@Karababy52 I like the idea of switching avatars based on the world every month! I think I’m gonna have to steal that idea haha. Also Cale shows up in my game soon! I just played ahead while I wasn’t so busy so it will be a few days before I use his appearance in my update.
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On my phone right now so the rest of my comments are still coming later haha
I got home from school and my grades were up. I was a B student now and it felt pretty good. [Note: Yep, Dylan swiped something at school again. Dirty dishes worth 0 simoleons! lol].
I practically ran to the little house where I was to meet the owner. After a quick tour, I signed the papers, paid in cash, and was given the keys. I was doing a month-to-month rental and the owner had no problem with that. After they left, I went inside and looked around at my new "home." [Note: The school uniforms randomly change daily.]
The house pretty much looked like the photos. It had no electricity, which was probably why it was still for rent.
It was really off-the-grid, and the kitchenette area didn't even have a stove, but it did have a fridge and a beat-up looking counter. Beside this was a table that had been made out of a snowboard, and there were some old books sitting on it.
Heat came from a corner fireplace, and there was a stack of wood piled next to it. Right beside the fireplace was a small table with one chair, and a plant. Little lanterns were scattered around, which provided light. There was a double bed, and the bedding, while somewhat clean, was a bit frayed. Some shelves hung on the wall, and the owner had put a few plants there to "cheer the place up".
There was a very small, basic bathroom, which had a toilet, sink and a shower.
Out front was a chess table, and in the backyard, there was a firepit for cooking hot dogs and other stuff, with a fabric loveseat near it. There was a little shrine area, which had sold me on the place, and in front of the shrine looked like a yoga mat. That was pretty much it, except for a fruit tree, and the owner told me that it was a pomegranate tree.
The owner also told me that there was a lot of open space if I wanted to plant a garden. I really didn't know anything about gardening, but the owner told me that there were some gardening tools at the side, and all I had to do was dig a little hole in the ground, pop in the seed, cover it up and then water it. I had some parsley and tomatoes that I found, so I thought I would give it a go.
I decided to unpack some of my belongings, and placed some photos on the shelves, and hung up my skis, backpack and coat near the front door.
And lastly, I unfolded the "borrowed" poster and hung it on the wall. I surveyed the house and smiled. Now it felt like "home".
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
I added/changed a few things in the house. It has the off-the-grid lot trait and also is a tiny living "small" house. There are a lot of debug items on the lot, including debug pictures above the counter in the kitchen, and over the bed, the trees, plants, lanterns in the house and in the backyard, the shrine, fence, and the indoor fireplace. The fireplace looks lit because of the "brightdark triplet totem candles" I placed in there. Added: moonlight lantern, sleezy skis gear hanging rack, bunny bookshelf, the world's fastest table, "I did this thing" poster, fine dining poster, fresh beginnings faux fur rug, ate & salvage drafting table (the chair was already in the build), starlit children's wastebasket, and smoke alarm. Added the sunny days wall mirror and a toilet paper roll holder in the bathroom (the rug came with the build). I switched out the fridge for an off-the grid fridge from cottage living. I deleted the stove, and added a firepit and loveseat in the backyard. I also added a chess table out front and a yoga mat. In the original build, the bathroom area is open, I just created a sort-of closed-in space using 1/2 walls and an archway, and added the Noren curtains above the archway. I thought it looked better. With these additions, it brought the build up to approx. $6K.
Glad that you can play again. Really enjoyed Day 5. The angle of the first screenshot is so great!
The latest update can be really fun. It is a bit weird when some Sims just call you out of the blue. :')
And great to see Kenzie on the slopes (and in your game).
Hope that Dylan feels better soon and gets back on the slopes soon.
Jan 8: The angle of that first screenshot is so perfect. Love it!
Glad that he is having a great time with Enele and his family!
Jan 9: Hope the weather clears up soon, so that D. J. can go on that hike!
I loved this update. It was great to read. As I hope I've mentioned before, I really like your writing style.
I really like how positive Aaron is. Decorating his new space to make it his own is such a good idea!
Taking all his stuff around to get out of the rain is so clever!
Great to see that Kenzie also prioritizes school seemingly everywhere she goes. :')
Can't wait for the next update with Hunter. ^^
That shack reno really came out so well!
Good on him for being so financially responsible and saving up to give himself a propper home.
The big catch animations always crack me up. And aww, loving the cat content. Such a cutie.
Thank you, her parents can really be hurtful sometimes.
Koji definitely offered to take her on a hike on his day off. Not sure where that relationship will go yet, but I'm excited to explore it!
Kenzie's parents really can be hard for her to handle. I did create them before starting the challenge, so they might show up sometime during the challenge.
And well Aimi and Robin are super cute. I think I'd be attached to them as well. I loved their Christmas gift exchange.
That sounds really hard, Kenzie is kind of used to being forgotton, but she's still only a kid so it hurts.
And ohh! Kenzie still hasn't made that much progress with her aspiration. I let her focus on school first, so that's why I thought he was done. That's still super cool though.
I would totally love a grungy pack for the Sims. It would open so much potential. Maybe they could even do a world similar to Twinbrooke in TS3. I really liked that world because it wasn't as pristine as the others.
I think it takes a while to get used to full autonomy. There should be a few mods that help turn down certain actions a notch. Some things do get queued way too much sometimes.
I was wondering the same about your game. I just love it. Certainly adds a new certain routine to my day. Yay editing!
Thank you, I tried to make it fit in with the world by using the wallpaper. :')
I think she got a lot of her skills from all the school projects she did. I was a bit amazed by it to be honest.
And thank you! I really love Mt. Komorebi, it's so pretty!
A portable bed and fridge is a good idea! Makes fill his needs in one spot easier. Love the selfie too. I need to hang up Robin and Aimi's selfie once she gets an actual dwelling haha. HAHAHA, oh, the bush...cheaper than a toilet and it does the job I've been avoiding adding one of those to my lot since I know Pepper will go in it and inevitably get bit by squirrel and need to go to the vet, which Robin can't afford. I have a mod that keeps pets from getting sick from that usual rotation of sickness that the game usually inflicts on them, but it can't protect them against squirrel bites haha. And winter is tough! Best of luck to you. I just make sure I get the collectables that spawn in the dig sites in three neighborhoods as often as I can so Robin has something to sell - that's been keeping her on her feet for now.
Love the little kitty that showed up! As you know, my sims make friends with animals as often as they can, so I always enjoy seeing sims interact with animals in everyone's game. He really does have a great place! Nice work! You always make such lovely houses. Is it a tiny home? I can't remember if you chose that type of lot or not.
..no playtime for me this weekend, but at least stuff has been happening. Perhaps tomorrow - I really need to have stuff happening ingame, slowly, there's not much story left for me to write. I need her to make some actual progress and perhaps even find a friend...!
Again, posting this already in case I fall asleep before I can finish writing
EDIT: Barely made it. Now sleep... Comments coming tomorrow hopefully January, Day 9 - "Watching over you..."
Luckily, today had gone a little better for Lucy. She'd got her high school enrolment done and would be able to start tomorrow to catch up. And she had finally found out that Grampa had left the lot to her, and since she was over 14, she could officially own it! So now she had a place all of her own... even if it only held a doggie mailbox and a teddy bear for now.
Still... it was so hard all alone, without someone to confide into. Sometimes at night, when she got really lonely, she imagined that Grampa had sent the statue she slept under every night to help him watch over her in her sleep... And of course, she chuckled, Laika was learning fast. Right now the little pup was sleeping right on top of her!
Once my place was a bit organized, I decided to check out a rock climbing gym that Kado Akiyama had told me about.
It was a pretty nice place with weights, treadmill, punching bags, and rock climbing walls. I decided to give the rock climbing walls a try and programmed it for beginner.
Ugh! Well, maybe that was enough rock climbing for one night.
I headed to the shower and changed...and while I was looking around spotted some candles. Hmmm...those would look really nice in my house. [Yes, he swiped them. A Story of Three Candles worth $145 simoleons.]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There was something else I had to do today. A promise I had made to myself before I got the simoleons. And today was the day I had to do it. Return the rock light. Yes, the one I had "borrowed." I actually had to buy a replacement, because I had sold the original. So I headed to the Hazakura Lounge. Taking it had been hard, but returning it was a simple feat. And you know what? It made me feel so much better.
I really felt like things were turning around for me, and that's when I saw her. No, I'm not talking about Bella Goth again. No, I'm talking about her...that sim sitting there...a teen...my own age. I think I may have just stood there looking at her in awe before I snapped out of it. Geez! She's just a girl, right?
I saw a drink unattended at the bar again, and went up and took a sip. The liquid burned my throat, but it felt good. I picked up the drink and just casually walked over to the table she was sitting at and sat down. She was sitting with an older lady, so it didn't look like I was actually coming to sit with her. I tried to play it cool and started talking to the older lady first, who I recognized.
Dylan: "Sul Sul! Excuse me, but I think I know you. Do you work at that food stall outside? I bought some tri-color dango from you the other night. It was the best food I've ever tasted..."
