My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Bummer the catnip treats didn't work except for napnip. That's something I haven't tried to have Essa make. Poppy doesn't look too pleased with the forced nap. hehe Oh no! What treat did you give Pickle? Poor old guy. Glad Jules was able to fix him right up though. Something else I haven't done is collect the feathers. I've done that in another couple saves though, mainly with my collector Sim. Love displaying them on the wall as photos! Don't really care for the owl. It's cool, I guess. But I love all the feather pics more.
Awww, Rowan and Willow! Very cool, they look good together. Very cool makeovers you gave both her and Piper too. Love the hairstyles you chose for both of them and their outfits. It's interesting how they both got Daddy's jawline, but Essa's eyes. Good combination of genetics. Interesting how that works eh?
Ohhh, they were inside! I don't blame you for putting the walls down to get that screenshot, it's beautiful! Thanks about the snowy lighthouse screenshot, I love it! Ollie always looks so comical. I love all the pets, but I'm sure it's probably obvious I kind of like Ollie the best.
I am SO glad that aspiration is over so I could get rid of those lot traits! You're right, it was driving me crazy! o.O I will never do this aspiration again! Oh wait...I'll have to do it next year won't I? Dangit! Hmm, I could switch out Brindleton Bay for another world though. We'll see how it goes.
HAHA! Oh man, now that you say that about the sideways screenshot with Essa and Shelby, that's exactly what it looks like is going on. Good call! hehe I love that pic of Buster too, he's such a cutie! He almost never walks anywhere too, always runs! It's cute seeing him zooming around the lot.
Ohhhh, adore your daily post pic closeup of Kat's eyes! Sooo scary beautiful! Nik Sr. is such a handsome and distinguished Sim. Every time I see him he takes my breath away. hehe Uh, nice try covering your convo Nik and Kat but Melody's not buying it. Aww, the hug between Melody and Nik is so sweet! Your Kat is so gorgeous! I love her 'disguise' too. That's the same hood/scarf Essa wore when she was disguising herself, she also wore that leather outfit at first too. I love that Kat is wearing a combo of both! Very cool! Don't know if you did that on purpose or not, regardless, she looks amazing!
Of course Melody follows her to Glimmerbrook, I figured she would after that look on her face when Kat ran away. And of course Cordelia is there in the Realm and easily found. Not surprised she isn't fooled by Kat's disguise either. OMG! Toddler Essa! Awwww, she's so adorable! Her hopeful little face asking for a hug from Kat and what she says? Just... makes me smile so big! I'm so glad Essa gets an appearance in your story. Those little boots are cute and that hairstyle is just perfect for her. I just want to reach through the screen and hug her. hehe
Poor Melody though, she looks so sad and confused.
Awww, and more pics of her playing with Kat! So, so sweet! Thanks for including those extras. I'm so looking forward to whatever happens now. Great update!
The next morning, Sam slipped away while everyone slept, including Samara. He didn't want to wake her since they, uh, didn't really get much sleep. So he kissed her forehead and whispered that he loved her and left. Essa left for her first day in the Tech Guru career and Josh was playing a video game in the living room online with Melody. The mail arrived so he said goodbye to Melody and went out to retrieve it. He smiled upon seeing Veera coming down the sidewalk to visit them. Josh ran over to greet her and never did get the mail.
"Veera, what a nice surprise! How are you and how's Gri-Greg and Cordelia? So good to see you!" "Good to see you too Josh. I'm good, so's Greg, always busy, of course. And Cordelia's good too. They both send their love. Great place you have here. It's huge!"
"Thanks, we like it. It is gigantic though. Let's go inside and I'll show you around. Essa's at work, but we can hangout until she gets home if you can stay." "Sure, I'd love to!"
Unfortunately, Josh slipped on the icey walkway in front of the house as they headed inside and lay for a moment stunned. "Oh no! Josh! Are you alright, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, nothing hurt but my pride."
Josh showed Veera around and then they went out on the 2nd floor balcony to play a round of chess. They hadn't played very long before Josh must've asked Veera a question.
Next thing I know, they both stood up and began walking somewhere else in the house. I checked Josh's queue and couldn't believe what I saw! Really Josh? You want to do that, with your wife's Aunt? Well, okay, I guess she agreed judging by the smile on her face.
Josh had offered to give Veera a Swedish massage! Not sure how appropriate that is Joshie, even Buster looks confused. hehe Ah well, Veera was impressed with his massage skills and loved it. No harm, no foul.
Meanwhile Samara is up now and decided to get a head start on her homework for Monday. She worked on her presentation afterward as well.
Finished with the massage, Josh offered to teach Veera how to knit. Veera was a bit surprised he knew how to do that and eagerly agreed. Inna had tried to teach her a couple times, but she wasn't very patient and kept getting distracted telling Veera jokes.
"You're doing very well so far. You've done this before haven't you?" "A little. But not enough to actually know what I'm doing."
"Oh man, see? I did something wrong! Oh no, it's unraveling! What do I do Josh, help?"
Josh patiently showed her how she'd only dropped a stitch and helped Veera get back on track.
"How come you're so good at this? Have you been knitting for a long time?"
"Oh yeah, years. I didn't want to, at first." "Why'd you keep doing it if you didn't want to? Did someone make you do it? OH! Wait, let me guess, it was the Watcher, right?"
"You guessed it, I ended up enjoying it though, it's so relaxing." "I should've known. Watchers love making us do things, whether we want to or not."
Veera finished making the simple pot holder Josh had shown her how to make and thanked him with another hug.
They spent some time after that telling each other Watcher jokes and laughing until their sides hurt.
"How many Watchers does it take to change a lightbulb?"
"I don't know, how many?" "None, because they will get you to do it!"
"Hey, uh, would you like to play some video games with me?" "Oh Honey, I would, but I know how good you are. I wouldn't stand a chance."
"Hey, you never know, you could beat me. Not likely, but you could. And if you can't, I'd be willing to show you some tricks on how to win too, if you want me to?"
"Thanks, maybe some other time. I was actually thinking about using that easel I saw on the balcony and painting something for you both instead. If that's okay? Think of it as a housewarming gift."
"Oh, okay, sure, that's cool." "You're not upset are you?"
"Nah, I think it's sweet you want to do that. We could bring it inside if you'd rather not paint out in the cold?" "Josh, I'm a vampire. We don't get cold, remember?"
"Ah, yeah, I forgot since you're wearing cold weather clothes. Guessing you just wear them to blend in." "Exactly!"
So Veera went out on the balcony to paint and wait for Essa.
Of course Josh played video games anyway.
(Hey, what can I say? I love to play and I have to keep current if I ever want to win another tournament.)
Aww, Josh, you will, don't worry.
Essa finally came home a little while later, and with a promotion! I was pleased to find that was all she needed to finish the Computer Whiz aspiration! Congratulations Essa, you can quit now if you want to.
She did.
What a weird career outfit though, she wore jeans with that top and converse sneakers. Plus, she's not wearing any make-up, no eyelashes, no skin overlay, nothing. Just her natural look as if fresh from CAS. She looks so young! I don't understand though. She still has her CC hairstyle, why not the other CC she had? Essa now has the Soulmates aspiration. I'm thinking I might change Josh to that one as well.
"Essa! Hey! Up here!" Veera called down from the balcony.
"Aunt Veera! You're here! I'll be right up!"
"SO good to see you, I've missed you!" "We've missed you too sweetheart, Uncle Greg sends you his love. He was too busy to come, of course. And your Mom too."
"It's cool, he has a very demanding job."
"Now tell me dear, why haven't you come visit us? It's been forever since the last time. I think it was when you needed help getting Josh back from Kat, or maybe that Grilled Cheese nonsense."
"I'm so sorry, we'll come over for a visit very soon. We've just been so busy moving all the time, exploring, getting married, going to Batuu, and now this big house to take care of and three pets." "Well, okay, but you have to make time for those important to you, like family and friends. I'm busy too, but I still came here to see you. Right?"
"You're right, I'm sorry." "Aww, it's okay. I get it. But try not to be such a stranger in the future. We love you and miss you."
"I love you, Uncle Greg and Mom too. Is she still living with you?" "Yes, for now."
"Anyway, Josh and I have been having so much fun together! We played some chess, he taught me how to knit and he even gave me a massage!"
"He what? Gave you a massage? Wow, okay, that's cool." "He's very good at it too, I still feel like jello." Veera laughed and then they stepped over to check out the painting Veera had done for them. Essa thanked her with another hug and took the painting inside to hang in the hallway gallery. Veera followed her inside and stood watching Josh play until Essa returned.
Finished with his games, Josh suggested they turn on the stereo and have a little dance party.
They danced and had a chat for what seemed like hours with Josh and Veera both trying to show off and best each other. Josh would try some complicated moves and Veera would match him move for move. Essa just rolled her eyes and watched the two competitors. Josh had always prided himself on his dance moves and of course, he'd always had a crush on Veera ever since he met her back in Britechester. She had to smile though at the determination of both to be the best.
But after awhile, Josh noticed Veera was beginning to frown and she looked a little paler than she should've been.
"Are you okay Veera? We can stop if you like, if you're tired." "No, it's not that, I'm just so hungry and...and...you, you smell so delicious. I could just BITE YOU! GAH! I NEED TO FEED!" She suddenly yelled in a menacing growl. But then clapped a hand over her mouth in mortification.
*GASP* "Oh man, I'm so, so sorry! I think I better go. I didn't bring any plasma packs with me and if I don't eat soon I might just attack one or both of you and I don't want to do that!"
"Hey, you can feed from us if you like, we don't mind. Right Essa?"
"Right, it's fine Aunt Veera. We understand, of course." "No, that's okay. I make it a rule to never eat from family or friends. I'll be fine. I'll just find a snack on the way home or try to control myself until I get there. I'd hug both of you goodbye, but I don't trust myself."
"I apologize for keeping you here so long." "No, don't apologize, it was my own fault. I just lost track of the time because we were having so much fun! Should've come prepared. No worries my dear Josh."
"Alright, well, bye for now Veera, come back again soon!"
"Bye Aunt Veera, we promise to come for a visit very soon." "Bye sweethearts, love you both and don't be strangers, alright?"
"We won't! Love you too!"
Veera made her way downstairs and toward the front door. I find it cute how the pets followed her all the way there as if to say goodbye to her too.
