#I actually really like this area of Willow Creek I think it might be my favorite!

[jasminesilk]

Happy New Year! We're starting of this gen with an unexpected but totally welcome pregnancy and subsequent marriage proposal!

[sanssouci-sims]

Those of you who have been to my main blog in the past year or so might recognize these familiar faces. The little girl is Karin Fjellvik, a character from the game “My Child Lebensborn” (I call it “MCL” for short), and the woman is Karita Omdahl, my MCL fan character/self-insert and Karin’s adoptive mother. I’ve made a few posts about them both on my main blog as well as my sideblog which specifically focuses on my OC x canon relationships, so take a gander if you’d like to read more about them! 

I’ll probably mention a bit of the game as I talk about them in this post, so minor spoilers ahead!! Also, fair warning if you do decide to check out the actual game for yourself: it’s based on real historical events (specifically having to do with the end of World War 2) and involves prejudice/racism and violence towards a child (among other things). Needless to say, it’s quite emotional, and let’s just say that by the end of my play-through, I wanted to punt quite a few people into the shadow realm because of what they did to my poor daughter. 😭

While MCL was originally set during the aftermath of World War 2, I imagine my sims counterparts live in the modern day. Funnily enough, the developers of MCL are currently working on a sequel which will take place in a more modern setting! I would think the sims versions of Karin and Karita moved to this new place in Willow Creek after they’d gone through similar events that happened in the original game. All they wanted to do was to just... get away from their old town, from Karin’s old school, from everything their cruel neighbors had done to them.

Karin and Karita would start their new lives in this modest but pretty one-story home with a small outdoor area for the two to sit and for Karin to play. In the game, you happen to make contact with Karin (or her male counterpart Klaus)’s biological father, who wires you money to help you move out of town. I imagine Karita used much of that money to pay off this new house. They started with only $200 in simoleons, which was a nod to how you would start off with 200 coins (? - dollars? Or whatever they used in Norway during that time? I don’t think the game actually specified what that actual currency was lmao) in the original game.

As money is tight in their household, Karita knows they’ll need it only for the most important items, and she’s made sure Karin knows that. There are times where Karin wishes she had the newest toys or clothes like the other kids have, and she’ll get upset when she can’t have them. Karita promises she’ll buy them one day for her, just not today. After all, it’s better to be selfless than selfish. Karin recently received a whole mini art studio set for her birthday, and she LOVES it! She plans to create lots of artwork to display in her room, and she even uses it occasionally in the middle of the night when she can’t sleep. She even says she hopes to help her mother earn money by selling her best artwork. 🥰

On certain days of the week, Karita works as a manual laborer as a way to bring in some stable income (I thought this was the closest to some kind of factory work, which is your/the parent’s job in MCL). The catch to this, though, is that she currently works during the weekend, which means Karin is left at home alone in the morning. :( Karita knows how much her daughter hates being by herself, so once she returns home from work, she makes sure they spend plenty of quality of time together. Their favorite activities include fishing (they can catch something to eat or Karin asks to keep one as a little pet), reading books, drawing pictures, cooking, and watching television.

See the little fish next to the television? Karin caught it and wanted to save it from being eaten!

Other than Karin’s idea to sell some of her artwork in the future, the two also already have creative ways to earn extra money on the side (or when they really need money fast). For one, Karita happens to enjoy gardening and has made a habit of exploring her neighborhood and harvesting wild plants to grow around their home. She may keep some to use as fresh ingredients/food, but most of the time, she’ll sell them when they’re fully grown.

Being experienced in manual labor, Karita isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty by digging for things as well. She’ll sell the majority of her finds along with things she catches through fishing.

Karin is also a keen explorer and likes to look for frogs. She’ll keep them as pets, too, but once she catches a new one, she knows she’ll have to sell the old one since multiple frogs is... kind of a lot to deal with in such a small home, lol.

This is her latest find, a spotted leaf frog!

So that’s basically how a typical day would go for Karin and Karita! Karin goes to school during the week, of course, and since Karita doesn’t work on weekdays, she’ll usually spend those days building her skills and doing the many things she’s already come up with to earn extra money.

Currently, Karita is hoping to save up for some renovations, including expanding the interior of their home so she will able to build a little writing studio! She wishes to write about her and Karin’s experiences and to send a message to the world to be kind to each other - something among those lines.

I like playing wholesome families like this, and I think the added challenge of reduced funds not only ties into the original game where the characters came from, but it also makes playing this household a lot more fun and interesting.

Oh, I forgot to mention, guess who came by their household while I was taking screenshots of them for this post?

a wild rose appears lmao

also i just realized you can spy one of dina caliente’s sons in the background

[cirillafionaelenriannon]

i know realistically we'll never get another sims world in ts4 that has beaches so it sucks so bad that the only 'beach' lots (& world) we have are in sulani bc sulani is based on polynesian islands and while thats really cool and all i do just want like...a beach my sims can go to that doesnt feel like we just took a vacay (bc i play boring suburban families lmao).. & i wish we could get a sims 4 world based on australia esp australian seaside towns bc i would love to recreate one of my favourite suburbs

im not even asking for an ENTIRE sims 4 world that is just beach like i do Not want that lmfao. i just want ea to give us another beach lot bc while they did create swimmable areas in ts4 like in copperdale and i think also willow creek? theyre not beach LOTS so we cant edit them to add things or have houses on the water there. i really dislike that sims 4 feels so limited in what i can do in worlds in this way. like it feels so nonsensical for my sims to travel from willow creek to sulani to see the beach when what i want is just. to have a beach in willow creek. or a beach in newcrest. like. all of the windenburg island is OUTLINED in beach but there is no actual lot. i dont think it would be even that hard for ea to do a redux of some worlds and include extra lots. it might mess around w the maps a bit but realistically they should be able to do that imo.... anyway if ea ever created a sims 4 world based off of australia i know theyd probably do the outback or smthing but wouldnt it be so nice to have a recreation of australian cities & our beaches instead SIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kusin-tisdag]

Wow. 10 generations. I've played this legacy for over 3,5 years (first post over at my old simbr).

It has been so much fun. I have during this time learned a lot about what kind of mods I want, how to use ReShade, how to edit etc.

I love playing legacies and I love "playing house". To see the families grow, see them go from small units and branch out to great family trees are so much fun.

I do notice a tendency for me to almost focus more on a family's relatives rather than the individual and I do hope to get to know my heirs better when I start my new legacy (I will probably always play legacies). I need to remember to focus more on them, and focus on who they are and tell their story more.

I also need to separate generations more. I have wanted to play the game in one long story, but I do think that it will serve me better to make the generations more "clear".

I hope to one day actually finish doing obituaries. I really liked them, but I often skipped over them when I was editing and posting. So I might eventually actually do them for the Vasa's and then place them in the right order (if anyone is to read this later). And I will continue with them as I continue playing.

Some Sims from this legacy that I will always remember fondly will be: Astrid, Kristina, Victoria and now Gunnel.

Astrid was almost an heir but the legacy continued through her brother Magnus. They had such a wonderful sibling-relationship as adults, because as children they didn't interact much and it was a spur of the moment to let Magnus and his family move into the house where Astrid lived with her uncle and his wife. But that turned otu great and I'm so happy I chose to do so. Astrid was my first sim to move out of Sulani and in a way started my journey throughout the worlds.

Kristina, Astrid's niece and the legacy heir was such a change in gameplay for me. She moved in with Anna (and her daughter Monica) and had a hard time settling somehow. They moved a lot and with her I got to experience Willow Creek, Glimmerbrook and eventually Henford-on-Bagley.

Victoria, her grand-daughter, didn't turn out as I had thougt but I am very happy for what she became. She and her twin-brother Carl shared so much of their lives and it was hard to let him go live his own life. Victoria and Mattias had a true up-and-down -relationship but their wedding is one of my favourites! (And when Mattias crashed in the garden)

And now Gunnel... ah gods. She is so up in her head with her love for yoga and healthy living. She lives in an area full of werewolves, in a house where they only eat home-grown food but no - the girl wants to go to the spa and encourage her friends to do yoga. Idk. I love her.

Also special shotout to Julia Vasa and her half-sister Monica who both decided to become witchy lesbian aunts. And talking about sisters: Susanne and Monica Chopra Vasa! Loved them. And I've always had a soft spot for Kaori Nishidake, the first MCCC-spouse. Last but not least - Marianne Tanaka. You super-star!

I have already begun my "next" legacy. It will feature Gunnel, but she has been moved to a new save. I have almost played most of her adult story, and it is great fun!

[stargazer-sims]

7 - First Contact

Davian: Did you find it?

Félix: Yes. The website’s contact page lists the information for every clinic. Look, they’ve even got international ones. I recognize the names of some of these cities. There's one that's near Al-Simhara. I did my graduate research there, you know. Ooh… and I think that last one might be in Japan. Haven’t you got a friend living in Japan?

Davian: Yeah. Victor Nelson. We kinda drifted a bit after high school, but he found me on Simstagram a while back, and we reconnected. Do you see the Oasis Springs one?

Félix: Right there, at the top.

Davian: I just realized we’ll need our passports to go there.

Félix: Yes. Do you know where yours is?

Davian: Probably still in my bag from when I came back from San Myshuno.

Félix: You really should be more careful with it. And I hope you haven’t left laundry in that bag.

Davian: There’s possibly still some clothes in it.

Félix: I suppose it’s too much to hope that they’re clean clothes.

Davian: I wouldn’t say they’re all clean, no.

Félix: You’ll have to develop better habits before the baby comes. Your messy ways aren’t going to create a very good environment for her.

Davian: You’re really into this, aren’t you?

Félix: Aren’t you?

Davian: Yeah, I totally am. I just find it super cute, how you’re already nesting or whatever, and you’re not even… what are we calling this?

Félix: I’m not nesting. I’ve never liked how untidy you are. And to answer your question, the clinic’s site refers to it as ‘pollination’.

Davian: Well, that sounds horrible. Can we say pregnant? Would that be weird?

Félix: That word feels a bit uncomfortable in my mouth too, but it’s certainly better than pollination. I like how you put it when we were talking about it in bed last night. Growing a baby.

Davian: Let’s go with that, then.

Félix: All right. I’m going to write down this number, and then we can call.

*****

Félix: It's ringing! What am I going to say when someone answers?

Davian: Are you actually nervous?

Félix: Yes. I have no idea what I'm doing.

