The Loveland Random Town Jump

[Beks]

The Loveland Random Town Jump

Well hello, everyone! It's been a while. I hope you all are doing well. I've just finished my first semester of grad school, and I finally have some time to do another Sims 3 story. I'm playing on a new laptop now--a much better one. My old one mostly went kaput, which means I won't be able to finish playing the Kindle RTJ that I started last year. And with everything that's been going on, I really need a new story. A new distraction. A new thang.

So this is a brand-spankin'-new Random Town Jump. The most exciting thing about my new laptop is that it has an actual normal-sized SSD, so I can have as many packs and towns installed as I want! We're going to be leap-frogging through some beautiful new places, and I can't wait.

Rules: I'm playing by JudesSims original rules, found here. For all family members beyond the founding sims, I will roll traits, but choose Lifetime Wishes. I have the following Nraas mods installed: Story Progression, Master Controller, Overwatch, and Error Trap.

Without further ado, let's start!

Family Tree: I'll do my best to keep this updated through the most recently posted chapter of the story.
 
Loveland Family Tree (spoilers)
Cat Family Tree (spoilers)

Table of Contents

Town #1 - Appaloosa Plains

Chapter 1 - What Was I Thinking
Chapter 2 - Twenty Hearts
Chapter 3 - Fresh Baby, Fresh Start
Chapter 4 - Everything Is Fine
Chapter 5 - Do the Smustle
Chapter 6 - A Bit of Disco
Chapter 7 - New Species
Chapter 8 - Cake
Chapter 9 - Man Hunt
Chapter 10 - It's Getting Positively Shakespearean In Here
Chapter 11 - Life Goals
Chapter 12 - Hangman's Tree
Chapter 13 - Into the Fox Den
Chapter 14 - Cat Burglar
Chapter 15 - Sad & Spicy
Chapter 16 - A Big Day
Chapter 17 - Everything Is Not Fine
Chapter 18 - Going Back For Seconds
Chapter 19 - Love in the Cretaceous
Chapter 20 - The Last Night

Town #2 - Sunset Valley

Chapter 21 - Welcome Home
Chapter 22 - The Wandering Robber
Chapter 23 - Froggy Business
Chapter 24 - Calm & Chaos
Chapter 25 - The Villain & The Hippie
Chapter 26 - Wishes
Chapter 27 - Laws of Physics, Laws of Civics
Chapter 28 - Fish & Fake Fortunes
Chapter 29 - [Eternal] Slumber Party
Chapter 30 - Moderate Mayhem
Chapter 31 - Marvelous
Chapter 32 - Mixed Feelings
Chapter 33 - Of Corsets & Eyebrows
Chapter 34 - First Crimes
Chapter 35 - Hear Me Roar
Chapter 36 - Four Hearts
Chapter 37 - Wild Beach Wedding
Chapter 38 - Dusks & Departures

Town #3 - Twinbrook

Chapter 39 - A New Flame
Chapter 40 - Cat Antics
Chapter 41 - Blondies
Chapter 42 - Deny Until We Die
Chapter 43 - It's In the Moodlets
Chapter 44 - Much Mooching
Chapter 45 - Keen on the Ball
Chapter 46 - Ping Pong: Danger Sport
Chapter 47 - Old Men & Bookish Youths
Chapter 48 - Willowglen (& Whither, Then?)

Town #4 - Hidden Springs

Chapter 49 - The Hills Are Alive
Chapter 50 - The Lost Boy
Chapter 51 - What a Life
Chapter 52 - A Spicy Pepper Moment
Chapter 53 - Calling In
Chapter 54 - Snazzy & Slickified
Chapter 55 - For Once
Chapter 56 - Networking
Chapter 57 - Love Doesn't Come in a Bottle
Chapter 58 - Not Very Long Live the King
Chapter 59 - Growing Up
Chapter 60 - A Princess At Sunset
Chapter 61 - Rings & Things
Chapter 62 - The Princess & The Lost Boy
Chapter 63 - An Elder Adventure
Chapter 64 - I Don't Want To Leave

Town #5 - Lucky Palms

Chapter 65 - Into the Dust
Chapter 66 - A Chapter About Fish
Chapter 67 - Procreation Station
Chapter 68 - Life & Death But Mostly Life
Chapter 69 - Toddlers Are Cute, Captions Are Hard
Chapter 70 - It Was The Chili
Chapter 71 - Animalia
Chapter 72 - Poof
Chapter 73 - Heat of the Moment
Chapter 74 - Smitten & Kitten
Chapter 75 - The Scientist
Chapter 76 - More Fire
Chapter 77 - In Which Party Dancers Do Not Dance
Chapter 78 - Love & Even More Fire
Chapter 79 - Sun Blazes, Adoring Gazes

