The Loveland Random Town Jump

[Beks]

The game provides dress to impress outfits for all the guests at bachelor/bachelorette parties, including family----some of them are hilarious! But the ones that took the cake for me were the fellows that ended up wandering around the club we rented in their underwear! I know the fizzy nectar was flying, but what was the mixologist putting in those drinks! LOL

You're right, I didn't even notice that the game dressed up everybody else in the family. Whoops. I've never had my Sims change into their underwear at these parties, though! I've seen it happen to others but it has yet to occur in my game. Maybe next generation...

[Beks]

Chapter 94 - Crackling

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Things are good and ghosty here in the Loveland house, much to Archie's delight.

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The poor guy just can't catch a break. But hey, Freya's old enough to be friends with her dad now!

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"Pssst. Mr. Loveland? Oh great celebrity? Newsflash, I'm actually your daughter and due to your celebrity status you've missed out on over two decades of getting to know me."
"Yikes. I had no idea!"

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Well, we're finally past that stupid barrier. Peter is thrilled to finally interact with his daughter. I think. Maybe he really DID believe he was too cool for her all those years.

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Freya's still doing superbly in her singer career, performing gigs to great success. She's already at level 5 and most of her performances go off without a hitch.

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Of course, she often leaves the stage with a book in her hand the moment the show is over...but that's just an introvert thing.

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Heather is also doing well. She's got steady gigs at all the venues in town and I think she's finally gotten past the point of producing bouquets of dead flowers and bursts of rubber ducks. All her audiences love her.

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At long last, after a great gig at Mick's, Heather becomes a level 10 magician, achieving her Lifetime Wish.

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And look who's here to see it! For once! For the first time ever, possibly!

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Yeah, Heather and Trevor are still in love, even if they hardly ever see each other. ~Heather and Trevor forever and ever~ (Why didn't I think of that when they were getting married?! *kicks self*)

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It's been a few days in-game since Freya brought Mimi's grave home from the cemetery. Mimi certainly takes her time in haunting--good to see you again, lady! Where the heck have you been?!

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Well, Freya can interact with her again and the flirting starts with ferocity. I guess hanging out in her grave for a few days reset Mimi so she's selectable again. Thank goodness!

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*sigh* Poor Archie. He was born into the wrong generation. Or the wrong three generations. Or however long we've had fire ghosts everywhere.

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Angela passes by with a knowing smile as Freya and Mimi get to know each other on a romantic level. When there's a pause in the conversation, she approaches them.

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"It's Mimi, right? Very pleased to meet you. Now, there are limited screenshots for this chapter, so I'll get straight to the point. Freya's told me about you, and she's told me of her desire to have you live with us full-time--no more of this on-and-off haunting business. As a scientist with an abundance of Lifetime Happiness points, I happen to know a thing or two about the boundaries of death..."

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"You mean you know how to bind me to the household and make me a playable?! Mrs. Loveland, that's my dream! I'd love to!"
"Excellent. I'll get dressed in something more professional. Meet me by the pool in five minutes."

(Ignore the entire rest of the family, plus the ghost of Anastasia, having a bit of a moment at the foot of the stairs. I don't know what's going on there.)

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Mimi doesn't meet Angela by the pool in five minutes, because she's still just a haunting ghost and I can't control her. Freya comes along, though, and watches solemnly as Angela works her science--er, magic--on her newly-acquired Philosopher's Stone. With a few words of mumbo-jumbo and some fancy arm movements, she officially binds Mimi to the household. Hooray!

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Where's Mimi, then? She's upstairs haunting the toilet, but not for long. Freya tracks her down and asks her the question that's been burning in her soul for weeks.

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Awww. What an explosive couple they make! (That's what happens, right? Fire + electricity = boom? I've never put fire and electricity together in real life, myself.)

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There's a problem, though. As soon as she agrees to marry Freya, Mimi vanishes in a spray of light. Her portrait disappears from the screen, so I lose control of her, and she's back in her grave like before.

