Chapter 4.15

Last time, Nemmie maxed the parenting skill, Tressa became a child and continued her journey to gain the uncontrolled emotions parenthood trait (but also now is trying for all of the other negative parenthood traits), Una managed to get in range to receive all of the positive parenthood character value traits, and Keanu kept causing random sims to experience hallucinations.

Now that she is done with getting all of her character values in range, I’ve decided to have Una complete her childhood aspiration (the artistic prodigy one) since she’s already maxed the creativity skill through writing in her journal anyway. So, I have to have her play on a violin for a certain number of hours.

Una: Do you like my music, Grandad?

But Rowan is completely oblivious to the world, being currently caught up in a hallucination inflicted on him by Keanu.

Aaaand a ghostly Nugget attacks Rowan. I guess he was trying to snap Rowan out of his hallucination?

Quade is outside all alone in the rain without any clothes. So, nothing new there.

This paparazzi is becoming quite a regular meal for Keanu.

Keanu: It’s almost as if the game places him outside the house everyday just for me to drink from.

Paparazzi: *Groans* It’s certainly starting to feel that way…

It’s death day (one of the holidays that I had to create for the legacy) in order to get the ‘bonus’ seasons points. There are 2 yearly holidays: Founders Day (on the day that the legacy started) and Death Day (on the day that the founder – or in this case, the founder’s wife, Caly) died. When each heir dies, you add a tradition representing them to one of the holidays. It was difficult to know what tradition best fitted Rowan, but in the end I settled for the ‘travel’ tradition since Rowan did a lot of travelling in his life (to Selvadorada, To Sulani, to Batuu).

Of course, I don’t have the family actually do any of the holiday traditions, particularly travelling, as that’d be too annoying. I will have to get a gold medal on at least one of the 2 holidays at some point when they have enough traditions on them (I think it was 5 traditions?) for the bonus scoring points though.

Vlad meets with a prospective client for work (he’s a lawyer, remember) who, thanks to Death Day’s remembrance tradition, is a ghost.

Vlad: So, you want to sue the owners of the hotel whose Murphy bed killed you? I’m sure that can be arranged…

Nemmie tucks Quentin into bed and kisses him goodnight which, in her wolf form, is a risky enterprise. Be careful with those fangs!

Nemmie: Oh calm down, I’d never hurt my child.

Well, you did once float the idea of eating one of your babies (Deuce, if I remember correctly).

Nemmie: Babies are objects, toddlers aren’t.

True.

By the way, that’s a dirty bowl floating back there. Nice to see this glitch still isn’t fixed 🙄

In order to get the irresponsible trait, I’m having Tressa skip school every day. What does she do all day while she’s at home? By now, you know the answer: she throws tantrums..

What’s wrong this time?

Tressa: I hate throwing tantrums!

So, you’re throwing a tantrum about throwing tantrums?

Tressa: Yes.

Very meta.

Oh but look, she’s in range fore the uncontrolled emotions trait now! That means that finally Tressa can take a break from all the tantrums.

Nemmie: I’m outside in the middle of a thunderstorm. Last time I did this, I was struck by lightning. This is terrifying!

Then go inside, you dumbass. Nobody is forcing you to be on that pool float.

Vlad: It’s Death Day.

Keanu: What’s Death Day?

Vlad: The anniversary of the day that the love of my unlife died. Isn’t anyone going to comfort me?

Nemmie: I see you snogging Great Grandma’s ghost all the time, I think you’re ok.

Deuce: Mum, Dad, can I have your attention?

Keanu: Ok son, you’ve got it. Now what?

Deuce: I don’t know, I’m not used to this.

Nemmie: That’s not fair, we’re always giving you attention. I’ve spent ages helping you with your character values.

Deuce: That was Una.

Nemmie: Was it?

Una has to draw all 5 drawing types for her aspiration. She entertains herself as she does so by telling herself a story.

Una: … And then, I told Micky that if he didn’t give me his lunch money, I’d make him my lunch. So he did. But then I sank my fangs into his neck and drained him anyway!

That never happened. Vampire children can’t drink from sims yet.

Una: Be quiet, you’re ruining the story! I’m making illustrations for it and everything. See, here’s Micky lying on the floor with bite marks in his neck, and there’s me standing over him, my fangs dripping with blood.

For once, I let Vlad be the one to drink from a passing townie.

