Chapter 29: After the Honeymoon

Idle Time and After the Honeymoon




Now, while all that barely controlled chaos was going on over at the Holldum estate, what do you think the groom was up to? Was he just standing around, waiting for that fateful day to arrive?

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Not hardly. Cirrus is not the sort of knowledge sim to just sit around and skill all day. He's known what he wanted to do with his life for a long time, even when whom he would be doing it was kind of in doubt. With that sort of long term planning involved, maybe he should've rerolled into a wealth sim like Salina.

Have I mentioned Cirrus' stats before? I don't recall, but just in case I haven't here's a rehash: He's a Gemini with Neat 2, Outgoing 7, Active 10, Playful 1, Nice 5. As a reminder, Salina's a Sagittarius with Neat 2, outgoing 2, Active 10, Playful 7, Nice 5. Any kids they have are destined to be active slobs. At least it'll keep them from getting fat.

Anyway, to reach any goal, not matter how mundane or lofty, you've got to have a plan. And Cirrus had plans a plenty.

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Plans he discussed in depth with his family.

Well, as in depth as he was able to. There was a small issue with them giving him their feedback.

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Cirrus' plans started with taking the hired help to task for their slacking off around the place during his college years, Aiyana Dallas tried to make light of it and employ her "hey, I look enough like Bella that we could be sisters" appearance to get her out of the lecture Cirrus had queued up for her. He wasn't falling for it though.

He'd be better off with a different maid. Face Aiyana, you ain't no Xavier (Strangetown's gift to the male maid profession, although he does fall a bit short compared to Remington and Clevey-baby).

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Tristan the gardener was at least contrite and admitted to slacking off on her duties around the house. It seems Aiyana decided that since Cirrus wasn't going to be about during his college years, there was no reason for her to show up more than once a week at most, and she managed to convince Tristan of the same thing.

As it was, Tristan had the mess outside tidied up and had headed out long before Aiyana had even made a dent inside.

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Satisfied that everything was as neat and tidy as it could possibly be, Cirrus browsed a few recent copies of "Realty News, Strangetown edition" that he'd borrowed from Kasson...

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And then called his local realtor. After setting up a few tours, he placed a listing for a "Homestead Shanty - four bedroom, two bath" and packed his bags.

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House hunting, however, did not as smoothly as whipping the hired help into shape did. While Strangetown and the Strangetown Urban Complex (along with the nearby resort community of Lake Simmee) had a number of available houses, Cirrus found many of them were not quite in the style he wanted...

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and some, while nice, were just not what he was looking for in a house.

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Others were showy on the outside but rather basic on the inside...

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and a few were just too dang small overall.

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But perseverance reigned supreme when Cirrus' realtor called and told him she'd just had the perfect place come on the on market. One look and he knew it was the place he'd been searching for.

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So lets leave the groom for a while as he argues with furniture dealers and butts heads with the interior designer. We'll catch up with the lovebirds after they're back from their honeymoon.

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"Um, Cirrus Sweetie, this here sure don't look like yer ole place. I was h'expectin tha limo from tha airport ta be droppin us there."

"Well he couldn't drop us off there because I sold it. This is our new home, Salina."

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"What? But ya done grew up there. That was yer home. All yer memmeries an stuff was there."

"Sometimes we outgrow the places where we begin, Lina. You're right about my memories being there, but we're starting a new life now. Time for a new home and new memories."

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"But how kin ya done afford a big ole place like this? Ya'll were scrapin fer pizza money most of tha time at school."

"That's because my trust fund stipulated that I couldn't access it until I had a college diploma in hand."

"Trust fund?"

"I'm an orphan, remember dear? You don't think my family left me with nothing but some graves and portraits to remember them by, do you?"

"I wondered why I got that there 'I married a rich sim' platinummy rush after we done got hitched."

"Heh. Well, I couldn't imagine moving the light of my life back into that empty, quiet, sad little place. I think this will be the perfect place for the two of us."

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"Shall I give you the grand tour, love?"

"Kin we start in tha bedroom?"

"How about we end it in the bedroom?"

"Oooo, even betta."

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They look like they should be atop a wedding cake somewhere, don't they?

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"This is the heart of the house, the central hearth. With a nice cozy couch to cuddle up on on a cold winters night. Assuming we ever actually get snow here."

"Well it ain't named Strangetown fer nuthin."

