After the Plague (new, Nov 13)

[MarianT]

Thanks, everyone. The 2 chapters about the Goths were pure fun to write. And I was glad nothing weird happened during Cassandra and Bill's wedding. It was my first in this story.

@Tixxis, the satellite dish just does that for a few seconds when you activate it.

[JudesSims]

A black wedding dress? Sure. Why not!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nettlejuice]

Congrats Cassie and Bill. It's so nice seeing the kids are now moving on in life and having kids of their own.

[MarianT]

I've started having trouble with lag in this file. My sims just stand still for a human minute or two before doing their queued actions, and I can't shift to anyone or anything else during that time. I'd hoped to wait until the next patch, to see if this was fixed, but I'm losing patience. My file size is 188 mb, if anyone's interested.

Anyway, I tried a factory reset to see if that would work, and in the process lost the screenshots for Stacy Lee and her family. The only action of note was that Qimi became a young adult.

The factory reset didn't help, so I'm starting a new file. It may be a day or two before I get everyone moved in. Some houses are going to change (I think the Goths will take over the lot where the Landgraabs used to live). One thing I'll be curious to find out is whether the families retain possession of their retail lots.

Thanks for being patient, and thanks for reading!

[MarianT]

Chapter 45 –  A Few Days with the P. Lees

The week didn't start well for Peter.

"I thought you were a doctor," Alexander said to him. "Why are you dressed like a nurse?"



Peter had to explain to him that he'd been demoted after he'd removed Alexander's heart instead of his baby.

Then, a few days later, there was an outbreak of something at the Dahls' house. He got a panicky call from Bristol and hurried right over.

Luckily, it wasn't plague. Bristol had made a pie with muckleberries instead of huckleberries. "I guess I should leave the baking to Shana," she said ruefully.



Alexander was among the victims. "Oh, so you're a visiting nurse now," he said. Peter was beginning to think that he didn't like Alexander much. "Good to see you're not suffering from post-partum depression," he responded.



He tried relieving his stress with the punching bag, but that didn't help.



"Let's go camping for the weekend," Janessa suggested. "I'd like to study the natural flora and fauna of earth."



Peter tried to get into the spirit of things, but Qiberty's violin-playing was not very soothing to the nerves.



Janessa and Javix were excited to report that they'd encountered a bear. "But the ranger was with her, so it was okay," said Javix.



Peter didn't like bears. They came to the hospital in human form and made everyone tense. He lit a campfire. "That should keep the wild animals away," he explained. "They especially hate the smell of roasting marshmallows."

"I'm hungry and I'm tired of cooking," said Javix. "I'm going to eat my hot dog now." Before Peter could say "salmonella," he popped it in his mouth.



Qiberty and Javix wanted a story, so Peter told them one about pirates. "We tell better stories on Sixam," Janessa commented when he was done.



He got up in the middle of the night to go and use the mosquito-ridden bathroom. When he went to wash his hands, the sink was broken. Peter didn't want his children getting sick, so he started to repair the sink.



"I wouldn't bother if I were you," a ghost said behind him. "I'll just break it again when you're done."



The weekend wasn't a total bust. Peter got a high score from playing horseshoes.



Although Qiberty got a score that was even higher.



The beautiful scenery did make him feel better. He enjoyed an hour or two of fishing without catching anything until it was time to leave.



When they returned home, Janessa immediately disappeared into the shower, Qiberty started making a drawing, and Javix got some food out of the refrigerator. As Peter fell asleep, he thought that they probably wouldn't want to go on vacation again for a long time.



One good thing, though, was the dragonfly that Janessa brought back. "We don't have anything like that on Sixam," she admitted.

[Nettlejuice]

Poor Peter, I'm with him though, i do not enjoy camping and will never go again

[Playalot]

lol, I love the ghost telling Peter he'll just break it again. That's so annoying in game. 

[MarianT]

Chapter 46 – Gunther Goth, the Dillards, and the Goddard-Wans

With the move to a new version of Oasis Springs, everyone is on a different lot. The original gym was left in, and also the Rattlesnake Bar. The only retail lots are Bagley's Bagels, Bookcakes, Steampunk, and Goth Gallery. A few houses have either been downloaded from the Gallery or saved from Oasis Springs.

As an aspiring artist, Gunther wanted to live in the "downtown" area of Oasis Springs. He can't afford a loft yet; he can't even afford to buy back Goth Gallery. But with his paintings selling well, he hopes to make enough money soon.



On his day off, he went to the park, where he met his cousin Qagnes.




Everyone was excited when Ismael painted his first masterpiece.



He made enough money that Rhiannon could get a stove. She had fun whipping up some fruit cobbler.