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Apparently binding a ghost doesn't work very well when the ghost is actively haunting. Angela's gone to work by now, so Freya tries her hand at the Philosopher's Stone for round two.

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"Mimi, thank watcher you're back! What happened? I thought--I thought--"
"That was a test of your loyalty. Congrats, you passed!"

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Well, that was weird. Mimi stays bound to the household after this. And here she is in flesh form. I could have given her a makeover but she's just so cute as she is! Mimi Krakel (as is her full name) has the following traits: Perfectionist, Angler, Neat, Snob, and Light Sleeper. She likes Pop music, French Toast, and the color yellow. Her Lifetime Wish is Presenting the Perfect Private Aquarium.

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I don't know where else to put this, so here's a cute screenshot of Angela and her grandson son having a go at karaoke. Angela has one of the worst singing voices I've ever heard. So just imagine that. You're welcome.

[Trip]

The "resurrecting while haunting" thing is crazy! I've never done it but I'd have assumed it wasn't so broken. Because I'm still gullible.

I like your bachelorette outfit a lot better if I gotta be honest! It's less base-gamey.

[Beks]

I've got another double update coming today because I played way far ahead and I'm not letting myself play in the next town until I get these chapters finished. Sorry / you're welcome!

The "resurrecting while haunting" thing is crazy! I've never done it but I'd have assumed it wasn't so broken. Because I'm still gullible.

I like your bachelorette outfit a lot better if I gotta be honest! It's less base-gamey.

I know, right? The Philosopher's Stone is so powerful and you can bind any ghost in town to your household...oh wait except they have to be in the ground at the time. No physically present ghosts allowed.

And thank you!

[Beks]

Chapter 95 (part 1) -  Dusk & Dawn

The day of Moira's wedding arrives, and with it, the reminder of a looming problem: household space. With Mimi as a member of the household, we are officially up to 8 sims. Moira won't even be able to exchange vows with Lydell unless somebody moves out.

So Heather confronts Moira that morning for a heart to heart.

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"Moira, I've been thinking for a while about what to do when this day comes. We can't all fit in this house, as large as it is, and we certainly can't all move to the next town when you and Lydell go."
"Aunt Heather, you're not--"
"I am. I'm moving out today, with Harley."
"But--you don't want to come to the next town with us? You've just reached the top of your career! You could sell out stadiums in other towns, become the most famous magician in the nation--"

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"That's just it, Moira. I've worked hard at my career for years, and I've achieved all I can here in Riverview--and that's enough for me. Yes, it would be fun to see what else is out there...but it's more important for you and the younger members of our family to follow your dreams. Besides, I think it's time Harley gets to know his father for real--and I've been hankering for some husband time."

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"We'll miss you, Aunt Heather."

Heather and Harley gather their things and prepare to move down the street.

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"Well, I guess this is it, cuz. Keep me updated on your adventures in the next town, yeah?"
"Definitely. Have fun with your dad--and Lourdes."
"Thanks. Speaking of, what's happening with you and Valencia?"
"I'm not sure, actually. I guess...well, with you moving out, there's technically space if she were to...you know..."
"Yeah. Well, good luck with that!"
"See you around, Har."

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It's a short drive down to the end of the road. And Trevor is waiting for them--finally able to live with his family for the first time in years.

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It's an exciting day for Angela, too. She maxes her career in science, earning a bonus of a zillion dollars. I like to think she got that last promotion due to her groundbreaking work in Buggy Philosopher's Stones.

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Before the day gets away from us, though, we've got a wedding to throw! Lost Willow Park is rented and furnished for the occasion. The bride tests out the sturdiness of the chairs by putting her rump in one of them and cracking open a book.

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Angela and Archie get the dancing started.

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The groom shows up on time, but he gets caught up in a long string of negative interactions with Casandra Shallow. Casandra shouts at him and even slaps him over and over again as the guests trickle in. I have no idea what's going on here, but poor Lydell seems to be on the receiving end, at least.

