Well, it's been a little while, but I've played Simon's college years and I'm here to catch you up on them! When we left off, the various spares and extras were situated in their new lives, and Simon had left for college. After an awkward encounter at Simon's birthday, he's now looking forward to picking up with Chloe again and getting the relationship off to a better start. He's got four years of uni to go to become an esteemed judge, making the world a fairer place, and he's also working on Musical Genius. Celeste and Eleanor are aging-off at the ancestral home until he gets back. That's pretty much that, and this chapter is a bit longer so we can get through college, so let's dive in...After getting all the spares situated but before playing Simon, I spent some time at the simselves' house to get the season back to where it was when Simon left. Apparently their neighborhood has roughhousing encouraged as their NAP, because I found Eleanor beating up an alien outside.
On the patio, Rowan had come to visit and got his ass handed to him by Haleigh while simJ looks on appraisingly.
SimJ and simRoxy are there to comfort Rowan, who they have gotten to know at the Gregory house well enough that he's apparently willing to visit them now.
Of course, that didn't stop Rowan from then beating up simJ. I think we've had just about enough of this household for now.
At the University of Britechester, Simon has moved into a Wyvern Hall reno done by, I think, lilsimsie, but it's been a while so I don't remember. It's just a bit nicer, nothing too special. Here's some of his new hallmates. The one on the right is named Maya, and she and Simon hit it off as friends eventually.
It's a weekend and Simon heads down to the debate tournament, introduces himself most politely, and joins the Debate Guild. It's just the kind of thing our formal little future judge would get into in college.
Later, he practices debate at the student center, but for some reason it's a little hard to focus.
In fact, college turns out to take a bit of a toll on Simon, who is, after all, a loner. Not much privacy at college.
At the dorms, there's always random visitors (like gen. 3 spouse Bryson) in addition to the sims that live and work in the dorms. Simon does his best to struggle through the cacophony. He's working on his aspiration when his schoolwork is done. Luckily, he has all three instruments in his pockets, so he can just pull out his keyboard and practice. Piano is the first one he's learning, and he gets a fair number of tips from the crowds, which is a nice bit of offset for the tenseness he has all the time until I cave and eventually get him the carefree trait.
The first day of class, someone abandoned this guitar outside the class building, and it's been there ever since.
One nice thing about random dorm visitors is that, owing to the enormous size of his family, a fair number of them are related to Simon and a decent number of those he actually has a good relationship with. Stella is happy to drop in for a game of ping pong. (She won.)
Chloe stops by one day and they cloudgaze for a while, getting to know each other. After a long afternoon spent talking, Chloe heads home, seemingly a little disappointed Simon couldn't work up the nerve to ask her out. After dinner, she takes things into her own hands and calls for a date.
Simon: "Here, Chloe, I brought you a flower."Chloe: "Oh, a rose! How lovely! Thanks, Simon. I was kind of worried you'd think I was too forward asking you on a date."
Simon: "Not at all! I'm just sorry I didn't get around to it first."
Chloe: "Well, what matters is we're here now."
Simon: "Yes, and I'm glad to see you in person again today, because now we're close enough..."
Simon: "For me to do this!"
Simon then serenades Chloe on the piano inside, and as he's really quite good at the piano, it's very romantic.
Things take off swiftly from there and it's a gold medal date for these two.
Random in trunks: "Geez, if it works for him, maybe this will work for me!" *inexpert plunking*Simon: "Hey, man, it's okay. Not everyone can wear yellow, look dapper, and play the piano well. Best leave it to the experts, you know?"
Back at the dorms, in true college fashion, these numbskulls have voted in Juiced Community for the NAP, and I don't even think I can vote on NAPs (and thus repeal them) in college, so that's just dandy. Eleanor shows up to her own son's dorm looking a little sloshed, as a result. This will prove to be an issue for the remainder of college.
Simon: "Hello judges, I'm Simon Gregory, and I'll be debating the pro side today."Random: "And I'm A. Random Townie, and as you can see..."
Random: "I was already five cups of juice deep when I found the MAC makeup, so this debate is going to go just swell for me."
