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Too Good at Goodbyes (Updated 06/25/2021)

DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
Hi all,

I've been getting into storytelling in The Sims 4 lately. One particular save has captured my heart and I've been having fun with it ever since. In this opening post I'm going to link the different parts of my varying storylines for my characters, so you can easily navigate your way there. I put overall numbers behind the part so you know in what order they should be read, if you care about that sort of thing. I have been posting a lot of the parts so far in the 'What Has Happened In Your Game Today' thread, but I felt like I wanted to dedicate my own discussion to my particular stories. Feel free to comment at any point!

I'm currently playing something I call my 'story save'. I follow different houses (mostly Villareal), but they're all interlinked so far. I switch between different sims whenever I feel like playing their story. I also play with aging on, but my played households don't progress without me playing them, except for aging. There is a drug addiction storyline, LGBT blossoming romance, body insecurity and a gang on the uprising with more things to come. I hope you'll stick along for the ride.

TW: drug addiction, violence, family struggles, increasing body insecurity

Blurb
Love, heartbreak, joy, addiction, family, loneliness, they're all part of the Villareal's lives. Every unit within this family has their own journey, their own story to tell and too often, it includes a goodbye. They are too good at goodbyes, but will they ever be good at letting someone in?

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Read the story on my blog. It's the only place updates will follow from now on. I will still update this thread whenever there's a new chapter and you're welcome to reply here as well as comment on the website.
Post edited by Duvelina on

Comments

  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo

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    When Hugo met neighbour boy Nelson Charm his heart started racing faster. He had absolutely no clue why. All he knew was that they got along great and somehow the nerdy round glasses Nelson was wearing looked adorable where it might have looked ridiculous on someone else. Nelson eventually had some errands to run, but their introduction left Hugo smiling like he hadn't since he moved in with his fiancée. (Nelson is not wearing the outfit or the hair in the picture anymore, don't worry!)

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    The next day, Sofia was invited to a toddler birthday party but she had to leave for work rather soon. Hugo decided to go with her and was roped into doing the catering for the party. While he was cooking the birthday food his half-sister and best friend forever Jacqueline called. They might have differed in years, but their hearts were the same. Jac has been nothing but good to Hugo and while brother Max was tormenting both of them for most of their childhood, they got each other through. Jacqueline is still in high school and has to endure the bully her brother is at home. It makes Hugo worry and they call each other regularly to check up. Even though Hugo has always told his little sister everything, he somehow couldn't tell her about the boy next door.

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    After the party, Hugo got invited out on a group outing with the people from the catering company he works for. His fiancée's mom, Clara, was the instigator and took everyone out to a club in Windenburg. It felt good to Hugo to be back in the town he grew up in as a kid, although he never took the ferry to the mainland much. He was more of an indoorsy person for most of his life until he became older and started getting involved in woodworking which was a huge hobby of his. He took his own table when he moved into student housing, but in the apartment he currently lives there's simply no room. Clara tried to come onto Hugo which creeped him out quite a bit. He kept rejecting her, in good conscience. He wouldn't ever cheat on anyone and he couldn't believe Sofia's mom and his boss would actually try. Hugo didn't know what was wrong with her or her marriage, but he was not getting involved.

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    At the club, Hugo's sister Luna and his friends Charlotte and (ghost) Milan also showed up! I didn't even invite them. You can also see (ghost) Layton who was Luna's abusive husband before he passed away and you can see Nelson sitting at the bar in his make-over. I love it when everything comes together like this.

    Hugo's half-brother Neal became a teen and he honestly has the most lanky and unusual body type I've seen so far!
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    San Myshuno is gorgeous. <3
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  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Sofia

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    Music was always Sofia's main love in life and it made her happy when she could afford to buy herself a keyboard. She practiced on it sometimes, but things wouldn't go exactly her way. Sofia is a perfectionist through and through and not being able to do something made her frustrated and angry which built her stress levels even more. Playing the keyboard was quickly given up most days in favour of doing something more... relaxing.

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    Sofia didn't come with on the employee outing her mom organised. After work, she planted herself in the chair next to the bong in her living room and started doing what was slowly becoming one of her main pastimes. Sofia had many hopes and dreams as a teen but none of them seemed to be coming true so life became a rut where blowing bubbles was a relief and an escape.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo

    So, some more of Hugo's story. Some cheating happened in the background in the club in my last update, but I didn't mention it since I didn't think it would play a huge role in the actual story. Boy, was I wrong. Nelson's dad, Darrell, had a hookup with Moira Fyres (who is Hugo's deceased best friend's mom) while his wife Emilia and Nelson himself were also present. Emilia got furious and stomped out of the club to presumably cool off. Nelson stayed behind and felt tense. He didn't understand why his dad would cheat. Hugo saw all of this happening but decided at that moment to not get involved.

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    When Hugo saw Darrell throwing out some trash in the hallway, he hesitantly got out of his own apartment and gave Darrell a piece of his mind. He couldn't simply let this slip by. Sofia was at work and Nelson was at school, so no one witnessed this outburst but Darrell seemed visibly intimidated especially since Hugo is a giant.

