Essa, Josh, Frank and Beast too have all moved to Del Sol Valley. The house renovation is complete. I plan on renovating it further using the new Dream Home Decorator GP and Courtyard Oasis kit I just bought today at some point. But I'm done fiddling with it at the moment. Today I'm including screenshots from each side of the exterior and a bird's eye overview of each floor. I took a ton of screenshots showcasing each room, but those will have to go in a slideshow since there is so many. I'll post a link to it when it's finished tomorrow if anyone is interested.
When they first moved in, Essa took the Master Actress aspiration immediately and joined the Actress career. She has the Granny agency and starts her first gig tomorrow in their world, which would be a Wednesday. Oh, and it's the second week of Fall for them, not Winter. Josh has the Lord of the Knits aspiration and is still in the military. Frank needed to be recharged so he did that and then later took the Joke Star aspiration and practiced telling jokes. I shrunk down Beast and had him in Josh's Office, but he just looked weird sitting there in a little pot. I put him out in the front garden.
I think the Welcome Wagon came, but it was only Adam Lambert. He's the only other Sim living in the neighborhood. How cool is that? Unfortunately, they missed he was out there because he didn't come right up to the door, only lurked across the street in a situation outfit. Why did he need that just for the Welcome Wagon? It makes no sense. Anyway, they'll visit Adam at some point and you'll get to see the GORGEOUS mansion I downloaded for him. I would've given it to Essa, but it's huge, something like five bedrooms, and they don't need a home that big.
I'll get started on comments/replies right after I post this. I apologize for not doing them sooner. When I'm building/decorating, I lose all sense of time and am totally in the zone. I just need to focus on the project until it's finished and can't think about anything else. Even eating! I skipped dinner last night without even realizing it. o.O Oh well...
Hope y'all had a fabulous Holiday weekend for those that celebrate Memorial Day in the U.S. and I hope everyone else had a wonderful day/night too! Happy Simming and Welcome to Del Sol Valley for those doing the world this month!
Right Side
Backyard
Left Side
First Floor - Entrance Hallway, Kitchen/Dining, Josh's Office, Living Room and Bathroom. Outside has a pool, BBQ area with overhead plant lattice, Hot Tub, Lounge chairs and a couple other seating areas.
Second Floor - Master Bedroom with en suite, Essa's Office, Essa's Art Studio, and a Walk-in Closet. On the balcony is a chess set with fantastic views!
Third Floor - Gym. It has a fancy glass roof. I didn't touch this room except to make a plant on the dresser smaller. Otherwise it's exactly the same as when I downloaded the house. Includes some cool Non-CC Art as well.
Roof On Overhead View
Essa practicing acting in her sleepwear.
Josh knitting another hanging plant. He's at the point in the aspiration where he needs to sell something on Plopsy.
Frank recharging in Essa's Office. He later practiced telling jokes on his microphone in there.
I put a copy of their basement in my Library and included it on this lot but didn't show it. It's almost exactly the same as before, except new wallpaper, flooring and a few things moved around. It's still right next to the pool with large windows to help with lighting down there and for the garden. I'm sure you'll see it at some point during the month.
Great Easter update, Jules and Ruby look so cute in their matching outfits. Never had that Holiday in my game. Honestly, the bunny freaks me out, it has no mouth! o.O You'll find paintings go for a crazy high price on Plopsy, especially Masterpieces. I'm sure you'll plenty to fund their JA trip! Oh geez, yeah, this is why I don't play with full autonomy. Love the Book of Life! Essa's has one that Josh wrote for her since Mt. Komorebi. I didn't let her use it though until she was in Windenburg. These days she doesn't need it, just chug a potion of Plentiful needs and she's good to go! It is nice to know Josh has a copy though in case something happens. Although they all have Death flowers too. Josh also wrote a BOL for his Brothers.
Yep, I bought CO today along with the GP. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I'll love it. If they make more build kits, I'll most likely get them too. I gave Frank the Jokestar aspiration and that's probably as far as his fame will go. He was just an excuse, along with Essa not being happy over all that stuff still around in SV, for them to move. Who knows though, he might end up famous without much help from me. No, Jules doesn't have a husband in my game, she lives with most of the other challenge Sims. I just said that for story purposes.
Cute twins for Becca and Mario. Very cute vacation home you downloaded for use in JA. Jules looks good with long hair!
Thanks for what you said about my builds, I appreciate it!
Oh I love Jules' outfit for Selvadorada! Nice that they went on a date first thing at the bar. Okay, now THAT'S the way to spend Love Day! No clothes indeed!
Aww man, poor Wolfgang, of course Sakura could feel something was wrong. Especially the way he said 'boyfriend.' The Olympic team looks cool all dressed alike that way. I'm guessing you had them in a club to simulate a team. Great job with that! Oh Wow, quite the fight Naoki and Megumi had over Sakura that Wolfgang overheard. o.O Aww, so sweet Sakura got to see Nanami! She's such a sweetheart little girl.
Fun seeing all those wipeouts for the 'Olympic team.' Of course Kyoshi nails it! Kaori? Not so much. I had a feeling Wolfgang was going to leave early. So now Kaori is hurt and maybe even lost the baby! o.O
Glad Kaori ended up being okay! Happy for she and Kyoshi. Glad he finally realized his feelings. Very sad for Sakura though. Of course she now feels like she has no one since she thinks Wolfgang only likes her as a friend. Then River sees Kyoshi and Kaori kissing and takes a pic. Crossing my fingers he shows it to Wolfgang soon! Gah!
Thanks! Glad you like the house.
So now there's an avalanche and Wolfgang thinks Sakura might be involved. Lovely... *sigh* At this point I'm wondering if these two will ever get together! Seems like something is always trying to keep them apart. Bummer... Admirable of him to want to go search/rescue her though. Even though she's not there. You better not make something happen to Wolfgang or I'm done reading this. LOL Just kidding, of course.
Yay for Bryon maxing the knitting skill! It's true about inspired for the knitting aspiration. Dangit white box, move, move, you're blocking my view! LOL Scrubbaroo is such an awesome spell eh? I'm using Essa's spellcaster skills as much as I can until she has to give that up in FH. Oh gosh, LOVE all those photos. So fun displaying family photos eh? I love putting them up for Essa. Their houses have very little bought art, they just display Essa's paintings, and their photos. Great that Naoki enjoys knitting too! Teach to knit is so fun!
Congrats to Bryon for reaching the top of his career! Go Bryon! And then he completes the Lord of the Knits as well! He's on a roll! So funny how Naoki wants to surprise Rene with their house already there in DSV when they arrive. Oh and yes, fabulous way to end the month!
Aww, well I'm sad to see you go, but I can see how this challenge can be a bit overwhelming for some. It does take dedication and daily posting. You don't have to do a story though. Not sure if you knew that. Could just post one daily pic. Anyway, have fun with your Legacy. I'll look forward to when and if you return some day. Thanks for joining us while you were here. Jackson is a fun character.
Totally understand, you've got too much on your plate right now. I've always said this is supposed to be fun and if it's just turning out stressful for you due to real world responsibilities, it's not worth it. Just focus on your studies and responsibilities. This challenge will always be here when and if you can come back fully in the future.
Well my sleep schedule is all out of whack now that I'm done with work for a bit haha. So since it's technically tomorrow for me already, I thought I'd post this before I head to bed. This update got a little photo heavy so I'll split it up with two spoilers to help with the loading lag Not too much text though, just a lot of pretty screenshots!
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Update 152 - Befriending the locals
Jules woke up early the next morning and went on a jog. The fresh air was invigorating, and the scenery was stunning.
She stopped by the market area again to see if there was anything else useful for sale. The vendor told her that machetes were a must have when clearing the pathways of the jungle, since the foliage was so thick. She also mentioned how easy it was to lose them if you lost your grip on them, so she suggested buying some back ups, so Jules bought all three.
Once back home, Jules was in need of a shower.
"I was about to hop into the shower too, what a coincidence," Emmett said with a wry smile. "Looks like we'll have to shower together since there's just one..."
Jules was certainly not opposed
"I could get used to this," Jules said a bit breathlessly once they were done.
They got dressed and decided to explore the area some more.
"Oh my goodness, if you just aren't the cutest thing," Jules greeted a stray cat, eager to befriend any animal who came her way.
"Yep, that's my Jules..." Emmett thought and couldn't help but to smile.
After placing the cat back on the ground, they headed down to the docks, where Jules found yet another local cat who was obviously in need of some love too.
"Where did you get that laser pointer?" Emmett asked incredulously as Jules pulled one out of her pocket and began to play with the cat.
"I always carry one around just for moments like there," Jules admitted with a laugh.
They decided to try their hand at some fishing, and they were both successful.
Luckily neither seemed to notice this snake slithering on the surface of the water...
Jules grilled up the fish they had caught for dinner, and the enjoyed the stunning view as they ate.
After dinner, they played a game of chess.
And enjoyed a moment of romance.
As the sun set, they decided to stargaze, enjoying the slow pace of vacation life, loving that they had no where to be and they could simply enjoy each other's company.
They walked back through town on their way back, and Jules met yet another friend, a little chihuahua who just wanted to play.
And just when they were about to head back to their house, Jules spotted yet another cat.
"You're going to stop and pet every animal we find on this trip, aren't you?" Emmett asked.
"Absolutely," Jules told him. "Do you have a problem with that?" she added, raising an eyebrow as if inviting him to challenge her.
"No, no, of course not," he answered quickly, a smile on his lips. "But we should be heading back to the house now. There will be plenty of time for you to befriend all the animals tomorrow."
Now, since I really needed a break from studying, let's get this baby at least born. last update | Overview post&rules Update 28- Bridgeview
Sarahs Diary
I have to lay down a bit. Go take a shower or whatever to get your head free!
Ugh. I really messed up... I know, it's hard in the little house with all the kids, and we didn't even plan to start a family together in the beginning, but it isn't easy for Sarah either.
And now the shower is broken, too...! Well, I guess I'm an adult after all, I'll repair it... Sarah might want to take a bath after the birth.
Kids! Breakfast is ready! You'll have to get ready for school alone, Mom needs my help. Mark and Sophia, can you help your siblings?
Poor Miles. I didn't like school either, but I guess without a degree I wouldn't be able to be a programmer...
Greg! Come here!
I'm really getting too old for this... And push!
I'd really like to call her Amelia. My dear little girl...
What's that?
We have twin girls!
Greg, would you like to choose her name?
Hm... You know, the first video game I ever wrote had a heroine called Rae. How about that?
I like that idea! How about Rachel? Rae can be her nickname...
Welcome, little Rachel, or Rae!
Amelia and Rae... Our two little girls...
We'll need help. A lot.
Little Clarification:
Amelia as the fifth born child is the much-awaited Challenge Sim (Kiddo #5). Rachel is a lovely (surprising?) addition to the family.
Blooper:
This guy really needed to sober up
Characters, Lot, Gallery
Gallery (Sims and houses): Hashtag #onemonthoneworldoneyear, Name "One Sim - Fam. Britton". My gallery name is Noctuara.
Parents: Sarah and Greg Britton. They live on the 20x15 "Comfy Cubby" in Bridgeview, Newcrest.
Kids: Sophia & Mark (Twins)
Greg Britton - Greg is an adult who has a strong interest in Gaming and Computers and is quite a Geek. Unfortunately, he also is a bit slobby and mean. Due to his history, he is a bit troubled, has Bad Manners, is Irresponsible, Argumentative and Insensitive. But he can be nice as well... if he tries his best... (and I help him by x-ing out all his autonomous mean&mischievous interactions from the Parenthood traits) He was working in business, but hated it. So he enrolled for a Programming course and is now a freelance programmer listed with an agency. On the side, he participates in Novice Tournaments.
Sarah Britton - Sarah on the other hand wants to be the best parent possible. She is very neat, good and loves being with her family. She found a job as Freelancer Artist to try and keep the two of them afloat.
Sophia Britton - The firstborn, and the twin of Mark. She is a teenager already. She continues to prefer doing things alone, mostly being outside gardening.
Mark Britton - The secondborn and the twin of Sophia. He is a teenager as well. He likes being outdoors at the river catching some fish, or taking a nap to recover after all the work fishing is.
Miles Britton - The thirdborn. He is a child already. His fun-loving personality is overshadowed by some gloom, and he aims to uncover the secrets of simkind at his science table.
Connor Britton - The fourthborn. He is a toddler at the moment, and is a very wild child full of energy.
others:
Gary Whelan, a friend of Greg from high school. Lives on "Oak Alcove", 20x15, Bridgeview. He is a Bro, Geek and Active. He works as a Game developer.
Fam. Aldrich, the neighbours and friends of Sarah. They live on the 30x20 "Fernpark" in Bridgeview. Elderly Pamela lives here with her Grandchildren after both parents died in a plague at young years. Pamela loves to Garden, cook at spend time with her Grandchildren. And if she had the time (and I the money), she'd love to learn to knit. Readhed Alexia, already a Young Adult, is the image of her mother. She loves to paint, channeling all her emotions on the canvas. She feels heavily responsible for her younger siblings, Tessa and Joey (twins). Tessa loves to make crafts like her big Sister and is very creative, while Joey has a lot of Energy and is very much into sports.
Schedule (subject to change)
This schedule still seems like a good idea, but I have to post noteably less due to RL constraints, so we'll see. I might try to get the Challenge Sim aged up until the 7th of June, then use the rest of June for the toddler stage and see how it goes. The MCC settings will be adjusted as I feel neccesary.
I am planning to play for 14 months, starting on the 1st of June with the Main Sim's toddler birthday. In May I will set up the rest of the family and play the Main Sim's baby stage. After that: 2 weeks as a toddler, 1 1/2 months as a child, 3 months as a teen, 3 months as a Young Adult, 3 months as an Adult and 3 months as an Elder for the Main Sim.
For all others, I will use these MCC settings, starting on 1st of June, so it roughly works. (Combined, the Teen, YA, Adult and Elder stages are exactly 365 days right now).
Pregnany: 5 days
Baby: 7 days
Toddler: 14 days
Child: 45 days
Teen: 90 days
Young Adult: 93 days
Adult: 92 days
Elder: 90 days
This might change when I get a feeling for the challenge. I will possibly extend this for a next Gen, or extend the YA and Adult stages, if I get Brindleton Bay and subsequent other worlds. And if I manage to stick around that long.
I will start playing in Bridgeview (Newcrest) with a big family and the Baby No. 5 as main sim. I will move neighborhood each month, alternating the worlds. This starts as soon as the Main Sim turns teen.
I want to work on roughly two aspirations per month with my Main Sim, or, better said, on about 3 goal sets of the "Master Simmer" challenge to try and get all achievements - mainly because with my current packs there are 38 goal sets - 3,1666 per month. (See Rules).
I think with normal play, I'll never get there! But with so much time to stretch out the skilling, it might work. And it will definitely keep me from getting bored.
I also updated my June 1st Daily Post with this link. I stayed up way to late putting this together and need to get some sleep. I'll be back later with my Daily post for today along with comments/replies. Hope y'all have a wonderful day/night!
Congrats on the birth of your challenge sim! It really will be special to play her from a baby onward. You'll truly get to see her grow up. Amelia is a lovely name too. And also of course you have a full house now, haha, have fun with that
Oh hey Beast. Glad he made the move too. He's a staple in your household now haha. I still do have my cowplant in my inventory lol. I should probably just sell it at this point but haven't been able to bring myself to do it haha.
The house looks great! I'm really excited to see you play this pack since it will be new and exiting for me, as someone who doesn't know the ins and outs of this specific pack. I like that you put that mother plant trophy up - I don't know why Jules never got one, can't find it in her inventory anywhere. I guess I could also use the hidden objects cheat to find it in BB though, kind of disappointed that I couldn't find it though.
Just looked through your slide show too, gorgeous, gorgeous home and you take such great shots too That tilted jar thing is cool too! I've only recently started exploring all I can do with TOOL, and seeing ideas like this makes me want to explore more. Do you have the TOOL mod then?? Not sure how placing stuff that used TOOL works if you don't have it. The house does have a very LA vibe to it, perfect for DSV. Nice work adding in all their personal photos and other little trophies and wall hangings from the previous months too. I need to do that for Jules' house when they get back from the jungle.
To be honest, my masterpieces aren't selling for as much as I was led to believe they would on plopsy. People said that you can get up to $20,000 for them but mine have yet to go for even close to that high. I was a bit disappointed. I actually ran into a bit of financial issue with Jules and Emmett unfortunately, which I'll address in my update tomorrow. Wish I could have taken my garden on vacation lol, but unfortunately you can't access the family inventory with your plants while on a rental lot.
Have fun with the new GP. I decided I'm not gonna buy anything new for a while. I was gonna get EL, but since I'm going back to school next month, I decided against paying for a new pack since school is going to be pricey, and unfortunately I don't think I'll have the time to properly enjoy a new pack with a new busy schedule...but I'll tackle next month when it comes. For now, enjoying my very low key life this June
Jules and Emmett have just basically turned into Essa and Josh this vacation. They are enjoying any and every woohoo spot frequently
Oh man, another misunderstanding!!! You really know how to drag a story out, and I say that in the best way. It's gonna be SO satisfying when Wolfgang and Sakura finally get together and clear up all this miscommunication lol. Very creative though to creative a disaster like an avalanche though! You really put so much thought into this story, like I said before, I'm impressed. Also very sweet of you to include so many flashback photos too
May 29 - University - WK 2 - Sunday - Make You Feel My Love - Part 3
Trigger Alert: Large Kleenex Box Needed
Wolfgang and River arrived at the rental house in record time. River had quickly stopped at his rental to change into some warmer clothes for the mountain climb. He had also found some rope and a lantern and brought that with him.
They entered the house and Wolfgang immediately grabbed two backpacks and some rope from the foyer and placed them near the kitchen table.
Wolfgang quickly took off his coat and went to the kitchen where he remembered seeing some wooden matches. He would grab those. And as Wolfgang went to grab the matches, he saw Sakura's favorite tea sitting on the shelf, and all at once Wolfgang was hit with an overwhelming sense of sadness.
Wolfgang: "River, what if we don't find her? I don't think I can go on if anything has happened to her. I know I hate the guy, but Kiyoshi helped me find Sakura when she disappeared. And now...he's up there with her..."
River: "Wolfgang, bro, you've got to remain strong. I don't want to have to slap you around, dude to snap you out of this, but I will...like...it would be for your own good...okay...so, stay focused! There are going to be others up there searching for them, too. We'll find her. Don't worry, dude, we are going to do this..."
Wolfgang: "You're right, River. I'm sorry, I just had a moment...a flashback..."
River: "Get those thoughts out of your head. I've got your back, dude..."
Wolfgang seemed to snap out of it and looked at River, "Right! Focus! This is just like camping, River. We were both Scouts, so you should know what to pack. Whatever we take needs to fit in these two backpacks. I am going to go upstairs and see if there's any more rope, and I think there's a flashlight up there...."
River: "Ok, that's more like it! I'll make some sack lunches...what do you want...peanut butter and jelly...or hummus and veggies...? Wolfgang? Wolfgang? Oh, never mind, I'll just make both types...and some apples...oh and all these canned drinks...yah...that'll work...Dang! these backpacks are getting heavy...oh man...maybe cans aren't such a good idea...ah geez...we're gonna die..."
