I Hart Space! - Chapter 6: Dark Nebula, Part I

Hey there! This is Roxanne with a new chapter featuring Hadley, our generation 6 (!) heiress to I Hart Space!, a space-themed joint legacy between Kristina and me. Kristina did a wonderful job with her turn, and the family produced Hadley, a studious and determined heiress, if one that is a little lacking in the enthusiasm and tolerance-for-stupidity departments. She's going to be a lot of fun to play, I could tell already just from reading about her, and she has not disappointed! Feel free to hit the Index if that doesn't sound familiar. Enough introduction, though. Let's get into it.

Over the last few posts, we saw Kristina play the family and deftly prepare Hadley for her aspiration and heirship despite the handicap of having to hand her over on her teen birthday, and we saw this very gifted heiress grow into a teen alongside her twin brother Bradley and older brother Rook, all under the sometimes-questionable guidance of her mother Io and father Louis. I think that leaves us pretty prepared for today. Let's check in on Hadley at Hart Observatory, the ancestral lot which has now made the journey back yet again to my computer.

Hadley: "How can I be expected to perform in these conditions?"

Ah yes, things appear to be right on target. Hadley is technically telling herself an insane story as soon as the play button is hit, but you can't fool me - that's just a cover for her real thoughts.

Our two heiresses share a teenage-attitude-inflected moment together. One of the reasons I loved playing Hadley is that this girl makes the best faces and has attitude, teenage or otherwise! As Kristina pointed out to me, she's not mean or anything and she actually seems to like her family just fine. She just has a very low threshold for bullshit, it appears. I can relate.

While Hadley is coming to terms with things out front, Bradley is "entertaining" the welcome wagon, which is all the adult and elder members of the Spencer-Kim-Lewis family, who have not had the best luck with this family before yet seem ever eager to befriend them.

Bradley of course needs to be disliked by four sims for his new aspiration, and hey, there happen to be four sims on the lot whom I don't care if he is hated by! Cool! He starts making the rounds, dishing insults and taunts while Hadley looks on, sighing at her twin's cruelty. Where are the parents? Who knows? Probably woohooing in the observatory or something.

Bradley was disliked by everyone but Vivian when she decided to leave the lot, thanking us for hanging out with her. Yeah, sure, Vivian. Bradley rushed over to distract her from her exit with some rude comments, but I guess because she was already leaving, even after they had nearly filled the bar red and he had declared her his enemy, she wouldn't flip over to technically disliking him, although certainly it was all but in name only. Bummer, Bradley. Guess you'll have to wait for another day.

Our teens prepare for their first morning of school on my computer. For once, Hadley looks vaguely amused by her brothers' antics.

After a great effort, Kristina had left Io's latest aspiration (the terribly annoyingly difficult Angler) with her needing only one more fish. I thought this would be a cinch, but much to my horror, the move reset the counter for her final aspiration step, leaving her at 0/20 unique fish caught. >:(  She neither had time nor I the patience to do all that while the teens were growing up (plus I was also doing this at the same time with my legacy sim Faye Gregory), so I decided to find out from Kristina which fish Io had caught and count on my own when she got a new fish that wasn't on that list. Then I would cheat the aspiration finished, since by all rights it should be at that time. So while the kids went to school during the days, Io headed to the park to scare up a red-tailed black shark, which can be caught there and which seemed to me the easiest of the fish on her not-yet-caught list to acquire.

Back home, Hadley works on fulfilling her destiny of completing Nerd Brain as a teenager since she had just about every - if not every - skill-boosting trait you could have at that point. Handiness, rocket science, and logic incoming!

Meanwhile Louis works on his mixology and happily disposes of the products of his labor. Wouldn't want to be wasteful now.

This is what I mean about Hadley's faces! I mean, come on! I think I told her to go hug someone because her social was getting low from skilling all the time. This has got to be one of my all-time favorite Sims 4 expressions I've seen.

But Hadley is constantly throwing off attitude, even while supposedly enjoying rebuilding her great-grandmother Eris's rocket back in Eris's criminal lair, the yard of which is conveniently and pleasingly shrouded by flowering bushes.

Io was catching plenty of fish but those darn red-tailed black sharks were playing coy. This may take a while . . .

Io tutors her boys while enjoying fish tacos (wonder where that fish came from, huh?). Although Hadley's getting the majority of attention, the two young men of the family are also being very successful.

In fact, I have a job for Bradley. This was in December and crackers had been introduced, and I like to complete collections whenever I can. So it was now his purpose in life to stop saying mean things to his family and instead pop as many of these bad boys as it would take to get all 8 Meduso figurines. This would turn out to be a long-term goal.

Rook: "Huh, those are really strange chairs. Never seen anything like that before. I wonder just who is supposed to sit in something that small? Babies can't sit up and children are too big. It's a real mystery."