I just want to say sorry again for how hard it's been for me to keep up with your guys' updates recently I honestly have been so busy lately that I've barely even had time to be on my computer beyond playing a bit for my own updates. One of my favorite parts of this challenge always has been keeping up with your stories as well as posting my own, so I am sad that I'm falling behind lately.
--
Update 327 - Lighthouse Love
Not Jules and Emmett - but these two
And there's a reason I stopped in to play these two.
Looks like Jules is gonna be a grandma
Also looks like someone else might be a mama too....
Of course Lenny was one of the ghost pets she played with for the aspiration
And Captain Whitaker was the second one.
Jules also has become friends with 12 pets. She was up to 10 by the time I even got to this stage of the aspiration (all that befriending random pets this year payed off haha). So finding two more was quite easy. She just has to feel the love 5 more times and then I'll be able to check this aspiration off
The pets haven't gotten much attention the last couple days, so I had Josh and Essa play with them and give them lots of love. Josh took Buster for a short walk, but they didn't get very far. There was still a blizzard going on and Buster was freezing! Josh picked him up and carried him cuddled up to him all the way home. Aww, so sweet!
Samara was working on refining and organizing her presentation, then spent some time with Shelby before going to her room to practice writing and debate for awhile.
I switched Josh's aspiration from Archeology Scholar to Soulmate and started a date for them. Not the most romantic spot for a date, but hey, they're married so it's cool! They'll need to go on more dates though so next time I'll send them somewhere other than just staying at home. Maybe...it's so easy to get gold at home though. They had it within minutes!
The date started with a kiss on the cheek for Essa.
Followed by a loving embrace.
They haven't celebrated the holidays in a long time, but it is Winter, so a kiss under the mistletoe isn't out of the question.
I just love these two so much! This aspiration will be a breeze for them, they've actually been soulmates for years. Ever since they met really.
"Shall we go workout together?"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
Workout together was one of the goals! hehe How weird!
But first a caress on the cheek for Josh reduced him to a puddle of love. Josh hopped on the treadmill after that and I guess Essa thought a few stretches was good enough. Task completed!
Next up was to give your date a massage. Essa's turn to get a Swedish massage from Josh. For some reason though, it didn't complete. What!?
Ah well, they spent some time telling each other jokes instead. The daily post pic is Josh telling Essa a dirty joke. You wouldn't know it by the face he's making though. hehe
Let's try this again. Maybe a foot massage will do the trick. "Careful Beautiful, you know I'm ticklish."
"Mmm, ohhh yeahhh, that feels so good."
"You're really good at this, thanks Beautiful!"
"You're welcome Babe. Glad I can do this at least without giving you any pain."
Again, the task didn't complete. And then I realized something and I felt so silly!
It was as simple as just 'offer massage' like this, not one using the table or chair. Sheesh! Can you tell I don't send my Sims on dates very often? o.O
One more 'task' and the date will be complete. They didn't need to do this, they had gold already for a long time. But hey, what better way to end a date eh?
Mission accomplished! And Wow, look at that! They are both Smitten with each other and Deeply in Love! Only the second time they've ever gotten the 'Deeply in Love' sentiment. Who knew all it took was a date?
The night was still young so they decided to watch a movie together. Josh wasn't too into it though, but Essa looks intrigued. It was Roaring Vice in case anyone is curious.
hehe Well now, it looks like neither one likes it now.
Essa got up to stand and watch the movie for some reason. Josh must've thought she made too much noise getting out of her chair or something.
"Shhh, do you have to be so loud!?"
"Why do you even care? You don't like the movie anyway?" "Maybe I would if I could hear what they were saying."
"Whatever..."
HAHA! They sound like an old married couple don't they? Well, I guess they are!
The movie ended with Essa in tears over the romantic reunion between the lovers and Josh feeling good about the guy getting the girl again in the end. I guess? Why else would he look all smug and polish his fingernails? hehe
I ended my play session here, but I wasn't ready to close the game yet. I still wanted to do a few things before this month ends. In light of that...
Here is Samuel Masters, Damon and Molly's second Son. He had been a child for a long time so I figured it was about time I aged him up. He's a teen now. Wow, he looks SO much like Damon! He at least got Molly's mouth though AND pointy ears! That was a nice surprise! Must be a throwback from his Grandpa Nik! So cool!
Here's his updated wardrobe, sans sleepwear. I didn't think it was needed to show him wearing just his undies. hehe
Jules and Vlad's daughter Gloria also aged up. She was a toddler still, but she's now a teen as well. Totally skipped the child stage. Ah well. She's a great combo of her parents too. She looks just like Jules from the front, but she has her Dad's profile. I think she's gorgeous!
Here's her wardrobe. Vlad is a bit strict and old-fashioned about what he feels is appropriate for a young lady to wear, so no slacks for her, only dresses. She's not allowed to show much skin either for her bathing outfit. Jules fought for her hot weather outfit telling Vlad it was silly to make her wear a long dress in hot weather. He compromised a little for that outfit, but her skirt still had to go below the knee. Her cold weather outfit was another battle. Gloria fell in love with the red skirt and boots. She was allowed to wear a shorter skirt this time, but had to wear tights under it. I love that hat with the little veil in front and the red rose. I think that's my favorite outfit. However, I love her formal outfit too.
Both Samuel and Gloria's dark mode is exactly the same as their normal mode with the exception of their eyes and a few veins and cracks on their faces.
I apologize, but comments will have to wait until tomorrow morning. I'm up way past my bedtime and I need to get some rest. Have a great day/night tomorrow everyone! *Hugs*
Gorgeous screenshot for your daily pic of the lighthouse love! Fun that Ruby and Zane took advantage of the privacy up there and now they have a nooboo on the way! There's a special moodlet for Sims who were conceived there when they visit the lighthouse too. Ooo, looks like you might get kittens. Cool! Doesn't look like Ollie and Shelby will have any unless I cheat for it. Ah well... *shrugs*
Of course Lenny would be one of the ghost pets Jules plays with, and so fun she got to see Captain Whitaker! He didn't show up for Essa or Josh, I think I may have deleted him from my custom template save I used for the challenge save. Sounds like it won't be long before you'll have this aspiration complete too, good job!
-- Lovely pics of Rowan and Willow
-- congrats to Ruby and Zane And I suppose congrats to Dill too
-- Aww thw ghost pets! Oh yes I believe befriending goal indeed is easy for Jules , by now
Thank you for your comments
I know Essa had that same scarf back then, but I did not remembered she had the outfit too (later tho) , so I just choosed something full body and black
Glad you liked toddler Essa And Melody was not so sad, more like confused and scared, yet another part of her dream happened for real, but not really the same way, but happened anyway
--Veera, not acting like silly, haha , cool. Haha, that massage part was hilarious Aww, Josh, you are cute with your puppy love And thank you for not letting her drink, as she would of felt horrible because of that quirk she has
--Haha , indeed the first pic does not look like telling dirty joke, more like that Josh really needs to use the loo
Aww, how cute from him to carry Buster back home
Nice date, I am sorry but had to giggle, after all the effort it simply was the old normal back massage What makes sense as dates are basegame, not spa day required
Oh indeed that last pic of them, old married couple
Those kids grew up well!
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
After Kat found Cordelia, she and Essa moved back with Greg and Veera. Greg told her that he had nothing against spellcasters.
Simeon stayed in Realm, but they would find a new home soon for them.
Meredith is Essa's babysitter, but one time she could not come, and sent her little brother instead..
Essa: "TAMON?"
Damon: "I am NOT a babysitter!"
Essa , very much so , disagrees
Essa: "Tamon!! Carry mee!!"
Damon: "Calm down, dude, she cant be this annoying all the day!"
Essa: "Tamon, Essa wants cards!"
Damon: "Okay.. so I let you down again.."
Essa: "Boring cards! HUGGGG!"
Damon: "...."
Then his friend called if he would like to hang out in Pan Europa.
Damon: "I cannot! I am babysitting a little brat!"
Essa: "HUUGGGG!!! Tamon!!!"
Damon: "oh man.. I can almost see Pan Europa from here.."
Booktime.. again..
Melody came home.
Melody: "Meredith? Essa?"
Damon: "FINALLY!"
Melody: "Damon? You here?"
Damon: "meredith had other plans today, yeah.."
Melody: "Well how did you guys get along?"
Damon: "Oh just fine! For you , I will do this again, anytime!"
Melody: "Aww.. I'll give you a kiss on your cheek for that! So sweet!"
....!
They kissed on their own...
.. what was clearly too much for little Essa!
And boyfriend nro 4!
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Little toddler Essa is so cute, and it's really fun to see how your and Kara's game intertwine. Essa's reaction to Damon and and Melody kissing was just too funny That screenshot of Kat's eyes is super cool too, love the creativity you have with your shots and the angles you get, and your game graphics are just so crisp and gorgeous.
I love Gloria! She aged up so lovely, and I love how much thought you put into her and her wardrobe and story. It's been great seeing Essa and Josh love up on al the pets too, and I'm glad that Samara and Sam are happy together. Too bad Shelby won't get pregnant though. I don't think that Poppy is actually pregnant either, I played for a couple sim days and didn't get any alerts
That's really cool about the moodlet for the baby too, didn't know that!
Sorry these comments are a bit shorter than I planned - my game keeps crashing so I'm trying figure out what's up that.....
Thankfully my game seems to running smoothly after crashing several times, fingers crossed it continues to run nicely...
Update 329 - The Water Balloon Fight
It was the first day of summer, and though it was a rainy and cold spring, summer came rolling in with a heat wave, so the family decided to hang out near the lighthouse for the day.
First, some family fishing time.
And even though water balloon fights are never that great, I do enjoy them from time to time.
"Are you seriously going to hide over there, Emmett? Don't think you can handle this?"
"Fine, I'll come out. I'm ready for this."
*Thwack*
*Thud*
Robin: "I'm gonna hit dad too!"
Rowan: "I can't watch..."
"Okay, actually that was kind of funny."
Robin: "Let me try again."
Rowan: "I'll get a video this time."
"Whoops, my camera was facing the wrong way, but I might as well take some selfies while I have it here. I bet Willow would love to see these muscles..."
And here's a scenic shot since I can't help myself.
