Henson Legacy, Generation 5.2!
So, the last update was quite some time ago. Handy tag link here.
This is the story of a family living in a start-up settlement on an island far away from traditional civilization. At this point, several generations in, the island's gotten a bit built up, with severeal amenities, including a university and a prep school. Scooter Henson was named the fourth generation heir of the Henson family, after a long line of female overachievers. (The fact that his half-sister inherited the largest house on the island from her rich and bitchy grandmother may have had something to do with this.)
Scooter spent his teenage years as both a slacker and a playboy, running around from one girl to another. While he did meet a girl he considered a bit special compared to the others, that didn't slow him down a bit. As our last update opened, he had just become a father after one of his one-night-stands, Chloe, gave birth to twin sons. His mother, Henson matriarch Zoe, had just aged to elder. His younger half-sister, Camilla, bristled under her parents scrutiny; she didn't feel it fair that she be punished for the failures of her brother. She found time to befriend and become romantically entangled with Levi Conrad, one of many children of the Conrad farm.
As Bert and Ernie aged to toddlers, Scooter found that enjoyed being a father, even if he did not enjoy spending time with their mother any more than he did when he suspected her motives during her pregnancy. He still snuck away to spend time with Rebecca, who he'd come to recognize as the woman he loved. Utilizing his anger and a few well-placed threats, he kicked Chloe out of the house and invited Rebecca to live with them, much to the surprise of his stunned mother. Despite Camilla's snarky warnings to Rebecca to use birth control, Rebecca soon became pregnant and the bride of a shotgun wedding, at the insistance of Zoe.
Scooter was becoming more responsible, working hard at his career, and was indisputably now a man. He was officially named heir as his twin sons became children and his wife gave birth to his first daughter, Red. Camilla went off to college, brushing off her boyfriend's concerns, only to find him waiting there to attend Brighton Academy right along with her. As we left, Rebecca had the sneaking suspicion that she might be expecting again...
Zoe Henson was finally beginning to enjoy what she could call "the golden years" of her life. After several years of expecting her middle child, Scooter, to give her a stroke, he had settled down with his wife. Camilla was away at school, which was a bit sad, but there was never much of a worry that she wouldn't be successful--she took after both of her parents quite a bit.
So Rebecca, I bet you don't want to haveta deal with another baby again. Red is so noisy, I don't know how we could stand it!
But Bert, soon she'll be a bit bigger, and you'll have lots of fun playing with her. Then you'll wish you had lots of sisters!
For some reason, though, her daughter-in-law's response to Bert's complaints about his sister rang a little suspicious...
Bradley, at this point, was no help whatsoever.
If you're really that suspicious, you should be making meals with higher protein content, just in case!
Just in case of what, Bradley?
She really couldn't bring herself to demand that Scooter "tell her the truth now, dammit," when she wasn't sure whether or not he actually knew it yet himself.
While Scooter knew he'd have to break the news to his parents sooner or later, he was actually enjoying anticipating his next child with Rebecca. They were both adults who'd come into their own, with successful jobs.
His hobbies now ran more along the lines of painting than going out at all hours, looking for women and fights...
...and Rebecca found herself being promoted, even after she put in for maternity leave.
The boys' marks were both very good, and they were even making friends with the younger Conrad children, much to the amusement of their father.
Look, Scoot, don't you think it's time to say something to your mother? I swear, I saw a vein pulsate in her forehead this morning. And Bradley egging her on really isn't helping.
One of the reasons Scooter had known Rebecca was "the one" was her tendency to be right about the "issues" in his life. Even the more minor ones.
You're right, of course. We'll tell her after the birthday party.
For his little baby girl, Rebecca's baby girl, was toddling all around and ready for her first birthday.
He even let the boys invite Eli over, knowing that Red was a wee bit young to have made any playmates yet.
Don't look so down, Mom. We have another baby coming directly after her for you to coo over and cuddle.
Scooter was never the best when it came to timing, though. He probably could've broke the news face to face instead of while he was leaning over Red's birthday cake.
Red had her mother's eyes and skin color, but she was already growing to resemble her father quite a bit.
Whaddya think...another baby?
I don't care, as long as our bedroom stays down the hall from the nursery.
