100 Little Mermaids Chapter Four

Welcome back to 100 Little Mermaids! Since it's been a while, I'll do a quick recap. Hibiscus Copleand was tasked by the Island Elders of Sulani to help bring back the rapidly disappearing colorful mermaid population. They sent out a call to other mermaids across the world to help out. Hibiscus first gave birth to Snow, then Belgian, then triplets Simon, Charlotte, and Mirasol. She is currently pregnant with twins. Let's dive back in!

Snow remained less than thrilled that her mother gave birth to triplets. Hibiscus tried to get Snow interested in her younger siblings by inviting her along to keep them company while she cared for them. However, that usually just resulted in Snow complaining and upsetting the babies more.

Snow was lucky, compared to her brother Belgian, that her mother Cassie wanted to stay involved in her life. Cassie frequently invited Snow over to her house for bonding time. Snow was always thrilled to visit because it meant time away from the wild house.

Sometimes, Hibiscus didn't really blame her. Having three screaming babies was a lot to deal with.

Hibiscus was thankful that Belgian was largely self sufficient. He, like most toddlers, lived off a popcorn diet and was able to find ways to entertain himself while Hibiscus was busy with the triplets.

Sometimes, the house was peaceful, usually once Snow headed off to school, and Belgian was down for a nap. Hibiscus could even find time to enjoy herself.

The peace and quiet usually didn't last for long, however. One of the triplets would eventually need fed or a diaper change, and their crying woke up the other babies that were sleeping. It was a never ending cycle between the bassinets of feeding and changing.

Belgian, unlike Snow, didn't really mind his younger siblings. He could frequently be found upstairs with them. Though he was a little too young to really get to know them, it was nice to see him actually willing to be in the same room.

"Snow do you think you could at least try and get along with the triplets?"

"No, I've decided I already don't like them. Belgian likes them, and I don't really like him, so that must mean they're bad."

"They're babies. They're not bad."

"Sure..."

Hibiscus made sure to not neglect Belgian, or the teaching he needed to be successful at life, though she felt a bit selfish because she really didn't want to deal with four wild toddlers at once.

All too soon, it was the triplet's birthday. Marisol grew up into a fussy little baby, already crying and squirming as Hibiscus took her to change outfits.

Simon grew up to be inquisitive, already excitedly looking all around him at the brand new world.

Charlotte was also inquisitive, but she was more interested to see what this popcorn craze was all about.

Hibiscus could tell that the triplets would be quite the handful. 

Thankfully, on the same night the triplets had their birthday, Belgian was ready to enter the world of childhood. He grew up to be a bit erratic and wanted to be an artistic prodigy.

Snow was just happy there was lots of free cake.

Having three toddlers in the house meant lots of dirty popcorn dishes lying around. Hibiscus swore they were multiplying by themselves. It seemed like every time she cleaned one up, a new one appeared.

As a result, she decided it was time for Snow and Belgian to start doing their own dishes. Snow, of course, was less than thrilled.

Belgian was a sweet and helpful little boy. Sometimes he'd even get "meals" for his younger siblings. Those meals usually were sweets, but Hibiscus appreciated him trying.

"Now that you're grown up Belgian, how do you really feel about the little brats."

"Snow, that's rude they're our siblings."

"But they cry and whine so much."

"Not as much as you."

"Moooom! Belgian is being mean to me!"

Hibiscus sighed. A mother's work was never done.

Sometimes Hibiscus would see the toddlers gathered together talking. She wondered if they were secretly conspiring to be more difficult. Usually that happened when she hadn't gotten much sleep. They were just babies. No need to be paranoid.

With all of her time spent looking after the triplets, Hibiscus unfortunately didn't have much time to look after her bees. That usually resulted in them going after some poor, unsuspecting townie looking for attention.

Time passed, and the triplets were slowly beginning to grow. They were becoming a little more independent and were able to keep themselves entertained. Hibiscus made sure each room in the house was full of plenty of toys for the little ones to play with.

Taking care of two children and three toddlers, Hibiscus was running herself ragged. Sometimes she found herself falling asleep in strange places.

As Snow became a preteen, she began looking for hobbies. Though what was considered a hobby by Snow was mainly admiring herself in the mirror.