Back at home, Jules finished the aspiration, yay!
Then Ruby popped by for a visit. Perfect
"I have something to tell you, Mom."
"Zane and I are having a baby."
"Oh my goodness! That's such exciting news! Ruby, I'm so happy for you." She actually does look like she's tearing up a bit
"I'm going to be a grandma!"
Aging up some other sims
I also aged up Melody and Malcolm's twins, Maxwell and Mason, and they both turned out quite handsome I'm hoping Rowan can befriend one or both of them at school now
Maxwell.
Mason
And @SoulGal7 , I don't know if you're still lurking around, but I aged up Sakura and Wolfgang's kiddos too
November - Day 29:"Sometimes...I just want to runaway from it all."
Notes
I thought this aspiration would be easy for Josh and Essa to complete, and it was indeed! They were already soulmates in my eyes, but now they are officially and companions as well. The hardest part was spamming 50 romantic socials in a row. o.O Especially since if their queue emptied out and I didn't choose another action right away, they both kept wanting to give the other massages on the massage table. The allure of that object is extremely appealing to them. I think I might have to get rid of it when they move to Henford-on-Bagley. Anyway, congratulations to you both!
It was freezing cold outside, but a sunny day regardless, so I thought why not let them go for a swim? They're both immune to the weather so why not? They both got the Polar Bear swim achievement as a result, however...
THIS happened! What!? I almost killed both of them! They were freezing to death when they got out of the pool. I guess weather immunity doesn't count when swimming in the freezing cold. Opps! Sent them both inside using transportalate since the thermostat is turned on to warm for Samara and the pets, and they immediately unthawed. Crisis averted. Thank God! I would've been devastated to lose them both so close to the end of the challenge. On a side note, interesting how they both turned more white than blue.
Yup, Josh offered Essa a Deep Tissue massage and I let it happen. I had to laugh seeing both their faces. I guess what they say is true, 'paybacks are a *beep*' LOL! Notice how dirty the massage table is now? I had no idea that could happen. It makes sense though considering how much they've been using it.
Just for fun had them both enter a professional video game tournament playing The Sims Forever for a friendly competition. I wonder who will win. Essa came in second! Not too shabby eh? And Josh...
Also came in second! It's a tie! Wow, might have to try that again sometime. I guess this means that Josh is still on top with his video skills over Essa, but he's teetering towards a fall from his seat on the throne.
Samara is editing her term paper, but doesn't look too happy about it. She submitted it anyway after doing all that she could with her knowledge on the subject.
I gave both Essa and Josh the Country Caretaker aspiration now since they really can't do anything here to complete the goals. So what to have them do until they move? Josh could do anything he wanted since he's Level 10 in ALL skills, with the exception of Selvadoradadian Culture and the Media Production station. Essa has completed the Nerd Brain aspiration, but she didn't need to max the handiness skill to do it. She's only Level 6, so she will study from skill books to level it up. Just for something productive to do.
Josh is writing a biography about his life so far. It's entitled, "The Making of a Super Sim." When he was finished, he made a copy to keep and then submitted it to the Literary Digest for publication. I had him pay their bills while he was at the mailbox too. They pay over 13K in bills for this monstrosity of a house! o.O And that's WITH the frugal trait for both of them.
Samara harvested the garden for them since they were busy and her first class of the day isn't until 1:30 p.m. She's keeping one of those roses to give to Sam the next time they're together.
Josh is making himself a well-earned drink to enjoy. I noticed a menu for 'make special drink' and thought that would be to make his favorite drink. Nope, there was a bunch of drinks in that menu I've never seen before. He's making a 'Dyed Cocktail.' Samara is making her first meal ever, a garden salad group meal for everyone.
I don't know why he's making this face. Maybe he's not too sure how to make it? Just go for it Joshie, you can do it!
What a pretty drink eh? I figured it would be multi-colored from the name. You did good Josh!
He took it into the living room to sit with Essa still studying handiness and just stared at it with hesitation. (I don't know about this Watcher...)
Oh come on Josh, where's your sense of adventure? Just drink it, what could go wrong?
Famous last words! hehe I had no idea this was going to happen, I should've, given the name of the drink. I love it though and he got a fun moodlet as well. Sorry not sorry Joshie, you look lovely, so colorful! (Gee, thanks, I guess.)
It's only Tuesday, but I went with Samara to Britechester before her first class so she could give her presentation. I guess it must've went well since she jumped up and clicked her heels after it was over. Notice she's not wearing make-up to cover her scars or her scarf? Samara has gained a lot of confidence and self-esteem since meeting Sam and decided she doesn't care what anyone else thinks. She still wears make-up now, but not to cover her scars. Good for you Samara, I'm proud of you and I bet Sam would be too!
Back home Samara practiced her writing skills and then left for her first class. Essa challenged Josh to a game of chess. She needed the practice if she even had a prayer of beating him. However, it's now the end of an era, the King has fallen off his throne!
"Checkmate!" "What!? No way! Seriously? Holy Simoly Beautiful, you did it!"
"Gahhhh! It has to be because of the color haze from that drink. I can't see the board clearly. Yeah, that's it!"
"Oh come on, just admit it, I'm good now! I beat you fair and square."
*grumble grumble* "Yeah, you've finally bested me. Congrats Beautiful! Don't think you can do it again though. Just a fluke."
"Uh huh, sure. We'll see."
Shelby!! Why!? Just why!? There's no reason whatsoever for you to runaway from home. Especially during a blizzard! You have a beautiful warm home with plenty of food and plenty of love. You're companions with all your humans, you have a clean litter box. Why!? I don't get it.
*Meow*
*It's a big world out there, I just wanted to explore for a bit, that's all.*
But, but... in a blizzard? *Meow*
*What's a blizzard?*
For some reason, Essa could not post an alert. At least not right away. Why? Because Shelby had to walk allll the way down to the public area by the beach, down the trail toward the bridge overpass and then disappear underneath it first. After posting the alert, someone must've spotted her almost immediately, she was back home within 15 minutes or so later!
Samara was the first one to spot her and rushed outside to scoop her up and bring her inside where it's warm. She gave her lots of kisses, hugs, treats, played with the laser pointer with her, etc. and even could 'feel the love.'
"Oh Shelby, so, so glad you came back. We were so worried about you! You could've froze to death out there!" *Meow*
*Why all the fuss? I just went for a long walk.*
Shelby of course loved all the attention though, especially when Samara took her over to the couch to pamper her furry friend.
So Ruby and Zane moved to a small little cottage in Henford-on-Bagely.
And some time time has passed, and Ruby has given birth to a baby girl named Margot
I feel like alien hybrids are a pretty sad life state, especially since they can't even have a disguise, so I have my MCCC settings set to make humans and aliens give birth to full alien babies instead, which is why Margot is full alien. Look at her bonding with her daddy. He's glowing green since he's so happy to meet her
Of course Jules came by to visit her grand baby
"I made you this darling little onesie."
"You're perfect."
I had Rowan do the "she's so...cute?" interaction available with alien babies since someone had to Jules is not pleased by his reaction.
"You had better not say anything rude in front of your sister..."
"Well I think she's adorable."
"Uh, I think she pooped. I'm outta here..."
"This town is so lovely," Jules told Emmett later as they walked around a bit. "Ruby has mentioned wanting some help with Margot too since she wants to go back to work part time. What would you think of moving here?"
It was also my 4th of July holiday, so I decided to actually acknowledge since they were already visiting family, so they all went for a swim.
Emmett headed back a bit early so he could grill some hotdogs for dinner, when this suddenly happened....
"Don't worry, Margot! I'll save you!"
"That was terrifying. I'm glad you're safe."
"Let's put this fire out just to be safe though."
Alright, time to make some hotdogs now.
After eating, it was time to set off some fireworks.
"You know," Emmett muttered softly as they stargazed later. "I think I really would love living here..."
--
I forgot to add this to my post yesterday, but Jules did finally finish the feather collection!
@permanentrose@Karababy52@Ellupelluellu - I have been missing you all. I am following your stories and adding an Awesome like to them all. I had thought about joining this again for the month of December, and even made an alternate file and aged everyone up. I may still do this, but it will be a short...probably 3-5 chapters...an epilogue of sorts. I have even written the first chapter, but haven't done screenies as yet. I am still thinking about it, but obviously, if I join again, my first chapter won't be tomorrow...because,,,hey, I have to keep up my rep for being late! lol Can't wait to see your sims as elders. Have a good day/night everyone.
I apologize for not updating or doing comments last night, I thought I could, but it was way too late to do it before I needed to get some sleep. Anyway, I'll post comments/replies next. For today's post, I'll be doing lots of background stuff with non-challenge Sims, building a house from scratch for Josh & Essa in HoB, or perhaps remodeling one from the Gallery, and packing up their stuff to move.
I'll most likely just have a daily post pic of their new place only for my update later. The first post for December will either be screenshots of their house, or a time jump story post. Depends on how fast I can get everything done. Samara still needs to finish her last term too. I'll try to do that myself with her, but if I can't, I'll cheat it for her.
I'm excited, but a bit anxious for December. It's the very last month of the challenge, but Josh and Essa will be elders! o.O I know how Josh will look as an elder, at least without the overlay, since I've played with him as one in the Apocalypses challenge. Have no idea about Essa though. Thankfully, I have numerous mods now to make elders more realistic than the Maxis default elders in their appearance and animations. I want to give a big THANK YOU to @Ellupelluellu for leading me to the dark side, it's made my gameplay so much more enjoyable, I'll be forever grateful my friend!
You're welcome and very cool about Kat's outfit! Essa had the black bodysuit first, then the scarf with a Batuu outfit for a disguise.
I LOVE toddler Essa, she's adorable! Ah, okay, just thought she looked more sad with the boo boo lip than scared, but that makes sense.
Still makes me laugh thinking about that massage. His little innocent crush on her makes me smile. I love that he can feel that way without ever wanting more. It's all in good fun. Josh just appreciates a beautiful, talented and intelligent woman and always will.
Is there a way they could've let her drink from them without her asking? I didn't know that if so. But I still wouldn't have had that happen. I think if I remember right, as you've hinted, she has the guilty drinker trait, right?
HAHA! Oh man, I guess he sort've does look a bit uncomfortable eh? "Oh man, hold it, hold it...be right back, I can't..."
