#Fox Abbottsford

[stargazer-sims]

Count On Me

Like your favourite chair, I'll hold you close whether you lose or win. I'm that breath of air flowing out and flowing right back in. I hope you know that I am here, always close and always near.

♫ Count on Me - Diana Ross ♫

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This will make more sense if you've already read Full Circle and Broken Glass

CONTENT WARNING - violence, death

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"Ugh... I suck." Fox sinks onto his sister's couch with all the grace of a seal flopping onto a beach rock. He leans his head against one of the decorative cushions on the back of of the sofa and lets out a groan. "I never imagined I'd screw up a conversation so much. And with my own kid, no less."

Now that he's calm, he realizes how exhausted he is. He navigates difficult situations all the time at work with kids in care, biological parents, foster parents, and professionals connected to each of his clients, but none of those interactions ever seem to drain him as much as this one conversation with his teenage son has.

He'd shared everything with Clancy in the car on the way over to her house, all about his confrontation with Forest and what had led up to it in the first place, and about his frustration and sense of inadequacy to handle it. Clancy was sympathetic, but he could tell she also had a lot she wanted to say. To her credit, though, she hadn't offered any of her own opinions in the car. She'd let him talk

Clancy hands him a mug of tea and then sets her own mug on the coffee table before sitting down next to him. "You don't suck. Your kid sucks."

"No, he doesn't."

"Okay, maybe not him personally, but it sounds like his attitude could use a serious adjustment."

"I don't know where we went wrong," Fox says. "None of our other kids are like this. Not that they're angelic or anything, but the other five combined don't give us as much trouble as Forest does. I thought we were parenting them all more or less the same way, but we must've dropped the ball with Forest."

"I don't know why you think it has to be your fault, or Takahiro's," Clancy says.

"Because we're his parents."

"And?"

"And we're supposed to teach him how to be his best self," he says.

"Kids are individuals, you know," Clancy points out. "You can try your hardest, but at the end of the day, they're the only ones who can decide if they're gonna be the best version of themselves or not. Forest is seventeen. He's going to make his own choices whether you like them or not."

"Yeah, but I hoped he'd make better ones."

"We all want that," Clancy says. "I want Grey and Frankie to make good choices too, but they're getting to an age where I have less and less influence over them. Especially Frankie. A sixteen year old with a driver's license and a part-time job? That kid thinks she owns the world."

"I'll bet she's never openly questioned your love though, or looked you in the face and told you to shut up."

"She knows better than to do that," Clancy declares. "She's free to make her own choices, with the understanding that every choice has consequences. I might not be able to spank her any more, but she knows I'm not above handing out other punishments."

"You know Taka and I don't punish our kids."

"Maybe you should," she says. "I know you guys are into that gentle parenting or whatever, but sometimes trying to reason with a kid is about as effective as banging your head against a brick wall. I'm not saying you're failures as parents, because you're totally not, but I think a few well-placed slaps on the bum when he was little might've done Forest some good."

"Violence isn't the answer, Clancy."

"Nobody's telling you to commit violence," she counters. "People shouldn't be indiscriminately hitting their kids every time they make some little mistake. All I'm saying is that on the occasions when using your words isn't getting the job done, sometimes you have to use other methods."

Fox sets his tea down on the end table and then turns to fix his sister with a level gaze. "Such as assaulting children?"

"Oh my God." Clancy lets out her breath in an audible huff. "I see where Forest got that hard head from."

"Excuse me?"

"Fox, you're deliberately missing the point," says his sister. "Look, I know spanking was never in your playbook, and it's fine. It hasn't been in mine either since Frankie was maybe six or seven years old. My point was, sometimes just talking to a kid isn't enough. Sometimes they need a stronger message."

"Such as?"

"Such as consequences that make them think about their actions. Some people have to learn things the hard way."

"I guess that makes sense," Fox concedes.

"Of course it makes sense," Clancy says. "Forest needs to understand he's not entitled to a free ride through life and that he can't get away with throwing a tantrum when things don't go his way, and you and Takahiro need to teach him that before someone else does, 'cause they won't love him like you do and... you know."

"We'll give him a safety net, and other people won't."

"Exactly."

Fox sighs. "Why can't parenting be easier?"

"If I knew how to make it easier, I'd write a book, make millions of dollars off it, and retire from the police force." Clancy gives him a half-smile. "Incidentally, if you think you've got it hard, you should try parenting by yourself.

"Sorry," Fox says. "I wasn't thinking of—"

"No, don't apologize. I was the one who brought it up." She reaches for her own mug of tea. Several seconds pass as she holds the mug between both hands and gazes into it. "The actual parenting part wasn't any less difficult when Garrett was alive. It's just... I miss being able to discuss things with him, and I miss us backing each other up."

"I don't know how you got through it," Fox tells her. "I'd be devastated if anything happened to Takahiro. I have no idea how I'd survive losing him."

"You'd survive," Clancy says. "I can't tell you how, but you'd do it somehow. If you were on your own, you'd have no choice. You'd find a way to do it for your kids."

His sister is right. As much as he knows a part of him would want to lie down and surrender, he would go on for the sake of his children, just like Clancy did. "I guess I would."

"You would," Clancy reiterates. "Sink or swim, you know? It's what you've got to do."

Fox nods. "I know."

He recalls the day, eight years ago, when his brother-in-law Garrett died. It had started as a perfectly normal Friday in early August, and Fox had been at the office finishing some paperwork and writing notes on the files one of his co-workers, Chloë St-Jean, would be overseeing for him while he was on vacation for the following two weeks. His mind hadn't been entirely on the task. He'd been too busy daydreaming about his family's upcoming camping adventure. He pictured himself playing and exploring with Taka and their kids, spending hot, hazy afternoons painting by the lake, making s'mores and singing campfire songs, and then snuggling by the slowly fading fire with Taka after all the kids were tucked into their sleeping bags.

Lost inside his own head, he barely acknowledged the approaching sound of police sirens on the street outside his office window. About fifteen minutes later, the distinctive wail of ambulance sirens racing past the building didn't entirely register either. It was only when Chloë dashed through the open doorway of his office with her phone in her hand and a wild look in her eyes that he pulled himself away from his reverie.

She announced herself with, "I just got a call from my brother."

"What happened?" Fox asked, and then because Chloë seemed so upset, "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he and Belle are fine, thank God. They're shaken up, probably like everyone else, but they're not hurt."

"What happened?" he asked again.

"Fox! There was a literal high-speed chase outside your window, like twenty minutes ago, and you didn't notice?"

"A high-speed chase? In downtown Willow Creek?" He was thoroughly confused and knew he sounded incredulous, but he couldn't help it. "I heard the sirens, but I didn't realize—"

"Davian said the car the cops were chasing crashed straight through the front of the building where his studio is," she explained, breathless. "Some people in the building got hurt, and Dav said they could hear shooting outside and he thinks somebody might've died, but he didn't know if it was a police officer or one of the bad guys or somebody else."

As things unfolded, Fox learned that more than one person had lost their life. While Chloë was still in his office, trying to calm herself down after the phone call with her brother, Fox's own phone rang. It was his sister.

"Fox, I need you." Clancy's normally strong, assertive demeanour had been replaced by a voice so weak and small that he almost didn't recognize it. "I got a call from dispatch. It... it's Garrett. There was a situation... something happened downtown."

She offered as much information as she knew, and asked Fox to meet her at the hospital. When he arrived at the ER, he found Clancy, her partner Harry, and two uniformed officers standing in the waiting area, apparently heedless of the handful of unoccupied chairs. To an outside observer, Clancy might've seemed steady and composed, but Fox could tell she was a hair's breadth away from losing it. He couldn't speak for Harry or the two patrol officers, but he knew why Clancy wasn't sitting. The instant she let herself relax, she'd fall apart.

The uniformed cops started to move toward him as if they might try to stop him from getting to his sister, but Harry reached out and put a hand on one of their shoulders. "That's her twin brother. It's fine."

Fox hadn't wanted to be right, but the moment Clancy was in his arms, she let out a sound that was so filled with anguish that it couldn't have been mistaken for anything else. Then, she began to sob. It was as if every tear she'd never allowed herself to shed throughout her life finally burst out of her in an almighty flood.

