The Bachelor Experiment : Day Fifteen (Elimination #5)

On the morning of Elimination #5, Corey wakes up with a whim to cloudgaze with Jessamine.  Time is a precious commodity for The Bachelor, especially on elimination day, and so he immediately seeks Jessamine out. Luckily, she is already awake.

Unluckily, she is not particularly happy.

Jessamine is still feeling very sad after seeing Corey flirt with Roskva the previous night.  As Corey approaches to invite her to cloudgaze, she is thinking about how badly her heart has been broken.

Still, she accepts, and the two head out to the deck, Jessamine hanging her head dramatically as she goes.

But as they lay out under the shining sun, and Jessamine enjoys the beautiful morning, she begins to feel a little better.  Inspired, even!

But their time together must come to an end, and as soon as they part ways, Jessamine once again flips back into her very sad mood.  She’s in good company, though, because Namika, who somehow found out about Roskva’s flirt fest last night, has spent the bulk of the morning crying uncharacteristically in the closet.

Honestly, I didn’t expect this from Namika.  One, she didn’t even witness Corey’s flirtation with Roskva (I guess gossip get around fast in this house), and two.. well, she’s Namika. She’s never shown us a chink in her armor before!

Meanwhile, Corey is on his way to the bathroom when he is intercepted by Roskva.  She’s really pulling out all the stops as Elimination draws closer. From the look on his face, Corey seems surprised, but definitely in a good way, right?!

She does a little flirting…

And since no man can resist a beautiful woman in a black garter belt, Corey does a little flirting of his own.

Morning quickly turns into afternoon, and Corey seeks out some lunch. He has a pretty good idea about his choice for elimination, but he certainly has his doubts, and is hoping for a quiet moment to deliberate a little further.

Unfortunately, peace and quiet are definitely not in the cards for Corey today.

Jessamine joins him, and boy does she have other plans!  She has spent her entire morning in a terrible, horrible, no good, very SAD mood – and she wants Corey to know exactly who’s fault that is.

Poor Corey! He’s feeling pretty exhausted after getting an earful from Jessamine, so he excuses himself and heads to the bar for a drink.  Maybe he’ll finally get a little time to himself to think and unwind…

But of course, no such luck.  Roskva has somehow flipped into a flirty mood, and comes sauntering out to the bar to meet him. She slides on to a barstool and I can just hear her hitting on her “sexy bartender.”

Corey takes the bait, and sits down next to her.  Even when she has clothes on, Corey is happy to chat with Roskva.

She’s throwing out every single signal there is, but Corey just won’t throw her a flirt interaction.  And to be fair, she’s not exactly flirting with him either.  I think she’s trying to tempt him into making the first move, but unfortunately she runs out of time because it’s time for everyone to prepare for the Elimination ceremony.

I break the two of them up and send everyone off to tend to their need bars, and when the sun begins to set, Corey meets the three remaining ladies in the Ceremony Hall. As usual, he’s looking dashing, but for the first time, he’s also feeling confident. I’m glad to see that he’s feeling good about this elimination, because there is no question as to which bachelorette is going home.

The ladies all make their entrances.  Jessamine is in a happy mood, finally. Maybe all she needed was to get things off her chest.  The only question is how much that little tirade hurt her relationship with Corey.

Roskva also arrives in a happy mood.  She’s had more time with Corey in the last two days than she’s had in the the entirety of the competition, and she’s feeling pretty confident that she’s finally made the right impression.

Only Namika shows up feeling sad. She’s still pretty mopey, and keeps thinking about her broken heart.  I find it hard to believe that our wily Namika is really so lovesick, but who knows?  Either she’s playing it up for Corey’s benefit, or she really is hurt by his “betrayal.”

At any rate, the women find their seats and the ceremony begins.

Corey clears his throat and calls the name of the first woman he wants to keep in the house for the final round : Jessamine. Her one-on-one date may not have gone as well as she’d hoped, but it was just enough to edge her way to the top. Jessamine stands and walks gracefully to the front of the room to greet Corey…

But Namika doesn’t take the news quite so gracefully.

She’s been called first so many times now that she’d grown to expect it.  If Jessamine has stolen her place in Corey’s heart, will she make it to the last round at all?

Corey gives Jessamine a friendly hug, and Jessamine happily accepts her place in the last round.

She chats briefly to him about cooking – maybe she’s offering to make him a home cooked meal? They do say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach…

And then she heads back inside the mansion, feeling relieved. It turns out that speaking her mind at lunch wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Corey is left alone with the remaining two women.  Namika looks petrified, but Roskva seems ready to accept her rose.

The only problem is, when Corey calls the name of the second woman to stay in the house, it isn’t Roskva.  It’s Namika.

Namika’s romance bar with Corey is exactly the same as Jessamine’s, but since Jessamine’s friendship bar with Corey is completely full (and Namika’s isn’t), Namika gets the second spot this week.

She makes her way to the front of the room, and while you’d think she’d be happy with this outcome, it’s clear from her face that she’s anything but. Namika doesn’t like being chosen second, but it’s poor Roskva I worry about.  The expression on her face looks pretty disgruntled.

Corey gives Namika a friendly hug, which she accepts with a smile.

But as soon as Corey pulls away, Namika’s face falls once again.

For someone who didn’t get sent home, she sure is laying it on thick with the guilt.  Namika quickly heads back into the mansion, and she hangs her head sadly as she goes.  And I thought Jessamine was the resident drama queen!

Roskva shoots her this look like, What do you have to be sad about?! and Corey just looks entirely confused.

With Namika gone, Corey must turn his attentions to Roskva.

This was a difficult decision for him, but actually more so for me.  I admit, I orchestrated a few of their interactions toward the end there – I wanted to really make sure there was nothing there between them, and unfortunately, I think they’re just missing the chemistry.  Corey is listed as “lovebirds” with both Namika and Jessamine, but only as a “romantic interest” with Roskva.  Their romance bar is also significantly lower than his romance bars with the other women.  While Corey really seems to like Roskva as a friend, he has never rolled a whim for her and she really hasn’t rolled many romantic ones for him, either.  Sadly, I think the relationship panel is accurate when it says “just good friends” – at least on Corey’s end.

 

He asks Roskva to join him at the front, and she keeps her composure as she obliges.

“We’re just better as friends,” Corey says. “I am so glad I’ve gotten to know you, Roskva, but the spark’s just not there.”

Which is a shame, because I do think Roskva’s still holding a torch for Corey… ah, unrequited love.

At this point Corey autonomously takes a seat on the “bachelorette bench” and begins talking with Roskva.  She keeps getting the “home/domestic/family” speech bubbles, and I think she’s telling him that neither of these women are marriage material.

“Look, Corey,” she says, “I care about you, but this is one really stupid decision you’re making.  Have you met these girls?  Jessamine is a total drama queen, and Namika is a conniving manipulator! But if that’s what you’re looking for, then to each his own I guess.”

Corey just nods along, not really hearing her.  All he can say in response is, “Friends?”

Roskva sighs and agrees.  She gives him a friendly hug, and wishes him luck.  Class act all the way, our Roskva.

Only, I can’t help but wonder if she’s just making a show of it.  If and when these other girls crash and burn, guess who’ll be waiting in the wings?

Cheers, Roskva –  you’ll find Mr. Right someday. And if it isn’t Corey, then I have a pretty handsome Hasslich for you!

---

 

Chapter Ninety Eight : Harmless

Jessalyn was very happy, eating her breakfast alone in peace. She chomped away on her cereal, liking the way the crunching sound rang in her ears. In a house this size with this many people, silence was a rare and welcome occurrence. She couldn’t remember the last time she heard herself chew. The rhythmic crunch was music to her ears.

Enjoying the silence, Jessalyn embraced the opportunity to think and to reflect, and to maybe – just maybe – make the decision she’d been avoiding. But Lucas’ face flashed in her memory, and then Stanley’s big blue eyes after that, and Jessalyn promptly shook them away. Maybe the commotion was better, after all – noise to drown the sound of her indecision. And her guilt.

