Well, hello again! Believe it or not, I'm actually done playing this turn. I wanted to get all my play time done during summer break as I usually don't have time to play during school, but often can squeak in some writing time. But I'm still on summer for a couple weeks, so we'll have to see how much I can get through. Seems this is a good place to start, so join me after the jump...
Last time we saw heiress Mae achieve four stars of fame and begin her career as an interior decorator plus have her first child, Baade, a spellcaster like his father. Mae is now pregnant with the second baby, Julien is working on Spellcraft and Sorcery, Yuri has finally become able to write Books of Life, and Ferdinando and Cassini continue in blissful semi-retirement, while our cat raccoon, Felicette, has recently grown up into the most precious little trash panda. With all that recap out of the way, let's dive in.
It's been a minute since I played this so I don't remember all the particulars, but this picture is commemorating Julien reaching another level in both his aspiration and his magical prowess. He's moving up the ranks with a lot of practice and studying.
Meanwhile, Felicette is playing with her toys. One of her traits is playful, so she LOVES her toys.
Aww, my parents' dog does this too. We joke that he must have been upside down in the womb because he loves to lie on his back, upside down, especially when he's happy. He plays with his toys like that but, owing to dogs' general lack of manual dexterity, ends up throwing them and then looks just as dolefully at the just-out-of-reach toy as Felicette is doing here.
Yuri completed Bestselling Author last chapter and, with a moodlet solver nearby, is ready to write his first Book of Life.
And it's done! Fittingly, Mae got the first one since it can't be bound to Baade until he's a child. Get cracking, Yuri! We're going to need at least five. I'll spare him writing them for Ferdinando and Cassini as they won't be around as long, plus I'm not really expecting them to work that hard.
That isn't to say they get off scot-free, however. There's still plenty of work to be done, and grandpa Ferdinando is on bath duty today, but Baade is a pretty easy child (except to his father, who has a weirdly tense relationship with him), so it's a low-stress bubble bath for our first child.
Aha! I have finally apprehended the mystery herbalism culprit. The paparazzi apparently like to use our grill to start herbalism concoctions. However, they require a stove to finish, so that's why the pots get dumped on the back patio, since thankfully they can't get in the house. The bottle on the ground there, however, bears Neil's name in the tooltip, so it seems that the paparazzi maybe aren't
solely to blame.
Another day, another gym reno. This is the one in Del Sol Valley. This time we were allowed to do the floor that had the pool on it, so it is time to employ Courtyard Oasis. The before is very...brown. And drab.
The after is much airier, in my opinion. I also added some big windows with a privacy hedge to lighten up the space. One of the preferences was garden decor, so it's a bit more planted than you might expect, and there is actually a grassy seating corner on the far end. Unfortunately, I couldn't change the pool trim as it's considered part of the lower level. I know the black doesn't really go with the rest of it, but there's only so much I can do.
This just in: Mae Hart
literally walks on water, paparazzi report.
See the grassy corner? Is it weird? Yes. Did Bess like it anyway? Also yes.
Then it's off to Orchid-A-Go-Go to get more fame. Neil is not pleased about being trapped in the bathroom with Mae's followers and paparazzi, but it's really not my fault you two decided to talk in here.
Freed from the bathroom, he's pleased that he'll be an uncle again. I'm glad these two have kept in touch, since we see more of Yuri and I do want the best for the boys. We'll get to a Spares Interlude eventually, promise!
Mae: "Baade, can you hold on just a sec? I'm going to discipline you, but Mommy got a notification. Just a sec!"
And then while pottytraining Baade, Mae has her own accident. Whoops. She's not very good at being pregnant and trying to juggle work, fame, and parenting is running her ragged.
Julien: "Oh, a puddle? Hey buddy, did we have a little accident? It's okay, champ! But big boys pee in the potty, okay?"
Mae: *out*
Baade: *seethe*
While Mae tucks in Baade after she got a shower, Julien reads her Book of Life to keep her a bit fresher. Apparently I need to keep a closer eye on her needs while she's pregnant.
And then Mae takes selfies with her sleeping boy to mommyblog.
Ferdinando's bar is quite full, so Mae decided to bring her father with her on her next outing. They got some chatting and quality trademark Hart hugs in.
Then she worked on inciting cheers, which is her latest aspiration roadblock. She's got four stars of fame but people are universally disapproving of her doing this, and she needs positive reactions for it to count.
While still out, Mae went into labor (for all I say she's had difficult pregnancies, she sure isn't taking it easy during them!). We sent Ferdinando home and called Julien to meet us at the hospital.
There, before Mae can check in, he pulls her in for a quick kiss on the cheek.
