The Loveland Random Town Jump

[Trip]

My maid service sends two all the time! I mean if the house is big and messy then I don't care.

The cats are beautiful but Azula being a cuddling fluffy cat is kind of a dealbreaker. Zuko even has a mark over his left eye. I don't know what I imagined Zuko as a cat would look like but it's probably that.

Tina's definitely the best looking of the three spouses (or two now) though I think Ronny was the easier makeover of the two boys. His mum is one of my favorite Starlight Shores townies for genes and entirely for the nose.

[deedee_828]

I was hoping Josie would get heir! Wasn't sure who her partner would end up being but Ronnie cleaned up quite nicely!

It is hard to choose heirship and partners, and even harder to decide who gets left behind, either siblings or pets.

But somehow, it always seems to make sense and work out in the end---- fate and karma seem to be at work even in Sims.

[Beks]

Interesting choice of wedding venue there, Keira... but then, if there's a chapel, why not make use of it?  It would have suited a goth wedding as well .

It's sad that Azula had to stay behind but at least her twin will carry on the cat line (and those distinctive markings).

Oh my gosh, it would have been perfect for a goth wedding. I can't believe I didn't think of that!

My maid service sends two all the time! I mean if the house is big and messy then I don't care.

The cats are beautiful but Azula being a cuddling fluffy cat is kind of a dealbreaker. Zuko even has a mark over his left eye. I don't know what I imagined Zuko as a cat would look like but it's probably that.

Tina's definitely the best looking of the three spouses (or two now) though I think Ronny was the easier makeover of the two boys. His mum is one of my favorite Starlight Shores townies for genes and entirely for the nose.

Yeah, maybe two maids is better than one! Although these guys pretty much just stood outside looking confused. I think they eventually got to cleaning, but it took a while.

I agree, Zuko the cat matches Zuko the person pretty well. My favorite thing is that he's Proud. When he strikes the proud pose I die a little bit.

I'm very curious to see if Ronny's nose will get passed on! And also his eyes. That sparkly golden-brown color is just beautiful.

I was hoping Josie would get heir! Wasn't sure who her partner would end up being but Ronnie cleaned up quite nicely!

It is hard to choose heirship and partners, and even harder to decide who gets left behind, either siblings or pets.

But somehow, it always seems to make sense and work out in the end---- fate and karma seem to be at work even in Sims.

Hooray! Josie's been my favorite since day one, although I wasn't sure if she'd end up being heir. She's somewhat of a reluctant heir, I think, but I have high hopes that she'll do beautifully in the new town. And I agree about fate being at work in the Sims, in a way. I expected to have to leave Keira and Tina behind in Starlight Shores, but when things didn't work out between Ida and Bennie, I realized that I could bring all three of the triplets.

[Beks]

Chapter 111 - Hardly Even a Chapter

This is going to be the shortest chapter ever, because I ran out of screenshots last time and then forgot how little still remains to be covered in this chapter. Behold, the chapter that's hardly even a chapter!



And just like that...we're done in Starlight Shores! I'm going to miss this house with the mountain view and distant skyscrapers...but not too much.



The family packs up the few items they want to take along while Josie checks the mailbox to find out where they're going next. I know she looks apprehensive, but that's just Josie being Josie. I hope.



We're off to a new place! Goodbye, Starlight Shores.

[Beks]

Chapter 112 - Restless Spirits



Welcome to Monte Vista! It feels like I've been waiting forever to bring the Lovelands here. At long last, here we are! I played in Monte Vista for approximately one hot sec when I first downloaded it, but for all intents and purposes, it's completely brand new to me. I'm already in love with the Mediterranean glow and the pale stone architecture and the gardens and the mountains and the everything. Okie dokie, andiamo!



The Lovelands purchase Cypress Retreat at 31 Summer Street, a house just down the hill from the walled-in part of town. This house is unlike anything I've ever played in before. The courtyard in the middle, the walkways that are open to the sky, the stony corridors...it's basically an old abbey converted to a house, or something.



The ground floor, aside from the courtyard, consists of two living areas, a cozy kitchen, an open-air dining space, and an empty stone-walled room which is quickly filled with cat objects and also a piano for Josie.



The upper floor has three large bedrooms, plus an upstairs bar area and some more outdoor seating. This place is full of places to sit and gaze pensively into the distance. Can I live here? Like right now?