Because she was guilty – and not just because she still hadn’t told Lucas about Stan, or Stan about Lucas. That was part of it, yes – a pretty big chunk of it, actually. But more than that, she still hadn’t told Theo, and keeping something like this from her twin felt like the biggest betrayal of all.

Jessalyn chomped again, concentrating on the sound the cereal made as it popped in her mouth. Better not to think about it just now. Anyway, she still didn’t understand why she had to make this decision at all. Why did the world have to be so uptight, so structured? So “you-can-only-have-one-boyfriend” judgmental?

She sighed and turned her thoughts back to cereal, the crunching, and the silence around her. She’d have to enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasted, because if Jessalyn knew anything for sure, it was that peace and quiet never lasted long in this little house.

But as the silence drew on, her thoughts returned to Stan and Lucas. Again she brushed them away with a dramatic huff, and turned her frustrations on the family’s small kitchen instead. Why did they even still live in this tiny house after all this time? They had the money to move – she knew they did. She’d seen her mother’s bank statement once when Coralie left the page open on the computer. Something about tradition, she imagined, about this mindless legacy they all were compelled to fulfill based on the whims of some long dead relative. Not that Jessalyn minded, really – she thought she’d be quite a good heir, in fact, considering her penchant keeping for multiple men.

The air stirred beside her, a stool screeched across the wooden floor, and Jessalyn was jarred abruptly from her thoughts. She’d been so caught up in her worries that she didn’t even notice her father come into the kitchen.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Kody asked smiling, as he slid into the chair beside her.

Jessalyn laughed despite herself. “Do you always have to be so corny?”

“Always,” he replied with a grin. “It’s a father’s right. So, I’ll ask again – penny for your thoughts?”

Jessalyn hesitated. She didn’t need to ask to know her dad wouldn’t want to hear about her recent makeout sessions with two different boys. So finally she sighed, and responded simply, “Nothing, Dad.”

But Kody knew better. “It’s about those two boys,” he said, cocking an eyebrow and laughing at the surprised expression on her face. “Oh, you thought I didn’t know, did you? Well I’m onto you, chick-a-dee. And I can’t say I’m terribly surprised, either. I mean, for one, you’re a teenager and I hear that means your hormones are ratings. And for two, you’re a Hasslich, which is all I care to say on that particular subject.”

Jessalyn stuttered, her face flushed.  At last, she asked the only thing that really mattered : “Does Theo know?”

Kody shook his head. “Theo is oblivious, Jess. You forget, but he’s a teenager too – he’s so wrapped up with Elsa he wouldn’t notice a dinosaur if it swallowed him whole.”

Jessalyn sighed in relief. “Well, thank the Watcher for that. He’d be so mad if he thought I was hurting Stan, you know?”

“Are you hurting Stan?”

“I don’t really know. We never really talked about being exclusive or anything, but I never said I wasn’t, either. And I really do care about him, Dad. I don’t want to hurt him. But I care about Lucas too.” She looked at him sideways, a wry smile playing on her lips. “I don’t suppose you’d tell me I can keep them both?”

Kody released a hearty belly laugh. “They’re not puppies, Jessalyn! You’re going to have to make a decision sooner or later. I suggest sooner, personally, but if it’s later,” he cast his eyes downward, blushing “my best advice is to not get too …serious… with either of them until you decide. Do you understand what I mean, Jessalyn?”

She felt the heat rush to her already crimson face. She knew she’d be in for “the talk,” sooner or later, but she never expected it to come from her dad! She swallowed hard, quickly assured her father that she caught his meaning – and then promptly excused herself from the table.

---

Meanwhile, Jessalyn wasn’t the only Hasslich with a decision to make.

Diego was struggling with an equally important choice of his own.

“So? What did she say?” Sheena asked excitedly. “Am I in?”

Diego stared at the ground. He’d asked Libby – pleaded with her, really – to let Sheena join her club. But Libby (as any respectably bossy sister would do) denied the request – time and time again – solely because she could, and also, of course, because she saw how much it mattered to Diego. Libby insisted that she was only looking out for her “little brother,” a title Diego detested, but that was undeniably true nonetheless. Technically, she was three minutes and 24 seconds older than him – an age difference that, according to Libby, meant she outranked him in both age and in club hierarchy. And so as her brother’s keeper, and as the self-proclaimed club president, Libby was the sole determiner of new applicant approval. Sheena, naturally, did not have Libby’s approval.

And so Diego had two options. Either he could tell Sheena that Libby said no, and face the wrath of Sheena, or he could lie and say Libby said yes, and try to keep Libby from finding out. Ever.

“Well…..” Diego started, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

Sheena pursed her lips, and her eyes glazed over in anger.

She stared at him, wide-eyed, in shock. “She said no, just like I told you she would! And you didn’t even stand up for me, did you?”

Diego paled at her anger, and he felt himself break out into a nervous sweat. But behind the rage, Diego recognized the hurt in her eyes. He didn’t like to see her sad. But Diego knew he couldn’t lie.

Instead, he said something true. Or something that would be true, at any rate.

“She said no -”

Sheena’s eyes welled up, and Diego hurried on.

“But I thought of something better! I’ve started a new, even better club! Me and you are the co-presidents, and anybody can be in it. We don’t need Libby’s snooty club, anyway, do we?”

Sheena grinned and threw herself at him in hug.

Libby was going to hate him for this, and he knew she’d make him pay the price. But if anyone was worth it, it was Sheena.

---

The sun was setting, but earlier in the day, Jessalyn had made a decision. It wasn’t THE decision, exactly, but it was a step in the right direction. One more date with Lucas and one more date with Stanley, and then she would make THE decision. She just needed to be sure.

She met Stan at the bar for a few virgin drinks, and they quickly fell into their usual banter. Joking, laughing, flirting – all the things she loved about hanging out with Stan. Not to mention those piercing blue eyes.

Things were going well, and Jessalyn heeded her father’s advice. She reminded herself to keep a cool head, and not to lead Stanley on. Because her dad was right, of course – it was in no one’s best interest to let things go too far.

But when Stanley took her by the hand and asked her to dance, Jessalyn felt the electricity pass through their fingertips. The chemistry was undeniable, but it was only holding hands, Jessalyn reasoned. Surely hand-holding wasn’t “going too far.”

It was harmless, really.

And honestly, if she’d gone as far as holding his hand, was there really any harm in a kiss? Just one measly kiss, that’s all it really was. And they’d kissed before – they’d kissed plenty of times! One more couldn’t hurt anything.

It was harmless, really.

And, well – as long as they were kissing, they might as well do it somewhere a little more private. She didn’t want to be that girl, the one making out in the corner in front of an audience. At least this way she was keeping it classy.

And in the end, it was harmless, really.

And seriously, as long as they were down here, they might as well sit down somewhere. She’d been on her feet all night, and these heels were killing her!

It’s only a bed. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s absolutely, completely harmless!

Really!

---

 

 

 

 

Chapter Ninety Seven : Hot Mama

I love my kids.

 

No, really, I mean it! They were a surprise – a huge surprise – but their squishy little faces grew on me fast. Thirty tiny fingers and thirty tiny toes! Triple the dirty diapers and triple the mouths to feed, as if my Hasslich you-know-what’s weren’t hanging to my knees already! All I know is it’s a miracle I have my mom and my sister to fall back on.  And Kody, too, of course.  He’s no slouch in the uncle department, which sure is lucky for me.  It’s nice for the kids to have a father figure in their life.

