Chapter 27 – Actions…

A Piratical Legacy Chapter 27: Actions...

When she woke up in the morning, Ching Shih Buccaneer was feeling pretty good about herself and her life. She was a pretty, talented, well-liked teenager. Sure, she didn't have much going on in the romance department, but that was entirely her choice. She had a great family, and a pen-pal she considered her best friend in the world. So it was with eager anticipation of another email from her friend Jim Reeves that Shih got out of bed and dressed on this fine Sunday morning.

To her delight, there was, in fact, an email from the man she'd called "Mr. Jim" as a child. Ching Shih, Thank you for your last email! It is wonderful hearing about everything happening on Pirate Island. I hope you had a happy birthday, and that your date with your friend went well. If it didn't, well... you are young still. Don't let a bad experience turn you off of the idea entirely.

I hope your brother, your cousins, and your grandfather are all well. I look forward to seeing all of you the next time you visit your vacation home here on Twikkii Island. Your friend, Jim With a grin, Shih set about replying.

Life on Pirate Island hadn't really changed very much over the past few years. There were no threats to the Legacy family, as far as they were aware. Everyone continued advancing in their chosen careers. Gertie ate lots of cheese sandwiches. For yes, Gertie Buccaneer was still working on her lifetime want. She'd eaten, by her best count, around 150 sandwiches and she'd be hitting her elder years fairly soon. She was sad that she'd missed out on some aspects of life such as marriage and children, but she found serenity and happiness in her pursuit of cheese, and the acceptance and love of her "father", her mother, her siblings, and her nieces and nephews filled most of the empty places in her life. Still, she couldn't help but wish, when a cheese sandwich wasn't sitting very well, that she knew what it was like to fall in love.

Since Lee was officially off on paternity leave due to the impending birth of his alien baby, and Grace was self-employed, the two of them spent a lot of time playing video games with Roche. Roche didn't have a lot of time left and was finding that he couldn't move as quickly as he used to, but he still enjoyed a video game tournament from time to time.

Shih was a frequent gamer as well, though she didn't enjoy it as much as her parents did. She'd rather be outside doing something more active, or conducting one of her many experiments. On this Sunday morning, though, she wasn't really in the mood for experimenting. Instead, she could hardly wait for the afternoon.

"Toby!" Hugo yelled when he saw his foreign cousin standing outside the Legacy manor. "What're you doing here, dude?" "Same thing you are," Toby said with a shrug. "Visiting Grandpa. Mom says he's getting pretty old, and this might be the last chance we have to... well... visit." "Yeah," Hugo said. "That's what my mom and dad said too. So how did you get here?" "Mom brought me," Toby shrugged. He turned around. "Whoa... is that little Toshiko?"

"I'm older than you the last time I checked, Toby Biggs," Toshiko said scornfully. "That's okay," Toby said, with a conspiratorial wink at Hugo. "I like older women." "Well, I don't like younger men," Toshiko said with a huge smile. "C'mon, Toby. We're practically related. Let's head into the house." "I s'pose," Toby said. But he hung back while Toshi and Hugo strode into the house together--admiring the view.

"Gran'pa, will you come to my birthday party in a few days?" Liv Pseudo asked while she danced with her grandfather and her father. "Oh..." Roche said slowly. "Well, we'll see, kiddo. I'll do my best, okay?" "Okay," Liv said. "It's gonna be so much fun, gran'pa! We're having cake, and a bubble blower! An' Hugo's stinky girlfriend will be gone by then." "Where is Lainey?" Roche asked his son William. "I thought she'd tag along. I was looking forward to seeing her again." "She had to call her family," William said. "But she's going to try to come by before the party's over. She and Hugo are hosting their own shindig tonight, too--if you don't see Lainey here, make sure you stop by tonight if you feel up to it, dad." "We'll see," Roche said, smiling another sad smile. "These old bones can't walk as far as they used to, William."

However, the old bones were evidently still good for a few things. Marie, who had been absent from the Buccaneer family home of late, did make a point of attending this party in particular. "You're still as lovely as ever, m'dear," Roche said, leaning in with a leer at his ex-wife and occasional lover. "Flatterer," Marie said, but she smiled. "And you haven't aged a day." "Liar." "Do you think maybe we'll finally find a way to be happy together?" Marie asked in a low voice. Roche gave her a big smile. "I'm all yours in the afterlife, Marie."

"So why are we having this party anyway, daddy?" Liv asked a little while later as she pushed herself up off of the couch where she'd been napping. "It's all old people and old relatives and stuff." "Well," Will said with a sigh. "It's about Grandpa, honey." "What about him?" Liv asked. "Is he going to die today? Is this a Deathday party?" "No, not that," Will said hastily. "But your grandfather doesn't want one of those, sweets. He may not have a lot of time left, so he wanted to make sure he got to spend time with every single person who is important to him before... well, before his time comes."

"So he is gonna die," Liv said, making an angry face. "When?" "Probably before your birthday," Will said, putting his arm around Liv and holding her close. "And that really stinks, but that's how life works sometimes and we just have to remember the good things about your grandpa and all the fun times we've spent with him. He won't want us to be sad." "Well then I won't be," Liv declared. "Good girl."