It was a short walk, but the action stopped for whatever reason and they were just standing there with Buster whining, so I had Josh pick him up and carry him home. It was really sweet. And kind of funny too though because, even though he couldn't do the action with his arms, Josh was still acting like Sims do when walking in a blizzard. hehe
Yup, you're right, I should've known it was just a basic massage for that very reason. D'oh! I had fun with the 'old married couple' dialogue. It just seemed to fit with Josh shushing her after she'd stood up. Yes! I was pleasantly surprised how well they both turned out eh? Samuel is SO handsome, just like his Daddy and Gloria is gorgeous!
Awww, so, so cute how she calls him Tamon. hehe Love the image of Essa smiling and Damon frowning as they sit on the couch. hehe Aww, those sweet little eyes looking up at him with adoration, how can he not just fall in love with the little tyke!? HAHA! Her face with the boring cards and wanting a hug. Poor Damon. Damon! A little brat? She just adores you Dude. Oh, man, that screenshot of him holding her and looking out the window just melts my heart. So sweet how she has her head resting on his shoulder.
Oooo, oh boy Essa is NOT happy about Melody and Damon kissing, she's throwing a temper tantrum and they are ignoring her. HAHA! That angry face and foot stomp just kills me! Essa, calm down little one, you're too young to be so jealous already. He's too old for you dear. At least now anyway. Congrats to Melody though for boyfriend #4! What a fantastic update, loved every bit of it!
Thanks, I'm glad she turned out so, so pretty! I was a bit worried considering who her Daddy happens to be. You can see Vlad's influence from the side, but she looks just fine. Very, very pretty girl in my opinion! I've had fun this month with all the pets, but honestly I'm glad it's almost over. They'll still have their pets though in HoB. Yes, I'm happy for Samara and Sam too. We'll be seeing a bit more of them next month. Yeah, no kittens for Shelby and Ollie. I guess the notification happens immediately if they are successful so if you haven't gotten a notice yet, you won't get one, unfortunately. Oh well...
Bummer about your computer problems, so glad you were able to get it fixed though! Love that shot of them all fishing on a beautiful Summer day! I can't wait for warmer weather in HoB. In BB for Josh and Essa, it's been a blizzard every single day of Winter and there is only four more days left so that's 10 days in a row so far. o.O The water balloon fight was so funny! Poor Emmett! Funny how Rowan was going to video Robin hitting her Dad, but got distracted with his muscles. hehe Oh man, that image of the lighthouse is GORGEOUS! I love that lighthouse!
Yay for Jules finishing the aspiration in the nick of time! Congrats Jules (and you)! Awww, love those screenshots of Ruby telling Jules she's going to be a Grandma. Very heartwarming! All those challenge Sim kids aged up very well eh? Such a strong Malcom influence with Maxwell! But I can see Melody in both of them too. Sakura and Bryon's kids aged up nicely as well.
What an absolutely gorgeous daily post pic! Love how you got the moon right in the middle of the fireworks burst! Good job getting that angle! Beautiful cozy looking house for Ruby and Zane, I love it! Did you build it? Or download it from the Gallery? I think I'll have to download one and remodel it again. Not enough time to build before tomorrow. At least for me, I'm too much of a picky perfectionist. LOL!
Awww, a little girl. Welcome Margot! Great idea getting that mod to make them full aliens. Of course Grandma came by to visit her granddaughter and give her that cute onesie! Such a sweet screenshot of her holding Margot and the two of them smiling at each other. hehe SO funny how you had Rowan do that interaction, then Robin says she's adorable until Margot poops her pants. Nice segue for their move to HoB. Mine will be something as simple as that as well. Love all the swimming images, looks like everyone had a great time. NO!! Ahhhh! So, so glad babies can't die from a fire! That one screenshot that makes it look like the bassinet is engulfed is so scary looking! o.O Our Hero Emmett to the rescue!
Hot dogs and fireworks, the perfect way to end their holiday. Congrats to Jules for completing the feather collection!
Oh sure, they're all from Bienchen though, so you could just go to her site and get them yourself. Here's a link:
I have the ones that stop the stooped over walk, and the silly 'where am I?' animations, no cracked back animation and... I think that might be it, not sure. I think those three, plus the skin overlay will help so much for them to look and act more like modern day healthy elders instead of the stereotypical version Maxis thought was a good idea.
Aww, we've missed you too, I hope you do come back for awhile and hang out with us for the last month. Would love to read an epilogue for Sakura, Wolfgang and their kids! Excellent idea!
Well, I can wait, even though I won't get to wait for them to be elders, it'll happen later tonight. But hopefully with some mods I have it won't be too bad. Cross your fingers! hehe
Okay, I'm off to go in game to prepare for tomorrow and for today's post! Have to take advantage of the alone time since Hubby went hunting! See ya!
Josh is writing a Romance novel while waiting for Samara to come home from taking her final exam for Uni. All the pets were in there having some fun together too. Essa was playing The R.E.F.U.G.E. on the gaming mat. Her confidence level was at an all time high since beating Josh at chess. Her next goal was to beat him playing video games as well. Good luck with that Essa!
Samara arrived home feeling very confident in herself too. She joined Josh and Essa on the third floor where they were having a little dance party. Essa DJ'ed on the booth and Josh was showing off his moves. He had a dance battle with Samara and right in the middle of it, her grades came in. All A+ again with an A+ average. She'd done it! Samara had earned a Distinguished Degree with Honors for Language and Literature! Congratulations Samara!
Graduation was the next day at 10:50 a.m.
The next day, Josh, Essa and Samara traveled to Drury's Den to meet Sam there. Samara greeted him with a warm kiss.
"I'm so glad you could make it Sam!" "I wouldn't miss this for anything. I'm so proud of you Samara."
Samara went inside the commons to change into her graduation cap and gown and then they all went over to the Soccer Stadium where the ceremony would take place.
"You look fantastic Samara! I wish we could come inside with you to see you get that well earned diploma."
"I do too, but tickets were limited. I didn't know that and they were sold out before I had a chance to get any."
"It's okay Maree, we'll wait out here for you."
"I think it's time to go inside, your classmates are headed that way." "Oh, yes, you're right, see you all soon!"
Josh, Essa and Sam occupied their time by making some Snowpals and having a chat. They didn't have to wait too long, Essa didn't even have time to finish her Snowpal before Samara emerged from the stadium with her classmates.
With the traditional tossing of the caps, it's official! Samara is now a university graduate! So silly how their caps turned white with snow on them.
Sam was first in line to give her a congratulatory hug. What a sweet moment. I love these two so much!
Josh was next to get a warm hug from Samara. "Thank you Josh, thank you for everything, for believing in me, for loving me. I couldn't have done this without you." "Yes, you could've, believe in yourself Maree and you can do anything."
"I know. I love you and always will." "Me too."
I don't think Sam is too keen on the conversation between these two. He looks mighty jealous to me. o.O
I think I was right. The moment she left Josh's arms, Sam blew her a kiss. hehe
"Thank you too Essa, I couldn't have done this without your help either. I'll always be grateful to you for that. You are a very understanding and compassionate woman. I can certainly understand why Josh loves you. I love you too and am so glad that you're my friend now."
"I love you too Samara, I'm glad too! Congratulations, you worked hard for this, you deserve it!"
They all made their way back to the commons to grab a bite to eat, hot bowls of chili for them all to help ward off the chill of the early afternoon. After they had a chat, Samara and Sam went over to sit in front of the fire. Josh and Essa stayed behind to give the two new lovers some privacy.
"Hey, do you think that bush is still out back? You know the one I'm talking about, right? Want to check it out Beautiful?"
"Oh Babe, seriously, in broad daylight? It was dark last time, and I bet it's long gone, that was decades ago. I'll make you a deal though, if it's still there, you're on!" "Ohhh yeahhh, it's a deal, let's go see!"
"It's still here!"
"Oh my God, it is!" " So what do you think? A deal's a deal, right?"
"What about that guy over there?" "Eh, who cares, he's probably seen it all before, and if he hasn't, he's in for a show!"
*gigglesnort* "I can't believe we're really going to do this, again." "Believe it Beautiful! Get in there!" Josh said with a playful swat to Essa's bottom.
Essa laughed and squealed in delight as she disappeared in the bush, quickly followed by Josh.
"Anybody around?"
"Nope, that guy left too." "Perfect!"
Take a good look at them, probably the last time you'll see them this close up before they turn to elders. Doubt they'll be able to enjoy these kind of antics very often as well. So happy you two had one last hurrah at least.
Samara and Sam were completely oblivious, too focused on each other sharing lots of kisses and hugs in front of the fireplace inside.
They all went back to the house to continue celebrating with Samara for a little bit before Sam had to leave and travel back to the farm.
They took a lovely selfie together and Josh took some photos of Samara in her cap and gown as well. All too soon though it was time for Sam to leave. They said their goodbyes and Samara went up to her room to change her clothes and hang up her graduation photo, diploma and special award for graduating with honors.
While she was up there, she was fortunate to find an opening online for a position in a famous publishing house. Taking a chance, she sent her resume and was instantly accepted for the position and was even given a sign on bonus! Samara has now completed the Academics aspiration as a result. Congratulations Samara! She has now fulfilled her obligation to the government and can get a green card with the opportunity to become a citizen as well.
Samara tried to give her bonus to Josh and Essa to help payback everything they'd spent for her education and expenses for living with them, but they wouldn't take it.
In fact, they had a couple graduation gifts for her too. Josh presented her with a package that contained a laptop from both of them!
Essa gave her a gift of a camera from both of them too! Samara was speechless!
"I never thought my life would turn out like this. It's unbelievable. It's all thanks to both of you, my angels. Thank you just doesn't seem like near enough. I'll be forever in your debt. You've changed my life. I'll love you both for everything you've done to help me."
"You're welcome, but it was you that earned this Maree, and it was you that started it all by writing that letter to me. If you hadn't, we never would've went looking for you in the first place."
"Well...I guess that's true. But I still owe both of you everything. Thanks so much for believing in me and giving me this chance to prove myself."
"You're on your way now Samara, the sky's the limit! Fly high." "I will, now that I have my wings!"
*Updated my November 30th post above! Tomorrow's update will hopefully be a time jump with lots of updates. Might just be a preview of their new house in Henford-on-Bagley though. I need to get some rest now. Have a good one everyone!
