1.9 Gone By Tonight

Cinnamon and Ignatius spend an increasing number of summer's waning days at the country club, drinking and golfing with the Appaloosa Plains elite.

They still have their demanding jobs, and their teenagers to raise, but they're making an effort to relax a little bit.

After all, one never knows when the end will come.

The Quill family mourns their patriarch with a great deal of awkwardness. Cinnamon has always been volatile, but now she's at a loss for words, wandering the house like a zombie.

She does not want to talk about it. 

The triplets fear their mother's feelings must be tip-toed around, and take on as many chores as they can. Jym cares for the garden and cooks all the meals, Tilde does all the cleaning, and Glycerine quietly drops art club and takes a part time job instead, so they can handle a few of the household bills and responsibilities without having to engage in a conversation with their mother.

"It's like Mom's there, but she's not, and I don't know what's worse." Tilde confides in Grim. Her relationship with her mother has always been a strained one. As a child she thought her mother was emotionally distant, and often disappointed, but still loved her. As a teen she began to question that last bit. Maybe Cinnamon does not love her.

Despite the sad circumstances, Tilde is grateful to no longer be challenged about her many hours spent out of the house. Her horse still needs to be groomed, fed, exercised and trained daily.

"For our birthday she and Dad were apparently planning a huge party for us," Tilde mumbles. "I really don't feel like a party, Grim."

The horse glances at her, but doesn't seem to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

The party commences whether Tilde likes it or not. I rolled Party to Remember for generation 1, and this is the last possible second to complete the roll.

The kids have invited several friends and love interests.

Tilde bursts into tears multiple times.

Glycerine blows out her candles first.

Myles, already aged up in the green shirt there, is ecstatic.

 Tilde goes next.

Lysander arrives to the party fashionably late, but in time to see Jym age up.

Lysander is making more of an effort to fit in these days.....

"Make a wish!" Gus cheers.

Jym silently wishes for happiness.

It's an open-ended wish, leaving room for life to surprise him and pull him in new directions.

Gus wants to rekindle their romance.

Glycerine serenades Myles, fulfilling the party's live entertainment requirement.

Myles has the hopeless romantic trait, so he loves it.

While her brother has gone through many relationships and her sister has had none, Glycerine has stayed with Myles, who seems to genuinely love her in return. She wants to move out with him, tonight.

"I want ALL of you gone by tonight!" Cinnamon's angry outburst is fueled by copious amounts of her own brand of perfect quality nectar (also fulfilling a Party to Remember requirement). "Your father left you a generous inheritance. I've done my bit as a parent. I want peace and quiet now!"

Tilde arches an eyebrow and mutters, "Okay, whatever," before taking a long drink as well.

She'd say this ruined the party, but she wasn't having any fun anyway, and most of the guests are upstairs for some incomprehensible reason. There are very few witnesses to Cinnamon's ranting about how she martyred herself to motherhood.
 

"Gone by tonight" was a bit too sharp of a deadline. Within the week, though, the triplets have pooled their resources and selected a house that will suit their needs.

It's the big brownish house across the street.

It's close enough for Jym to visit his mother frequently and help her with their work, spacious enough to accommodate four adults, a pack of dogs, and the child Glycerine is sure she'll have with Myles soon, and includes a barn and fenced in training area for the horse nobody knew Tilde had until it became a concern during house hunting.

The large kitchen is a bonus. Jym is certain his father would have liked it.

Jym starts a small garden in the solarium.

Several rooms came furnished, including the one Tilde and Jym are currently sleeping in.

The house will need some renovations that they cannot currently afford.

At least, finally, Grim can come home with her.

Speaking of animals, the dogs do not seem to mind the change of location. The big backyard for them to play in is a plus. The household has five dogs at present: Coffee, Toffee, Paprika, Salt and Pepper.

Cinnamon wanted to keep Poppyseed, for whatever reason, and Sophie already died of old age at some point but I didn't get any pics of it. Oops.

Obviously, the puppies have aged up.

This is Salt's adult form.

This is Pepper's.

This is Paprika's.

The Quill sisters comfort each other with late birthday gifts.

The new house feels like a new start, but it's scary, suddenly being considered adults, making their own decisions... and to be so abruptly tossed from their childhood home makes them feel like orphans.

Tilde and Glycerine never disliked each other as children, but they always imagined they would grow up and go separate ways. Now that they're actually grown up, they want to be closer.

Glycerine's artistic skills offer a bridge into many careers. She picks fashion design, and is easily enough granted employment at the town's salon and fashion boutique.

Glycerine did not expect to be left completely on her own on her first day.

One of her first customers wants a makeover. And thank goodness for that, because he looks unsightly.

She thought she was polite and did a good job, but the customer is a total jerk to her in return.

I guess we should talk about Myles.

Tilde wants to race horses, Jym is a farmer, and Glycerine is on her way to becoming a fashion phenomena. But what about Myles? What plans does Myles have?

Well, Myles has the clumsy trait, and the unlucky trait, so he's pretty bad at everything. Even art. Despite the artistic trait that drew Glycerine to him. He's a big dreamer, but always ends up screwing things up somehow.

He was raised by a single mother with no other family support. He has one sibling he isn't close to, as they did little but quarrel as boys. He's already been through a string of jobs and lost them due to... well... accidents. Turns out the employers in a small town actually talk to each other, and Myles has found himself more or less blacklisted.

His mother is currently seeing the owner of the Devil's Crossroads Saloon, though, and she talked him in to giving her poor unfortunate son a chance at a bartender. It's not a great place, but maybe it's something? Myles practices the mixology skill at home and prays that he will not mess this up...

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Etc.: Cinnamon came close to maxing out the nectar making career, but in the end did not do so before generation 2 took over. Jym will now carry the torch.

So there are two bad things about my rolls this generation. First, everyone got a career that must be micromanaged (nectar making, fashion designer, equestrian, and mixologist). Second, I only rolled one child! Such a shame. Only one of the triplets will be able to reproduce. Which one will it be??? Will I surprise you??? (Unlikely.)