Round Eleven - King 2 - Enjoying the Empty Nest

Note: Sorry that updates are so sporadic. My PC has given up after seven years of loyal service making playing extremely difficult. I hate to abandon a story for the SECOND TIME (eek!) but I'm going to be moving all my Sims stuff to my boyfriend's PC and will probably start over, especially seeing as I've discovered many more resources...

Alima and Duncan's son Gabriel has left for university and they've decided to stop renting and buy their own home. As long as they've got each other there's no time for any of that empty-nest business!

  

Duncan had heard about what was going on between his niece Lilliana and the local lothario Tom Darwin from his step-daughter Athena (Liliana's sister-in-law, confusingly enough) so it was more than awkward when Tom started stopping by. Duncan tried to reason with him, having been a bit of a player in his teens but Tom wasn't hearing any of it.

"Liliana's a grown woman, she can make her own decisions and if she wants to date me that's none of your business."

Duncan cringed. "Just be careful, okay? I don't want you knocking her up, she's got a brilliant future ahead of her." 

Round Ten - King 2 - Keeping Up With the Kids

Alima and Duncan are elders but they're as passionate as ever, and their son Gabriel is readying himself for a life of painting fruit and living on ramen noodles as he prepares for University.

"Oh, hi Jace."

"Hi mom! I didn't wake you, did I?"

"You've never had a bad reason for calling me," said Alima into the reciever. "Or no reason, either. So how's Solveig doing? Did she enjoy the third pregnancy or did she want to punch you into space? And how's my grandson?"

Jace laughed. "She's fine, and so's George."

Round Nine - King 2 - When Everything & Nothing Changes

Alima and Duncan King are approaching elderhood while their son Gabriel is getting into the swing of things as a teen.

"Oooh! That's the spot!" Alima's years were beginning to catch up with her, but Duncan was always there and willing to smooth out the aches and pains in her back.

Round Eight - King 2 - Happy Home

Duncan and Alima King have been through a lot to get where they are today - blissfully married with a son on the cusp of teen-hood, along with Alima's two adult children and four grandchildren. It seems like nothing can get in the way of their happiness!


Alima may have been a grandmother, but it didn't stop her and Duncan from enjoying themselves! After all, they weren't old and grey yet... and they had no intention of stopping when they were, either.

Round Seven - King 2 - A Place Of Our Own

Duncan and Alima King and their son Gabriel have finally moved out of Alima's old home and into a rented duplex next door to newly divorced Adele Darwin and her daughter Maya. Their life is pretty idyllic, but can Alima's cheerful personality break down the wall around Adele?

Round Six - Bhalli - Playing Happy Families

Jace Bhalli and Solveig Tellerman are engaged and settling into life with Jace's mother, step-dad and new baby brother Gabriel. Will things continue to be plain sailing?

Round Five - Bhalli - Adult Life

Jace Bhalli and Solveig Tellerman are freshly graduated from university and have moved into Jace's mother's house. Will they manage to find any space of their own as a soon-to-be-married couple now Alima and Duncan are expecting Jace's new baby brother or sister?


Jace and Solveig were settling in fairly well - he thought the new decoration theme in the house was a bit too minimalist but he supposed he could deal with it - making any changes could come later, when they were a little more financially stable. As long as they had each other, it was all good. Solveig was glad she'd found someone who would give her backrubs whenever she asked and not demand anything in return!


One of the factors that cemented Alima and Duncan's relationships was their love of music, and Alima's burgeoning pregnancy bump hadn't dampened that in the least. They'd made one of the new rooms their own personal rehearsal space and continued to rock out as fervently as ever.


Solveig had to admit to herself that she'd been very worried about the concept of living with her future mother-in-law. She'd met her a few times while she was at university but living together was a whole other matter! What if she didn't think she was good enough for her little boy?... Of course, Solveig hadn't reckoned on having a mother-in-law like outgoing, cheerful Alima, and her ability to corner you then get you into a really awesome conversation. She was still fairly young, after all, and she'd lived a lot on those years!

"I don't want you to ever feel uncomfortable here. This is your house as much as it is mine!"

"Thanks. I just don't want to get in the way, what with the baby and everything..."

"Don't worry about it! You're great fun to have around, not as stuffy as my twins... I'm not sure what happened there. I mean, I love them, but they're a total mystery to me! But you've got a good head on your shoulders. You're ambitious but you're cool."

Being told you were "cool" by your boyfriend's mother was a little surreal.


