Author Topic: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (Life States Dynasty)  (Read 125392 times)

Offline MarianT

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I love your back-stories for the ghosts. Incidentally, I think there's an urn in Anna-Liza Riddle's attic, but you probably already know about that. This is really original and interesting.
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Offline hazelnut

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I love your back-stories for the ghosts. Incidentally, I think there's an urn in Anna-Liza Riddle's attic, but you probably already know about that. This is really original and interesting.
Thank you.

I'd forgotten about that one - it's been a while since I played Anna-Liza and I've been concentrating on the ghosts who died of things other than old age - but you're right, of course.  There's also a Bayless ghost somewhere around their place.  Basically, Twinbrook is pretty thoroughly infested with ghosts :)



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Offline hazelnut

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook
« Reply #92 on: December 08, 2012, 10:15:10 AM »
Chapter 9: A Social Life

Shortly after the triplets became toddlers, Tina-Pat celebrated her adult birthday with one of Vicky’s special meals and was amazed to find herself fully alive again.



Well, almost fully alive.



The three girls grew up as close friends.





All three made other friends at school and at least one seemed to come home with them every afternoon, so the house was always full of children and booby traps.  With all this happy chaos, the time flew by and soon the triplets were celebrating another birthday.





Since she was a young child, Emily had known had known about the tasks she had to complete.  Finding a ghost to marry seemed the most daunting.  Being a sensible girl, she looked through the records while she was at work in the mausoleum and discovered that there was a teenage boy buried in the graveyard.  Maybe they could make an early start on their relationship.  The following weekend, she persuaded Aunt Vicky to take her along on one of her night-fishing trips – and there he was.



But then, just when she was about to ask Kid if he was single, Emily heard a siren – and realised that Vicky had gone.  When she arrived home in the police car, she was met by a furious Aunt Vicky and promptly grounded.  With Lee this would have turned into a slanging match but Emily quietly pointed out that Vicky usually stayed at the cemetery all night and she simply hadn’t noticed her leaving in the excitement of meeting a potential husband.  She was so persuasive and charming that Vicky let her off the hook – but maybe she’d better not visit the graveyard again until she was old enough to go on her own.

She might have her future spouse marked out but there was no reason why she shouldn’t experiment with romance in the meantime.  Tad Bronson was best friends with all three triplets and had been their most frequent after-school visitor.  The next time he came over, Emily got in some serious flirting practice.



Emily graduated as valedictorian but was given the ‘most likely to be mediocre’ award, having just been pipped to the post by Kate for the title of most popular.  Lee was voted most likely to write a best-selling novel.



After graduating, Lee and Kate moved out together to a house on the island in the lake, while Emily continued with her self-imposed mission to make as many friends as possible.  The following day, she achieved her lifetime wish.  Apart from being super popular, she hadn’t really decided what she wanted to do with her life.  One day, she wandered into the fire station and found an easel.  She knew Mother had been an artist when she was younger.  Maybe she should have a go and see whether she liked painting, too.



With her painting skills and her new career as an architect progressing well, Emily decided that it was time to visit the graveyard again.



His real name was Charles but only his mother ever called him that.  To everyone else, he was Kid – or, more often, That Crazy Kid.  He was always the child who came up with the maddest games and dares and it was almost inevitable that he’d end up exploring the catacombs sooner or later.  He hadn’t really thought things through, as usual.  Getting trapped by a landslide wouldn’t have been in anyone’s plans but telling someone else where he was going and taking along some food supplies might have been a good idea.  By the time his family had realised he was missing, organised a search party and dug him out, it was too late.

The next time Kid was aware of his surroundings, he was haunting the cemetery.  There were other ghosts, of course, but they were all old, apart from that one annoying little girl.  It was a lonely existence, even if it did give him plenty of scope for teenage angst.

And then, one night, he met another young ghost.  A girl-type teenage ghost.  Her name was Emily and she wasn’t buried in the cemetery; she worked there.  Of course, the police turned up and ruined the moment, as they had done so often when he was alive, and when he saw her again, she had grown up.  She still seemed very interested in Kid, though, and she said she could give him his life back.  Did he want that?  What a silly question – of course he did.  A new adventure at last!