Sachiko Nishidake:"Sul Sul! Why, yes, you did. I remember you now. I have never seen a sim savor that dish as much as you did. I am glad you enjoyed it. My name is Sachiko and this is my Magomusume (granddaughter), Kaori. Are you visiting Mt. Komorebi?"
Dylan smiled and turned to look at Kaori. "Sul Sul! My name is Dylan...and...yeah...just visiting. I'm a...I'm an exchange student..."
Sachiko Nishidake:"How fascinating. You and Kaori must go to the same school then."
The conversation flowed after that, and I couldn't take my eyes off of Kaori. She lived with her grandparents in the Senbamachi neighborhood, and was an avid snowboarder. I told her about my feeble attempts at skiing, which made her laugh. I then mentioned how Kiyoshi Ito had given me some ski lessons, and I noticed a slight change in her when I mentioned Kiyoshi's name. Oh gosh! Maybe Kaori was Kiyoshi's girlfriend or something. I mean, I never asked Kiyoshi if he was going with someone...I mean why would I? I might as well find out now.
Dylan: "So...are you and Kiyoshi...um...dating?"
Kaori: "No...I am single. Kiyoshi and I are just...friends." she answered quietly.
I could tell by the way she answered that she was crushing on Kiyoshi. But I wasn't sure. Dang! But the thing was...did Kiyoshi even know about this? He was my friend afterall, so I excused myself and said I needed to use the facilities and that I hoped she would be here when I returned. Kaori smiled at me and said she would be.
Entering the stall, I quickly texted Kiyoshi and asked him if he knew Kaori Nishidake.
Kiyoshi: "Kaori and I go snowboarding together. She's pretty cool..."
Dylan: "So...bro...are you and Kaori like...more than friends...or want to be more than friends...are you crushing on her, dude?"
Kiyoshi: "Crushing on her? Who told you that? No, dude, we're just friends. I have to concentrate on my snowboarding. The Olympic Trials are coming up and I might have a shot..."
Dylan: "Okay, I just heard some rumors about you and Kaori at school..."
Kiyoshi: "Bah! That school is a hotbed of rumors...forget what you heard. Hey, you up for some skiing tomorrow night?"
Dylan: "Skiing...tomorrow? Yeah, sure...okay...I need more practice...talk to you tomorrow then..."
I had a smile on my face after that chat and I confidently walked back to the lounge where Kaori was still sitting. She was single, and Kiyoshi wasn't interested in her. But I was. I was really interested in her. She was so different, and we chatted some more, and even took a photo together.
And I can't be sure, but I think she even flirted with me a bit...or maybe I flirted with her...I can't remember. All I know is that we "clicked".
I could have stayed there all night talking to her, but then Kaori had to go. But before she did, she gave me a hug.
You know, the way Kaori hugged me....oh gosh...it was the warmest hug I had ever felt in my life. I could get lost in that hug. And I wanted more of those hugs. We parted, and Kaori said goodbye and I decided to head home, too.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Back home, as I was doing my homework, I looked at the photo of Kaori and me, and then suddenly thought of the whole situation I was in.
Dylan thinking: "What a fool I am! What the heck am I thinking? I can't get involved with any chick here. Can't get close to anyone. No strings...remember? This is just a temporary haven. I've got to keep moving. Plus, if Kaori knew who I really was...would she even want to have anything to do with me? Yep, Kaori, I've stolen things...I'm a thief, and I'm here to steal your heart. Oh yeah...that would be a great pick-up line. Oh, and by the way, my father was involved with the mob, and he got blown up...and now they're after me...yeah, that would go over really well..." Dylan sat there thinking about things for a long time just shaking his head.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
The Rock Climbing gym is the Maxis built Vital Climb Gym.
R.O.C.K. in Mt Komorebi is a play on words of the John Mellencamp song, "R.O.C.K. in the USA" (1985)
Dylan had enough reward points, so I purchased Gym Rat for him for 500 reward points. And I also got a pop-up and Yes, he now likes fitness.
I'm sorry to hear about your parent. I do understand how responsibilities in real life come first. I hope that you are doing alright and sending you positive energy to get through this ordeal. Will miss you here, but do understand. *hugs*
Fantastic! Can't wait to meet your challenge Sim! Thank you, it is fun, at least I think so. You're right, it does help you to explore a lot of aspirations and gameplay you might not have tried before. Great news you'll be starting tomorrow! Hope you enjoy the challenge as much as I do.
Feel free to steal, go for it! It'll be fun changing avatars every month, I usually find one I like and stick with it a long, long time, so this will be a nice change! Ah, I figured he would at some point. Cool!
I think that cat loves Cale too! It shows up everywhere he happens to be. Found out it's name tonight, it's a female named Minnie! Which is kind of cool since I have a cat in real life named Minnie! No, Cale's home is not a tiny residence. The perks are too strong for me, makes it seem way too easy to get skills and relationships with that. I might use it another month, but not just starting out.
Love Dylan's new home! It's small, but cozy and bright. The creator did a great job and I like the reno you gave it too. I don't remember ever seeing that wall hanging ski rack thing, is that debug? I love it!! Enjoy your new home Dylan! While you're here at least. Amazing how using debug can make a house so cheap but look like it would cost so much more. 6K! I never would've guessed.
Well cool, glad Dylan returned that rock light and got things straightened out with Kyoshi and Kaori. Could be trouble down the road though if Kaori really does have a crush on Kyoshi. Which she might since the game calls them a couple in the description, I think? I guess we'll find out eh? Doesn't help either he's got a couple monkeys on his back named Mob and Thief. o.O
Thank you, I had fun with it! I was going to wait even longer and do something much more minimal, but he just kept building more and more, I had to do something with it. hehe He's stopped fishing for now, those sturgeon are just too profitable! And that's all he catches now. o.O I love those animations too. That cat is always hanging around him. I don't know if it deep down really likes him or the treats! hehe It's name is Minnie by the way, found that out today. Ironic since I have a cat named Minnie.
It was hard and I was just a kid then too, but that was decades ago. No worries about the aspiration. Cale doesn't go to school, so he has more time than most, but I'm not pushing him to finish quickly, taking my time.
Never played TS3, but that world sounds great! Maybe one day we'll get a grungy pack that comes with a grungy world. I would love that! Yeah, I've been thinking hard about getting MCCC, I guess you can turn off autonomous actions with that. I love photo editing and graphic design! I've been using Photoshop since 2009, but I'm still learning new things about it every day. I just tried HDR Toning last month. I don't use it much though, it only works with certain screenshots, others it makes them way too bright, but when it does work? Wow!
You're welcome, you did a fantastic job with it, blends in beautifully! Oh! The projects! Yes, I keep forgetting those give our Sims skills. I do too, the Japanese and snowy aesthetic are gorgeous!
Very cool Lucy found out her Grandpa left the land to her! Now she doesn't have to worry about someone kicking her off the land. Laika is sleeping on her? I must be blind, I don't see it. Of course you could be talking about just what's happening in her world right now and not in that pic of her sleeping on the bench.
Aaron occupied himself with fishing until the festival started and sent Hunter a message asking to meet at the onsen, near where the festival would be held in Yukimatsu. He travelled off to the onsen, feeling excited to see Hunter after almost a week of not being able to.
There he was, looking very unhappy and... was that fire?
"Hunter, are you okay?" Aaron began, and immediately felt guilty for all those times he had ignored Hunter's invitations to his place. Was Hunter mad at him? Maybe he was mad at him...
"If this is because of all those times I-" he started, but was cut off by Hunter shaking his head and saying, "I'm only slightly flammable, didn't think I'd need an umbrella today but, here we are..." He trailed off, sighed and stepped into the onsen, followed closely by Aaron who instantly apologised for both the ghosting and the insensitive invitation. For he had subconsciously known but had only just fully realised that Hunter was a vampire. (Oh, plum).
Hunter shook his head again. "Don't apologise, dude. It's my own fault, really. Still haven't taken the time to learn sun resistance and when you messaged with the invitation I was only too eager to leave regardless of the consequences."
"But now I feel bad..." Aaron said quietly. "You could have died, and all the festival stuff is outside."
"Yeah, and? We have this great onsen until the sun goes down!"
Aaron couldn't help but feel upset that his own negligence had almost led his only friend to an untimely death. "I could have waited a few hours before inviting you." (You seem very blase about death...) Aaron suddenly remembered his own admittance that he believed no-one would care if he had died after being crushed by a vending machine, and immediately thanked the Watcher that Hunter hadn't burned to death.
"I'm here now, and I'm inside, and I'm still alive." Hunter paused and thought a bit. "Well, not aliiiive alive, but I'm not... dead. I'm unalive. But..." He laughed. "You don't want to know all about that vampire stuff."
"I did want to, after we first met," Aaron said with a shrug. "Maybe then I would actually have waited. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, really. I'm okay, Aaron."
When Aaron frowned and turned away for a second, Hunter was at his side immediately, seemingly wanting to offer comfort. "I need to apologise for the other thing," Aaron said. "Not about almost killing you, which I am still upset about, but... I'm sorry for not talking to you at all this week." He nervously played with the chain on his necklace for a moment.
