The Awkward Tree Legacy: 4.4 Moving On and Out

Well, hello there! It's been two years since we've updated. Partially because I was cursed by the dreaded All of My Screenshots are Upside Down???!!! glitch, and partially because I was working on my Master's degree. However, I decided that the week I start my PhD is a great time to dive right back in. To be honest, I've played all the way up until Generation 9. I've never been this close to finishing a legacy before, so I. Am. Committed.

We are smack towards the end of Generation 4, and all the Gen 5 kids are angsty, moody, weirdly sad teenagers. Who knew a dualegacy would afflict them so? On the right, staring at her phone, is Poplar. As the family's self-proclaimed socialite, she set up a little to try and make everyone...less grumpy.

This sweet, purple gem here is Magnolia, her cousin.

Poplar: Brett, uh, what are you doing here?

Brett: You invited me?

Poplar: I did...oh...

Good job, inviting your ex-boyfriend to the party.

Poplar: Look, there aren't a lot of teens in town.

Loren: Excuse me, could I sit here with you.

Magnolia: Oh, yeah sure. Did my sister invite you?

Loren: Oh, is Poplar your sister? Yeah. We met at school. She's...

Magnolia: ...a lot?

Loren: *laughs." Yeah! I'm Loren.

Magnolia: Magnolia. Nice to meet you.

The kids wind up inside one of the local pubs, but, to be honest, it doesn't seem to be doing much to lift Poplar's spirits.

Loren, on the other hand, can't get his mind off of the beautiful Magnolia.

Because the bars are terrible, we wind up heading to the ruins for a totally legal teen party.

Loren: Poplar, are you making drinks?

Poplar: Mmm, yeah, just let me finish these selfies.

Pine (Poplar's brother): I don't even know why I came. This sucks.

Loren: Hey, Magnolia! Glad to see you've stuck around after all the bar hopping.

Magnolia: Yeah, you have to be pretty quick on your feet with Poplar. She gets bored fast.

"Poplar gets bored fast: Exhibit A"

Balsam, Magnolia's brother, doesn't seem to be enjoying his time all that much either.

Pine: I swear, we're related to everyone here. Where are all the girls?

Balsam: Do these pickles count as girls?

After a mostly unsatisfying evening, the kids head home.

Balsam: Well, Poplar. Are you happy now?

Poplar: No. But I think I've made up my mind.

Balsam: About what?

Poplar: You'll find out soon enough.

Pine: Hey, dad?

Kengo: Oh my god, is someone actually talking to me?

Pine: Uh, are you okay?

Kengo: Yes, sorry. What do you need, son?

Pine: How am I supposed to meet girls?

Kengo: ...

Pine: Dad?

Kengo: Oh, sorry, kiddo. I just figured you would walk away by now. I normally don't get this much screen time.

Poor Kengo 😂

Meanwhile, the feasts are basting...

The gnomes are appeased...

And the teens are cooking. That can only mean...

A house party for someone's birthday! That's right. Today, Poplar ages up into an adult.

Poplar's set the meal and the invite list, which actually means some fellow teens who aren't related to the Arbors actually make it into the mix.

Including a certain Evie Delgato, who has caught Balsam's eye...

Loren: Are parties here always so formal?

Magnolia: Only when Poplar is in charge. Usually it's just a lot of awkward dancing

Oh dear, I seem to have forgotten that today is actually a double birthday.

Kengo: What do I even mean to you?

I'm so sorry, Kengo...

Anyway, elder Kengo!

And now, time for the first adult of Gen 5! They grow up so fast.

Poplar's definitely curvier than before. I rarely think this, but she does appear to have an air of adulthood or sophistication now.

And, maybe for the first time in her life, she looks happy.

Balsam: So, Evie...what did you think of the party?

Evie: Oh, it was fine. I think it was a nice way to send off Poplar.

Balsam: Would you be interested in hanging out, now that the party is over?

Evie: Oh, wait, really? You want to hang out with me?

