Chapter 22: Someone Must Be Cheating

Last chapter, Kairavi didn't get so much as a mention, she here she is spinning tracks on the DJ booth Kiran bought to satisfy some midlife crisis wish to buy expensive crap.

Sitara gets in some work on her poetry book before work. The  pictures of her and Tim inspire romantic verse.

All sticky among the clouds
You grasp wanting fears under the trees
Intense! The pleasure is coming

Kiran has become obsessed with checking the mirror for wrinkles. Two of his daughters are young adults; one of them is already married. He could become a grandfather any day now. The horror!

Chelsea takes on another case. I have no idea what it's about, but she has to go question 3 random people. A nearby hangout is full of her relatives, so she steps in to question them all.

Literally everyone in this place is a Gandharva, including the family's founder, Suchandra. Leslie and Jamie get a good argument going while Chelsea questions Tamira. Tamira tells her that whoever she's asking about is dirtier than her uncle. I wonder which one she means...surely not Suresh. No one would speak that way about Suresh.

After the questions are done, Chelsea has to go do a stakeout in the park across the street from this bar....

And this happens.

Bwuh?

0.o

I'm trying not to laugh so hard that I forget to get pictures. Ezra, the youngest of Darleen and Suchandra's sons, is clearly not amused by this public adultery. Or maybe he's offended that someone as fashionable as Don King, in his chain mail, would go for someone as mainstream as Jamie, when there's a hot Indiana Jones type right there.

Yep, Ezra is just jealous, and tries to attract the insane Don with hand puppets.

Don: Was that good for you, honey?

In the background, someone is thinking about a guy in pigtails.

Don: My work here is done.

Ezra: I'm evil! You're insane! Together we could take over the world and destroy it with radiation.

Jamie: Am I pollinated now?

No, Don is insane, but he's not an alien.

Whoever Chelsea was expecting to show up for her stakeout never appeared, so she goes home with an unsolved case to finish tomorrow. But it was worth it. So, so worth it.

Oh, you two!

Tim actually refused Sitara's invitation to the house after his shift was over, so she went over to fetch him. She has a wish to kiss him to fulfill.

She gets him home, gets the kiss and that of course leads to risky woohoo.

And then sleep. Timothy dreams about his cute kitty.

Tim sleeps in while Sitara does her morning routine, and is still sleeping when her carpool comes.

Chelsea's the only one at home. She really ought to be doing her unfinished stakeout, but I want her to hang around so Tim is here when Sitara gets back from work. She has a wish to go on a date with him, and he has tonight off.

So, Chelsea sits in front of that weird air filter reward thing and meditates. She's been obsessed with it ever since she blew a bunch of happiness points on it. No one else even notices it's there.

"It, like, totally retunes my aura."

Speaking of tuning, look who's up and playing guitar in his underwear on the balcony.

Sensing that he's awake, Chelsea runs up to talk to him about composting.

"Do you, like, have a job? Or do you just chill in your pajamas all day?" Tim wants to know.

Like you're one to talk. Mr. In His Underpants at Lunch Time.

"I was only asking because I want in on this heir-spouse gravy train. Marrying a legacy heir is the sweetest gig ever."

Sitara and Tim's date that night, karaoke and woohoo.

While Sitara was out not rolling wishes to marry Tim, Kesari was fulfilling her first ever romantic wish, to kiss this guy. I think his name is Kurtis. I do know he's one of Kesari's first friends from childhood. Before this, she's only rolled wishes to make friends, with pretty much everyone she meets. Not surprisingly, she's chosen Super Popular as her LTW.

The prom announcement comes at a most convenient moment.

Kairavi's love interest, Josue, aged up a few days ago, and became a cop. She's only got a few days to go before she's a YA, too, so she's waiting it out by playing games online with him, working on her wishes for higher nerd status.

Next day, Chelsea finally gets to finish her stakeout. Of course it's pigtail guy.

"Do you think I spooked them?"

Nah, Chels, you were invisible. They never saw you.

Snowflake Day! I decide to torture myself with a gift giving party. For the lulz.

That isn't even everyone, just the ones who managed to make it all the way into the room. Most were invited, but I got at least a half dozen crashers at this shindig, too.

Here's Josue Hudson, Kairavi's guy, in YA form. Nice ears!

Suresh and Lourdes change into formals suddenly. Suresh is clearly planing on taking Lourdes up into Kiran's bed. But instead they take off with Aurelio, who spun into a graduation robe. Apparently they held graduation on Snowflake day.

It's gift opening time.

Oh, just shoot me now.