"Don't be sorry for that either," came the instant reply. "We all get caught up in things that are important."
Aaron's eyes met Hunter's. They were just as warm and sparkling as they had been when Hunter had said Aaron was a cool guy in the spa. Thinking of the night they had shared in the onsen the week before, Aaron felt his face grow warm again and this time he knew he couldn't blame it on the heat of the water. He was sure it wouldn't escape Hunter's notice - the guy was a vampire after all. Plasma, especially that which was close to the surface of the skin, was his whole thing. He was even certain to notice how fast Aaron's heart was beating right now. Maybe he had even noticed it while they were in the spa... "You had a lot to deal with," Hunter said simply. "Come on, let's sit."
(Oh Hunter, you're amazing.) Aaron sat down on the couch, thankful to rest after having stood for most of the day - first picking his harvestables, then fishing. Hunter smiled at him and he grinned back, partially out of nerves and hoped Hunter wouldn't find him strange because of it. "Why did the pirate cross the road?" he asked suddenly. (Stupid!) he chided himself (It may be Talk Like a Pirate day but that doesn't mean he wants to hear a kid joke!). To his surprise, Hunter indulged him by saying, "I don't know, why did the pirate cross the road?" His tone of voice made it clear he had heard the joke already, but Aaron went ahead and revealed the punchline anyway: "To get to the second hand store!" Hunter laughed (okay, his laugh is wonderful), like it was actually funny and not something he had heard before. They exchanged a few more jokes and laughs, but when the jokes died down for a moment Aaron rubbed the back of his neck and Hunter gazed into the flames of the fireplace.
"I felt like a bad friend every single time I had to decline your invitations," Aaron muttered. Hunter shrugged in response. "I'm not... that great with people but I felt a real... well, something with you, Hunter. I've been stewing on this since we met, it's driving me wild, and I know I need to be more attentive, but..."
Hunter turned to look at him, more intently now. Pretending to yawn, Aaron raised his arm and settled it around Hunter's shoulders. To his surprise, Hunter didn't pull away from the move but instead leaned into Aaron's touch, his smile soon larger than Aaron's own. "I was hoping you'd do that," Hunter whispered softly.
"... I like you a lot, Hunter," Aaron concluded just as softly, his voice shaking but elated that Hunter reciprocated his feelings. "You just make my day so much better... thank you for making me smile." He grinned and added, "Plus you're cute, which is a lovely bonus." Hunter only snorted softly in response. "Oh yeah, you can't see yourself in a mirror, can you?" Aaron teased.
"Shhh!" Hunter said, but soon he was laughing too.
Aaron removed his arm, but they continued to sit closely together gazing into each other's eyes until Aaron finally remembered the real reason they had come here and led Hunter outside.
"Nope, still too light," Hunter said with a groan. He looked sadly at a spark of flame beginning to burn on his hand.
"Back inside, then..." Aaron wondered if he'd ever get out and go sledding or make a snowpal with Hunter tonight. He pushed away the thought. Hunter's comfort was the most important thing right now.
"Hunter."
"Aaron." Hunter gave him an adorably lopsided grin in response.
"You're my best friend."
~~~
Hahahahahaha I had no idea what I was doing when I was writing half of this But hope you still enjoyed! And did Aaron move a little too fast admitting his feelings? Hmm...
On her way back from Aimi's house, I had Robin stop to go on a quick meditative walk in hopes of finally finding some forest spirts and at last was successful!
The next day was Winterfest, so she had off from school, so I had her hunt for collectables which put some extra funds in her pocket.
She came back to her lot so exhausted. Naps on couches and benches aren't cutting it these days, and the water has been too frozen for her to swim/sleep in, so Robin bought herself an air mattress.
And she bought Pepper a bed as well. We can count this as her Winterfest gift
It was dark by the time Robin woke up. I had forgotten that I bought her a knitting basket, which she autonomously decided to use.
She knit a cute little hat that I was tempted to add to her wardrobe, but I wanted to see how it did on Plopsy.
Father Winter showed up by the mailbox shortly after that.
"Father Winter, can you pay my bills for me this year?" (Robin, don't we all have that Christmas wish )
"Unfortunately I cannot, my dear, but I have have something I think you'll like..."
Suddenly, a little wooden house appeared on her lot. (Actually, he got her a grill, which she immediately sold for §1300, but let's give Robin a little bit of Winterfest magic )
(While I was in BB mode, I made her lot a Tiny Home Residential and gave her the lot challenges of Simple Living and Off the Grid. I'll probably remove Off the Grid eventually, but since she's not using any water or electricity it makes sense for the time being)
"Oh, Father Winter, it's perfect! Thank you so much!"
She wished she had something to give him in return, but there was nothing in her inventory worth gifting to him. But he seemed pretty content to get some loving from Pepper
Pepper apparently did't return the sentiment though
And then, a Winterfest miracle - the vending machine didn't give her any trouble. It wasn't a traditional Winterfest meal by any means, but she found herself feeling grateful, even though it was quite a different Winterfest than she was used to.
Before going to bed, Robin took out her journal, and reflected on Winterfests past.
Robin and Father Winter go way back
She had the wild trait as a toddler which led to her running around without clothing in all kinds of situations
She never actually celebrated Winterfest as a child since I never ended up cycling through the seasons again before aging her up.
After school the next day, Kiyoshi and I headed off skiing together. Well, I would be skiing and Kiyoshi would be snowboarding. It's too bad, though, that nobody told us about the weather, because there was a thundersnowstorm when we got to the slopes. A thundersnowstorm is like a thunderstorm and a snowstorm mixed together. Not a good combination.
When we arrived, Kiyoshi and I just stood there shivering. We were both freezing.
Dylan: "Brrr....Who...who..se idea was it to go ski...ing again?" I asked my teeth chattering, as I wrapped my arms around myself in an effort to keep warm.
Kiyoshi: "Well...well, on the mountain the weather cha...changes suddenly. We'll be fine! You can....brr...you can try snowboarding today..." he said grinning through chattering teeth. Oh sure, Kiyoshi was trying to be the tough guy, like this wasn't bothering him. Alright, I could be the tough guy, too.
We ran down the hill together towards the gondola, and I suddenly slipped on some ice.
Dylan: "Great! What a heck of a way to start!" I lay there for a moment, and then realized that if I didn't get up, I would be buried in snow and then no-one would even know I was there. I got up and rubbed my back and muttered as I walked, "What am I doing out here? Why am I out in this weather? And where is Kiyoshi?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kiyoshi was waiting for me inside the gondola area. When we got to the top of the slope, I could barely see two inches in front of me. The wind was blowing so hard and snow swirled around me. Thankfully, I knew where the easy run was, and slowly walked towards it, trying to shield my face from the wind with my arm.
I got to the top of the slope and there was no-one around. In fact, I could barely see the gondola from where I was standing. And I couldn't see Kiyoshi either.
Dylan: "Kiyoshi...Kiyoshi...where are you?"
There was no answer, so I figured he had just gone off to the Expert slope. I looked down the slope and I couldn't even see it. How was I going to ski down it?
Dylan thinking: "Oh wonderful! I am probably going to ski into a tree and be dangling from a limb upside down and no-one will find me until morning...frozen to a branch...no problem...I'm a tough guy, right? Yeah...right..."
I made it down safely. Well, okay, I wiped out at the bottom. And, I think at one point, when I did the jump, that if the wind had blown any stronger, I would have been airborne and could have flown over those trees. I met up with Kiyoshi inside the gondola area again, and Kiyoshi suggested I try some snowboarding.
Dylan: "You were serious before? In this weather? You want me to try snowboarding?"
Kiyoshi: "Sure...I'll give you some pointers when we get up there. You'll really love snowboarding..."
At the top of the slope, Kiyoshi gave me 2 seconds worth of lessons and then headed over to the Expert slope. And I was left alone...again. Kiyoshi must have a lot of faith in me, or is just anxious to go off and snowboard down the higher level slope and do his own thing. Sheesh!
I think I may have closed my eyes when I pushed off with the snowboard, "Here goes nothing".
Dylan thinking: "Well, that didn't go very well. And I pretty much suck at both skiing AND snowboarding."
I looked around for Kiyoshi and didn't see him anywhere. I really hoped nothing had happened to him up on the hill. Then I saw him trudge towards me, and he told me that he was heading home. I should have probably gone home, too, but then he told me about the Onsen.
Kiyoshi: "You can take the ski shuttle back to Wakaba. In the meantime, you can head over to the Onsen and warm up..."
I think the word that caught my attention was "warm up" because I was frickin' freezing.
Dylan: "Onsen? What's that?"
And Kiyoshi went on to explain that it was a natural hot springs where you could have a nice soak and get rejuvenated. It sounded perfect, and as he bid me farewell, I headed towards the Onsen. Oh yeah, a nice hot soak sounded good to me. In fact, anything hot sounded good to me.
@Skeilah Oh gosh! Bryon...what are you doing out in this weather in those clothes? I did give you some winter wear. Change, bro! Change!