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    Nelson came home from school and Hugo immediately invited him over. He told Nelson all about what he saw at the club and offered him a comforting hug and an ear to listen if he wanted it which Nelson seemed to appreciate.

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    While Nelson and Hugo were talking right in front of the door of Hugo's apartment, Nelson's mom Emilia went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the hallway floor. She was so stressed and angry about the cheating incident she physically couldn't handle it anymore.

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    Both of them heard the thud since they were standing by the front door and walked out to check on what happened. Nelson was visibly shocked when he saw it was his mom lying on the ground.

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    The paramedics couldn't help her. Emilia was gone. Nelson broke out in heaving sobs. Hugo put a hand on Nelson's back and tried to comfort him with this difficult loss as best he could.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Sofia

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    Decent clothes, hair and makeup slowly became less and less relevant to Sofia as time went on. She was still together with Hugo, but her relationship didn’t get her out of this funk she was in. Sofia felt empty and lifeless most of the time. Her bubbles were the only thing that still made her feel anything.

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    A goofy smile spread on Sofia’s face. The whole world got blurry, happy, and colourful for a short moment until the bubbles disappeared from the room and Sofia went in for her next hit.

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    Loud noises from the apartment across the hallway took Sofia out of it. She stumbled through the flat, the short high the bubbles gave her already wearing off. An overwhelming amount of sadness hit her. The disturbance barely annoyed her, but the screaming took her out of her trance enough to want it gone.

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    Sofia managed to get to her neighbour’s apartment door, but as soon as she got out in the hallway a wave of cold hit her. She was freezing. Was it really that hot in her apartment? Goosebumps appeared on her arms and she tried to warm her body up by holding herself. A soft knock on the door didn’t do anything. The neighbours didn’t hear her. There was no energy or warmth left in her to try again, so she walked carefully, trying to balance herself every so often, back to her own flat.

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    The idea was to sit on the couch and have a breather before she’d go back to her trusty helper, but Sofia didn’t last long and passed out on the couch exhaustedly. She never even noticed the passage of time and evening falling during her binge. There was no response when Hugo came home from work and he once again went to bed on his own.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    edited June 2020
    Villareal Main House

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    On the morning of her wedding day, Lucy started off with a nice swim. It was going to be a beautiful day and the sun was already shining down on the pool. Everything needed to go perfect today. There was the perfect wedding venue, warm weather and her amazing soon-to-be husband with all of the kids surrounding her. This time she was going to try her hardest to get the gorgeous day with the dress she’s always wanted. For her first wedding she couldn’t have cared less. All she had wanted was to get rich and live in a huge mansion. Her dreams came true but as soon as she was married and settled into the house, she won the lottery and became an instant millionaire herself. She could literally afford anything she wanted, and Lucy had to reflect and ask herself what it was she wanted. After today, she felt like she could finally say she had fulfilled her deepest desires. After the refreshing swim, a social media update was in order. She needed to let her followers know about the bikini she was wearing. It all came with her influencer stylist job.

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    Lucy’s cat Brook kept vomiting around the place, so she had to be taken to the vet for a quick check-up. Since Lucy is a millionaire, she can give Brook the best care there is. No money was too much to fix her dear little friend. The vet could help Brook right then and there and she went home a little woozy but healthy, nonetheless. (I never went to a vet before; it was so much fun!)

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    With Lucy and Brook safely back home, it was the time to let the kids know that today was going to be the day Lucy was getting married to Paolo. She had taken care of every single thing except for telling the kids when the big day was going to be. Lucy knew almost everyone was happy for her, Max would be the hardest to tell. He was always moping around the house, manic laughing sounds coming from his room but evil sneers everywhere else. Lucy cautiously approached him and told him the news. Max was mostly bothered. He had work today. He wasn’t feeling up to a wedding. Lucy tried to reassure him by saying he didn’t have to stay for the reception, just the ceremony. Max knew he couldn’t say much else, so he agreed with a defeated sigh.

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    As soon as Max arrived at the wedding venue, he made his way to the bar to mix himself a drink. A mixologist was hired but they hadn’t even arrived yet. Max didn’t think he could get through the day sober, so he didn’t wait. He’d never mixed before though, so the it didn’t go great and the drink wasn’t tasty either but hey, at least it was alcoholic.

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    The first thing Lucy did after all the guests had entered the wedding venue was take off all her clothes and streak. These were her last moments of freedom (hopefully forever). She had to take every moment and enjoy it (I don’t know why my sims always wear swimwear underneath the censoring, but let’s just say she wasn’t wearing any). [/spoiler]

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    Before the ceremony could officially get started, Lucy and Paolo had a quiet moment to themselves. They were fully anticipating getting married, but both had been married before and were quite nervous about living together and co-existing constantly from here on out. Paolo did a good job of calming Lucy down. He lovingly caressed her cheek and told her he loved her and couldn’t wait to be married to her.

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    A beautiful ceremony followed, and Lucy was sure she had never been this happy before. Paolo was the man of her dreams and her children were all in full support.