In seemingly no time at all, Solveig had become an intern at Sim City Hospital. The hours were long and gruelling but it was what she most wanted out of her life - helping others while netting a great paycheck!


Jace had also got a job, in order to prepare for Alima's incoming baby and any future children of his own. He wasn't as ambitious as his fiancée but work as a police officer was just right for him.


Alima gave birth to a healthy and handsome little baby boy, Gabriel King. He was a perfect mix of both his parents, as far as they were concerned!


Alima couldn't find a way to fully express her joy at having a new baby, especially with a guy she truly loved who would always stand by her. She could stare at little Gabriel for hours, just like she had with her twins, amazed at how she'd made such a cute little thing.


Alima and Solveig had indeed become very close friends, always joking and gossiping - about men, as often as not. Rumours about Harvey Darwin had been spreading around the community and they weren't about to pass up any opportunity to talk about that!


Jace had always wanted children of his own, and helping look after his baby brother fully cemented that desire. He willingly got up for midnight feedings, which was more than could be said for Alima. But everyone knew that after years of being a devoted single parent she deserved some rest.


Gabriel soon became a toddler and Alima began thinking about whether she and her "new" family should move out... but there was plenty of time.

Round Four - Bhalli - Valentine

Alima Bhalli is suffering from empty-nest syndrome now that her twin children have gone to university, and has invited her fiancé Duncan King to live with her. Things are getting pretty serious for these life-long hedonists...


Alima and Duncan didn't show-boat for their wedding, opting instead to go for the courthouse option. As far as they thought they didn't need a fancy ceremony to prove they loved each other. "Plus, I've got no right to a big white meringue of a dress even if I wanted one!" Alima had said with laughter as they made their plans.


Alima may have initially had her doubts but she knew she'd made the right decision. She and Duncan were made for each other.


With the house to themselves they had a lot of opportunity for newly-wed amorous activities, and they took advantage of that whenever they could!


Money was a little tight, though, so Alima made the decision to sell the car Jace and Petal had built together. It was a heart-wrenching goodbye, to be sure, but they got a surprisingly good deal.


It didn't take long before Alima fell pregnant. It was a little daunting seeing as her other children were already at college, but she was still excited by the idea. She called Petal and Jace to give them the good news and they were initially and understandably shocked and surprised, but the idea of having a new baby brother or sister was intriguing, especially to family-orientated Jace.


Alima was on maternity leave but the bills needed paying so Duncan was working hard. Sometimes that meant Alima had to head to bed on her own as dancing was sometimes a late-night job, but she was too exhausted to do anything but pass out anyway.


Duncan's steadily growing paychecks meant they could afford to extend and renovate the house ready for the new arrival. It was a stylish and minimalist affair and Duncan couldn't wait to put the new nursery to good use!


Notes: Yay, a wedding for Valentine's Day! ...and a pregnancy. Duncan's rolled a have-a-baby want though so it's all good.

Round Three - Bhalli - Leaving Home

Jace and Petal Bhalli are getting ready to go to University, leaving their mother Alima as the sole resident of the house.


"Hi, kids!" said Alima as she got home from work, a smile plastered on her face.

"Hi..." said Jace distractedly while Petal shot her mother a dirty look.

"I love you and everything, but we are TRYING to CONCENTRATE. I need perfect grades before I leave!"

Alima sighed. She would never understand her children's fixation with academia, especially knowledge-seeking Petal.


Soon the dreaded day came when the twins moved out and went to university. Jace was busy packing all their suitcases into the taxi while Alima said goodbye to her daughter.

"Be a good girl! Stay away from frat boys and don't go to too many parties!"

"Honestly, who do you think I am? It'd take a miracle to get me to go to ONE party... Mom! Stop crying!"

"I can't help it! My little babies are all grown-up..."


The house was lonely without the twins and that meant Alima called her fiancé Duncan over even more than usual. She still had a few doubts but now she was all alone they were much harder to pay any attention to - she was finally completely sure she loved him.


Still, he couldn't be there all the time... and Alima was growing increasingly tired of waking up alone.


"I know this is kind of a shock, but... will you move in with me?"

"Of course I will! Jeez, Ali, why would I propose to you if I didn't want to live with you?!"


And so it was that Duncan King finally moved out of his big brother's house and joined the love of his life.

Round Two - King - Family Men

Duncan's courtship of Alima Bhalli appears to be going somewhere despite some trouble on the way. His sister-in-law is expecting her second child and his temperamental brother seems to be getting used to the idea that Duncan's still around - perhaps a little too late.

