Congrats to both Melody and Malcolm winning accolade awards! Woot! And Melody looked so sweet in that one photo outside with her "coy" look. Funny how Melody made the same dish you had made for dinner! lol They both looked good And Sakura's daughter, Anne, must be a real fan of Melody's...ahhh....! And Malcolm's Mom was the bouncer! lol I laughed when Melody's Mom told Melody not to make too long a speech and then makes one so long that sims are falling asleep. hehehe Congrats also to Jenny and Essa for winning accolades. Is that really Josh in the game? I didn't think @Karababy52 had him up on the gallery.
Love the updates on the other challenge sims. Mia looks so cool at the hospital reception area. She must be volunteering at the hospital. And there is Josh again as a doctor this time. Cool!
Congrats to Jules for completing the Archaeology Scholar Aspiration. And the baby's room is just too cute...and I am not sure if you had already announced it, but I saw you referred to the baby as "him"....soo....maybe it will be a boy! And look at Jules just throwing those bottles around working on her mixology skills! Woot! And Ruby is just doing so well on her aspirations, too.
About Sakura's hair color. The Mt. Komorebi braid hairstyle, and the other Mt. Komorebi long hair style that I use for her, are two different colors, so when the game automatically puts her in an outfit, like her work outfit, it gives her braids, but in a brighter green shade. Also, thanks again for the compliments on the work and thought I put into the story. I actually love writing this story when Lucas is involved, because as a kid, he can say some funny remarks that an adult couldn't. Plus Lucas just loves to hang around Sakura, it is really so sweet. And, yes, my parents were the same way before I got married and my boyfriend stayed over - separate beds. lol In my story, Mila has been the one to have to support her family after her husband's death, and, of course, has been very protective of her children. I think this is true in real life when things like this happen, and no parent ever wants to see their children grow up. But with Sakura's appearance, and Wolfgang changing and starting his own life, Mila has now realized that change is alright. Instead of being stuck in the past, she is going to move forward. So, while Wolfgang is in Del Sol Valley, she does some minor changes to the house...like she has always wanted a fireplace...and so did a small renovation (starting to think of her own needs or wants). And she moved Gunther in with Lucas, because she knows that Wolfgang and Sakura are going to be together forever, and Wolfgang won't be moving back home. So, making the decision on the double bed, well, of course, she had to consult her friend, Clara, who had to also think about holiday sleeping arrangements with River staying with them (he is not in a double bed with Sofia, though). So, yes, Mila is evolving in the story, too. I have always liked Mila when I start a new game, and she is always so friendly and almost always one of the first friends my sims makes, if they start in Windenburg. As for Gunther, because of his bookworm trait, he is always reading and kind of a loner. But, I have plans for his story, too.
I did decide just to tell you guys it was a boy a few updates ago, in this one , really no worries if you missed it though! I can't help myself and I always check how many babies and what gender with MCCC haha. So Jules and Emmett are having just one baby boy haha
Thanks for explaining about Sakura's hair. And I like your development of Mila's character, thanks for explaining. Lots of good backstory and details going into your story as always
@Karababy52 You meant to post before midnight, so I'd say it still counts! Most of us are on different times zones anyway, so there's definitely some wiggle room with getting your daily photo in, in my opinion at least. To me, it still 100% counts as getting your daily photo, if that makes you feel better
Oh my gosh! I am so sorry I missed commenting on this up-date and will do it now. So, yes, they are having a boy! lol Congrats! And congrats also to Jules for completing the Jungle Explorer Aspiration. Jules did so well working on those jungle aspirations. Great job! Yes, now Jules is working on the Mixology career. Cool. And poor Emmett, although that suit really brings out his eyes, the poor guy is not happy. Maybe he needs a different job! lol Or some fun....and Jules certainly knows how to have some fun together! hehehe
*Updated my June 26th post above. I'll have to comment later when I get up, I'm exhausted and Hubby's upset I stayed up so late. I hope everything makes sense and there isn't too many typos, didn't have time to proofread it. *sigh* Hope y'all have a great day/night!
Oh yes, I still haven't changed that outfit pf Carrie I do not know why she is wearing that Will take some days before those babies are toddlers , as they are in unplayed households, like all but Melody are, I let them grow up when game wants to But of course I will post pics when they do
-- Haha, good for Emmett to learn at least basics on cooking! Poor Pickle , you will have to give them a talking toilet
Congrats for the promotion!
-- First, you did meant to post it before midnight, and you did, just forgot to post it, so it does still count
Too bad the garden was gone , but that is great idea with soybeans Essa looks lovely with new hair and that dress
I am glad they let them have their personal stuff, as those they should keep anyway.
New adventures waits for them in Evergreen harbour, that is for sure
Thank you Anne also asked a hug and a selfie And yes it is indeed Josh We traded with karababy52, she gave me Josh and I gave her my Veera (Melody's mom)
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Friday, after school, Jaz went outside to play on the playground. Looking around, they noticed that they were alone and pulled out their phone. After all that had happened in the past week, and having to skip therapy, Jaz really felt the need to call Gemma. Hoping to catch her in between clients, Jaz listened to the phone ring on the other end.
Thankfully, Gemma answered almost right away, and seemed thrilled to hear from Jaz. “Hey, sweetie! I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you this week, is everything okay?”
“I guess it’s okay.” Jaz started, then paused. “Marnie wouldn’t tell me why we couldn’t come on Tuesday, but I wonder if it had something to do with my Dad being gone. He disappeared on his birthday, and things have gotten really weird around here since then.”
“Weird? What do you mean?” Gemma asked, sounding very concerned.
Looking around to make sure they were still alone, Jaz confessed, “Well, Bennie got on TV, and performed a routine about me trying to come out. He’s promised not to perform it, but he did. And he did it on TV.”
Gemma gasped, but let Jaz continue… “Then he and Mom got into a huge fight about Mom being pregnant again. I only heard some of it – but it seems it wasn’t really an accident. In fact, I guess none of us were, and Mom has been lying to Dad all along? I’m not really sure, but that’s what it sounded like. Bennie said some really awful things, slept on the couch, and was gone the next morning.” Jaz sighed, and paused.
“Things have only gotten worse since then. Tuesday the power was out, and Marnie wouldn’t say anything about why. It was out all day, and some the next morning, too. When I got home from school on Wednesday, the TV, stereo, and a lot of other things were gone, but at least the power was back on.”
Gemma didn’t respond right away, unsure of what to say that could possibly make any of what Jaz had just confessed okay. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. Bennie doing that must have hurt terribly, and in no way was it okay. You glossed over it a bit, are you doing okay after being outed like that??”
Jaz smiled, and replied, “Actually, it worked out okay. I had friends who aren’t friends anymore, but I made some new friends, too. And the ones I lost .. well, I guess they didn’t matter. Phoenix was one of them, though. He sided with Max, and both decided they’d rather be friends with Billie.” Just then, the sliding door opened, and the brother in question walked outside. “Oh, no, I have to go. Sorry, Gemma. I’ll call again later.”
Jaz quickly hung up and hid the phone, then went back to playing, hoping Phoenix hadn’t noticed.
~~~~~~~~~~
Back inside the house, Marnie’s next chore was waiting right around the corner.
While trying to do laundry, the washer ended up spewing sudsy, dirty water all over the floor.
The above-mentioned missing TV and other furniture made the whole house seem very empty, but at least vacuuming was easier.
~~~~~~~~~~
Back outside, Jaz’s phone rang, and, curiously, Jaz answered it. “Hello?”
“Hi! Um, Jaz? It’s Colin. Would today be a good day for me to come over?”
Jaz’s face broke into a huge smile. “Of course, Colin! I’ll wait out front for you!”
Running around the house to the front yard, Jaz occupied themselves with their soccer ball, and before long, Colin came running from the bus stop around the corner. Jaz put the ball down and ran to greet her best friend.
Jaz presented Colin with a wild daisy they’d found in the backyard. “Happy Love Day, Colin! I’m so glad to see you!”
Surprised, Colin accepted the flower with a smile, smelled it, and put it away. Then, his face fell.
“Jaz… I have to talk to you.” Colin started, “And it’s not good.”
Jaz looked at their friend, suddenly concerned. “What’s wrong, Colin?”
Colin took a deep breath, then broke into tears. Jaz watched, him for a moment, more and more concerned. “What’s going on, Colin??”
“I’m afraid I can’t be friends with you anymore.” Colin said, and Jaz reacted like one would expect.. disbelief.
“What?!”
Beside himself, Colin tried again. “I can’t be friends. With all the rumors flying about you, I simply can’t risk it.”
“Risk what? I don’t understand, Colin!?” Jaz replied.
“I can’t be outed. Not right now. I’m not ready. I just can’t be associated with you. I’m afraid it might come out that I’m Trans.” Colin confessed.
“I would NEVER tell your secret, Colin! I haven’t even told my therapist, and she’s not allowed to say anything I tell her. You secret is safe with me! How could you even think I would do that?” Jaz said, incensed.
“Sorry, Jaz. I just can’t do it.” Colin said, his hands in fists. Then, without another word, Colin turned and walked away, leaving Jaz near tears.
The one friend they had truly counted on was no longer their friend. How could this happen?!
~~~~~~~~~~
Across town, after yet another court trial, Shaylee was being released from custody.
She walked out in jailhouse clothes, being that her other clothes didn’t fit anymore, and was immediately met by Cade Yeagar.
Overjoyed to see a friendly face, Shaylee gave him a proper welcome.
Then, to the surprise of everyone – Cade dropped to a knee right in the middle of the Police Station.
The answer was immediately clear, and the two left together leaving rumors flying behind them.
~~~~~~~~~~
Back at the Malone’s house, Marnie’s phone rang.
Caught in the middle of cleaning house (again.. or still?), Marnie answered, and, with no surprise at all listened to her son’s lawyer telling about the sentencing hearing earlier in the day. Apparently, Benji wasn’t going to be leaving the jail anytime soon. The judge had “made an example” of him, and he found himself locked up for the next six years. Miserably, Marnie rang off, forgetting completely that she had mean to mention her husband’s continued disappearance.
Clearly, the strain was showing. Her misery and exhaustion were a daily thing, and she had no idea what might come next. One thing she was sure of, though, was that things were not getting better for the Malones anytime soon.
On a side note, I was so busy last night I didn't have time to finish writing these two posts. I had all the pics ready, just got busy doing something else and ran out of daylight.
Today, it was the Dryer causing issues. Marnie cursed quietly to herself while fixing it.
In the other room was testimony that today was going to be yet another horrible day for her.
Stalling, Marnie went to the mailbox. Only to have her worst fears realized. Divorce papers. Trying to keep herself together, Marnie ran to her room and locked the door.
After a good cry under the covers, Marnie went to the bathroom and washed her face. Then, dismally, she went to take care of the rest of the house. She would deal with the papers later.
Then, not twenty minutes later, the anger hit, and Marnie decided to call the lawyers listed on the papers. Where was Bennie? Apparently, legally, they couldn’t tell. Well, legally, Marnie argued, she was due some money. The kids needed food, bills were coming due, and there was nothing left. The lawyers made a bunch of excuses, then said they’d check with their client.
Furious, Marnie signed the papers and sent them back, then called the only lawyer she knew – the one that had bungled her son’s case. What could she do? Shouldn’t she be able to sue for child support? Delossantos, also, made some excuses, but at least he promised to check to see what could be done.
~~~~~~~~~~
Across town, at the park….
The club meeting had started, and Jaz looked around sadly. There was no sign of Colin. They had really hoped to be able to talk some sense into Colin today.. but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen. Spying Elsa on the swings, Jaz headed that way, wondering if she knew anything.
“So.. Elsa..” Jaz started, hesitantly. “I think Colin and I had a small misunderstanding. Do you know if he’s coming today?”
“No, I have no idea, Jaz.” Elsa replied cheerily, “Why, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
Jaz sighed, and looked away for a moment, trying to hide their distress. “I guess so. I just don’t understand why Colin is so mad at me. I can’t say why, but .. yeah. I have a bad feeling he won’t be coming to club meetings anymore. And I think it’s my fault. When I didn’t do anything.”
Suddenly very concerned for her usually cheerful friend, Elsa moved in closer, and pointed out a quiet area of the park, and said, very seriously, “I know you can’t say why, and I won’t ask, but if you need to talk, I’m here…”
Jaz nodded, miserably, and they walked over to the side of the playground. For a while, they chatted about Jaz’s horrible week, and Elsa tried to give Jaz some hope… but hope wasn’t high on Jaz’s list at the moment. Finally, out of things they could actually talk about, Elsa and Jaz watched the clouds for a while. Then, Jaz excused themselves to the bathrooms. Elsa watched Jaz go with some concern, but had no idea what they could do for them. Sighing, Elsa went back to playing, unable to hide her mood swing, and even more unable to explain to her other friends why it had happened.
Elsewhere in the park, the new club members were happily making friends, unaware of the storm cloud hanging over poor Jaz’s head.
Coming back from the bathrooms, Jaz looked again for Colin. Then, miserably, Jaz turned and made their escape early, heading home.
Turning onto their home street, Jaz picked up their phone, and tried to dial Gemma’s number. Sure, it was a weekend, but surely when Gemma said anytime, that included weekends?
…..
But nothing happened. Checking the phone’s power indicator, Jaz couldn’t understand what was going on. Running inside to Marnie, Jaz complained that their phone wasn’t working.
“I’m sorry, Jaz. I couldn’t pay the phone bills.” Marnie said with a dismissive shrug. “We’ll just have to do without for a while, ok?”
Confused, Jaz watched Marnie walk away.
Fine. They’d just get some dinner, then.
….
But the only thing in the fridge was empty plates. Searching the cupboards, Jaz found some stale cereal, and made do. They were in no mood to track Marnie down again.
Miserable, and still hungry, Jaz headed downstairs and crawled into bed.
Yep, I know I'm still one day behind, but I should be able to catch up tomorrow, I hope.
After Gala, Melody decided it is good time to knit, at her formal wear. Fine girl.
Why bother to change his outfit either.. finish that book and start the next at your formal.
Oh? So much for knitting then...
This was fun,, I messed again taking pics by pressing V instead of C , but Maximus, brother of Nik SR walk thru their house while Melody was playing, checked all the rooms and walked away LOL
Okay and belly is bigger again.
Morning.. Malcolm's turn to collect the plants , also first day of fall, so some of the plants are dormant.
Then I saw Josh at Melody's queue.. ehh? Yes he was at the driveway..
SHE had that SE greeting at her queue Well he answered
Melody: "Oh neighbour!, I see you are a doctor! Do you deliver babies?"