Since I play a vanilla game, Sakura and Wolfgang will age without mods or overlays. lol I do hate that "my back is creaking" all the time animation, and when you have a headset on, geez, it sounds so loud. lol I have a few houses in mind, but have to look at them in-game. I also have to age up all the sims in all the worlds in my alternate save. That will take awhile. Looking forward to this
This is how Sakura and Wolfgang were left when I last played my "real" save. In Sulani at the waterfall (just in case you forgot how they looked like! lol)
So things here are a bit crazy - been helping my neighbor out with her dog since my neighbor had to go the ER suddenly, and of course balancing school still and I have so many tests this week, so this first day of December is not really what I hoped it would be. I'm not even sure I'm gonna have time to play today, so here's a few screenshots I started taking yesterday.
--- Update 331 - Interlude
They have moved into a house in HOB. I downloaded it from the gallery but forget to screenshot the creator.
So I added Ruby to the household temporarily since I wanted an updated family photo, and of course she got abducted during her stay haha.
And I aged Jules up so I could start editing wardrobes too.
The daily post pic is the house I've selected from the Gallery for Essa, Josh, Ollie and Buster! It needs a bit of renovation though. It has three bedrooms. The extra two will be remodeled for an area for the pets and the other will be for their collections. I need to take out a lot of the garden area and add a hot tub outside. Except for the tractor, the vehicles will be gone as well along with other extra stuff they won't need.
The rest of this update under the spoiler!
Here's the back of the house. It has a rather large pond, two chicken coops, an animals shed, another little shed, a party/BBQ area, and the huge garden area. I'll show the inside when the renovation is complete. The farm in the distance is where Melody and Malcom live, they're neighbors again!
Here's another lot I highly considered, but it's too small. I absolutely love it though, it's so sweet and quaint inside with lots of thoughtful details. I kept it in world and might move someone there at some point.
One more I considered, but again, though I love it, it's too small. It's in town now, but I might move it to the country.
Lastly, is this absolutely gorgeous cottage for fairies or elves, it's amazing! Problem is, it's not set-up for a farm and it's too small and bobs all over the place because of that HUGE tree! However, I LOVE it and just couldn't remove it. It's a rental at the moment.
Here's a look at elder Essa in her every day outfit. You'll see the rest of the wardrobe as I play them. I spent most of my time today giving her and Josh makeovers to make them look halfway decent as elders. I think they turned out pretty good actually! Love that scarf hairstyle and those cute boots!
Josh turned out pretty darn good too thanks to that skin overlay I got awhile go! Here he is wearing his every day outfit.
Lastly, I did a few other things such as; Seth and Josee now live in the Penthouse. Essa and Josh gifted it to them for a wedding present! Nik Sr. and Inna have moved to Sulani, they live in Melody and Malcom's old house there. Samara and Shelby have moved in with Sam in HoB. I aged up a lot of my Sims and the challenge Sims, but left all vampires at their current age. I also went around playing the households I don't want story progression to affect. I'll be giving some households kids too and there's still makeovers to do for everyone else. I only had time to do Essa and Josh at the moment. That's it for now!
I'll get started on comments, but might not finish until tomorrow morning. Also, I'll get links to those homes I didn't choose if anyone is interested, let me know! Hopefully I'll get the remodel finished and be able to post a story update tomorrow.
@Karababy52 - That's a nice looking lot that you chose, and I love all the other ones, too. Which lot size are you using? Essa and Josh look great as elders.
Comments
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
And they are quite cute together
Most of my play time was spent giving them makeovers. They both turned out so lovely and gorgeous.
Willow.
Piper.
Awww, Rowan and Willow! Very cool, they look good together.
@Ellupelluellu
I am SO glad that aspiration is over so I could get rid of those lot traits! You're right, it was driving me crazy! o.O I will never do this aspiration again! Oh wait...I'll have to do it next year won't I? Dangit!
HAHA! Oh man, now that you say that about the sideways screenshot with Essa and Shelby, that's exactly what it looks like is going on. Good call! hehe I love that pic of Buster too, he's such a cutie! He almost never walks anywhere too, always runs! It's cute seeing him zooming around the lot.
Ohhhh, adore your daily post pic closeup of Kat's eyes! Sooo scary beautiful! Nik Sr. is such a handsome and distinguished Sim. Every time I see him he takes my breath away. hehe Uh, nice try covering your convo Nik and Kat but Melody's not buying it. Aww, the hug between Melody and Nik is so sweet! Your Kat is so gorgeous! I love her 'disguise' too. That's the same hood/scarf Essa wore when she was disguising herself, she also wore that leather outfit at first too. I love that Kat is wearing a combo of both! Very cool! Don't know if you did that on purpose or not, regardless, she looks amazing!
Of course Melody follows her to Glimmerbrook, I figured she would after that look on her face when Kat ran away. And of course Cordelia is there in the Realm and easily found. Not surprised she isn't fooled by Kat's disguise either. OMG! Toddler Essa! Awwww, she's so adorable!
Poor Melody though, she looks so sad and confused.
Awww, and more pics of her playing with Kat! So, so sweet! Thanks for including those extras. I'm so looking forward to whatever happens now. Great update!
Notes
The next morning, Sam slipped away while everyone slept, including Samara. He didn't want to wake her since they, uh, didn't really get much sleep. So he kissed her forehead and whispered that he loved her and left. Essa left for her first day in the Tech Guru career and Josh was playing a video game in the living room online with Melody. The mail arrived so he said goodbye to Melody and went out to retrieve it. He smiled upon seeing Veera coming down the sidewalk to visit them. Josh ran over to greet her and never did get the mail.
"Veera, what a nice surprise! How are you and how's Gri-Greg and Cordelia? So good to see you!"
"Good to see you too Josh. I'm good, so's Greg, always busy, of course. And Cordelia's good too. They both send their love. Great place you have here. It's huge!"
"Thanks, we like it. It is gigantic though. Let's go inside and I'll show you around. Essa's at work, but we can hangout until she gets home if you can stay."
"Sure, I'd love to!"
Unfortunately, Josh slipped on the icey walkway in front of the house as they headed inside and lay for a moment stunned.
"Oh no! Josh! Are you alright, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, nothing hurt but my pride."
Josh showed Veera around and then they went out on the 2nd floor balcony to play a round of chess. They hadn't played very long before Josh must've asked Veera a question.
Next thing I know, they both stood up and began walking somewhere else in the house. I checked Josh's queue and couldn't believe what I saw! Really Josh? You want to do that, with your wife's Aunt? Well, okay, I guess she agreed judging by the smile on her face.
Josh had offered to give Veera a Swedish massage! Not sure how appropriate that is Joshie, even Buster looks confused. hehe Ah well, Veera was impressed with his massage skills and loved it. No harm, no foul.
Meanwhile Samara is up now and decided to get a head start on her homework for Monday. She worked on her presentation afterward as well.
Finished with the massage, Josh offered to teach Veera how to knit. Veera was a bit surprised he knew how to do that and eagerly agreed. Inna had tried to teach her a couple times, but she wasn't very patient and kept getting distracted telling Veera jokes.
"You're doing very well so far. You've done this before haven't you?"
"A little. But not enough to actually know what I'm doing."
"Oh man, see? I did something wrong! Oh no, it's unraveling! What do I do Josh, help?"
Josh patiently showed her how she'd only dropped a stitch and helped Veera get back on track.
"How come you're so good at this? Have you been knitting for a long time?"
"Oh yeah, years. I didn't want to, at first."
"Why'd you keep doing it if you didn't want to? Did someone make you do it? OH! Wait, let me guess, it was the Watcher, right?"
"You guessed it, I ended up enjoying it though, it's so relaxing."
"I should've known. Watchers love making us do things, whether we want to or not."
Veera finished making the simple pot holder Josh had shown her how to make and thanked him with another hug.
They spent some time after that telling each other Watcher jokes and laughing until their sides hurt.
"How many Watchers does it take to change a lightbulb?"
"I don't know, how many?"
"None, because they will get you to do it!"
"Hey, uh, would you like to play some video games with me?"
"Oh Honey, I would, but I know how good you are. I wouldn't stand a chance."
"Hey, you never know, you could beat me. Not likely, but you could. And if you can't, I'd be willing to show you some tricks on how to win too, if you want me to?"
"Thanks, maybe some other time. I was actually thinking about using that easel I saw on the balcony and painting something for you both instead. If that's okay? Think of it as a housewarming gift."
"Oh, okay, sure, that's cool."
"You're not upset are you?"
"Nah, I think it's sweet you want to do that. We could bring it inside if you'd rather not paint out in the cold?"
"Josh, I'm a vampire. We don't get cold, remember?"
"Ah, yeah, I forgot since you're wearing cold weather clothes. Guessing you just wear them to blend in."
"Exactly!"
So Veera went out on the balcony to paint and wait for Essa.
Of course Josh played video games anyway.
(Hey, what can I say? I love to play and I have to keep current if I ever want to win another tournament.)
Aww, Josh, you will, don't worry.
Essa finally came home a little while later, and with a promotion! I was pleased to find that was all she needed to finish the Computer Whiz aspiration! Congratulations Essa, you can quit now if you want to.
She did.
What a weird career outfit though, she wore jeans with that top and converse sneakers. Plus, she's not wearing any make-up, no eyelashes, no skin overlay, nothing. Just her natural look as if fresh from CAS. She looks so young! I don't understand though. She still has her CC hairstyle, why not the other CC she had? Essa now has the Soulmates aspiration. I'm thinking I might change Josh to that one as well.
"Essa! Hey! Up here!" Veera called down from the balcony.
"Aunt Veera! You're here! I'll be right up!"
"SO good to see you, I've missed you!"
"We've missed you too sweetheart, Uncle Greg sends you his love. He was too busy to come, of course. And your Mom too."
"It's cool, he has a very demanding job."
"Now tell me dear, why haven't you come visit us? It's been forever since the last time. I think it was when you needed help getting Josh back from Kat, or maybe that Grilled Cheese nonsense."
"I'm so sorry, we'll come over for a visit very soon. We've just been so busy moving all the time, exploring, getting married, going to Batuu, and now this big house to take care of and three pets."
