<br />
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He started out by doing diving classes, shortly followed by manning his own expeditions.<br />
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When he wasn't underwater, Alex was throwing parties. His entire lifestyle was very laid back and what fun was a house boat if you didn't throw any parties on it?<br />
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Party-crashers weren't unusual, but Maya Ocean stepped onto the boat, Alex couldn't help but introduce himself. He'd dated very casually, but no girl could ever compare to his love for the ocean. Maya seemed to be the personification of everything he loved. He barely even noticed the weird coloring of her legs--weird tattoos were becoming popular in Island Paradiso these days.<br />
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Not everyone was as impressed by the mysterious beauty. Alex's older sister Serena warned him against getting involved with such obviously strange types. Alex ignored her. Maya was brilliant in all ways. He was sure that Serena was just jealous. Getting knocked up by your boyfriend had made her a big sourpuss lately.<br />
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Alex spent the entirety of the party talking to Maya. It was rude to ignore his other guests, but he couldn't be bothered.<br />
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Alex and Maya became fast friends. He drug her to the summer festival and tried not to laugh as she awkwardly skated. He swore everyone knew how to skate, but Maya obviously did not. It was strange, but she didn't seem to have the same sort of balance that everyone else did. She was just so clumsy sometimes. It was cute, though.<br />
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"These skates are a death trap!"<br />
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"Nah, they're fun. Just give it time. You'll get it."<br />
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"I'm going to fall on my face. This is humiliating."<br />
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Alex laughed. "No. Look at that other guy. He just face-planted and nearly got run over. <i>That's</i> humiliating..."<br />
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Alex is happy being friends with Maya, but he's quite interested in becoming more, too. Putting on the charm seems to do little, though. Maya brushes it off and acts like he's just goofing around. Alex isn't giving up yet, however. He refuses to be 'friend-zoned.'<br />
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He's certain that it's not the fact that Maya isn't interested in him. She wouldn't let him drag her to all these place she's clearly uncomfortable with if she wasn't. No, maybe she was just scared or awkward. Whatever the case, he'd break her down.<br />
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Watching her interact with people just made him wonder even more what she could possibly be afraid of.<br />
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One day, Maya tells Alex that she's got something to show him. Alex agrees without hesitation, taking the day of work and following her directions. They end up at one of his favorite diving spots. He's never been here with Maya before, though. How did she know?<br />
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Before he can ask, she jumps over the side. He fumbles with his gear and follows after her. Did she just jump in without a tank?<br />
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He's pretty sure that he sees her, but she's moving so fast. How is that even possible? How is she still holding her breath? Baffled, Alex does his best to keep up.<br />
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When he does manage to catch her, he's quite shocked. Her legs are gone, replaced by a brilliantly colored tail.<br />
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"Holy crap..."<br />
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"Yeah..."<br />
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"Y-You're a <i>mermaid</i>?"<br />
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Maya nodded solemnly.<br />
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"I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was afraid that you'd hate me... or think I was gross or something. People don't always have the best reactions when they find out."<br />
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"Uh, no... I'm just kind of... surprised, that's all. I mean. It all makes sense now, but still."<br />
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"I'm <i>not</i> a fish."<br />
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"Er, yeah. Of course not."<br />
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She sighed. "No, really. I'm not!"<br />
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"I-I believe you, Maya. It's okay."<br />
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"You just don't understand what it's like. People are always asking me if I have 'fish parts' and other nasty things like that. Of course I don't! I'm a human and when I go into the water, my weird legs become a tail. It's magic. Witches, vampires, werewolves... even fairies are okay! But if you're a mermaid, well then, you're obviously nasty and fishy."<br />
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"It's okay. <i>Really</i>. It doesn't change anything for me. It actually kind of makes it even more awesome..."<br />
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"W-What?"<br />
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"I love the ocean! This is perfect. Forget normal girls, you're a <i>mermaid</i>. That's awesome. I'm kind of jealous, actually."<br />
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From that moment on, Maya spends a lot more time at the boat house. She's coming around, obviously. Alex wasn't lying when he said it was awesome she was a mermaid. What other kind of woman could understand his unadulterated love of the sea? Even her last name--Ocean--was perfect.<br />
