“So that fire in there was pretty crazy. You know who else is crazy? Me. My name is Marjorie Gregory. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, especially since you didn’t burn to death.”“That is one hell of a ‘friendly introduction.’”

Welcome back to the Gregory legacy. We are trying to find generation 2 heiress Marjorie a husband. Things weren’t looking so good at the end of last chapter, as she went door-to-door husband-hunting only to witness a fire. Thankfully, the sims that lived there – who were out of my control – put out the fire before anyone died, while Marjorie stood around disgruntled that no one would talk to her. The fire didn’t bother her at all.

“Wow! So you’re a legacy heiress? I’ve always wanted to meet one of those.”“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Legacy living is the dumps.”

Marjorie, you’re trying to entice someone to join you, not scare them away.

“I mean, legacy living is the bomb! People still say that, right?”

“Hey, you two! Down in front!”

While chatting up this dude and blocking the TV, Marjorie is regaled with Nathan Price’s melancholy thoughts, instantly making her sad. While this made further conversing rather difficult, it brought a grin to my face. Marjorie is gloomy, and Nathan is gloomy. Maybe they’d be perfect together! She is also, if you remember, insane and hates children (why me?) so the most important thing to find out is whether Nathan too hates children. That would be a dealbreaker because someone will have to raise generation 3. Oh, another important thing is that he doesn’t develop a romantic relationship with her dad before he does with Marjorie, as happened to her last suitor. That’s pretty key too.

Speaking of Jaron the potential-boyfriend stealer, he’s feeling rather pleased with himself that he’s kept his daughter single so far. And Dorian? Well, he just wants to go around giving hugs to everyone like the sweet guy he is. While these two goof off, please notice Natalie in the background actually getting stuff done.

Jaron and Natalie’s first child, Corinne, is also a friendly soul, so she listens to her dad practice his comedy routines. I’d really like Jaron to top his career before he dies, but that seems unlikely based on the alarming rate at which his life bar is filling. Natalie is the same way. I know they didn’t start having kids right away as young adults, but it still frustrates me that they seem unlikely to meet any grandkids whatsoever.

“So the plan is that when we die in a day or two, we’re leaving Marjorie in charge of my legacy? Not Corinne, who actually has useful skills like cooking, or Dorian, who gets along with everyone he meets? We’re putting the reins – and, let’s not forget, the duty to reproduce – in the hands of a woman who hates children but likes talking to the light fixtures? Whose bright idea was that?”“Well in my – I mean, the controller’s – defense, it wasn’t really her plan either. She’s using a random succession law and Marjorie was picked long before her personality totally went off the rails. I don’t think there’s much any of us can do about it, so it’s best not to worry.”

You tell her, simRoxy. I’m not super pleased with Marjorie right now, but rules are rules.

Anyway! Marjorie invites Nathan over and gets to know him better. He does not, indeed, hate children, so he is promptly befriended and moved in. Nathan Price has a 3-G personality. That is to say, he is a geek, gloomy, and a glutton. None of that is particularly helpful, but I’m just looking for someone Marjorie tolerates who will take care of their children. Nathan’s aspiration is Nerd Brain, which doesn’t strike me as particularly alarming, unlike Fabulously Wealthy, which, let’s not forget, is Marjorie’s. Bonus points for red hair.

“Can you believe the nerve of that guy, Nat? Making friends with our daughter? Hugging her? Next thing you know they’ll be . . . Oh, it’s too horrible to think. Maybe I should go do another alluring introduction.”“Jaron Gregory. You will do nothing of the sort. I know you have some sort of hang-up about keeping our kids single and innocent forever, but it’s essential that Marjorie finds someone and has kids. That’s the whole point of a legacy.”“Stupid legacy.”

With Jaron safely tucked away in another part of their little house, Marjorie and Nathan are free to get to know each other. They celebrate becoming good friends with a picture.

Nathan starts off with a little flirting, and it is well-received. Everything is going so much better this time around.

First kiss. Making good progress! Jaron and Natalie got to know each other and moved in together after only two days too, so that’s not out of the ordinary for this family.

