tigeranne | The MacAvoy ISBI - Generation 3.4! (Reply)

Oops, this update wasn't meant to take this long. Hee hee hee. Why don't we start with the mandatory summary of last time?

Well, Jen had another daughter, named Lora. She jeopardized all my plans by being the perfect blend of her parents. The oldest three grew up to teens. Simon became a punked-out troublemaker, Nikkie became an awkward pizza-face, and Donna became an oddly pretty ghost-girl. Both of the cats died. :( Jen adopted two new kittens, to have someone intelligent to spend time with. Curtis failed a lot. Reuben got old. Brice got fired. Curtis failed even more. Heather finally got an audience with Professor Von Ball. And then... someone asked Curtis if he wanted a blind date to come over, which pretty much killed his marriage to Jen. That was stupid. Everyone now hates Curtis.

Lora had to inherit Donna's old PJs it seems. I suck at putting CC clothes on toddlers.

Curtis is like having a big extra child in the house. A very whiny, teary one.

Regina came by to steal their newspaper, before Heather could get a chance to read the comics.

Jonathan: The apple never falls far from the tree.

Simon: What's that supposed to mean? Durrrrr!

Curtis: I'll have you know that I'm a very good tree to fall from! I'm a respected doctor! Every day I push the boundries of science! I repair faulty hearts and brains! All you do is chop some veggies and getting screamed at by the chef!

Jonathan & Curtis: Dude, would it hurt you to shower?

Jonathan: I'm not taking crap from you, Curtis! You've ruined my sister's life! None of your children have had a happy childhood! Yeah, maybe I'm just a kitchen assistant, but at least I'm good at slicing those vegetables! You are the laughing-stock of the hospital because you think you gave birth!

Curtis: But I did! It was a successful scientific experiment!

Lina is a scary cat. I wouldn't mess with anything that's got claws capable of shredding metal.

Curtis: Booo hooo, you've hurt my science's feeelings!!!

I'm starting to miss Lonzo.

Yes, I know.

Brice has nothing better to do than to bum around the house, so I don't see what he's complaining about.

Donna: What a family! What an existence! Why was I born?

We schedule in a little break, to say hi to the Ottomas family. I fixed Samantha's borked pregnancy, and she's about to give birth to Peter's twins.

Here you see her gasping in pain.

Alan and Belinda Duckling (by

alittlestrange) came by as the Welcome Wagon. That's great, actually, because Belinda's a doctor.

Anyway, here's what came out of Samantha. This is Charlotte. She looks like nobody's fed her for months!

And this is Camilla, who looks like a hamster.

Back at the MacAvoy homestead, this odd girl turned up.

Her name is Annie Riley, and she's one of my original characters from a book (series) I never seem to get around to actually writing. This is the most accurate I've ever gotten her, but she looks... weird. Not realistic. Something about her face is off mark.

Of course we've got more birthdays coming.

Curtis: My sweet baby girl Lora! The only child of mine I hold any hope for.

I had Jen apologize to Curtis. She definitely didn't owe him any apology, but she's the one I can control in the process of getting them back on good terms.

It seems to have worked a bit. I don't want Jen to be unhappy.

Just a heads up, Sam. Grace and Thad don't get along.

Here's the adult Rodney. He's got green eyes like his predecessor.

And the Grim Reaper took Callan to the Rainbow Bridge.

Hi again, Annie.

If Quinten wouldn't just have dismissed her again, I would have re-hired Kendall.

Not surprising at all.

And Jonathan's old. He didn't do as badly as feared.

Curtis, though... :-(

Donna finally learned to study. Jen's plan about taking charge of the household hasn't gone too smoothly.

Jennifer: We need to do something about that F-average of yours, Simon.

Curtis: Don't be so hard on the boy! It's not his fault his teacher is jealous of his intelligence and always gives him lowest marks! I've seen his homework, and it's splendid. Did you even read his essay on the life-cycle of jumping mushrooms?

Simon: It's okay, Dad. I'm not going to become a brain surgeon, because I don't want to end up like you. Did they test some new procedure on you, or something?

Oh look, now they're besties. Honsty can really help family relationships.

Jennifer: The only reason I haven't run away is that nobody would remember to feed the kids.

Another attempt at Smart-Milking Lora ended with her being snapped up by an uncontrollable. I give up. They can all grow up as Rotten Rugrats.

More cats. Cats are hapiness. Cats are Love!

