The Vincis (B) - Round 12

Starring:

Enzo Vinci, Elder Fortune Sim, 2nd LTW Become World Class Ballet Dancer

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

Grace Vinci, Teen Fortune Sim, LTW Become Hall of Famer

Leah Vinci, Teen Family Sim, LTW Become Education Minister


~*~*~*~*~

Last round at the Vinci house, Mojito and Margarita aged into adult cats and were given up for adoption despite a very distraught Fiona. Her grief was soothed by the addition of two new kittens to the house: Parsley and Sage. Sadly, that meant that Brownie and Roux had to be given up for adoption, ready for placement at their new retirement home: Fiona's daughter Imelda's new house. Parsley and Sage aged into adult cats, Parsley was given up for adoption, and Marmalade and Sage tried to make new baby kitties. Sadly, the two cats couldn't get along, though, and multiple fights led to Sage running away from home. The twins managed to get into private school despite nearly burning the kitchen down during his visit. Enzo was a boring old man. Let's check in with them this round!




The summer season started off in a not-so-surprising fashion at the Vinci house: with the adoption of a brand new kitten named Cheddar. Enzo found that in his old age, he was really enjoying having the kittens around the house. It kept things interesting.

The girls, of course, weren't exactly content to stay home every night. Mischievous Leah especially had a taste for danger. She was dying to sneak out with her cousin Gina one night.



Grace, of course, didn't share the same slight wild streak that her twin did; she preferred to decorate their room and get her homework done, maybe watch a movie or two or go for a jog. Of course, she wouldn't tell on her sister, though; she didn't understand why Leah felt the need to sneak out, but there was a twin code she had to abide by.




The night Leah planned to sneak out finally came, and she bade her parents goodnight while curled on a couch with a bowl of popcorn, watching a movie that would last long into the night. As she tiptoed past their bedroom door, she held her breath, not wanting to wake them.




Her ploy was a success, and Leah experienced the thrill of jumping in the car with Gina for a night downtown. [[And finally a vehicle more appropriate than a limo, for crying out loud.]]





Leah snuck back into the house in the wee hours of the morning, having managed to successfully evade both the cops AND her parents. She felt like a total juvenile delinquent, and it was FUN.




Life continued as normal for the girls, spending evenings and weekends together either playing games or doing homework, or engaging in more solitary pursuits in their basement apartment. There were some things that would never change, after all. The twins' relationship was one of them.





A few weeks later, Fiona got amazing news: the pound had located Sage! It was amazing, and Fiona immediately begged the animal control lady to bring her long-lost pet home.




Fiona bridled a bit at the chastisement she received from the young woman... after all, she'd given Sage loads of love and the best care of any animals in the neighborhood! It wasn't within her control to influence how the cats felt toward one another.




Her umbrage quickly melted into relief and happiness at the return of her kitty, however. Sage had never gotten so many cuddles in his life, but he was definitely a happy cat.




Fiona even let him sleep on Leah's bed, despite the fact that she normally prided herself on training her kitties better than that. She couldn't help but notice that he had a more rag-tag appearance after his time running away from home. The little guy could use a break, and she gave it to him.






After all, even though Fiona hated to admit it, the beds wouldn't be in use anymore anyway. Leah and Fiona had finally graduated college, and it was time for them to move out of the house and to Sim State dormitories in time for the fall semester. Both racked up loads of scholarships, and for that, Fiona and Enzo were happy, but it still broke their hearts that their little babies were going away.




The girls left one sunny late-summer day and headed off to begin their lives as young adults at Sim State.




Fiona, as always, was left with her other babies: the cats. Cheddar grew into quite a handsome adult cat, though he was more of an oatmeal color than a cheddar one.





Fiona found herself spending time downstairs in the girls' room now that they were gone. Though the twins had been a sudden late-life surprise, but Fiona found that now, she was sad to have all her human babies gone. Her furry babies would have to fill in the gap.






Soon, Marmalade was giving birth to the kittens she and Sage had made before Sage ran away. Two tiny bundles of fur: Shallot and Rhubarb.



It seemed like a blink of an eye before the two kittens turned into full grown cats.




Enzo too spent a lot of time with the cats, now that the girls were gone. He knew that at this age, he would never be a world-class ballet dancer, so he filled his days with the things he loved: writing, painting, Fiona, and the cats.





Of course, the aging of the cats meant a sad event: giving them up for adoption. Though Fiona ached to do it, she also gave up Sage, who was nearly beyond the age of being able to produce kittens. Besides, now that they'd been in Rosebud for so many years, she knew that one of her friends and neighbors would give Sage the loving home he deserved.




And, of course, Fiona couldn't end the fall season without a bit of happiness: she decided that she needed a partner for Cheddar and adopted back one of her old babies, Marmalade. It would be lovely to have one of her former kittens in the house: just like a family reunion.



[[Author's Notes: Whew. I swear, Fiona will achieve this LTW if I have to give her thirty shots of the green juice to do it. I haven't come this far to fail, I tell you!! The girls will be in the Round 12 University update looking just as gorgeous as their older sister Imelda, and Fiona and Enzo will have to get used to having an empty nest. Poor Enzo gets very little screen time as he is mostly writing novels or painting portraits (when not playing with the cats). This is a pretty happy home, and I can't wait to decide who gets to inherit this house. Few bloopers for you!