"... and you can play with my kite anytime!" Gertie giggled as she finished the more than slightly racy joke. "Speaking of kites..." Pierce Buccaneer mentioned, leering slightly at Gertie's... voluptuous... form. "Pierce, are you hitting on me?"

Yes. He was. Though perhaps he might have chosen a more appropriate time and place.

"Do you promise you'll call us all before you head over to pick Dad up?" Nick asked Anna. "I mean it... we don't want to let dad die alone." "Well, he won't be alone," Anna said. "I'll be there. But I'll do my best to make sure I give everyone enough notice to say their final farewells. Still... make sure you spend some time with him tonight, okay Nick?" "Okay," Nick said. He turned to his brother-in-law, Lee. "How is the baby?" "Kicking up a storm!" Lee said happily. "Of course, it's the creepiest

feeling I've ever had, but my wife had to go through it twice so I suppose I can do it once for her." "A real man carries his wife's babies," Anna said approvingly. "Is that why you and Gavin have only had the one?" Nick asked. "That was an accident," Anna said defensively. "Best accident of my life, of course, but still... we had no idea that would happen! Stargazing, though... that's just asking to get probulated." "I just wanted to get a promotion," Lee shrugged. "But I wouldn't change it for the world."

The party ended and everyone went home, Pierce with a guilty conscience. Some time passed, and Grace and Lee spent it gardening and doing yard work. "Lee, darling, I know you're too pregnant to do yard work, but do you really need to kick over my leaf piles before I've had a chance to bag them up?" Grace said in an aggrieved tone. Lee never had a chance to respond, however. Death comes...

Grace sprinted into the kitchen, fearing the worst. The tears came quickly.

"DADDY... IT'S TIME," Susanna's voice sounded different when she was on the job. "I know," Roche said with a smile. "Time for me to see my parents again, and Grandma Mary. Grandpa Alan, too. I've missed them." "THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE YOU, I'M SURE." "Will Marie be along shortly as well?" Roche asked wistfully. "YES." "When you go for her... tell her I love her, will you?"

"OF COURSE," Anna said, slipping a lei around her neck and handing her father his fruity drink and his suitcase. "NOW, WE MUST BE GOING. GOODBYE, FATHER." "I've had a good life," Roche said, looking around at his family proudly. "A good, long, happy life. Probably the longest and happiest life any man on Pirate Island has ever had. Give them all my love, Anna. And tell them I'm proud of them--all of them." === Roche Buccaneer lived 79 days in Sim time, and almost 13 months in real time. He will be missed.

The family took the loss of their patriarch hard, as was to be expected in such a close-knit household. Zing, especially, was extremely distraught.

Ching Shih, on the other hand, dealt with her grief by writing about it to her penpal, Jim. Dear Mr. Jim, We lost my grandpa today. It wasn't... unexpected... but we're all pretty sad. I miss him so much already. I just wanted to let you know. Shih

"The house sure feels empty with Grandpa gone, doesn't it," Zing said at breakfast a few days later. "It'll never be the same again," Shih said sadly as she stared at her cereal. A cry of pain interrupted further musings.

"It's time!" Lee shrieked. "The baby is coming!"

Or rather, babieS! Lee had two alien boys: Borusa and Spandrell Buccaneer. The main difference between the two of them is their noses. Basically, Spandrell has one and Borusa doesn't.

The entire family took to the boys immediately, though Andrew wasn't enamoured with their dirty diapers. That particular duty usually fell to him or Gertie, since they were the ones at home (and thus, babysitting) most of the time.

Grace found both babies entirely adorable as well. She'd been very supportive of her husband throughout his pregnancy and was more than happy to be a real mother to his babies--though she certainly hadn't expected two of them. This deity thinks Grace really should have known better than to feed Lee cheesecake in the first trimester, but isn't one to question the whims of her sims.

Sometimes Zing and Shih took care of the babies as well, but Zing, at least, had plenty of other things on his mind... like helping his mother with the car lot. Some of his customers were easy to sell to. "... and did I mention, Toby, that this model comes with an extra-roomy back seat?"

Others... less so.

But on the whole, he was an excellent salesman and his customers were cheerful and happy to buy from him.

And it paid off! The 125th gold star came courtesy of Meadow Thayer, Zing's great-great aunt.

And with that star, Grace achieved her second LTW of 5 Top Level Businesses, and made me very happy.

Dawn was just breaking when Zing and Grace locked up the business and prepared to go home. "Well, son, I made you a promise when you first started helping me sell cars," Grace said thoughtfully while they waited for their taxi. "And I intend to honour that promise! The car lot is yours!" "Really?" "Really," Grace smiled. "Actually, Zing, if there are any of the other

businesses that you want, now is the time to speak up... the family is keeping the clothing boutique, of course, and the cemetary, but as to the rest..." "Can I think about it for a few days?" Zing asked. "Sure," Grace said. "Just don't take too long, okay?" "Deal."

The same day that Grace achieved her second LTW, Lee was promoted to Business Tycoon, and thus permaplat status. He and Grace were thrilled that they'd managed the economic takeover* of Pirate Island so smoothly. === * That is to say, the takeover of the legit businesses on Pirate Island. Even Grace and Lee weren't so ambitious (or foolish) as to attempt to take on Jack's Syndicate.