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No, he wasn't letting her get away. He'd wait around until he was an old man for her to come around.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Why are Maya's boobs so huge? Is it my sliders? Gah. I want to lessen them. I might. I mean, those are going to take out someone's eye.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Generation two is a lot of fun. I love focusing on the scuba diving. I was hoping Alex would hookup with a mermaid and Maya swam along. Hooray!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Once she reveals the island to him, I'll likely move her in and we'll go on from there. Playing a legacy is a nice break from my prosperity. I can let the town implode and not care. :D</span></blockquote>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-33825481162304863572013-11-02T16:05:00.002-04:002013-11-06T13:57:17.276-05:00Generation One HouseI am seriously going to miss this house. Because of that, I thought I'd snap two shots of it before Alex leaves for good. Unfortunately, I chose to do so AFTER I started the official move out, so I couldn't make it daytime. Sigh.<br />
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I think it's fun to see the houses that people actually play in, plus, if you have the expansion pack... you know which house this is (it starts out as three storage containers smashed together with one heck of a view!) It's fun to see things change.<br />
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I also tried to spend time decorating it and making it aesthetically pleasing. It's also decorated in Jamie's favorite color. ;) <br />
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The pool house doesn't have anything cool in it. Just a murphy bed everyone was obsessed with (I had considered hiring a butler when Rubisel left, but then Xias presented himself), the laundry machines, and an extra bathroom. I eventually added an all-in-one bathroom there, too.<br />
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The outside looks horrible because I am even worse at exteriors than interiors. :PMaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-44727857435756549892013-11-01T09:01:00.000-04:002013-11-06T13:57:11.582-05:001.4 Flash Forward<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continuing on with the 'recap' of generation one. Sorry, again, for the lack of 'flowing' pictures. These were all taken with tumblr in mind... or just because I felt like it. I have an itchy screenshot finger..<br />
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Here's the in-game greeting card photo I managed to get. It's crappy, but it's a good way of seeing everyone. There's a shot on the generational page, too.<br />
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Despite having <i>years</i> of practice, Jamie is a pretty terrible cook. She burns about 50% of what she makes, which is quite ridiculous for having around six cooking points. Sigh.<br />
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Xandra becomes a pretty adorable child. Apparently, aliens have green hair? Very interesting. I love her eyes! She's just too cute for words. She likes having pillow fights with Alex. Thankfully, he's happy to entertain her... even if he's supposed to be a big, tough teenager.<br />
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The twins become Young Adults! Holy crap. Time has flown by, hasn't it? That means they'll have to vamoose directly after graduating. I can't say I'll miss them all that much... Hayden just sort of hung around. Serena was really great at helping take care of the other kids!<br />
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Good luck out there. You're going to need it...<br />
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Because Jamie is such a terrible cook, Alex does most of the cooking now. He's a Natural Cook, so he never burns anything... thank goodness. He's not exactly keen on me forcing him to feed the army of children, though.<br />
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It's all a lot easier with Serena and Hayden gone. Leftovers last a lot longer.<br />
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Aside from cooking or when it's raining, Alex is rarely home. He's usually out and about boating or snorkeling, whatever gets him in the water. Not surprisingly, he <i>loves</i> swimming. It's weird, but he doesn't use the pool much at home. I think Xias uses it the most.<br />
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Hera's time comes and I am very sad. I hate it when pets die. It's ten times worse than sims! I really do dislike it. I'm better than the husband, though. Pets can never, <i>ever</i> die in his game and I'd better always warn him before he walks in the room if a pet is dying while I'm playing. Sigh.<br />
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Goodbye, Hera. :(<br />
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Poor Jamie is beside herself with grief. Hera annoyed the crap out of me sometimes by causing pathing issues or interrupting queues... but I'll miss her jumping into the pool all the time! She loved it more than Xias.<br />
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Nina is a good sister and reads Xandra to sleep. Hera's death seemed to hit everyone pretty hard. There's a lot of dog lovers under this roof!<br />
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Jamie throws Alex a birthday party and apparently decides to slow dance with Rubisel for old time's sake. I'm kind of shocked that he's still alive. He must have find the secret to eternal life or all that carousing around gave him limitless vitality or something...<br />
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Time for the birthday boy to blow out his candles! This is a bittersweet moment for me. I've been excited for it since I selected him as heir and even when I did the roll... but now? Sadface. It's very likely that he's going to leave this house. I'm going to miss it. I seriously love this house and its view!<br />
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Annnd here is as a Young Adult... Alex Voss, generation two heir. His traits are: Loves to Swim, Loves the Outdoors, Loves the Heat, Natural Cook, and Sailor.<br />
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The roll for the 2nd generation is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Single</li>