I entered the Onsen, and immediately went over to the fireplace and warmed myself up. Oh my gosh, I think I can feel my fingers again!
Then I saw this poor guy, walking in that blizzard in nothing but a t-shirt. He looked frozen.
The frozen guy just walked past me and went into a locker area. I thought I'd better see how he was, so I walked over and introduced myself.
Dylan: "Hi...I'm Dylan...are you okay, dude? There's a nice fire in the fireplace over there if you want to warm up. Where is your coat?"
Aaron: "Hey...I'm Aaron. I'm alright...I come here pretty often, and left my coat here the last time. I didn't realize it was so nasty out there..."
Aaron and I chatted and I found out we went to the same high school and that he lived with some other students in a house in Senbamachi. He seemed like a cool guy. Aaron suggested that we take a nice hot soak in the Onsen. He also told me the rule that you needed to shower first, or the hot springs would become dirty. I thanked him for that and headed off to shower.
Luckily I had my backpack with me with my clothes, and grabbed my swim trunks and changed.
[Note: I just love this tile in the shower area.]
Aaron and I chatted in the Onsen, and he told me that he was a bit of a loner and didn't really like crowds. He came here often, as it was the perfect place to just relax and forget about life's troubles for awhile. As the warm water swirled around me, I could really relate to what Aaron was saying. This water was so relaxing and I just felt like all my worries were fading. We snapped a photo together in the Onsen and became friends.
We decided to do some homework together, although Aaron sat in the locker area, and I used this big reception desk out front. After working on a tough math problem, I was feeling a tad hungry, and wandered over to a vending machine that sold hot food. Wow! Food was expensive here. The terimayo hot dog sounded really good to me, and it was the cheapest at $5 simoleons, so I put my coins into the machine....and it jammed. Oh geez!
Oh come on! All this for an over-priced hot dog!
I hip bumped the machine and that didn't work too well. It was still jammed, so I shook the vending machine thinking it might dislodge the item, and the darn thing wobbled....
...and the next thing I know...it's on top of me...like almost squishing me...I kind of panicked at that point...
But thank goodness I had done a bit of a workout at the gym yesterday, because I was able to heave it off of me. I have no idea what would have happened if I hadn't been able to. The only other sim who was here was Aaron, and, no offence to Aaron, but I don't know if Aaron could have lifted this thing off of me by himself. I might have been a goner. And to top it off, the item was still stuck. Oh the heck with it, I didn't really want that hot dog anyway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When I got home, and looked in my backpack, I realized that I had two homework books. Oh gee...I must have picked up Aaron's homework by mistake. Oops!
And Dylan got this pop-up, and Yes, he loves mischief!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
To be honest, after Dylan and Kiyoshi came down from their first run, Dylan never saw Kiyoshi again. lol I really think that Kiyoshi just left and went home. There was literally no-one else skiing or snowboarding while they were there. And the only other person who came into the Onsen was Aaron.
I guess you and I are opposites with our last posts eh? Mine has no text and yours is mostly text. hehe Not so sure anyone likes mine, but they clearly do like yours! I can see why, such a sweet exchange between Aaron and Hunter, full of angst, friendship and the beginnings of something more than that between them. So happy for Aaron and glad Hunter didn't burn up! o.O
Glad Robin was able to find some collectibles and get herself and Pepper a bed, at last. Very cool gift Father Winter gave Robin, now she and Pepper have a roof over their heads. Good idea with the lot traits. Does Pepper have some kind of gloomy trait? She has some wonderful memories of Winterfest past. Things are looking up Robin!
Wow, what a nasty day to go on the mountain! Don't blame Kyoshi for probably just leaving immediately as you say. Bummer he didn't get his hot dog, but glad he at least was able to push the machine off him. Whew! Close one! Cool that he met Aaron, not cool he stole someone's homework. hehe The things the game has them autonomously steal is so weird. I mean, dirty dishes? Who in their right mind would steal dirty dishes?
*Everyone - Just wanted to let y'all know that my last update was posted purposely without any text. It was just a spur of the moment idea I had after a recent conversation with someone about how a picture/photo can say a thousand words. One of my screenshots is also in reference to a comment I made to someone that it's fun/easy to get screenshots that look like something is happening, but it's really something else and not what you think. Curious what everyone thinks about this method of telling a story.
Anyway, I won't be doing this very often, probably just a one time thing, but it was fun trying to tell a story without words, except for the daily quote to drive the theme.
I figured that was intentionally done with just photos. The tagline for the day says it all, and Dylan is doing a great job of doing things on his own! And look! He's smiling in the cover shot! Woot! Nice smile, Cale, you should use it more often! lol Really great shots of him rock climbing! Great job! Love the cameo of Josh as a grocery delivery person. Yep, you would sure get those groceries fast with that vampire speed of his! hehehe
Also, the ski rack is not debug, it is under the wall hangings. Yep, I liked it and added it to the build.
Had a very long workday yesterday and only wanted to take a nap last night afterwards, but fell asleep for a good 9+ hours. So late on yesterday's commenting, but here we go ...
Portable beds and fridges are nice to have. I'm guessing Aaron was sad cause of the rain when he met Aldo. I noticed he was carrying an umbrella.
I'm hoping D.J. can meet the minimum requirements on rock climbing skills for a possible gold status excursion in a couple weeks. I'll be more happy myself if he can max the skill, but I won't hold my breath. Skills seem to feel like they get longer to learn the further they go.
That white cat! It's like a cat version of Cale. I was laughing. That's a very nice starter shack for Cale. All that fishing he's been doing since he arrived in My. Komorebi has paid off.
The helmet thing was my personal preference idea. Like you responded, it makes sense. Good for storytelling pictures, too. D.J. took his shower, and I scrolled out to see the fun stuff going on at the gym. That's when I spied the three hanging out just chatting. I have my sounds on. I normally turn them off, but have been amused lately. Soon, I see D.J. walking out of the shower area and he autonomously went over to the gang I was watching. It's like Sims have a sixth sense and he wanted to see also. He did his hi wave and talk (that always cracks me up). Everyone else waved back. I was impressed. So I just let him do his thing and contemplated what to write about for this conversation they were all having...that's when I decided it could be about the trails since D.J. needs to do that still for his Aspiration.
January 9th pictures with no text kind of told its own story. Cale's climbing skills improved since the last chapter it looks like. He'll be doing that excursion in no time.
I've had Sims sell things on Plopsy, but never buy anything. Now I want to check it out in my other gameplay, Plain ol' Legacy. My founder sold paintings on Plopsy for some good money. "The mail lady looks apologetic at least" I also think she's cold. Was fun seeing a bunch of the Challenge Sims gang at the hot springs. I thought the same thing about the girl sitting next to Aaron. We all know that's a fake smile. Happy Winterfest to Robin and Aimi and congrats to them on making their relationship together official.
I didn't have D.J. fish or plant unfortunately. Wasn't sure when the next blizzard or snow storm would come around. It was personally enjoyable to see greenery in Mt. Komorebi neighborhoods.
The vending machine mayhem cracked me up with sounds on. The Simlish D.J. does was funny. I was just glad he didn't have mishap like I see on many where the vending machine fights back and lands on the poor Sim. D.J's been building muscle, but still...hate to see the poor guy get crushed.
Very cute little starter home for Dylan to rent. He looked excited at the end from his facial expression.
Dylan was doing so well wall climbing and then... BAM! Poor guy. Hope his back was okay. Never knew a klepto could return an item in the Sims game. Not sure why they would want to, but Dylan is a good guy. The flirting at the table! The gal across from Dylan looks she wants to tell him to go sit at Kaori's table.
One Month, One World, One Year Challenge: The Adventures of Dash Joseph Faireborn Table of Contents
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January 10: Anger Management!
D.J. was walking home from school when he noticed a classmate following him. When he stopped, so did the classmate. The classmate would stare at D.J. as he tried to act dumb bending down tying his shoe and quickly glancing over at the classmate and then back down. He would get back up and start walking and out of the corner of his eye, notice the classmate still following.
D.J. had been sharing at school the past couple days of his time in Mt. Komorebi. He would tell of his sledding and skiing fun as well as he's learning to rock climb. But he wanted to know why he would have a stalker. Maybe they were just curious. As he approached his tent, D.J. turned around and confronted the classmate who again, just stared at D.J. Why was this person staring at him D.J. thought and felt this kid was judging him. Embarrassed, D.J. asked the classmate, "Why are you following and staring at me?"
The classmate started to laugh at him and pointed at the tent. "You're homeless. Did mommy and daddy not want you anymore?" Oh, so this classmate came over to tease him, D.J. thought. D.J. didn't have time to be dealing with a bully right now. D.J. got in this kid's face, "Get the !@#$% off my property!" he yelled at walked away.
D.J. secured his tent and marched off to the Mt. Komorebi Gym. He turned around to see the bully walk off in the direction. He assumed the bully thought D.J. was going to go tell on him. That's not D.J. He just needs to get away and the gym is the best spot right now since he needs to practice climbing more for Enele.