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    Or most of them anyway.

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    The rest of the day and evening was spent in the company of the guests. A lot of dancing and karaoke singing happened, but the kids hung out too. Juliana had the time of her life learning how to dance from big brother Neal while singing her little heart out at the machine. Jacqueline earlier wasn’t much better. Neal and Luna had a heart-to-heart. They didn’t know each other very well since Neal did most of his growing up while Luna was living in student housing to get her very own degree. Lucy and Jacqueline shook their bodies to the rhythm of the music until Jacqueline was tired and went over to best friend and brother Hugo. And as promised, Max had left for work before the reception had even begun.
    Post edited by Duvelina on
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    edited June 2020
    Hugo

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    For Luna’s daughter Allyson’s birthday, Hugo was invited. He raised Allyson along with Luna for the first years of her life when he was also in college and living with them. He was especially a big help after Luna’s husband Layton died. Since Hugo is the cook in the family, he offered to bake Allyson a cake so she could have the best birthday possible.

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    To pass the time until all birthday preparations were gone, Hugo played some ping pong with his stepmother Lucy. They differed about fifteen years in age, so it was more like he was hanging out with a friend than with his mother. Luckily, Lucy had never tried to take his mother’s place although she eventually did pick up the pace and stepped in when his father suddenly and unfortunately passed away.

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    Soon enough it was birthday time! Lucy offered to help Allyson blow out her candles and Luna decided to let her. There was a time when Luna and Lucy were best friends. That was until Luna discovered that Lucy was trying to get to her father through her. It has been cold between them ever since. Their relationship still is not what it used to be, but the ice is thawing. Luna needs all the help she can get and another person in her daughter’s corner is always welcome. Even with all the tragedy in little Allyson’s life, she never had to miss out on anything because someone would be there for her. It led her to become a happy, well-cared for child.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo

    When Hugo woke up and found Sofia stuck doing bubbles already, he could not deal with it anymore. The day was Harvestfest. It should have been a celebratory day, but instead it was tainted with Sofia’s need for bubbles. There was no good morning or any talk. Hugo left the house and went next door where Nelson opened the door for him.

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    Nelson could see something was wrong with Hugo. He did not want to push, but Hugo was there for him when his mom died, and he wanted to be there for Hugo in return. So, Nelson asked Hugo what was wrong. Not being able to keep it in anymore, Hugo spilled the beans about Sofia and what seemed to be a worsening addiction. Hugo was unsure of what to do and how it made him unhappier by the day.

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    Nelson, as young as he is, did not know how to react to this. Except for his mom dying, he had never dealt with any major issues. Addiction was never something he was confronted with. All he could do was listen to what Hugo had to say as best he could. A comforting hug was the most he could offer. Hugo appreciated it immensely. He didn’t expect Nelson to solve his problems for him, but telling someone else about the secret problems that were locked in the apartment next door took a weight of his shoulders.

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    Needing to focus on something else, Hugo asked if he could cook for them both. It was Harvestfest after all. A nice big breakfast could take his mind off the situation. Nelson agreed and let Hugo do his thing in the kitchen. Cooking was the only thing that could clear Hugo’s mind and give him some time to relax. The work paid off and the result was an exceptionally nice meal. They enjoyed each other’s company while eating and Hugo felt a strange, nervous feeling in his stomach. This feeling had happened more often lately. He had no clue what was going on at first, but he seemed to realise more and more that this feeling was not a stomach bug but was related to Nelson’s presence. It complicated Hugo’s life, but the feeling was nice enough he didn’t want to give that up.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo & Sofia

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    When the washing up was done, Hugo told Nelson it was probably time to go home and check on Sofia. Nelson understood, so Hugo walked back to the apartment. He knew what to expect, but was still disappointed to see his fiancée in the same position he left her in.

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    Hugo started talking to Sofia and kept talking to get rid of the unnerving, awkward vibe that hung around the room. He told her he made some breakfast and that if she wanted some it would be on the counter for her. Sofia seemed completely out of it and did not say anything to Hugo. It looked like she was not even listening. Hugo rummaged through the decorations box, looking for stuff to liven up their apartment and make it seem more like a home instead of a crack house.

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    While Hugo was decorating the house, Sofia got up and grabbed the food Hugo put out for her. She got herself back to a chair and started eating slowly. Hugo sat down opposite her, not wanting to scare her off. Sofia didn’t look like she had much of an appetite but she was eating nonetheless. Hugo stopped talking and silence overtook the room. It was a tiny step, but she was away from the bubble blower and that was good. Right?
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Villareal Main House

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    After Lucy got her promotion to personal re-imager and with that, achieved everything she set out to do as a stylist, she didn’t stop working hard for the job she had come to love. She never had a great work ethic, but she became a different person after Jacques passed away and left her alone in charge of five children. Lucy had to step up her game and that’s what she did. Brushing up on her photography skills was part of the job, so Lucy diligently complied.