After making health potions and discussing fractions, Ian completed his Whiz Kid aspiration by playing chess with Henrietta Goddard-Wan.



Ian celebrated his birthday and became a teen.



Then Rhiannon put candles on the cake again and became an adult.



Ian became cheerful and picked the Angling Ace aspiration.




Henrietta spent Sunday afternoon playing her violin and drawing monsters.



By the time she left for school Monday morning, she was ready to become a teen. Hank had Monday off. He hadn't really made any plans, so he was happy to see Shayna Bagley when she showed up.



"I really admire what you do for the community," Shayna said, handing him a rose.



Hank was flattered and definitely attracted. He'd been thinking about changing jobs again, but now it seemed like a good idea to stay with the force a while longer.

"I'm throwing a birthday party for Henrietta when she gets home from school," he said. "Why don't you come?"

Shayna showed up, along with Geoffrey Landgraab, and some teens that Henrietta invited – Lucienne Dahl and Ian Dillard.



Henrietta became a teen, and Hank got a gold medal for the party.



She's creative and wants to find her soulmate – someone as kind as the Social Bunny but with shorter ears.



Hank got promoted to Corporal when he searched a suspect and found the highly valuable Pink Llamacorn – not quite the Maltese Falcon, but close.



"We need to figure out our relationship," he told Shayna that evening.

[MarianT]

RECAP II

The Dahls



Benson Dahl
Traits: bookworm, geek, clumsy, quick learner, entrepreneurial
Aspiration: Nerd Brain
Job: Scientist 5
Married to: Bristol Muniz
Child: Lucienne



Bristol Muniz
Traits: outgoing, goofball, alluring
Aspiration: Serial Romantic
Job: none



Lucienne Dahl
Traits: cheerful, childish, physically gifted, domestic
Aspiration: Big Happy Family
Job: Fast Food

The Lewises



Olivia Lewis
Traits: goofball, romantic, good, collector
Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast
Job: none
Married to: Johnny Zest
Children: Geoffrey, Jack, Erica, Nancy, Alicia



Johnny Zest
Traits: outgoing, ambitious, goofball, gregarious
Aspiration: Joke Star
Job: Entertainer 6



Jack Lewis
Traits: good, self-assured, physically gifted, alluring
Aspiration: Soulmate
Job: Barista 3



Erica Lewis
Traits: mean, loner, creatively gifted, collector
Aspiration: Angling Ace



Nancy Lewis
Traits: neat, foodie, creatively gifted, essence of flavor
Aspiration: Master Chef



Alicia Lewis
Traits: squeamish, creative, creatively gifted, muser
Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire

The Bagleys



Shayna Bagley
Traits: bookworm, active, loves outdoors, collector
Aspiration: Freelance Botanist
Job: none
Child: Elaine Bagley



Elaine Bagley
Traits: active, outgoing, physically gifted, high metabolism, goofball
Aspiration: Body Builder
Jobs: Barista 3, Professional Athlete 4

The Alexander Goths



Alexander Goth
Traits: bookworm, family-oriented, romantic, quick learner
Aspiration: Successful Lineage
Job: Scientist 5
Married to: Janessa Jeffries
Children: Isobel, Cornelia, Qagnes
Grandchild: Mort



Janessa Jeffries
Traits: bookworm, perfectionist, foodie, high metabolism
Aspiration: Body Builder
Job: none



Isobel Goth
Traits: cheerful, self-assured, mentally gifted, gregarious, neat
Aspiration: Friend of the World
Jobs: Retail 3, Doctor 3
Married to: Geoffrey Lewis
Child: Mort Goth



Geoffrey Lewis
Traits: insane, snob, creatively gifted, business savvy, creative
Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy
Job: Landscaper 3, Business 3



Mort Goth
Trait:



Cornelia Goth
Traits: slob, bookworm, physically gifted, quick learner
Aspiration: Computer Whiz


Qagnes Goth (alien)
Trait:

The Pancakes



Bill Pancake
Traits: creative, bookworm, goofball, muser, creative visionary
Aspiration: Best-selling Author
Job: Writer 2
Married to: Cassandra Goth
Child: Robert Pancake



Cassandra Goth
Traits: gloomy, creative, art lover, muser, creative visionary
Aspiration: Musical Genius
Job: Entertainer 2



Robert Pancake
Traits: cheerful, art lover, socially gifted, domestic
Aspiration: Successful Lineage

The Stacy Lees



Stacy Lee
Traits: genius, ambitious, cheerful, quick learner
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Jobs: Criminal 8, Doctor 3, Culinary 3
Married to: Waldemar Ma
Children: Qatzi, Qimi



Waldemar Ma (alien)
Traits: childish, foodie, gloomy, collector
Aspiration: Angling Ace
Job: Scientist 3, Astronaut 7