He'd never seen his sister like that before, and he hoped to God he'd never witness anything like it again. He didn't know what to do, so he just held her as tightly as he could and let her cry.

Clancy was wholly incapable of getting any coherent words out, so it was Harry who told him, "He didn't make it. Garrett, I mean." The detective clenched his huge fists and growled, "That bastard got him."

Harry went on to explain that Garrett and his partner had responded to a 911 call from an employee at a downtown bank who reported an armed robbery in progress. Just as they arrived on scene, the two armed suspects exited the bank and jumped into a waiting car where a third person was already behind the wheel. That, Fox learned, resulted in the chase Chloë had seen from her office window. Harry couldn't say if the getaway driver had lost control of the vehicle or if he'd smashed through the front of a building on purpose, but the collision had effectively ended the chase.

The driver of the getaway car was killed on impact. The back seat passenger, who was still armed with his gun from the robbery, scrambled out of the car and attempted to escape, but he was injured too. He fired at other officers who'd arrived on the scene, but he didn't get far before they were able to disarm and apprehend him.

Meanwhile, Garrett and his partner were checking on the front seat passenger. The guy was obviously injured, and according to what Harry found out from Garrett's partner, they thought the man was unconscious. When Garrett reached in through the smashed car window to check for a pulse, the man suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed Garrett's wrist with one hand and whipped out a previously concealed knife with the other. Before anyone had time to react, the man plunged the long, sharp blade directly into Garrett's neck.

The paramedics made a valiant effort to save him, but he'd passed away in the ambulance, less than a kilometre from the hospital.

"This job's a fucking nightmare some days," Harry concluded. "We all know the danger, but it's like you put it out of your mind so you can get shit done. And then you develop this thing where you start to believe it's never gonna happen to you. Or to somebody you love."

Clancy and Garrett had loved each other passionately, and they both knew the risks. They'd met when Clancy was still a patrol officer too, and despite the warnings of their parents and their fellow officers that getting involved with another cop wasn't a great idea, they would not be deterred.

Six months after they met, Clancy earned all her qualifications to become a detective. Six months after that, she and Garrett got married in a stunningly elaborate ceremony. complete with a police honour guard made up of their colleagues and friends.

They were over the moon when baby Francine came along, and just as elated at the birth of Greyson three years later. It was obvious to everybody who knew them how devoted they were to each other and to their little family, and their bond only grew stronger as time went on.

They loved like there was no tomorrow, as Garrett's mother had put it, or in Garrett's own words, "Make it count. Do all the living you can while you've got a life to live."

Fox was left utterly shaken by the description of his brother-in-law's last minutes. He couldn't imagine what it must've been like for Clancy to hear it again.

"Can I take her home?" he asked Harry.

At that, Clancy raised her head from his shoulder. "No," she said weakly. "I can't go. Not until I see my husband."

So, they waited.

When a doctor eventually came out and said Clancy would be permitted to view the body, both Fox and Harry went with her. When she saw her husband lying on the gurney, with a pristine white bandage across his throat, Clancy let out a scream so feral that Fox struggled to accept it was coming from a human. The sound of his sister's pain and the image of her cradling the pale, still body of her husband had haunted his dreams for months after that.

When they finally did depart the hospital, Fox had to guide her to his car. She stumbled along beside him, seemingly unaware of anything, mumbling things to herself that Fox was unable to comprehend.

He'd been afraid to leave her, so he took her to his own house. Knowing Frankie and Grey were safe with Garrett's parents, he made the decision to let them stay there undisturbed for the time being. Clancy was in no condition to help her kids, and Fox knew they'd be even more traumatized by what had happened if they saw their mother in that state.

As soon as they walked through the front door, Takahiro was there to meet them. He held out his arms to Clancy and she stepped straight into his waiting embrace. Open-hearted Takahiro, with his gift for comforting others, didn't say he was sorry or utter any meaningless platitudes. All he said was, "We're here for you."

Fox could visually observe the tension leaving Clancy's body. She sagged in Taka's arms and whispered, "Thank you, Takahiro."

It wasn't until the next morning that Clancy was ready to be with her kids, and even then she wasn't able to tell them about Garrett herself. It was actually Takahiro who’d broken the news to them and, in his gentle way, answered their questions about what dying meant.

Fox was grateful. He wasn't sure he could've handled it as gracefully as Taka did, and when he said as much to his husband later, Taka's response had been, "It's all right. Sometimes people need help from someone who's one step away. Close enough to care, but not too close to see things in perspective."

That piece of wisdom is something Fox has carried with him ever since. He thinks he fulfills that role in the lives of his clients, his niece and nephew and his friends, and he's taught himself to recognize when he needs someone to step into that role for him. As much as he wants to prove he's grown enough to manage things on his own, the truth is that he can't keep all the proverbial balls in the air by himself. No one can.

"Hey."

Fox realizes he's allowed too long a pause in the conversation when his sister's one-word sentence interrupts his reminiscence. He glances over at her. "Sorry."

"You okay?" she asks.

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"About...?"

"Garrett," he admits. "Sorry if that's weird."

"It's not," Clancy says. "I was thinking about him too."

"Because of what I said?"

"Not really," she says. "There isn't a single day where I don't think about him at least once. Sometimes it's the most random thing that'll remind me of him. Like, when I accidentally burn the toast at breakfast, or when I catch myself squeezing the toothpaste in the middle. That annoyed Garrett so much. He used to say I was wasting it."

Fox smiles. "Taka gets after me for being a middle-squeezer too."

Clancy releases an abrupt laugh. "A middle-squeezer?"

"That's what he calls it. He's an end-squeezer, and he thinks that's the only correct way to squeeze out toothpaste. He also thinks there's only one correct way to put a roll of toilet paper on the holder too."

"There is. I had it on good authority from my late husband."

"We have to heed the experts," Fox says.

"Yeah," says Clancy. "God, I miss him. Sometimes I still come up with stuff I want to tell him, and I have these moments where I think 'I can't wait to tell Garrett when I get home from work'. But then I remember, and... yeah."

"So then you call and tell me."

"I'm glad you don't ignore my calls, even when it's about something dumb like seeing a stray chicken in the parking lot at Tim Hortons."

It's Fox's turn to laugh. "Can you imagine the lame jokes Garrett would've made about that? But yeah... you know I'll never ignore your calls. I'm here for you, one hundred percent."

"Same goes for you," Clancy says. "And you're not wrong about the jokes. Garrett thought he'd be a great stand-up comic, you know. He used to write down all his best material, as he called it. Kept it in a notebook in the apartment."

"The garage apartment?"

"Yeah. Well, it wasn't the garage apartment then, but you know what I mean."

As far as Fox knows, Clancy and Garrett's attached garage had never actually had a vehicle in it. The previous owners had been using it primarily for storage, and when Clancy and Garrett bought the house, Garrett decided it'd make a perfect family room. They had the garage door removed and replaced by a regular wall, had a small bathroom built in one corner, and moved in their big-screen TV, exercise equipment, pool table and an old sofa Clancy got from one of their cousins. Fox and Taka had spent many evenings hanging out with Clancy and Garrett, chatting and watching movies while all the kids played together nearby.

After Garrett passed, Clancy had the space converted into a bachelor flat so she could rent it out and supplement her income. She hired a contractor to construct a kitchenette and to install a separate entrance so her tenants wouldn't have to enter or exit through the house.

"Do you go in there much?" Fox asks. "To the garage apartment?"

"Only to collect the rent, or to fix stuff or clean up after somebody leaves," she says. "I gotta go in there this weekend, actually. I thought the student I had was going to stay for the whole school year, but she up and left. Decided she was going to move in with her boyfriend instead. She left it looking okay, but I still have to clean the floors and give the bathroom a good scrub."

"If you need help, let me know."

"Why? Are you going to send your kids to..." She lets the sentence fade and then grins at him. "Oh, wait."

"What?"

"I just had a genius idea," Clancy declares. "It's brilliant. Kind of a win-win, you might say."

"So, tell me what it is."