D.J. found a satisfaction in this wall climbing. Even after he would climb Mt. Komorebi, D.J. felt like he would still want to come here and hang out. After about an hour of climbing, showering, and grabbing a bite to eat, D.J. headed off to work.
D.J's boss noticed how well he worked at helping the customers. This would include grabbing merchandise off the shelf, giving suggestions and ideas about the needs of the customer, and being all out friendly. The boss approached D.J. at the end of his shift and asked if he'd like to move to the store's call center area where he'd be answering questions and general calls from customers. It would entail a raise and a small bonus. His hours would remain the same to allow him to continue high school during the day. Of course, D.J. couldn't turn this down.
Before i post i found out i dont know how to upload a photo. my screenshots are on my computer directly do i have to put them elsewhere to get the image url?
Hi All: I missed a few days of comments, but am going to catch up. I was just trying to post some of my own story, which is still behind, but almost caught up. I am going to start with the latest posts first for comments:
And it looks like Aaron has a little shack now to call his own with a bed and a mini fridge. And since he spends a lot of time at the Onsen...there you go shower and toilet. Everything he needs. Can you put the mini fridge in personal inventory, like the cooler, and carry it around with you? lol Bringing all your stuff and sleeping in the Onsen. And lucky you to catch some bonsai seeds. Yes, roping in helpers for projects is a good idea. And he meets Kenzie and Aldo. Nice. The pee bush! lol I know that somewhere around the neighborhood is a bathroom because Dylan used it, but on which pathway it is, I have no idea. lol And yes, a nice photo of Aaron and Hunter makes the place feel like home. Nice update.
That shot of DJ and the tent in the snow is giving me flashbacks of the time I went winter camping. Brrrr! Oh I see that DJ is having some vending machine issues, just like everyone else! lol! Oh that vending machine in the Onsen is THE WORSE! But thankfully DJ got his coffee and didn't lost his simoleons. When it's rags to riches and the vending machine eats your money, it's tough. More rock climbing. DJ must be getting pretty good at that now. And I love how he listens in on a conversation in his towel and asks about hiking trails. hehehe
I got a chuckle out of the mail carrier delivering mail to the empty lot with Pepper in the background. Maybe the mail carrier was worried that Pepper would attack her. No mail for Robin! Go away! lol Poor Robin is still living on a spit of land with no house I got a kick out of that Agnes Crumplebottom crossstitch, too. Obviously I haven't done them all. ) Winterfest in your game already? Wow! Well, I like the gift she bought. And Robin gets skis as a gift. Nice! And they are now an official couple. Congrats! Robin might not have a lot of simoleons, but she has that always welcome trait which is a lifesaver for her. I love all the pics of the challenge sims at the Onsen - wow, you saw a lot of them! And Dylan (resident bad boy! lol) looks great in your game. FYI - His hair & hair color are going to change next month.
I love how Adam is trying to impress Kaori with his soccer skills. And nice that they go on a hike together and he meets the forest spirits. I just love how you are also doing the yoga aspirations. I have enough trouble with the two that come with Snowy Escape. Kudos to you. And, yes, now Adam has the start of a little shack! Woot! That will at least help with the weather. Great job!
What a nice house for Kenzie! Congrats! Love the posting of the skills, and look at her skill on piano! Although Dylan started off on the piano trying to get tips, he hasn't been back to play. My sim from last year spent a lot of time at the lounge, and finally maxed piano skill. Those are gorgeous shots. Wow! So crisp. Really gorgeous.
I am loving Louise's story, even though it's a bit sad. I am so happy that she found out that she inherited land from her Grampa, and, at least she can stay there. I did a rags to riches challenge in Brindleton Bay (one I actually completed), called the WolfPack challenge. I am not sure you can do it with puppies, but you should send Laika out to get some gifts for her. And take some simstagram pics of Laika because she can get some free gifts. Not sure if you already know this, but thought I'd mention it. Yes, I agree, the statue looks like it's watching over her, and I did love the teddy bear on the mailbox in an earlier chapter.
Savannah Schulz moved to Mt. Komorebi on a rainy day with nothing but the clothes on her back. When she was a young girl she always dreamed about moving out and starting from scratch. So she figured since she be done with High School might as well start now. So here she is on her empty plot of land in Mt Komorebi.
It's a Sunday she has homework to do but since its raining she decides to explore the area. After a little walk around the area she found Hazakura Lounge, so she went inside sat the table by the bar and worked on her homework.
After she finished her homework she continued to explore more of the area. Next, she finds a bulletin board that had festival and wildlife information. She looked to the right side of the bulletin board and sees a job opportunity at a Barista called Frothy Foamer. She immediately applies for the job and next thing she knows the owner calls and ask her if she can start tomorrow at 5 A.M before school. She agreed.
Well since Savannah doesn't have work until tomorrow and she is broke until then, she went back to the lounge and asked the bartender for a bowl of chips. After eating the bowl of chips she sat down to talk to Shigeru and his wife Sachiko. The sweet old couple gave her some pointers on where to go for the night for showers, and a quiet place to relax in the mean time, its called Sutefani Onsen Bathhouse.
After that wonderful conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Nishidake, she started to head to the bathhouse. When she got to the bathhouse she saw there were slopes!! She was so excited she decide to do a quick slide down the bunny slope before heading in for the evening. After sledding down the bunny slope a few times, she went inside to take a shower and laid down for the evening.
Comments
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On my phone right now so the rest of my comments are still coming later haha
I practically ran to the little house where I was to meet the owner. After a quick tour, I signed the papers, paid in cash, and was given the keys. I was doing a month-to-month rental and the owner had no problem with that. After they left, I went inside and looked around at my new "home." [Note: The school uniforms randomly change daily.]
The house pretty much looked like the photos. It had no electricity, which was probably why it was still for rent.
It was really off-the-grid, and the kitchenette area didn't even have a stove, but it did have a fridge and a beat-up looking counter. Beside this was a table that had been made out of a snowboard, and there were some old books sitting on it.
Heat came from a corner fireplace, and there was a stack of wood piled next to it. Right beside the fireplace was a small table with one chair, and a plant. Little lanterns were scattered around, which provided light. There was a double bed, and the bedding, while somewhat clean, was a bit frayed. Some shelves hung on the wall, and the owner had put a few plants there to "cheer the place up".
There was a very small, basic bathroom, which had a toilet, sink and a shower.
Out front was a chess table, and in the backyard, there was a firepit for cooking hot dogs and other stuff, with a fabric loveseat near it. There was a little shrine area, which had sold me on the place, and in front of the shrine looked like a yoga mat. That was pretty much it, except for a fruit tree, and the owner told me that it was a pomegranate tree.
The owner also told me that there was a lot of open space if I wanted to plant a garden. I really didn't know anything about gardening, but the owner told me that there were some gardening tools at the side, and all I had to do was dig a little hole in the ground, pop in the seed, cover it up and then water it. I had some parsley and tomatoes that I found, so I thought I would give it a go.
I decided to unpack some of my belongings, and placed some photos on the shelves, and hung up my skis, backpack and coat near the front door.
And lastly, I unfolded the "borrowed" poster and hung it on the wall. I surveyed the house and smiled. Now it felt like "home".
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Notes:
I added/changed a few things in the house. It has the off-the-grid lot trait and also is a tiny living "small" house. There are a lot of debug items on the lot, including debug pictures above the counter in the kitchen, and over the bed, the trees, plants, lanterns in the house and in the backyard, the shrine, fence, and the indoor fireplace. The fireplace looks lit because of the "brightdark triplet totem candles" I placed in there. Added: moonlight lantern, sleezy skis gear hanging rack, bunny bookshelf, the world's fastest table, "I did this thing" poster, fine dining poster, fresh beginnings faux fur rug, ate & salvage drafting table (the chair was already in the build), starlit children's wastebasket, and smoke alarm. Added the sunny days wall mirror and a toilet paper roll holder in the bathroom (the rug came with the build). I switched out the fridge for an off-the grid fridge from cottage living. I deleted the stove, and added a firepit and loveseat in the backyard. I also added a chess table out front and a yoga mat. In the original build, the bathroom area is open, I just created a sort-of closed-in space using 1/2 walls and an archway, and added the Noren curtains above the archway. I thought it looked better. With these additions, it brought the build up to approx. $6K.
@SoulGal7
The latest update can be really fun. It is a bit weird when some Sims just call you out of the blue. :')
And great to see Kenzie on the slopes (and in your game).
Hope that Dylan feels better soon and gets back on the slopes soon.
Jan 6:
Loved the house tour! It's so pretty!
@LegacySims2017
Glad that he is having a great time with Enele and his family!
Jan 9: Hope the weather clears up soon, so that D. J. can go on that hike!
@afai1261
I really like how positive Aaron is. Decorating his new space to make it his own is such a good idea!
Taking all his stuff around to get out of the rain is so clever!
Great to see that Kenzie also prioritizes school seemingly everywhere she goes. :')
Can't wait for the next update with Hunter. ^^
@Karababy52
Good on him for being so financially responsible and saving up to give himself a propper home.
