The fourth week at Antonio Monty's house starts with him doing some gardening. He is all on his own at the moment, what with the twins having left for college during the previous week at his household.
How Benedick and Beatrice did at uni can be read in these chapters:
http://mekssims2.blogspot.de/2012/07/students-at-academie-le-tour-1932011.html
http://mekssims2.blogspot.de/2012/07/students-at-academie-le-tour-22112010.html
http://mekssims2.blogspot.de/2012/07/students-at-academie-le-tour-942012.html
http://mekssims2.blogspot.de/2012/07/students-at-academie-le-tour-1242012.html
But it does not stay that way for long: Both Benedick and Beatrice have graduated in the meantime, and are now ready to return home to their Dad.
Of course Bea and Ben do not want to share a room anymore, but the old house is too small for three bedrooms. Good job the two of them have saved almost all of their grant money during their time at university! It means that there is enough money now to buy a bigger place. This Veronaville-style ensemble of two connected buildings is exactly what they need: one for the twins, one for Antonio. (Next door is Sam Thomas' and Ty Bubbler's house.)
Beatrice has her bedroom done in soft pink. All the while during her college years, her father kept the dress grandmother Isabella made for her before she died. Now she is ready to wear it.
It fits perfectly! (The other outfit in Antonio's inventory was still buggy. He could not click on it for anything else than to sell it, and so I had him sell it. Isabella has been gone from my game for so long that I had completely forgotten what dress she once made for Bea, and so it was a surprise for me to see her change into this.)
Benedick went for a "nature's call" style in his bedroom. He still wants to have 20 best pet friends, and so this seemed right for him.
Antonio still sticks to his favourites, beige and browns.
In the larger of the two buildings, the family have their dining room...
...kitchen...
...and living room.
Maybe you remember that Beatrice and Buck Grunt are 3-bolt-lovers. And maybe you also remember that Buck was abducted by Aliens when I last played the Grunts. You can read about that here if you like:
http://mekssims2.blogspot.de/2013/01/the-grunt-family-week-4.html
Now he has moved in with Beatrice, and on the same day gives birth to a little boy, Graham. For a change, the birth does not happen in a bathroom, but in the kitchen :-)
Of course the rooms now need rearranging: Benedick moves his stuff over to the other building and takes the formerly empty room next to his Dad's, and his "old" room (he never even slept there, since all this happened on Monday) is turned into a nursery.
Benedick, Beatrice and Buck are having their first meal at the new place...
...while Antonio is the one to give little Graham his first bottle.
They all take turns in looking after the baby. Strictly speaking, Graham is not related to anyone here but Buck, but that does not mean the Montys love him any less.
On Tuesday, Beatrice finds a job in the career of her dreams: she is now a Battle of the Bands Judge.
Aunt Bianca (Antonio's sister, I think, according to the Maxis-made set up of Veronaville) and her husband, Kent Capp, come visiting.
t is a happy occasion for the family.
It is also the day of Antonio's 3rd skill maxed out: Charisma. He still has some hard work ahead, but he certainly stands a chance to reaching his lifetime want of maxing out all seven skills.
Meanwhile, Benedick has taken up robotics as a hobby. He makes his Bronze Talent Badge the same evening.
Benedick's lifetime want of having 20 best pet friends has never been reached by any Sim in my game. It does not help that, for the first two days at the new house, not a single cat or dog appears on the lot. Finally, on Wednesday, this stray dog named Balin becomes acquainted with Benedick.
Almost at the same time, a wolf by the name of Alegra (what else!) appears.
And after Benedick has had a chance to get some sleep, Webster pays a visit.
The human visitor for the day is Ripp Grunt - he obviously wants to check out his brother's new place, and Antonio welcomes him in, but Buck is out for work.
Graham turns into a toddler at 6.00 pm, helped along by his Dad.
His heart swells with love and pride when the little boy says "Daddy" for the first time!
On Tuesday, Erik Swain profits from Graham's new ability to talk and speaks to the toddler about his Alien heritage. Graham hopes to become best friends with at least some of his many half-siblings living in New Maximiliania.
Early Friday morning, Benedick meets Bailey and plays fetch with the wolf.
Beatrice is promoted to Roadie that night.
She and Buck are very happy about the way things are going. So far, neither of them has expressed the wish to get married, but they are firm 3-bolters and often initiate romantic interactions on their own accord.
It is Saturday, and Buck does not have to work. He invites his father, General Buzz Grunt, and his brothers Ripp and Tank over for a family afternoon.
"Sorry, folks, but my sis had to help the band in the studio with their new CD," Benedick explains Beatrice's absence.
She and her father return from work in time to still meet the Grunts, and Beatrice is promoted to Studio Musician, goes to work in the evening and receives another promotion: she is now a Concert Pianist.
Benedick meets this small poodle with the horrible "hairdo", Balin.
Little Graham meets his Granddad for the first time!
I didn't make him do that - the old General picked up his grandson for a snuggle all on his own accord!
Sunday morning sees Benedick getting to know Tramp, the beautiful white wolf.
Visits of stray dogs have been rare this week, and there was not a single cat in sight. This left him with plenty of time for his hobby, and today, he gets his Silver Robotics Badge.
