Mom, Gideon, and I returned home to celebrate our graduation with a cutthroat game of dominoes while Helen worked on that ice blast spell of hers. Gideon made sure he was sitting as far away from her as possible.

Mom shared the latest family gossip.

Aunt Deanne could comfort herself about growing older by becoming a grandmother. My cousin Rosie had her baby!

Things were kind of rough with Aunt Caitlin.

Mom took a laid-back approach to Uncle Peanut’s death. She didn’t like him for reasons I’ve never understood.

Aunt Caitlin took some time for herself.

And found a new, young guy. I guess she didn’t waste much time grieving either.

Imogen avoided the family prattle by hanging out in the hot tub.

Justin bounced.

After Mom trounced us at dominoes, she and Gideon started a witches duel that ran all over the house.

I couldn’t tell who was winning, but it involved a lot of booms and pops.

I think Gideon finally got the best of Mom, which is no small feat.

I’m not sure it really matters, since they were both in pretty bad shape by the time it was over.

Justin learned about some minerals that the Cure All Collective wanted for science experiments and went there after school to sell them.

He earned an impressive amount for a grade schooler.

Hearing about Justin’s success made me realize that I forgot to go rock-hunting! That’s pretty much the only thing that’s keeping a roof over our heads these days. Mom hasn’t shown much interest in detective work since she won that big award.

I decided to go looking someplace that few people in Aurora Skies ever go, way up in the caldera of the extinct volcano.

And got lost.

Why did I decide to do this in the daytime anyway? I’m sure I had a reason. I always have a reason. But right now, I was burning in the sunlight and getting really, really thirsty.

Really thirsty.

I finally found my way back down the mountain at dusk.

I dragged my smoldering, desperately thirsty butt into the pizzeria next to the consignment shop, shoved past the cashier, and went digging in their refrigerator.

“Hey!” the cashier shouted at me.

I ignored her, found a blood pack, and ripped into it, snarling with joy as a tasted the blood.

She left me alone after that.

I think I just barely avoided a sudden end to my adventures.

[Author’s note: That 4 hours is actually 4 minutes, and I mean sim-minutes.]

I took a bit of time to recover, consigned my gems and minerals, and headed home.

Gideon hurried out to meet me, looking a bit the worse for wear.

“I wanted you to be the first to know. I’m taking my inheritance from Dad and getting a place for myself. I think it’s time I got out of your shadow and made my own mark on the world.

“That’s fabulous, man!” I said.

Inside, I was thinking, Inheritance from Dad? What?

“I’m going to miss you.”

We said a tender goodbye. We’re not the sort of men who are afraid to express our emotions.

We had a little impromptu goodbye party, where everyone cast a good luck spell on Gideon.

Except Mom, who stayed out of it. I’m not sure if she was trying to give Gideon space or if she was mad at him for moving out.

Then he stuck around to celebrate Mikhail’s birthday.

We were all ready for him to finish up this long goodbye thing and get going, but I’m sure Mikhail appreciated the extra attention.

The gray around his eyes is quite dignified, I think.

At last, Gideon called a car.

And headed bravely out to the unknown.

I would have taken a bath first, but he has his own sense of style.

I guess I leave a pretty long shadow…. in the middle of the night… because Gideon seems to have done very well for himself since moving out.

---

Still no fails!

AAAAAAND a spare LTW! I didn’t expect that. Gideon had Swimming in Cash available on his list, so I gave it to him. Apparently Franklin managed to make so much money on his last ill-considered rock consignment that it pushed him over the edge.

So that’s a hefty +40 points! Since Erin hasn’t made her LTW (still hoping), and William died short of his, this finally puts some positive points on the board.

I figured out what killed William. Apparently, or at least according to various Sims forums, if your vampire has a moodlet for being out in the sun, it speeds up his thirst motive — but the time reported on the thirst moodlet doesn’t change. When I sent Franklin out to go rock hunting, he was fully rested in the middle of the day with nothing to do, so I figured it wasn’t a big deal. More the fool I. I even dragged the Motive Mobile into his inventory so he could refill his motives on the drive to the shopping center, but NO, that didn’t even help. That kind of seems like a bug, but it sure made the game more interesting. He was literally 4 real-time seconds from expiring due to Thirst. That would have made Gideon the TH, since he was YA? Or the challenge would have been over? Let’s not think about such things, my friend….

