Costa Mishmash Legacy 9.8: This Stuff Is Starting Now (17 Nov '24)

[Granny Lawlor]

Congrats to Bianca for completing her requirements. Or should I say, Congrats to Jerome for his contribution of 4 nooboos. It was lucky that both woman had twins.

Desiree is to be a Bestselling Author? I'm resisting the urge to go rummage through our planning discussions to work out what else she'll be up to.

I really like her pic. That side plait really suits her.

[oshizu]

Congrats to Bianca for completing her requirements. Or should I say, Congrats to Jerome for his contribution of 4 nooboos. It was lucky that both woman had twins.

Desiree is to be a Bestselling Author? I'm resisting the urge to go rummage through our planning discussions to work out what else she'll be up to.

I really like her pic. That side plait really suits her.

Bianca and Jerome thank you for your warm congratulations!!!
Um, Jerome might have bought the Fertile trait and tried for baby thrice with each damsel before letting them go home.

Hehe, no need to scour our planning documents for Desiree's generational requirements.
I shall share upfront that i've created an entirely new set of requirements for her! Mwahahaha!

IT still mystifies me how Denis makes so much progress with everything!
Desiree finally went volunteering 3 times this past week to max out her Empathy character value, something Denis had already achieved as a child.
Denis will be a great sidekick for Desiree, for sure!

[Granny Lawlor]

Ah - the fertile trait. I am hoping my Gen 9 heir Mary will benefit from that and produce twins with Faiz. I must go and check on them.

[oshizu]

Ah - the fertile trait. I am hoping my Gen 9 heir Mary will benefit from that and produce twins with Faiz. I must go and check on them.

YES!  Let us know how Mary and Faiz are doing!

I confess I'm still torn about not choosing Denis for heir....
Perhaps he could live with his sister Desiree forever?

[oshizu]

8.7: I'm All Finished!


Sunday, Week 58, Year 5 (early winter)
Bianca: Last week, Aimee, Desiree, and Denis aged up to teens on Monday.
They spent the rest of the week learning new skills and completing aspirations.
Jerome's baby mama Sasha and his wife Johanna both had twins on Thursday.
My four grandkids fulfilled my remaining requirement to have a Big Happy Family.
On Saturday, the teens attended Prom without dates and met their kind from Ciudad Enamorada.
From L to R: Denis, Aimee, me, Papas Vitor & Kian, my husband Andres, and the next heir Desiree


Denis: I should be wrapping up Bodybuilder by tomorrow.
I never get out into our neighborhood except when I'm walking to the fishing spot.
It's nice to get to know Hopewell Hills a little better, I guess.


Desiree: I've been writing on Mystery novel after another since yesterday afternoon.
I just can't seem to write a third bestseller, so I decide to take a break.
It feels good to actually finish an aspiration. And Nerd Brain's insta-upgrades are so useful!



Monday
Denis: Feels like maximizing my body potential is taking forever!
Well, I better stop now, though, cuz our first day of work as Simfluencers will start soon.


Denis: Desiree and I take a vacation day from school today.
I'm on a roll! This morning, I max my Simfluencer caereer.
Then in the afternoon, I complete my Bodybuilder aspiration.
Meanwhile, Desiree gives up on her beloved mysteries and write a motivational book.
That book ends up being her third bestseller!

Today we learn that the Earn and Keep an A task's count doesn't rise if we don't go to school.


Bianca: I earn another promotion today. My level is current 10+3.
Desiree and Denis wil be moved out later this week, so I think it's time I quite my job.
I'll wait until after tomorrow's shift.


Desiree: You're so much better than I am at skills, aspirations, and promotions!
I'm not even sure anymore if I should be the next heir!
Denis: Don't worry about it, sis! Tomorrow morning, you'll max your Simfluencer career.
Then, tomorrow afternoon, we'll all reach Rank 3 of the Chess Club. Career Day's on Thursday.
Desiree: SO what do you think, Denis? Should we wait and move out Wednesday or after Career Day?


Aimee: It's been kinda lonely since I learned that Denis will be moving out with Desiree.
Like today, those two took a vacation day but I got sent to high school.
Even though Desire and I are twins, Desire is much, much closer to Denis these days.

I guess it's to be expected because they need to plan out their move and their new life.
All that's expected of me is that I meet someone I want to marry and move into this house.