Another picture to celebrate becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. I think Marjorie looks super cute in this picture, and Nathan looks like he’s been hitting the juice bar a little too hard. If we had one, that is. You know what I mean. Anyway, we are continuing to make excellent progress on this relationship!

Marjorie sweeps Nathan off his feet. Both of them are feeling quite flirty at this point, and neither has rejected a social from the other one. Perhaps I can get them married – or at least engaged – before Natalie and Jaron die.

Finally the big moment comes, and Marjorie brings out the ring . . .

“Nathan Price. Ever since I met you yesterday in that burning kitchen, I’ve known you were the one for me, and I think you feel it too. Will you accept this ring and be my husband?”

“Isn’t this a little soon?”

“But . . . I . . . we . . . I mean, my parents . . . you . . . you’re rejecting me?”

“Eh.”

“I’ve never been more mortified in my life!”

“Sorry babe, it just wasn’t the right moment!”

Okay, Nathan, you started out in my good graces but you are on thin ice right now, mister. Marjorie, please go calm yourself down in the mirror and hide in your bed. I am not letting you die, no matter how much I may have considered how that might actually be better for the legacy. Ahem.

“Hey, dude, way to break my sister’s heart there.”

“Eh. She’ll get over it. Have a great day at high school! I’m going to go be a painter!”

Nathan is a little too cheerful about the whole thing, don’t you think? He is a cutie and they do seem to have a little chemistry, so we’ll give him a second chance.

“I think I’ll just have a little lie-down here while my back starts glowing.”

No! What does this mean?! Jaron, don’t go! I mean, I think you’re going but I’m not really sure because you’re basically just taking a nap on the floor while glowing. That’s a new death animation for me.

Wow. I much prefer hula girls and a gentle fade-out to having to watch my sim’s corpse lie on the floor until it’s collected by the grim reaper. That’s a little disturbing to me. Only Nathan and Natalie were there to witness it. Everyone else was at work or in other rooms at the time. Natalie was very upset actually, but she decided to go dance instead of watch for some reason, so Nathan was the only real witness to Jaron’s death.

“Hey man, wanna hang out?”“No, creepy stranger in black. Say, have you seen my dad?”“Seriously? Do you see this urn here?”“Yeah, it’s nice, I guess. Not really my style. But you didn’t answer my question.”

Apparently everyone who doesn’t witness the death doesn’t even know it happened. :/

Natalie definitely took notice, though, and she did not take well to being a widow. She was very sad and spent a lot of time in bed crying it out or moping around the house. It was quite the powerful moodlet.

She also did this a lot. Any time she had autonomy, she would come back here to mourn Jaron.

Fortunately, her extreme grief was short-lived. Unfortunately, she died in the bathroom, which is not the most dignified place to go, and, worse, no one was there to witness it, so no one knew she was dead. Additionally, neither parent got to see their daughter married nor any of their eventual grandchildren.

“Hmm. Another one of those urns showed up. Anyway, have you seen Natalie? I wanted to ask her something.”“Sorry, Nathan. I have no idea where she is. It’s odd, isn’t it?”

“Okay, this meeting of the Gregory kids is called to order. As the heiress, I feel it is my duty to inform you that our parents are missing.”“We know that already, Marjorie. Dad’s been missing for a few days and no one’s seen Mom since yesterday. I’m pretty worried.”“Maybe they went to Granite Falls.”“The controller hadn’t installed that pack yet at this point in the story, but hmm, perhaps they are just on a little trip. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

This is going to be a rude awakening when they figure it out.

After losing the founding couple and no one caring, I needed some cheering up, and EA delivered with its holiday content. Time to dress everyone for an ugly sweater party!! Dorian gets what I consider the “better” sweater and hat since I like him.

Corinne’s sweater’s design has been eaten by the massive bust she inherited from Natalie. That’s . . . not really how sweaters work, EA, but whatever. She gets the better hat too because she’s generally pretty useful so she’s on my good side, too. However . . .

. . . I don’t think she appreciates it. This picture cracks me up and was almost the cover of the chapter, but I’m trying to keep the heir/ess on the covers.

I’m still mad at Nathan for rejecting Marjorie’s proposal, so he gets to be a big, goofy reindeer. It’d be a whole lot more satisfying if he didn’t seem so pleased with himself.