While Shih wasn't in any hurry to date until she got to college, the teenage boys of Pirate Island weren't letting her go without a fight. "Aww, c'mon, Shih," Orlando Centowski pleaded. "Just one date." "You're awfully pathetic," Shih said scornfully. "I think you should go home, Orlando." "But what about our homework?" "I'll do it myself," Shih said in an aggrieved tone. "And this is the last time I'm working with you on a project!"

"Honestly, Borusa," she said to her little brother later that evening as she took him upstairs for his evening bottle, "I don't understand why the boys won't just leave me alone!" Borusa just blinked his big black eyes and cooed at her.

"It's so nice having teenaged children to take care of the babies," Lee said with a satisfied voice as he and Grace cuddled before bed. "Frees up a lot more time for us to spend together." "And they're free babysitters," Grace nodded. "Have I ever told you how much I love you when you talk about zero-overhead investments?" Lee asked as he planted a kiss on Grace's forehead. "Frequently... but you can tell me again if you like," Grace giggled.

Time passed, as time does, and before long it was time for the alien babies to get a little bit bigger and a lot more active. They decided to keep the party small, inviting only the small infants' aunts and uncles.

Spandrell grew up first in a cloud of blue confetti...

...followed shortly by his twin brother Borusa!

Zing and Shih immediately swooped in and insisted on spending some quality time with their little brothers. "I bet I can get Borusa to walk before you get Spandrell to do it!" Zing declared. "Zing! Toddler training is not a competitive sport!" Shih admonished her brother. But she couldn't help but whisper to Spandrell that she'd get him a cookie if he would just take that last step.

And when she and Spandrell kicked Zing and Borusa's butt at walking and talking after school the next afternoon, she hurried into the living room to use the family computer and write to Mr. Jim and tell him all about it. He was properly impressed, by the sound of his response, which arrived mere moments later. Shih fired off another email. Mr. Jim -- Are you online right now? --Shih

Five seconds later: Yes indeed, my young friend. You should totally IM me! It's the same as my email address. Add me and then I'll add you! A few minutes later, Mr. Jim had logged into the island chat network and Shih spent the rest of the day happily messaging back and forth with him.

"The NOM is a lie, Steven!" Shere Khan Buccaneer, tiger heir extraordinaire, chanted as he teased the family cat. "Mrow?" "It's just featherz 'n' stuff," Shere Khan shrugged. "No fudz attached." "Mew." With a disgusted sneeze, Steven the cat stopped paying attention to the cat teaser and jumped up onto the kitty condo. At least sitting there he could see the real birds. "Silly cat," Shere Khan said, ruffling the feline's ears affectionately. "The birds were a lie too."

Down the hall, Moll and Rajah Buccaneer were completely oblivious to the rest of the world. "Did you hear that lullaby?" Moll asked in a quiet voice. "Mmhmm," Rajah smiled, resting his hand on his wife's stomach under the blankets. "Looks like Shere Khan is going to be a big brother soon!" "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Moll asked wistfully. "We're getting pretty old, Raj." "We've both wanted another child for a long time," Rajah said. "I'm just glad we're still able to have children, love." "Hopefully Shere Khan won't freak out," Moll chuckled. "Anyway, I'm going to get some more sleep. I don't have to leave for work til two." "I'd best get up," Rajah said reluctantly.

Everyone was pretty excited to learn about the impending new member of the household, but since neither Angora nor Shere Khan were of the parental type, they had more immediate concerns on their mind. Angora was still having daily meetings with Valerie Tse, the gypsy matchmaker, as she worked towards dating fifty different sims. Some of the dates, like this one with Skyler, went better than others. Shere Khan, on the other hand, was mostly occupied with spending as much time with his boyfriend Zing as possible. Zing (and Angora) would be heading to university a full year ahead of Shere Khan, so the two lads were determined to make the most of their summer together. Neither of them knew what the future would hold for them.

Angora spent other parts of the summer growing closer to both of her parents, when she wasn't occupied with dating. She and Pierce had always had a lot in common, being more frivolous in nature than Angie's Knowledge Sim mother, and they took advantage of the warmer weather to goof off outside.

"It's really going to stink when you go away for university," Shere Khan sighed. "Darn it, you and Angie are only a few months older than me... the age cutoff, I hates it." "Yeah, but I'll be home for visits and stuff," Zing pointed out as they swayed in each others' arms. "But you won't want to go out on dates with a kid like me or anything," Shere Khan said. "Well, I'm sure that first year will just fly by," Zing shrugged. "We'll see each other again soon, Shere Khan..." "I has a love," Shere Khan said with a contented sigh, but he couldn't suppress a little bit of worry, though he didn't let on to his boyfriend that he was still unhappy.

All thoughts of separation and anxiety flew from Shere Khan's mind later that evening, though, when his little sister, Rakshasi Buccaneer, was born. Shere Khan felt as though a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. His sister could carry on the family line! Suddenly, his potential future with Coxinga got a lot less complicated.

Perhaps it was the feeling of relief that caused Shere Khan to spend so much time with his little sister, or maybe it was simply because he adored her, but one thing was certain--he was a terrific big brother. "I made you a bottle, and you eated it!" he said happily as he burped Rakshasi on his shoulder. Rakshasi giggled... and spit up on his pajamas. "Eww!" he complained. "Do not want!"