Davian: You want me to do it?

Félix: No, It’ll be fine. I’m good at improvising.

Davian: Okay.

Félix: Hello? My name’s Félix Blanchet, and I’m calling from Willow Creek. … Yes, that’s in Canada. We realize you’re south of the border, but my husband I are planning to be in the area, and we’d like to arrange an appointment for a consultation. … Of course. His name is Davian St-Jean. That’s D-A-V-I-A-N. And I’m Dr. Blanchet, actually. … Pardon? No, I’m an archaeologist. It’s a Ph.D … Oh, okay. I’m twenty-nine, and my husband is twenty-six. … No. No, we do drink socially, but neither of us smoke, and neither of us have any health problems. … Yes, we have medical insurance. … Two weeks? Yes, thank you. That sounds perfect.

Félix: Yes, thank you. À bientôt.

Davian: Well? What did they say?

Félix: Our appointment is two weeks from today. It’s an initial consultation, to determine if we’re suitable for the procedure. We have to remember to bring proof of our health insurance, and I need to see my doctor between now and then.

Davian: Why do you need to see your doctor?

Félix: They want me to have a general physical examination and the standard blood tests. The ‘intended gestational parent’ should have a medical report sent ahead, the lady said. That’s me.

Davian: Intended gestational parent? Yeah, that doesn’t sound like something from a creepy science movie at all.

Félix: I think she’s Sixamish. The receptionist. She had a very odd accent.

Davian: Sixamish? You mean, like an alien?

Félix: I think it’s politically incorrect to refer to people from Sixam as aliens.

Davian: Even though they’re literally from another planet?

Félix: Even so.

Davian: Are you going to be okay with the medical exam and blood tests? I know you hate needles and you’re not a big fan of doctors.

Félix: I have to do it, regardless of how I feel about it. Are you going to come with me to see the doctor?

Davian: Do you need me to?

Félix: I’ll feel better if you’re there. You can hold my hand and distract me while they’re drawing blood. The last time I saw my own blood, I fainted, remember?

Davian: I mostly remember Sophie screaming through the phone at me to come home immediately, regardless of where I was and what I was doing. I still can’t believe she called 911.

Félix: She panicked, but to be fair, I imagine it was rather dramatic.

Davian: Was it? I seem to recall your dumb ass laughing about it by the time I got home. You and your neon purple band-aid. That, and I remember being stupid jealous when the paramedic kept saying you were adorable.

Félix: I don’t think she meant it in the way you thought she meant it. Anyway, I’d rather avoid any more situations like that. I’d like it if you’d be with me and help me focus on something other than the tests. I really do need you there. Please?

Davian: Since when are you this clingy?

Félix: Since we decided that I’m the intended gestational parent of our child. I’m allowed to want moral support, aren’t I? Honestly, it’s a bit scary, if I think about it too much.

Davian: Maybe try not to think about it too much?

Félix: That’s the goal. But you will come to the doctor’s office with me?

Davian: Yeah, of course.

Félix: Good. I’ll call there in a minute, and then afterward, perhaps we can start organizing our trip to Oasis Springs.

[thegoodgayshit]

Luz’s mother really doesn’t want to send Luz to camp. She knows once she leaves, there is no going back. But Luz has a knack for getting into trouble, and one day she stumbles into the same type of people her mother would have preferred she avoided. After helping Luz dissolve her high school bully into dust, Eda and Lilith know right away that this kid is just like them - a child of the gods. So Luz hops on a Pegasus and heads to Camp Half-blood, where she embarks on a dangerous quest that makes her both friends and enemies... and she might even save Olympus along the way.

Chapter Twenty-Four: We Help Out Willow’s Big Brother

Luz’s legs were burning.

She was pretty sure she’d never had to walk this far in her entire life. She’d been hiking a couple of times with her Tia Rosa when she was younger, but she definitely hadn’t enjoyed it. And it definitely hadn’t been more than an hour.

The walk down the highway hadn’t been that bad. They’d stayed off to the side of the road, and even been picked up by a nice mom in a minivan at one point. They’d told her that Gus’ dad had a fishing house along Turquoise Lake, and she’d dropped them off right at the edge of the highway. That had probably cut them about an hour of walking, but it was still slow and brutal.

Eventually, the highway had ended and a dirt road took its place. That’s when they started to move uphill. Luz could handle the straight line, but she was wearing vans and wasn’t at all interested in uphill climbing in flat shoes.

After about an hour and a half of moving along this uphill climb, Luz doubled over, clutching her stomach.

“Can we take a quick break? I’m dying here.”

Willow was more than happy to agree with Luz, dropping into a squat right next to her. “Sure, I’m beat.”

“I don’t know guys,” Amity said with a frown. Somehow, throughout the entire hike, she didn’t look even the slightest bit tired. She was sweating a little along her brow but otherwise looked unfazed. “We shouldn’t stop here. We’re exposed.”

“Don’t you guys think it’s a little strange we haven’t run into a single monster?” Gus added. He also looked a little worse for wear, he had shed his button-up and was now just in a t-shirt and jeans. But he was worrying his lower lip, looking around like they would be ambushed at any second. “I mean, we’re four demigods walking in a group, closing in on Mount Pelion. We couldn’t be bigger targets if we tried.”

“Don’t jinx us,” Willow deadpanned, taking a huge swig of water from one of the bottles they’d bought in Leadville. “I really don’t have the energy to fight a monster right now. We’ve been hiking for two and a half hours.”

“If we’re going to take a break, I think we should at least do it in the trees and out of sight,” Amity suggested, and Luz nodded, straightening back up.

“That’s fine with me, any break is a good break.”

They walked off the dirt road and down a little trail until they ended up a creek. Finding a good spot to sit along some rocks, Willow handed everybody a protein bar. Luz collapsed pretty ungracefully along a rock and closed her eyes.

“This is brutal,” she groaned, “and it’s only going to get more intense the higher up we get.”

“It depends actually,” Amity added with a shrug. “We might have to make our way around the mountain in a spiral. Lots of trails don’t go straight up.”

“How do you know all that?” Willow asks, and Amity tucks her arms around her knees.

“I live in the area, remember? My siblings and I go on hikes all the time during the school year.”

“So do you know the trail up Mt. Elbert?” Gus asks, and Amity shakes her head.

“No, we’re not allowed to go near Mount Pelion. I’ve done Mt. Evans a couple of times though.”

“Well that explains how you’re like, not even out of breath at all,” Luz says with a teasing smile. “You’ve got some superhuman hiking strength.”

Amity blushes, rubbing the back of her neck. “It just takes practice. Eventually, you stop noticing the burn in your calves.”

“Ugh, I wish,” Gus groans. “Mine feel like I’ve just run a marathon.

“Do you think we’re going to make it up the mountain before dark?” Willow asks, and Amity immediately shakes her head.

“We shouldn’t, even if we are in a hurry. The higher we get, the more brutal the winds are going to be. It’s just after noon, so we should hike a little longer before we take a break and look for camp.”

“Ok, then let’s get moving,” Luz said, and when she stood up, every muscle in her legs protested. “The sooner we get there the sooner we can stop.”

They started to make their way back to the dirt road, walking in pairs. Amity was leading the charge with Gus next to her, and Luz and Willow hung back, their feet dragging a little more than they would have cared to admit.

They were almost back at the dirt trail when Amity suddenly stopped cold, and Luz wasn’t really paying attention, so she just slammed into her back. Amity stumbled, but Luz reached forward and caught her arm, pulling her back.

“Sorry,” Luz mumbled, but Amity just held up her hand. It was so unlike Amity that Luz quieted immediately, as did Willow and Gus, who were now looking around the clearing with nervous eyes.

“Did you hear that?” Amity whispered, stiffening up.

Luz was quiet, listening to her surroundings as her friends did the same. At first, there was nothing. Just the rush of the creek and the swaying of the trees. But then…

RHEEEEEEEEE!

Luz was so startled by the cry, she jumped right back into Willow, who held her shoulders and kept her steady. Gus and Amity called out their shields, holding a protective barrier in front of them, but it wasn’t needed. The cry had come from somewhere deeper in the trees, and following that right away was another cry, this one human.

A very angry human, cussing so badly her Mami would have washed their mouth out with soap.

Then, another cry from whatever had made that noise.

“Someone’s in trouble!” Willow exclaimed, and all four demigods summoned their weapons. Aletheia spun into a sword, and Luz caught it, and charged through the forest with her friends, her previous exhaustion forgotten.

“What kind of monster is that?” Luz cried out as they sprinted through the trees. There was no doubt it was something from their world. No bear or wolf made a noise like that.

“I have a couple of ideas!” Gus offered, doing his best to keep up and not trip on the rocky ground. “None of them good!”

“Sounds about right,” Luz groaned, before deciding to just focus on running.

Amity eventually skidded to a complete stop right as they broke through a clearing in the trees, and Luz stopped a lot more dramatically next to her, her dominant foot slipping and resulting in Aletheia being held up against her face protectively. When Luz looked past Amity’s shoulder at what was making the sound, she gawked.

In the middle of the clearing, there was a gorgeous white and blue farmhouse, with a huge porch. Luz could make out a clothesline hanging from the top of the porch, and a couple of wicker sitting chairs. There was a variety of hanging plants in the garden, and a huge wreath over the door. And the clearing? It was huge.

In fact, the clearing wasn’t a clearing at all. It was more like a twenty-acre farmers' field, just sitting off the dirt road in mountain country. Luscious green vegetables were growing in the fields, along with potatoes, corn, beans, an orchid of apples, and there was even a gods forsaken red barn smack in the center of it with a couple of animals milling about. The enough was enough to shock Luz since she was pretty sure the soil quality up here couldn’t be great. They looked like they could be in Missouri, not Colorado.

But the biggest shock wasn’t the farm. It was the farmer standing just away from the front porch. The farmer’s huge hands were clasping a boar by the tusks, stopping it from charging. He grunted with effort, gritting his teeth and digging his boots in the dirt, his muscles rippling under a green flannel button up.

Luz had never seen a boar before, but she was pretty sure they were supposed to be that big. It was easily the size of a sedan, with massive beady eyes, and it was doing everything in its power to push against the farmer. It’s feet stamped into the ground furiously as it pushed, and Luz saw the farmer tense as he was pushed back an inch in the dirt, and all the shock drained from her body.

“We have to help him!”