Tim is chosen as poster boy for the gift ceremony, since he gave the best gift opening face.

Lots of presents were opened, and pictures taken, but this is really all you need to see. No one got toilet paper or anything cool.

It's become massively predictable, as all the virtuosos get guitars and all the geniuses get chess tables.

The room erupts in red minus signs. Someone must be cheating.

Darshan's wife Monica is leaping into Rajendra's arms. Darshan would do something about it, except he's suffering a route failure.

Oh, Rajendra, you're a scientist! I remember when you used to berate people for ignorance when they asked about your sign.

"Dude, how is it that you get away with kissing a dude in public, and Monica and Rajendra are flirting big time at a family holiday without getting the 'dirty cheating bastard' label? Why am I the only one?" 

Tamira has fleas!

Also, three generations of Gandharvas, all musicians.

Sitara has been waiting on her wish to make out with Timothy.

Okay, now what? Who's cheating now?

Chelsea! With Kiran's uncle Stephan (Darleen's sister's husband).

Her daughters line up to chastise her.

Alvaro is pissed now. "They're all filthy cheaters! All of them! It's not just me."

Meanwhile, Darshan is upstairs forgiving Monica her earlier indiscretion with his brother. In Sitara's bed.

Alvaro: "Hey, baby, let's take this party home."

Kamala: "We could play 'Put the snowman in the igloo'."

Rajendra: *cannot unsee what has been seen*

The party winds up as the inevitable holiday trick-or-treater comes for candy.

"Nora, this is Snowflake day, not Spooky day."

"I know. But we're aging up in a couple of days. This is our last chance for spooky day candy."

Chelsea little flirtation with Stephan, though witnessed by his daughters and others, passed completely under Kiran's radar.

Sitara and Tim grab a little privacy in the nursery. Maybe it will inspire you guys to start thinking about your future, and the future of this legacy? Hint: Make babies!

_____________________________

Tons of risky woohoo, so far no results. That I know of.

Sitara rolls fairly consistent wishes to kiss or date Tim, so I at least have excuses to get them together. Hopefully she'll wish to marry him or at least get knocked up. I'm not at the point of truly being worried yet, there's still plenty of time before the situation gets critical.

For those who haven't seen it yet, Tamira and Jamie's spin off legacy, Meanwhile, In An Alternate Dimension... has the first chapter up. Chapter two will be up tomorrow. Or tonight, depending.

Chapter 21: Wishes to Buy Tofu

Having been displaced as heir by her sister Sitara, Tamira wastes no time grabbing her boyfriend and her share of the family's funds, and buying herself a new house across town.

Like her grandmother Darleen, Tamira means it when she says she's going to take a cab.

Tamira, Jamie and Magic arrive safely in their new home.

Kesari wishes to learn to drive. Even though there are two cars available, parked on the home lot. Kesari get on a bike, learning to drive from her mother, who stands on the corner the entire time.

Sitara invites Timothy over to get a date in before his shift that evening at the theater.

Okay.

Mmm, no, not quite...

Do you guys need a guide?

There you go! I knew you could do it.

Of course, they go straight for the parents' bed.

Sharks sail like big masts.

The lad endures like a rough girl.

Rise quietly like a stormy wind.

Then it's out to the hallway for some sweet talk.

And then into Sitara's newly redecorated bedroom for round two.

In the moonless darkness of Winter the leaves sleep,  

In the dying of harmony young lovers escape, 

"Uh, Sitara, my shift starts in an hour."

Beside the river of longing the waves rejoice,  

In the dream of evening the waves whisper,  

"Okay, but, I kind of have to go now..."

"Oh, hey Alisha," Chelsea takes a call from Jamie's mother just as Kiran comes around looking for some loving. "Yeah, my husband still totally hates you. No, I'm not doing anything, I can chat."

Somehow I don't think this call will add any points to Alisha and Kiran's relationship.

In the background, Kesari is on the phone talking about shoes. With both Social Butterfly and Charismatic for trait, Kesari needs to be constantly socializing and making new friends.

Eventually, Chelsea gets off the phone and Kiran drags her up to Sitara's bed. 

They are followed by Kesari, who desperately needs to boast about her gamer skillz to someone.

"What is it, Kesari?"

"Um, I forgot. It dropped out of queue. Sorry."

Next morning, a Sunday, Kiran wakes with a midlife crisis wish to grow facial hair. Easy peasy.

Then he wishes to buy tofu. Buy tofu? Really? I didn't think it was possible to wish for that. 

As part of her room redecoration, Sitara got her own desk where she could work on her poetry in private.