Wolfgang headed up the stairs and walked towards the back bedroom and quickly looked for the extra rope and flashlight. He was about to leave the room when he turned back around and walked to the dresser and opened the top drawer. He took out a small box and opened the lid and looked at what was inside and then closed the box carefully and clenched the box in his hand.
As he was heading back downstairs, he thought he heard a noise coming from Sakura's room. As he drew closer to her door, he heard some heart-wrenching sobs. Sakura was crying. She was here! She hadn't gone on the mountain climb! She was safe! Wolfgang had never felt more happy, but something was wrong. His heart ached as he listened to her sobs.
Wolfgang knocked gently on the door, "Sakura...are you in there? It's me, Wolfgang. Are you okay? I thought...I thought you were going on the mountain summit climb with Kiyoshi..." Sakura didn't answer and all he heard were more sobs coming from behind the door.
He knocked softly again, "Sakura, please don't cry. I'm here for you...please come out and we can talk about this..." But still, all he heard were her sobs coming from behind the door. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked.
Something had happened...maybe Kiyoshi and Sakura had broken up or had a fight...or something else. And then he remembered what River had seen...oh my gosh...Sakura probably saw Kiyoshi kissing Kaori...oh no...poor Sakura. All Wolfgang wanted to do was to hold her in his arms and comfort her. But she wasn't coming out. He thought about Kiyoshi then and realized that Kiyoshi didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Sakura. It was time that Wolfgang did something about it.
Wolfgang quietly backed away from the door and went downstairs to the living room. He remembered seeing a guitar sitting there, and he picked it up. River saw Wolfgang carrying the guitar and gave him a questioning look. "She's here, River...she's safe...but she's upset..." Wolfgang said quietly, and he went up the stairs. Sakura still hadn't come out of her bedroom.
Wolfgang slung the guitar strap over his shoulder and whispered through the door, "This is for you, Sakura..."
(Wolfgang singing softly)
When the rain is blowing in your face,
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
Inside her bedroom, Sakura had stopped crying and dried her tears with the palms of her hands, "Oh my gosh! It's the song Wolfgang wrote for me...and he's singing it to me...what was that line...to make you feel my love?"
When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
Sakura listened to the words and thought, "Oh my gosh, Wolfgang does love me...he loves me..."
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong
She got up off the bed, and slowly opened the door, and Wolfgang looked at her and smiled and continued to sing to her. Sakura thought she saw tears in his eyes, too...
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love...
Sakura just looked at him...smiling...and tears were rolling down her cheeks.
Wolfgang put his guitar down and spoke softly: "Sakura, I love you. I have loved you for a long time. I'm not sure when I actually fell in love with you...maybe it was from the first moment we met...but I know I loved you when we wrote that song together for The Plumbobs to perform, and I know I loved you when I kissed you at the concert. I know I loved you when I found you after you disappeared, and I know I loved you when you woke up in the hospital. I wanted to tell you then, and I wanted to tell you before then. I've wanted to tell you so many times before, and I'm finally telling you now, "I love you, Sakura..."
Sakura took an intake of breath, "Oh Wolfgang, I love you too..."
Wolfgang didn't hesitate as he took Sakura in his arms and kissed her. He tasted the salty tears that ran down her cheeks, and smelled the jasmine scent she wore. He had waited so long to kiss her again, and the touch of her soft, warm lips on his, felt so right. Wolfgang wanted to dry her eyes and make her smile. He was the one who Sakura should be with. He was the only one who could make her happy. He didn't want to let her go. He stroked her hair and pulled her closer and she didn't resist. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and feel her warmth against him. Make her feel his love. He didn't want this to end. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to be with Sakura. He needed her in his life.
Sakura closed her eyes as Wolfgang kissed her. When their lips touched, it was like she was transported back in time to their kiss at the concert. Only this time, when he kissed her, it was with such tenderness that she felt like her heart was going to melt. Sakura felt her tears run down her cheeks, felt a warmth spread through her when he stroked her hair, and felt his love wash over her like a wave breaking on the shore. She had never felt like this before. Her heart felt so full of love...Wolfgang's love for her...and her love for him...and she knew...yes...she knew...this is where she belonged. With Wolfgang. And there was no-one else she wanted to be with.
As they gently pulled apart, Wolfgang took Sakura's hands in his, and looked into her eyes and whispered to her again, "I love you, sweet Sakura..."
River had climbed to the top of the stairs and had heard what Wolfgang said, "Yes! Finally!" he said out loud.
Wolfgang let go of Sakura's hands and went over to talk to River, "River, thanks...really thanks, bro...but I can take it from here...go on home..."
Wolfgang winked at Wolfgang, "You're the hero, bro..." River said and smiled at Sakura. "I just love you guys," he said as he turned and descended the stairs.
Wolfgang and Sakura heard River walk towards the front door, and before he left, they heard him shout, "Yes! I don't have to climb that friggin' mountain!"
(To Be Continued...)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
I am going to admit that I teared up over writing this and the next chapter, especially since I was listening to the song, "Make You Feel My Love" sung by Garth Brooks. I chose this song version, because this is how I pictured Wolfgang singing this song to Sakura.
I had actually written this chapter (minus the mountain rescue) to have Wolfgang profess his love on the Sunday after the party when he hears Sakura crying in her room, and wants to tell her he loves her, but she won't come out of her room. I realized I couldn't do this chapter then, because there were still too many loose ends to tie-up, and Sakura would not kiss Wolfgang and profess her love to him until she ended it with Kiyoshi.
Sakura still had her "drifting love" sad moodlet, and Wolfgang was suddenly hit with a sad moodlet from his gloomy trait. I couldn't believe these two. How were they going to get romantic with all this gloominess?
And the fist up punch up action by River at the top of the stairs was an autonomous action on River's part, and I laughed when I saw it, but it fit the story so well, so I used it in this chapter.
Since I am so long-winded in my writing, I had to cut these chapters into smaller bits. Hopefully I will have the next chapter up tonight or tomorrow at the latest. The next chapter will tie-up all those lose ends (except one - for a later chapter), and a surprise ending! So stay tuned.
@Karababy52 That's a beautiful house renovation. I'm especially envious of your furnishing skills - and of how you manage to make each one of Essa's homes feel different and unique, and not repetitive at all
@SoulGal7 Ooof... Need to buy more Kleenex...! This was a beautiful, heartwarming post. It felt so rewarding to finally see these two together. But how *dare* you tease us like that?
Great job! I can't even guess how much time goes into these updates. Just - Wow.
Everyone else - I read, sorry for not commenting. Your stories all are wonderful.
It was still early in the morning, but we were all ready to leave to Del Sol Valley. Or well, everyone except for Roo, lol.
Johnny, Jess and India waved us goodbye. Ah, I’m going to miss them.
(Johnny) “Call me sometimes or I’ll call you!! Don't you dare to forget me!”
(Jess) "He's not going to forget you. Nobody can ever forget someone like you."
(Johnny) "That's perfect!!"
Going from Strangerville all the way to Del Sol Valley took us 18 hours, but eventually we landed safely. (the longest non-stop flight in the world is 18 hours)
I’m happy that I tried this ‘airplane experience’, but really? I prefer poofing myself around. Saves a lot of time.
Rene arranged an hotel room for tonight. One for me, Naoki, Roo and the kids, one for himself.
(Rene) “Your room is on the far end. Well then, I’ll be right here. Have a nice evening.”
(Naoki) “Are you really going to stay in your room all alone?”
(Rene) “I always stay in a room alone.”
(Naoki) “Here. Take Roo with you for tonight.”
(Rene) “Oh, I can’t possibly accept-“
(Naoki) “Accept. Please. I won’t feel at ease if I know you’re all alone.”
(Rene) “Well thank you, sir... I mean, Naoki.”
(Naoki) “Ahhh, that makes me happy!! Good evening to you too, Rene.”
The kids and I walked to our hotel room while Naoki talked with Rene some more.
(Bryon) “Whoa, did he pick the biggest room possible for us or something?”
(Naoki) “Haha, typical Rene.”
(Bryon) “I think you did good by giving Roo to Rene today. He must be pretty lonely.”
(Naoki) “Yeah.. A butler has to stay single and it’s best to not have any contact with family, so you’re always available. I feel bad for him... Like, when’s the last time he had a family holiday...? Does his family even know he still exists..? Back when I still lived at home, I tried to be the best family member I could be.”
(Bryon) “That’s so nice of you. So you're basically family to him?”
(Naoki) “Yeah, you could say that. He probably took better care for me and Hana than my own parents.”
Naoki rambled further about Rene and how awesome he is, but while he was doing that, I tucked the kids in bed.
(Bryon) “Tomorrow will be a busy day, so you have to sleep well, okay?”
(Alex) “Okay, daddy. Goodnight!”
(Bryon) “Good night.”
Naoki is still talking about Rene.
(Naoki) “I can’t wait to see Rene’s face when we poof our house over to the empty lot tomorrow!!”
(Bryon) “You’re such a goofball. You made it very clear that you have a special relationship with your butler. Come on, let's sleep."
(Naoki) “So, Rene. What’s the plan today?”
(Rene) “I’ll check us out after breakfast and then we’ll head over to the empty lot you requested. I still don’t know why you asked me to arrange that... But that's none of my business. After that, I was planning for you to have dinner with Duke and Duchess Saito. They accepted for you and Bryon to come.”
(Naoki) “Well, that surprises me... Will Hana be there too?”
(Rene) “Yes, she will be. I was rather surprised myself when they accepted right away, since they know Bryon is your husband.”
(Naoki) "If they start talking nonsense, I'm out. Just so you know."
(Rene) "Of course."
A few hours later, we stood in front of our empty lot. Time to shine!
(Bryon) “If you give me one second...”
(Rene) “...?”
Seconds later, there was our house.
(Rene) “Ehh... What... Just happened...?”
(Bryon) “I just happen to be a Spellcaster. I got our house from Strangerville and put it here. Naoki wanted to see your reaction when this would happen... And to be honest, I really wanted to fly once in my life.”
(Naoki) “It’s cool, right?!”
(Rene) “Naoki!!!! You really--”
Rene immediately got his 'cool' back. Whoa, he's a good butler.
(Rene) “Anyways. Since your house... Has arrived... Would you like to unpack before traveling to the Saito household?”
(Naoki) “Yes. We’ll be ready before dinner.”
(Rene) “Of course. You can unpack while I'm going back to the mansion to report your arrival.”
(Rene) “I’ll be back this evening. Have a nice day unpacking. Oh, and be sure to not leave your kids on the streets. It can he dangerous... With all the limousines driving around here.”
(Bryon) “Did he just say limousines?”
(Naoki) “Yup. Come on, let’s get the kids off the streets and start unpacking!!”
As Mia begins to settle in, Dylan takes action to prevent any accidental babies by flagging himself in MCCC. {snip snip}
There is also a secret that Mia has not uncovered yet.
Whatever is happening with Jess, everyone treats as a normal thing and just ignore her “eccentricities”, as they call it. “Mom is just being eccentric again.”
They hired two services to get started – a recurring maid and a caterer to stock the fridge. At this point, I did not realize how well Dylan could cook.
Jess wanders the streets for about an hour.
Then she comes back to herself and goes for a jog. That is what she was doing to begin with {wink}.
The boys are working on skills for school. They wouldn’t stay in bed so they might as well doing something productive.
Mia distracts Hugo from the cooking, and then he leaves. Three unfinished meals.
This is when I figure out Dylan is a good cook. He is able to complete all three unfinished meals, and then he continues to cook until he masters cooking. He also spent the entire day cooking as everyone else went to school or work. It was quiet all day.
Everyone comes home at the same time. Time to get busy on specific requirements. I am still juggling a whole lot of sims.
Cooking mastered and now he starts on gourmet cooking. He also went ahead and found a job in the Culinary career field and he changed his aspiration to Master Chef. Working with what you got.
Mia earned an A in school and she earned her last Drama Club promotion. She promptly quits the drama club because having that every afternoon is even more annoying than having scouts on the weekend.
She sets out her Drama Club trophy and heads inside to complete her homework.
Mia’s childhood friend, Elsa comes over to visit and so does Skye. She wanted to make sure Mia was getting settled and meet the Sigworths. If only she knew their secrets.
And that is another day completed. Everyone goes to bed and Skye heads home.
After a chaotic morning chasing the twins around and trying to get everyone off to school, the last thing Marnie really wanted to do was drag young Jaz off to some therapist. Unfortunately, that was exactly what she was doing.
Fuming internally, Marnie led Jaz to the bus, and then sat beside the silent youngster all the way to Newcrest.
Jaz wasn’t quiet because she was being polite or giving Marnie her space. In fact, that wouldn’t have even occurred to her. She was quiet because she was terrified. She had no idea how this was going to work. All she really knew was what Marnie had told her the night before, that she would be with Marnie during the visit today, and that after that, she would be on her own. Colin had made going to the therapist sound like it was a normal, easy-to-do thing, but she was still scared. And just how long was she going to have to continue to go?? Marnie hadn’t exactly said. The more Jaz worried, the more she came up with to worry about. And still the bus ride continued on…
By the time they got to the correct bus stop, Jaz’s stomach was wound in tight knots, and she was oblivious to anything Marnie might say. The best she could do was just follow along, and hope that would be enough. The walk from the bus stop to the Therapist-place (Jaz had no idea what to call it, she hadn’t exactly been told that part…) helped to clear her mind a little, and by the end of it, she was able to look around her with curiosity.
The neighborhood looked nothing like the ones she’d ever seen, even the rich neighborhood that Colin lived in in Willow Creek didn’t look like this.
Marnie turned down a sidewalk to get to the “Mental Health Center” (there was a sign out front that Jaz could clearly read), and Jaz followed, her eyes wide. She’d never, ever seen a building like this. She’d never thought a building like this COULD exist. Trees that looked like lollipops and wood and concrete that came together to form something that seemed completely fantastical.
Breathless, Jaz followed Marnie inside, and watched as she hung up her winter gear and headed to talk to the guy at the desk. Assuming she was supposed to follow suit, Jaz hung up her coat and followed Marnie to some couches in an expansive, hard to believe room.
Nervously, she fidgeted and tried to find a comfortable spot to sit, trying hard to take it all in. Feeling a disapproving glare from Marnie, Jaz finally settled on a spot next to Marnie, and tried not to look as afraid and overwhelmed as she felt.
The guy from the desk headed over towards them, and it wasn’t until just then that Jaz noticed he was wearing a robe. Confused, Jaz glanced at Marnie, but Marnie seemed unfazed.
“You’re here to see Dr. Fleming, right?” the man said, and Marnie nodded. “Good, just head up those stairs over there, and wait at the couches at the top. She should be finishing up with her last client and be right out to get you.”
Marnie immediately stood up and looked at Jaz as if trying to hurry her up, leaving Jaz with no option but to follow her and try to ignore the fact that the man’s pleasant tone was completely overshadowed by the frown on his face. Jaz wondered briefly if they were doing something wrong, but Marnie was already headed up the stairs, and Jaz certainly didn’t want to be left down here all alone with a grumpy man in a robe, so she hurried to catch up to her mother.
Marnie was already sitting down when Jaz finally got to the top of the stairs, goggling at the plants that seemed to be everywhere, and the water running in fountains. Marnie patted the couch beside her, and Jaz, relieved to finally have a real direction, quickly sat down where she had indicated.
“The doctor should be out in a minute,” Marnie said, almost seeming to reassure Jaz.
“Doctor?” wondered Jaz to herself.. she thought she was here to see a therapist. Was a therapist a doctor, too? Confused, she thought about asking Marnie, but just then the door in front of them opened.
A lady in a teal dress walked out, full of confidence, and sat down opposite them.
“Hi, I’m Gemma Fleming, are you here with Jazmyn Malone?” she started, pleasantly.
“Yes. This is Jaz,” Marnie replied. “We were referred by Willow Creek Hospital to you. Apparently they think something’s wrong with her – in the head – because she keeps skipping class to go to the bathroom at school.”
Marnie started to say something else, but the woman suddenly chuckled, raising her hands to stop Marnie, “Whoa, whoa. First things first. I’d like to get to know you guys a little bit before we get to why you’re here!” Jaz merely looked at her in wonder. Nobody interrupted Marnie. But the doctor seemed not to notice, looking straight at Jaz and continuing with her introduction.
“As I said, my name is Gemma Fleming. You’re welcome to call me Gemma, or Dr. Fleming, if you feel more comfortable with that. Today, we’re just here to get to know you a little bit better.”
“Excuse me, DR. Fleming,” Marnie said, “Can we just get this over with? I just want to settle what’s wrong with Jaz and go home. I have chores to take care of and kids to watch at home. I don’t have time for this “getting to know you” business.”
“Oh, dear. Mrs. Malone, we’re not here for you. We’re here for Jaz. I’m afraid you’ll just have to be patient.” Gemma said, interrupting Marnie again.
This time, to Jazmyn’s surprise, Marnie shut her mouth, and allowed the woman to continue.
“How about we start by going into my office?” Seeming to assume they were following, Gemma stood up and opened the door once again, waiting for them to go ahead of her.
Jazmyn followed, and sat in the chair indicated, wondering what was next.
“Now, Jazmyn, I imagine you’re pretty confused. First, the school sends you to a doctor, then to me. They seem to be concerned that you’re missing the same class everyday. Can you explain?” Gemma began, looking directly at Jaz, instead of Marnie.
“Well, I have to go to the bathroom.” Jaz mumbled, wondering if she was going to get into trouble again.
“Every day? At the same time? Can’t you go at another time?”
Sheepishly, Jaz replied, “Well, I can’t go at lunchtime. That’s when they said I’m supposed to go, but I can’t. Benji said I could ask for a hall pass to go. I didn’t know I was going to get into trouble for it.”
“Benji?” Gemma asked.
“My brother.” Jaz explained.
“Ah. Is there a reason you keep asking in the same class? Do you not like that class?”
“It has nothing to do with the class.” Jaz replied, defensively, “I HAVE an A. I just have to go to the bathroom. I can’t hold it all day.”
“Why would you need to hold it all day?” Gemma asked.
“Because I can’t go with people in there. The girls make fun of me because I went to the wrong bathroom the first day of school. I didn’t know there even WAS a “right” bathroom.” Jaz replied.
“Ah. So, you’re afraid they’ll make fun of you again?”
“I guess.” Jaz paused, and Gemma seemed to be waiting for her to continue, so she blurted out, “I don’t know. Why are there different bathrooms? And why is it wrong that I don’t want to go with other people there?”
Gemma suddenly broke into a silvery laugh. “Oh, dear, Jaz. Did you not know that boys and girls have separate bathrooms?”
“Nobody told me that. I mean, I know which one to use now, but I still don’t like it.” Jaz said petulantly.
“Why don’t you like using the girl’s bathroom?” Gemma asked, tipping her head curiously.
“I don’t know. It just feels wrong. We all use the same one at home. Why can’t we do that at school?”
Suddenly, Marnie broke into laughter. “‘Feels wrong’? What on earth is this nonsense. You’re a girl. So you go to the girl’s bathroom. It’s just the way it is.”
