#people talk about veronaville and like yeah it's a whole neighborhood with only three families

[moonyistired]

me on the sims wiki trying to explain the lore of sims 2 to a friend who never played sims 2 like "and in strangetown everywhere you look you think you're avoiding them, but then you look in the family tree and you see them again: the curious family"

[baldysims]

Strange Legacy 4.1

Generation 4 finally starts their college years! You know what that means: time to celebrate with a bunch of pictures of my Ivy League vampire from generation 3.

Despite many a near-frying incident, college has been amazing for Diadem. She finally has knowledge wants she can fulfill again, and between that and joining the Geek Society, she’s no longer horribly alone and depressed all the time.

I kept waiting for her to roll the want for Adam, her high school boyfriend, to come join her in college, but she never did. I guess now that the wonderful world of Academie Le Tour is open to her, she’s giving him the slow fade. True to life, Maxis, true to life. Kind of cruel since he’s doomed to be a vampiric grocery clerk from now until the end of time, but hey, the Stranges have never been the nicest bunch.

Di’s new boyfriend, Anthony the llama mascot (pictured here in his graduation duds), will similarly never be allowed to join her in her next life stage on account of the whole perma-llama-mask-outside-of-his-own-lot thing, but they’re having fun while it lasts.

Fun that the drama professor does not appreciate, apparently. Good thing the Stranges have never been the nicest bunch.

Heh heh. Can you tell Di is my favorite?

Gomeisa and Hamal have also been enjoying the Academie, but for different reasons. College is where Romance Sims finally get to sow their wild oats in my game... as long as the sowing stops at making out. We run a Strict Family Values legacy around these parts.

“Hey Hamal, do you think bending over like this will help me get that fifth lover at tonight’s toga party? I really want to reconnect with Loren now that the gang’s coming to college with us.”

“Oh, yeah, get it sis. Your booty is popping!”

They’re very supportive of each other, aren’t they?

The younger siblings were indeed finally able to move in once I got rid of Christy (our placeholder for generations 2, 3 and 4... long story), chief among them Kornephoros, the heir. He brought along his girlfriend, Kestrel Tricou. Aren’t they cute together?

I misspoke in the last chapter: Kornephoros is actually a Popularity Sim, much like great-grandma Sharon. However, unlike great-grandma Sharon, his relationship with his chosen spouse is actually functional. It’s enough to bring a tear to your eye, isn’t it? Some sweetness and light are definitely needed on this lot, since a whopping three out of the guy’s five sisters are Romance.

Case in point: Gomeisa, seen here trying to make her high school boyfriend Loren (who is also Kestrel’s brother) jealous by canoodling with Secret Society Boyfriend #3. I wonder why it’s not working?

Oh, right, because she actually has way more chemistry with Loren and Kestrel’s other brother, Orion. Not to mention that Loren was much more recently the high school boyfriend of Gomeisa’s third sister, Jishui (also a Romance Sim), and they’re still dating.

Gosh, but my Sims’ love lives are becoming incestuous.

Lilii Borea is one of the rare non-Romance siblings this generation (she’s Pleasure, like Kestrel) and she’s frequently embarrassed by her sisters’ behavior. When the Pleasure Sim is the uptight one of the bunch, you know it’s going to be a fun generation to play.

Even Ilkil, the sole Family Sim, has been taking a leaf out of her siblings’ book and playing the field. I brought the wishing well along from the home lot because, well, can you blame me for not wanting to do an exhaustive spouse search downtown on all six of these spares? Sadly, it’s only been spitting out deeply unsuitable matches, like Coach Creep over here.

The streaker, now... he’s cute, but is he really right for Ilkil? I don’t think so. I think it’s going to be a pretty long slog to find her Mr. Right, even with the well.

Thankfully, her other three, yes, count ‘em, three Romance Sim sisters are a bit less picky. This turned out to be especially true for Hamal.