Oh, and all the idiots are constantly casting spells on each other due to a broken mod I installed to make motive spells autonomous. I pulled it out, but nobody had any interest in showering, so you will be seeing burned up sims for many posts in the future.

It was an important day in the Wonderland household.

Gideon celebrated by setting Imogen on fire.

“Look,” I said to Helen, “Gideon was just in a bad mood because we forgot his birthday. He doesn’t have the authority to ground you anyway.”

“Gideon’s pissed off because he’s the only one of us who isn’t a vampire!” Helen cried. “I don’t even want to be a vampire! Blood is gross.”

“Oh, please,” I said. “You don’t have to bring old stereotypes into this. Modern vampirism is totally sanitary.”

Mikhail played in the bathtub.

And felt sorry about it later.

“Time to get ready!” Helen said to Gideon. “Here, let me help you!”

“Wait! What you are you doing??” Gideon shrieked.

“There,” Helen said proudly. “That’s for trying to ground me, big brother. Chill out while I change.”

“I have to get ready, Mom,” I said.

“Wait,” Mom said. “I’m pretty sure I have a checkmate move. Just give me a minute.”

“No, really, I have to go.”

“You just don’t want to let me beat you.”

“Some mothers want to see their sons graduate, you know.”

Gideon melted just in time to join us. Good thing for him.

We loaded up into the van and made our way to the courthouse.

The day was grim and overcast, just the way I like it — but it was still too much sun for being out and about.

“Um, shouldn’t your girlfriend be here too?” Imogen asked?

“My what?” I said. “On, right, Linn. She called and said she wasn’t feeling well. I think she’ll get over it.”

Everyone trooped into the auditorium to listen to the speeches except Helen, who decided to wait the whole thing out.

 

I accepted my piece of paper with grace and dignity, even though I don’t think my school was ever capable of understanding a creature as dark and complex as I am.

I ran into one of my favorite people at the ceremony.

After the ceremony, I was feeling a might peckish.

 

My senses were at their most acute. I had to hunt.

“Hello,” I said to my prey. “I want to drink your blood.”

“Oh really?” she said. “You can do better than that. I’m getting old. I want the full immortality treatment.”

“You want me to turn you into a vampire?” I asked in astonishment. “Do you know what it is like to be a creature of the night?  It’s no picnic to be this sexually attractive yet misunderstood.”

“You can skip the warnings,” she said. “I don’t have long to live as a human anyway. I’m up for it.”

So I turned her.

“Thanks!” she said afterward. “You’re a real sport.”

“I hope it works out for you,” I said. “I think you’re getting more attractive already.”

She smiled. “I’ll keep in touch and let you know how it goes.”

Oh, and speaking of old ladies, Mom got a call from Aunt Deanne, who wanted to talk about her girlfriend. She has finally found lasting love. Sometimes, when you refuse to give up hope, you can kind of beat it into submission.

---

No fails!

I was finally able to get a good long play session in this weekend. More birthdays on the way!

Franklin has not been making his mate selection easy for me. I’ve decided to have him alternate visits with both candidates until a choice presents itself.

I also decided that the Wonderlands will be moving to a modified Midnight Hollow. That seems like the place an avant-garde vampire would want to live.

I was just back from picking up Mom from that deserted pool party than my phone rang again.

This time, it was a surprise call from my cousin, Rosie Wonderland Beaker.

“I’m having a baby!” Rosie squealed. “Come over and celebrate and bring me stuff!”

“Don’t you usually invite girls to these things?” I asked.

“Oh, come on,” Rosie said. “You’re secure in your masculinity. Come to my baby shower!”

“When you put it that way, sure,” I said.

I headed over to the combination suburban house and horse farm that Rosie and her husband Loki shared with my Aunt Deanne.

I had to admit that the place was looking very swank these days.

Rosie met me at the gate. “Thanks so much for coming, coz!”

She escorted me inside, where I ran into Eclipse, one of the family cats from when I was a kid.

He really is a noble old cat, don’t you think?

Rosie’s face lit up. “It’s good to see you, coz!”

We took some time at the party to catch up on family news.

In the way we Wonderlands communicate best.

“I’ve finally grown into my vampire powers,” I told her. “Take a look at what I can do now. Ooooo….”

“Ewww. What’s wrong with your face?” Rosie asked. “Are you sick or something?”