Bianca: I can't believe that I found you starting on Painter Extraordinaire.
Desiree: Well, Denis and Aimee both finished that aspirations, so I…
Bianca: Listen, you've been a teen for a week now and you're not even an Acolyte spellcaster yet.
I'm going to give you magical training until you reach at least the Acoltype rank.
I mean, most heirs are already Adept spellcasters by the time they move out…



Tuesday
Desiree: Today, Denis and I are attending school actively.
I want to read some Acolyte-rank magic tomes before and between classes.
Denis wants to do his Simfluencer task for tomorrow.


Around 10 am, I hit §25,000 in publishing royalties and complete Bestselling Author!


All three of us reach Rank 3 of the Chess Club today after school.
It' was a lot of work and the rewards for reaching Rank 3 aren't even that great!
Becoming a Llamacorn Scout now counts for Goal Oriented's Reach L3 of an After School Activity task.
But we wanted to do an after-school club for when we're old enough to become Renaissance Sims.


Andres: Desiree! Not you flirting with the Sage of Practical Magic! He's too old for you!
Desiree: But Papa, he's a Good, Foodie, Perfectionist!  And he's so attractive!
Mama, can't you keep giving him Potions of Rejuvenation until I'm a Young Adult, too?
Bianca: Well, okay. I'll give him one for now. You better go meet with the other Sages, too, dear.



Wednesday
Andres: It's hard to believe that today would be our Adult birthday!
Well, mine, anyway. Yours is actually several days later. Let's drink up our Potions of Youth!
Bianca: It will be nice to enjoy young adulthood again, but without a career and all the babies!
Andres: What? You're joking, right? I can wait until Desiree invites us for a stayover to help with her kids.
Bianca: Well, she's still a teen so that won't be for a while yet.


Vitor: Of course, I can give you magical training. But why are you seem in such a rush, Desiree?
Desiree: I want to reach Adept rank tonight, Grandpa Vitor, then move out Right afterward.
Vitor: Really? But isn't tonight a little sudden? Why don't you wait until Saturday?
You could finish become a Highflier on Thursday and even reach Master rank before you move out!
Desiree: San Sequoia is a snoozefest, but you make a lot of sense. I could learn all my spells and potions!
Vitor: I won't argue with your opinion of San Sequoia!


Bianca: But you're still teens, Desiree! Isn't it too early for you to be moving out?
Desiree: You and Paolo were my age when you moved here to San Sequoia.
Bianca: That's true, dear, but I moved here with my parents and…
Vitor: I believe Desiree and Denis are mature enough to live on their own, Bianca.
Also, I know your requirements expect me and Kian to live here until we die.
But frankly, we'd rather live the rest of our lives in Sulani.
So, when Desiree and Denis move out, Kian and I will also be moving back to Sulani.
Kian: Thank goodness, finally!



Thursday
Desiree: The instant we stepped foot on the Career Day venue, the three of became Highfliers!


Desiree: Why do I get the feeling that Watcher likes Denis more than she likes me?
Aimee: If it's any consolation, sister dear, Watcher likes you more than she likes me.



Friday
Desiree: Watcher has decided to replace my Cooking skill requirement with Flower Arrangement.
When I tried cooking, four out of my first five meals were Normal quality.
When Denis tried, four of his first six meals were Impeccable. *sighs
At Career Day yesterday, I accidentally clicked Burgliate when trying to Repario my Normal potion.
Ever since, I've been receiving these nasty texts about my "stealing." Ugh!


Denis: I've decided to follow in Grandpa Vitor's footsteps and become a Master Chef.
But we also need a silver- or gold-medal social event to complete the last week of the Reaper Event.
I kill two birds with one stone by throwing a Dinner Party!



Saturday
Bianca: It's 5 o'clock in the morning, for goodness sakes! Why another dinner party so soon?
Vitor: Come, come, Bianca. Let's show Denis a little support, shall we?
He worked on Appliance Wiz all day yesterday.
And now, he only needs to prepare 2 waffles at a silver-medal party.


And thar she blows!  Terrific job, Denis!


Desiree: Prom is SUCH a bust! These are the cutest guys at Prom tonight, from left to right.
*Shaowen Goode: Hotheaded, Jealous (cousin)
*Ray Villareal: Practice Makes Perfect, Cat Lover (cousin)
*Steve Adamiec, Perfectionist (cousin)
Oh Steve! I had such high hopes for you! *sighs


Denis: I'm immediately attracted to Brianna but my romantic luck's even worse than Desiree's tonight.
Apparently, she and her brother Rex are Tartosa Costas, so not our cousins.
Though I can do Romantic socials with Brianna, she's Erratic and Paranoid.
Meanwhile, I discover I have a major crush on her brother, Rex, an Outgoing and Childish sim. *rolls eyes


Desiree: On the other hand, our sister Aimee had a fabulous time tonight.
That's the only reason Denis and I came to Prom anyway!
On arriving at the Prom venue, Aimee makes a beeline to Zander and asks to exchange Promise Rings.
And with votes from Denis and me, the happy couple of course get vote to the Prom Court!