"You really could send one of your kids to the garage apartment. I mean, if Forest wants to move out so badly, maybe he should."

"And you think he should move in here?"

"Why not?" says Clancy. "He has a part-time job, doesn't he? He could pay me a little bit of rent every month. You wouldn't have him disrespecting you under your roof any more, and he'd learn how to be responsible for himself."

"I don't think he could do that, being totally on his own."

"He wouldn't be totally on his own. I'd keep an eye on him to make sure he's not going completely off the rails." She winks conspiratorially. "We just wouldn't tell him he's being surveilled."

"He wouldn't last a week," Fox says.

"Weren't you ready to let him run off to Japan by himself earlier today?" Clancy inquires.

"Do you think I actually believed he would?"

"You called his bluff."

"I did," Fox confesses.

"I'll bet Mom and Dad didn't believe you'd run away, but you did. They didn't think you'd make it on your own either, but you did that too."

"Fair point, but the difference between me and Forest is that my life was actually terrible and I had a valid reason to run away. I had to get out of there, and I was ready to change. Plus, I was twenty-five and fully educated."

"True, but the end goal is still the same," Clancy insists. "Look how much getting out from under our parents' roof did for you."

Fox considers it. He likes Clancy's plan in theory and he's thankful that she's willing to covertly supervise Forest, but he's not totally convinced his son could cope with being independent. As much as he wants Forest to learn that particular lesson, it'll defeat the purpose of the experiment if Forest begs to come home after only a few days.

"I'll have to discuss it with Taka," he says.

"I'd be concerned if you didn't," Clancy replies. "You can let me know what you decide, but don't take too long, okay? I want to advertise it for rent again if Forest isn't going to be moving in."

"Okay," Fox says. "Hopefully, we'll be able to let you know by the weekend."

[stargazer-sims]

Among my OCs, there's actually a variety. (sorry, this is going to be quite a big list)

Yuri & Victor - They couldn't decide who should take whose surname, so they decided to hyphenate and go with Okamoto-Nelson. They both officially changed their surnames to that, and their daughter Caroline also has the hyphenated surname Okamoto-Nelson

Rei & Kenji (Yuri's parents) - Rei took Kenji's family name (Okamoto). Yuri, Hana, Shirayuki and Kinai all have the surname Okamoto too.

Grace & Julian (Victor's mother & stepfather) - Grace took her first husband Thomas' surname (Nelson), but hyphenated when she married Julian, so she is now Grace Nelson-Britt

Leo & Ellie - Ellie decided she wanted to hyphenate, so after marrying Leo she became Ellie Britt-DeLuca. Nora and Elliot both have only their dad's surname (DeLuca).

Stephen & Millie (Leo's parents, Grace's brother & sister-in-law) - Millie took Stephen's surname (DeLuca) when they got married (yes, I do have two different OCs named Stephen). Their kids, Leo, Kiara and Alessandra are all DeLuca as well.

Takahiro & Fox - Takahiro kept his own surname (Suzuki) when he and Fox got married. All their kids have Fox's surname (Abbottsford)

Seiji & Sachiko - Sachiko took Seiji's surname (Hinamori) and their kids also have the surname Hinamori

Félix & Davian - They kept their own surnames, Blanchet and St-Jean when they got married. Their daughter Belle has Félix's surname (Blanchet). St-Jean is one of her middle names.

Dylan & Zahir - They kept their own surnames; Middleton and Omar respectively. Their son Junior only has Dylan's surname. (bonus: Dylan's lover Nadim would like to change his name completely, and of course eventually have the surname Middleton).

Zahir & Zainah - Zainah has never changed her surname, either with her first husband or with Zahir, since it's customary in her culture for wives to not change their surnames.

Artie & Emma - Emma took Artie's surname (Greene). Their kids' surname is also Greene.

Stan & Milena - Milena took Stan's surname (Kovac) and their daughter Alzbeta's maiden surname is also Kovac. (bonus: Alzbeta took her husband's surname too, which is Zelenka).

Mikhail & Elena (Nikolai & Natascha's parents) - Elena took Mike's surname (Pavlenko) and the twins are also Pavlenko

Natascha & Alex - They're divorced now, but Natascha kept her own surname because she didn't like how "Natascha MacDonald" sounded.

Nikolai & Anya - They're divorced now, but Anya took Nikolai's surname (Pavlenko) when they married, and she still uses it.

Nikolai & Mishka - This one's possibly a bit more interesting. Mishka wanted to take Nikolai's surname, but that would make him Mikhail Pavlenko, which is also Nikolai's father's name. So, officially he remains Mikhail Vasiliev, but he still likes to think of himself as Pavlenko. Their son will also have the surname Pavlenko.

Ginger & Liam - They're divorced. When they married, Ginger kept her own surname (Holmes) rather than taking Liam's (Harris)

Stephen & Sarah - Sarah took Stephen's last name, Fujikawa. She's still using it, despite the absolute public spectacle their divorce was. Mostly, she kept it as a way to distance herself from her identity as a former J-pop performer. Their son Sebastian also has the surname Fujikawa.

Ginger & Stephen - Ginger is debating whether or not she'd like to be Ginger Fujikawa, or if she'd still keep her original surname. Any potential children would get Stephen's surname, though.

George & Evie (Eden's parents) - Evie took George's surname (Seong) and all their kids have the surname Seong too.

Sakuma & Koko (Haru's grandparents) - They each kept their own surname. Koko's is Imamura. Sakuma's is Abe, which is also Haru's surname.

Just curious, for those who have OCs that get married:

Do they do any name changing type stuff? Whether it's taking one or the other's surname or creating their own surname together?

[stargazer-sims]

Fox & Clancy Abbottsford

[stargazer-sims]

Broken Glass

♫ Broken Glass - David Francey ♫

This will make more sense if you've already read Full Circle

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"Forest, what are you doing?"

Fox probably doesn't have to pose this question. He thinks he has a fairly solid idea without needing to ask; however, if working with kids on a daily basis for the past twenty-plus years and also being a parent to six kids of his own has taught him anything, it's that jumping to conclusions is almost always the wrong thing to do. He'd much rather hear an explanation directly from the child in question.

Now that his and Takahiro's older kids have moved into their newly-renovated rooms in the basement, everyone has to pass by Forest's and Camellia's doors to get to the laundry room. The fact that Forest's bedroom door is open is what catches Fox's attention initially, but the thing that makes him pause and set his basket of laundry down is what he sees on his second glance. His oldest son is sitting on his bed, haphazardly cramming clothes and other items into a large bag. Forest's green backpack is on the floor beside the bed. It looks full to bursting.

Forest looks up briefly. "Nothing."

"It certainly looks like something."

Fox steps onto the threshold of Forest's room, but doesn't go any further. Ever since their kids were old enough to understand the concept of privacy, he and Takahiro have maintained that the kids' rooms are spaces that the kids control. Unless it's an emergency, they won't go in without permission.

"It's none of your business,” says Forest, in a defensive response that takes Fox aback.

"Papa said you were upset when you got home from school today," Fox says.

"Yeah," Forest acknowledges. "I told him I didn't want to talk to him about it."

"He mentioned that. He said he thought you were waiting for me to get home from work."

"Sort of."

"Would you like to talk to me about it?"

Forest shrugs. "I guess I can tell you, but it doesn't really matter. There's nothing anybody can do."

"Maybe not, but I can listen," Fox says. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Fox steps into the room and comes over to sit on the end of the bed. There are clothes strewn all over it. He picks up a shirt and begins to fold it. "You know, you'd be able to fit more stuff in your bag if you took your time and organized it."

"What?"

"Your bag," Fox says. "Obviously, you're packing. You'd fit more in there if you folded everything. I presume you want to save a spot for your sketchbooks and pencils, don't you?"

His son stares at him. "Are you, like... helping me pack?"

"Don't I always help you pack?"

"We're not going on a family trip, Dad," Forest says.

“I know.”

"I'm the only one going."

"So I figured." Fox lifts another shirt and folds it neatly atop the first one. "Come on. Take all that stuff out and I'll help you fix it."

"Why?"

"If you're running away, there won't be anyone to help you carry your stuff. You should be economical with your storage space so you can fit as much as you can into as few bags as possible."