Bloopers:

The girls enjoy lunch, while their elderly parents enjoy...an afternoon delight? // Is that supposed to be a joke, Leah? In a house full of cats? // Enzo was the emo one about giving up pets for adoption this round. Very manly, Enzo. // Not really sure why Gina and Leah required a vehicle to sneak out...but whatever... ]]

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The Beaumonts (B) - Round 12

Starring:

Steffi Beaumont, Elder Family Sim, LTW Reach Golden Anniversary

Arnaud Beaumont, Elder Romance Sim, 2nd LTW Become Professional Party Guest

Bijou Beaumont, Teen Knowledge Sim, LTW Become Media Magnate



~*~*~*~*~

Last round at the Beaumonts', Bastien maxed out his skills and headed off to university with an impressive array of scholarships. Bijou aged well into a beautiful teenager, got a new bedroom, and decided that she wanted to follow in her big brother's footsteps with a knowledge aspiration. She quickly became both a studious and highly popular young lady. Steffi aged well into an elder. Let's see how they get on this round.





Bijou was a bit of a complex creature. Far from a typical nerdy knowledge sim, she wanted both to expand her knowledge AND be the most popular girl in Rosebud. She had already made it a habit of bringing home friends from school, and she had a definite habit of being just a little bit naughty. She loved to sneak out of the house, for instance, but most of the time she did it with her cousin Marc - the safest choice.





After all, she mused, she wasn't just one of the smartest girls in the neighborhood...she was also one of the prettiest. And it wasn't like she was a snob... she had loads of friends! It would have been a shame to hide in her room studying ALL the time...




In the meantime, Steffi realized that she had finally achieved her life's goal: to hit her golden anniversary with Arnaud. She'd known he hadn't really been the type to settle down, having appreciated many of the college girls he'd known, but it made her life feel worth it when she realized that he'd remained faithful to her all these years. She decided to throw a party to celebrate.




It was a true "oldies night," so to speak, and both Steffi and Arnaud laughed at how old they and their friends had become. Of course, Fiona and Enzo came, along with Vincente Villalobos, all long-time friends of the family.




They worked to prove that just because they were old didn't mean they couldn't party. They smustled until their old hips started to ache.



The happy couple even managed to steal a few minutes dancing with one another. Steffi knew that Arnaud had never imagined being married to the same woman his whole life, but she thought he must have been happy too, that day, seeing how successful their children were becoming and what a nice life they'd led together.




In the end, the oldies managed to throw a rockin' party, and it was well-deserved.




While her parents and their old friends were "partying," Bijou had worked out, trying to really slingshot herself into the highest eschelons of popularity by getting fit. Like the determined girl she was, she met with great success.




Arnaud, after things settled down, got back to writing his novels and providing for his family. After one small party, he didn't think he had it in him to be a professional party guest, so he stuck to his lucrative hobby of writing novels and restaurant guides.




At school that season, Bijou made a decision of sorts. She was not only going to be popular with existing Rosebud school students, she was going to be a downright ambassador for new students, helping them assimilate better. The first new student she brought home was Tabitha Devivio, a pretty brunette who had a fantastic sense of style, Bijou thought.




The two immediately hit it off, and could barely restrain themselves from interrupting each other as they gossiped, so into the conversation were they.





Her second "project" was Lindsay Wade, a recent transfer from Silvervale. It was where Tabitha was from too; there seemed to be a few families moving from one town to another. Bijou was not picky. She always brought home girls her own age that she knew could be easily drawn into her circle, liking to make the new girls feel welcome.




Lindsay had a great sense of humor, and the two girls ended up giggling almost constantly the whole time they were together.



Finally, Bijou brought home Vinaya Devivio to hang out. Bijou not only liked to expand her friend circle amongst people from different areas, she was also determined to be friends with people of every race and culture. She thought she probably had the most large and diverse friend group in all of Rosebud!





Vinaya had a wicked sense of gossip, and though Bijou tried to be nice, she had to admit that there was nothing better than a juicy gossip session with Vinaya. That girl seemed to notice EVERYTHING about their classmates!




As much as Bijou focused on her social life, however, she still took her studies very seriously. Her goal was to achieve at least the same goal as her brother Bastien had done: maxing all of her skills before she ever left for college.



So, every night after her friends left, she did her homework and then hunkered down for some serious studying. Everyone in the school knew that Bijou was smart, but none of them would have guessed how many long late-night hours she put into her studies.



Late into the night, she studied various subjects, increasing her knowledge far beyond the basic concepts they were being taught in school.




At the ripe age of 16, she managed to meet her brother's achievement of maximizing all of his skills. Finally, she felt like she could proudly hold her head up when she joined him at university. There was definitely a Type-A personality way in which Bijou ran her life. She would be the best at EVERYTHING, no matter if it was her looks, her brains, or her friends.




Her parents, who realized that Bijou was pretty much self-sufficient, enjoyed the successful family they'd raised and celebrated however felt right at the moment.



[[Author's Notes: I swear, Bijou is such an anomalous knowledge sim. She brings someone home with her EVERY DAY from school. It amused me that she brought home the three teenagers I was generously given from Liz's Silvervale in a row. She is such a popularity girl. I'm debating right now on whether I will switch her when she hits her junior year in college. I'm worried she'll get something that's totally inappropriate...though with her drive, I suppose ANY LTW would be appropriate. She's rapidly becoming one of my favorite sims. Arnaud and Steffi finally had their Golden Anniversary Party and so they're both perma-plat now. Woohoo! Not sure who will inherit this house yet, but it was a blast to play this round. P.S. Pretend I spelled Bijou's name right on the family pic. -.- ]]

Bloopers:
What's your problem!? Does this family even KNOW you!? // Yeeeah, that 2nd LTW isn't going to happen, Steffi. // I LOVE THE DEVIOUS FACE! // Bijou: "You're really cute, but WTF ARE YOU WEARING? NO THANK YOU. ]]

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