Day Five
After two days of social/family challenges, Lady Iden is putting the attention back where it belongs. The final three will compete in group and solo settings for her affection and favor. The lowest-scoring bachelor, according to the base formula plus bonus points for the quality of their solo date, will be sent home.
The penultimate day of competition has arrived! Let's have a quick rehash of the final three:
Strengths: Intelligent, easy-going, tries to please. Also, he's a flipping prince.
Weaknesses: Social situations and chemistry
Strengths: Confident, excellent chemistry, (well-hidden) soft spot for children
Weaknesses: Over-confidence and stubbornness
Strengths: Warm personality, family-minded, amiable.
The day will kick off with a group date in the hot tub in the magic courtyard of no escape. Surprise surprise, Leon is expecting to ace a Charlotte-centric challenge. We'll see if it works out that way!
Florizel's first order of business is to splash Leon. Is this the return of the strategic side of the prince? On Day One, Florizel made good with Charlotte and then cornered Aurelio into a marathon hang-out that sent Aurelio home. Perhaps he's hoping to even the playing field with Mr. Chemistry by making his grouchier side show?
Florizel: You've got a mop on your head. Why do you have a mop on your head if you don't want it to get wet?
Leon: Why do you have a giant handle of a tail on yours if you don't want me to drown you with it?
Charlotte: Lighten up, sailor!
With her men captive in the hot tub, Charlotte drops the day's consequences on their heads.
Charlotte: Two of you will have the honor of competing for my hand tomorrow. One of you is being sent packing at daybreak. Convince me why that shouldn't be you. Florizel, go!
Florizel: Uh... I'm an indoors person, invaluable on rainy days when it's just you and your family otherwise?
Charlotte: You know, that does strike me as important...
Thomas: Damn it, Florizel, I was going to start with that!
Leon: Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know about those two? I'll hang on with your family and learn to deal with kids, but I'm all about you. Can't you just cut these clowns loose now? You know, this courtyard never stays the same, and, before it disappears, this hot tub would be a nice place to, you know, make it official...
Charlotte: You know what's official? How much I hate you right now.
Leon: You love to hate me.
Charlotte: Shut up.
Thomas: I think it's very wise of you to consider all the qualities of a marriage partner. You are not a common, private person with only personal concerns. Your family, your noble house, and your duty to the realm are all affected by the man you select, your majesty.
Florizel: Damn it, Thomas!
Leon: We had an agreement to stop saying that!
Thomas: Well, not all of us like the idea of being hanged!
Charlotte: Aaaaand ten points* from Hufflepuff.
* HP house points only, not valid in Sim Bachelorette challenges.
Leon: Okay, what the hell is a Hufflepuff?
Charlotte: It's someone who knows how to make friends and be nice to people... or something. Maybe you should try it sometime?
Florizel: Well, I know I'm not naturally a complete Hufflepuff, but I've picked up on the friend-making part during my time here. I owe that to you, my lady. Threat of banishment is a powerful motivator.
Charlotte: I guess I could have a Sword of Damocles arranged for the house, but you should consider that horse hair is not very strong.
Thomas: Would a true Hufflepuff really need a violent motivator?
Charlotte: Would a true husband of mine refuse me the pleasure of danging a blade over his head?
Thomas: I suppose not.
Charlotte: Then stop it or it'll be twenty points from Hufflepuff.
The hot tub date continues on this tone and wraps up without anything more interesting happening. It seems the house is getting too big for four people. Fortunately, the date round is next. Lady Iden will have a maximum six-hour date with each of the bachelors. I can direct her to perform actions to keep things moving, but I can't look at the bachelors' wants or direct them to do anything. I'll try to rely on free will as much as I can, though. The date's score, as outlined below, will be added to the base scoring equation to decide who falls just short of the finale.
Dream Date: +150 | Great: +100 | Good: +50 | Okay: 0 | Lame: -50 | Bad: -100 | Horrible: -150
(Points structure shamelessly stolen from Van)
The dates are seeded, starting with the lowest remaining score from the previous day. The Fae prince is up first.
The date starts off nicely with a slow dance. These two don't have the hottest chemistry, but they do seem to genuinely like being near each other. There's a comfort and sweetness there - but is it enough?
The dance breaks up in favor of a tickling session. At this point, the date clock is ticking without much movement on the meter.
Florizel: Rose gardens are inherently evil! They lure you in with promises of beauty and pleasure, but they're fraught with danger!
Yeah, this date is officially in danger. However, Charlotte's want panel wants to try to make this work on the romantic side, so the push is on!
It's technically the Sims' first kiss, so it's pink hearts galore! It does paint a sweet picture, though, and gives the date a much-needed boost. Charlotte's wants panel shows she's considering a more serious relationship with him, though perhaps a 'try before you buy' with Woo-Hoo wants but no marriage wants.
