This chapter summarizes the conclusion of the Cassius Marius Bachelor Challenge. Only De and Orikes remained in the competition, but Cassius had clearly fallen for De and was trying to reform for her. Though Orikes gracefully exited, Cassius and De began playing a romantic game together, leaving Cassius conflicted about getting engaged given his history. The chapter teases that readers will have to find out how this dilemma is resolved in the finale.

2. ! Welcome back to the Cassius Marius Bachelor Challenge, a Ten Caesars/Squeaky Clean
crossover. This chapter being brought to you by—
! "I have come to this neighborhood to spread the Word of Don."

3. ! Yes, Rubbersushi has built a small Grilled Cheese mission house in the district. Good luck
making converts; hardly anybody lives here.

4. ! "Yet I know there are those whose hearts have been broken. They will need the message of cheesy
goodness to ease their sorrow."
! Well, I wouldn't say any hearts have been broken. Yes, we're running a Bachelor Challenge, but
most of the eliminated contestants didn't like the bachelor very much.

5. ! Last time, it was Renee who was eliminated. I'd say she departed at a strategically good time,
personally, having made it to the finals and yet still avoiding either making out with or falling in
love with Cassius here, a true skunk if there ever was one. Only Orikes and De/Fireflower
remain, and only De is in love with him. The competition looks to be about over.
! Incidentally, Rubbersushi pointed out that I boobed up on Renee's personality, which explains
why she's been acting so oddly. I had Pod Renee. But as Cassius is a Scorpio, being a Cancer
should have been to her advantage, and now that she's living at the Villa Rejecta with her pals, I'm
going to Boolprop her personality to what it ought to have been. Let's hope she doesn't decide to
make me a farting sloppy Sagittarius and take a lot of embarrassing photos before offing me by
flies. It was an accident, not that it's any use saying that.

6. ! What are you so happy about, you little tramp? I know you're bananas about De, is that why
you're dancing?
! "Yeah, but also because I got you to LIKE me! HAH!"
! He did, too, the creep, but I think you'll see why shortly.

7. ! Right after Renee left, it was time for the final hot tub competition. Cassius got in the hot tub and
I saw that De was already heading for it.

8. ! Well, not exactly. She was going for a hot tub, not the hot tub, because she's a Pleasure Sim. Now
that she's really got Cassius hooked, she seems to be playing just a little hard to get. Easily fixed.
De, it's the other tub, ok?

9. ! Eighteen guesses what's on her mind. As I said, she must know she's got Cassius hook, line and
sinker, because . . .

10. ! Orikes: So, Cassius, any thoughts on pink today?
! Cassius hates pink. He gets this from his father.

11. ! Cassius: I . . . love . . .pink.
! There's nothing to show of this hot tub round. Every once in a while, someone would throw up a
word balloon and then the other two would say "hey, me too." I doubt very much that Cassius
was interested in fashion when this all started, but he is now, because both Orikes and De talk
about it all the time.

12. ! First there's De, and Cassius really likes this one; no surprise there. But now it's Orikes' turn.
Orikes?

13. ! Orikes: Busy!

14. ! But she puts down the espresso cups and allows herself to be made out with, because she's a good
sport.

15. ! Cassius: Uh, you feel anything with that?
! Orikes: No. Was I supposed to?

16. ! Cassius: Well, me neither, so let's hit the buffet table.
! Orikes: Cool by me!

17. ! Cassius, that's--that's salad you're eating.
! Cassius: Yeah. I noticed that De only eats salad so that's why she's kept that incredible figure of
hers while the rest of us are bloating up like whales, so I thought it might be a good idea to keep
the fat off because I think the way she keeps fit is so awesome. Have I mentioned that she has this
incredibly cute giggle, and—
! Oh, my GOSH. Not shown, because somehow I lost the picture, Cassius went out to the dance
sphere to spin--hard--on free will. Frankly, this is when I began to weaken on Cassius. He may be
a skunk, but he obviously adores De and he's actually trying to, uh, REFORM. Eeek.

18. ! Cassius: So De, I, um, just wanted to say that having you move in was um, not a bad thing.

19. ! Geez LOUISE. If you read the Spencer Fitzhugh Bachelor Challenge by smoothiequeen, which
was going on about the same time, you know that De didn't seem to be putting much into it. This
is my theory as to why: she was occupied elsewhere.

20. ! Cassius, I thought you hated the hot tub by now.
!
! Cassius: Well, no--it brings back memories.
!
! But you've gotta go flirt with Orikes now, even though it's only three hours to move out time and
there doesn't seem to be much point.

21. ! Oh, shoot.

22. ! Cassius, my sentiments exactly. NOW you guys had to fall in love? I should reach in there and
slap you silly.

23. ! Cassius: “To punish me for what you make me do seems much unequal.”
! Great. Now he's quoting Shakespeare at me. But it's true. If I hadn't been following the rules of
the Bachelor Challenge to the letter, this wouldn't have happened, and for a Romance Sim with
the LTW of Twenty Simultaneous Lovers, he's not exactly yippee hooray. I may have been calling
him all kinds of names, but not here. It's not his fault: not when I've had to cancel about a dozen
free will romantic interactions with De that would have started a slapfest, many of them initiated
on her side.
! (Antony and Cleopatra, II.v)

24. ! And Orikes--well, she's back juggling again. She's been killing time for at least the last two days.
While on paper she's in love with Cassius, she doesn't act that smitten with him. And we're
coming up on noon.

25. ! Gracefully done, Orikes, a lovely way to make your exit. At 188 points and "in love" with Cassius
and with one bolt, she's done very well indeed.

26. ! But she cannot match up to De, who is at 100/100, that is 200 full points, with Cassius
and in love with three bolts plus she doesn't even have either of his turnons. Left alone, the
happy couple starts to play Red Hands, which is like something--well, like something
Flavius would do. My head is about to implode.
! At this point, we're supposed to break out the champagne, but . . .

27. ! De: Oh, I hate champagne.
!
! Cassius: Oh, I hate tables.
!
! Plus he's a mental mess. Mr. Roman Sleaze is in love but terrified to get engaged. What do you do
at this point? Ask for some advice and help, I guess, but from whom?
! You'll have to read the finale to find out.