Shere Khan and his parents weren't the only ones absolutely thrilled with the addition to the family. Nala chose the evening of Rakshasi's birth to haunt the family home for the very first time. Nobody saw her, but they did all feel a sense of general peace and happiness all night.

Some of that peace and comfort obviously extended into the next day as Angora decided that it was finally time for something special. "So, why'd you invite me over?" Toby Biggs asked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, Angie. You're the prettiest girl on Pirate Island. But you haven't even given me the time of day before this!" "That's 'cause I like you," Angora giggled. "PRIVACY--UR DOIN IT WRONG!" Shere Khan shouted from the couch in disgust. He stomped out of the room to check on his sister. "Get a room!" "Well, we have one now," Toby pointed out.

And he leaned in and gave Angora a gentle kiss on the lips. "Whoa... that was your first kiss?" he asked once the hearts had stopped swirling. "Why, was I bad at it?" Angora asked anxiously. "Definitely not," Toby said. "But why'd you pick me, Angie? You've gotta know that I'm not going to commit or anything." "I just figured one of us should know what we're doing," Angora said

with a breathless smile. "Well... I can always help you practice some more," Toby said, tipping Angora's face up to his again. "Just as long as things aren't weird once we go to university," Angora said. "It'll be fine," Toby said reassuringly, until his mouth was too busy to talk any more.

Before long, it was time for baby Rakshasi's birthday, much to the disbelief of her family members. She was growing so fast! plz dun be lie plz dun be lie plz dun be lie plz dun be lie...

And growing up extremely cute, in the (admittedly biased) opinion of her older brother. "Mi toeses, let me show u dem!" "Mitosis, let me show u it!" "Oh dear," said Rajah. "They're clones."

While not a literal clone of her brother, Rakshasi did certainly seem set on emulating him in as many ways as possible. Fortunately, Shere Khan's speech predilections were not difficult for a toddler to pick up. "Hey. I question the general assumption that felines are inherently deficient in the area of grammar and sentence structure." Pwned.

Down the road a ways, Toshiko Buccaneer was spending her evening the way she usually did--listening to music and thinking about explosions. But while she found both music and explosives to be absolutely fascinating, Toshiko also found that her mind was wandering to other matters these days. She would be leaving for university soon, and she often daydreamed about what that would be like. She hadn't dated in high school at all and she didn't think she was likely to fall for any of her classmates anytime soon. Would she have her first kiss at university? Toshiko was no Romancer, but she was still quite happy to think about her future and what it might hold for her in terms of boys and dates. Not kids, at least not yet. Explosives weren't generally child-friendly.

While Toshiko was spending a lot more time in her room than she had as a younger child and even as a younger teenager, her parents didn't really notice. Now that they were both perma-plat and no longer exhausted from the rigors of climbing the career ladder, they were taking advantage of it and doing all the dating they'd missed out on while Toshiko was growing up.

But they were also both still extremely close to their only daughter, even if she was much more independent these days. "Mom, is it okay if I go out with some of the girls tonight after school?" Toshiko asked one morning before the school bus arrived. "Sure, but only if you spend some time with your mom first!"

As mother and child chased each other around the house with pillows, the sound of their laughter filled the air.

Grandma De was particularly thrilled to hear the sounds of happy teen in her house. But she missed having a baby living in the house and grew quite sentimental in her thoughts as she waited for her rather strange choice of breakfast foods to heat up. That's probably why she burned it.

That evening, Toshi went home with Angora and the two of them met up with Ching Shih at the rollerskating rink down the road from Toshi's house. "Err... maybe we should do something else," Angora suggested, wincing as she saw her two best friends hit the ground for what seemed like the hundredth time. "That sounds like a good idea to me," Shih said in a relieved voice. "My rear end knows exactly what this floor feels like and it'd like to try something else now." "My knees concur with your butt," Toshiko agreed. "Youth Centre?" "Youth Centre!"

Ching Shih was the clear winner of the ensuing pool tournament, despite the 'help' of Ricky Cormier.

At a house just down the road, one concerned mother was relieving the tedium of spying on her son and his girlfriend all night by playing with the family fish. Fortunately for Hugo Pseudo and girlfriend Lainey Barthelet, they stayed in their respective assigned sleeping areas all night with nary a dalliance. Lack of sleep and excess of caffeine did mean that Orikes' conversation with the fish was more in line with one her daughter Liv might have than Ori's normal reassurance that the fish wouldn't get eaten by the cat, though.

"It's okay, Lila, I'll play with you since Hugo's too busy sucking his girlfriend's face off to pay any attention to you," Liv said in rather too loud of a voice when she got up that morning. "Do you want to go on a walk?" "Wuf!" For a tiny little puppy, Lila managed to convey a lot of enthusiasm when she barked.

"You're still kissing?" Liv said in a disgusted voice when she returned from her walk and went into the family room to play video games. "Eww!" "You will understand it when you are older," Lainey said, and squeaked when Hugo grabbed a tender portion of her anatomy. "Hugo Pseudo! No goosing in front of younger sisters!" "Gag me with a fork!" Liv protested. "Go kiss in Hugo's room. I wanna play SSX3!" "It's almost time for the party, anyway," Hugo said. He grabbed Lainey's hand and led her out of the room. "C'mon, Lainey... I wanna introduce you to my friends!" "'Bout time," Liv muttered once the door was shut behind her brother and his girl. "Dumb mushyheads."