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He seems awfully relieved when Moira comes over to tell him the ceremony is about to start. (And Casandra seems to be fully comprehending the situation for the first time. That's right, honey, back off!)

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Moira hardly ever gives evidence of her slob trait, but now, she decides it's the perfect time. Her fellow perfectionist Constance Shelley is thoroughly alarmed.

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Just as the vows are starting, the camera jumps back to the home lot and I nearly have a panic attack. Oh, it's just Boba aging up to adult! I'm in such a hurry to get back to the wedding that I only get this pathetic screenshot of Boba's butt in the air. Sorry, Boba.

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If we can jump to the future for a brief moment, here's Boba all grown up the next morning when there's better light. He's a handsome and colorful man indeed!

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Okay, back to the wedding.

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Rings are exchanged, vows are spoken, and I really regret not throwing this wedding earlier in the day so you could actually see the flowers in the background. *sigh*

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Congratulations to the newest Mr. and Mrs. Loveland!

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As Moira cuts the cake, I suddenly realize that Angela and Archie are nowhere to be seen. They're not really the type to ditch the wedding, are they? That's more Freya's thing, and she's right there watching.

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Oh. Maybe they ARE that type. Angela and Archie are back at home having drinks like two teenagers sneaking away from a cocktail party. They missed their daughter's wedding vows!

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They follow up their drinking session with a nice skinny dip in the pool. I suppose this is their one chance to have the lot to themselves.

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Freya and Mimi sit together to eat the wedding cake and discuss their future plans.

"We're moving to the next town tomorrow, Mimi. Maybe we should...you know, move things along. What do you think?"

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After the wedding winds down, Freya and Mimi drift across town to the edge of the cemetery where they met. There, under the light of a gibbous moon (and then the breaking dawn), they exchange vows, just the two of them.

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Congratulations, Mrs. and Mrs. Loveland! And congratulations on having the much more scenic wedding of the two, despite my intentions. (Everything is more beautiful at dawn.)

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Meanwhile, Moira and Lydell go back to the farmhouse in the countryside where Lydell grew up and enjoy their wedding night in Lydell's old bedroom.

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This is super sweet and romantic and all, but it comes with some inconveniences. Like the presence of Lydell's brothers and father, who keep walking in on the newlyweds expressing their love for each other.

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Moira and Lydell are too in love to care. Sorry, Mr. McDermott. I am so sorry.

[Beks]

Chapter 95 (part 2)

Once Moira and Lydell get back to the house, Lydell gets a makeover. As much as I loved the hairstyle he had, he was looking a bit too much like Peter. So he gets the big swoop trimmed down a bit, and also grows a little bit of stubble.

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Lydell is a super handsome dude and like, low-key hot. He has just about the nicest set of traits imaginable: Genius, Brave, Couch Potato, Friendly, and Good. He belongs in some sort of dynasty with those picture-perfect traits! Lydell likes soul music, vegetarian dim sum, and the color orange. Hilariously, his Lifetime Wish is Master Magician. I don't know where that comes from, but it's going to have to change down the road. Lydell needs to go out into the world and spread his smartness, goodness, and bravery, not release flocks of doves from his armpits. (All respect to Heather, the queen of magic forever and ever amen.)

As a last wedding-related thing...I slipped a photo booth in a dark corner of the park, and the bride and groom used it to capture a few photos together.

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I can't handle the cuteness.

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And to my surprise and delight, Killian goes in and uses the photo booth of his own accord, capturing these pensive portraits of a teenage boy trying to look philosophical.

It's almost time to move to the next town, people. One more chapter and off we go!

[Beks]

Chapter 96 - Dessert For Breakfast

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It's the last day here in Riverview. Our last countryside sunrise, after our last night of countryside starlight. Our last look at Killian snoring in the attic.