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    Poor Jacqueline felt sad after a horrendous graduation day at school where she had gotten bullied. Lately, she’d been receiving some nasty texts as well and it made her feel insecure. She knew her body had gotten more filled out lately, but she was just getting older. She had always been the athletic type, but with scouting taking up all of her weekends working out hadn’t been her biggest priority.

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    The first step was to get herself to the gym. Working out had always been an activity she did at home and it mostly consisted of jogging around the house. In the locker room she put on her workout clothes, but Jacqueline still had this overwhelming urge to grab her keys and run for her bike. Working out had always been something personal to her and to go out and do it in a room full of other people? It seemed scary. What if other people would judge her? She looked at her body in the mirror and silently reassured herself. Even if all of this did not go as she hoped, there was always still home.

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    With that silent pep talk in mind, she got herself to the top floor and sat herself down at one of the weight machines. Once again, strength training was completely new to her. Cardio had always been her go-to. Jacqueline immediately regretted taking the machine in the middle. It was in plain sight of everyone and from the heaviness of the weight she knew this wasn’t going to be easy. She went for it anyway. And it turned out she was right, it wasn’t easy but she could pat herself on the back for attempting it in the first place. She just had to go to the gym more often and it would get easier with practice.

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    As soon as the workout was done, Jacqueline took a shower and turned into her regular clothes. She grabbed her stuff, but when she left the waiting room she ran into Arielle Holland. Arielle was on the soccer team at Britechester University. Jacqueline knew her through one of her brother Hugo’s roommates, Charlotte, who was also on the soccer team. It’s safe to say Arielle and Jacqueline did not get along. Jacqueline tried to walk by and hide her face in the process, but Arielle saw her anyway. With a haughty look, Arielle got in Jacqueline’s way and gave her a once-over, making Jacqueline feel small and mostly, fat. With hurried movement, Jacqueline stepped past and speed walked to the exit.

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    At home, Neal was working on his school project alone. His siblings mostly kept up with their homework, but he was the determined one. Homework, and work in general, was fun and should be worked on and finished instantly. Brook kept him company while he tried to figure out this project and he stroked her softly while mumbling to himself. This project would not defeat him.

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    His little sister, Juliana, on the other hand just might. Neal sneaked into Juliana’s room and tried to empty her little money jar with her allowance in it. Neal might have been good about keeping on top of work, but saving money was an entirely different matter. Meanwhile Juliana liked to save up so she could buy pretty clothes and such. Making herself look good was one of her favourite pastimes, just like her mother. Neal sadly wasn’t stealthy enough, because Juliana caught him and then continued on to give him a severe beating. Neal is very lanky and thin, so he doesn’t have a bunch of strength in his arms and Juliana was relentless in defending what was hers. Neal ended up with a black eye and a split lip before he managed to get Juliana off. I think he might have learned his lesson after this big humiliation which he’ll be reminded of for plenty of time to come.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Luna

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    Luna found herself and Allyson a house to live in with some money that Lucy provided. Luna didn’t have time for a job while she was in university since she also had to take care of her daughter. She had the barest amount of money, so Lucy felt inclined to help out and give Luna a house of her own so she didn’t have to move back into her childhood home. Luna has always been closely involved in her daughter’s life, wanting to do the best she can. Because of Layton’s death, Allyson grew up to be a very sensitive, rebellious child. She’s a handful for Luna but she tries her hardest to give Allyson a good life. As soon as they’re unpacked and all moved in, Luna told Allyson to go and do her homework.

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    Allyson would have rather done anything else, but in this case she decided to go for silent rebellion and throw glares at the kitchen door her mother disappeared through.

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    Luna has a Communications degree so she got herself a job in education. She started out as a substitute teacher at Allyson’s primary school which Allyson doesn’t particularly like but it’s a good way for Luna to stay on top of what’s going on in her daughter’s life. For her first day on the job, Luna had to work on a lesson plan. Since they didn’t have a computer at home, Luna had to weather the blizzard outside to go to the local library.

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    Luna worked deeply into the night to set up her lesson plan. The library was completely empty and quiet, so plan came along nicely.

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    When Luna came home in the middle of the night, Allyson was already in bed and sleeping. With one last tuck-in Luna left the room.

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    Later that night, Allyson woke up from a sound in her room. The darkness scared her out of her mind and she didn’t want to stay in her room alone. She hurried down the hall to her mother’s room and hid out underneath the blankets, close to her sleeping mother, where she eventually fell asleep comfortably.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo and Sofia

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    Hugo had been walking around with a heavy feeling on his chest for a while now. He didn’t know what to do with this happiness that Nelson gave him, and Sofia didn’t. Life felt hard and sad when Hugo was in their apartment but as soon as he got out, he felt like he could finally breathe. It was unhealthy. Hugo realized that. He also knew he wouldn’t leave on his own. Sofia needed help and Hugo was at his wit’s end. Honesty was something Hugo had always stood for and this issue shouldn’t be any different. So, Hugo told Sofia he needed to tell her something and continued with saying he thought he was developing feelings for someone else. He didn’t tell her for whom. He didn’t want to hurt her any more than necessary.