Denis: C'mon, Desiree! It's time to go home and finish packing!



The Gen8 household
Home: 7 Eucalyptus Lane, Hopewell Hills (San Sequoia)

Bianca Costa (Gen8 heir) - YA
Traits: Good, Cheerful, Family Oriented (+Geek, Active, Loves the Outdoors)
Spouse: Andres (Goode): Children: Jerome; Aimee & Desiree; Denis

Andres Costa (Gen8 spouse) - YA
Traits: Proper, Romantically Reserved, Loyal (+Family Oriented, Active)

Aimee Costa (Gen9 spare) - Teen
Traits: Perfectionist, Loyal
Partner: Zander Delgato

MOVING BACK TO: Admiral's Wreckage (Sulani)
Vitor Costa (Gen7 heir) - Adult
Traits: Outgoing, Foodie, Perfectionist (+Family Oriented, Romantic, Music Lover)
Children: Oana (Nanea), Ulani (Riley), Hine (Lisa), Bianca (Melany), and Paolo (Kian, Diaz)

Kian Costa (Gen7 spouse) - Adult
Traits: Active, Family Oriented, Bro (+Creative, Perfectionist)

MOVING TO: Ravenwood
Desiree Costa (Gen9 heir) - Teen
Traits:  Loves the Outdoors, Music Lover (traits will change after moving)

Denis Costa (Gen9 spare) - Teen
Traits:  Loves the Outdoors, Proper  (traits will change after moving)

Progress: End of Week 58

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Gen7 heir: Vitor
Completed - Thu, Week 48, Year 4

Gen8 heir: Bianca
Completed - Sat, Week 58, Year 5
💻Career: Tech Guru/Startup Entrepreneur `10+3
💻Skills: Charisma, Handiness, Parenting, Programming, Video Gaming
💻Aspirations (4/4): Goal Oriented, Computer Whiz, Super Parent, Big Happy Family 4/4
💻Become a Llamacorn Scout and an A student in grade school
💻Complete all 8 childhood aspirations
💻Build a treehouse with the family
💻Host a family reunion with all your siblings and their partners
💻Try all 18 high chair foods (14 Baby Foods & 4 Finger Foods) with one of your infants
💻Earn 107/100 personal milestones: (Infant/21, Toddler/19, Child/16, Teen/31, YA/20 milestones)
💻Have a baby shower each time you get pregnant (2/2 pregnancies)
💻Have at least 4 children
💻Teach all of your kids how to ride a bike
💻Host a slumber party as a child and throw one for all of your children
💻Exchange friendship bracelets as a child (with Andres) and remain friends for life
💻Have your parents live with you until the next heir is ready to move out

Gen9 heir: Desiree Costa
Completed
None
Remaining
*Skills (5/7): Charisma, Cooking, Flower Arranging, Gardening, G. Cooking 0, Thanatology 0, Writing
*Aspirations (2/4): Bestselling Author, Freelance Botanist, Ghost Historian 0, Renaissance Sim 1/4
*Move to Ravenwood as a teen and own a crow
*And much more

Notes
*Generation 9: Desiree's generation will center on the upcoming Life & Death expansion pack.
  I'm absolutely HYPED about the new gameplay and hope you will join Desiree as she explores all the Life & Death content!

*Denis is a rockstar!: I'm amazed at how great Denis is at everything! Though he's a spare, I want his life to be just as special as Desiree's.  Somehow.

[Granny Lawlor]

Congrats to Desiree and Denis for pulling all there preparations together.

As you're designing your own generation, can't you stipulate joint heirs? Or does that contravene the Legacy convention too much?

It's a shame that San Sequoia isn't great for residences. I do like the Celebration Centre and the lake is nice for jogging round - have you spotted the train of baby ducks? So cute!

Ooh - exploring the new pack! I'll definitely be following that. I'm not buying it for now - other projects are calling me - but it looks like it could be fun.

[oshizu]

Congrats to Desiree and Denis for pulling all there preparations together.

As you're designing your own generation, can't you stipulate joint heirs? Or does that contravene the Legacy convention too much?

It's a shame that San Sequoia isn't great for residences. I do like the Celebration Centre and the lake is nice for jogging round - have you spotted the train of baby ducks? So cute!