About the only friend that Hugo wasn't keen on having Lainey meet was his cousin, Toby, who was still visiting Pirate Island for the summer. Hugo enlisted his friend Robin to distract Toby away from the guest of honour. "So, maybe I could go out on a double date with you and your girlfriend!" Toby said enthusiastically once he'd talked to Robin for a while. "Err... I don't think so," Robin said. "We're a little busy these days. Simself superhero stuff and all that." "Oh?"

"Well, it's just that my roomie, Toast, is kinda missing," Robin said. "She and Justinian haven't been seen for days. So Lu and I haven't really had a chance to date lately. I'm too busy investigating." "Sounds... interesting," Toby said, yawning. "Hey, is that Angora over there? Angie! Wait up!" "Why am I not surprised?" Robin shook her head as Toby pounced Angora and laid a big, wet kiss on her. "The testosterone, it chokes." Clearing her plate, she got up in search of Toshiko.

"Still no sign of Toast or Justinian?" Concern filled the teenager's voice. "Nope," Robin said. "It's got all the simselves in a tizzy. Obviously, something's happened... but we have no idea what. Once we get word, we'll have to move quickly. Can I count on you, Toshiko?" "Of course!" Toshi nodded emphatically. "I've got my kit all packed. A bunch of explosives, some det cord, and of course an oboe. Can't forget the oboe."

Before long the party ended, and Hugo found himself embracing Lainey for what was probably the last time before they headed to university. "You'll write every day, right?" "Of course, Hugo Pseudo," she said, smiling, but she couldn't hide the tears that were leaking down her face. "I will miss you. This summer will feel like an eternity." "I'll miss you too," Hugo said, his voice breaking. "Email me as soon as you get home, okay?" "It is a promise, Hugo Pseudo." The two clung to each other until the strident honk of the taxi broke their reverie.

"Goodbye, Lainey!" Liv called from an upstairs window. "Come back and visit soon! You're okay even if you do want to kiss my brother!" "Goodbye, Liv Pseudo!" Lainey said, breaking out into a wide grin as she reached the taxi. The other partygoers were pouring out of the house around her and she took a moment to take the whole scene in. "I will see you in university, young lady." "I wouldn't miss it!" Liv giggled. "Byebye!"

Hugo spent a very quiet afternoon and evening tracking Lainey's flight across the ocean and back home. Only when he was certain she'd arrived safely (heralded by a very short, but loving, email), did he go to sleep.

The next morning, the entire family was greeted by a happy surprise -- sometime in the night, Lila had grown up into an adult dog! "Wow, you're still really tiny," Hugo said, stroking his pet. She barked happily. I may be tiny, but you'll see, Master Hugo. I'll be the best Guardian a household could have! Not that I know why they need a Guardian on this island or anything, but I'm not about to turn down a cool job like this, ever! Yes indeed. While Pirate Island is generally safe from the supernatural, the wolves weren't taking any chances, and had assigned Lila while she was still a tiny pup. She would watch over the one they called "Voice" and her family for as long as she lived.

It wasn't just Lila's birthday, either. The entire family was present for Liv's ascent from childhood into the teenaged years.

A very good mix of both parents, Liv Pseudo wound up being one of the beauties of the Buccaneer family this generation.

Pretty much the first thing Liv did as a teenager was throw her curfew to the wind and sneak out with her big brother once the rest of the family was asleep. "I dunno why I agreed to this..." Hugo said dramatically as he sipped his espresso. "We're going to get caught and get into so much trouble." "Nah, mom and dad are cool," Liv said. "Besides, I needed to get a cell phone, and a video game thingy, and taste caffeine for the first time. This is so much better than hot chocolate."

"Wait a minute... cell phone, video games, sneaking out... what's your aspiration, Liv?" "Like you haven't known since I was a kid," Liv said, sticking her tongue out at her brother. "Pleasure all the way, bro. I'm going to be a video game designer when I'm older. I have this awesome idea for this life simulator game. It's gonna rock your socks off, bro." "Really... what's the title of this proposed game?" Hugo was a little skeptical. "Three," Liv said happily. "Now c'mon, we'd better head back. Mom

and dad will kill us if we're out past two." "Wait a minute... do you mean they know we went out?" "I asked before we left," Liv said happily. "I'm gonna kill you if it's the last thing I do," Hugo growled, advancing towards his sister. "A noogie ought to teach you not to make me worry!" "Ack!"

True to her Pleasure inclinations, Liv decided to try dating the very next day. It was just her luck that neighbor David Ottomas happened to be walking by about fifteen minutes after she made the decision.

After David left, Liv called up the matchmaker and got an exchange date, like the one where Hugo had met Lainey. Liv didn't feel anywhere near as much chemistry for Candice Nott (Paris) as she'd seen between her brother and his girlfriend, though. And while the date with David had been okay, there hadn't really been any sparks there either. Liv decided to play it cool and keep dating casually until she found someone she really connected with.

In the meantime, she was more than happy to play her video games.