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    It stayed quiet for a bit after which Sofia, out of the blue, commented on the fact she was cold. The heating was on, she shouldn’t have been cold, but she was shivering anyway. It looked like Hugo’s confession didn’t even get through to her. Hugo’s shoulders slumped. Did Sofia not even care about him anymore? Did she not want to work on this relationship? Not a sensible word came out of her mouth, so Hugo, unnecessarily, excused himself and left the house to go straight towards Sofia’s childhood home. This couldn’t go on any longer.

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    Upon arrival Hugo asked if he could speak with Clara privately which she agreed to. She has always liked Hugo and was interested in what he had to say. As soon as they were alone Hugo cautiously brought up his concerns regarding Sofia. Clara was shocked to her core. Her little girl? Addicted to bubbles?

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    Although the news was devastating to Clara, she was certainly happy Hugo had told her so they could work on getting Sofia back on track.

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    An idea popped into her head which she expressed to Hugo. What if they would celebrate Winterfest with both Sofia's and Hugo's families and make a grand ol' time of it? Maybe they could bring Sofia into a good headspace and work from there. Hugo thought it was a great suggestion and agreed to tell Sofia. He wasn't looking forward to that since she barely went out nowadays and he didn't think she'd be particularly happy about a family obligation.

    After Clara and Hugo talked, they had a party to cater so I thought I would insert these pictures too.

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    After struggling through a blizzard all the guests and employees had arrived to make the party a success. Clara started with some instructions for the meals that had to be prepared.

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    The other employees started working first and prepared the first meals.

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    While some of the guests were already eating and some co-workers were taking a break, Hugo took his shift and cooked the next course.

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    The party turned out to be pretty fun, but cleaning up was also par for the course.

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    When Hugo was done with work and came home, he greeted Sofia with a soft kiss on the cheek, asking her how her day went. (This is the part that made me tear up with the music that was playing at the time! It was this song.)

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    As expected, Sofia was skeptical about the whole Winterfest plan. It sounded like an intervention and that was something Sofia was not ready for. Hugo assured her it wasn't, just a lighthearted family party. In the end, Sofia couldn't do anything but agree. Winterfest was set.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    edited June 2020
    Max

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    Max had been terrorizing the house for as long as Lucy could remember but this time something snapped. After Max made another snide comment about living under ‘Lucy’s’ roof and how she basically stole his inheritance by marrying his dad, Lucy had enough. She started yelling and Max was taken aback. Lucy had never talked back before. Everything she ever wanted to say but felt like she couldn’t came spilling out of her and ended with: ‘If you hate it so much, why don’t you just leave?’

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    Max wouldn’t let himself be threatened like that. If he didn’t make a show of authority now, Lucy would get the upper hand. That could never happen. He stood up and promptly left the house. He had no personal belongings he wanted to take, only the little bit of money he had earned as a lowly criminal. It wouldn’t be enough to rent or buy something, but Max would figure something out.

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    And figure it out, he did. There was an old abandoned house in Windenburg. It had been empty and boarded up for years now. Everyone knew about it, but nothing was done to it. Max didn’t look forward to getting in, probably encountering rats and even sleeping there but it would beat sleeping outside. At least, that’s what he hoped.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Max

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    The whole abandoned house thing stressed Max out immensely. The place seemed haunted and there was filth everywhere. This was not a permanent solution, but a long-term temporary one since Max barely earned any money so far. He needed to start becoming resourceful and working his way up to be able to get his own place at some point. He just wished the place wouldn’t make him so tense and on edge.

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    One of the perks of living on his own was setting fire to random things. No one would miss the stuff he set on fire anyway, and if they did, why would that be his problem? It was also getting colder out and the house didn’t have heating so the warmth of the bonfire was a welcome reprise.

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    Ever since becoming a criminal Max met the greatest, most influential people around. He gathered all of the people together into his own gang and they would meet up at the house. Another perk of living in a place everyone wants to avoid. The gang is getting all the privacy they need. Nancy Landgraab might be getting old, but she hasn’t lost her flair for the criminal. Although Max does think she tries a little too hard to take over what’s his and he needs to keep an eye on her to make sure he doesn’t lose.

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    Most of the time, Max went out. He went to play chess in the park (he so adores chess), swim at ocean parties and clubbing in the hottest places.

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    The club turned out to be too hot for Dominic Fyres who passed away from exhaustion after some secret closet woohoo.

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    Life isn’t all fun and games for Max though. He has a hard time staying out of trouble which leads to plenty of fights and bruises. It’s not too big of a deal since Max loves misery and likes to keep it company, but he can’t help feeling angry and wanting to punch something even more.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Max

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    Two new members were welcomed into the gang, brother and sister Brodie and Veronica Patino. Brodie is one of the tough guys, gold teeth and all, but his sister is still innocent. She mostly gets involved in criminal activities so she can stay on top of her brother’s life and prevent him from doing the worst things. She knows she’s gambling away her own life if she ever did get caught, but her brother is more important to her right now.