Glaring at Marnie, Jaz blurted out, “Well, maybe I don’t want to be a girl. Most of them are mean.”
Marnie laughed even harder, “You don’t get a choice, honey. It’s what you were born with. Deal with it.”
Breaking back into the conversation, Gemma very firmly said, “Mrs. Malone, I beg to differ. Just because you’re born a girl doesn’t mean you are one. And it doesn’t give you the right to laugh at Jaz.”
Jaz looked at Gemma in wonder, speechless. What did she mean by that? The news that she didn’t have to be a girl if she didn’t want to and the fact that Gemma had dared to both interrupt Marnie again and tell her not to laugh was utterly mind-blowing.
Marnie, on the other hand, just laughed harder. “Of course it means you’re a girl. What else could you be? You can’t just decide to change your gender on a whim.”
“I said nothing about whims, ma’am. However, there’s a thing called gender dysphoria. Some people feel they’re born into the wrong body. Perhaps it’s something we need to explore with Jaz.”
“I really don’t like your tone, Dr. Fleming. Are you saying Jaz is really a boy? How ridiculous is that?!” Marnie exclaimed, her voice rising and laughter stopping abruptly.
“No, I didn’t say that. I simply said it’s for Jaz to figure out and decide on their own. For now, however, I need to wrap up this session. I have another patient coming soon. Will next Tuesday work for you for the next appointment for Jaz?” Gemma’s bravery in standing up for Jaz had not gone un-noticed by the youngster, who was still silent, but watching Gemma carefully.
“Yes, next Tuesday is fine. Although – why do we have to do another session? What if I just don’t bring her??” Marnie asked, still on the defensive.
“Because the school requires that we find out what’s going on with Jaz. Not bringing her would probably result in possible action against you or Jaz.” Gemma stated matter-of-factly, then turned abruptly to Jaz. “Are you okay, Jaz? Here’s my card – I have my home number on it in case you ever need someone to talk to and you can’t wait for next week, okay?” Her voice was gentle, and friendly, and she reached onto the table in front of them, and pulled out a small card to hand to Jaz.
“Yeah. I’m okay. I think.” Jaz replied, taking the card quietly and holding it tightly.
“We’ll talk more next week, okay, Jaz?” Gemma said with a smile, then turned towards Marnie, the smile disappearing. “Without your mother.”
“We’ll see about that.” Marnie muttered under her breath and stomped towards the door, assuming Jaz would follow.
“It was very nice to meet you, Jaz.” Gemma said, again ignoring Marnie completely. She held out a hand to Jaz, who shook it in wonder. This was the first adult who’d ever given her the respect of a hand shake… and Jaz was not altogether sure of how to take it.
“Thanks.” was all Jaz could think to say, then turned and hurried after Marnie, the card gripped possessively in her hand.
They collected their winter clothes, and walked back the the bus stop in silence. Not a pleasant silence, but silence none-the-less.
Jaz was lost in her own thoughts, and the argument Marnie had with the school on the phone while they rode the bus back to Oasis Springs was completely lost on her. Otherwise, she would have known that even the school seemed to be standing up for her, telling Marnie in no uncertain terms it was this or suspension. Furious, Marnie arrived home and started rage cleaning the house.
Everyone else fended for themselves for the night. Brett discovered the popcorn machine, and is clearly a fan. Benji called his girlfriend and spent hours on the phone with her.
Bennie cooked some hot dogs on his new grill for dinner, but was a bit late on that idea.
Braydon had also discovered the popcorn machine, but was far less enthused by it.
Finally, everyone headed to bed in their own beds, content by the new anti-monster lights.
Essa got a makeover for the new world including a new hairstyle and clothes in most categories. Josh, got a small one with his casual style, but otherwise mostly stayed the same. I'll update this post with screenshots of Essa's full new look and a bit of story, along with comments/replies soon. Hope y'all had a great day!
Update
Essa's wardrobe updates! Formal, Swimwear and Cold Weather are not depicted since the only thing that changed with those is her new hairstyle. I think she looks a bit older now. What do you think? Anyway, on with the story...
Once they had settled into their new home, Essa called around to see about getting Frank an Agent. No one seemed very interested in a robot comedian just yet. But given more time, practice and a few auditions under his belt, Essa and Josh believed he'd be a big hit in this town. However, Essa herself did get an agent. Once she gave her name and they realized who she was, The Hero of StrangerVille, she had agents all over town clamoring to represent her.
She chose the G.R.A.N. Talent Agency purely because the lead agent, Goldie Ruthfield, seemed very friendly and extremely compassionate to newcomers. The agency immediately found a gig for her with an audition tomorrow. Josh had re-enlisted in the Military for a short term and was stationed at a local base.
He was given his own office and mostly had free rein to do whatever he wanted, including keeping his long hair this time. He was told these privileges were given to him because he himself was also a Hero for battling the Mother with Essa. His first day on base was today.
Frank and Essa practiced scenes together and she listened and gave critique on his routines before he needed to do a self-repair. Essa went into town and got a new cut and style, along with a few new outfits. She wanted a fresh start here with a new look. Back home, Frank was still charging himself in the foyer, so Essa practiced acting while waiting for Josh to return.
Around dinner time Josh returned home from base. It had been a long day, but he was in extremely good spirits. Everyone welcomed him with open arms and wanted to hear the story of how he and Essa defeated the Mother. He was happy to do so, but after telling the story numerous times, he was relieved to be back home.
(I love Josh has his long hair back, but I think he looked more like a soldier with the shorter hair. The long hair just looks out of place with that uniform. Oh well. He's keeping it! )
Essa welcomed her soldier home the best way she knew how, with a loving kiss.
"Wow, now that's what I call a great welcome home."
"I can think of something even better though, if you get my drift Beautiful."
"Oh believe me Babe, I know what your drift is by now."
Of course they had to christen the new bed! The couple had been too busy moving in and making career arrangements to have any time for sleep or 'other' activities, so this was their first time in their new home.
Later, they went to the kitchen for a late dinner. "Why are you eating a soggy ham and cheese sandwich? I'm a gourmet chef, you love my food."
"You took the last serving of Super Salad, there's nothing else prepared in the fridge." "Really? Wow, that went fast."
"Would you make some more for us? I'd make it myself, but yours is so much better!"
"Hmm, well, I don't know. It's been a long day and I'm tired. So, nah, I don't think so."
"Oh come on Josh, you know you love to cook, please?"
"However...I will make Chicken Stir Fry instead. How's that sound?"
"Oh you're such a tease! But cool, sounds great! Thanks Babe. I'll clean up. Hey, once you're out of the military again, maybe you could be a famous Chef, open your own school or a restaurant!"
"Maybe, but I'd rather cook just for you. I already went the Chef route once. It was fun, but been there, done that."
"Ah, okay, I get that. It's just like with me and painting. I'd rather do it on my own time whenever the mood inspires instead of feeling like it's a chore I'm obligated to do every day." "I knew you'd understand."
"I am so nervous about the audition tomorrow." "You've practiced every day for numerous hours since we got here. You'll do fine."
"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm getting a headache from staring in the mirror at myself all day."
"But how do I know I can do this, if I have any talent. I've never tried anything like this before." "Well Beautiful, you didn't know how to battle an alien monster plant either, but you did. You didn't think you were good enough to get into University, but you did and graduated with a Distinguished Degree in Fine Arts, WITH Honors. You had no idea how to be a Spellcaster but you're now the fourth most powerful one in the entire world. Shall I go on?"
"Yeah, that's all true, but I didn't have to act to do all that stuff. I just did those things as myself, the real me. I've never acted before or tried to be someone I'm not."
"Hmm, I beg to differ Beautiful, or should I say Tessa, or Vanessa. You've got more experience than anyone I know pretending to be someone you're not. And you did it every day for years!"
"That's different though." "Is it? I don't think so, you've got acting skills few would have I'd say. You lived the 'part.' That kind of experience has to count for something, right?"
"You have a good point. I guess I do have some acting experience. Maybe I can do this." "I know you can Beautiful. Never a doubt in my mind."
"I will never get over how supportive and encouraging you are. You're always there for me, right there by my side, lifting me up whenever I need it."
"I believe in you Beautiful, I always have and I always will. And you know there's a very good reason why. I love you and I know you'll be the best actress this town has ever seen, maybe even the world. Believe in yourself Beautiful, you can do anything when you set your mind to it! You've proven it time and time again. This is just one more thing to conquer and you'll do it with flying colors! Trust me!"
Super nice work with the airplane shot! It's fun to do different stuff like that sometimes instead of just having our sims poof and appear somewhere. Nice hotel too - you always make sure all the details for your background stuff is there, like when you took Kristine to school and actually downloaded a school. Makes for great screenshots to actually make these places instead of just mentioning them Sweet of Naoki to give Rene Roo for the night. Always nice to have some kitty snuggles. And super sweet that Naoki just wanted Rene to feel like he had family
And there's their good old house! You do save yourself a lot of stress each month by just moving their house to each new world haha. LOL BE SURE NOT TO LEAVE YOUR KIDS IN THE STREETS. Good advice for anywhere you live haha. Excited to see your plans for the rest of this month. Gonna be great meeting all of Naoki's family finally!
Oh my heart!!! Wolfgang singing to Sakura did me in. AND THAT KISS. BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR THAT and it was perfect. River is all of us lol. I'm so excited to see what you have in store for these two now that they can finally be together. Probably they'll just woohoo all over the place before long like Josh & Essa and Emmett & Jules lol
The next day was super rainy, and also the new skill holiday, so I just decided to plow through this day with some skilling and painting so Jules and Emmett could earn a bit more money too.
The rain did not stop Jules from making a new friend though.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny though, so they decided to head out to the jungle and explore, bringing their camping and survival gear with them since they had heard that a proper trek into the jungle could take a few days.
The view near the trailhead was simply stunning.
Just as the vendor in the marketplace had warned her, the paths were rather overgrown with thick vines, so Jules took out her machete and began to hack away at them.
"Nice work," Emmett told her as the path cleared and they stepped through the archway.
They continued along a trail, reaching a long wooden draw bridge. "It looks stable enough," Emmett noted, giving it a good shake, and he took Jules' hand, helping her up onto the surface as they carefully walked across.
The vendor had also told Jules that there was lot of treasure out in the jungle still in need of excavation, so if she happened to dig anything up, she could bring it back into town and the local museum would compensate her for her discoveries.
While Jules dug in a promising spot, Emmett explored the ruins around them. The view of the falls tumbling down the ruins took his breath away.
As soon as Jules joined him, he found himself in a rather flirty mood. (They took off their hats since I couldn’t see their faces well. They were cute for a few screenshots though)
"Uh, oh, I know that look," Jules said with a grin as he pulled away. "But we're a little exposed out here, don't you think? I haven't seen anyone around, but still, seems rather risky..."
Emmett might be as much of a horn dog as Josh lol. "Well, this bush is rather large and private, don't you think? I think we owe it to ourselves to give it a try..."
Who can argue with that logic? "Well you're getting in first," said Jules, smacking him bum playfully toward the bush. "Make sure there's nothing living in there."
The bush was indeed vacant, so Jules joined him enthusiastically.
"Gotta give you credit for that idea," said Jules, grinning over his shoulder as they checked to make sure the coast was clear before exiting the bush.
And with that, they continued their trek into the jungle.
---
Decided to break this update into two parts just since I did get so many photos, so the rest of their day of exploring will be for tomorrow
And daaaaanngggg, these bills kicked me in the bum 😩 I totally thought Jules be more financially stable by this point in the challenge, but somewhere during April I messed up keeping track of her funds after she moved in with Dell and Sofia and then I ended up giving Della and Sofia a lot of the money from their household when they moved out since I figured Jules had too much money anyway, but I just haven't quite made up for it since then. Usually it wouldn't be an issue, but having to pay for a rental and getting slammed with bills like these will make Jules go broke pretty soon if I keep her in the jungle for another billing cycle. I need her garden to really start bringing in the cash again so they'll be heading home by the end of the week so Jules can access her garden again. The masterpieces selling on plopsy are unfortunately not as reliably high as I'd hoped. Part of this challenge is adjusting when necessary, so I'll make it all fit into the story - they'll still spend at least 3 more days for this trip here though, I've already paid for the rental through then
June - Day 3:"Now relax, think positively and begin --- the smile of success awaits you!"
Notes
Josh put away the Chicken Stir Fry and went outside to check out a broken fountain in one of the pottery jars perched on the edge of the pool.
Essa went to bed to get some rest before her first audition in the morning.
(Alright, let's think about this a moment. The previous owner said it was working when they left. Why isn't it working now?)
(Oh, I've got it! Maybe. Could it be that simple? Let's find out.)
(Yes! Just as I thought. The valve was simply turned off along with the other water valves in the house. It just got overlooked when we turned everything on again.)
(That was way too easy!)
*Honestly it wasn't easy! Took a lot of fiddling around, but I finally got a flowing fountain to appear as if water is pouring out of that jar into the pool again! Yay!
Josh went inside feeling very confident in himself and decided to try giving some orders to Frank. He needed to do that as part of his job to get a promotion. Frank was always willing to help him out without question.
"Atten-TION!"
"Now drop and give me 20." "I.am.at.your.command.creator.However.I.do.not.have.20.dollars." "What I said means 20 push-ups in military speak." "Thank.you.for.explaining.your.command.I.will.comply."
"...15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Very good Frank. Thank you. You are dismissed." "Affirmative.I.will.recharge.My.batteries.are.low." "Good idea Frank."
"I.would.like.to.hug.you.first.creator.You.make.me.happy." "Aww, Frank, you make me happy too! You're such a good sport! I'm glad you understand my stern voice is just the way commands are given. It's nothing personal." "Affirmative.I.understand.creator." "Frank, please call me Josh, okay?" "I.would.enjoy.addressing.you.by.your.first.name.Thank.you.Josh."
Frank powered down to recharge himself and Josh settled down in Essa's rocking chair to knit a black pouf for his office. After finishing it, he started on a purple/teal rug for Essa's office to replace the teal/pink one in the sitting area. Time passed as he relaxed, enjoying the silence. Then he heard something in the other room. (Is that...singing?)
(Oh, Essa's up. Must be more time has gone by than I realized. She's singing in the shower. Cool, I'm glad she's feeling good.)
After breakfast and taking care of the garden, Josh asked Essa if she'd like to take a soak before he went to work and she to her audition. Frank was again telling jokes. He was one determined robot! "Are you excited?"
"Oh yeah, but still nervous. Maybe I'm too excited. I can't relax. I thought this soak would help, and it does. But I'm still all keyed up. Maybe that's a good thing?"
"Sure, excitement's a good thing, but being relaxed, with a calm mind is good too."
"I know something very relaxing we could do. If you want to. We have time anyway."
*Get yourself someone that looks at you the way Josh looks at Essa. He is so smitten with her. Literally!
"Any time, anywhere, remember?" "Oh Beautiful, I knew you'd say that. I will always remember those words. Turns me on just thinking about them."
"I am still so nervous and I don't..." "Shhh, no thinking, no words, just relax and enjoy the moment. I love you Beautiful."
Josh leaned forward and gave Essa a soft, tender loving kiss that grew into something much deeper as they slowly sank below the surface of the water.
"Mmmm, I feel like a cat that's lapped up all the cream." "Oh Gawd, Beautiful don't talk like that, we don't have time for round two. Though I wish we did."
"Me too, but yeah, we better go get ready. I'll call you and let you know how it went, okay?" "You better, I'll be waiting. I already know it'll go wonderful though. Break a leg!"
"What? Why would I want to...oh, I get it, superstition to say...I won't say it." Essa laughed and Josh joined her as they got out of the Hot Tub and went inside to prepare for the day.
Okay, I was hoping I'd have time to do some comments/replies, but I've stayed up way later than I should've. Comments on your posts will come late this afternoon/early evening. I hope y'all understand. As always, have a great day/night!
Every night like clockwork, Jess goes into a possessed trance and does weird things for two hours. And everyone else acts like it is normal.
Except Mia. Mia knows this is not normal. What the frell is going on here?
Since Mia has an A in school, she calls and takes a day of vacation on Friday. She wants to check out the town and talk to some of the locals.
After Jess comes out of her weirdness, she and Dylan work on improving their social and fun needs. Since Dylan is snipped, there won’t be any surprise babies.
After accosting the only scientist she could find walking the streets, Mia heads over to the library to do some research. She meets lots of interesting people there.
After hearing out the weirdo at the curio stand, she decides to go check it, him, out.
She bought something from him and then she gave him a picture she drew as a child. He wasn’t impressed and it didn’t help her out any. Today is Love Day and that is completely not on her radar yet. So the holiday is just going to suck for everyone. Maybe next year she will be in a place to enjoy Love Day.
He mentioned the old lab outside of town and since she still has time before she has to be home, she heads out to see what it looks like. She found a locked door and snooped through lots of stacks of paper, and then with nothing else she could do here, she headed back home.
Or rather, she went back to the library. She realized she was going to be late home, so she decided to go to the library so she could use that as an excuse. She wasn’t ready to let anyone know she was looking into Jess’s weirdness just yet.
Of course, they all knew she didn’t go to school, but since she has an A and took the day off legitimately, they couldn’t scold her for skipping. It was a rough day for the rest of the household though. Maybe they aren’t getting enough sleep.
This is just so wrong. Jonah and Hugh wake up from the monsters again – and there is a night light in their room. Since today was Friday, no one did anything on their homework. They will have plenty of time over the weekend to get everything done. Also, on a good note, all of the kids came home with improved grades today (C to , and Jess received a promotion to Sergeant Minor, level 4.
May 30 - University - WK 2 - Sunday - Make You Feel My Love - Finale
River exited the door and shouted, "Yes! I don't have to climb that friggin' mountain!"
Sakura heard what River had shouted and looked at Wolfgang: "What was that about?"
Wolfgang: "Sakura, when I left the Olympic competition, I went to a bar, and while I was there, someone came rushing in and said there was an avalanche on the mountain summit climb and some climbers were trapped. And, I thought...I thought it was you and Kiyoshi...and I just came back here because I was getting supplies and River and I were going to climb the mountain and rescue you. I realized that I couldn't go on anymore unless you were in my life..."
Sakura looked at him in awe: "Oh my gosh, Wolfgang...you were going to climb the mountain...because you thought it was me up there?"
Wolfgang: "Yes, Sakura, I didn't want to lose you again. I don't want to ever lose you again..."
Sakura felt her eyes begin to water.
Sakura: "Oh Wolfgang...I told Kiyoshi I couldn't go on the mountain summit climb with him. I told him I wasn't the same girl who had gone with him all those months ago. I had changed. Things had changed between us. And he...he didn't love me. He's never told me he loved me. I thought he did, but I'm just not sure if he ever really had. I still care for him, but we...we broke up. And I was ready to face things alone..."
Wolfgang: "Oh Sakura, I am so in love with you. And you don't have to face things alone. I am here for you. And I don't care if you are pregnant with Kiyoshi's baby, I want to be with you. You're the only one I've ever wanted to be with..."
Sakura looked at Wolfgang: "Pregnant? What are you talking about? I'm not pregnant!"
Wolfgang looked confused, "But the letter...that photo...the um...ultrasound photo...I saw them...and I just thought...you and Kiyoshi...that you were..."