Ooh - exploring the new pack! I'll definitely be following that. I'm not buying it for now - other projects are calling me - but it looks like it could be fun.

I've also the possibility of having Gen9 led by both Desiree and Denis, but am still deciding what that would look like in terms of requirements.
It's not going to be a huge household (I hope), so the siblings and their spouse could live their with a kid or two....
Still working the the details--double requirements for skills, aspirations, and careers? We could do that!

Thank you always for reading and commenting! It really means a lot! <3

[oshizu]

9.1: Raring to Go in Ravenwood


Sunday, Week 59, Year 5 (mid-winter)
Desiree: Not much to say about last week, really.
We were just killing time, waiting for travel access to the new town of Ravenwood.
Desiree and I moved to Ravenwood late last night and finally unpacked this morning.
We're living in a Tiny Home at Hay Hill Landing in the Whispering Glen neighborhood.
Also, we both got complete makeovers.  Whaddya think?


Denis: Watcher's decided that both Desiree and I will be heirs this generation.
So first thing this morning, I visited the Magical HQ to start learning spells and potions.
Desire: After that, we've been exploring our new neighborhood and…hey, what's that?
Denis: Seems to be some kind of Tarot Card Shrine…


Desiree: So we need to do favors for the Order of Lenore members to earn Tarot Cards?
Denis: Yeah. The Gomes and Aether households live in our neighborhood, right?
It says to go to Ravenwood Festivals to meet the members but can we visit their homes, too?
Desiree: I'd like to visit Crow's Crossing, so why don't we try visiting that Nyon Specter?


Denis: We visit the Crow's Crossing cemetery first, then walk over to the Specter home's graveyard.
Uh, the gravestones are all exes of Nyon's mother Olive?! Black widow much?
Desiree: As I get friendlier with Waylon Warez, he offers us Mysterious Merchandise.
I buy the Grim Deluxe Ascendant Crow (I hope it's alive) and Denis buys two Tarot Cards.
Denis: I have 5 cards total now, but this is when we discover that we can't transfer Tarot Cards!


Desiree: It's getting late, so we head straight to The Final Draught to meet some locals.
I spot a slightly nerdy boy who I later learn is Gloomy and Creative. 
I'm Very Attracted to Dorian Rose and he adores me!
We become best friends, which is my cue for asking him to join our household.


Denis: I'd actually met Renee Chang at Crow's Crossing earlier and asked her to join us here.
I like that Renee's Creative and Skeptical.
Since I plan to join one of the new careers, she can join the Chef career in my place!
As soon as we're besties, I ask her to join our household.
Yeah, yeah, we know we're speeding along, but we had to wait a week to move to Ravenwood!



Monday
Denis: You finished your homework and a school project in time, so why aren't you at school?
Dorian: No idea! I had no option at all to go to school.
So I'm making the most of my day off to earn scout badges.  What are you up to?
Denis: I'm trying to reach Adept magic rank so I can learn the Transportalate spell.
Dorian: Oh yeah, I can imagine that'd be handy for your card collection!


Desiree: I'm so proud of you, Dorian! You only have your Keep Fit badge left!
Dorian: Lucky for me, the Well gave me a guaranteed promotion toward a B grade.
Desiree: Wow, you took a vacation day but you're still keeping pace with Renee!



Tuesday
Desiree: I finally farmed three Beetle Nuggets today. (If only I'd known they could be CopyPasto'd!)
Denis: Sweet! They'll come in handy later for…you know.
Hey, I'm really close to Adept rank now. Could you train me some, sis?


Denis: After reaching Adept rank, I head to the Magical Realm.
First stop, Juan's Wonderful One-Stop Wand Warehouse in Casters Alley.
Huh, that shop's name needs a little alliteration, don't you think?
Anyway, while checking for magic tomes, I'm able to buy another card: Wands!


Denis: I've befriend our crow and name her Coronis because…crow lore (see Notes below).
Thanks for a new Tarot Card, sweetheart!
I'll have time to send you on more recon missions next week, hopefully.



Wednesday
Denis: I've been at the Whispering Glen's Crypt since 7 am.
It's nearly noon and I've found two more Tarot Cards. I wonder if…
Desiree: Get your butt back home, brother dear.
The Thinned has started at Mourningvale's Guardian Tree.


Denis: After finding several more cards around Mourningvale, I chat with Waylon Warez.
He comes along when I offer to help Zelmira Gomes with two favors.
She's one of the Order of Lenore members, so I'm trying to earn her two cards.