"Well, okay, but you have to make time for those important to you, like family and friends. I'm busy too, but I still came here to see you. Right?"
"You're right, I'm sorry."
"Aww, it's okay. I get it. But try not to be such a stranger in the future. We love you and miss you."
"I love you, Uncle Greg and Mom too. Is she still living with you?"
"Yes, for now."
"Anyway, Josh and I have been having so much fun together! We played some chess, he taught me how to knit and he even gave me a massage!"
"He what? Gave you a massage? Wow, okay, that's cool."
"He's very good at it too, I still feel like jello." Veera laughed and then they stepped over to check out the painting Veera had done for them. Essa thanked her with another hug and took the painting inside to hang in the hallway gallery. Veera followed her inside and stood watching Josh play until Essa returned.
Finished with his games, Josh suggested they turn on the stereo and have a little dance party.
They danced and had a chat for what seemed like hours with Josh and Veera both trying to show off and best each other. Josh would try some complicated moves and Veera would match him move for move. Essa just rolled her eyes and watched the two competitors. Josh had always prided himself on his dance moves and of course, he'd always had a crush on Veera ever since he met her back in Britechester. She had to smile though at the determination of both to be the best.
But after awhile, Josh noticed Veera was beginning to frown and she looked a little paler than she should've been.
"Are you okay Veera? We can stop if you like, if you're tired."
"No, it's not that, I'm just so hungry and...and...you, you smell so delicious. I could just BITE YOU! GAH! I NEED TO FEED!" She suddenly yelled in a menacing growl. But then clapped a hand over her mouth in mortification.
*GASP* "Oh man, I'm so, so sorry! I think I better go. I didn't bring any plasma packs with me and if I don't eat soon I might just attack one or both of you and I don't want to do that!"
"Hey, you can feed from us if you like, we don't mind. Right Essa?"
"Right, it's fine Aunt Veera. We understand, of course."
"No, that's okay. I make it a rule to never eat from family or friends. I'll be fine. I'll just find a snack on the way home or try to control myself until I get there. I'd hug both of you goodbye, but I don't trust myself."
"I apologize for keeping you here so long."
"No, don't apologize, it was my own fault. I just lost track of the time because we were having so much fun! Should've come prepared. No worries my dear Josh."
"Alright, well, bye for now Veera, come back again soon!"
"Bye Aunt Veera, we promise to come for a visit very soon."
"Bye sweethearts, love you both and don't be strangers, alright?"
"We won't! Love you too!"
Veera made her way downstairs and toward the front door. I find it cute how the pets followed her all the way there as if to say goodbye to her too.
--
Update 327 - Lighthouse Love
And there's a reason I stopped in to play these two.
Looks like Jules is gonna be a grandma
Also looks like someone else might be a mama too....
And Captain Whitaker was the second one.
Jules also has become friends with 12 pets. She was up to 10 by the time I even got to this stage of the aspiration (all that befriending random pets this year payed off haha). So finding two more was quite easy. She just has to feel the love 5 more times and then I'll be able to check this aspiration off
Notes
The pets haven't gotten much attention the last couple days, so I had Josh and Essa play with them and give them lots of love. Josh took Buster for a short walk, but they didn't get very far. There was still a blizzard going on and Buster was freezing! Josh picked him up and carried him cuddled up to him all the way home. Aww, so sweet!
Samara was working on refining and organizing her presentation, then spent some time with Shelby before going to her room to practice writing and debate for awhile.
I switched Josh's aspiration from Archeology Scholar to Soulmate and started a date for them. Not the most romantic spot for a date, but hey, they're married so it's cool! They'll need to go on more dates though so next time I'll send them somewhere other than just staying at home. Maybe...it's so easy to get gold at home though. They had it within minutes!
The date started with a kiss on the cheek for Essa.
Followed by a loving embrace.
They haven't celebrated the holidays in a long time, but it is Winter, so a kiss under the mistletoe isn't out of the question.
I just love these two so much! This aspiration will be a breeze for them, they've actually been soulmates for years. Ever since they met really.
"Shall we go workout together?"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
Workout together was one of the goals! hehe How weird!
But first a caress on the cheek for Josh reduced him to a puddle of love. Josh hopped on the treadmill after that and I guess Essa thought a few stretches was good enough. Task completed!
Next up was to give your date a massage. Essa's turn to get a Swedish massage from Josh. For some reason though, it didn't complete. What!?
Ah well, they spent some time telling each other jokes instead. The daily post pic is Josh telling Essa a dirty joke. You wouldn't know it by the face he's making though. hehe
Let's try this again. Maybe a foot massage will do the trick.
"Careful Beautiful, you know I'm ticklish."
"Mmm, ohhh yeahhh, that feels so good."
"You're really good at this, thanks Beautiful!"
"You're welcome Babe. Glad I can do this at least without giving you any pain."
Again, the task didn't complete. And then I realized something and I felt so silly!
It was as simple as just 'offer massage' like this, not one using the table or chair. Sheesh! Can you tell I don't send my Sims on dates very often? o.O
One more 'task' and the date will be complete. They didn't need to do this, they had gold already for a long time. But hey, what better way to end a date eh?
Mission accomplished! And Wow, look at that! They are both Smitten with each other and Deeply in Love! Only the second time they've ever gotten the 'Deeply in Love' sentiment. Who knew all it took was a date?
The night was still young so they decided to watch a movie together. Josh wasn't too into it though, but Essa looks intrigued. It was Roaring Vice in case anyone is curious.
hehe Well now, it looks like neither one likes it now.
Essa got up to stand and watch the movie for some reason. Josh must've thought she made too much noise getting out of her chair or something.
"Shhh, do you have to be so loud!?"
"Why do you even care? You don't like the movie anyway?"
"Maybe I would if I could hear what they were saying."
"Whatever..."
HAHA! They sound like an old married couple don't they? Well, I guess they are!
The movie ended with Essa in tears over the romantic reunion between the lovers and Josh feeling good about the guy getting the girl again in the end. I guess? Why else would he look all smug and polish his fingernails? hehe
I ended my play session here, but I wasn't ready to close the game yet. I still wanted to do a few things before this month ends. In light of that...
Here is Samuel Masters, Damon and Molly's second Son. He had been a child for a long time so I figured it was about time I aged him up. He's a teen now. Wow, he looks SO much like Damon! He at least got Molly's mouth though AND pointy ears! That was a nice surprise! Must be a throwback from his Grandpa Nik! So cool!
Here's his updated wardrobe, sans sleepwear. I didn't think it was needed to show him wearing just his undies. hehe
Jules and Vlad's daughter Gloria also aged up. She was a toddler still, but she's now a teen as well. Totally skipped the child stage. Ah well. She's a great combo of her parents too. She looks just like Jules from the front, but she has her Dad's profile. I think she's gorgeous!
Here's her wardrobe. Vlad is a bit strict and old-fashioned about what he feels is appropriate for a young lady to wear, so no slacks for her, only dresses. She's not allowed to show much skin either for her bathing outfit. Jules fought for her hot weather outfit telling Vlad it was silly to make her wear a long dress in hot weather. He compromised a little for that outfit, but her skirt still had to go below the knee. Her cold weather outfit was another battle. Gloria fell in love with the red skirt and boots. She was allowed to wear a shorter skirt this time, but had to wear tights under it. I love that hat with the little veil in front and the red rose. I think that's my favorite outfit. However, I love her formal outfit too.
Both Samuel and Gloria's dark mode is exactly the same as their normal mode with the exception of their eyes and a few veins and cracks on their faces.
I apologize, but comments will have to wait until tomorrow morning. I'm up way past my bedtime and I need to get some rest. Have a great day/night tomorrow everyone! *Hugs*
Of course Lenny would be one of the ghost pets Jules plays with, and so fun she got to see Captain Whitaker! He didn't show up for Essa or Josh, I think I may have deleted him from my custom template save I used for the challenge save. Sounds like it won't be long before you'll have this aspiration complete too, good job!
-- congrats to Ruby and Zane
-- Aww thw ghost pets! Oh yes I believe befriending goal indeed is easy for Jules , by now
@Karababy52 ,
I know Essa had that same scarf back then, but I did not remembered she had the outfit too (later tho) , so I just choosed something full body and black
Glad you liked toddler Essa
--Veera, not acting like silly, haha , cool. Haha, that massage part was hilarious
--Haha , indeed the first pic does not look like telling dirty joke, more like that Josh really needs to use the loo
Aww, how cute from him to carry Buster back home
Nice date, I am sorry but had to giggle, after all the effort it simply was the old normal back massage
Oh indeed that last pic of them, old married couple
Those kids grew up well!
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Melody Connors
Day 300+
The one with babysitter.
Simeon stayed in Realm, but they would find a new home soon for them.
Meredith is Essa's babysitter, but one time she could not come, and sent her little brother instead..
Essa: "TAMON?"
Damon: "I am NOT a babysitter!"
Essa , very much so , disagrees
Essa: "Tamon!! Carry mee!!"
Damon: "Calm down, dude, she cant be this annoying all the day!"
Essa: "Tamon, Essa wants cards!"
Damon: "Okay.. so I let you down again.."
Essa: "Boring cards! HUGGGG!"
Damon: "...."
Then his friend called if he would like to hang out in Pan Europa.
Damon: "I cannot! I am babysitting a little brat!"
Essa: "HUUGGGG!!! Tamon!!!"
Damon: "oh man.. I can almost see Pan Europa from here.."
Booktime.. again..
Melody came home.
Melody: "Meredith? Essa?"
Damon: "FINALLY!"
Melody: "Damon? You here?"
Damon: "meredith had other plans today, yeah.."
Melody: "Well how did you guys get along?"
Damon: "Oh just fine! For you , I will do this again, anytime!"
Melody: "Aww.. I'll give you a kiss on your cheek for that! So sweet!"
....!
They kissed on their own...
.. what was clearly too much for little Essa!
And boyfriend nro 4!
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
@Karababy52
That's really cool about the moodlet for the baby too, didn't know that!
Sorry these comments are a bit shorter than I planned - my game keeps crashing so I'm trying figure out what's up that.....
Update 329 - The Water Balloon Fight
First, some family fishing time.
And even though water balloon fights are never that great, I do enjoy them from time to time.
"Are you seriously going to hide over there, Emmett? Don't think you can handle this?"