Sakura shook her head, "Oh Wolfgang....no...that's Kaori's ultrasound photo. Not mine. She is pregnant, not me..."
Wolfgang: "She's pregnant with Kiyoshi's baby?"
Sakura took a deep breath, "Yes....Kiyoshi...Kiyoshi cheated on me with Kaori at the camp...and they..."
Wolfgang: "Shhh...it's alright...you don't have to tell me...I know. I heard it for the first time today at the bar from the mother of one of the Olympic team members. Her daughter had told her about Kiyoshi and Kaori at the camp..."
Sakura wiped some tears away, "Oh gosh...I am so embarressed...it seems everyone knew but me... Kiyoshi told me the night of my pre-birthday party when we got back to my house. I was devastated. I think it was over between us that night, but I was trying to forgive him because he had come all that way to search for me. I felt I had to give him a chance...but I just couldn't get that image of Kiyoshi and Kaori out of my head...and I've been struggling with my emotions about this since then..."
Wolfgang:"Why didn't you tell me?"
Sakura: "I couldn't tell you something like that. I was just too embarrassed. I felt betrayed. I felt like there was something wrong with me...I just didn't understand why it had happened...and I felt so hurt. I just never expected something like that to happen, and I felt he had lied to me about how he had felt about me."
Wolfgang felt her pain and went to Sakura and held her in his arms, "I'm sorry he hurt you, Sakura. I will never do that...I will never break your heart...I don't want to be with anyone else...Sakura...I will always be true to just you. And I'm not just saying that...I mean it. From my heart, I mean it. I'm not like him..." he said as he caressed her hair.
Sakura: "Oh Wolfgang...and when I got the ultrasound photo in the mail...I was so upset...and I had to relive all the pain of what they had done at the camp over again. I thought that Kaori had sent that to me to hurt me, or that maybe it was fake. And the more I thought about it, the more I knew I couldn't be with Kiyoshi anymore, because I would always be reminded of what happened at that camp, and I would always feel like I was just not good enough for him. And then I figured out that Kaori had sent that to me because she wanted me to talk to Kiyoshi and tell him that she was expecting..."
Wolfgang: "Why would she do that? Why didn't she just tell him herself?"
Sakura: "Because when Kiyoshi went back to the camp, he cut off all ties with Kaori, ignored her and wouldn't talk to her. He was trying to be faithful to me, and so Kaori knew that Kiyoshi wanted to be with me, and that is why she sent that ultrasound photo to me. For me to talk to Kiyoshi and let him know that she was expecting. Kiyoshi told me that he wanted to...he wanted to...oh gosh this is hard...Wolfgang, he wanted to take me up to the mountain with him and ask me to marry him. He wanted to rekindle a feeling that we once had there. I didn't know any of this...
But after you left, Kaori had her competition run, and she had a pretty bad accident, and I saw how Kiyoshi was so concerned for her, and I saw how he looked at her, and I knew he was in love with Kaori. He was going to marry me, even though he was in love with Kaori because he didn't want to hurt me anymore. I know it sounds so crazy, but maybe he wanted to marry me out of guilt...I don't know..."
Wolfgang: "So, that all happened after I left..."
Sakura: "Yes, and when you left, I felt like a piece of my heart was leaving with you. And I was so in love with you Wolfgang, and I thought that you only loved me as a friend."
Wolfgang: "Oh Sakura...I just couldn't stay...I couldn't see Kiyoshi kiss you...I couldn't bear to see you with him...and so I went to a bar, and I was going to get drunk and try to obliterate everything...try to forget you...but I couldn't...I cared too much about you...loved you too much..."
Sakura: "And so, I had brought the ultrasound photo with me, and when Kaori was alright, I gave it to her, so that she could tell Kiyoshi herself. And Kiyoshi told me he wanted to be with Kaori, and I was the one who broke it off with him. When he came over Saturday night, I realized that I didn't love him anymore...didn't want to be with him anymore...had felt like that for awhile. I thought I had loved him once, but maybe it was just gratitude for helping me with the mountain summit climb. I released him so he could be with Kaori. And when I left there, I felt so alone because I...I knew I had fallen in love with you. And I have been fighting my feelings for you, even though I knew in my heart that you were the only one who I have ever really been in love with."
Wolfgang: "Oh Sakura...River had seen Kiyoshi and Kaori kissing after the medal presentations and told me, and I was so angry, because I thought Kiyoshi was cheating on you. And then when I heard what had happened at the camp between Kiyoshi and Kaori...what Kiyoshi had done...you have no idea what I would have done to him if he had been standing in front of me. I was so angry that he had hurt you like that and had betrayed your trust."
Sakura: "I didn't stay for the medal presentations. I have forgiven Kiyoshi for what happened at the camp. I am happy that Kiyoshi will be with someone he loves, because I know that Kaori loves him. But I was just sad for everything that had happened over these past months, and I didn't want to be there anymore. I came back here, and it felt so empty without you. And I just felt so sad...and all alone..."
Wolfgang held Sakura in his arms, "Oh Sakura...all these secrets...all this pain you had to endure...I wish I could make it all go away. You know, when I saw that ultrasound photo, I thought that you and Kiyoshi had been together the night of your pre-birthday party..."
Sakura shook her head, "No, we weren't"
Wolfgang: "No?:
Sakura: "We've never been together "that" way..."
Wolfgang held her close to him, "Oh Sakura...I have been such a fool...I have wanted to tell you for so long that I loved you, but I was...I was too nervous...or afraid of what you would do because you were still with Kiyoshi...I'm so sorry it took me this long to tell you I loved you. I had wanted to tell you last Saturday when we were going to be alone together, but then River came...and the party..."
Sakura: "You did tell me last Saturday..."
Wolfgang: "What? I did?"
Sakura: "Yes, you told me at the party that you loved me...and then you passed out...and you didn't remember the next day..." she said as she looked at him, "...And then the next morning after the party...you told me that whatever you had said at the party you hadn't meant...and so I thought that you had only meant that you loved me as a friend...not something more..."
Wolfgang shook his head. Now he knew what had happened that night. "Sakura, I'm here now and I'm not going to pass out and I am going to remember saying I love you to the woman I want to be with. All of this has been a big misunderstanding. I do love you as my friend...my best friend...but I want more than to be just friends...I want to be with you...forever..."
Sakura: "Wolfgang, I want to be with you...forever, too..."
Wolfgang took Sakura in his arms then and kissed her tenderly.
They broke apart. Wolfgang looked at Sakura and saw the look of desire in her eyes. Sakura desired Wolfgang, and...oh my plumbobs...Wolfgang desired her, too. They had waited so long to be together...and Wolfgang felt such passion when he looked at her, but he restrained himself. He wanted to take this slow. He wanted to remember this night with Sakura as something special. And Wolfgang knew this was the right moment.
Wolfgang: "So...does this mean I can ask you on a date now?"
Sakura smiled: "Oh Wolfgang, I think we are waaaaay past the dating stage"
Wolfgang: "Really?"
Sakura looked at him intently: "Really..."
Wolfgang: "Gee, that's too bad...because I was thinking of taking you on a date to a place where we could be alone together..."
Sakura: "Oh...? Well you know...maybe I could be persuaded to change my mind..."
Wolfgang: "Mmmmm....I am going to start working on that right now..." he said as he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.
Sakura said breathlessly: "I think it's working..."
Wolfgang looked longingly at her: "This is going to be a date to remember..." he said as he carried her into the bedroom.
Wolfgang gently set Sakura down in the bedroom and kissed her again.
He took his shirt off and Sakura noticed a heart tattoo on his arm.
Sakura: "Wolfgang, I never noticed that heart tattoo on your arm before. What does it say?"
Wolfgang looked deeply into her eyes, "It says...I love Sakura..."
I think we will just close the door now and leave these two lovebirds alone.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Since I don't use pose packs, I actually had Wolfgang propose to Sakura to get the "carry" pose. I took screenshots of the proposal, but then later decided that this was just not the romantic place that I wanted Wolfgang to propose to Sakura. Especially after all the revelations of the past few months, the chapter was already long enough. Plus, they needed to spend some time together first as a couple. So, I changed that. But I did want Wolfgang to carry Sakura off to the bedroom with him for their very first woohoo together. So, exited without saving after that, but, went back in and had them woohoo. So, now they have their official woohoo in the file.
But, don't worry, Wolfgang has plans to propose to Sakura. That's one thing I can say for Wolfgang...the guy has plans. In fact he was one step ahead of me in letting me know that he wanted to be with Sakura. This actually happened in my game on the Sunday before Term 1 started. They were in Larry's Lagoon and Wolfgang had been working at the robotics workstation. I was controlling Sakura in case there was an "electrical" accident, like what happened to River. So, when Wolfgang finished, they were waiting for the Utili-Bot Contest to start, so I had them play ping pong. I was still controlling Sakura. Well, Wolfgang won the game, and Sakura autonomously came over to shake his hand. And then all of a sudden...this happened!
Oh yeah, he won the game alright. I was shocked! This was an autonomous action by Wolfgang. He kissed Sakura on the lips, not a cheek kiss! And she didn't say no. And I was thinking, wow, Wolfgang really does love Sakura a lot.
And this random sim came over and looked at them, like "Ahhh...you two are so cute together..."
After Wolfgang had kissed Sakura, he gave me this look, like he was saying, "I get the girl, right? Sakura and I will be together, right Watcher? Is that what you have planned, because I totally agree!" Cheeky Wolfgang!
I actually laughed in real life when he did this. I think he was telling me to hurry up with my story because he and Sakura were meant to be. I think the guy has a secret flirty trait, at least around Sakura, because he is always doing autonomous romantic actions towards her. It is really sweet.
I never really cared for Wolfgang with his mean trait, but, with the right sim, he is a sweetheart, and I have come to really like him now. I also like the backstory I created for him and his family about his Dad passing away, rather than deserting them or being divorced with Mila. A lot of kids have problems when a parent passes away and "act out" in different ways, and in Wolfgang's case, it was to be mad at the world and be a rebellious teen.
Anyway, now that Wolfgang actually does "get the girl", I wanted to share this with you. I am so happy they are together. I get all these warm feelings when I look at them together. teehee But, to be honest, it was all because of autonomous actions by Wolfgang, right from the start when he came up to Sakura at the club. It was sim destiny.
Love how Jules always, always has to pet and befriend every pet she comes across. I've seen a few in Selvadorada before, but not that many. Lucky Jules! So cute how she carries a laser pointer around, just for emergencies. Oh yes Jules, of course you will get used to this, Essa did! I think Essa's just as much a horndog now as Josh! Gorgeous waterfalls near their rental, love that screenshot!
Yeah, I just didn't have the heart to finally pull the plug and delete Beast. Josh loves it too much and what if it comes back to life again? He's harmless as a skelly and I think he looks cool in their front garden. He's kitschy! I have not played the Master Actress aspiration yet, so this is all new to me. I definitely don't know all the ins and outs so I'll be learning everything for the first time. I'm excited for it!
Jules didn't get one? o.O Well that's not right. I'd cheat for it too if I were you. Nope, I don't have the T.O.O.L. Mod, but I'm seriously thinking about getting it. I read somewhere it uses assets that are hidden in the game. That's probably why the objects on this lot designed by using it haven't disappeared or reverted to their natural state. Oh yeah, at this point it's just automatic to hang up all their photos and memorabilia from past months. It makes wherever they live seem like, well, home!
Bummer about the masterpiece paintings not going for much on Plopsy for you, I'm surprised. When I put those on there, my Sims have fetched anywhere from 10K up to 18K a piece. To be fair they were worth around 3K before Plopsy, so maybe that has something to do with it. Are Jules' Masterpieces very valuable? I know a painting can be a Masterpiece without a high price, so just wondering.
I have not used the new GP for building yet, but I did give Essa some of the CAS items for her update. I'm a little ahead now, so might check it out and build something later tonight. Understandable about not waiting to get anymore packs. Sounds like you'll be too busy to play with anything new soon. It's smart. For instance, I've been so busy playing the challenge, I haven't played much with the new packs I've bought too. I've yet to completely play through the Paranormal aspiration/career for one thing and I've had that pack for quite awhile. I haven't even had Bonehilda in my game yet. o.O
Ugh, bummer about all the rain, but at least Jules managed to meet another pet. Man I love the jungles in that pack, they did a fantastic job creating it. So beautiful! Great screenshots! Ah yes, the flirty falls, I'm looking forward to the day Essa and Josh explore the jungle. They will, of course, most likely do exactly what Jules and Emmett did. No offense, but I doubt anyone could be as much of a horndog as Josh. Whoa! Those bills are enormous! Just how much is their house worth? That's incredible! I'm curious how much Essa's bills will be for their new house. I hope not that much! Oh and what's with the 'child support' payments? Is that because Ruby is living with Mario for the time being?
YESSSSS! Finally! Woo Hoo! (well not yet, but soon). What an absolutely wonderful post. You know I have a hopeful romantic heart so having Wolfgang sing that song with his guitar outside her door so she'll stop crying as a way for him to reveal his love for her was just the perfect romantic moment. And yes, I did get teared up! I've been a champion for these two forever, so it's very satisfying seeing them finally get together.
Love, love, love the finale! So happy for these two, such a special couple. Glad they got everything in the clear now and no more misunderstandings between them. Sakura was right about not needing to go on a date. Love how you set up their first time together, having them actually get naked with the clothes on the floor next to the bed, him carrying her in there, etc. Good job doing the proposal, then not saving to get the carry option. I've done that trick a lot in this challenge with Essa and Josh. Oh and I loved seeing River outside doing that fist pump for them as he left. hehe He's been such a good friend to both of them, but especially Wolfgang.
Thanks for your insightful notes at the end too. As you know, I never liked Wolfgang either, but now I do, thanks to you and how you've portrayed him. I agree too that some Sims are just meant to be together and they will let you know in no uncertain terms they do too. Isn't it great when Sims look at you as if they can actually see you and tell you how they're feeling? Josh does that ALL the time. He looks at me constantly and it's not just a coincidence. I just love this game!
Aww, thank you for saying that about my building skills! Honestly, I didn't actually 'build' much with this lot except to redo most of the landscaping and reconfigure the pool area, plus redecorate around 90% of the interior. The exterior of the actual house and all the rooms, the shell I guess you could say, are almost all the same as when I downloaded the lot. So I'll give credit where credit is due to the lot creator for most of the actual build. They did a fantastic job, I just renovated it for my own personal preferences!
Nice shot with the big Jumbo Jet! Did you put the logo on it? Very cool idea, love it! 18 hours!? Holy Simoly! Yeah, I'm with you Bryon, I'd prefer poofing around too if I had that ability. So sweet of Naoki to give Rene Roo for the night so he won't be lonely. I can see how he'd feel so close to Rene, like he's a part of his family. From the sounds of it, he truly is if he raised Naoki and his sister more than his parents.
HAHA! Of course Rene slapped Naoki for not telling him Bryon is a Spellcaster, I'd most likely do that same thing if I'd had to suffer through an 18 hour plane ride just because someone had never flown before, but didn't need to do it in the first place. Funny remark about not letting the kids play in the street because of limousines and Bryon's reaction. Looking forward to seeing how this dinner with Naoki's parents and Hana turns out. I hope it goes well. o.O I'm a little leary of how agreeable they were to having them over. Like Bryon said, they better not make any disparaging remarks about their marriage! I'm cautiously optimistic that won't happen, but given their history, I wouldn't be surprised if they did.:(
Hi All: Thank you for putting up with all my posts, which were rather long, only one more post for May - yes! which will be the entire last week of Term lumped into one chapter. Wolfgang and Sakura are just going to zip through that so they can get to graduation! lol And, I have never had a sim graduate from uni, so this is pretty exciting. And then off to Del Sol Valley...a few days late, but they will be there. I am not sure if they will take a mini vacation before Del Sol Valley or when they are there. I will decide once they finally finish uni. Hope everyone is having a great day/night!.
First off, I would like to say thank you for all the compliments you gave me about the last few chapters. And I hope you are thrilled with the latest one, too. To be honest, I am glad the last 6 months of poor Sakura's life is over, well, all except the parts with Wolfgang. I realized that when I did a search of my photos and typed in "sad Sakura" you would not believe the amount of photos that came up. The poor sim has had it rough, and I want her only to be happy now.
And now for your story...I think I already commented on Jules new hairstyle, but I just love it. Welcome to the jungle - when I saw that first sceenie of Emmett giving Jules a rose....I was like...ahhhh! Selvadforada is one of my favorite worlds. The scenery...wow...unbelievable. And I love how you changed their clothing using the pack's clothing. Nice! When I saw that hottub on the lot...I just knew these two were going to use it right away...and not a stich of clothing...lol Funny line. This was such a wonderful chapter.
I love how Jules has to pet all the animals she meets lol And shower time...for the two of them..ahem! And they caught some fish and had a bar-b-q, so nice. It does look like and absolutely carefree vacation for the two of them. Really good after the stress they had in Strangerville. And that cover shot of Jules with the machete...fierce!
Love the interaction between Naoki and Bryon and Naoki is rambling on about Rene, the butler, and Bryon has to handle getting the kids into bed. lol So, an 18=hour flight! On Sims Airlines! lol Loved the logo addition! hehehe What a killer flight that was. I am sure they will want to just transportalate the next time. Beats jet lag, too. What a comedian Naoki is wanting to see Rene's expression when the house suddenly appears on the empty lot. Of course, Rene has to make his annoyance known by slapping Naoki in the face. lol And the poor kids...we certainly don't need any ambulances in this story with the poor kids, now. Maybe they need a fence out front? lol Tension ahead for the dinner with Naoki;s sister, Hana and his royal parents.
It looks like a crazy household on the day that Mia ages up. And, yes, I agree, get those candles blown out first. I have had that happen too many times when someone takes a piece of the birthday cake before they even blow out the candles! Sheesh! And Mia is such a cute teen, much like she was a cute toddler Love the reason she is moving...exchange student living with the Sigworth's...um...rather expanded family. Where are they all going to fit? I've seen that house! lol Yes, and they get an up-graded house. Great! And I had to laugh about Dylan's snip-snip job! lol And those monsters under the bed wake up both kids in bunk beds? Argh! Congrats to Mia for completing the Drama Career. Sakura did, too, but her award was a different color. Must just be randomly generated. Love how everyone in the household just thinks Jess is eccentric and wanders around town. lol Year for Dylan mastering cooking, at least they will all eat well.
Mia does some snooping around town to try to find out what is wrong with Jess. Obviously, Erwin doesn't appreciate Mia's gift.
Looks like Marnie is still saddled with most of the work, but she seems happy at lease. And Benji spills the beans to Bennie that he is moving out on his birthday and moving to the city with his girlfriend and his friends. Jaz seems to be looking forward to heading to Newcrest, at least. The waiting area for the doctor's office looks nice.
Yes! The challenge sim is born! And she is a twin! Woot! Amelia - what a pretty name, and her sister Rachel. Congrats to Sarah and Greg and welcome to the challenge Amelia!
