Oh the trials of parenting. After kicking out Alice, Olivia, and their youngest, Eric would have to do it all over again. And I had him quit his lucrative criminal job because he had no skills for it.
Yeah they did not animate the paws on these fursuits.
We got some time in with Isabel, who was my backup in case Paloma and Martin turned out to tank their character values. If she would grow up in time.
Or not, she struck me as kinda dumb.
Obviously, Eric and Marg had to try for a smarter child than Isabel. In the house’s new non-foreshadowing spa. At least Paloma and Martin were still star pupils.
Responsibility and Manners are easy character traits, and I chose Empathy for #3. Somehow, Martin was in the red for it. Between volunteer sessions, they came doctors for dolls and I see why EA had a teddy bear one. Ugly fucking Klasky-Csupo doll.
With Paloma’s birthday, I could only hope that I gave her the necessary head start.
“Do you think I’ll tank my Empathy by wishing for Eric’s death, Marty?”
“Hmm…nah. I do too.”
Oh how I wanted Marg to give birth before I killed Eric. But his lifespan was running out, a bit of a running theme here. Marg couldn’t join him in the sauna either (and scram before sudden doom) so she took a bath and tended to Isabel.
“Oh god I feel like a piece of broccoli. I’m limp and disgusting and…”
“…dead!”
“Now Isabel, imagine what your big sister Lucy’s been through, watching my husbands die every time she visits.” (I really do think she was downstairs, the “residence key” transfers between households!)
The other kids numbed their pain through another gift from Marg. Who was absent again.
“Ugh, what’s a lady gotta do to shower around here?”
“Ah yeah…that drink.”
“So who’s the least happy in their relationship? Hugo or Max?”
“Uncle Max is single and he thinks you’re really cute!”
At first, it was an even race between Hugo and Max for the spot of being the last spouse. Hugo would give me the bonus for breaking up his marriage to Morgan Fyres. Max was younger and single for the moment, but about as ornery as Vlad at times.
Either way, Margarita would get a sweet pool. Both boys were added to Partihaus and I’d decide from there.
We first caught up with Emiliano and Raul, who had both aged up a bit. I love Raul’s style, he’s so ill-fit for being the next Straud heir.
“Please just seduce my single brother, thank you!”
We got distracted yet again.
This one is Mercedes, another mystery white baby.
And one loved by Emiliano! He followed Paloma home from school a lot.
So our meetings with Max were starting to go better. He was still nowhere near marriageable by the challenge’s rules but we could flirt and cloudgaze our way there.
I thought it would be finished at the Spice Festival. Marg ate a lot of spicy curry with varying levels of success…
…and Martin struggled his way through a samosa.
“Hey Max, long time no…wait, is that a wedding ring? Are you gonna tell my mum?”
“Ah Nani Kealoha, she warms my black heart so much!”
I sense a few bonus points! As long as Max still lived at the Villereal mansion, this was seeming like a solid plan. He even invited Marg to hang out at his place when she was feeling down (a lot of her friends were starting to pass away, like Eva and Anaya)
“Hey, nice to see your beach rental? And handsome husband?”
“Rental? This is home, get out of here if you won’t respect it!”
Yup, Max had retired to a simpler life in Sulani. Hugo still lived at the mansion. He had just become an elder. He was still married to Morgan Fyres.
And he kissed her in a public bathroom. I guess it was fate! We can’t leave without talking about some birthdays though.
Martin joined Paloma in being a teenager. He kept his style and worked on hacked chess games…uh…very real computers? I love Around the Sims. (sorry can’t find the page it’s downloadable on)
Isabel became a child…
…and Mercedes a tot.
And worst of all, my dreams of finishing before Margarita became a full adult were dashed. She was as disappointed as I.
And she got down on her knee to finish this thing, however it was to be finished. Wasn’t he a cook, after all?