What about Marcus, you say?  Right.  Well, I never did get around to telling him.  I mean, I meant to.  Really.  I didn’t want to at first, but Coralie insisted he should know about his kids, and it got me thinking maybe she was right.  But then I heard he married some chick named Ulrike something-or-other…?  Okay, fine.  Ulrike Faust – Ulrike Flex, now, I guess.  Okay, fine! – not I guess.  I know.  Ulrike Flex: Art Book Collator, Windenberg native, creative, art lover, perfectionist, muser, founding member of The Renegades.  Not that I know everything about her or anything.  Not like I pulled an all-nighter stalking her Simbook or anything.

Yeah.  Ahem.  Anyway….

Now that my little monsters (I say affectionately, of course) are officially child-sized and capable of minimal self-sufficiency, I’m thinking its time for old Lola to pursue a few additional endeavors. Maybe go someplace where they call me something – anything – other than Mommy. Something like…. Lola. Or “Sexy,” or “Hot Stuff,” or “Musical Genius” will do.  I can just hear it now – like “Hey, Musical Genius!” to which I smile kindly, as if I hear that all the time.

But really, anything will do. They can call me Plumhole if they want to, as long as their fingers aren’t sticky and they don’t wet the bed.

So naturally, the first thing I did after the kids’ birthday was find a job. Now, it’s not like we’re hurting for money around here, but it’s a plum of a good excuse to get out of the house, you know what I mean?  The kids are in school now anyway, so what else am I going to do? I mean, I guess I could do what Coralie does, which is mostly running and yoga and cooking up fancy gourmet meals.  Soccer mom stuff.  But she barely ever leaves the house, which I guess makes sense for someone who was once abducted and impregnated by aliens – breeds a certain fear of the unknown, if you ask me.

But I’ve never been abducted by aliens, and I think even if I was, I’d still want my job. It’s just not in my SNA to sit still. I need to dance, I need to play music!  I need to move and talk and joke and go places and see things and meet people and explore the world. You know? So I like being an entertainer, even if I am only a C-lister.  I get to do all the things I love, and someday I’m sure I’ll do what I was born to do – to play the very best clubs in Windenberg, to blow kisses to my adoring fans while they chant my name. To have my pick of attractive groupies for dating and other such romantical activities. (Maybe that last part is my favorite.)

But for now, I’ve got to practice, and I do, every night after I put the kids to bed.

Between raising three kids and working towards a promotion, life is pretty busy.  Luckily for me, I live in a big house with lots of built-in babysitters, so I still get out of the house pretty often.

Most Saturday nights you can find me in Windenberg hanging with the Spin Masters. Dominic Fyres says I’m the coolest mom he knows, which is kinda weird since, you know – he’s married to the mother of his children and all.  Not that I mind – keep the compliments a’comin’, Dominic!

So Saturdays are my big night out, but I try to keep my wild(est) side in check. Sunday is my stomping day, and I like to be on my game when I plaster the neighborhoods with my face! I mean, hey – nothing wrong with a little self-promotion, right?  If you want something, you’ve gotta get out and grab it by the cajones!  That’s what I always say!

Ive always enjoyed my flyer-posting Sundays, because that’s when I get out there and promote myself to the public.  You know – round up the groupies.

But lately I’ve been enjoying my route just a little bit more.

Remember Marian?

I saw her on my flyer route a few days ago, and recognized her immediately from our last run in at the park.  It’s been awhile, and we’ve definitely both gotten older, but I’d know that gorgeous porcelain face anywhere. True, she doesn’t fit the mold of a groupie, but she piques my interest with that mop of crazy red curls and that smart-plum smirk.

I barely know her, but then, I don’t need to know her to want to kiss her.

Marian’s street always gets extra flyers.

And today is no exception.  I’m always hoping to spot her, to run into her, to strike up a conversation, you know?  I’m tacking a flyer to a street pole when I see her cross the street toward me (she’s wearing that cute little bowler hat again) and I realize I’m staring at her.  I almost look away, but it’s then that I see she’s staring straight back at me. She smiles and she makes a beeline in my direction.

Is she flirting with me? I think she is, but it’s been awhile since I’ve flexed those muscles. My eyelashes flutter involuntarily, and I physically force them to stop. Rein it in, Lola. Get it together.

I’m thinking I should ask her out, that I should do it now before she’s gone.  But Marian beats me to it, and I’m stunned.  Next thing you know, we’re at some bar, and she’s holding my hands.

If you want something, you’ve gotta grab it by the cajones!  That’s what I always say.  Did I say that already?  I think I said that already.

Maybe Marian wants me, and my hands are the cajones….

But I want more than hand-holding.  I want that kiss.

I don’t grab Marian by the cajones.  Because, I mean, she doesn’t have any, obviously.  So I grab her by the waist instead, and I dip her as I plant one on her.

Well, plum.  How’s that for grabbing life by the balls?

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Eleven

On the morning of Day Eleven, Corey awakes with a crick in his neck.

After his date with Roskva the previous night, he floated to his bedroom wearing a goofy, dreamy grin. How could he have missed Roskva’s beauty until now? How could he have denied such unmistakable chemistry? Just thinking about her now made him giddy, and he knew he would see her beautiful green eyes in his dreams tonight. Maybe what they say is true – maybe true love is really friendship set on fire.

Corey certainly feels on fire right now, that much is true, and when he enters his bedroom, the sight of Namika so scantily clad in his bed quickens his pulse. She’s sleeping – or pretending to sleep, maybe – but her presence here is more than a hint. It’s a blatant invitation.

Corey weighs his options, struggling between his heart and his…. (ahem) head. Namika is beautiful, sexy, and she’s already seen his hot dog anyway…

But – Roskva. After such a wonderful date with her, and such a stirring first kiss, Corey can’t bring himself to end his night in the throes of passion with someone else. Not because he doesn’t want to. Oh, he very much wants to. But because it isn’t right, and because woohoo with Namika (or any of the ladies) is still against the rules at this point in the competition. Call him old-fashioned, but Corey fancies himself a gentleman.

And so, here we are on the morning of Day Eleven, with Corey and the crick in his neck. Maybe if he’s lucky, one today’s ladies will offer him a back massage.

 

---

 

Corey’s first date today is with Jessamine. I send her to fulfill a few needs, and she sits down to eat with Colleen, who is still reeling from her dud of a date yesterday.

Jessamine only listens half-heartedly. She’s too busy pumping herself up for her own date, and secretly (or not so secretly), she knows that Colleen’s loss is her own gain.

Meanwhile, Corey is grilling up his own breakfast when Namika approaches. She’s rolled a whim to embrace  Corey, and so I send her to do exactly that.

There’s also an autonomous flirt initiated by Namika. Dismayed to have woken up alone this morning, she’s not about to let Corey start his date with Jessamine without reminding him of her charms. As far as Namika is concerned, Jessamine is her biggest competition – but then she doesn’t know about Roskva’s recent comeback.

And Corey does find her irresistable, despite his refusal to share his bed last night. He is, unsurprisingly, receptive to her advances. I take this opportunity to see if we can finally fulfill Namika’s long-pinned whim for her First Kiss with Corey. I pull up her romantic interactions menu for him, but big nope. The First Kiss isn’t available yet. Namika isn’t giving up hope, though – she’ll have her own time in the Chateau d’ Amour later tonight, Corey will be helpless to resist her. She is sure of it.

---

 

After breakfast, I send Jessamine and Corey to take their flirty showers. When they are both feeling sufficiently frisky, I lock them inside the Chateau, and the date begins with the “offer rose” interaction.

Jessamine is flattered, but when they sit to chat, Corey (ever the technology addict) pulls out his phone.  She tries to pull his attention back to her, and in a few minutes, it works.

They get up to take a selfie, documenting the special moment. There’s some autonomous joking and then some autonomous flirting.

Meanwhile, I realize it’s beginning to get late.  I think I waited too long to get this show on the road, and it looks I’ll have postpone Namika’s date until tomorrow night.  Namika might not be so happy, but Jessamine and Corey seem a-okay with my executive decision.