Inside the meaning of ourselves the leaves vanish,  

Okay, I'm just going to leave you to it, then, and see what your parents are up to. Probably woohoo...

Yep. 

"Hey, what's that red light on the shower head? Should we check that out first?"

"Woohoo nao, Kiran!"

Kiran does as he's told, and falls victim to someone's prank. The sudden yellowing of her husband's hair doesn't quench Chelsea's ardor, she just jumps right in there for her woohoo.

Tamira got another wish to go on a date with Timothy, and he has Sunday off, so she meets him at the bowling alley.

Despite his flirtation with another girl in high school, he's apparently earned an eternally faithful rep now.

Instead of bowling, they woohoo in the photobooth.

When the dance club opens at 7pm, Tim and Sitara take their date there. On arrival, we get notified that this is the hot place to be tonight. Well, obviously! This placed is packed!

All the action, such as it is, is in the lounge on the first floor. I'm seriously considering a redesign for this club, since no one uses the dance floor upstairs.

They order onion rings and sit at different tables to eat them.

"Does Lucky Palms have dragons?" Tim wonders, "I heard that we banished unicorns. But not dragons, right? We could could totally buy a dragon egg and hatch one, couldn't we?"

"My father is leader of the free world. We can do whatever we want."

"My boyfriend has a hot body," Sitara announces to anyone who's listening.

Tim hears that.

And decides to use it., taking Sitara over to the photobooth for some woohoo. Luckily there's two, because the one on the right is currently in use.

Sorry, Andrae, you don't really get a trophy for public woohoo with your pregnant wife.

"Ooh, these pictures came out great, honey! We should hang them up at home!"

After photobooth woohoo, Sitara and Tim head back home, where she immediately suggests more woohoo.

Sitara is beat after all the dancing and woohoo. But Tim stays up to play guitar.

He's keeps this up until 2am or so.

Then he goes to the bathroom and then plays more guitar out on the balcony. At round 4ish, Chelsea wakes up and goes out to watch.

At some point during the day, Chelsea was pranked and her clothes stolen while skinny dipping, and she's been going around in a towel ever since.

Around 4:30, Tim finally goes to sleep. Typical musician.

Over the course of the evening, we got a pop up about a kitten his mother, Cricket Tanner, adopted. Tim gets psychic knowledge of the new cat in his dreams. Yes, Tim lives with his mother. And yes, if he ever moves in here, we're stealing the kitten.

We were also informed via pop up that Tamira and Jamie got married.

"Bed. Occupied. Cannot. Woohoo."

Yo, Kiran! You Have Your Own Bed! And, if you're trying to woohoo, where's Chelsea?

Ah, Chelsea got waylaid by Kesari and her incessant need to be socializing constantly. Poor Kiran ends up going to work without getting any.

So, after everyone is at school or work, Chelsea decides to take a case, since there's not much else to be doing.

The case she gets is from Darrell Gagnon, who believes there was some fraud in the last election, and wants Chelsea to investigate. That would be the election that Kiran won right? So, yeah, Chelsea, go ahead and find proof your husband fixed his own election. Great idea!

Oh, do I need to point out that Chelsea is wearing a towel?

So, Chelsea goes around town asking everyone their opinions on the last election. Apparently, everyone voted for Darrell and can't figure out why he didn't win.

This here is Don King, who, if not for a game crash, would most likely be Sitara's boyfriend since prom hooked them up. He could use a fashion makeover, but he's cute. Cute, but Insane. Insane enough to not bat an eye while responding to questioning from a woman wearing a towel.

Chelsea does her due diligence and finds enough evidence of fraud to report back to Darrell, who vows to expose Kiran's corruption to the papers.

Of course, nothing will come of this, as it is Suresh who bought this election for his brother. Lucky Palms' only news outlet for both print and TV is housed in Suresh's corporate headquarters, and is not so secretly in his pocket, just like its politicians. Good luck exposing any corruption that touches Suresh the Magic Dragon, Master of All He Surveys.

_____________________________

So, as I mentioned last chapter, I decided move Tamira and Jamie out to Dragon Valley to start their own wishacy, while making Sitara heir of this one.

I have moved copies of Tamira and Jamie (and Magic, the cat) to DV, and I've set up their blog, Meanwhile, In An Alternate Dimension

Right at this moment, there's nothing there. I'm still getting pics for the first chapter, which I hope to have up this weekend. 

In this dimension, Tamira and Jamie just live a few blocks away. So, when this story mentions Tamira and Jamie (presumably we'll see them at parties or around town, as well), it will be this universe's version of them, not the DVversion.