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Once he stops snoring and makes his way downstairs, Killian finds a cake waiting for him, along with his family members. It's his birthday!

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Freya comes up extremely close to the cake for some reason. Is she secretly fond of her nephew? Is she determined to get this over with as soon as possible?

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Killian becomes Neat, which somehow fits him perfectly in my eyes. His other traits are Neurotic, Loves the Outdoors, Daredevil, and Savvy Sculptor. He takes on the Lifetime Wish of becoming a Descendent of Da Vinci. Only a true daredevil would attempt that!

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The family gathers around the dining room table one last time for a dessert-y breakfast.

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Aftewards, Killian makes a very important phone call.

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When Valencia arrives, Killian drops to a knee before she even says hello.

"Valencia Newbie, I've loved you since the first time I sat by you on the school bus. I want to take our relationship to the next level--and the next town. Will you marry me and come along to...wherever we're going?"

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"Get out of Riverview?! See someplace with actual buildings and busy streets?!? Get a makeover and start dressing like a woman in her twenties?! Yes, yes, yes!!"
"Well, I don't know if there will be actual buildings or busy streets, but..."
"Still yes!"
"Okay, good."

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Killian and Valencia get married right there in the front yard.

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Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Loveland! And that's our third wedding in less than 24 hours and I am ready for a break now.

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Right after they wed, the two new lovebirds autonomously, and simultaneously, do the "awwww, I'm so in love!" action, which almost makes me not tired of weddings anymore. Almost.

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Here's Valencia after a makeover. For some reason I had to dress her in pink, even though it's not her favorite color--it just suits her. In addition to having the cutest lil' face, Valencia has a really cute personality, too--she's a Couch Potato, Ambitious, Insane, Excitable, and a Dog Person. She likes hip hop, aloo masala curry, and spice brown, and her LTW is to be a Creature-Robot Crossbreeder.

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Moira comes out to the yard to congratulate her brother--but most importantly, to check the mailbox and see where the family is headed to next.

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We've got a full household once again. Everybody pile into the Motive Mobile! You might have to sit on each other's laps!

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Goodbye, Riverview. We'll see you again someday.

[Beks]

Chapter 97 - Settling In

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The Loveland family moves to Starlight Shores, a glitzy, balmy coastal town that I've barely played in before. This is new territory, people, and I am here for it!

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The Lovelands purchase House to the Future up on the hilly side of town. We certainly aren't in the countryside anymore--this house just screams "we ran full-speed into the 21st century to escape the messy past". No gingham curtains and frumpy lamps here!

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The house has a spacious floorplan with half the first floor dedicated to an indoor, glass-walled gym. It becomes less of a gym and more of a general skilling room. There's also a nice open dining area and plenty of room for cat supplies.

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The second floor has two ginormous bedrooms and one tiny bedroom. This configuration works for us right now, but probably won't in the future.

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The top floor is basically the party floor. Pool table, mini bar, outdoor seating, fire pit, useless bathroom with only a sink (??)...we're going to have some good times up here.

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After I press play, a very grave situation makes itself plain. You may notice something not right about this picture. Can you spot it? Right there in the front? In yellow? I'll give you a hint: it's causing most of the family to mime throwing up.

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That's right. Freya and Mimi, while still technically ghosts, have lost their ghostly exteriors in the move. (We discussed this exact problem a few weeks ago on this story thread, and I was all like "Nah, it'll never happen to me." *eats words*) I have no idea why it happened, especially because I moved the family the old fashioned way by saving them to the bin and starting a fresh file in the new town. But it's super weird. And honestly depressing.

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Well, not much we can do about it now. Freya and Mimi are moving out to start their own life together. Perhaps Freya will be more likely to get a good deal on a house now that she's slightly less scary looking?

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Killian and Valencia also head out on their own. Go forth, lovelies, and produce much offspring!

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Luckily, our two couples move into homes somewhat near each other, on the beachy side of town.