 

Either the flirty atmosphere is having the desired effect on Corey, or he’s just really feeling Jessamine, because I notice that he’s rolled a whim to have his First Kiss with her.  I think this is somewhat interesting – he shared a kiss with Roskva last night, but it was  based on Roskva’s whim.  This is the first time that Corey himself has rolled a whim to kiss anyone.

And so, of course, I allow it.

Jessamine is more than pleasantly surprised, but unfortunately for her, their four hours is up.  I direct Jessamine to initiate a romantic embrace, and Corey gladly accepts.

Corey is more confused than ever now, but as he goes to bed that night (in his blissfully empty bed), he thinks there are worse things in life than choosing between four beautiful women.

---

 

When Jessamine bounces around the kitchen the next morning, Namika just shakes her head. Jessamine might think her date went well, but Corey hasn’t had his date with Namika yet. Namika heads off for her own steamy shower, and I direct Corey to take one too, for good measure. He wakes up still feeling flirty after his date with Jessamine, but I don’t want it wearing off too early during his date with Namika.

When Corey and Namika meet on the terrace of Chateau, I lock the doors and have Corey offer Namika her rose.

Namika happily accepts the rose, and returns his kindness with a romantic gesture of her own.

In no time, sparks are flying between them.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the mansion, Jessamine’s curiosity is getting the better of her. She doesn’t have the jealousy trait, but the way she’s nosing around the Chateau, peeking in the windows, makes me think the green-eyed monster has gotten the best of her. She even tries the door, but finding it locked, has no other option than to head back to the mansion.

Back on the terrace, Namika and Corey’s friendship bar is 75% full, and their romance bar is about 50% full.

I think this bodes well, so I look again to see if I can fulfill Namika’s First Kiss Whim. My rule on whim fulfillment is that the person who rolls the whim has to be the one to initiate the action – which means they have to have the option on their own social menu, and I have to patiently wait for that option to become available. When I open Namika’s romance menu, I see that First Kiss is finally an option, and immediately direct her to go in for the kill.

The kiss goes over well, which is not unexpected. Corey’s an even better kisser than she’d hoped! Namika has stars in her eyes, and Corey sees only Namika.

I think they’re both oblivious to their audience, but I never can be too sure with Namika.  The look on her face makes me wonder if Colleen and Jessamine were meant to see that kiss.

There’s still another hour left in their date, but Corey’s stomach growls, and he decides to forgo any potential romantic encounters with Namika in favor of food.

As he eats, Namika takes the opportunity to brush up on her darts game…

And this is how they spend the remainder of the date – companionably, and separately. Namika goes about her business, content and confident in her victory, satisfied (for now) that she’s got this competition in the bag. She doesn’t need to spend every second with Corey to know she’s always on his mind. Corey will never say it, but Namika knows she’s won already.

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Ten

 

It’s the day after Elimination #3, and there are only four ladies left.  I’ve made an executive decision to shake things up a little this round.  Instead of the standard competition and one-on-one date, Corey will spend an equal amount of time alone with each of the contestants over the next two days.  The “dates” will last for four hours each, and occur in the structure pictured above.  I built it specifically for this purpose – there’s a small kitchen, bathroom, and sitting area downstairs, and a grill, hot tub, and dining set on the deck upstairs.  I’ve used the flirty painting Jessamine made back during the painting competition, and enabled the flirty aura.  And just to set the mood even further, both Corey and his dates will be instructed to take a steamy shower beforehand.  The door will be locked, so they won’t be interrupted.

It’s about 11am, and since Colleen is the only contestant whose needs are already fulfilled, I choose her for the first date.  I send Corey and Colleen to go take their steamy showers, and then I lock them inside the Chateau d’ Amour, where Corey begins the date (as he will begin all the dates) with the “offer rose” interaction.

Colleen looks disgusted at first, and I actually worry she might reject him.

Luckily, she comes to her senses.  Maybe she’s just allergic to flowers and had to sneeze?  One way or the other, Colleen ultimately seems pleased with the rose.

I think Colleen is feeling flirtatious (and least that’s what her current emotion says!), but from the look on her face I really can’t tell if she’s flirting or cringing.

They sit down together on the couch to chat, and things don’t get much better from there.

They talk, and talk, and talk, and talk.  There are speech bubbles and thought bubbles of all kinds, but nothing that seems romantic in nature.  Despite their flirty moods, these two just don’t seem interested in flirting with each other.  And then, when they’re all talked out, they sit side by side in an awkward silence.

Finally, there’s an autonomous friendly hug initiated by Colleen, which Corey happily accepts.

Still, I can’t help but wonder what’s going on here.  They do already have a romance bar (however small), but no one is making a move!

Instead, they decide to square off in a game of darts.

And it’s during this friendly competition that both of their moods flip back to “Happy” instead of “Flirty.”

They pass the rest of the date this way, and by the time the four hours is up, they’ve just about maxed out their friendship bar.  Their romance bar, on the other hand, remains static.

In a latch ditch attempt to light the spark, I decide that all dates will end with an “embrace” interaction, initiated by the contestant.  So Colleen goes for it, but Corey recoils.

I guess friendly hugs are okay by him, but a romantic embrace would be pushing it.  Needless to say, the date doesn’t end on a high note.

And so the two part ways, and Colleen slinks back to the house feeling embarrassed.

---

 

I give Corey a chance to regroup (i.e., fulfill his needs) and then I send him and Roskva off to go take their steamy showers – separately of course!  By the time their date begins, the sun has already set, and two meet up on the rooftop, feeling flirtatious.  I lock the door behind them, and the date begins.

As with Colleen, Corey starts off with the offer of a rose, and with that, a romance bar finally appears for Roskva and Corey!

A whole bunch of completely autonomous flirting ensures, taking both me and Roskva by surprise!

Something has clicked for Corey.  It seems he’s finally seeing Roskva in a romantic light.  Not only that, but the rocket ship woohoo thought bubble appears over his head.  Corey’s gone from zero to sixty in about one second here.

He autonomously blows her a kiss, and giggling, Roskva jumps to catch it.

Corey continues to take the lead (Roskva is happy to let him chase her for once!).  He compliments her appearance, and initiates and hug.

Finally, Roskva takes some initiative of her own and autonomously caresses Corey’s cheek.  It happens so fast and unexpectedly that I miss it…but I do manage to get this screenshot of Corey looking at her like…..that.

This is when I realize that Roskva now has the option to have her “First Kiss With Corey.”  She has been gunning for this for so long, and the whim has been pinned for what feels like forever…! Who am I to stand in the way of a whim?  I instruct her to initiate the kiss…

And Roskva lands the very first kiss with Corey!  Score one for Roskva!

The date is just about over now, and both of their needs are suffering – though they’re both still feeling flirty.  I decide to cut the date just a little short so they can get some rest – this date was such a success that a few extra minutes won’t make much of a difference.

Roskva initiates the romantic embrace with Corey…

And the two reluctantly part ways for the evening, with Roskva rolling a whim for hot tub woohoo and Corey still thinking about rocket ship woohoo.  No doubt about it – a fire definitely lit for these two tonight!

But meanwhile, Colleen walks out to the fountain, where she stands facing the Chateau, watching forlornly from a distance.  I can’t help but laugh out loud at this, it is so creepy and weird!  It’s completely autonomous and she just stands there like a weirdo, still apparently depressed about Corey’s rejection of her hug.

And on the third floor of the mansion, Namika decides to take a more active approach.  She picks the lock to Corey’s door, slips on her silky negligee, and climbs into his bed, where she lies in wait.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Ninety Six : You Can Call Me Queen Bee

“I can’t believe my babies’ birthday is today!” Lola exclaimed.

It was a strange feeling, the way this intense nostalgia and growing excitement all mingled into one big mish mosh of emotion. Her squishy-faced bundles of joy would soon be walking, playing, going to school, making friends, and inevitably needing her less and less each day.  Even stranger was that she missed those tiny fingers and toes already.  It wasn’t so long ago she dreaded their very birth, dreaded the responsibility of motherhood and the lack of freedom it would bring.  But now that her triplets were growing, Lola suddenly wished that they’d stop.