Hmmm. I’m going to have to practice that power some more.

In the kitchen, my childhood friend Jennika Wong was talking about foreign films with another one of Rosie’s friends.

Foreign films! That’s a favorite subject of mine.

Did you here about The Spanish Eggplant? That was my favorite movie last month. You couldn’t understand it, even with the subtitles.

Jennika was delighted. “I’ve been meaning to see that movie!”

I think her friend was avoiding making eye contact, though. Probably because she knows I’m a vampire with a powerful psychic gaze.

All in all, it was a great party for a baby shower.

The rest of the family wasn’t too interested in Rosie’s upcoming baby, but they kept themselves occupied.

Justin is getting to be quick the free throw athlete. He uses that muscle shirt to remind you of how strong he’s getting.

Mom was downstairs, playing chess.

She insists that she was playing with that figment of her imagination she calls Bungle.

Helen played survival horror video games with the ghost of her grandmother. An interesting choice, that.

Imogen sat out in the moonlight, mooning herself and complaining about the cat scratched dining chairs.

I guess she had a point. The cats were really on a rampage.

Minnie was pretty good about scratching where she was supposed to.

But that didn’t explain the state of Mom’s Private Investigator award.

Daisy looked a little too satisfied with herself.

At least they get on well with each other. These here are Goofy (left) and Micky (right).

After the party, I headed to the community garden. I am a creature of living death. Perhaps that’s why I just can’t get enough of green growing things. There’s just nothing like digging in a garden after midnight.

I got home in time to see my younger siblings off to school.

It’s important that everyone have a good breakfast, you know, with lots of vegetables.

“I can’t help but notice how much you’re scratching yourself,” Gideon said to Imogen. “Are you all right?”

“I don’t know!” Imogen said. “I’ve just been so itchy!”

“When is the last time you took a bath?” I asked Imogen.

I’m not sure she took the hint.

The sun was up, and I should be in vampiric slumber, but for some reason I just wasn’t into it. What I really needed was a hot cup of overpriced latte.

I decided to go to the local new age coffeehouse. They have a lot of shade.

There I ran into Priscilla Singh and her lovely daughter Jodie.

Priscilla had her dog on, and she was all over me like a puppy.

We played out on the deck for a while.

Werewolves are so cute when they fetch.

I couldn’t play long, though. My skin was starting to catch fire. Still, I asked Priscilla for a snack, and she was happy to oblige.

Then I dashed back inside before I caught fire. Jody was there.

The Singhs are such friendly people. Or maybe they’re just easy to manipulate with my vampiric charm.

Enough was enough. I needed to get dead for a while.

---

Hooray. Another session without fails!

I should put Franklin’s LTW goals on the Scoresheet, though. I believe he has drunk from 3/20 sims and turned 1/5 sims.

Mate prospects: Jennika Wong is mermaid, though you couldn’t tell it from this story segment.

Here’s our evidence, from one of Erin’s stakeouts:

Jodie Singh is a werewolf, but I really don’t think she has an interesting enough face to join this challenge.

Of the werewolves, the mate candidate would be Ginny Septik, daughter of EA maid Anne T. Septik who I loaded into this game from another world because of her amazing face.

(In fact, I made a roommates household with wolfied homeless EA sims from other worlds with amazing faces; in addition to Anne, I also have Lucy Ferne and Dee Liver. Their kids are not old enough to be candidates this generation, but they’ll move with us wherever the family goes to keep making interesting babies.)

There are a few fairies, the best being Girbits Worthington, an import from Starlight Shores.

I have a thing for Girbits. He’ll be marrying in at some point, but since he’s a fairy, there’s no hurry.

I was PLANNING to have a mate poll, but I think now that I’ve played through for a bit, I know who Franklin is going to pick. I’m curious if anyone has opinions, though.

I’m overdue for a cat poll. We have four really good choices for the next generation of cats.

Also, I think I am going to hold a poll on where the family will move next.

That ought to be enough polls for one generation, don’t you think?

I’m not entirely sure if I have enough readers left after my long hiatus to make polling a good idea 🙂 :).

Age has hit mom swiftly, but she still tries to contribute to the family funds.

I appreciate her methods. They’re…. creative.

Mom’s Private Investigation business has really been on the rocks recently, and §19 pay the rent and feed a household of six sims.