Vlad: Ah, finally the taste of fresh plasma again. You’ve been letting my great grandson in law hog the prey in this area for too long.

Sorry about that Vlad, but Keanu needed the vampire XP points and you didn’t.

Una: Did you know that my Great Great Great Grandfather is a god called Atlas?

Keanu: What? Who told you that?

Una: Nobody. I just have a feeling, that’s all.

Is this some kind of hereditary memory in the erratic sims of this family?

I continue in my efforts to get Quade in range for the bad manners parenthood trait by having him wander around naked and fart repeatedly.

Quade: *Farts*

Nemmie: Oh my, what a terrible smell! What died in here?

Keanu is similarly unimpressed.

Keanu: Phew, that is disgusting! What are we feeding him?

Nemmie: How should I know?

I mean, you are his mother.

Keanu: Maybe he got into a can of franks n beans. Do you remember that time we ate those during your bachelorette?

Spamming the ‘fart’ action pays off since Quade manages to get in range for the bad manners trait. Yay!

Keanu: Una was telling me just now that her Great Great Great Grandfather is a God. What’s that all about?

Nemmie: Oh yeah, I think my Great Great Grandmother did used to say that she was the daughter of the God Atlas. Not sure how Una would know about that, though. If it’s true, that would make me a demigoddess.

Keanu: Don’t be silly, you’re not a demigoddess, you’re nothing less than a full goddess – my goddess.

Barf.

Nemmie: You say the sweetest things, my handsome vampy wampy.

Double barf.

Vlad: Get a room.

My thoughts exactly.

It’s a full moon, so Nemmie’s able to harvest moonpetal again. She only needs to harvest it once more after this for her aspiration.

Vlad tries to be uncharacteristically affectionate with Quentin.

Vlad: Come and give your Great Great Grandad a hug.

Quentin: *Cringing away* No!

Galatea: You never were any good with children, Dad. Look here, I’ll show you how it’s done. Hello there Quentin, how’re you – OW!

Vlad: What were you saying?

Galatea: He bit me!

Deuce: Whatcha doin?

Una: Drawing for my aspiration.

Deuce: Sounds boring. The creator isn’t making me complete my aspiration.

Una: That’s because she doesn’t like you.

Deuce: Does too!

Una: Does not!

Una completes the artistic prodigy aspiration. Having completed them a million billion times, I am so bored with the childhood aspirations that I likely will not have any of the other kids complete theirs this gen.

Mayor Whiskers is drinking from a puddle in the bathroom. Let’s just hope that it’s water…

Nemmie: What’re you doing here? Aren’t you meant to be at school?

Tressa: I don’t go to school, Mum. The evil voice wants me to become irresponsible.

Nemmie: That’s wonderful, what an admirable character trait to aspire to!

(I don’t actually know if this conversation occurred during school hours. Probably not but let’s pretend anyway).

Tressa introduces herself rudely to a number of sims to give her manners a downward boost.

Tressa: Did you know that beard makes you look like a discount Father Winter?

Mailman: I’ll have you know that this beard happens to be my pride and joy! You’d better watch out for dog turds in your mailbox, young lady…

While skipping school, Tressa meets a sim at the library and abducts her – i.e. forces her to come home where I have built a room with a locked door to contain her.

Townie girl: I thought you said we were going to your house to play. Why are we locked in this weird little outhouse?

Tressa: Duh, so you can’t escape! And by the way, this place is filthy! What are you going to do about it?

Townie: Me? This isn’t my house!

Tressa: Well it is now that you’re my prisoner. So, any mess here is officially your problem to clean up.

Townie: I will not! I want to go home!

(I have Tressa argue about dirty surroundings with her in order to decrease her ‘conflict resolution’ value).

The argument descends into a physical fight (again, good for negative conflict resolution).

Vlad: You get her, Tressa! Uphold the honour of the Straud family name!

Tressa: I, Tressa Straud, declare you, random townie girl, my mortal enemy!

Townie: Actually my name is –

Tressa: Uh uh uh, I don’t care enough about you to want to know your name. You are beneath my contempt.

Townie: Does that mean I can go home now?

As it turns out, spamming the same sim with fights and arguments doesn’t continue to decrease conflict resolution after the first fight, so I did actually release this girl. Tressa will need to find some other kids to beat up instead.