Zoe told herself that their house had quite a bit of room, they were plenty well off, the island was still sparse enough to be handing out housing grants like candy, so what issue could be left to Scooter's tendency to...be fruitful and multiply.
It was true that she preferred all children, including her own, once they were independently able to use the toilet, but she knew that wasn't the issue.
It was the fact that Scooter was so flippant about the matter. It made it so hard. Was it another accident? Was this what both he and Rebecca wanted? If he wanted a big family, what was the reason?
Was he just being like his own father?
Rebecca seemed cheerful enough about things. She got along well with the boys, although they were all still a little wary of one another.
And both of them seemed even happier about things once Rebecca started showing.
Rebecca decided to take the opportunity that a few months off work afforded to switch career paths. She'd always wanted to work in something music-related, she said.
I just can't believe it! She was going to be promoted when she came back from leave!
Zoe frowned. It wasn't exactly like what she'd heard before, but it still came off as a little...controlling.
We have plenty. Enough for her to rest on her laurels until she finds a classified ad hiring Rock Stars, if she wants.
Scooter was baffled by his mother's reaction. She'd insisted that Chloe work, despite the fact they'd "had enough." What was different here? Of course, he supported Rebecca's choice to switch things up, he had just been a little surprised at her timing.
So, did you like the birthday party? Decide what you want to do for your next one?
Oh, I'm not that big on parties. Especially when you make such funny faces during them.
Children notice a lot more than adults give them credit for.
Time passed by. The pregnancy moved along fairly easily for Rebecca, without a bit of morning sickness, and her longer-by-choice maternity leave left her with plenty of time to spend with Red.
Bradley found that he might finally understand where a bit of his wife's craziness regarding her children was coming from. When he received word from Camilla that Levi Conrad had proposed--and she had accepted--he found himself making excuses to head out to the market and eyeball his daughter's potential in-laws.
He hoped that the two of them didn't get lonely by themselves up in Purple Point. After growing up in full households, the monstrosity might be a bit much.
It was hard enough having a daughter who was as studious, ambitious, and vivacious as her mother. As much as he cared for his stepsons, he never quite had made the leap to incessant worrying over their futures, and he could appreciate where Zoe's stress came from.
Especially since, as Scooter's personal life had calmed down, the dangers involved with his career increased. While it was good he'd found a productive outlet for his risk-taking, his mother would have preferred he forego it altogether.
Red's personality was developing swimmingly. Despite not actually having any MacMullin blood in her, Bradley was finding her quite the kindred spirit.
Scooter, what's wrong?
What's wrong is I had to borrow law books from Mom just to understand all the terms of my new contract before I sign it! I love what I do, I just miss the days when I was rappelling into unexplored caves and the worst thing I had to deal with is a bad spotting partner.
Scooter still tried to spend time around the boys even when he couldn't actively participate in what they were doing.
The new baby would arrive any day now, and he didn't want any of the other children feeling neglected as his attention was split in yet one more direction.
Zoe offered to help her daughter with wedding planning, but Camilla was too strong-willed to stand for that.
Sorry Mom, but that beach is reserved solely for Henson heirs. Levi and I will do the whole thing at the Point--no point in having a big house if you can't have bit parties in it, right?
One Saturday, Bert and Ernie found their fishing interrupted.
Come on boys, let's get in the car.
Their father hardly ever took them on trips. Especially never just the three of them, so they were quite curious at the development.
Here we are. I always wished my dad would take me here, so I figured I'd do the next best thing.
Their father smiled that tight smile of his that always showed up when he talked about the grandpa they'd never met. Meeting each others' eyes, Bert and Ernie just shrugged and ran through the gates of the amusement park.
Once they were inside, it was all real smiles...even Dad--especially Dad. Though he did proclaim that two against one on bumper cars was "totally unfair, boys."
No, Ernie, I'm going to sit here with my coffee and look at your faces. It's more fun for me that way!
He tried to swallow his fear and made his way up to where his brother was already waiting in the train. It was just a roller coaster. It could only go on the tracks, and he'd be well strapped in...it was just...
...terrifying.
Terrifyingly awesome.
