Thanks for the comments, everyone! I seem to be slipping more and more into narrative prose, which is making my posts longer than likely necessary. Sorry!
Back to Strangetown, though I suffered a few false starts. When I first moved the next family to the one apartment lot, I noticed multiple mailboxes. Oops. The lot had originally been a multi-family setup in the style of apartments. I moved them back out and edited the lot as needed. Moved them back and rented one of the apartments for them. I noticed they had odd wishes to buy things already provided (bed, toilet, tub). Turned out the upper floors, for whatever reason, didn't properly belong to their respective apartments. While they were still usable, it would interfere with what little redecorating I might want to do later. So out they went again. I wasn't in the mood to troubleshoot so I just bulldozed the lot and replaced it with a few more separate houses. Then I had to edit
those a bit. By the time I got the family moved in and set up, it was well past the time I intended to begin!
Picaso:
Matthew and Jessica moved into one of the smaller and cheaper military houses available. Not that they really had a choice in the matter. In order to maximize efficiency, personnel had to move into whatever lot best fit their family size. As Matthew and Jessica were newly married without children, the small house with the barn style roof was considered sufficient. Of course, Jessica was hoping to change that soon enough! Matthew, on the other hand, wasn't quite ready for new duties. They had one last free day before they had to report in. And he wanted to make the most of it.
He quickly set to romancing Jessica, the two of them giggling and trading kisses and flirts until they landed upstairs. As much as Jessica wanted to start a family right away, she chose to remain honest. No skipping on the birth control this time. Besides, she had a few other things she could do. Their little homestead was so drab and lifeless. Maybe a small garden would liven things up? A lemon tree and some tilled soil satisfied her, even though she had yet to decide what to plant. Mucking about getting the garden plot ready brought to mind she should really look into how best to keep things clean in the dusty, sandy environment.
So she settled in with a well-worn book she had picked up before the move. This left Matthew free to try his hand at the daily crossword. Fun as it was, it didn't quite scratch the itch he had to keep his mind active. The new chess table arrived quickly. But just as he settled in, some neighbors came to ring the bell. He greeted Erin Beaker, Kristen Loste, and Jenny Smith. Hearing the voices outside and feeling she had plumbed the depths of cleaning as needed for now, Jessica made some lunch meat sandwiches. Fortunately, the military had seen fit to gift them with some food on move-in.
Jessica found she wasn't quite in the mood for company but she went with it for Matthew's sake. He always liked meeting new people. While he chatted with the visitors, she chose to read up an old cookbook for any interesting recipes. Matthew, on the other, quite enjoyed himself with a long conversation with Kristen. It didn't take long for the two to make friends. As he and Kristen played catch outside in the evening light, Jessica figured out something new to make. And just in time. The phone was ringing. Putting the cookbook up, she answered only to hear an unfamiliar voice on the other end. It must be an acquaintance of Matthew's she hadn't met. But rather than ask for him, the man simply inquired if they would like to meet downtown. They might as well, she thought. With a handshake to Kristen, she said goodbye to their guests.
It was quite a shock to Jessica when the taxi picked them up and Matthew wondered who her friends were. She had to admit it got even stranger when she realized a
child had been included! Not sure what to do, the two decided to stick it out, though it was a vaguely uncomfortable feeling to be at a lounge with someone so young in tow. Jessica grilled some hot dogs after a brief soak in the hot tub. After eating, Matthew tried his luck with Dance Sphere. The Hard setting was a little
too hard and he got flung to the floor! He took it in stride and joined some others on the dance stage.
His attempt at smustling was shortlived when he realized Jessica hadn't come with him. Before he could figure out where she had gone, he saw her coming up. She had needed a quick restroom break! Once she had joined the group, he drew her into a slow dance. But the poor man was sorely distracted. He ended up trodding on her toes instead, pre-emptively cutting off her romantic thoughts. Despite being relatively early for a night out, she decided she was ready to go home. Regardless of what the others might've thought, at least Matthew had enjoyed himself.
Back at home, Jessica showered and fell into bed. Matthew decided to make a quick call to Kristen before doing the same.
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This is the second time Cruz Gomez has been the unknown caller, bringing the same people along (including the little girl). I'm beginning to think he has some sort of agenda