Only a few hours later, he was aware of his surroundings again.



Emily took him straight home to meet her family and have a birthday party.



Having been off school for rather a large number of years, Kid didn’t graduate with any great distinction.  He became a couch potato and chose Gold Digger as his lifetime wish.  Well, if you’ve just joined a family of rich ghosts, that tends to be the first idea that pops into your head.



Now that they were finally the same age and in the same place, Emily and Kid’s relationship progressed rapidly.





In between dates with Kid, Emily continued with her career.



Mastering painting took her close to the top and then she discovered a drafting table in the second house she renovated.  She turned on the charm and asked to stay the night.



One and a half sketches were enough – she became a Dictator of Design without really trying.  The next morning, she was given the key to the city…



…and followed that up by becoming engaged to Kid.



She had been buying and selling odds and ends in the consignment store since she was a teenager.  Now she really started on the hard sell, concentrating on her own paintings.



With her requirements almost complete, Emily, like Will, received a present from Ana.





Following the family tradition, Emily Goole and Kid Mugg had a simple wedding.  They chose one of their favourite spots, in a remote part of Twinbrook.  Although it was a private ceremony, they dressed up for the occasion.  The bride wore the family tiara and the groom swapped his habitual flat cap for something smarter.



The following morning, Emily’s phone rang.  It was the opportunity she’d been waiting for: the mayor wanted to buy some of her paintings.  Now she and Kid could start a family.



Summary – generation 4
Heir: Emily Goole
Life state: mummy’s curse ghost
Traits: Brave, easily impressed, clumsy, charismatic, vehicle enthusiast
Lifetime wish: Super popular

Toddler requirements: best friends with both parents, reached  level 3 in two skills (pegbox, writing books)
Child requirements: on honor roll, one opportunity completed (Scavenger Hunt: Beetle Quest)
Teenager requirements: on honor roll, reached  level 3 in mausoleum clerk part-time job, had a romantic interest (Tad Bronson)





Unique best friend: Tarik Fitzpatrick (genie)
Two career rewards: Architectural Designer's Key to the City, Artist's Painted Ribbon
Three unique opportunities: Bestest Friends, A Small Painting, Painting the City
Four unique Lifetime Happiness Rewards: Extra Creative, Suave Seller, Motive Mobile, Carefree
Five unique 5000+point wishes: Own 7 venues, master painting skill, reach level 10 of Architectural Design career, reach level 10 of Painter career, paint something worth §4000
Six unique skill challenges: Consignment Store Sales, Proficient Painter, Brushmaster, Master Painter, Consignment Profit, Consignment Store Reputation
Seven items for mausoleum: paintings

Offline azokka361

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 8 December)
« Reply #93 on: December 08, 2012, 02:34:01 PM »
Congratulations on Number 4! This is the only Life Dynasty I've read that has made it that far in story--keep it up!
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Offline RainBeau

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 8 December)
« Reply #94 on: December 09, 2012, 03:13:11 AM »
Congratulations! You are moving right along!
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By samoht04

Offline hazelnut

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 8 December)
« Reply #95 on: December 09, 2012, 09:43:13 AM »
Thanks, both of you.

Em made it through the requirements faster than anyone before her - and it would have been even quicker if she and I hadn't been waiting around for a week for her final opportunity to fire.  With only three needed per heir, I never expected opportunities to be the sticking point in this dynasty.  Actually, she did get quite a few, but they were mostly 'Deliver a Painting to China/Egypt/France' and I'm trying not to travel any more in this game, to keep the glitches to a minimum (although I may have to do it later, if one of them does beetle and/or butterfly collecting).  I did let her take up one of those ops but it cancelled as soon as she arrived in France :(.

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 8 December)
« Reply #96 on: December 09, 2012, 09:47:15 AM »
I'm trying to remember what the last things I had to complete were for my sims. Maybe careers (for rewards and stuff). Ops are almost never an issue, though the huge amount of traveling ones always disappoint me. Glad to see that Emily pulled through.

Anyways, welcome Kid! I always love how you flesh out the ghosts' back stories.



