1.15 Total of Teens

Fairuza and Rock share a slow dance in their bedroom on the day they become elders.

They may look ancient, but with fulfilling careers and three children still dependent on them, they have no intention of slowing down.

Obligatory elder sim-fu pictures.

"Jackie Elliot called me..." Rock brings up the name of Astral's best friend's mother, and Astral steels herself for what's about to happen, "...she said you and Carrie went to Voltaire's, and you pressured Carrie into getting a tattoo. On her face."

Astral leans forward, widening her eyes. "Dad, what? I didn't pressure her. It was her decision! And the tattoo is awesome."

"Carrie's mother doesn't want you visiting with her daughter anymore."

"Carrie's mother is crazy! We're almost adults, we can make fashion decisions."

Rock sighs. "As Carrie's close friend, you should have known how her mother would react. I would have expected you to try to step up and mitigate some of the damage... not encourage it."

"It's art! It's not damage!"

"The damage is to Carrie's relationship with her mother. Is it so hard to wait for your birthdays before you get tattoos?" Rock narrows his eyes. "I'm aware the only reason you don't have one is because the two of you ran out of cash."

Astral narrows her eyes right back. "Is this a bad time to ask for a higher allowance?"

"Allowance privileges are revoked," Rock says tiredly.

"I thought you were cooler than this!" Astral whines, before she storms off to her bedroom.

Parents just don't understand.

Epiphany ages up, bringing the total of teens in the house back up to two.

She moves all of her stuff into Ivy's old room, so she doesn't have to share with her kid brother anymore.

Lynx has the audacity to age up himself before anything else blog-worthy happens.

His adolescence is largely dedicated to gaming. He spends most of his free time glued to his computer screen, making long forums posts about the fights mechanics in his favorite MMO and yelling at his teammates when they fall short of perfection.

"I will turn the boss in your direction!" he threatens.

He dropped his healer role and went tank so he could control the fights. This has inflated his sense of self-importance, especially since so few people are brave enough to tank. Lynx is definitely toxic, but he gets onto all the good teams.

Despite the wrath of Carrie's mother, Gateway Glam continues.

Though it has never attracted much of an audience.

Even a loner has to get out sometimes. Lynx reconnects with his childhood friend, Brooke Valstrom.

Something about her makes his heart beat faster these days.

Brooke is distracted by the rad guitar playing of Jonas Beaker, the current mayor.

"What's that dork got that I don't got?" Lynx half-jokes.

Brooke giggles. "You mean besides good looks, guitar skills, a wife, three kids, and an amazing job?"

"Yeah. Besides all that."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Lynx-o, but I'm dating Chen Ahere."

"Ew? He has the slob trait."

"So he's a project," Brooke admits.

The two friends are trying to play a game of  Shape Skirmish and forget all that awkwardness when Chen himself arrives, sweaty and gross from the gym.

Chen starts up an argument so stereotypical Lynx thought it only happened in movies, badgering Brooke to stop hanging out with "creeps" like Lynx. Brooke scowls and tells her boyfriend she can hang out with whomever she pleases.

"I won't stand here and watch you disrespect our relationship like this," Chen fires back.

"I'm playing a game with my friend, not cheating on you, idiot."

"People are going to think things, Brooke!"

"I know Lynx is prettier than you, but you don't have to be so jealous..." Brooke sneers.

"Oh please. Now I know you're just trolling me, babe! As if anyone could be jealous of this wimpy noodle."

Lynx continues playing the game quietly for a while as the bickering continues...

...but eventually the situation is too uncomfortable to tolerate any longer.

"Fuck this, I don't want to be in the middle of your drama. Call me when you both grow up," Lynx snaps, startling the other two into silence as he gets out of his seat and stalks away.

Mayor Beaker is still playing guitar as Lynx leaves the Fun-O-Rama.




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Etc.: Jonas Ingberg starts the game as a child, and his family bio says his parents (a brilliant scientist and doctor) are disappointed in his average-ness. They're even having a second child to replace him. So when he married Erin Beaker, I had him take her surname. He went on to join the political career and currently holds the job title "mayor". So, take that, Ingberg parents, I guess?