Town #6 - Riverview
Chapter 80 - Magic & Water
Chapter 81 - Getting Tricksy
Chapter 82 - The Box of Mystery
Chapter 83 - Nine Lives
Chapter 84 - 2 Cool 4 U
Chapter 85 - Amid the Rosebushes
Chapter 86 - The Return of Tink
Chapter 87 - Lucky Girls
Chapter 88 - Teenage Dreams
Chapter 89 - Sparks & Sprinklers
Chapter 90 - There Is A Fire That Never Goes Out
Chapter 91 - Cemetery Songs
Chapter 92 - Ghosts & Video Games
Chapter 93 - Fire Free
Chapter 94 - Crackling
Chapter 95 - Dusk & Dawn
Chapter 96 - Dessert For Breakfast

Town #7 - Starlight Shores
Chapter 97 - Settling In
Chapter 98 - Late Nights & City Lights
Chapter 99 - I Believe In Magic
Chapter 100 - Good Things Come In Three Packages
Chapter 101 - Seeing Red
Chapter 102 - Toddler Parade
Chapter 103 - Pool Fishing
Chapter 104 - Time For Cheesesteak
Chapter 105 - Lads & Ladies
Chapter 106 - Taxis & Catsies
Chapter 107 - On That Hillside
Chapter 108 - Tortoises & Hares
Chapter 109 - It Will Be a Rager
Chapter 110 - The Town & The Sea
Chapter 111 - Hardly Even a Chapter

Town #8 - Monte Vista
Chapter 112 - Restless Spirits
Chapter 113 - Kingdom of the Shades
Chapter 114 - Babies, Blonds, Bathtubs, Bread
Chapter 115 - The Wrong Red
Chapter 116 - Cloud-Clad
Chapter 117 - Mixing It Up
Chapter 118 - Irresistible
Chapter 119 - Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy
Chapter 120 - Bending & Burning
Chapter 121 - The Enthusiasm Continues
Chapter 122 - Sweet, Yet Terrifying
Chapter 123 - One Last Moon

Town #9 - Moonlight Falls
Chapter 124 - Spooky
Chapter 125 - Kisses & Smackdowns
Chapter 126 - Sparkly Beans & Other Terrors
Chapter 127 - As Is Proper
Chapter 128 - The Princess & The Empress
Chapter 129 - Beauty & Sandwiches
Chapter 130 - The End of the Song
Chapter 131 - Boots & Smooches
Chapter 132 - Spectacular Specimens
Chapter 133 - Claws
Chapter 134 - Rory's Turn
Chapter 135 - Red, Blue, & Science
Chapter 136 - Fairy Cop
Chapter 137 - Witches & Werewolves
Chapter 138 - Howly Matrimony
Chapter 139 - Laser Love (Part 1)
Chapter 139 - Laser Love (Part 2)

Town #10 - Bridgeport
Chapter 140 - The Big City
Chapter 141 - Werewolf Woohoo: A Step-by-Step Guide
Chapter 142 - Wishes Fulfilled
Chapter 143 - RIP Furniture
Chapter 144 - Everything Is Blue
Chapter 145 - Not Sad Yet
Chapter 146 - Ice Cream Gripes
Chapter 147 - Free Cat Love
Chapter 148 - A Handful of Oranges
Chapter 149 - Impeccable Pecker Party
Chapter 150 - The Taste of Anxiety
Chapter 151 - Hot Tubs & Elevators
Chapter 152 - Beginnings in a Bar

Epilogue

[Beks]

Chapter 1 - What Was I Thinking



Welcome to Appaloosa Plains, our first home for the Random Town Jump. As a newer Pets player who hasn't actually ever played a file in this town (I know), I have been dying to start a family here. Look at that scenery! That color! I'm currently excited for spring in the real world, but this is making me excited for fall! I'm excited for two seasons at once! (Not that that's an unusual thing.)



This is the land of horses, dogs, cats, lizards, and birdies. It's also the land of one Gracie Loveland, our founder and our queen. She lives in this charming little abode that is way too nice for a level 2 scientist to afford at the age of 23 or whatever.

I'll be honest--I had a hard time choosing my starting couple for this RTJ. Appaloosa Plains is full of so many interesting people, and just reading the wiki, I came across about seventeen potential love stories that I would have been thrilled to explore. For some reason, I landed on one involving Gracie. The reasons may become clear in time. Or they may not, because honestly, I'm doubting them already.



Anyway! Gracie Loveland is a cookie-cutter perfect little angel--she's tiny, blonde, blue-eyed, and sweet, and she wears clothes right out of a child's dress-up box. She's also smart--a scientist--and a perfectionist, and she likes to clean, and she loves animals. I mean, come on. Why did I think this chick was interesting again?



Oh right, partially because the first thing she did when I started up this game was walk straight up to her secretly saucy bedroom full of mirrors and animal print and sultry red lights and made herself a drink. Actually TWO drinks.