I had to think of some way to make money, and fast. Getting a regular job is just out of the question, though. I am not going to reduce myself to becoming a wage slave for The Man. I have standards.

The rain kept the sun off my skin, so I was able to go out earlier in the afternoon to look for some source of income. Perhaps it was the remnants of the sunlight glinting on the ground that gave me inspiration.

Aurora Skies is a treasure trove of minerals. Sims have all sorts of uses for minerals. Both art and science. I’d be doing society a favor by collecting and distributing the minerals I find.

Well, by “Distributing,” I mean, “Selling for as much money as I can get.”

With that goal in mind, I headed at vampire speed to the consignment store. I got there right before it closed. I’m lucky they keep late hours.

“You won’t mind if I use your gem cutter, would you?” I asked the proprietress. “I didn’t think so. Thanks!”

“Yeah right,” the proprietress said.

It’s great that the Consignment Store keeps a gem cutter. My family would never let me run this thing while they’re asleep.

“Would you stop that racket?” the proprietress shouted.

What was she expecting, anyway?

Perfect.

With a collection of profitable gems on consignment, I headed home to sleep the sleep of the dead.

While I slept, my family did family stuff.

Helen got a call from her classmate Evan Clark, who asked her out on a date.

Evan’s a pretty interesting guy. He says he was some kind of science experiment conducted by his parents. I guess that’s as reasonable an explanation as any.

The date started out well. Evan told Helen that he thought she was beautiful, and he’d always had a crush on her in school.

Then he started yelling at her for not passing him notes in English class.

Helen is now screening his calls.

Mom’s good friend Yuri Apple-Svard invited Mom to a pool party with her husband Stefan and Jakob Ingberg.

When she arrived, the Apple-Svards had decided to ditch their own party, but Jakob was still around.

“Come on in,” he called. “The water’s fine!”

“This is a nice pool!” Mom said.

“I know!” Jakob said. “I always come over here so that I don’t have to install a pool at my place. Pardon me. I have to go to the bathroom.”

Mom swam around while she waited for Jakob.

“Wow,” she thought. “I hope he didn’t fall in.”

It started to get dark. Mom suddenly realized that she’d been swimming for hours. She was exhausted. Even worse, her skin was all pruny.

But how to get out of the pool? She knew there was a ladder around somewhere. Where could it be?

With her last gasp of strength, she grabbed the deck and pulled herself out of the water. To heck with ladders anyway.

She wandered into the Apple-Svard house, looking for Jakob or Yuri, but the place was deserted.

Someone had recently eaten dinner and then left. So strange.

I was just up and looking for breakfast when my phone rang.

“Mom, is that you? What are you doing out so late?”

“Franklin!” Mom said. “This party is a bust! Come and pick me up!”

---

No fails.

Holy crap, Erin! Don’t scare me like that!

Here we have our second mate candidate for Franklin: Evan Clark, a plantsim. This adds to Jiao Hatfield, who is a genie. The Wonderlands have a grand tradition of pansexuality, so all YA, Adult, or Teen sims are candidates (i.e. teens can be aged up).

Evan is a stock sim from Aurora Skies who was a toddler when the Wonderlands moved in. I assigned supernatural status to a bunch of random sims, and apparently he was one of them. I love his face.

 

I woke up at dusk and headed downstairs.

“Hello, sleepyhead,” Mama said.

“Mom!” I said. “I’m undead! Treat me with dignity!”

“Oh, is being undead dignified? You should have told that to your father.”

I looked around. The kitchen was empty except for me and Mom.

“Oh, they’re about,” Mom said, and she proceeded to tell me.

Justin was brown-nosing his teacher by running errands outside of class.

Imogen said she had to do some research for a book report.

A book she really, really hated.

Helen was admiring herself.

Before I could get Mom to stop the family gossip, the phone rang. Not a moment too soon!

It was Linn Valstrom. Why was she calling me?

Oh, right…. she’s my girlfriend.

“Hey Frankie!” she cooed on the other end of the line. “I haven’t seen you in ages! We should totally get together tonight!”

Frankie?

“I was planning to write poetry tonight,” I admitted, “but it could be fun to go out on a date. What did you have in mind?”

“I’ll meet you at the bowling alley in half an hour,” Linn said and hung up.

Bowling? That’s not really my style, or really any style at all, but I guess it was decided.

