The Jones Random Town Jump: Complete

[saltpastillen]

Adding Kelly to the family is certainly going to liven things up.

Come on Magpie, I know you're only playing hard to get. VJ is a great catch!

[Silverbella]

Magpie is so awesome, I can't wait to see what happens with her and VJ.  Awww Elvin is such a little cutie!

[Beezy]

Great update! I loved the fight between Kelley and Lisa, The look on VJ's face when he passed them was priceless!

[Ausette]

Oh Lisa is going to get along beautifully with her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

The blackmail was a fantastic plot device. Very clever, and it is definitely something that fits VJ's character.

Awww, nooboo! What a cutie! It definitely appears that he has inherited his father's facial structure, at least in part. The chin looks drastically different though. I know he won't be grown by the time the family jumps, but do you plan to age him in Edit in CAS just to see what he will look like as a YA?

Thanks Raia, it's good to hear you enjoyed that plot point! I love how crazy my game can get, but sometimes it's hard to tie all the random stuff that happens into a coherent story.

Little Elvin is so cute! I would love to see him as a young adult.
Awesome update!

Thanks Louise! In answer to you and Raia, I plan to post pictures of Elvin as a YA around the time of the next move. 

Adding Kelly to the family is certainly going to liven things up.

Come on Magpie, I know you're only playing hard to get. VJ is a great catch!

Magpie doesn't play hard to get, she just is hard to get. Even with VJ. 

Magpie is so awesome, I can't wait to see what happens with her and VJ.  Awww Elvin is such a little cutie!

I'm really sorry, but you probably will have to wait. I have four exams this week.   

Great update! I loved the fight between Kelley and Lisa, The look on VJ's face when he passed them was priceless!

Thanks Corey! I didn't even plan it. I guess these sort of things are just inevitable. 

[Ausette]

Chapter 40 – Family



Liberty seems to be on a quest to become the perfect daughter. She’s smart, she has good morals, she takes after both her parents, and as of today she’s the president of her debate club.



She also enjoys discovering potions in her spare time. I think I might make her a scientist or something when she grows up, purely because of how cute she looks in a lab coat.



Speaking of spare time, Hope needs a hobby, and when she pops a wish to play the drums I remember she has the Virtuoso trait. Drumming it is! We’ve had an extra bedroom since Caitlin moved away, so that gets turned into a little music studio for Hope.



That isn't how you're meant to ride a motorbike, young lady! Do you want me to tell your parents what you're doing? Say, what is Ben up to these days?



“Hey Magpie, did you know I’m a fire-fighter?”

AAARGH! Ben, that’s a FLIRT! Stop flirting with your cousin! I know you don’t recognise her as your cousin but she IS and your wife is RIGHT THERE!



I feel your pain, Lisa. Let’s all pretend we didn’t see that, shall we? 



My game is just full of unfortunate attraction at the moment. Not only is Lisa asked out by Ethan Bunch, but Ben gets asked out by Judy Bunch, Justine Keaton, Morgana Wolff, Iliana Langerak and a townie girl called Cody who works with Courage. What can I say, he’s a fire-fighter. *sob*



The only Sim who can rival Ben’s hoardes of admirers is Magpie. She gets offers from almost every man she meets. Strangely, she doesn’t get asked out by the one Sim who’s unofficially scored a date with her. On the day of her adult birthday, she reluctantly calls up VJ and invites him to the bistro for brunch.



They eat their food (at separate tables) and settle down to chat.



“I’m here and I paid for our meals. That’s a date. Tell me everything you know about the Racket family.”
“I don’t think that was part of the deal, babe.”
“Please, VJ. I could be in a lot of danger without knowing it, and I can’t risk poking around Twinbrook’s records to check. I can poke around your emails, though.”



“…Well, you are cute, so I’ll tell ya. From what I could gather, the Rackets spent a short time in charge of the mob before Shark and Lolly mysteriously disappeared. Since then, Dee Liver’s been the head of the organisation. Y’know, the ex-papergirl? She runs a pretty tight ship from what I heard.”
“And what of Savannah?”
“Also gone. She passed away of old age before she could flee Twinbrook with her son.”



“Son? I have a brother?!”
“Well, half-brother. He was born after you left, so he’d be about the same age as Courage. I can try to find some info on him if you want.”
“Alternately, I could use your connections to find the information myself.”
“Ha, I guess that would work too.”
“Good. Oh, and VJ?”
“Yeah?”
“The next time you want to impress a woman, DON’T BLACKMAIL HER. I can’t accept your help if I can’t trust you.”