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    During one of the Bluffs parties, Max tried to bribe Brodie to be his friend, but Brodie was offended. Who did Max think he is? Friendship can’t be bought, and neither can loyalty. At this point, Brodie already disliked Max severely.

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    Later that cold night, back at the abandoned house, the gang was having a bonfire party. Max went all out and took it upon himself to perform a fire dance. He was lucky he got away with his cockiness because it could have gone in the wrong direction entirely. The fire dance might not have been what went wrong, but Max took a step too far and got into a fight with fellow member Nancy. They worked on each other’s nerves all the time anyway, but this time it went out of hand and the two of them started a fistfight. Max won with Nancy ending up with a completely bruised face. Nancy kept breaking the rules, so Max felt justified to kick her out of the gang right then and there. She better not dare to come back! Nancy stomped away and Max was left behind pointing and laughing at her misery, the rest of the gang feeling uncomfortable by this turn of events.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo and Sofia

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    On the morning of Winterfest, Hugo encountered Nelson in the hallway. Hugo had spent quite a bit of time picking out the perfect present for Nelson, so it was nerve-wrecking to finally give it to him. After exchanging some celebratory remarks, the time to reveal the present had come. Hugo slowly took the present from behind his back and reached it out to Nelson. Nelson was touched and pleasantly surprised. He turned out to love the gift. The smile on Hugo’s face would be plastered there all day.

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    There wasn’t a lot of time to spend with Nelson since there were plans to celebrate Winterfest at the Bjergsen’s house. A blizzard had hit Windenburg, so Sofia and Hugo dressed warmly but still ran towards the front door as soon as they arrived, just so they could be out of the cold.

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    Guests were slowly arriving, but Hugo and Clara had already decided to cook together, both of them being in the catering business and the best cooks in the family, so that’s what they started out doing. Hugo’s meal was done without a care in the world, but Clara lost sight of her turkey in the oven and it caught on fire. It was quite a shock to everyone in the house, but Hugo managed to run up with an extinguisher and put it out. This wasn’t the first fire he had to conquer. Back at the Villareal house, fires were a common occurrence when handling the BBQ.

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    Luckily, the fire didn’t put a real damper on things and the party could go on like normal after everything was cleaned up. The oven was positively ruined and had to be fixed at a later date, but there was food anyway. The families gathered around the tree to sing Winterfest carols together and to eventually open presents together. There was not one bad present, everyone loved what they got!

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    It all got to be a little too much for Allyson. She's a sensitive girl, so too much socialization makes her on edge. The amount of people and the fire to top it off made her feel uneasy so when Hugo tried to crack a joke, Allyson bit his head off.

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    But, most important of all, Sofia was having a fun time. She didn’t expect it or had seen it coming in any way, shape or form, but maybe, just maybe, she could still have a good time and enjoy the company of her family.

  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Max

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    Max’s Winterfest was much less exciting. He wasn’t invited to the family party because of the falling-out so he had no one to celebrate with. He spent it next to the fire with a book called ‘How to Surprise When Someone’s Expecting You’ instead.

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    When much of the day had already passed, fellow gang member Veronica came by. They wished each other a merry Winterfest but Veronica couldn’t stay very long since her brother Brodie was waiting for her back home.

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    Max hadn’t realized how alone he felt during the day, but when he got into bed, the feeling of missing out on all of these holiday traditions he was previously included in hit him harder than expected. With a heavy heart, Max fell asleep in his bed full of dust.

  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Luna

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    Luna’s day started off with a snowball fight with Allyson. They gathered and threw snow at each other for about an hour until both had to go to school, one to learn and one to teach.

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    Around 3 PM, after work, Luna went to the library to grade homework. The library was the one place she could find some peace and quiet. Allyson was a sweetheart, but she demanded quite some attention. Lately, Allyson had entered a rebellious phase. She could be sweet one moment and an actual nightmare the next.

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    When all homework was graded and dinner had been eaten, Luna decided to visit her brother Hugo in his apartment. She’d never been there before and wanted to see the place, but as soon as she entered the living room a mouse came running at her. An actual scream erupted from her mouth and she jumped back, asking someone to do something about it. Hugo shot into action and got rid of the mouse with a trap and some cheese.

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    While Hugo was taking care of the critter problem, Luna and Sofia hung out in the bedroom. They had always been friends, being in the Paragons together since they were teens, so conversation flowed easily between them.

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    Eventually, Sofia got tired and decided to go to bed, so Luna had some of Hugo’s homemade food, her favourite, while catching up with her twin brother and asking about potential moving plans in his future because he couldn’t possibly keep living in this dump. Hugo assured her everything was fine and they were working on making the place their own. Sofia worked hard to be able to rent this place so Hugo wanted to try his hardest to make it livable at every turn, but it was harder than it seemed at first glance because problems kept turning up wherever you looked. The utility box starts sparking, then the shower breaks followed by a mouse suddenly running through the apartment. It was an endless assembly line of issues. He didn’t tell Luna any of that though. He didn’t want to worry her, but he also didn’t say that living here wasn’t Hugo’s idea of a future either.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member

    Max

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    Criminal activities haven’t been making Max a lot of money, so he has resorted to rummaging through trash cans and digging for gems near the local ruins. It brings him a good buck, although quite some effort is required to find anything worthwhile. Max wants to save up enough money to buy himself somewhere to live, as soon as possible.