I sent Hamal to the campus lounge to play for a bit of cash, but right before I decided no amount of money could be worth subjecting my eyeballs to the hideous decor, who should show up but Romeo Montague?

It was love at first sight, at least for Hamal.

“Romeo! I knew I was destined to find a love like this one. It’s written in the stars. Let’s run away together and never look back!“

“Uh, about that, baby... I think I hear Mercutio calling me from the men’s room. Gotta go!”

Pfft, more like he saw Juliet’s sister Hermia at the bar. Or maybe he just sensed Hamal’s engagement want and panicked.

To be fair, Hamal rolls the want to get engaged to a lot of people ever since she Sophomore-rerolled the Family aspiration. Chalk it up to her culty "family values” upbringing, I guess. But still -- it’s an infamous fact in Veronaville society that Romeo is very much engaged to Juliet Capulet. I don’t think you want to cross that family, Hamal. People have died in this neighborhood for much less.

“Daddy! I really want to introduce you to my boyfriend, Romeo. We’re going to be together forever and ever, just like you and mom.”

“Oh. Say, Romeo, didn’t you date my older sister back in the day? What are you doing still in college? And I thought you were engaged to that Capulet girl.”

“Oh, that was hardly official, right Romeo? ...Romeo?“

“Sorry, Hamal, gotta run. Catch you later, pops!”

“I don’t think he really loves her though, Patricia. Do you? And even if they are engaged, I’m sure there are ways around it. Christy told me all about the cowplant shenanigans from last generation.”

“Uh... I think I have to go pick my plants up from the airport, I mean water my grandmother. I mean -- bye!”

That’s sensible.

For the record, Hermia did see Hamal and Romeo flirting at the campus lounge, but she was unsuccessful in warning Juliet off. Family Sims see what they want to see, I guess. You know how it goes. So Hermia has been coming by the house with the other Veronaville premades pretty often to chaperone her trash can of a soon-to-be brother-in-law.

I don’t think she’ll catch him in anything, though. Romeo is pretty crafty when it comes to having his cake and eating it too.

Unlike certain other people.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that one of the men in Hamal’s riot of engagement wants was a llama mascot. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Aunt Diadem’s boyfriend a llama mascot?” Or maybe: “Isn’t it kind of lazy to have a family love triange subplot every other generation?” The answers are yes and yes, but I let Anthony and Hamal have their little affair anyway. I’m sorry, but I’m helpless to resist the wants of my pervy Romance Sims. Call it guilt for setting up the rules so that they can’t woohoo anyone except their future spouses while trying for babies.

Kornephoros and Ilkil, as the most wholesome members of generation 4, disapprove of the affair, but everyone else is surprisingly blase. Or maybe they’re just afraid Diadem is the type to bite the messenger.

“I can’t look, Kor! What do you think Di’s going to do to us when she finds out?“

“Well, she’s best friends with Hamal, and she knows her relationship with Anthony can’t go anywhere because of the llama mask issue. I think she’ll get over it.”

Oh, Kornephoros, you sweet summer child.

It was at a toga party that very night that Diadem rolled the want to propose to Llama Boy. I guess she got more attached to Anthony than anyone knew. I let her fulfill the want, but unfortunately, I couldn’t let their union stand.

So I called in Hamal.

Sprrroooooiiiiiing! Now there’s a familiar sound in this legacy.

“I can’t believe you! And on the night we got engaged! Well, we’re over, you hear me, Anthony? OVER!”

Di doesn’t do milestones on a typical timetable, does she? It took her forty years to finish high school, and now her engagement has lasted all of twenty minutes.

“Is he really heart-farting her while being dumped after cheating on her with her niece?”

I know, it’s really quite bold of him.

“The cowplant dines for two tonight, hissssssss.”

Yeah... about that...