Desiree: Meanwhile, I meet the Ghost Mother Alice who grieves the unknown fates of her children.
I pledge to find out where they are and what's happened to them.


Denis: One of Zelmira's tasks require me to create a memorial display for a deceased sim.
What better ghost to honor than Waylon Warez? It turns out pretty nice, if I do say so myself!
After struggling with Zelmira's other favor, I realize my problem.
I need to complete a favor's first two task before the option for the third task appears. Duh!



Thursday
Desiree: I'm still around, but I've been busy searching for Ghost Mother Alice's children!
Denis: I go with Desiree to Crow's Crossing to wake up Nyon Specter and accept his two favors.
One of Nyon's favor involves summoning the Grim Reaper.
Oh look! Once we're friends, I can have a science baby with….um, never mind!


Desiree: Goodness gracious, Dorian! Look at you in that Villain costume! *fans self
Dorian: I'm so glad we feel the same about each other, even if it's only platonic (for now).
Desiree: Would you mind ALWAYS wearing your glasses in public?
I'd hate to have to constantly fight off hordes of sims drooling over you!


Desiree: I return to Mourningvale's Guardian Tree.
There, I report my findings to the grief-stricken Ghost Mother Alice.


I explain how and where I found each of her children.
She weeps but is relieved to know they're safe and kind of at peace.
She gives me special access to her Guardian Tree which Denis covets.


Denis: Um, I know Desiree already completed your quest, but can I do it, too?
Pretty please?



Gallery Downloads
*"Cute Asian Girl Renee" by Shirakakarsu. Lovely sim but I made some changes for my game.
  I aged this YA sim to a teen, gave her a complete makeover, and retraited her.
  She looks better in the new long, straight hair.
  But her current hairstyle adds a violet hue to her default gray hair color.
gives her default gray hair a violet.
*"Cute Artist Dorian" by Kxtiekittenz.
    He comes as a Gloomy, Creative, Loner YA sim.
    I aged him down to Teen and he lost his Loner trait (yay!). I lightened his black hair to dark brown.
    His wardrobe was already perfect.

The Gen9 household
Home: Hay Hill Landing, Whispering Glen (Ravenwood)
Desiree Costa (Gen9 heir) - Teen (4 days to YA)
Traits: Music Lover, Macabre

Denis Costa (Gen9 heir) - Teen (4 days to YA)
Traits:  Loves the Outdoors, Chased by Death

Dorian Rose (Gen9 housemate) - Teen (17 days to YA)
Traits: Gloomy, Creative

Renne Change (Gen9 partner) - Teen (17 days to YA)
Traits: Music Lover, Skeptical

Progress: Partway through Week 59

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Shared requirements
👻Move to Ravenwood as teens and own a pet crow
 *As a household, max the Reaper, Funeral Director, and Mortician careers
 *Plus several more
Desiree
 *Skills (4/5): Charisma, Flower Arranging, Gardening, Thanatology 0, Writing
 *Aspirations: (2/4): B. Author, F. Botanist, Ghost Historian 0, Renaissance Sim 1/4
 *Careers:  (not yet)
👻Complete Alice's Sorrow quest
Denis
 *Skills (3/5): Charisma, Fishing, Fitness, Pipe Organ 0, Thanatology 1
 *Aspirations (2/4): Angling Ace, Bodybuilder, Inner Peace 0/1, +1 more
 *Careers:  (not yet)
 *Complete Lady Ravendancer's Tarot Deck 18/26
 *And more

Notes
*Half-week update: I need to complete the 9th (this one) and 10th generations by Dec 31, 2024.  Hopefully sooner!
  But I ended up with so many screenshots that I've had to to split the Costas' first week win Ravenwood into two parts.

*Coronis: A princess killed by Apollo's twin sister Artemis for being unfaithful to Apollo.
  Artemis also shot the messenger crow who brought Apollo news of the infidelity of Coronis.
  This changed the messenger crow's white feathers to black.  Since then, crows are always black.

*Soul's Journey: Only YA and older sims can embark on their Soul's Journey.
  I'd planned to age up Dorian and Renee on Desiree and Denis' YA birthday in four days.
  But I'm feeling so impatient and might need to age all four of them up early. LOL!

[Granny Lawlor]

Well done on your first forays into Ravenswood. I hope you're having fun. A new world and a new collection! Of course you're having fun!

I'm not bothered about the new hairstyles but I like the clothes.

[oshizu]

Well done on your first forays into Ravenswood. I hope you're having fun. A new world and a new collection! Of course you're having fun!

