Henson Legacy, Generation 3.3!
Last time, Skeeter blew through her first career and moved onto her second. Gonzo and Bradley became children, and Skeeter gave birth to her second child: a daughter, Zoe. Janice and Joel agreed to forget the past, and possibly forgot it a bit too much.
Joel's son with his fiancee Mehrissa, Joshua is a child a little older than Gonzo.
Janice was enjoying being a grandmother. Not just to her own kin, but to Chessidy's son as well.
Though both the boys were getting older, Zoe was still in need of a lot of tender loving care.
And she was thankful she got out of answering some of the "tougher" questions.
Aunt Chess, can't we ever go to the mainland? I think it would be awesome to be on such a long boat trip.
Oh little man, don't you know that I can't ever go back to the mainland? They chased me and my family away with torches and pitchforks!
As the boys got older, they were starting to discover that girls had more than cooties--they often had tricks up their sleeves!
Some of their neighbors were more than odd looking, too.
Why'd you prick me with a pin?
Hold your hand up.
...ookay?
We're brothers now, Bradley!
Really?
Now we share blood--nobody can say anything any more!
So now what are you going to say to the next person who says "Oh you aren't really brothers, just good friends!"
I'm going to punch their lights out!
The boys had similar personalities, like brothers, with the exception that Gonzo was rather messy and Bradley was rather mean--they both took after their mothers, that way.
Gonzo was beginning to discover that Zoe could be fun sometimes, even if she was going to be a tricksy girl when she got older.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DAD'S MOVING BACK IN?!
I can explain, Skeeter, I really can...
You better!
Well, your father has been coming over every now and then, you know that. What you didn't know is that sometimes when you're at work and the boys are at school, I've been going to visit him.
How long has this been going on?
Quite some time.
What about her?
Well, Joel and Mehrissa haven't had the strongest relationshp. I guess the final blow came the day she got home from work to find me catching butterflies on their front lawn--
I guess that's strange enough--
--in my underwear.
...
...MOTHER!
Anyway, she got very angry with him but your father stood his ground, and said that if Mehrissa didn't have a problem with the fact he had a wife before, why should he have a problem now?
But he doesn't have a wife now. He has an ex-wife.
Let's not argue semantics, sweetie, or I'll have to compare you to your father's mistress.
Hmph.
I did feel a bit sorry for Joshua, with his parents' relationship deteriorating around him. I kept hoping that when he got a bit older, he'd understand.
Well, he's a bit older than the boys, I'm sure he's old enough to have some idea--
Now he does, yes. However, this all happened when he was still in diapers.
...
So this kid's had birthday parties punctuating with Dad threatening to move out and his mother sobbing for the past ten years or so? What the hell is wrong with you? BOTH of you?
Your father and I have this enduring love, and--
Dad and you have this enduring stupid.
Joshua looks just like your father. I'm sure you'll love him like your sisters soon enough.
He and Joel are fairly close, anyway. That's why he chose to come live here with your father and us.
For the first year or so after her parents broke up, Skeeter dreamt of their reconciliation. Her father, moving back in.
...at this point? She was beginning to think she was living in a nightmare.
Joshua Phillipine's life was weird. No doubt about it. He had vague memories of his mom and dad living together, happily. But he had more memories: a workaholic mother who did little more than lie about and sulk when she was home, and an indulgent father who spend excessive amounts of time on him. When he wasn't with...
Well, Joshua wasn't entirely sure what Janice Henson was to him yet, and he tried not to think about it too much.
He knew he was living in her house on the beach. He knew that his father loved her very much. He even knew he had three rather old half-sisters whose parents were both Joel AND Janice.
So if they liked their family, why'd they change things up enough for him to be born, then decide they wanted everything back again?
He'd have his own room, instead of the kiddie room he was sharing with Bradley. (God knows what the hell THAT kid was doing living there--if Janice was confusing, Bradley was headache-inducing.)
He did enjoy the view of the water from his new room, though. He often thought, when he was smaller, that his father, as the chief of police and one of the first settlement residents, should have one of the big houses by the sea.