"Fine, I'll come out. I'm ready for this."
*Thwack*
*Thud*
Robin: "I'm gonna hit dad too!"
Rowan: "I can't watch..."
"Okay, actually that was kind of funny."
Robin: "Let me try again."
Rowan: "I'll get a video this time."
"Whoops, my camera was facing the wrong way, but I might as well take some selfies while I have it here. I bet Willow would love to see these muscles..."
And here's a scenic shot since I can't help myself.
Back at home, Jules finished the aspiration, yay!
Then Ruby popped by for a visit. Perfect
"I have something to tell you, Mom."
"Zane and I are having a baby."
"Oh my goodness! That's such exciting news! Ruby, I'm so happy for you." She actually does look like she's tearing up a bit
"I'm going to be a grandma!"
Aging up some other sims
Maxwell.
Mason
And @SoulGal7 , I don't know if you're still lurking around, but I aged up Sakura and Wolfgang's kiddos too
Kiki
Otto
Notes
I thought this aspiration would be easy for Josh and Essa to complete, and it was indeed! They were already soulmates in my eyes, but now they are officially and companions as well. The hardest part was spamming 50 romantic socials in a row. o.O Especially since if their queue emptied out and I didn't choose another action right away, they both kept wanting to give the other massages on the massage table. The allure of that object is extremely appealing to them. I think I might have to get rid of it when they move to Henford-on-Bagley. Anyway, congratulations to you both!
It was freezing cold outside, but a sunny day regardless, so I thought why not let them go for a swim? They're both immune to the weather so why not? They both got the Polar Bear swim achievement as a result, however...
THIS happened! What!? I almost killed both of them! They were freezing to death when they got out of the pool. I guess weather immunity doesn't count when swimming in the freezing cold. Opps! Sent them both inside using transportalate since the thermostat is turned on to warm for Samara and the pets, and they immediately unthawed. Crisis averted. Thank God! I would've been devastated to lose them both so close to the end of the challenge. On a side note, interesting how they both turned more white than blue.
Yup, Josh offered Essa a Deep Tissue massage and I let it happen. I had to laugh seeing both their faces. I guess what they say is true, 'paybacks are a *beep*' LOL! Notice how dirty the massage table is now? I had no idea that could happen. It makes sense though considering how much they've been using it.
Just for fun had them both enter a professional video game tournament playing The Sims Forever for a friendly competition. I wonder who will win. Essa came in second! Not too shabby eh? And Josh...
Also came in second! It's a tie! Wow, might have to try that again sometime. I guess this means that Josh is still on top with his video skills over Essa, but he's teetering towards a fall from his seat on the throne.
Samara is editing her term paper, but doesn't look too happy about it. She submitted it anyway after doing all that she could with her knowledge on the subject.
I gave both Essa and Josh the Country Caretaker aspiration now since they really can't do anything here to complete the goals. So what to have them do until they move? Josh could do anything he wanted since he's Level 10 in ALL skills, with the exception of Selvadoradadian Culture and the Media Production station. Essa has completed the Nerd Brain aspiration, but she didn't need to max the handiness skill to do it. She's only Level 6, so she will study from skill books to level it up. Just for something productive to do.
Josh is writing a biography about his life so far. It's entitled, "The Making of a Super Sim." When he was finished, he made a copy to keep and then submitted it to the Literary Digest for publication. I had him pay their bills while he was at the mailbox too. They pay over 13K in bills for this monstrosity of a house! o.O And that's WITH the frugal trait for both of them.
Samara harvested the garden for them since they were busy and her first class of the day isn't until 1:30 p.m. She's keeping one of those roses to give to Sam the next time they're together.
Josh is making himself a well-earned drink to enjoy. I noticed a menu for 'make special drink' and thought that would be to make his favorite drink. Nope, there was a bunch of drinks in that menu I've never seen before. He's making a 'Dyed Cocktail.' Samara is making her first meal ever, a garden salad group meal for everyone.
I don't know why he's making this face. Maybe he's not too sure how to make it? Just go for it Joshie, you can do it!
What a pretty drink eh? I figured it would be multi-colored from the name. You did good Josh!
He took it into the living room to sit with Essa still studying handiness and just stared at it with hesitation.
(I don't know about this Watcher...)
Oh come on Josh, where's your sense of adventure? Just drink it, what could go wrong?
Famous last words! hehe I had no idea this was going to happen, I should've, given the name of the drink. I love it though and he got a fun moodlet as well. Sorry not sorry Joshie, you look lovely, so colorful!
(Gee, thanks, I guess.)
It's only Tuesday, but I went with Samara to Britechester before her first class so she could give her presentation. I guess it must've went well since she jumped up and clicked her heels after it was over. Notice she's not wearing make-up to cover her scars or her scarf? Samara has gained a lot of confidence and self-esteem since meeting Sam and decided she doesn't care what anyone else thinks. She still wears make-up now, but not to cover her scars. Good for you Samara, I'm proud of you and I bet Sam would be too!
Back home Samara practiced her writing skills and then left for her first class. Essa challenged Josh to a game of chess. She needed the practice if she even had a prayer of beating him. However, it's now the end of an era, the King has fallen off his throne!
"Checkmate!"
"What!? No way! Seriously? Holy Simoly Beautiful, you did it!"
"Gahhhh! It has to be because of the color haze from that drink. I can't see the board clearly. Yeah, that's it!"
"Oh come on, just admit it, I'm good now! I beat you fair and square."
*grumble grumble* "Yeah, you've finally bested me. Congrats Beautiful! Don't think you can do it again though. Just a fluke."
"Uh huh, sure. We'll see."
Shelby!! Why!? Just why!? There's no reason whatsoever for you to runaway from home. Especially during a blizzard! You have a beautiful warm home with plenty of food and plenty of love. You're companions with all your humans, you have a clean litter box. Why!? I don't get it.
*Meow*
*It's a big world out there, I just wanted to explore for a bit, that's all.*
But, but... in a blizzard?
*Meow*
*What's a blizzard?*
For some reason, Essa could not post an alert. At least not right away. Why? Because Shelby had to walk allll the way down to the public area by the beach, down the trail toward the bridge overpass and then disappear underneath it first. After posting the alert, someone must've spotted her almost immediately, she was back home within 15 minutes or so later!
Samara was the first one to spot her and rushed outside to scoop her up and bring her inside where it's warm. She gave her lots of kisses, hugs, treats, played with the laser pointer with her, etc. and even could 'feel the love.'
"Oh Shelby, so, so glad you came back. We were so worried about you! You could've froze to death out there!"
*Meow*
*Why all the fuss? I just went for a long walk.*
Shelby of course loved all the attention though, especially when Samara took her over to the couch to pamper her furry friend.
And some time time has passed, and Ruby has given birth to a baby girl named Margot
I feel like alien hybrids are a pretty sad life state, especially since they can't even have a disguise, so I have my MCCC settings set to make humans and aliens give birth to full alien babies instead, which is why Margot is full alien. Look at her bonding with her daddy. He's glowing green since he's so happy to meet her
Of course Jules came by to visit her grand baby
"I made you this darling little onesie."
"You're perfect."
I had Rowan do the "she's so...cute?" interaction available with alien babies since someone had to
"You had better not say anything rude in front of your sister..."
"Well I think she's adorable."
"Uh, I think she pooped. I'm outta here..."
"This town is so lovely," Jules told Emmett later as they walked around a bit. "Ruby has mentioned wanting some help with Margot too since she wants to go back to work part time. What would you think of moving here?"
It was also my 4th of July holiday, so I decided to actually acknowledge since they were already visiting family, so they all went for a swim.
Emmett headed back a bit early so he could grill some hotdogs for dinner, when this suddenly happened....
"Don't worry, Margot! I'll save you!"
"That was terrifying. I'm glad you're safe."
"Let's put this fire out just to be safe though."
Alright, time to make some hotdogs now.
After eating, it was time to set off some fireworks.
"You know," Emmett muttered softly as they stargazed later. "I think I really would love living here..."
--
I forgot to add this to my post yesterday, but Jules did finally finish the feather collection!
I apologize for not updating or doing comments last night, I thought I could, but it was way too late to do it before I needed to get some sleep. Anyway, I'll post comments/replies next. For today's post, I'll be doing lots of background stuff with non-challenge Sims, building a house from scratch for Josh & Essa in HoB, or perhaps remodeling one from the Gallery, and packing up their stuff to move.
I'll most likely just have a daily post pic of their new place only for my update later. The first post for December will either be screenshots of their house, or a time jump story post. Depends on how fast I can get everything done. Samara still needs to finish her last term too. I'll try to do that myself with her, but if I can't, I'll cheat it for her.
I'm excited, but a bit anxious for December. It's the very last month of the challenge, but Josh and Essa will be elders! o.O I know how Josh will look as an elder, at least without the overlay, since I've played with him as one in the Apocalypses challenge. Have no idea about Essa though. Thankfully, I have numerous mods now to make elders more realistic than the Maxis default elders in their appearance and animations. I want to give a big THANK YOU to @Ellupelluellu for leading me to the dark side, it's made my gameplay so much more enjoyable, I'll be forever grateful my friend!
Hope y'all have a wonderful day/night!
I LOVE toddler Essa, she's adorable!
Still makes me laugh thinking about that massage.
Is there a way they could've let her drink from them without her asking? I didn't know that if so. But I still wouldn't have had that happen. I think if I remember right, as you've hinted, she has the guilty drinker trait, right?
HAHA! Oh man, I guess he sort've does look a bit uncomfortable eh? "Oh man, hold it, hold it...be right back, I can't..."
It was a short walk, but the action stopped for whatever reason and they were just standing there with Buster whining, so I had Josh pick him up and carry him home. It was really sweet. And kind of funny too though because, even though he couldn't do the action with his arms, Josh was still acting like Sims do when walking in a blizzard. hehe
Yup, you're right, I should've known it was just a basic massage for that very reason. D'oh! I had fun with the 'old married couple' dialogue. It just seemed to fit with Josh shushing her after she'd stood up.
Awww, so, so cute how she calls him Tamon. hehe Love the image of Essa smiling and Damon frowning as they sit on the couch. hehe Aww, those sweet little eyes looking up at him with adoration, how can he not just fall in love with the little tyke!?
