“Stupid family business…” the girl grumbled under her breath, “Why did we have to leave Belladonna Cove for this?”
“You’re doing great, pumpkin,” a man shouted from one of the hot tubs.
“Daddy, I’m too tired. I need a break,” the girl pouted as she slid into the empty hot tub.
“That’s fine, we’ll be here all night.”
“So do we have a deal ladies?”
The two old witches stared at each other for a second before turning back to the balding man, “While the covens appreciate your hospitality, we still are confused as to what the government is getting out of all of this.”
The witch in the green stared the man in the eyes, “You don’t honestly expect us to believe that the government is actually working alongside known criminals.”
Adriano DiGiovanni smirked, “Baby, we are the government. We are every sim who holds a position of power in the world. We’re the law. We’re your celebrities. We hold our own and give other sims the illusion that they too could become powerful.
The sims of this town thought they could rally forth a million simoleons over a couple decades and get a state of the art school. Pft… they don’t have the resources or the know-how to make what I can in a week.”
“I did think the $999 hourly fee for this place was quite high…”
“EXACTLY! These sims have a moral compass. They wouldn’t charge their neighbours more than they themselves could afford.”
Adriano looked over at his daughter in the other tub, “I already have what I need to open a real school for my little pumpkin over there. All I ask of your coven is an alliance. Your kids can attend under the radar as ‘normal’ students to incite hope. Everyone will be suspicious if the ‘admissions office’ only lets in families like the Wendlands or the kids of famous actors and athletes.”
“What’s in it for us?”
“If you take my offer, your coven will thrive. Your sims are getting older, your highness. If you don’t take this now, you may never get another chance.”
“…Deal.”
~~~
The University of the Three Lakes was a private post-secondary institution that opened up because of a secret million simoleon donation by a wealthy sim. On paper, their admissions averages were high and acceptance rates low. Behind the scenes, a secret set of criteria existed.
- Biological children of Criminal Masterminds, Hall of Famers, Icons, The Law, and any sim level 7 or above in Politics automatically receive an offer of admission.
- Sims who are descendants of the DiGiovanni and Wendland crime families are automatically given entrance regardless of their parent’s career or if they are the child of an evil witch.
- Sims with zero nice points can be given admittance if they have 3 scholarships and the academic scholarship.
~~
“Adriano?”
He turned around and faced her, “Brittany?”
He pulled her off to the side, “We shouldn’t be seen together in public like this.”
“It’s only coffee. Please, just have a seat.”
“So you made friends with the local coven, then?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“But not before getting the money for the university, right?”
“Of course not. Look, meet me at my home on the mountain, Britt.”
“What were they talking about, Mr. McQueen?”
“Probably some affair they’re carrying on.”
~~
“I can’t believe you actually uprooted your entire family to move to this town.”
“We do as we’re told, Brittany. We both grew up knowing how the world around us really works.”
“Daddy, listen to me play,” the girl slammed on the piano keys.
“Would you quit that. Christ, you remind me of my step-daughter.”
“It’s not very nice to speak to people like that, ma’am.”
“Excuse me? And where are your manners? You must be, what, fifteen? You should know better than to interrupt people like that.”
“Daddy, why are you letting her speak to me like this?”
“She’s right, Tessa. We’re in the middle of discussing some very important matters.”
Brittany stood up, “I’m leaving. Talk to me about our orders when this one has learned her place.”
“Daddy, were you discussing the evil plans?”
“Evil? What would you know about evil?”
Tessa began to shuffle her feet, “I know that it’s my job to run things once I’m old enough. I know that I’ll be the first alumnus of that new university.”
“I also know that you like to run your mouth, Mrs. Wendland. Rumour has it you left an incriminating note to your step-daughter, taunting her. You’re a lose cannon and that’s why daddy had to be moved here.”
“And how would you know any of this you immature little brat?”
“My little pumpkin here is my pride and joy, Britt. I’ve raised her in my image.”
“Now run along, Tessa. You’ll be late for school.”
“Right, daddy.”
“And remember your current mission- blend in and spread the rumour that one of the established families held out on the others and created a private university. You’re just a newly generated townie to them.”
“Yes, daddy.”
“Later, loser!”
~~
The opening of Honeywood Community College signaled that it was time for a few of the local teens to leave the nest. Jacob McQueen and Tabitha Lillard had been going steady since middle school. Before HCC opened, they planned on getting married the minute they became adults.
Now they could be one step closer.
Living together on campus was going to be the only time they would be alone. Once they graduated, they would be moving back in with Jacob’s parents and continuing the McQueen home there.
“Hi, Jacob McQueen calling in… Student ID number 000 000 001…. yes, I’d like to declare my major… no, I don’t need to hear the options- I… well, Economics is what I was going to choose anyway, but why are there so few options? Hello?
What the hell, man?”
“Did you register for class yet, babe?”
“Yeah, but Tabby, there’s only three options for majors.”
“This is what our parents were getting so pissy about. Apparently the college can only give out degrees in affiliation with a university.”
Jacob pulled out a copy of the legislation that made HCC an official college.
“This is bullshit. We’re only getting degrees with the approval of Sim State University? We should have just gone there instead.”
Needless to say, people were pissed.
It turned out that Honeywood Community College could only offer degrees in Business, Art, and General Studies. Until it applied for university status, but even that would take years of reformation and retooling.
Jacob decided to spend most of his time out of class working on skills for his future businesses. HCC wasn’t going to be a complete waste of his time.
The next semester, Gordon Hamilton showed up to start class. Always a bit behind the older kids in town, Gordon was a bit of a loner in school. He never really had anyone from Honeywood to pair off with like Jacob and Tabitha did.
But at college, he was no longer the only kid his age. Not with the Fenton twins hanging around.
Gordon and Anne-Marie were that instant sort of couple.
Three bolts took them pretty far, and pretty quick.
“So you guys are from Pleasantview, right Cole?”
“Yeah, my sister and I were born and raised there.”
“That’s cool, man. Some sims from there emigrated a few years ago. I think Gord’s mom was from there.”
Another semester down meant another sim was joining college. Oscar Bruty, already a business owner as a teenager, was ready to get the full university experience.
Plus he was always willing to help a friend who wanted to get into the business world.
Despite the differences in aspiration, Oscar took after his mother in many ways.
“Anne-Marie… I just want you to k-know that this is my first time…”
She paused, “Mine, too, Gordy…”
Did I say many ways already?
~~
So that’s it for the interlude. I’ve finally decided to bring in some CAS sims for the drama…
Meet the DiGiovannis and the Fentons.
Adriano DiGiovanni, his wife Yvonne, and their daughter Tessa from Belladonna Cove.
Anne-Marie and Cole Fenton from Pleasantview.
Additionally, I played this retroactively so that the teens that would already be in university would get their week 5 semesters played. Sims will go off to college once they have 9 days left to adulthood (one day for each semester plus the grow up day).
Rex's Sims 2 Page 