Luz charged forward, her friends at her heels. She approached the boar with a furious yell, and with a quick swing, she managed to take the boar by surprise and cut one of the tusks off sending it spinning into the dirt. The boar was now moving off-balance, diverting away from the farmer and charging in another direction. The farmer stumbled and dropped to one knee.

Gus and Amity charged at the boar with their weapons and shields, keeping it away from the crops. Willow had already leaned down to help up the farmer.

“Are you alright?”

He took her hand and stood, brushing his hands down his dirty jeans. “Thanks, kid,” he said to Willow, his voice gruff and heavy with a deep southern drawl. “I’ll be just fine. But we better go help your friends, cuz’ they ain't’ gonna be fine for long.”

Luz spun around, and her eyes widened in horror. The boar had turned on Gus now and had knocked his shield out of his hand with it’s one good tusk and sent it spinning into the dirt. He stabbed forward with his spear, managing to turn the boar away from him, but now it had focused on Amity, rearing back to charge.

“Amity!”

Luz ran forward, but there was no way she could outrun the boar. Amity didn’t seem to need her help though, because as it charged she sidestepped, managing to graze the side of it with her sword. It wasn’t nearly enough to send it running, but it did squeal and give Luz, Willow, and the farmer enough time to make it to the other two demigods.

They readied their weapons, the five of them standing together and watching the boar murderously. Seeming to realize it was outnumbered, the boar huffed in anger, before turning tail and fleeing, exiting through the trees and out of sight.

Luz exhaled, turning to her friends in terror.

“What was that thing?”

“The Crommyonian Sow,” Gus said, his voice very small as he retracted his spear and picked up his sword. “The mother to the Calydonian Boar. It terrorized the village Crommyon and was later killed by Theseus.”

“Theseus?” Luz asked, her voice quickly rising in anger. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

“It’s not, Luz,” Amity said, and Luz’s gaze flickered up to look at her. Her eyes were wide, but not because of the run-in with the boar. “Your dream!”

Luz paled, and Willow and Gus turned to look at her in confusion.

“What dream?” Willow asked, and Luz recalled the dream she’d had of the mountain, from the fight between Theseus and Achilles, Belos’ order, and the Death Mist. When she’d finished, they both had gone pale as well.

“His exact words were ‘stop them before they find us’?” Gus repeated, fidgeting uncomfortably. “That can’t be good.”

“The Sow started showin’ up today, but it’s come back roun’ here three times lookin’ for trouble,” the farmer said, and Luz jumped, forgetting he was standing there. When Luz and her friends turned to look at him, he stuck his hands in his jean pockets, giving them a white smile.

Luz wasn’t sure how old he was, maybe somewhere in his early thirties? He had curly dark hair and a scruffy beard that made him look like a lot of the dads that dropped their kids off at Luz’s school in the morning. He had a deep tan, and his eyes were a dark green, that twinkled in a way that Luz pegged right away as not human.

Though she should have figured that out already based on the way he held back a boar with his bare hands.                                                                                

“I’m Demophon,” he said with a little smile. “Why don’t you kids come inside for some lemonade.”

Demophon’s house was really homely. It was an old farm style, with a lot of wooden furniture, and the décor was mainly light greens and blues. In the living room next to a couple of couches was a huge brick fireplace, sitting barren and unused. They sat down at the kitchen table that overlooked the farm fields, and Demophon returned from the kitchen with two pitchers of lemonade and plates of snacks: cookies, fresh veggies and fruit, and sandwiches.

They probably should have been more cautious, considering they didn’t really know anything about Demophon, but they were so hungry they couldn’t care less. Luz’s stomach grumbled in delight as she dug into a little tuna sandwich, washing it down so quickly with lemonade she barely tasted it.

“Thank you so much for the food, Mr. Demophon,” Amity said between bites, and he just shook his head.

“Demophon is fine, Amity. It’s my pleasure to help you kids on your quest.”

The four of them perked up, now looking at him with surprise. The farmer chuckled, but Luz noticed a slight lift in her shoulders. She did the same thing when she was worried about something.

“Yes, I know all about your quest. My mother sent me a message earlier this month lettin’ me know you migh’ be stopping by… and that you were on your way to free Lady Hestia.” For a moment, his nerves disappeared as he turned to Willow, his green eyes twinkling in pleasure. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, little sister.”

Willow dropped her sandwich on the plate, looking up at him in shock. Luz felt her mouth drop open and saw Amity and Gus tense next to her. Willow, eventually, was able to reply.

“You’re my brother?”

Demophon hummed, taking a seat next to them. He crossed his huge calloused hands together on the table and smiled. “Well, in a sense. Demeter is more of my adopted mother. But over the many centuries I’ve been alive, I have come to grow fond of her.”

“You’re Triptolemus’ brother,” Gus said, his voice lowering in realization. Demophon chuckled.

“Trip is my older brother yes. Though he rarely visits. He has many other duties to attend to.”

“But how… how are you alive?” Gus said in awe, and Luz realized that Willow and Amity were leaning in, desperate to hear his story. Luz really needed to brush up on her Greek mythology. Maybe she’d take it as her elective when she went back to school.

“What do you mean how is he alive?” Luz asked, blinking. “He’s a god, obviously.”

“No, Luz Noceda,” Demophon said with a shake of his head. He settled his warm green eyes on Luz with a smile. “I am no god. But I am immortal.”

Luz’s brow furrowed. “How is that different?”

“Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, but also fertility,” Demophon explained, nodding his head to Willow. “My birth parents were favored by my mother, just as Willow’s fathers were. In exchange for their adoration, Demeter sought to make me a god in their honor. She is the mother of the Olympians and worked with Hestia to have me stoked on their fires and made immortal. But halfway through the process, my birth mother found me on the fire and screamed, rippin’ me off the flames. The process was never finished, but it was too late to turn back. I was made immortal, but due to my… imperfection… I was never accepted into the Greek pantheon. So, mother let me have this farm here near Mount Pelion, and that’s where I’ve stayed.”

“Why weren’t you accepted?” Amity asked in shock when he finished. She was looking Demophon up and down. “You look godly to me. You held back that sow with your bare hands, and you certainly haven’t aged over the centuries.”

“There is more to being a god than just strength and immortality,” Demophon answered, his voice turning wistful as he talked. “You need drive: godly essence that comes from owning and having. You need to stand for something and have mortals who respect and favor you. Mortals don’t see me as a person who can grant them good fortune and prosperity, and I have no claim over any aspect of humanity.”

“Because the legends said you died in the fire when your mother found you,” Willow said, her mouth open wide with shock and realization. Demophon shrugged.

“Mortals rarely get the full story, and so they fill in the gaps with what they want to see. Complex situations confuse em’. I think you know what I mean, little sister.”

Willow flushed, and Luz realized that maybe Demophon had a point. Willow was teased for being “half a half-blood”, but she was one of the strongest demigods Luz knew. The more Luz looked at Demophon, the more sympathy she felt for him. It must be incredibly lonely, living for this long and never being accepted into the mortal world or the godly one.

“I’m sorry we brought the monster to your farm,” Luz said slowly, and Demophon looked over at her with the tiniest hints of a smile.

“Now, now of that, Luz. I’m no fool, and unless you’re the man that sent that beast, I have no quarrel with you. But you kids ain’t safe heading up the mountain until that monster’s been taken care of.”

Demophon stood up and went into the kitchen, but came back relatively quickly. He had a cloth package in his hands, which he handed to Willow.

“These are some of my mother’s apples. She has me grow them here in case harvest on Olympus is poor. It never is, so I always have plenty. When you need a boost, take a bite. Hopefully, it helps you on your quest.”

Willow held the package so gently in her hands, it was like she was afraid they would disappear. She looked up at Demophon in awe.

“These apples… they haven’t been trusted to mortals in centuries. Why would you give us something like this?”

Demophon’s face suddenly went dark.

“I want Belos gone just as much as the Olympians do. Hestia is the reason I’m here, able to tend to my farm and my livestock. She’s always been kind to me… kind to all who cross her path and say hello.”

He looked over at the huge fireplace in his living room, which was completely dark. His eyes were fixated on it, like the sight of it alone physically pained him.

“My fire hasn’t lit since she was taken,” he said, his voice breaking slightly on those last few words. “Without her, all the love and light and happiness that we know will fade from existence. Somebody needs to stop him, and get her back. If I were not bound to this farm, I would go up the mountain myself. I will do anything I can to help you.”

Demophon sat back down at the table and went back to cradling his calloused hands in his lap. Luz was suddenly struck with a pang of homesickness. Demophon did the same thing with his hands her Mami did when she was worrying herself sick about something. He was just as scared about the success of the quest as they were.

“You seem to admire Hestia a lot,” Luz said quietly, so quietly she wasn’t sure anybody would hear her. But Demophon looked up, and so did her friends, turning to look at Luz. She glanced at Amity, for only half a second, and realized that she was watching Luz with a careful expression.

Had she overstepped?

Demophon met Luz’s gaze, and that’s when Luz saw it. It was the same look Amity gave her when she was grappling with a decision. To tell or not to tell.

“I’ve had so few people I could truly call a friend while I’ve worked this farm,” he eventually said, glancing over at the fire. “I could always rely on Hestia to show whenever I lit that fire and passed on my offerings. There are so few certainties in a life as long as mine. If you were in my place, would you be happy with that changing in the blink of an eye?”

“No,” Luz said immediately. She couldn’t imagine just sitting at her Mami’s apartment while her friends were in danger. She’d do anything to protect Willow and Gus. She’d do anything to protect Amity.

She’d move the entire mountain by herself if she had to.

She opened her mouth to reply, to assure Demophon that they would do everything they could to save her, but she didn’t get the opportunity to. Because Amity spoke next, swallowing hard before shaking her head.

“I’ll get her back,” Amity said, leaning in to look Demophon in the eye.

It was so surprising Luz couldn’t help but turn and look at Amity out of the corner of her eye. Amity’s expression was startling. Her face looked exactly like how Luz was feeling.

“I’ll break her out of the cage and make Belos pay no matter what happens. I swear it on the River Styx.”

Outside, thunder rumbled. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Willow and Gus were looking at Amity with a mixture of shock and horror on their faces. Luz didn’t really know what was happening, but judging by the equally as awed look Demophon was giving her, whatever she’d done was pretty serious.