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    After scouring the ruins for stuff to sell, he entered the library to play some chess. Max is a huge chess lover (it being one of his main traits), so whenever there is a chess table somewhere, you can find Max playing.

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    He played chess for hours and overheard some people talking about a Spice Festival in San Myshuno. So when Max got hungry, he made his way over there and bought himself some food from one of the vendors. He thought he could conquer the world, but this spicy food sadly might have conquered him.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Luna

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    New Year’s Eve was spent in a very fun manner by hanging out with some family in a nearby bar in Windenburg. Hugo, Jacqueline, Sofia, Lucy and Luna were all there to have a fun night together.

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    During a toilet break, Luna ended up in a deep conversation with Sofia on a bench upstairs, far away from the partygoer’s downstairs.

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    Their conversation became handsier as time went on, the alcohol flowing in their veins.

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    The evening ended in a fun way with some toasting and Luna flirting with Sofia in a major way. They were careless at this point, not noticing people walking by and both Luna and Sofia would have some explaining to do the next day since Hugo had picked up the vibes between them.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo & Sofia

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    Last night’s debacle made Hugo incredibly sad. Sofia and his very own sister hitting it off and flirting so openly gave him a sour taste. Sofia knew she did something wrong although she did have a couple drinks. The first thing she did when she woke up with a huge hangover was have a conversation with Hugo wherein, she apologized for her behaviour last night. Hugo tried holding a grudge, but that’s just not who he is so he was all too happy letting it go.

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    Who didn’t let it go? Sofia. Shortly after he apology, she secretly met up with Luna and they hung out at the park together. Their meeting didn’t take up a huge amount of time, because Luna did actually feel bad and didn’t want to stay. She did advise Sofia to go out and do something for the day, take her mind off things. Sofia felt a bit grumpy. She did leave the house to go and hang out with Luna after all while she could have been home with her trusty bubble blower.

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    During Winterfest Sofia had noticed how much she missed her family. She hadn’t seen them in a while. She mostly pretended she was busy with work, but that wasn’t actually it. Wandering in the park wasn’t something that cleared Sofia’s mind and since she was close to her parent’s house, she decided to go over there. Clara now knew about her daughter’s bubble problem, but hadn’t shared it with anyone else yet, thinking it was Sofia’s issue to resolve. With her support, obviously. Sofia and Clara had a serious conversation about where Sofia’s life was heading. Clara told her it was okay to not be okay which was something Sofia hadn’t ever heard. Her parents had always expected great things from her. These words were what Sofia desperately needed to hear. Clara could see she touched her daughter’s heart, so she followed up with the words: ‘Come home’.

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    Clara left Sofia with a lot to think about, but the decision wasn’t hard at all. Downstairs, Sofia ran into her teenage sister Robin who was in the process of making some food. Robin turned around, saw the way her sister looked and asked her if she was doing okay.

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    Sofia in turn reassured her and said nothing was wrong. She’d be just fine. Although Robin could expect to see more of her in the coming time. Sofia was coming home.

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    Sofia knew she couldn’t walk out on Hugo just like that. So, she went to the apartment and sat down for a conversation. She started off with an apology for all the hurt that she caused him with her problem, but she had come to a decision. Sofia wanted to start working on herself and that didn’t include this whole environment and definitely not being in the vicinity of a bubble blower. Working on herself also didn’t include Hugo. Sofia told him she needed to break off this engagement to move forward and start to love herself.

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    Telling Hugo the news was hard, but necessary. What followed was packing up all of her stuff. She didn’t want to bother Hugo anymore, so she needed to get out of here as quick as possible.

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    Before Sofia exited the apartment, she threw a last look at the bubble blower. Every vein in her body hungered to drop all her stuff, sit down and enjoy it but she managed to pull herself together and resist.

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    The whole of their relationship ended when Sofia walked out the front door. Hugo couldn’t believe everything that happened. He sank down into the couch and put his head in his hands. What in the world would he do now? With this apartment he didn’t even want in the first place?
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Sofia

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    Moving out of her own apartment and back into her childhood bedroom hit Sofia hard. All of her stuff was put on her old bed, but she couldn’t get herself to unpack anything. The grief of her lost relationship and what her life has become overwhelmed her.

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    Robin noticed her sister needed some support. She still wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but Sofia didn’t look her best, hair messily done and dark circles underneath her eyes. Robin took Sofia out of her bedroom and planted her on the couch, giving Sofia a moment to compose herself. It was silent between them, but the sisters didn’t need many words to support one another.

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    When Sofia calmed down, she needed something to distract herself with. Playing the piano was something she hadn’t done in a really long time. This might be the perfect moment to pick it back up and make something of herself, but as soon as Sofia wanted to play she noticed how much her hands were shaking. It had been at least a day since the last time she blew bubbles. It was confronting to see how much it affected her to not do it. Playing the piano wasn’t even an option right now. It saddened her that things that used to be so easy for her seemed unconquerable now.