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Offline hazelnut

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 8 December)
« Reply #97 on: December 09, 2012, 10:06:07 AM »
I'm trying to remember what the last things I had to complete were for my sims. Maybe careers (for rewards and stuff). Ops are almost never an issue, though the huge amount of traveling ones always disappoint me. Glad to see that Emily pulled through.

Anyways, welcome Kid! I always love how you flesh out the ghosts' back stories.

So far, it's been different for every generation.  I was expecting the 5K+ wishes to be the problem and they were for Ana - but it was the challenges for Chris, the career objects for Will and now the ops for Emily.  I wonder what it will be for gen 5 (currently a toddler)?

I'm enjoying having Kid around.  Being insane, evil and a daredevil makes him interesting :)

Offline paulabelle

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 8 December)
« Reply #98 on: December 09, 2012, 12:49:51 PM »
Wow!!! This is the first Life State Dynasty story that I read and I'm loving it!!!! Makes me want to start one myself! :)

I love how creative and consistent your story is!! Congrats!!!

Offline hazelnut

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 8 December)
« Reply #99 on: December 11, 2012, 12:24:11 PM »
Wow!!! This is the first Life State Dynasty story that I read and I'm loving it!!!! Makes me want to start one myself! :)

I love how creative and consistent your story is!! Congrats!!!

Thank you.  I'm enjoying playing and writing it.

Offline hazelnut

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook
« Reply #100 on: December 16, 2012, 11:13:28 AM »
Chapter 10: Life Choices



“Yes, Ana.  Of course I understand… but I don’t know how I’m going to convince Will.  Please keep an eye on him.  Don’t let him do anything silly... afterwards.”





“Will, darling, we have to face the fact that I’m getting older.”
“But why can’t you take some more of Grandmamma’s medicine and be young again?”
“Because there’s not enough room in the house.  I’d love to stay here with you and watch our family grow up but it’s not going to happen.  I need to make way for Emily’s children… and their children.”
“Why can’t Aunt Vicky move out instead?  Why do you have to… go?”
“You all need Vicky.  She’s a better cook than I am.  In fact, she’s better at lots of things.  And she’s been here almost since the beginning.  She’s earned the right to stay as long as she wants....
"I’m not afraid of dying, Will.  I’ve been there before, remember… but I do worry about you.  Don’t get so wrapped up in your composing that you forget to look after yourself.



“You will eat properly, won’t you?  None of that junk you used to eat on tour.  Why don’t you learn to cook?  And make sure you get plenty of fruit and veg.”



“All right, TP, I will… but I don’t know how I’m going to cope without you.”



“I’ll wait for you, Will.  I promise we’ll be together again one day.”



Will was playing the guitar when it happened.



“No!  TP!  You can’t leave me so soon!”



Tina was laid to rest in the family mausoleum.







“…And it was that same evening that Emily realised she was pregnant.



“Poor girl, she must have been so confused – mourning her mother but happy about the baby.  Or babies, as it turned out.  She had twins, Olivia and Frederic.



“Children these days grow up so quickly – or maybe I am just feeling my age at last.  It seems such a short time since they were babies and now they have grown up and moved out.



“And then yesterday Emily told me that she is expecting again.”



Emily was surprised by how much she enjoyed motherhood.  She’d tried going back to work several times while Liv and Freddie were growing up but found it hard to settle to a job.  After a few days in a new career, she’d decide she’d rather be at home with the children. She hadn’t even picked up a paintbrush since before the twins were born - they were young for such a short time and she wanted to make the most of it.  She knew that neither of them was the child that Great-grandmamma Ana was waiting for but they were still great kids.  Both had inherited her mother’s love of gardening and, as soon as they were old enough, they moved out to start their own business, a plant nursery.  Freddie seemed to have ideas about establishing a vineyard, too.  Somewhere as misty as Twinbrook didn’t seem like the best location for nectar-making but Emily didn’t have the heart to dissuade him.

As soon as the twins were gone, she succumbed to broodiness.  She adopted a kitten from one of her friends but, much as she loved Marmaduke, it just wasn’t the same.





Kid wanted more children, too, and they were still young enough to raise a second family.



It was twins again, and this time they both took after their daddy.  How was she ever going to be able to choose just one as heir?