It was around this point that Veronaville’s many glitches became undeniable, and pointed to the last phrase any Simmer wants to hear: neighborhood corruption. It got to the point where I couldn’t even open Veronaville in game without a crash. I was pretty sure it was my fault for accidentally making a carpool driver selectable early on while I was creating townies, but I wasn’t able to rule out an issue with my collection of custom hairs... and I was due for a custom hair overhaul anyway... so, long story short...

Stranges from past generations, collectively: “How dare you trash our old neighborhood and recreate us with Maxis hair? Boooooooooo.”

Sorry guys, but I wanted a fresh clean start, and since I had to go to the trouble of recreating your entire neighborhood, the least you could do is sit for your new portraits and die without getting into too many feuds.

While I’m waiting on the portraits, though... I have to say, it’s pretty fun having the old gang back again. Look at Zaniah and Alpheratz talking about cheating together while Bete and Angeline make out in the foreground! Classic.

And who could forget our dream team of boozehounds, Sharon and Angeline?

Obviously, Angeline and Alpheratz immediately had an affair with each other, but unlike in the old, crappy neighborhood, Demi actually got to catch them at it and whoop some ass! And it was richly deserved, if I do say so myself.

I was pretty sad when the portraits were all done and it was time to kill them again. Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted.

Now back to the college lot, where everyone from the Stranges to the Tricou kids to the Maxis playable teens need to be played through college all over again from the very start of freshman year! *sob*

“Romeo, I sincerely hope that this version of you is smart enough to stay away from Hamal while you’re engaged to Juliet.”

“Are you kidding? It’s like you want me to miss out on the high of cheating on two different Family Sims at once.”

Even the game agrees with me that every word out of this guy’s mouth is trash. *ba dum tsh*

But does Juliet see it? No, she does not.

Obviously, he and Hamal continued their affair in secret. Well, as secret as can be when your sister is scrubbing the tub directly behind you.

“Hamal, I don’t think this is a good idea. Is this really what great-grandpa Zaniah would have wanted? Cheating and lying and sneaking around? It’s not very family values, is it?”

“Oh, come on, Gomeisa. You’ve been no fun ever since we started junior year and you rolled Popularity. I thought you’d be happy that I found love.”

“That’s just it, Hamal, you’re supposed to find love, not steal it from someone else!”

“Oh, you mean like you did?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about Orion, you hypocrite! Lilii Borea had him first, and now he’s with you. How is this any different than that?”

“I -- I --”

Welp, she’s got her there.

Gomeisa has indeed been seeing Orion Tricou, and it’s getting pretty serious. Of course, what Hamal didn’t mention is that Lilii isn’t exactly heartbroken over the trade, seeing as she has three bolts with Orion’s brother Tiave.

Which Hamal should know, seeing as she’s a regular visitor to the Tricous’ college house, but whatever.

It’s been a while since we checked in with Diadem. What ever happened to that Greek House she founded, anyway?

Oh, we just topped it out at level six, again, for the second time in this legacy. No biggie. We eat master points for breakfast around these parts.

In other ways, though, Greek life has been a net drain. Diadem’s always heading to campus to pick up pizza in the middle of the day nowadays -- not a good look when the daystar has the power to burn you crispier than a slice of oven-fired thin-crust.

It’s a free for all among the other seven Sims in the house when it comes to using her coffin while she’s out -- ain’t no nap like a coffin nap, I guess -- so her motives are usually deep red by the time I get her back in. And more often than not, there’s a toga party in progress the whole time, which means...

“Whoa, party foul.”

No kidding. Frankly, it’s amazing that any of these Tricous want to pledge at all.

The billiards table also compels Diadem to risk the daystar on a pretty regular basis. I think she’s trying to regain all her lost pool skills (she won the billiards scholarhsip back in the old neighborhood, don’tcha know.) Right now she knows about as much about pool as the cow mascot. Speaking of whom...

Oh, dear. I guess sometimes, when you’ve been burned by a llama, you end up going too far in the other direction.

