Gen 3 Chapter 37: Kids these days

I've turned over a new leaf where Ariel is concerned. I'm just going to accept that she's not the studying kind and have faith that she is old enough to choose her own course. She's a good kid, not a delinquent like my brother, and I'm sure it will all turn out ok.

Well, maybe not "sure" so much as hopeful. Gwyn agrees that Ariel will probably do better with a more hand-off approach.

Sebastian, on the other hand, has taken it upon himself to try and get through to Ariel about school. I suppose that makes sense, he loved school and takes everything very seriously.



When Ariel came home from school late a couple of days ago because she'd been given detention, Sebastian really let her have it! Ariel didn't try to defend herself and I eventually told him to back off. Sleeping in class could be explained by her post-Nemo exhaustion and who hasn't talked too much in class? It's not a big deal. See? New leaf.



Soon after all of the vacation excitement, it was Nemo's birthday! We invited the usual friends and family. I was more than a little worried that Ariel seemed to be bonding with my brother Jagger... being insane and evil are not traits I'd like my little girl to pick up. She's always been fascinated by him, though, and hasn't tried to be like him yet so I guess I shouldn't worry. New leaf and all. (A/N- that's Arvid there behind them, he crashed the party.)



As we brought Nemo to blow out his candles, Gwyn and I started to regret not being more proactive about teaching him the things that he needs to know. Ariel taught him to talk, but otherwise we'd pretty much just hadn't even thought about it! What if he never learned to walk?!? What if we'd doomed him to a life of diapers and helplessness?!?



I wonder what my boy wished for... would the magic of birthday wishes help him grow up in spite of his parents?



Ok, I'm being a little dramatic. Nemo grew into a very handsome boy with completely normal skills. He can walk and use the toilet and everything. He's still himself, nothing too bad happened. If nothing else, our failure to teach him anything useful during his toddler years has taught him to stand up for himself now that he's older. Some might think of it as being hot-headed, but I like to think that he's just assertive.



And so, life goes on. Nemo heads to school and Sebastian goes to his hospital job.



Meanwhile, Ariel continues to ignore the fact that she's supposed to be in school.



I talked to Mom about everything. She says I worry too much. She approves of my new leaf.



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Bonus Town Update!

(I meant to include this with the last chapter, but I got carried away with crazy Locke and totally forgot!)

Arvid been dating everyone in town, like: Shelly, Joss, Audina, Behenia... and even Bonni!

Bonnie's boyfriend recently died so I guess dating and fighting over Arvid gives her something to do.

Lorali and Denis (Gwyn's nephew) are still very happy together and I hardly hear anything about them.

Viola Sharpe and Manuel had a son they named Tommy. Manuel is much older than Viola, though, and he died shortly after Tommy became a child.

I posted a picture of Sean Flynn's baby mama drumming in the park not long ago. Apparently, he's decided to marry her and make good on his family.

Adjo and Paula got married! They had a son they named Randal, then they broke up and got back together.  Also, he seems to have given up his shady lifestyle and become a respectable cop. It's kind of nice to see him on the straight and narrow these days. Then again, he just became a vampire so that could go all kinds of wacky. It's an interesting life he's been living in my game!

Jagger alternately dates and fueds with Gwyn's sisters. He's usually stalking Strawberry, too.

Patience and Cale had a daughter they named Caryn. And then another daughter they named Kimberlee!

I got a notice telling me that Sunny's husband died, but then they were still seen around town doing the usual romance stuff so I have no idea what happened there. I suspect it's one of my lag-glitches.


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A/N: Oh the lag is killing me. I'm limping through, trying to get Zeke's LTW done before porting (updated: yay! I ported finally! The story won't catch up for several more chapters, though.). Poor Nemo is the biggest victim of it, though, since no one wished to teach him anything and everything was taking too long to get through so he just fell through the cracks. Hot-headed fits with his couch potato and excitable lifestyle, though, so I'm not going to complain!

Outtakes!

Glitchy guests took a couple of days to leave after Nemo's party. VJ did his best to scare them off, though.


While the guests stayed for days, they at least entertained themselves instead of just hanging out in one place. Here are Arvid and Lorali playing in the sprinklers.


I think Lorali might be one of the few women in town that Arvid hasn't dated!


Invisible school bus. Not that Ariel actually stays at school or anything.


Trixi: "I'm tired."
Neli: "I'm tired, too!"


Trixi: "Hey! You're a ghost!"
Neli: "Hey! You're a ghost, too!"