Coralie put her hand in front of her mouth, covering her smile. “Look at you, Lola.  A mom through and through! Who ever would’ve guessed?”

Lola shook her head, laughing. “I know, it’s strange the way life works out, isn’t it? I have to say, I’ve enjoyed motherhood far more than I thought I would. I’m going to miss having my smushy little babies around – it almost makes me want to have another.”

Coralie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, to which Lola laughed.  “I said, almost.  I can’t say I won’t miss this part, but I’m ready for the next phase.  They’ll be more independent as kids, and it’ll be nice to get some time to myself again.”

Coralie nodded in agreement. “Triplets are a lot of work, especially when you weren’t even planning on one! And I thought twins were hard! But oh, Lola – just wait until they’re teenagers. If even one of them turns out like Jessalyn, you’re going to have your hands full.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves now! I need to get through today first! One step at a time, you know?”

Coralie turned to face her sister. “Well?” she asked. “Are you ready for this?”

Lola pursed her lips briefly, and then smiled. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

---

 

Lola walked from crib to crib, taking in those squishy faces one last time.  There was an underlying sense of sadness, of time moving on, but overwhelmingly, Lola was ready.  She was eager to meet her children, to see how they would grow and who they would turn out to be.  Parenthood wasn’t about keeping her children to herself, but about raising them to be capable and unique individuals.  And unique they would be, if they took after her.

And as the family gathered around, and the bassinets began to shake, Lola grinned in anticipation.

Libby was the first to spring from her crib, natural born leader that she was. As an insider with the Social Butterfly aspiration, Libby immediately took to Jessalyn.  If anyone could help her achieve Queen Bee status, it was her cousin.

 

Diego soon followed suit, bounding from his crib to join his sister.  Already he was an active boy, but with the Artistic Prodigy aspiration, it was clear that his energies would be used in pursuit of creative endeavors.

And as the youngest, Celia was the last to leap.  Naturally creative with the Rambunctious Scamp aspiration, she was as different from her brother as a triplet can be.

Lola stood on the sidelines and sighed.  Her triplets were triplets, as similar as any three children could be.  But already she sensed the differences, where their personalities would diverge and grow independently of one another.  And separately from her.

---

 

Here are the kids in CAS:

Libby Hasslich

Diego Hasslich

Celia Hasslich

---

 

In another home, life with triplets might prove overwhelming, noisy, or even chaotic. But the Hasslich family was no stranger to multiples, and so the chaos was only more of the same.

The triplets were off to a running start, all three of them full of energy and personality. Diego, forever in pursuit of artistic excellence, spent most of his time at the his craft table.

Day after day, his talent grew, not as a result of any natural ability, but as a product of his endless reserve of persistence and dedication. Diego worked hard to graduate from drawing shapes to vehicles, and though he loved his sister, he envied Celia’s innate creativity – especially because she rarely used it.

Celia never could sit still for long.

But it was Libby – predictably – who emerged as the leader of the pack. There was nothing she loved more than people, than making friends, and being admired.  She idolized her cousin Jessalyn, and strove to walk in her very popular footsteps.  Indeed, there was nothing Libby liked more than people, unless it was being loved by them.

And so, while her brother and sister were happy in their individual endeavors, Libby was ready to surround herself with her very own subjects friends.

“I’m going to start a club,” she told Celia one day.  “A super-secret, super special, really cool club.  And since you’re my sister, I’ll even let you be in it!  Space is limited, of course, so I’ll need your formal acceptance letter by noon.” Libby smiled benevolently at Celia, as if she was doing her a great big favor.

Celia shrugged.  “Okay, sure.  But who’s in this club, anyway?”

Libby crinkled her nose.  So far it was only her, and Celia, pending that acceptance letter, of course.  But it wouldn’t sound very cool to say so.  “VIP’s only,” she answered vaguely.

Celia shrugged again. “Okay, sure. But what do we do in this club?” she asked, reluctant to commit to anything that might interfere with her monkey bar time.

Libby paused.  She hadn’t really thought about that.  “It’s a secret!” she improvised.  “If you want to be in it, don’t ask so many questions, Celia.”

“Whatever,” Celia muttered.  “But, Libby – ” she leaned in close, not wanting to be overheard. “Make sure to invite, Diego, too.”

Libby did invite Diego – not that she particularly wanted to.  Her brother was kind of a geek, she thought, always hidden away behind his craft table with a big bag of glitter. But her options were limited, and she’d have to start somewhere.

And when the day of their first club gathering arrived, Libby was thrilled to find that it was an undeniable success. Not only did everyone listen to her as the club leader, but they even gained a member!

Libby thought her cousin Amalie was almost (almost) as cool as she was, which was really saying something. If she played her cards right, Libby decided she might even grant her cousin with the coveted title of Princess-Bee (second in command, of course, to Libby’s own title of Queen-Bee).

-Madison Hasslich, left (daughter of Isaac Hasslich) playing with Amalie Wahine (daughter of Xander Wahine-

But while Libby spent her day with her new wing-woman, Diego made a new friend of his own.

Sheena Santander was her name, as Diego soon found out. But when he introduced himself as Diego Hasslich, Sheena gave him a funny look.

“Hasslich?” she said, like it was a dirty word. “My mom says the Hasslich men are cads, whatever that means. I don’t think it’s good thing, though.”

Diego shrugged.  “I’m not a cad,” he assured her.  He didn’t know what that meant either, but it didn’t sound like a good thing. All Diego knew was that he only wanted Sheena to think good things about him.

“Her old boyfriend was some guy called Xander, I think,” Sheena went on.

Diego’s face lit up.  “That’s my Uncle Xander!”  He frowned, putting two and two together. “But my Uncle Xander isn’t a… a cad.”

Sheena shrugged. “My mom says he is, but she says that about my dad, too. My dad just says my mom is sad. He always used to say, ‘Janie, turn that frown upside down!’ But she didn’t, and now my dad has a new girlfriend, which is kinda weird, because my dad is REALLY old.”

Diego didn’t know what to say to that, but he did think it sounded like Sheena could use a friend.  As soon as he had the chance, he would ask Libby if Sheena could join the club.

Because all Diego knew was he wanted to see her again.

 

The Fairfield Diaries : 1.1 Eva Capricciosa

Eva

Two things you should know about me: 1) I never wanted to settle down, and 2) I’ve always had a soft spot for the bad boys. That’s why it’s so funny that I somehow became a married mother of three. What’s even funnier is that I love it.

My husband is a far cry from a bad boy, but there’s this crazy, unpredictable side of him that drives me wild. I never know what to expect with Rez, and he always keeps me on my toes. Never a dull moment. That’s what drew me to him when we first met – my friends thought it was his distinguished good looks, or even his family name I found attractive. But really, I just liked that wild look in his eye.

Still, I never thought I’d marry him, or anyone really. Not until he came to me with this absolutely insane idea that we leave Willow Creek together, and create some new kind of society. One where looks don’t matter, he said, where no one knows his name or his family history.  It was all completely out of the blue, and it made no sense to me, but it didn’t matter. Love, he said, was about so much more than physical chemistry or impulsive lust. I laughed, of course, because Rez is a Hasslich! Impulsivity and lust are in his blood, and isn’t lust what brought us together in the first place? But Rez was serious – he was beyond passionate about the idea, about this traditional society where marriages are arranged and couples stay together no matter what.  It was crazy and harebrained, and just insane enough to excite me. So I said yes.

And so we eloped, Rez and I.  He took my last name, and the rest is history.

Beyond the success of Fairsfield, Rez’s biggest dream is to become a well-known comedian.  He’s on the bottom of the totem pole right now, but he’s working his way up.  For some reason, he’s required to learn to play music before he they’ll give him a chance to tell his jokes.  He’s not very good, but I like to listen to him play anyway.

