Chapter 17: Annex

Chapter 17 Annex

Hi! If you've reached the Holldums from a link on Jenn's awesome page (http://jennthesimmergirl.com) you've landed right in the middle of a chapter =) If you'd like to follow Texas' story right from the very beginning, you might want to jump over to my Table of Contents page (a.k.a Knowing When to Holldum) in order to hook up with Chapter 1: Texas Twosome. You can also access it at any time by clicking the "Link to All Chapters" link in the side bar. If things seem a little rough at the start, well, they get better (especially the picture quality) as the chapters progress. *grin* So welcome, and thanks for visiting from Texas and all the Holldums.

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Last Chapter we saw Orrin wrap up his 2nd freshman semester and head over to the Cham Annya Hoh house. Let's take a peek at what was going on in the Hoh house this semester pre-Orrin.

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After Cirrus' little deliverance from the Angel of Death, things were never good between he and Euclid. Where Salina and Euphemia were patching up their friendship, Cirrus and Euclid swiftly descended into enmity.

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I disrecall which of them started the fire. I think it was Euphemia; she has a tendency to leave food in the oven and wander off. Regardless of who started it, Euclid saw it as his chance.

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With everyone occupied by the fire, he slipped out of the house and into the night. No one seemed overly concerned that he'd left or cared too much where he'd disappeared to.

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After Euclid moved out, things began to return to normal in Hoh house.

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Anytime cheating came up in conversation, it was not accompanied by an all out, eye gouging, hair pulling cat fight. As they headed into their senior year (thanks to the bizarre time anomaly that strikes Strangetown at times, causing a warp around some households where time speeds up or slows down) they realized they had grown and were ready to face what their last year -- and life beyond the campus -- held for them.

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That didn't' stop Salina from bawling like a little girl when Coach followed her into the rest room to harass her about her lack of fitness.

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Euphemia had no qualms about writing her own research paper while one of her house mates managed to convince new pledge Brittany Parker to create theirs.

Yes, that's a standard Maxis object having the flashing blue 'can't find the texture' glitch that seems to happen frequently since Pets.

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I've never paid close attention to sims eating pizza before. It's kinda funny.

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One morning, the Campus Postal Service dropped a couple curious boxes off at Cham Annya Hoh.

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"Now who would done be sendin' us boxes of stuff without a tellin' us they was sendin' us boxes of stuff?"

Why don't you open one up and find out?

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"They're clothes."

Yep, they sure look like clothes.

"Now who would done be sendin' us clothes without tellin' us they was sendin' us clothes?"

*rolls eyes* Didn't you just ask that question? Or something like it. Go try one of the outfits on.

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You're a Greek house. I figured it was time you had something appropriate for members to wear. So I arranged for a few Cham Annya Hoh jackets to be dropped off at the house.

"Oh, I done think I need ta be a changin' mah hair. It don't be fittin' with mah new duds."

You do that. And when you're done, head on downstairs so I can get a pic of everyone in their jackets.

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::I done hate settin' fer family pitchurs.::

::Do I smile? Should I look serious? When do I say cheese? What kind of cheese do I say?::

::I miss Vasyl. He said he was he had to write a term paper and then study for his organic chem final. I wonder if he's done yet.::

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And so senior year dawns for the members of Cham Annya Hoh as they prepare to wrap up their college careers and welcome a new resident into the house.

As for Euclid...

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No one can say for certain where Euclid moved to or what he was up to, but some people were saying that he finally got what he deserved.

That wraps things up for the university front. There's one more person I need to check in on. Let's head over to the Strangetown Urban Complex.

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"I was wondering when you would be wandering back. What was up with you stuffing me in that box and hauling me into that body lab the other week?"

Sorry about the lab and box thing. I needed to ship out a couple new avatars and, well, you were the clonee.

"I suppose you're forgiven. I'm back safe and unmodified after all. But it's been a bit weird here of late while you've been out messing with simcarnations."

Weirder than you playing pirate in the bathtub?

"Oh yeah."

I've been a bit... ah... busy with... um... stuff recently.

"Stop trying to snoop around without looking like you're snooping. He's not here."

He's not? Damn. Er, what I mean is that you two have a following. They expect me to keep them updated on what's going on (and it keeps me from being lynched).

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"What 'you two'? Do I look like part of a 'two'?"

Well the pictures certainly indicate you are.

"He's been all twitchy and strange the past few days. I don't know if there is a we or if there ever was. Lemme tell you about it."

Ooo, I'll get the Way Back Machine.

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"So, I read in the Picayune that the prototype of Texas' restaurant recently opened here in the Strangetown Urban Complex. I figured I'd be friendly and invite her over to lunch to find out all about how it was going."

Neighborly of you.

"Hey, it's the least I can do, being an avatar and all. Texas was just tickled pink to come over for lunch. So she shows up, I ask her in and invite her to get comfortable, and just as I'm heading to the kitchen to whip up a spot of lunch the phone rings. It's Waylon, checking to see if Texas arrived okay (he's such a sweetie) As we're talking, Kasson walks right in the front door. No knocking or anything."

Well, you two are a thing. He probably felt he didn't need to knock anymore.

"A thing? If we're 'a thing' then why hasn't he... Ah, nevermind. That's personal and you're too nosy."