With two potential heirs to bring up, she was very busy indeed.  Kid took some time off work to help.





Georgina and Isabella were a delight and threatened to monopolise everyone’s attention, not just their parents’.



But then there was a worrying and completely unexpected development.

Offline hazelnut

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook: chapter 10 (continued)
« Reply #101 on: December 19, 2012, 07:01:23 AM »


“TP, I’m so sorry!  I don't know what to do.  I said I’d look after them and now they’re gone.  I’ve looked and looked but I can’t find them anywhere.”
“Will, calm down.  What have you lost?  Your photo collection?”
“No, not photos.  The girls.  Lee and Kate.



 “I went over to their house a couple of weeks ago and no-one answered the door.  So I looked in the window.  Couldn't see anyone.



“Then I thought, ‘might as well take advantage of being a ghost’ and sort of drifted inside.  The house was deserted, TP.  No sign of anyone living there.  I went round to all the neighbours to ask if they knew anything – but all of the houses on that end of the island are empty.  So then I really started to panic.  Had there been some sort of disaster?  A disease?  No, it couldn’t be that.  Grandmamma Ana would have told us – remember how she kept going on about that lolcosis epidemic?  In the end, I went to the cemetery to check their records.



“Nothing – which is good, I suppose – but I’ve been asking around town and nobody’s seen them in weeks.”
“Have you told the rest of the family?”
“Yes – well, I haven’t said anything to Emily yet.  The twins need all of her attention at the moment.  I don’t think she’s even noticed that Lee and Kate haven’t phoned in a while.  I’ll have to tell her soon, though.”



“But Mum had an idea.  We could find more people to ask if we deliberately went out and attracted a crowd.  So we’ve both been holding autograph sessions and I’ve been playing for tips again.



“There’s still no news.  I don’t know what to do next – but, TP, I promise you I will never stop looking for them.  I’ll find them somehow.”


Offline RainBeau

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (small update 19 Dec)
« Reply #102 on: December 19, 2012, 01:34:20 PM »
Awww :( do you suppose they've moved out of town? Did you check the newspaper?

By the way, I love the old-fashioned names and cute little nicknames all the ghosts get.
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By samoht04

Offline hazelnut

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (small update 19 Dec)
« Reply #103 on: December 19, 2012, 04:24:28 PM »
Awww :( do you suppose they've moved out of town? Did you check the newspaper?

No, I didn't check the paper.  Probably should have but I always cancel it.  I think it's one of those minor glitches I'm getting because of playing so many ghosts.  For some reason, the game doesn't really seem to be set up for it :o.   They really have disappeared.  Maybe they've just become like normal NPC ghosts.  Certainly, they're not in anyone's relationship panels even though they are still in the family tree – and they can't be invited to parties.  Rather irritating after forking out the money to buy their house  ???.  Hal and Ed are still 'alive' and well next door, by the way, although I get regular pop-ups to say that one of them is about to die and they're not in the family tree any more, despite everyone in the active family recognising them as the correct type of relative.  Jan Bingham, Hal's fiancée, died of old age a long time ago but they're still going strong.  Liv and Fred are still fine and pop over to visit frequently.  I wish I could have had one of them as heir.  As I sort-of implied in the story, I aged them up as fast as possible and accepted random traits – which were great.  Liv was brave and a slob as a baby and added never nude, green thumb and savvy sculptor; Fred started with excitable (one of my favourite traits) and absent-minded and then added snob, party animal and green thumb.  I wish the two potential heirs had traits that good.

I didn't really mean to leave a cliffhanger, by the way.  This part was supposed to be in the last chapter but I ran out of screenshot space - so I decided to put this bit in the next chapter. Except that the game decided to play out differently and the next chapter isn't coming out the way I expected.  (I have an overall plan for this story but am adjusting it to fit the game.)

By the way, I love the old-fashioned names and cute little nicknames all the ghosts get.

The old-fashioned names are all family names (I'm a bit of a genealogy geek when not Simming).

Offline RainBeau

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Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (small update 19 Dec)
« Reply #104 on: December 19, 2012, 08:13:10 PM »
Oh wow, that is so cool! A very cool way to honour family.
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