#wanted to get a nice mix of Dina's and Mortimer's personality in there

[vyrridianasims]

Finally been managing to get my ass back into the sims 2 to continue working on making over Pleasantview.

Here's a little sneak peek of the Goth manor :)

[changingplumbob]

My top 23 gameplay moments

Thanks to @anamoon63 for tagging me! You've probably seen my top 23 screenshots but as I was trying to narrow them all down I did feel like my favourite storyline moments were not the same as my favourite pictures. So I'm going to take this tag and tell you the top 23 gameplay events I've had this year. Not all have screenshots as some of them happened before I started writing down and capturing my gameplay.

23. I did actually enjoy writing Bella and Mortimer pulling away from each other as Mortimer began to prioritise his writing over his family.

22. Seeing in thought bubbles that Paris and Samir both had crushes on the sims I wanted them crushing on. Sweet success!

21. Back when my game correctly did university grades and three out of five of my university students earned their degrees with honors! Devin, Luna and Cassandra.

20. Adding in Dina and Nina Caliente. Sadly Mortimer died so they haven't gotten a lot of screentime yet BUT I think they look great and have plans to bring them back in in time, they still control the Goth fortune after all.

19. Getting Bob his dog Dale which allowed Bob to get fit and healthy. He's still heavy set but it's mostly muscle now.

18. When Reece got a pop up about his crush randomly showing up at football practice despite his actual crush Samir being on the football team...

17. When Deanna and Paris completely ruined my story plans by kissing during a shopping trip in a different rotation, and I had to do sneaky screenshots so you couldn't see them in the background. Then when I went back to play Deanna she still had the first kiss option so I could write things my way.

16. When I was able to edit settings so that Devin and Luna could have kids that would be genetically related to them both. I usually like to keep my gameplay semi realistic when it comes to having kids but I knew Devin would not get pregnant being an actress and wanted the chance of a kid that looked like her.

15. My sims commiting home invasion before it became EA official. See Devin walking into the Pancakes house like modern day Goldilocks. Taking a bath, cooking a white cake, and only half eating some food.

14. Joey's glow up from little kid to attractive young adult was a nice surprise. I'm so glad he rolled wanting kids because if I can't get a Devin lookalike, maybe I can get a Joey lookalike down the line. Note to self, put eyelashes on more of my male sims.

13. When this new blonde girl in high school kept looking miserably at Deanna during the lesson. And I had Deanna go cheer her up only to discover when looking through her traits that she was also a lesbian. Cheers Paris for spawning at just the right time.

12. Kelly rolling the evil trait after being a destructive toddler was hilarious. I never would have picked it by myself but now I revel in writing him being a jerk to others.

11. When I got Milton to waddle across the road after Bella went missing. And again when I got him to ditch Dina and Nina and run away to see Alexander.

10. Rahul repeatedly spawning outside the Goth house for no apparent reason. This of course led to a friendship and eventual romance with Cassandra. Stalking may pay off???

9. Just watching Kaori ski has honestly been so fun. I look forward to it when I play her household. For those that don't know Charlie used Mix & Mingle for a blind date and Kaori was the second woman she met from that.

8. INFANTS! Specifically playing with alien infants like Silas and Pollock who are even more adorable and hilarious than human infants.

7. Writing Bob and Eliza as being in love. Taking the opposite nature of their personalities and finding a way where they actually work well together. I always smile when they go to woohoo and Eliza also dumps her clothes on the floor like Bob rather than in the basket.

6. When Reece got a crush on Samir after literally saying one thing to him, guess they'd been bonding off screen. In the York rotation Samir had come over and yelled at Reece, and my brain went he's probably just a closeted gay. Then I checked and he actually was! For storyline purposes though I have him as never being in denial of that.

5. Savannah and Mercedes being mini clones of Rahul. I love it so much. I also have really liked playing this latest storyline where they are not pleased at the idea of a sibling, they can be two little terrors.

4. Adam accepting the birth of both of his kids despite not wanting children. I didn't know if I could do enough to get him there but each time he was able to.

3. Keira getting sick during her Halloween party date and Marta looking after her. Not planned but ended up pretty sweet.

2. James proposing to Alexander when he was a townie, despite autonomous proposals being turned off and the fact that he had a living wife at that point. You rebel against the code James!

1. When Adam ignored autonomous proposals being turned off, and showed up in the middle of Suzanna's shift at the science lab to propose. They were living together by this point and clearly he got sick of me ignoring his wants while I played him at home.

So @azuhrasims @marcishaun @sharona-sims and anyone really if you have some top gameplay events from this year, doesn't have to be a whole 23, want to share? Also @julesbbsea17 I KNOW you must have had some kind of crazy memorable gameplay events in your game this year... *flashes back to that random unknown thing bobbing in the water beside your lot in Sulani that we still don't have the identity of*

[fellowstrangetownappreciator]

Playing Favorites (part 2)

Here we go again! Another 4 TS2 premades that really strange my town! (I’ll see myself out.) Anyway, I have to preface this with saying that so far I’ve only played the 3 base game hoods and although I really enjoy PV and VV, I added them to Strangetown just recently, so I’m still getting acquainted with their casts. That’s why my Playing Favorites posts are so dominated with desert-dwellers - but I definitely plan on including more non-ST Sims once I got to play with them more!

And I also low-key love everybody in Strangetown.

TOP 15 TS2 Premades (according to my personal tastes somewhere in May 2021) (not in any particular order) (and I can’t guarantee I stop at 15 either)

Tank Grunt (Strangetown)

Yes, I am one of them. I am a Tank Grunt apologist. Brace yourself!

Similarly to the Pleasant twins, I view Tank as a victim of his father (Buzz Grunt, the esteemed Strangetown's Worst Parent Award nominee). Of course, that's not to say he's innocent. He is absolutely guilty of bullying Ripp and Johnny and equally guilty of being a bigot. And, most importantly, totally guilty of casually wearing camo face-paint. (that he canonically gets tatooed on his face down the line, which is... its own kind of tragic.)

But that is exactly why I like him so much!

Let me elaborate.

Tank is a very multilayered character, albeit a bit cliché. He is very artistic a eager to always do his best, whether that is in school or home where he competes for his father's affection and approval. Buzz provides both of that but it always feels conditioned – if Tank was to stop getting A+, stop parroting his opinions, stop working out, stop following in his footsteps, would that go away? Even though the answer depends on your interpretation of Buzz and his levels of horrible, Tank definitely thinks so. Just take a look on how his father treats Ripp!