The Lovelands arrive on the lot after a lengthy drive through the mountains. As soon as they set foot on their new property, they find a note from the real estate agency taped to the door. Apparently, this house was built upon an ancient burial ground, and the house is haunted with spirits!



And not just any spirits. Weird green spirits. Well, one green one with little gravestones and skulls wafting off of her. This is Holly Perdue and I have never seen her kind of ghost before.



Then we have this other ghost whose name I forgot to record. Ida is really excited about her.



Josie: "Ugh. How many ghosts did the real estate guy say there were?"
Ida: "Not enough."

Actually there are three ghosts. The third is an elderly starvation ghost. I apparently did not get a single screenshot of him, probably because I was so focused on the creepy green ghost and wondering how she died. (Josie asks her, and learns that she died by a Haunting Curse. Whatever that means.)

Before things get out of control, Keira decides it's time for her and Tina to get their own place. She calls up the very same real estate guy.



"Hey man, the ghosts are a nice touch! As much as I'd love to stay here and research these restless spirits--I mean, help my family deal with them--I really need to move out of my parents house and live with the woman I married. Got anything nearby for two people?"

Keira and Tina settle into a cozy little house just a bit further down the hill. Good luck, dears! We'll see you around.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family must cope with their extremely haunted abode.



"You died...from a meteor?"
"Flew right down from the sky while I was gardening. Knocked the life clean out of me. I've still got dirt under my fingernails...forever."
"Oh, god."



Poor Holly finds herself utterly entranced by the handsome Ronny and tries to woo him with a bouquet of flowers. Fortunately, Ronny only has eyes for Josie and turns the ghost down flat.



Part two of this random event occurs within just a few hours--a repo-man shows up to take care of the ghosts. After arriving at the lot, though, this guy just stands outside the front door. Doing nothing. Alongside the university mascot, who also stands there doing nothing.

Then some neighbors come by to say hello!



Red shirt guy: "Why are we all...just standing here?"



I guess there really isn't very much going on at the moment. The resident couch potatoes get acquainted with their new couch almost immediately. Lydell starts working his way through the house's bookshelves while Ronny enjoys the new TV.



Josie breaks in her new grand piano, admired by a very curious Boba.



Ida seems to be the only one enjoying having the ghosts around--or showing any bit of interest at all in them.



Through the course of the day, the Lovelands settle in, enjoying their new living spaces and taking time to relax before work starts tomorrow.



They take time to bond as well. Ida's methods of interacting with her family are surprisingly wholesome most of the time.



Ida cooks the first family dinner, putting that new Natural Cook trait to good use. Of course, she has to break in her new Italian kitchen by making Goopy Carbonara.



"So...how's life?"
"Wow. Of all the questions you could have asked me, that's the one you went with?"



As exciting as this ghost thing is...it IS a bit weird. The meteor ghost in particular is a little too lenient with the rules of physics.



And with the repo-man still standing uselessly outside the front door doing nothing, I worry that we're stuck with these guys forever.



Late that night, Ida goes into town and runs through several dark alleyways to apply for a job at Good Guys Inc. Apparently the criminal organization in this town operates under the guise of a nonprofit.



When she comes home and goes to bed, Ida becomes the victim of yet another problem with this lot. All the open archways mean that anybody can walk into the house at any time. Including paparazzi.



In the morning, the repo-man finally makes a move. He announces that the ghosts are taken care of--and wow, look at that, they are! The graves remain on the lot, but the ghosts are no longer haunting. Grazie, repo-man...I guess. I was really hoping to see some vacuum action.

[deedee_828]

Ooooohhh, Monte Vista! I'm totally shocked as it's also the town after Starlight Shores for me and I'm really looking forward to playing there too.

I've probably spent a bit longer than you in that town, but not much, so I'll be paying special attention to all the residents as they pop up in your game, just to get a preview.

Though children will be different in my game, it's nice to see who to watch for, genetics wise!

Good luck to Kiera and Tina! I don't blame them a bit for wanting a place of their own, minus some very creepy ghosts!

[Beks]

Chapter 113 - Kingdom of the Shades



Life starts full-speed on Monday morning. Ronny puts on his...um...graduation outfit and goes to his first day of work at the science center. I'm going to assume this is part of an experiment that he will use to impress his new boss? Yeah, let's go with that.



Ida also seeks to impress her new boss at the criminal organization. By looking like she's going to a cocktail party. She's even got the hairdo! I just...what. Why.