Josh: "Sure ma'am, I do!"
Melody: "Okay, good to know! I am having my first , and pretty nervous!"
Josh: "Well, my doctor instincts tell me you are having a lovely baby."
Melody: "Awww. Thank you !"
Some wild celeb party must of been going on all night .. as he walked by looking like that
Melody ate some leftovers bu dish made by Malcom, she has the food related negative GF thing.. well it is food, girl!
Oh! Looks like he finished his book! Good, and also one masterpiece
Sorry folks, this update is very small. Something happened today why I have hard time to focus
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
June 22 - Del Sol Valley - Winterfest Eve - Traditions - Part 2
Once lunch was over, Wolfgang, Gunther and Lucas headed out to have their suits fitted and picked up for the wedding. They were meeting River at the rental store.
Sakura had spoken to Mila about the Winterfest gift she wanted to give her, and Mila had been overjoyed with what Sakura had in mind. Together they went into the living room. Mila had decided to wear her wedding outfit as she posed for a portrait for Sakura. As Sakura painted, Mila chatted with her about things Wolfgang used to do when he was a little boy, and Sakura told Mila about her Sofu (Grandfather) and her life in the village.
When Sakura was finished, she showed it to Mila and Mila was overcome, she actually had tears in her eyes when she viewed it. Sakura said it would have to dry overnight. Sakura admired the portrait and thought it was one of the best paintings she had ever painted. Sakura was so happy this gift was going to Mila, since Mila had welcomed her into the family from the very start. [Note: Sakura is right, this is the best painting that she has ever painted. It's a masterpiece. I was thinking that if she had used the most expensive camera to do a paint from reference, it might have been worth even more.]
Sakura still had time until Sofia and Luna came over, and she suddenly got a text message and photo from River. Sakura had asked River to take a photo of Wolfgang in his wedding suit, because Sakura wanted to secretly paint a portrait of him for his wedding gift. Sakura also now knew what Wolfgang would be wearing for the wedding, and as she gazed at the photo, she thought he looked very handsome.
Once she was finished, she and Mila moved the portraits into Mila's bedroom, and Sakura admired a photo of Mila on the wall.
Mila: "Ahh....that is a photo of my husband, Kurt and I on our wedding day. He had just been promoted to an officer in the military. We were so young. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, which is where Wolfgang and Lucas get those genes from."
Sakura: "You look so happy there Mila. And Wolfgang never showed me a photo of his father before. Wolfgang looks so much like him."
Mila: "Yes, I see a lot of Kurt in Wolfgang."
Sakura: "Mila...um...Mom...before Luna and Sofia come over, would you like to see my wedding dress? It was my mother's wedding dress."
Mila: "Oh Sakura! I'd love to see it."
Sakura brought the box with the dress in it to Mila's bedroom. Mila admired it and lightly touched the fabric, "Sakura, it is very elegant, and I know you will look very beautiful in it."
Sakura: "Thank you." Sakura told Mila that Luna and Sofia were going to help Sakura with her hair, and that Sofia was loaning her a necklace to wear.
Mila nodded her head, "You know, Sakura, if you want, I have a very special necklace that would go with your dress. It is also the necklace I wore on my own wedding day," she said and went to her jewelry box and carefully took out the necklace and handed it to Sakura.
Sakura looked at the necklace and at Mila's face and hugged her, "Mom....it is perfect. I would be honored to wear it."
Just then they heard a knock on the door and it was Luna and Sofia. They could only stay an hour, but would be back for the Winterfest Eve Party later tonight.
As they made the wedding favors, they all seemed to talk at once, about what they had done since graduation, about Winterfest and about Sakura's up-coming wedding. The hour just seemed to fly by.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And as they were leaving, Wolfgang, Gunther and Lucas arrived back home.
Wolfgang: "We're back!" he shouted carrying a suit bag over his arm, "Sorry for being so long. We did a bit of Winterfest shopping in town while we were out."
Wolfgang came into the living room and smiled when he saw Sakura and came over to give her a kiss, "Did you have a nice time while I was gone?"
The Winterfest Eve Party started and it was mainly for the wedding attendants, with a few extra friends invited. And the first ones to arrive back were Luna and Sofia. Lucas had rushed out to greet them, thinking that Elsa would be with them. But Sofia said that Elsa would be coming later.
Gunther had invited his Avant Gardes group over and they were discussing the latest book they had read.
Sakura passed Gunther at one point and saw how he looked at Maaike Haas, who was the leader of the club. In fact, Sakura could have sworn they were flirting with each other. Sakura smiled and would tell Wolfgang that she thought Gunther liked Maaike.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang and River were chatting in the living room.
River: "So, bro...you'll be giving up the single life in two days. You ready?"
Wolfgang nodded: "Oh yeah, River, very ready. I may have been single, but I wasn't really. I think I always knew that Sakura was the one for me."
River: "Ah dude...that's so deep. So, um...I was wondering what you thought of Sofia? Like do you think I might have a chance with her? I'm staying with her family...and...she is so fine...and I've had this huge crush on her since Scout camp."
Wolfgang looked at his friend, "So the love bug has hit you, huh?" he laughed.
River: "Yeah, bro...I think I'm in love with Sofia...and it kind of unnerves me...because her father is some secret agent or something. I might have to take a lie detector test to date her...know what I mean..."
Wolfgang laughed, "Oh dude...you are hilarious. Well, you know, you're going to be spending a lot of time with her while you are here...so, you know...just tell her how you feel..."
River: "Right...this is coming from the guy who everyone knew was crushing on Sakura, yet couldn't tell Sakura how he felt. Okay, well, I'll think about that..."
Is that Sofia at the doorway? Hmmm...I wonder if she overheard that conversation?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Weddings and holidays certainly bring out romantic feelings in sims. Hugo (Luna's brother), just gave Yuki an autonomous neck kiss in the hallway! Wowzers! Who knew that these two would be a couple?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lucas was excited that Elsa had finally arrived.
Lucas: "Do you know who's coming tomorrow?" he asked excitedly.
Elsa: "Father Winter! I can't wait!"
Lucas: "Come on, let's go play in my room..."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang chatting with Sofia and Clara Bjergsen in the kitchen. Maybe he's finding out how Sofia feels about River.
Mila was chatting with her neighbor Moira Fyres.
Luna greets Joaquin at the door.
Joaquin: "Luna, you have done a travail remarquable (outstanding job) d'aider (to help) Sakura plan son mariage (her wedding)."
Luna: "Thank you, Joaquin. It's like I've been training for this my whole life. I actually just got a job as a Style Influencer. I am really excited about it."
Joaquin: "Congratulations, Luna. I think that job is perfect for vous (you). And I also want to thank vous (you) for telling Sergio no to pink for the suits. Mon Dieu! (My God) I can't wear that couleur (color). Purple, oui (yes), but pink...certainement pas (no way!).
Luna laughed, "Yes, that was a tough one, but I think that the color I chose for yours and Sergio's suits are going to look fantastic with Sakura."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sakura finally got a moment to chat with Sergio.
Sergio: "You're glowing tonight, Sakura. You look so happy. You know, I had reservations about Wolfgang when he was with the Renegades. I didn't think he was right for you...thought maybe he would take advantage of you...but...well, I was wrong. I've seen such a change in him since he met you, Sakura, and when I see the two of you together and see how he treats you, I know that you two were destined to be together."
Sakura: "Oh, Sergio. You never told me that was how you felt."
Sergio: "I think it was from being a Paragon too long and thinking that the Renegades were always up to no good. I misjudged Wolfgang, but I was only looking out for your well-being. I still do, and you know I would be there if you ever needed me for anything. I'll always be there for you, Sakura. You're like that little sister I never had. And Joaquin feels the same."
Sakura: "Oh, Sergio, I can't thank you and Joaquin enough. To me, you and Joaquin will always be my family."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sakura helped Mila in the kitchen, and suddenly Wolfgang wasn't feeling so good.
Oh no! What's wrong with Wolfgang? Oh this isn't good. I hope he feels better soon.
And then it was time to eat, and, of course, Mila had prepared a spread of food. Um...River...why did you change your outfit? Into shorts...in the middle of winter?
Wow! It's like a stampede to get the food!
There are so many scrumptious choices to choose from. Lucas chooses a piece of cake. And Wolfgang must be feeling better because he chooses a grilled cheese sandwich!
Sakura and Wolfgang thank everyone for coming, and pretty soon the guests start to leave. The last two to leave are Luna and River, and Sakura bids them good-bye. "Happy Winterfest!": she shouts after them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There wasn't too much to clean up as it seems that Lucas had been a great helper and brought most of the plates to the kitchen. After putting away the food, Wolfgang finally has a chance to chat with Sakura and gave her a hug.
Wolfgang: "Sakura, I've hardly seen you all night. And in case I haven't already told you, you look so gorgeous. I'm just going to put Lucas to bed...and then we can be alone together..."
Sakura flirted with him, "I'll be waiting..." she said and walked towards the back door giving him a backwards glance.
Gunther had just finished reading Lucas a bedtime story, and Lucas had gone inside. He was just putting a present under the tree when Wolfgang came into the living room.
Wolfgang: "Time for bed, Lucas..."
Lucas: "I just had to put a present under the tree for Sakura. I'm so glad she's here for Winterfest, Wolfgang."
Wolfgang smiled, "Me, too, Lucas....me, too..."
Wolfgang tucked Lucas into bed, "Good night, little bro..." and kissed Lucas good night.
With everything taken care of, Wolfgang was looking forward to spending some "alone" time with Sakura. He entered the Games Room and thought that Sakura would be waiting for him, but he looked over at the bed and she was fast asleep.
He quietly undressed and put his pajamas on and lay on the bed beside Sakura just looking at her sleeping. He couldn't believe he was so lucky to have her in his life. "I love you, Sakura," he said softly and then gave her a kiss on the cheek and slipped into bed. And soon, they were both sound asleep.
HAHA! Oh man, I see Josh isn't the only one that fixes Servos in an interesting fashion. Good thing Wolfgang cleared up with Rosie that Sakura is ONLY mate for Wolfgang. That could've turned out quite awkward. o.O Very cool how she scanned the mail carrier to make sure she wasn't a threat. Cute how she then told the gal a joke too! hehe Those grilled cheese paintings are so cool! I've never seen them before. I think I've only had one Sim complete that though and they weren't a painter. Maybe I'll try to get Josh or Essa to do that! Congrats to Sakura for completing the Fabulously Wealthy aspiration!
Fun seeing Wolfgang playing guitar while wearing the Robo arm, glad it didn't rust too! hehe Ohhh, how cool he got that whim to marry Sakura! I have whims turned off so never see them. Maybe I should turn them on. Would be so cool to see if either Essa or Josh get that. I knew they wanted a baby, both were always thinking about children's blocks and every time I clicked Romance, they both had 'try for baby' everywhere as options to pick first!
AHHH! Poor Wolfgang getting hit by lightening. Good thing they can't die from the first time they get hit, they only die if they get hit twice. Well, sometimes they don't die, they get that super power thing where their eyes glow and they can summon balls of lightening and throw them wherever they want. HAHA! Oh of course Wolfgang wanted to *ahem* experiment in the shower. Hilarious! I had a feeling he'd still be dirty. Congrats to Wolfgang for the promotion!
I'm surprised it took Josh and Essa this long too considering how much they woo hoo. But they were using 'protection.' By protection I mean me not pushing that 'try for baby' option until now.
Yeah, the studio execs are vultures! But to be fair, she did break the contract. They could've just had her pay them a settlement or something, but noooo, they want it all. It was a shock at first, but they will be alright and most likely even better off, happier for it.
I'll be doing a somewhat Rags to Riches. They will most likely start with a tiny house, maybe. But they'll live off-the-grid and make/grow whatever they need themselves. Going for self sustainability and very green for them. Essa of course will be doing the aspirations, so she'll have the Civil Designer career.
Hey, how cool! I guess both Sakura and Essa have good taste in clothes eh? Wow nice payday for Sakura before they left for Winterfest. So cute how Lucas of course goes running to Sakura first again and how he says they've adopted her. hehe Aww, Mila trying to be 'progressive.' She's so sweet! Love that tree farm lot! Nice to see Essa there checking it out too! I'm with Lucas, I'd rather have shortcake than fruitcake any day! So fun seeing them all decorate the tree together. I love that part of Winterfest. hehe Wolfgang with the mistletoe and Lucas watching it all. His comment as he ran away was just adorable!
Awww man, Sakura won the Lottery! Your first Sim to do that. I remember being SO happy when my first Sim won. I'm sorry about the rules, they're really only for myself though, she could've kept her winnings if you'd wanted to. Oh well, probably just as well I guess. Congrats to Sakura anyway, what a fabulous Winterfest gift for her eh? If she'd kept it that is...
You actually do understand though what's happening, exactly what you said. The studio sued her for breaking the contract she signed to make movies for them when she quit acting. They want compensation for what she would've made in profits for the studio had she kept acting until the contract ran out. I don't know if any of what I wrote is real or not. I just made up most of it from what I've gleaned from movies and television shows. But this is the Sims, nothing is real and doesn't have to be real, right? It was just something I made up to explain why they had no money or not much anyway when moving to Evergreen Harbor.
Thanks about the baby, I can't wait to see what he/she or them, if it's more than one, look like! \o/
Very cool screenshots of Jules doing bar tricks! Love that fire animation the most. She looks so proud of herself. hehe So funny Pickles stole Ruby's seat, dogs will do that! And cats. Fun to see Ruby knitting. I love kids can do that skill. Congrats to Emmett for reaching Level 10 in Logic. Congrats to Jules too for completing the Archeology Scholar aspiration! Very cute nursery! My first Grandson's nursery theme was whales too! I'd lengthen Essa's terms a bit if I could, but I don't want to get MCCC just for that, so I'll just pretend there's a time jump and try not to play them as much to slow it down a bit. How are you liking the Eco Lifestyle free trail? Do you think it's a pack you might like to buy? Just curious.
Yes, the one bright spot in Essa slogging through that aspiration was getting to see so many of the other challenge Sims, and my Sims. I loved that! I think that might be one of the only things I'll miss about DSV, getting to see soooo many familiar Sims this time. It was a joy!
I love that restaurant and the Dine Out pack. I just don't use it enough, so thought I should at least send them on a date once. I'm still searching for that Deeply in Love for both of them. However, Josh DOES have it for Essa now, along with Smitten and Adoring. Essa is just Smitten still with Josh. I know she's deeply in love with him though, the game just doesn't know it, I do though.