I read Tank as somebody who believes firmly in order and good but has a very twisted understanding of both given his militaristic and hyper-masculine upbringing. He has an enormous potential for character growth. Can he gain (psychological) independence of his father? Can he follow his dreams and become a dancer? Can he free himself of his father’s biases now that he’s out on his own? Can he mend his relationship with Ripp and Buck? (...or maybe even Johnny?) It makes him so fun to play.

Also, I think that it was indeed very cowardly of the developers not to set his gender preference as gay.

Conclusion: Tank is fun! (Although he would probably resent me for saying that.)

Dina Caliente (Str- wait, Pleasantview)

Finally someone who doesn't live in the desert! Both Nina and Dina are such interesting characters, with their connection to Bella’s disappearance, their alien bloodline and their opposing personalities and ambitions.

I feel like the sisters are often getting unjustly demonized. (or mixed up together, I’m looking at you, TS3 and TS4) They’re young, very attractive and in unconventional relationships, thus often labeled as predatory. They’re not.

Dina is a very nice Sim, with Nice points above the average and many Playful points and she tends to roll wants to start a family by the start of the game, although she is not a Family Sim. She’s actually a Fortune Sim, smart and business-oriented. She’s a widow who wants to remarry and has her sights set on the husband of her missing former sister-in-law.

I know that doesn’t make her sound that nice but there is nuance. First of all, the man in question is Mortimer Goth, well in his twilight years, a father of two, simply an adult. He is not a hapless trophy, the decision to start an affair with Dina not long after his first wife got pronounced missing, is his own. He knows he won’t be here for long and doesn’t want to die alone, he wants someone who can make him feel young again and loved once more. Dina, on the other hand, pursues a shotgun wedding to take an advantage of the Goth fortune that will kickstart her business ventures but she is ready to provide what Mortimer needs. She canonically loves him. (proven by the love flag in her relationship panel)

In my personal gameplay, I had Don take Dina on a date before their marriages to their respective Goths, and Dina kept rolling wants to flirt with Mortimer instead. Later down the line she also helped out the Brokes financially, and after her close friend Brandi died young in childbirth, she took in her youngest children, so that her oldest son Dustin could go to college and not worry what’s gonna become of his younger siblings in his custody while he’s gone. I figured it made sense because of Dina’s Nice points, her relationship with Brandi and her now being partially in charge of so much money it isn’t even funny.

In conclusion: I support and condone Dina! Even if it’s somehow implied that she and her sister might’ve just staged her rival’s alien abduction.

Circe Beaker (Strangetown)

Circe is yet another... unwholesome character on my list. She canonically tortures people, namely Nervous Subject, and her bio eludes to there being more in the past or the future. She's cunning, ambitious and very mean.

But she is also very fun to play! Her aspiration being Fortune (not Knowledge) puts an interesting spin on the whole evil scientist routine. She doesn't do it for the love of discovery like the Curiouses and she doesn't care about credit as her husband does. She's out for power and she may as well get it.

Her rather extreme personality would lead one to think she has to be rather disliked around the town but her default relationship panel says otherwise. She doesn't have any close friendships except her husband, though. That makes me think she is superficially charming and tends to act diplomatic to obtain people's loyalty without necessarily caring about any of them. It makes playing her unique from most other Sims.

She is also canonically bisexual! I personally have a deep appreciation for each and every Sim that Maxis sneakily preset to be LGBTQ+. I may not seem like a big deal now but it is.

Conclusion: "She could gaslight, gatekeep and girlboss me any day.” - half of Strangetown’s population

Lazlo Curious (Strangetown)

Lazlo is a ray of sunshine in the Curious household! A very sloppy ray that makes messes wherever it goes, true, but sunshine nonetheless.

I’m very fond of Lazlo because he’s the type of person that looks like he can barely count to five with his easy-going and messy nature but is in fact very clever and, by some measures, the most competent Curious brother, since he is the youngest and it seems like he’s fresh out of college, yet holds a higher career position than his older brothers. “A smart person that doesn’t necessarily seem smart on the first glance” is a trope I have a big soft spot for. (...and it shows)

In my current gameplay, Lazlo wanted to resurrect Vidcund (who died in childbirth), so he switched from Science to Paranormal to swipe a Resurrect-O-Nomitron and, like the madlad he is, succeeded before their round was over (in a span of few days). It was a combination of dumb luck and him having a compatible degree that gave him a hefty bonus but it still made me realize Lazlo could achieve whatever he sets his sights on.

Luckily, his sights are generally set on pizza and video games.

(relatable)

Anyway, I find Lazlo somehow cute, most probably for his constant and very unfruitful attempts to make Vidcund laugh, and in general, how friendly and easy to get along with he is. While he doesn’t have that many Nice points (5, which is a pretty average number), combined with his playfulness he usually tends to act very amicable.

In conclusion: I simp for Knowledge Sims and it shows.

Ok, I’ll be back with another 4 when my horrible procrastinating gruel of a brain feels like it. See ya!

[aondaneedles]

Bella Goth (all as well!)

Which one, my fake (the clone) or the real one? I'll just answer for both (and will regret this not even halfway through).

❤️: OTP

Of course I ship Bella with Mortimer. That's not even a question.

For fake!Bella, I think she's a free spirit. She needs to find herself before she can ever settle down. For now, I don't see her with anyone.

💔: No OTP

Um, anyone but Mortimer? But that's not true. I've seen her with Pascal and liked that. I don't think I have a NOTP for her...

Anyone who clips her wings.

🌈: Sexuality

Bella is straight, maybe bi-curious?

Fake!Bella is bi.

😊: Friends

Morty, of course, and the rest of her family. Bella is everyone's friend. You may have met her just two minutes ago, but she behaves just like you've already known her for years.

Fake!Bella befriends Erin pretty early on and they're as thick as thieves. She's also one of the few sims who really just... gets Nervous.

💀: Enemies or Rival

Bella has this larger than life personality that doesn't hate anyone. Or at least, you won't notice if she hates you. She'll always behave just as amicable as if she likes you. Dina was one of the only people who could see behind that facade and it drove Bella nuts.

The Beakers, no doubt. They'd love to get their hands on the clone, and while fake!Bella may not realise this, she senses that something is way off about them!

🐶: Pet or favorite Animal

Bella comes from a long line of witches. She is a cat person, 100%. But like... those ridiculously fancy, naked cats. They're just as high-maintenance as she is.

Fake!Bella has a pet lizard back at the gas station she sleeps at. She's named him Ziggy.