Oh yeah, and toddlers were introduced while I was playing. We'll finally get to see some Hart toddlers this generation! Yay!

Hadley formed a club of every unrelated-to-her, non-premade teen or young adult male sim she could find in the neighborhood - and there turned out to be three. Some selection there. We'll take a closer look in a minute. She threw a gathering of Hadley's Dating Pool at the café in Windenburg and invited Bradley along because he still had aspiration points he could get as a teen. Thanks to Vivian's refusal to dislike him, he still needs to make another sim really mad.

And Mortimer was that lucky sim.

Mortimer: "What did I ever do to you, young sir?"

Anyway, that was fun. Reminds me of Eris. Now on to the dating pool.

This is Naoki. He is the only young adult in the group, so Hadley couldn't actually start to date him for many more days if she chose him. He also ran off mysteriously as soon as the gathering started, so she never really got a chance to talk to him. Sorry for the darkness of these pics.

Hugh is a teen with . . . unique . . . fashion sense and a mile-wide streak of persistence, as we will come to see. He's ok and the shirt could be changed. Red hair is always a plus.

And then there's Jordon. He has black hair and brown eyes, just like Hadley and pretty much all her family before her (although a shade of brown eyes that hasn't been seen for a few generations), so we wouldn't be getting much genetic variety in those two areas, but boy is he cute!

After chatting for a few minutes, Naoki's disappearance, and then subsequently Hugh also running off, Hadley decided to give Jordon a chance.

Hadley: "And that one there they named after my many-times-great uncle Sirius."
Jordon: "I'm almost positive you've got that the wrong way around."

Hadley and Jordon had a pleasant evening getting to know each other. We learned that Jordon is a goofball, a loner like Louis, and neat. So not exactly compatible with Hadley, who is an outdoors-loving, insane geek, but also not exactly incompatible. They seemed to take to each other, so I'm willing to see where this goes.

At the house, I remodeled the second floor of Hart Observatory to accommodate a toddler nursery, which can hold up to three. I'll delete an extra bed if we don't need them all at once. The baby nursery got downgraded quite a bit, but since not much goes on in there, that's ok. I moved the table and plant by the stairs there to block off the empty space behind it to avoid sims getting stuck in that narrow area. The only thing upstairs is the telescope, so it should be ok that the stairs are in a small area.

I also took out two of the three homework desks that sims rarely use anyway to provide room for plenty of toddler toys. Considering Hadley was only a few days into her teen years at this point, can you tell I was excited for toddlers?

Louis: "Wait, Io! Come back! It's my birthday and I want you to celebrate with me."
Io: "Nope, can't deal with this. We're not getting old."
Louis: "Well, I am."
Io: "La la la, I can't hear you."

Io is having some trouble with the oncoming changing of their lives that elderhood will bring. That or the siren call of the computer was stronger than my efforts to keep her in the kitchen. Your call.

Jade: "Um, what are you doing?"
Hadley: "I'm having fun! I'm . . . I'm . . . dancing! That's what you do right? To have fun in a club? Darn, I'm not convincing anybody, am I?"
Jordon: ". . . maybe that's enough dancing for now, Hadley. I invited you out to the club because I wanted to tell you something."

While Jordon declares his growing feelings for Hadley, a pink crop top appears in the shadows and the Jaws theme starts playing softly in the background.

*dun dun . . . dun dun . . . trumplets blaring*

Hugh: "You're looking nice tonight, Hadley!"
Jordon: "Where did he come from?"
Hugh: "I can teleport. It's one of my many . . . skills. I'd love to show you some time if you're willing, Hadley."
Hadley: "Thanks, I'm good."

After an evening of pretending to dance and trying to avoid Hugh constantly butting in on their conversation, Hadley returns home and Jordon returns to the ether in which all homeless townies live. Somehow, in my absence, Bradley had found a mighty be-muttonchopped gentleman to annoy and a new acquaintance. And so it was that the only non-family member in the town that knows Bradley and feels positively towards him is Don Lothario. Figures.

Jordon invited Hadley out again the next night. I think he likes her, guys! Hadley does her best to appear flirty, but is it just me or is that decidedly not a 'sexy pose'? More like "help, my lower back just went out and I have the worst itch on the back of my leg but I can't quite reach it with my other foot." Yeah, sexy.

Hadley: "Gee, Jordon, I'm so . . . uh . . . flattered you . . . um . . . invited me out. Tee hee?"

Hadley: "Ugh, I can't do this any more. This is crap. Sorry, Jordon. I don't know how to flirt or whatever. I don't know how to impress you."
Jordon: "You already have just by being you! Don't fake it. I like you, Hadley."