While I was standing outside the bowling alley, thinking about how the wall decorations are such a joke, Linn came up behind me.

“Frankie! I’ve missed you so much!” She cried. “You are the sun that lights up my life.”

“That’s a pretty flawed analogy,” I said. “I can’t even go out in the sun. I burn up, remember? Perhaps I can be the clouds that block out your sun.”

“Hmm,” Linn said. “That doesn’t have the same ring to it.

So we went inside to bowl for a while.

This place makes my eyes hurt. It’s filled with tasteless patterns that clash with other tasteless patterns. Pings and beeps and buzzes. Dim lights with bright flashes. This place needs to pick a theme and stick to it.

In spite of the artistic disaster, it turns out that I am brilliant at bowling.

“One pin left!” I shouted to Linn. “Beat that.”

“All, right!” she cried. “Did that!”

Meanwhile, Mom was having a romantic adventure of her own.

Magnus Mango asked her out on a date.

I guess she’s over my dad and ready to move on. If I were in her place, I would still be pining away in grief, but I guess I can’t judge. She doesn’t have the same appreciation of the beautiful darkness of despair that Dad and I do.

They met in the forest at dusk. Apparently, there was some real chemistry between Mom and Magnus.

But just as things were starting to get good, he had the uncontrollable urge to go rob a grocery store or something.

Mom knows how to pick them.

At least she had a chance to catch up on her reading. In the woods alone. In the dark.

While she was gone, Gideon realized that he had been eating dinner for hours, and he was exhausted.

So he went to get another bite to eat.

I think he needs to review the correct procedure to deal with sleepiness.

“I think I have humiliated you enough at bowling,” Linn said. “Do you have any other ideas for the evening?”

I took her into my arms. “Of course!” I said. “The evening’s just getting started.”

“Of course! You’re such a romantic! Get ready for a big dip!”

“We have dated all the way through high school,” I said. “Now that we’re both adults, I wonder if you would like to take this relationship to the next level.”

“Oh Frankie!” Linn said. “I thought you’d never ask.”

I dropped my voice low, purring so that only she could hear it. “I can’t help it. You just seem so …. delicious.”

“You really are delicious!”

Mmmm!

“Frankie!” Linn said “That wasn’t what I had in mind at all!”

“No?” I said. “I can do one better. Come closer.”

“Let me show the darkness inside of me!”

“That closer to what you had in mind?”

“Um, no,” Linn said. “Why don’t I just show you?”

So we left the bowling alley and headed to the much more tastefully artistic theater.

“So you want to see a film?” I said. “I hope it’s a foreign independent one.”

“Not exactly,” she said. “Just follow me.”

“Well, I appreciate the darkness….” I said.

“Hush,” Linn said.

Oh.

Ooooooh.

“NOW our relationship is on the next level,” Linn said.

“This has been the most enlightening night,” I said. “I have shown you the darkness of my soul, and you’ve shown me the pinnacles of pleasure. The sun is rising now, so I must leave you. My dark soul will call to yours for every moment we’re apart.”

“Sure thing, I guess,” Linn said. “Maybe the woohoo will be better next time.”

---

Another post!

My parents visited for a week, so I got even less done than usual. I’m also finally starting to get a sense of Franklin’s voice.

Also, Gideon, what the heck?

Passing out: 22 + 1 = 23

Linn is not a spouse candidate, due to being normal human until Franklin turned her — I love that bat animation for making vampires. He has 4 more sims to turn for that part of his LTW, and it may be a challenge to find that many normal humans!

Oh, is that you there? Hello.

My name is Franklin. Franklin Wonderland.

I’m ready to take over this household and bring it something that it has been missing from the very beginning.

A sense of style.

I’ve spent a lot of time meditating on the purpose of my life. I’ve decided that I am going to dedicate it to bringing the dark, smoldering beauty of the soul to the Simworld.

My father never got a chance to make his mark. I’m going do what he never had a chance to do.

You can’t even guess how my dark soul sang when I finally celebrated my birthday. No more school! No more stifling conventionality to force me to live the lifestyle They chose for me.

Most importantly, no more waking up in the morning and sleeping at night in order to participate in the mind control known as “education.” I was free.

Everyone else went to sleep at night, but I had other plans.

I was off to see the world.

Starting with the cafe at the amusement park. I was dying for a latte.