"Pregnancy suits you," said Adrian cheerfully. "You've got a glow about you."

"Thank you!" Noriko smiled. "I could do with some ice-cream, though... I don't suppose you could go to the store and get me some?"

Adrian sighed. He needed to finish a project for work, but he supposed he couldn't exactly deny his wife her pregnancy cravings. It takes two to make a baby, after all.


His brother Duncan's romantic escapades were going a little better. Alima had really come round to the idea now her kids had expressed their approval, and they celebrated by heading off to Sim City and hitting the clubs downtown.


After a soak in the hot-tub (what kind of a club has a hot-tub, anyway?) Duncan mustered up the courage to do something he'd wanted to do for a long time. He grabbed his jeans, rooted around in the pockets, and produced a diamond engagement ring.

"Alima Bhalli, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

For a moment he thought she was going to refuse. She had a troubled look on her face, as if the decision wasn't as easy and heart-felt as it should have been. But the expression passed in a brief second and she accepted with a smile on her face.

"Of course! But I've got one question - where the hell did you pull that out from?!"

"My jeans! Wow, you've got a dirty mind."


She hugged him tightly. "I love you, Duncan. I know I've not been as warm as I could have been, but - "

"It doesn't matter now. All in the past. What matters is you're showing how you feel now."


Noriko was nearing the end of her pregnancy but her appetite hadn't diminished one bit. Even when she wasn't "eating for two" she LOVED food - it was her second great passion in life after raising children. It was a wonder she kept her slim figure, but she was apparently blessed with a fast metabolism.


True to form, Noriko gave birth just as she was preparing lunch (still in her pyjamas). Adrian was at work and Nathaniel was at school, so it was up to Duncan to rush her to the hospital.


Noriko gave birth to a healthy baby girl she and Adrian named Miranda. Miranda took after her parents equally in looks so far and was an easy and pleasant child to look after.


Nathaniel was excited to have a baby sister and helped out whenever he could. It was a shame he'd be heading off to college soon and missing out on Miranda's early years.


Duncan made time to help out too. Looking at his newborn niece made him realise how much he wanted kids of his own, but considering how skittish Alima had been about the proposal he was worried it wouldn't be any time soon...

Round Two - Bhalli - Intrusion

The Bhalli twins, Jace and Petal, are getting on with their lives in a new neighbourhood. So is their mother Alima - to the point that they seem to have a prospective step-dad on the scene. How will Jace and Petal deal with this intrusion on their space?

(I've started naming the posts now... inspired by Mao, possibly the queen of Sims blogs. Plus I usually have SO MUCH TROUBLE naming anything and these are coming pretty easy, and it helps me keep what's going on in some kind of order!)

Alima and Duncan's last date may have been a little disasterous, but things were getting back to normal. She had explained that she was a bit skittish - she hadn't dated anyone since Petal and Jace's father, and he'd run a mile when she'd gotten pregnant. But Duncan wasn't like that and he was trying his best to put her at his ease. Still, Petal couldn't help being a little resentful at the drastic change in the status-quo.


Whatever they were doing, whatever time of day, it seemed like Duncan was always there. He wasn't, of course - he had a job and responsibilities of his own. But still...


Jace had no such qualms. He really looked up to Duncan - he'd never had a father-figure in his life, seeing as his grandfather had pretty much disowned Alima because of him and Petal, and it was a pleasant change. Petal left them to it.


Duncan wasn't the only member of the King family getting all up in Petal's personal space. Jace had made friends with Nathaniel and he often came over. In Petal's opinion he was just a dumb jock - the fact they were in various honours classes meant nothing! Nothing! And so what if he was cute...


But soon she got a little more accustomed to Duncan and Nathaniel being around and bothered to get to know them. Nathaniel may have been into sports, but he was actually kind of funny and could talk to her about physics and mechanics for hours if she let him. Plus she was beginning to realise how cute he was... sports were a wonder for the body, it seemed.


Jace wasn't quite as scientific but he tried to get in on their conversations when they all sat down for a post-school snack.

"You two are the science boffins - d'you reckon aliens exist? That would be so cool."

"Let's just humour him," said Nathaniel with a smile.

"Hey!"


Alima had decided to take her relationship with Duncan to the next level. She knew he was in love with her and didn't know if she felt the same yet, but it couldn't hurt to try, right? Anyway, why shouldn't she have fun? She had needs, just like anyone else, and it HAD been a while.