And Josie? With her husband, sister, and parents all at work today (Moira and Lydell are continuing in their medical and law enforcement careers, just for something to do), she gets to take Franky's old car and drive through the mountains alone. What a Loner's dream!



Josie's "career", for this generation, is playing for tips. She's going to be spending all her time learning four instruments anyway, so she might as well earn a buck doing it. That is, if anyone ever shows up to hear her play. This town is really, really empty most of the time.



Ida has a surprisingly stressful day at work. I think she was comfortable just hanging out at home and playing with the cats, to be honest. Working all day is a new experience for her. As such, she takes up a new hobby to get some of that angst out. It's about time she made use of that Disciplined trait. And if she's going to be an Empress of Evil one day, she should probably know how to do a roundhouse kick.



Ronny has zero gardening skill, so he sets up a plot in one corner of the courtyard and starts tending to his plants. I love the idea of a courtyard garden, but I also kind of wish we had a yard. Imagine the backdrop an outdoor farm would have! *sigh*



Moira is quickly taking control of the Monte Vista medical community, holding well-attended clinics and getting raises every other shift. Here she is testing the, uh, brainwaves of one of the several hundred men in Monte Vista who look exactly like this. Seriously, why do they all have short dark hair and aviators? I have no idea what most of them actually look like!



As the first week here in the Kingdom of the Shades* goes on, Josie and Ronny start talking about bringing in the next generation. Josie Dislikes Children, so she's kind of eager to get the whole pregnancy experience over with.



"Oh, you want to hurry up and try for baby? Like right now? Okay, sounds good!"



Josie wakes very early the next morning, feeling a little squeamish.



She then goes in and treats her sister to her very own early morning drum performance. How sweet! (Josie did this autonomously and I laughed really hard.)



This would be my reaction as well.



Cat update time! All three cats are thriving in their new home. The local fauna also seems to be thriving. We get raccoons on the lot pretty often, with wild horses galloping past archways on the daily.



Boba is getting on in years. He's about a week past his expiration date at this point, believe it or not. Everyone gives him lots of cuddles and attention to ensure that he feels loved and cherished.



Katara helps keep him on his toes, as always. These two never stop playing with each other.



And here's the whole family! Zuko is an active member of the cat clan as well, of course. He's not quite as playful and pouncy as his mum, but he enjoys a good romp like any cat. Katara is so proud of her boy. :')



Okay, back to the humans. Josie soon discovers that she is indeed pregnant. She shares the news with Ronny, who is overjoyed. (I appreciate that the game allowed Josie to keep her goth accessories.)



I worry a little about Josie's mental wellbeing during her pregnancy, since she doesn't like kids and all. So she has a nice, relaxing few days reading and napping, and she gets to treat herself to the most expensive spa package. (Monte Vista has a heck of a spa.)



Ronny gets promoted at work and graduates from his graduation outfit.



Ida starts to work on her athletic skill for work. Again, this is a great way for her to work off her angst. (Although she really doesn't seem very angsty. Or even very Evil, most of the time.)



She's even excited to meet her niece or nephew!



Okay, I take back that not-very-Evil thing. Only an Evil Sim would intentionally scare a pregnant woman.



I don't think it's Ida's terrorizing that induces Josie's labor, but maybe it helped it along. Just a couple hours pass before the contractions hit. Josie, honey, it's okay! It's going to be okay!



As the sun sets over the valley, Josie gives birth to a healthy baby boy named Nico. (His blankie looks pink in this photo. But it's a boy, I swear.)



Aaaand there's that Dislikes Children trait! Josie is in for the ride of her life.


*This is a joke, but it's also a reference to an iconic scene from the ballet La Bayadere. If you want to see some beautiful dancing, search "kingdom of the shades" on YouTube.

[deedee_828]

Welcome Nico! Don't pay any attention to your mommy's facial reactions!

She's done her duty to the family despite her trait and, one day, when you're not a kid anymore, she will love you!

[hazelnut]

I've seen NPCs unable to get into the front door when it's on a diagonal but that one looks to be straight.  Weird.

Loved the 'Kingdom of the Shades' joke.  (Why yes, I am a ballet fan.)  Italians always wearing sunglasses is a bit of a trope  .  I have to say that the ones I know at work tend not to but that's probably just the watery British sunshine.

[Beks]

Welcome Nico! Don't pay any attention to your mommy's facial reactions!

She's done her duty to the family despite her trait and, one day, when you're not a kid anymore, she will love you!

