Grunt Legacy: Generation 2.3 (original) (raw)

It's been a while, but I finally got around to updating the legacy. Yay! Still need to play the Generation 0 lot (aka the pre-made Grunt lot with Buzz, new!Lyla, Tank, and Lilith) and the Generation 1 Sibling lot (aka Buck and his paramour Jill), but I'm pleased to have gotten little Keely aged up enough for her older sibs to hit university!

All I need to complete Ripp's second LTW is get the little greenie through university and my founder will be a double-LTW recipient. Not my first, but my second ♥

Previous Parts: Generation 0: Beginnings
Generation 1.1: Life, University, and Everything
Generation 1.2: Past, Present, Future
Generation 1.3: Life After La Fiesta Tech
Generation 1.4: Family Secrets
Generation 2.1: And Then There Were....
Generation 2.2: Growing Up
Stats: Generation 1 / Generation 2

After the initial excitement over the new baby, the Grunt family settles back into their everyday life.

The guest bedroom, formerly the master bedroom while River was still alive, has become an unofficial den and homework spot for the family. The computer is the easiest way these days for Ripp to keep in touch with his parents and brothers, even though they live just down the road. Mostly they don't get together often because of Buck settling into married life (and that was something no one in the family thought would ever happen!) and his parents adapting to a new baby for the fourth time in their lives.

He'd just recently found out that Lyla had been pregnant about the same time as he'd had Scarlett, but she'd kept working and an accident on site lead to a miscarriage. She'd been devastated and didn't hope to ever have another child. Fate had something else in store, however, and she'd given birth to the her first daughter shortly after Keely's birth. Lilith is a huge help around the main house, as she and Tank aren't yet ready for kids, and the kids are thrilled to have another aunt (even if she's still in diapers).

Two days after Keely joins the family, Ripp sits down for a quick breakfast with his two eldest before school and work (it's Johnny's day off, and Ripp is ready to get out of the house even for a little while).

"And after school I have about an hour before work," Scarlett is saying to her brother as he chows down on a Pop Tart. "I'm so close to a promotion, and if I get it--"

"You could get some good scholarship money," Ripp adds, recalling his own Young Entrepreneur's Scholarship winnings from his early adulthood. "It's a good goal, plus you've got top marks so that's also good for scholarships."

Hill is quiet; he's just applied for and been offered a position at one of the local laboratories as an assistant. It's just a teen job, but he has high hopes.

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After a long day of class, the Grunt siblings return home. Johnny's seeing to Keely and working on skills for his own upcoming promotion. Pepper valiantly takes over looking after her sister for a bit and Scarlett goes to get ready for work, leaving Hill to entertain the friend that his stepsister brought home from school today.

Her name is Ivy. Ivy Deppiesse. A popular girl, it's not a surprise that she's one of Pepper's good school friends.

Hill thinks she's probably the prettiest girl he's ever talked to. Sweet, a good conversationalist, and he knows that he's smitten.

In an unknowing imitation of one of his fathers a lifetime ago towards the other, he takes a momentary lull in their conversation to compliment her on being such a kind person.

Ivy giggles and shyly thanks him for the compliment. Truth be told, Ivy thinks Hill is rather sweet as well, but she was raised fairly old-fashioned and is a bit too bashful to ask him out.

Still, she's not too shy to share a first kiss with him. Not immediately, of course, but after a few hours of chatting and getting to know one another better. Neither of them like the thought of rushing into something... but they've clicked and know it.

Maybe it's a bit silly, but Hill has to ask.

"Um, hey, Ivy?" When she turns to face him, Hill takes her hand. "I know it's kind of late to actually go anywhere, but you wanna go on a not-date?"

Ivy blinks. "Not-date?"

"Yeah. Here, at the house. We've got a bowling alley in the backyard--"

They do stick around the house on their "not-date," but really don't get much bowling in. And maybe, maybe they're rushing into this a bit fast, but Ivy is the first girl that Hill has had a genuine interest in beyond hey, my sister's friend is kind of hot.

So, nervously, he asks Ivy to go steady with him.

Her answer is an enthusiastic 'yes.'

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Another day passes, and daily life goes on as usual.

Johnny returns home about the same time as Ripp with a promotion to chief of police and the story behind said promotion. It's probably a bit embellished, but Ripp just smiles and lets him tell his story.

After they head in the house, Scarlett heads out to meet her carpool. That promotion is just so close she can almost taste it!

Still, she's a bit disappointed that she'll be missing the latest birthday:

It's Keely's transition day, and she's still the little darling of the family. There's a strong resemblance to Johnny in ways aside from her skintone and hair, but she's got the Grunt chin and Ripp's big blue eyes.

Hill takes Keely when his stepsister hands her off to him and heads to the bathroom to give her a bit of a makeover. The spiral curls look too cute on the youngest Grunt, and it's already clear to anyone who looks that Keely has latched onto Big Brother as her favourite sim. The feeling is mutual, and Hill already knows that he'll help to teach her some of her skills.

Only an hour after Keely's transition, Scarlett arrives home from her teen job with a satisfied grin. Top of the teen law enforcement career at least, she feels more than ready for the challenges ahead.