That’s a joke, by the way. Unsophisticated form of art, but I couldn’t resist.

I remembered the barista from my last visit here for my baby brother’s birthday. She seemed cuter than I remembered.

I ordered a tall soy cinnamon mocha. The little bit of cinnamon makes up for the lack of blood.

She was delighted to make it for me.

“Everyone else orders such boring coffee!” she said. “I wish more picky people you like you came here.”

Hmm. I prefer to call myself “discerning.”

Afterward, I was thirsty. You know, thirsty. So I started up a conversation with the cute barista. I really turned up the charm.

“Who are you?” I asked. “Your eyes are like fire.”

“I look into those eyes, and I lose all sense of balance. Tell me how you do it.”

“You are so cute!” she squealed. “That’s the most creative pickup line I’ve ever heard. My name is Jiao Hatfield.”

“Don’t worry, Jiao,” I said. “This won’t hurt a bit. You’ll even enjoy it.”

“What!” Jiao gasped. “What are you doing with your eyes!”

Then it was like a bomb going off at the base of my skull.

“Whoa, lady, what are you?”

There was a whole lot more to this girl that meets the eye!

“Are you all right?” Jiao asked.

“Please don’t bleed. I can’t stand the sight of blood!”

“Please help….” I whispered.

“Yes! Please let me help!” Jiao cried.

“I need…. I think I need your phone number.”

“I think you’d better leave, mister.”

Well, that was unkind!

I was still desperately thirsty. I decided to ask the crystal ball to help me find someone with a drinkable blood supply.

This is encouraging! It looks like my meal will come to me!

The sun was rising. I headed home before I got too burnt.

My brothers and sisters were getting ready for school and generally being responsible citizens. The poor deluded souls. Someday their minds will expand, and they will understand that there are better ways to be.

“Hey, Gideon,” I said. “Do you think you could do the dishes before you leave? This place is a mess.”

“You could help around here,” Gideon shot back.

“Ah, but you see,” I explained. “I don’t eat food, so I don’t dirty dishes. This is your problem.”

I did get a chance to catch up on family gossip.

Aunt Caitlin is doing quite well for herself.

But Uncle Christof thinks a lot more like me.

 

After a while, I realized that one of my siblings was missing. “Hey,” I said. “Where’s Helen?”

“Oh, she’s around,” Mom said. “She said she had to pick something up before school.”

 

“You all have really inspired me with your entrepreneurial spirit,” I said. “It’s making me wonder if I ought to alter my philosophy.”

“Perish the thought!”

---

No fails! (Yes)

Here we are. I finally started Generation 3. Jiao Hatfield is, obviously, one of Franklin’s mate prospects. I liked her when I saw her in the amusement park coffee shop before, but she was Face One, so I randomized her face in CAS. I think she came out adorable.

But there are other options. Hang tight.

This was a really hard post to get into the spirit for. I’m in the middle of a really miserable job hunt, and I learned in January that I’m infertile after my husband and I spent over a year trying for a second kid. So it’s been kind of a crappy 2016 so far. I’m working on keeping my head up. The sludge can’t last forever.

Franklin was up to do his homework before the sun came up. He just prefers to do everything in the dark if he can. I think it’s the creature of the night genes he got from his father. Oh, his father. Sigh.

But he was in for a surprise. When the sun came up, he decided to go downstairs to get some blood for breakfast, but the way was blocked.

I guess Bungle was feeling a little passive-aggressive that morning.

Everyone else was able to get ready for school on their own.

I love it that they’re so independent these days. It lets me do other things with my life.

My kids were all very responsible. They went straight to school and stood around all morning trying to find the door, just like the rest of the kids in town. I’m so proud of them.

The cats are also taking care of themselves. We barely have to feed them. Goofy cleans up all the food that the kids drop when they’re feeding themselves, so we don’t have to deal with ants.

Micky hunts in the pond.

Minnie keeps with tradition.

Even Mikhail and Nova haven’t lost that lovin’ feeling.

They look so cute together, rolling around in the upstairs bathroom, which I haven’t cleaned in a generation.

So where was I?

Oh, right! Receiving the highest honor that the town can bestow on a civilian!

That’s right. Yours truly received the key to the city from the new mayor of Aurora Skies. The old one resigned on indictment for taking bribes. I might have had a little bit to do with that.

I knelt and let the new guy knight me. And the crowd went wild.