Then there was Gonzo. He wasn't confused. His mom and dad lived with him and had only been married to each other. He had Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Chess. He called Bradley his brother and Zoe his sister. Jerkface.
Gonzo refused to call Joshua "uncle," though.
How stupid! You're not any older than I am.
But Joshua was a bit older. He was glad to escape his nephew and attend the high. He had dreams of friends everywhere, and a life that made sense.
More sense than living in a house with a bunch of strangers that his father seemed to love just as much as him, anyway.
Joshua had noticed one of Gonzo's friends, Lexie, was in his class.
We go to the same school. We should hang out sometime!
Lexie just made a face.
That doesn't mean you're any fun or anything. We've always gone to the same school! And just cause Gonzo's a year behind doesn't mean we're not still friends!
He did meet a friend of his own at school, though. Her name was Melanie, and she liked being around him!
And she didn't even seem to mind his shy compliments.
She wasn't even embarrassed when she realized they'd shared their first kiss right in front of the grade school's bus stop. (Joshua, however, had to admit it was annoying that he was seen in front of his little--little--housemates and their friends.)
There was one shining beacon of light and goodness about his residency at the Henson abode. Chessidy MacMullin. Especially when she was doing yoga. Bending over.
He didn't see much of his sister Skeeter. She spent quite a bit of her time obsessing over money or her husband. Or both.
When Gonzo's birthday rolled around, Joshua was filled with a bit of dread. Here goes that slight edge he had over his nephew. Well, fine, he'd be present at the party, but he wouldn't like it!
Gonzo had his father's arrogant stare and none of his receding hairline. He was going to be a lady killer.
No one, not even Joshua, could keep a smile off of their face when it was Zoe's turn to blow out the candles.
Gonzo was a bit aware of his uncle's insecurities, but hey--the kid had a hard life, and he'd had a lucky one. He had the best brother in the world, and an adorable little sister and BOTH of his parents. So let the ugly bitch sulk, right?
Zoe was more than a chip off the old block. She looked like Mom AND Dad. Good thing, since she was a girl.
Joshua wanted to be friends with his nephew, but his shyness and preconceptions were a little hard to overcome.
Zoe was eight going on eighteen. Her favorite show? The news. She would talk constantly about how Destiny Island was perceived to the rest of the world, and the local tourism industry, and...let's just say it was obvious that her parents' obsession with money had rubbed off on one of the kids.
Luckily, she had her own room. She was too obnoxious for any of the boys to tolerate for too long.
One afternoon, Joshua was having a nice sulky chess match against himself when his niece popped up.
You know, if we're ever going to have a presence on the world chess circuit, we're going to have to get serious about the game.
...what?
Do you want to play against someone real?
Sure, Zoe.
Sometimes, Joshua would dream of his parents reconciling, but the night he looked out the window and saw his mother stealing their newspaper... That's the day he decided to be realistic about his situation.
He was stuck in this crazy house til he turned 18. Or everyone died.
So, til 18 then.
In spite of the age difference, Gonzo spent more time with Bradley than Joshua.
We've got to get you ready for your eighth grade dance, you'll blow the ladies away. Then next year, we'll take the school by storm, bro!
Joshua did have to admit...his father never seemed happier.
This is what life is all about...sitting down to breakfast with all my favorite kids!
He had gone around blaming his...er...Janice for all of his family's problems, but he found a book shoved way back in the bookcase. It was his half-sister Prairie Dawn's diary. He learned that when she was just getting out of high school, Janice had found his father in HER--Janice's--bed...with his mother.
He couldn't be mad at Janice, and he couldn't hate his father...
Life was easier when he didn't understand what was going on.
What are you writing your book report on, honey?
Ivanhoe.
...uh...why not something nice, like Harry Potter?
That's what my teacher said.
Now that Gonzo was in high school, Lexie came over even more often.
Gonzo was coming on to her, and strong!
Joshua gritted his teeth when he saw. He supposed it would be a good idea to ask Gonzo to be a gentleman.
He supposed wrong! Gonzo looked irritated AND gratified as Lexie ripped into him again.
This isn't any of your business, Phillipine! I've never liked you and we've never been friends, so butt out!
You do realize he only wants to stick it in you, right?
Shut. UP.
