The Roseland-Goth Family: Week 8

The Roseland-Goth villa is still one of my favourite houses in New Maximiliania; sometimes I can't be bothered with doing much about the original furnishing and decorating of a place, but in this case, I have made a real effort, and am still happy with what it looks like.

Who lives here at the moment?

Cyd Roseland, widower of Cassandra Roseland née Goth, now 78 years old...

...Tara Goth, née DeBateau, also 78 years old, wife of...

...Alexander Goth, who is much younger at 62...

...Jackie, the dog...

..and Moody, another dog (remnants of the days when Cassandra was still alive and wanted to raise 20 puppies). But wait, haven't I forgotten someone?

No, I have not. Alexander's half-Alien twins Giselle and Gunther are still there, too.

It is Monday, and Tara's turn to do some gardening. Usually I let my PermaPlat Sims do what they like, and this is true in this household for most of the time, too. But since we have two children and two dogs living here as well, I don't want the place to go "to the dogs", as the saying goes, and therefore have the adults take turns in doing what is necessary to keep things clean and tidy.

Today, Christopher Capp walks by just as the school bus pulls up in front of the house at 3.00 pm.

A few hours later, Cyd is definitely not feeling well.

Now he knows what was wrong with him! He dies on Permanent Platinum at the age of 79. Good-bye, Cyd, you were a good husband to Cassandra, brother-in-law to Alexander and uncle to Giselle and Gunther. Also, you were a good master to your faithful dog Porthos, who died long ago.

On Tuesday morning, Giselle spends an hour or so before school playing with her toy boat.

Gunther, always the super-neat one, prefers cleaning up his breakfast things.

When left to their own devices, some Sims definitely show more intelligence than others. For instance, Alexander will always take a bath when his hygiene level is low, but Tara has no better idea than a sponge bath.

Still, she is the love of Alexander's life, and the two of them show their feelings to each other frequently.

Jackie never waits too long before getting clean with the water wiggler. I really am grateful for that item!

Giselle is, like many half-Alien children, exceptionally bright and maximises her logic skill this afternoon.

Again, Tara shows less intelligence than her husband. He never starves himself, he always prepares a nice meal long before it comes to that.

Just like here, on Wednesday morning, when I find him in the kitchen making a dish of salmon.

Giselle brings home class mate Nellie Newson today. The girls can talk endlessly about their favourite movies and TV shows, while Moody was so hoping for a nice game of fetch out in the garden.

At 6.00 pm, Tara dies. She was the same age as Cyd Roseland when he died; 79.

At the same time, upstairs Gunther turns into a teenager. His aspiration is decided by lot and turns out to be Knowledge. Unfortunately, his lifetime want is to be Criminal Mastermind - not my favourite career path!

Alexander always knew that his wife would probably die first, being so much older than himself. But it still hits him hard to see her waving a final good-bye to him.

Gunther may have hit puberty, but it certainly has not hit him - he still is the neat freak he used to be as a child.

They are twins, but it takes Giselle a few hours before she, too, grows up into a teenager. Her aspiration is Family, and she wants to have six grandchildren eventually.

Gunther tries to cheer up his father by telling him how well he and his sister grew up, thanks to him being such a great Dad, and how they can be very much there for him now than when they were just little kids. But Alexander is inconsolable over Tara's death.

[He is thinking of her non-stop.

Even Moody seems to be affected by two deaths in such a short space of time and on Thursday morning, he reverts to destructive behaviour he has not shown for a very long time.

I notice just in time that Giselle somehow never finished her homework on Wednesday. She has to do it now, early in the morning before school.

By the way, the nursery has been changed to a room that suits her needs more. Her brother has moved into Alexander's old room.

Thursdays mean mail days in New Maximiliania. But instead of just the usual pile of bills, today Alexander finds a letter from a friend: Jessica Peterson writes such kind words of comfort, Alexander can't help but feel his spirits lift.

He rings Jessica to thank her for her letter, and soon the two of them are in an animated conversation that lasts for hours. (Of course, there was no letter from Jessica in actual gameplay; I made that up. But the phone conversation was real!)

The kids now finish school two hours earlier than before and make use of the sunny afternoon by playing with the water wiggler.

It is Friday morning, and Alexander autonomously gives the bath next to his bedroom a good scrub.

Whenever Giselle is near a mirror, she can't resist posing in front of it, much to the embarrassment of her brother.

Oops - who died now, without me noticing?

Jackie, who had a very long and happy dog's life. Now Moody is the only family pet left.

Didn't I tell you that Giselle poses in front of every mirror she comes across? ;-)

On Saturday morning, not being rushed for time as on school days Giselle decides to have a long, leisurely bath. The bathroom adjacent to her room has had a make-over, too.

Over breakfast, the twins talk about how they used to have so many pets, and now there is only poor Moody left. "Maybe Dad will allow for us to take in another dog or cat," Gunther hopes.

But before they pester their father about another pet, they have something more important to do: buy cell phones!

At Sims Gone Wired, both of them buy mobiles.

Meanwhile, Alexander has used his children's absence to invite Jessica Peterson over. After their first long phone conversation, several more calls have followed, and now he thinks it is time to act.

Back from town, Gunther takes advantage of the small gym in one of the tower rooms at the villa. This is the first time anyone uses the exercise bike this week.

Jessica and Alex' friendship progresses very quickly!

So quickly, in fact, that Jessica moves in during the early hours of Sunday morning! She is 67, Alexander is 68 - they seem a good match. And with her pink hair, she reminds Alexander a bit of how Tara used to be when she was younger.

The two of them toast Jessica's move...

...and are clearly very much in love with each other (jumping into Alexander's arms was an autonomous action from Jessica). This may seem a bit sudden to some, so soon after Tara's death, but Alexander is right in thinking you should not wait too long when you are their age - you never know how many (or few!) days you'll have left to enjoy life.

It is now autumn, and Gunther spends good part of the afternoon raking the leaves on the garden path.

Alexander gives yet another proof of his intelliegence when, instead of stomping on the bugs that have developed near the dustbin, he sprays them.

This is where we end the week at this household. I enjoy playing here a lot, but now it will take a long time before I'll be back here.

Will the twins go to college? Are Alexander and Jessica going to marry? Will another dog or cat join Moody?