Oooo, oh boy Essa is NOT happy about Melody and Damon kissing, she's throwing a temper tantrum and they are ignoring her. HAHA! That angry face and foot stomp just kills me! Essa, calm down little one, you're too young to be so jealous already. He's too old for you dear. At least now anyway.
@permanentrose
Bummer about your computer problems, so glad you were able to get it fixed though! Love that shot of them all fishing on a beautiful Summer day! I can't wait for warmer weather in HoB. In BB for Josh and Essa, it's been a blizzard every single day of Winter and there is only four more days left so that's 10 days in a row so far. o.O The water balloon fight was so funny!
Yay for Jules finishing the aspiration in the nick of time! Congrats Jules (and you)! Awww, love those screenshots of Ruby telling Jules she's going to be a Grandma. Very heartwarming!
What an absolutely gorgeous daily post pic! Love how you got the moon right in the middle of the fireworks burst! Good job getting that angle! Beautiful cozy looking house for Ruby and Zane, I love it! Did you build it? Or download it from the Gallery? I think I'll have to download one and remodel it again. Not enough time to build before tomorrow. At least for me, I'm too much of a picky perfectionist. LOL!
Awww, a little girl. Welcome Margot! Great idea getting that mod to make them full aliens. Of course Grandma came by to visit her granddaughter and give her that cute onesie! Such a sweet screenshot of her holding Margot and the two of them smiling at each other.
Hot dogs and fireworks, the perfect way to end their holiday. Congrats to Jules for completing the feather collection!
Oh sure, they're all from Bienchen though, so you could just go to her site and get them yourself. Here's a link:
https://deichschafblog.de/bienchen/
I have the ones that stop the stooped over walk, and the silly 'where am I?' animations, no cracked back animation and... I think that might be it, not sure. I think those three, plus the skin overlay will help so much for them to look and act more like modern day healthy elders instead of the stereotypical version Maxis thought was a good idea.
@SoulGal7
Well, I can wait, even though I won't get to wait for them to be elders, it'll happen later tonight. But hopefully with some mods I have it won't be too bad. Cross your fingers! hehe
Okay, I'm off to go in game to prepare for tomorrow and for today's post! Have to take advantage of the alone time since Hubby went hunting! See ya!
Notes
Josh is writing a Romance novel while waiting for Samara to come home from taking her final exam for Uni. All the pets were in there having some fun together too. Essa was playing The R.E.F.U.G.E. on the gaming mat. Her confidence level was at an all time high since beating Josh at chess. Her next goal was to beat him playing video games as well. Good luck with that Essa!
Samara arrived home feeling very confident in herself too. She joined Josh and Essa on the third floor where they were having a little dance party. Essa DJ'ed on the booth and Josh was showing off his moves. He had a dance battle with Samara and right in the middle of it, her grades came in. All A+ again with an A+ average. She'd done it! Samara had earned a Distinguished Degree with Honors for Language and Literature! Congratulations Samara!
Graduation was the next day at 10:50 a.m.
The next day, Josh, Essa and Samara traveled to Drury's Den to meet Sam there. Samara greeted him with a warm kiss.
"I'm so glad you could make it Sam!"
"I wouldn't miss this for anything. I'm so proud of you Samara."
Samara went inside the commons to change into her graduation cap and gown and then they all went over to the Soccer Stadium where the ceremony would take place.
"You look fantastic Samara! I wish we could come inside with you to see you get that well earned diploma."
"I do too, but tickets were limited. I didn't know that and they were sold out before I had a chance to get any."
"It's okay Maree, we'll wait out here for you."
"I think it's time to go inside, your classmates are headed that way."
"Oh, yes, you're right, see you all soon!"
Josh, Essa and Sam occupied their time by making some Snowpals and having a chat. They didn't have to wait too long, Essa didn't even have time to finish her Snowpal before Samara emerged from the stadium with her classmates.
With the traditional tossing of the caps, it's official! Samara is now a university graduate! So silly how their caps turned white with snow on them.
Sam was first in line to give her a congratulatory hug. What a sweet moment. I love these two so much!
Josh was next to get a warm hug from Samara.
"Thank you Josh, thank you for everything, for believing in me, for loving me. I couldn't have done this without you."
"Yes, you could've, believe in yourself Maree and you can do anything."
"I know. I love you and always will."
"Me too."
I don't think Sam is too keen on the conversation between these two. He looks mighty jealous to me. o.O
I think I was right. The moment she left Josh's arms, Sam blew her a kiss. hehe
"Thank you too Essa, I couldn't have done this without your help either. I'll always be grateful to you for that. You are a very understanding and compassionate woman. I can certainly understand why Josh loves you. I love you too and am so glad that you're my friend now."
"I love you too Samara, I'm glad too! Congratulations, you worked hard for this, you deserve it!"
They all made their way back to the commons to grab a bite to eat, hot bowls of chili for them all to help ward off the chill of the early afternoon. After they had a chat, Samara and Sam went over to sit in front of the fire. Josh and Essa stayed behind to give the two new lovers some privacy.
"Hey, do you think that bush is still out back? You know the one I'm talking about, right? Want to check it out Beautiful?"
"Oh Babe, seriously, in broad daylight? It was dark last time, and I bet it's long gone, that was decades ago. I'll make you a deal though, if it's still there, you're on!"
"Ohhh yeahhh, it's a deal, let's go see!"
"It's still here!"
"Oh my God, it is!"
" So what do you think? A deal's a deal, right?"
"What about that guy over there?"
"Eh, who cares, he's probably seen it all before, and if he hasn't, he's in for a show!"
*gigglesnort* "I can't believe we're really going to do this, again."
"Believe it Beautiful! Get in there!" Josh said with a playful swat to Essa's bottom.
Essa laughed and squealed in delight as she disappeared in the bush, quickly followed by Josh.
"Anybody around?"
"Nope, that guy left too."
"Perfect!"
Take a good look at them, probably the last time you'll see them this close up before they turn to elders. Doubt they'll be able to enjoy these kind of antics very often as well. So happy you two had one last hurrah at least.
Samara and Sam were completely oblivious, too focused on each other sharing lots of kisses and hugs in front of the fireplace inside.
They all went back to the house to continue celebrating with Samara for a little bit before Sam had to leave and travel back to the farm.
They took a lovely selfie together and Josh took some photos of Samara in her cap and gown as well. All too soon though it was time for Sam to leave. They said their goodbyes and Samara went up to her room to change her clothes and hang up her graduation photo, diploma and special award for graduating with honors.
While she was up there, she was fortunate to find an opening online for a position in a famous publishing house. Taking a chance, she sent her resume and was instantly accepted for the position and was even given a sign on bonus! Samara has now completed the Academics aspiration as a result. Congratulations Samara! She has now fulfilled her obligation to the government and can get a green card with the opportunity to become a citizen as well.
Samara tried to give her bonus to Josh and Essa to help payback everything they'd spent for her education and expenses for living with them, but they wouldn't take it.
In fact, they had a couple graduation gifts for her too. Josh presented her with a package that contained a laptop from both of them!
Essa gave her a gift of a camera from both of them too! Samara was speechless!
"I never thought my life would turn out like this. It's unbelievable. It's all thanks to both of you, my angels. Thank you just doesn't seem like near enough. I'll be forever in your debt. You've changed my life. I'll love you both for everything you've done to help me."
"You're welcome, but it was you that earned this Maree, and it was you that started it all by writing that letter to me. If you hadn't, we never would've went looking for you in the first place."
"Well...I guess that's true. But I still owe both of you everything. Thanks so much for believing in me and giving me this chance to prove myself."
"You're on your way now Samara, the sky's the limit! Fly high."
"I will, now that I have my wings!"
This is how Sakura and Wolfgang were left when I last played my "real" save. In Sulani at the waterfall (just in case you forgot how they looked like! lol)
---
Update 331 - Interlude
So I added Ruby to the household temporarily since I wanted an updated family photo, and of course she got abducted during her stay haha.
And I aged Jules up so I could start editing wardrobes too.
Oof, I definitely need to install some elder mods
Makeovers coming later.
Notes
The daily post pic is the house I've selected from the Gallery for Essa, Josh, Ollie and Buster! It needs a bit of renovation though. It has three bedrooms. The extra two will be remodeled for an area for the pets and the other will be for their collections. I need to take out a lot of the garden area and add a hot tub outside. Except for the tractor, the vehicles will be gone as well along with other extra stuff they won't need.
The rest of this update under the spoiler!
Here's the back of the house. It has a rather large pond, two chicken coops, an animals shed, another little shed, a party/BBQ area, and the huge garden area. I'll show the inside when the renovation is complete. The farm in the distance is where Melody and Malcom live, they're neighbors again!
Here's another lot I highly considered, but it's too small. I absolutely love it though, it's so sweet and quaint inside with lots of thoughtful details. I kept it in world and might move someone there at some point.
One more I considered, but again, though I love it, it's too small. It's in town now, but I might move it to the country.
Lastly, is this absolutely gorgeous cottage for fairies or elves, it's amazing! Problem is, it's not set-up for a farm and it's too small and bobs all over the place because of that HUGE tree! However, I LOVE it and just couldn't remove it. It's a rental at the moment.
Here's a look at elder Essa in her every day outfit. You'll see the rest of the wardrobe as I play them. I spent most of my time today giving her and Josh makeovers to make them look halfway decent as elders. I think they turned out pretty good actually! Love that scarf hairstyle and those cute boots!
Josh turned out pretty darn good too thanks to that skin overlay I got awhile go! Here he is wearing his every day outfit.
Lastly, I did a few other things such as; Seth and Josee now live in the Penthouse. Essa and Josh gifted it to them for a wedding present! Nik Sr. and Inna have moved to Sulani, they live in Melody and Malcom's old house there. Samara and Shelby have moved in with Sam in HoB. I aged up a lot of my Sims and the challenge Sims, but left all vampires at their current age. I also went around playing the households I don't want story progression to affect. I'll be giving some households kids too and there's still makeovers to do for everyone else. I only had time to do Essa and Josh at the moment. That's it for now!
I'll get started on comments, but might not finish until tomorrow morning. Also, I'll get links to those homes I didn't choose if anyone is interested, let me know! Hopefully I'll get the remodel finished and be able to post a story update tomorrow.
Hope everyone had a wonderful day/night!