Julien: "I'm so proud of you, babe. I can't wait to meet our next child. Thank you so much!"
Aw, so cute.
While waiting, Mae takes some more selfies because you can't rest on your laurels if you want to be the most famous. It is a bit hard for her to keep her eyes open while having contractions, however.
Julien: "Babe! Babe, wake up! Doctor, is that loud noise normal?"
Doctor: "That's a flatline, son."
Julien: "Oh my god, did something happen?"
Doctor: "Oh no, cardiac arrest is a normal part of birthing in sims world."
Julien: "Well, as long as there's no reason to worry."
And this time...the baby is just not in the bassinet? Uh, okay, hospital, I was kinda hoping to meet them.
Freed from her pregnancy waddle, Mae can finally utilize her special fame walk. Unfortunately, this is one SLOW ASS walk and she doesn't even make it a few steps down the hall before the game is like "yeah...I'm not waiting for that" and whisks us home.
There we finally get to meet our special bundle of joy, who Mae dresses in another onesie purchased from Plopsy. This is Zwicky, another boy, so our hunt for an heiress continues.
However, that's not to say that Zwicky isn't very welcome and wanted. Ferdinando is delighted to meet another grandchild.
Baade actually did develop a small grudge sentiment towards his father eventually, so even when he asks for a hug from his dad, he's still sad from being near him. Sigh. This did fade by childhood, luckily.
Hmm, a normal conversation? Oh, no, I see those clay lumps. Y'all just threw them on the floor right before I swung the camera on you, didn't you? It is a great mystery where all the clay in the house even came from, because I've never bought them one.
Cassini: "No comment."
Everyone gets cleaned up, because it is Harvestfest, and Mae has prepared a nice turkey dinner, which she is delighted to call everyone to. She seems very content with her precariously balanced life of fame, work, and domesticity.
Maybe a little too content if Felicette is allowed on the table right by the turkey.
After dinner, the family (Neil dropped by for dinner too) gathers around to share all they're thankful for. They have a lot to be thankful for, lately. Everyone is doing very well.
Afterwards, Yuri starts on his new aspiration, which is Bodybuilder, as is a traditional preoccupation in the Hart line. He's written books of life and bound them to Mae and Julien, plus three for Baade, Zwicky, and their eventual third sibling, but he can't bind them to the kiddos yet, so he's just killing time. He also took a job in the athletic track. For a hobby, mostly, since the Harts are not hurting for money.
Unfortunately, my camera is called away for Ferdinando's passing.
Grim: "Huh, that's weird. No one's here to observe it."
Yuri: "Oh my God, Dad???"
Grim: "Oh, okay, that's more like it."
Julien: "Oh my God, Ferdinando???"
Grim: "Okay, one more. I can wait just a second, I suppose."
Cassini: "Oh my God, Ferdinando???"
Grim: "Okay, guys. I don't have all day for you to arrive one by one. I'm taking him now!"
And so passes Ferdinando, beloved father, grandfather, and husband, former resident of Selvadorada, and the greatest find Cassini made on any of her sojourns.
Julien comforts himself by attending to his new baby.
Mae, who unfortunately did not make it downstairs in time to say goodbye, comforts Baade, who is distraught at losing his grandfather. Parenting her son helps distract her from her own grief.
And Yuri copes in his own way.
Cassini, however, broke my heart. Her side of the bed is the right, but she went and took a nap on Ferdinando's side immediately after he died. That's so sad!!!
Life does have to move on, though, and it always seems to do so in legacy households, where there is always more to do. Mae is amusing Felicette while Julien uses Mae's acting mirror to work on his charisma for his politics job, which he is moving up the ranks in.
Meanwhile, Cassini is watching over the boys. Baade is still very upset. He was very close with Ferdinando.
Julien has maxed his spellcaster rank. He just has a few more tasks to do to complete his aspiration.
Meanwhile, under the watchful eye of our reigning heiresses, Zwicky has grown up.
Aw, he's precious. He'll look a lot like his dad, I think, and he has Julien's complete suite of coloring. As he adjusts to standing, there's something a little unnerving about his blank stare, as though he's a million miles away.
Yeah, just can't put my finger on it, but there's something a little odd about him.
???: "Zwicky, Zwicky, you are a perfect empty vessel..."
Zwicky: "...?"
Mae: "What're you looking at, Zwicky? Oh well, no matter. It's potty time!"
???: "Young one, I shall fill you with such anger and madness..."
Zwicky: "...!"
Weird! Well, anyway, Julien got invited to duel this dude, named Baby Shockley, which is just weird enough that I remembered his name.
But Julien pulled through for the W and meanwhile finished his aspiration! Congrats, Julien.