Yep, they're preggers! We'll see whether it's one or more, I have no idea! Yeah, she never took a test so it would last a bit longer. She's in the first trimester now, happened when they were knitting by the pool, but she STILL doesn't have a bump, not even a hint of one. Never had a Sim that didn't show in the 1st trimester before. Second will happen soon, but I'll try to drag it out as much as I can by not playing them as much. We'll see how it goes. Essa was actually being sick in that bush, but it went on the ground in front of it. I thought she was running to the inside bathroom, but she stopped there instead. o.O I knew she was preggers from the baby bottle thought bubble she got.
They'll be doing a somewhat Rags to Riches, yes. But because of the aspirations, Essa will have a career to fulfill one of them. Not sure how far yet I'll go with the Rags to Riches though, might have a tiny house, probably, at the beginning or I might do something else. Today's update will explain it all when I post it later. You're welcome about the nursery renovation comment. I could tell it took you awhile to set that up for realism purposes. Good job!
Jules does not look happy about her job. But at least she got a promotion! Yay Jules! I think the Culinary career splits at some point. They can choose Master Chef or Mixologist or something like that. That's why it's so tough to do both of these aspirations with one Sim unless you cheat for it. I think it's actually impossible unless you cheat. HAHA! I love how your screenshots imply they're going to woo hoo, but then they just go to bed. Yep, after her long day at work, I don't blame her for wanting to just sleep!
Thanks for the pep talk about my mistake in not hitting 'post.' I've forgiven myself now and will try to diligently make sure it doesn't happen again.
Oh yeah, the recipes from the food stalls. I keep forgetting about those. I think that's part of the CL aspiration, or one of the aspirations. I think CL might have more than one, not sure. Ohhh, well I guess they had a reason to be annoyed then if Nancy did the belly rub that many times! Holy Simoly! Yep, the writer career is a killer at the end of it having to write so many books and bestsellers. o.O
Oh man, must be hilarious seeing him like that busking! I've had the Jang girl as a busker too and Sofia. You're welcome, it looks great!
Oh yeah, they tried alright, they tried very hard. Uh, no pun intended. I had fun with the 4 babies thing and Essa punching him over it. Tried to lighten the mood a little with that exchange.
Gah! Those kebabs look delicious! Now I want some! hehe Funny comment about Veera and her clothes/no clothes at the Gala. It's either no clothes or many outfits for Veera! hehe Oh man, I already told you this in a PM, but I just love that pic of Melody looking all coy at Malcom, so sweet and she's so pretty! Ha! Nancy wouldn't let Joey in. Why not Nancy? He's at least wearing pants! Congrats to Essa for winning an award! Josh looks a bit annoyed. I don't know why, he's sitting next to Veera, he should be happy!
Congrats to Melody and Malcom AND Veera for all winning awards too! Loved Veera asking Melody not to talk to long, then she herself talks forever accepting her award. LOL Aww, a nice hug for her daughter though, very sweet. And of course, she wants to feel the bump. Oh my gosh, Josh is a Doctor too! He really gets around eh? Oh and Hello there Mr. Handsome bartender. Don't be drinking any of your namesake on the job, m'kay!?
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement on my being upset over not posting on time. You're right! I've forgiven myself now, it's all good.
hehe Melody looks so cute sitting there knitting in her formalwear! And then she quits to play violin in her formalwear. Somehow that seems more acceptable. hehe Hello Maximus. You could knock Dude before barging inside someone's home! Sheesh! Poor Melody, looks like her back is really hurting. She must be getting close. Awww, what a wonderful encounter with Josh beginning with the proper greeting. So lovely! I love how he checked her out since he's a Doctor too. And then a nice hug before he leaves. Very sweet. Thank so much for showing these screenshots. I love seeing Josh in your game, makes me smile. *Hugs* Oh man, Essa had that snobby only excellent food quirk too! She didn't suffer much from it though since Josh always cooks excellent dishes. Hey Malcom! Congrats with the Masterpiece Dude AND a flirty painting at that. I love that painting by the way, it's my favorite flirty one.
*Hugs* Aww, it's okay, we all understand, some days are just like that. Hope you have a better day tomorrow!
Today's update coming up soon! @SoulGal7 I'll comment on your latest update when I come back. I had these comments finished and was proofreading them when you posted. I need to go in game now and get my Daily Post Pic though. Be back soon! *Hugs*
Today's update will only be the one Daily Post Pic with no story. However, I will give a little insight into my plans for Essa and Josh's time in Evergreen Harbor in July.
After I put all their personal belongings in household inventory, I went around the lot and deleted everything they had bought and/or built to improve the lot. I also went through their personal belongings and deleted a few extra things they won't need in Evergreen Harbor, such as some crystals, plants, MySims, etc. that were in Essa's Magic trunk. Josh also 'sold' his Robo Arm, and the Robotics station. The basement is gone and all the plants are gone. However, I did keep one harvestable of all their plants and put them in the household inventory. After all that was done, I wrote down the total in household funds and then removed their funds to 0. The reason for this is I might give it back to them at some point. Perhaps their bank account gets released due to the sale of the house and auction of the contents being enough to pay off the studio. OR I might just let it go and never give it back.
I reset their funds to include what they earned that day from book royalties and Fan mail. A total of 118 simoleans. Then I looked in Evergreen Harbor for a suitable lot for them and chose Canal Corner in Conifer Station. The lot cost was 750 simoleans, so I increased their funds by that amount pretending it was Josh's interest payment. He really hasn't received it yet. But when he does, it will get deleted, as will any future payments if I see it when they hit household funds. This will be something I'll do only for this month. Josh will make more investments in the future to again get these simoleans.
After I moved them out I readjusted their household funds again after choosing to 'sell.' They are now just chillin' on the lot, I haven't played them at all and won't until after midnight July 1st. The lot is empty at the moment, but I might have them sell some of their things they brought with them to build a tiny house. Or I might not. I haven't decided yet how far I want to take them in starting Rags to Riches style. Tomorrow's update will either be a look at their new tiny house, or...something else. Whatever I decide to do, Essa will start the Civil Designer job very soon after the month starts. I might wait until after the baby(ies) are toddlers first though. We'll see how it goes...
Sorry for the double post, but I just realized I made a BIG mistake! I was thinking Tuesday was July 1st for some dumb reason and it's not until Thursday! D'oh! o.O Uh... okay, well I guess I'll build them a tiny house after all since I have the time to do it right now. Sheesh!
Wow, what a wonderful gift to give Mila for Winterfest! So cool it was a masterpiece and the most valuable she's ever painted too! Love how they had a chat while she was painting it and Mila's reaction afterward. So sweet! Okay, this post is seriously tearing me up! What a wonderful wedding gift from Sakura to Wolfgang of his portrait in his tux. So nice of River to agree to send her the pic of him. If that wasn't enough, seeing Mila and her husband Kurt as young adults on their wedding day was such a wonderful surprise! I'm so glad you did that!
Oh man and here come the water works again. So, so lovely Mila gave her the necklace she wore on her wedding day for Sakura to wear. Gawd I just love weddings and sentimental things like this. Looks like they had a good time making wedding favors too with Luna and Sofia. Ooo, I so hope Sofia heard what River said to Wolfgang and that she loves him too! Oh and nice that Gunther and Maaike were flirting. Oh my, Yuki and Hugo a couple too? Well love is just flying through the air in that house eh?
Aww, such a sweet chat with Sergio and what they said to each other. It's so nice she has him and Joaquin for big brother stand-ins. Looks like it was a great party! Bummer Wolfgang had a bit of tummy trouble, but glad he got over it quickly. Funny how our Sims always go for the cake if there is any available. lol Aww, such a sweet ending for this update.
My last gig. I arrived at the movie studio and I saw a lot of people, but the person I had hoped to see wasn't here. Where did Duane go? He also got a role in this gig, right?
(Bryon) "Hey! I never saw you here before, right? Do you perhaps know--"
(Actor) "Bryon! I can't believe I'm playing this part with you!!"
(Bryon) "Eh, what?"
It turned out that Duane left the gig last-minute, and the director hired this woman instead.
(Duane) "He dropped out...?"
(Actor) "I know, right? I couldn't believe it either, but I'm actually happy that thanks to him, I got to play in this gig instead! With you!!"
I didn't think this would have such an impact on me, but it did. Acting wasn't as fun with my friend next to me.
Of course, I still completed the gig without a hitch and got a lot of compliments, but still... Not the same.
When I called Duane later, he didn't pick up. I don't know where he lives, so I can't go visit him. I just hope he's alright...
(Bryon) "For the time being, let's try and distract myself."
I did have fun and I did distract myself for a while, but somewhere I kept thinking about if Duane is at least doing okay.
Jules didn't have a baby bump in her first trimester with Ruby either, but I thought it was because she was a teen and technically the game doesn't even support pregnant teens, but since then, I have also had a few others glitch in their first trimester with their first baby, so I have to wonder if it's intentional for them not to get so big with their first kid right away? Probably not haha, but I kind of like the realism It would be nice for pregnancies to be longer lengths depending on the lifespan or for there to be an option to set pregnancy lengths. I know some people like to keep them short, but it would be nice for not all pregnancies to default to 3 days for those who are playing longer lifespans or challenges like this or just want a story where there's not a baby in three days haha. I'm excited to see if Josh and Essa have a boy or a girl and what you decide to name them!
I was searching through that no CC art on the gallery and found those whale/ocean paintings and thought they were perfect
To answer you question about EL, and I'll try to be quick haha. I'm a little overwhelmed by some of it - the pollution and NAP stuff is just a lot to try to explore in a free trial, especially one that I'm not integrating into any of my established gameplay. I put a copy of Rose and her family in a new save to explore it and I've played around with a lot of the stuff, but rather quickly. I like all the new hobby stuff like candle making, fabricating, and juice fizzing. The CAS stuff has a lot of nice stuff for all ages, which is always a treat. Haven't done too much with the BB stuff since I haven't taken the time to do a nice build with stuff I'm not gonna have long term anyway. I think it would be a pack I'd enjoy, but I think I'd rather spend my money on that new cottage pack since that one interests me more. Cute animals seem like something I'd consistently play with more than trying all this Eco friendly stuff regularly haha. But, in the future, once my life slows down a bit and I have the money, I'd totally consider buying EL as well, just not in a rush, since there's a lot to figure out and I don't feel like I have the proper time to appreciate it right now.
Also I forgot to say thanks for your compliment on my aspiration chart! It didn't take as long as you might expect it to, but it also wasn't the fastest thing to make either haha. I quite like it too, thanks
Nice set up for next month! It's gonna be really fun to do something different for sure and have them start out more rags to riches with a tiny off the grid home. There's a lot of cute toddler clothes for EL too, and if you didn't know, toddlers can nurture the bugs in that bug house, which I thought was really cool. You don't see too many new toddler interactions with new packs, so it's always nice when there are some. Oh no, their garden!! I'm assuming you probably just got rid of it since it's too lucrative to do proper rags to riches gameplay and it didn't all really die, but dang, what a hard choice! Jules' garden has been with her since the beginning too and I would be quite sad to let it go. I like Essa's new hairstyle (I think that's my favorite from that pack), and super fun that she autonomously asked for a woohoo haha! You've conditioned them well
Setting your funds down to zero sounds kind of thrilling actually! Something to keep your gameplay fresh after money has been so easy the last several months haha. I like your plans though, will be a fun read! And whoops, I've mixed up dates before too haha, we've all been there, but kind of nice actually to give yourself a little extra time to prep for this month! I like the idea of you giving them a tiny a home and then putting their funds back to zero again. I feel like you could make a really cool tiny home with the eco stuff too!
Great daily photo of Melody knitting in her formal wear, haha. Love it. I get lazy and don't change their clothes a lot too, especially if I'm not taking screenshots. Jules recently spent 3 days wearing her chef uniform since I was plowing through stuff behind the scenes And look at that belly!! There's gonna be a baby soon Pretty soon, you will have to writing Melody Connors, that blonde dude, and a baby! Cute of Josh to stop by and then check on the pregnancy - a lovely baby indeed. It's so fun that he's gonna be the doctor to deliver Melody's baby
That's such a sweet idea for Sakura to paint portraits as Winterfest gifts! I love that idea! And what a high value masterpiece of Mila too! I love that photo you did of Mila and her late husband too! Such a nice touch, and Wolfgang really does look so much like his dad! And that's sweet that she will be calling Mila "Mom," especially since she lost her own mother The winterfest decorations in the background of your screenshots really are quite lovely. It's making me excited for your winter wedding! I do love a good winter wedding - I think it can be just as gorgeous, if not even more gorgeous, than a summer one. Nice pairing off of some of the pre-mades too! I always thought that Gunther and Maaike would make a good couple, as well as Yuki and Hugo. River and Sofia is such a great idea too. And perhaps one day Lucas and Elsa will even be a couple too, but for now I love their cute childhood friendship. Nice to see so many familiar Windenburg residents in your update too. That world will always feel a bit like home for Sakura and Wolfgang now, no matter where they move
I have a question for you - how do you get sims to read children books? I've only even been able to get them to read toddler books to kids, so I was wondering how you get them to read an actual book to a child as well. I guess if it's an easy option then perhaps I have a mod conflicting with it or something because the option definitely isn't coming up for me haha.
That was a really lovely winterfest. Looking forward to the wedding!
Roo had ran away, but a nice lady who was working somewhere nearby found her and brought her back. As I was thanking the lady for returning my cat, my phone rang. It was Duane.
(Duane) "Hey, I'm sorry for not answering your phone call yesterday. I turned off my phone because people just kept calling me. Can you come to our quiet spot?"
I immediately went to the place and waited for Duane, who soon arrived too.
(Duane) "I'm sorry I dropped out of the gig. I just... Can't do it anymore. I'll be going back home soon. To my family."
(Duane) "After we talked about it a few days ago, I started thinking... I really liked doing this, but this is not how I want to live for the rest of my life. I belong in the water, surfing in the sea."
(Bryon) "Did you just say... Sea?"
(Duane) "Ah, yes! I'm from Sulani, actually. Ever been there?"
(Bryon) "No, not even once in my life... But that's not the point right now... What are you planning to do?"
(Duane) "I was thinking of doing a celebrity cleanse. Stepping out of the spotlight. I already made an appointment for tomorrow."
(Bryon) "This may sound weird, but.. Can I join you?"
(Duane) "... What?"
(Bryon) "I was talking about this exact matter with Naoki the other day. I also want to quit, and I wanted to talk about it with you first. We both want to quit our jobs for the time being, actually. We have enough money in our account. We could just take time off, get a big family vacation. That was my idea at least. And now that you mention Sulani... And the fact that I've never been there before..."