Qatzi Lee
Traits: loner, lazy, creatively gifted, collector
Aspiration: The Curator



Qimi Lee
Traits: glutton, materialistic, mentally gifted, business savvy, family-oriented
Aspiration: Mansion Baron
Job: Barista 3, Business 3

The Gunther Goths



Gunther Goth
Traits: self-assured, geek, creatively gifted, muser, creative, creative visionary
Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire
Job: Painter 4

The Peter Lees



Peter Lee
Traits: geek, active, bro, high metabolism
Aspiration: Body Builder
Job: Doctor 5
Married to: Janessa Galvan
Children: Qiberty, Javix



Janessa Galvan (alien)
Traits: perfectionist, outgoing, self-assured, collector
Aspiration: Freelance Botanist
Job: none



Qiberty Lee (alien)
Trait: perfectionist
Aspiration: Artistic Prodigy



Javix Lee
Trait: glutton
Aspiration: Whiz Kid

The Dillards



Rhiannon Dillard
Traits: outgoing, geek, loves outdoors, collector, appraiser
Aspirations: The Curator, Freelance Botanist
Job: none
Married to: Ismael Eller
Child: Ian Dillard



Ismael Eller
Traits: creative, family-oriented, loves outdoors, alluring
Aspiration: Soulmate
Job: Painter 3



Ian Dillard
Traits: geek, cheerful, mentally gifted, collector
Aspiration: Angling Ace

The Goddard-Wans



Hank Goddard
Traits: self-assured, noncommittal, loves outdoors, gregarious
Aspiration: Party Animal
Jobs: Astronaut 2, Athlete 4, Detective 3
Child: Henrietta



Henrietta Goddard-Wan
Traits: gloomy, creative, creatively gifted, alluring
Aspiration: Soulmate

[MarianT]

Round Ten

Chapter 47 – A Week with the Dahls and the Lewises

Their photos were lost, but the Dahls had a couple of noteworthy events. Benson was promoted to Laboratory Leader at work. Lucienne was promoted as a babysitter to nanny after giving little Charlie a cookie before his "favorite" supper of quinoa and kale.

The first thing that happened at the Lewises' was the building of an addition. Geoffrey had been talking about how wonderful it was to have so much space at the Goths'. Olivia couldn't help recollecting that her home in Willow Creek had been larger than Ophelia Villa, and Johnny had the honor of the Landgraabs to maintain. So they added a bedroom and living area and a deck.



Upstairs, Olivia was happy to return to a regular bed after her required five nights in a tent.



Once the paint dried, they hung the family portraits in the new living room.



It wouldn't be long now before their teenagers would become young adults and begin leaving the nest. That might take a while, though. Alicia, for example, decided to hurry over to the Museum to look at some paintings rather than wait for one of her sisters to get out of the shower so that she could take one.
When she ran into Robert Pancake, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.



"I'm sure he didn't notice anything," Olivia said calmly.

"Mom, he turned blue, he was trying so hard not to inhale," Alicia moaned.

"Well, keep this jar of deodorizing cream with you, and next time remember to use it," said Olivia.



Finally, it was the night before Jack and Alicia's birthdays, with Erica and Nancy to follow the day after. In the middle of the night, Olivia heard a strange, whirring sound and looked outside to see a saucer speeding away.



For a moment, Johnny couldn't figure out why he was in the spotlight, but no one was applauding. Dazed, he staggered back into the house and upstairs to bed.



In the morning, Jack had his birthday and became an ambitious secret agent.



Being a good sim, he wanted to fight for truth, justice, and the Simlish way of life, but at the moment, his job was to look through intelligence reports. Since most of them said things like "No new developments," and "Situation remains stable," he found himself soon getting bored.

Meanwhile, Alicia became more self-assured and joined the painting career as an Art Book Collator.



While Alicia was painting...



...and Jack was browsing, Johnny told Olivia what he could remember of the experience. "It had enormous dark purple eyes," he said.

"It?" said Olivia.

"Well, she, maybe," said Johnny, "and she told me that resistance was futile, and I don't remember anything after that. Except I have the strangest feeling that I might be pregnant."

"That's very unlikely, dear," said Olivia.



He spent the rest of the day working up a comedy sketch on his abduction. Olivia listened and applauded heartily when he was done.



"You did a wonderful job describing morning sickness," she said. "It's almost like you've experienced it yourself."

On Saturday, Jack went to see if Qimi Lee remembered him. She'd graduated ahead of him, and he was afraid that she might have found someone else.

"Oh wow, you're a secret agent," she said. "Oh, are you sure you should tell me that? I mean, shouldn't it be a secret?"



Jack wanted to say something like there could never be secrets between soulmates, but he thought that might be moving too fast. Instead he suggested they go on a date to the park.