I'm not bothered about the new hairstyles but I like the clothes.

Not only a new world a new collection, but also nine quests, a new aspiration, and three new careers!
I like the new hairstyles--they suit the style of Ravenwood very well. And, of course, all the new Build/Buy/CAS items are fabulous!
And the concept of the Soul's Journey is quite brilliant, also adding ghosts as a more viable life state than they'd been in the past, with their own Ghost Mastery skill tree.
There's so much to do!

[oshizu]

9.2: Birthdays and Bucket Lists


Thursday, Week 59, Year 5 (mid-winter)
Desiree: After treading water in San Sequoia for a week, we finally moved here to Ravenwood last Saturday night!
With no time to lose, Denis and I each moved in someone we clicked with on Saturday.
Denis: We do our best to support Dorian and Renee, who quickly become Llamacorn Scouts and A students.
Otherwise, I mainly looked for Tarot Cards and, by extension, did favors for Order of Lenore members.
Desiree: I enjoyed exploring Ravenwood and attending its many festivals. I also helped out Ghost Mother Alice.
From L to R: Rene, Desiree, Denis, and Dorian


Denis: We're at the Afterlife Anonymous meeting where I need to discuss unfinished business with three ghosts.
Please, Desiree! Stop trying to chat with the same ghosts as me!
Desiree: Fine! I'll sit here and read a Thanatology skill book. Hmmph!


Denis: I run into Order of Lenore Ghost Host member Esther Gomes and ask to help with a favor.
Oh weird! She gives me the favor but I see "Miho Sakai" on the favor's description.
What does that mean?


While in Mourningvale to meet Percival the Ghost Cowplant, Dorian checks the Tarot Tome Shrine for me.
Yep, Order of Lenore's Ghost Host member is Miho Sakai, not Esther Gomes.
I'd met Miho at Afterlife Anonymous earlier, so I create a hangout to turn in my task.
She arrives feeling Very Flirty and, strangely, I get a major crush on her.  Whatever!


I ask Miho to help with her second favor, which requires me to temporarily turn into a ghost.
Well, darn! I should've immediately checked how many hours this state lasts!
But I was too much in a rush to go home to finish and turn in Miho's favor.


Oh look! I randomly got assigned a cause of death.  But what do those mushrooms in my chest mean?
I check my traits and learn I experienced Death by Mold.  Huh!
We're gonna count that toward our "13 unique death types" requirement!


I create another hangout to invite over Miho, who gives me the Strength Tarot Card.
Very discreetly, I gaze at her chest to try and determine her cause of death.  But I can't.
No matter. Our requirement says to "Trigger, witness, or encounter 13 unique death types."
The "encounter" bit refers to the Reaper profession, not interacting with townie ghosts like Miho.



Friday
Dorian: I'm so touched that we're building a rocket ship for me to complete Nerd Brain!
Desiree: Yes, it's initially for you, Dorian. But maybe our children will also use it in the future.
Dorian: Did you just say "our children"? Like you and me, our children?
Desiree: Haha! I've done a great job, I believe, in not kissing you before our birthday!


Renee: You haven't seen much of me, but I've been very busy!
I know Denis initially planned to become a Chef, but I can do that instead!
So, I've been working on Appliance Wiz and Master Chef plus leveling all my culinary skills!
I've already maxed Homestyle and Gourmet Cooking!


Denis: I check my Collection tab's Tarot Card collection and I apparently still need one found in a crypt.
On my way to Whispering Glen's crypt, though, I stop to check the Tarot Tome Shrine.
How bizarre! The Ghost Host member is Esther Gomes again?
What? Did Esther take last night off from Order of Lenore duty or something?


Dorian: Stop your useless flirting, you ungrateful hussy!
Renee: But Dorian, I really like yo….
Dorina: You fool! Can't you see how hard Denis and Desiree are working to give us better lives?
My heart belongs to Desiree so stay away from me! I'd insult you more but I don't want to damage my rep!


Denis: I fail to find the Swords Tarot Card at the crypt but I'm feeling Very Sad over the passing of a good friend.
I travel to Crow's Crossing where to Seek Catharsis from one of the specters, which earns me another card!
Time to return to Whispering Glen because the Full Moon Revelry's about the begin!
I invite Desiree, Dorian, and Renee to The Final Draught bar which is rather close to the festival venue.