(Duane) "Wait, you're for real?! Awesome!!! Of course you can join! I'd love to! I'd love to give you and your family a tour around Sulani and stuff too! I can even fix a rental for you guys!!"
(Bryon) "That's so nice of you, Duane. But I'll have to talk about it with Naoki first. So, we're going to the cleanse together tomorrow? We'll talk about this vacation matter further tomorrow."
(Duane) "Yeah, sure!! I'll see you tomorrow at the cleanse then!"
Well it's about time to give these guys a reason to move. The end of this month is sneaking up on me fast. This was a hastily executed idea, but it works, even if it's a little abrupt haha
--
The next morning, Emmett got a text from his Aunt Deirdre asking him if they could meet up on this lunch break that afternoon. She had something she wanted to discuss with him. Though he was a bit confused, Emmett agreed and looked forward to seeing his aunt, whom he had not seen in a while.
So they met at Rattlesnake Juice, a local bar and restaurant in Oasis Springs.
"It's good to see you, Aunt Deirdre," Emmett greeted her once they both had arrived.
"You too, Emmett, dear. And look at that suit! You're looking quite sharp."
He chuckled, his cheeks turning a bit pink, as they found a table to sit at. They chatted for a bit - Emmett told her all about the wedding and the baby, and Deirdre caught him up on how things were going with her, and her wife, Fabiola.
"Which leads me to why I brought you here today," Deirdre spoke as a segue. "Fab and I have been talking a lot recently, and as much as we love running our bookstore in Magnolia Promenade, we've been wanting to travel more and more, but it's just too hard to do with the store. We've talked about selling it, but then I thought I'd talk to you first. You are my oldest nephew after all, and since we don't have any kids of our own, I thought I'd see if you and Jules would want it. You've always had a knack for business, and I'd love to see the store go into good hands."
Emmett was speechless for a moment. It was a lot to consider, but his initial reaction was a positive one - he had always loved visiting his aunt's store, and she was right, he did have a penchant for business, and the thought of leaving his tedious desk job was honestly quite enticing. "Thank you, Aunt Deirdre," he finally said. "That's such a generous offer. I'll talk to Jules about it and I'll let you know!"
Later that day, Ruby invited Kristine over after school.
As soon as Kristine came in, she had a secret to tell Ruby. "I heard my brother Bryon talking the other night to his husband, Naoki. I was supposed to be in bed, so I definitely wasn't supposed to hear, but they were talking about something kind of scary..." Here, she paused for dramatic effect.
"...Vampires!" Kristine finally told her, watching as Ruby jumped back in surprise.
But really, as soon as Kristine finished autonomously telling her a secret, this popped up
"Vampires aren't real," Ruby responded nervously.
"Oh, I think they totally are. They are just very secretive, and the grown ups probably don't want us to know 'cause they think we'll be too scared. I couldn't really hear them very well, since I couldn't get too close, but they were definitely talking about vampires..."
Ruby wasn't sure she trusted Kristine. Sure, she was her best friend, but they were always pranking each other, and this just didn't feel like it could be true. Could it?
Before she could worry too much, Emmett called upstairs to them and told them he had gotten the video game console set up for them, and ended up joining them for a game. And Ruby won again!! For now, the topic of vampires was forgotten.
She bid Kristine farewell as evening approached.
But as she went up to bed, the conversation about vampires slowly crept back into her mind, and suddenly, she was too scared to sleep.
Jules found her still up when she got home from her shift. "What's wrong, kiddo?" she asked, sitting down on the bed beside her.
"Well, um, this might sound dumb, but now I have to ask you," Ruby began. "But Kristine came over tonight and she was talking about vampires being real...and now I can't stop thinking about it."
Jules gulped in a breath of air. She should have expected a question like this eventually. It wasn't like she was hiding the existence of vampires from Ruby, but she hadn't thought to talk to her about them. After all, she had only ever met one vampire in her life, and she didn't actually know much about them.
"Well, sweetie, actually there are vampires...and I suppose it's time I told you, but one of my ex-girlfriends is a vampire."
Ruby was understandably a bit shocked.
But Jules went on to explain that Lydia had been a good vampire, and even her family had seemed like they mostly wanted to keep to themselves, and she had yet to run into another vampire, so there was nothing that Ruby needed to worry about. She gave Ruby a reassuring snuggle and told her she could talk to her about it anytime though.
And then she tucked her in.
"Is everything okay?" Emmett asked as Jules joined him in their bedroom.
"Yeah," Jules sighed, a weary smile on her face. "Just had to have an awkward conversation about the existence of vampires. And ex-girlfriends. But nothing to worry about," she assured him. "How did your conversation with Deirdre go this morning? Is everything okay with her and Fabiola?" Jules had grown up close to Emmett's family, so Deirdre and Fabiola and their store, The Book Nook, had been a part of her childhood as well.
"Yeah, everything's great with them," he told her. "They're just looking to travel more and don't want to be tied down to the store anymore. Deirdre wanted to ask me if I wanted the store actually. She wants to keep it in the family, and offered for us to take it and run it as our own. And I know it's something big we need to talk about, but you know how much I've been dreading my job lately, and I thought it might be a nice change of pace. I know we have a lot on our plate with the baby coming soon, but there's that apartment up on the second level of the store, so if we decide we want to take this offer, we could move to the store and manage everything on site so it wouldn't be quite as stressful."
"I think that sounds like a great idea," Jules told. After all, she never did like to stay in one place for too long. "Let's talk more about it tomorrow. It could be a great opportunity for sure."
--
So as far as this chapter goes, Emmett has actually had an aunt in this save all along, so it worked well to use her to propel this story forward next month. I don't think Jules has ever told Ruby about Lydia, though Ruby does ironically have a small relationship bar with Lydia since Lydia interacted with her as a baby haha. But when I got that pop up about Kristine's secret, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to talk to her daughter about all of that, so I went with it I guess I was kind of just prepared to treat the existence of vampires as common knowledge in the sim world, but I decided to go with the idea that perhaps Ruby really didn't know for all this to make sense.
Also why were Naoki and Bryon talking about vampires lol??? Well, I might actually include that as part of my story later on
QUOTE: I have a question for you - how do you get sims to read children books? I've only even been able to get them to read toddler books to kids, so I was wondering how you get them to read an actual book to a child as well. I guess if it's an easy option then perhaps I have a mod conflicting with it or something because the option definitely isn't coming up for me haha.
I think that the book has to be in the person's inventory who is the sim who is going to read it to child. There is a choice of read, or if a child is around, read to child. I'm not in game right now, but I believe that is how it works. Hope that helps
Thank you for your kind comments on my up-date. I, too, was surprised with the value of that masterpiece that Sakura painted of Mila. And I love that genetic generator in CAS to "make" parents, etc. for your sim. I actually did this in another save, and then made a room with all the photos of the younger Mila and her husband, and then just loaded them in the real world and put the photos in the "real" Mila's inventory and went from there. Worked like a charm.
Great idea that you are doing a Rags to Riches type scenario for them in Evergreen Harbor. I actually had done a reno of a lot in this world and it's on the gallery, but I also started renovating another house. Not sure which one I will use as yet. But, yeah, excited for this as I haven't done any of the aspirations for Evergreen Harbor.
I'm not actually even talking the dishes at foodstalls, stalls are always the same ones I meant that table what has 5 dishes, you can taste or take whole plate. If you take one plate, and eat it, you also get the recipe, and those are mostly different every time There is a reason why i keep saying Veera makes long speeches, it was long time ago, her first speech, it was bugged obviously, it started just before the gala ended and she kept talking and talking even after all were gone
Usually now Malcolm cooks excellent food, but his gourmet cooking is at very low still, and those dishes are far from perfect
-- Ah, you desided to go to greener area of Evergreen Harbor
Haha, I plan to title my post almost like you said Yeah, i thought taht the short visit by Josh was cute, he and Sandra do live right next floor It may be him, the doctor who delivers, but there is a change that he is not, depends on the time when Melody goes to the hospital
-- great idea, the bookstore! Malcolm may want to give some to sell there Laughed to Ruby's sort of cute reactions to vampires
-- great painting of Mila Mila's wedding picture is also lovely So sweet of Mila to give her that necklace
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Hi for you too.. get on going and do your job
He published yet again another book.
Time to go to lounge again, Melody still needs to play few more hours for her aspiration, and no idea of doing it at home as she cannot gain fame from home
This time to SM, renovated lounge (NOT mine, atm don't remember by who it was)
Malcolm needed a drink, so he shall have one
Malcolm: "You vampires sure know how to make great drinks!"
Lydia: "Oh my, thank you! How did you know I was a vampire?"
Malcolm:" Just a wild guess."
Malcolm (to himself): "I maybe "blond dude", but I have eyes, she flew here as a bat..."
Couple more hours, sweetie!
Malcolm went to have some sun.. and looks like he is soon having company... eeeh...
Malcolm: "Mr Feng, you have something to say to me?"
....
No answer. Weirrrdddd!!!
Dude who was watching Melody play, said something to Viktor and he left.
Jenny sat down to have a chat with him.
Malcolm: " See, we lost that autograph your husband give Melody, must be lost in many move outs. Could you ask him a favor?"
Jenny: "Ask himself, he is inside, listening Melody."
Malcolm asked, and Jasper agreed.
Hey, Malcolm, he already agreed, why you have to over react?
Small bathroom and eating break for Melody.
And back at playing again! this time she got Carrie to sing while she played.
Malcolm was swimming...
.. but get out fast as he noticed Essa.. yay second missing autograph collected!
YAY! That musical Genious stuff. DONE!
(No idea why Hugo was so angry.)
Back at home, poor girl was so sleepy she crashed right away. Its not even late yet, but after all pregnant.
Malcolm was paying their gigantic bills, when he saw something..
ehhh.. that is Joey..
Malcolm: "Hey! Who are you? You are not the same gardener who showed up this morning!"
Joey: "I'm Joey, Mr Landgraab. Mr Ito had to leave all the sudden, no idea when he is back in duty."
Malcolm: "Okay then, looks like garden is all good, here is 100 simoleon tip for you, Joey! At least you have better hair color!" I don't think so...
Malcolm: "Watcher??" Nothing.. never mind..
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Marnie woke up, and struggled to get out of bed. Day after day everything that had been happening was wearing her down more and more.
And now.. it was Sunday, and she knew bills were coming tomorrow. There was no money for them. So, she knew to expect the power to go out by Tuesday, and no water by Wednesday. So, unless money falls from the sky.. Marnie had no idea what was going to happen.
Cleaning out the fridge reminded her of another crisis. They were out of food. There was enough money in the account to do one more grocery run. However, she knew the fridge wasn’t going to be working in the next week. Power and all that. So she was struggling to come up with a different option.
Finally, inspiration hit. After a quick grocery trip, she came back with a cooler. She’d gotten some more cereal, some yogurt, lots of granola (that stuff was supposed to be good for you.. right?).. and plenty of ice to fill the cooler. She was counting on money coming from child support to save her and the kids. Because, to be honest, there was nothing else she could hope for.
Outside, a lone figure trudged down the street. By the time he got close to the house, however, he was no longer alone.
Jaz ran out to meet Colin as he turned towards the front door. That was when they knew he was actually coming to visit Jaz, and not just trudging down their street randomly.
“Colin! It’s so good to see you! Are you okay?” Jaz started, happy, but hesitant. Their last meeting had gone so completely wrong, after all.
“No.” Colin replied flatly. “I’m not okay. I tried to ditch my only real friend. I’m so sorry, Jaz.”
“Colin – it’s ok. I know how it feels. After Bennie exposed my “secret” to everyone, I felt so vulnerable and hurt. I can imagine how it would feel to doubt one of the only people who actually knew the secret… because it’s what I felt about Bennie.” Jaz replied, but Colin interrupted.
“That doesn’t make it right, Jaz. I …. I shouldn’t have doubted you. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that you would never betray me like that. Especially after Bennie did that to you.” Colin’s expression was breaking Jaz’s heart.
“Colin! Stop. Sorry is all you need to say. You panicked. It happens. Cheer up. Just know I’m always here for you, and I will NEVER betray you or tell your secret. It’s your choice. One I SHOULD have had, but didn’t. It turned out mostly okay, but – still – I lost some friends I regret losing. Like my brother. I can’t stand to be in the same room with him anymore.” Jaz confessed, then, realizing how close they were to the house, they looked around in terror, hoping nobody had heard the conversation.
“Okay, then. Sorry. I’ll say it again. Then I’m done. Can we be friends again?” Colin asked sheepishly.
“You bet! Although, I have to say, I never stopped being your friend, despite what you said. I hoped you would come back around. Want to go play in the back yard?” Jaz grabbed Colin up in a big hug, then smiled widely, and pointed around the side of the house.
The two of them played on the swingset for a while..
.. thrilled to have their best friend back. Then, unfortunately, Phoenix and Myles came outside, and the moment was over. Jaz’s face fell, and Colin motioned to the front of the house. They walked just far enough away so they wouldn’t be heard.
“Are you SURE you’re okay, Jaz? How have you been, really? I heard about Benji, but the rumors are also flying that your Dad is gone, too? How did that happen?” Colin asked, curiously.
So this was how Jaz came to tell Colin everything. Everything that had happened in the past week or so…
… up to and including today. Jaz mentioned the cooler that had appeared earlier, and how the power had been out. “I’m scared, Colin. I don’t know what’s going to happen. How are we going to survive without Dad?” Jaz whispered.
Then, from the house, Marnie called Jaz inside. Shrugging, Jaz said goodbye sadly and turned to follow their mother’s call.
Colin watched them go, thinking about the things he hadn’t gotten to say. How his Dad, too, had left. Only – he had not completely disappeared. He had gotten remarried, however. Colin swallowed, feeling jealous all over again at his Dad feeling the need to start a new family. And now.. Jaz was in serious trouble, it sounded like. Could he actually trust Marnie to take care of his friend, or… ?? He was honestly afraid Jaz was going to go hungry.. and without power or water in the next week. Colin chewed at his lower lip, wondering what, if anything, that he could do. Then, slowly, he turned and walked away, heading back to the bus. Someone, he knew.. needed to do SOMETHING. But who could he trust to actually do the right thing??
Inside, Phoenix and Myles chatted after Myles’ scout meeting. There really wasn’t much else to do in the house other than chat.. and everyone was afraid to include Marnie in their conversations. It was like walking on eggshells.