"How are you finding your cell?" Octavia Toyonaga smirked as she beheld the sight of her great-nephew Justinian and his girlfriend, Ephemeral Toast, behind bars. "I've noticed that nobody has come looking for you yet." "You're a creep!" Toast said, shaking her fist at Octavia. "A nasty, icky, slimy creep with a putrifying pus-filled boil that I can smell all the way from here growing out of your <banned4lyfe>." "No," Octavia corrected. "I'm a villain. There's a difference." "Fine, you're a nasty, icky, slimy villain with a putrifying pus-filled boil that I can smell all the way from here growing out of your--" "Well, now that you have us what are you going to do with us?" Justinian interrupted, his voice filled with equal indignation. "You can't keep us locked up like this forever!"

"Arr! Th' witch be distracted, mate," Captain Jack said in a harsh whisper to Crassus Toyonaga, Justinian's younger brother. "Really?" Tara Toyonaga, grandmother of both boys, said excitedly. She listened for a moment. "She is! Listen to me, Crassus. I want you to get dressed and get out of the house. They probably won't even notice you're gone. Run to the first place you can get help, okay!" "O-okay, Grandma," Crassus said, his eyes wide as he climbed down off of the bed where he'd been bouncing. "'Tis dangerous t' go alone," Captain Jack added. "Ye'd best take me in yer pocket, m'boy. I'll keep 'em from noticin' ye, savvy?" "Savvy."

Octavia was still ranting at Justinian and Toast by the time Crassus was dressed and had the bear safely stowed away. "Now where was I... oh yes. Keeping you locked up. I only have to keep you locked up until you, Justinian, are grown up. Since you won't seduce Ching Shih Buccaneer, I'll have to bear the next generation of Toyonaga heir and we'll take over the old-fashioned way... with violence. Delicious violence. The day you hit adulthood, Justinian, you and I will be married." Crassus gasped, and Octavia started. "The wench heard ye, mate!" the bear hissed. "Ye'd best be skedaddling now, me lad!"

Crassus took off as fast as he could, Octavia close at his heels. He slammed the front door shut in her face, buying himself some time, and took off down the road as fast as he could.

Only a short time had passed since Roche's death when the family gathered together to celebrate a little bit more life with Marie Buccaneer. The party was jovial enough, in the beginning. Nobody noticed when Susanna slipped away.

And so nobody was prepared for the moment when Anna reappeared in her work clothes. "It's time, then." It wasn't a question, just quiet acceptance. "YES." "And my one true love is waiting for me?" "HE IS." "Well then, you'd best take me," Marie said bravely. "I'm glad that I got to know you, Anna."

"AS AM I. NOW WE NEED NEVER BE APART," Susanna said solemnly. She handed Marie a lei. "HERE. TAKE THIS." "I'm dying and you give me cheap plastic flowers on a string?" "IT IS ... TRADITIONAL." "Says who?" "GRANDFATHER." "Well, what does he know about anything?" Marie demanded. But

she took the flowers anyway. "HE HAS BEEN CONDUCTING THE DEAD TO THE AFTERLIFE SINCE THE FIRST SIM WAS BORN," Anna shrugged. "I SUPPOSE THAT HAS TO COUNT FOR SOMETHING. BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT THE LEI, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT." "I just think it would be nicer if it had real flowers," Marie protested. "WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE BUDGET FOR THAT. AT LEAST THESE ARE RECYCLABLE."

"NOW, TAKE YOUR SILLY FRUIT DRINK AND GET GOING ALREADY," Anna said with a note of impatience in her voice. But Marie could hear the smile on her daughter's face as well. "DAD SAYS YOU'RE TAKING YOUR SWEET TIME ABOUT IT." "Oh, fine," Marie said, oblivious to the crying around her. "I'll go now. Take care of my babies for me, will you?" "INDEED."

Marie made the transition to the afterlife fairly well, by all accounts. "Woohoo! Bannd4Lyfe in my bed!" "I have this strange feeling that something inappropriate is happening," Green said.

Across town, in another bed, Anna was discovering that not all of her boyfriend's roommates really understood the whole 'friends with benefits' thing. Borealis, for one. "I don't get it," Anna complained to Gavin later while she examined the slap marks on her cheek. "It's not like I ever told him I was in love with him." "He's a family sim," Gavin shrugged. "I don't understand them either."

While Susanna was learning a bit about the consequences of inappropriate behavior, Toby was learning that not all matches were made in heaven.

"You're Romance, I'm Romance, what's not to like?" Toby grinned slyly after checking out Lucretia Marius' extremely short skirt. "It's the whole gender thing," Lu shrugged. "I just can't get past that, Toby." "Meh, fine," Toby complained. Then he brightened. "Hey, want to head down to the park and watch girls? Might as well make the most of our date, even if nothing good's gonna happen." "Ooh, that sounds like fun!"

And thus Toby Biggs learned that not every girl would fall for him at the drop of the hat, and also that girls can make pretty good friends when they aren't girlfriends. "Look me up when you get to college, okay?" Toby said, shaking Lu's hand at the close of their date. "It's a deal."

But one date that didn't end in kisses didn't exactly discourage Toby.

Even the papergirl, Amy Jones, couldn't resist his charms. "Okay, one date," she said reluctantly after Toby had pestered her for most of the morning. "Now, will you let me finish my paper route?" "Only if I get a hug first," Toby said. "Fine, you can have a hug," Amy said shyly, and gave Toby a very quick hug.

By the time their date rolled around, she'd lost much of her shyness. This deity is pretty sure that Amy was the thirteenth or fourteenth girl that Toby kissed.