The twins still made time for their car in between their new-found passion for socialising, and it was nearly finished! Jace couldn't wait to have a ride of his own...


Soon all of them were back to their usual selves as Petal came to terms with the fact her life was changing, but they'd always be a family.

"Congratulations on acing that test, Jace! I never knew you had it in you!"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Alima watched her children joke-bicker in happiness. Maybe Duncan was good for them all. She'd see how things went, and whether he was ready to really commit...

Round One - King

The King family seem to be settling in to Serenity Hills very well, but it's early days. Will Adrian and Noriko manage to conceive their long-awaited second child? And will Duncan successfully woo Alima Bhalli and get the hell out of his big brother's house?

(sorry this update is so late - I've been busy lately. I'll try and keep up from now on!)


"So what's all this talk about you and Alima Bhalli?" Nathaniel asked his uncle. "Do you like her?"

"Loose lips sink ships, kid," laughed Duncan. "But between you and me, yeah, I do. Don't tell your dad though or he'll start pestering me about when I'm going to propose or something so he can get rid of me."

"No fear. Dad's crazy."

"You're a teenage boy, you've got to say that. But thanks."


It hadn't taken long for Noriko to conceive at all - apparently the fresh air of the suburbs worked wonders! She brushed up on all the latest ideas in parenting... she'd done it all before, of course, but that had been a long time ago.


Duncan may have been keeping his relationship with Alima quiet but it seemed to be working out really well. They'd rocked the nearby karaoke joint like pros - she shared his all-consuming love of music and they were both naturals! Or they were too smitten with each other to notice that they sounded more like cats in heat than pop-stars. Either way...


"Thanks for taking me out," said Alima, giving him a goodbye hug that was considerably less platonic than he'd feared. "It's great to finally be getting out of the house and having fun again!"

"It was my pleasure."


Nathaniel was doing well at school - of course, with his drive and academic dedication it would have been more of a surprise if he wasn't getting top grades. Of course, Noriko pressuring him probably had something to do with it... but getting her children (both already present and merely prospective) into college was extremely important to her. A life ambition, in fact.


It wasn't all hard work though. Nathaniel had befriended Jace Bhalli and met his sister Petal. They were his uncle's romantic interest's kids, which made things a little awkward, but they had similar goals and interests. Nathanial couldn't help notice that Petal was beautiful... intelligent, too. Wow.


Unfortunately his skills with girls didn't quite match up to his skills in the classroom or on the soccer pitch, and he managed to gross Petal out more than impress her.


Noriko's due-date was getting closer and closer, and she'd progressed from reading pregnancy books to obsessively joining parenting forums on the web. Adrian had jumped straight into the workplace, earning money so they could afford to build a little nursery, and even Duncan was chipping in with a job in dance, so she didn't mind that she was alone a lot of the time.


Of course, not all of Duncan's wages went to preparing the house for his newest niece or nephew. He'd put a bit aside so he could take Alima out on a really great date to the fanciest restaurant in the area. She seemed very impressed.

"Wow! No-one's treated me this well since... forever, actually."

"You deserve it. You're a beautiful lady and you should be treated like a queen."

"Don't go TOO overboard," laughed Alima.


The meal went perfectly. In fact, everything between them was going well, and even though they'd only been dating a few months Duncan was pretty sure he was in love. He'd been taking things slow, sticking to kissing her on the hand or polite romantic kisses, but he decided to move a little quicker. Hey, making out in a restaurant after a romantic date wasn't TOO weird, right?


Unfortunately for him, Alima did NOT agree.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I... I just thought..."

"Yeah, well don't. I'm not that sort of girl."

"I was just kissing you!"

"I don't care! Call me a cab."


Thankfully by the time the cab arrived Alima had calmed down. "I'm so sorry... I don't know what came over me. It's just been so long and things are moving so fast... I've got the kids to think about. I don't want to let a guy into my life unless he can make friends with them and they approve of him."

"I understand." Duncan may not have managed to get a family of his own yet, but underneath his pleasure-seeking it was becoming a bit of a priority. Plus, he'd been an uncle long enough to pick up SOME idea. They shared a goodnight kiss, and Alima got in her cab. Duncan waited a little longer before he headed home himself. When did this get so serious?

Gameplay note: Thanks to NoInstantLove, Duncan has the love flag with Alima but she's still only on crush level - in fact, he'd rolled up the want to propose to her WHEN I STARTED PLAYING THIS LOT. Wtf, Duncan, your family secondary is showing a bit strong...