"How did you...?"

"How do I know you're running away? Let's see..." Fox pretends to think about it. "A kid packing his bag when he's not going to an overnight camp or to a sleepover or on a planned trip? There aren't that many options left."

"Great." Forest sighs and drops the pair of jeans he'd been holding. "So much for a clean getaway. I can't even run away right."

"There's no right or wrong way," Fox says. "Either you go, or you don't. There's no rule book on how to do it."

For several seconds, Forest doesn't respond. He just sits there and gazes at Fox as if he's trying to look inside his brain, to discern in which direction their conversation is ultimately heading. After a while he says, "Are you... you're like, okay with this?"

"No," Fox replies.

"But, you're not gonna try to stop me."

"Would it do any good for me to try?" Fox asks. "You're not the first person in this family to run away, you know. Your grandparents stopped me the first time I tried it, and that just led to me being smarter about it on my second attempt. I sneaked off in the middle of the night, and I was on a plane before they even realized I was gone."

"That's not true."

"You can ask Granny and Grandpa or Aunt Clancy if you don't believe me," he says. "Anyway, I doubt me trying to keep you here would work any better than my parents trying to keep me at home did. If I told you I don't want you to leave, would that make you want to stay or would it make you want to go even more?"

Forest narrows his eyes suspiciously. "I see what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" Fox asks.

"Psychology or whatever," Forest says. "You're treating me like you probably treat your clients."

"It seems to work on them."

"Dad, I'm not stupid. Not that stupid at least. You're trying to trick me into doing what you want, and I'm not falling for it."

"I'm not trying to trick you into anything," Fox insists. "You're still a minor until January, so Papa and I have the legal right to keep you under our roof until then, but if you really want to go now, I won't stand in your way and I don't think Papa will either. I think you're old enough to make your own choices. If you think running away from your problems is a good choice, you're free to test that theory if you want."

"Who says I'm running away from my problems?"

"Aren't you?"

"I'm running away so I won't be anyone else's problem," Forest tells him.

Fox contemplates this. His instinct is to ask his son why he feels that way, why he thinks he's a problem for anyone, but it occurs to him that he might already know the answer. After all, hadn't he felt similarly at Forest's age? He'd often wished he could just disappear so he'd no longer be a burden to the people around him. Although it wasn't the only catalyst for his own flight from home, it'd certainly been a factor in his decision.

The realization that this might be the case for Forest too is upsetting. Even before Forest and Camellia were born, Fox was determined not to make the same mistakes with them that his parents had made with him. He didn't want to raise them — or any of his children — in an environment where the predominant emotions were fear, shame and guilt.

Fox's parents hadn't handled any aspect of his upbringing in an appropriate way, in his opinion, and things only got worse after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of six. Because of his illness, his parents sheltered him to the point where he became afraid of everything and could barely do anything for himself. His entire purpose in life had been to do what his parents said was best, and not to make them angry or sad for any reason or cause them to worry even more.

They'd meant well and they hadn't been trying to hurt him, but unfortunately, their own fear had blinded them to the fact that they were actually far more responsible for Fox’s suffering than any outside factors ever were. They were terrified something awful would happen to him and they were desperate to protect him, but what they failed to understand was that by keeping him away from virtually everything the world had to offer, they'd harmed him even more than he might've been harmed if he'd been allowed to experience things for himself.

The older he got, the less content he was with the way things were. Obeying his parents wishes became more difficult as he began to have goals and dreams of his own. Eventually, the situation devolved to where he couldn't take it any more, and he knew he'd have to do something if he ever wanted a normal life. After his first unsuccessful attempt to leave, he secretly planned his escape and didn't tell anyone anything until he was far, far away.

Although he'd spent the first few months of his time in Japan feeling lonely, scared, out of his depth and questioning the wisdom of his choice, he doesn't regret it now. That adventure, born of desperation, had changed his life completely. He'd met his beloved Takahiro, gained independence and self-confidence, and found hope for a better future. When he finally returned to Canada, with Taka by his side, he felt as if he were a totally transformed person.

A better version of yourself, his sister Clancy had said.

When he and Taka discussed growing their family, Fox knew he didn't want any of his kids to have the sort of childhood he'd had. He and Taka have done their best not to coddle their kids too much, instead encouraging them to explore and experiment and not be afraid of making mistakes. That didn't change when Camellia and Forest were diagnosed with diabetes within days of each other at five years old. Fox was adamant that the twins shouldn't be treated any differently than Matsu or the younger kids simply because they were diabetic.

"It's not a disability," he'd told Taka at the time. "Obviously, we'll have to make a few adjustments, but it doesn't mean they can't have a normal life. There's nothing holding them back from doing whatever they want."

The reality of the twins' diagnosis was far more challenging for Takahiro to accept than it was for Fox, but he agreed that Forest and Camellia should be afforded the same opportunities as their siblings.

For the most part, he and Taka seem to have succeeded. Each of the kids has a strong sense of self and most have their own ideas and aspirations and at least a tentative plan going forward. Camellia intends to work in health care, Matsu is interested in law enforcement like his aunt Clancy, outgoing and energetic Takashi wants to be a journalist, studious Willow is considering a career as a robotics engineer, and quirky, free-spirited Midori wants to study fashion design.

The only one who seems to have no direction is Forest.

Fox thinks that if were up to Forest, he'd never do anything challenging, interact with other people, or even leave the house if it wasn't necessary. He'd stay alone in his room all day, every day, drawing and painting and listening to music. Even Fox had socialized more as a teen than Forest does, and it's concerning.

Fox folds some more clothes and considers his approach.

At length, he ventures, "Where are you running away to?" He tries to make his tone as conversational as possible. "Near or far?"

"I don't know," Forest says. "Maybe I'll go to Japan and stay with Uncle Seiji and Auntie Sachiko."

"Okay. Do you know where your passport is?"

"No," Forest admits.

"And do you know how to get more insulin and supplies for your blood-glucose monitor if you're outside the country?"

Forest looks annoyed. "I don't even know how to get it here. You always do that for me, remember?"

"Because you don't want to make your own doctor's appointments," Fox points out. "If you're not going to live with us any more, you should probably learn how to do that. All our passports are in the top drawer of my desk, and you can use my credit card to book your flight. Oh, and make sure you've applied for a work visa so you can earn some money to live on, and don't forget to let Uncle Seiji know you're coming. Nobody likes an unexpected guest."

Forest's reaction is so sudden and so volatile that it catches Fox off guard. The teenager snatches up the nearest thing to his hand, which happens to be a sneaker, and flings it across the room so hard that it bounces off a shelf and knocks several items to the floor. Then, he leaps off the bed and follows the sneaker's trajectory. One of the objects that toppled from the shelf is a framed photo, and he stomps on it hard enough to crack the glass. Fox can hear it crunching under his son's heel.

"Stop it!" Forest yells. "Just... stop it!" He brings his foot down on the photo a few more times before collapsing onto the floor next to it and bursting into tears.

"What do you want me to stop doing?" Fox asks.

"Stop pretending like this is no big deal!" Forest exclaims. "It's not a joke, okay? It's my life, and this is serious!"

Fox gets up from the bed and kneels on the carpet beside his son. He rests his palm on Forest's back. "I know it's serious, Forest," he says quietly. "It's not a joke to me."

"Then stop acting like it is! Scream at me or tell me I'm an idiot or try to make me stay home. Do something parental and stop trying to play these fucking head games!"

"I already told you I won't make you stay."

"But why?"

"Because you're nearly an adult and this is your choice to make," Fox says. "But, I need you to understand exactly how serious this is, okay? You can leave if you want, but you can't leave unprepared. What if you get sick or you need help? Could you take care of yourself if you were on your own?"

Forest covers his face with his hands in what Fox assumes is an attempt to hide the fact that he's crying. His voice is strained when he responds. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Maybe you can start by telling me what's up," Fox suggests. "Tell me why you'd come home from school on an otherwise normal Thursday and decide that running off to another country would be a good idea."

"Because," Forest mumbles.

"Because...?" Fox prompts.