<li>1 Child</li>
<li>Scuba Diver</li>
<li>Generation Goal: Photogenic</li>
<li>Misc. Fun: Gourmet</li>
<li>Optional 10 Gen Goal: Wish Upon A (Different) Star</li>
</ul>
Should be interesting! Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-90572252593862191132013-10-31T16:50:00.003-04:002013-11-06T13:57:04.812-05:001.3 Extraterrestrial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Rubisel visits often and reads the kids to sleep. He may have been a crappy husband, but he's still a good dad. He calls all of the kids quite a bit, too. All except Nina. Poor Nina. He never really had the chance to get to know her! She sort of assumes Xias is her dad, lol.</div>
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Jamie is quite grateful to her alien friend for all his help. Despite my wishes, she decides to show it. Sigh. Jamie is, apparently, not a fan of waiting things out.</div>
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What gets Jamie Voss going, you guys? Reading her kids to sleep. She's a bit of an easy woo.</div>
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The kids, surprisingly, care very little about their mother dating and eventually engaging an alien. Actually, little Serena is very fond of Xias. She follows him around and is constantly found at his side or chatting with him. It's cute.<br />
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Xias and Jamie get married. I realize, again, that as fabulous as this house is... its layout was <i>not</i> meant for parties. There's just too many places for bottlenecks to occur. It's like trying to push data through a 56k relay. You're gonna have a bad time.</div>
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This all may seem hurried and rush, but honestly, it wasn't. They were engaged a few days and dating days before that. I'm playing on Normal lifespan. Things do have to happen quicker than I'm used to, but it's still not terribly rushed.</div>
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I also didn't take many pictures because again, I was planning on posting on tumblr! Gauge time passing by how rapidly the kids are growing. ;)</div>
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Like here. This is Serena. Yes, the same little girl that was just sitting on the couch with Xias. She's a teen now. </div>
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Jamie is also pregnant with her final child (that I will give her, at least. Eesh, I've had enough of these kids!) Everyone seems pretty intrigued by the thought of having an alien half-sibling.</div>
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The quality on these last few pictures is dubious because I uploaded them with blogger. Apparently, blogger auto-compresses things. Not cool, blogger!</div>
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Let's try something different, like imgur... </div>
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Watching the stars with an alien is a whole different experience. Aliens can point out distant galaxies and in the direction of their home planets. They're a lot more knowledgeable about the universe and beyond. It's all a bit baffling.<br />
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It's fitting, then, when Jamie gives birth to her partially alien daughter, Xandra at night, beneath the stars. She'd been gazing in the telescope to fulfill an opportunity. D'aaww, alien baby! My first one, too.<br />
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At least they don't have the freaky genes that TS2 ones did. They could get downright painfully bizarre.<br />
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One of the guys Serena danced with at prom ages up into an Young Adult who still fancies her. Thankfully, Serena isn't into older men and tells him promptly to take a hike.<br />
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Of course, he doesn't. He mills around the house until the early hours when Xias tells him to take a hike. He listens. The threat of being probed isn't one to be taken lightly!<br />
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The house is less chaotic than it has been in the past. Everyone is beyond the toddler stage and the only baby in the house is Xandra, who has been excommunicated to the pool house in an effort to let her other four siblings sleep.<br />
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I realize that I had more than enough room to add onto the house, but I chose not to. I really like to 'preserve' the original feel of houses rather than tack on additions/etc. This is a modern house not built for a huge family, but it works. Everyone is a little cramped, but most of them spend their time out on the spacious deck. Hell, Alex is barely ever inside. That's him, by the way, in the background sitting with his mother. He's <i>usually</i> out snorkeling, but springtime in Isla Paradiso is notoriously rainy.<br />
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That's not-so-little Nina (who is now a teen, by the way) playing at being royal while Hayden watches on, dazed. Hayden and Serena are set to graduate soon. <br />
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I don't have a ton of pictures because, again, all of this was supposed to go on tumblr. Oops. I'll probably start taking more reliable pictures form here-on out, but the only sim you'll have to care about is Alex. He's the heir. I'll keep his roll secret until he inherits, though. :)Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-52165808335820864552013-10-30T10:58:00.005-04:002013-11-06T13:56:57.365-05:001.2 The Break Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kind of foreboding to begin a post titled 'the break up' with a marriage, isn't it? Well, that's kind of the point.<br />
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Jamie and Rubisel are married quickly and without fanfare. Jamie cries afterwards, obviously shocked that it actually happened. Rubisel seems to be thinking about what he's done. Silly man.<br />
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He's not a <i>bad</i> dad... even if his idea of babysitting is watching the toddler twins from the newly installed hot tub.<br />