Nice touch on those earthenware vases and the water flowing through. Creative! The backyard looks really pretty, and what a spectacular view from your place And so Essa has taken up the acting career and Josh is still in the military and practicing his commands on Frank. lol Can robots have jobs? Frank really likes to tell jokes. And of course they have to christen their hot tub! lol Ahhh...they look so good together, especially since Josh's hair has grown back. I do love Essa's hair, though
Thank you so much for commenting on my story. It's been a long haul for these two. But now it's full speed ahead I like to give Wolfgang a wicked sense of humor because he does have a lot of mischief skill (from his original aspiration and time in the Renegades), so it rather suits him.
I don't consider myself to be that similar to Jules -her active and hot headed traits are very opposite of me haha, but I did put a bit of myself in her with my love for animals, and I've grown to love that quirk about her. I'm totally that person who wants to pet every dog I meet and I sometimes get more excited to see my relatives pets than my relatives themselves LOL. Aside from Brindleton Bay, Selvadorada is the only other world I see stray pets in, and I tend to notice a lot if I keep my eye out for them.
There is a chance that Jules did get a Mother plant trophy, but it might be in George and Theresa's inventory now that I think about it since she was technically living with them when she completed the mystery, so I should check on that. If it's not there, then my game glitched and didn't give me one since it is for sure not in Jules' inventory.
It is really hard to do other things with the sims along side with this challenge - I'm not complaining though, since I love this challenge and I'm appreciating my game more than I ever have before, but there's a lot of stuff I've explored for the first time in this challenge. I've for sure never done the Jungle Adventure aspirations before so this is a first for me. I got pretty good at exploring the jungle with several of my sims in the past, but I never bothered to try the aspirations that went with the pack. I've honestly never had any interest in doing aspirations until this challenge, so completing these aspirations from start to finish is a pretty new things for me, and I love it.
I'll have to check the value of her masterpieces and explore that more when she gets home. I did bring an easel to the jungle, but I forgot to pack it in her inventory so it's been at their rental being useless haha, because I totally meant to bring it along so she could paint in the jungle. Oh well, next time
Just popped in to check on the value of their house - it's 174,289 simoleons. And yes, the child support is because Ruby is living with Mario right now. Usually Jules gets child support payments from him haha. I set that up with MCCC and also have autopay for my bills, so all that money got pulled out of Jules' funds without me even having a say HAHA. I honestly didn't even know they got bills when on vacation, and Jules has never had bills that high before, so it was a very unwelcome surprise for many reasons.
Ok now time to comment on your story now that I've done such a long winded reply to your reply
First of all, Essa's makeover looks great! Love that hair on her, and her clothing choices are great as always. That sleepwear is quite
risqué, I'm sure Josh is enjoying that LOL. Nice little tie in with her fame as the Strangerville Hero too! I do agree that Josh's long hair doesn't fit his military vibe, but I like his long hair so I'm glad it's back. And yay for woohoo moments. I suppose Emmett and Jules will have to christen their new bed too once they are home LOL. Any excuse for a good woohoo, right? And good point about her being a natural actress because of her time in the witness protection program! What a blast to the past haha.
Yay, glad you got that fountain working! The pool area is gorgeous. I really do love Essa's new hair. Is it from the GF pack? Lovely hot tub moment too. I do love the woohoo animations for that.
I apologize, comments for everyone else will come tomorrow, this monster of a comment wore me out and I need to go to bed LOL
@Karababy52 Just checking in between exams - would you change your first post to include Amelia instead of Family Britton? Now that she's finally born and named...
Fun to see the acting career. Josh and Essa are such soulmates... I agree, everyone should have someone in their life who looks at them like Josh at Essa.
@SoulGal7 This is some gorgeous character development and story, I really love your posts. Don't be sorry they were long!
@sassytxbrat Whoa, from one busy house to the next... Cool how you're including the mystery into Mia's daily life through Jess!
Everyone I forgot - sorry! May be back later for more comments or even a real update depending on my tiredness and headache
The journey through the next archway did not leave Jules unscathed (I honestly don't really read those pop ups lol so I don't know what happened specifically. Maybe something about an egg? )
"Why are you laughing?" Jules shot Emmett a look. "That was terrifying."
"Yeah, but now you're fine, and you look pretty ridiculous," he said playfully. "If you had been seriously hurt, I'd give you some proper sympathy, but honestly you're just in a need of a good bath."
Good thing they bought some portable showers for the journey
When Jules was properly cleaned up, they continued on. There wasn't as much to explore in this area, though Emmett found a chest and decided to try his luck at opening it up and found some treasure. (I'm always prepared for them to get that skeleton curse or whatever it's called, so it's a nice surprise when they just get some treasure instead haha)
They both got attacked by bats pretty much at the same time. They both have that bat plasma stuff in their inventories but only Emmett autonomously used it, not sure why.
It was getting dark as they cleared away the next pathway. (I accidentally brought them to the temple, but I want to wait until morning to use a full day to explore the temple, so I doubled back and found the Omiscan Royal Baths instead which is where I wanted them to end up for the night instead)
They decided to cool off in the water. It felt lovely after a day in the jungle heat.
"This has been the perfect vacation so far," Jules told him as they sat on the edge of the baths.
"Even with all the unexpected surprises, like bat attacks and spontaneously catching on fire?" Emmett asked her.
"Even with all the surprises," Jules assured him. "You know me, I love a good adventure."
He kissed her then, and they retired soon after to the tent Emmett had set up, and decided to get some "rest."
Well, that's a new woohoo location for every day this month so far LOL. These two are certainly enjoying their alone time....
@sassytxbrat Nice update. Yeah, Mia is a baby teen still, no need to rush Love Day for her The mother plant vines are under the kids beds maybe, that's why the nightlight isn't working Though really, sorry you're having a glitch with that. Nice work on starting out the mystery.
I'm glad River is featured so prominently in your story. It's nice to see old challenger's sims still show up even if people have had to drop out for various reasons. And you did such a nice job clearing up a lot of the miscommunication in this chapter, which paved the way for such a lovely romantic moment with these two. And I exit without saving all the time once I get screenshots I need LOL and then I go back and actually play my game, so I totally get that haha. Sometimes it's all about the screenshot you need for the story and I appreciate getting that perfect shot even if you have to do a lot of behind the scenes stuff. Wolfgang is just so smitten, getting a tattoo with her name on it before he even knew if they would be together haha - gotta love how devoted he is though. So can sims just get naked in a vanilla game??? Never knew that was an option haha. Nice first woohoo for Sakura too! I'm glad she waited to do it with someone special Nice touch with the clothing piles on the floor too!
Funny behind the scenes stuff with Wolfgang's autonomous flirting and romance. He's been determined to love Sakura for a while, and I love that you have taken your game's lead with that. Wolfgang in your game is so sweet. I've only played him a bit (since he's dating one of my sims in my main save) and I've definitely always played him as the bad boy. I like that he's such a romantic in your game though. Excited to see what you have in store for Sakura and Wolfgang, and that's exciting that you'll be catching up with DSV and Get Famous soon. Wish I had that pack to do with you guys, but at least I'm finding plenty to do with my own game
The scenery truly is unbelievable in Selvadorada. I've gotten pretty distracted with taking scenery shots haha. And since I shortened my seasons, it's summer now in my game, and the scenery in every world is just 100x more gorgeous in the summer when everything is properly in bloom. Yeah Jules and Emmett have the Josh and Essa syndrome - they woohoo every chance they get! And also I've been diligent about checking - no surprise baby yet lol
Comments
Notes
When they first moved in, Essa took the Master Actress aspiration immediately and joined the Actress career. She has the Granny agency and starts her first gig tomorrow in their world, which would be a Wednesday. Oh, and it's the second week of Fall for them, not Winter. Josh has the Lord of the Knits aspiration and is still in the military. Frank needed to be recharged so he did that and then later took the Joke Star aspiration and practiced telling jokes. I shrunk down Beast and had him in Josh's Office, but he just looked weird sitting there in a little pot. I put him out in the front garden.
I think the Welcome Wagon came, but it was only Adam Lambert. He's the only other Sim living in the neighborhood. How cool is that? Unfortunately, they missed he was out there because he didn't come right up to the door, only lurked across the street in a situation outfit. Why did he need that just for the Welcome Wagon? It makes no sense. Anyway, they'll visit Adam at some point and you'll get to see the GORGEOUS mansion I downloaded for him. I would've given it to Essa, but it's huge, something like five bedrooms, and they don't need a home that big.
I'll get started on comments/replies right after I post this. I apologize for not doing them sooner. When I'm building/decorating, I lose all sense of time and am totally in the zone. I just need to focus on the project until it's finished and can't think about anything else. Even eating! I skipped dinner last night without even realizing it. o.O Oh well...
Hope y'all had a fabulous Holiday weekend for those that celebrate Memorial Day in the U.S. and I hope everyone else had a wonderful day/night too! Happy Simming and Welcome to Del Sol Valley for those doing the world this month!
Right Side
Backyard
Left Side
First Floor - Entrance Hallway, Kitchen/Dining, Josh's Office, Living Room and Bathroom. Outside has a pool, BBQ area with overhead plant lattice, Hot Tub, Lounge chairs and a couple other seating areas.
Second Floor - Master Bedroom with en suite, Essa's Office, Essa's Art Studio, and a Walk-in Closet. On the balcony is a chess set with fantastic views!
Third Floor - Gym. It has a fancy glass roof. I didn't touch this room except to make a plant on the dresser smaller. Otherwise it's exactly the same as when I downloaded the house. Includes some cool Non-CC Art as well.
Roof On Overhead View
Essa practicing acting in her sleepwear.
Josh knitting another hanging plant. He's at the point in the aspiration where he needs to sell something on Plopsy.
Frank recharging in Essa's Office. He later practiced telling jokes on his microphone in there.
I put a copy of their basement in my Library and included it on this lot but didn't show it. It's almost exactly the same as before, except new wallpaper, flooring and a few things moved around. It's still right next to the pool with large windows to help with lighting down there and for the garden. I'm sure you'll see it at some point during the month.
And that's it for this first day update.
Essa's Del Sol Valley House Renovation Slideshow Link
Yep, I bought CO today along with the GP. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I'll love it. If they make more build kits, I'll most likely get them too. I gave Frank the Jokestar aspiration and that's probably as far as his fame will go. He was just an excuse, along with Essa not being happy over all that stuff still around in SV, for them to move. Who knows though, he might end up famous without much help from me.
Cute twins for Becca and Mario.
Thanks for what you said about my builds, I appreciate it!
Oh I love Jules' outfit for Selvadorada! Nice that they went on a date first thing at the bar. Okay, now THAT'S the way to spend Love Day! No clothes indeed!
@SoulGal7
Fun seeing all those wipeouts for the 'Olympic team.' Of course Kyoshi nails it! Kaori? Not so much. I had a feeling Wolfgang was going to leave early. So now Kaori is hurt and maybe even lost the baby! o.O
Glad Kaori ended up being okay! Happy for she and Kyoshi. Glad he finally realized his feelings. Very sad for Sakura though. Of course she now feels like she has no one since she thinks Wolfgang only likes her as a friend. Then River sees Kyoshi and Kaori kissing and takes a pic. Crossing my fingers he shows it to Wolfgang soon! Gah!
Thanks! Glad you like the house.
So now there's an avalanche and Wolfgang thinks Sakura might be involved. Lovely... *sigh* At this point I'm wondering if these two will ever get together! Seems like something is always trying to keep them apart. Bummer...
@Skeilah
Congrats to Bryon for reaching the top of his career! Go Bryon! And then he completes the Lord of the Knits as well! He's on a roll! So funny how Naoki wants to surprise Rene with their house already there in DSV when they arrive. Oh and yes, fabulous way to end the month!
@LegacySims2017
@miss_eulenauge
--
Update 152 - Befriending the locals
She stopped by the market area again to see if there was anything else useful for sale. The vendor told her that machetes were a must have when clearing the pathways of the jungle, since the foliage was so thick. She also mentioned how easy it was to lose them if you lost your grip on them, so she suggested buying some back ups, so Jules bought all three.
Once back home, Jules was in need of a shower.
"I was about to hop into the shower too, what a coincidence," Emmett said with a wry smile. "Looks like we'll have to shower together since there's just one..."
Jules was certainly not opposed
"I could get used to this," Jules said a bit breathlessly once they were done.
They got dressed and decided to explore the area some more.
"Oh my goodness, if you just aren't the cutest thing," Jules greeted a stray cat, eager to befriend any animal who came her way.
"Yep, that's my Jules..." Emmett thought and couldn't help but to smile.
After placing the cat back on the ground, they headed down to the docks, where Jules found yet another local cat who was obviously in need of some love too.
"Where did you get that laser pointer?" Emmett asked incredulously as Jules pulled one out of her pocket and began to play with the cat.
"I always carry one around just for moments like there," Jules admitted with a laugh.
They decided to try their hand at some fishing, and they were both successful.
Luckily neither seemed to notice this snake slithering on the surface of the water...
Jules grilled up the fish they had caught for dinner, and the enjoyed the stunning view as they ate.
And enjoyed a moment of romance.
As the sun set, they decided to stargaze, enjoying the slow pace of vacation life, loving that they had no where to be and they could simply enjoy each other's company.
They walked back through town on their way back, and Jules met yet another friend, a little chihuahua who just wanted to play.
And just when they were about to head back to their house, Jules spotted yet another cat.
"You're going to stop and pet every animal we find on this trip, aren't you?" Emmett asked.
"Absolutely," Jules told him. "Do you have a problem with that?" she added, raising an eyebrow as if inviting him to challenge her.
"No, no, of course not," he answered quickly, a smile on his lips. "But we should be heading back to the house now. There will be plenty of time for you to befriend all the animals tomorrow."
last update | Overview post&rules
Update 28- Bridgeview
Sarahs Diary
I have to lay down a bit. Go take a shower or whatever to get your head free!
Ugh. I really messed up... I know, it's hard in the little house with all the kids, and we didn't even plan to start a family together in the beginning, but it isn't easy for Sarah either.
And now the shower is broken, too...! Well, I guess I'm an adult after all, I'll repair it... Sarah might want to take a bath after the birth.
Kids! Breakfast is ready! You'll have to get ready for school alone, Mom needs my help. Mark and Sophia, can you help your siblings?
Poor Miles. I didn't like school either, but I guess without a degree I wouldn't be able to be a programmer...
Greg! Come here!
I'm really getting too old for this... And push!
I'd really like to call her Amelia. My dear little girl...
What's that?
We have twin girls!
Greg, would you like to choose her name?
Hm... You know, the first video game I ever wrote had a heroine called Rae. How about that?
I like that idea! How about Rachel? Rae can be her nickname...
Welcome, little Rachel, or Rae!
Amelia and Rae... Our two little girls...
We'll need help. A lot.
Little Clarification:
Blooper:
This guy really needed to sober up
Characters, Lot, Gallery
Gallery (Sims and houses): Hashtag #onemonthoneworldoneyear, Name "One Sim - Fam. Britton". My gallery name is Noctuara.
Kids: Sophia & Mark (Twins)
- Greg Britton - Greg is an adult who has a strong interest in Gaming and Computers and is quite a Geek. Unfortunately, he also is a bit slobby and mean. Due to his history, he is a bit troubled, has Bad Manners, is Irresponsible, Argumentative and Insensitive. But he can be nice as well... if he tries his best... (and I help him by x-ing out all his autonomous mean&mischievous interactions from the Parenthood traits) He was working in business, but hated it. So he enrolled for a Programming course and is now a freelance programmer listed with an agency. On the side, he participates in Novice Tournaments.
- Sarah Britton - Sarah on the other hand wants to be the best parent possible. She is very neat, good and loves being with her family. She found a job as Freelancer Artist to try and keep the two of them afloat.
- Sophia Britton - The firstborn, and the twin of Mark. She is a teenager already. She continues to prefer doing things alone, mostly being outside gardening.
- Mark Britton - The secondborn and the twin of Sophia. He is a teenager as well. He likes being outdoors at the river catching some fish, or taking a nap to recover after all the work fishing is.
- Miles Britton - The thirdborn. He is a child already. His fun-loving personality is overshadowed by some gloom, and he aims to uncover the secrets of simkind at his science table.
- Connor Britton - The fourthborn. He is a toddler at the moment, and is a very wild child full of energy.
others:Schedule (subject to change)
I am planning to play for 14 months, starting on the 1st of June with the Main Sim's toddler birthday. In May I will set up the rest of the family and play the Main Sim's baby stage. After that: 2 weeks as a toddler, 1 1/2 months as a child, 3 months as a teen, 3 months as a Young Adult, 3 months as an Adult and 3 months as an Elder for the Main Sim.
For all others, I will use these MCC settings, starting on 1st of June, so it roughly works. (Combined, the Teen, YA, Adult and Elder stages are exactly 365 days right now).
- Pregnany: 5 days
- Baby: 7 days
- Toddler: 14 days
- Child: 45 days
- Teen: 90 days
- Young Adult: 93 days
- Adult: 92 days
- Elder: 90 days
This might change when I get a feeling for the challenge. I will possibly extend this for a next Gen, or extend the YA and Adult stages, if I get Brindleton Bay and subsequent other worlds. And if I manage to stick around that long.I will start playing in Bridgeview (Newcrest) with a big family and the Baby No. 5 as main sim. I will move neighborhood each month, alternating the worlds. This starts as soon as the Main Sim turns teen.
I want to work on roughly two aspirations per month with my Main Sim, or, better said, on about 3 goal sets of the "Master Simmer" challenge to try and get all achievements - mainly because with my current packs there are 38 goal sets - 3,1666 per month. (See Rules).
I think with normal play, I'll never get there! But with so much time to stretch out the skilling, it might work. And it will definitely keep me from getting bored.
time zone: Berlin, Germany - EA Gallery ID: Noctuara
I also updated my June 1st Daily Post with this link. I stayed up way to late putting this together and need to get some sleep. I'll be back later with my Daily post for today along with comments/replies. Hope y'all have a wonderful day/night!
@Karababy52
The house looks great! I'm really excited to see you play this pack since it will be new and exiting for me, as someone who doesn't know the ins and outs of this specific pack. I like that you put that mother plant trophy up - I don't know why Jules never got one, can't find it in her inventory anywhere. I guess I could also use the hidden objects cheat to find it in BB though, kind of disappointed that I couldn't find it though.
Just looked through your slide show too, gorgeous, gorgeous home and you take such great shots too
To be honest, my masterpieces aren't selling for as much as I was led to believe they would on plopsy. People said that you can get up to $20,000 for them but mine have yet to go for even close to that high. I was a bit disappointed. I actually ran into a bit of financial issue with Jules and Emmett unfortunately, which I'll address in my update tomorrow. Wish I could have taken my garden on vacation lol, but unfortunately you can't access the family inventory with your plants while on a rental lot.
Have fun with the new GP. I decided I'm not gonna buy anything new for a while. I was gonna get EL, but since I'm going back to school next month, I decided against paying for a new pack since school is going to be pricey, and unfortunately I don't think I'll have the time to properly enjoy a new pack with a new busy schedule...but I'll tackle next month when it comes. For now, enjoying my very low key life this June
Jules and Emmett have just basically turned into Essa and Josh this vacation. They are enjoying any and every woohoo spot frequently
@SoulGal7
May 29 - University - WK 2 - Sunday - Make You Feel My Love - Part 3
Trigger Alert: Large Kleenex Box Needed
They entered the house and Wolfgang immediately grabbed two backpacks and some rope from the foyer and placed them near the kitchen table.