I admire this dormie's commitment to collecting lamps. Dedication.
Maya: "I saw you leaving, Simon. Where are we going?"Simon: "I am going on a date. With Chloe. Without you."
Maya: "Rude."
I wanted to get Chloe away from the dorms because it feels weird to romance her when she's dazed from the NAP. Later on, I just made sure she was in a different emotion so it didn't feel like she was maybe too impaired to know what she was doing, socializing with the Gregorys. It's one of those things that require liability forms and informed consent, like a medical procedure, skydiving, or something equally dangerous. Anyway, we're here in Mt. Komorebi to go sledding.
Of course, by the third time Chloe wiped out in her everyday, not outerwear, and a blizzard started before we could get to the bunny hill, I was reconsidering. Luckily, the Romance Festival started just then, so they decided to leave the powder to more dedicated winter enthusiasts.
And off they head to the city to get some tea.
It doesn't take much to make these two flirty around each other at this point as they are building up some nice sentiments, but the tea doesn't hurt. After a successful date, Simon asks Chloe to be his girlfriend, which she accepts, and they take a photo to commemorate this date.
Although Chloe is his priority right now, school is a close second, and Simon puts in the work to get good grades. He gets some help from Alison on his presentation.
Then he decides to reward Maya for not further crashing his date with a friend hang. This turns out to be the wrong direction, because despite ever only being friendly, Maya texts him no fewer than three times throughout college to confess her crush and ask him out. Sigh, no, Maya.
At college (where the abandoned guitar still sits forlornly), there are an abundance of ghosts one day. I watched them streaming out of a background building while Simon was in class. I still have no idea what this was about. Needless to say, they're all a nice, dazed purple. The biggest of eyerolls.
First we saw gen. 4's Kori.
The fairly recently dead gen. 6 Rafael, Simon's grandfather.
And finally gen. 2's Marjorie.
Being a busy college student sometimes means eating on the run, but something tells me Simon is taking that a little too literally.
His mom invited him to a festival, although I forget which one this was now.
While Simon is off doing God knows what, I followed Eleanor, where she headed to the bar in the museum in Myshuno to flirt with a Sulani playable who was moonlighting as the bartender.
I found Simon picking up a side hustle too.
Clerk: "No, we're really not hiring. I'm not telling you again. Get out of here!"
Simon: "Please, I'm so hungry."
Simon: "Hey, mom. I have an early class and I'm tired, so I think I'm gonna split. Did you have a nice time?"Eleanor: "Yes! Just chatting. Definitely not exploring latent parts of my personality."
Simon: "Geez, what a creeper to waltz in here and sleep while I'm doing homework.
Uh, that is NOT your dorm room, so I think technically you're the creeper, sir.
Maya: "That could have been me."Gray hair #1: "Still could if you try hard enough. Or it could be me!"
Gray hair #2: "I'll provide some mood music. Never give up, my dorm sisters! Get your man!"
No, please don't.
I mean he's quite a catch, but this one is all reeled in already.
Another day, another outing, and Rowan asked Simon to the pool.
He brought Chloe, all of his and Rowan's other siblings, and their two aunts that they grew up with. Jason is somewhere near by out of frame.
After drying off and (most of them) getting changed, they head off to the Spice Festival, where who should catch them experimenting with bubbles but Eleanor. How embarrassing!
Not quite as embarrassing as this flagrant display of cannibalism, but it's pretty close.
They all, and I included Eleanor in this to teach her to mind her business, try the spice challenge. Stella and Rowan lose almost immediately.
Simon doesn't last that long either.
Everyone else eventually drops out, except Chloe and Logan, who pass the challenge like champs.
And then they all join in the world's most chaotic game of horse (with five basketballs no less), during which Rowan repeatedly poofs in and out of bat form every time he wants to move even the slightest bit on the court. Good times.
It's now year three at college, and Simon has moved into a student house (built by Simlicy) and has his own private room finally. The bathroom even has a washer and dryer, which I was initially impressed by until after about the third straight day of doing everyone else's laundry. Other amenities including a Bonehilda doll that someone has somehow levitated in the air by the shower.