Hadley: "And that's why I like you." *kiss*

A few nights later Jordon invited Hadley out for karaoke. He had actually been inviting her out every night - I am not kidding that this sim is attracted to Hadley! - but she had a lot of skilling to do, so she couldn't go every time. They enjoyed an awkward duet together. They were terrible, but they seemed to have fun, so that's good.

Then they became best friends by the bathroom.

Then they drank so much juice that Hadley started to fall over. All in all, pretty much the most fun you can have at a karaoke bar.

As the evening deepened into night, Hadley invited Jordon for a romantic stroll in Myshuno Meadows. There, under the picturesque festival lighting leading up to the arch, Hadley asked Jordon if they could promise themselves to each other, and they did.

Jordon, your fate is sealed. Sorry, bud.

Io: "What's all the celebration for? And Louis, what happened to your hair?!"
Louis: "I'm old, sweetie."
Bradley: "And you will be too. Woooooo old lady! Granny panties, here you come!"
Io: "I'm not getting old. I don't know what you're talking about."
Rook: "It's ok, Mom. Just blow out the candles."
Io: "Why? It's not my birthday."
Hadley: "For goodness sakes, Mom, blow out the damn candles. My arm is getting tired."
Io: "Geez, fine. But I'm not getting older."
Hadley: "Whatever. I literally stopped caring five minutes ago."

Louis: "You know, sweetie, I think you look more beautiful than ever with silver hair. Do you think we might . . .?"
Io: *giggle* "Okay, I guess growing older isn't all bad."

Another day, another invite from Jordon, this time, aptly enough, to the romance festival. They enjoyed some drinks that would have made them flirty perhaps if they weren't already there just from being together.

Hugh: *runs in* "Surprise! Petals!"
Hadley: "Oh my God, Hugh. I'm here with Jordon. Please, go celebrate somewhere else."
Hugh: *runs away whimpering*

Jordon: "You handled that well. That's one of the things I love about you. No one gets the better of Hadley."
Hadley: "And one of the things that I love about you is that you actually like that about me."
Romance Guru Standing Way Too Close for Comfort: "Aww, you kids are so sweet. Tell me, young lady, would you like to hear your romantic fortune?"
Hadley: "No?"
RGSWTCfC: "Don't be shy! I predict a young man that loves you for who you truly are will come into your life. Be on the lookout!"

Hadley: "You're full of crap, you know that, right?"
RGSWTCfC: "Also you will die alone and loveless."
Jordon: "I thought love would be coming into her life."
RGSWTCfC: "I changed my mind."

I wish I had screencapped Hadley's fortune because I forgot it, but it boiled down to "you will fall in love" or "love will find you" or some such. Uh, lady, she's there on a date with her boyfriend who is wearing her promise ring! Duh!

Hadley discovers something she actually feels comfortable celebrating: small incendiary devices that you wave around. Meanwhile Jordon went running off to the bathroom, leaving a perfect opportunity for . . .

Hugh: "More surprise petals!!!"
Hadley: "OMG, Hugh . . ."
Hugh: "I'll see myself out. Worth a shot."

Jordon's bathroom break was taking way too long so Hadley looked for him and found him singing karaoke again. For some reason she couldn't do a duet with him, so she just watched for a while and then went home.

Where her brother helped her with her aspiration by shamelessly cheating at chess.
Bradley: "Look, sis!"
Hadley: "What? Where?"
Bradley: "It's a blank wall!"
Hadley: "Whoa, so weird."

Io: "What are you kids doing?"
Rook: "We just found out that even though we are only one-eighth alien, we can still do the secret handshake."

If you're wondering why Hadley is always dressed while others are in their pajamas, like in her childhood she doesn't sleep much. She mostly skills for her aspiration and goes out with Jordon.

Today they visited the city to vandalize their sidewalks outside the flea market with a very nice little piece of street art. It was a collaborative effort. But don't tell the cops that.

Back home yet again, and Hadley has maxed out her logic skill to achieve the power of the Nerd Brain. Her next aspiration . . . is a secret at this point. Read on and you'll see. ;)

Bradley, however, is not living up to his full potential. He's still popping crackers every time I remember he's supposed to be doing that, but he's getting a lot of duplicates. Boo!

Hadley: "Mom, Dad, I feel like I've achieved a lot so far."
Louis: "You have, dear. You set your sights on a goal and you achieve it. Laser focus."
Io: "Yes, we're so proud of you."
Hadley: "So you'll support whatever I go after next?"
Io: "Of course, sweetie."
Louis: "Hey, Take Your Daughter to Work Day is coming up if you think cooking or mixology might be your thing."
Hadley: "Thanks, Dad, but I've already got some plans . . ."

While the kids are in school on Friday, I sent Io to Sylvan Glade today to try to catch any fish - ANY FISH - that she doesn't already have. Despite having level 10 fishing skill and a pocket full of awesome bait, she failed. I was getting peeved at this point, and it was the weekend, so I decided to just have her stay there fishing, with her moodlet solvers, until she found a stupid unique fish.