Their father was too busy trying to talk some sense into a teenager when they stepped off the ride...so...
...they snuck off to a rooftop with fire geysers and roasted marshmallows.
It wasn't the "safest" activity around, but what their father didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?
Not only had Scooter enjoyed his afternoon out with the boys immensely, he was pleased more with their response to it.
This place is great, Dad!
Yeah, but next time we'll have to bring Red, too!
The dividing lines between Fozzie, himself, and Camilla had been more due to age and gender than parentage, but it was still nice to see that they were excited to share something with their little sister.
Because if he could end up so screwed up despite having his mother and Bradley as positive examples, he found himself worrying about his own children.
Granted, they were still young enough that fishing intrigued them more than sneaking out nights, but still...
Rebecca was so big now, it was hard to cart Red around when she needed to, however...
...she knew very well now that there were times that Bradley and Zoe just shouldn't be interrupted.
Though when she went into labor, that could've interrupted anything.
And it probably did.
It was another girl, this time with all of her mother's coloring. They named her Mokey.
Another girl! How lovely, two of each, almost like a matched set.
Zoe had warmed up considerably to the idea of a new baby in the house, though she'd somehow come up with the idea on her own that it was the last one.
Scooter and Rebecca laughed about it privately, though they both kinda agreed with her. Mokey did complete the family in a number of ways, gender and parental blending all considered.
And if they forgot to take any precautions the first time they were able to have sex after the baby was born, well, it couldn't matter that much. It was just one time and the state of Rebecca's hormones surely would've kept her from ovulating again so soon, anyway, right?
The boys were realizing that the adults in their life were not going to buy them everything they wanted, so they tried their hands at entrepeneurship.
And if they happened to choose a lemonade stand because their father remembered both Bradley and Uncle Joshua's weaknesses for such establishments...well, they weren't telling.
Red was having another birthday. Coupled with Camilla's graduation-slash-engagement, it was the perfect reasoning for having a family get together. While Camilla was a little miffed at her mother's railroading of several events into one party, she didn't say a word.
She just had made her own plans to get back at her.
You invited WHO?!
Don't worry Dad, if it blows up in our faces, I'll totally take responsibility. Especially considering there'd be no reason for him to be there if it were my own engagement party and nothing else!
So Bradley went in and played a bit with the birthday girl, while Camilla reassured Levi that her family was really not about to implode, just because of one party invitation.
Rebecca, despite having just switched tracks, was already making her way up in her career path. It was terrific--she would have so much fun rubbing it in Scooter's face!
How have things been around here since I left, kiddo? I notice the house hasn't burned down.
Oh...me an' Bert miss you Aunt Cam, but Rebecca is awfully nice. And Red's fun and can only get funner, right?
Rebecca could be fun at times, too. Camilla was kind of counting on her to help diffuse any situation, should it arise.
The guest list seemed quite normal, at first. Uncle Josh was just as close to them as Uncle Gonzo. Fozzie was never anywhere without Rillian. But someone else had just arrived.
Considering how little Jess had seen his own sons, it left one to wonder how Camilla, of all people, actually had managed to get ahold of him.
He was a little awkward with Fozzie, and Rebecca found it difficult to spit out an explanation to the boys, but if that was the worst issue of the evening, it was the best-case scenario.
And they found Jess was able to just sit on the couch and join the guys. Rebecca brought over Red for introductions all around, and it seemed like the party might go over well.
Especially since Bradley managed to orchestrate Zoe's absence from the very party she'd planned.
So, there they were with cake and noisemakers...
...some awkward and not-so-awkward father-son bonding...
...and Red, who had seemingly grown overnight, enjoying it all immensely. But it was too good to last.
While Zoe was able to go the route of politeness or, at worst, pretending the offending party didn't exist, the same couldn't be said for her brother and Joshua. After all, it's hard to tell someone exactly what you think of them after they disappear, isn't it?
Red, of all people, was able to diffuse the situation.
So, I hear you're my grandpa, too.
...yes, yes I am.
Why aren't you playing with me, then? It is my birthday, after all!
Well, I can't refuse you when you put it like that, can I?
And if Zoe was stunned because Jess very well had refused Red's father when he'd put it like that...she didn't mention it.