Jaz paused before the front door, noticing Phoenix on the couch. They made a face, and then tensely walked inside. Maybe he wouldn’t say anything to them. Maybe Jaz could sneak downstairs before Phoenix noticed them….
The morning started like any other. Hungry kids that needed to get ready for school, and a couple of toddlers complaining about breakfast. The only thing was – Marnie knew there was barely anything to eat, and expected complaints. The kids had never been fed yogurt and granola before, why now? … Marnie wryly thought of the depleted bank account, and reluctantly crawled out of bed.
After forcing the kids to eat stuff they weren’t really interested in, Marnie grabbed a bowl of granola for herself, choked it down, and went to pull the unpayable bills out of the mailbox. Miserably, she hid them in her closet – ironically, right next to the emergency medicine stash – and then, hopelessly, crawled back in bed and pulled the covers over her head.
~~~~~~~~~~
In Newcrest, Colin was at the Mental Health Center, at his weekly therapy appointment with Mindy Altman. She had started the session normally, asking about his week, and Colin had studiously tried to describe his week like he usually did.
Towards the end of the session, however, Mindy was clearly onto him. “Ok, Colin, I have to ask. How are you REALLY. Because something is definitely on your mind.”
Looking down, Colin tried to figure out whether this was a secret he could tell. He trusted Mindy, of course, but he really wasn’t sure whether Jaz would be upset with him for telling or not. The harder he thought, the more confused he got. Then, it occurred to him that Jaz really hadn’t said NOT to tell. And she.. uh.. they.. hadn’t said it was a secret at all. So.. maybe Jaz wouldn’t be mad? Then again, Colin thought, maybe the question wasn’t whether Jaz would be mad.. maybe the real question was whether Jaz was in real danger.
…”Colin?” Mindy asked again, suddenly realizing that this wasn’t any normal problem. Colin had never had trouble talking to her about even the most private of thoughts. His pause and reluctance to tell was mute proof that this was something serious.
Sighing, Colin finally, reluctantly, answered, “I think my best friend Jaz is in trouble. Their dad disappeared, and I don’t think their mom has enough money to pay bills. Last week, they got rid of the TV and the Radio and other things just to get the power back on.. and this past weekend, the fridge was basically empty. Jaz complained about only having water and cereal to eat…. I’m really worried about them.”
Mindy gasped before she could stop herself. This WAS serious. Colin was a smart kid, and if he was honestly worried enough to “tattle” on his friend’s family, then something was seriously wrong. “Thank you for telling me, Colin. Can you tell me Jaz’s last name, please?” She finally asked, as gently as possible.
Colin looked stricken. “Do I have to tell you? What if they get mad at me for telling you? I’m afraid I’ll lose my friend….”
“I promise, I won’t tell anyone who doesn’t need to know. You are right to be concerned for your friend.” Mindy said.
Colin’s face clouded over and he raised his voice a little as he accused, “You SAID you wouldn’t tell anything I told you in these sessions!”
“Unfortunately, in this situation, I am required by law to report a child that is in real, physical, danger. And what you described counts as that, in my opinion. If you don’t want to tell me their last name, I can understand, but it would be best for your friend if you did. This is not a safe situation for them to be in, and you’re smart enough to realize that. You did the right thing by telling me your friend’s secret.” Mindy said, hoping to appeal to Colin’s logical side.
Colin sat there silently, thinking, for several minutes. Finally, being that the session was way over the time it was supposed to end, Mindy reluctantly wiped her hands on her skirt and said, “Well, think about it, Colin. It really is important. She stood up, and the two of them walked into the hallway. She watched Colin walking away towards the stairs, then, turn and run back.
He leaned in and gestured for Mindy to lean down. “Her.. THEIR .. name is Jazmyn Malone. They live in Oasis Springs. It’s not just them, either. They have brothers there, too. Please, help them if you can!” Then, before Mindy could even reply, he turned and ran to catch up to his mother.
Sighing, Mindy made a mental note, and tried to clear her worried thoughts before her next client.
~~~~~~~~~~
After her last client, Mindy packed up and got in her car. She had an important errand to run before she could go home and relax. Pulling into the parking lot at the Municipal Center, she took a deep, nervous breath, and went to get in line.
Once her name was finally called, she approached the desk, and sat on the stool provided for her. The teller greeted her, and asked how she could help her.. and Mindy took a deep breath. This wasn’t something she had needed to do before, and telling a client’s secrets – even when there was a need to tell situation – really felt wrong.
So, to stall for time, she introduced herself, and avoided saying why she was there. The teller stopped typing, and smiling, and looked at her with some annoyance. “Can I HELP you?” she asked again.
“Okay. I’m sorry. .. Really. I’ve only been a therapist for a little more than a year, and I haven’t had to do this before.” Mindy took a deep breath, and leaned forward so other people wouldn’t over-hear, “I have a client who reported a minor in imminent danger. The father has gone missing, the mother appears to not be able to pay bills, or keep food in the house for the children.”
Gasping, the teller’s entire demeanor changed. She immediately turned, and grabbed a form out of a nearby file cabinet. Writing furiously, she looked up and asked, “Do you happen to know the child or family’s name?”
“I do. The Malones, in Oasis Springs. From what I’ve been told, there are more than one child that could potentially be in danger.” Mindy replied, seriously.
The woman wrote down the information, pulled out an empty file folder, and placed the form inside. “Okay. I can’t do anything tonight, but I assure you, I will investigate this personally. I should have some time later this week.”
“You can’t do anything now? Or.. earlier than that?” Mindy asked, confused by the wait.
“I do have other priority cases.” The woman said, calmly. “I assure you, I’m taking this report with the seriousness it deserves.”
“Thanks.” Mindy said, and picked up her purse to leave, wondering if there was someone else she could contact that would do something sooner. Colin wasn’t a whistle-blower, if he was concerned, this was dire. Feeling sick to her stomach, she walked away, and drove miserably home.
Here's their little off-the-grid house, so far. Just the exterior for today. I'll show the interior tomorrow. It'll be very dark though because no lights yet. They'll have to make candles to have any light inside. They ended up selling even more of their personal possessions to pay for this. I'm not sure what the build itself costs, but with what little they bought the total came to about 22K not including lot price.
Since they're going to try to go green, the house has a lot of features with an eco green footprint, including the grass roof, siding and flooring. They also have a windmill, dew collector, bug house and a bee hutch. They'll have to vote for a Maker's Space for the Community lot so they can use the Fabricator and Juice machine there, but they did buy a Candle making station and wood working table to use on the lot. Most of their belongings are in 'storage' but they did put up some photos and memorabilia. Well, you'll see all that stuff tomorrow.
They'll have to make everything for furniture, except a bed. Eventually when Essa reaches a high enough level, she'll make them one and they'll sell the one they have to use that one. They have the Off-the-Grid, Private Dwelling and the one where Children learn skills faster for lot traits. If I make any changes to the exterior, I'll post new screenshots, but it's pretty much done on the outside. They could only afford one tree! I know it looks like a cabin at the moment, but I like it and I think they would too. Started out with a flat platform roof, but I didn't really care for the look, it was too...flat, no character. Might change it back to flat if they build another story later in the month.
Comments on all your lovely posts coming up next! Hope y'all had a great day/night!
Comments
Love the updates on the other challenge sims. Mia looks so cool at the hospital reception area. She must be volunteering at the hospital. And there is Josh again as a doctor this time. Cool!
@permanentrose -
About Sakura's hair color. The Mt. Komorebi braid hairstyle, and the other Mt. Komorebi long hair style that I use for her, are two different colors, so when the game automatically puts her in an outfit, like her work outfit, it gives her braids, but in a brighter green shade. Also, thanks again for the compliments on the work and thought I put into the story. I actually love writing this story when Lucas is involved, because as a kid, he can say some funny remarks that an adult couldn't. Plus Lucas just loves to hang around Sakura, it is really so sweet. And, yes, my parents were the same way before I got married and my boyfriend stayed over - separate beds. lol In my story, Mila has been the one to have to support her family after her husband's death, and, of course, has been very protective of her children. I think this is true in real life when things like this happen, and no parent ever wants to see their children grow up. But with Sakura's appearance, and Wolfgang changing and starting his own life, Mila has now realized that change is alright. Instead of being stuck in the past, she is going to move forward. So, while Wolfgang is in Del Sol Valley, she does some minor changes to the house...like she has always wanted a fireplace...and so did a small renovation (starting to think of her own needs or wants). And she moved Gunther in with Lucas, because she knows that Wolfgang and Sakura are going to be together forever, and Wolfgang won't be moving back home. So, making the decision on the double bed, well, of course, she had to consult her friend, Clara, who had to also think about holiday sleeping arrangements with River staying with them (he is not in a double bed with Sofia, though). So, yes, Mila is evolving in the story, too. I have always liked Mila when I start a new game, and she is always so friendly and almost always one of the first friends my sims makes, if they start in Windenburg. As for Gunther, because of his bookworm trait, he is always reading and kind of a loner. But, I have plans for his story, too.
Thanks for explaining about Sakura's hair. And I like your development of Mila's character, thanks for explaining. Lots of good backstory and details going into your story as always
@Karababy52 You meant to post before midnight, so I'd say it still counts! Most of us are on different times zones anyway, so there's definitely some wiggle room with getting your daily photo in, in my opinion at least. To me, it still 100% counts as getting your daily photo, if that makes you feel better
June 27
Week 9 Monday
-- Haha, good for Emmett to learn at least basics on cooking! Poor Pickle , you will have to give them a talking toilet
Congrats for the promotion!
@Karababy52 ,
Too bad the garden was gone , but that is great idea with soybeans
I am glad they let them have their personal stuff, as those they should keep anyway.
New adventures waits for them in Evergreen harbour, that is for sure
@SoulGal7 ,
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Thankfully, Gemma answered almost right away, and seemed thrilled to hear from Jaz. “Hey, sweetie! I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you this week, is everything okay?”
“I guess it’s okay.” Jaz started, then paused. “Marnie wouldn’t tell me why we couldn’t come on Tuesday, but I wonder if it had something to do with my Dad being gone. He disappeared on his birthday, and things have gotten really weird around here since then.”
“Weird? What do you mean?” Gemma asked, sounding very concerned.
Looking around to make sure they were still alone, Jaz confessed, “Well, Bennie got on TV, and performed a routine about me trying to come out. He’s promised not to perform it, but he did. And he did it on TV.”
Gemma gasped, but let Jaz continue… “Then he and Mom got into a huge fight about Mom being pregnant again. I only heard some of it – but it seems it wasn’t really an accident. In fact, I guess none of us were, and Mom has been lying to Dad all along? I’m not really sure, but that’s what it sounded like. Bennie said some really awful things, slept on the couch, and was gone the next morning.” Jaz sighed, and paused.
“Things have only gotten worse since then. Tuesday the power was out, and Marnie wouldn’t say anything about why. It was out all day, and some the next morning, too. When I got home from school on Wednesday, the TV, stereo, and a lot of other things were gone, but at least the power was back on.”
Gemma didn’t respond right away, unsure of what to say that could possibly make any of what Jaz had just confessed okay. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. Bennie doing that must have hurt terribly, and in no way was it okay. You glossed over it a bit, are you doing okay after being outed like that??”
Jaz smiled, and replied, “Actually, it worked out okay. I had friends who aren’t friends anymore, but I made some new friends, too. And the ones I lost .. well, I guess they didn’t matter. Phoenix was one of them, though. He sided with Max, and both decided they’d rather be friends with Billie.” Just then, the sliding door opened, and the brother in question walked outside. “Oh, no, I have to go. Sorry, Gemma. I’ll call again later.”
Jaz quickly hung up and hid the phone, then went back to playing, hoping Phoenix hadn’t noticed.
While trying to do laundry, the washer ended up spewing sudsy, dirty water all over the floor.
The above-mentioned missing TV and other furniture made the whole house seem very empty, but at least vacuuming was easier.
“Hi! Um, Jaz? It’s Colin. Would today be a good day for me to come over?”
Jaz’s face broke into a huge smile. “Of course, Colin! I’ll wait out front for you!”
Running around the house to the front yard, Jaz occupied themselves with their soccer ball, and before long, Colin came running from the bus stop around the corner. Jaz put the ball down and ran to greet her best friend.
Jaz presented Colin with a wild daisy they’d found in the backyard. “Happy Love Day, Colin! I’m so glad to see you!”
Surprised, Colin accepted the flower with a smile, smelled it, and put it away. Then, his face fell.
“Jaz… I have to talk to you.” Colin started, “And it’s not good.”
Jaz looked at their friend, suddenly concerned. “What’s wrong, Colin?”
Colin took a deep breath, then broke into tears. Jaz watched, him for a moment, more and more concerned. “What’s going on, Colin??”
“I’m afraid I can’t be friends with you anymore.” Colin said, and Jaz reacted like one would expect.. disbelief.
“What?!”
Beside himself, Colin tried again. “I can’t be friends. With all the rumors flying about you, I simply can’t risk it.”
“Risk what? I don’t understand, Colin!?” Jaz replied.
“I can’t be outed. Not right now. I’m not ready. I just can’t be associated with you. I’m afraid it might come out that I’m Trans.” Colin confessed.
“I would NEVER tell your secret, Colin! I haven’t even told my therapist, and she’s not allowed to say anything I tell her. You secret is safe with me! How could you even think I would do that?” Jaz said, incensed.
“Sorry, Jaz. I just can’t do it.” Colin said, his hands in fists. Then, without another word, Colin turned and walked away, leaving Jaz near tears.
The one friend they had truly counted on was no longer their friend. How could this happen?!
She walked out in jailhouse clothes, being that her other clothes didn’t fit anymore, and was immediately met by Cade Yeagar.
Overjoyed to see a friendly face, Shaylee gave him a proper welcome.
Then, to the surprise of everyone – Cade dropped to a knee right in the middle of the Police Station.
The answer was immediately clear, and the two left together leaving rumors flying behind them.
Caught in the middle of cleaning house (again.. or still?), Marnie answered, and, with no surprise at all listened to her son’s lawyer telling about the sentencing hearing earlier in the day. Apparently, Benji wasn’t going to be leaving the jail anytime soon. The judge had “made an example” of him, and he found himself locked up for the next six years. Miserably, Marnie rang off, forgetting completely that she had mean to mention her husband’s continued disappearance.
Clearly, the strain was showing. Her misery and exhaustion were a daily thing, and she had no idea what might come next. One thing she was sure of, though, was that things were not getting better for the Malones anytime soon.
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In the other room was testimony that today was going to be yet another horrible day for her.