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This is the only picture I got of Freya and Mimi arriving at their new digs. Mimi is about to drift through the wall of her new house. What a proud moment! (My hope is that we'll see Freya performing as a singer around town. Time will tell if this game even works like that.)

And then there were four. Only the heir, her spouse, and her parents remain, plus our two beloved cats. I can breathe better already. That full household was really starting to stress me out.

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Archie and Lydell start things off with a truly disturbing selfie session. Archie keeps doing this because he's a jock, but clearly he's not an expert yet. Apparently his level 10 photography skill doesn't apply to selfies.

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After extracting his right arm from his father-in-law's ribcage, Lydell heads across town and spends the afternoon befriending his new boss, Evan Best. Evan is REALLY excited to be in charge of the famous Desk Jockey from Riverview.

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That night, Angela cooks up some spaghetti for the family and they all enjoy their first meal in their new dining room before bed.

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I haven't even seen Angela in her work uniform since she got her last promotion before the move. She goes off to her first day of work at the Starlight Shores science center, which is apparently combined with the hospital, which is apparently called Holy Cow Memorial Hospital. All right then.

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Nibs becomes an elder that evening. Our former ghost kitty is finally growing old!

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Honestly, these first few days in Starlight Shores are pretty chill. Angela and Archie try out the new entertainment options. Of course they go for pool first. Typical jocks.

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After losing magnificently to Angela, Archie is faced with the inevitable passing of time. Don't be scared, Archie! Before you know it, you'll become the very thing you're most afraid of--a ghost! And then you won't be scared anymore! Probably!

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Moira spends almost every moment of her days and nights researching science. With a maxed science skill, she should be able to jump up a few levels in the medical career. And since she has to do both anyway for her LTW, I figured she might as well focus on science first. (Of course, with how long it takes to level up in this skill, she probably would be like level four in the medical career by now anyway...but let's pretend this is worth our while.)

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Angela starts up a new garden with mostly-new plants, because I'm a dummy and left our chest full of perfect special fruits in Riverview. Archie helps by ensuring that the sprinkler is working correctly.

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A couple days pass, and I spot Valencia strolling through town with a puppy under her arm. Killian and Valencia got a pet!!! Oh, and also they're going to have a baby. There's that too.

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Angela has taken up a new love for dumpster diving. Seriously, if she's ever out in town and I take my eye off her for one second, she makes a beeline for the nearest garbage bin and goes bananas. Maybe she was born for city life after all.

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Lydell makes it to level four of his career and finally gets a snazzy uniform. (Or maybe he's had it all along and I just never noticed? Not sure.)

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Of course, he's got a long way to go yet. He's still afraid of the chin-up bar.

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Archie doesn't have a lot to do these days (or ever in his entire life), but at least the ice cream truck tends to stop right outside our house. He takes advantage and spends the family fortune, in small increments, on $25 rainbow popsicles. Capitalism is at its best here in Starlight Shores.

[Trip]

Starlight Shores has some...odd faces for sure. Some just unusual, others for uglacy fodder, and some that are nice too. Also learn science through books! If you're at the library it should take only a few days to master, something's funny in the coding but I'm not sure what.

I'm not sure what happened with your ghosts but if you want them to still visually be dead, you can assign the ghost trait with MasterController (maybe take it away and give it back?) I only suggest this because it seems like Freya and Mimi still want to act like ghosts and be annoying.

[hazelnut]

Loved Angela and Archie sneaking away from the wedding for some irresponsible couple time .

I was going to advise learning science from books but see that Trip beat me to it...

[deedee_828]

Starlight Shores is my next town as well, so my Frio family will be meeting some of the same locals! I need to do some research and see what promising genetics are available here, as like you, I haven't played her much at all. My Farmacy family did vacation there and they had a great time, but the purpose of the visit didn't work out as I'd planned, but it was still a nice little preview of the town.