“You don’t know what you’re promising me, kid,” Demophon tried, but Amity shook her head, leaning in again with such a ferocity Luz couldn’t look away no matter how hard she tried.

“I do know,” she insisted, reaching forward and gently resting her hand over his. “I know that nobody deserves to have someone taken from them. Being around the people you love makes life worth living.”

Willow cracked a small smile, nodding her head and leaning forward to rest her hand on top of Amity’s.

“She’s right. I’ll help too.”

“Me too!” Gus added, reaching forward to put his own hand on top of Willows.

Luz broke into a grin, nodding and adding her own hand to the now growing pile. “Obviously I’m in too. We’ll free Hestia, even if Theseus throws a hundred more stupid pig-boars at us.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t,” Amity deadpanned, and Luz laughed, hard enough that everyone at the table cracked into smiles. Even Demophon, who was looking so grateful Luz thought he might start crying.

“Thank you, kids,” he said, wiping at his face. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“We do know. That’s why we want to help,” Luz insisted, her whole body vibrating with adrenaline at what they were about to do. “Now let’s go make some pork chops.”

[flowerfan2]

To The Lovers

Patrick/David, 1900 words, A03

Summary:  Patrick’s hopes for a romantic reunion when David returns from Elm Valley don’t go exactly as planned.  S05e04 coda.

******

Patrick taps his fingers on his phone and tries to make himself wait a little bit longer before texting David.  He doesn’t want David to know how weird the past twenty-four hours have been for him.

It’s not as if he doesn’t have anyone else he could hang out with.  It’s just that he’d rather be with David.

After work yesterday he tried to keep busy getting ready for his move, but packing his clothes into two suitcases didn’t take long, and most of his stuff was already in boxes in the back of his car or Ray’s basement.  He didn’t bring a lot with him when he took off for Schitt’s Creek, and the most important part of what he found isn’t something that needs to be packed.

Finally he caves, and sends a text to David.  He composes it carefully, for full effect.  

I got some furniture for the new place.  He attaches a photo of a futon with a mustard yellow and bright orange patterned cover.

It doesn’t take long for David to respond.

I thought we agreed I was responsible for the creative side of things?  And where did you find that hideous monstrosity?

Jocelyn’s neighbor had a yard sale.  I got a dining set, too. He attaches another photo.  He’s particularly proud of this one, he spent a long time searching online to find an image of chairs this rickety.

I am 80% sure that you’re kidding, but on the off chance that you’re not, I just googled the town’s policy on disposing of large items and I can schedule a pickup for Thursday.  Any other unfortunate purchases I should add to the list?

Patrick bites his lip.  It’s not even noon, but he can’t bring himself to care.  He just wants to see David. Why don’t you come over and find out?

Now?

Patrick expected a little more enthusiasm, but texting is weird that way. It’s probably nothing.  David just drove back from Elm Valley this morning, maybe he’s not in the mood to hang out. Yeah.  You can help me organize my new step-in closet.

While ordinarily I would jump at the chance, I’m not sure I’m up for it.

The flutter in Patrick’s stomach is growing.  What’s wrong?

I wouldn’t be very good company.  I drank a rather unfortunate amount last night.

Patrick lets out a long breath and forces himself to unclench his jaw.  It’s nothing to get worried about.  David hasn’t thrown him over for someone he met at karaoke the night before.  Patrick just needs to reset his expectations.

Okay, I totally get it.  But if you change your mind and want to escape your family and spend the afternoon in a quiet, drama-free and practically empty apartment, let me know.

David’s almost instantaneous reply makes him the tiniest bit giddy.  I changed my mind.

An hour later, after Patrick runs a few quick errands, he picks David up at the motel and drives him back to the new apartment.  David looks cozy in his thick black sweatshirt and boots, although the way he grimaces at every loud noise indicates just how unhappy he is with the state of the world.

David walks into the apartment and stops in his tracks, spinning around to look at Patrick.  “You have furniture,” he says, waving his hands.

“Yup.”  Patrick hadn’t wanted to wait to get some essentials, primarily a bed and a sofa.

“And it’s not awful.”

“Glad you approve.  You actually picked out the sofa.”

David walks around it.  “I did?”

Patrick laughs.  “More or less.  About a month ago, when we were watching one of those home shows, you said you liked it.  It’s not exactly the same, but-”

David sits down on the couch, running his fingers over the textured gray fabric.  “How did you remember that?”

Patrick shrugs.  “I just did.”

“We need a throw, maybe a brighter color block to work off the neutral of the sofa.  And a narrow coffee table, and at least one more chair.”

“And I thought maybe an area rug by the bed?”  Patrick sits down next to David.  “It’s going to be nice, right?”

David frowns at Patrick, as if Patrick couldn’t possibly be questioning David’s ability to turn this bland space into an aesthetically pleasing environment.  “Of course it’s going to be nice.”

Patrick is glad one of them is sure about it.  He wants David to like this place, especially after the whole mix-up about whether they were going to move in together.  He had actually been thinking they might christen it today, so to speak, but given David’s hangover, that’s probably not going to happen.  Instead, it’s time to put plan B into action.

“How are you feeling?  I’ve got ibuprofen, and apple juice.”

David’s face does that surprised/embarrassed thing, where his dimples sort of pop in and out as if they’re afraid to commit either way.  “I love apple juice.”

“I know.”  Patrick gets up and moves to the kitchen to unpack the groceries.  He pours David a glass of juice and brings it over, together with the bottle of ibuprofen.

David dutifully takes the pills and drinks down the juice.

“Why don’t you get into bed?”  Patrick asks.  “Close your eyes for a while.”

David bites his lip.  “That’s not very sociable.”

“I’ll come with you.  I’ll bring my laptop and go over some work.”

“You sure?”

In response, Patrick stands up and holds out his hand.  David smiles at him, lips pressed together, and follows him to the bed.

“This headboard is nice,” David says, looking it over.  “But we should really paint the wall.  A soft green to go with the gray.  Fern, or willow.”

“Is willow green?”

David glares at him.  “Some willows are green.”

“Okay.”

David sits on the bed and takes off his boots, and then pulls off his black sweatshirt.  He’s got a plain white t-shirt underneath, and Patrick can’t hide the smile that crosses his face when he sees it – it’s one of his own, just a pedestrian Hanes from a three-pack he bought at a department store.

Patrick climbs up on the bed and slings his arms around David.  “I missed you.”

David freezes just for a moment, as if he’s afraid he’s being teased.  “Really?” he asks softly.

“Yeah.  Silly, right?”  

Patrick feels exposed, but David just looks right into his eyes and shakes his head, giving him a softly twisted smile.  “No.  It’s not silly.”  They share a besotted moment, and then David sighs.   “The whole trip was ridiculous.  I didn’t even get to see the cherry blossoms.”

“You told me,” Patrick says.  He’s got a string of texts a mile long from David, all about how Stevie kidnapped him just so she could see Emir again.  “I checked, and they should still be blooming next weekend, if you want to go.  We could get Stevie to work the store for a few hours.”

“You’d come with me?”  David asks, pulling back to look at him.

“Of course.  Looking at the cherry blossoms by yourself would be creepy.”  Patrick smirks at David, who rolls his eyes, and then offers his face to Patrick for a kiss.  Patrick holds David’s jaw with his hands as he kisses him, rubbing his thumb over his stubble.  But they’ve hardly even gotten into it when David groans and flops back on the bed.

“I’m sorry, I feel like crap,” David says, throwing his arm over his eyes.  “Did I mention I had fourteen polar bear shots?”

“You did.  And apparently there was quite a bit of karaoke.  Stevie was impressed.”

“Ugh, she was not.  She didn’t even stay when I offered to sing to her and her loverboy.”

“Huh, how strange.”

David moves his arm off of his face and squints at Patrick.  “I don’t suppose your recent shopping spree included blackout curtains?”  David sounds truly miserable, and Patrick’s heart goes out to him.

“No, I’m afraid not.  I figured I needed your input on textiles.”  Patrick lies down next to David and gently sets his hand on his stomach, rubbing gently.

“Ugh,” David moans.  “This is awful.  I’m never drinking again.”

“I know, baby,” Patrick soothes.  “Just sleep for a while, you’ll feel better.”  He sits up and tugs at the duvet until it’s covering them both, and then lies down next to David, tentatively holding out his arm.  “Come here?”

“Mmm, yes.”  David nestles up against him, his face pressed into the space between Patrick’s neck and shoulder, arm around Patrick’s waist and knee curled up over his thigh.  Instant octopus.

Patrick pets David’s head, and tentatively massages his temples.  “That feels good,” David breathes out. “Keep going.” David doesn’t seem in the least concerned about how Patrick is messing up his hair, just melting against his body and sighing in relief.  

Apparently a hungover David is a cuddly David.  Patrick doesn’t mind in the least.  He likes taking care of David.  He’s not sure many people have bothered to look out for him.  And as Patrick sits there watching David’s face relax and his eyelashes flutter against his cheeks, he tries not to think too hard about concepts like in sickness and in health.

When David drifts off to sleep, Patrick realizes the flaw in his plan to get some work done, since he neglected to bring his laptop to bed.  He digs his phone out of his pocket, careful not to jostle David, and pages through emails one-handed for a few minutes.  But David is a warm, inviting weight next to him, and suddenly a mid-afternoon nap sounds like the perfect thing.

He slides down next to his boyfriend, wishing he had thought to take off his sweater, and snuggles in close. His body molds itself to David’s, and David sighs in his sleep, shifting to let Patrick rest his head on David’s shoulder.  

They haven’t spent that many nights together, all told, but it doesn’t seem to matter.  Even from the beginning, Patrick has felt safe in David’s arms.  It’s like nothing he’s ever experienced before; they fit together perfectly.  It feels right. Patrick brushes his lips across David’s collarbone and closes his eyes.

He blinks into awareness, coming slowly out of a dream about kissing David under the cherry blossoms. David is still conked out.  Patrick shifts, freeing his arm which has fallen asleep, trapped underneath David’s head.  David snuffles and flops over, tucking himself against Patrick’s side.

In a little while Patrick will get up and start thinking about dinner, but for now he’s more than content to snuggle with David in his new bed, in his new life, one that is more perfect than he could ever have imagined.  Later he’ll give David the little brown envelope that’s sitting on his kitchen counter.  It’s just a key, but he hopes David will understand that it’s more than that.  Patrick thinks he will.  