“Sorry Mags, I forget you’re not Evil. Lisa Bunch made me her prom date through extortion, and it made me want to date her even more!”
“How quaint. In the future I’d rather be asked out by being asked out.”
“Is that an invitation?”
“I-”
“Jokes! Call me when you’re ready. I’ll write down what I know about the Rackets for you.”
“Thank you, VJ. I’ll do just that.”



The date is unfortunately cut short by the saddest townie death I’ve ever seen. Boyd and Susan were hugging and kissing just moments before he was lifted off the ground. Just look at her face! Doesn’t it break your heart?



Magpie has a lot to think about. She drives home with mixed feelings about her life and impending birthday.



But before Magpie can become an adult, it’s time for Ben to lose his hunky muscles. I can’t believe he’s going to be an elder! Wasn’t it only yesterday I was playing him as a teenager?



Huh, I just realised that Lisa and Magpie wear the same jeans. No wonder they don’t like each other. But who cares, let's see some sparkles!



*BANG!*   
*crickets*
*scary forced smiles*



“…That’s my husband?”
“Whoa. Sucks to be you.”



Oh Ben, what happened to your beautiful hair? It figures, that hairstyle’s only been in my game for a week and of course it’s the one he picks out.



You know what? I’m keeping it. I might even change the eyebrows back to grey. Ben’s an elder now and I think the baldness gives him a distinguished Patrick Stewart look.



With her age transition thoroughly upstaged, Magpie grows up in the kitchen.



She reverts to her former hairstyle, and with it a former mindset. Magpie has no time for silly midlife identity issues. She knows exactly who she is and what she needs to do. It’s time find out what happened to her family.



NO! You do NOT find your elderly cousin “Attractive Company”! Yikes, the sooner you two are separated, the better.

[saltpastillen]

Patrick Steward - lol

I so want to find out what happened in Twinbrook.

[Louise56]

I think Ben look very nice! But Magpie must keep her distance lol.

[Audren]

I can't believe Ben's an elder, but I must say he's aged well. You can't go wrong with Patrick Stewart.  I just wish he had his magnificent mustache back. 

[Silverbella]

*Sniff* I'm in mourning for Ben's lost muscles, I can't believe there will be no more heart covered speedo!   On the bright side, I do love Patrick Stewart....

Magpie's story is getting even more intriguing, I'm glad that VJ was able to redeem himself a bit.

[RaiaDraconis]

Just when I thought that Magpie couldn't get any more interesting. I'm very intrigued and curious as to how this will pan out.

Ben doesn't look bad for an elder! Where was Courage? He was rather conspicuously missing.

That shot with Boyd and Susan was a tearjerker! In one of my games I witnessed Susan die right in front of Blair. Sometimes the sims break your heart.

[Ausette]

Patrick Steward - lol

I so want to find out what happened in Twinbrook.

All in good time, my friend. 

I think Ben look very nice! But Magpie must keep her distance lol.

You and everyone else in Sunset Valley! Thank goodness Magpie has her own flat or I would never be able to keep her and Ben away from each other.

I can't believe Ben's an elder, but I must say he's aged well. You can't go wrong with Patrick Stewart.  I just wish he had his magnificent mustache back. 

I miss the moustache too, but I think as an elder he looks better without it. I like the idea of him having a slightly different look for each life stage.

*Sniff* I'm in mourning for Ben's lost muscles, I can't believe there will be no more heart covered speedo!   On the bright side, I do love Patrick Stewart....

Magpie's story is getting even more intriguing, I'm glad that VJ was able to redeem himself a bit.

Okay, I confess. I ended up keeping the speedo. 

Thanks Silverbella, I'm struggling a little with Magpie and VJ. The story's just taken a life of it's own and I'm worried I won't be able to keep up with it.

Just when I thought that Magpie couldn't get any more interesting. I'm very intrigued and curious as to how this will pan out.

Ben doesn't look bad for an elder! Where was Courage? He was rather conspicuously missing.

That shot with Boyd and Susan was a tearjerker! In one of my games I witnessed Susan die right in front of Blair. Sometimes the sims break your heart.

I'm glad you guys are all enjoying the Magpie/Twinbrook sidestory! I'm going to have to work hard to meet your expectations, aren't I?

I think Courage may have been in prison for the birthdays . He'd already joined the criminal career by that point.

It's amazing how much emotion Sims can make you feel! I'm still not completely over Johhny's death. He was my first Sim to die of old age since 2010. 

[saltpastillen]

It's amazing how much emotion Sims can make you feel! I'm still not completely over Johhny's death. He was my first Sim to die of old age since 2010. 

I know how you feel. Before starting my run at an ID i mostly played single sims on the epic lifespan - no one ever had time to die before I tired of them...