As for me, I’ve gotten a job in the tech industry.  That means I spend a lot of time playing games on the computer, so I can’t complain.  I’ve been out on maternity leave for quite awhile, but now that the kids are in school and our bills are increasing, it’s time for me to buckle down again.

Our kids are growing up so fast.  Zelda and Zachary are always at the park, making friends with other kids their age.

 

Well, Zachary is, anyway.  Zelda’s not much of a people person.

But even our youngest, baby Myles, isn’t a baby anymore.

But with the twins’ birthday getting closer every day, Rez and I spend time with the other Founders whenever we can. It’s important to Rez that we arrange Zelda’s and Zachary’s marriages now, so that we can surprise them with the news once they’re officially teenagers. Rez is sure they’ll be thrilled, there’s not a shred of doubt in his mind. But me? I can’t help but worry. Rez’s harebrained idea seemed exciting an interesting at the time, but my babies were only hypothetical back then. Now that they’re real, that they’re individuals with their own dreams and personalities, I wonder if arranged marriage is really what’s best.

But Rez has no doubts.  He spends hours on the phone, making the arrangements. He talks a lot with Tatiana Cloud, whose son is Zelda’s age and who Rez says is her best prospective match. They’re both loners, and will each respect the other’s need for space. Rez says he trusts Tatiana, and I wonder why he would rather talk to Tatiana than to me, but I remind myself not to be jealous.  It’s only business, so I keep my mouth shut.  I do think the Oulette’s new boy is a better fit for Zelda, though. I’ve been talking with Maaike, and we have plans of our own.

I’m sitting by the window, texting with Maaike, when I see Rez outside talking to a man I’ve never seen before. Well, they’re not talking exactly – Rez is furious, and I recognize that wild look in his eye.

Something inside me stirs at the sight of it, and I’m filled with exhilaration.

I run outside to intervene, but if I’m honest I have no intention of breaking this up. If I know Rez, he’s said something offensive, he’s pushed too hard, he’s set the man off. And I don’t care because deep down, his wild side excites me.

But when I get there, I see that this altercation is escalating more quickly than I’d bargained for.  I like seeing Rez in caveman mode, but I don’t want to see him fight.  I step in and kiss his hands, trying to calm him down.

But the man takes the opportunity to mock me, and Rez looses his cool.

I standby helplessly, but luckily Rez emerges victorious, and the other man rushes away with his tail between his legs.

And suddenly, I realize, I’m feeling frisky.

On a whim, I throw caution to the wind.

And a few days later…

I’m pregnant again, and this time I hope for a sister for Zelda.

My pregnancy progresses healthily, but as the days go on, I become more and more exhausted.  The twins’ birthday is impending, and fortunately, Rez has things “under control” in the kitchen.

He makes quite the mess, but at least the cake is actually edible.

Zachary blows out the candles first…

And Zelda goes next…

And as Rez prepares to inform each of them of their betrothed, I see both of my children take a deep breath.  Rez opens his mouth, the eagerness written on his face, but just as he begins to speak, a cry escapes my mouth.

I’m in labor.

Welcome to the family, Poppy Capricciosa!

---

 

Zelda Capricciosa : loner, hot-headed, Fabulously Wealthy aspiration.

Zachary Capricciosa: genius, slob, Bodybuilder aspiration

 

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Eight

It’s Day Eight of The Bachelor Experiment, and Namika wakes up feeling confident.  I freaking love this girl, but she hasn’t rolled any whims for Corey overnight, and I’m wondering if that bodes well for their one-on-one date.

A few of the other contestants have rolled whims for Corey, though.  Jessamine has rolled a whim to be friendly, so I send her to initiate the “brighten day” interaction.  Corey responds well, and Jessamine seems placated in the face of his date with Namika.  She’s feeling a little threatened, I think, because she gets the “moving boxes” thought bubble.   Jessamine needs to procure a date of her own if she doesn’t want to be sent packing.  She is one of only three contestants with a romance bar for Corey, but that won’t do her much good if she doesn’t get some alone time with him soon.

Paige, too, rolls a whim for Corey, but she would rather “be funny.”  After their stargazing session the previous night, their friendship bar has skyrocketed, and they have become Good Friends.  I was hoping for a more romantic whim from Paige, but I send her to tell an inside joke, and their friendship blossoms just a little more.

It’s clear that Corey has always been attracted to Paige, but she’s determined to prove that there’s more her than a sexy hourglass figure.

But Corey is feeling hungry, and he knows he’ll need sustenance before his big hiking date with Namika.  He says goodbye to Paige and heads to the kitchen, where he finds his date for the day.  They chat autonomously until Roskva enters the room.

Roskva is determined to get Corey’s attention before he leaves for his date, and she rolls a whim to hug him.  She has literally wedged herself between the Namika and Corey, but Namika is unfazed.  She’s still feeling confident, and she knows she has the rest of the day to spend alone with Corey.  Roskva’s paltry little hug is nothing compared to what Namika has planned for Corey today.

The hour is drawing near, so I send Namika and Corey to take care of a few needs before I send them off for their date.  Corey is using the bathroom when Colleen, suddenly desperate for a few moments alone with the bachelor, takes matters into her own hands – privacy be plummed.

But Colleen loses her nerve at the last minute.  She wanted to ask him for reassurance, but now, she thinks that sounds needy and insecure.  And maybe – just maybe – approaching him in the middle of a poo isn’t exactly appropriate.  So she just whistles as she washes her hands, and pretends she doesn’t see him sitting there on the toilet.  She keeps her eyes averted, quickly dries her hands, and leaves the room.  Corey’s dignity is spared, and I’m pleased to see him leave for his date in a happy mood.

---

 

Namika and Corey arrive at a camp site, and Namika is thrilled to learn that Corey has planned their date in Granite Falls.  She is an active sim after all, and hiking is right up her alley.

They chat autonomously for a few minutes, but it isn’t long before Namika flips into a flirty mood.  Maybe it’s the flowers, or the birds and the bees, or maybe there’s just something in the air.  But Namika rolls a whim to flirt with Corey, and I’m happy to oblige.

Corey feels his breath catch in his throat.  Namika is more beautiful than he’d even realized, with those striking blue eyes and long dark hair.  This small flirtation – this iota of encouragement – is all Corey needs to start feeling flirty himself.

And this is all it takes for things to really heat up.

All I do from here is fulfill whims, and direct them to go on their hike (i.e., relocate for some prettier scenery).  The rest is absolutely autonomous.

These two seriously cannot keep their hands off one another!  They roll whim after whim for one another, to be flirty, friendly, and funny, and they both have the “Totally Digging Me” moodlet.  I keep waiting for one of them to roll a First Kiss whim, but sadly, the dates ends before it can happen.

But Namika is not discouraged.  This date has been everything she hoped it would be, and then some.  She sees the longing in Corey’s eyes when he looks at her, and she knows exactly what it means.  Namika can sleep easy tonight. She will get that kiss soon.  She’s sure of it.

---

 

When Corey and Namika return to the mansion, Colleen is impatiently waiting for Namika.  She enthusiastically asks for all the details, but really she’s just fishing for information.  Of course, she doesn’t like what Namika has to say, and she gets a thought bubble of Namika’s face with an X over it.  Colleen, like Jessamine, is beginning to feel threatened.

But just as tensions are beginning to rise,  the fire alarm sounds and everyone rushes to the balcony, panic-stricken.

Paige has started a fire on the grill.

Of course, we know by now that Corey is our hero, and he is quick to extinguish the fire.  The ladies huddle around behind him, and Jessamine clings to him, taking full advantage of the opportunity to press her yellow-underwear-clad body up against his.

When the fire is out, the ladies disperse, but Corey is feeling confident from his heroics.  He rolls a whim to be flirty with Namika, and predictably, the interaction is happily reciprocated.  Still no First Kiss whim, but I think it’s only a matter of time.

