Chapter 40: There's a Cobra on my Face

He's here to serve your fashion needs, he's here to save the day. If you're color blind don't worry... he prefers it that way.

Who is Yuri gonna call when he needs new swimwear?

His great-grandson, obviously.

"Uh. Okay... but can we at least go inside? You're starting to smell like burnt roadkill."

Dante Cantina needed a scarf to go creeping in. At least he had the common sense to get the makeover indoors, instead of in the front yard.

Can Marty fix this?

No, it's a lost cause.

Living in Riverview is no excuse for this, buddy.

Paprika becomes a teen. She doesn't feel like showing you her face right now.

Martin is sad to inform his father that the family's book club membership expired when he did.

Caught off guard!

Paprika is a gangly teen with hints of her mother's monkey-face. She wears eyeliner and lipstick.

Melody visits her sisters, Judith and Bernice, who never moved out of Grisby manor. While Melody is the daughter of Venkat Broke-Bagley (the son of Sherman Bagley and Ruby Broke, presumably the source of Melody's red hair), Judith is the daughter of Venkat's son, Elbert. Bernice is the daughter of Roxie Lin's only child, Shea, though she is content to allow everyone to believe she's a Cantina.

Lori has recently passed away, so Melody thought she'd be fine visiting her sisters. Unfortunately, her childhood home only brings back bad memories, and merely walking up to the front steps causes her to shudder.

Judith is a new mother, having spawned a child with Drumheller. Judith claims to love her boyfriend, and also sees her child as an inconvenience, but for some reason she won't even consider marrying Drumheller or giving their daughter to him.

"Psh. What would that bumbling blond know about raising kids? I just can't wait for it to be older," Judith groans. "It can't do anything for itself right now. I haven't leveled in weeks."

Embarrassed by Judith's words, Bernice signals desperately for her to shut up.

"Mom always loved YOU best you know," Judith shouts, unprovoked. "You and your I'm gonna go be a musician and !@#$. Mom was always hounding me, like, why can't you be more like Melody. Why can't you do something instead of play those stupid games. Guh."

Melody examines baby Evelyn for signs of giant ears or insanity.

"Look, sis. Why don't you get out of the house once in a while? 

Come to The Grind with me sometime."

Judith reluctantly agrees.
 

"Not in front of me, please..."

Melody teaches her daughter how to crash a party. Pavel is at this party, shocked by how much his niece has grown.

Since there is no music or food to enjoy, Paprika talks about her new job at the book store.

Melody would play music, but since she's a party crasher she doesn't think she should draw that much attention to herself.

Melody spies Elbert and corners him in the garage. He's her half-brother and her sister Judith's father, but unlike Venkat he never had to courtesy to even visit his daughter. Disgusted, and needing to yell at someone after what happened at her sisters' house earlier, Melody introduces herself to Elbert only so she can start yelling at him about how he's a horrible person.

She also makes fun of his Beatles hair cut.

"Look, I was young... I didn't know what I was getting myself into..."

Back in the kitchen, Pavel stares at Sara Rinsler's back. Another bad parent, she is Cody's teen son Kory's mother, and abandoned the scientist and their son quite some time ago.

But she's the only attractive woman in the room so Pavel is feeling irritatingly aware of his single status, and a bit resentful of his vampire status. He doesn't want to get involved with a normal sim as his mother did, and the elder vampires have strict punishments for turning people under unapproved circumstances. Unless Pavel wants to date Bernice - and he doesn't - it seems like he's out of luck in this town.

Melody begins to contemplate playing guitar.

"Forget it Mom... this party is boring and I'm tired. Can we go home?"

Paprika and Melody get home to find Martin working on a new painting.

Martin has had a few commissions for paintings lately, including one from his own mother.

"If you want me to visit more you can just say so, you know... 

you don't have to commission a painting."

Charming cobras. Melody doesn't get many tips for this. In fact, most people prefer to stand really far away.

Cobra attaches himself to Melody's face. Melody shakes her head frantically from side to side, but the snake refuses to let go for several agonizing sim minutes.

Medical emergency!

Seeing as it's daytime again in this picture, Arthur is too late. Good thing cobra venom is not fatal to Melodies.

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Etc.: I'm sad about the snake incident happening at night. I would have preferred some better-lit pictures.