Desiree: Dorian told me what you said to him earlier this evening.
Not you trying to put the moves on the sim I love? The audacity!
Renee: Um, but everyone in the household's always so busy, and Dorian's so sweet, so…
Desiree: Listen, Dorian and I would like to kick you out of the household but that decision's up to Denis.
Renee: Buuuttt, I heard that Denis has a crush on that ghost Miho. What's the difference?
Desiree: The difference is that Miho is NOT the sim I plan to marry. His crush is harmless; yours is toxic!


Denis: I'm absolutely sure this is where the Moon Revelry takes place.
I checked last time and the venue was right across from that Decebal-lookalike rock face!
Why no festival?


For another Tarot Card, I need to dig a patch of dirt at a Full Moon Revelry.
It's a full moon tonight, so what if I dig here anyway?
Yup, that worked!



Saturday
Renee: I'm so sorry about my crush on Dorian. I'm Very Disliked by both Desiree and Dorian now.
Denis: Well, I'm not surprised and, by the way, we'll be aging up today before Prom.
No offense, but I'm not really feeling like going to Prom with you tonight.
Renee: Yeah, I totally get it. I'll do better, Denis! I promise!


Next, Desiree and I leave for Mourningvale together.
We need to "Make Contact with Edith" for our Ghost Historian aspiration.
But first I need to ask Edith about Alice's Sorrow for that quest.
By the time I'm done chatting with Edith, we have max friendship!


Denis: Next is the Family Day Festival in Crow's Crossing.
We've been waiting all week for this one!
Looks like this must be the place!


I find Nyon Specter standing by a sign for The Guild for Awesome Collectors.
Apparently, a guild rep stands by the sign on certain days to buy our collectibles.
And there's Nyon in a special getup but I have no guild-related socials with him.
Anyone know how this works?


Our main reasons for attending Family Day? I have to find a frog at the venue (which I do).
And the others are enjoying the free food.
Back home, I invite Order of Lenore Widowed Father (Ekade Aether) over to complete his favor.
Currently, I have 24 Tarot Cards. Once I find the Swords card in a crypt, Grim will give me the last one.
By the way, Desiree will appear oing forward. I've just been trying to complete my collection.


Desiree: It's nearly 6pm when we finally get around to blowing out our birthday candles. Here are our traits:
Desiree: Music Lover, Macabre, Loves the Outdoors (my former 1st trait before moving to Ravenwood)
Denis: Loves the Outdoors, Chased by Death, Proper (his former 2nd trait before moving to Ravenwood)
Dorian: Creative, Gloomy, Loyal
Renee: Creative, Skeptical, Chased by Death

Desiree: Let's join the Undertake career together, Dorian!
Dorian: That sounds like a great idea, Desiree! What about you, Denis? Reaper career?
Denis: No, I've signed up for Culinary. I'll switch to Reaper once I have the Fresh Chef trait.
Renee: Wait, what? Wasn't I supposed to get the Fresh Chef trait for the household.
Denis: Um, you don't seem to have our household's best interests in mind, Renee.


Dorian: My next promotion requires Fitness 3 but, Desiree, I got zero Fitness.
Desiree: Not to worry. Let's go to a gym and Denis can mentor you.


Desiree: What a coincidence, Dorian, that we both chose "I want to get busy" for our Bucket Lists!
Denis: *rolls eyes
Desiree: I want to woohoo in one of Copperdale's carnival rides.  Oops, we'll need to First Kiss first!
Dorian: Mine is to join the Mile-High Club!  Um, I guess I should choose a creative task next?


Denis: I need to max Mixology for…reasons, which is required by my task: The Ultimate Drink.
I was already L6 Mixology, so it doesn't take long.
Because I'm Chased by Death, I can always Make the Perfect Goal, giving me more control over my Bucket List choices.  I like it!


Renee: I'm so annoyed! Denis, Desiree, and Dorian have already completed at least two Bucket List tasks each!
But I haven't even completed one yet because I still need to level my Gardening skill.
Eh, I guess I'll take out my frustration on this crow!
It doesn't talk, so nobody will be the wiser!


Denis: Hey, I realize I've been kinda hogging the spotlight these past two updates.
But I only need to find my 24th Tarot Card in a crypt, then the Grim Reaper will come give me the 26th one.
So, yeah, you'll see more of my housemates in future updates!