[Ausette]

I know how you feel. Before starting my run at an ID i mostly played single sims on the epic lifespan - no one ever had time to die before I tired of them...

I played single Sims with aging off. Families always bored me for some reason!

[Ausette]

Chapter 41 – Relationships



Magpie works increasingly hard on hacking and solving cases. She’s lucky she has her own space away from the hustle and bustle of the household.



In her spare time she visits VJ to discuss their progress with the Twinbrook situation. It’s all very hush hush.



“So we've decided to go two weeks from now, yeah?”
“Correct. Try to pack light.”
“No can do, babe. I need an entire suitcase of styling products to keep this mohawk vertical.”
“Just try, VJ. That’s all I ask.”



Meanwhile, Courage has been working at the warehouse. He doesn't like building his athletic skill for it and he's already been arrested a couple of times, but at least he has decent taste in career outfits.



Speaking of work, Ben’s not ready to retire just yet. He’s still saving Sims in his undies every day in Sunset Valley.



“Ew ew ew! I SO didn’t need to see that!”



Hey, he’s not that bad. In fact, he’s one of the cutest elders I've ever played. Look at that happy face! Would you guess this Sim has the Grumpy trait?



“Ah, the aches and pains of elderhood are a small price to pay for such wonderful company. I am truly fortunate to have these beautiful women in my life.”

If you can't tell from the picture, Lisa and Liberty have been fighting occasionally. It’s the shared Hot-Headed trait coming into play.



Liberty scowls a lot, but it somehow isn’t as scary as when her mum does it. Maybe she’ll look more intimidating as a young adult? There’s only one way to find out!



Hope throws a party for herself and her sister, and Liberty blows out her candles just after the sun goes down.



“Whoa, where did these come from?”

The strappy dress, I think. Let’s find you something cute to wear.



Liberty takes on the Nurturing trait and the International Super Spy lifetime wish. I considered putting her in the medical career instead of law enforcement, but Diana already did that and I think Libby needs a job where she can get righteously angry at people.



Hope grows up straight after her sister. See the blonde guy in the foreground? That’s Raymundo, Hope’s love interest from the dance. I know I haven’t talked about him much, but that’s because Hope hasn’t shown the slightest bit of interest in spending time with him. I guess it was only a high school thing.



Anyway, Hope becomes Charismatic and decides to form a One Sim Band. I would have liked her to follow in Lisa’s footsteps and become a famous Rock Star, but sadly Hope's skill in drumming would be useless in that career.



After the birthday sparkles clear, Liberty wastes no time in inviting Barry to move in. I’m interested to see what lifetime wish he ended up with.



Barry, as it turns out, wants to be a Chess Master. I’ve actually never done that one before! His traits are Loves the Outdoors, Loser, Virtuoso, Good, and Genius, and his favourite things are country music, dim sum, and lilac.



Hooray for matching traits! It’s been ages since I played a couple this compatible. They're starting to remind me of Sarah and Sebastian.



“Have a nice day, Liberty!”
“Have a nice day too, Barry! How did you know my morning needed brightening? Gosh, you’re so smart!”
“No, you’re the smart one!”
“No, you are!”
“No, you!”

They'd have done this all day if they didn't have to go to graduation.



Hope accessorises like no Sim I've ever seen! She earns Class Valedictorian, Most Popular, and you guessed it, Highest Honour. Liberty also gets Highest Honour, which I expected, and Most Likely to Take Over the World, which I didn’t expect at all. I didn’t do a very good job naming her if her ultimate goal is to oppress people, did I?



Back at home, Courage is starting to feel kind of lonely. Barry and Liberty's relationship keeps reminding him of how long it's been since he went out with his girlfriend. He calls her up and invites her to a date at the Recurve Strand.



“This is one of my favourite spots in Sunset Valley. What do you think?”



“I’m bored. Can we go dancing?”



“Kelley, we can go dancing every night for the rest of our lives if it makes you happy. Will you marry me?”



“Oh my gosh oh my gosh, it’s the most expensive thing I’ve ever seen! YES!”



“Still bored, Kel?”
“Hmmm. If I say I am, will you get me more shiny things?”
“My skills can provide an unlimited source of shiny things.”
“*sniff* This is the happiest day of my life.”

[RaiaDraconis]

I really like how Barry turned out. Normally I'm not all that enamored with the Keatons' children, but he looks quite cute.

Congrats to Courage and Kelley! Their mutual love for shiny and expensive things will keep them happy for a long time.

This whole partners-in-crime thing with Magpie and VJ is interesting and I have no clue what to expect. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Fantastic update! Hope the exams went well.