Back on Pirate Island, a little more business had to be taken care of. Specifically, it was Erroneous Marius' birthday party, and a multitude of simselves and Sim Spade actors were on hand to watch.

Erroneous Marius proves the lie to the assumption that ProfessorButters and Flavius can only breed "interesting-looking" sims. He also wins the title of "Cutest Marian Ever", at least in my opinion. He spent most of the party befriending his mom and dad's friends.

"So where'd mom go again, anyway?" he asked his sister the next evening--the night on which Crassus escaped from the Toyonaga household, specifically. "She's off saving the island or something. Again," Lucretia shrugged as she read over her homework answers.

"Saving the island? Why'd she do something like that?" Erroneous wanted to know. "'Cause she's a simself and that's what they do," Lucretia said. "Oh," Erroneous said. He thought about that for a moment. "Since we're part simself, does that mean we have to save the world sometimes?" "Only if we want to," Lucretia said. "Now finish your homework. No more questions tonight." "Awww..."

You may be wondering why this particular deity hasn't done anything to mitigate the Toyonaga scenario. The short answer is, I had no idea it was going on whatsoever. What with the becoming a plantsim, having a werewolf husband, spawning a sporebaby, and getting knocked up, simSarah was more than busy. Dionysus had just moved out, and it was time for the newest Deity to grace Pirate Island.

"Aww... he's really cute!" daughter Athena said approvingly as she held her baby brother Hades for me. I had more pressing matters to take care of -- like getting cured of plantsimism. I gulped down the noxious potion before responding to her comment. "He sure is!" I agreed once I'd finished feeling like I was about to barf. "Hiya Hades! Who's your mommy? I am!" My little blue baby just gurgled at me and kicked his feet. "Did he just gurgle the Doom Song?" said Athena.

simChris also decided he'd had enough of the supernatural for the time being and cured both his lycanthropy and his plantsimism. "This stuff tastes like rotten cabbage!" he complained once he'd finished the Plantrophic C. "That's 'cause it is rotten cabbage," I pointed out. "Well, mostly." "Ew." "Indeed."

Even though he'd wanted to be cured, Chris took the fact of it rather hard, which made me a bit sad, but I knew he'd be happier in the long run. Besides, by this time little Hades was a toddler, and Chris always enjoys skilling up a new toddler. Knowledge Sims, I tell ya. Easily distracted.

Of course, when the kid is this cute, it's easy to be distracted. "Ooh! Whassat?" And that's why I had no idea what was happening on Pirate Island.

But things finally started to come to my attention when I happened to glance at Hades' latest painting. "Plotses, mommy!" he crowed as he showed me the unfolding scene. "Yay doom!" It was too late for me to do anything to stop it. I could only watch and hope that everything played out properly...

"Another three days and the boy will be old enough to marry me," Octavia crowed to her brother Septimus as they sat on the couch they'd appropriated in the Toyonaga home. "Will you still be able to get pregnant?" Septimus was concerned. "I've heard there are ... alternatives ..." Octavia said. "Just across the street, the current heir's husband gave birth to alien babies. If I cannot bear a child... Justinian can." "Excellent," Septimus nodded, steepling his fingers. Neither of them noticed the shadowy figure outside their window.

"Okay," Toshiko whispered once she was certain Septimus and Octavia were heading upstairs. "They're heading upstairs. C'mon, gang! Let's move!"

Quickly, the strike team assembled by Robin snuck into the living room. Crassus Toyonaga had run straight to Robin once he escaped captivity, and she'd wasted no time in putting together a rescue. As for Crassus, he was safely in the care of his grandfather Aspen. Aspen and Denise lived in a townhouse complex with a handful of other simselves--they had plenty of protection.

Just as everyone got inside, they heard a squeak on the stairs. A mad scramble to hide ensued. The black clothing they'd decided to wear on their commando raid may have been a good idea while they were still outside, but stood out like a sore thumb against the white carpet and blue wallpaper. Still, everyone managed to get behind, beside, or under something before Septimus and Octavia returned downstairs.

"Threatening people makes me hungry," Octavia declared, striding through the living room and into the kitchen. "Me too," Septimus said, turning to face her. Somehow, both of them entirely missed seeing the hidden simselves. He headed towards the refrigerator ... then stopped. "Let's get some fresh fish from the pond." "Sounds good," Octavia nodded in agreement, and they went outside.

"Whew, that was close," Toshiko said, stepping out of the refrigerator with a shiver.

"Quickly, everyone!" Denise said, taking command of the situation. "They must be upstairs!" "There won't be room for everyone up there," Jenn pointed out. "The rest of us should stay down here and keep watch." "I'll get the ladder into position," Pen added. "You'll have to break the glass and get them out from the inside, Denise." "Okay," Denise said. "Robin, Toshiko, you're with me. Everyone who isn't helping Jenn or Pen, go for Tara. I think she's probably either in the bathroom or the other bedroom." "On it," Michelle said, sprinting up the stairs.

"Grandma!" Justinian's voice was tense but happy when he recognized Denise. "I see simselves!" Toast crowed. "Is this a rescue?" "It is," Denise said. She stared at the bars to the cell. "I'm going to get Ellen and Sejanus out first, and then we'll work on opening up that cell." "Octavia has the key," Justinian said. "She put it down her dress and then told me I could go looking for it once I've had my birthday." He shuddered. "Eugh! Remind me to have a word with Ben about his legacy's ethics."