“Heh. I got off easy.”

That you did, Marjorie. They gave us a black sweater, so it of course went to our heiress, and she’s too serious to rock a goofy hat. Being heiress does have its benefits.

“Hey, why’d you change, Marjorie? Aren’t these sweaters fun?”“Not for me. I’m going to keep changing out of it every chance I get to spite the controller.”“You’re a wet blanket.”“Maybe. Changing the topic, do you know where these urns came from?”“No idea, but they showed up about the time our parents disappeared. Maybe Mom and Dad got them and went out to buy more.”“That makes perfect sense!”

“Hey, there’s my favorite rude heartbreaker. Are you ready for the party?”“I have a reindeer face on my forehead and my stomach.”“I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Hurray! Not only did I get them all in their holiday gear, but they actually all sat at the table together! This is a rare occurrence. Let the ugly sweater party/breakfast commence!

I moved the urns outside and put up a fence. I don’t know if the gravestones can be kicked or something in the Sims 4, but I’m taking no chances. Eventually, when we build up a better house, I’ll create a graveyard or mausoleum. At this point in the game, we didn’t have ghosts yet (though the update occurred very soon after this), so these gravestones were my only remembrance of the founding couple. Sniff.

Corinne was in the astronaut career, but when she got to the place where she had to workout for her daily task, she could progress no further because she had no tolerance for exercise at all. After about half a sim hour, she would get an unpleasant moodlet from being lazy and being forced to exercise. Therefore, I had her switch to writer, where she could sit in one place for long periods of time. She has done much better in this career. Marjorie is in the tech guru career and Nathan is in the painting career, by the way. They don’t have any major blocks to advancing. Just the usual difficulties.

I’m trying to save up for Marjorie’s aspiration, since I know at the top level she’ll want a certain amount in the bank in addition to earning a certain amount. However, Nathan’s Nerd Brain aspiration keeps requiring that I buy him stuff, like a woodworking bench that he never used again (yet as of this writing) after he fulfilled that level of his aspiration. He is progressing nicely, though. Marjorie is needing to earn $50,000 and have $25,000 (I think) in the bank. Earning the money is proving to be quite difficult, and Nathan needing new toys is not helping the family worth. I want to get Marjorie pretty far in her aspiration before they have kids. If they have kids. They’re not even engaged. Maybe I should do something about that.

“Psst, Marjorie. Remember when I humiliated you by refusing your proposal?”“Uh yeah, considering that was a few days ago and the most embarrassing day of my life, yes, I remember.”“Well I wanted to make it up to you.”

“Marjorie Gregory, I was an idiot not to accept your proposal, but I’d be an even bigger idiot if I let someone as ‘special’ as you get away. Also, the controller is suggesting strongly that I do this to save my hide. But anyway, you’re the one for me, and my love for you burns just like the kitchen that night we met at my previous house. I know I’ll never meet another sim quite like you. Will you marry me?”

“That is a very shiny ring, mister. I like how it looks on my hand.”“Is that a yes?”“Oh, yes, of course! How could I say no to someone who appreciates me for who I really am? Yes, Nathan, I will marry you!”

“And now that the double bed is vacant with your parents still missing, we celebrate . . .”“Oh, how romantic!”

“HOW DARE HE!”

Ha ha, the ghost update finally arrived, and Jaron really did appear for the first time, angry, right after Marjorie and Nathan woohooed for the first time.

“BOO! My little girl! How could you?! You’re supposed to stay young and innocent forever!”“AHH! Oh, it’s you, Dad. Why are you like, see-through?”“I’m a ghost.”“Wait, you’re dead?”“Um . . . yeah. Anyway, I have other pressing matters to attend to. Just stay away from that boy and we’ll all be happier.”

Better, Jaron?

“Oh yeah. I hope she takes my message to heart. Next thing you know she’ll be getting married or something!”

Yes, that would certainly be . . . horrible. From some points of view, anyway.

“And so you see, the reason they disappeared is because they actually died and we’re all just really imperceptive and couldn’t put the two and two of the urns together.”“Huh. Who would have thought?”“You don’t say.”“What’s wrong with you people? Aren’t you guys sad or something? Your parents died and you just figured that out.”“Nah, Nathan. I have a feeling we won’t be seeing the last of them, especially Dad if you and I go through with our plans. They’ll be back.”