🌷: Flowers or plants they like

Roses!

Have you ever seen a blooming cactus? They're kind of pretty...

☀️: Favourite Season

Winter, when everyone gathers together and all of the big functions are held.

Anything but summer.

🌧️: Favourite Weather

That's easy! Sunny weather for both!

🕯️: Favourite Aromatic candle

Bella is a big fan of exotic flowers. Mix them with anything that creates an interesting smell (like herbs, sea salt or something) and she's all over it.

Fake!Bella likes it simple, in contrast. Lavender is nice.

🥘: Favourite Food

There's nothing better than a homemade barbeque with burgers for Bella. They had an old grill they got out of storage a few times of the year and did a small family barbeque. Bella manned the grill (because Mortimer burns everything he touches). Michael and Dina used to bring salads (Bella would never admit it, but Dina's salad was actually quite tasty) and the kids played in the graveyard. There aren't as many family barbeques nowadays...

Fake!Bella is not too picky. Anything that fills her up is fine with her. Whenever she's got some money, she heads over to the diner. Their burgers are good.

☕: Favourite Drink

Officially, champagne. Inofficial, Bella is fuelled by coffee.

Tap water. If she ever had coffee, she'd be all over it, too.

🍦: Ice-cream Flavour

Something simple, yet elegant, like Straciatella. Bella loves the little chocolate bits in it.

Chocolate.

��: Pizza Topping

Bella and Mortimer used to get salami pizza every Friday back when they were in high school. She's been craving it lately.

Once again, Fake!Bella is not picky. She's heard that pineapple pizza is a crime against pizza, though and steers clear from it.

🍟: Snack

Bella's favourite snack is frozen grapes. Very refreshing and sweet.

Fake!Bella's favourite snack is chips. Every flavour is fine, but the more savoury, the better.

🍿: Movies they like to watch

Bella is really into those old-school Hollywood movies. Movies like that just aren't made anymore...

Whatever's running on tv. Fake!Bella has a soft spot for those lifetime-esque movies though, where long lost family members are reunited and everyone gets a happy ending.

📺: TV Show they like to watch

Don't tell anyone, but Bella loves telenovelas. They are her guilty pleasure.

Fake!Bella has been watching soap opera reruns religiously lately. Erin showed her how to use SimTube, and she's been spending all her free time watching them. She's on Episode 2751 of "Days of the Cowplant" already!

🎵: Music they listen to

Classical music. Maybe a bit jazz, if Bella's feeling fancy.

Fake!Bella hasn't heard anything but the type of elevator music they play at the gas station yet, but she's pretty sure that that's not it.

⚽: Sport they like or play

Golf.

Fake!Bella goes running sometimes. Just runs as far as possible. Until her lungs burn and she can't remember anything. It's freeing.

📚: Books they like to read

There's a library of classics in the Goth library and Bella has read most of them.

Fake!Bella has found a tattered copy of "The Great Simsby" behind the trash cans of the community pool one day and for some reason, it spoke to her...

🕹️: Video Games they like or Play

Bella doesn't do video games.

You can find fake!Bella at the arcades on a good day. She likes anything that has jumping and running. And she loves rhythm games!

🎻: Musical instrument

Bella knows how to play the piano and usually plays it to entertain guests.

Nothing yet. Maybe synthesizer?

🎨: Favourite Colour

Her signature colour, red!

Red, even though she feels like a fraud for wearing it...

👠: Shoes they like

Fancy high heels. Bella has ruined her feet years ago but she doesn't care. She loves how powerful and sexy she looks in it.

Sensible shoes. Who needs uncomfortable shoes, fake!Bella thinks.

👕: Clothing style

Fancy, elegant, yet understated.

Anything that she can find in the dumpster behind the clothing store. She makes sure to look put together, though. It's an urge she can't help.

👜: What’s always on their bag

Her lipstick. And a good book. Always carry a good book with you and you'll always be in good company.

A few coins, if she needs to buy stuff.

���: Section of the Newspaper they read

The society section.

The celebrity section.

💻: Website they visit the most

Bella spends a lot of time on various fundraiser sites to look for a good cause to sponsor and fundraise for.

whoisbellagoth.com

📱: Social media they use the most

Bella doesn't really use social media. She'd rather spend time with her family and friends in person.

Fake!Bella is addicted to SimTube. Not only for her daily dose of soap but also for conspiracy videos about aliens and the Elixir of Life.

📗: Favourite School Subject

Economics and Biology. Morty may be the genius in their family, but she was no ditz either!

Fake!Bella never went to school. But if, she would have been be super into P.E.

📕: Less Favourite School Subject

P.E. She wasn't bad at it, but she hated getting sweaty.

Maths. Her brain's wired weirdly and she just can't wrap her head even around simple maths. She usually just tosses money on the counter and hopes it's enough.

🎓: University they attended (or not)

Bella attended ALT, of course. She was in a long-distance relationship for all of it, as Morty attended LFT.

Fake!Bella was never college-aged.

🎒: University Major

Economics. It surprises a lot of people, but it really suited her. She has a mind for business. In another life, maybe...

I think that Fake!Bella would have ended up in philosophy due to being unable to decide which major to choose.

🔮: Something Random

Sometimes, Bella wonders what would happen if she were to disappear. Would her family be fine, or would they struggle without her? Of course, she wants them to be happy, but a not so nice small part of her wishes that they'd have trouble to move on...

Fake!Bella sometimes has random flashes of... she's not sure what she sees, but it makes her sad... a small girl with pigtails, a big house, a man holding a baby...

Phew! Thanks for playing, anon!

[lessthanpog]

Literally just. I want you to info dump about the sims 2 storyline. Tell me everything.

Okay okay okay. Let’s just do pleasantview for now

Pleasantview is one of the three base game neighborhoods. It is my favorite one. I’ll go in suggested play order, but everything is very connected.

Don Lothario is a romance sim in the medical career. Romance sims are sims who want to be in relationships with multiple people at once, but in a cheaty kinda way cuz this was 2004. They also are afraid of commitment and just really want to fuck. Don Lothario is in love with Nina Caliente and Kaylynn Langerak. He has a crush on Dina Caliente, but if you do a few interactions with her he will fall in love. He is engaged to Cassandra Goth.

There is a telescope on Don’s balcony. He was involved in the disappearance of Bella Goth (more on that later), and that telescope likely played a role. She disappeared after rejecting him making a move on her, according to his memories.