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    Evening fell and everyone went to bed, but Sofia couldn’t get herself to fall asleep. Thoughts kept beating her around the head and this… urge to do something about it became bigger with the second. The headache worsened over the last few hours and Sofia knew she couldn’t do it.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Sofia

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    The next morning, Sofia woke up grumpy. Withdrawal was taking its toll on her. She managed to holf off last night, but after she ate a piece of cake she was going to demand her bubble blower from Hugo. It was her life, her decision and the was the one who got the bubble blower in the first place. There was no reason he wouldn’t give it to her.

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    After getting mildly ready for the day, Sofia went over to, now just, Hugo’s apartment and knocked on his door. Not having a lot of energy, she tried to steady herself against the wall but the headache overtook her and made her sit on the floor, willing the pain to go away.

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    Hugo was somehow not surprised to see Sofia on his doorstep. He knew she wouldn’t come back for him, but the bubble blower was a different situation entirely. Sofia barely seemed to notice him, not even looking up. He knelt next to her, tried to touch her shoulder but she moved away from him, reacting to his presence for the first time since he stepped out of the door. She shivered and Hugo knew what she wanted, needed. But he also knew what he was supposed to do, so a soft ‘no’ came out of his mouth.

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    This enraged Sofia who tried to get up as best as she can. She screamed and cursed at him which pained Hugo but he was not stepping back and letting her in. This was her battle. If she didn’t want to fight, she’d have find a bubble blower somewhere else. He was not going to enable her any longer.

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    Realizing she wasn’t getting anywhere, Sofia stomped back to the elevator. She wasn’t in her right mind and she didn’t see it right now, but someday, she’d be grateful Hugo started saying no to her.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Hugo

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    After Sofia moved out and left Hugo with a mess of an apartment, Hugo decided it was time for a renovation. He lived here now; it was his own place but it needed a change. After much hard work and money invested, it became more of a home and a lot better-looking. Hugo felt better about his living space instantly.

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    As soon as renovations were done, Hugo invited over Nelson to celebrate the new home. Nelson was thoroughly impressed and complimented Hugo on a job well done.

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    They hung out for a while and Hugo got more nervous, but determined, by the minute. He had made them some food but while cooking a sense of anxiety overwhelmed him. This was the moment. He had waited too long to progress in his life and make some actual steps towards the future. It sounded bad, but Sofia was holding him back in many ways. After eating and watching TV quietly for a while, Hugo made one of the biggest steps in his life… he confessed his attraction to Nelson and asked him on a date. Nelson was surprised but couldn’t deny he had been feeling something more than friendship for a while now and more importantly, he was willing to explore this particular option. A date was scheduled.

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    Another aspect of Hugo’s life was his thriving social media career. He was a famous chef, a celebrity even, and his online persona was taking off ever since he started spending more time on the internet. It was one more thing he had the motivation to work on after ending up alone. He splurged and bought himself a drone so he could film his cooking adventures and share it with the world. He also created more personal videos where he talked about his own life and what was going on in it (without going into too much detail). Hugo’s least favourite task was editing the videos but he actually didn’t mind it too much. It was par for the course and for the first time in who knows how long, he felt content.

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    Aside from his career, he had also adopted a much healthier lifestyle. He was doing his own laundry, regularly. He loved walking around in fresh-smelling clothes, something he had never spend much time thinking about. Even the one thing Hugo despised most in this world, exercise, was something he ended up doing. Life could be happy and Hugo started to realize it more by the day.
  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    Hi Duvelina! I’ve read up until “an Unexpected Event”, but I'm going to try and catch up over the next few days.
    You’ve done an amazing job with EA’s Hugo! He looks so much better than the non-cc version, haha. Way to go that he stood up for his friend, and I like how he was respectful enough to go off on the man in private, instead of making it a huge spectacle. That boy was raised right.
    Also, Emilia collapsing from anger legitimately shocked me! I keep forgetting that extreme emotions can actually kill sims in this game. Poor Nelson.
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    Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    @_sims_Yimi Thank you so much for starting my story!
    At first I played with everyone the way they came, but as soon as they all started to age up, I gave them a make-over with the CC I acquired. I like Hugo's haircut especially, it's not too different from what he had at first but still cute enough to make me like him.

    I think the Villareal kids mostly raised themselves. Jacques wasn't a very involved father but Hugo and Luna were each other's support system. The newborn half-siblings also helped with giving him a sense of responsibility because he grew attached to all of them. Jacqueline, who you'll see later, is his best friend and younger sibling.

    Emilia's death threw me off! The amount of emotional deaths I've already had in this save is astounding. Jacques didn't die of old age, but of laughter! I never knew it could be so hard to manage their emotions. Hugo also died of anger once, but I revived him because it just didn't fit with the story. Emilia's death did make for a nice plot point though, as horrible as that sounds, and a push in the right direction for Hugo and Nelson's relationship.
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