Clearly, this girl has a dark side. Or at least a wild side. In fact, I'm pretty sure her bio says exactly those words: "wild side". I'd be lying if I said I didn't fall for that immediately.



Gracie's dark side may not be her dominant side, though. When she's not throwing back mysterious concoctions in her dimly-lit bedroom, she's working away in her garden (she grows limes! even though she's not a good enough gardener to grow limes!) or obsessively filling her cat's food dish.



Oh right! She has a cat. This is Babycakes. Gracie and Babycakes have a...problematic relationship, for some unknowable reason. Also, sorry, Babycakes, for taking a picture of you taking a whizz, but in my defense, you took about five whizzes in the first five minutes of the game, and I had to work with what I was given.



After gardening for a bit, Gracie calls up her good friend, Eligible Handyman Benjamin Schmidt, using her overlarge, possibly-made-of-jello cell phone. She invites Benjamin to meet her at the best date spot in town--the ever-romantic Hangman's Tree. A good omen? Totally a good omen.



Off she goes to catch her man. Literally. The man can run.



"Yessss! I'm about to star in a forum story!"

Okay, so...here's the thing. Gracie already has a romantic interest at the start of the game (Rodney Singleton, who was a strong contender for this challenge as well). Benjamin here apparently has the entire female population of Appaloosa Plains falling at his feet on the daily, because he's hot or something, and he fixes things. But also, these two are already really good friends. Benjamin happens to be FIRST SLOT in Gracie's relationship panel. That's a big deal, man. I would say it's the same for Benjamin, but I suspect that slot belongs to his dog.

But that's not the only reason these two are cute together.



"So, Benjamin! I've been thinking. How would you like to be roommates? I'm pretty lonely in my big perfect blue house, and Babycakes isn't really good company--she just hisses at me when I try to get near her. You know, I really need someone to...um...get near. Would you want to--"



"Move in with you? Have babies with you? Found a multi-generation random town jump with you? Duh, it's every Sim's dream! But before I say yes, there's...something you should know.



"I've been single for my whole young adult life thus far, and that's because I can't trust myself to date anyone. I have this weird, irrepressible urge to date as many people as possible, and then smash all their hearts to bits. Is that weird?"

"Oh. My. God. Are you talking about the Heartbreaker Lifetime Wish?!"

"How do you know about the Heartbr--"

"BECAUSE I HAVE IT TOO!"



*silence*

Benjamin: "I'm, like, really attracted to you all of a sudden."

Yep. This is the reason I chose Gracie and Benjamin, people. Because I saw that they were good friends, and that they both wanted to be Heartbreakers. I was like, "Oh my god. That's so cute. They can break a bunch of hearts and then get together afterward, and it'll be so adorable!"

What. Was. I. Thinking.



Yeah, so anyway, Gracie and Benjamin bond over the fact that they secretly love destroying people's lives in spite of the fact that they are otherwise good people. Gracie goes in for a passionate kiss, partially inspired by the fact that a random horse just appeared, and horses are romantic.



Benjamin makes this face. This is called the "I'm a Great Kisser and I do believe I just found another Great Kisser" face.



Gracie makes this face, which is CLEARLY the face of true love.



Then this weird interaction happens, wherein Gracie smooshes her generous bosom up upon her new man's chestal region...



...and then the two of them are kissing like there's no tomorrow, watched solemnly by Chuck Hobble, who tries to hide the fact that he's watching them by obscuring himself under the brim of his enormous hat.



Gracie: "I've got an idea, Benjamin. Why don't you come live with me, and we can have some babies together, and maybe move to a new town eventually, and also it can be, like, an open relationship, so we can both break all the hearts we want, but also be together forever!"

Benjamin: "I think I love you!"

I think this is going to go really well, don't you?



Benjamin takes off for his new home as Gracie admires his pickup truck. (This is the wild west, after all. Wait, is this the wild west? Where ARE we?)



Welcome to the household, Benjamin! Oh, and Ralston. Ralston is Benjamin's beautiful, beautiful dog, who is now my favorite character in this story.

At this point, I finally begin to come to terms with the fact that Gracie's dress makes me want to vomit (sorry), and I also get excited about the opportunity to give Benjamin some decent pants that don't gather around his ankles. That's right, it's makeover time!



And proper introduction time. Here's a newly beautified Gracie. Gracie is a Great Kisser, a Perfectionist, and an Animal Lover, and she's also Neat and has Commitment Issues. (Like I said, this is going to go REALLY well!) Her favorite things are pop music, ratatouille, and the color lilac.



Benjamin here is a Brave, Friendly, Handy, Charismatic Great Kisser. He likes Indie music, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the color black.

Now that we've actually met our protagonists...that's the end of the chapter. Next time, we'll attempt to get this open relationship thing going and probably watch it crash and burn. See you then!