Next is the Goths. The household is made up of Mortimer Goth, an elder, Cassandra Goth, an adult, and Alexander Goth, a child. Bella Goth, Mortimer’s wife and Cassandra and Alexander’s mother, has disappeared. Don Lothario is the main suspect. She was most likely abducted by aliens. She is found in Strangetown, but has no memories or relationships with any of her family.

Mortimer has moved on and is dating Dina Caliente. There is a scripted event at the house that day for Cassandra to marry Don. If you jump into it right away, he will leave her at the alter. If you do a few romantic interactions first, he will accept.

Next is the Caliente household. The Calientes are distantly related to aliens. They also arrived in town on the night Bella disappeared. Dina is a fortune sim and Nina is a romance sim (gosh I hope I didn’t mix up their names). Once you enter the household, Dina will want to marry Mortimer. She will receive a big bonus in happiness from marrying a rich sim. Nina will get the memo and decide to move out.

Next is the Brokes. Brandi Broke is the matriarch/mother of two children, Dustin and Beau. Dustin is a teen and Beau is a toddler. She will have wants to teach Beau to walk and potty. He is very close to walking and a third of the way through potty training. Dustin has a job in the criminal career. It’s their only income. They are very poor.

Brandi’s husband, Skip Broke, died in a “tragic pool ladder accident”, which most likely implied she killed him. She is pregnant with his baby when you start the game, despite the fact that, in her memories, Beau was born after Skip died. The baby is not Skip’s according to he game’s code, rather a clone of Brandi. For sinplicity’s sake I assume. Clones are always the opposite gender and look exactly the same as the person they’re a clone of.

Dustin is dating Angela Pleasant. I will explain more about them once it’s the Pleasants’ turn. He is doing poorly in school, but not failing. If he starts to fail, he will lose his job. He’s a fortune sim, so that’s very bad for his happiness. The game also implies Dustin is a lost cause of a child, despite being their only income and helping take care of his siblings.

Then the Dreamers. Darren is the father and Dirk is his son. Darren’s wife, Darlene, died in a fire. (Which makes sense to me now, he set two fires in two days when I was playing earlier—) Darren quit his job to be a painter, so money is right. Dirk is a fortune sim, and wants to get a job. He is doing pretty well in school, around an A or so. I don’t know much about their household bc I find them kinda boring tbh.

Dirk is dating Angela Pleasant, but we’ll get to that in a second.

Next is the Pleasants, my favorite. Daniel Pleasant is the father, Mary-Sue Pleasant is the mother, and their twin daughters are Angela and Lilith. Angela was the favored twin. She was taught all the toddler skills, while Lilith was taught none. The name Angela means Angel. Lilith translates to “night demon”. Lilith dresses in goth/punk fashion. Angela and Lilith hate each other. Angela is normally the instigator of fights. Neither girl has a good relationship with their parents.

On loading in, Daniel has the day off. The women of the house go off to work. The maid, Kaylynn Langerak (remember her?) comes. She and Daniel are in love. After she finishes cleaning, she asks if you want to hang out. You are supposed to accept and woohoo with her. You will get a chance card for Mary-Sue’s job. Both options are bad and will have her sent home from work early or fired. She will catch her husband cheating, unless you know this and avoid this scripted event. Daniel is a romance sim.

Angela is dating Dustin Broke. The household bio suggests the girls may be with the “wrong” boys, as Dustin is rebellious and Dirk is prep and nice. Daniel is enemies with Dustin. Angela will likely want to have her first kiss with Dustin, if you haven’t done so already in the Broke household.

Lilith is dating Dirk Dreamer. They’re cute together, but I personally think Lilith is a lesbian. I think they’d stay friends, and that Lilith and Dustin would be friends as well. In game, Lilith and Dustin only have around 20 friendship in both long term and short term bars. Lilith is one of my favorite premades, alongside Bella Goth.

And that’s all of Pleasantview I have for you.

[tamtam-go92]

Pleasantview with a Twist Recap Spring 1

So, yeah I actually only played one season of Pleasantview with a Twist but it might be one of my favorite saves ever (Go download it here, if you don't have it already)! Read the recap under the cut (probably huge).

Goth Family Part 1:

Bella (Romance/grilled Cheese – Become Media Magnate; bisexual +Logical, Creative -Fatness; OTH Tinkering; Cancer (7/3/5/3/7) – Hopeless Romantic, Perfectionist, Neurotic, Disciplined, Good) returned to her family

Cassandra (Family/Popularity – Own 3 first-class Businesses; straight +Swimwear, Jewelry -red Hair; OTH Tinkering; Virgo (7/2/5/7/4) – Cat Person, Nurturing, Techie, Neurotic, Neat) and Don (Romance – Marry off 3 kids; straight +gray Hair, Charismatic -custom Hair; OTH Fitness; Leo (1/7/8/5/4) – Romantic, Loves to Swim, Slob, Adventurous, Self Assured) got married and moved to Don's Condo.

Mortimer (Knowledge/Fortune – Become Captain Hero; straight +Hats, Creative -Perfume; OTH Nature; Cancer (4/6/4/7/4) – Mooch, Genius, Green Thumb, Easily Impressed, Outgoing) and Bella decided to renew their vows now that she was back.

They hired a butler.

Mortimer joined the Garden Club

Dina (Fortune/Romance – 3 Pets reach Top of Career; straight +red Hair, Charismatic -Great Cook; OTH Nature; Sagittarius (2/8/1/8/6) – Born Salesperson, Flirty, Eco Friendly, Couch Potato, Slob) didn't take it so well that her old nemesis Bella has returned.

She kept coming over to kick the bin but the butler always greeted her so Mortimer had the chance to apologize to her and they are on okay terms again.

Caliente Family Part 1:

Dina and Nina (Romance – Graduate 2 Kids from College; bisexual +Stink, Good at Cleaning -black Hair; OTH Sports; Great Kisser, Vehicle Enthusiast, Adventurous, Loner, Disciplined) headed out to Downtown with some townies.

Nina met Daniel Pleasant (Romance/Fortune – Have 10 simultaneous Lovers; straight +Workaholic, Good Mechanic -Great Cook; OTH Tinkering; Virgo (6/3/6/4/6) – Snob, Non Committal, Black Thumb, Never Nude, Active) there and they got along pretty well. But Mary-Sue (Fortune/Family – Become Sports Expert; straight +custom Hair, Charismatic -Stink; OTH Music; Gemini (5/8/6/3/3) – Workaholic, Jealous, Virtuoso, Good Sense of Humor, Evil) was also around so they had to be careful.

