LEPacy Challenge: Wrapping up the China trip, Brant's teen birthday, rise of the 5th Generation

 LEPacy Challenge: Wrapping up the China trip, Brant's teen birthday, rise of the 5th Generation.

The Sw0rds decided to go home early due to the fact that China was going wonky and no one could figure out how to climb the stairs to the base camp anymore - not my sims or any of the NPCs who were vacationing there.  They just milled around the bottom and tried to climb the hill where there weren't any stairs, stomped their feet while their needs dwindled.

Before that happened, however, Garrett made a few more attempts to participate in a tournament.  He was level 9, however, and not level 10.  I think he must need to be level 10 for the tournament to be legit.  He went to the academy and called on the phone to spar with the tournament champ, who happened to be Wei Pei.

This is Wei Pei.  He is a formidable martial artist.  No one messes with Wei Pei - even if he decides to work out shirtless in the restaurant.  It's okay, Wei Pei, you do you, and we'll mind our own business.

Garrett practiced with this guy before taking on Wei Pei.  Both of them had some spectacular moves. This built Garrett's confidence.

Garrett defeated Wei Pei twice, but the opportunity didn't register as being accomplished. Brant also tried participating in a tournament - a chess tournament.  

I thought I was watching him closely, and he won two of the three games, but he hopped out of his chair during the third and final game and tried to go back to base camp.  He was tired, and I think it was past his bed time.  I even sent Garrett out to chaperone as I got the message that Brant's curfew was approaching.  Better luck next time, Brant.  Maybe they'll hold the tournament earlier.

Brant met someone his own age - Dan Dan Pei. They played tag while their fathers were competing against each other. I learned later that Dan Dan is actually the daughter of Ming's mother and assumedly Wei Pei! Ming's mother really gets around.

I just realized they're wearing the same shirt! And shorts - just a different color.

While in China, Brant caught an exotic bird. He named him Sylvester, I think.  He brought the bird home with him.

Ming met a couple older men who were interested in her.  The first one, Bae Kim-Louie was way too old and was a bit of a creeper.

The other one has more possibilities.  He seems a bit younger. His name is Blaze Charleston, a handsome but married politician, who took a liking to Ming.  They danced and became fast friends. 

 I'm thinking he could become a potential baby-daddy for her. She could invite him to visit once she gets home, get pregnant, and he could go home to his wife and his political career, leaving her to raise the baby. (Ming is destined to be a single parent of one "perfect" child in this upcoming generation.) 

On one of the last days, Ming was invited to the home of her family for a party. (I thought I took pictures, but I guess not.) She also caught an exotic bird - a spotted Sixam, and brought him home with her.  

She made some good vegetarian stir fry on the Asian cook table when Bae Kim-Louie was honing in on her, but she go a little over-confident and attempted the onion volcano trick, which lead to disaster.

Bae Kim-Louie did nothing to help her - another strike against him! The person she's talking about is the guy who asked her sister (the other Ming) to marry him. I'm not sure why she's bringing him up.

At any rate, all of them made it home, safe and sound. The next day, it was Brant's teen birthday. The usual suspects were invited: Maya Abbot (the baby-mama), Ming's married boyfriend Scott Chesterfield, Garrett's girlfriend Grayson Blake, Brant's best friend (I forget his name), and Uncle Gunnar. Scott didn't show up, and Maya didn't show up until after the party was over - I think she had to work? Marla came along with Gunnar, but spent most of her time playing video games in the other room or picking fights with Brant's friend.

Brant has different coloring, but otherwise looks a lot like his dad, right down to the hairstyle.

After everyone left, Maya showed up late.  She congratulated Brant on his birthday; he invited her in,

 I gave her a makeover because I don't think all elders should have to have grey hair.

Brant still harbors some hostility for her sending him to live with his father.  He then asked her for money.

I don't think she gave him any.  She sat down and had a nice chat with Garrett.  It's good to see they have maintained a good relationship through all this.

Rather than taking a poll, I have decided to go with Ming as heir.  I have simply grown more attached to her than to Brant. I'll be enabling Generations next time I boot up.  Garrett is almost to astronaut - his lifetime wish, and he's managed to stay a single parent with two children up to this point. As soon as he's an astronaut, maybe he can marry Grayson. Her biological clock seems to be ticking.

On a side note, Gunnar's life seems to have gone downhill a little.  Ming went to visit him after the China trip. He had reverted back to his cheesy faux hawk hairdo, had tattered clothes, both kids were bawling. The baby Jackie was lying in the middle of the floor in a dirty diaper, and Malcom was sitting in a puddle in the bathroom where the plumbing had broken.

His cat needs some pet supplies, and there's only one crib.  Ming changed Jackie's dirty diaper, fed him, snuggled him and put him to bed.  Malcolm was tired too, but he's to age up the next day, so maybe things will be fine until then. I'll drop in tomorrow and fix a few things.