One night, Joshua was having trouble sleeping. He saw his sister running off to a car with tinted windows, painted with strange markings. Come to think of it, Skeeter hadn't been going to a normal job lately. He wondered what that was all about.
Bradley had appropriated Skeeter's podium to practice his Social Studies speech on economics.
He saw his father exit Janice's--his--bedroom, and Joshua wanted to avoid confrontation. He'd been avoiding his father ever since he found his sister's old diary. He ducked into the nearest doorway.
Chessidy's room. She was the best actress on the island, and infinitely gorgeous.
He was beginning to feel like he was actually in some sort of movie. His life was certainly dramatic enough. So he did what he figured would lead to an interesting scene. He made himself comfortable on Chessidy's bed.
The scene WAS interesting. Chessidy woke up from his movement on the bed, and hopped up, outraged.
What the hell are you doing in here? No knocking, no anything--you were just trying to get a look at me undressed, weren't you?
Chessidy's angry face was terrifying.
He pulled his wits together. He didn't want Chessidy to go waking up the entire house.
I just wanted to talk to somebody who wasn't a part of the insane mess that is supposedly my family! So I came to you. It's not like I'd have any interest in seeing YOU out of your clothes! Do you have any idea how old you must seem to someone my age?
He stormed out, but he couldn't help but see a glimpse of sadness on her face. Well, there's one bridge burned.
The morning wasn't any better, what with him creating a horrible virus by accident at Janice's workstation. He'd have to muffle his coughs and hope things weren't contagious.
Wouldn't it be great if Mom and Chessidy made their own psychic hotline? They could get so much money from fools in both of their professions!
Zoe's lucidity was frightening to them all, at times.
Gonzo pulled a few strings with his old friend Joy, and he had a guest of honor for Bradley's birthday. God bless his kid brother.
It was going to be great once the two of them were old enough to go looking for chicks together.
He grew up great! Not so ugly he scared girls away, but not so good looking he'd outshine the hotness of Gonzo's manly self. The perfect wingman.
Gonzo had to save face when Bradley seemed more interested in cake than Joy.
Can't blame the poor boy's nerves, can you? Such a pretty thing as you...
If nothing else, pretending to matchmake Bradley was having better results than trying to do things on his own.
Bradley sighed. At Gonzo's insistence, they were going to "look for chicks." Even though all the teenagers in the settlement went to their school. So they knew them.
Plus, looking for girls was a better solitary activity. No Gonzo to swoop in whenever his arbitrary time limit for wooing expired.
The first place they visited was Rolls-About Rink
Bradley tried to strike up intelligent conversation, but what kind of grown woman hangs out in a roller rink?
A stupid one.
Meanwhile, Gonzo, who had claimed that the women would flock to him because of his "mad skate skillz," was having trouble even getting onto the rink.
Bradley made sure they left when Gonzo said, "You know who's looking fiiiiine, Brad? Joshua's mom!"
Come on, bro, photobooth pics first!
The girls will think we're gay.
Girls like that!
Girlwatching a bust, they went out to get some lunch.
Milly's Cafe was the only joint in town, had some questionable help, and even more boring clientele. The only interesting thing was the fact you could see the settlement lock-up from the balcony.
Their waitress was pretty cute.
Something did seem odd about her, though.
Bradley kept his morale up.
You are fine. It's not your fault no cute girls were out today.
He just needed to keep Gonzo off of his tail. The photobooth comment was the first part of his plan. Talking constantly about fashion was the second. If Gonzo started suspecting Bradley was gay...he'd relax when the girls were around!
After all, there was no way he was going to end up like his father--constantly on call just in case Chessidy MacMullin deigned to pick up the phone.
He decided to call Joy up for a date. She seemed--joyful?
Gonzo was busy being a voyeur in the house. I need to figure out how your ma strings your dad along like that. He'd said.
Fine by Bradley.
Zoe smiled to herself. Her orchestration had worked out perfectly!
I'm so glad Joshua's mother agreed to come visit him. He's seemed out of his element ever since he moved in...he needed to talk to someone else who was on "the outside," I think.
Chessidy's dinner stopped halfway to her mouth. Are you twelve or twenty?