To celebrate, we replaced the dull magic headquarters with a version of Hogwarts from off the Gallery which is really quite astounding. It fits perfectly and has everything that's needed, and the attention to detail is stunning. I wish I had done this ages ago.
(Obligatory disclaimer that while I don't condone JK Rowling's TERFiness, I do still like the world of Harry Potter apart from her personal failings.)
Julien checks in with his friend and mentor, Simeon, and shows off pics of his kids. But wait...what's that in the background?
Forget Sixam, I think I've found evidence of real aliens because what human would dress like this? Unfortunately, Sim-Hogwarts has pools to simulate the lake, and that makes people decide they should swim in the magic realm. Fortunately, that meant this young man decided to grace us with his interesting swim getup. Can you imagine getting both your eyebrows and your nose pierced, but only putting in your jewelry to swim?
Anyway, back at home...
???:
"They are your inferiors, Zwicky. You are made to continue my work and sew mayhem among all who surround you..."
Zwicky: "May...hem...?"
Baade: "Zwicky, no!"
Baade: "Gramma, Zwicky not good! Zwicky friend bad!"
Cassini: "Aww, Zwicky's not a bad friend, baby. He's your brother! Yeah, he's a little weird and doesn't talk much, but we love our Zwicky, right?"
Baade *frustrated*: "Yes, Zwicky love. But Zwicky trouble bad! Gramma help Zwicky but Gramma not see! No one see. Baade scared."
Cassini: "What little stories you tell, Baade! Don't worry about your brother. I know it can be hard to be the oldest, trust me. But you'll all be fast friends one day."
Baade: "UGH!"
Hmm, Baade might be on to something...
Yes, it seems our Zwicky has run into some trouble, and been possessed by his great-great-great-great grandmother Eris, for he is following in her footsteps of being evil and wanting to be a public enemy. On top of that, he got his mom's materialism and her love of the outdoors, but there's something distinctly Eris about this personality. Only time will tell how he manages this loathsome legacy. Perhaps fortunately, Zwicky is not a spellcaster. If he were attuned to the magicks on top of being possessed by the most powerful trickster ever born to the Hart line...God help us all.
Baade tries his best to befriend Zwicky, but toddlers do have limited capacity to understand demonic possession, no matter how true their sight may be, after all... For his part, Zwicky keeps to himself and doesn't talk much, though the adults notice he seems to be doing a lot of listening, even when no one is talking.
He also beat Baade's record to having a festering grudge with his father for such unforgivable crimes as...
*checks notes*
changing diapers. Hmm. I wonder if Zwicky is upset at not getting his father's inheritance like Baade did.
Meanwhile, Mae is working on her fame but finds it hard to do in the midst of her grief.
She does achieve five stars at last, and now the race is on to maintain this fame until I can get the...25? Jesus, 25, really? UGH. Yes, 25 positive reactions to incite cheers that she needs to finish her aspiration. For the record, she currently stands at a nice goose egg.
However, she pulls such faces when I push her further that I decide maybe selfies are not the best avenue for maintaining her image at this time.
As Baade's language facilities develop, he tries again and again to warn his family of the strange changes his brother is undergoing, but when no one believes, he begins to accept that there will be no saving his brother, and he will have to accept him as he is.
Speaking of strange creatures, Felicette has taken a shine to the upstairs shower now too and performs ritualistic dances to appease her strange god.
Yuri: "Has the
cat raccoon always been this weird, or have things been a little strange in the house lately?"
Cassini: "You know, now that you mention it... But nah, everything is hunky-dory! No frightening spiritual energies in this house, no sir!"
Right...
Zwicky: "Mayhem...fight...conquer...mischief...enemies..."
Mae: "My, honey, your vocabulary certainly is...developing..."
Neil stops by and makes a beeline for his father's grave, so Cassini stops what she's doing to share her grief with her firstborn and make space for his. It's been a trying time for this family.
Still, things begin to look up with time, and eventually Mae is back to taking smiling selfies after putting her toddlers down for bed, just like old times.
Perhaps owing to the duplicate soul inhabiting him, Zwicky is distracted and not a particularly quick learner when compared to Baade. Although Baade had the advantage of being an only child for a while, it's turning out to be much harder even accounting for that to get Zwicky his skills.
Baade, however, is on track to get the top-notch toddler trait as long as we stay on top of it. This means plenty of attention from his parents, which helps distract him from his brother.
As for the rest of the house, they're managing just fine. Yuri is...going through a rough patch in his career but is hopeful to get out of this ignominious position soon. Cassini is working on upgrading all around the house, which I had started some early on but forgot about for a long while. She doesn't have forever at this point, though, so I want to see how much we can get out of her before the time comes.