Corey turns and wanders off with a goofy grin on his face.  Namika turns to look at the charred remains of the grill.

And she laughs.  No sense in taking things too seriously.  This girl knows how to keep things light!

All in all, it’s been a good day for Namika.  She’s had a fabulous date with Corey, considerably upped their friendship bar, their romance bar, and her chances of obliterating the competition.  Elimination #3 is tomorrow, but Namika has nothing to worry about, and she knows it.

Suddenly playful, Namika heads off to play in the bath.

But while Namika spends Elimination Eve feeling giddy and carefree, Corey still has a decision to make.  He feels confident in his top few choices, but as the days tick by and his relationships with the contestants grow, the question of who to send home has never been more difficult.

The bachelor has a tough night ahead of him, and even tougher elimination ceremony to face tomorrow.  But for now, Corey decides, the best he can do is keep calm and eat hot dogs.

 

 

 

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Four

On the morning of Day Three, Corey wakes up and stands at the window of his third floor suite.  The view from here is fantastic, but if he’s learned anything over the past three days, it’s that this is nothing compared to the view downstairs.  These ladies sure do like to eat breakfast in their underwear, and Corey decides that this morning, he’s going to join the party.

He brushes his teeth and heads to the grill wearing his heart boxers.  If any of these women are feeling ambivalent towards him, they won’t be for much longer.  If there’s one thing Corey knows, it’s that ladies love heart boxers and hot dogs for breakfast.

Corey is manning the grill when he looks up to see Nakima on the other side of the window.  Unsurprisingly, she’s wearing a red lacy negligee.  And she’s staring at his hot dog.

Corey blushes and looks down, and then he realizes….. Nakima is staring at an actual hot dog.  She must be hungry.  Still, Corey feels self-conscious, and he pulls on a pair of pants before taking the hot dogs to the table, where Nakima meets him with a plate of macaroni and cheese.

So she wasn’t looking at a hot dog after all…

The two eat in companionable silence.  Or maybe it’s an awkward silence, I can’t really tell.  They don’t seem particularly comfortable with one another, but Corey can’t take his eyes off her.  Namika won’t meet his gaze, but maybe she just can’t look him in the eye after he caught her staring at his hot dog hot dog.

But when Paige catches wind of their private rendezvous, she makes a beeline to the table.  She’ll put an end to this little interlude real quick.

Subtlety is not Paige’s strong suit.  She shoots a venomous glare at Namika, willing her to leave, but Namika is not so easily intimidated.  She stands her ground.  Even if she can’t speak to Corey right now, sitting with him in silence is better than not sitting with him at all.

But Paige’s tactics backfire, and Corey politely excuses himself from the table.  This strange hot dog breakfast has only gotten stranger.

Besides, he has arrangements to make for today’s competition.

Corey heads out to the yard and sets up an easel for each of the women.  He’s known them only three days so far, and yet Elimination #2 is on the horizon already.  Corey needs a better understanding of who these women are – their hopes and their dreams, what makes them tick – before the next elimination.  And what better way to do that, than through art?  Corey is sure that the paintings will provide him with the information he needs to make the right decision.  It’s also a fair way to decide who to ask on a one-on-one date tomorrow.

The ladies join him in the yard and immediately get to work.  But one easel is decidedly empty.

Paige is incensed after her run-in with Namika, and she doesn’t take well to being summoned this way.  Men chase Paige, not the other way around.  She fumes in the kitchen and waits for Corey to come after her.  Only then will she join the others.

But Paige waits.  And she waits.  And she waits…

to no avail.  Paige bristles.  She deserves better than this, but she won’t lose to these brainless bimbos.  She has a competition to win.

 

Paige saunters up to the empty easel like she meant to be late.  She rolls her eyes at Namika’s icy glare, and takes a moment to scope out the competition.  Amateurs, the lot of them – nothing to worry about.  Paige scoffs – Colleen even has to copy off of Namika.  Not an original thought in that head, that’s for sure.

One by one, the contestants begin to finish their paintings, and I take the opportunity to fulfill the whims they’ve rolled for Corey.

Colleen tells a funny story….

Jessamine tells a joke…

And Sandy gets friendly.

Corey is definitely not thinking friendly thoughts when he watches Sandy walk away!  He gets the woohoo rocket ship thought bubble, and I just know his dirty mind is running away with him.

But this is a best painting contest, not a best butt contest, and so Corey assesses the artwork.  This has to be fair, so the most valuable painting will be the winner.

Colleen’s done an okay job with her teapot painting, and it’s worth $94.  But Corey saw her copy from Namika, and while that’s not exactly against the rules, it certainly isn’t in the spirit of the competition.  Colleen’s painting tells Corey more about Namika than it does about Colleen, and leaves Corey wondering – if Colleen is so willing to steal ideas, what else is she willing to steal?

Jessamine was in a flirty mood at the time I designated for the contest, and I decided she should paint accordingly.  I think this method worked well.  In future contests, any contestant whose current mood has an associated action will be instructed to use that action (i.e., an energized contestant in treadmill contest will use “energized workout”).

Jessamine did an okay job with her painting, and it’s worth $120.  Corey laughs when he sees that she’s labeled the cats as “you” and “me,” and he blushes a little at the implication.

Corey moves on to Namika’s painting next – the original teapot.  He looks for metaphors and allusions, and decides that Namika is the cardinal – wild and free.  While the painting is merely okay, it is worth $107, and Corey decides he likes its message.  He has a soft spot for a free spirit.

Next in line is Paige’s okay landscape painting, worth $88.  Corey looks up and sees that Paige has painted the view from her easel.  The painting lacks creativity and originality, and Corey is less enthralled with Paige’s painting than he is with Paige herself.

Sandy’s painting, however, is more whimsical.  Corey isn’t sure if it’s a snail or an alien, but he likes how it highlights Sandy’s playful side.  The painting is worth $97 and is of okay quality.

The last painting is Roskva’s, and Corey is highly impressed.  She’s done okay work, but at $134, Roskva’s painting is the clear winner.  Corey thinks her use of color and light are highly symbolic.  Just don’t ask him why.

Corey proclaims Roskva the winner, and Colleen offers her roommate her congratulations.

But it’s only when Roskva walks away that Colleen lets her true feelings show.  From the look on her face, I’d say she has plans for that painting.  Destruction or thievery, I’ll never tell.

---

 

For the rest of the day, the contestants are left to their own devices.  I decide to up the ante, and I direct Corey to initiate one flirt interaction with each of the ladies.

 

The women are all receptive to his advances, but Jessamine (our resident drama-queen-attention-monger) falls apart at the sight of Corey flirting with Paige.   How predictable.  Keep it together, girl.

At this point, Corey rolls a whim to skinny dip.  I think he’s hoping for Jessamine and/or Paige to follow along, but they’re not having any of it. I won’t deny him this small indulgence, though, and so I direct him to skinny dip on his own.

Namika is dancing nearby, and it’s clear she notices Corey, because his face appears in her thought bubble.  Just this morning, she blushed at the sight of his boxers, but Namika is  feeling frisky tonight. She gets a good eye full. Namika knows exactly what his hot dog looks like now!

When Corey finishes skinny dipping, he heads straight back to the living room to find Jessamine and Paige.  What he doesn’t do is put his clothes on.

Maybe he’s been drinking juice behind my back, because his inhibitions sure are low.  He walks his bare butt through the house and basically does the Naked Man for Jessamine.

Jessamine seems uncomfortable, and needless to say, she’s unimpressed with his shenanigans.  Paige, on the other hand, is happy to indulge him and his hot dog.

 

But Corey’s stomach is growing, and there’s a cheeseburger somewhere calling his name.  All this flirting sure has worked up an appetite.

So Corey goes outside to fire up his handy dandy grill…

and promptly starts a fire.