Skeeter finally accepted her father's ex-mistress's role in the family. Things were still a screwed-up mess, but it probably wasn't all Mehrissa's fault.
She couldn't hate Mehrissa without also hating her brother. And she didn't hate Joshua.
...bitch still spelled her name stupid, though.
The Gonzonator 1, Bradley 0.
What did you just say Gonzo?
...you're gorgeous Joy.
Oh!
Bradley was still a step ahead of the game. Whether he wanted to be or not.
Look...
Call me Mehrissa. And I meant it about the handcuffs. I have a pair on me at all times. I'm a cop, you know.
Well, you see...you're Joshua's mom.
I'm still young.
But Gonzo's like my brother, which makes Joshua like my uncle, which makes you like my grandmother, and I don't do incest with the elderly.
Marry me...again.
Joel and Janice's relationship is something that no one will ever comprehend. No one.
Bradley decided to continue on with his plan.
Using the money he got from selling Joy's copious gifts, he could believably pretend he had an interest in cosmetology, at no cost to himself!
Skeeter was exhausted. Being a cult leader was not what it was cracked up to be. Especially considering how many times she had to keep her followers from offering to off themselves.
I've never said this before, Janice, but I truly admire your sense of self-worth. Most women would have let a cheating husband walk all over them in the name of "love," but you gave Joel what-for and tossed him on his ass. Then he actually realized what you meant to him!
...you don't understand our love!
I never claimed that. Who would?
Janice kept herself busy, making doses of medicine for the mysterious flu that had been going around the household. Joshua claimed he brought it home from school from a sick classmate, but it seemed a tad virulent for that.
Skeeter switched careers again, lecturing as a religious studies professor. She was an expert on cult movements now, after all.
Joshua and Melanie had become inseperable. Best friends in every sense of the term.
...and she had finally agreed to go steady with him.
Gonzo's not the only love-master in this crazy family.
Zoe may or may not have borne witness to the boys' antics.
Teen hormones. I will kill myself if I become like that.
Bradley, bro, that's NOT how you handle a woman! You have to be gentle!
Thanks for the advice, Gonzo!
Hey...wait...you're supposed to punch me on the arm or something, not--
Boy on boy is HOT!
So, Mel, honey, just step over to my chair and I will make you the hottest girl in school.
...you really ARE--
I can't wait to get my hands all over you.
Okay, I get it, you were faking guy-on-guy for attention. It's about time we had true equality in looking stupid for the opposite sex, but did you have to ruin my face?!
I'll fix it!
...really?
You see, Mel, I may not be gay...I may not really want to be a hairdresser...but my mother is an actress and I've watched quite a few make-up artists in action.
You did a good job, Brad!
Bradley also worked his magic in Lexie, who wasn't ever going to fall for his act.
Well, I had my suspicions, but you actually can work a brush!
And so, the Henson house was constantly full of hormonal teenagers. Of both sexes.
Why are we eating yogurt? We're not sumo wrestlers.
So we don't become sumo wrestlers?
Gonzo?
Don't look at me bud, I gave up grandma's greasy breakfasts when I was ten.
Gonzo had to admit, his uncle-thingy was learning a thing or two about the fair sex himself. It was a proud moment in male-dom when he saw Joshua chatting up the mailwoman.
Notes:
- I didn't mean for this to be in Joshua's point of view, but whatever works, right?
- Ditto for Zoe's precociousness, but it IS hilarious.
- If it's not obvious, Josh is a Popularity sim and Gonzo and Bradley are both Romance.
- I have no idea what the college situation is going to be this gen. I am leaning towards Joshua moving out right after graduation (like Betty Lou and Prairie Dawn), but I'm not sure about the others.
- I installed OfB?
- I created a Henson download page, but only Skeeter is there currently. As always, open to requests and such.
- Guess which two sims are trying to hop in bed together every time I turn my back? Gonzo and Chess. That is NOT something I want going on, so I have to keep my eyes peeled. Professor Bradley's Father was only there to try and distract Chess from banging her best friend's son, who she should treat as HER son. I suppose I should do some SimPE wrangling and make them so they can't touch each other. XP