[Trip]

Hey welcome back! I never comment about people's graphics unless they improved and make a note of it so YES everything looks a ton better now. It doesn't really heal the loss of the Kindles in my heart but I shall deal. 😔

Appaloosa Plains is a lot more fun than it seems on the surface once Story Progression gets going. So you don't miss out on anyone's drama in the end. Plus it's super scenic but what world doesn't have at least one scenic view though?

[Beks]

Thanks, Trip! It's good to be back. I know, the graphics on my old computer were so...so bad. And I am also mourning the loss of the Kindles. I do have some screenshots tucked away from the last generation, and one day I'm hoping to post some sort of wrap-up chapter, but I'm focusing on this story for now. I needed the fresh start.

I'm loving Appaloosa Plains so far! I think my favorite aspect is the wild horses running around everywhere. I'll just be hanging out on a lot somewhere, focusing in for a screenshot, and suddenly a massive palomino will come barreling into the middle of the action. I love it.

[deedee_828]

How wonderful, a new RTJ story! I'm thrilled with you starting a new one, but saddened that the Kindle TJ story has ended, except for that possible wrap up chapter, which I hope you get to eventually.

On a positive note, your Leonard Diwan Kindle is still alive and kicking as the heir spouse in my Farmacy game/story! He's passionately married to Rielle, my 2rd gen heir, and they have 3 kids.
The oldest daughter, Kindle, is now a YA and her siblings, Karina, and Diwan, are teens. And Leonard has twin sisters in my game that are YA's with their own families, and one kept the Kindle surname, so it still lives on!

I love your founders and can't wait to see what happens with both of them being heartbreakers!

[Beks]

Thanks, deedee! I'm happy to hear the Kindles are still going in your story.

[Beks]

Chapter 2 - Twenty Hearts



Welcome back to the Loveland-Schmidt house, where Gracie flutters about like a sweet and elegant scientist-butterfly by day...



...and struts around like a sultry seductress by night. (Friendly reminder that this is her default sleepwear, and her default bedroom, and her default existence. I am innocent!)



Whether because of that seductress thing or not, Benjamin is settling in nicely. He and Gracie have lots of chemistry and make the most of this early stage of their "long-term open relationship" (my stomach churns just writing that).



"Here, Gracie. I got you some red flowers to show my affection."

"Oh my god, they'll match my bedroom decor perfectly! Thanks, Benny!"



Later that night, as things start to get hot and heavy, Benjamin sees that bedroom decor for the first time.

"Uh...hey Gracie?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you have a naked female statue behind your bed?"

"It's art, silly. The human body is one of the most beautiful things in--"

"Okay, but the red lights?"

"For ambiance."

"Should I be concerned that you have a rope hanging next to your bed?"

"That's enough questions, Benny. Come on, let's woohoo!"



The deed is done, and Benjamin still isn't sure what he thinks of his new lover's bedroom preferences. Luckily, Ralston is here to distract him with some depressing world events.



Benjamin works in the business career. When he's not at the office, his number one favorite pastime is grilling hot dogs. Seriously, it's all he ever wants to do. Of course, the man has zero cooking skill (and zero modesty), so naturally, his first attempt results in a fire that scorches off most of his abdominal hairs.



At least the excitement draws over a couple of new neighbors, though. Good to know this town is already being invaded by pudding-faces. (I think I screwed up the Story Progression settings at the start of the game. Maybe I should have agreed to delete the homeless population? Oh well, too late now.)



Gracie isn't having much better luck in the food department. When Benjamin's hot dog experiment goes south, she tries to pick up the slack with a batch of waffles. I'm just saying, I don't really cook much, and even I know that cooking in your undergarments is just asking for trouble.



Sloooow, slow friendship is happening between the two pets of the household. Benjamin's dog Ralston and Gracie's cat Babycakes are bonding over the fact that they've given each other fleas. This situation is extra great because neither of them can get a flea bath. Something is glitchy with Ralston and the bathtub, so that whenever one of her owners tries to bathe her, the interaction disappears. (This happens regardless of whether it's a flea bath or a regular bath.) And Babycakes dislikes Gracie so much that she hisses when Gracie tries to grab her. *shrug* I guess they'll both just have to suffer for a couple of days.



And suffer Babycakes does. I catch her in this horrifying yawn-face just as Gracie is hit with a mysterious wave of nausea. Like owner, like pet?



Gracie makes a quick exit and takes care of that nausea thing.



But hey, it wasn't just Benjamin's burnt hot dogs making a comeback. Gracie is pregnant!



She eagerly tells Benjamin when he gets home from work that afternoon.

"Benny, Benny! Surprise--I'm pregnant!"



"Wow, Gracie, that's amazing! Who's the father?"

"..."



"Oh, it's me? Right. Cool." *thumbs up*

Uh, thanks, Benjamin. You're really filling my confidence meter here!