"Because I'm no good to anyone here. I can't do anything and I'm never going to be anybody, and the only person in the whole world who ever loved me actually hates me now."

"Really? The only person in the whole world who ever loved you?"

"Yeah."

"There are seven other people in this house who love you very much," Fox reminds him gently. "All your grandparents love you too, and so do Aunt Clancy, Auntie Aiko and your cousins."

"Yeah, but none of you were going to marry me some day," Forest says.

"Oh, I see." Fox glances in the direction Forest is looking, and his focus lands on the shattered picture frame. "This is about Caroline."

"Who else would it be about?" Forest demands.

"I had no way of knowing, and you know I'm not in the habit of assuming." Fox says.

Beneath the shards of glass and cracked wood, the image of Caroline Okamoto-Nelson is smiling brightly. She's wearing a deep pink gown and her white-blonde hair is piled high in a fancy style no doubt constructed by her grandmother Grace. Fox recognizes the Willow Creek High gym in the background. The photo was taken at last year's Sweethearts Ball, the school's annual Valentine's Day banquet and dance. Fox recalls how overjoyed Forest had been when Caroline invited him to attend it with her.

"Everybody loves Caroline," says Forest. "She's beautiful and she's good at everything and she has tons of friends. She could have any boy she wanted, but she picked me, the fat kid with diabetes, who has no other friends and who's bad at math and even worse at sports."

"None of that stuff defines who you are as a person," Fox says. "Caroline loves you."

"Maybe she did, up until today."

"What happened?" Fox inquires.

"She wants to break up with me."

"Did she actually say that?"

No, but I can tell she's going to," Forest says. "You know how you just believe something so hard because you want so bad for it to be true? I really thought she meant it, all those times she said she loved me and that she'd marry me some day. I thought we'd always be together, and when we were old enough we'd get married and have a family and everything, but... now that's never gonna happen."

There are a dozen ways Fox could address this, not the least of which would be to say that Forest and Caroline are only seventeen and that it's far too soon for them to think about marriage. Then again, Forest and Caroline have been asserting since they were seven years old that they were going to get married some day. They'd never wavered on that, even when they'd hit their teens, and everyone around them seems to have taken their future union as a foregone conclusion.

"Maybe you should explain everything to me from the beginning," Fox suggests. "Let's get off the floor first though, okay?"

"Okay," Forest acquiesces.

It's a bit of a struggle for Fox to heave his bulk into a standing position, so he doesn't notice at first that Forest is having trouble too. It's only after he regains his equilibrium and catches his breath that he observes his son only has one foot on the floor. Forest is balancing on his toes on the other foot. It takes him a second longer to see the bright red stain on the heel of Forest's light grey sock.

"Forest, your foot—”

More tears leak from the corners of Forest's eyes, and he starts to turn away from his father, but Fox reaches out and touches his arm.

"Sorry," Forest murmurs, although Fox gets the sense that he's saying it out of habit rather than believing he has a reason to apologize for something.

"It's okay," Fox says. "We can go to the bathroom and check it out."

Neither of them says anything as they make their way the short distance to the bathroom Forest shares with Camellia and Matsu.

In the bathroom, Fox gets Forest to sit on the wide edge of the bathtub. Camellia has a little stool she uses to reach the top shelves of the towel cabinet, and Fox gets that and carries it over next to the tub so he can sit down facing his son.

With Forest's foot in his lap, Fox carefully peels off his sock so he can assess the damage. There are three small cuts on Forest's heel, but he can't see any embedded fragments of glass.

"Is it bad?" Forest asks.

"I've seen worse, "Fox tells him. "We can take care of it here. I don't think you need professional medical care or anything." He pats the top of Forest's foot. "Here, put that down for a second while I grab some stuff."

Forest lowers his foot, and Fox hauls himself upright once again. He really needs to start working out, he tells himself.

Ambling over to the sink, he opens the cabinet above it and takes out Band-Aids and antiseptic spray. He's grateful that he went along with Taka's idea to keep first aid supplies in all four bathrooms in the house. This isn't the first time they've needed them, and with all six of their kids still at home, he doubts it'll be the last.

He pulls a few sterile wipes from one of the small boxes on the counter next to the sink, where Camellia and Forest keep their diabetic supplies, and makes his way back to his son.

"That was pretty dumb, wasn't it?" Forest comments. "Breaking the picture frame."

"Probably not your finest moment," Fox says, as he tears open one of the little packets of sterile wipes. "Did you do it on purpose, or was it just because you wanted to smash something and that's what happened to be right in front of you?"

"A little of both, I guess," Forest says. "I was just so... I don't know. Mad isn't even the right word. I mean... yeah, I'm angry, but like, I'm sad and hurt and I feel like crap about myself. You know, as usual."

"Why do you feel like that?"

"Maybe 'cause I'm a huge waste of space."

"Forest, you are not a waste of space. Try again."

Forest sighs. "You don't understand what it's like. You don't know how much it sucks when you're not good at anything and nobody likes you. When you're the kid everybody thinks is weird, and they'd rather bully you than be your friend. But, Caroline..." His voice catches and he continues in a near-whisper. "Caroline stood up for me. She treated me like I mattered. But now, she... she sees me just like everybody else does."

"Tell me what happened," Fox encourages.

"Fine," Forest says. "You know this week at school is Futures Week, right?"

"Yes. You were going to talk to your friend Mohammad's mom about interior design at career day today, weren't you?"

"Mohammad's not my friend."

"Your classmate, then. Little sting coming," he adds as he sprays Forest's heel with antiseptic. "How'd your chat with Mrs. Omar go?"

Forest winces, but he doesn't try to pull away like he would've done when he was younger. "I didn't talk to her."

"Why not?"

"You have to promise not to be mad."

"I'm not going to be mad. Do you want the Band-Aids with stars, or do you want one of your sister's Batman ones?"

"Who cares? No one's going to see it on the bottom of my foot."

"Okay. Stars it is." He applies the first bandage carefully. "What is it that I'm not supposed to be mad about?"

"I..." Forest hesitates. "I, uh... didn't go to the career thing."

"I see." Fox can't say he's shocked. He'd mentioned to Taka just last night that he wondered whether Forest would actually follow through. Whether Forest realizes it or not, both his parents are also aware that his decision to take a year off between high school and university is really just a way to buy time. They know he has no intention of getting a post-secondary education, and although neither of them is thrilled about that, they also know they need to respect it. It is his life to lead, after all. "You were at school though, weren't you?"

"Yeah," Forest says. "In the library. That's where all the trouble started."

"Go on."

"It was stupid Mohammad," Forest says. "He was in there for some reason and he saw me, and then he just had to run and tell Caroline I was hiding out. So, of course she came to get me and she tried to force me to go to the gym to talk to people. When I said I didn't want to, she got mad, and we... we kinda got into an argument and got kicked out of the library."

"Did you get detention?"

"No. Caroline just dragged me outside so she could harass me about my future some more," Forest says. "She's turning into a bully, just like everybody else."

"Why? Because she's concerned about you?"

"Because she's bossy as hell," Forest grumbles.

"She's assertive," Fox says. "From what I've seen, she's got leadership skills and she's good at motivating people, just like her parents. That doesn't make her a bully."

"Trying to badger and guilt-trip people into doing what she wants them to do makes her a bully. She wants to make me fit into her idea of a perfect boyfriend, 'cause apparently I embarrass her and she doesn't want to be seen with me the way I am."

"Which is?" Fox inquires.

"She said she doesn't want to be with somebody with no ambition. She said I don't have any goals and she called me lazy and unmotivated, but that's not true!"

Fox uses the excuse of putting a final Band-Aid on Forest's foot to allow himself to be silent. He has no clue how he's meant to handle this. His immediate thought is that Caroline isn't wrong, which is followed almost instantly by a stab of guilt for thinking such a thing about his own child. Still, he can't let himself be in denial about it. He's learned the hard way that pretending issues don't exist is never the solution.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"Forest," he says. "If that's not true, then can you tell me what your goals are?"

The answer, when it finally comes, is not at all what Fox expects.

"It's Caroline." Forest is crying again, and he seems barely able to get the words out. "She's my goal. I love her and I want to marry her and have a family some day, but even if that never happens, I still want her to be happy. That's all I ever wanted, to take care of Caroline and make sure she's safe and happy."