Scooter found himself returning work late in the evening, which had become an unfortunate habit, to an astonishing sight. Red was playing that ubiquitous game of catch...with his father!
He'd been proud of his recent accomplishments. It was no small feat to push down his apprehension and begin training to go into space, of all things, but...
...he didn't know if he'd be able to find the courage to face the mistakes of his past the way his father had. Even if it was in order to meet the only grandchildren he may ever have.
The party was far from the fiasco that Camilla and Bradley had expected...which they were thankful for.
No one had ever expected Jess to darken their doorstep again...
...let alone end up laughing once he had.
Even Zoe was eventually able to admit that it was past time that the boys had met their grandfather...even though any comment on how long it had been since they'd seen their mother was conspicuously absent.
I...have something to tell you, Scoot.
What would that be, hon?
...you'll find that birth control is unnecessary for the next, oh, six months or so.
While a small part of him wanted to shout, in horror, "AGAIN?! ALREADY?!," Scooter just found himself laughing and deciding that, since Rebecca couldn't very well become more pregnant, that they might as well enjoy it.
Yes, Zoe thought to herself. With Red heading off to school and Mokey soon walking around, it would be nice for things to get quiet and peaceful around here again.
Little did she know that she was even less in the loop than she'd been the last time.
Rebecca was slightly concerned. It seemed like that every microscopic mistake that she and Scooter made ended with another baby. She did like children, but she never saw herself having six or seven like that Conrad family seemed to. And what if the boys weren't a fluke and Scooter's DNA were predisposed to twins?
Perhaps it's time they started to take the idea of family planning seriously...
It was all too perfect. While she'd been expecting Levi to propose to her eventually, he certainly managed to surprise her by doing it in the middle of the cafeteria.
Her paternal grandfather had passed away soon after and, while it made her a bit sad, he had been nearly a hundred.
And it meant that while she and Levi were sleeping on the floor in a mattress just the same (come on, you couldn't expect them to take her grandparents' bed!), it was on the floor in her own ginormous, gaudy, purple house. With a tower on it.
...all right, it sounded stupid when you thought about it. But it was still hers.
She wondered, sometimes, if her father, the big chef, missed this kitchen. It was one of the things he'd given up for her mother.
And, as much as she and Levi loved and understood one another, they'd never gone through what her parents had gone through. She hoped they never would.
While the guest list for the wedding was fairly large (considering Levi's siblings alone), her brothers' father was purposefully absent from the guest list. This party was just for her and Levi, after all.
The ceremony was lovely.
Everyone seemed to enjoy it, even Scooter's wife, despite the discomfort she must've felt...being pregnant again and all. (Camilla was beginning to suspect that her brother actually hadn't heard of condoms at all. Or that he was, for lack of a better phrase, "doing it wrong.")
No wedding is complete without the cake-cutting ceremony...
...and Camilla jumped on the chance to smear cake all over Levi's face. She planned to surreptitiously lick it back off when no one else was looking.
The two of them laughed with her brothers about their college antics, though Scooter seemed a bit more into it than Fozzie did.
He told her later that Fozzie had been a bit "concerned" at the match with Levi, considering he and Scooter had been tight as teenagers. Camilla thought that was a bit hypocritical, considering Fozzie's own wife was such a harpy that she hardly ever deigned to show up to events involving their family--she hadn't even bothered to dress up for the wedding--and Camilla was pretty sure Fozzie liked her that way!
Despite her belly, Rebecca made her way up to the tall tower in Purple Point. She knew Scooter still apologized on occasion that they never could move into one of the larger, ostentatious houses in the settlement. Though the view on the Hill was nice, there was nothing wrong with their lovely house on the sea. Furthermore, the fact that he was heir to the Henson family was a pretty big achievement in itself, though he didn't see it that way.
He worked tirelessly to prove himself...like he'd gotten where he was by default and wanted to show his worthiness ex post facto.
Camilla, on the other hand, fell into her societal ties more casually, and a bit serenely. No one was a bit surprised when she said she was appending her surname yet again. Camilla Henson had become Camilla Henson-MacMullin as a teenager when she'd learned of her inheritance.