Stalling, Marnie went to the mailbox. Only to have her worst fears realized. Divorce papers. Trying to keep herself together, Marnie ran to her room and locked the door.
After a good cry under the covers, Marnie went to the bathroom and washed her face. Then, dismally, she went to take care of the rest of the house. She would deal with the papers later.
Then, not twenty minutes later, the anger hit, and Marnie decided to call the lawyers listed on the papers. Where was Bennie? Apparently, legally, they couldn’t tell. Well, legally, Marnie argued, she was due some money. The kids needed food, bills were coming due, and there was nothing left. The lawyers made a bunch of excuses, then said they’d check with their client.
Furious, Marnie signed the papers and sent them back, then called the only lawyer she knew – the one that had bungled her son’s case. What could she do? Shouldn’t she be able to sue for child support? Delossantos, also, made some excuses, but at least he promised to check to see what could be done.
The club meeting had started, and Jaz looked around sadly. There was no sign of Colin. They had really hoped to be able to talk some sense into Colin today.. but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen. Spying Elsa on the swings, Jaz headed that way, wondering if she knew anything.
“So.. Elsa..” Jaz started, hesitantly. “I think Colin and I had a small misunderstanding. Do you know if he’s coming today?”
“No, I have no idea, Jaz.” Elsa replied cheerily, “Why, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
Jaz sighed, and looked away for a moment, trying to hide their distress. “I guess so. I just don’t understand why Colin is so mad at me. I can’t say why, but .. yeah. I have a bad feeling he won’t be coming to club meetings anymore. And I think it’s my fault. When I didn’t do anything.”
Suddenly very concerned for her usually cheerful friend, Elsa moved in closer, and pointed out a quiet area of the park, and said, very seriously, “I know you can’t say why, and I won’t ask, but if you need to talk, I’m here…”
Jaz nodded, miserably, and they walked over to the side of the playground. For a while, they chatted about Jaz’s horrible week, and Elsa tried to give Jaz some hope… but hope wasn’t high on Jaz’s list at the moment. Finally, out of things they could actually talk about, Elsa and Jaz watched the clouds for a while. Then, Jaz excused themselves to the bathrooms. Elsa watched Jaz go with some concern, but had no idea what they could do for them. Sighing, Elsa went back to playing, unable to hide her mood swing, and even more unable to explain to her other friends why it had happened.
Elsewhere in the park, the new club members were happily making friends, unaware of the storm cloud hanging over poor Jaz’s head.
Coming back from the bathrooms, Jaz looked again for Colin. Then, miserably, Jaz turned and made their escape early, heading home.
Turning onto their home street, Jaz picked up their phone, and tried to dial Gemma’s number. Sure, it was a weekend, but surely when Gemma said anytime, that included weekends?
…..
But nothing happened. Checking the phone’s power indicator, Jaz couldn’t understand what was going on. Running inside to Marnie, Jaz complained that their phone wasn’t working.
“I’m sorry, Jaz. I couldn’t pay the phone bills.” Marnie said with a dismissive shrug. “We’ll just have to do without for a while, ok?”
Confused, Jaz watched Marnie walk away.
Fine. They’d just get some dinner, then.
….
But the only thing in the fridge was empty plates. Searching the cupboards, Jaz found some stale cereal, and made do. They were in no mood to track Marnie down again.
Miserable, and still hungry, Jaz headed downstairs and crawled into bed.
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Melody Connors, and the blonde one.
Day 17 , June.
After Gala, Melody decided it is good time to knit, at her formal wear. Fine girl.
Why bother to change his outfit either.. finish that book and start the next at your formal.
Oh? So much for knitting then...
This was fun,, I messed again taking pics by pressing V instead of C , but Maximus, brother of Nik SR walk thru their house while Melody was playing, checked all the rooms and walked away LOL
Okay and belly is bigger again.
Morning.. Malcolm's turn to collect the plants , also first day of fall, so some of the plants are dormant.
Then I saw Josh at Melody's queue.. ehh? Yes he was at the driveway..
SHE had that SE greeting at her queue
Melody: "Oh neighbour!, I see you are a doctor! Do you deliver babies?"
Josh: "Sure ma'am, I do!"
Melody: "Okay, good to know! I am having my first , and pretty nervous!"
Josh: "Well, my doctor instincts tell me you are having a lovely baby."
Melody: "Awww. Thank you !"
Some wild celeb party must of been going on all night .. as he walked by looking like that
Melody ate some leftovers bu dish made by Malcom, she has the food related negative GF thing.. well it is food, girl!
Oh! Looks like he finished his book! Good, and also one masterpiece
Sorry folks, this update is very small. Something happened today why I have hard time to focus
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Sakura had spoken to Mila about the Winterfest gift she wanted to give her, and Mila had been overjoyed with what Sakura had in mind. Together they went into the living room. Mila had decided to wear her wedding outfit as she posed for a portrait for Sakura. As Sakura painted, Mila chatted with her about things Wolfgang used to do when he was a little boy, and Sakura told Mila about her Sofu (Grandfather) and her life in the village.
When Sakura was finished, she showed it to Mila and Mila was overcome, she actually had tears in her eyes when she viewed it. Sakura said it would have to dry overnight. Sakura admired the portrait and thought it was one of the best paintings she had ever painted. Sakura was so happy this gift was going to Mila, since Mila had welcomed her into the family from the very start. [Note: Sakura is right, this is the best painting that she has ever painted. It's a masterpiece. I was thinking that if she had used the most expensive camera to do a paint from reference, it might have been worth even more.]
Sakura still had time until Sofia and Luna came over, and she suddenly got a text message and photo from River. Sakura had asked River to take a photo of Wolfgang in his wedding suit, because Sakura wanted to secretly paint a portrait of him for his wedding gift. Sakura also now knew what Wolfgang would be wearing for the wedding, and as she gazed at the photo, she thought he looked very handsome.
Once she was finished, she and Mila moved the portraits into Mila's bedroom, and Sakura admired a photo of Mila on the wall.
Mila: "Ahh....that is a photo of my husband, Kurt and I on our wedding day. He had just been promoted to an officer in the military. We were so young. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, which is where Wolfgang and Lucas get those genes from."
Sakura: "You look so happy there Mila. And Wolfgang never showed me a photo of his father before. Wolfgang looks so much like him."
Mila: "Yes, I see a lot of Kurt in Wolfgang."
Sakura: "Mila...um...Mom...before Luna and Sofia come over, would you like to see my wedding dress? It was my mother's wedding dress."
Mila: "Oh Sakura! I'd love to see it."
Sakura brought the box with the dress in it to Mila's bedroom. Mila admired it and lightly touched the fabric, "Sakura, it is very elegant, and I know you will look very beautiful in it."
Sakura: "Thank you." Sakura told Mila that Luna and Sofia were going to help Sakura with her hair, and that Sofia was loaning her a necklace to wear.
Mila nodded her head, "You know, Sakura, if you want, I have a very special necklace that would go with your dress. It is also the necklace I wore on my own wedding day," she said and went to her jewelry box and carefully took out the necklace and handed it to Sakura.
Sakura looked at the necklace and at Mila's face and hugged her, "Mom....it is perfect. I would be honored to wear it."
Just then they heard a knock on the door and it was Luna and Sofia. They could only stay an hour, but would be back for the Winterfest Eve Party later tonight.
As they made the wedding favors, they all seemed to talk at once, about what they had done since graduation, about Winterfest and about Sakura's up-coming wedding. The hour just seemed to fly by.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And as they were leaving, Wolfgang, Gunther and Lucas arrived back home.
Wolfgang: "We're back!" he shouted carrying a suit bag over his arm, "Sorry for being so long. We did a bit of Winterfest shopping in town while we were out."
Wolfgang came into the living room and smiled when he saw Sakura and came over to give her a kiss, "Did you have a nice time while I was gone?"
Sakura smiled: "Oh yes...it was...um...very productive..."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Winterfest Eve Party started and it was mainly for the wedding attendants, with a few extra friends invited. And the first ones to arrive back were Luna and Sofia. Lucas had rushed out to greet them, thinking that Elsa would be with them. But Sofia said that Elsa would be coming later.
Gunther had invited his Avant Gardes group over and they were discussing the latest book they had read.
Sakura passed Gunther at one point and saw how he looked at Maaike Haas, who was the leader of the club. In fact, Sakura could have sworn they were flirting with each other. Sakura smiled and would tell Wolfgang that she thought Gunther liked Maaike.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang and River were chatting in the living room.
River: "So, bro...you'll be giving up the single life in two days. You ready?"
Wolfgang nodded: "Oh yeah, River, very ready. I may have been single, but I wasn't really. I think I always knew that Sakura was the one for me."
River: "Ah dude...that's so deep. So, um...I was wondering what you thought of Sofia? Like do you think I might have a chance with her? I'm staying with her family...and...she is so fine...and I've had this huge crush on her since Scout camp."
Wolfgang looked at his friend, "So the love bug has hit you, huh?" he laughed.
River: "Yeah, bro...I think I'm in love with Sofia...and it kind of unnerves me...because her father is some secret agent or something. I might have to take a lie detector test to date her...know what I mean..."
Wolfgang laughed, "Oh dude...you are hilarious. Well, you know, you're going to be spending a lot of time with her while you are here...so, you know...just tell her how you feel..."
River: "Right...this is coming from the guy who everyone knew was crushing on Sakura, yet couldn't tell Sakura how he felt. Okay, well, I'll think about that..."
Is that Sofia at the doorway? Hmmm...I wonder if she overheard that conversation?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Weddings and holidays certainly bring out romantic feelings in sims. Hugo (Luna's brother), just gave Yuki an autonomous neck kiss in the hallway! Wowzers! Who knew that these two would be a couple?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lucas was excited that Elsa had finally arrived.
Lucas: "Do you know who's coming tomorrow?" he asked excitedly.
Elsa: "Father Winter! I can't wait!"
Lucas: "Come on, let's go play in my room..."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang chatting with Sofia and Clara Bjergsen in the kitchen. Maybe he's finding out how Sofia feels about River.
Mila was chatting with her neighbor Moira Fyres.
Luna greets Joaquin at the door.
Joaquin: "Luna, you have done a travail remarquable (outstanding job) d'aider (to help) Sakura plan son mariage (her wedding)."
Luna: "Thank you, Joaquin. It's like I've been training for this my whole life. I actually just got a job as a Style Influencer. I am really excited about it."
Joaquin: "Congratulations, Luna. I think that job is perfect for vous (you). And I also want to thank vous (you) for telling Sergio no to pink for the suits. Mon Dieu! (My God) I can't wear that couleur (color). Purple, oui (yes), but pink...certainement pas (no way!).
Luna laughed, "Yes, that was a tough one, but I think that the color I chose for yours and Sergio's suits are going to look fantastic with Sakura."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sakura finally got a moment to chat with Sergio.
Sergio: "You're glowing tonight, Sakura. You look so happy. You know, I had reservations about Wolfgang when he was with the Renegades. I didn't think he was right for you...thought maybe he would take advantage of you...but...well, I was wrong. I've seen such a change in him since he met you, Sakura, and when I see the two of you together and see how he treats you, I know that you two were destined to be together."
Sakura: "Oh, Sergio. You never told me that was how you felt."
Sergio: "I think it was from being a Paragon too long and thinking that the Renegades were always up to no good. I misjudged Wolfgang, but I was only looking out for your well-being. I still do, and you know I would be there if you ever needed me for anything. I'll always be there for you, Sakura. You're like that little sister I never had. And Joaquin feels the same."
Sakura: "Oh, Sergio, I can't thank you and Joaquin enough. To me, you and Joaquin will always be my family."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sakura helped Mila in the kitchen, and suddenly Wolfgang wasn't feeling so good.
Oh no! What's wrong with Wolfgang? Oh this isn't good. I hope he feels better soon.
And then it was time to eat, and, of course, Mila had prepared a spread of food. Um...River...why did you change your outfit? Into shorts...in the middle of winter?
Wow! It's like a stampede to get the food!
There are so many scrumptious choices to choose from. Lucas chooses a piece of cake. And Wolfgang must be feeling better because he chooses a grilled cheese sandwich!
Sakura and Wolfgang thank everyone for coming, and pretty soon the guests start to leave. The last two to leave are Luna and River, and Sakura bids them good-bye. "Happy Winterfest!": she shouts after them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There wasn't too much to clean up as it seems that Lucas had been a great helper and brought most of the plates to the kitchen. After putting away the food, Wolfgang finally has a chance to chat with Sakura and gave her a hug.
Wolfgang: "Sakura, I've hardly seen you all night. And in case I haven't already told you, you look so gorgeous. I'm just going to put Lucas to bed...and then we can be alone together..."
Sakura flirted with him, "I'll be waiting..." she said and walked towards the back door giving him a backwards glance.
Gunther had just finished reading Lucas a bedtime story, and Lucas had gone inside. He was just putting a present under the tree when Wolfgang came into the living room.
Wolfgang: "Time for bed, Lucas..."
Lucas: "I just had to put a present under the tree for Sakura. I'm so glad she's here for Winterfest, Wolfgang."
Wolfgang smiled, "Me, too, Lucas....me, too..."
Wolfgang tucked Lucas into bed, "Good night, little bro..." and kissed Lucas good night.
With everything taken care of, Wolfgang was looking forward to spending some "alone" time with Sakura. He entered the Games Room and thought that Sakura would be waiting for him, but he looked over at the bed and she was fast asleep.
He quietly undressed and put his pajamas on and lay on the bed beside Sakura just looking at her sleeping. He couldn't believe he was so lucky to have her in his life. "I love you, Sakura," he said softly and then gave her a kiss on the cheek and slipped into bed. And soon, they were both sound asleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Fun seeing Wolfgang playing guitar while wearing the Robo arm, glad it didn't rust too! hehe Ohhh, how cool he got that whim to marry Sakura! I have whims turned off so never see them. Maybe I should turn them on. Would be so cool to see if either Essa or Josh get that.
AHHH! Poor Wolfgang getting hit by lightening. Good thing they can't die from the first time they get hit, they only die if they get hit twice. Well, sometimes they don't die, they get that super power thing where their eyes glow and they can summon balls of lightening and throw them wherever they want. HAHA! Oh of course Wolfgang wanted to *ahem* experiment in the shower. Hilarious! I had a feeling he'd still be dirty.
I'm surprised it took Josh and Essa this long too considering how much they woo hoo.
Yeah, the studio execs are vultures! But to be fair, she did break the contract. They could've just had her pay them a settlement or something, but noooo, they want it all. It was a shock at first, but they will be alright and most likely even better off, happier for it.