Nina got a job as dancer and was fired the first day due to a bad chance card.

Dina tried to befriend a wolf.

The twins went Downtown again with Brandi Broke (Family/Romance – Become Captain Hero; straight +Jewelry, Charismatic -unemployed; OTH Arts; Aries (3/6/4/6/6) – Commitment Issues; Family Oriented, Artistic, Slob, Cheerful) and Nina met Daniel again, but jet again Mary-Sue was also around (I'm pretty sure she's controlling him).

Burb Family Part 1:

The Burbs moved back to Pleasantview and got a nice house.

John (Family – Have 10 Dream Dates; straight +Fatness, Swimwear -black Hair; OTH Nature; Aries (4/4/4/7/6) -  Family Oriented, Sailor, Inabrobriate, Cheerful, Unlucky) and Lucy (Grow up, OTH Movies; Cancer (6/4/3/7/5) – Bookworm, True Slacker, Proper) wanted a dog so Jen (Fortune – Have 10 first Dates; straight +formal Wear, Full-face Make up -unemployed; OTH Music; Gemini (4/7/6/3/5) -  Materialistic, Dance Machine, No Sense of Humor, Outgoing, Adventurous) took her daughter Downtown to buy one. They brought little mixed breed Amigo.

Lucy also met Justin Kim (Grow up; OTH Fitness; Aries (4/7/6/4/4) – Dog Person, Good Sense of Humor, Mean) and befriended him almost immediately.

John and Jennifer are desperately trying for a second kid.

Lucy is quite lazy with her homework and doesn't do so well at school.

Lothario Family Part 1:

Don finds out that he's pregnant. He's not sure why, but he has an idea...

He still tells Cassy he was abducted by aliens and Cassy is super excited to finally see alien hybrids herself.

Cassy is a Cat Person so when she's at work Don drives downtown to get her a cat. He buys the fluffy kitty Belinda.

Cassy finds herself pregnant too and it's a real struggle to keep two pregnant Sims alive.

They hire a maid to keep the house okay and it's Remington.

Don gave birth to twin girls, Annabeth (Loves to Swim (Don), Night Owl (Kaylynn) and Bianca (Adventurous (Don), Brooding (Kaylynn)). Cassy is a bit disappointed that they don't have alien skin, but at least they got alien eyes.

Broke Family Part 1:

Dustin (Fortune/Family – Have 10 best Friends; straight +Glasses, gray Hair -formal Wear; OTH Nature; Aries (3/6/4/6/6) – Ambitious, Angler, Slob, Self Assured) is struggling with his aspiration but it gets better when he had his first kiss with Angela (Popularity/Family – Have 10 first Dates; bisexual +Stink, red Hair -Hats; OTH Nature; Aquarius (4/3/9/7/5) – Dog Person, Family Oriented, Loves Outdoors, Shy) .

He taught Beau (Grow up; Gemini (6/7/4/3/5) – Star Quality, Social Butterfly) how to talk.

Brandi finds herself pregnant by her late husband.

She tries to maintain a friendship with the Caliente twins.

Beau grew up into a child (OTH Music; new trait: Mature) .

Brandi started painting, to get another small income.

Oldie Family Part 1:

Herb (Romance/Pleasure – Raise 10 Puppies or Kitten; straight +Make up, Athletic -red Hair; OTH Nature; Libra (2/8/1/8/6) – Commitment Issues, Party Animal, Technophobe, Coward, Slob) and Coral (Family/Fortune – Become a Rock Goddess; straight +Charismatic, Artistic -Athletic; OTH Movies; Virgo (6/3/6/4/6) – Ambitious, Nurturing, Dramatic, Socially Awkward, Mature) live in a nice small apartment with charming neighbors like Mr. Big, the Diva and the (female) date-able slob.

Coral invited the family of her daughter and tried to get through to Lilith (Popularity/Family – Reach Golden Anniversary; bisexual +Full-face Make up, black Hair -Hats; OTH Sports; Aquarius (2/3/8/5/3) – Equestrian, Match Enthusiast, Slob, Athletic). Herb was more successful.

Coral got a part-time job in a record store.

Mr. Big and the Diva became a thing.

Herb has a small thing going on with the date-able slob.

Pleasant Family Part 1:

Daniel tried his best to restore the relationship with Mary-Sue.

It didn't help that he was nauseous all the time.

Mary-Sue went bowling with her parents and Daniel found out he was pregnant.

He talked to Kaylynn (Family/Knowledge – Become Minister of Education; straight +Glasses, Jewelry -Good at Cleaning; OTH Tinkering; Aquarius (6/1/7/4/7) – Genius, Nurturing, Perfectionist, Brooding, Night Owl) when his wife was at work and she told him, that she didn't know she was a Pollinator until Don Lothario turned out pregnant too and she got herself tested. Daniel had no idea how to explain things to Mary-Sue.

She didn't believe him being abducted, they don't own a telescope so they argued the rest of the round.

The twins were around too, Angela loves taking care of the garden and Lil' started smoking...

Dreamer Family Part 1:

Darren (Knowledge/Family – Become Criminal Mastermind; straight +black Hair, custom Hair -Hats; OTH Nature; Aries (4/4/4/7/6) – Computer Whiz, Family Oriented, Gatherer, Clumsy, Friendly) was invited Downtown by Mortimer Goth. He agreed to go, I the hope Cassandra would be there too, but she wasn't

He started a fire and painted.

Dirk (Fortune – Become Captain Hero; straight +brown Hair, custom Hair -Hats; OTH Tinkering; Virgo (6/3/6/4/6) – Frugal, Handy, No Sense of Humor, Good) actually has a career centered LTW so he got a part-time job and will go to College soon. His grades sadly dropped since he never had time to do his homework.

Darren still mourns Darleen and accepted that Cassandra choose an other man.

Frat Household Part 1:

Joshua Ruben (Fortune/Romance – Woohoo 10 Sims; straight +Fitness, Full-face Make up -brown Hair; OTH Sports; Leo (1/8/6/5/3) – Frugal, Flirty, Soccer Player, Slob, Daredevil) started dating Tiffany Sampson (Knowledge/Pleasure – Become Space Pirate; straight +Swimwear, brown Hair -custom Hair; OTH Nature; Aries (4/5/4/6/6) – Perceptive, Party Animal, Angler, Erratic, Cheerful).