Yes she will! So far, actually, Josie seems pretty okay with Nico's existence. That might change once he gets to his terrible twos, though.

I've seen NPCs unable to get into the front door when it's on a diagonal but that one looks to be straight.  Weird.

Loved the 'Kingdom of the Shades' joke.  (Why yes, I am a ballet fan.)  Italians always wearing sunglasses is a bit of a trope  .  I have to say that the ones I know at work tend not to but that's probably just the watery British sunshine.

I don't think it was a routing issue with the repo-man. He announced that he was here to take care of the ghosts, but then he just stood there for the rest of the day without doing anything, as if his action queue was canceled. He didn't even try to get inside until the next day. Super weird!

Yay, another ballet fan! <3 I was going to go with "Land of the Sunglasses"...but then it hit me that I was missing out on a ballet joke. I'm so glad you appreciated it. When I first started playing in Monte Vista, I gradually noticed how many people were wearing sunglasses, and then I went on the wiki and discovered that they all are. Well, almost all of them. I couldn't believe it. It is a pretty funny trope, I suppose, but I think EA might have overdone it a little. At least I'll be able to see the townie kiddos' faces, if not their parents'.

[Beks]

Chapter 114 - Babies, Blonds, Bathtubs, Bread



A weird perk of having a courtyard in the middle of your house: you have an excuse to use the baby stroller to get from one room to another. For some reason, Josie latches onto this habit and refuses to let go. Little Nico is having the time of his life out here.



He's a well-loved little boy.



So well-loved, in fact, that too many people try to care for him at one time. Josie, this is a perfect opportunity for you to not have to deal with your own child...but okay. Suit yourself.



She does her own thing often enough. Josie is still struggling to make money as a busker. To be specific, she has yet to make a single penny. There's always somebody hanging out at the cemetery just up the hill from the Loveland house, but they're never interested in hearing Josie's music. It's depressing.



Hey, it's Keira! We haven't seen her in a while. Keira is now in the medical career, for some reason. She's taking after her mother more than the other two girls.



This whole family is just a bunch of nerds at this point. All Keira does during her visit is watch action TV with Ronny and enthuse about comic books.



Ida has really been getting into martial arts lately. She never did it autonomously before; now that she's up to level three, she hardly does anything else.



One of the things I was most excited about in Monte Vista was this wood-fire oven. My real-life partner is a baker, so I'm a bit of a bread enthusiast. Watching my Sims shape dough and bake it on a peel is kind of awesome. Ronny, of all people, practically sprints to the oven when I first install it to try his hand at baking.



Then he goes upstairs to shape another kind of dough. Or...something. I'm so sorry for putting that image in your head.



Surprise, Josie's pregnant again! It would have been considerate of me to only put her through this once, wouldn't it? Yes, it would have.



At least Nico is done with his infant stage now. Josie is so over it.



Wait, he's blond?! How the heck is he blond?!



Nico appears to have inherited his hair color from Grandpa Lydell. I did not expect that. Other than that, he's got Ronny's eye color and a skin tone somewhere in between his parents'. I think he also got Ronny's lips, which is a nice change from Josie's itty bitty mouth. As for Nico's traits, Aunt Ida's going to be thrilled. This little guy is Evil and Loves the Outdoors. His favorite things are Roots music, crepes, and spiceberry.

As always, Josie's parenting method is "get it over with as quickly as possible". Time to teach this kid to use the potty!



"Okay, Nico. You're just going to sit right here on the potty and--"
"No!"



"It's easy, kiddo. You just--"
"NO!"



I think this is going to be a bit of a tense relationship.



Nico calms down a little once he starts learning to walk, but he still seems a bit apprehensive of learning from his mum.



Maybe he'll like Aunt Ida better?



Mmm, nope.



A rather stressed Josie gets out of the house for the afternoon, setting herself up at the Simfest across town. Maybe she can wrangle a few tippers from the audience there.



She wrangles some contractions instead.



When she arrives at the hospital, she finds her own mother standing right outside. I have no idea what Moira is doing there at 5 pm when her shift ended three hours ago.



"OH NO! MY DAUGHTER'S IN LABOR! CALL A DOCTOR! SHE'S GOING TO HAVE A BABY! SOMEBODY--"
"Wow, Mom. You're a great World-Renowned Surgeon."



Moira doesn't specialize in obstetrics. No matter. Josie emerges from the hospital shortly thereafter holding her new baby girl, Ophelia.