"That's an admirable goal," Fox says. "But I hope you know it has to be Caroline's goal too."

"I know, and I found out it's really not, even though she said it was before. She lied to me, and I believed her like an idiot.”

“I don’t think she lied.”

“How would you know?”

"Because I know people don’t always see the world the same way as adults that they do as children,” Fox says. "Caroline's growing up, and so are you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Forest asks.

"What I mean is, people's priorities change as they get older and more mature. Then they have to figure out what's important and what order of importance each thing is going to get," Fox says.

"I haven't changed my mind."

"No, but maybe Caroline has. I know that sucks and it's hard to hear, but there's not much you can do about it. Sometimes all you can do is accept the truth and try to move past it."

"What if I don't want to move past it?"

"It's okay to feel like you don't want to," Fox says. "Nobody expects you to snap your fingers and get over it just like that, but eventually you'll have to figure out a way to cope with it. If you don't, inside your head isn't going to be a very nice place to be."

"So what? It already sucks inside my head anyway. What's one more betrayal gonna do that all the other rejections and betrayals haven't done already?" Forest stands up and stalks toward the bathroom door, limping slightly on his bandaged foot.

"You don't have to live like that," Fox tells him.

"That's easy for you to say," Forest retorts. "You have everything you want. You're smart and good at stuff and you've got friends and a partner."

"Even people who don't have everything don't have to let themselves suffer. Being happy and comfortable inside your own head isn't about what you’ve got. It's about—”

Forest cuts him off. "I'm done talking about this."

"Okay." Fox acknowledges. "If you ever want to—”

"Why do you think I'd want to later if I don't even want to now? You can't offer me anything useful, like I already knew you couldn't. Plus, you dragged all that information out of me and messed up my plan to leave, so I'm not falling into the trap of having any more conversations with you."

"It's not a tr—”

"I don't care! Shut up and stop wasting your breath trying to convince me how you have my best interests in mind or whatever. I'm staying and you're getting your way for now, so maybe just be happy with that."

"I'm not," Fox says, though he doubts Forest is listening any more. He's not sure where in the conversation he'd lost him. Perhaps he'd never had Forest's real attention in the first place. "I'm not happy at all."

"Good," Forest's tone is acidic. "Maybe instead of telling me I should grow up and learn how to cope with stuff, you should think about how it feels to be me. Maybe being unhappy will get you started in figuring it out."

"If you want to know the truth, I think about it a lot, how it must feel to be you."

"That's bullshit!" Forest shouts. "You don't give a crap about me! You're just upset that I'm not the son you wanted."

"You are exactly the son I wanted," Fox says. "You, Matsu and Takashi are all the sons I wanted. Papa and I love you and your brothers and sisters more than anything."

Forest reaches for the door handle. "Yeah, whatever." He pauses, and then adds vindictively, "You know what? On second thought, I did learn something from you. When I finally do leave, you're not going to know a damn thing about it, and I'm sure as hell not going to call and tell you where I am. Then you won't have to pretend to care about me. You'll never have to worry about me again."

Fox considers himself to be an even-tempered person. He's not the sort whose anger goes from zero to sixty in the space of a few heartbeats, but in the wake of Forest's callous dismissal it's as if something inside him cracks. He springs up from the low stool and doesn't even feel the usual ache in his knees or tugging of his back muscles.

In a few quick strides, he's face-to-face with his son, and he glares with all the ferocity his conflict-avoidant heart can manage.

"Forest Winter Abbottsford, you listen to me." His words come out shockingly, terrifyingly calm despite the racing of his heart. "You can run away from your problems and delude yourself into thinking you're doing it for somebody else's benefit, or whatever. But, I'm telling you right now that if you treat people out in the real world the way you're treating me, you're going to have more problems than you ever dreamed were possible. More problems than you could ever run from, even if you lived forever. Do you understand?"

Forest nods, but it's not in comprehension. It's the most eloquent non-verbal display of sarcasm Fox has ever seen, and it infuriates him.

"Awesome way to express your love, Dad. Great job. Well done."

Some irrational part of Fox's brain is telling him to grab his kid and shake some sense into him, and it's all he can do to keep his arms at his sides. He isn't violent by nature, but still he finds himself needing to actively resist.

Maybe it's because he's done everything in his power for the past seventeen years to demonstrate his love for Forest and to offer him opportunities Fox himself didn't have that Forest's ingratitude feels like a slap in the face. Or maybe it's because, after years of fighting to gain self-respect and working hard to earn the trust and confidence of others, he simply refuses to tolerate disrespect any more.

"I love you, Forest." The façade of calm is slipping away and his voice is starting to tremble. "You can believe it or not, but that doesn't make it any less true."

"Right."

"You know what?" he says. "Maybe you should leave. If you think you can run off and live your own life right now, go for it. Go out and see how hard it is when you're on your own. But when you realize you can't do it by yourself, don't come back and ask me and Papa for help unless you're prepared to apologize."

Forest stares at him. "So, now you're kicking me out?"

"That's not what I said." Fox realizes he's so close to losing it that he's nearly hyperventilating. He can barely catch his breath. "Stay or go. Do what you want. All I'm saying is that if you go, we're shutting the door behind you."

"Fine," Forest says. "I guess my options are pretty clear."

Forest yanks open the bathroom door and storms out, leaving Fox standing there stunned at the rapid and dramatic turn his interaction with his son had taken. He's well and truly shaking now, as the effects of the adrenaline flooding his body fade as rapidly as they'd spun up. He presses his palm against the wall to steady himself. He feels sick.

For an instant, he considers calling for Takahiro, but he's not sure he can draw enough breath to do that. Besides, what could Taka do? A hug and a soft word aren't going to be enough to calm the storm inside him this time.

Of course he'll tell Taka everything later, but what he really needs at the moment is to talk to someone who's removed from the situation, someone who's practical and who's used to managing conflicts in a no-nonsense way.

Someone who knows me better than I know myself.

He uses his hand to guide himself slowly downward until he's sitting on the bathroom floor. Then, he slides his phone out of his pocket and taps out a familiar number.

The line rings a couple of times, and then the clear voice of his twin sister reaches his ear. "Clancy Abbottsford."

"Clancy, it's Fox."

"Holy fuck, you sound terrible," Clancy says. "Are you okay?"

"No." It's an effort to get the single syllable out. "I need your help."

"I'll be right there," says his sister.

He nods, before remembering she can't see him. "Yes, please. Come pick me up."

"Trouble on the home front?"

"You could say that. I'll meet you outside."

"Okay, I'll be about fifteen minutes. I just dropped Grey off at his rehearsal, so I gotta make my way back from downtown."

"Okay," Fox says.

"Don't worry," Clancy says. "Whatever it is, we'll fix it."

I don't know how either of us can fix it, he wants to say, but instead he allows himself to be wrapped momentarily in the protective covering of his sister's confidence. Clancy doesn't even know what the problem is, and already she's sure she can sort it out. This is one of the many things he loves about her, that she's rarely defeated by anything for long. She inspires courage in him, and he can always count on her.

He wishes he had a bigger, better word than thank you, but it will have to suffice. "Thanks, Clancy. You're the best."

"I know," she says. "Take deep breaths and try not to have too bad of a panic attack, yeah? I'll be there soon."