Ashley (Romance/Family – Become Criminal Mastermind; straight +Hats, brown Hair -Logical; OTH Sports; Leo (2/9/7/6/1) – Dislikes Children, Family Oriented, Footballer, Can't stand Art, Charismatic) made a bet that he would get Allegra Gorey (Knowledge – Become the Law; straight +Fatness, blonde Hair -Glasses; OTH Fitness; Pisces (5/2/9/2/7) – Computer Whiz, Healthy Lifestyle, Brave, Shy, No Sense of Humor) into bed before he graduated and instantly went out on his mission.

Castor Nova (Knowledge/grilled Cheese – Become Mayor; straight +Fatness, Fitness -Underwear; OTH Arts; Virgo (4/4/6/5/6) – Genius, Photographer's Eye, Unlucky, Athletic, Good) made out with Heather Huffington (Romance/Knowledge – Become Hall of Famer; straight + Glasses, blonde Hair -Jewelry; OTH Nature; Sagittarius (1/7/2/9/6) – Supernatural Fan, Great Kisser, Eco Friendly, Slob, Absent Minded) on a toga party and made every other girl on the campus hate him.

He also had his first woohoo with Heather on a party.

The boys lives revolve around dating, studying and parties really. Oh, and Pizza.

Sorority Household Part 1:

The girls reconciled after they were mad at Heather for getting Castor.

Heather and Tiffany are outdoor girls, so the got a small garden extension.

They also threw some parties.

Brittany Upsnott (Popularity/Fortune – Have 10 best Friends; straight +custom Hair, Logical -Glasses; OTH Sports; Capricorn (7/7/8/2/1) – Dog Lover, Mooch, Basketball Player, Diva, Mature) got a basketball court.

As with the Frat Boys, their lives are all around dating, studying, parties and Pizza.

Bright Household Part 1:

Turned out that Martin Ruben (Knowledge/Pleasure – Become the Law; straight +Fitness, Workaholic -blonde Hair; OTH Cuisine; Capricorn (8/3/2/5/7) – Supernatural Fan, Unstable, Natural Cook, Hydrophobic, Proper) was the mom of the group.

The all went downtown with Allegra and Ashley and all of his friends.

After some drinks Jane (Family/Fortune – Become City Planner; straight +Fitness, Workaholic -Swimwear; OTH Tinkering; Cancer (72/7/3/6) – Born Salesperson, Jealous, Technology Lover, Never Nude, Mature) and Martin kissed (without my doing!).

Jane was insecure about the kiss and the next day she asks Martin if he was serious about this or if it was just out of a mood. But it seems, that Martin really likes Jane.

They all are real nerds and spent most time reading, or in front of their PC. But Allegra and Martin also have to work out quite a bit.

Martin and Jane finally fell in love before their exams for the second semester.

Jane wanted an orchard tree, but Martin is the one to take car of it.

Kim Family Part 1:

Cynthia (Popularity/Family – Have 10 dream dates; straight +Fitness, formal Wear -Stink; OTH Music; Aries (4/7/6/4/4) – Cat Person, Jealous, Colorblind, Charismatic, Supernatural Skeptic) got a job in Politics and Robert (Fortune/Knowledge – Become Hall of Famer; straight +formal Wear, black Hair -Stink; OTH Sports; Gemini (4/7/7/3/4) – Snob, Computer Whiz, Boxer, Disciplined, Self Absorbed) as an athlete.

Cynthia and Bella Goth befriend over the welcome wagon.

She's also really popular with her colleagues and tried to help her son with his school work.

Goth Family Part 2:

Bella helped Alexander (Grow up; OTH Nature; Cancer (4/6/4/7/4) – Animal Lover, Loves the Heat, Excitable) with his homework and started a fire.

The next day her and Mortimer celebrate their second wedding and she congratulates her daughter on her pregnancy (in fact she's absolutely horrified at the thought of being a grandmother).

Only seconds after their wedding Alexander grows into a Romance teen (Romance/Popularity – Have 10 Dream Dates, straight +Stink, Great Cook -Workaholic; new trait: Irresistible).

Mortimer and Bella go on a second honey moon to Takemizu Valley. Mortimer wanted to go there since forever.

They experienced a lot there but it almost always ended with them being chased by bees.

Back home Alexander's room got a little big boy makeover and he got the computer he wanted for his birthday.

He breaks the computer on the very first day and Bella almost dies trying to fix it herself.

Alexander is surprisingly popular with one of the exchange students and he experienced his first kiss.

Only thinking about this made him struggle with school.

Caliente Family Part 2:

Dina invited Brandi over and the twins were excited to become godmothers.

They also invited Goopy in, but none of them was really turned on by him.

There was a bad storm that ended with a burning palm tree and Goopy being stuck by lightning in the hot tub.

Nina invited Don over to woohoo.

Dina got a job as an architect.

Nina cut her hair short.

Dina really wanted a Dog and so the girls went to buy a proud rottweiler called Chino. And Nina ran into Daniel Pleasant again.

Nina got a Job as an Adventurer.

Nina invited Daniel downtown to go clubbing. The were only dancing, started to slow-dance, when they were captured by Mary-Sue. I'm telling you, she's spying on him! That was the dagger hit for their marriage.

Nina and Daniel still had a pleasant date and plan to see each other again.

Burb Family Part 2:

Jennifer is pregnant!

She uses her new free time to help Lucy with her school work, but that pregnancy is really draining her so they don't get far.

John loves his wife even more now that she's carrying their second child.

Jennifer invites the family over for Lucy's birthday. She has no idea, that her brother is pregnant too, and he's hiding it well (He's wearing an outfit without preg-morph).

Lucy grew into a knowledge teen (Knowledge – Become a General; straight +Hats, red Hair -blonde Hair; new trait: Perceptive).

She is finally able to catch up on her homework with her mother's help.

Lothario Family Part 2:

Living with twins and a pregnant wife drives Don crazy!

At night during a thunder storm their son, Christian Goth-Lothario is born (Self Assured (Don), Neurotic (Cassandra))!

The next day Cassy invites her family to meet the new family members.

Once the guests are gone, they head to practice for the next nooboo. Well Don enjoys the practicing, and Cassandra enjoys the thought of an other baby.

They have to move houses before the next round starts.

Broke Family Part 2:

Brandi gave birth to a third boy, David Broke (Commitment Issues (Brandi), Nurturing (Skip)).

Dustin is really good at school and brought an A+ home!

He is also really popular with all the young guys in his criminal field, his best friend is Loren Teens.

Brandi invites her friends to visit Club Dante were Dina meets Malcolm Landgaab.

Oldie Family Part 2:

Coral could talk Herb into adopting three siblings that lost their parents in a car crash. The children will arrive one after an other since the oldest is still hospitalized.