[simtrospective]

Just some thoughts about my new save while I plan how I want to fulfill the last request in my inbox. I thought I’d write every thing down because it might help me think if I read it all back. I made it an entry you can see for those who enjoy super lengthy sims minutia. If you read this and have opinions or thoughts about where I could go with my ideas, please do share those opinions/thoughts with me!

1.) I have a family set to live in Glimmerbrook and a few ideas for the other residents there and the world’s overall vibe (I’ve not yet made the other families, nor renovated the world). I don’t care about ~spellcasters so my idea was to have at least one of the main families be immortals, and rivals with the family I’ve created already, who may themselves be immortal or half-immortal or not at all immortal but who will know that the other family is, and--whatever, who knows. Not the point.

The point is, I was making a few updates to my New Save Plans and while rereading everything, saw and thus remembered my idea to make Glimmerbrook into a vacation world/transcendentalist paradise. Recalling that plan, I still like it, and now I’m not sure what to do about anything there.

Issues:

Glimmerbrook and Granite Falls feel similar. I don’t want nor need two woodsy vacation areas.

Glimmerbrook has roads designed for vehicle travel. It’s not private and seems more “active” than I want a vacation world to appear, consistently. I’d also hate to lose some of the locations as isolated residential lots.

Where will I put the family I’ve already made? They were supposed to have a peacock farm!

2.) Never mind why it took so long for me to come up with a concept for Selvadorada; I’m suddenly super into giving it a 1930s Havana vibe--actual jungle notwithstanding--and moving it from the vacation worlds into the regular playable worlds. I’ve done the adventure playthrough already and it’s not going to fit into my new save so I’m not concerned with losing/avoiding that.

I want to move at least one world into the vacation world to make up for this swap, not counting Glimmerbrook since I’m undecided about that, and I’m thinking it’ll be Sulani. I actually love Sulani as a world (my mains lived there for a while) but it doesn’t make sense to me that there’s no beach vacation spot + I’d like to leave it wide open, fun, and with a relaxed vibe. I don’t want to disrupt the natural terrain. Super basic, open-plan, two-room rental properties + beaches + one place to get food/drink + one place (maybe the same place as the food/drink spot) to drink, dance, and... flirt, and that’s it.

I do (did?) have plans for Miss Sulani and Mr. Sulani and a whole thing, but I think I can still execute some of what I want. I mean... townies, etc., generate when you visit any world, including a vacation one, so I can just visit Sulani, let the townies generate to ensure they’re tied to Sulani, and then replace them with what/who I want, right? I guess? Yeah? Yeah.

Issues:

Actually... none? 99% sure I’m going to make Sulani a vacation world. 100%. 100% sure!

I never played the conservationist storyline or whatever the heck it is. I could still do that. Take a seven-day vacation in Sulani and clean the beach? I’ll have a few young, 1960s/1970s sims. A vacation to clean the beach = serving/volunteering in the Peace Corps? That was ~so hot back then. Now I get to name the sims version of the Peace Corps, so that’s fun.

3.) Let me get this straight: You’re concerned with leaving Sulani relatively untouched but want to slash and burn Selvadorada so you can have a nightclub? Interesting.

Actually, having thought about this more, I went back and looked at the pictures I took of every emptied world and I don’t see 1930s Havana working out in Selvadorada. I am now super not into this concept and don’t know what to do with Selvadorada, all over again. I still love the 1930s Havana concept and want to use it, though.

I looked at a few real life reference pictures and while I can see 30s Havana working with much of eastern Windenburg, I’m still really into eastern Windenburg as post-war Europe. “Europe” is broad, yes, and Windenburg will “be” multiple countries in one, but I don’t want to go even broader here and pull from multiple geographic regions around the globe, plus I’m already combining various cities into Oasis Springs, too, and so want to limit the “combining” approach. I looked at my world pictures again, and... Magnolia Promenade, though definitely not perfect, is the best place to put “Havana.” I think I can make it work, though, so that’s what I’m going to try to do!

Issues:

Magnolia Promenade was intended to be a Coney Island-Atlantic City boardwalk hybrid, another concept I want to keep. So... where’s that all going to go? I think it could work in Willow Creek, but with so many other lots there, the [boardwalk] will not be isolated in the way that I want it to be, though spreading it across the four side-by-side Crawdad Quarter lots + putting the attractions (Ferris wheel, carousel, etc.) in that closest 50x50 lot is certainly a workable option. Ugh, I don’t know, this needs more consideration.

4.) Forgotten Hollow and Newcrest are just...

Forgotten Hollow--to repeat myself--is getting a 20s-30s vibe, a Weimar Republic vibe, a German expressionist cinema vibe. It’s getting a seedy nightclub cabaret venue. Fine. Great. But what else is going to go there besides that? I’m not interested in multiple sims who fit into this world; I already have one done, I don’t think I need more than four others, and I don’t think I want to play a household of them so what else can fit into that world that makes sense/is “justifiable” within my gameplay? Just a deco church? Even with the cemetery, that can’t be the only cemetery in my save; that’s weird. Some hippie OD’s in Del Sol Valley and gets buried in Forgotten Hollow? The smiling milkman from Brindleton Bay has a cute life and eventually dies of old age surrounded by his grandchildren and gets buried in Forgotten Hollow? I mean, once, okay, maybe ~an “average” sim has a secret~ so that their ultimate resting place is a creepy, foggy, Germanic crypt, but, also... no. That milkman idea’s a good one, tho, right? Ah, shit.

Last I updated my plan document, I shifted my Newcrest plan to Evergreen Harbor and started kicking around the idea of making the three neighborhoods into the Haves, the Have-Nots, and the... Have-Somes, I guess, because it might make for some interesting storylines despite that I don’t want to use this game to play out class inequity/inequality as a constant theme. I can have some sims be total assholes to sims who are different than they are or who don’t live in the tony part of town, but, like, all of them are going to act like that? All of them except one? And then, let me guess, a rich sim and poor sim fall in love and sneak around because their respective families blah blah blah

But, then, what on earth to do with Newcrest? It’s so... boring. I hate the 50x40 lot. Even the 40x30 lots feel too big where they are. I hate the layout. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand the location of the water nor where the hospital-looking, officey-looking deco building is, and the reasoning behind the placement/existence of those big-ass rocks behind one of the Ridgeline lots, nor how any--any--of it works together in individual neighborhoods/the whole world. I understand it’s basically Willow Creek all over again but it suckssss and it’s too open-ended and this is from someone whose first move in every neighborhood she’s ever played in this entire series is to bulldoze everything.

Since I’ve changed direction in Willow Creek--let’s say I’ll put my boardwalk there for the sake of the rest of this sentence--I could shift my suburbia ideas to Newcrest, I guess, maybe put a library there and a (deco) high school. In another save, I tried to build the world up using Baltimore/Baltimore Harbor as inspiration and it was okay for a little while, I guess, but ultimately I didn’t achieve what I wanted and it was so boring to play there, even when I liked the sims I was playing.

Issues:

Again, Forgotten Hollow and Newcrest are just :P

So. More thinking to do. More planning to do.

Boy that’s a lot of words over a silly little game XD

[madebycoffee]

if nobody has asked for all of them yet i am here to do that with 1 brain cell (also sorry if this is a lot of work i am genuinely curious skdjfbd)

Oh hey let me finally answer this 💀💀I had written half and then i exited out of the window and gave up. ily paige. answering for gianlerette and the simblr lol

1. Do you hide any secrets in your stories that only a few people will find?  G: In the Behind the Scenes posts I do hint at things. Most of the time it’s just vague dialogue that I throw everywhere. I love being vague af. S: And same with the Simblr. Vague dialogue everywhere. but in general I figure no one is paying attention close enough to notice anything huehuehehue

2. Sims writing has a visual component. How do you utilize color/objects and settings in your stories? G: I don’t do that too much as far as color. I mean, there are specific cc creators that I use for specific contestants (sentate cc is Val and Savnannah thru and thru lol) (oh and darte for gian but more so keith) Mostly I just use what looks ~aesthetic~ to me lol. S: I use photo filters in editing more for a visual aspect! Cool toned things for things that either are set at night, or when things get Sad(tm) Usually I always use a magenta one for Whitney. That’s really the most that I do. (For those interested, the Gianlerette also uses a magenta photo filter for all posts and the Behind the Scenes posts don’t have a filter.)

3. Which process do you dedicate more time to, editing visuals or editing your writing? Why?   G: I take a lot more time editing the photos with the writing on them. It takes me so long and it makes me hella understand why on my simblr I put the text in the tumblr post lol.  S: And for the Simblr I spend more time writing as well. Editing visuals are p simple if I’m not putting text on them lul.

4. What scenes do you find hardest to write? G: R O M A N C E. It’s really hard for me to feel like I’m actually writing a believable budding romance. It always takes me the longest, and I always write and re write. It’s a struggle. I often feel like I’m just writing some nonsense from a romcom.... The longer this goes on the longer it’s gonna take me lmao. S: Same as above, but also anything that gets close to technical. Medical stuff, technical stuff. I do my best to research but I still struggle with it. 

5. Are there any scenes in your story that you enjoy re-reading?   G: So far I haven’t gone back and read anything, I’m sure that when this is all over I’ll love to go back and read through all of the beginning surrounding the winning ladee. S: I love going back to the very beginning, and then I also love re-reading from the beginning on any character I’m really vibing with. Currently it’s Whitney. She’s my fave on my leggo, and the other night I scrolled back to the beginning of her tag and reminisced. 

6. Are there any scenes you wish you could go back and re-write? G: So far no! My original plan for the fitness challenge in posts, would have been dodgeball (and Trina def would have taken a dodgeball to the tit lmaoOOOO) But rn everything looks good to me. S: YE, it’s from a long time ago but my Gen 2 heir finally ~getting together~ with her man I wanted to have it set up on the beach in Willow Creek over in the area where the two big lots are. Those lots were where they grew up and such. At the time I didn’t know how to pose couples off lots so I ended up staging the scene at a nightclub. But that’s oki. 

7. Do you have any characters you believe might be misunderstood by your readers?     For both: IDK I don’t think so. 

9. Are you writing with a deadline in mind to complete the story?   G: Oh yiss, there’s an end in sight. Granted It probably won’t be for a year from watching how long it’s taken other people to run these kind of challenges, but still. After the GIanlerette is wrapped, IDK how much I’ll post concerning him after that yknow? We’ll see tho!! S: Hooooo on my first post on my simblr it says “10 generations” I’m currently on 3 after 3 years.... so we’ll see on that one too lmao.