As far as your ghost issues, I'm sorry that Freya and Mimi lost their ghostliness, but what Trip suggested worked for me to make my Antony a real ghost. Though his original issue was the opposite as he was born and stayed ghostly from birth, but others didn't recognize him as a ghost. Which I found out was the same reason he couldn't father ghost babies---because he didn't have a tombstone in his inventory. I used NRaas MC to remove and add his ghostliness back and it generated a tombstone for him. But I've read posts not recommending using mods to do that as it can cause even more issues. Since I decided not to make Kimberly and Antony the heir couple, primarily for the ghost issues, I did it anyway and it worked fine for my purposes.

As for poor Archie---if his cowardly trait works like my poor Sam's, being a ghost won't deter him one little bit from passing out when he sees other ghosts. It's comical really, and I just added it to my story. Luckily for Sam, with all the fairy heirs staying in their third towns, there are only 6 family ghosts in our 10th town. But the the fairy line has come to an end so Sam will be dealing with a lot more ghostly family members as we continue through to our 18th town.

[Beks]

Starlight Shores has some...odd faces for sure. Some just unusual, others for uglacy fodder, and some that are nice too. Also learn science through books! If you're at the library it should take only a few days to master, something's funny in the coding but I'm not sure what.

I'm not sure what happened with your ghosts but if you want them to still visually be dead, you can assign the ghost trait with MasterController (maybe take it away and give it back?) I only suggest this because it seems like Freya and Mimi still want to act like ghosts and be annoying.

Yeah, this is the first town in a while where a decent percentage of the townies are kinda weird looking. I'm excited to get some new, funky genes into the family!

I can't believe I didn't think to have Moira read science books at the library. She's maxed it now in-game, but I didn't have her start reading until she was at level 9. Boom, maxed in like an hour. *sigh* I'll definitely take your advice next time.

And thank you for the tip about the ghost trait! I just went in and fixed it. I did it wrong the first time, though--I tried giving Mimi the ghost hidden trait through the "change traits" menu in MC, but nothing happened. (I don't even get what that hidden trait is supposed to be for. It said "DO NOT TRANSLATE" beside it, which is why I removed it again afterwards--it sounded scary.) Then I found the "Occult - Add" option, which worked on both Mimi and Freya.

Loved Angela and Archie sneaking away from the wedding for some irresponsible couple time .

I was going to advise learning science from books but see that Trip beat me to it...

I loved it too. It annoyed me at first, but I couldn't stay mad when they started skinny dipping.

I always forget about reading skill books, especially in upper levels of skilling. It would've been really useful this time!

Starlight Shores is my next town as well, so my Frio family will be meeting some of the same locals! I need to do some research and see what promising genetics are available here, as like you, I haven't played her much at all. My Farmacy family did vacation there and they had a great time, but the purpose of the visit didn't work out as I'd planned, but it was still a nice little preview of the town.

As far as your ghost issues, I'm sorry that Freya and Mimi lost their ghostliness, but what Trip suggested worked for me to make my Antony a real ghost. Though his original issue was the opposite as he was born and stayed ghostly from birth, but others didn't recognize him as a ghost. Which I found out was the same reason he couldn't father ghost babies---because he didn't have a tombstone in his inventory. I used NRaas MC to remove and add his ghostliness back and it generated a tombstone for him. But I've read posts not recommending using mods to do that as it can cause even more issues. Since I decided not to make Kimberly and Antony the heir couple, primarily for the ghost issues, I did it anyway and it worked fine for my purposes.

As for poor Archie---if his cowardly trait works like my poor Sam's, being a ghost won't deter him one little bit from passing out when he sees other ghosts. It's comical really, and I just added it to my story. Luckily for Sam, with all the fairy heirs staying in their third towns, there are only 6 family ghosts in our 10th town. But the the fairy line has come to an end so Sam will be dealing with a lot more ghostly family members as we continue through to our 18th town.

