Last round, Lightning's fears about her love life were finally put to rest when she fell in love with Hugo shortly after graduating from high school. By the end of the week, not only had Hugo moved in and married her, but she had given birth to her first son, Snow. Meanwhile, Thunder filled the time between his graduation and his girlfriend Alderaan's by advancing in the tech guru career. At the end of the week, Rain aged into an elder.
Hi, Lightning.
Lightning: Hi, mysterious voice.
I see we finally got Snow set up with a nursery.
Lightning: Yup. I can't believe this was Thunder's old room. It looks so different.
So, how are the grandparents doing?
Rain: Oh, we're doing just fine. Right, Jase?
Jase: I guess.
What's wrong?
Jase: Everybody at work's been giving me the strangest looks all week..
Hold that thought. I think I heard someone at the door.
Jasmine: Hello, citizen!
Hugo: ...Who are you?
Jasmine: It's me, Jasmine Holiday. Your friendly neighborhood coordinator...
Ugh, not you again...what happened to you?
Jasmine: Pardon?
You look completely different than before...
Jasmine: Well, you know, new challenge, new look...
Challenge? Last time you were just boosting stuff for free.
Jasmine: Not this time. I just wanted to let you all know about the commencement of the PlantSim challenge.
Hugo: PlantSim?
Jasmine: Yes! And, if you want to participate, here is your ceremonial stump...
Ceremonial stump? You know, I'm kind of missing the eggs...
Lightning: Who was at the door?
Hugo: Oh, it was that Jasmine lady again.
Lightning: Ooh, did she have more of those forms like she did last time?
Hugo: No...she gave us a stump.
Lightning: ...a stump? Man, she's losing her touch...
Hugo: She said something about beans or something...I wasn't really paying attention. Is the baby finally asleep?
Lightning: Yup. And I was thinking...
Whoa, whoa, whoa...at least let me leave the room first.
Hugo: Hello there...I don't believe we've met.
Giovanna: Hugo, we've met before. It's me, Giovanna.
Hugo: Giovanna? What...what happened to you? Wait...are those leaves?
Giovanna: Yup.
Let me guess...you talked to Jasmine too?
Giovanna: Oh, she's talking to everyone. At first I thought I was just hunting for these beans...you know, like we did with the eggs? But then....this happened.
Hugo: Wow...wait, what beans?
Giovanna: Here, I have an extra one. Anyone that looks like me will have more. But just be careful, alright?
Yup, no surprises here.
But at least we won't have two babies at once.
Happy birthday, dear Snow...
Whew! We avoided Fussy!
Aww, he's cute!
Jase: Now, you be a good boy while I go to work, ok?
Snow: Ok, Grandpa...
Huh, you know, we haven't gone to work with Jase in awhile...let's tag along today.
Tasha: Oh! Do you have any of those magic beans?
Jase: Magic what?
Tasha: You know, the magic beans that are turning everybody green. You've got some, right?
Jase: For the last time, I didn't become green by eating magic beans!
Tasha: Well of course not-you don't eat them...
Jase: Tasha..I've worked here since you started. I've always been green!
I take it this has been happening a lot lately?
Jase: I've been asked for those stupid beans 6 times today! I should just make up some fake ones and start handing them out.
Lightning: And what color are your eyes?
Snow: Brown!
Lightning: Very good! Your eyes are brown!
Snow: Mama's eyes not brown...Mama's eyes funny colored...
Lightning: Huh?
Nice going, Hugo.
Hugo: Thanks. It'll be nice to finally be doing something with food...which reminds me, I've got to get started on a cake.
Why?
Oh, I see.
Hugo: We were going to throw a party but he refused to take the day off from work. So we'll just do it here after he gets home.
Hugo: Honey, what's wrong? Is it the tacos? I swear, I caught the fish this afternoon...
Lightning: No, no. It's not that. It's just...do you think my eyes look funny?
Hugo: What?
Lightning: Yesterday, when I was doing flash cards with Snow...he said my eyes looked funny. I mean, I know I should be used to people pointing that stuff out by now, but to hear my own son...
Hugo: Lightning, he's a toddler. He didn't know what he was saying.
Lightning: I guess you're right.
Hugo: You dwell on this stuff too much, honey.
Lightning: (sigh) You just don't know what it's like. Ever since I was a kid...it's all people notice. Apparently even my own child.
Hugo: I wish there was a way for me to know.
Lightning: What are you going to do, turn yourself into an alien for a week? It doesn't work like that.
Hugo: No, I guess it doesn't...look, let's just do your dad's birthday, alright? Maybe you'll feel better after some cake.
Happy birthday, dear Jase...
You alright?
Jase: Yes, just some sudden back pain.
Maybe Hugo should have baked in some pain killers...
Lightning: Is the cake yummy?
Snow: Yeah! Mama want some?
Lightning: No, no. You enjoy it...I'm trying to eat healthy for the new baby.
Snow: Mama...new baby blue?
Lightning: Will the new baby be blue like you and me? I don't know. Maybe.
Any day now, huh?
Lightning: I sure hope so. This baby is huge...hey, maybe it's twins! I mean, it runs in families, right?
Rain: Oh, but you're...right. You know, I think it could be...
Nice going, Jase.
Jase: Thanks.
Did you ever end up handing out your fake beans?
Jase: Yup! I painted some of the leftover specimens around the lab. I think I managed to fool a couple people.
All right, it's baby time...
So, I take it you're not going to the hospital?