Mae: "Dad! Thanks for visiting us finally. Why so literally blue though?"
Ferdinando: "There is a disturbance in the spirit realm. An ancestor of yours has gone missing. Some...Eris, I believe it was?"
Mae: "Huh, that's weird. Oh well, probably doesn't concern the living world, so not my problem!"
Zwicky: "Death! Destruction! Despair!"
Although I couldn't capture the picture immediately after this because Ferdinando turned tail and went down the stairs, pocketing the clay, I want to note that he was sad, picked up the clay at the top of the stairs where some safety-minded Hart last stashed it, and immediately turned a bright happy green. These are simple folks we're dealing with; they really just need their clay to be happy.
Meanwhile we are in a frantic bid to get Baade his last two skills maxed: imagination and movement. I know movement won't take that long, but imagination took forever--much longer than I was planning! I thought we'd have plenty of time but we're racing to get it done before his birthday and it's all hands on deck.
When Baade does max movement at last, earning himself the trait when he grows up, Mae is overjoyed. To be fair, she's been watching a toddler slide for the past two hours on the assumption that it helped him skill faster. You'd be overjoyed to be done with that too.
Unfortunately we pushed Baade just a little too hard and he passes out before he can make it to bed. I wanted him to have a little nap before his birthday but he just didn't quite get there, actually wobbling off the path to his bedroom, which is back and to the left, in order to pass out in the middle of the upstairs play area.
Julien comes home with a promotion and does a little dance. He's finally at a stage where he needs to secure votes from people to advance as a politician.
Mae: "Sure, babe, I'll vote for you."
Julien: "Wow, my powers of persuasion are so good! I got my own wife to vote for me. The donors will be impressed!"
And then we wake Baade up because he's in dire danger of growing up without a cake. His parents, grandmother, and one of his uncles gather around. Yuri was at work, unfortunately.
And wow, do you need a makeover! But that will have to wait because this was the week that Sim Sessions was going on, and we had been waiting all week to go to it.
Mae and Julien got there ahead of the crowd and got to freak out over the guy from Glass Animals.
I thought it'd be fun for them to conceive their third child in one of the tents here during the festival, but unfortunately the interaction kept dropping no matter how many times I had them ask each other.
More fortunately, people asked Mae for her autograph and responded to some of her cheers despite the competition on stage, so that was helpful as we've been pretty stalled out on this aspiration.
Not even Bebe Rexha in head to toe leather could keep Miko Ojo from fangirling over Mae.
Finally the concert was over. It was a fun event, but I wish they had done something besides all acoustic. It made sense in terms of limiting the animations to piano and singing, but it would be cool if the next time they do this they broaden the types of music.
Anyway, Mae and Julien never were able to woohoo but it is time for them to get rolling on a third child--hopefully a girl--so Julien whisks his wife off to the magic realm for a different fun location.
Julien? Did you lose Mae somewhere?
Julien: "Nah, she's just doing her rad fame walk and this is on the third floor. We're gonna make a baby in Dumbledore's quarters, I think? Seems weird, but I'm down. Just gotta be patient. Famous people are very slow walkers, you know."
If you say so.
Finally too-famous-for-her-own-good Mae arrives, and Julien stays bundled up for the deed.
Julien: "What? Stone castles are chilly, yo!"
Thankfully, no more sacrilege of the headmaster's quarters was necessary, as Mae finds out she is pregnant in what I think is supposed to be the bathroom where Moaning Myrtle appears.
Mae: "Babe! We're preggers again!"
Julien: "Babe, that's incredible! The world is truly blessed to have more of our genes running around in it soon."
Mae: "I know! Right, babe? Like our other children are so normal, so this is such a good thing."
Julien: "Totally, babe!"
And then Julien gives Mae this adoring look while she calls an Uber to take them home from the magic realm, as you do.
Anyway, now that we're finally home, I gave Baade his makeover and he got his awesome hair back. As a reminder, he is a perfectionist and a Rambunctious Scamp now. His favorite color is yellow, and he's not fond of purple. I think he's a really handsome kiddo, and I'm excited to see what he gets up to as a child.
First, though, the only thing he's getting up to is his first homework!
And with that, we've reached the end of another chapter. Check back next time to see if we finally get our heiress, see Mae reach ever higher in her quest to have people cheer at her shameless self-promotion, see Julien scrounge for votes, see Baade develop his personality, see Zwicky probably bring on the apocalypse from his high chair, and see Cassini and Yuri continue to attempt to stay out of the frame of any roving cameras...
Yuri: "Damn it, she caught me!"
Til next time, thanks for reading!
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