1.24 The Weird Route Home

It's a moment of great potential. Countless minutes passed in the careful creation of the sweet that sits plated silently before her. The agony of the measurements, the horror of the errant eggshell fragment, the chores that had to be cleared to buy the necessary time with her oven.

And it's all worth it. Jyoti smiles in satisfaction.

It's clear already that Jet's going to be very artistic when he grows older, so Meghan tries to give him some context he can use later in life. “Seedies are tiny mirrors that reflect so well they're used in many college art projects, usually to make chandeliers, sconces or in wall art.”

"Fi'”

She sighs, disgusted. “Fight? Has your dad been talking to you again? You know he's not serious when he tells you to beat people up.”

“Fi.”

“Only if you've tried everything else okay?”

Her child's voice grows insistent. He knows what he's heard. “FIGH.”

“Then again some people deserve it... but you can't fight everyone.”

Not sure how this became a theme when kids learn to talk around here. But here we are.

“That's only if you have to defend yourself or someone else, okay? Don't start with that. Your mom doesn't do that to people. She uses science and proves them all wrong. Okay?”

She tried not to feel disappointed when her pleas are met with vacant silence.

Oh well naptime! Meghan skulks off to her lab before dinner. Kid sleeping is accomplished.

Not to be outdone by her, Jyoti's dad makes something to go with dinner that will inspire her cooking hobby even more. It looks delicious, and Dustin is decently healthy, so maybe he'll just have this for dinner by itself. And possibly breakfast. It was a lot of work to make so he totally deserves it.

(And maybe I'm a bit tired, but that pie looks delicious)

The fall view of Starlight Shores. The changing seasons are not so kind to this place which is clearly built for people who want to live in perpetual summer. But, even fall is coming to a close soon.

Jyoti just wanted to know if dinner is ready.

No, no it is not.

Good thing she spoiled it for herself with that awesome caramel brownie. Sometimes it's like her parents have forgotten that she and her brother exist.

Dustin's just glad he can finally talk mano a mano with his son.

Jet whispers a secret: “I like momma the best.”

Dustin just hefts him up closer to his heart. “I like your momma the best too.” Nice save! Now it's not awkward. This kid probably has no idea what a handful he can be half the time.

He's overcome with a feeling that night as he heads off to work. He's tired of leaving the family behind to work, what if they could all take part for once? Wouldn't that be nice?

Which is how later that evening he comes to regret his rash decision.

“Sure, bring the kids.” He'd told his wife. “I bet they'll have fun!” He'd said confidently. “They haven't seen me perform since Jet became a toddler!” He'd enthused.

 He'd had them for shows at the park before. What could go wrong?

But something about the proximity, the diaper smell, and the volume of his son's shrill voice (who'd managed to make his own front row at the show) is enough to push Element out of the minds of the audience.

Dustin for once in his career has no idea how to proceed. This is all his own fault, and it's not like he can have his own kid escorted out, right?

These aren't the kind of decisions he wanted to be making tonight! He never loses focus!

Jet seems to know that this moment is different, and a little smile escapes his face while he 'cries'. He's working the crowd in all the wrong ways.

Dustin thankfully doesn't have to wait long for Meghan to notice his face, stricken completely with panic.

In her bored and careful way she scoops their youngest up and takes him out in the stroller, ignoring the damage that has already been done.

The room cleared out. He fights to win the crowd back, but the magic is broken for the moment and several people have already exited. Someone is reading a book at the bar. He needs something better than his old tricks, conjuring minor things and igniting flash paper is only good enough to open for other acts, after all.

The reason that Dustin has gained popularity isn't that his magic is world-class, it's that he makes the audience laugh all along the way so they barely care what he's doing half the time. The highlight is the stand-up style intro dialogue to each show, the magic is fun because he hams it up.

He'll have to think about his act more purposefully now that more people are (usually) watching. If he could create a frighteningly suspenseful magic act and still work the comedy angle, he could make Element the Suspicious world class.

For now he bites the inside of his cheek, trying to snap himself out of his 'off' moment.