Wolfgang quickly took off his coat and went to the kitchen where he remembered seeing some wooden matches. He would grab those. And as Wolfgang went to grab the matches, he saw Sakura's favorite tea sitting on the shelf, and all at once Wolfgang was hit with an overwhelming sense of sadness.
Wolfgang: "River, what if we don't find her? I don't think I can go on if anything has happened to her. I know I hate the guy, but Kiyoshi helped me find Sakura when she disappeared. And now...he's up there with her..."
River: "Wolfgang, bro, you've got to remain strong. I don't want to have to slap you around, dude to snap you out of this, but I will...like...it would be for your own good...okay...so, stay focused! There are going to be others up there searching for them, too. We'll find her. Don't worry, dude, we are going to do this..."
Wolfgang: "You're right, River. I'm sorry, I just had a moment...a flashback..."
River: "Get those thoughts out of your head. I've got your back, dude..."
Wolfgang seemed to snap out of it and looked at River, "Right! Focus! This is just like camping, River. We were both Scouts, so you should know what to pack. Whatever we take needs to fit in these two backpacks. I am going to go upstairs and see if there's any more rope, and I think there's a flashlight up there...."
River: "Ok, that's more like it! I'll make some sack lunches...what do you want...peanut butter and jelly...or hummus and veggies...? Wolfgang? Wolfgang? Oh, never mind, I'll just make both types...and some apples...oh and all these canned drinks...yah...that'll work...Dang! these backpacks are getting heavy...oh man...maybe cans aren't such a good idea...ah geez...we're gonna die..."
Wolfgang headed up the stairs and walked towards the back bedroom and quickly looked for the extra rope and flashlight. He was about to leave the room when he turned back around and walked to the dresser and opened the top drawer. He took out a small box and opened the lid and looked at what was inside and then closed the box carefully and clenched the box in his hand.
As he was heading back downstairs, he thought he heard a noise coming from Sakura's room. As he drew closer to her door, he heard some heart-wrenching sobs. Sakura was crying. She was here! She hadn't gone on the mountain climb! She was safe! Wolfgang had never felt more happy, but something was wrong. His heart ached as he listened to her sobs.
Wolfgang knocked gently on the door, "Sakura...are you in there? It's me, Wolfgang. Are you okay? I thought...I thought you were going on the mountain summit climb with Kiyoshi..." Sakura didn't answer and all he heard were more sobs coming from behind the door.
He knocked softly again, "Sakura, please don't cry. I'm here for you...please come out and we can talk about this..." But still, all he heard were her sobs coming from behind the door. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked.
Something had happened...maybe Kiyoshi and Sakura had broken up or had a fight...or something else. And then he remembered what River had seen...oh my gosh...Sakura probably saw Kiyoshi kissing Kaori...oh no...poor Sakura. All Wolfgang wanted to do was to hold her in his arms and comfort her. But she wasn't coming out. He thought about Kiyoshi then and realized that Kiyoshi didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Sakura. It was time that Wolfgang did something about it.
Wolfgang quietly backed away from the door and went downstairs to the living room. He remembered seeing a guitar sitting there, and he picked it up. River saw Wolfgang carrying the guitar and gave him a questioning look. "She's here, River...she's safe...but she's upset..." Wolfgang said quietly, and he went up the stairs. Sakura still hadn't come out of her bedroom.
Wolfgang slung the guitar strap over his shoulder and whispered through the door, "This is for you, Sakura..."
(Wolfgang singing softly)
When the rain is blowing in your face,
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
Inside her bedroom, Sakura had stopped crying and dried her tears with the palms of her hands, "Oh my gosh! It's the song Wolfgang wrote for me...and he's singing it to me...what was that line...to make you feel my love?"
When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
Sakura listened to the words and thought, "Oh my gosh, Wolfgang does love me...he loves me..."
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong
She got up off the bed, and slowly opened the door, and Wolfgang looked at her and smiled and continued to sing to her. Sakura thought she saw tears in his eyes, too...
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love...
Sakura just looked at him...smiling...and tears were rolling down her cheeks.
Wolfgang put his guitar down and spoke softly: "Sakura, I love you. I have loved you for a long time. I'm not sure when I actually fell in love with you...maybe it was from the first moment we met...but I know I loved you when we wrote that song together for The Plumbobs to perform, and I know I loved you when I kissed you at the concert. I know I loved you when I found you after you disappeared, and I know I loved you when you woke up in the hospital. I wanted to tell you then, and I wanted to tell you before then. I've wanted to tell you so many times before, and I'm finally telling you now, "I love you, Sakura..."
Sakura took an intake of breath, "Oh Wolfgang, I love you too..."
Wolfgang didn't hesitate as he took Sakura in his arms and kissed her. He tasted the salty tears that ran down her cheeks, and smelled the jasmine scent she wore. He had waited so long to kiss her again, and the touch of her soft, warm lips on his, felt so right. Wolfgang wanted to dry her eyes and make her smile. He was the one who Sakura should be with. He was the only one who could make her happy. He didn't want to let her go. He stroked her hair and pulled her closer and she didn't resist. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and feel her warmth against him. Make her feel his love. He didn't want this to end. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to be with Sakura. He needed her in his life.
Sakura closed her eyes as Wolfgang kissed her. When their lips touched, it was like she was transported back in time to their kiss at the concert. Only this time, when he kissed her, it was with such tenderness that she felt like her heart was going to melt. Sakura felt her tears run down her cheeks, felt a warmth spread through her when he stroked her hair, and felt his love wash over her like a wave breaking on the shore. She had never felt like this before. Her heart felt so full of love...Wolfgang's love for her...and her love for him...and she knew...yes...she knew...this is where she belonged. With Wolfgang. And there was no-one else she wanted to be with.
As they gently pulled apart, Wolfgang took Sakura's hands in his, and looked into her eyes and whispered to her again, "I love you, sweet Sakura..."
River had climbed to the top of the stairs and had heard what Wolfgang said, "Yes! Finally!" he said out loud.
Wolfgang let go of Sakura's hands and went over to talk to River, "River, thanks...really thanks, bro...but I can take it from here...go on home..."
Wolfgang winked at Wolfgang, "You're the hero, bro..." River said and smiled at Sakura. "I just love you guys," he said as he turned and descended the stairs.
Wolfgang and Sakura heard River walk towards the front door, and before he left, they heard him shout, "Yes! I don't have to climb that friggin' mountain!"
(To Be Continued...)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
I am going to admit that I teared up over writing this and the next chapter, especially since I was listening to the song, "Make You Feel My Love" sung by Garth Brooks. I chose this song version, because this is how I pictured Wolfgang singing this song to Sakura.
Garth Brooks cover, "Make You Feel My Love", 1998.
I had actually written this chapter (minus the mountain rescue) to have Wolfgang profess his love on the Sunday after the party when he hears Sakura crying in her room, and wants to tell her he loves her, but she won't come out of her room. I realized I couldn't do this chapter then, because there were still too many loose ends to tie-up, and Sakura would not kiss Wolfgang and profess her love to him until she ended it with Kiyoshi.
Sakura still had her "drifting love" sad moodlet, and Wolfgang was suddenly hit with a sad moodlet from his gloomy trait. I couldn't believe these two. How were they going to get romantic with all this gloominess?
And the fist up punch up action by River at the top of the stairs was an autonomous action on River's part, and I laughed when I saw it, but it fit the story so well, so I used it in this chapter.
Since I am so long-winded in my writing, I had to cut these chapters into smaller bits. Hopefully I will have the next chapter up tonight or tomorrow at the latest. The next chapter will tie-up all those lose ends (except one - for a later chapter), and a surprise ending! So stay tuned.
@SoulGal7 Ooof... Need to buy more Kleenex...! This was a beautiful, heartwarming post. It felt so rewarding to finally see these two together. But how *dare* you tease us like that?
Great job! I can't even guess how much time goes into these updates. Just - Wow.
Everyone else - I read, sorry for not commenting. Your stories all are wonderful.
time zone: Berlin, Germany - EA Gallery ID: Noctuara
Bryons Diary
It was still early in the morning, but we were all ready to leave to Del Sol Valley. Or well, everyone except for Roo, lol.
Johnny, Jess and India waved us goodbye. Ah, I’m going to miss them.
(Johnny) “Call me sometimes or I’ll call you!! Don't you dare to forget me!”
(Jess) "He's not going to forget you. Nobody can ever forget someone like you."
(Johnny) "That's perfect!!"
Going from Strangerville all the way to Del Sol Valley took us 18 hours, but eventually we landed safely.
(the longest non-stop flight in the world is 18 hours)
I’m happy that I tried this ‘airplane experience’, but really? I prefer poofing myself around. Saves a lot of time.
Rene arranged an hotel room for tonight. One for me, Naoki, Roo and the kids, one for himself.
(Rene) “Your room is on the far end. Well then, I’ll be right here. Have a nice evening.”
(Naoki) “Are you really going to stay in your room all alone?”
(Rene) “I always stay in a room alone.”
(Naoki) “Here. Take Roo with you for tonight.”
(Rene) “Oh, I can’t possibly accept-“
(Naoki) “Accept. Please. I won’t feel at ease if I know you’re all alone.”
(Rene) “Well thank you, sir... I mean, Naoki.”
(Naoki) “Ahhh, that makes me happy!! Good evening to you too, Rene.”
The kids and I walked to our hotel room while Naoki talked with Rene some more.
(Bryon) “Whoa, did he pick the biggest room possible for us or something?”
(Naoki) “Haha, typical Rene.”
(Bryon) “I think you did good by giving Roo to Rene today. He must be pretty lonely.”
(Naoki) “Yeah.. A butler has to stay single and it’s best to not have any contact with family, so you’re always available. I feel bad for him... Like, when’s the last time he had a family holiday...? Does his family even know he still exists..? Back when I still lived at home, I tried to be the best family member I could be.”
(Bryon) “That’s so nice of you. So you're basically family to him?”
(Naoki) “Yeah, you could say that. He probably took better care for me and Hana than my own parents.”
Naoki rambled further about Rene and how awesome he is, but while he was doing that, I tucked the kids in bed.
(Bryon) “Tomorrow will be a busy day, so you have to sleep well, okay?”
(Alex) “Okay, daddy. Goodnight!”
(Bryon) “Good night.”
Naoki is still talking about Rene.
(Naoki) “I can’t wait to see Rene’s face when we poof our house over to the empty lot tomorrow!!”
(Bryon) “You’re such a goofball. You made it very clear that you have a special relationship with your butler. Come on, let's sleep."
Bryons Diary
The next morning we all had breakfast together.
(Naoki) “So, Rene. What’s the plan today?”
(Rene) “I’ll check us out after breakfast and then we’ll head over to the empty lot you requested. I still don’t know why you asked me to arrange that... But that's none of my business. After that, I was planning for you to have dinner with Duke and Duchess Saito. They accepted for you and Bryon to come.”
(Naoki) “Well, that surprises me... Will Hana be there too?”
(Rene) “Yes, she will be. I was rather surprised myself when they accepted right away, since they know Bryon is your husband.”
(Naoki) "If they start talking nonsense, I'm out. Just so you know."
(Rene) "Of course."
A few hours later, we stood in front of our empty lot. Time to shine!
(Bryon) “If you give me one second...”
(Rene) “...?”
Seconds later, there was our house.
(Rene) “Ehh... What... Just happened...?”
(Bryon) “I just happen to be a Spellcaster. I got our house from Strangerville and put it here. Naoki wanted to see your reaction when this would happen... And to be honest, I really wanted to fly once in my life.”
(Naoki) “It’s cool, right?!”
(Rene) “Naoki!!!! You really--”
Rene then gave Naoki a slap in the face.
(Rene) "--Work on my nerves sometimes!!"
(Bryon) "You deserved that."
(Naoki) “Yeah... I did. Sorry Rene.”
(Rene) “Good.”
Rene immediately got his 'cool' back. Whoa, he's a good butler.
(Rene) “Anyways. Since your house... Has arrived... Would you like to unpack before traveling to the Saito household?”
(Naoki) “Yes. We’ll be ready before dinner.”
(Rene) “Of course. You can unpack while I'm going back to the mansion to report your arrival.”
(Rene) “I’ll be back this evening. Have a nice day unpacking. Oh, and be sure to not leave your kids on the streets. It can he dangerous... With all the limousines driving around here.”
(Bryon) “Did he just say limousines?”
(Naoki) “Yup. Come on, let’s get the kids off the streets and start unpacking!!”
June 2
Week 5 Thursday
There is also a secret that Mia has not uncovered yet.
Whatever is happening with Jess, everyone treats as a normal thing and just ignore her “eccentricities”, as they call it. “Mom is just being eccentric again.”
They hired two services to get started – a recurring maid and a caterer to stock the fridge. At this point, I did not realize how well Dylan could cook.
Jess wanders the streets for about an hour.
Then she comes back to herself and goes for a jog. That is what she was doing to begin with {wink}.
The boys are working on skills for school. They wouldn’t stay in bed so they might as well doing something productive.
Mia distracts Hugo from the cooking, and then he leaves. Three unfinished meals.
This is when I figure out Dylan is a good cook. He is able to complete all three unfinished meals, and then he continues to cook until he masters cooking. He also spent the entire day cooking as everyone else went to school or work. It was quiet all day.
Everyone comes home at the same time. Time to get busy on specific requirements. I am still juggling a whole lot of sims.
Cooking mastered and now he starts on gourmet cooking. He also went ahead and found a job in the Culinary career field and he changed his aspiration to Master Chef. Working with what you got.
Mia earned an A in school and she earned her last Drama Club promotion. She promptly quits the drama club because having that every afternoon is even more annoying than having scouts on the weekend.
She sets out her Drama Club trophy and heads inside to complete her homework.
Mia’s childhood friend, Elsa comes over to visit and so does Skye. She wanted to make sure Mia was getting settled and meet the Sigworths. If only she knew their secrets.
And that is another day completed. Everyone goes to bed and Skye heads home.
Fuming internally, Marnie led Jaz to the bus, and then sat beside the silent youngster all the way to Newcrest.
Jaz wasn’t quiet because she was being polite or giving Marnie her space. In fact, that wouldn’t have even occurred to her. She was quiet because she was terrified. She had no idea how this was going to work. All she really knew was what Marnie had told her the night before, that she would be with Marnie during the visit today, and that after that, she would be on her own. Colin had made going to the therapist sound like it was a normal, easy-to-do thing, but she was still scared. And just how long was she going to have to continue to go?? Marnie hadn’t exactly said. The more Jaz worried, the more she came up with to worry about. And still the bus ride continued on…
By the time they got to the correct bus stop, Jaz’s stomach was wound in tight knots, and she was oblivious to anything Marnie might say. The best she could do was just follow along, and hope that would be enough. The walk from the bus stop to the Therapist-place (Jaz had no idea what to call it, she hadn’t exactly been told that part…) helped to clear her mind a little, and by the end of it, she was able to look around her with curiosity.
The neighborhood looked nothing like the ones she’d ever seen, even the rich neighborhood that Colin lived in in Willow Creek didn’t look like this.
Marnie turned down a sidewalk to get to the “Mental Health Center” (there was a sign out front that Jaz could clearly read), and Jaz followed, her eyes wide. She’d never, ever seen a building like this. She’d never thought a building like this COULD exist. Trees that looked like lollipops and wood and concrete that came together to form something that seemed completely fantastical.
Breathless, Jaz followed Marnie inside, and watched as she hung up her winter gear and headed to talk to the guy at the desk. Assuming she was supposed to follow suit, Jaz hung up her coat and followed Marnie to some couches in an expansive, hard to believe room.
Nervously, she fidgeted and tried to find a comfortable spot to sit, trying hard to take it all in. Feeling a disapproving glare from Marnie, Jaz finally settled on a spot next to Marnie, and tried not to look as afraid and overwhelmed as she felt.
The guy from the desk headed over towards them, and it wasn’t until just then that Jaz noticed he was wearing a robe. Confused, Jaz glanced at Marnie, but Marnie seemed unfazed.
“You’re here to see Dr. Fleming, right?” the man said, and Marnie nodded. “Good, just head up those stairs over there, and wait at the couches at the top. She should be finishing up with her last client and be right out to get you.”
Marnie immediately stood up and looked at Jaz as if trying to hurry her up, leaving Jaz with no option but to follow her and try to ignore the fact that the man’s pleasant tone was completely overshadowed by the frown on his face. Jaz wondered briefly if they were doing something wrong, but Marnie was already headed up the stairs, and Jaz certainly didn’t want to be left down here all alone with a grumpy man in a robe, so she hurried to catch up to her mother.
Marnie was already sitting down when Jaz finally got to the top of the stairs, goggling at the plants that seemed to be everywhere, and the water running in fountains. Marnie patted the couch beside her, and Jaz, relieved to finally have a real direction, quickly sat down where she had indicated.
“The doctor should be out in a minute,” Marnie said, almost seeming to reassure Jaz.
“Doctor?” wondered Jaz to herself.. she thought she was here to see a therapist. Was a therapist a doctor, too? Confused, she thought about asking Marnie, but just then the door in front of them opened.
A lady in a teal dress walked out, full of confidence, and sat down opposite them.
“Hi, I’m Gemma Fleming, are you here with Jazmyn Malone?” she started, pleasantly.
“Yes. This is Jaz,” Marnie replied. “We were referred by Willow Creek Hospital to you. Apparently they think something’s wrong with her – in the head – because she keeps skipping class to go to the bathroom at school.”
Marnie started to say something else, but the woman suddenly chuckled, raising her hands to stop Marnie, “Whoa, whoa. First things first. I’d like to get to know you guys a little bit before we get to why you’re here!” Jaz merely looked at her in wonder. Nobody interrupted Marnie. But the doctor seemed not to notice, looking straight at Jaz and continuing with her introduction.
“As I said, my name is Gemma Fleming. You’re welcome to call me Gemma, or Dr. Fleming, if you feel more comfortable with that. Today, we’re just here to get to know you a little bit better.”
“Excuse me, DR. Fleming,” Marnie said, “Can we just get this over with? I just want to settle what’s wrong with Jaz and go home. I have chores to take care of and kids to watch at home. I don’t have time for this “getting to know you” business.”
“Oh, dear. Mrs. Malone, we’re not here for you. We’re here for Jaz. I’m afraid you’ll just have to be patient.” Gemma said, interrupting Marnie again.
This time, to Jazmyn’s surprise, Marnie shut her mouth, and allowed the woman to continue.
“How about we start by going into my office?” Seeming to assume they were following, Gemma stood up and opened the door once again, waiting for them to go ahead of her.
Jazmyn followed, and sat in the chair indicated, wondering what was next.
“Now, Jazmyn, I imagine you’re pretty confused. First, the school sends you to a doctor, then to me. They seem to be concerned that you’re missing the same class everyday. Can you explain?” Gemma began, looking directly at Jaz, instead of Marnie.
“Well, I have to go to the bathroom.” Jaz mumbled, wondering if she was going to get into trouble again.
“Every day? At the same time? Can’t you go at another time?”