Everyone wants some of Simon's time, so his aunt Taylor invites him to the flea market. It's not like we have a whole heck of a lot better to do. Simon has a Book of Life written for him by Kenzie before she moved out, so he studies the first couple hours of every night, tops off his needs, skills, tops off, goes to class, tops off, and goes out with friends or family, rinse, repeat. It's a pretty good life for a young adult.
Eleanor once again makes a guest appearance, this time as a MySims vendor at the flea market.
And so another basketball game is in order, but this time Eleanor caught the attention of one of her fans...
...and he just WILL NOT stop passing out all over the court, making the game really quite difficult.
Later, Simon takes his three closest non-related friends out to Henford-On-Bagley. Maya again tries--unsuccessfully--to ask him out after this. Read. The. Room. Maya.
But then maybe Simon is not the master of social cues after all. (There is an explanation: it's Spooky Day.)
Simon the Marauder: "Hey dude. Do you think there'll be a quiz today?"Classmate: "My mom always told me not to do drugs in college, but if this is what I'm seeing sober, maybe I should start..."
Simon: "Hello, small hotdog child. Would you like to take some candy from me in front of this house, the walls of which keep disappearing when I get too close because I haven't knocked on the door yet?" Trick-or-treater: "Wait, so you don't live here?"
Simon: "Nah. I just carry candy around in case of running into small children."
Trick-or-treater: "Uh...MOOOOOOOM!!!!"
Simon: "Hello, young man. Nice costume. Here's a treat for you!~~"Teen: "Uh, thanks. Say, have you heard of the Neighborhood Watch?"
Simon: "Is that a new timepiece? I love telling time!"
Teen: "Well you're going to be doing time if you keep this up..."
After creeping out all of the local youth, Simon finally knocks on the door, which is, of course, the door to Vlad's mansion, where Chloe lives with her sister, who is married to Vlad.
And then there's Bradislaus, Vlad's alter ego/brother.
Chloe: "Simon, you gotta get me out of here! I'm going to crack up."
Simon: "Soon, my dear!"
Simon: "But I can take your mind off the environment if you'd like."
If I'm reading the body language right, I think she'd like...
They then continue the party back at Simon's dorm.
Chloe refuses to sleep in Simon's bed, preferring instead the probably-slightly-crusty hall couch. Simon is a gentleman, though, so he at least cleans up the pile of trash she had to walk over to get to the couch. This house has the grody lot challenge, and let me tell you, the housemates do their best to live up to it.
Well, Chloe won't stay in Simon's bed, but she found one eventually. Good for her, I guess?
Meanwhile, since he's maxed piano, Simon is working on guitar now.
Once Chloe's up, he hands her his key.
Simon: "I think we're at this point, Chlo. I'm really serious about you. It'd make me so happy to see you whenever you feel like it. Mi casa su casa, and also a bunch of other people's casa since it's communal housing, but really you, okay?"
Chloe: "I'd like that too, sweetie. I'll be sure to make use of it!"
Guitar is soon maxed, and it's on to violin, this one played outside the classroom building because Simon keeps being late to his 8 a.m. parenting elective class, usually for stupid reasons like he ran there and was going to be on time, but then decided he needed to bike back to the house to tell someone something, and by the time he realized I had canceled it he was already at the house and put his bike away, so instead he decided to run back and...yeah. This might be the one that breaks our streak of A+'s, and it will just be because he's a dumb sim.
But he's MY dumb sim and I love him.
Owen, Eleanor's long-term boyfriend and father of the triplets, stops by to visit Simon and give him a gift, which I found endearing. Owen has always been more of a father figure to Simon than Kaiden, Simon's actual father.
As a childish sim, Simon just feels the need to reconnect with his inner kid sometimes, and I suppose there are worse things to do in the common room than play with toys.
He took one elective in knitting and has been practicing lately now that he's got such a good handle on time. As soon as he can, he knits a beautiful woman's sweater and then a bunch of baby and toddler onesie. Looking forward to family life, Simon?
Simon: "I confess I may have some plans on my mind."