Jet calms right down for his mother, and enjoys the cool night air as she does a lap around Rodeo. She knows he has something of a performance artist in him like his father, but in a more... destructive or a less cautious way. She worries he won't grow out of it, she wants him to care about people the way his dad does.

But for now the cool fall air feels amazing and she allows herself to enjoy the walk.

Working hard to give a good show despite the roughshod beginning, Dustin works it up with every possible special effect and uses every hidden gimmick he has up his sleeves.

This is the face of a man who can make a sim disappear.

Do not test him. Do not question. Relish the element of your suspicion. That's good. That needs to be on an ad somewhere. Evil eyebrows. PERFECT.

After the show Jyo & Dustin head over to the photo booth to take photos. The whole family would have been in the booth but the the other half isn't back yet.

My game promptly corrupts the photos so who really care anyways?

(Answer: Me. I Cared. T_T And for what? So I could run save cleaner later. That's what.)

After a few arcade games and a round at the claw machine they head back home for more dessert. Jyoti's been on a kick to make every recipe that comes with her oven, but hasn't felt like having a bake sale so it's up to the family to provide enough stomach acid to get through it all. It's kind of odd that the scouts don't have their own bake sales, but it's been forever since Dustin was a scout and he doesn't remember much of what they did other than throw rocks at each other.

They have a great conversation about an upcoming school trip...

Until it turns to chores. To be fair, it wasn't about chores until Jyo brought it up herself, she was the one saying it was so messy around here.

So it's only fair that she go run the dryer while her dad cleans the dishes up.

And then she spends some time cracking jokes with mom before bed.

That is, until mom spaces out for a bit.

(This wall pattern is a game default pattern that I changed up by the way, it's usually orange, red & ugly under either geometric or themed in the first few rows. Darken the first two colors and the third one will reveal the pattern this way - ConvictedDreamer it was you who asked, right?)

After school Jyo sometimes hangs out with this weird looking boy.

Kevin didn't join the scouts like Jyoti did. He thinks 'normal' sim children running around and starting fires and tying knots to get closer to nature is hilarious.

But this picture's really just here so you can see his awesome wing color. I've never seen foggy wings like this, looks like grape jelly.

I spend a second looking at his potentially complacent future teen face...

And promptly give kidself a makeover. He's one of Jyoti's school friends, Dannigan and Iris's second child and younger brother of Darla, from the previous episode.

He's fairly agreeable for a fairy (compared to his sister who hates the outdoors for some reason), but the main reason that Jyoti gets along with him is that he doesn't mind her teasing and she's a tomboy so it never feels like he's talking to a girl.

Meanwhile, it's getting colder outside. The frost isn't troublesome to everyone, some 'people' are actually more effected by the still vibrant Starlight Shores sunlight.

(Ahem) I'm probably not as committed to the 'OMG Loki is a potentially violent manic' storyline as I should be.

Hilarious. Dustin is so caught up in his rehearsal for the show later this week that he... doesn't recognize Loki again. Let's say that. Yeah. Nope no lazy writing is happening here!

Dustin practices his rare 'yeti pose', but nobody's really watching to tell him if it's scary or not.

Moving on...

Since she asked, Kevin elaborates on how the moon effects his magic. Jyoti's still pretty sure he's joking about actually having magic. He's just a normal kid most of the time, she can't picture it.

“So, if the moon gives you more power, do you run on gravity?”

Woah. That sounded like something her mom would have said. She'd feel more clever about it if his eyebrows weren't quirked up in that way.

Wing comparison color.

Okay, there's a story to get to I know I know...! (I just seriously have only played with fairies once before)

Element's show is going well.

The single audience member is completely delighted.

No lazy writing here under this table.

The show goes on. Loki does well at blocking people from recognizing him, Dustin shows no awareness even though there are so few people here.

(There it is again I found the plot!)

Jyoti truly enjoys growing up in such a lively place.

She loves the feel of the wind on her face as she pedals away from the Shift residence and towards home. It's nice to have so many friends, and she's not sure way she's considered somewhat cool, but it probably has something to do with the fact that she doesn't try too hard to fit in.

Tired of biking, she turns off somewhere and takes the weird route home.