10. If you could choose to be one of your characters for a day, which one would it be? G: Let me be Rochelle pulling all the strings and knowing e v e r y t h i n g about everyone. I mean that’s essentially what I’m doing but I’d like to do it in a nice pantsuit. S: I think I would opt to be one of the kids that are not yet born in my leggo lmao. Give me some truly ignorant bliss lololo. 

11. What are some elements you think are becoming cliché in the genre you’re writing? G: OOF. Going on vacation to Sulani with the final contestants lmao. For the record that’s not where any of the top ladies will be traveling. What with Snowy Escape coming out soon AND the fact that I wrote it into the story that Gian wants to go to Selvadorada. There’s probably others but :shrug: S: Unknowing Pregnant Person Throws Up and Then Realizes What’s Up. Am I about to run that cliché again in my legacy soon??? You’re DAMN RIGHT I AM. I love me a good cliché tbh. 

14. What is something that you think most of your readers might miss? G: I think people probs miss the dynamic trio of Noor, Magnus, & Gian. And sometimes I feel like I’m not writing Gian as good as Cam did lmaoooo. There is something magical about how you wrote my boi. S: So far no one BIG BIG has died yet, so there isn’t much to miss. But also i now no one is as invested as I am lol so it’s not a big deal.

if u got through all of that congratulations 

[hackedmotionsensors]

DAY 2!!! GROUP DATE!! 

Its whats written on the tin! I took the whole househould out for a day of fun. In the actual Bachelor series they usually do some stupid physical challenge bc the guy is like Well I play football/baseball/drivecars so I want my future wife to also be good at that but not too good bc then it threatens my masculinity bc what I will end up with is a demure mouse who won’t argue against my ideals. 

....I’ve seen too many seasons already. lol A

ANYWAY!! I TOOK EVERYONE TO THE GYM! 

The day started extremely early bc everyone fucking went to bed at 10pm the previous night. But that gave Harry and Peter a nice one on one moment. 

(the tiny living Pajamas are so goddamn cute)

OFF TO THE GYM! The idea of the group date is who can make the best impression on me and Peter. Mostly me.

So as soon as we get there Kraven and Gwen get to work. Not doing anything with Peter but dancing and punching bags. Gwen is playing the hard to get role I guess and Kraven is just that fuckin weirdo. But I admire his dedication to the dance craft

Peter decided to work on cardio 

Harry got to work with a real hero of the area Pietro Maximoff!! 

You can see Mysterio in the back just creepin on Peter but also working on the weights machine. Creeeep

Gwen is still absolutely crushing it on the boxing bag. Kraven is now doing sit ups and Black Cat is pretending to work hard but she’s too femme for this shit 

MJ goes for a BOLD tactic right out of the gate but the fisherman’s hat might be her downfall. I also do not know how she got that hat I would never have allowed such a thing 

I don’t know that these two are here for the right reasons.

MYSTERIO WE SEE YOU!!!!!

Seems the MJ towel tactic only really worked for Harry who refuses to change out of the towel now that he’s in it. Tho actually ...i think everyone except Kraven and Gwen have walked around in a towel here.

Positive points to Black Cat who stood by Peter even tho he clearly soiled himself

Peter goes up for a shower but shower or no he has to stop what he’s doing and meet the number one. The ultimate celebrity in this neighborhood. The absolute ICON of Willow Creek!!! TONY STARK!!!

What an absolute honor it is to meet you Mr Stark. 

Please Mr Stark was my FATHER. Call me Tony. 

(Steve was here briefly but for whatever reason IMMEDIATELY got sad and left. Very Steve)

[insomniac-dot-ink]

Puddle Jumper, Ch1

Genre: sci-fi fantasy, wlw, series

Words: 3.2K

Summary: A young woman starts seeing a mysterious figure in the nearby puddles, it’s only a matter of time before she goes looking into them

CHAPTERS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

WordPress ⭐Ko-Fi ⭐Patreon

CHAPTER ONE: MARNY ISN’T DEAD

When I was seven I lived in a place with no rain. Dry as dust and thirsty as a man lampooned in the pacific, I thought Arizona would never end. Skies as blue as uncut blood, land bathed in brilliant bleached light from one corner to the next. It was the third place I ever lived, a small tiny condominium with five neighbors and no outlet mall for twenty miles.

All the houses in the town had three things in common: the color beige, tiny blinking wall lizards, and an oblong pool in every backyard. Some of the pools were even filled, those were the people you wanted to make friends with but I never was very good at making friends. You could lose them too easily, upset them too thoroughly, lose them, lose them, lose.

It was a barking hot day in late August when I Arizona become more of an enigma than just the heat and grungy pool bottoms.

It was August and I stare at one of the Arizona house lizards, with it’s muddy green stripes down its back and tiny little hands clinging to our wall. I pinch my lips together and wiggle my fingers, it’s thin scaly body mocks me. My mom always told me to leave them alone- more would just take their place. I’m not very good at letting things go.

I follow the lizard, watching it waddle and blink across my bumpy living room wall, I huff a deep breath, trying to get up the nerve to make a dive at him again. “This isn’t your home,” I hiss and scowl at the thing. “Go make a tiny lizard home outside, shoo.” He doesn’t listen.

The house was empty, my mom had given up forcing me to go to school that day in particular since I managed to kick and scream at the door so much. I was eight, I could stay home alone for just a day. A stalk a lizard along the living room wall and bite my bottom lip so hard it cracks, sweet beads down my brow. I meet the lizards eye and we size each other up, only one champion could arise. 

I tense.

“Boof!”

I only jump slightly when a loud bark erupts off to my left.

“Boof!”

I frown and turn around to face our small reddish-brown terrier mix, he stares blandly back at me. He was seven-years old at this point and still hadn’t learned polite conversation.

He was more of a ‘constant screamer’ than the conversational type, I scowl back at him.

“Shush, Rusty, I’m working.” I straighten my shirt like I had seen my dad do last year, right before he left for the office each day.

“Boof, boof, boof!”

I roll my eyes and turn back to the wall, “at least try and eat the lizard. It’s bringing disease!” I didn’t know that, but neither did Rusty.

He goes to the door and scratches at it, “Boof, boof.”

I put my hands on my hips, “It’s so dang hot, Rust, you’ll start panting and whine to come back in,” I wag a finger, “silly boy.”

“Boof, boof-” His eyes are focused on something outside, I don’t check what it is.

I try to reason with him, “it’s just the sun boy.”

“Boof, boof, boof, boof,” he yaps non-stop.

“Fine, fine!” I say hotly and turn toward the sliding glass door, I didn’t know what he was looking at at the time. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I open the door and shoo him out into the dry scraggly grass and empty blue sky.

He’s gone in a heartbeat, Rusty was a good dog. He never complained when we took our long road trips with few bathroom breaks, he always put his small head on my lap when I cried.

He didn’t go streaking off into the neighbors yard as fast as a bullet, he didn’t go running out into nowhere. But my mom always said no matter how well you know an animal they’ll still be a whole other world to you. They don’t think the same.

Rusty did take off like a speeding bullet.

I stick my head out after him and for a moment, just a moment, I think I see him falling, falling and falling straight into the neighbors shallow pool.

But that can’t be true.

I dash outside and yelp at the painful spiky dry grass hitting my soft bare feet and go jumping and yelping toward the pool, “you silly dog.” I chastise when I get to the pool, but, of course, it’s empty.

I stand there for a very long five minutes.

We spend the next few days with ‘lost’ posters and circling the town in my mom’s brown corolla.

Perhaps if I had known better I wouldn’t have lost him. I was a responsible child, that’s how I documented it. I didn’t think of my mother’s wrath or the spanking I’d get, I bit my lip and didn’t think about how we could possibly lose a small terrier dog on a street with only five people.

I cry and keep looking for our small terrier mix for three months, right up until the neighbor girl just tells me my dog is dead. That’s just what happens to pets she said, she lost her hamster last year just like that, it’s how it was.

I cry again, I was a big crier, my mom said I’d never get a boyfriend if I kept that up, but maybe she was telling a joke or nursing one of her famous headaches, I don’t know.

When I was 28 I lived somewhere with only rain and sky the color of rumbling grey mush, it was all rain and streets with no sidewalks, and I this time I had hope Marny wasn’t dead.

-------

I’m 28 and it’s a damp fall day with no hope of sun in sight.

A light drizzle wets my cheek and clings to my clothes like a chilly dust sprinkling the earth. The rain isn’t heavy enough to demand an umbrella, but it does send a chill into my bones. I wish I’d worn some more sensible shoes, but I don’t want to go back now.

The neighborhood is silent all around me, crawling with it’s own faceless quiet. I stare around, searching for even the tiniest movement.

I cup my hands around my mouth. “Marny!” I call in a sing-song voice.

Nothing, just the hush of a neighborhood full of overworked young adults and a nuclear family that always made their kids go to school each day (unlike some people).

My sneakers make an uncomfortable squishing sound as I step out of the grass and onto the driveway. I stare right, left, right again. Still nothing.

Other than a bird squawking tunelessly in the distance, it feels like I’m the lone survivor of some nuclear apocalypse. Well, that’s Thursday afternoon for you.

I walk down the street, shoes squishing with every step, stopping at each house to check their gardens and bushes.

I pause at end of the road to hike up my too-loose jeans. Marny rarely leaves the street but I decide to check anyway. She doesn’t know the rest of the neighborhood well, and might have gotten lost. That could explain why I haven’t seen her in days.

My street is about halfway down a steep slope with the neighborhood entrance at one end, beside the cemetery, and the park at the bottom. I remember when I first got here and rode my bike down this slope, crashing into the fence at the bottom. There’s a slight ache in left hand where I skid on the slick street and rammed into the metal, Julie called it ‘over-enthusiasm.’ I called it getting rid of my new bike.

I sniff and remind myself I am an adult that does not resent inanimate objects, I skirt the fence anyway.

“Marny,” I call again, this time a little more weakly.

The road is empty as I begin the slow climb up to the neighborhood entrance. The cemetery is damp and full of uneven patchy ground, annoyingly mundane for a place dedicated to dead bodies. If Marny is sleeping here again though I’ll still be glad I checked, even though I was starting to frown deeply. I would check the benches, and then the park, and then I’ll break out the ‘lost’ posers. Something twinges inside me at the thought.