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Of course, Jamie and Rubisel eventually christen the tub, resulting in yet another baby. They both had a wish for it! Rubisel is really trying to make me hate the fact that I have to kick him to the curb.<br />
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Speaking of babies, the last baby born, Alex, is having a birthday party. He's the possible heir. She's pregnant with her fourth and final child to Rubisel in this picture.<br />
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One of Rubisel's many women gets invited to the party and throws a fit at being faced with his progeny. She makes a scene.<br />
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Rubisel confesses to Jamie--in the midst of the party--before she finds out from anyone else. I'm guessing he finally realized all those constant wishes for Jamie and babies meant he was in love. Too late, buddy!<br />
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Jamie complains about her lout of a husband to her friend, Xias the alien. He is still learning about what the sims call 'fashion.'<br />
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Rubisel tries to smooth things over by suggesting Jamie take a break and go to the spa. He's evicted to the pool house.<br />
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After a few days of stewing over it, Jamie breaks it off on a particularly frigid Spring morning (I only have Summer and Spring enabled here.) Note how ridiculously pregnant she is.<br />
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Rubisel is sent packing and Xias moves in to give her a hand and learn more about sims.<br />
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Xias is <i>incredibly</i> helpful to have around. He takes perfect care of newly born Nina, the last child Rubisel and Jamie had together. Nobody seems to mind that their dad moved out. I guess everyone knew he was kind of a player and besides, he was replaced <b>by an alien</b>. What kid doesn't like aliens?Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754816770810447546.post-25477031458356694282013-10-28T10:34:00.000-04:002013-11-06T13:56:48.232-05:001.1 Intro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The founder, Jamie Voss! She's starting out in the wonderful land of Isla Paradiso. I've done very little with this world, so it's all pretty new to me.<br />
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Her roll is:<br />
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<li>Martial - Second Chance</li>
<li>Children - 5 (!!!)</li>
<li>Income - Law Enforcement (Super Spy), Secondaries: Ghost Hunter, Science</li>
<li>Generation Goal: Property Mogul</li>
<li>Misc. Fun: Half-Siblings</li>
<li>Optional 10 Gen Goal: Wish Upon A (Different) Star</li>
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Here she is on a brilliantly sunny day with her dog, Hera. In my defense, Hera's fur texture is gone after this picture. It's all blurry and awful. My settings are maxed, but my game apparently decided to just mess her up. It's annoying. It bothers me. So enjoy this last good picture of her with legit fur. <i>(and for the would-be computer gurus out there, no, it's not my card. sorry if that's snarky. working in IT makes you a bitter, bitter person when it comes to technology.)</i></div>
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She's barely scraping by and making a living as a Desk Jockey at the local precinct. In fact, her house is actually three storage containers smashed together. At least she has a great view.</div>
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She meets Rubisel Ichtaca at the park and they hit it off pretty well. In my defense, I had <i>no idea</i> he was loaded. Seriously. He was just the first dude to stroll by that struck Jamie's fancy and wasn't already married.</div>
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Also, the two women in the background bickering cracks me up. They both missed their opportunity to jump aboard the Ichtaca money train!</div>
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Rubisel and Jamie have a whirlwind romance, because this is a legacy, I need <i>five kids</i>, and ain't nobody got time for legitimate wooing, okay?</div>
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Have a fancy boat shot too assuage your lack of romance. Please note, this is my first time having my sims 'go boating.' I am disappointed by the lack of anything else. Like pulling skiis or cool rafts. As someone who did a lot of boating, this is unacceptable! People do not just sit around in boats like lumps!</div>
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Okay, they do, but there's usually coolers of beer and snacks involved at the very least.</div>
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Rubisel moves in and adds to the family coffers, allowing me to make the home a livable space. Also, check out that view.<i> Seriously</i>. Amazing.</div>
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In true legacy fashion, Jamie gets knocked up rather quickly. She spends her pregnancy practicing her chess game and listening to the kids station (much to my eternal dismay.)</div>
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My only reprieve from the onslaught of the high-pitched cacophony bleeding out of the stereo is when she sneaks into her bedroom to read on her comfy bed. Sigh of relief and urge to kill small, fluffy creatures gone.</div>
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Jamie gives birth on the lawn to twins!</div>
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Serena and Hayden Voss enter the world. Rubisel makes his first post move in appearance. He's still wearing those yellow pants. He's afraid of commitment, but he's committed to making those pants work.</div>
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Jamie spends a baby-free day at the beach with Hera. Ahh, the only time I like the beach... when it's digital.</div>
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Rubisel is spitting his game at the local ladies, baby in hand. Seriously, dude? That's not cool. She seems to dig it, though...</div>
Maohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055085789427987065noreply@blogger.com0