Still, she's not quite ready to leave for La Fiesta yet. There's still her younger siblings to take care of. And although she knows her dad and Johnny can handle just about anything, there's still a joy she derives from playing with little Keely

and giving advice to Hill.

"Ivy's a good kid, kinda sweet," she remarks to her brother. "She's the kind of girl that would be a good choice for a bride. Of course, I'm gonna marry Pep, but you and Ivy would be great together."

"You think?" Hill asks, almost eagerly. He does like Ivy, a lot, and even though college comes first he's put a bit of thought into the future. A mad scientist doesn't necessarily have to spend his life alone, after all.

Standing close by, Johnny can't help but smile at his stepchildren's conversation. Truth told, he'd never expected to break up with Ophelia, or to have another child after Pepper, or even to marry his other best friend, but he wouldn't trade any of it for the world. He loves this new family of his, and he genuinely hopes that Jill finds her own happiness with Buck.

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During the night, the family has an unexpected visitor. Not a burglar (because one would have to be insane to break into the home of Captain Hero and the police chief),

but Ivy dropping off a "little" gift for her boyfriend. She knows that the way to a knowledge sim's heart is through logic-building items, and even though the Grunts own a FarStar telescope she knows that it'll be well-received by the one for whom it's intended.

Which means, of course, Pepper takes a golden opportunity to tease her stepbrother.

"Ooh, now she's giving you gifts, Spazz. When're you gonna give her something?"

"Ow! Hey! Get off, Pepper!"

Eventually she lets up (and Hill wonders if Aunt Ophelia is anything like his stepsister, because Johnny certainly isn't as much of a joker) and the family goes about their morning.

It's a weekend morning, meaning that the kids have the entire day free while Ripp and Johnny both have work. It's fine by Hill, because his first day of work is this afternoon. All he needs to do is survive the day with his sisters.

It's not a hard task so far as Keely is concerned. She's probably the sweetest toddler ever, and he absently wonders if his own children will be as well-behaved. It's a strong possibility, as Dad claims that he was a quiet toddler like Keely, but there's still the chance of a temperamental child as well. Ripp still tells stories about how Scarlett was a demon when she was younger.

She denies this, of course, but she doesn't remember toddlerhood. It's probably true.

Oddly enough, Scarlett and Pepper are pretty quiet today themselves. Rather than cook, Scar calls out for Chinese, and she and Pepper dig in while Hill gets dressed.

It's a relief when the carpool finally arrives. Hill's nervous enough about his first day, missing the carpool would just be a horrible sign.

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Days pass, and life continues for the Grunt clan.

Scarlett takes a few moments to straighten up her bedroom before heading down to breakfast. It won't be long before she makes The Call and heads off for 500 hours at La Fiesta Tech. She's really going to miss everyone, but most especially her dad, stepdad, and baby sister; Pepper's got plans to call LFT the same day as Scarlett, and Hill will only be a few hours behind them.

Still, for now, she's still a high school student, so she does her best to be friendly with other kids. She's not always successful, but she does try.

In the meantime, Hill takes a phone call from Ivy and they talk for a while before making plans for the evening. It's been a little while since they've seen each other outside of school, and a dinner date sounds like just the thing.

Ripp's still a bit leary about the kids driving, but still lets Hill borrow the van for the evening. He's pretty sure they'll behave themselves.

Hill picks up his girlfriend outside the park, where they agreed to meet up.

"Hey, you," Ivy greets him as she climbs in the car, leaning over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, yourself," Hill replies with a smile. "Oresha sound good to you?"

"Anywhere. I just miss seeing you away from the classroom."

They don't go inside right away, taking a few minutes to really greet one another. Ivy thinks that Hill looks quite striking in his school uniform, but she enjoys seeing him in casual clothing as well.

When they're finally seated, Hill glances over the menu although he already knows what he wants. While Ivy's still looking, he strikes up a conversation with their waitress.

Their food arrives, and the couple chats over dinner. Ivy opts for spaghetti with meatballs, while Hill opts for a salad. It might seem backward, but he grew up on chef salads and still has a taste for them over anything else.

He truly does love spending time with Ivy. They never run out of things to talk about, and she makes him feel like the most important sim in the room when they're together.

A little flirting over dinner is just a part of life for Hill and Ivy.

After dinner's over, they decide to head over to one of the smaller clubs in town. They didn't initially plan it, but neither is ready for their night out to end.

They never actually make it inside the club, but the music is loud enough for them to hear from outside. Hill and Ivy are young, in love, and don't really care what the world might think of that.

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While Hill's out of the house and Johnny keeps control of things inside, Ripp heads out to the small graveyard in back of the house. It's taken a long time, but he's finally starting to come to terms with his previous husband's passing.

"Everything's different, Riv," he says to the stone that marks where his first love lies. "Everything's changing.

"Our baby girl's leaving tonight. She's already old enough to head to our alma mater. It feels like only yesterday she was our little girl, and now she's going off to start her own journey in life.

"She's not going alone, though. You remember Pepper Mint, right? Johnny's little girl? Yeah, she's ready for college, too. And Hill, our little boy, won't be far behind them.