I sigh and hike up my pants again. I need either a belt or a smaller pair of pants, but I’m lucky to get to the grocery store these days, much less Goodwill.

“Marny,” I call, mindless of anyone who could be listening. “Marny! If you don’t come out right now I’m going to eat all your tuna Meow Mix! Don’t think I won’t.”

I wouldn’t eat it of course. I’ve tried it, and it tastes worse than you would think. Very filling though.

The cemetery is small plot of land that blends mutely into the surrounding area, my friend once asked if I minded living by a dead person plot, but it never really stood out in my mind. 

Wild green grass, a collection of crumbling headstones, and a single willow tree that rose in the middle like the citadel of a long forgotten city. No one has been buried here in decades and not not even the local goth kids wanted to bother the Sue’s and Paul’s of the bland graveyard.

Marny likes to come here and sunbathe on the stone benches, ignoring the world and showing her belly to the light. Of course, she’s not here either. I check the hedges along the rear.

“Here kitty!” I call.

A raindrop falls through the air, landing on my nose. I wipe it away with my sleeve.

“Please not today,” I growl at the sky as if it will change anything. I don’t know what I expect of Portland weather.

When I’m sufficiently sure that Marny isn’t in the cemetery itself, I turn toward the muddy creek on its outskirts. I’m starting to get a sick feeling in my stomach, it wasn’t like her to disappear for days. In fact, it wasn’t like her to not be in plain sight giving me hard looks that asked: where is my dinner? And, why aren’t you wearing pants? Where is cat God now? Because, actually, I might be her.

But Marny wasn’t here.

I squeeze my eyes shut and block out the memory of a sharp thwap to the buttocks all those years ago. I take a deep steadying breath, “I’m an adult,” I reassure a ghost of myself, “I can take care of… things.” I spit the last word and keep walking.

I find the road and sturdy cement bridge leading toward the park just a skip away from the cemetery itself. I grit my teeth as the raindrops start to pelt my back, I wasn’t going back. Not quite yet. I survey the park, I check the neglected tables under the gizbo, I only collapse a little bit when despair starts to sink in.

“Marny,” I say softly this time and I’m almost crying. “Goddammit,” I’m making frantic little circles in the park, whistling and calling like a madwoman, “Marny! Marn! Please,” I’m running buck wild back across the bridge when I hear it.

Crystal clear and echoing like a feather-light tap on the shoulder. It hits me like a familiar pop song half-heard, the lyrics just out of reach.

A meow.

“Marny?” I pause, calling softly, “are you there?” Hope lifts like a little buoyant balloon in my chest.

I cross the bridge and I squat in the grass, peering around.

“Meow,” I hear it again and perk up, it’s behind me, I walk back across the bridge.

The sound rings through the silent air, piercing and clear. It’s not a distressed sound. It reminds me more of the one she would use when she wanted out, or wanted to come in the bathroom to watch the facet water.

“Meow.”

I turn in a slow circle, trying to locate the source. I peer over the railing into the creek. The only thing running under the bridge is a thick grey sludge. I wrinkle my nose.

“Meow,” she calls softly.

It sounds like it’s coming from the road. I head out into the street and stop. She’s nowhere to be seen.

“Come on girl!” I call. “Come on Marny.”

There it is again. While before it was distant, this time it’s right next to me. I freeze, standing on the bridge and shifting in place, I look down.

A pair of yellow-green eyes stare back at me. I blink, the world turns in reverse and the whole sky was bleeds red.

“What?” I say out loud to no one in particular.

It’s my cat. It’s Marny. But... it isn’t.

I stare into the puddle, only barely an inch deep, and Marny stares back at me. I glance around. It’s clearly not a reflection. My cat is in a puddle. My ten-pound monster cat is an inch-deep puddle.

I squat down to get a closer look. It’s clearly her, splotchy calico pattern and soft doe-eyes, long white whiskers and overly pleased look on her face, everything.

I don’t know how long I sit there, the rain soaking my hair and dripping down my back. A car roars by and I don’t lift my head to even glance at it.

Perhaps I could have flagged them down and asked ‘are you seeing this?’ Or ‘ubduh duh dah?’ as a more likely question I could get out right now.

Marny stares at me, I stare back, she yawns widely- like this is just a normal day at the office for her. I examine her through the flat circle of water.

It’s only then that I notice the gloved hands wrapped tight around her body, thick black things that are just visible in the image. There’s something else inside the puddle. A person, or a monster, or something, and they have my cat.

The unseen being shakes Marny, as if waiting for me to take her.

I bite my lower lip, and wonder if this is really happening.

They shake her again and Marny squirms in place, looking displeased.

I have to take the cat. I have to reach into the puddle and pull my cat out. I have to reach into a one inch deep puddle and pull out a ten pound cat that should not be able to physically fit inside.

I reach out hesitantly, curiously, like I’m nine again and about ot burn my fingertips off on the stove just to see if I can.

I take a deep breath, preparing to defy my better judgement and not just go check into a local nut house. I reach for the puddle.

“Don’t touch that,” a voice booms from somewhere close-by.

I lose my balance, falling backward into the wet pavement and hitting my tailbone roughly. “Ow!”

I rub my ass quickly and then look back into the puddle with my teeth bared, my mouth falls cleanly open.

A stranger stares at me out of the puddle, all flared nostrils and bushy eyebrows.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the stranger spits.

“What?” I say slowly.

The stranger glances in both directions. “Turn this damn thing off,” she barks at someone I can’t see and adjusts a pair of goggles perched on her short spiky brown hair. I notice a thick red scarf around her neck. “What?” I repeat.

The image in the puddle starts to flicker, she lifts her chin and the color starts to bleed out of whatever I’m seeing.

“Hey!” I yell, “Wait wait,” the colors begin to melt and disperse into ripples, “you have my cat!”

The image disappears like a mirage in the desert, and I’m left, soaking wet and utterly alone. The puddle lay empty, as if I hadn’t just lost my mind (and perhaps my cat) in one single moment.

I take a second to think about Rusty and what my mom would possibly say. Probably something about not crying.

--

It takes me ten minutes to pick up a nearby stick and poke the puddle, curiously tapping on its surface and waiting for a tentacle to come out of it or figure to announce ‘Yer a wizard Lori.’ Nothing but a few ripples arise.

“Well dammit,” I scratch the back of my neck and I swear I hear another mew. But it takes another ten minutes for me to realize that nothing new was going to rise out of the water.

It takes me five minutes to walk home and put an ice pack on my bruises where I landed on my ass.

It was a long Thursday and even longer evening as I stare at the ceiling and think about nothing. Work would call soon and ask if I was coming back yet.

I’m dozing, a computer open in my lap with several google searches open starting with ‘Top tests for your mental health’ and pages called ‘Is God Contacting you? Take this quiz and find out!”

My consciousness is scattered to the breeze when I hear small, tiny, scratch at the door. I start awake, knocking ice pack down to the floor and sitting up straight.

Another push comes at the door.

“Rusty?” I squint at the door and pause, “Marny.”

I run to the front door to rip it open, a cool breeze hits my face and I stand listlessly in front of an empty perch. 

And then another soft mew arises behind me.

When I turn around I see a plump, round, calico cat sitting on my kitchen counter, she’s twitching her tail and blinking at me.

“Marny!” I say her name like a curse this time and fold my arms over my chest as if I plan to ask her what she think she’s doing. She loudly asks for diner in reply.

“What do, how did you, ugh.” I pull at my long black hair and go stomping back over to her. “I hope you have a good explanation for all this young lady.”

“Mrrrrow.”

I ruffle my hair, “that’s what I thought.” I shake my head and reach under the counter for her dish. I push down any other feelings.

She had probably been sleeping in my closet this whole time. Or under my clothes pile from yesterday. Or anywhere not a watery 1-inch puddle on a random bridge.

I’m ready to keep chewing her out and then push my nose into her butter soft fur and inhale, but then, of course, I notice something stuck in her collar.

My eyes go wide, “what have you been…up to?” I furrow my brow and reach slowly, hesitantly, toward a thin white piece of paper wrapped around her orange collar. I poke it.

I exhale, “it’s just paper.” I shake my head and delicately remove it from around the band. It feels strange and soft in my hands, but I ignore any shifting in my stomach as I slowly unroll it.

I frown decidedly at five simple words: Stop. Sending. Us. Your. Cat.

“I’m not sending her anywhere,” I argue with no one, I turn my chin sharply up, “You hear that?” I yell at the ceiling, “she just gets out sometimes.” I grumble and try to shake sense back into my head, I go to toss out the piece of paper.

The neighborhood kids could be very strange I decided. I throw it out, get out the meow mix and lock the doors twice that night. The memory fades like the image in the puddle itself.

That is until the next time Marny disappears.

[panda-plumbobs]

oc question tag

rules: pick a character you’ve created. fill in the questions/statements as if you were that character. tag at least four people to do this!

thanks for tagging me @surreysimmer​! i loved reading yours ♡ i’m going to do it for austin, as gen 2 isn’t too far away now, and he just aged up, so you guys can get to know the heir a bit better! also put some of it under the cut as it’s really lOnGgGgGgGg...

1. what is your name? austin: rose... austin rose (finger guns) 😉

2. do you know why you were named that? austin: it’s a species of rose!

3. single or taken? austin: single... for now 😉

4. stop being a mary sue! austin: lol what is that? 😅

5. what’s your eye colour? austin: i mean i don’t have pink eye, as in conjunctivitis... but they are pink. i guess they are kind of the colour of pink champagne? lol i don’t know...

6. how about hair colour? austin: also pink. similar colour to my eyes... maybe a bit brighter?

7. have you any family members? austin: yep. my mum, peppa, and dad, canton, as well as my little sister, tea and a half-brother who is actually an alien, red.

8. oh, how about pets? austin: she’s still a puppy, but we have a little jack russell called patty.

9. that’s cool, i guess. now tell me something you don’t like? austin: um, i don’t really like people one-upping me. i don’t mind criticism or good counter-points... i guess i’m just a bit of a sore loser really...

10. do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do? austin: i was in the debate club at grade school, so i’m hoping i can do something like that at high school... maybe even get on the school council? i also like to be relatively update with everything going on politics, as it’s what i would like to do in the future. i also hang out with my friends whenever i can!