Cassie and Kiernan continued to be the most involved in both Hibiscus and their children's lives. Hibiscus would love to one day accept an invite from one of them to hang out, but alas, now was not the time. In another life, she could see herself maybe settling down with one of the two of them.

Belgian did his best to help his mom not worry too much about the housework. Since Snow was too self absorbed, someone needed to help out. Hibiscus appreciated how responsible her little boy was, but she hoped he wasn't growing up too fast.

Though she was proud of her children and all they were accomplishing. She loved spending time watching them learn new things.

Sometimes, Hibiscus would sneak a bowl of popcorn for herself. She felt bad because it was meant to be easy access food for the toddlers, but that didn't mean she shouldn't be able to enjoy a bowl herself every once and a while.

As the children grew, it was interesting to see their personalities develop. Belgian, Charlotte, and Simon seemed quite tight knit. They could often be found playing together.

Marisol, like Snow, preferred to stick to herself, but for her it seemed to be because she was a little shy.

Hibiscus had given up feeling guilty about eating fish. Yeah, maybe it was a bit cannibalistic since she was a mermaid, but she was hungry and fish were everywhere.

Snow seemed to take an interest in Charlotte occasionally, or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, the two could be found together. Snow decided to take advantage of it and decided it was because Charlotte wanted to be cool like her big sister. Charlotte really was just looking for someone to babble to.

Hibiscus decided to break down and get tablets for the triplets to play with. She knew from browsing parenting forums, that most parents looked down upon getting tablets for kids so young, but honestly it kept them occupied, and they had the added bonus of including learning games.

Hibiscus felt bad for Belgian due to Cherish's lack of involvement in his life. Sometimes she would call promising to come over and never show up. Hibiscus made sure to shower him with extra love and attention when this happened.

Belgian, however, seemed not to be bothered too much, maybe it was because Cherish was never there to begin with. He was more than happy just spending time with his mom and siblings.

"Hey mom, can you make sure you just have one baby this time?"

"I can't control how many babies I have. Besides, the doctor already told me I was expecting twins."

"Ugh, two more!"

"He could be wrong, though. You were supposed to be a twin."

"Really? What happened to the other baby? Did I eat it?"

Hibiscus was a bit horrified by how excited Snow seemed by the thought.

"Um, no he was just wrong. Sometimes ultrasounds aren't always accurate."

"Well even if you have two babies I still love you mom. You and other mom are the two most awesome people on the planet."

Hibiscus smiled. Snow could be a handful, but she did have a sweet side.

No sooner had Snow left the room, then Hibiscus felt the familiar pangs of labor.

What she wasn't expecting was a strange glowing circle to appear beneath her when she gave birth. Why did her pregnancies have to be so strange?

The doctor was correct this time, and Hibiscus did give birth to twins. She had a little girl named Linda, and a little boy named Lee.

Though Kara didn't stop by for a visit after the twins were born, she at least called to acknowledge them. It was more than Hibiscus could say for Cherish.

Now that the twins were born, Hibiscus knew it was time to really make sure the triplets knew all they need to know to become successful children.

She also made sure their toys were all working properly, you know, just in case.

Hibiscus was still not sure what she wanted to do for her main source of income. Fishing and selling beeswax brought in decent money, but it wasn't really enough to provide for seven children. She decided to try her hand again at painting, just to be safe.

As the triplets' birthday approached, they became quite the close group. Even Marisol seemed to get over her initial shyness and spent time with her siblings. Hibiscus thought it was so cute to see them all play together. Her children were adorable, though she was probably biased.

While the triplets worked hard on their toddler skills, Snow and Belgian worked hard in school. Hibiscus was just so proud of all of them. 

It wasn't long until the triplets knew all they needed to know to become children.

Hibiscus excitedly backed them a cake. She couldn't wait to see what kind of children the triplets would grow up into.

Charlotte grew up wanting to focus on learning all she could as a whiz kid. Hibiscus was a bit concerned that one of her primary interests seemed to already be in how to swipe things without anyone noticing. She didn't want her daughter to get into serious trouble as a kleptomaniac.

Simon decided he was more interested in the arts and grew up into a sweet and happy goofball.