Lightning: Are you kidding? After last time? There's no way we're going back there.
Can't say I blame you...
Looks like it's go time...
It's a girl! Welcome, Sunshine...
Make that two girls. Welcome, Wind!
So...twins! That's quite a surprise.
Lightning: Well, not really.
Huh?
Lightning: I'm a twin too...
Well, in practice, yes. You and Thunder were raised as twins, but...that's not how you were born.
Lightning: What are you talking about?
See, to be a twin, technically one parent has to give birth to both babies and...your parents opted for a more "divide and conquer" approach.
Lightning: ...What?
Don't tell me you guys don't know where aliens come from. Of all the families in town...
Lightning: Well, of course I know that. But...I always thought we were just...twins...maybe that's why...
Why what?
Lightning: Maybe I'm like, a stronger alien, you know? Because I came from an abduction, and Thunder didn't.
I guess it could be...although you both were pretty much equally alien from the word "go" as far as I could see.
Rain: Good job, buddy.
I guess having two more kind of added a sense of urgency to getting him out of diapers?
Rain: That's putting it lightly.
Rain: Well, it looks like the twin gene was strong in you, huh?
Lightning: Mom, you can drop the "twin" thing. I already know about how we were born.
Rain: ...The mysterious voice told you, didn't she?
Um...I may have...I kind of thought you guys would have let them know that by now.
Rain: Well, truthfully we were going to once you two left high school. But by then, with Thunder getting married and then Hugo moving in...we treated you guys as twins for so long I guess we started to believe it ourselves.
Lightning: I just hope this isn't all too much for Hugo...he's been so out of it recently.
Rain: Maybe he's having problems at work?
Doesn't look like it to me.
And it looks like we get triple toddlers!
Happy birthday, dear Sunshine...
One easy trait...
And wow, do those green eyes stand out.
Happy birthday, dear Wind...
Two easy traits...I think. I haven't seen very many silly toddlers.
Aww, she's cute too.
Hugo: I'm back, I'm back! Did I miss it?
Lightning: Just barely. Where have you been, anyway? You've been running all over town so much, I've barely seen you all week.
Yeah, me too, actually.
Hugo: I've been...working on something. Actually, mysterious voice, want to come with me to the backyard? I could use some help...
Lightning: I can help you out, honey...
Hugo: No, no, it's a...mysterious project. You stay down here with the girls.
Lightning: Um...ok....
What on earth are those?
Hugo: They're magic beans.
Magic beans?
Hugo: I've been chasing those plant people all over town, asking them how it happened. And each time, they said it came after finding these magic beans. I guess the different colors mean something-they weren't very clear about that part. I tried eating one, but...well, that didn't end well. But then I noticed that they fit perfectly on this stump that that Jasmine woman gave me...
I see. So, what happens now?
Hugo: Well, it is a plant...maybe it needs water?
Um, Hugo, you may want to move out of the way. If I know anything about magic beans...
Yup, here we go.
Well, it's more a bean tree than a beanstalk, but other than that, pretty much what I expected.
Hugo: Wow...I'm going in. Cover for me if Lightning comes out!
Cover you? How am I supposed to cover you? There's a giant tree that sprouted out of nowhere. I'm pretty sure she's going to notice that.
Hugo: I'll be quick about it, I swear.
Um...ok....
So?
Hugo: I think I found it!
Found what? You haven't explained what any of this is for!
Wait, what is that?
Hugo: It's the fruit from inside the tree.
Do you really think you should be eating...
(sigh) Yup, here we go...
Hugo: Whoa...
Please don't ask me to cover you for this...
Lightning: Hugo, honey, what on...what happened?
Hugo: Well, I was thinking about what you said the other day, and I realized...you were right. I don't know what it's like being an alien. But then I saw all these...plant people walking around and I thought...maybe if I became one, I'd understand a little better. You know, what it's like to be different.
Lightning: So, you did this to yourself? How long is this going to last?
Hugo: Um...I'm not sure exactly. But I'm pretty sure it's temporary.
Lightning: Pretty sure? Hugo...why didn't you tell me?
Hugo: I wanted it to be a surprise!
Lightning: But...you look so different! And you're sprouting leaves...Hugo, what about the kids?
Hugo: It's not like I'm planted in the ground. I can still take care of them just like I did before...
Hugo: Hey, buddy, how about Daddy gives you a bath...
Snow: NO! Not Daddy!
Hugo: No, no, it's still me! I promise...
Well, as much as I'd like to stick around and see the conclusion to Hugo's experiment, it's about time for me to be moving on. I'll see everyone next round...when hopefully we're back to only having two species in the house.
A Message From the Mysterious Voice: And the PlantSim challenge is complete. I don't know if Hugo will still be a PlantSim when I get back to the house or not (judging by the ending picture I'm guessing no...) or if the portal/tree will still work after the challenge is over. I'm not sure how I felt about the whole PlantSim challenge thing-you may have noticed that I don't touch on all of the Jasmine Holiday challenges. (I skipped Growfruit and Day of the Dead completely; I only wrote in the boost week because I felt I had to explain the sudden surge in promotions.) And actually finding PlantSims in the appropriate emotions to hand out beans was harder than it sounds. (I actually had to cheat and have Jase bring home a satellite dish to get the angry bean by using the "angry town" hive mind while one was nearby.) I had actually intended for Hugo to spend more of the week as a PlantSim, but it took me so long to find all the stupid beans that he didn't change until the last day.