They make use of the elixir of life to be there for their new children long enough.

The next day they welcome the first of the three kids at their home: Baby Elizabeth (Nurturing (Coral), Coward (Herb).

When Coral is at work, Herb tries his best being a good new Dad to Liz, but he still maintains his affair with the date-able slob.

The next morning they welcome the second sibling, toddler Katja (Grow up; Mature, Slob). Her crazy real parents even died her hair blue!

Pleasant Family Part 2:

Once Mary-Sue is home from work she finds that Lilith invited her boyfriend Dirk and his father Darren over. Darren is a really handsome man to her...

She has enough of Daniel and his cheating. She senses that something is odd with his alien pregnancy and the twins of Cassandra's husband Don. They probably got involved with the same person and Mary-Sue really doesn't want to be in the center of this.

Angela is devastated about the divorce of her parents, so Mary-Sue buys her a small schnauzer called Dana.

Angela brings the same exchange student home, that Alexander Goth shared his first kiss with and she has to admit, that she's really cute...

The Burbs and the Dreamers are over and Mary-Sue and Darren REALLY get along well!

Dreamer Family Part 2:

Darren invited Mary-Sue over and well, things went well between them.

Dirk didn't take it that good and went outside to cry at his mother's grave.

Finally Mary-Sue and Darren fall in love and they have their first woohoo together.

Langerak Family:

Now that Mary-Sue kicked him out, Daniel is forced to move in with Kaylynn. She has a nice apartment with all her colleagues living in the same building.

Kaylynn is thrilled to be a real family. Daniel not so much. He always rolled wants about Nina Caliente.

He gave birth to twin boys, Fritz (Genius (Kaylynn), Active (Daniel) and Gunnar Langerak (Snob (Daniel), Perfectionist (Kaylynn).

Kay wants to be a teacher but yet she's stuck with her underpaid maid job.

Frat Household Part 2:

Joshua invited Tiff for a romantic home date and they experienced their very first woohoo.

There was more partying and woohooing.

After another wonderful date Josh proposed to Tiff.

Kevin (Family/Popularity) – Become Game Developer; straight +Fitness, Good at Cleaning,  -Logical; OTH Arts; Leo (3/5/6/5/6) – Cat Lover, Nurturing, Avant Garde, Slob, Friendly) feels extremely left out with all his brothers dating steadily.

Ash can convince Allegra to kiss at a party and later invited her for their first real date. He starts to take their relationship serious and almost forgot the bet he did with his brothers.

Al and Ash have their very first woohoo, too.

They all are doing well at school.

Sorority Household Part 2:

Heather's and Tiffany's parties are always a blast.

Brittany wanted to throw a party too, but that one was a total disaster so she went into aspiration failure.

I brought them a bubble blower to raise her aspiration and now all the girls always do is blow bubbles, even Tiff.

Bright Household Part 2:

Heather came to visit her friend Martin and Allegra and her got into a fight.

Jane is really focused on her studies as she's graduating soon.

Shortly before her last exams Martin asked her to marry him once he's older and she agrees!

They go on their first real date and while I initially wanted them to wait until after their wedding, they did it in a changing booth...

Jane graduated with honors and threw a great graduation party.

Life goes on for Martin and Allegra as always, studying and taking care of the house. They hope to move in a third roommate soon though.

Kim Family Part 2:

Cynthia climbs the career ladder at an amazing speed.

Robert is about to get Justin into private school and after getting the house ready on his day off, they invite the headmaster over.

Cynthia makes Comfort Soup and Justin is accepted into private school!

Stacks Family:

Jane moved Downtown and rented a small very green house. Her neighbors are Brandi LeTourneu, Goopy GilsCarbo and  Arcadia Bradshaw.

On her first night as an adult she went out with Castor Nova and some of his friends.

[plumbobpost]

Fanfic Friday: Spotlight on Skell’s Fortune & Romance

Sul sul!

Today Week of Woohoo continues with a very special twist. I have had the opportunity to ask Skell a few questions as part of a new series of posts about storytelling in The Sims community.

Skell’s Fortune & Romance serves as a prequel to the Pleasantview and Strangetown storylines in The Sims 2 from the perspectives of the Caliente sisters, hence the title which references their aspirations. Her story takes place in the time period between the first and second games and fills in the gaps between the contradicting timelines of The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3. Although the story is largely from Dina’s perspective, it features most of the iconic The Sims 2 characters ranging from Olive Specter to the Tricous to Bella and Mortimer Goth, establishing its own vivid mythology in the process.

In addition to writing, Skell has also created beautiful Maxis-Match content for The Sims 2 and is a frequent contributor to the Totally Maxis Tumblr and the fansite Garden of Shadows.

Without further ado, I’ll let Skell speak for herself.

You’ve said in the past that Fortune & Romance started out as your attempt to make sense of Maxis canon for the premade characters of Neighborhood 1, Pleasantview, and Sunset Valley. How did this evolve from your personal headcanons into a full-fledged story?

“I had played TS2 off and on for years before I was part of the fandom, mostly just goofing around but I had a lot of fun taking pictures and experimenting with posing. One day I discovered Strangetomato’s “Strangetown Here We Come” on TVtropes and was amazed at the way she fleshed out the premade stories from the game. Through her comment section, I discovered the whole fandom and started paying better attention to the premades. Eventually I came up with a backstory for Dina that I really wanted to write and share.”

Why did you choose Nina and Dina Caliente to be your protagonists? Did you ever consider different lead characters?

“It was always gonna be Dina because I was intrigued her backstory with the mysteriously inconsistent Michael Bachelor and the fact that she’s part alien. I wasn’t as interested in Nina until I noticed that she was shy (like me in RL) and also autonomously beating people up all the time. That’s when I realized she was gonna be a co-star and balance to Dina’s antics.”

Instead of ignoring Maxis’ characterization of Dina as a gold digger, you embraced it and made it a focal point of her character. Similarly, you fully acknowledge Nina’s romance aspiration while not making her a heartbreaker. How did you find a balance between their implied “villainy” in The Sims 2 and making them more sympathetic characters?

“I enjoy classic movies where Marilyn Monroe or Thoroughly Modern Millie is like “teehee I’m gonna marry a millionaire,” and it’s quirky rather than villainous. In those stories, she usually falls for a poor guy and chooses love over money (and often he turns out to be secretly rich.) Since Michael didn’t give her a “married a rich sim” memory, I wanted to write Dina the gold-digger as a modern version of that kind of story.”