Right, so here's the thing. Like I said last time, Benjamin and Gracie both have the Heartbreaker LTW, so they each need to date and break up with ten different people in order to get those reward points. And like I said last time...what. was. I. thinking. I really don't know why I thought this would be an enjoyable undertaking. Do you know how long it takes to woo and break up with ONE sim, let alone TWENTY? Still, here we are, and I figure we might as well get started since Gracie has nothing else to do while she's pregnant.



The next day, Benjamin goes off to work and Gracie hops over to the alchemy shop around the corner. Word on the street is there's a very handsome cashier working there and--helloooo, Gussie Bell!

Gracie spends the whole day flirting with Gussie. Her heat-of-the-moment kiss goes over very well, and the two of them spend the entire afternoon making out in the quiet of the deserted alchemy shop. Gracie is all set to ask him to go steady and then punch him in the gut by breaking up with him immediately.



Meanwhile, Benjamin comes home from work and invites over his good friend Hailey Shepherd. Since Gracie is out of the house, Benjamin takes the chance to fulfill his heartbreaker urge and start coming onto Hailey. I suspect Hailey's always had a crush on her Benjamin, because she reciprocates, in spite of the fact that I'm pretty sure she has a romantic interest already.



By dinnertime or so, Gracie has been pushing her relationship with Gussie along for hours, and still, there's been no option to ask him to go steady. Even though she's been eager and sincere this whole time...something's holding her back. Hmmmm, could it be her Commitment Issues? Somehow that didn't even occur to me. She decides to sign off for the day (after casually mentioning that she's pregnant with another man's child).

Gussie: "Cool. This has been fun. Come back anytime for some kissin'!"

Back home, Benjamin accidentally lets slip that Gracie is pregnant. Who's Gracie, Hailey asks? Oh, my live-in, open-relationship lover, Benjamin says.



"You're in an OPEN RELATIONSHIP with a girl who's PREGNANT with YOUR CHILD??? And you still wanted to get in another woman's pantaloons?!? Are you insane?!?"



"Um...yes. Yes I am."

"UGH. Don't make excuses. I know you don't have the Insane trait. You're just an idiot."



Conveniently, Gracie has just arrived home and overhears all of this. Feeling extremely awkward, she heads into the kitchen to start doing some Neat sim things. But mostly she just gets stuck next to the counter holding a bag of garbage, looking like she doesn't know where her life's gone in the last few days.

Once Hailey storms out (and falls asleep on the front porch bench), Gracie emerges from the kitchen to talk to Benjamin.



"Look, Benny. I know we said we would keep this as an open relationship, but...well, I'm having trouble making progress towards my Lifetime Wish. I made out with this guy at the alchemy shop today, and I was going to ask him out and then break his heart, but I couldn't do it. Like literally. The option didn't even come up."



"I think I understand, Gracie. Hailey's been my good friend for years, and I never realized how much I'd be ruining my friendship with her if I broke her heart. I'm Charismatic, I'm Friendly--I really don't like hurting people."



"And anyway...we're going to have a baby, Benny. Don't you think...well, maybe we should..."

"Gracie, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Oh thank God, I don't have to ask! I mean, yes."

And with that, I have successfully extricated myself from that horrifying prospect of trying to break twenty sim hearts. Huzzah! Part of me was really excited for all the drama that would ensue, but the rest of me was dreading all the time and work it would take. It doesn't help that Story Progression pretty much marries off the entire town within the first week of the game, so there's almost nobody single left to woo. Now, Benjamin and Gracie are a team--and almost a family. Next time, we may or may not meet a baby. Toodle-oo!

[Trip]

Aww, missing the fun of breaking apart every story progression marriage and making twenty-ish enemies out of their ex-spouses. I did run across the two heartbreakers problem once (not Gracie and Ben, and not in a "couple" thankfully) but no mods and I still made them share. Funny enough I think StoryProgression the mod makes inactive Heartbreakers make progress on their LTW. Ah well!

Alright so about the pudding problem: here's a post that covers the solution better than I can but depending on how thorough you wanna be, you'll need the Register mod from NRaas too. The original homeless population of a town isn't where the issue starts but new homeless sims and service sims are where it begins. (Edited to add: and it can begin at the start of the game when there are more roles to fill than sims)

[Beks]

Aww, missing the fun of breaking apart every story progression marriage and making twenty-ish enemies out of their ex-spouses. I did run across the two heartbreakers problem once (not Gracie and Ben, and not in a "couple" thankfully) but no mods and I still made them share. Funny enough I think StoryProgression the mod makes inactive Heartbreakers make progress on their LTW. Ah well!

Alright so about the pudding problem: here's a post that covers the solution better than I can but depending on how thorough you wanna be, you'll need the Register mod from NRaas too. The original homeless population of a town isn't where the issue starts but new homeless sims and service sims are where it begins. (Edited to add: and it can begin at the start of the game when there are more roles to fill than sims)

Yeah, I'm sorry I had to abandon the heartbreaker thing, but it just wasn't going to be enjoyable for me. Maybe we'll get ONE heartbreaker in a future generation and I can have some fun with that.