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"Did ya do all the deck-her-ating yerself hun?"

"No, I hired an interior designer to do some of it while we were on our honeymoon. So a couple of the rooms will be a surprise to me as well."

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"The kitchen was one of the first rooms I redid, simply because you can't live on take out forever. I discovered that living at Hoh House."

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"Ooo! Sweetie, ya even done had Mama or sumbuddy drive mah car over fer me."

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"Actually Lina love, if you'll come with me out to the garage a moment..."

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"I think you might find this a little nicer of a drive. Especially since Kasson left your window down during that rainstorm."

"OH! I knew I done married ya fer a reason Cirrus!"

"I thought it was because you loved me."

"Well, that too."

"If you can tear yourself away from your new wheels, let me show you the backyard."

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"It's so purdy out here at night."

"It's rather nice during the day too."

"Hey, that ole creepy Genr'l Buzz ain't gonna be able to peep on me from his watchertower there if'n I'm out sunbathin nekkid, is he?"

"Since when do you sunbathe nude Lina?"

"Well... ya never know when I mighta start."

"If General Buzz tries to peep on you, nude or not, he'll have to go through me first. No one does that to you but me."

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"Oh Cirrus."

::Garwsh. He's jes tha biggest sweetie. Awkward, an a lil weird, but a big sweetie. No wunner I luv him so much.::

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Here's an areal view of the backyard. There's actually a house between them and the Grunts, but that observation tower of Buzz's can be seen for miles, I swear. As it is, the way Cirrus has his telescope set up, it looks more like he'll be peeping on the Grunts rather than the other way around.

In the lower corner there is the pool house, where the exercise equipment is kept. There's also a full bathroom out there.

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"So what here's this room?"

"It's one of the ones I haven't seen before. The designer put it together while we were on our honeymoon. I just told her that I wanted this room to be a den and TV room."

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"Er, well. It's okay I guess. The walls look like she done papered 'em with feed sacks though."

"It's better than that one designer on TV who glued straw to the walls."

"It shure still makes me think of a barn."

"Come on. The room next door is supposed to be a guest bedroom. It's another one I haven't seen yet."

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"Cirrus punkin, I don't think this is no guest room. You sure it weren't Mama you hired ta deck-her-ate while we wuz out on our huneymoon??"

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"I'm sorry Lina. I told you I hadn't seen this room yet. I guess she just assumed that a couple newlyweds like us would be starting a family right away."

"That or Mama done got to her while we wuz out."

That or the designer got her greedy little mitts on an adorable and brand new nursery set that she had to use somewhere. I'm not planning on clicking 'try for baby' with you two for a while though.

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"This is the front office. Nothing too terribly exciting here I'm afraid."

Yep. Just another small to drive me buggy when I want to take pics in it. Oh, and that also almost guarantees that it's going to be one of the main rooms where things happen (and where people get all bottled up).

There are also two bathrooms in the house that are too small for me to get good pictures of, even with dropping the walls. I should probably put a half bath somewhere by the kitchen, but I'm not sure it'll stick it. Space it at a premium around there now.

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Cirrus even thought of little Cookie when he was putting things together in the house. She's got a basket in the bedroom so she can be close to Mommy. Her bowl is in the atrium next to the kitchen and her chew toy and leash rack is right by the front office. She looks so tiny, even in the little basket. *chuckle*

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"And the last stop on the tour, the bedroom. Just like I promised."

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"Are ya thinkin what I'm thinkin sweetie?"

"And what would that be dear?"

"Them sheets is awful tidy and that there bed's really neatly made. I do think we done better be messin it up a bit."

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Why don't we give the newlyweds a little bit of private time in their new house. They need to... ah... break a few things in. Come on, I'll show you a few exterior shots of the place.

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I can't back up far enough to get the entire front of the house in one shot, so here's the left side. Cirrus lucked out this time and actually got Xavier when he called to hire a maid. Tristan's their gardener again, but she's got a good green thumb. I think we'll give her a second chance.

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And now the right hand view. Exciting huh? *yawn* Hey, you can't see the fence in the other view because it starts after the garage.

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And a daytime view of the pool and patio. Not quite as romantic as it is in the moonlight but the palm tree reflections are easier to make out.

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"Ah... Cirrus hun... did something seem different that there last time around?"

"Er... yes... I think something did."

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