She became Camilla Henson-MacMullin-Conrad when she married Levi. On anyone else, it would've been ridiculous. On her, it was just her way of showing that her family was important.
Even if it was big and complicated, they were all connected now at that one point--her.
Her in-laws were like another set of parents, brothers and sisters, after all.
Not that there was anything wrong with the first set!
I see that Rebecca's..."in the family way" again.
Are you disappointed that I still haven't managed to take the advice you gave to me before Red was born?
She shook her head.
Nah. I can't say that I'll ever understand it, but I'm not disappointed. I'm sure it doesn't count for much, since I'm such a baby, but I'm awfully proud of you, Scooter. I hope you can say the same.
Sure I can--
Well, at least wait until I've proven I won't ruin any new life I bring into the world, before you say it for sure.
Though Camilla doubted there would be children in their future any time soon, considering how much Levi had to watch his own younger siblings--his youngest sisters were younger than her nephews!
None of the oldest Conrads seemed eager to go the way of their parents, come to think of it.
I'm not saying that we should have a baby tomorrow, just that it might be good to come up with a plan of when we'd want to...we don't want to be careless like my brother...
...or terrible on purpose like my parents...
...or my brother!
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A few notes:
- Scooter and Rebecca are both Romance sims who have risky woohoo whoopsed me nearly EVERY time they've gotten it on when Rebecca wasn't already pregnant. It is freaking insane! And a little hilarious, but still insane! Imagine living with them!
- This particular update was mostly just playing, absolutely no setup shots or foreplanning whatsoever. (For instance, a lot of Zoe's reactions the past couple updates AND the whole Chloe thread was, of course, orchestrated by me.) It was fun playing them, but I have a plotty thread in my head right now for the future that I'm not sure that I want to go through with, because it will cause more woe and angst. I'm torn between that and just playing and letting what will happen, happen. After all, it worked for Bradley and Zoe.
- Speaking of which, I love Bradley and Zoe forever and I don't want them to ever die. T_________T
- How the hell did Scooter turn into such a hot BAMF when I picked him for potential blended ugly? (Red's mostly got his genes, and I think she's uglier. WTF.)
- In other hotness notes, Levi and Leo Conrad are so much more ridiculously hot a) as adults and b) with my new defaults. If you didn't download them before, you might want to now. Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed.
- I'm also leaning towards not picking Chloe's kids for heir, because they mostly clones of her face. HOWEVER, if I was going for pure uglacy, that shouldn't matter. HMPH.
- Please excuse any errors or typoes. Every time I had to write this, I wasn't feeling my best, but I figured it's about time to just publish the update. (I'm mainly worried about some of my word choices, because I kept having words that didn't quite mean what I wanted them to come out of my hands as I was typing my sentences. X_X)
I do hope to put the Hensons back into the rotation, but I won't make any guarantees of certainty right now. I have a Randolph update in the works (which should be a doozy) and I've just about got the Laurince house back to where they were pre-clash (which would mean I could play the next update when it's their turn).
I've been playing around with LJ-Book to make archives of this sims blog. Unfortunately, I don't see a way to do it by tag, and it's too huge to do everything in one go. So I have to do it by date and break it up into chunks. I actually have it in three files at the moment, but here's my dilemma if I want to share it: Mediafire limits me to 200MB files. Right now I have one pdf under that, and two over that. I can go back some other day and break them into smaller chunks, OR I could upload a multi-part zip archive that puts itself back together once you download all the parts and extract it. What's the easier choice for you guys, if you'd be interested in such a thing? (It did save the pictures pretty well, and the Table of Contents produced makes it easy to follow certain legacies if you so choose.)
In book-keeping notes, I've begun to tag my legacies with the name of the neighborhood they take place in. All of the pixel_trade ones take place in Willowmere, for instance, which is now a fully-updated tag. (I started there because it had the fewest entries.) The Hensons, of course, were always tagged with Manhattenton. Expect to see Brazen Meadows (Delines and Moores) and Veronaville (Laurinces), eventually. Just in case anyone out there cares about what things look like or what townies/NPCs are gonna pop up.
Aside from that, keep your eyes open for more community lots. I basically just have to upload them and their pics, and type up descriptions for them at this point.