It was a perfect moment — the pinnacle of my career. Most folks don’t get this kind of recognition for their contribution to their town. Then again, most people probably don’t contribute as much as I do either.

“I hope we have a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” the mayor said. He shook my hand just a little too long. I think I should go wash it.

I was ready to celebrate, and there was only one way I could think of to do it. I headed over to the dojo.

Oskar Olsen. He was just where I expected him to be.

He greeted me so warmly. “Detective Wonderland! What a nice surprise!”

So here’s the deal. It turns out that Shawn Ivy knew what she was talking about after all. Ever since I conned intelligence out of him at his own football party, I hadn’t been able to get Oskar out of my head.

“I’ve been thinking of you every day,” I said. “I think we might really be able to make some fireworks. And by fireworks, I don’t mean lights in the sky.”

Oskar looked sad. “I really like you, Erin,” he said. “But you know I have a partner.”

I hesitated. Oskar had been with his boyfriend as long as I’d been living in Aurora Skies. They were a good couple. I needed to respect that.

Oh, to heck with all that.

“W-wow,” Oskar said. “That was amazing!”

If only Oskar’s boyfriend could see us now.

Then again, he’s not bad either. Maybe we could get him to join in.

“You guys are so cute!” a pregnant yogi exclaimed nearby. “Maybe you two will make some ghost babies together!”

Nothing doing. Nothing.

The kids had a convocation after school, so I had to leave before Oskar and I could really get rolling.

I found Imogen at the caffeine again.

I think the proprietor of the school coffee shop is encouraging her. There’s just something about that guy.

But on to the convocation.

Franklin had a debate club…. recital?

OK, I confess. I don’t even remember what after school clubs they’re signed up for.

My kids better get some awards, because I cleared out my private investigator schedule for this.

  

Nope. Both got some kind of honorable mention.

I hope both my boys appreciate how much I love them. I could have made a lot of money solving a case, but I sat around watching them get a non-award for participation.

Then I loaded us up into the minivan to go home.

Except Gideon, who looked embarrassed and wanted to go home alone.

Good thing, too, because he really stank.

When I got home and counted the kids, I came up one short.

“Hey, where’s Justin?” I asked.

“He wanted to stay at school and sleep in the treehouse,” Helen told me.

Oooookay. I hope he remembers to wake up for class.

When we got home, Franklin and Helen headed outside for some one-on-one basketball.

“Can I join in?” I asked. “It seems like it would be a good time for some mom-kid bonding.”

Helen rolled her eyes. “Mom, how can we make two teams with three people?”

“Maybe I’ll be on both teams,” I said.

“I don’t think you get how this works,” Franklin said.

“Who cares!” I said. “Let’s just shoot some hoops!”

Ouch!

Then my phone rang.

“Hey Branden!” I said. “What? You want to wish Franklin a happy birthday? But it’s not Franklin’s –”

Oh. Whoops.

———-

Self-peeing: 13 + 1 = 14

Huh. I totally thought I’d already posted this. I logged on to do my first post for Frankin’s generation, and I found this one still in my drafts! Well, here we sign off with Erin and prepare for a bold, new, impeccably stylish new torch holder.

Farewell, Erin. She had a precious short time as torch holder, since her eldest won the heir poll. It was a nice final day, where she got to receive the Key to the City *and* fulfill her wish to kiss Oskar Olsen that had been lingering since she heart-farted him while on a case. I was kind of hoping he’d call her for a date or something after she turned idiot and they’d develop some kind of romance, but as of this playing no go.

I’m going to miss her. She was a lot of fun. And she DID max her career, which was nice, even though she didn’t reach a LTW. I haven’t completely given up on that, btw. The Logic-and-Athletics LTW is something that in theory I can have Franklin push her to work on as an idiot. We’ll see.

Erin was actually in the process of calling for a birthday party when Franklin aged up. It was just after dark, and I thought I had more time. Whoops! Well, that’s about right for an ISBI anyway.

Oh, and as a nice touch, the key to the city ceremony actually WORKED! This is the third time I’ve triggered this opportunity, and both other times failed. It doesn’t work for the City Hall rabbithole rug OR any EA City Hall combined rabbitholes. Aurora Skies has a dedicated City Hall rabbithole, so I gave it one more shot. Dang, it’s cool. I wish it weren’t so finicky.