And thank you for the info about the "pudding problem" (lol)! That was really helpful. I'll fiddle with the SP settings when we get to the next town and see what I can do. It's weird, because in past games with SP, I haven't had this problem--I've seen pudding-faced NPCs filling cashier roles and things like that, but I haven't had whole families of pudding faces moving into empty houses. When you first start in a new town with SP installed, it asks you whether you want to delete the homeless population. I think that in the past I've chosen yes, and maybe this time I chose no? I failed to actually notice what I was doing at the time. Anyway, I'll take your advice for the second town for sure!

[JudesSims]

I’m enjoying this story a lot! You had me giggling out loud several times. 😂

[Beks]

I’m enjoying this story a lot! You had me giggling out loud several times. 😂

Thanks so much! I'm honored that you're reading my story!

[Beks]

Chapter 3 - Fresh Baby, Fresh Start



In case you were concerned about Hailey Shepherd's wellbeing after the last chapter...I want to assure you that she is just fine. First she falls asleep on the front porch, which is not exactly a sign of okay-ness...



...but then she comes back inside, only to be ambushed by a suddenly-more-pregnant-looking Gracie, who assures Hailey that Benjamin really values her friendship and that she's welcome over at the house anytime she wants. The two of them almost become friends before Hailey has to race off to work. At least Hailey is (a little weirdly) best friends with both Ralston and Honeycakes, so she'll probably be back.



The next day, Gracie and Benjamin spend most of the afternoon in the garden together. Gracie tends to her plants, and Benjamin starts upgrading the sprinklers for her.



Dusk falls, and it's baby time!



Gracie: "The car is this way, darling. Come along now."



Gracie drives herself to the hospital with Benjamin cowering in the front seat. (I guess Handy sims can't handle birth. Heh heh.) Side note: This might be the most aesthetically pleasing hospital I've ever seen in a Sims game.



A couple of hours later, Gracie brings her daughter Felicity into the world. Welcome, Felicity!



Gracie is happy to be a mother, I think, but she doesn't exude a lot of confidence in these early days. There's an uncertainty in her eyes as she bottle feeds and cuddles her little girl. Hopefully that'll pass with time. It could also just be the outfit she's wearing and that spiky bracelet on her wrist (which I've never noticed until right now, looking back at this screenshot). That lingerie set doesn't exactly scream "mother" in the traditional sense.

Meanwhile, Benjamin is going through a bit of a change himself. On Friday of the first full week, I get a surprise notification from Benjamin's work. He's been offered a career switch--from business to politics. Normally I ignore these opportunities, but this one makes me pause. Benjamin has been pretty miserable at work all week. Just as he was beginning to befriend his boss, that sim left and was replaced by Hetty Lionheart, a grouchy old lady whom Benjamin sorely dislikes. His chances of moving up in the career plummet with that changeover. He's been stuck at level 2 for four straight days of work, with the progress bar only creeping up about a millimeter per day. All in all, he's not doing very well in the business world.



With the offer to switch to politics, everything suddenly falls into place.

"Maybe business isn't for me. I'm Friendly, I'm Charismatic, I already know all the influential women around town from my sexually charged repair appointments..."

Benjamin accepts the offer from City Hall and is set to begin on Monday. He has to start at the beginning of the politics career, but I already have high hopes for him. This way, he can take advantage of his social contacts and outgoing traits, and maybe even do some good in the world. Plus, he's really good looking, and we all know how shallow collective humanity is. A handsome politician? Count everyone in!



Benjamin goes home to tell Gracie the good news.

"So I start Monday, and my boss already seems much nicer than my last one. I'll just be making copies in the beginning, but--"

"That's wonderful, Benny. Now get out of the way so I can mop that lake of pee you're standing in."



Quitting his job at 11 am means that Benjamin has the rest of the day (and the weekend) off. To celebrate, he gets right to his favorite activity--grilling.

He's like a new man. Out in the backyard in the middle of the day on a Friday, grilling some hot dogs, gazing out at the rolling hills beyond Appaloosa Plains...



...scorching the hot dogs YET AGAIN...



"This does not bode well for my future as a politician."

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to Benjamin's first City Hall cookout. Or maybe I am. With my entire being.



Although he sucks at grilling, Benjamin proves to be a natural at fatherhood. He takes care of Felicity with diligence and pride, letting Gracie rest and recover from the birth.



Except Gracie is incapable of resting when the house is in such a state. Throughout her pregnancy, the house deteriorated into a horrifying state--broken sinks, animal pee puddles (Ralston doesn't autonomously pee outside unless she's already outside, and I can't figure out how to train that out of her), dirty dishes, dropped piles of garbage. Poor Neat Gracie is losing her mind. She spends the whole day cleaning house--and repairing sinks when Benjamin can't get to them all fast enough.