Don’t even think about it, you bovine buffoon! Hamal has already caused Diadem enough pain for ten games!

Clearly.

Towards the end of college, Gomeisa decided to throw a pool party in the middle of winter. Genius move there.

“Gomeisa, are you feeling okay?”

“Of course I am, Swan. I just wanted to *chatter chatter* look good for *chatter chatter* your brother.”

Unfortunately, Orion wasn’t able to pay much attention to her beach body on account of being distracted by Hamal’s treacherous lips.

Sigh, well, this was inevitable.

“I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them both! I’ll rip their hearts out and set them on fire! Then they’ll see how it feels.”

Gomeisa’s commitment to revenge caught the attention of one Mercutio Montague, who she spent the rest of the night revenge-smooching in front of Orion.

Those thought bubbles certainly do tell a story, don’t they?

“Dude, sorry I’m late. Did you do it? Did you propose to Gomeisa?”

“Uh... not exactly...”

But enough of Gomeisa. She’s hardly the only potential boyfriend Hamal stole from a relative that night.

Don’t blame me, you guys. She’s the one who rolls the wants. As a Family Sim, no less. She’s the depraved one!

Unlike Gomeisa, Diadem decided her revenge was a dish best served cold.

Cold as the grave, some might say. *rimshot*

“Still fooling around with Romeo, Hamal? That’s funny, I would have thought you’d have had enough of ruining other people’s relationships by now.“

“For your information, Romeo is my true love!”

“Oh, really? So what was Orion? You’re telling me you broke my heart just for a bit of fun on the side!?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand!”

“I... I can’t believe she did this to me.”

Sorry, bb. :(

There is a certain irony in the fact that Gomeisa and Hamal used to be inseparable when they were Romance Sims. It’s only now, after switching to Popularity and Family, that their friendship/sisterhood has turned to bitter enmity.

Poor Ilkil looks conflicted over who to root for, doesn’t she? She could pick Hamal, the sister she’s closest to and her fellow Family Sim, but then where does that leave Gomeisa, who is after all the innocent wronged party in this morality play?

Ilkil hasn’t been getting much attention, and college is almost over, so let’s go ahead and talk about her for a second. It’s pretty rare for a Family Sim to make it all the way through college without an engagement in my game, but she’s been played through college almost twice over now what with the recreation of the neighborhood and still hasn’t picked anyone to settle down with.

She’s always rolling the want to cook elaborate meals for the rest of the family and then totally failing and burning them at the last second. I think she has frustrated housewifely desires.

Anyway, since the wishing well never gave us anything good for her, I went ahead and used my powers as Mistress of the Sims Universe to get her a date with the only other Family Sim in the neighborhood more desperate than she is.

That’s right, ladies, fat balding widower and wearer of tacky leisure suits Antonio Montague is officially off the market. Try to contain yourselves.

Antonio’s kids don’t like her, but who cares what they think? The little hellions will be off to college themselves by the time Ilkil marries in.

Kornephoros (our heir, remember him? I know my heirs tend to be overshadowed in college chapters by their philandering siblings, but hopefully the fact that he’s male rings a bell) also got engaged to Kestrel on a lavish date at the newly renovated Londoste, which I think is an obligatory scene in every legacy ever.

Kestrel comported herself with all the dignity befitting a future Strange matriarch, sending meat flecks flying into the carpet as she gobbled up her filet mignon in two bites flat.

I think she’ll make a fine addition to the family, even though I’m sure great-grandpa Zaniah would have some words to say about a matriarchal Tricou joining the family. Lucky for Kor, Fornax is much more relaxed about rules and restrictions.

Gomeisa has continued to date Mercutio Montague, although she doesn’t seem to be sure where that relationship is going after college. She’s still very, very angry about Orion’s betrayal.

Lilii Borea and Tiave also got engaged, to no one’s surprise.

As for Jishui, the Strange sibling who’s been featured least in this chapter because she actually has a modicum of nice points, she got engaged too, to her boyfriend Loren. Zzzzzzzz.

