The DeBateau Family: Week 4

- - - Update 1.11.2010 - - - Do you remember the problem at the DeBateau house? There were too many Sims and pets living here already in order for Armand to get married - something he needed to do as soon as possible, if he ever was to reach his lifetime want. He took the only feasible decision and moved out. (We will meet him again soon, don't worry.)

Those remaining here are Isabel Baldwin, here with one of her beloved puppies...

Melanie and Beaumont DeBateau, Armand's resurrected parents...

...the dogs Baily and Alabama and their little ones, Ally and Abby, as well as Tara, Armand's adoptive daughter who has recently become the only member of the household who has reached her lifetime want of being a World Class Ballet Dancer, in spite of her being the youngest of the human residents at the house.

Ally and Abby are both growing up on this sunny Monday afternoon in spring... (They make pets no. 2 and 3 for Isabel, who dreams of raising 20 puppies or kittens)

...but it soon becomes obvious that now they do not get along with their parents any more.

Poor Alabama really does not deserve such treatment from her own daughters!

Isabel takes a decision - hurtful, but necessary. "Sorry, sweetheart, but you and your sister will be far better off somewhere else, preferably with a family where you are the only dog."

So, the animal adoption service, which is a police department, are called and a very kind officer comes to pick up Ally and Abby.

Isabel knows it is for everyone's best, and yet it is almost heartbreaking to let "her babies" go.

The day is not over yet - the most dramatic event of this Monday is happening right now, in Melanie's bath room: She is now 73, and the Grim Reaper makes her the 18th death of New Maximiliania. She leaves 490 Simoleons to her adoptive granddaughter Tara, 465 to her former husband Beaumont, similar sums to some of her closest friends, and 4.800 Simoleons to her son Armand (who really does not need it - this household is one of the richest ones in all of New Max).

Beaumont and Melanie were not married anymore since the day they first had died, and Beaumont is very much in love with Isabel Baldwin, and yet he can not help but grieve his first wife.

Tara misses her stylish and art-loving grandmother, too.

She decides she needs some distraction and flies the family helicopter to the Crypt-O'Night Club.

Many new Maximilianians are here tonight: front: Samantha Ottomas, back, white coat: Delilah O'Feefe; red hair: Natasha Una; next to her Brandi Broke, and the elderly gentleman in the blue shirt is Checo Ramirez. Tara was secretly hoping to finally find a 3-bolt-candidate, but there aren't any.

Oh look who's here! Hello there, Agnes :-)

This does not happen often - at least not in my game :-)

Back home, Alabama has taken to sleep on Melanie's now vacant bed.

Tara is tired from her outing but it is still too early to go to bed.

On Wednesday, one of her closest friends from her college days, Angela Pleasant, comes over.

On Thursday, Alabama gives birth to another puppy: Betty. (In her case, I have decided to name each litter according to alphabetical order; the first litter with A, the second with B, and so on)

Tara is getting restless again, and they need to stock up on groceries anyway, so it is just as well that she goes shopping by helicopter.

The supermarket is as good as empty, and Tara only stays as long as it takes to buy the groceries.

She then stops at the Mountainway Restaurant (I am not sure now if that is the correct name of this Maxis-built community lot) and hopes the waiters there won't be as clumsy as the woman who threw all the food on her at the Crypt-O'Night Club.

Dina Caliente is here, as are Circe Beaker, Marissa Cleveland and Hermia Capp. The only male New Maximilianian here today is Leod Broke (formerly McGreggor), you can see him at the counter in the far right corner.

Neither the food nor the company seem to satisfy Tara, and so she moves on to Bernard's Botanical Dining.

After that, she pays a visit to the spa.

All that being out and about was only possible because Tara's job as a World Class Ballet Dancer means she does not work every day. Today, though, it is Friday, and she has to perform.

Coming back home with colleague Gilbert Jocque, and greeting Pauline Aspir, Tara has been demoted to Flamenco Master - and only because she was playing a video game during her lunch break!

On Saturday, Alabama has another set of twins: Cilly and Cesar.

Tara goes to work in her Flamenco dress - she quite likes it, I think!

Saturday night after a brilliant and passionate Flamenco performance, she is back in her former job as World Class Ballet Dancer. (None of this has had any influence on her Permanent Platinum status.)

On Sunday, little Betty grows up. She does look quite like her father Bailey, doesn't she?

At 6.00 pm, Isabel Baldwin has been looking after her beloved dogs for the very last time. She is 73 now, the same age as Melanie when she had to go with the Grim Reaper. A total of nine people inherit from her, her husband Benjamin, who she had left for Beaumont a long time ago, being the recipient of 6.600 Simoleon, while her daughter Sofia receives 4.500 and her son Marcus is not specifically mentioned.

The dogs mourn the loss of their Master.

Beaumont appears to be deeply affected - losing both his first wife and his live-in-lover in the space of one week is certainly tough.

That night, he chooses to sleep in Melanie's old bed. Maybe he finds some solace there. 

Now that the household is reduced by two, is Armand going to move back in? Will Tara find that special someone for herself, or what else is she going to do with her life? Are they going to keep all the dogs now that Isabel is not there anymore? I have not decided on any of this yet :-)