Like her sister, Marisol also wanted to focus on knowledge. She surprised Hibiscus by showing signs of being quite outgoing despite her shy nature as a toddler. She was excited to go to school and meet new friends.

Marisol also wanted to maintain her close relationship with her siblings. Who said she couldn't learn and make friends at the same time?

Kieran continued to be involved in his children's lives, which Hibiscus was thrilled about. He called to wish them happy birthday and stopped by to visit to spend some time with them.

With the triplets in school now, Hibiscus had a little more time to herself. She decided to spend sometime enjoying the ocean. It felt good to feel the cool ocean water against her tail.

She still couldn't leave the twins alone for too long, but they were a lot more easy going than the triplets were at their age.

Hibiscus also made sure to spend plenty of time with her older children. Just because they were all in school now didn't mean they didn't need their mom. She had fun reading, and sometimes embellishing, stories to them. If they noticed, they didn't seem to mind.

"I can't believe you're older than me, and you still haven't managed to get an A in school."

"You've only been in school a couple of days. Give it time, and you'll see how hard it really is."

Time seemed to pass oh so quickly, and it was soon time for Linda and Lee to become toddlers. Linda was inquisitive, while Lee was a bit fussy.

With her children growing up so fast, Hibiscus decided to capture the moments of their childhood. She wanted something to remember them by when they were older and had flown the nest. Time seemed to be going by in a blur.

Things in the Copeland household seemed to settle down in a bit of a routine. The kids would get home from school, and do their homework. After they were finished it was dinner time. Then, Hibiscus would read them a quick story before bed.

Snow decided that as long as she was going to be stuck in a house full of siblings, she wanted to make a lasting impression on them. Sometimes it wasn't always the one she wanted, like when she embarrassed herself by poking herself in the eye with a toy.

Yes, things in the Copeland household had become consistent and peaceful. Sometimes everyone even managed to fall asleep at the same time!

However, there were always bound to be some changes. Snow was finally old enough to start high school. It seemed like just yesterday to Hibiscus that she was a baby.

Snow couldn't wait to be a teenager. Being a teenager meant more independence and freedom to do what she wanted. This way of thinking showed that Snow had a lot to learn, and she was still quite childish.

Hibiscus, however, wasn't quite ready.

"I can't believe my baby is all grown up!"

"Ugh, stop mom. You're embarrassing me. You need to embrace the change."

"Does this mean you'll help out with your siblings more."

"Um, pass."

"Then if you want to act like a child, you'll still be my little baby."

"Fine, I'll help with them. Only if you promise to stop calling me a baby.

Cassie and Kieran continued to make frequent visits to the house. Hibiscus didn't know what she would do without their support.

Snow decided that since she was a teenager, she wasn't going to sleep like the rest of her siblings. She was grown up now, and she could stay up however late she wanted! However, that plan backfired when she found herself falling sound asleep while playing on her phone.

Hibiscus decided that since she had Snow's help as well as the rest of the kids, that maybe she should get the toddlers on a healthier diet of something other than popcorn. She could try at least.

For all her worrying and feeling overwhelmed, Hibiscus felt like she could enjoy life now. She had awesome kids and time to do whatever her heart desired.

Snow, however, was realizing that being a teenager wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Being older meant more responsibilities, and maybe just maybe she wasn't quite as grown up as she thought she was.

To Hibiscus's, and everyone's, surprise Cherish actually happened to stop by and visit one day. Belgian was incredibly happy to finally meet his mom in person, however, things quickly went downhill. 

Cherish really didn't seem to know how to act around children, and brought up several inappropriate topics. She really upset Belgian when she decided to give him a lesson on mortality and told him that everyone would die someday. In fact Cherish seemed obsessed with mentioning death. 

Hibiscus quickly ushered her out of the house and suggested that she didn't stop by again. She spent the rest of the evening comforting Belgian, who was sad and confused about his mother's visit.

The house did have some other, more pleasant visitors. Now that Hibiscus was playing somewhat of a waiting game to have her next child, several mermaids kept dropping by the house to see if they would be the next one to help restore Sulani's mermaid population.

"Do I really have to help with potty training?"