The big catch animations always crack me up. And aww, loving the cat content. Such a cutie.
@permanentrose
Such a cute Christmas!
@RememberJoy
Glad he found the spirits though. They are so cute!
@Carebear92
Replies
@LegacySims2017
Koji definitely offered to take her on a hike on his day off. Not sure where that relationship will go yet, but I'm excited to explore it!
And well Aimi and Robin are super cute. I think I'd be attached to them as well. I loved their Christmas gift exchange.
And ohh! Kenzie still hasn't made that much progress with her aspiration. I let her focus on school first, so that's why I thought he was done. That's still super cool though.
I would totally love a grungy pack for the Sims. It would open so much potential. Maybe they could even do a world similar to Twinbrooke in TS3. I really liked that world because it wasn't as pristine as the others.
I think it takes a while to get used to full autonomy. There should be a few mods that help turn down certain actions a notch. Some things do get queued way too much sometimes.
I was wondering the same about your game. I just love it. Certainly adds a new certain routine to my day. Yay editing!
Thank you, I tried to make it fit in with the world by using the wallpaper. :')
I think she got a lot of her skills from all the school projects she did. I was a bit amazed by it to be honest.
And thank you! I really love Mt. Komorebi, it's so pretty!
Also posting on my blog.
@Karababy52
@LegacySims2017
@KateLynne
@SoulGal7
@Llandros2012 No worries, real life comes first! Thinking of you and your family
Again, posting this already in case I fall asleep before I can finish writing
EDIT: Barely made it. Now sleep... Comments coming tomorrow hopefully
January, Day 9 - "Watching over you..."
Still... it was so hard all alone, without someone to confide into. Sometimes at night, when she got really lonely, she imagined that Grampa had sent the statue she slept under every night to help him watch over her in her sleep... And of course, she chuckled, Laika was learning fast. Right now the little pup was sleeping right on top of her!
time zone: Berlin, Germany - EA Gallery ID: Noctuara
It was a pretty nice place with weights, treadmill, punching bags, and rock climbing walls. I decided to give the rock climbing walls a try and programmed it for beginner.
Ugh! Well, maybe that was enough rock climbing for one night.
I headed to the shower and changed...and while I was looking around spotted some candles. Hmmm...those would look really nice in my house. [Yes, he swiped them. A Story of Three Candles worth $145 simoleons.]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There was something else I had to do today. A promise I had made to myself before I got the simoleons. And today was the day I had to do it. Return the rock light. Yes, the one I had "borrowed." I actually had to buy a replacement, because I had sold the original. So I headed to the Hazakura Lounge. Taking it had been hard, but returning it was a simple feat. And you know what? It made me feel so much better.
I really felt like things were turning around for me, and that's when I saw her. No, I'm not talking about Bella Goth again. No, I'm talking about her...that sim sitting there...a teen...my own age. I think I may have just stood there looking at her in awe before I snapped out of it. Geez! She's just a girl, right?
I saw a drink unattended at the bar again, and went up and took a sip. The liquid burned my throat, but it felt good. I picked up the drink and just casually walked over to the table she was sitting at and sat down. She was sitting with an older lady, so it didn't look like I was actually coming to sit with her. I tried to play it cool and started talking to the older lady first, who I recognized.
Dylan: "Sul Sul! Excuse me, but I think I know you. Do you work at that food stall outside? I bought some tri-color dango from you the other night. It was the best food I've ever tasted..."
Sachiko Nishidake:"Sul Sul! Why, yes, you did. I remember you now. I have never seen a sim savor that dish as much as you did. I am glad you enjoyed it. My name is Sachiko and this is my Magomusume (granddaughter), Kaori. Are you visiting Mt. Komorebi?"
Dylan smiled and turned to look at Kaori. "Sul Sul! My name is Dylan...and...yeah...just visiting. I'm a...I'm an exchange student..."
Sachiko Nishidake:"How fascinating. You and Kaori must go to the same school then."
The conversation flowed after that, and I couldn't take my eyes off of Kaori. She lived with her grandparents in the Senbamachi neighborhood, and was an avid snowboarder. I told her about my feeble attempts at skiing, which made her laugh. I then mentioned how Kiyoshi Ito had given me some ski lessons, and I noticed a slight change in her when I mentioned Kiyoshi's name. Oh gosh! Maybe Kaori was Kiyoshi's girlfriend or something. I mean, I never asked Kiyoshi if he was going with someone...I mean why would I? I might as well find out now.
Dylan: "So...are you and Kiyoshi...um...dating?"
Kaori: "No...I am single. Kiyoshi and I are just...friends." she answered quietly.
I could tell by the way she answered that she was crushing on Kiyoshi. But I wasn't sure. Dang! But the thing was...did Kiyoshi even know about this? He was my friend afterall, so I excused myself and said I needed to use the facilities and that I hoped she would be here when I returned. Kaori smiled at me and said she would be.
Entering the stall, I quickly texted Kiyoshi and asked him if he knew Kaori Nishidake.
Kiyoshi: "Kaori and I go snowboarding together. She's pretty cool..."
Dylan: "So...bro...are you and Kaori like...more than friends...or want to be more than friends...are you crushing on her, dude?"
Kiyoshi: "Crushing on her? Who told you that? No, dude, we're just friends. I have to concentrate on my snowboarding. The Olympic Trials are coming up and I might have a shot..."
Dylan: "Okay, I just heard some rumors about you and Kaori at school..."
Kiyoshi: "Bah! That school is a hotbed of rumors...forget what you heard. Hey, you up for some skiing tomorrow night?"
Dylan: "Skiing...tomorrow? Yeah, sure...okay...I need more practice...talk to you tomorrow then..."
I had a smile on my face after that chat and I confidently walked back to the lounge where Kaori was still sitting. She was single, and Kiyoshi wasn't interested in her. But I was. I was really interested in her. She was so different, and we chatted some more, and even took a photo together.
And I can't be sure, but I think she even flirted with me a bit...or maybe I flirted with her...I can't remember. All I know is that we "clicked".
I could have stayed there all night talking to her, but then Kaori had to go. But before she did, she gave me a hug.
You know, the way Kaori hugged me....oh gosh...it was the warmest hug I had ever felt in my life. I could get lost in that hug. And I wanted more of those hugs. We parted, and Kaori said goodbye and I decided to head home, too.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Back home, as I was doing my homework, I looked at the photo of Kaori and me, and then suddenly thought of the whole situation I was in.
Dylan thinking: "What a fool I am! What the heck am I thinking? I can't get involved with any chick here. Can't get close to anyone. No strings...remember? This is just a temporary haven. I've got to keep moving. Plus, if Kaori knew who I really was...would she even want to have anything to do with me? Yep, Kaori, I've stolen things...I'm a thief, and I'm here to steal your heart. Oh yeah...that would be a great pick-up line. Oh, and by the way, my father was involved with the mob, and he got blown up...and now they're after me...yeah, that would go over really well..." Dylan sat there thinking about things for a long time just shaking his head.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
The Rock Climbing gym is the Maxis built Vital Climb Gym.
R.O.C.K. in Mt Komorebi is a play on words of the John Mellencamp song, "R.O.C.K. in the USA" (1985)
Dylan had enough reward points, so I purchased Gym Rat for him for 500 reward points. And I also got a pop-up and Yes, he now likes fitness.
Notes
Comments/replies coming soon! Hope y'all had a wonderful day/night!
@permanentrose
I think that cat loves Cale too! It shows up everywhere he happens to be. Found out it's name tonight, it's a female named Minnie! Which is kind of cool since I have a cat in real life named Minnie! No, Cale's home is not a tiny residence. The perks are too strong for me, makes it seem way too easy to get skills and relationships with that. I might use it another month, but not just starting out.
@SoulGal7
Well cool, glad Dylan returned that rock light and got things straightened out with Kyoshi and Kaori. Could be trouble down the road though if Kaori really does have a crush on Kyoshi. Which she might since the game calls them a couple in the description, I think? I guess we'll find out eh? Doesn't help either he's got a couple monkeys on his back named Mob and Thief. o.O
@KateLynne
It was hard and I was just a kid then too, but that was decades ago. No worries about the aspiration. Cale doesn't go to school, so he has more time than most, but I'm not pushing him to finish quickly, taking my time.
Never played TS3, but that world sounds great! Maybe one day we'll get a grungy pack that comes with a grungy world. I would love that! Yeah, I've been thinking hard about getting MCCC, I guess you can turn off autonomous actions with that. I love photo editing and graphic design! I've been using Photoshop since 2009, but I'm still learning new things about it every day. I just tried HDR Toning last month. I don't use it much though, it only works with certain screenshots, others it makes them way too bright, but when it does work? Wow!
You're welcome, you did a fantastic job with it, blends in beautifully!
@miss_Eulenauge
There he was, looking very unhappy and... was that fire?
"Hunter, are you okay?" Aaron began, and immediately felt guilty for all those times he had ignored Hunter's invitations to his place. Was Hunter mad at him? Maybe he was mad at him...