“Maxis kind of setup Romance sims for “villainy” by not allowing for casual or open relationships, but of course that can be fixed with mods. With Nina, it’s interesting that she doesn’t really fit the “outgoing party girl” type. I think of her as a quiet person with a very intense energy. She needs lots of exercise and woohoo so that she doesn’t explode.”

There are a lot of unconventional relationships in your story. Nina and Servo. Olive and Ichabod. The Tricous. Even Dina and Michael. That being said, there is very definitely a theme of “love conquers all.” What motivated your approach to these relationships? How does that relate back to your attempts at reconciling Maxis canon throughout different games?

“I have a thing for mixed supernatural relationships. Dina and Mike bonding over their hidden supernatural heritages was always key once I figured Michael had a magic side. I knew I wanted to have Nina be intimate with a servo because that’s HAWT, but I didn’t foresee how intimate things would get until I figured out Servo’s character. The Tricous’ happy polyamory was my explanation for all the weirdness going on with their relationships and family tree. And I wanted Olive, Ichabod, and DJ make up this very loving and weirdly “normal” Unholy Family.”

Speaking of reconciling Maxis canon, you created your own version of Michael Bachelor in order to match his appearance in The Sims better and to create a resemblance between him and his famous sister, Bella Goth. Why do you think Michael was depicted so differently throughout the first three games? What did you draw inspiration from in creating “The Ultimate Michael Bachelor?”

“I think it mostly comes down to them wanting to use a familiar name for Bella’s brother/Dina’s husband in TS2, and carrying that forward. In TS3, I saw a boy who had his life all planned out for him by his father. In my headcanon, he screwed that all up and became the graduate of TS1 who had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. His relationship to Bella is the reason why he’s still single by the time he reconnects with Dina, who helps him find direction.”

There is an abundance of strong female characters in F&R, some of which were not originally portrayed that way. Why did you feel that it was important to write them as such?

“Well, because I’m a proud “SJW,” of course! But seriously, it’s less about being strong and more about seeing them as people?”

^Best answer that I could have asked for.

A large portion of Fortune & Romance is dedicated to the mythology of The Sims universe(s) and to supernatural sims. How did you go about the process of world building? Did you draw inspiration from different games in the series and/or from outside sources?

“My biggest worldbuilding is the explanation of where the supernaturals came from. The fairies are sort of fallen angel types who each have an animal form, and their magic rubbed off on human sims to create the supernatural life states.”

“I try to base the worldbuilding off things in game or aspects of game play. The fairy backstory was heavily inspired by fairy tales, in the way they morally test humans for punishment or guidance.”

Aside from premade supernatural sims such as the Smiths, Calientes, and Summerdreams, how did you go about deciding which premade sims were supernatural and which weren’t? How did you decide what life state they were?

“Bella has that awesome bio about being descended from “occultists, decadents, and mystics,” but then in TS3 the Bachelor family is uber-normal, so it eventually became that Jocasta is a squirellier version of Samantha from Betwitched.”

How has Fortune & Romance evolved since you started? Are there things you would do differently if you were to restart it?

“I was such a younger, different person when I started it, and yes there are many things I would do differently. (Michael’s skintone, for example. I tried to split difference between games with a custom skintone in between S2 and S3, but everyone assumes he was whitewashed to S2.)”

“When recreating families for TS4 I came up with a backstory for Dulcinea and Nestor’s relationship as well as a backstory for Don that explains how he got to be the way he is. I still can incorporate these things, but it would have been nice to bring them in earlier.”

With your story having reached a climax, many readers are wondering whether or not F&R will come to an end sooner rather than later. Not to spoil anything, but will the story continue after the party and if so, do you intend for it to last until the events of The Sims 2?

“I never intended for it to last until the events of TS2 because then it would be really depressing. There is more stuff planned for after the party though!”

Aside from writing Fortune & Romance, you have also created a variety of Maxis-match custom content. Why do you prefer working in this aesthetic? How do you feel it complements your writing?

“The game is cartoony, and I like to use that style to tell the story. I prefer to keep things heightened and silly rather than realistic, which very much fits into The Sims aesthetic.”

Speaking of Maxis-match, you have been working on a project for The Sims 2 that involves adapting Maxis-based custom content to blend in better with the game files. Would you mind elaborating a bit on The Maxis Match Repository Project?

“The TS2 repository project is made up of conversions/separates/or otherwise adapted Maxis which pull their textures from the ones that are already in your game, rather than creating new ones. This makes the files much much tinier. I also wanted to create a catalog where you can easily find it all in one place rather than hunt all over the internet. Check it out and don’t miss out on the gems in the back of your catalog!”

You’ve played every main game in The Sims franchise, and you’ve even made some very popular 2t4 recreations of the Calientes and Michael Bachelor. Do you have a favorite game for playing? Creating sims? Making Content? Building?

“I enjoy a lot of things about TS4. The game looks great and CAS and Build Mode are the best of any game. My favorite aspect is making sims, especially that you can share sims with traits/careers/skills so they have their own little story packaged with them. However, it is much more difficult for storytelling since there’s not even a way to pick up sims and move them around.”

“TS2 is still the best as far as premade sims go, and it’s the only one I make content for. I’m a bit of a control freak with my sims, and TS2 has been mastered by fans at this point where you can have ultimate control.”

Why do you continue to play The Sims? Do you feel that the games provide a creative outlet?

“I always loved playing with Barbies as a kid and The Sims really is the ultimate dollhouse. The first time I ever heard about TS1 I knew I HAD to have it. My aunt bought it for me while I was on vacation, but I couldn’t play it until we got home! During the car ride back home and I read that manual from cover to cover multiple times, so many ideas buzzing in my head.”

Any parting comments, teasers, spoilers, public service announcements, etc.?

“I’ve been on hiatus a long while and am just now getting back into the swing of things. I’m currently working on finishing up the chapter I started posting on Tumblr but never finished. It was FreddyAirmail who got me back in the TS2 spirit by asking me to help out with the Crystal Springs neighborhood project. It’s a community hood with houses based on each of the Stuff Packs, and I made the families for Teen Style and Family Fun!”

Thanks again to Skell for answering my questions. To those of you out there who aren’t familiar with her work, go check out her Tumblr and make sure to catch up on Fortune & Romance.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to visit my ask box. If you are interested, give Plumbob Post a follow, and reblog for anyone else who you think would enjoy this blog. Stay tuned for upcoming posts!

Dag dag!

 *Photo Credits go to Skell*