I'll be doing a somewhat Rags to Riches. They will most likely start with a tiny house, maybe. But they'll live off-the-grid and make/grow whatever they need themselves. Going for self sustainability and very green for them. Essa of course will be doing the aspirations, so she'll have the Civil Designer career.
Hey, how cool! I guess both Sakura and Essa have good taste in clothes eh?
Awww man, Sakura won the Lottery! Your first Sim to do that. I remember being SO happy when my first Sim won. I'm sorry about the rules, they're really only for myself though, she could've kept her winnings if you'd wanted to. Oh well, probably just as well I guess. Congrats to Sakura anyway, what a fabulous Winterfest gift for her eh? If she'd kept it that is...
@miss_eulenauge
Thanks about the baby, I can't wait to see what he/she or them, if it's more than one, look like! \o/
@permanentrose
Yes, the one bright spot in Essa slogging through that aspiration was getting to see so many of the other challenge Sims, and my Sims. I loved that! I think that might be one of the only things I'll miss about DSV, getting to see soooo many familiar Sims this time. It was a joy!
I love that restaurant and the Dine Out pack. I just don't use it enough, so thought I should at least send them on a date once. I'm still searching for that Deeply in Love for both of them. However, Josh DOES have it for Essa now, along with Smitten and Adoring. Essa is just Smitten still with Josh.
Yep, they're preggers! We'll see whether it's one or more, I have no idea! Yeah, she never took a test so it would last a bit longer. She's in the first trimester now, happened when they were knitting by the pool, but she STILL doesn't have a bump, not even a hint of one. Never had a Sim that didn't show in the 1st trimester before. Second will happen soon, but I'll try to drag it out as much as I can by not playing them as much. We'll see how it goes. Essa was actually being sick in that bush, but it went on the ground in front of it. I thought she was running to the inside bathroom, but she stopped there instead. o.O I knew she was preggers from the baby bottle thought bubble she got.
They'll be doing a somewhat Rags to Riches, yes. But because of the aspirations, Essa will have a career to fulfill one of them.
Jules does not look happy about her job.
Thanks for the pep talk about my mistake in not hitting 'post.' I've forgiven myself now and will try to diligently make sure it doesn't happen again.
@Ellupelluellu
Oh man, must be hilarious seeing him like that busking!
Oh yeah, they tried alright, they tried very hard.
Gah! Those kebabs look delicious! Now I want some!
Congrats to Melody and Malcom AND Veera for all winning awards too! Loved Veera asking Melody not to talk to long, then she herself talks forever accepting her award. LOL Aww, a nice hug for her daughter though, very sweet. And of course, she wants to feel the bump. Oh my gosh, Josh is a Doctor too! He really gets around eh?
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement on my being upset over not posting on time. You're right! I've forgiven myself now, it's all good.
hehe Melody looks so cute sitting there knitting in her formalwear!
*Hugs* Aww, it's okay, we all understand, some days are just like that. Hope you have a better day tomorrow!
Today's update coming up soon! @SoulGal7 I'll comment on your latest update when I come back. I had these comments finished and was proofreading them when you posted. I need to go in game now and get my Daily Post Pic though. Be back soon! *Hugs*
Notes
After I put all their personal belongings in household inventory, I went around the lot and deleted everything they had bought and/or built to improve the lot. I also went through their personal belongings and deleted a few extra things they won't need in Evergreen Harbor, such as some crystals, plants, MySims, etc. that were in Essa's Magic trunk. Josh also 'sold' his Robo Arm, and the Robotics station. The basement is gone and all the plants are gone. However, I did keep one harvestable of all their plants and put them in the household inventory. After all that was done, I wrote down the total in household funds and then removed their funds to 0. The reason for this is I might give it back to them at some point. Perhaps their bank account gets released due to the sale of the house and auction of the contents being enough to pay off the studio. OR I might just let it go and never give it back.
I reset their funds to include what they earned that day from book royalties and Fan mail. A total of 118 simoleans. Then I looked in Evergreen Harbor for a suitable lot for them and chose Canal Corner in Conifer Station. The lot cost was 750 simoleans, so I increased their funds by that amount pretending it was Josh's interest payment. He really hasn't received it yet. But when he does, it will get deleted, as will any future payments if I see it when they hit household funds. This will be something I'll do only for this month. Josh will make more investments in the future to again get these simoleans.
After I moved them out I readjusted their household funds again after choosing to 'sell.' They are now just chillin' on the lot, I haven't played them at all and won't until after midnight July 1st. The lot is empty at the moment, but I might have them sell some of their things they brought with them to build a tiny house. Or I might not. I haven't decided yet how far I want to take them in starting Rags to Riches style. Tomorrow's update will either be a look at their new tiny house, or...something else.
@SoulGal7
Oh man and here come the water works again. So, so lovely Mila gave her the necklace she wore on her wedding day for Sakura to wear. Gawd I just love weddings and sentimental things like this. Looks like they had a good time making wedding favors too with Luna and Sofia. Ooo, I so hope Sofia heard what River said to Wolfgang and that she loves him too! Oh and nice that Gunther and Maaike were flirting.
Aww, such a sweet chat with Sergio and what they said to each other. It's so nice she has him and Joaquin for big brother stand-ins.
Bryons Diary
My last gig. I arrived at the movie studio and I saw a lot of people, but the person I had hoped to see wasn't here. Where did Duane go? He also got a role in this gig, right?
(Bryon) "Hey! I never saw you here before, right? Do you perhaps know--"
(Actor) "Bryon! I can't believe I'm playing this part with you!!"
(Bryon) "Eh, what?"
It turned out that Duane left the gig last-minute, and the director hired this woman instead.
(Duane) "He dropped out...?"
(Actor) "I know, right? I couldn't believe it either, but I'm actually happy that thanks to him, I got to play in this gig instead! With you!!"
I didn't think this would have such an impact on me, but it did. Acting wasn't as fun with my friend next to me.
Of course, I still completed the gig without a hitch and got a lot of compliments, but still... Not the same.
When I called Duane later, he didn't pick up. I don't know where he lives, so I can't go visit him. I just hope he's alright...
(Bryon) "For the time being, let's try and distract myself."
I did have fun and I did distract myself for a while, but somewhere I kept thinking about if Duane is at least doing okay.
I was searching through that no CC art on the gallery and found those whale/ocean paintings and thought they were perfect
To answer you question about EL, and I'll try to be quick haha. I'm a little overwhelmed by some of it - the pollution and NAP stuff is just a lot to try to explore in a free trial, especially one that I'm not integrating into any of my established gameplay. I put a copy of Rose and her family in a new save to explore it and I've played around with a lot of the stuff, but rather quickly. I like all the new hobby stuff like candle making, fabricating, and juice fizzing. The CAS stuff has a lot of nice stuff for all ages, which is always a treat. Haven't done too much with the BB stuff since I haven't taken the time to do a nice build with stuff I'm not gonna have long term anyway. I think it would be a pack I'd enjoy, but I think I'd rather spend my money on that new cottage pack since that one interests me more. Cute animals seem like something I'd consistently play with more than trying all this Eco friendly stuff regularly haha. But, in the future, once my life slows down a bit and I have the money, I'd totally consider buying EL as well, just not in a rush, since there's a lot to figure out and I don't feel like I have the proper time to appreciate it right now.
Also I forgot to say thanks for your compliment on my aspiration chart! It didn't take as long as you might expect it to, but it also wasn't the fastest thing to make either haha. I quite like it too, thanks
Nice set up for next month! It's gonna be really fun to do something different for sure and have them start out more rags to riches with a tiny off the grid home. There's a lot of cute toddler clothes for EL too, and if you didn't know, toddlers can nurture the bugs in that bug house, which I thought was really cool. You don't see too many new toddler interactions with new packs, so it's always nice when there are some. Oh no, their garden!! I'm assuming you probably just got rid of it since it's too lucrative to do proper rags to riches gameplay and it didn't all really die, but dang, what a hard choice! Jules' garden has been with her since the beginning too and I would be quite sad to let it go. I like Essa's new hairstyle (I think that's my favorite from that pack), and super fun that she autonomously asked for a woohoo haha! You've conditioned them well
Setting your funds down to zero sounds kind of thrilling actually! Something to keep your gameplay fresh after money has been so easy the last several months haha. I like your plans though, will be a fun read! And whoops, I've mixed up dates before too haha, we've all been there, but kind of nice actually to give yourself a little extra time to prep for this month! I like the idea of you giving them a tiny a home and then putting their funds back to zero again. I feel like you could make a really cool tiny home with the eco stuff too!
@Ellupelluellu
@SoulGal7
I have a question for you - how do you get sims to read children books? I've only even been able to get them to read toddler books to kids, so I was wondering how you get them to read an actual book to a child as well. I guess if it's an easy option then perhaps I have a mod conflicting with it or something because the option definitely isn't coming up for me haha.
That was a really lovely winterfest. Looking forward to the wedding!
Bryons Diary
Roo had ran away, but a nice lady who was working somewhere nearby found her and brought her back. As I was thanking the lady for returning my cat, my phone rang. It was Duane.
(Duane) "Hey, I'm sorry for not answering your phone call yesterday. I turned off my phone because people just kept calling me. Can you come to our quiet spot?"
I immediately went to the place and waited for Duane, who soon arrived too.
(Duane) "I'm sorry I dropped out of the gig. I just... Can't do it anymore. I'll be going back home soon. To my family."
(Duane) "After we talked about it a few days ago, I started thinking... I really liked doing this, but this is not how I want to live for the rest of my life. I belong in the water, surfing in the sea."
(Bryon) "Did you just say... Sea?"
(Duane) "Ah, yes! I'm from Sulani, actually. Ever been there?"
(Bryon) "No, not even once in my life... But that's not the point right now... What are you planning to do?"
(Duane) "I was thinking of doing a celebrity cleanse. Stepping out of the spotlight. I already made an appointment for tomorrow."
(Bryon) "This may sound weird, but.. Can I join you?"
(Duane) "... What?"
(Bryon) "I was talking about this exact matter with Naoki the other day. I also want to quit, and I wanted to talk about it with you first. We both want to quit our jobs for the time being, actually. We have enough money in our account. We could just take time off, get a big family vacation. That was my idea at least. And now that you mention Sulani... And the fact that I've never been there before..."
(Duane) "Wait, you're for real?! Awesome!!! Of course you can join! I'd love to! I'd love to give you and your family a tour around Sulani and stuff too! I can even fix a rental for you guys!!"
(Bryon) "That's so nice of you, Duane. But I'll have to talk about it with Naoki first. So, we're going to the cleanse together tomorrow? We'll talk about this vacation matter further tomorrow."
(Duane) "Yeah, sure!! I'll see you tomorrow at the cleanse then!"
June 28
Week 9 Tuesday
--
The next morning, Emmett got a text from his Aunt Deirdre asking him if they could meet up on this lunch break that afternoon. She had something she wanted to discuss with him. Though he was a bit confused, Emmett agreed and looked forward to seeing his aunt, whom he had not seen in a while.
So they met at Rattlesnake Juice, a local bar and restaurant in Oasis Springs.
"It's good to see you, Aunt Deirdre," Emmett greeted her once they both had arrived.
"You too, Emmett, dear. And look at that suit! You're looking quite sharp."
He chuckled, his cheeks turning a bit pink, as they found a table to sit at. They chatted for a bit - Emmett told her all about the wedding and the baby, and Deirdre caught him up on how things were going with her, and her wife, Fabiola.
"Which leads me to why I brought you here today," Deirdre spoke as a segue. "Fab and I have been talking a lot recently, and as much as we love running our bookstore in Magnolia Promenade, we've been wanting to travel more and more, but it's just too hard to do with the store. We've talked about selling it, but then I thought I'd talk to you first. You are my oldest nephew after all, and since we don't have any kids of our own, I thought I'd see if you and Jules would want it. You've always had a knack for business, and I'd love to see the store go into good hands."
Emmett was speechless for a moment. It was a lot to consider, but his initial reaction was a positive one - he had always loved visiting his aunt's store, and she was right, he did have a penchant for business, and the thought of leaving his tedious desk job was honestly quite enticing. "Thank you, Aunt Deirdre," he finally said. "That's such a generous offer. I'll talk to Jules about it and I'll let you know!"
Later that day, Ruby invited Kristine over after school.
As soon as Kristine came in, she had a secret to tell Ruby. "I heard my brother Bryon talking the other night to his husband, Naoki. I was supposed to be in bed, so I definitely wasn't supposed to hear, but they were talking about something kind of scary..." Here, she paused for dramatic effect.
"...Vampires!" Kristine finally told her, watching as Ruby jumped back in surprise.
But really, as soon as Kristine finished autonomously telling her a secret, this popped up
"Vampires aren't real," Ruby responded nervously.
"Oh, I think they totally are. They are just very secretive, and the grown ups probably don't want us to know 'cause they think we'll be too scared. I couldn't really hear them very well, since I couldn't get too close, but they were definitely talking about vampires..."
Ruby wasn't sure she trusted Kristine. Sure, she was her best friend, but they were always pranking each other, and this just didn't feel like it could be true. Could it?
Before she could worry too much, Emmett called upstairs to them and told them he had gotten the video game console set up for them, and ended up joining them for a game. And Ruby won again!! For now, the topic of vampires was forgotten.
She bid Kristine farewell as evening approached.
But as she went up to bed, the conversation about vampires slowly crept back into her mind, and suddenly, she was too scared to sleep.
Jules found her still up when she got home from her shift. "What's wrong, kiddo?" she asked, sitting down on the bed beside her.
"Well, um, this might sound dumb, but now I have to ask you," Ruby began. "But Kristine came over tonight and she was talking about vampires being real...and now I can't stop thinking about it."
Jules gulped in a breath of air. She should have expected a question like this eventually. It wasn't like she was hiding the existence of vampires from Ruby, but she hadn't thought to talk to her about them. After all, she had only ever met one vampire in her life, and she didn't actually know much about them.
"Well, sweetie, actually there are vampires...and I suppose it's time I told you, but one of my ex-girlfriends is a vampire."
Ruby was understandably a bit shocked.
But Jules went on to explain that Lydia had been a good vampire, and even her family had seemed like they mostly wanted to keep to themselves, and she had yet to run into another vampire, so there was nothing that Ruby needed to worry about. She gave Ruby a reassuring snuggle and told her she could talk to her about it anytime though.
And then she tucked her in.
"Is everything okay?" Emmett asked as Jules joined him in their bedroom.