"If this is because of all those times I-" he started, but was cut off by Hunter shaking his head and saying, "I'm only slightly flammable, didn't think I'd need an umbrella today but, here we are..." He trailed off, sighed and stepped into the onsen, followed closely by Aaron who instantly apologised for both the ghosting and the insensitive invitation. For he had subconsciously known but had only just fully realised that Hunter was a vampire. (Oh, plum).
Hunter shook his head again. "Don't apologise, dude. It's my own fault, really. Still haven't taken the time to learn sun resistance and when you messaged with the invitation I was only too eager to leave regardless of the consequences."
"But now I feel bad..." Aaron said quietly. "You could have died, and all the festival stuff is outside."
"Yeah, and? We have this great onsen until the sun goes down!"
Aaron couldn't help but feel upset that his own negligence had almost led his only friend to an untimely death. "I could have waited a few hours before inviting you." (You seem very blase about death...) Aaron suddenly remembered his own admittance that he believed no-one would care if he had died after being crushed by a vending machine, and immediately thanked the Watcher that Hunter hadn't burned to death.
"I'm here now, and I'm inside, and I'm still alive." Hunter paused and thought a bit. "Well, not aliiiive alive, but I'm not... dead. I'm unalive. But..." He laughed. "You don't want to know all about that vampire stuff."
"I did want to, after we first met," Aaron said with a shrug. "Maybe then I would actually have waited. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, really. I'm okay, Aaron."
When Aaron frowned and turned away for a second, Hunter was at his side immediately, seemingly wanting to offer comfort. "I need to apologise for the other thing," Aaron said. "Not about almost killing you, which I am still upset about, but... I'm sorry for not talking to you at all this week." He nervously played with the chain on his necklace for a moment.
"Don't be sorry for that either," came the instant reply. "We all get caught up in things that are important."
Aaron's eyes met Hunter's. They were just as warm and sparkling as they had been when Hunter had said Aaron was a cool guy in the spa. Thinking of the night they had shared in the onsen the week before, Aaron felt his face grow warm again and this time he knew he couldn't blame it on the heat of the water. He was sure it wouldn't escape Hunter's notice - the guy was a vampire after all. Plasma, especially that which was close to the surface of the skin, was his whole thing. He was even certain to notice how fast Aaron's heart was beating right now. Maybe he had even noticed it while they were in the spa... "You had a lot to deal with," Hunter said simply. "Come on, let's sit."
(Oh Hunter, you're amazing.) Aaron sat down on the couch, thankful to rest after having stood for most of the day - first picking his harvestables, then fishing. Hunter smiled at him and he grinned back, partially out of nerves and hoped Hunter wouldn't find him strange because of it. "Why did the pirate cross the road?" he asked suddenly. (Stupid!) he chided himself (It may be Talk Like a Pirate day but that doesn't mean he wants to hear a kid joke!). To his surprise, Hunter indulged him by saying, "I don't know, why did the pirate cross the road?" His tone of voice made it clear he had heard the joke already, but Aaron went ahead and revealed the punchline anyway: "To get to the second hand store!" Hunter laughed (okay, his laugh is wonderful), like it was actually funny and not something he had heard before. They exchanged a few more jokes and laughs, but when the jokes died down for a moment Aaron rubbed the back of his neck and Hunter gazed into the flames of the fireplace.
"I felt like a bad friend every single time I had to decline your invitations," Aaron muttered. Hunter shrugged in response. "I'm not... that great with people but I felt a real... well, something with you, Hunter. I've been stewing on this since we met, it's driving me wild, and I know I need to be more attentive, but..."
Hunter turned to look at him, more intently now. Pretending to yawn, Aaron raised his arm and settled it around Hunter's shoulders. To his surprise, Hunter didn't pull away from the move but instead leaned into Aaron's touch, his smile soon larger than Aaron's own. "I was hoping you'd do that," Hunter whispered softly.
"... I like you a lot, Hunter," Aaron concluded just as softly, his voice shaking but elated that Hunter reciprocated his feelings. "You just make my day so much better... thank you for making me smile." He grinned and added, "Plus you're cute, which is a lovely bonus." Hunter only snorted softly in response. "Oh yeah, you can't see yourself in a mirror, can you?" Aaron teased.
"Shhh!" Hunter said, but soon he was laughing too.
Aaron removed his arm, but they continued to sit closely together gazing into each other's eyes until Aaron finally remembered the real reason they had come here and led Hunter outside.
"Nope, still too light," Hunter said with a groan. He looked sadly at a spark of flame beginning to burn on his hand.
"Back inside, then..." Aaron wondered if he'd ever get out and go sledding or make a snowpal with Hunter tonight. He pushed away the thought. Hunter's comfort was the most important thing right now.
"Hunter."
"Aaron." Hunter gave him an adorably lopsided grin in response.
"You're my best friend."
Hahahahahaha I had no idea what I was doing when I was writing half of this
Extra pictures:
The next day was Winterfest, so she had off from school, so I had her hunt for collectables which put some extra funds in her pocket.
She came back to her lot so exhausted. Naps on couches and benches aren't cutting it these days, and the water has been too frozen for her to swim/sleep in, so Robin bought herself an air mattress.
And she bought Pepper a bed as well. We can count this as her Winterfest gift
It was dark by the time Robin woke up. I had forgotten that I bought her a knitting basket, which she autonomously decided to use.
She knit a cute little hat that I was tempted to add to her wardrobe, but I wanted to see how it did on Plopsy.
Father Winter showed up by the mailbox shortly after that.
"Father Winter, can you pay my bills for me this year?" (Robin, don't we all have that Christmas wish
"Unfortunately I cannot, my dear, but I have have something I think you'll like..."
Suddenly, a little wooden house appeared on her lot. (Actually, he got her a grill, which she immediately sold for §1300, but let's give Robin a little bit of Winterfest magic
(While I was in BB mode, I made her lot a Tiny Home Residential and gave her the lot challenges of Simple Living and Off the Grid. I'll probably remove Off the Grid eventually, but since she's not using any water or electricity it makes sense for the time being)
"Oh, Father Winter, it's perfect! Thank you so much!"
She wished she had something to give him in return, but there was nothing in her inventory worth gifting to him. But he seemed pretty content to get some loving from Pepper
Pepper apparently did't return the sentiment though
And then, a Winterfest miracle - the vending machine didn't give her any trouble. It wasn't a traditional Winterfest meal by any means, but she found herself feeling grateful, even though it was quite a different Winterfest than she was used to.
Before going to bed, Robin took out her journal, and reflected on Winterfests past.
Robin and Father Winter go way back
She had the wild trait as a toddler which led to her running around without clothing in all kinds of situations
She never actually celebrated Winterfest as a child since I never ended up cycling through the seasons again before aging her up.
When we arrived, Kiyoshi and I just stood there shivering. We were both freezing.
Dylan: "Brrr....Who...who..se idea was it to go ski...ing again?" I asked my teeth chattering, as I wrapped my arms around myself in an effort to keep warm.
Kiyoshi: "Well...well, on the mountain the weather cha...changes suddenly. We'll be fine! You can....brr...you can try snowboarding today..." he said grinning through chattering teeth. Oh sure, Kiyoshi was trying to be the tough guy, like this wasn't bothering him. Alright, I could be the tough guy, too.
We ran down the hill together towards the gondola, and I suddenly slipped on some ice.
Dylan: "Great! What a heck of a way to start!" I lay there for a moment, and then realized that if I didn't get up, I would be buried in snow and then no-one would even know I was there. I got up and rubbed my back and muttered as I walked, "What am I doing out here? Why am I out in this weather? And where is Kiyoshi?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kiyoshi was waiting for me inside the gondola area. When we got to the top of the slope, I could barely see two inches in front of me. The wind was blowing so hard and snow swirled around me. Thankfully, I knew where the easy run was, and slowly walked towards it, trying to shield my face from the wind with my arm.
I got to the top of the slope and there was no-one around. In fact, I could barely see the gondola from where I was standing. And I couldn't see Kiyoshi either.
Dylan: "Kiyoshi...Kiyoshi...where are you?"
There was no answer, so I figured he had just gone off to the Expert slope. I looked down the slope and I couldn't even see it. How was I going to ski down it?
Dylan thinking: "Oh wonderful! I am probably going to ski into a tree and be dangling from a limb upside down and no-one will find me until morning...frozen to a branch...no problem...I'm a tough guy, right? Yeah...right..."
I made it down safely. Well, okay, I wiped out at the bottom. And, I think at one point, when I did the jump, that if the wind had blown any stronger, I would have been airborne and could have flown over those trees. I met up with Kiyoshi inside the gondola area again, and Kiyoshi suggested I try some snowboarding.
Dylan: "You were serious before? In this weather? You want me to try snowboarding?"
Kiyoshi: "Sure...I'll give you some pointers when we get up there. You'll really love snowboarding..."
At the top of the slope, Kiyoshi gave me 2 seconds worth of lessons and then headed over to the Expert slope. And I was left alone...again. Kiyoshi must have a lot of faith in me, or is just anxious to go off and snowboard down the higher level slope and do his own thing. Sheesh!