_______________

TBC

[stargazer-sims]

Long list is long… 😅

Victor Okamoto-Nelson - nurse (former professional athlete)

Yuri Okamoto-Nelson - communications professional

Kenji Okamoto - businessperson

Rei Okamoto - businessperson

Grace Nelson-Britt - veterinarian

Julian Britt - veterinarian

Ellie Britt-DeLuca - nurse

Leo DeLuca - teacher

Stephen DeLuca - lawyer

Emilia (Millie) DeLuca - teacher

Fox Abbottsford - social worker

Takahiro Suzuki - early childhood educator, preschool owner

Kin Suzuki - horticultural designer

Keiko Suzuki - nurse

Clancy Abbottsford - police officer

Violet Abbottsford - chef

Campbell Abbottsford - mechanical engineer

Seiji Hinamori - master tailor

Sachiko Hinamori - florist

Davey Duke - personal trainer (former professional athlete)

Bonnie Duke - social worker

Lindsey Chen - structural engineer

Félix Blanchet - archaeologist, university instructor

Davian St-Jean - media producer

Sophie Blanchet - speech therapist

Katie Beaumont - psychologist

Olivier Blanchet - teacher

Chloë St-Jean - social worker

Artie Greene - lawyer

Emma Greene - financial analyst

Matthew Greene - lawyer

Audrey Harrison-Greene - interior designer

Zahir Omar - commercial architect

Dylan Middleton - software engineer

Derek Middleton - cook

Hennessy Daniels - aesthetician

Nikolai Pavlenko - figure skating coach

Mishka Vasiliev- stay-home parent (former pro athlète)

Vika Vasilieva - special education teacher (former pro athlete)

Natascha Pavlenko - physical therapist

Elena Pavlenko - master tailor

Mikhail Pavlenko - master machinist

Nikolai Pavlenko (Grandpa) - biochemist

Anya Pavlenko - photographer (former professional athlete)

Stanislav Kovac - figure skating coach (former professional athlete)

Milena Kovac - lawyer

Beth-Anne Jones - figure skating coach (former professional athlete)

Peace Adebayo - nurse

Sunday Adebayo - nutritionist

Eden Seong - figure skater, dance instructor

Charlie Seong - professional stylist

Evie Seong - special education teacher

George Seong - university professor

Sadie Seong - teacher

Richard (Dash) Garrison-Locke - lawyer, agent

Tatsuhiro Sakai - actor, model

Sakuharu Abe - rapper, composer

Sakuma Abe - journalist

Koko Imamura - baker, bakery owner

Aidan (Senjiro) Okada - singer, lyricist

Keigo Sasaki - singer, dancer, choreographer

Ryuusei Yoshida - rapper, producer

Taiji Kanematsu - singer, composer

Hwang Ji-Soo - security specialist (former soldier)

Sarah Fujikawa - band manager (former J-pop performer)

Sebastian Fujikawa - figure skater

Sofia Fujikawa - graphic designer, illustrator

Stephen Fujikawa - businessperson

Ginger Holmes - figure skating coach (former professional athlete)

Yang Dae-Hyun (Pixie) - entertainment journalist

Akari Okamoto - lawyer, agent

What’s your OC’s occupation?

[stargazer-sims]

opportunists

Fox: Do we actually have the house all to ourselves?

Takahiro: Yes! When was the last time this happened?

Fox: Before we had kids, probably.

Takahiro: Well, I think we should take advantage of this opportunity, don’t you?

Fox: Glass of wine in the hot tub?

Takahiro: That sounds like a good start. We’ll see where it goes from there.

[stargazer-sims]

Why does Fox look like he's up to something? I think Takahiro is onto him, though...

[stargazer-sims]

@dandylion240 Fox says hi ;)

Since you asked to see pictures of the male body fat morph override I posted about earlier, here you go!

I like this because it adds more flab to the upper arms and chest, and it makes the belly droop a bit more. It also has back rolls, although they're not as visible on Fox since his weight is mostly in his belly.

Actually, the best look at this body morph override is on a sim who's more chubby than Fox is. Excuse the fact that I forgot to turn off my UI Capture. I wasn't going back in-game to get new screenshots.

Unlike Fox, Edison does have back rolls and chest & upper arm flab:

And when he's dressed, you can see his little belly rolls XD

This mod isn't perfect, and it does cause some weird distortion with some CC outfits as well as some of EA's stuff. On the whole, though. I really like the look of this.

[stargazer-sims]

Which OC is the most reliable?

Victor Okamoto-Nelson, Grace Nelson

Which OC would commit evil acts to save the one they love?

Hana Okamoto, Derek Middleton, Hennessy Daniels, Nadim Kasri, Beth-Anne Jones

Which OC could live at the beach?

Victor Okamoto-Nelson, Félix Blanchet, Davian St-Jean, Belle Blanchet

Which OC plans date nights?

Takahiro Suzuki & Fox Abbottsford

Which OC is artistic?

Fox Abbottsford, Forest Abbottsford, Nikolai Pavlenko, Mishka Vasiliev, Charlie Seong

Which OC gets excited about snow?

Victor Okamoto-Nelson, Yuri Okamoto-Nelson, Caroline Okamoto-Nelson, Grace Nelson, Michael Nelson, Ellie Britt, Leo DeLuca, Seiji Hinamori, Davey Duke, Mishka Vasiliev, Nikolai Pavlenko, Eden Seong, Sakuharu Abe

Which OC loves reading?

Félix Blanchet, Belle Blanchet, Yuri Okamoto-Nelson, Nikolai Pavelenko

Which OC lives at the gym?

Ji-Soo Hwang, Ryu Yoshida, Eden Seong, Nikolai Pavlenko, Mishka Vasiliev, Victor Okamoto-Nelson, Michael Nelson, Davey Duke, Beth-Anne Jones

_____

I will tag @dandylion240

OC Asks

Which OC is the most reliable?

Which OC would commit evil acts to save the one they love?

Which OC could live at the beach?

Which OC plans date nights?

Which OC is artistic?

Which OC gets excited about snow?

Which OC loves reading?

Which OC lives at the gym?

tagging @stargazer-sims

[stargazer-sims]

Okay then... I guess there’s no doubt about what that look was leading to. 😏

[stargazer-sims]

early morning affection

These two… 🧡💚 One might almost get the impression that it’s Love Day or something. 😉

They’re still madly in love with each other, and Takahiro still thinks Fox’s looks are exotic. Taka told Fox a long time ago that he’d never grow tired of looking at him, and he never has. As for Fox, he adores Taka’s crooked smile and bright eyes as much as he ever did, and thinks Taka is aging to perfection. He feels lucky to have such a handsome man on his arm every time they step out together.

Their love is far more than just skin deep, though. They’re true soulmates. Neither one of them was looking for a relationship when they first met, but their connection was almost instantaneous. It grew very quickly and it’s been going strong ever since.

[stargazer-sims]

They got up early to watch the sun rise, but Fox fell asleep again. 🧡💚

[stargazer-sims]

Fox and Takahiro for the relationship ask 👉👈

Thanks for the ask, @nakasumi-sims ! Sorry this took a minute. I didn't realize how many of these I would get. I've enjoyed doing all of them so far, though, and I don't expect this one to be an exception!

Under a cut as usual, due to length.

Fox Abbottsford and Takahiro Suzuki

Disagreements:

Who is more likely to raise their voice?  Neither

Who threatens to leave but never actually does? Neither

Who actually keeps their word and leaves? Neither

Who trashes the house? Neither

Do either of them get physical? No

How often do they argue/disagree? They rarely argue, but they disagree fairly often.

Who is the first to apologise? It depends on who’s in the wrong. They’re both good at recognizing when they need to apologize

Sex:

Who is on top? Who is on the bottom? I combined these two questions because there is no top or bottom in this relationship. They are essentially celibate, mostly due to the fact that Fox is actually straight (or "heteroflexible" if you prefer). Fox is not sexually attracted to other men, and he's not generally romantically attracted to other men/male-presenting people either. Takahiro is the first and only man he's ever been romantically attracted to. Takahiro, meanwhile, is bisexual (but he doesn't have a particularly high sex drive). Nevertheless, these two absolutely are a couple. They're soulmates in the truest sense of the word.

Who has the strangest desires? Neither

Any kinks? No

Who’s dominant in bed? Neither

Is head ever in the equation? No

If so, who is better at performing it? n/a

Ever had sex in public? No

Who moans the most? Neither

Who leaves the most marks? Neither

Who screams the loudest? Neither

Who is the more experienced of the two? Takahiro, by virtue of the fact that he's the only one with any experience

Do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’? n/a

Rough or soft? n/a

How long do they usually last? n/a

Is protection used? n/a

Does it ever get boring? n/a

Where is the strangest place they’d have sex? n/a

Family:

Do your muses plan on having children/or have children? Yes

If so, how many children do your muses want/have? They have six "science babies"

Who is the favorite parent? Depends on which kid you ask. Forest and Camellia, who are twins and the oldest two children, would definitely say Fox is their favourite parent. Takahiro is Matsu and Willow's favourite parent. Takashi and Midori have no real preference.