Luckily, our bachelor is brave and quick, and he sees this as an opportunity to demonstrate his heroism.

Roskva’s squeamish side takes over, and she lets everyone know how disgusted she is by fire.  But still, she’s glad for Corey’s safety.  She rolls a whim to be friendly with him, and since since she gets the “house” thought bubble, I have her “boast about family” to fulfill the whim.

Roskva thinks this is going well.  Corey wants a family, and she has one!  A perfect match, she thinks.

But this is when Corey rolls a whim to flirt with Jessamine.  This is the first time that anyone in the mansion has rolled a romantic whim that is aimed at a specific housemate.

Feeling confident from extinguishing the fire, Corey also rolls a (non-specific) whim to use a bold pick-up line.  Since both whims pop up at the same time, I send Corey to use a bold pick-up line on Jessamine.

It goes swimmingly, as expected.

But elsewhere in the mansion, Roskva is deciding what to wear for her one-on-one date  tomorrow.  She rolls a whim : “Have First Kiss With Corey.”

Considering she doesn’t have a romance bar with him yet, this is rather ambitious.  But, as they say – where there’s a will, there’s a way.

 

 

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Three (Elimination #1)

It’s day three, and most of the contestants have woken up with a whim for Corey.  Everyone wants to make a last good impression before elimination!  Jessamine heads straight for the grill, knowing that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

 

But Corey is sleeping in, and the other girls gobble up the grilled fruit before he even gets out of bed.  Sandy, Jessamine, and Roskva chat nervously over their breakfast, speculating about which of them will be the first to leave the house.  Jessamine feels confident she’s staying (her swan dive and cloudgazing should have done the trick), and Sandy felt a connection last night during foosball.  But Roskva is uncertain.  Corey hasn’t shown much interest in her so far, and she thinks she could be on the chopping block.

 

Likewise, Sierra mopes around the house all morning.  She seems to think that her future here is uncertain as well.

 

Roskva and Sierra are right to worry.  Their relationships with Corey are the two lowest in the house.  But Corey likes them both equally, and he has yet to decide which of these two beauties he’d like to keep.  I decide to pin all the ladies’ whims for the time being, and send Corey out on a last ditch date with Roskva and Sierra.  There are only a few hours left until eliminations, so there’s no time to dawdle.

I send Corey, Sierra, and Roskva to the Von Haunt Estate in hopes that the beautiful scenery will encourage a little romance.  But things get off to a rocky start when – predictably – Corey pays more attention to his phone than he does to his dates.  What is his deal?  Roskva plasters a smile to her face as she waits for him to address them, but from the look on her face, I have a feeling her patience is wearing as thin as mine.

 

 

Sierra looks unhappy as she gives Roskva the side eye.  Maybe she’s thinking Roskva has a better chance than she does, but Sierra is her own worst enemy.  She takes off once again, and walks directly to the chess table, where she seems delighted to play alone.  For someone who spent all morning seeming miserable, she’s certainly quick to ditch her date.

 

Meanwhile, Roskva also tires of waiting for Corey and decides to explore the mansion on her own.  She’s creative, after all, and she wants to see the art work in the museum.  She goes to check out the kitchen exhibit when she walks in on two flirty ghosts kissing passionately.  If only Corey would look at her like that!

 

At this point, Corey takes a break from his phone to use the bathroom.  He stares at himself in the mirror, and frowns.  I don’t think he’s looking forward to making this decision, or to facing the contestants at elimination.  He’s a good guy, our Corey – he’s not out to break any hearts.

 

But this is the Bachelor, and heart-breaking comes with the territory.  Time is marching on, and our Corey has spent zero time with either of the girls.  Due to the lack of autonomous progress, I decide it’s time to intervene.  I select “go here” for all three of them, and send them out to the terrace.

 

They talk as as a group for awhile, and Corey and Sierra gain quite a few friendship points.  I think we finally have a front runner, and Roskva seems to think so, too, because she heads off to the chess table, alone in defeat.  But Corey does something surprising, and for the first time during this date, he makes an autonomous action that seems to favor one woman over the other.

He leaves Sierra on the terrace, and joins Roskva in her game of chess.  Corey teases her a bit and cracks a blonde joke, but Roskva isn’t offended.  She laughs good-naturedly, and in the end she shows him who’s boss when she captures his king.

 

Still, Corey’s relationship panel indicates no preference, and with Elimination just hours away, I need him to make a decision.  I choose to have him initiate the “Flirt” interaction with each of the ladies.

 

He approaches Sierra first, complimenting her beautiful dark eyes.

 

She seems flattered at first, but she turns on Corey unexpectedly, brushing off his advances.

 

Maybe she’s ticked off he ditched her for Roskva’s chess game, or maybe she just isn’t interested.  But the end result is the same – she loses several relationship points with Corey, and moreover, he’s humiliated.

I send Sierra home, and wait until Corey gets over her rejection to have him flirt with Roskva.  I don’t want him dying of humiliation if Roskva rejects him, too.

But Roskva is much more receptive than Sierra.  She’s more than happy to feed his wounded ego, and throws him a flirtatious wave.

 

And so the date ends on a good note.

Back at the mansion, it’s almost time for Elimination.  Sandy and Jessamine knock back a few drinks to calm their nerves, and then it’s time to get ready.

 

---

 

 

The contestants gather in the ceremony room, and wait anxiously for the Elimination to begin.  They talk amongst themselves, but when Corey appears at last – looking dashing in his light gray suit – the women fall silent.

 

Corey is nervous but he does his best to look confident.  His decision is clear now, and he knows what needs to be done.

Colleen is the first to be called.  Their relationship is the strongest, and while he’s not sure if his feelings for her are romantic, he is eager to see where things go.  She happily accepts his invitation to stay, and hugs him before heading back inside the mansion.

 

 

Jessamine is next.  She has definitely commanded Corey’s attention, and her efforts have paid off.  She gazes at him adoringly as he gives her the news, but Corey still isn’t sure if she likes him or if she just likes to win.  Only time will tell, and Corey seems happy to give her that time.

 

Corey calls Sandy next.  She really impressed him during their foosball game, and Corey thinks she’s easy-going and sweet.  He hasn’t seen her temper yet, and apparently he doesn’t notice that she’s wearing a wedding gown to Elimination.  Regardless, Sandy can’t hide her excitement at being chosen to stay, and moreover, that she has been picked before Paige.

 

 

But Paige is called next, and she saunters seductively up to Corey.  I didn’t think she’d take kindly to being called fourth, but she puts her game face on and graciously accepts Corey’s invitation to stay.  One thing is for sure, though – she will be upping her game before Elimination 2.

 

 

We’re down to the bottom three now, and Namika is visibly relieved to hear her name called.  She’s so excited, in fact, that Corey practically has to peel her off of him as she clings to their hug.  He doesn’t seem to mind, though.  There are worse things than having a beautiful woman cling to you.

 

 

It’s down to the last two women now, and Sierra and Roskva sit anxiously, hoping for Corey to call their name.

 

But their date this morning made things very clear, and Corey isn’t interested in pursuing a woman who has no interest in him.

And so it’s Roskva’s name he calls last.  She beams at him, thankful for another chance to win his heart.

 

 

Roskva departs, leaving Corey alone with Sierra.

 

He calls her to the front to join him.  It’s clear from the look on his face that he doesn’t look forward to this awkward conversation.

 

Corey is taken aback when Sierra begins to cry.  She rejected him earlier, after all.  He never expected her to react this way.

 

“Why are you crying?” he asks her point blank.  “You never even seemed to like me!”

 

“You don’t understand!” she yells.  “I did meet my soulmate here!  It just isn’t you!  And now I’ll have to go home to Oasis Springs, and I’ll never see my gardener again!”

Corey smiles, because he knows he has made the right choice.

And Sierra packs her bags and leaves the mansion.  Maybe she’ll go back to Oasis Springs.  Or maybe she’ll go find her gardener.