I think I may have closed my eyes when I pushed off with the snowboard, "Here goes nothing".
Dylan thinking: "Well, that didn't go very well. And I pretty much suck at both skiing AND snowboarding."
I looked around for Kiyoshi and didn't see him anywhere. I really hoped nothing had happened to him up on the hill. Then I saw him trudge towards me, and he told me that he was heading home. I should have probably gone home, too, but then he told me about the Onsen.
Kiyoshi: "You can take the ski shuttle back to Wakaba. In the meantime, you can head over to the Onsen and warm up..."
I think the word that caught my attention was "warm up" because I was frickin' freezing.
Dylan: "Onsen? What's that?"
And Kiyoshi went on to explain that it was a natural hot springs where you could have a nice soak and get rejuvenated. It sounded perfect, and as he bid me farewell, I headed towards the Onsen. Oh yeah, a nice hot soak sounded good to me. In fact, anything hot sounded good to me.
@Skeilah Oh gosh! Bryon...what are you doing out in this weather in those clothes? I did give you some winter wear. Change, bro! Change!
I entered the Onsen, and immediately went over to the fireplace and warmed myself up. Oh my gosh, I think I can feel my fingers again!
Then I saw this poor guy, walking in that blizzard in nothing but a t-shirt. He looked frozen.
@afai1261 [Oh my gosh! It's Aaron!]
The frozen guy just walked past me and went into a locker area. I thought I'd better see how he was, so I walked over and introduced myself.
Dylan: "Hi...I'm Dylan...are you okay, dude? There's a nice fire in the fireplace over there if you want to warm up. Where is your coat?"
Aaron: "Hey...I'm Aaron. I'm alright...I come here pretty often, and left my coat here the last time. I didn't realize it was so nasty out there..."
Aaron and I chatted and I found out we went to the same high school and that he lived with some other students in a house in Senbamachi. He seemed like a cool guy. Aaron suggested that we take a nice hot soak in the Onsen. He also told me the rule that you needed to shower first, or the hot springs would become dirty. I thanked him for that and headed off to shower.
Luckily I had my backpack with me with my clothes, and grabbed my swim trunks and changed.
[Note: I just love this tile in the shower area.]
Aaron and I chatted in the Onsen, and he told me that he was a bit of a loner and didn't really like crowds. He came here often, as it was the perfect place to just relax and forget about life's troubles for awhile. As the warm water swirled around me, I could really relate to what Aaron was saying. This water was so relaxing and I just felt like all my worries were fading. We snapped a photo together in the Onsen and became friends.
We decided to do some homework together, although Aaron sat in the locker area, and I used this big reception desk out front. After working on a tough math problem, I was feeling a tad hungry, and wandered over to a vending machine that sold hot food. Wow! Food was expensive here. The terimayo hot dog sounded really good to me, and it was the cheapest at $5 simoleons, so I put my coins into the machine....and it jammed. Oh geez!
Oh come on! All this for an over-priced hot dog!
I hip bumped the machine and that didn't work too well. It was still jammed, so I shook the vending machine thinking it might dislodge the item, and the darn thing wobbled....
...and the next thing I know...it's on top of me...like almost squishing me...I kind of panicked at that point...
But thank goodness I had done a bit of a workout at the gym yesterday, because I was able to heave it off of me. I have no idea what would have happened if I hadn't been able to. The only other sim who was here was Aaron, and, no offence to Aaron, but I don't know if Aaron could have lifted this thing off of me by himself. I might have been a goner. And to top it off, the item was still stuck. Oh the heck with it, I didn't really want that hot dog anyway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When I got home, and looked in my backpack, I realized that I had two homework books. Oh gee...I must have picked up Aaron's homework by mistake. Oops!
And Dylan got this pop-up, and Yes, he loves mischief!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
To be honest, after Dylan and Kiyoshi came down from their first run, Dylan never saw Kiyoshi again. lol I really think that Kiyoshi just left and went home. There was literally no-one else skiing or snowboarding while they were there. And the only other person who came into the Onsen was Aaron.
@permanentrose
@simgirl1010
Yay! Thank you, so happy to see you're reading our updates. Welcome, I hope you continue to enjoy them.
@SoulGal7
*Everyone - Just wanted to let y'all know that my last update was posted purposely without any text. It was just a spur of the moment idea I had after a recent conversation with someone about how a picture/photo can say a thousand words. One of my screenshots is also in reference to a comment I made to someone that it's fun/easy to get screenshots that look like something is happening, but it's really something else and not what you think. Curious what everyone thinks about this method of telling a story.
Anyway, I won't be doing this very often, probably just a one time thing, but it was fun trying to tell a story without words, except for the daily quote to drive the theme.
Hope everyone is having/had a great day/night!
Also, the ski rack is not debug, it is under the wall hangings. Yep, I liked it and added it to the build.
January 9th Comments:
@afai1261
@Karababy52
@Carebear92
Welcome to the group!
@permanentrose
@RememberJoy
@KateLynne
@SoulGal7
@miss_eulenauge
Spoilers:
Linkage:
You'll want to remove the spaces so the spoiler and url tags are bunched up with the brackets.
Table of Contents
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.
D.J. had been sharing at school the past couple days of his time in Mt. Komorebi. He would tell of his sledding and skiing fun as well as he's learning to rock climb. But he wanted to know why he would have a stalker. Maybe they were just curious. As he approached his tent, D.J. turned around and confronted the classmate who again, just stared at D.J. Why was this person staring at him D.J. thought and felt this kid was judging him. Embarrassed, D.J. asked the classmate, "Why are you following and staring at me?"
The classmate started to laugh at him and pointed at the tent. "You're homeless. Did mommy and daddy not want you anymore?" Oh, so this classmate came over to tease him, D.J. thought. D.J. didn't have time to be dealing with a bully right now. D.J. got in this kid's face, "Get the !@#$% off my property!" he yelled at walked away.
D.J. secured his tent and marched off to the Mt. Komorebi Gym. He turned around to see the bully walk off in the direction. He assumed the bully thought D.J. was going to go tell on him. That's not D.J. He just needs to get away and the gym is the best spot right now since he needs to practice climbing more for Enele.
D.J. found a satisfaction in this wall climbing. Even after he would climb Mt. Komorebi, D.J. felt like he would still want to come here and hang out. After about an hour of climbing, showering, and grabbing a bite to eat, D.J. headed off to work.
D.J's boss noticed how well he worked at helping the customers. This would include grabbing merchandise off the shelf, giving suggestions and ideas about the needs of the customer, and being all out friendly. The boss approached D.J. at the end of his shift and asked if he'd like to move to the store's call center area where he'd be answering questions and general calls from customers. It would entail a raise and a small bonus. His hours would remain the same to allow him to continue high school during the day. Of course, D.J. couldn't turn this down.
Jan 9th post comments: Hope I got everyone.
@afai1261
@LegacySims2017
@permanetrose
@RememberJoy
@KateLynne
@CareBear92 - Welcome to the challenge
@miss_eulenauge
@Ellupelluellu
Traits: Outgoing and Cheerful
Season: Spring 28 Days
January
Day 2 What a Bad Day
Day 3 Daily routine
Day 4 Typical day
Day 5 TGIF!
Day 6 Eventful Saturday
Day 7 Chill Sunday
Day 8 Still no homework??
Day 9 Money! Money!
Day 10 Rock Climbing
Day 11 Kioshi Time
Day 12 Snowboarding!
Day 13 Saturday??
Day 14 A Day of Randomness
Day 15 Making some Simoleons
Day 16 Hiking
Day 17 More house stuff
Day 18 Lesson learned
Day 19 Love Day
Day 20 Gaining skill in rock climbing
Jan 21
Jan 22
Jan 23
Jan 24
Jan 25
Jan 26
Jan 27
Jan 28
Jan 29
Jan 30
Jan 31
February
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Feb 5
Feb 6
Feb 7
Feb 8
Feb 9
Feb 10
Feb 11
Feb 12
Feb 13
Feb 14
Feb 15
Feb 16
It's a Sunday she has homework to do but since its raining she decides to explore the area. After a little walk around the area she found Hazakura Lounge, so she went inside sat the table by the bar and worked on her homework.
After she finished her homework she continued to explore more of the area. Next, she finds a bulletin board that had festival and wildlife information. She looked to the right side of the bulletin board and sees a job opportunity at a Barista called Frothy Foamer. She immediately applies for the job and next thing she knows the owner calls and ask her if she can start tomorrow at 5 A.M before school. She agreed.
Well since Savannah doesn't have work until tomorrow and she is broke until then, she went back to the lounge and asked the bartender for a bowl of chips. After eating the bowl of chips she sat down to talk to Shigeru and his wife Sachiko. The sweet old couple gave her some pointers on where to go for the night for showers, and a quiet place to relax in the mean time, its called Sutefani Onsen Bathhouse.
After that wonderful conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Nishidake, she started to head to the bathhouse. When she got to the bathhouse she saw there were slopes!! She was so excited she decide to do a quick slide down the bunny slope before heading in for the evening.
hopefully this work. Please give some feedback.