Back home, Boba is ready to welcome the new baby from the comfort of his favorite place: the bathtub.

[deedee_828]

Congrats on reaching toddlerhood Nico, and on having a baby sister to enslave to your will!

Will she be an easy pawn for you to master or will she have a personality to rival your own?

But will she also inherit your blonde locks, which look so natural with your coloring, unlike my heirship twin Jemma, who is ebony skinned with golden hair!?!

Or will Ophelia take more after her parents, sporting her father's dark hair, or her mother, having my beloved red?

As you can see, hair color genetics is a big focus for me!

So I wait in anticipation of Ophelia's toddler birthday!

[hazelnut]

Nico's expressions are wonderful.  So young to be so disenchanted with, well, everything .

[Beks]

Nico's expressions are wonderful.  So young to be so disenchanted with, well, everything .

Aren't they? I've never seen a toddler with so much attitude.

[Beks]

Chapter 115 - The Wrong Red

Ophelia gets settled into her new crib, and Grandpa Lydell takes first watch in the rocking chair.



Then a guy with swoopy blond hair and suspenders appears in the nursery and starts taking Ophelia out of her crib. Excuse me, who the heck are you?!



Apparently it's the new paparazzi guy, although the game hasn't officially labeled him as such yet. I've never seen a paparazzi pick up a child and start playing with them before. The audacity! Even Lydell thinks this behavior is despicable. I love this house, but the open archways are really starting to get to me.



The ghosts I don't mind so much. They don't show up very often, but when they do, they almost always play foosball with Ida (who's usually up and around at 4 am after her shifts).



Nico learns to walk and starts exploring the spacious stone rooms of his Italian villa. He looks extra tiny in the midst of this architecture.



Boba's day finally comes. I still feel like we just brought him home from the Dean house in Riverview. But at 63 days old, Boba has lived much longer than prescribed.



Farewell, Boba. You were the cutest and the cuddliest. Rest in peace.



Josie is out playing for tips when Boba dies. It's probably for the best, but she's still shattered when she comes home to find him gone.



Distraction time! Ophelia's about to age up and reveal herself to the world.



We have another redhead! But wait...it's not the same red. Ophelia has more of a soft brownish red than the bright orangey red of her mother and aunts. I have no idea how this could have happened. If anyone has a theory, I'd love to hear it! In any case, Ophelia's certainly a cutie. She looks a lot like Josie did as a toddler. Ophelia's traits are Disciplined and Grumpy (!), and she likes Dark Wave music (!!), Hamburgers, and White. Is it possible that our goth Josie has given birth to an even more goth daughter?! (Except for her favorite color, of course.)



Since the rest of the family is busy with work, Josie pushes through that Dislikes Children moodlet and starts teaching her daughter to talk.



Taking care of two todds is not Josie's idea of a good time, but she does it anyway. Thank goodness they're so cute.



Grandma Moira helps out plenty, too. She can teach skills faster, being Family Oriented. Is it just me, or does Nico look truly Evil in this photo?



He's not so Evil that he can't bond with his sister. I still just can't get over how cute this interaction is.



Ronny tries to spend time with his children, but I sort of have to force him to. When he's not at work, he's usually sitting in front of the TV with Lydell. Couch Potatoes do not make very good parents in this game.



Katara has her elder birthday and becomes the most beautiful elder cat.



Speaking of beautiful elders, check out Ida's boss, Dante Costa. He's so Italian, he doesn't even remove his sunglasses when he's got his robber mask on. Now that's commitment to one's culture!



It's a normal, peaceful day of caring for the toddlers when Lydell suddenly feels a bit floaty.



Ophelia watches from behind the crib with grim curiosity.



Lydell gets his visit from the Reaper at age 93. After a life spent mostly in front of the television, I think he's ready to see what's on the channels in the afterlife. RIP, Lydell.



I'm already focused on other Sims again when I'm called back to the scene by Zuko creating a bit of a racket.



"Yesss, I can finish rewatching Friends for the 40th time!"

Good for you, Lydell. *sigh* Saved by the cat once again.



Moira still doesn't know that her husband has been returned to life. She's upstairs pummeling Grim with a pillow.

"THAT'S for taking my husband from me!!" *THWUMP*



Distraction arrives again in the form of a birthday--Nico is about to become a child!





Nico's new trait is Absent-Minded. Hmmm. Maybe he'll forget to be Evil sometimes?