Another day, another date. This time Chloe asked him to the cliffs in Windenburg. It's too cold to swim, so they cuddle by the bonfire and just enjoy each other's company.
Simon: "Chloe, I'm so glad you asked me here today. There's something I've kind of been meaning to ask you."Chloe: "What is it?"
Simon: "We've been seeing each other for nearly three years now, and I've never been happier in my life. Every day with you is the best day ever. There's only one thing that would make it even better..."
Simon: "Chloe Hayden, will you be my wife?"
(Gah, the sunset. The light snow. The sailboat. I didn't even plan this. It was just so perfect!)
They then go to 'celebrate' in the bush after Chloe lands a smack so sharp on Simon's butt that he jumps three feet. He didn't seem to mind though!
And then they're both nearly in need failure, so I think it's time to cut this short. A beautiful day for a proposal however, and I'm so excited to welcome Chloe into the family soon.
Simon: "I should have a party to celebrate my engagement!"Kenzie: "Counterpoint: you're a weenie."
Simon: "How is that a counterpoint to my statement?"
Kenzie: "I just wanted to say it. Sorry not sorry. Anyway, can I come?"
Simon: "Yeah, I'll invite everyone! It'll be huge. I can't wait to introduce Chloe to everyone as my fiancée!"
Kenzie: "Did you run it by her? We can be a bit...overwhelming."
Simon: "I'm sure it'll be fine!"
Kenzie: "So, you're a clueless weenie. Debate goes to Kenzie."
Simon: "That's not fair."
Kenzie: "I don't make the rules, Simon."
Simon: "I'm pretty sure you literally just did."
Kenzie: "Don't be a sore loser, loser."
Simon: "Cool, looks like everyone's here. I haven't seen Chloe yet. I hope she doesn't mind that I had to throw a keg party as the social event interface was being a butt about dinner and house parties. Oof, it's getting a little loud! Some party! Can't wait to see her!"
Inside, Stella, Rowan in his Winterfest photo best, Astra, Eleanor, and Kenzie partake of beer pong and lobster thermidor that no one knows who cooked it or how long it's been on the table, like the well-adjusted adults they all are.
As the party runs into the night, Stella and Astra clown around outside too, which is littered with solo cups from the juice keg now, leading to Astra's apparent distress here.
Simon: "Hey, Owen, have you seen Chloe? I think I keep missing her in the crowd and I want to do a huge toast."Owen: "Sorry, I haven't seen her at all. I've been all over. Are you sure she's here?"
Simon: "That doesn't seem right. Thanks anyway, Owen."
Simon: "Mom, I've looked everywhere. Everyone came...except Chloe. She stood me up at our engagement party."
Eleanor: "Simon, I'm so sorry. But even though I've never been married, I know this much: if you want to marry someone, you've got to communicate well with them. Go talk to her, not me. You'll get it sorted out."
Simon: "Thanks for meeting me, Chloe. I was really scared you wouldn't show up here either. I don't get it. Why didn't you come to the party? Did I do something wrong? Or not do something? Are you...having second thoughts about getting married?"
Chloe: "Oh, Simon, I really wanted to. I even got all dressed up, with that dress you like and everything. But I just got so nervous. You know I was a spare in my family's legacy. And my sisters were vampires, and it was just so much easier to fade into the background. I thought I was ready. Being in the spotlight, in your huge, vibrant family...it just got to me, and I got so overwhelmed. I don't know how to be the center of attention, and I don't think I'm enough to be your wife. I don't know. Maybe I'm talking crazy."
Simon: "Love, I would never call you crazy, but yeah, that's nonsense. My family is big and loud. It's part of the territory. But if I can be a loner in the midst of them, someone as wonderful and brilliant and lovely as you can definitely hold your own. I love all of them, but you're the one I choose. If the party overwhelms you, let's do something quiet. Let's commit ourselves to always being a team, no matter what else is going on in the legacy whirlwind that is my family. Because I want it to be yours too. I want YOU to be my family, my wife, forever."Chloe: "Oh, Simon. That sounds good. Yes, you're right. I think that's the way to do it. I know a spot..."