There seems to be a mix of "good" and "bad" genetics in Starlight Shores, which should make for some really interesting townie babies. A lot of the townies I've seen around look conventionally gorgeous from afar, and then you get up close and realize they have a gigantic nose or something which makes them odd-looking, but weirdly adorable. (I'm mostly thinking of Javed Meir, who has yet to pair up and make babies in my game. Hurry up, Javed.)

Yeah, I'm not expecting Archie to be anything but a complete wimp as a ghost. The poor guy would probably appreciate staying in the family inventory for the most part. I'm glad fixing the ghost problem in your game worked out! I'm hoping that tweaking Freya and Mimi won't cause any issues in my game. So far so good.

[Beks]

Chapter 98 - Late Nights & City Lights

Moira is a very focused woman. Since starting to learn the science skill, she hardly ever wishes to do anything but research. But Moira is also Family-Oriented, meaning that one of these days, she'll probably want to start having kids, right?

Wrong. Several days go by, and Moira rolls no family-related wishes. I wouldn't really care, except that Moira is the first Family-Oriented sim I've played in ages, and I think she's the first in this Random Town Jump. I'd like her to have kids when she truly wants to have them.

That said...maybe she can be inspired in that direction? Story Progression is already getting busy out there, after all! She and Lydell pop simultaneous wishes to go on a date with each other one night. Perfect opportunity to get a little romance going.

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They head down to Mick's, which looks almost exactly the same as the place called Mick's back in Riverview...what's with that? So strange!

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They kick the magician off the karaoke machine and have at it. Lydell gets really into it and even starts singing at ME.

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He also starts inserting some energetic dance moves into his performance. Look at that pelvic thrust!

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Afterwards, Moira and Lydell cross the street to stargaze. I don't know how many stars they can see from downtown in a lights-filled city. Probably not very many.

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Then they make out in the blue light of the coffeehouse, which is so mysteriously similar to the coffeehouse where they had their first date as teenagers. (It's almost like different towns use the same lots. Weird!)

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Thanks to the Motive Mobile, the date lasts all night. Moira and Lydell return home for some woohoo at dawn. Just as they finish up, I discover that Archie is IN THE ROOM WITH THEM. Archie! Have you lost your mind?!

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At least he feels guilty. You can tell because he literally smashes his head through the window the moment he is discovered.

And does my plan work? Why, yes. It actually does. After that woohoo, just as Lydell gets up to leave for work, Moira finally rolls the wish to have her first child. Huzzah!

That afternoon, Angela invites Killian and Valencia over. We haven't seen them since they moved out, and Valencia's very pregnant. It's high time we checked in.

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This is when I remember that Moira and Valencia aren't exactly best friends. In fact, they're enemies. Did anyone else completely forget that Lydell and Valencia dated for like half a second? No? Yeah, neither did Moira or Valencia. Two minutes in each other's presence and Valencia's had enough. She ends the group outing and storms off home alone.

Killian sticks around, though. He becomes Lydell's first interviewee (more like "interogatee") for his new position at work.

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"So, what have you been up to lately, Killian?"
"Gosh, where to start? I got a job working as a scientist. Mom is actually terrifying as a Mad Scientist, by the way. But she also leaves treats for me in the break room, so it's not all bad. Valencia is pregnant with our first child. We got a dog. Our house has a really nice view of the sea. I only wish it had a fireplace so I could play with fire more often. I don't have a sculpting station or an easel or an inventing table, so my Lifetime Wish is probably never going to happen without watcher intervention. Did I mention we got a dog?"
"I meant, uh...have you been up to anything suspicious? Anything I should inform the police about?"
"Oh. Nope!"

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Archie is spending way too much time in the sprinkler and roping his family members into games of catch, so I'm on the hunt for a new hobby for him. He's not exactly the sort of person I'd imagine as a DJ, but hey, why not?

The answer to the question of "why not" is because everybody in the household clusters around the DJ booth to "request songs" whenever Archie's using it. Never mind, moving on!