Balsam: Yeah! Can I get your number?

These two are precious.

Evie: What did you have in mind for this evening?

Balsam: I was thinking we could...head upstairs.

Evie: Your parents let you have girls in your room?

Balsam: This house is so large, no one ever has any idea.

Evie: *giggles* Okay. I guess we can hang out upstairs.

CUTE.

However, they're caught by Mama Ronda on the way up.

Balsam: Hey mom. I was just going to show Evie my guitars.

Ronda: You know, the sooner you all find partners, the sooner my job here can be done. I don't care anymore.

Mother of the year, Ronda. Mother of the year.

And right to fooling around these two get...

Meanwhile, Poplar has officially resigned from the heir race, and moved into a place of her own. She takes a deep breath of the city air in San Myshuno, and finally feels at home.

But, you know, the city scape with a hottub does help.

Pretty quickly into living downtown, she meets a dashing, wealthy bachelor. We'll call him Bradley because he looks like one and I forgot to write down his name.

They hit it off immediately, becoming the town's hottest power couple.

And, well, it won't be long until other things happen between them...

Elm: Son, can we talk to you?

Balsam: Ugh, I really don't want to.

Ronda: Stop being angsty and come here.

Elm: Well, I don't know why you put on your winter clothes for this conversation, but thanks for joining us.

Balsam: Whatever. What's up?

Elm: Your mother, aunt, uncle, and I have been talking. We would like you to be heir.

Balsam: Wait, seriously?

Ronda: How do you feel?

Balsam: Honestly, a bit confused. I guess I've wondered why Poplar left so willingly, and if that means I *should* be questioning the heirship. But I've always wanted it, so I suppose I'll accept.

Elm: You know, we'll take that.

Pine: Key, kiddo. Can we talk?

Ronda: We've decided as a group to the give the heirship to your brother. It was a really hard decision, but we've hardly had any male heirs in this legacy. I hope you understand.

Magnolia: Oh, that? Of course, Mom. I don't mind.

With the heirship finally settled, things start to calm down pretty quickly in the Arbor household. Balsam focuses on his creative pursuits.

Magnolia works to help out in the kitchen.

And Poplar stops by to hang out often. Did I forget to document what Pine was up to? Well, he is Kengo's son, after all.

Before we know it, it's time for another set of birthdays. However, the dual heirs and their spouses decide that this one should have a little less fanfare than Poplar's. Elder Bay has aged significantly.

Elm: Man. I really don't want to be old.

Bay: Does anybody?

Ronda: I don't think I mind aging. We've had a great time. It's time to let the kids take the reins now.

Bay: WELL OF COURSE YOU DON'T MIND AGING UP! YOUR SKIN STILL LOOKS FLAWLESS!

Bay: WHY!

Ronda: As an alien, the rays and radiation from the sun don't cause me skin damage, so I don't age the same way as humans.

To be honest, I think that I like Winterfest for my sims more than I actually like Christmas in real life. It feels like such a wholesome moment of excitement when the whole family comes back together--and without the drama of real life Christmas.

Queue the Winterfest tree decorating montage! Don't ask where Pine is. I honestly don't know.

Poplar: And so I said, "Sure, I'll marry you. Why not?"

Magnolia: Never change, Poplar. Never change.

As Bay watches the kids chat and be merry, she realizes just how happy she was to have raised Poplar and Pine in a dualegacy. Not only cousins for life, but friends for life.

Bay: Thanks for lighting the candle, Balsam.

Pine: Uh, are you skewering Magnolia?

Bay: It's fine. Aliens "don't age the same way as we do."

Kengo: What does that have to do with anything?

Elm: Just ignore her. She's still bitter about Ronda's skin.

Magnolia: Hey, bro. Since we age up after presents today, I just wanted to say congratulations about the heirship. I'm proud of you.

These two 😭

True to word, it's time for more birthdays! Today, it's both of Ronda's kids. I always forget that they're twins. Here's adult Magnolia, looking literally the same as she did before.