The Vincis (B) - Round 9

Starring:

Enzo Vinci, Adult Fortune Sim, LTW Become Head of SCIA

Fiona Vinci, Adult Family Sim, LTW Raise 20 Puppies or Kittens

Grace Vinci, Toddler Fortune Sim, LTW Grow Up Well

Leah Vinci, Toddler Family Sim, LTW Grow Up Well

~*~*~*~*~

Last round at the Vinci household, Fiona and Enzo struggled terribly with their brand new twin girls. They were getting older, and the strain of raising two more young children nearly broke them...especially the strong-willed Leah, who was not interested in learning anything. Two kittens were born of Cinnamon and Pumpkin -- Sugar and Spice -- and Enzo finally reached his TOC. How will this family fare this round? Will they succeed or continue to crash and burn? We'll find out.



The first thing on the agenda that fall in the Vinci house was the birthday of the toddlers. Though Enzo and Fiona loved the little ones, they were more than ready for the girls to grow up and be more self-sufficient. Late-life twins had aged the couple considerably, and they couldn't wait for the girls to be able to help out around the house at least a little bit.






Grace went first and aged into a sweet, pretty child...not unexpected given what a darling toddler she had been.



Indeed, her personality was very pleasant, and she was a playful, kind, outgoing child. Admittedly, she was a little messy, but her parents didn't mind. The girl's good heart made up for a world of faults.




Next to have a birthday was Leah, the more surly of the pair, and her daddy held her over the birthday cake to blow out the flames.




She grew up as pretty as her sister but definitely had more of a tomboy streak than Grace could ever have. One thing the Vincis were sure of: no one would ever push Leah around.



Unsurprisingly, Leah turned out to be a very outgoing, very active, and very grumpy child. Her parents would have guessed as much given how much trouble she'd been to potty train and teach her other toddler skills.




Fiona and Enzo took the girls shopping and allowed them to choose new outfits. The choices, again, were unsurprising, as Grace lived up to her name and chose a beautiful flowered pink dress, accenting her feminine girlishness, and Leah chose an outfit that looked perfect for climbing trees and playing with bugs. Despite their differences, Enzo and Fiona were equally proud of their freshly grown-up little girls.






And the girls definitely seemed to share the connection common to twins, even though they were extremely different in certain aspects of their personality. Leah teased Grace, sure, but Grace knew that her sister loved her and easily forgave any of Leah's less-attractive qualities.




As for Enzo and Fiona, they were simply happy that they didn't need to worry about feeding, bathing, changing diapers, and teaching basic skills. They felt like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders with the age transition of the girls, and they celebrated accordingly. For one night, at least, they could act like they were still young adults in college instead of nearly-elder parents.





Some small trouble arose quickly, though, as the crowded quarters of the cats seemed to spark them to fight.




Brownie seemed to be the problem, constantly beating up on the poor, older Pumpkin. One thing Fiona would not tolerate among her animals was bad behavior, and though she loved Pumpkin and her mate, Cinnamon, like her own children, she decided to give them the best retirement she could: she gave the pair of them to her daughter, Imelda, who had grown up with the cats and would take care of them well. The fighting ceased once the two older cats moved out and didn't threaten the territory of the younger ones.





Of course, Pumpkin and Cinnamon weren't the only two members of the house getting older. One day, Fiona was surprised to look in the mirror and find that her red hair had turned gray, almost without her notice.



Enzo, too, was beginning to feel his age and the strain he'd been under all his life to support his family and raise his children. The girls thought he looked funny with his white hair, but he only smiled.




With more room in the house, Fiona waited no time at all to encourage Roux and Brownie to start a family of their own. Sugar and Spice were still kittens, but when they grew up, they and the lineage of Pumpkin and Cinnamon would be gone. Then it would be Brownie, Roux, and their progeny.




One thing that hadn't aged for Enzo was his creative mind, and he continued to publish successful novels that augmented the family funds. Finally, he felt they were in a place to allow him to do what he'd wanted to do so many years ago.





One sunny, cool fall morning, he called the SCIA and retired from his position. It was time for some new young buck to take over, and he had more important things to do: like spend time with his family, raise his girls, and continue writing his novels.






He made good on his promise to himself to spend a lot of time with the girls, too. He especially tended to stick close to Leah, hoping that his guidance could help her sort out and grow out of some of her wilder ways before her teen years hit and she was uncontrollable.



Fiona and Grace developed a special bond, though in truth, everyone loved Grace. She was a pleasant, feminine, intelligent little child with a surprisingly serious sense of responsibility, even at her young age. Fiona hoped she could help keep her twin sister out of trouble.




As for the kittens, Sugar and Spice finally grew into beautiful adult cats with a clear influence of both their parents in their genetics. Fiona sadly gave them up for adoption but knew whoever adopted them would appreciate what wonderful kitties they were.




They were adopted just in time to make room for the next set of kittens: one black and one golden kitten, dubbed Salt and Pepper.




Fiona wasted no time in making sure that more kittens would be on the way by the time Salt and Pepper became adult cats.




The girls spent a lot of time together, close despite their differences. Leah continued to be Leah, frequently cheating her sister at chess. Grace pretended not to notice. She knew that Leah loved to be able to say she won against her brainy sister.



Both of the girls were soon at the top of their classes, though it took much more effort on Leah's part than it did on Grace's. Fortunately, she had the full support of a loving family to encourage her, without which she may have become one more juvenile delinquent.



[[Author's Notes: Whew. This house is SO much easier now that the twins are children. Last round, I wasn't sure Enzo and Fiona were going to make it, but this round, there is finally time for everyone in the house to do both the things they need to do and the things they want to do. Leah is a total little brat, which kind of amuses me, and Grace is an angel incarnate. I think they are going to be my equivalent of Angela and Lilith Pleasant. Should be exciting! I haven't counted yet how many kittens Fiona has raised... I think it is... 7, counting Salt and Pepper, which means, holy crap, she'll never make it. The seven are Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Brownie, Sugar, Spice, Salt and Pepper. Roux was adopted as an adult cat. Here's hoping the next few litters have four each. O.o

Bloopers:
Bad girls. This is somehow Leah's fault, I'm sure. // Catnip high. // Synchronized pooping. // Plz to moov birdee down lower? // Told you. ]]