However, after two and a half days I had to bring her home to pay the bills. Oh, and it was Rook's birthday.

Io: "Come on, you guys. At least look like you're celebrating."

Hadley: *singing* "Happy birthday to you! I'm celebrating you! Is this convincing enough to Mom? Happy birthday to you. Yuck. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Rook, you are still one handsome sim. Now get out of my house.

I mean, we will see him later, and he'll probably enjoy the solitude anyway since he picked up his final loner trait, but I have some plans to attend to.

Namely, sending Hadley to act as a welcoming committee of one for some new arrivals in a distant part of the neighborhood.

Hadley: "Make me a vampire."
Vlad: "Girl, I don't know how you got in here or what you think you know, but . . ."
Hadley: "Make me a vampire."
Vlad: "You don't mess around, do you?"
Hadley: "Not where aspirations are concerned."

Hadley's new aspiration is Master Vampire, so she will I guess eventually usurp Vlad? But don't tell him that. We need him to help her with the first step.

I don't know how much mesmerizing you need to do when she was the one insisting on it, but you do you, Vlad.

I didn't take a pic of the neck biting because it's kind of weirdly erotic, and between a teen and a young adult who looks like an elder, that creeped me out a little, ha ha. But Hadley has the bite marks and the stomachache to prove the transformation will be complete in just a few days' time.

And if that's not convincing enough, she also has a selfie with Vlad to back up her claims. You can never be too prepared.

Hadley: "Wow, you will never believe what I've been up to!"
Jordon: "Probably not, but it's cool."

Hadley: ". . . so you see, Mom, that's what my new aspiration is all about."
Io: "So, like, are you a vampire now?"
Hadley: "Not yet."
Io: "And are your weird friends going to hang out here all the time then?"
Caleb Vatore: *hisssss*
Lilith Vatore: "Would someone please invite me in? You won't regret it."
Hadley: "Eh, maybe."

Hadley: "And then she's all like, 'Well don't let them drink from your father. He's sensitive.' Pssh. She doesn't understand my goals and my ambition!"
Caleb: "Totally."
Lilith: "Yeah, how annoying."
Vlad: "Ugh, parents."
Jordon: "How is this my life?" *hack hack hack*

This was back when woodworking was the #1 most interesting activity in the world to sims before they patched it, so there was a lot of random woodworking going on at this time, but I still feel like Jordon may have been brushing up on his machete skills . . . you know, just in case.

Hadley: "Ugh, my breakfast didn't taste right. Gross."

I SEE YOU, RED-TAILED BLACK SHARK! YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER!

So they'll jump out of the pond but not onto the hook. >:(

Hadley: "I'm really excited you asked me on this date to the experimental restaurant, but I was kind of hoping - you know, since they have a dress code and all - that you might wear big boy shoes."
Jordon: "I can fix that. How's your neck feeling?"
Hadley: "Oh, this? I'm fine."

Jordon: "Ugh, don't look, but it's those smug Landgraabs. Geez."
Hadley: "Man, I don't know about some of this food . . . suddenly I don't feel so hungry."

Jordon: "Whoa, are you ok, my love? I think I heard your stomach grumble from here."

Hadley: "Yeah, heh heh. Guess I'm hungrier than I think . . . or something."

 

Clara: "Hey, what did you guys order? That looks really good!"
Jordon: "Talk to the hand, Clara."

I don't know if Jordon has a thing against blonds or just premades or what, but he was throwing the Landgraabs and Clara dirty looks all night. Kind of hilarious, actually.

Hadley: "Oh my God! This . . . this just doesn't taste right!"

Hadley: "Ungh, I don't feel so good. I know this was an expensive dinner, but I don't think I can eat it. Can we cut the date short?"
Jordon: "Sure. I mean, you're technically paying for it anyway, but are you ok? You're looking a little pale."
Hadley: "I'll be fine . . . I think."

Since Hadley could no longer eat human food without grimacing, she and Jordon paid up and canoodled for the rest of the date. That evening, she was feeling pretty rotten so she skipped the moodlet solver and just went to bed.

The next morning . . .
Hadley: "Bradley, I do not feel good."
Bradley: "Okay."
Hadley: "No, like really not good."
Bradley: "Strangely enough, I really don't care."

Hadley: "Holy shit, Bradley, I'm levitating!"
Bradley: "Still not my problem."

Hadley: *hiss*

And THAT is where I'll leave you today, because I'm evil, much like whoever decided Hadley's dark form should wear a spa towel and bunny slippers. Sorry this update took so long, but I hope you enjoyed it! There's a lot more coming up, so be sure to check back, and while you're waiting, stop by SiMania to chat with Kristina and me! Thanks for reading!