A string of romantic actions bump the date all the way up to Dream Date status! Those 150 points could be very meaningful after the contentious hot tub date. Can they finish on a strong note?
Charlotte: You know, I might have been able to get into the mermaid thing eventually, but frogs? All that slime just isn't doing it for me.
So, not really a strong note finish, but the points are not affected. Thomas is up next. Charlotte makes the first move.
Thomas has the sweetness and comfort thing going there, too, but their chemistry is better. I do think, out of the three, he is the most suited to a consort's role. I could absolutely see him being a stay-at-home dad in modern times.
Aaaaand it seems he's also not the jealous type?
Thomas: I think it's great that you've found multiple loves in this challenge.
Charlotte: I, uh... yeah. Just in case you have forgotten, the law is sort of a big deal to me, and polygamy is illegal.
Thomas: Oh, I wouldn't go that far. I'm sure you'll be able to make up your mind when you've been fully informed.
At this point, the date is stuck in the Good/Great range, and Charlotte still has some wants lingering from her date with Florizel! Fortunately for Thomas, he and Charlotte decide to go ahead and collect some more data for her to consider.
Thomas must be one hell of a kisser. One Charlotte is finished commemorating their make-out with a song, she goes right back for more. Florizel is in the want panel's rear-view mirror.
Toward the end of the date, the two wander outside and finish the night getting cozy in the hot tub. Thomas closes the deal with more finesse, but that's two-for-two Dream Dates. Leon can't afford anything less if he wants to stay in.
Oddly enough, Leon faces the same want panel problem that Thomas did. Charlotte is clearly still thinking about her previous date as the next starts, other than some weirdly random want to beat Leon at a game. In true Leon fashion, however, he goes right for the heavy weapons.
Quelle surprise.
Charlotte insists on being wooed, however. Leon suggests a dance, which makes them both happy...
... until Charlotte steps on his toes. Leon over-reacts to this like a champ.
Charlotte: You're being a big baby about this!
Leon: You stomped on my toes!
Charlotte: With slippers! You're wearing boots!
This is not good for the date meter. Leon's barely into the good range. The other measure of how things are going...
... is of no use at all, unless someone has a car in their pocket. Goddamn it, Charlotte!
Slowly but surely, however, Leon bumps the date up the ranks by doing what he does best. I'm drawn to interpret Charlotte's small-ball fears as concerns that Leon doesn't know the importance of the little things. Naturally, the magnificent bastard hears me and proposes they try the dancing thing again.
Charlotte: All right, but I don't want to hear it if I graze your toes again, mister.
Charlotte: You stomped on my feet!
Leon: Come on, it wasn't that bad. I lived.
Charlotte: YOU'RE WEARING BOOTS, YOU ASS!
At this point, Leon is still not in Dream Date territory, and his clock is running down. Another dancing fiasco could be the end of him. What will he do?
Woo her, naturally, because Leon always finds a way to survive. Charlotte is impressed, and the meter hits the Dream Date marker shortly after this, thanks to a mix of romantic and physical interactions. The dates all scored an A+, which means the results are going to come down to the base formula.
Yikes. I thought we'd see some variety in the relationship scores after the heated conversations in the hot tub. I guess the dates made up for any resulting deficits. The math hardly needs to be done, but here it is anyway:
Lifetime Relationship + (Daily Relationship x 0.5) + (Number of Bolts x 3) + 5 Points for Crush OR 10 Points for Love + Date Bonus Points
Leon: 100 + 0.5(100) + 3(3) + 10 + 150 = 319
Thomas: 100 + 0.5(100) + 3(2) + 10 + 150 = 316
Florizel: 100 + 0.5(100) + 3(1) + 10 + 150 = 313
Thomas: 100 + 0.5(100) + 3(2) + 10 + 150 = 316
Florizel: 100 + 0.5(100) + 3(1) + 10 + 150 = 313
Charlotte: Florizel, I can't say I'm not sorry that I won't have a legitimate excuse to be addressed as 'Your Highness' for the rest of my life, and I know my brother would have liked you as a brother-in-law. Still, I must consider what is best for all my family and for this realm. I've come to respect you as much as either of the finalists - maybe more. We both deserve marriages that can make us personally happy and don't require elaborate costumes for every attempt at sex. I hope you aren't far from finding yours. Please send my regards to the queen.
Florizel: That I will. I'll always remember this time fondly.
Florizel: And you, too. A lot more fondly than I'll remember going home and hearing "I told you to bargain for royalty bonus points" from my sister.
In the end, low chemistry sends steady, reliable Florizel packing. Lady Iden is left with two worthy candidates for a one-man position. With the men so evenly matched after a multitude of trials, what can she do to separate them and find the right husband?
We'll find out soon! The conclusion of Get Thee a Good Husband promises to be a memorable event.
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