In fact, Jaron was still hanging around the next day after the scaring for Dorian’s young adult birthday. It’s a good thing too since he’s the only one celebrating. Jaron stayed all night and didn’t return to his grave in the morning. He just kept hanging out. This kind of surprised me, but I figured that was just how Sims 4 ghosts worked.

Anyway, happy birthday, Dorian! You’re finally an adult!

“AHH! Nathan, not in my ear!”

Here’s Dorian as an adult and . . . my god, the lighting in this house is terrible, even during daylight hours and by windows. I didn’t adjust this picture like some of the others because I wanted to show how horrible they look when they’re indoors. When I build a new house, I am going to lay down as many lights as needed for me to get some good pictures. This is ridiculous.

Anyway, there I go again on Dorian’s birthday. Happy birthday, man! What’s your trait?“I’m clumsy!”Well, all right then.

“Hey, Corinne?”“Yeah?”“Why did we get all dressed up and stand by these chairs?”“I dunno. I feel like something important is happening, but I just can’t put my finger on what. ”“Hmm. Weird. Wanna sit down and look around and see what’s going on?”“Nah, I think I’m gonna head back inside and eat your birthday cake.”“Save some for me. I’m going to stand here, looking only in this direction, and see if I can figure this mystery out.”

Meanwhile, Marjorie and Nathan are saying their vows. I thought if I had an arch Dorian and Corinne – and simRoxy, who is currently in the house dancing – would sit and watch, but I guess that sims only care if it’s an official wedding party? Well, whatever, we didn’t have enough money, stuff, or friends for one of those.

Here’s to our happy couple in black, the generation two heiress and her husband, Marjorie and Nathan Gregory. Even though his name is still Nathan Price. He’s Nathan Gregory to me.

“Yeah, I just can’t put my finger on what was so important. How odd.”

“Hey, bang up job orchestrating my wedding there, simRoxy.”“It wasn’t me. It was the controller.”“Oh, I’m on to you. You and her . . . you’re in cahoots somehow.”“Who says ‘cahoots’?”“Don’t change the subject.”

“Don’t look now but my Dad’s pissed that his sweet little daughter got married. It might be safer if you go home now.”“Good luck with that.”“Yeah, thanks.”

After the wedding, things settled into a routine. Now out of high school, Dorian also got a job in the painting career. Since he had been painting since he turned teen, he soon reached 10 in the painting skill. He and Nathan paint lots of paintings for Marjorie to sell, because she thinks that’s her income, and I’m just happy it helps with her ridiculous aspiration. Meanwhile, Corinne writes books and publishes them which, while not directly helping Marjorie earn money, increases the net worth of the household. This part . . . was kind of boring. Not going to lie. I really wanted to complete all or at least most of Marjorie’s aspiration since I figure she and I will both be miserable for different reasons once she has kids.

SimRoxy discovered the graves. This is not a good thing, as you will come to see later. Anyway, although in the story the kids know, none of them seem to actually be aware of the gravestones and never mourn their parents. SimRoxy is very distressed at having lost Natalie, who was her best friend.

However, she is amused that Jaron is about to have an accident right outside the bathroom, as am I.

“Wow, I’m so embarrassed that I broke this toilet!”

“Aww, man, not this one too!”

Jaron, what are you even doing to my toilets? Both of them are broken now. And yes, these are two different toilets; the bathrooms just look nearly identical. Back to you, Jaron. Shouldn’t you . . . you know . . . go back to your grave eventually?

“I can’t.”

What? Why not?

Natalie! I was wondering if Jaron would haunt us forever and you would never show. Why so glum?

“My husband died! I miss him so much.”

Hey, keep floating out to the great room. I have a surprise for you.

“It’s so good to see you again, honey. Now we can truly be together forever.”

“Um . . . yeah. That’s great. Uh . . .”

“Is something the matter?”

“I may have just broken one of the toilets again right after they fixed it. Whoops.”

“That was some woohoo, babe! Not much of a honeymoon here, but I think we celebrated pretty well if I do say so myself.”“Ha ha, easy there, tiger. Yeah, I’m so glad we’re together now!”