Ben's and Bea's cousins, Mercutio and Romeo Monty, have been invited for a family Sunday. Buck knows them from uni, too, and engages the visibly pregnant Mercutio in their old school cheer. I wonder whether the two of them talked about what it means to have a half-Alien baby, what with Buck's first-hand experience in the matter :-)
Antonio has also asked Bianca and Kent over.
Winter seems to be the perfect time for gift-giving, and Bianca is presented with a collection of pottery made by Bea and Ben when they were in college, as well as a CleanBot.
Upstairs in the nursery. little Graham grows up into a child. He will start school tomorrow, but we won't see that until the next round.
The baby furniture is gone, and his room looks like this now. The week ends with Antonio being 64 and working hard on his skills, Beatrice moving up in her career and Benedick being way behind with his lifetime want. I wonder whether that will change, and whether Bea and Buck are going to want to get married in spring.
Some pictures from the first two weeks of Antonio Monty and his family in New Maximiliania:
Their house. I thought it fitting to give them one from the lots & houses bin that was built in the Veronaville-style.
There was very little money when they moved in, and only the basic furniture could be bought - thank heavens for the IKEA stuff pack :-)
Antonio's bedroom.
The kids' room.
Kitchen and dining area.
The living room consists of a cheap settee, a TV set and a book shelf and a lamp.
Benedick welcoming his big cousin (or uncle?), Mercutio Monty.
The children have their own ideas about what they want to be and do when they grow up.
Beatrice immediately after growing up from child to teenager.
Her twin brother Benedick at the same moment. Uuugh, those outfits had to go!!
Their Dad had lovingly prepared pork chops for the kids' birthday dinner.
After the meal, they changed into much better outfits.
Next, it was their room to receive a makeover.
And then, the teenagers discovered all new feelings towards their old chums from school! Here is Beatrice with Buck Grunt.
Benedick found Lilith Pleasant VERY attractive during his teens...
...and at some stage had something going on with Sofia Baldwin.
This old-fashioned house is built in the typical Veronaville style, and its inhabitants indeed come originally from there: Antonio Monty and his twins.
Good morning, Antonio! It is Monday morning, and I don't know yet what this week will have in store for him. Antonio is a Knowledge Sim with the typical lifetime want of maxing out his skills; so far, he has mastered only Cooking. He will be an elder in 4 days. Because of necessity, he has kept his job as an Executive Chef. There aren't any three-bolt-ladies in his relationship panel.
Good morning, Benedick! When Benedick turned from a child to a teenager, "fate" (= my lots) decided for him to have the Popularity aspiration and the extremely difficult lifetime want of having 20 simultaneous best pet friends. None of my Sims have ever reached that.
Good morning, Beatrice! Beatrice turned into a beautiful young lady and shares her twin brother's aspiration - thankfully, not his lifetime want. Instead, she sees herself as future Rock Goddess.
Do you remember Isabella Monty? She died long ago in my game, but before that, she had taken up sewing as a hobby and made some quilts (as seen on the wall in Antonio's bedroom) as well as outfits for her friends and family. One of those outfits was in Antonio's inventory after she gave it to him as a present. I took it from the inventory but then the only option available was to sell it - there was nothing to indicate how to add it to the wardrobe or make Antonio wear it. Does anyone know how that works?
The twins are diligent students and always do their homework straight after school.
In the evening, Antonio suggests they watch TV together.
Benedick can not afford to miss any occasion to meet and greet stray dogs and cats. Very early on Tuesday morning - in fact, it is still night - Alegra is befriended.
Benedick has to go to bed while the dog is still there, and when the family get up in the morning, they find their settee destroyed...
...and the dustbin overturned. Well, Alegra is a stray dog and has not learnt how a good dog behaves in a human dwelling.
The settee is quickly replaced, and Antonio maxes out his second skill: Mechanical.
To purchase a Robot Station is on his wish list, and as he has been going to work and managed to put some money aside, I grant his wish and let him make a toy robot.
On Wednesday morning/night, Benedick meets Kim, a stray cat who he befriends, and the skunk... who he does NOT befriend.
Antonio makes sure to eat at least one meal every day with both his children.
On Thursday, Benedick's girlfriend Ariel Capp comes visiting.
It is also Antonio's birthday: he is now an elder. Nobody should be forced to walk around in a track suit all day long, every day, and so Antonio goes shopping for clothes.
"Desprit Deals" is his choice. He meets and greets some other New Maximilianians there, with Samantha Ottomas being another 2-bolt-lady for him, but there is still no love interest in sight.
On Friday, the twins leave for college. Their dad waves them good-bye.
Now only these snapshots of Benedick and Beatrice remain, as well as Bea's plaque for maximum enthusiasm in arts & crafts.
On Saturday, Antonio brings a colleague home from work so that he won't have to spend another very lonely evening. Amber Hiatt is an NPC and therefore I want him to say good-bye to her immediately, but there is no action available whenever I click on her. She can interact with Antonio, telling him jokes etc., but he can not interact with her.
Antonio spends all his spare time on skilling, now that his children are not there anymore. At the moment, he is working on his charisma.
Sunday afternoon, Amber Hiatt once again gets off the car with Antonio after work. And again, she is not interactable for him, only the other way round. We leave Antonio now; he is 57 and still has quite a lot of skilling to do before he will reach his lifetime want, but he can certainly make it. Next, we are going to check on his children to see how they are getting on at college.