Oh, this chance card again. Well... Thad's so old that if he loses his job I'll just call it retirement. Also, his knees are too old for all that walking. Use the phone.

Poo.

And now, let's see how well the kids are doing in school.

Yeah.

I... don't think they should pick up their acquaintance with Regina.

Then Lora grew up.

She's so cute, but I can't wait for her to grow up to start generation 5, can I?

Oops, I left the Killer Bike out. Thankfully she went to school soon after.

Don't look so happy to be hugging your cheating failure of a husband, Jen.

Curtis: The janitor called me Dr. No Brain! D':

Heather: I was supposed to become the next Minister of Edumacation!

Jen got out her career reward, and started scanning for fingerprints. It's a very useful item, since it teaches cleaning while getting their fun up.

At least one kid is going to not fail school.

Here's a better look at her. She's got Jen's mouth, Curtis' eyes and probably nose, and I don't know whose chin.

If that was my pile of homework, I'd have made the same face.

Reuben: Chin up, Jon. It could have been worse. You could have been me.

True enough. Jonathan has always been the one who's been best at taking care of himself.

alittlestrange's Keely comes over at least once a week. She must find this dysfunctional household endlessly fascinating.

Jonathan: I missed my calling, Professor! Instead of hacking up plants and animals, I should have been a great actor! You know, TO BE OR NOT TO BE!

I'm sure there is plenty of interesting forensic evidence at the back of a school bus.

Keely? Aren't you supposed to be on that bus as well?

Here's the person Annie lives with, Liam. In the story he's her uncle, and doesn't really look like that.

Here's Monrad, too. Looks like he's had a forced change of hair-style.

They can't keep down such a powerf... Aww, who am I kidding...

I can't wait for him to be able to get a job, so they can be rid of him for a few hours.

Lora: Mom, I'm soooo glad you're home! Dad's pretending that sack of flour is me again, and he doesn't see or hear me!

Simon... You do know I could marry you into the Starbloom Travecy, right?

Don't worry, Donna. It's gonna be okay, somehow. :-/

Keely still hung around Friday night. She must have been doing a field study for her Social Sciences class, or something. Or she really likes Jen's cooking.

Lora: I wonder why Mom doesn't ask the Crystal Ball lady to get a new husband?

Ghost Callan!

Not sure why Dan is staring shirtlessly at Jen.

Jen's bonding with the cats, so she can coax them into reproducing. :) We wantses Lina-kittens!

Jen's relationship panel. She really likes that Jerome guy.

There's no other reason for this picture than poor Nikkie.

Leonard didn't like Lonzo. Seems like Winston's unfavourite person is Reuben.

He's got the same striking blue eyes as Elvira had. Interesting cat all over.

It was Saturday, and the family members who were green enough went on an outing.

I think the really faily person in this generation is Nikkie.

Heather was bowling fiercely. :)

And Jen's always been good at everything ever, except for raising kids.

Then I noticed that The Bog didn't actually have a "bog" because I fail at building, and Jen needed to pee, so they went to Downtown Lucky's.

Mrs. C was having a ball, no pun intended.

That didn't ever happen.

Jennifer: Strike! What do you think, Mrs C?

Mrs. C: Great throw, girl! But next time, put your whole body into it.

Mrs. C: That's it! Pretend those cones are multiple versions of your husband!

I'm not sure I want to know who Mrs. C pretends they are, but they stand no chance.

Thad ran into his niece Abbie, and got some gossip from home.

Jennifer: Hello. :) So, you're Abigale! I know a young man who is juuuust the guy for you!

I tried having Jen invite Abbie and Chester over later, but it turned out Chester had no phone.

Lora:
He drinks a whiskey drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink

Just be glad it's not Justin Bieber she listens to, okay?

Her mother and aunt were being shifty over at the poker table.

And then the evil witch came, and it was time to go home.

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to have another party, so I had Jen invite some people over, and "rent" a DJ booth.

Arcadia Bradshaw rocked out, at least. She comes home with Curtis a lot. I think she may be the janitor who makes fun of him.

*sigh*

Abigale: Great party, Cousin Jen!

The two girls got chatting about the perils of being heirs...

...and shoes!

It was an okay party.

Simon, I meant it when I said you'd be going over to Tani's shack! And her husband is an axe-murderer!

Jennifer: Don't worry, darling! I'll think of something to do about Simon. And when he grows up, he won't be allowed to pester you for a while.

Jennifer: Isn't that Game Enthusiasm guy just hot? I love that tight-fitting jumpsuit he wears, it really defines his buns!