"If you can believe it, he's getting love letters from his girlfriend now. Where did the time go?" Ripp sighs and shakes his head before putting a fresh forget-me-not in the vase in front of the marker. "I still miss you, and I wish things hadn't ended like they did. I love you, Riv. I'll talk to you again soon."

To be continued....

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As usual, there are a few quick snaps that didn't make the final narrative cut.

I just took this mainly to get a better look at Ivy. I love that outfit she's wearing, and I'm not sure what it is... but I think she's rather pretty. I snapped this even before I let 'em go on their first date, which Hill rolled the want for. And one bolt, hooray!

I'm hoping she gets a bit of meat on her bones in uni, to see if maybe that puts them at two bolts since Hill likes big girls.

I think this might be a candidate for the Just Like His Father files. Hill has some of the best expressions. He's my first sim to be bitten by a vampire he didn't know, and he also wound up being my first teen sim to have acne. Not that it bothered him at all. Just a couple applications of acne cream and he went on about his day. Which, honestly, consisted of staring through the telescope and chatting up Ivy over the phone.

These next couple of images just made me laugh way too hard when I saw them in play, so I had to include them here:


Yes. Ripp was lounging after work, and Johnny strolled in, sat beside him, and started talking about that one time they went out - with the kids - and decided to get frisky in the photobooth. Ripp sat up right after to apparently compliment Johnny on his technique on that particular romp.

Okay, anyone wanna see a set of pics that shows off how much Hill and Ripp really do look alike? Ready?

Ripp on the drumkit.

Hill on the drumkit.

Honestly, they're so close to being clones it's funny! The only real different I can see in them are the eye colour, the skintones, and Hill has a teeny bit of a point to his chin that must've come from River. I love it! I'm almost tempted to set my heirs by how much they look like their Grunt parent ♥

Oh. And just in case anyone was wondering if Hill's still crazy?

Yes. Yes, he is. Adorable, though!

HOMEWRECKER ALERT!

This was just before Buck finished up university (and after a junior-year aspiration change. He was a great romance sim, but Jill is knowledge so I let him change to that as well. And now they're three-bolters. And ACR is in my hood. Gods help us all). I sent him downtown to pick up some new clothes for Jill and saw Marion roaming around. I don't think she's changed clothes since Ripp kicked her ass two updates ago. Anyway, Buck went to chat with her and she ignored him flat out.

So I opted for Petty Grunt Family Revenge: I had him irritate the shit out of her. Now she's got a negative relationship with him but isn't furious, and I feel better for annoying her. I know, I'm terrible.

"Honey, I'm hooooooooooooooooooooooome!"

God, but I love how happy family sims are to come home. There could be garbage everywhere, the maid having a nervous breakdown, the babysitter drowning in the pool, the kids jumping on the couch, and the stove on fire, but family sims would still stand outside and crow to the world that they're happy to be home. Not that this has ever happened to any of my sims. Except the stove. That's why Scarlett calls for takeout these days.

I... just don't know. Swear to god, Pepper rarely wanted to interact with Hill (aside from noogies) whenever he wasn't busy, but the second he was skilling or reading or on the phone, she was right there. Staring. She's one of my more insane sims. And as a pleasure sim, it's hard for me to keep her happy. I'm doing good to keep her in low-gold/high-green most days. I'm just hoping that her Join Greek House want goes away or I'll be forced to move the whole quartet from the dorm, move 'em into a rental house, and start my own damned Greek House to make her (and Ivy) happy. Yeesh.

This one's for you, strange_tomato

"Hi, Ripp!"
"Hi, Johnny!"

All. The. Time. Unless they're making out/kissing/taking care of the kids. And all this was before ACR decided to make its effects known in the Grunt house (and yes, it does affect some action in the next chapter). These two didn't need any help -_-

Just another pic to show off Ivy. I still think she's adorable. There's just something about her that appeals to me.

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Whew! I honestly have to stop taking so long to write these up, don't I? And yes, Scarlett is now a college girl! The next update will peek in on them in the beginning (seriously, I only played them for about 39 hours before heading back to the family lot, playing Hill through several more days, and shipping him and Ivy off to college as well) then follow Hill on his trip through the teens up through part of his time at LFT. As of this writing, Keely is in her child stage, the Grunt teens and their SOs are college students, and Ripp&Johnny are 10 days out from elderhood. Likely I'll play through university, move Scarlett and Pepper to their own lot, play a few days on the main lot then move Hill and Ivy in. I don't want Ripp and Johnny to die anytime soon, but I'm ready to get Gen 3 on the way!

Oh, and as for River-sightings? None, except for this:

Puddles. These two in the house, one by the pool, and the stereo cutting itself on. All in all, he's a damned elusive ghost. I'm gonna have Ripp talk to his grave more, see if I can't get River to actually haunt instead of just quietly dropping puddles in random locations!

And yeah, I know. The pictures for the preview pic didn't appear in this update because I was going to make this longer, but I figured I'd share them at the beginning of next entry. But dear god, isn't Scarlett beautiful? Ripp's features actually work out wonderfully on a female sims!

Up next: Generation 2 Goes To College. Stay tuned!