Sheepishly, Jaz replied, “Well, I can’t go at lunchtime. That’s when they said I’m supposed to go, but I can’t. Benji said I could ask for a hall pass to go. I didn’t know I was going to get into trouble for it.”
“Benji?” Gemma asked.
“My brother.” Jaz explained.
“Ah. Is there a reason you keep asking in the same class? Do you not like that class?”
“It has nothing to do with the class.” Jaz replied, defensively, “I HAVE an A. I just have to go to the bathroom. I can’t hold it all day.”
“Why would you need to hold it all day?” Gemma asked.
“Because I can’t go with people in there. The girls make fun of me because I went to the wrong bathroom the first day of school. I didn’t know there even WAS a “right” bathroom.” Jaz replied.
“Ah. So, you’re afraid they’ll make fun of you again?”
“I guess.” Jaz paused, and Gemma seemed to be waiting for her to continue, so she blurted out, “I don’t know. Why are there different bathrooms? And why is it wrong that I don’t want to go with other people there?”
Gemma suddenly broke into a silvery laugh. “Oh, dear, Jaz. Did you not know that boys and girls have separate bathrooms?”
“Nobody told me that. I mean, I know which one to use now, but I still don’t like it.” Jaz said petulantly.
“Why don’t you like using the girl’s bathroom?” Gemma asked, tipping her head curiously.
“I don’t know. It just feels wrong. We all use the same one at home. Why can’t we do that at school?”
Suddenly, Marnie broke into laughter. “‘Feels wrong’? What on earth is this nonsense. You’re a girl. So you go to the girl’s bathroom. It’s just the way it is.”
Glaring at Marnie, Jaz blurted out, “Well, maybe I don’t want to be a girl. Most of them are mean.”
Marnie laughed even harder, “You don’t get a choice, honey. It’s what you were born with. Deal with it.”
Breaking back into the conversation, Gemma very firmly said, “Mrs. Malone, I beg to differ. Just because you’re born a girl doesn’t mean you are one. And it doesn’t give you the right to laugh at Jaz.”
Jaz looked at Gemma in wonder, speechless. What did she mean by that? The news that she didn’t have to be a girl if she didn’t want to and the fact that Gemma had dared to both interrupt Marnie again and tell her not to laugh was utterly mind-blowing.
Marnie, on the other hand, just laughed harder. “Of course it means you’re a girl. What else could you be? You can’t just decide to change your gender on a whim.”
“I said nothing about whims, ma’am. However, there’s a thing called gender dysphoria. Some people feel they’re born into the wrong body. Perhaps it’s something we need to explore with Jaz.”
“I really don’t like your tone, Dr. Fleming. Are you saying Jaz is really a boy? How ridiculous is that?!” Marnie exclaimed, her voice rising and laughter stopping abruptly.
“No, I didn’t say that. I simply said it’s for Jaz to figure out and decide on their own. For now, however, I need to wrap up this session. I have another patient coming soon. Will next Tuesday work for you for the next appointment for Jaz?” Gemma’s bravery in standing up for Jaz had not gone un-noticed by the youngster, who was still silent, but watching Gemma carefully.
“Yes, next Tuesday is fine. Although – why do we have to do another session? What if I just don’t bring her??” Marnie asked, still on the defensive.
“Because the school requires that we find out what’s going on with Jaz. Not bringing her would probably result in possible action against you or Jaz.” Gemma stated matter-of-factly, then turned abruptly to Jaz. “Are you okay, Jaz? Here’s my card – I have my home number on it in case you ever need someone to talk to and you can’t wait for next week, okay?” Her voice was gentle, and friendly, and she reached onto the table in front of them, and pulled out a small card to hand to Jaz.
“Yeah. I’m okay. I think.” Jaz replied, taking the card quietly and holding it tightly.
“We’ll talk more next week, okay, Jaz?” Gemma said with a smile, then turned towards Marnie, the smile disappearing. “Without your mother.”
“We’ll see about that.” Marnie muttered under her breath and stomped towards the door, assuming Jaz would follow.
“It was very nice to meet you, Jaz.” Gemma said, again ignoring Marnie completely. She held out a hand to Jaz, who shook it in wonder. This was the first adult who’d ever given her the respect of a hand shake… and Jaz was not altogether sure of how to take it.
“Thanks.” was all Jaz could think to say, then turned and hurried after Marnie, the card gripped possessively in her hand.
They collected their winter clothes, and walked back the the bus stop in silence. Not a pleasant silence, but silence none-the-less.
Jaz was lost in her own thoughts, and the argument Marnie had with the school on the phone while they rode the bus back to Oasis Springs was completely lost on her. Otherwise, she would have known that even the school seemed to be standing up for her, telling Marnie in no uncertain terms it was this or suspension. Furious, Marnie arrived home and started rage cleaning the house.
Everyone else fended for themselves for the night. Brett discovered the popcorn machine, and is clearly a fan. Benji called his girlfriend and spent hours on the phone with her.
Bennie cooked some hot dogs on his new grill for dinner, but was a bit late on that idea.
Braydon had also discovered the popcorn machine, but was far less enthused by it.
Finally, everyone headed to bed in their own beds, content by the new anti-monster lights.
I now stream the Sims 4 on Twitch!
My Discord Server - A place to discuss my challenges, or the Sims in general
Notes
Update
Essa's wardrobe updates! Formal, Swimwear and Cold Weather are not depicted since the only thing that changed with those is her new hairstyle. I think she looks a bit older now. What do you think? Anyway, on with the story...
Once they had settled into their new home, Essa called around to see about getting Frank an Agent. No one seemed very interested in a robot comedian just yet. But given more time, practice and a few auditions under his belt, Essa and Josh believed he'd be a big hit in this town. However, Essa herself did get an agent. Once she gave her name and they realized who she was, The Hero of StrangerVille, she had agents all over town clamoring to represent her.
She chose the G.R.A.N. Talent Agency purely because the lead agent, Goldie Ruthfield, seemed very friendly and extremely compassionate to newcomers. The agency immediately found a gig for her with an audition tomorrow. Josh had re-enlisted in the Military for a short term and was stationed at a local base.
He was given his own office and mostly had free rein to do whatever he wanted, including keeping his long hair this time. He was told these privileges were given to him because he himself was also a Hero for battling the Mother with Essa. His first day on base was today.
Frank and Essa practiced scenes together and she listened and gave critique on his routines before he needed to do a self-repair. Essa went into town and got a new cut and style, along with a few new outfits. She wanted a fresh start here with a new look. Back home, Frank was still charging himself in the foyer, so Essa practiced acting while waiting for Josh to return.
Around dinner time Josh returned home from base. It had been a long day, but he was in extremely good spirits. Everyone welcomed him with open arms and wanted to hear the story of how he and Essa defeated the Mother. He was happy to do so, but after telling the story numerous times, he was relieved to be back home.
(I love Josh has his long hair back, but I think he looked more like a soldier with the shorter hair. The long hair just looks out of place with that uniform. Oh well. He's keeping it!
Essa welcomed her soldier home the best way she knew how, with a loving kiss.
"Wow, now that's what I call a great welcome home."
"I can think of something even better though, if you get my drift Beautiful."
"Oh believe me Babe, I know what your drift is by now."
Of course they had to christen the new bed! The couple had been too busy moving in and making career arrangements to have any time for sleep or 'other' activities, so this was their first time in their new home.
Later, they went to the kitchen for a late dinner.
"Why are you eating a soggy ham and cheese sandwich? I'm a gourmet chef, you love my food."
"You took the last serving of Super Salad, there's nothing else prepared in the fridge."
"Really? Wow, that went fast."
"Would you make some more for us? I'd make it myself, but yours is so much better!"
"Hmm, well, I don't know. It's been a long day and I'm tired. So, nah, I don't think so."
"Oh come on Josh, you know you love to cook, please?"
"However...I will make Chicken Stir Fry instead. How's that sound?"
"Oh you're such a tease! But cool, sounds great! Thanks Babe. I'll clean up. Hey, once you're out of the military again, maybe you could be a famous Chef, open your own school or a restaurant!"
"Maybe, but I'd rather cook just for you. I already went the Chef route once. It was fun, but been there, done that."
"Ah, okay, I get that. It's just like with me and painting. I'd rather do it on my own time whenever the mood inspires instead of feeling like it's a chore I'm obligated to do every day."
"I knew you'd understand."
"I am so nervous about the audition tomorrow."
"You've practiced every day for numerous hours since we got here. You'll do fine."
"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm getting a headache from staring in the mirror at myself all day."
"But how do I know I can do this, if I have any talent. I've never tried anything like this before."
"Well Beautiful, you didn't know how to battle an alien monster plant either, but you did. You didn't think you were good enough to get into University, but you did and graduated with a Distinguished Degree in Fine Arts, WITH Honors. You had no idea how to be a Spellcaster but you're now the fourth most powerful one in the entire world. Shall I go on?"
"Yeah, that's all true, but I didn't have to act to do all that stuff. I just did those things as myself, the real me. I've never acted before or tried to be someone I'm not."
"Hmm, I beg to differ Beautiful, or should I say Tessa, or Vanessa. You've got more experience than anyone I know pretending to be someone you're not. And you did it every day for years!"
"That's different though."
"Is it? I don't think so, you've got acting skills few would have I'd say. You lived the 'part.' That kind of experience has to count for something, right?"
"You have a good point. I guess I do have some acting experience. Maybe I can do this."
"I know you can Beautiful. Never a doubt in my mind."
"I will never get over how supportive and encouraging you are. You're always there for me, right there by my side, lifting me up whenever I need it."
"I believe in you Beautiful, I always have and I always will. And you know there's a very good reason why. I love you and I know you'll be the best actress this town has ever seen, maybe even the world. Believe in yourself Beautiful, you can do anything when you set your mind to it! You've proven it time and time again. This is just one more thing to conquer and you'll do it with flying colors! Trust me!"
@sassytxbrat I like how you're starting to build your own story around the Strangerville mystery!
@Skeilah
And there's their good old house! You do save yourself a lot of stress each month by just moving their house to each new world haha. LOL BE SURE NOT TO LEAVE YOUR KIDS IN THE STREETS. Good advice for anywhere you live haha. Excited to see your plans for the rest of this month. Gonna be great meeting all of Naoki's family finally!
@SoulGal7
The rain did not stop Jules from making a new friend though.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny though, so they decided to head out to the jungle and explore, bringing their camping and survival gear with them since they had heard that a proper trek into the jungle could take a few days.
The view near the trailhead was simply stunning.
Just as the vendor in the marketplace had warned her, the paths were rather overgrown with thick vines, so Jules took out her machete and began to hack away at them.
"Nice work," Emmett told her as the path cleared and they stepped through the archway.
They continued along a trail, reaching a long wooden draw bridge. "It looks stable enough," Emmett noted, giving it a good shake, and he took Jules' hand, helping her up onto the surface as they carefully walked across.
The vendor had also told Jules that there was lot of treasure out in the jungle still in need of excavation, so if she happened to dig anything up, she could bring it back into town and the local museum would compensate her for her discoveries.
While Jules dug in a promising spot, Emmett explored the ruins around them. The view of the falls tumbling down the ruins took his breath away.
As soon as Jules joined him, he found himself in a rather flirty mood. (They took off their hats since I couldn’t see their faces well. They were cute for a few screenshots though)
"Uh, oh, I know that look," Jules said with a grin as he pulled away. "But we're a little exposed out here, don't you think? I haven't seen anyone around, but still, seems rather risky..."
Emmett might be as much of a horn dog as Josh lol. "Well, this bush is rather large and private, don't you think? I think we owe it to ourselves to give it a try..."
Who can argue with that logic?
The bush was indeed vacant, so Jules joined him enthusiastically.
"Gotta give you credit for that idea," said Jules, grinning over his shoulder as they checked to make sure the coast was clear before exiting the bush.
And with that, they continued their trek into the jungle.
---
Decided to break this update into two parts just since I did get so many photos, so the rest of their day of exploring will be for tomorrow
And daaaaanngggg, these bills kicked me in the bum 😩 I totally thought Jules be more financially stable by this point in the challenge, but somewhere during April I messed up keeping track of her funds after she moved in with Dell and Sofia and then I ended up giving Della and Sofia a lot of the money from their household when they moved out since I figured Jules had too much money anyway, but I just haven't quite made up for it since then. Usually it wouldn't be an issue, but having to pay for a rental and getting slammed with bills like these will make Jules go broke pretty soon if I keep her in the jungle for another billing cycle. I need her garden to really start bringing in the cash again so they'll be heading home by the end of the week so Jules can access her garden again. The masterpieces selling on plopsy are unfortunately not as reliably high as I'd hoped. Part of this challenge is adjusting when necessary, so I'll make it all fit into the story - they'll still spend at least 3 more days for this trip here though, I've already paid for the rental through then
Notes
Josh put away the Chicken Stir Fry and went outside to check out a broken fountain in one of the pottery jars perched on the edge of the pool.
Essa went to bed to get some rest before her first audition in the morning.
(Alright, let's think about this a moment. The previous owner said it was working when they left. Why isn't it working now?)
(Oh, I've got it! Maybe. Could it be that simple? Let's find out.)
(Yes! Just as I thought. The valve was simply turned off along with the other water valves in the house. It just got overlooked when we turned everything on again.)
(That was way too easy!)
*Honestly it wasn't easy! Took a lot of fiddling around, but I finally got a flowing fountain to appear as if water is pouring out of that jar into the pool again! Yay!
Josh went inside feeling very confident in himself and decided to try giving some orders to Frank. He needed to do that as part of his job to get a promotion. Frank was always willing to help him out without question.
"Atten-TION!"
"Now drop and give me 20."
"I.am.at.your.command.creator.However.I.do.not.have.20.dollars."
"What I said means 20 push-ups in military speak."
"Thank.you.for.explaining.your.command.I.will.comply."
"...15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Very good Frank. Thank you. You are dismissed."
"Affirmative.I.will.recharge.My.batteries.are.low."
"Good idea Frank."
"I.would.like.to.hug.you.first.creator.You.make.me.happy."
"Aww, Frank, you make me happy too! You're such a good sport! I'm glad you understand my stern voice is just the way commands are given. It's nothing personal."
"Affirmative.I.understand.creator."
"Frank, please call me Josh, okay?"
"I.would.enjoy.addressing.you.by.your.first.name.Thank.you.Josh."
Frank powered down to recharge himself and Josh settled down in Essa's rocking chair to knit a black pouf for his office. After finishing it, he started on a purple/teal rug for Essa's office to replace the teal/pink one in the sitting area. Time passed as he relaxed, enjoying the silence. Then he heard something in the other room.
(Is that...singing?)
(Oh, Essa's up. Must be more time has gone by than I realized. She's singing in the shower. Cool, I'm glad she's feeling good.)
After breakfast and taking care of the garden, Josh asked Essa if she'd like to take a soak before he went to work and she to her audition. Frank was again telling jokes. He was one determined robot!
"Are you excited?"
"Oh yeah, but still nervous. Maybe I'm too excited. I can't relax. I thought this soak would help, and it does. But I'm still all keyed up. Maybe that's a good thing?"
"Sure, excitement's a good thing, but being relaxed, with a calm mind is good too."
"I know something very relaxing we could do. If you want to. We have time anyway."
*Get yourself someone that looks at you the way Josh looks at Essa. He is so smitten with her. Literally!
"Any time, anywhere, remember?"
"Oh Beautiful, I knew you'd say that. I will always remember those words. Turns me on just thinking about them."
"I am still so nervous and I don't..."
"Shhh, no thinking, no words, just relax and enjoy the moment. I love you Beautiful."
Josh leaned forward and gave Essa a soft, tender loving kiss that grew into something much deeper as they slowly sank below the surface of the water.
"Mmmm, I feel like a cat that's lapped up all the cream."
"Oh Gawd, Beautiful don't talk like that, we don't have time for round two. Though I wish we did."
"Me too, but yeah, we better go get ready. I'll call you and let you know how it went, okay?"
"You better, I'll be waiting. I already know it'll go wonderful though. Break a leg!"
"What? Why would I want to...oh, I get it, superstition to say...I won't say it." Essa laughed and Josh joined her as they got out of the Hot Tub and went inside to prepare for the day.
Okay, I was hoping I'd have time to do some comments/replies, but I've stayed up way later than I should've. Comments on your posts will come late this afternoon/early evening. I hope y'all understand. As always, have a great day/night!
June 3
Week 5 Friday
Except Mia. Mia knows this is not normal. What the frell is going on here?
Since Mia has an A in school, she calls and takes a day of vacation on Friday. She wants to check out the town and talk to some of the locals.
After Jess comes out of her weirdness, she and Dylan work on improving their social and fun needs. Since Dylan is snipped, there won’t be any surprise babies.
After accosting the only scientist she could find walking the streets, Mia heads over to the library to do some research. She meets lots of interesting people there.
After hearing out the weirdo at the curio stand, she decides to go check it, him, out.
She bought something from him and then she gave him a picture she drew as a child. He wasn’t impressed and it didn’t help her out any. Today is Love Day and that is completely not on her radar yet. So the holiday is just going to suck for everyone. Maybe next year she will be in a place to enjoy Love Day.
He mentioned the old lab outside of town and since she still has time before she has to be home, she heads out to see what it looks like. She found a locked door and snooped through lots of stacks of paper, and then with nothing else she could do here, she headed back home.
Or rather, she went back to the library. She realized she was going to be late home, so she decided to go to the library so she could use that as an excuse. She wasn’t ready to let anyone know she was looking into Jess’s weirdness just yet.
Of course, they all knew she didn’t go to school, but since she has an A and took the day off legitimately, they couldn’t scold her for skipping. It was a rough day for the rest of the household though. Maybe they aren’t getting enough sleep.
This is just so wrong. Jonah and Hugh wake up from the monsters again – and there is a night light in their room. Since today was Friday, no one did anything on their homework. They will have plenty of time over the weekend to get everything done. Also, on a good note, all of the kids came home with improved grades today (C to
Sakura heard what River had shouted and looked at Wolfgang: "What was that about?"
Wolfgang: "Sakura, when I left the Olympic competition, I went to a bar, and while I was there, someone came rushing in and said there was an avalanche on the mountain summit climb and some climbers were trapped. And, I thought...I thought it was you and Kiyoshi...and I just came back here because I was getting supplies and River and I were going to climb the mountain and rescue you. I realized that I couldn't go on anymore unless you were in my life..."
Sakura looked at him in awe: "Oh my gosh, Wolfgang...you were going to climb the mountain...because you thought it was me up there?"
Wolfgang: "Yes, Sakura, I didn't want to lose you again. I don't want to ever lose you again..."
Sakura felt her eyes begin to water.
Sakura: "Oh Wolfgang...I told Kiyoshi I couldn't go on the mountain summit climb with him. I told him I wasn't the same girl who had gone with him all those months ago. I had changed. Things had changed between us. And he...he didn't love me. He's never told me he loved me. I thought he did, but I'm just not sure if he ever really had. I still care for him, but we...we broke up. And I was ready to face things alone..."
Wolfgang: "Oh Sakura, I am so in love with you. And you don't have to face things alone. I am here for you. And I don't care if you are pregnant with Kiyoshi's baby, I want to be with you. You're the only one I've ever wanted to be with..."