Darn

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"Anyway, while terribly rude it was just the start of his odd behavior. He did this little 'hi babe' thing to me as he walked past... walked past me! ...and went over and started cleaning Bibby's cat bed. I mean, I know it was getting a little ripe but Xavier told me he'd clean it tomorrow. He had to leave early because his Manly Maids Anonymous group was taking an outing to Uniforms R Us that afternoon."

Manly Maids Anonymous? Is there a blond guy named Cleve there?

"You're interrupting. So, I'm a little peeved that all I get is a "hi" and a thumbs up from him when he comes in, and that he immediately starts to clean. I'm a tidy person, unlike some of us."

Hey now, my sewer is a happy, comfy place. Messy, but comfy. And it's a short climb to the gutter from here.

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"As he's cleaning away, I go and make lunch. It's just as easy to cook for three as it is two anyway. I set the table, everyone heads to the kitchen and joins me, and the conversation starts getting..."

Weird? Yeah, I noticed the handcuffs kept popping up right after the kissy lips.

"And the kissy lips pop up in Kasson's conversations a lot. And he got all pissy after Texas started grilling me about my love life and that whole "you two" thing. I mean, I know she wants more grandkids but... hmmm... Wait, after the fiasco at Cleveland's wedding, you don't think Kasson associates romance with..."

Handcuffs and bondage? What would that have to do with Cleveland's wedding? I didn't think Shelby was into that sorta thing. She seems wound a bit tight for it.

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"Ack! No! What I was trying to say was what if he associates romance with being tied down. Restrained. Handcuffed. That whole "ball and chain" loss of freedom thing. It would explain why he stormed away from the table without finishing his lunch when I tried to navigate around Texas' questions."

Hmm, that could explain it. Or it could be that Texas' questions to you were hitting a little too close to home for him and he was afraid to hear how you'd answer. Or he didn't want to have to answer himself. You know she'd ask him the same thing next, especially if you avoided the question, and she wouldn't let him weasel his way out of it.

"I'd have no problem with her grilling him, if it would actually get an answer out of him. As it was, when he bolted to the living room she got up and followed him."

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So did you eavesdrop and find out what she said to him?

"No I didn't Ms. Nosy. I gave them a few minutes alone to talk and then got up and joined them. I almost wish I didn't. They gave me this... look."

Okay, I admit, that's a little creepy.

"Yeah"

But it looks like it was a happy creepy, if those plus signs are to be believed

"Happy Creepy? Is there such a thing? Ew."

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So what did you do after the little stare down?

"We watched a little tv. Texas gave us a behind-the-scenes on some of the Yummy Channel shows. Kasson played with Bibby for a little bit. She was feeling neglected."

She always feels neglected. She could be curled up on my lap being hand fed fresh salmon and she'd still feel neglected.

"Eh?"

Er, he and Bibby seem to be getting along well

"Yeah, it was cute watching him snuggling her like that. Of course, she'll hit up anyone for a snuggle. I've seen Xavier drop his bag of trash just to pick her up and cuddle her."

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And what's going on here? Floaty hearts for Chester? I knew we liked the geeky ones, but Chester? *checks* And you're three bolt for him too? Does Kasson know?

"That doesn't mean I like the guy. Sheesh. I was telling Kasson how flighty I found him the one day I went to his robot shop, and..."

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"It seems he's all floaty hearts for Chester too."

Okay, that's just scary.

"Oh yeah."

I could make another comment about Chester and the fact that both of you are all floaty hearts for him (there'd be three of you then, ya know), but I don't think I want to descend down that path.

"Ew. Thanks. Can we move on now?"

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Sure. You want to tell me about this one too?

"Well I... ah... "asked" Texas if she'd be interested in cooking dinner for us."

Used those influence points, didja?

"Well Kasson was hungry after all his cleaning."

Cleaning? Or "cleaning" *waggles eyebrows*

"Just cleaning!"

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So where was Texas when she should've been watching the oven?

"She had some personal needs she had to tend to quick."

Yeah, elders do have to pee every five minutes. Why didn't you or Kasson get dinner out before it burned?

"We were... um..." *fidget*

I see. Isn't the couch a bit short for that?

"Very funny. Ha. Ha."

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"I was glad Kasson stuck around after the fireman put the oven out. There was a lot of cleaning to do to get the kitchen back in shape."

I don't' think Bibby's bowl was in any danger from the fire.

"He's just being thorough and making sure we got all the soot and smoke cleaned up everywhere."

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Do I want to ask what he's cleaning here?

"Alright, so cleaning wasn't the only thing on his mind."

Actually, I'm glad to know that cleaning isn't the only thing on his HCCD addled mind.

"Yeah, well, he headed for home not long after this."

Damn again.

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"And then I had a bit of a surprise the next morning when I sat down for my morning cup o' joe. Take a look at the Picayune headline."

It's hard to read and your hand is covering the picture.

"Sheesh. Here, take the paper." *hands over the paper*

Interesting. "Jr councilman caught in lunchtime liaison" You know, this is why most people have curtains on their bathroom windows.

"Well, I haven't heard from him since, so I'm a little concerned."

*sigh* Looks like I need to have a loooong talk with that boy.

But that'll have to wait for another chapter.

What, you can't read the front page either? That's okay, I scanned the paper right here. Warning, it's a pretty big image (750 x 1000). If your browser resizes or scales images it may not display it full size. You'll need to click on it or zoom or whatever command your browser uses to switch to full size image.

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