In the evening, Benjamin gives the grill another go--and succeeds!



The weekend is prime time for getting ahead in one's career. Benjamin tracks down his new boss, Cheyenne Fox, at the cat park, where she is hanging out with her two toddlers. Her two BOY toddlers.



Benjamin: "You've got some cute kids there, Cheyenne. I've got a daughter myself. Maybe when they're a bit older we can set up a play--"

Cheyenne: "Aaaand looks like I've got another one coming!"

Yes, Cheyenne became pregnant the second Benjamin started talking to her. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I'm pretty sure Felicity is destined to marry one of the Fox boys. I mean, there are already two of them, maybe a third!

Anyway, Benjamin and Cheyenne quickly become friends. I think having such a close connection to this beautiful family will come in handy down the road. Not for any particular reason.



Benjamin seems so much happier already. He keeps voluntarily brushing Ralston, which is a sign of a happy sim, I'm pretty sure. (And a happy dog by extension.)



Felicity's baby days go by fast. It seems like only a few snuggles are had before it's time for her to age up.



This little family celebrates the first Loveland-Schmidt birthday in their adorable dining room. (Benjamin is more excited than he lets on. Or maybe he's just scared.)



A spin and some sparkles...



...and here's Felicity! She takes after her father, that's for sure. Felicity is a Clumsy Virtuoso, and she likes Latin music, Tri-Tip Tofu Steak, and the color lime.



Yep, she's daddy's little girl.

[Beks]

Chapter 4 - Everything Is Fine



Things are almost normal in the Loveland-Schmidt household. Gracie is recovered from giving birth and getting busy with gardening and cat play before going back to work.



Felicity is starting to learn her toddler skills. (If sticking your xylophone mallet into your eye isn't the mark of a Clumsy Virtuoso, I don't know what is.)

And as Benjamin is feeling more settled in his life decisions, he finds himself ready to make another one.



"Say, Gracie. Now that our daughter is born...what do you say we have a night out, just the two of us?"

"Sure, okay."



Benjamin takes Gracie to Adventure Landing, the little beach just down the hill from their house. They get cozy on the bridge in the falling darkness. (Sorry that these pictures are so dark. It was, um, dark out, and I did not plan this very well.)



Benjamin: "I brought you here for a reason, Gracie. Now that we're almost a real family, and I've almost managed to repress my heartbreaker urges, I wanted to ask you..."



"...will you marry me?"

I'll be honest here. I fully expected Gracie to turn Benjamin down. She has Commitment Issues, after all. I don't know what my plan was if she DID turn him down...but I thought she would, at any rate.



Nope. Not even a second's hesitation. Gracie leaps into the air in excitement and positively screams her yes.

Maybe she acted quickly out of fear, though.



"What. Have. I. Done."



Well, phew! Now that that's done, I check in at home real quick to make sure Felicity's doing okay with her very first babysitter. I'd just like everyone to bask in the glory of this babysitter's outfit. A beanie, big glasses, a riding coat, cargo shorts, and white socks! I couldn't put together an outfit that amazing if I tried.



He turns out to be a good babysitter, too. He's aware of the toddler's existence and everything! (Felicity looks totally unafraid of his claw attack, but maybe that's just her personality.)



Anyway, back to our lovely couple. Newly engaged against all odds, Benjamin and Gracie sit back to watch the stars together. They intelligently choose a spot with actual light. I probably should've done that.

Whilst they're sitting there gazing up at the sky...I get a notification. THE notification. THE MOST TERRIFYING notification. About the sky going dark.

I'm about to use "Go here" to send Benjamin (who got the notification) and Gracie far away, but I'm interrupted by...Benjamin's birthday?!



"Hoorayyy! I'm about to get hit with middle age AND a meteor at the same time!"

I probably don't need to be freaking out over this, but I am absolutely freaking out over this. If any of you read my Middlemiss Random Legacy, you might remember what happened to Lincoln way back in generation one. He, uh, got killed by a meteor. It HAPPENS, people. And knowing my luck, it's about to happen to me TWICE!



So the sparkles hit Benjamin. I'm checking the sky every three seconds and trying not to hyperventilate. I'm having flashbacks to Lincoln. I'm wondering how the heck Gracie is going to raise a toddler all by herself when the family has so little money. I'm trying to cancel the birthday action and send Benjamin into a field nearby so he DOESN'T GET HIT BY A METEOR. BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY.



As the birthday ends, I spot a weird, contorted figure on the sand below. Is that a glitchy wild horse or something...? I've seen a couple of those around.



Nope, it's Jazlynn Parrott, trying to armadillo herself away from the INCOMING METEOR.

Benjamin is still frozen in place by the birthday gods--and Gracie is still maniacally cheering--when it happens.





We're saved! The boardwalk is in flames and Gracie is decidedly scorched, but both our sims survive. I cannot begin to describe to you my relief.