Sakura looked at Wolfgang: "Pregnant? What are you talking about? I'm not pregnant!"
Wolfgang looked confused, "But the letter...that photo...the um...ultrasound photo...I saw them...and I just thought...you and Kiyoshi...that you were..."
Sakura shook her head, "Oh Wolfgang....no...that's Kaori's ultrasound photo. Not mine. She is pregnant, not me..."
Wolfgang: "She's pregnant with Kiyoshi's baby?"
Sakura took a deep breath, "Yes....Kiyoshi...Kiyoshi cheated on me with Kaori at the camp...and they..."
Wolfgang: "Shhh...it's alright...you don't have to tell me...I know. I heard it for the first time today at the bar from the mother of one of the Olympic team members. Her daughter had told her about Kiyoshi and Kaori at the camp..."
Sakura wiped some tears away, "Oh gosh...I am so embarressed...it seems everyone knew but me... Kiyoshi told me the night of my pre-birthday party when we got back to my house. I was devastated. I think it was over between us that night, but I was trying to forgive him because he had come all that way to search for me. I felt I had to give him a chance...but I just couldn't get that image of Kiyoshi and Kaori out of my head...and I've been struggling with my emotions about this since then..."
Wolfgang:"Why didn't you tell me?"
Sakura: "I couldn't tell you something like that. I was just too embarrassed. I felt betrayed. I felt like there was something wrong with me...I just didn't understand why it had happened...and I felt so hurt. I just never expected something like that to happen, and I felt he had lied to me about how he had felt about me."
Wolfgang felt her pain and went to Sakura and held her in his arms, "I'm sorry he hurt you, Sakura. I will never do that...I will never break your heart...I don't want to be with anyone else...Sakura...I will always be true to just you. And I'm not just saying that...I mean it. From my heart, I mean it. I'm not like him..." he said as he caressed her hair.
Sakura: "Oh Wolfgang...and when I got the ultrasound photo in the mail...I was so upset...and I had to relive all the pain of what they had done at the camp over again. I thought that Kaori had sent that to me to hurt me, or that maybe it was fake. And the more I thought about it, the more I knew I couldn't be with Kiyoshi anymore, because I would always be reminded of what happened at that camp, and I would always feel like I was just not good enough for him. And then I figured out that Kaori had sent that to me because she wanted me to talk to Kiyoshi and tell him that she was expecting..."
Wolfgang: "Why would she do that? Why didn't she just tell him herself?"
Sakura: "Because when Kiyoshi went back to the camp, he cut off all ties with Kaori, ignored her and wouldn't talk to her. He was trying to be faithful to me, and so Kaori knew that Kiyoshi wanted to be with me, and that is why she sent that ultrasound photo to me. For me to talk to Kiyoshi and let him know that she was expecting. Kiyoshi told me that he wanted to...he wanted to...oh gosh this is hard...Wolfgang, he wanted to take me up to the mountain with him and ask me to marry him. He wanted to rekindle a feeling that we once had there. I didn't know any of this...
But after you left, Kaori had her competition run, and she had a pretty bad accident, and I saw how Kiyoshi was so concerned for her, and I saw how he looked at her, and I knew he was in love with Kaori. He was going to marry me, even though he was in love with Kaori because he didn't want to hurt me anymore. I know it sounds so crazy, but maybe he wanted to marry me out of guilt...I don't know..."
Wolfgang: "So, that all happened after I left..."
Sakura: "Yes, and when you left, I felt like a piece of my heart was leaving with you. And I was so in love with you Wolfgang, and I thought that you only loved me as a friend."
Wolfgang: "Oh Sakura...I just couldn't stay...I couldn't see Kiyoshi kiss you...I couldn't bear to see you with him...and so I went to a bar, and I was going to get drunk and try to obliterate everything...try to forget you...but I couldn't...I cared too much about you...loved you too much..."
Sakura: "And so, I had brought the ultrasound photo with me, and when Kaori was alright, I gave it to her, so that she could tell Kiyoshi herself. And Kiyoshi told me he wanted to be with Kaori, and I was the one who broke it off with him. When he came over Saturday night, I realized that I didn't love him anymore...didn't want to be with him anymore...had felt like that for awhile. I thought I had loved him once, but maybe it was just gratitude for helping me with the mountain summit climb. I released him so he could be with Kaori. And when I left there, I felt so alone because I...I knew I had fallen in love with you. And I have been fighting my feelings for you, even though I knew in my heart that you were the only one who I have ever really been in love with."
Wolfgang: "Oh Sakura...River had seen Kiyoshi and Kaori kissing after the medal presentations and told me, and I was so angry, because I thought Kiyoshi was cheating on you. And then when I heard what had happened at the camp between Kiyoshi and Kaori...what Kiyoshi had done...you have no idea what I would have done to him if he had been standing in front of me. I was so angry that he had hurt you like that and had betrayed your trust."
Sakura: "I didn't stay for the medal presentations. I have forgiven Kiyoshi for what happened at the camp. I am happy that Kiyoshi will be with someone he loves, because I know that Kaori loves him. But I was just sad for everything that had happened over these past months, and I didn't want to be there anymore. I came back here, and it felt so empty without you. And I just felt so sad...and all alone..."
Wolfgang held Sakura in his arms, "Oh Sakura...all these secrets...all this pain you had to endure...I wish I could make it all go away. You know, when I saw that ultrasound photo, I thought that you and Kiyoshi had been together the night of your pre-birthday party..."
Sakura shook her head, "No, we weren't"
Wolfgang: "No?:
Sakura: "We've never been together "that" way..."
Wolfgang held her close to him, "Oh Sakura...I have been such a fool...I have wanted to tell you for so long that I loved you, but I was...I was too nervous...or afraid of what you would do because you were still with Kiyoshi...I'm so sorry it took me this long to tell you I loved you. I had wanted to tell you last Saturday when we were going to be alone together, but then River came...and the party..."
Sakura: "You did tell me last Saturday..."
Wolfgang: "What? I did?"
Sakura: "Yes, you told me at the party that you loved me...and then you passed out...and you didn't remember the next day..." she said as she looked at him, "...And then the next morning after the party...you told me that whatever you had said at the party you hadn't meant...and so I thought that you had only meant that you loved me as a friend...not something more..."
Wolfgang shook his head. Now he knew what had happened that night. "Sakura, I'm here now and I'm not going to pass out and I am going to remember saying I love you to the woman I want to be with. All of this has been a big misunderstanding. I do love you as my friend...my best friend...but I want more than to be just friends...I want to be with you...forever..."
Sakura: "Wolfgang, I want to be with you...forever, too..."
Wolfgang took Sakura in his arms then and kissed her tenderly.
They broke apart. Wolfgang looked at Sakura and saw the look of desire in her eyes. Sakura desired Wolfgang, and...oh my plumbobs...Wolfgang desired her, too. They had waited so long to be together...and Wolfgang felt such passion when he looked at her, but he restrained himself. He wanted to take this slow. He wanted to remember this night with Sakura as something special. And Wolfgang knew this was the right moment.
Wolfgang: "So...does this mean I can ask you on a date now?"
Sakura smiled: "Oh Wolfgang, I think we are waaaaay past the dating stage"
Wolfgang: "Really?"
Sakura looked at him intently: "Really..."
Wolfgang: "Gee, that's too bad...because I was thinking of taking you on a date to a place where we could be alone together..."
Sakura: "Oh...? Well you know...maybe I could be persuaded to change my mind..."
Wolfgang: "Mmmmm....I am going to start working on that right now..." he said as he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.
Sakura said breathlessly: "I think it's working..."
Wolfgang looked longingly at her: "This is going to be a date to remember..." he said as he carried her into the bedroom.
Wolfgang gently set Sakura down in the bedroom and kissed her again.
He took his shirt off and Sakura noticed a heart tattoo on his arm.
Sakura: "Wolfgang, I never noticed that heart tattoo on your arm before. What does it say?"
Wolfgang looked deeply into her eyes, "It says...I love Sakura..."
I think we will just close the door now and leave these two lovebirds alone.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Since I don't use pose packs, I actually had Wolfgang propose to Sakura to get the "carry" pose. I took screenshots of the proposal, but then later decided that this was just not the romantic place that I wanted Wolfgang to propose to Sakura. Especially after all the revelations of the past few months, the chapter was already long enough. Plus, they needed to spend some time together first as a couple. So, I changed that. But I did want Wolfgang to carry Sakura off to the bedroom with him for their very first woohoo together. So, exited without saving after that, but, went back in and had them woohoo. So, now they have their official woohoo in the file.
But, don't worry, Wolfgang has plans to propose to Sakura. That's one thing I can say for Wolfgang...the guy has plans. In fact he was one step ahead of me in letting me know that he wanted to be with Sakura. This actually happened in my game on the Sunday before Term 1 started. They were in Larry's Lagoon and Wolfgang had been working at the robotics workstation. I was controlling Sakura in case there was an "electrical" accident, like what happened to River. So, when Wolfgang finished, they were waiting for the Utili-Bot Contest to start, so I had them play ping pong. I was still controlling Sakura. Well, Wolfgang won the game, and Sakura autonomously came over to shake his hand. And then all of a sudden...this happened!
Oh yeah, he won the game alright. I was shocked! This was an autonomous action by Wolfgang. He kissed Sakura on the lips, not a cheek kiss! And she didn't say no. And I was thinking, wow, Wolfgang really does love Sakura a lot.
And this random sim came over and looked at them, like "Ahhh...you two are so cute together..."
After Wolfgang had kissed Sakura, he gave me this look, like he was saying, "I get the girl, right? Sakura and I will be together, right Watcher? Is that what you have planned, because I totally agree!" Cheeky Wolfgang!
I actually laughed in real life when he did this. I think he was telling me to hurry up with my story because he and Sakura were meant to be. I think the guy has a secret flirty trait, at least around Sakura, because he is always doing autonomous romantic actions towards her. It is really sweet.
I never really cared for Wolfgang with his mean trait, but, with the right sim, he is a sweetheart, and I have come to really like him now. I also like the backstory I created for him and his family about his Dad passing away, rather than deserting them or being divorced with Mila. A lot of kids have problems when a parent passes away and "act out" in different ways, and in Wolfgang's case, it was to be mad at the world and be a rebellious teen.
Anyway, now that Wolfgang actually does "get the girl", I wanted to share this with you. I am so happy they are together. I get all these warm feelings when I look at them together. teehee But, to be honest, it was all because of autonomous actions by Wolfgang, right from the start when he came up to Sakura at the club. It was sim destiny.
Yeah, I just didn't have the heart to finally pull the plug and delete Beast. Josh loves it too much and what if it comes back to life again? He's harmless as a skelly and I think he looks cool in their front garden. He's kitschy!
Jules didn't get one? o.O Well that's not right. I'd cheat for it too if I were you. Nope, I don't have the T.O.O.L. Mod, but I'm seriously thinking about getting it. I read somewhere it uses assets that are hidden in the game. That's probably why the objects on this lot designed by using it haven't disappeared or reverted to their natural state. Oh yeah, at this point it's just automatic to hang up all their photos and memorabilia from past months. It makes wherever they live seem like, well, home!
Bummer about the masterpiece paintings not going for much on Plopsy for you, I'm surprised. When I put those on there, my Sims have fetched anywhere from 10K up to 18K a piece. To be fair they were worth around 3K before Plopsy, so maybe that has something to do with it. Are Jules' Masterpieces very valuable? I know a painting can be a Masterpiece without a high price, so just wondering.
I have not used the new GP for building yet, but I did give Essa some of the CAS items for her update. I'm a little ahead now, so might check it out and build something later tonight. Understandable about not waiting to get anymore packs. Sounds like you'll be too busy to play with anything new soon. It's smart. For instance, I've been so busy playing the challenge, I haven't played much with the new packs I've bought too. I've yet to completely play through the Paranormal aspiration/career for one thing and I've had that pack for quite awhile. I haven't even had Bonehilda in my game yet. o.O
Ugh, bummer about all the rain, but at least Jules managed to meet another pet.
@SoulGal7
Love, love, love the finale! So happy for these two, such a special couple. Glad they got everything in the clear now and no more misunderstandings between them. Sakura was right about not needing to go on a date. Love how you set up their first time together, having them actually get naked with the clothes on the floor next to the bed, him carrying her in there, etc. Good job doing the proposal, then not saving to get the carry option. I've done that trick a lot in this challenge with Essa and Josh.
Thanks for your insightful notes at the end too. As you know, I never liked Wolfgang either, but now I do, thanks to you and how you've portrayed him. I agree too that some Sims are just meant to be together and they will let you know in no uncertain terms they do too. Isn't it great when Sims look at you as if they can actually see you and tell you how they're feeling? Josh does that ALL the time. He looks at me constantly and it's not just a coincidence. I just love this game!
@miss_eulenauge
@Skeilah
HAHA! Of course Rene slapped Naoki for not telling him Bryon is a Spellcaster, I'd most likely do that same thing if I'd had to suffer through an 18 hour plane ride just because someone had never flown before, but didn't need to do it in the first place. Funny remark about not letting the kids play in the street because of limousines and Bryon's reaction.
And now...on to comments!
@permanentrose -
And now for your story...I think I already commented on Jules new hairstyle, but I just love it. Welcome to the jungle - when I saw that first sceenie of Emmett giving Jules a rose....I was like...ahhhh! Selvadforada is one of my favorite worlds. The scenery...wow...unbelievable. And I love how you changed their clothing using the pack's clothing. Nice! When I saw that hottub on the lot...I just knew these two were going to use it right away...and not a stich of clothing...lol Funny line. This was such a wonderful chapter.
I love how Jules has to pet all the animals she meets lol And shower time...for the two of them..ahem! And they caught some fish and had a bar-b-q, so nice. It does look like and absolutely carefree vacation for the two of them. Really good after the stress they had in Strangerville. And that cover shot of Jules with the machete...fierce!
@Skeilah -
@sassytxbrat
Mia does some snooping around town to try to find out what is wrong with Jess. Obviously, Erwin doesn't appreciate Mia's gift.
@IllusoryThrall -
@miss_eulenauge -
@Karababy52 -
Thank you so much for commenting on my story. It's been a long haul for these two. But now it's full speed ahead
There is a chance that Jules did get a Mother plant trophy, but it might be in George and Theresa's inventory now that I think about it since she was technically living with them when she completed the mystery, so I should check on that. If it's not there, then my game glitched and didn't give me one since it is for sure not in Jules' inventory.
It is really hard to do other things with the sims along side with this challenge - I'm not complaining though, since I love this challenge and I'm appreciating my game more than I ever have before, but there's a lot of stuff I've explored for the first time in this challenge. I've for sure never done the Jungle Adventure aspirations before so this is a first for me. I got pretty good at exploring the jungle with several of my sims in the past, but I never bothered to try the aspirations that went with the pack. I've honestly never had any interest in doing aspirations until this challenge, so completing these aspirations from start to finish is a pretty new things for me, and I love it.
I'll have to check the value of her masterpieces and explore that more when she gets home. I did bring an easel to the jungle, but I forgot to pack it in her inventory so it's been at their rental being useless haha, because I totally meant to bring it along so she could paint in the jungle. Oh well, next time
Just popped in to check on the value of their house - it's 174,289 simoleons. And yes, the child support is because Ruby is living with Mario right now. Usually Jules gets child support payments from him haha. I set that up with MCCC and also have autopay for my bills, so all that money got pulled out of Jules' funds without me even having a say HAHA. I honestly didn't even know they got bills when on vacation, and Jules has never had bills that high before, so it was a very unwelcome surprise for many reasons.
Ok now time to comment on your story now that I've done such a long winded reply to your reply
First of all, Essa's makeover looks great! Love that hair on her, and her clothing choices are great as always. That sleepwear is quite
risqué, I'm sure Josh is enjoying that LOL. Nice little tie in with her fame as the Strangerville Hero too! I do agree that Josh's long hair doesn't fit his military vibe, but I like his long hair so I'm glad it's back. And yay for woohoo moments. I suppose Emmett and Jules will have to christen their new bed too once they are home LOL. Any excuse for a good woohoo, right?
Yay, glad you got that fountain working! The pool area is gorgeous. I really do love Essa's new hair. Is it from the GF pack? Lovely hot tub moment too. I do love the woohoo animations for that.
I apologize, comments for everyone else will come tomorrow, this monster of a comment wore me out and I need to go to bed LOL
Fun to see the acting career. Josh and Essa are such soulmates... I agree, everyone should have someone in their life who looks at them like Josh at Essa.
@SoulGal7 This is some gorgeous character development and story, I really love your posts. Don't be sorry they were long!
@sassytxbrat Whoa, from one busy house to the next...
Everyone I forgot - sorry! May be back later for more comments or even a real update depending on my tiredness and headache
time zone: Berlin, Germany - EA Gallery ID: Noctuara
"Why are you laughing?" Jules shot Emmett a look. "That was terrifying."
"Yeah, but now you're fine, and you look pretty ridiculous," he said playfully. "If you had been seriously hurt, I'd give you some proper sympathy, but honestly you're just in a need of a good bath."
Good thing they bought some portable showers for the journey
When Jules was properly cleaned up, they continued on. There wasn't as much to explore in this area, though Emmett found a chest and decided to try his luck at opening it up and found some treasure. (I'm always prepared for them to get that skeleton curse or whatever it's called, so it's a nice surprise when they just get some treasure instead haha)
They both got attacked by bats pretty much at the same time. They both have that bat plasma stuff in their inventories but only Emmett autonomously used it, not sure why.
It was getting dark as they cleared away the next pathway. (I accidentally brought them to the temple, but I want to wait until morning to use a full day to explore the temple, so I doubled back and found the Omiscan Royal Baths instead which is where I wanted them to end up for the night instead)
They decided to cool off in the water. It felt lovely after a day in the jungle heat.
"This has been the perfect vacation so far," Jules told him as they sat on the edge of the baths.
"Even with all the unexpected surprises, like bat attacks and spontaneously catching on fire?" Emmett asked her.
"Even with all the surprises," Jules assured him. "You know me, I love a good adventure."
He kissed her then, and they retired soon after to the tent Emmett had set up, and decided to get some "rest."
Well, that's a new woohoo location for every day this month so far LOL. These two are certainly enjoying their alone time....
@SoulGal7
Funny behind the scenes stuff with Wolfgang's autonomous flirting and romance. He's been determined to love Sakura for a while, and I love that you have taken your game's lead with that. Wolfgang in your game is so sweet. I've only played him a bit (since he's dating one of my sims in my main save) and I've definitely always played him as the bad boy. I like that he's such a romantic in your game though. Excited to see what you have in store for Sakura and Wolfgang, and that's exciting that you'll be catching up with DSV and Get Famous soon. Wish I had that pack to do with you guys, but at least I'm finding plenty to do with my own game
The scenery truly is unbelievable in Selvadorada. I've gotten pretty distracted with taking scenery shots haha. And since I shortened my seasons, it's summer now in my game, and the scenery in every world is just 100x more gorgeous in the summer when everything is properly in bloom. Yeah Jules and Emmett have the Josh and Essa syndrome - they woohoo every chance they get! And also I've been diligent about checking - no surprise baby yet lol