Donna: You've got great taste in men, Mom. Apart from when you married Dad, I mean.

Jennifer: I wish hot Gamer Guy was your father!

Dewey's still a weird aardwark-thingy, but he's allowed out of his pen for the time being. Without Callan around, he's not picking any fights.

The difference between cats and dogs...

(PS: I've just eaten a whole basket of strawberries, and I have no regret!)

Simon has "issues".

Heather is still the resident food-facer.

I couldn't figure out why this heap of rubble kept appearing. This is apparently what shredded homework looks like!

Rodney's surveilling his kingdom. :)

I thought Dewey was old already.

I wonder who it was Dewey was beating up. Look at that burning hatred!

At least Simon won't be able to beat up his sisters for a while.

In the best of traditions, he seems to have peed himself right before his big moment.

Here he is. He'll get his anarchist outfit back.

As expected.

Look how much attention everyone's paying to him.

Weedy: He should have been raised the Troll-way. Then he wouldn't have been such a loser.

Helena: Jen, what's the secret ingredient in this cake? I need the recipe.

I saw Nikkie come running crying, and I flipped out because I thought she was going to run away from home. But she was only running from a fight. It was probably Curtis/someone again.

Whatever the secret ingredient was, it subdued Simon pretty good.

Jen started spinning the records again, with less success. And really, Weedy? You dig Allan?

It must be hard for teenagers to watch their dad getting beaten up by relatives every day.

The party stunk, kind of like the birthday boy.

And then Grim came for Heather.

She was on good terms with Thad, it seems.

This is the worst part about keeping the spares around. Helena's not only survived her little sister while not even getting old, now she's survived her firstborn daughter as well. And Jen's got one less friend in her own home.

Goodbye, Heather. You'd have made an interesting heir, if Jennifer hadn't existed.

Later the same night it was Reuben's turn. I remember that he met Heather at Lucky's, on the night he and Louise became adults. They had chemistry, and I said I'd have him date her if he wasn't so young, and she so close to elderhood. :-/

Curtis: Ha! All this fighting has made me fit again!

I guess this means Nikkie doesn't fail at school anymore? And I guess all the credit for that goes to Lina for destroying her homework. In the Sims that seems to be an acceptable excuse.

Apparently not! :)

Curtis: You got an A, so what? I got hundreds of those when I was your age, because my parents expected it! Did I wake my father up from his well earned and much needed sleep, to tell him I got the grades I should have? No. So scram!

Donna brought home one of the new neighbours I made. Her name is Caitlin Garnet.

Lora's doing good. :)

Caitlin exists in an adult version as well - named Laura, who made a walk-by.

Finally. Nikkie's teenaged years have been abysmal.

Simon: We are so poor that we have a butler!

Ninja-cat training in progress!

Poor Jen. I think she has more fulfilling interactions with her pets than with the man she's married to.

Curtis: You are my beautiful little daughter! I have no idea who that other girl Jen claims is you is!

Vena's a Captain Hero. She deserves better!

And Thaddeus died. :( Seems like Jonathan was his favourite person.

Lay down that bingo, Jen!

I forgot to screenshot the outcome, but it was a promotion! Yay, she's soooo close to becoming Captain Hero!

And look how full her Lifetime Aspiration meter is! One more boost, and she's Perma-Plat anyway! :)

If Curtis and Jonathan didn't have jobs, they'd be locked in their own special Old Man pens themselves.

Brice's getting old, and is doing crappily. Lora's getting young, and is doing great! :D

Nikkie seems to have discovered the sanity-saving effect of cats. :D

That spaghetti/meatballs dish looks delicious, actually.

Jon and Brice took turns smacking Curtis.

And Jon took a thumping that knocked his beer-belly off.

I don't care what Simon wants! He's taking it!

Kids nowadays. There's bacon with scrambled eggs on the table, but they prefer the vanilla coke.

What a cheerful birthday.

And Nikkie finally managed to get identical to Jen. Good job, because she didn't actually start out as a clone. Not sure what happened.

She didn't do too badly.

Then it was Lora's turn. Looks like I grew her up a day early.

Lora: I want to grow up to be awesome like Mom!

I think we have ~~a problem~~ an heir.

No really, she's just too good to pass up. She's a great mix of her parents, she's not made of fail, and she's capable of taking some care of herself. I love Donna, but... I can't pass over Lora. Jen, you'll have to be Torch Holder for a few more weeks.