To recap: This is my attempt at a Polyamory Project Challenge, created by princedeej28,

full rules available HERE. The point of the challenge is to romance more than one Sim

and earn enough points to make Hugh Hefner jealous.

Last time, there were two spontaneous reconciliations (no points), a child who Grew Up

Well (plus points), assorted romantic interactions (plus points) and an unusual form of

teenage rebellion (no points). My current total is 360, close to double the official High

Score.

You may notice that some Sims don’t look exactly the same as they used to. This is

because I had to rebuild without the benefit of SimPE. It’s very hard to recreate several

generations of incompatible genetics, you know. Also, the only option available to me for

adjusting relationships isn’t very precise. Fortunately, everyone was getting along well

enough that it shouldn’t make too much of a difference, although Corey won’t flamey-

thought-balloon Bertie anymore.

Well, not until the next time Bertie does something thoughtless. Which he will, because

he’s Bertie.

All caught up? Good! Let’s get started.

Bertie being Bertie, this was the first thing he did. Under normal circumstances, EAxian

coding would require Vanessa to run over from where she is discussing best friends with

Albert and slap him silly. But Vanessa’s also a Romance Sim, and she’s not anything like

as uptight as Corey, so she was cool with it.

Or possibly I hadn’t made Bertie and Vanessa fall in love again just yet, so the

programming didn’t kick in. You decide.

Vanessa had to Teach Albert To Study again. (Believe it or not, she was the one who

taught him the first time around.) Albert gained a fair number of aspiration points for it,

too.

I’m glad to see that the rebuild didn’t damage either party’s tendency to make great faces.

Albert has been throwing himself into the whole “knowledge Sim” thing. He even

voluntarily works out!

I think he’s crazy, personally. Of course, I don’t work out anywhere near as much as I

should.

But enough about me. Let’s talk about Bertie and Corey now.

BERTIE: So, Cowey, you’ve been vewy affectionate watewy…

COREY: Mm-hm.

BERTIE: Have you fowgiven me? This time, I mean?

COREY: What do you think?

BERTIE: Mmmm… Is that a “yes”?

I would say that’s definitely a “yes,” Bertie.

BERTIE: Wewcome home! Good day?

VANESSA: Mmm. Pretty good. But, uh, if the car’s free, that would make it a really

good one.

And the car was indeed free.

Of course it was. That’s the function of Bertie’s car. Nobody’s actually ever driven it

anywhere.

As you can see, Rebuilt!Vanessa has no memories of her relationship with Bertie. She

doesn’t register Albert as her son, either.

We’re going to ignore all that, though.

And rebuilt or not, Vanessa is always good for a few points.

There was also an outbreak of the sparklies, with a fair rate of susceptibility. The first to

succumb was Bertie.

Then Gerard.

BERTIE: Hey Gerard – what’d you do? Waid my cwoset?

And lastly Corey.

And finally, Little Bertie is getting ready to head off to college. This, of course, leads to

lots of helpful advice from the whole family.

PROFESSOR ARIANNA: Remember, as soon as you get your syllabus, write down all

your assignments and breakdown any large ones into parts you can work on every day.

Oh! And color-code everything. Saves space in your planner.

ALBERT: Thank you, Tia Arianna. I will.

GERARD: Join a fraternity. The contacts you make there will serve you well in your

career. It’s all about who you know.

ALBERT: Very true, Uncle Gerard.

BEVERLY: Oh, and if you want to crash a party, wait until it’s been going for a couple

hours. The you show up with a big bag of ice and announce “I brought the ice!” Everyone

will be so hammered, they’ll forget that they didn’t send you out for it. Works like a

charm.

ALBERT: I’ll make a note of that, Auntie Beverly. Thank you.

Sometimes the advice-giving was more successful than others.

BERTIE: Now wemembew, youw boyfwiends and youw giwfwiends awe –

ALBERT: I like girls, Father.

BERTIE: Mowe than boys? Okay. So –

ALBERT: Exclusively, Father. Boys don’t do anything for me.

BERTIE: Weawwy? Huh. So youw giwfwiends awe pwobabwy going to be a wittwe

jeawous of each othew at fiwst –

ALBERT: And I won’t have girlfriends, plural, Father. At least, not at the same time.

(Bertie blinks at him uncomprehendingly)

And some advice was so oft-repeated as to be boring.

VANESSA: So when you’re deciding whether or not to woohoo someone, what do you

do?

ALBERT: Ask to see a copy of her most recent WTI workup.

VANESSA: And how recent is acceptable?

ALBERT: Yesterday. Or day before if yesterday was Sunday and the clinic wasn’t open.

VANESSA: And later than that is…?

ALBERT (discreetly stifling a yawn): Unacceptable.

VANESSA: That’s right. How often do you use protection?

ALBERT: Every time. No matter what.

VANESSA: And what’s the most important thing to remember?

ALBERT (in a bored sing-song): If it prevents disease transmission, it will prevent

pregnancy, but if it prevents pregnancy it does not necessarily prevent disease

transmission.

VANESSA (angrily): All right, fine. Be that way. But don’t come crying to me when you

pick up something nasty.

ALBERT: I wasn’t planning to, Mother. Believe you me.

And some people didn’t bother with advice at all.

COREY: Have a great time at college, kiddo. Maybe you’ll meet someone special. I hope

you do.

ALBERT: Uncle Corey…

COREY: Oh, don’t mind me. I’m a silly old man. I just want to see you happy.

ALBERT: Thank you, Uncle Corey.

COREY: And you’ll call. Every day.

ALBERT: Of course I will, Uncle Corey. I love you.

COREY: I love you too, monkeybutt.

And that should do it for this time around. If you want to follow Albert’s time in college

in any sort of detail (read: almost negligible detail), he’ll eventually be folded into the

college chapters for Already in Progress, available in the Fictional Stories forum over on

Boolprop. [/shameless self-promotion] I’ll throw a couple tidbits in here, too – after all, I

still get points if he Grows Up Well.

Score for this round

Assorted romantic interactions x 8: 40

Woohoo x 2: 60

TOTAL: 100

Score as of last round: 360

GRAND TOTAL: 460

Relationship standings (Daily/Lifetime)

Albert > Bertie: 96/93. Best friends.

Albert > Corey: 100/100. Best friends.

Albert > Vanessa: 100/100. Best friends.

Bertie > Albert: 96/87. Best friends.

Bertie > Corey: 98/98. Best friends. Married.

Bertie > Vanessa: 98/98. Love.

Corey > Albert: 100/100. Best friends.

Corey > Bertie: 98/98. Best friends. Married.

Corey > Vanessa: 98/98. Best friends.

Vanessa > Albert: 100/100. Best friends.

Vanessa > Bertie: 98/98. Love.

Vanessa > Corey: 98/98. Best friends.