I don't know how well Gracie is taking this, though. She's just agreed to marry someone--a rather big commitment--and immediately afterward, she almost gets crushed by a meteor.



"I'm alive! I'm fine. I'm engaged! I'm fine. Oh, god. Everything is fine..."



After scooping up the remains of the meteor (two pathetic "large rocks" worth about a hundred bucks each), Gracie and Benjamin head home. Benjamin seems totally fine; he gives Felicity her dinner and pats her on the head as if the world hasn't just almost ended.

Gracie seems a little less fine.



"What are you talking about? I am great. I have never been better. I'm getting married. I almost died. I am FINE."



Benjamin is somewhat relieved to go off to his first day of work in the political career on Monday. After a wild weekend, some normalcy, please!



Gracie takes over full parent duty and starts potty training Felicity. Felicity is a quick learner...and awfully cute.



In her remaining days of leave, instead of focusing on wooing unsuspecting victims like she might have in the past, Gracie turns her attention to improving her abilities as a gardener. After hoarding several harvests' worth of produce in her inventory for days, she finally goes down to the grocery store to sell it all (and shows Felicity a bit of downtown while she's at it).



She also hangs out at the library for an afternoon, reading up on gardening. This is Rodney Singleton, still technically one of her romantic interests. I can't say whether they conversed or not. I suspect not.



I know I said Benjamin recovered well from the whole meteor thing, but I wasn't entirely truthful. He actually gets flung into a full-blown midlife crisis. It's only understandable after having a baby, proposing to your girlfriend, almost getting killed by a meteor, and starting a new job, all in the span of three days.

Hang in there, bud. It's going to be okay, I promise.

[JudesSims]

Very entertaining. Thank you for the fun read.

[Beks]

Chapter 5 - Do the Smustle



A lot has happened for the Loveland-Schmidt family these past few days. After all the craziness (and with more craziness--a wedding--still to come), Gracie makes a big decision of her own. She decides to quit her job as a scientist and focus on gardening full-time.



It's the right decision. With her fiance back at work and a little daughter at home, Gracie wants to be around to raise Felicity. And who doesn't want to wake up with the sunrise and spend the day out in the garden? Gracie savors the dawn light, the lush flowers, and the gentle exercise of picking limes and weeding onions. She's happier this way, and so am I.



And of course, Felicity is happy to have her mommy around. Felicity was a very fussy infant, but as a toddler, she's content as can be. She practices xylophone and learns the peg box while Gracie works outside, and when the gardening work is done, the two of them snuggle and giggle as much as they want. *contented sigh*

A couple days later, Hailey (the chick who called Benjamin out on his nonsense, and still a good friend of the family) calls Benjamin and orders him to throw a bachelor party. Now that he's an aspiring politician, it makes sense for Benjamin to start building his contacts. He agrees, and invites over everyone he knows in town.



Jay Schrekengast is the first to arrive, and he starts breaking it down before Benjamin even gets into his bachelor outfit. Benjamin procrastinates on getting into said bachelor outfit by joining in the smustle. I about died laughing over this.



As the rest of the guests begin to trickle in, Benjamin finally dons his party outfit and looks very handsome.



It's a surprisingly normal party, as Sims parties go. Everybody stays in the same general area, and everybody dances! Look at this suspiciously calm group of people, just having a good time!



Of course, it's a bachelor party. Things can't remain normal for too long. I must admit, I don't think I've seen these particular strippers before. I mean, I've seen Sparkles Sanchez and Honey Pisces before. But I don't think I've ever seen them as cops.



The party dancers get their groove on, and everybody grooves along. Surprisingly, I find the groom-to-be and bride-to-be dancing off in a corner together. How cute are these two heartbreakers together?



Benjamin's boss, Cheyenne Fox, gives the toast for the party whilst looking like an absolute queen in her reflecty glasses and striped tights.



These two have a genuinely sweet relationship. They're almost best friends already, and they've only worked together for a couple days.



And Cheyenne is not afraid to douse her new employee in a fountain of champagne! I mean, fizzy nectar.





After the speech, the smustling starts up again. Jay Schrenkengast is not deterred and continues to relive his younger days with the utmost enthusiasm.



I swear I have about 90 pictures of him doing this.



Jay: "Pardon me, my lady, whilst I contort my body round yours in an expression of the music."

Oriole: "Gross."



Even our sweet, composed Gracie gets into things after one two many drinks from her secret upstairs bar. (At least, I assume she must have snuck up there in order to be doing these dance moves.)



Honey? You okay?



Oh, nope, she's just exhausted. And probably delirious. Let's get you to bed, dear.



...well, that works I guess.

The party ends around 2 am after Benjamin sends everyone home. It is a Wednesday night, after all, and there's a toddler in the house who needs to sleep!



The next morning, Gracie starts teaching Felicity the smustle. Actually, she probably doesn't even remember last night. Here's hoping.