Sign From Above: The Winter Story - 29
Seems change just creates more change around here. I decided to make some much needed improvements around the house. I moved the chessboard out here in Niska's garden. Elizabeth is still locked out until I figure out a good place to put the doll house instead. Don't want her smashing it all the time.
I decided to stretch the main room across one space and remove that little chess area. Now it is a 10x8 room instead of 9x8. Honestly, that one extra column of space has made a massive difference. It now matches the width of Niska's garden fully. I really like it.
Elizabeth: "So, Odi, huh?"
Julian: "Yeah, it really seems like we beat the family's curse. For now."
Elizabeth: "Going to try for more little goblins--I mean, kids?"
Julian: "I want to, but I don't know."
Since the downstairs was expanded, I pushed Elizabeth's room back one column to match the newly expanded downstairs and got a little more space in the hall. I also removed the VR mats. They are annoying as all they do is play them. Expensive as hell for the bills. I'll probably buy them one iPad later, so Julian won't cry at me that he hasn't played video games in a while. Julian, Cassandra and Niska also all have access to the gaming company so they can play on the PCs in there.
Also, I have been going through PoH a lot lately, and I miss that how in most shots you could see the non-focus Snowes in the background going about their lives. If I force them into more communal areas downstairs maybe I can have that a little with the Winters.
And it worked. The family has returned to sitting on the couch together again, and on some cases eating in front of the TV instead of going out to the party patio. Also the fact that they left a crap load of dirty plates all over the tables. Good to see that Sloppy Snowes gene is still going strong.
Little Odi managed to find Niska's dolls house, which I have to admit, confused the hell out of me because I was pretty sure he was upstairs in the nursery playing his toddler iPad up until now.
Then this happened. Total game changer. Odi climbed the stairs. I had no idea toddlers could climb stairs in this game.
Despite the fact that Elizabeth is flat out open with her utter disdain for Don personally, she seems to enjoy a lot of time with him. They went on a date at the bar, and outside he begun professing his love for her. Got really dramatic with that book too.
Don: "Oh, Elizabeth, you are a truly terrible person. Your attitude is appalling, and your words cut me like a billion butcher's knives, but you are the most hottest addictive woman I've ever met. How about a woohoo when we get home?"
Elizabeth: "Oh, Don! You have such a beautiful way with words."
Apparently Odi likes the flowers out side the front of the house.
Odi: "Haha! Fower!"
Cassandra: "Yes! Flower! Fl-ow-er!"
Odi: "Haha!"
Don: "What are you doing?"
Cassandra: "Seriously, Don? Just go get a hobby."
Odi put himself to bed.... wow. I have to admit, the toddler skills are more, but he has raised them pretty well with minimal input on my part. I got potty training to 3 (and maxed it), communication is at 3, movement is at 3, imagination is at 3 and thinking is at 2. At least, I think that is what toddler skills are called now.
To adapt to the new room size, I made some adjustments to both the door to Niska's garden and the front door. They are no both two block doors. It really does look a whole lot better. I was never 100% with that door anyway, and that door it has bow was the one I wanted but I was disappointed it wasn't single block. Now the door to Niska's garden matches the frame of the window pains but is still glass.
Just when Odi couldn't amaze me more, he actually reached up to a group serving on the table of the party patio and wandered off with it.
Cassandra: "What you doing, little guy?"
Odi: "Eat!"
Cassandra: "Good boy! Don't take the stinky plates!"
He then carried the plate into the living room and ate it on the couch. No cute animation for the carrying the food though. It was in his inventory. Don seems to be just "there" a lot lately. I'm sensing someone wants to be the Winters' Gator.
Elizabeth: "Ahh..."
Don: "You are just hugging me to feel me up because I'm pretty much naked, aren't you?"
Elizabeth: "Yes."
Got to respect her honesty. Not that he is complaining. If he hated her, he would move out.
Auntie Elizabeth read Odi a bed time story.
Elizabeth: "Once upon a time on a boat named---I can't even pronounce that--we will call it Boat! Yeah! Once upon a time on a boat named Boat, not far off the coast of---what the hell is it with weird names? Okay, we will call it Place!"
Something tells me that Odi will be asleep long before he gets to hear that story. XD
I stretched the wall of the bathroom back to its original place and gave it a full luxurious makeover so it blends nicely with Elizabeth's taste. I always wanted to use that corner bath tub, so now they have one instead of a shower. I do plan to refurb the ensuite to Cassandra and Julian's room but do it more fitting to Julian's taste. Neither of the bathrooms are locked for specific sims, so they all get access to them.
Elizabeth: "So, I've been thinking about that magic we were looking into. It might not be in that cave after all."
Niska: "What mystery do you speak of, Niece Unit?"
Elizabeth: "Oh, right, kiddo, we didn't fill you in."
Niska: "Are attempting to make connections with your ancestor family relations?"
Julian: "You are more smarter and observant than we all realise. It is so easy to think of you as a kid."
For some reason they relocated the conversation up to the bathroom while Niska used her trait acquired power to instantly all upgrades the new bathtub.
Elizabeth: "So that plan. If it isn't the cave, it must be somewhere. Oi, kid, how did our ancestors do the spell?"
Niska: "Around big metal bowls of fire."
Julian: "You mean fire pits? Yeah, we can't do that."
Niska suddenly gave Julian a hug.
Niska: "Thank you response for allowing me to reside in your domestic dwelling."
Julian: "I honestly couldn't imagine this place without you, Kiddo."
Niska returned to gardening once more, planting strawberries this time. But she had to rush off for either school or work before she could water them.
Cassandra was quick to do that for her.
Cassandra: "Strawberries, huh?"
Niska's room was long overdue for an expansion and I've honestly not known how to go about that. So I pulled the wall out one column, making her room 5x4, instead of a 4x4 box, and given her a second window. The table that used to be outside her room is now downstairs near the front door.
This is so adorable! Odi headed into Niska's room to hug her Unicorn toy.
I tried rearranging the living room area again, to allow them a bigger TV, and they actually hated it. They stood behind the sofas rather than sit on them to watch it.
Little Odi was the only one to actually sit on them while he ate the food that he grabbed down off the counters.
Definitely going to change it back at some point. Or probably the next chapter. They really need a proper living room. That is the awkward thing about this household. They don't need much downstairs space at all, but need loads of upstairs space for bedrooms. Don't want to go down the basement route again.
That gym is a waste of space to be honest. Niska doesn't even need the rocket on top of it, as she has reached 10 in the Rocket Science skill, so I sold/dismantled the whole thing, and move the treadmills here outside Niska's room. These were always open for everyone to use as sims seriously get fat far too fast in this game. I will figure out a better plan of sectioning them off if there is ever a household member that is naturally heavyset and I want to keep them that way.
And finally the upgrade of Julian and Cassandra's bathroom! I stretched it so that alcove in Odi's room is now one block deep not two, and gave the bathroom a little Julian flair.
Being a total butt bag, Don grabbed the food that either Julian or Cassandra left on the counter for Odi. Then to further be a butt bag, he talked to Odi who was crying because his food was gone.
Odi: "Food!"
Don: "What food? Are you hungry?"
Luckily Julian was grilling steaks on the grill outside, so Odi managed to get something to eat.
Elizabeth reached the top of her secret agent career! Great-great-great-grandpa Chester would be so proud.