Simon: "This is perfect. It's just you and me, babe. I still have one more year, but then we can head back to Gregory Manor, together, and start the rest of our lives. Are you ready?"Chloe: "Yes, at last I am."
Simon: "Alright. Then, Chloe, I promise to love you forever, to gravitate to you no matter what goes on in our orbit. You are my sun, my moon, my stars. I swear to love you, protect you, listen to you, believe you, treasure you. Always."Chloe: "That's beautiful, Simon! Geez, I don't have anything prepared."
Simon: "That doesn't matter! Don't worry about appearances. All I need is you, however you are."
Chloe: "Okay, okay. Then, uh, Simon, I promise to love you forever, to see only you, to...um...be warmed by your light all my days. I swear to love you, treasure you, um, trust you, I'll...I'll be yours and you'll be mine. Forever."
Simon: "I do."
Chloe: "I do."
Freshly married in private but still living separately for the time being, Chloe and Simon spend the night back at the student house to celebrate their marriage.
And then Chloe takes a post-coital nap on the hall couch, as is apparently her tradition.
Meanwhile, Simon, beaming with delight, uses the buoyancy of his joy to max violin.
His mom invited him out rather suddenly the next day, however.
Eleanor: "Thank you, thank you! All my lovely fans. Oh, and paparrazzi too? Okay, I've got a gossip story you'll love: I, mother to my firstborn child, provider of all his needs for 18 years, financer of his education, just found out...through the f-ing grapevine, that he got married. Not from him, oh no. Can you believe it?"
Simon: "Mom, I'm sorry. I know you were really looking forward to a wedding, but this was what Chloe and I needed. I'm an adult now, and I'm making my decisions with her from now on. I need you to be okay with that."Eleanor: "..."
Simon: "Mom...?"
Eleanor: "Okay, psych. I just wanted to see the look on your face. Of course I'm okay with that! But that was too funny to pass up. Yeah, I wanted to plan your wedding, but I guess I can't be upset that you're so grown up and so in love that you're willing to risk my ire to make things right for your bride. Marriage was never for me, but if this is how you're going about it, I think it's definitely right for you. You're going to make Chloe a fine husband, sweetie."
Simon: "Thanks, Mom. But don't you ever scare me like that again!"
Eleanor: "Just wait until there are children in the picture! I'm going to be the worst influence on my grandchildren ever!"
Simon: "Mom, no!"
Eleanor: "Ahahahahahaha! Live in fear, my son. Live in fear."
Eleanor: "So, I suppose ixnay on the eddingway?"simRoxy: "What's this now?"
Simon: "No, I think I know how to handle this."
Simon: "Alright, listen up, everyone. I'm Simon Gregory, heir to the Gregory name and fortune. I just got married to the love of my life, and anyone with a problem with that or with her can come through me. But if you're all okay with it and you promise to be cool..."Crowd: "...?"
Simon: "...then drinks on me! Except Candi, who is getting one free ambulance ride to go reattach her pelvis."
Candi: "Thanks, man. Congrats, by the way."
Crowd: "Woooo! Congrats! Many happy years!"
Simon: "Are we cool now, Mom?"Eleanor: "Yesh, shorry for pranking you. We was never not cool, for da record. I'm like, so proud of you, and I can't wait to get to know Chloe. I promish I'll be soooooo normal."
Simon: "That's a frank lie, but I appreciate the attempt. I'm sure it'll all work out well. She knows we're nuts, but she and I are good now."
Eleanor: "Then me and she are good too."
Simon: "Great. Now, can someone grab that ambulance and see if they can drop my mom off home after they get Candi to the hospital? I think Mom's breath is like 400-proof at this point."Eleanor: "Heeheehee. Another round!"
Simon: "Most certainly not."
Simon starts his final term a married man, but there's still a lot to be done.
Still, he talks to Chloe every day before class. And many days they go out in the afternoon.
Simon: "Wow, Chlo. Great location! I totally forgot this was here. You know my great-great grandmothers got married here?"Chloe: "Yeah, isn't that romantic? And now we're here, newlyweds."
Simon: "Love that!"