I’ve played several days of Franklin, and I’m trying to make sense of him. I guess we’ll see how his voice comes out in the next post.

Stay tuned for a cat heir poll, too! The departure of the spares will be good for clearing out the household for moar cat breeding.

The boys headed home after school, but Imogen had been up for thirty-six hours on coffee alone, and she was ready for a new challenge.

She decided to shadow her Aunt Caitlin for a school report on… whatever it is Caitlin does at her office building.

Back at home, we had some birthdays to celebrate for the littlest members of our family.

Goofy grew up!

Also Daisy, though she did it more quietly.

Imogen really enjoyed working with Caitlin.

Until her coffee buzz finally crashed.

And she got a caffeine headache.

So instead of going home to get some sleep, she decided to show off some of her magic for the pantsless paparazzi.

When she didn’t come home for dinner, I had to call her. “This is your mother. Do you know where my daughter is?”

She took the hint and headed home.

The paparazzi was a little slow on the trigger.

But apparently, she made her deadline by making up crap. Poor Imogen.

After a good sleep, Justin came downstairs dressed to the nines

so he could pick up his toys. What a nice boy. Maybe he’s the secret angel who mopped up all the water from the broken washing machine. I never did figure out who did that.

I went hunting for my wrench to go work on that blasted dishwasher.

Bungle found me. “Whatcha doin’?” he asked.

“The same thing I always do,” I told him bitterly. “Holding this family together with chewing gum and bailing wire. I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth it.”

Bungle’s goggle eyes rolled with surprise. “Why would you say that?” he asked.

“Well, it’s not like I’ve been able to work toward my big goals in life,” I said. “I’ll never solve all the cases I wanted to solve. The kids just slow me down too much.”

Bungle thought about it. “I suppose so, but you’re at the top of your profession. Is solving a lot more cases really what you want out of life?”

I thought about it. “You know, I guess I’ve really been wanting to work out. You know, get in shape, be stronger and faster. I spend a lot of time hitting the books, and it makes me feel sluggish.”

“Then maybe the problem is that you’re dreaming of the wrong thing!”

Everything become so much clearer! “You might be right about something for the first time in your life!” I said to Bungle. “I knew you were my best friend for a reason. Thanks!”

“Is it the migraine, or is Mom talking to thin air?” Imogen asked.

“If you ask me, she’s a little bit looony,” Gideon said. My family so supportive.

Wait a minute, maybe I did have a screw loose! I don’t have to fix this blasted dishwasher again! I have magic!

Take that!

After questioning my sanity, Imogen decided to go to bed to sleep off her headache.

But she was barely asleep when she jumped up

and fell out of bed. Maybe next time she won’t try to take the chemical way out and sleep more than once in two days.

Gideon was a good boy. He looked over his sleeping brother and did his homework.

Helen was out playing hoops while her siblings screwed up their bedtime.

And she’s gotten pretty good at it, I have to say. I think those swim flippers give her extra lift.

I went out to check on her. “Hey, you’re shoving that ball through the hoop in a pretty angry way. Are you all right?”

“Yeah, Mom. You’re giving all the attention to the screwups. I didn’t even show up in the last chapter because I actually went to bed!”

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” I said. “Sometimes it’s really hard to be the responsible one. I really appreciate that you didn’t give me any trouble today. And now it’s bedtime again, so why don’t you head off and get some rest?”

“Are you kidding, Mom!” Helen cried. “You can’t treat me like a child! I’m not going to do what you say!”

Then she went to bed.

Sometimes I think the best way to get a kid to be responsible is to treat them like a screwup.

And then the house was quiet.

Everyone was sleeping… somewhere. Some of them even in their own beds.

It was a beautiful moment.

———-

OK, should I could Imogen’s fail? She literally climbed into her bed, got under the covers, and started sleeping, then canceled the action so she could get out of bed and pass out. GAH.

I guess I will, because Sims.

Passing Out: 22 + 1 = 23

I’d never seen the twirly-finger-by-the-ear thing that sims do when they walk by someone talking to her IF. So funny, especially in this house!

Helen was indeed the only kid who slept the previous night, but she still got in trouble — maybe from heading to school a little late? At any rate, that scene was Erin letting her off the hook. Then Erin suggested she go to bed. Helen refused, and they got a negative relationship. Then Helen went to bed.