By the time she gets back home there's another party happening. There have been a lot of these lately. Roland Huanna is the mayor, a sim I created for the town. The mayor is probably trying to project a real down-home image, bringing peanut butter cookies to a party like this.

Zelda Huanna, Roland's wife and actually a sim I tweaked that was supposed to be some Disney princess (I think Tiana, but she really doesn't look like her too much). Don't think she made it to the party even though she was invited.

Hi Leon. The Sparrows are lucky he showed up, rumor has it he's been working more than one job since becoming an adult.

Eugene and Lize had an onion-off and spend most of the party working to convince people that their fried onions are better than each others'.

Whatever you gotta do to keep the romance alive, apparently.

Robbie Platt's (on the right) one of the townies that makes me think Starlight Shores was modeled after old Hollywood. He has Clark Gable ears...

Not sure about Stanley Meir on the left there, who brought his son. Is he old enough to have kids? :o

Howard Huanna is the eldest Huanna child. He's something like a snob and a coward I believe.

Iris Shift! (I keep telling you about her wings lol) Anyways thank you for the waffles, and for giving your son grape-jelly wings, however you did that...

Oh right! It's a birthday party. Well I guess Jet has to grow up now. XD

Looks like everyone is reaaaaaaly enjoying themselves. Let the standing around begin!

Girl-whos-name-I-forgot (checks note: Rena), Malcolm Meir, Howard Huanna.

Dustin ends up talking to the mayor about paranormal investigations, probably trying to convince him the get the cemetery blessed with Holy Water, or something.

So he doesn't notice when Dannigan makes a fool out of himself by telling the oldest person at the party to clean up the place.

Eugene takes in a calming breath and looks past the cocky young man. He never acted this way when he was younger. The generation gap is real.

Darla is not surprised at her dad's behavior,

and Howard could apparently care a whole lot more, so-

"You know kid, you're the first fairy I've ever had the displeasure of meeting, and I think I would have been happier meeting none."

Everet just laughs. Dad never puts up with anyone's BS and he loves it.

Dannigan raises an eyebrow. "Fine with me old man."

Meghan decides not to wait for Dustin to start the whole eat-our-free-cake-get-out-of-our-house part of the event. She walks through the room and calls everyone to gather in the party room.

Dustin: "But the ghost had just been the movers upstairs replacing all the office furniture!" 

Roland: "HAAAAAHHHHH-!".

(I imagine his laugh sounds like a donkey braying.)

The kids have a few moments to socialize beforehand, Malcolm has no idea when he can excuse himself to watch the candle being blown out, Jyoti and Howard apparently get along, and Darla decides to stare blatantly at Everet for a very long time. He doesn't hang out with kids a lot, so he's not really used to being the subject of little girl's first crush.

She wonders if he's too old for her, she's a teen herself in a day. 

(Answer: Yes, he is, and he just starting dating someone a few months ago. Than again he has commitment issues, so you never know...)

*sta~re*

Lize could have has a better night. She spends most of it in the master bedroom, also staring at things. The kids in the rest of the house are loud.

(nice corrupt pictures on the wall)

“Party was great.” Kevin states seriously before the cake is even cut.

Looks like everyone proceeds to judge the party after that. Everet revises his opinion of the staring. It's not funny anymore and it's not that cute.

“See ya losers!” Dannigan calls over his shoulder.

Eugene just wonders if there's a story in how the mayor himself came over but ignored everyone. Was it just one of those 'get the kids out to socialize' events?

True to form, Jet decides to wait until after most of the guests have left to age up. He doesn't pause for a haircut, he goes right for the cake.

I try to take care of him though. Gray is his favorite color, so he'll be sporting a lot of it.

And somewhere in the middle of the party it has become winter.

And a new season begins.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, FFS...

Right after the party of course. Every. Freaking. Thursday.

And then Dustin asks her to play space invaders. Smooth.

Can I smack him? I can smack him, right?

So I wasn't intending to write Jet like this, but in all the still images he comes across as a little shit. Even I don't know if he's going to grow out of it, as I clearly view the images when I write the episode involving them, and he didn't seem as bad while I was playing.

Sorry this episode is a bit disjointed, I'm getting my feet wet writing again, it's bee a busy couple of weeks for so many reasons!