So that just leaves Hamal, who has wanted to marry Romeo since the earliest days of her college experience.

“Whoa, baby. Run away together? For real? That’s a little drastic. You know I can’t break up with Juliet. But you and me, we’ll always have a special relationship. Just... on the side, and never in public.”

Cue Hamal’s best shocked pikachu face:

Ha ha ha -- I mean, oops, how embarrassing. I wonder how she’ll recover from this psychologically?

Oh.

The best thing I can say about this development is that at least Orion had the decency to look a little conflicted about it.

“Romeo, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll break it off with Hamal for good. She’s been obsessed with marrying you since forever. That’s not just going to go away because she proposed to Orion. You have to stop encouraging her!”

“Chill, Lilii, chill. You’re easily the most uptight Pleasure Sim I’ve ever met.”

Ugh, he is just the worst.

“Hamal, lay off my boyfriend. Just because you don’t understand our love --”

“Oh, I understand it perfectly, Hamal, and it’s gross. I thought it was bad when it was just Di, but then you did it again and again, and to your own sister. How could you?"

“Why does everyone keep holding that against me? I said I was sorry!”

Mm hmmm, right.

Right before graduation, Kornephoros tried to convince Gomeisa to let bygones be bygones with all the wisdom of his newly completed psychology degree, and it actually kind of... worked?

“Orion, now that we’re leaving this part of our lives behind, I just want to let you know that I forgive you. You hurt me a lot, but we had something special, and once you and Hamal and me and Mercutio are all married and settled down, I hope we can be friends again.“

“Gomeisa, I -- wait. You’re marrying him?”

“He proposed this morning.”

“I...”

“I can’t believe she’s marrying him.”

And I can’t believe she forgave you for cheating on you with her sister! Get in line, bud.

Sadly, this incredible act of beneficence wasn’t enough to save Gomeisa’s graduation party from being a dud, and Kornephoros, being the Popularity Sim who technically threw it, went straight into aspiration failure just as I was wrapping up his college years. Awesome.

Welp. All of generation 4 is engaged and graduated, so now it’s time to head back to Veronaville and play them all. Aunt Di will hold down the fort here until Kornephoros and Kestrel’s kids are old enough to join her, and then, with a bit of luck, she’ll be able to have a Roof Raiser graduation party and earn that Ivy League master point... which has already been preemptively canceled out by Kornephoros’ meltdown, but hey, I’m trying to look on the bright side of things.

Next time: Will Hamal ever repent of her ways and stop causing trouble? Will Orion actually marry her, even though he’s clearly still in love with Gomeisa? What are Romeo’s plans for managing Juliet’s suspicions once they’re actually married and living together? And will Kornephoros manage to produce a male heir without having to go through quite so many daughters as his father and grandfather did?

Legacy scoring:

Legacy: 3.5 Money: 3 Family friends: 38x.25 = 9.25 Impossible wants: 9 (Alph 20L, Sharon 30F, Zaniah 7Sk, Angeline 7Sk, Fornax 7Sk, Electra 50FD, Diadem 7Sk, Danni 7Sk, Cassiopeia 200S) Platinum graves: 4 (Family, Popularity, Fortune) Ghosts: 1 (Old Age) Business: 4 Seasons: 4 + 2 (tree and fish/well/juices) Free Time: 7.5 (Games: Zaniah, Betelgeuse, Alpheratz, Electra, Fornax, Cassiopeia, Angeline, Diadem, Ilkil, Hamal, Lilii Borea, Jishui, Gomeisa, Kestrel, Kornephoros) Collections: 3 (25 Elixirsx2, Career Rewards) Master: 2 (Social Bunnies Need Love Too, Child Prodigy - Fornax, ) Handicaps: 0 Overflow: 0 Penalties: -3 (bills x2, Kornephoros asp fail) Total: 47.25