Quiet, guys. You may not want to say that stuff too loud . . .

. . . or he might hear you. Oops, too late. Jaron, eavesdropping is creepy, and your obsession with Marjorie’s relationship is suuuuuuper creepy. Knock it off, or at least go back to your grave and give me a break.

“I can’t.”

What’s the big deal?

Aww. When’s he’s not breaking toilets, it is kind of nice to have them around. Natalie goes around and cleans sometimes too. I do wonder why they never go back to their graves. That doesn’t seem normal.

Now that Natalie and Jaron are hanging around, meals have once again become a spread-out affair. Maybe they were the variable that was preventing the family from sitting together. Or maybe it could be that the Gregorys leave dirty dishes and books on the table all the time? Nah . . .

So, I now had to buy Nathan a freaking rocket ship for his aspiration, and he has to spend money upgrading it. You’re being very counterproductive to the house goal, Nathan.

“Yeah, but look how cool this thing is!”

On the plus side, Marjorie finished level 3 of her aspiration now and only has to have $50,000. The downside is that she has to earn $200,000. That is absurd.

Oh god, it’s simRoxy again at the graves. I’m really sorry, honey. They’re gone. Kind of. They’re actually in the house breaking all the plumbing right now so you could go converse with Natalie if you really wanted to, but their graves are not going anywhere.

“I’m uncomfortable because I have to ghost-pee and there’s no available toilets! Or showers or sinks for that matter.”

Jaron, I swear to god. Why would you . . . How did you . . . Just stay out of my bathrooms!

“To be fair, Natalie broke the shower while haunting it. I just did every other piece of plumbing in the house.”

“Hello, Sadness Hotline? No, it isn’t Marjorie this time. I’m her brother. Everything in my house is filthy and the ghosts break the plumbing faster than we can fix it. I’m kind of bummed about the whole thing. What do you mean move out? That’s not even an option, is it?”

Not for now it isn’t. Hang up before they fill your handsome head with ideas, Dorian.

Ugh, simRoxy. She’s a friend of Marjorie’s now and has pretty good relationships with the others, so she drops by a lot. And always ends up out here. Get a grip, girl.

You’ll notice I removed the fence. I finally figured out that, while they were able to get out through the fence, the ghosts could not return to their graves through it. So that’s why they came out and then never went back in. With the fencing removed, they settle back in in the morning. The plumbing thanks me for the reprieve.

We’ve got another feelings parade! Dorian is confident because he rocks his job, Nathan is kind of “eh” because he’d rather be playing with his rocket (and no, that is not a double entendre), and Corinne is exhausted because she’s a lazy bum.

“Hey, babe. Now that I’m done with my rocket, I thought maybe you and I could spend a little quality time together.”“Are you suggesting what I’m thinking?”“Oh yeah. Woohoo city express, tickets for two!”“You’re silly. Whatever. As long as I don’t get pregnant. You know how much that would upset me.”“We’ll be careful.”

“Let’s do this!”“Yeah!”

Jaron, your daughter is off to go woohoo her husband, but you look cheerful. What’s different?

“Oh, I just know something they don’t know yet, and I’m expecting it to be funny.”

The next morning, Marjorie fights off invisible attackers, as she does most mornings, while Nathan watches, nonplussed. You okay there, Marjorie?

“Yeah, just the normal. Although, now that you mention it, I do feel kind of funny. No, it couldn’t be! Oh god, I have to go find out . . .”

“Aw, crap!”

Woo! Generation 3, and all the attendant trials and tribulations of raising the spawn of a child-hating mom, are on the way!

It was going to take way too long to finish Marjorie’s aspiration. She and Nathan are halfway through their YA stage already, so now she’s pregnant and thrilled. Okay, maybe not thrilled. Maybe a little tense. Okay, maybe a lot tense. Whatever.

For your moment of zen, please enjoy Dorian’s ridiculous “hungry artist” outfit. I can’t even with the accessorizing. I make him change as soon as he comes home.

Anyway, thanks for reading another chapter. Next chapter: generation 3! Hurray! In the meantime, check in with me at SiMania or boolprop. Thanks again! <3

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