"Yes."

"But I want to update my Simstagram."

"Maybe you can make a post about what an amazing big sister you are."

"Hard pass."

"You need to learn these things in case you decide to have kids of your own someday."

"If I ever do, I'll hire a full time, live in nanny."

Hibiscus sighed. She doubted Snow would ever fully change, no matter how much she tried to get her to warm up to her siblings and see them as something other than people to impress.

Even though Lee was the fussy one, Linda was the real troublemaker. She reminded Hibiscus a lot of Snow at her age. Always making messes and throwing tantrums when Hibiscus tried to get her to stop.

Snow would occasionally join her siblings when they were hanging out. She seemed to especially like games and anything competitive, though she was quite the sore loser.

Kieran continued to be a supportive father and a big part of his children's lives. Seeing how happy her kids were when he stopped by for a visit brought a smile to Hibiscus's face.

Soon it was time for Linda and Lee's birthdays. Hibiscus couldn't believe that she wouldn't have any little ones in the house anymore!

Linda, like two of her older sisters, was quite interested in learning. She seemed to be especially environmentally conscious and showed signs of being a green fiend.

Lee followed Simon's foot steps in showing interest in the arts. He also let Hibiscus know he was a vegetarian. She supposed that meant no more fish for now. She didn't want to risk upsetting Lee with any meat.

After Linda and Lee changed into their new clothes, Hibiscus made sure to snap a picture of them for her photo wall.

Snow was getting older and graduation was nearing, which meant it was time for Hibiscus to pick the next mermaid to woo. She hoped her skills weren't rusty after all these years.

Though she didn't know him quite as well, Hibiscus decided to call up Clayton Lone Elk. He had been hanging around quite a lot lately.

Thankfully, Hibiscus's wooing skills still worked. She and Clayton had a pleasant day together, and he seemed eager to spend more time with her.

All of the children continued to be quite studious, regardless of their future goals. Hibiscus was proud of her children's good grades and always made sure to congratulate them. The refrigerator was covered in so many report cards, but Hibiscus had no plans on taking them down.

All too soon, the time came for Snow to graduate high school. She had maintained excellent grades, and despite her may tantrums, she had grown up to be quite the responsible young woman.

She even wanted to cook her own cake, just to see if she could do it. Hibiscus gave her the recipe for a hamburger cake but left Snow alone. 

Snow wanted to make her mom proud by baking an awesome cake.

Though her cake came out less than awesome, and there were quite a few grumbles from her younger siblings about how yucky it looked, Snow was proud of her attempt. 

Snow decided she wanted to continue to express her creativity through the culinary arts, but instead of cooking, she wanted to become a mixologist.

Snow wasn't the only one that had a birthday that day. Belgian had quickly aced his grade school classes and was ready to start high school.

Despite being just as yucky and smelly as the cake, according to his younger siblings, Belgian excitedly blew out the candles, ready to join the world of teenagers.

One of the first things Belgian did after growing up, was find himself a pair of glasses. He had been straining to see recently. Linda was glad she wasn't the only child in the family that needed glasses.

Belgian grew up to become quite the hopeless romantic already and began daydreaming of finding the perfect one to start a family with. He also took his role as the oldest child in the house now quite seriously and wanted to be the best parent he could be. Maybe even a super parent, though he was just a teen.

Snow surprised Hibiscus by pulling her into a tight hug before leaving the house. She even thanked Hibiscus for all that she taught her. She promised to keep in touch.

Hibiscus felt tears forming in her eyes. She was proud of her daughter, but she was sad to see her go.

With Snow out of the house, it was time for Hibiscus to continue her task. Despite the sadness she felt, she new she had made a promise.

She called up Clayton and prepared to embark on the journey of pregnancy once again.

Hibiscus's bees didn't seem to care for Clayton much. They even flew through the window and attacked him. That or maybe they were still mad due to lack of attention. Whatever their reasoning, Hibiscus hoped it wasn't a bad omen.

Her fears were quickly put to rest when she discovered that she was pregnant once again on the first try. Clayton also seemed quite excited about the baby and even cheered after the initial shock wore off. Hibiscus hoped this would mean he would also be involved in his child's life. Only time would tell.