The day looked fairly bright, but a little overcast and the forecast said rain a little later on, but that wasn't going to dampen people's spirits.
It was the twins' dual graduation at the antiquated but quaint little town hall and they needed to get ready.
Vanessa turned up, with the rest of the family to support her.
Sophie however, chose to stay at home and boycott the whole thing.
Why?
Well, she was told that her friends thought she'd be the 'most mediocre', which upset her greatly.
So she ended up sulking in the fairy house and getting drunk of the pollen punch in there.
Andrea was there too, however, as they all waited for Nessa to come out of the main entrance, horror of all horrors .... Andrea suddenly turned to Shannon... and turned on the charm!!
Say, what's your star sign? I think we could be compatible.
ANDREA, she's old enough to be your mother!!!!!
The graduation took a little while, but they waited patiently, just as a cloud burst and the heavens opened.
Vanessa graduated with honours and was told by her friends that she'd be the 'most likely to be a Rock Star'. Ohh I'll bet that stung.
Their celebrations were almost ruined when a member of the Dragon Valley committee, approached the group and glared daggers at Shannon and her unusual entourage.
You are stepping on fragile ground Shannon McAnna.
The name is POWERS, please remember that. I got married.
Nevertheless, you are breaking all kinds of laws and bylaws here with your behaviour. And your .... extended family.
I haven't broken any laws.
Oh really? You went into the future.
How would you know that? It was less than a split second, nobody knew that I'd gone.
The soothsayer told me of a shift in the timeline. Besides, how can you explain those two metal monsters?
That's a load of bollocks. They're not monsters, they deserve to be here as much as you and me.
The committee representative cringed at her crudeness but let it slide.
We will be watching you. Dragon Valley doesn't need any more drama. We are a simple townsfolk who are happy in our insular lives. We don't want any outside influence to destroy that.
She turned to Vanessa.
Congratulations Vanessa, I hope you have great success in your future and remember your place here in Dragon Valley.
Ouch!
Anyways, after the proverbial flinging of the scroll, they all (apart from Sophie) converged on the bistro just up the road to have a celebratory meal. Because it was within walking - or in this case ... running - distance, no transportation was needed.
Unfortunately, it appeared that everyone else was going there too, as all the outdoor seating quickly filled up.
Blaine remained outside, since he didn't need to eat anything except a few bits of scrap metal that he kept stashed away - just in case.
Bad mistake.
Because of the downpour, the water got into his circuits ... and he fried.... literally.
Back home, Sophie was up to no good. She desperately wanted to get out of Dragon Valley. So she took the aptitude test to see if she qualified for any scholarships.
Sophie: Gah, this is sooo difficult.
Pat: Whatcha doin'?
Sophie: Filling out this form.
Pat: Why?
Sophie: I want to get a higher education.
Pat: What for? You don't need fancy qualifications to be a singer
Sophie: That maybe so, but I want to look as though I'm a bit smarter than I am.
Pat: Whatever.
Long silence, then Pat piped up.
Pat: Ohh, you could do what your mother did, travel to the future.
Sophie: Nah, this is what I want to do.
Pat: Could be fun.
Sophie: My future starts with college.
Pat: Whatever. I did try.
Sophie: I know, but this is what I want to do. I want to branch out further and this place is choking the life out of me.
She failed, which meant that she'd have to fund the college fees herself.
It didn't stop her as she called the college campus and arranged transportation and allocated dormitories.
Sophie: Okay, here goes... dialling....
Sophie: You can? That's great! Straightaway? That's fine.
Pat: A bit sneaky dontcha think? Going away without telling anybody?
Sophie: I just want to get my place before everything and everywhere fills up.
Pat: And what about me?
Sophie: What about you?
Pat: Aren't I coming along?
Sophie: You are a doll. I can't be seen dragging a doll along now can I? Besides, I don't want distractions and you are the biggest one yet.
Pat: I am hurt.
Sophie: May I remind you that you are a doll, a figment of my imagination. You don't have feelings.
Pat: Well, fine, if you say it like that.
Sophie: Oh look, here's Sonny Em, what you doing home so early?
Sonny Em: Blaine broke down and I came home to get some spare parts to fix him. What are you doing?
Sophie: Um, I'm ... going away.
Sonny Em: That's nice. Hope you have a great time.
The truck pulled up and Pat watched as Sophie got in, the rain getting heavier by the minute.
Sophie: Bye Pat, bye Sonny Em
Pat: Whatever.
Sonny Em: Bye Sophie, have fun!
Sonny Em *awkward waving*: Is this the right gesture to say .... bon voyage or whatever?
Pat: Who cares? Besides, she can't see you. Anyways, I'm going inside before my stuffing gets too wet.
He watched as the truck vanished from view. A crackle of thunder followed. He turned and headed indoors to sulk.
Pat: Well, this sucks.
Editors notes:
Sophie's bladder was in the red, and she refused to move from her spot until it failed, which meant that she missed her graduation. No matter how I tried, the action kept cancelling out, so I left her to her own devices back home and that's what I found. She was living it up in the fairy house, drinking pollen punch!!!
Haven't a clue who that woman was, but she just stood staring at Shannon and the rest of the group, hence the reason why I made it look as if she was part of a Dragon Valley 'committee'. Warning Shannon of 'dire consequences' should she continue to flout the 'laws of the valley' in any way. I'm guessing there was a lot of superstition way back in medieval times and most people were just happy taking each day as it came along. Not many would be brave or ambitious enough to want to move further. But this is Sims, and anything can happen. Plus, this is a good chance to move the timeline along a little further. We can't have the Powers family sitting in a time warp for the rest of their lives now, can we?
As for Pat. I forgot to add him to Sophie's backpack, so there's a good chance that he might not be travelling with her to college. So I kinda made this a goodbye of sorts for the two of them. But the future isn't certain, so we won't know what'll happen. Will he sneak into her suitcase or sit at home sulking until she returns after term is finished?