The Gen9 household
Home: Hay Hill Landing, Whispering Glen (Ravenwood)

Desiree Costa (Gen9 heir) - YA (28 days to Adult)
Traits: Music Lover, Macabre, Loves the Outdoors

Denis Costa (Gen9 heir) - YA (28 days to Adult)
Traits:  Loves the Outdoors, Chased by Death, Proper (+Creative)

Dorian Rose (Gen9 love interest) - YA (28 days to Adult)
Traits: Gloomy, Creative, Loyal (Romantic Sage)

Renee Chang (Gen9 housemate) - YA (28 days to Adult)
Traits: Music Lover, Skeptical, Chased by Death

Progress: End of Week 59

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Shared requirements
👻Move to Ravenwood as teens and own a pet crow
 *As a household, max the Reaper, Funeral Director, and Mortician careers
   Desiree/Undertaker 3, Dorian/Undertaker 3, Denis/Reaper (not yet)
 *Trigger, witness, or encounter 13 unique death types: 1/13  (Mold)
 *Have at least one child with the Grimborn trait
 *Host five gold-medal funerals
 *Plus several more
Desiree
 *Skills (4/5): Charisma, Flower Arranging, Gardening, Thanatology 4, Writing
 *Aspirations: (3/5): B. Author, F. Botanist, Ghost Historian 3/4, Renaissance Sim 4/4, +1 more
 *Career: Undertaker 3
👻Complete the "Alice's Sorrow" quest
 *Plus more
Denis
*Skills (4/5): Charisma, Fishing, Fitness, Mixology 10, Thanatology 4
*Aspirations (2/5): Angling Ace, Bodybuilder, Ghost Historian 3/4, Master Chef 3/4, Inner Peace 0/1
*Career: Culinary 4; Reaper (not yet)
*Complete Lady Ravendancer's Tarot Deck 24/26
*Plus more

Notes
*Order of Lenore Ghost Host, Miho Sakai: No idea why she temporarily replaced Esther Gomes.
  After Denis realized he had a crush on her, he tried to get over it but had no option to do so.

*Guild of Awesome Collectors: There was a sign at the Family Day venue about this guild.
  Does anyone know how this works? Nyon was standing by the sign in a "special outfit."
  But he didn't offer any new guild-related socials.

[oshizu]

Interlude: Building a New Home in Ravenwood

It's time for my Gen9 household to leave their Tiny Home behind and move into a manor befitting Ravenwood.
There were several problems with building a new house:
(1) The premade Ravenwood homes were either too small or didn't have an efficient floor plan (for my playstyle).
(2) I know absolutely nothing about Romanian architectural styles.
(3) Though their initial Tiny Home was the result of downsizing a premade house, I didn't do that in reverse.
      I mean, I didn't want to substantially expand a premade house with "only" 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Since my sins are living in Whispering Glen, I looked around at the shells in the neighborhood.
Surely, it'd be easier to copy the exterior of a shell then teach myself Romanian architectural styles?
I decided to check Debug items in Build mode to  and found a nice model.


In my "official save," my sims live at the Hay Hill Landing lot in Ravenwood's Whispering Glen neighborhood.
In a separate save file that I used only for building, I place that debug shell on the Hay Hill Landing lot.
Looks good. It's also spacious without occupying too much of the 64x64 lot.


Looking around Ravenwood, I learn that it’s the shell for the Mourningvale Town Hall, shown below.


Here's the front view of my replica of the debug shell and the shell itself.
After turning on the grid in Build mode, I copied the shell's exact dimensions for my build, tile by tile.
Sadly, I could not find those rounded dormer windows in Build mode, debug or otherwise.


Here's the rear view of my build and the original shell.
You can see that they share the exact same footprint.



Anyway, this is my first experience with trying to build a duplicate of a debug shell.
It was a lot of fun, especially since 95% of the assets used in the shell came from the Life & Death expansion pack.

I'll be uploading the new house to my library then downloading it onto Desiree and Denis' lot.
Never a big fan of landscaping, but I'm looking forward to creating a floor plan and furnishing the house.

[Granny Lawlor]

Looks good from the outside. Denis & Desiree will love it, I'm sure.

[oshizu]

Looks good from the outside. Denis & Desiree will love it, I'm sure.

Haha, did you miss my update and only look at my four build screenshots? LOL!
Or, I guess there wasn't much to say about the last 3 days of the week....
Personally, I'm super excited about the hoseehold aging up to YAs and getting both bucket lists and jobs!

[Granny Lawlor]

Looks good from the outside. Denis & Desiree will love it, I'm sure.

Haha, did you miss my update and only look at my four build screenshots? LOL!
Or, I guess there wasn't much to say about the last 3 days of the week....
Personally, I'm super excited about the hoseehold aging up to YAs and getting both bucket lists and jobs!

You're right - I completely missed that episode. I feel kinda sorry for Rene although maybe it's the name that makes her be awkward