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Then I remember that Archie has a bit of a knack for mixology. Having a bar in the foyer of his old house in Riverview was a good thing, apparently. He takes up the practice again on his new rooftop bar and starts crafting his own drinks with the city lights as a backdrop.

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The rest of his spare time is pretty much spent with Angela. These two are continuously adorable, even with their annoying jock tendencies.

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After working day and night on her science skill, Moira becomes so much of a nerd that she qualifies for an extra trait! I did not expect this to happen before she reached level 10, but obviously I'm an idiot. She selects Bookworm to add to her already-pretty-perfect personality. (Do I then use this super convenient trait to fast-track her science skill by having her read skill books at the library? No I do not! Would I kick my past self if I could? Yes I would!)

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Boba is doing well. He and Nibs spend all their time pouncing on each other and nuzzling each other. Boba is also learning to hunt. Our toy crate didn't come with a rubber mouse, for some reason, but it DID come with this paper ball. Which apparently is just as good for hunting.

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The weekend arrives, and after a long week of work and play and skilling, the whole family goes out for a night on the town. They head to Rodeo-Go-Go first, mostly because I spot Killian and Valencia watching a magician outside. (Valencia's looking nice and deflated over there...looks like we've got a baby to meet soon!)

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Moira takes the opportunity to catch her sister-in-law off guard and hit her with a Potent Friendship Elixir. Hooray, they're best friends now! (Moira still doesn't look happy about it, but that's probably because she prefers scientific methods over magic.)

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Shortly after this, I find Lydell upstairs in the bar, dancing with Valencia in a quiet corner. Not good! Not good!

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Thank goodness for this bucking bronco thing, which distracts Valencia from trying to woo her ex. I've never seen this thing in action and it is stressful to watch, let me tell you.

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Moira gives it a try once Valencia somehow survives being flung off. Jeez, how does this thing not cause untimely deaths?

Moira needs some fresh air after this, so she goes out to find her mother, who has been dumpster diving out back this whole time.

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"Dumpster selfieeee!"

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Next, the Lovelands go to the private club down the street. Angela and Lydell go crazy on the arcade machine.

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Moira and Archie lure Edward Gooder and Addison Batez away from the karaoke machine for a very, very serious game of pool.

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Then father and son-in-law have a turn at karaoke. I think Lydell is secretly a Natural Born Performer. No wonder he wants to be a magician.

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He's so passionate about karaoke, in fact, that after the club closes at 1:30 and the family is kicked out, Lydell brings the microphone with him and keeps on singing!

He's just a man with music in his heart, I guess.

[deedee_828]

Yay!!! Nooboos!!! Beginning the next gen in a new town is soooo exciting! Names, traits, and wondering who they'll take after! Congrats!

Are you going to let Lydell pursue the Magician career?

I'm hoping for someone in the family to get a performing career for SS, but if not, I've got a back-up plan for moving there.

I'm sure any of you who have done TJ challenges, or any others, know all about having a back-up plan!
If it's not the weather, or calamites striking at the worse possible moment, it's getting odd traits or LTW choices.

[Beks]

Yay!!! Nooboos!!! Beginning the next gen in a new town is soooo exciting! Names, traits, and wondering who they'll take after! Congrats!

Are you going to let Lydell pursue the Magician career?

I'm hoping for someone in the family to get a performing career for SS, but if not, I've got a back-up plan for moving there.

I'm sure any of you who have done TJ challenges, or any others, know all about having a back-up plan!
If it's not the weather, or calamites striking at the worse possible moment, it's getting odd traits or LTW choices.

Nooboos coming quite soon! I agree, the births and then the toddler birthdays are so very exciting.

Lydell will not be pursuing the Magician career. He's already pretty high level in law enforcement, and also that LTW just doesn't really make sense for him with his traits. (His passion for karaoke is the only thing that suggests otherwise.) If I hadn't just played a magician for a whole generation, I might've indulged him. I supposed once he's a boring elder...maaaaybe he could pursue his pipe dream? No promises though.