Who is the authoritative parent? Both. They have six kids. House rules are important to keep the chaos to a minimum.

Who is more likely to allow the children to have a day off school? Neither.

Who lets the children indulge in sweets and junk food when the other isn’t around? Neither

Who turns up to extra curricular activities to support their children? It depends on the activity. Takahiro is more likely to show up to sports and cheerleading, while Fox is the one who usually attends things like art and theatre.

Who goes to parent teacher interviews? They both do.

Who changes the diapers? Since they had three babies at once (twice), it probably goes without saying that they both changed more than their fair share of diapers.

Who gets up in the middle of the night to feed the baby? See the previous question ^^

Who spends the most time with the children? They try to spend equal amounts of time with all the kids, but at the end of the day, Taka ends up spending more time with the sporty ones and Fox with the artsy ones.

Who packs their lunch boxes? It's usually Fox, since he does most of the cooking.

Who gives their children ‘the talk’? Takahiro

Who cleans up after the kids? This is a team effort. The kids help clean up after themselves just as much as their parents clean up after them.

Who worries the most? Fox

Who are the children more likely to learn their first swear word from? neither

Affection:

Who likes to cuddle? They both like to cuddle. Cuddling and physical touch are their primary forms of intimacy.

Who is the little spoon? They're equal opportunity cuddlers; there's no fixed role as "little spoon" and they will tend to switch. Fox is significantly larger than Takahiro, so this can be a bit awkward, but they make it work.

Who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? Neither

Who struggles to keep their hands to themselves?  Neither

How long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? It's usually Fox who becomes uncomfortable first, but they can cuddle for a long time before that happens.

Who gives the most kisses? Takahiro

What is their favourite non-sexual activity? Swimming is their favourite non-sexual thing to do together. They spend a lot of time in the pool.

Where is their favourite place to cuddle? On the loveseat on their balcony

Who is more likely to playfully grope the other?  Neither

How often do they get time to themselves? With six kids, spontaneous time alone is practically non-existent. The have regularly scheduled date nights and they'll plan a weekend away together every few months.

Sleeping:

Who snores? Fox

If both do, who snores the loudest? Fox, by default

Do they share a bed or sleep separately? They share a bed

If they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? They'll usually start out cuddling, but will tend to drift away from each other when they fall asleep

Who talks in their sleep? Neither

What do they wear to bed? They both prefer to sleep in underwear and t-shirts/tank tops most of the time, but Fox will wear PJ pants and t-shirt during the coldest part of winter.

Are either of your muses insomniacs? No

Can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? No 

Do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side? When they're asleep, they tend to lie side by side.

Who wakes up with bed hair? They both do

Who wakes up first? They usually wake up together, or within minutes of each other. They're equally likely to wake up first.

Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? Fox

What is their favourite sleeping position? Takahiro likes to sleep on his stomach and Fox is a side-sleeper

Who hogs the sheets? Fox

Do they set an alarm each night? Yes, but they often wake up ahead of it.

Can a television be found in their bedroom? No

Who has nightmares? Neither

Who has ridiculous dreams? Neither

Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed?  Neither

Who makes the bed?  They take turns, but Takahiro does it more often.

What time is bed time?  There's no specific bedtime, but they consider it a victory if they're in bed by 11:00 p.m.

Any routines/rituals before bed? Nothing other than basic hygiene

Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? Fox

Work:

Who is the busiest? They're both quite busy, but I will go with Fox for this one as he can sometimes get called to deal with emergencies.

Who rakes in the highest income? Fox

Are any of your muses unemployed? No

Who takes the most sick days? Fox, although he doesn't take an excessive amount of them.

Who is more likely to turn up late to work? Neither

Who sucks up to their boss? Neither. Takahiro is his own boss, and Fox thinks sucking up to the boss is something only people who are incompetent and bad at their jobs do.

What are their jobs? Fox is a child welfare social worker and Takahiro is an early childhood educator who owns and manages his own preschool.

Who stresses the most? Takahiro, because he's running a business

Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? They both love their jobs. Their jobs aren't easy, and Fox's job in particular isn't fun, but they both enjoy the challenges their careers provide and they're both passionate about helping and caring for children.

Are your muses financially stable? Yes

Home:

Who does the washing? They take turns, and now that the kids are older, they help out as well.

Who takes out the trash? the kids

Who does the ironing? Fox

Who does the cooking? Fox

Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? Neither. Takahiro knows his way around the kitchen, and he's in charge of baking. Fox is just the better cook of the two.

Who is messier?  Neither is particularly messy

Who leaves the toilet roll empty? Neither

Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? Neither

Who forgets to flush the toilet? Neither

Who is the prankster around the house? Takahiro

Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? Neither

Who mows the lawn? Takahiro mostly does it, but they do take turns, and now the boys help too.

Who answers the telephone? They each have their own phone

Who does the vacuuming? They take turns

Who does the groceries? Usually Fox

Who takes the longest to shower? Takahiro

Who spends the most time in the bathroom? Fox

Miscellaneous:

Is money a problem? No

How many cars do they own? Three

Do they own their home or do they rent? They own it

Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? Neither. They live in a small city along a river.

Do they live in the city or in the country?  small city

Do they enjoy their surroundings? Yes

What’s their song? Beautiful Life - Bebe Rexha

What do they do when they’re away from each other? These two don't really go away from each other. With six kids, they don't feel they can leave just one of them to deal with that alone.

Where did they first meet? They first met when Fox was on a working holiday visa in Japan

How did they first meet? They actually met when Takahiro rescued Fox on the mountain. Fox had been hiking when he fell and seriously injured his leg. He lay there for quite some time before Takahiro noticed him while on a hike of his own. Takahiro was in the right place at the right time.

Who spends the most money when out shopping? Neither of them are big spenders.

Who’s more likely to flash their assets? Neither

Who finds it amusing when the other trips over? Takahiro is more likely to laugh when Fox trips, but Fox isn't above being amused when Taka trips.

Any mental issues? Fox sometimes struggles with anxiety and he's stilll working though his childhood trauma from his parents.

Who’s terrified of bugs? Neither

Who kills the spiders around the house? They generally don't kill them. One or the other will try to coax the spider out of the house

Their favourite place? Their balcony

Who pays the bills? Takahiro

Do they have any fears for their future? Not particularly

Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? If it's a dinner at home, Fox would surprise Takahiro. If they're going out, it's more likely to be Taka surprising Fox.

Who uses up all of the hot water?  Neither

Who’s the tallest? Fox

Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? Neither, really. They do bathe together sometimes, but it's usually planned rather than spontaneous.

 Who wanders around in their underwear? Takahiro. Fox is far too self-conscious for that.

Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? Takahiro

What do they tease each other about? Fox teases Taka about English words that he can never seem to remember (such as when he calls Fox's hair "orange" instead of "ginger" or "red"). Takahiro teases Fox about his apparent inability to dance when anybody is watching. Fox can dance passably when it's just him and Taka dancing in the kitchen, but as soon as Fox thinks anyone else can see him, he's got two left feet.

Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? Neither. They're both fairly normal and unadventurous when it comes to their fashion choices

Do they have mutual friends? Yes. They're mutual friends with Yuri and Victor Okamoto-Nelson, and Seiji & Sachiko Hinamori. Takahiro grew up with Seiji and Yuri

Who crushed first?  Takahiro

Any alcohol or substance related problems? No

Who is more likely to stumble home drunk at 3am? Neither

Who swears the most? Neither

__________

Wow... okay. After doing this, I realize Fox and Takahiro are actually boring asf. lol

[stargazer-sims]

three’s company

It’s mealtime for the triplets. Fox and Takahiro should probably get a medal for handling it this efficiently.

[stargazer-sims]

tree-mendous

Meanwhile, the Abbottsfords have also decided to buy a treehouse kit and build it themselves. They don't really seem to know what they're doing, but at least they've got plenty of hands to help with the work.

[stargazer-sims]

Fox & Takahiro