Simon: "Love my brother murdering that violin a little less, though. Whose bright idea was it to make this a nightclub?"
No comment.
And then distant cousin Mia gets a turn to butcher the stringed instrument. I tried to have Simon serenade Chloe, but all and sundry Gregorys in the vicinity conspired to violin-block him.
So instead they built a snowpal.
Simon: "See? I decorated it all pretty, just like you."Chloe: "You're a dork."
Simon: "Just the way you like it!"
Chloe: "You know me so well. Maybe not what I look like, however, if we're to judge based on the snowpal."
Simon: "Yeah, I'm a musician, not an artist."
Juice pong with your mom. Totally normal. Simon lost again. He played many a game of ping pong and juice pong throughout his college career, and his losing streak was unblemished. Truly impressive.
And another day Alison and Rowan are visiting as tipsy students eat from our varied buffet of floor food.
I'm not kidding. The floor has a wider menu than the cafeteria.
Rowan: "Dude, you're coming home for Winterfest, right?"Simon: "Are you kidding? I'm cooking!"
Alison: "And you're bringing Chloe?"
Simon: "She goes where I go now."
Alison: "Rad. I've got a new joke from my producer she's going to love."
Rowan: "And I can't wait to tell her about the new trick Caleb and I trained our dogs to do!"
Simon: "This is going to be the best holiday ever!"
Everyone who's anyone in the Gregory clan was there, and this time Chloe didn't get cold feet and actually showed up.
True to his word, Simon equipped the 'Always Welcome' trait just in time to cook a fabulous turkey dinner.
And then it was time for the gifts. Simon gave Chloe the sweater he knit her. She actually liked it!
The family all crowded around to open gifts.
They didn't even cringe too hard when the newlyweds PDA'ed all over the family room.
Chloe: "This is awesome! I was missing out, Simon. Your family is perfect."Simon: "Our family, Chlo. And yeah, now it finally is."
Eleanor: "Happy holidays, son. I can't wait until you and Chloe move in and are on that portrait back there with us. She's amazing, by the way. What a perfect partner for you. You two are going to do great things." Simon: "Thanks, mom. You have no idea how much that means to me!"
Back home, the last final of the final term has come to a close, and I got excited thinking the abandoned guitar was finally going to be rescued. But no, she dumped it as soon as she was done.
So, what the hell, it's coming home with us.
Simon: "Yoink!"
While waiting for his grades and graduation the next day, Simon maxes the violin and completes his 75 hours of playing instruments. He'll just need to mentor someone for three hours to complete his aspiration.
Then he maxes knitting, with a set of three baby onesies, two toddler onesies, and a start on the third.
He and Chloe head out for dinner that night to celebrate his A+ honors in his history degree.
Luckily I remembered at the last moment that Chloe is a vegetarian and got her a veggie burger. I'll do an intro of her next chapter once everyone's at home. They had a wonderful date.
And from the fact that Chloe is back on the couch, perhaps you can guess how they capped off the night's celebration.
Maite: "Um...what the hell are you doing in my bed?"Chloe: "Oh, sorry. My husband--you know Simon upstairs, right?--invited me to stay the night."
Maite: "You didn't! IN MY BED?"
Chloe: "No, of course not. Ew."
Maite: "Then let me repeat myself: what the hell are you doing in my bed?"
Trust me, Maite. I've been asking her that all these years but she refuses to sleep in Simon's for some reason. I can't believe you only caught her now, though.
Maite: "Student housing really is the worst."
The next day, Simon heads into the stadium to graduate.
And emerges a...totally unchanged man. But he's fine just the way he is. And now he's a graduate, ready to embark on the rest of his life with Chloe.
But this chapter is long enough (I wanted to get through all of college in one chapter, but a lot happened!), so we'll stop here. When we return, Simon and Chloe move home, Simon begins working, Chloe will be under my control at last, and...maybe babies? Eleanor is hoping so! Thanks for reading, and check in with me at Boolprop. Until next time!
Simon: "Hello, small hotdog child. Would you like to take some candy from me in front of this house, the walls of which keep disappearing when I get too close because I haven't knocked on the door yet?"
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