After massaging her shoulders and paying a few compliments...



Jack worked up the nerve to try a kiss.



To his surprise, Qimi kissed him right back.



He returned the favor and was on the verge of proposing...



But he recalled that he hadn't asked her to be his girlfriend yet. When she said yes, he was ecstatic.
Maybe a little too ecstatic.



They ended their date then, but Jack assured Qimi he would call her tomorrow.

The next morning Erica and Nancy both had their birthdays. Nancy decided to have a dinner party.

"It's not even noon yet," said Erica. "You can't have a dinner party in the morning, silly." By the time the two of them finished arguing, it was late enough in the day for guests to come for dinner. Jack called Qimi and asked her to come over even though she wasn't on the official guest list.



Ian Dillard wasn't on the guest list, either, but he showed up to see how Nancy was doing. Since she was busy fixing a salad, Erica graciously took on the task of entertaining him.



The dinner party was over before Nancy got her gold medal, but all she needed was a silver, which she easily obtained. After the guests left, Erica decided to recover from the effort of being polite for several hours by going fishing.



This meant that she missed all the excitement when Johnny went into labor. He had a little boy and named him Jest Zest.

[Tixxis]

Lovely picture of the flying saucer!
And I got a serious fit of giggles over: "For a moment, Johnny couldn't figure out why he was in the spotlight, but no one was applauding."

[Playalot]

I agree with Qimi, a secret agent's job should be a secret! lol Welcome little Jest Zest *giggle*

[MarianT]

Chapter 48 – The Bagleys and the A. Goths

Elaine often looked at the apartment buildings over near Newcrest when she was training. J had moved into one of them, and she hadn't seen him since.



People at the Rattlesnake Juice Bar confirmed that he hadn't been around in a while.



So Elaine started looking for a different father-to-be. Somewhat to her surprise, she found that she hit it off with Malcolm Landgraab.



Shayna didn't want him coming into the house at all. "Noncommittal is one thing," she said, "but Malcolm is pure evil." The Observatory at the Museum provided a convenient alternative.



Elaine's strategy worked – she would soon be the mother of a beautiful little girl.



"I'm not in a position to pay child support," Malcolm stammered. "I made some bad investments. It'll be a while before I have any money."

"Not a problem," said Elaine. "Good-bye."



It wasn't long before she was promoted to minor leaguer. She was happy about it, but the baby wasn't too thrilled.



To make sure she had a girl, Elaine constantly ate strawberries from her mother's garden.



For entertainment, she danced to Pop music.



And it wasn't long before she had a little girl – two of them in fact, Kaitlin and Jenny.



Over at Alexander's, Cornelia got a job as a tech guru. Geoffrey painted her portrait to go with the one that Gunther did of Isobel.



The whole family was happy about getting new formals. Alexander didn't change much, other than getting pants that went better with his jacket.



Janessa got a new dress, make-up, and accessories.



Isobel changed her shoes and added gloves and a necklace to her ensemble.



Cornelia favored the formal casual (or casual formal) look.



And Qagnes picked maroon tights to go with her necklace.



Geoffrey and Mort made themselves scarce during the picture-taking session, Geoffrey claiming he'd already been photographed, and Mort just plain hiding.

The other exciting new thing was the hot tub Alexander installed on their expanded deck. He and Janessa decided to test it before the others got in. Steamy, yes.



And bubbly.



Isobel has been busy at work, double-checking everything with Dr. Lee.



Of course, not everyone is happy. Lucienne got out of bed to ask when she could get her shot and go home.



Isobel was busy taking x-rays at the time.



Juggling work and family responsiblities hasn't been easy. She combined reading to Mort with eating breakfast.



Playing chess was fun, though.



And so was being a space monster for her little half-sister Qagnes.



In disguise, she looks much like her father.

[Tipi]

MarianT - love both your challenge and the story!
I could try this one myself as I just bought "Get To Work" last weekend and your challenge would be a fun way for me to learn the different aspects of the ep.

I have a couple of questions for you:
How many items did you have on sale initially in each shop?
"Until further notice, all buildings will be 8 x 8 square, and made of cement block with a flat roof" -  when can the buildings be larger and more decorated? Can yuou add windows along the way since they can't be purchased?
Do you restock the shops between families so that everybody can buy the things for sale?
Are there any rules for introducing new families into the rotation or moving out children when they grow up?

[MarianT]

Thanks, Tipi!

The "rules" were really more guidelines for myself while I was working on this. I did start adding in windows, and I often restocked between families, especially in the beginning when I wanted to make sure my sims were getting what they needed. If you want to add more families or move out adult children, that's fine. Be aware that they will develop friends (and enemies) and even romantic relationships the longer you go without playing them.