"Okay," Denise said, shooting a look of sympathy at her grandson. "Just wait here." "We aren't going anywhere," Justinian said, but he smiled in evident relief that the rescue was underway. "I think I owe you a date with Boom-Boom in my legacy," Toast said gratefully.

Ellen and Sejanus were sleeping when Denise picked the lock to their room. "Up and at 'em," she said in a commanding voice. "It's time to get you two rescued!" "Mom!" Ellen gasped. Sejanus couldn't speak, but he gestured emphatically to show that he echoed his wife's emotion. "What are you doing here?" "What does it look like?" Denise asked. "Now, do you two have something heavy?" "There's the pet bed in the corner," Ellen shrugged. "It'll have to do," Denise said, and she threw the basket into the window. It shattered surprisingly easily. "Now, put on your shoes and get down that ladder!"

"Nnnh!" Sejanus exclaimed, shaking his head. He clenched his fists and gestured wildly. "What?" Denise asked, trying to figure out what her son-in-law meant. "He's saying this is his fight too," Ellen translated. "And mine. We're in this fight with you, mom." "Ellen, I need you to get to our house," Denise urged, referring to the townhouse where she lived with Aspen. "Crassus is there. He's safe--he got away on his own earlier this afternoon." "Thank goodness," Ellen breathed. She started towards the ladder, then turned to her husband. "Sej... you'll get Justinian?" Sejanus nodded.

Satisfied, Ellen scurried out through the window and down the ladder. Once Denise was satisfied that her daughter was safe, she and Sejanus left the room.

"Dad! You're okay!" Justinian was ecstatic. "What about mom?" "Safe," Denise said. "Toshiko, do you think you and Robin can get these two out of their cell? Sejanus and I have... business... to take care of." "Easy peasey," Toshiko laughed. "I'll have them out in two jiffs and an arpeggio." Denise nodded and she and Sejanus sprinted down the stairs. Well, Denise sprinted. Sejanus kind of limped. "Okay, you'd better step back," Toshiko said, as she fiddled with some stuff by the door. "Actually, you should get under the bed."

A few minutes later, there was a sharp bang as the entire locking mechanism (along with part of the wall) blew out.

Meanwhile, Denise and Sejanus found Septimus and Octavia downstairs in the livingroom. "What are you doing here?" Octavia demanded, her face going pale. "Rescuing my family," Denise said in a hard voice. Sejanus moaned in agreement.

By unspoken agreement, Denise moved to confront Octavia while Sejanus took on Septimus.

It didn't take long until Sejanus had Septimus subdued. The fury of a father fighting for his family is a powerful thing.

It only took a moment longer for Denise to show Octavia who was boss. A grandmother's rage is nothing to be trifled with. Finally, it was all over.

"Y'know, you two chose to mess with the wrong family," Ben nodded as he watched over the prisoners. "My boss doesn't take kindly to other people messing with his relatives... and Ellen is his granddaughter." The gulps of fear were audible even inside the house.

And inside the house, a happy reunion was taking place. "All's well that ends well," Tara said. But there was a note of sadness in her voice. "I wish Scipio could know that we're all safe and happy now." "I'm sure that he does," Ellen said. "I know he does." "I'm just sad that nothing can be done to help Sejanus," Denise said sadly. "It's not fair that he should be stuck in that form for eternity, unable to speak." "He doesn't need to speak," Ellen said softly, covering her husband's hand with her own. "I can hear him tell me he loves me whenever he wants to say it."

"Well, our work here is done," Robin said happily. "C'mon, Toast. Let's go home and pack up for university." "What? Not so fast!" Toast spluttered. "I want to have a couple more dream dates first!" "Well, if you insist..." Robin grumbled. "Just let me know when you're ready."

"Yeah, I want to actually enjoy some of my teenaged years," Justinian said. His entire bearing had changed--like an enormous weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. "Goodbye, emo... hello, FUN!" Continued in Chapter 28: Consequences... Starring: (in no particular order) avidreader2466 as Denise Robinoli (omgrobinnn) as Robin EphemeralToast as Toast Orikes as Orikes Pseudo

penguingirl2466 as Pen fireflower314 as De ChickenSensei as Himsimself Candi020765 as Hersimself AhRubyblue (Oh Rubyblue) as Ruby Blite27 (netsfn1427) as Ben MichelleFobbs (MichaelFobbs) as Michelle ProfessorButters(loolooloo16play) as The Professor Ndainye (Jnnfr123770) as Jenn ---->

"Y'know, our buddy over there is much nicer than he used to be." "Maybe retirement suits him? Or maybe it's the fact that the hula zombies won't leave him alone?" "Err... he's a skeleton. I don't think he knows what to do with the hula zombies." "Must be the booze, then."

"Yep. I knew that our girl would be a bad influence on him." "WOULD YOU LIKE ANOTHER FRUITY UMBRELLA DRINK? I AM TRYING A NEW RECIPE. IT IS CALLED A DAIQUIRI." "Hmm... maybe in a few minutes, Grimmy dear. Oh, Roche... I believe there's a hammock over there with our names on it." "WOO-HOO!"