"Yeah," Jules sighed, a weary smile on her face. "Just had to have an awkward conversation about the existence of vampires. And ex-girlfriends. But nothing to worry about," she assured him. "How did your conversation with Deirdre go this morning? Is everything okay with her and Fabiola?" Jules had grown up close to Emmett's family, so Deirdre and Fabiola and their store, The Book Nook, had been a part of her childhood as well.
"Yeah, everything's great with them," he told her. "They're just looking to travel more and don't want to be tied down to the store anymore. Deirdre wanted to ask me if I wanted the store actually. She wants to keep it in the family, and offered for us to take it and run it as our own. And I know it's something big we need to talk about, but you know how much I've been dreading my job lately, and I thought it might be a nice change of pace. I know we have a lot on our plate with the baby coming soon, but there's that apartment up on the second level of the store, so if we decide we want to take this offer, we could move to the store and manage everything on site so it wouldn't be quite as stressful."
"I think that sounds like a great idea," Jules told. After all, she never did like to stay in one place for too long. "Let's talk more about it tomorrow. It could be a great opportunity for sure."
--
So as far as this chapter goes, Emmett has actually had an aunt in this save all along, so it worked well to use her to propel this story forward next month. I don't think Jules has ever told Ruby about Lydia, though Ruby does ironically have a small relationship bar with Lydia since Lydia interacted with her as a baby haha. But when I got that pop up about Kristine's secret, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to talk to her daughter about all of that, so I went with it
Also why were Naoki and Bryon talking about vampires lol??? Well, I might actually include that as part of my story later on
I think that the book has to be in the person's inventory who is the sim who is going to read it to child. There is a choice of read, or if a child is around, read to child. I'm not in game right now, but I believe that is how it works. Hope that helps
@Karababy52 -
Great idea that you are doing a Rags to Riches type scenario for them in Evergreen Harbor. I actually had done a reno of a lot in this world and it's on the gallery, but I also started renovating another house. Not sure which one I will use as yet. But, yeah, excited for this as I haven't done any of the aspirations for Evergreen Harbor.
@Karababy52 ,
Usually now Malcolm cooks excellent food, but his gourmet cooking is at very low still, and those dishes are far from perfect
-- Ah, you desided to go to greener area of Evergreen Harbor
@permanentrose ,
-- great idea, the bookstore! Malcolm may want to give some to sell there
@Skeilah ,
-- Oh there he is! Great decision from both!
@SoulGal7 ,
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Melody Connors, and the blonde one.
Day 18 , June.
Weirrrdddd!!!
Hi for you too.. get on going and do your job
He published yet again another book.
Time to go to lounge again, Melody still needs to play few more hours for her aspiration, and no idea of doing it at home as she cannot gain fame from home
This time to SM, renovated lounge (NOT mine, atm don't remember by who it was)
Malcolm needed a drink, so he shall have one
Malcolm: "You vampires sure know how to make great drinks!"
Lydia: "Oh my, thank you! How did you know I was a vampire?"
Malcolm:" Just a wild guess."
Malcolm (to himself): "I maybe "blond dude", but I have eyes, she flew here as a bat..."
Couple more hours, sweetie!
Malcolm went to have some sun.. and looks like he is soon having company... eeeh...
Malcolm: "Mr Feng, you have something to say to me?"
....
No answer.
Weirrrdddd!!!
Dude who was watching Melody play, said something to Viktor and he left.
Jenny sat down to have a chat with him.
Malcolm: " See, we lost that autograph your husband give Melody, must be lost in many move outs. Could you ask him a favor?"
Jenny: "Ask himself, he is inside, listening Melody."
Malcolm asked, and Jasper agreed.
Hey, Malcolm, he already agreed, why you have to over react?
Small bathroom and eating break for Melody.
And back at playing again! this time she got Carrie to sing while she played.
Malcolm was swimming...
.. but get out fast as he noticed Essa.. yay second missing autograph collected!
YAY! That musical Genious stuff. DONE!
(No idea why Hugo was so angry.)
Back at home, poor girl was so sleepy she crashed right away. Its not even late yet, but after all pregnant.
Malcolm was paying their gigantic bills, when he saw something..
ehhh.. that is Joey..
Malcolm: "Hey! Who are you? You are not the same gardener who showed up this morning!"
Joey: "I'm Joey, Mr Landgraab. Mr Ito had to leave all the sudden, no idea when he is back in duty."
Malcolm: "Okay then, looks like garden is all good, here is 100 simoleon tip for you, Joey! At least you have better hair color!"
I don't think so...
Malcolm: "Watcher??"
Nothing.. never mind..
@AlwaysAsking tagging you for obvious reasons
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
And now.. it was Sunday, and she knew bills were coming tomorrow. There was no money for them. So, she knew to expect the power to go out by Tuesday, and no water by Wednesday. So, unless money falls from the sky.. Marnie had no idea what was going to happen.
Cleaning out the fridge reminded her of another crisis. They were out of food. There was enough money in the account to do one more grocery run. However, she knew the fridge wasn’t going to be working in the next week. Power and all that. So she was struggling to come up with a different option.
Finally, inspiration hit. After a quick grocery trip, she came back with a cooler. She’d gotten some more cereal, some yogurt, lots of granola (that stuff was supposed to be good for you.. right?).. and plenty of ice to fill the cooler. She was counting on money coming from child support to save her and the kids. Because, to be honest, there was nothing else she could hope for.
Outside, a lone figure trudged down the street. By the time he got close to the house, however, he was no longer alone.
Jaz ran out to meet Colin as he turned towards the front door. That was when they knew he was actually coming to visit Jaz, and not just trudging down their street randomly.
“Colin! It’s so good to see you! Are you okay?” Jaz started, happy, but hesitant. Their last meeting had gone so completely wrong, after all.
“No.” Colin replied flatly. “I’m not okay. I tried to ditch my only real friend. I’m so sorry, Jaz.”
“Colin – it’s ok. I know how it feels. After Bennie exposed my “secret” to everyone, I felt so vulnerable and hurt. I can imagine how it would feel to doubt one of the only people who actually knew the secret… because it’s what I felt about Bennie.” Jaz replied, but Colin interrupted.
“That doesn’t make it right, Jaz. I …. I shouldn’t have doubted you. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that you would never betray me like that. Especially after Bennie did that to you.” Colin’s expression was breaking Jaz’s heart.
“Colin! Stop. Sorry is all you need to say. You panicked. It happens. Cheer up. Just know I’m always here for you, and I will NEVER betray you or tell your secret. It’s your choice. One I SHOULD have had, but didn’t. It turned out mostly okay, but – still – I lost some friends I regret losing. Like my brother. I can’t stand to be in the same room with him anymore.” Jaz confessed, then, realizing how close they were to the house, they looked around in terror, hoping nobody had heard the conversation.
“Okay, then. Sorry. I’ll say it again. Then I’m done. Can we be friends again?” Colin asked sheepishly.
“You bet! Although, I have to say, I never stopped being your friend, despite what you said. I hoped you would come back around. Want to go play in the back yard?” Jaz grabbed Colin up in a big hug, then smiled widely, and pointed around the side of the house.
The two of them played on the swingset for a while..
.. thrilled to have their best friend back. Then, unfortunately, Phoenix and Myles came outside, and the moment was over. Jaz’s face fell, and Colin motioned to the front of the house. They walked just far enough away so they wouldn’t be heard.
“Are you SURE you’re okay, Jaz? How have you been, really? I heard about Benji, but the rumors are also flying that your Dad is gone, too? How did that happen?” Colin asked, curiously.
So this was how Jaz came to tell Colin everything. Everything that had happened in the past week or so…
… up to and including today. Jaz mentioned the cooler that had appeared earlier, and how the power had been out. “I’m scared, Colin. I don’t know what’s going to happen. How are we going to survive without Dad?” Jaz whispered.
Then, from the house, Marnie called Jaz inside. Shrugging, Jaz said goodbye sadly and turned to follow their mother’s call.
Colin watched them go, thinking about the things he hadn’t gotten to say. How his Dad, too, had left. Only – he had not completely disappeared. He had gotten remarried, however. Colin swallowed, feeling jealous all over again at his Dad feeling the need to start a new family. And now.. Jaz was in serious trouble, it sounded like. Could he actually trust Marnie to take care of his friend, or… ?? He was honestly afraid Jaz was going to go hungry.. and without power or water in the next week. Colin chewed at his lower lip, wondering what, if anything, that he could do. Then, slowly, he turned and walked away, heading back to the bus. Someone, he knew.. needed to do SOMETHING. But who could he trust to actually do the right thing??
Inside, Phoenix and Myles chatted after Myles’ scout meeting. There really wasn’t much else to do in the house other than chat.. and everyone was afraid to include Marnie in their conversations. It was like walking on eggshells.
Jaz paused before the front door, noticing Phoenix on the couch. They made a face, and then tensely walked inside. Maybe he wouldn’t say anything to them. Maybe Jaz could sneak downstairs before Phoenix noticed them….
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After forcing the kids to eat stuff they weren’t really interested in, Marnie grabbed a bowl of granola for herself, choked it down, and went to pull the unpayable bills out of the mailbox. Miserably, she hid them in her closet – ironically, right next to the emergency medicine stash – and then, hopelessly, crawled back in bed and pulled the covers over her head.
Towards the end of the session, however, Mindy was clearly onto him. “Ok, Colin, I have to ask. How are you REALLY. Because something is definitely on your mind.”
Looking down, Colin tried to figure out whether this was a secret he could tell. He trusted Mindy, of course, but he really wasn’t sure whether Jaz would be upset with him for telling or not. The harder he thought, the more confused he got. Then, it occurred to him that Jaz really hadn’t said NOT to tell. And she.. uh.. they.. hadn’t said it was a secret at all. So.. maybe Jaz wouldn’t be mad? Then again, Colin thought, maybe the question wasn’t whether Jaz would be mad.. maybe the real question was whether Jaz was in real danger.
…”Colin?” Mindy asked again, suddenly realizing that this wasn’t any normal problem. Colin had never had trouble talking to her about even the most private of thoughts. His pause and reluctance to tell was mute proof that this was something serious.
Sighing, Colin finally, reluctantly, answered, “I think my best friend Jaz is in trouble. Their dad disappeared, and I don’t think their mom has enough money to pay bills. Last week, they got rid of the TV and the Radio and other things just to get the power back on.. and this past weekend, the fridge was basically empty. Jaz complained about only having water and cereal to eat…. I’m really worried about them.”
Mindy gasped before she could stop herself. This WAS serious. Colin was a smart kid, and if he was honestly worried enough to “tattle” on his friend’s family, then something was seriously wrong. “Thank you for telling me, Colin. Can you tell me Jaz’s last name, please?” She finally asked, as gently as possible.
Colin looked stricken. “Do I have to tell you? What if they get mad at me for telling you? I’m afraid I’ll lose my friend….”
“I promise, I won’t tell anyone who doesn’t need to know. You are right to be concerned for your friend.” Mindy said.
Colin’s face clouded over and he raised his voice a little as he accused, “You SAID you wouldn’t tell anything I told you in these sessions!”
“Unfortunately, in this situation, I am required by law to report a child that is in real, physical, danger. And what you described counts as that, in my opinion. If you don’t want to tell me their last name, I can understand, but it would be best for your friend if you did. This is not a safe situation for them to be in, and you’re smart enough to realize that. You did the right thing by telling me your friend’s secret.” Mindy said, hoping to appeal to Colin’s logical side.
Colin sat there silently, thinking, for several minutes. Finally, being that the session was way over the time it was supposed to end, Mindy reluctantly wiped her hands on her skirt and said, “Well, think about it, Colin. It really is important. She stood up, and the two of them walked into the hallway. She watched Colin walking away towards the stairs, then, turn and run back.
He leaned in and gestured for Mindy to lean down. “Her.. THEIR .. name is Jazmyn Malone. They live in Oasis Springs. It’s not just them, either. They have brothers there, too. Please, help them if you can!” Then, before Mindy could even reply, he turned and ran to catch up to his mother.
Sighing, Mindy made a mental note, and tried to clear her worried thoughts before her next client.
Once her name was finally called, she approached the desk, and sat on the stool provided for her. The teller greeted her, and asked how she could help her.. and Mindy took a deep breath. This wasn’t something she had needed to do before, and telling a client’s secrets – even when there was a need to tell situation – really felt wrong.
So, to stall for time, she introduced herself, and avoided saying why she was there. The teller stopped typing, and smiling, and looked at her with some annoyance. “Can I HELP you?” she asked again.
“Okay. I’m sorry. .. Really. I’ve only been a therapist for a little more than a year, and I haven’t had to do this before.” Mindy took a deep breath, and leaned forward so other people wouldn’t over-hear, “I have a client who reported a minor in imminent danger. The father has gone missing, the mother appears to not be able to pay bills, or keep food in the house for the children.”
Gasping, the teller’s entire demeanor changed. She immediately turned, and grabbed a form out of a nearby file cabinet. Writing furiously, she looked up and asked, “Do you happen to know the child or family’s name?”
“I do. The Malones, in Oasis Springs. From what I’ve been told, there are more than one child that could potentially be in danger.” Mindy replied, seriously.
The woman wrote down the information, pulled out an empty file folder, and placed the form inside. “Okay. I can’t do anything tonight, but I assure you, I will investigate this personally. I should have some time later this week.”
“You can’t do anything now? Or.. earlier than that?” Mindy asked, confused by the wait.
“I do have other priority cases.” The woman said, calmly. “I assure you, I’m taking this report with the seriousness it deserves.”
“Thanks.” Mindy said, and picked up her purse to leave, wondering if there was someone else she could contact that would do something sooner. Colin wasn’t a whistle-blower, if he was concerned, this was dire. Feeling sick to her stomach, she walked away, and drove miserably home.
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Notes
Since they're going to try to go green, the house has a lot of features with an eco green footprint, including the grass roof, siding and flooring. They also have a windmill, dew collector, bug house and a bee hutch. They'll have to vote for a Maker's Space for the Community lot so they can use the Fabricator and Juice machine there, but they did buy a Candle making station and wood working table to use on the lot. Most of their belongings are in 'storage' but they did put up some photos and memorabilia. Well, you'll see all that stuff tomorrow.
They'll have to make everything for furniture, except a bed. Eventually when Essa reaches a high enough level, she'll make them one and they'll sell the one they have to use that one. They have the Off-the-Grid, Private Dwelling and the one where Children learn skills faster for lot traits. If I make any changes to the exterior, I'll post new screenshots, but it's pretty much done on the outside. They could only afford one tree!
Comments on all your lovely posts coming up next! Hope y'all had a great day/night!