11. have you ever hurt anyone in any way before? austin: i guess i’ve hurt a lot of people due to my short temper... but any argument i’ve started i have usually managed to sort out? and i think they’ve forgiven me? well, except from veronica... she’s still a bit butt-hurt i think, but she’ll get over it. we’re all going to high school now, time for a fresh start.

12. ever… killed anyone before? austin: maybe with my words 😉 (laughing) i’m joking, of course i haven’t!

13. what kind of animal are you? austin: emery and i did this quiz online at school when we were bored once... it said i was tiger? or was that what emery got? maybe it was a fox? (laughing) i think some people would call me a bit of a snake to be honest 😂

14. name your worst weaknesses austin: my anger. sometimes, it is a good thing, as it allows me to show how passionate i am, how much i care about something, or someone... but sometimes it can get out of control.

15. do you look up to anyone at all? austin: to be honest, not completely. i look to some politicians - not really the modern ones, they’re all shi- bad... more like the american founding fathers like jefferson and hamilton, but i can see that they all had their flaws, and i don’t agree with all of their views. i believe that to be good politician you should be honest to both those who support you and your own beliefs, and that’s why i don’t idolise any other people trying to gain power in the government.

16. are you straight, gay or bisexual? austin: um... straight.

17. do you go to school? austin: yep - starting high school very soon!

18. ever want to marry and have kids one day? austin: um... not really. to me, my career comes first. maybe i’ll settle down with someone else later in life.

19. do you have fangirls/fanboys? austin: (laughing) nope, but i imagine if i become a politician i’ll have quite the opposite... some people can get very trigger- offended in politics.

20. what are you most afraid of? austin: i guess not living up to expectations? for my parents and friends and stuff, but also myself. i’m pretty hard on myself and get frustrated with myself if i can’t do something.

21. what do you usually wear? austin: i usually dress smart-casual, usually red or a muted pink. i like to look good, of course, but effortlessly! (laughing) i also am always wearing glasses - can’t see shit without them! ... wait, i didn’t mean -

22. what’s one food that tempts you? austin: to be honest, i like anything as long as it’s cooked well and looks good. i would always pay for a more expensive meal that’s good than risk going budget. i guess steak is a good example of that? i really like it but would only buy it a good restaurant.

23. am i annoying you? austin: i mean, not really, but this isn’t really a question -

24. well, it’s not over! austin: okay, i didn’t really care. can we move on?

25. what class are you (low class, middle class, high class)? austin: we live in quite an upmarket area in willow creek, but that’s mainly cos of the inheritance dad got. and my mum loves spending money, and does spoil us a bit, but i wouldn’t say we are upper class - our house certainly isn’t a mansion, my mum and dad still work and i’m definitely not that posh.

26. how many friends do you have? austin: i’m relatively popular, but i only really consider some people as friends. briar, he is my best friend, and emery... well, i’m not really sure what’s going on with her. but yeah, i can get on with most other people really easily.

27. what are your thoughts on pie? austin: hmm, it’s alright. depending what else was on a dessert menu, it might even be my usual top choice? depends where we are eating, i guess.

28. favourite drink? austin: i’ve only had it on a few special occasions, including my birthday, but i really like red wine! i feel really sophisticated when i’m drinking it 😅

29. what’s your favourite place? austin: probably the deep woods. i’ve only been once with briar, but i have really good memories of it...

30. are you interested in anyone? austin: (sigh) i mean i was trying to make it subtle... but there is something going on with em, i think.

31. that was a stupid question. austin: yeah, no shit. i don’t even care about swearing that time.

32. would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean? austin: a lake. i imagine that it would a bit more private, maybe even a little romantic...

33. what’s your type? austin: anything that moves? (laughing) i’m joking, woah! yeah, i don’t really have a type - as long as they make me happy.

34. any fetishes? austin: jesus christ, i’m a virgin, man! how would i even know yet?!

35. camping or indoors? austin: indoors. the camping trip we went on a while ago was fun, but i would prefer to be in indoors - less stress and things to worry about.

wow... the questions were a little weird but this was actually super fun! anyway, i tag @littlemissnellie​, @tiredtoothache​, @sheepandsims​, @sheepandsims​, @foursims​ and @smallcowplant​. of course feel free to ignore, cos jeez this is a lot 😅

[licencedtoretire]

I woke early as usual checking my phone for any messages overnight, thinking it was a little cold but to see it was 0 degrees was a bit of a shock to the system. Back under the covers as I said to Sarah that we might need to invest in an extra blanket.

At a slightly more civilized hour of the day as well as after a decent breakfast we moved onto Lauder one of the places with the original station still in place that although more barren inside than the one in Wedderburn at least had something to look at to evoke thoughts of times past.

The carpark area at Lauder is huge with tons of space for the motorhomes including Brian’s at 10.5 metres plus the car on the back still with space to turn around. The Trail forward from here is an 11 km ride back to Auripo station yesterdays end point then once back at the car park to proceed forward to Omakau station and perhaps beyond making a decent ride for the day. With the wind also having dropped overnight and the sun out it was going to be a great day for a ride.

The ride back to Auripo Station is mostly uphill although since the Trail was built for trains the uphill is not uphill in the true sense of the word as it’s more of a gentle rise that just seems to keep on going.

First photo chance of the day comes at the curved bridge across the Manuherikia River at 110 Metres long it’s one of the longest on the trail it’s also the only one that’s curved making it stand out from the others on the trail. There were more riders on the trail today or maybe this is just a more popular section. It was at this bridge that we ran into John who had been camped next to Brain in Ranfurly and it was he who had given us the tip to make sure we visited Danseys Pass.

Unless you ride the Trail then it’s impossible to understand the rugged beauty of the area. Sure you can see the rocks or the blue sky or wide valleys in the photos but the sense of majesty when you are actually there is something really special. With the ride today really at the top of the pile.

Pickaxe, Shovel and Wheelbarrow are the tools of choice to dig the two tunnels that you reach after a short climb from the bridge. The first tunnel is 440 metres long it’s also curved so when you enter at one end you cannot see any light from the other end. It was just as well Sarah had a headlight on her Bike as we rode in single file following the leader.

Interesting inside the tunnel is that the brick work is not right throughout the tunnel there are areas where it’s just exposed natural stone I presume this is because it’s a different type of rock that’s more stable hence no need to have it reinforced. Where there are no bricks the tunnel is quite a bit wider than the rest but I guess thats to allow space for reinforcement if required.

One thing I do need to mention riding through the tunnel there is a really disconcerting feeling that you have lost your balance and are going to crash into the sides both Brian and I felt this, really strange.

We came across this gangers hut just before the first tunnel unusually it had a fireplace whereas all the others are just a tin shack, so at least in this one you would be a little warmer in winter.

Having returned to Lauder for a spot of lunch as well as a chance to rest my knees which are now starting to give me some serious grief. It was time after lunch had settled to complete the second leg of the days journey to Omakau and slightly beyond. In the end we managed to get about 5kms past Omakau which would shorten the journey the following day.

We considered spending the night in the carpark at the Lauder Station although not an official camping ground it had plenty of space with us thinking nobody would mind. We did however choose to move to the Freedom Camping area (#8728) in Omakau just across the bridge as you drive towards Ophir.

We are so glad we found this spot with just us, Brian in his bus and a couple of French tourists. As you can see we found a spot right on the riverbank surrounded by Willows all beginning to change colour with the season it was just beautiful.

We had Brian over for a roast chicken that we cooked on our little BBQ with some roast potatoes on the side whilst Brian brought over his specialty garlic cabbage (very tasty). A great end to another full day of riding.

The following morning we woke to another spectacular sunrise so Sarah popped her head through the roof vent above the bed and snapped these shots. It was a terrific start to the penultimate day of riding.

We had chosen to start the penultimate day in Galloway this would give us 17 odd kms to ride towards Omakau before the return making 34/35 km round trip. The station is just the small box hut you can see above with all sidings removed so not much to view here but with good parking for the Motorhomes it was a good place to start.

The track follows and then crosses the Manuherikia River as we crossed this bridge looking down the river at all the trees beginning to change colour I realised that if we where here a couple of weeks later the colours would be truly amazing, so maybe we might come back to this particular section again.

We arrived at Chatto Creek station where the sidings still stand but no buildings remain from here the trail climbs on a gentle slope for the next 7 kms to the point we reached yesterday but with a clear blue sky and fantastic scenery there was plenty of motivation to continue.

All along the trail I have noticed the planetary sculptures but for some reason I hadn’t taken any photos until this point. I first noticed them just outside of Ranfurly then spreading out along the trail from there although I might have missed the first couple there is just so much to see along the way. In fact sometimes it’s hard to keep your balance on the bike as you are so busy looking both ways.

The Photo chances just keep on mounting up I have had to top up my data allowance a couple of times so that I can upload my photos and clear the camera and phone to allow space for more. I haven’t taken a photo of every gangers shed but think I got most of them, It will be nice to look back at the history later as I review the photos.

We arrived back at the Galloway Station happy with the mornings ride knowing that we are now only 7 kms from Alexandra beyond that only another 8kms to the end of the ride in Clyde. It was time for lunch then to see if we had enough energy to ride to the end and back after this mornings ride.

The ride into Alexandra really displays the ruggedness of the area with the dry dusty rocky landscape all round. I  was thinking to myself that if you were one of the workers who had started building the trail in Middlemarch you would be wondering when this landscape was ever going to end.

We arrived at the Alexandra Station to find another siding but no building a little bit of a let down as I am sure there would have been a decent building there in it’s day.

We toyed with the idea of finishing the ride with only 8 kms to go but Brian’s battery on his bike was almost out of range and because it’s more of a downhill type bike than it is a mountain bike it’s almost impossible to ride uphill without battery power so we elected to finish the Trail the following day.

Checking into the Molyneux Park POP (#8807) for the night a large spacious area right next to the sports fields and skate park for the town. Even though it was Sunday when we arrived and the skate park was busy it wasn’t noisy so I would not be put off if you are planning a stay here.

As this would be our last night travelling with Brian we went into town and had a very enjoyable Thai meal at the local Thai restaurant, we needed to be in Gore on Monday as we had an early appointment Tuesday to update the COF on the Motorhome. Unlike in Auckland were you just turn up for your COF you have to make a booking in the smaller South Island towns. I had tried to make a booking in Alexandra but it was booked 10 days out!

With Monday morning dawning a little cloudy but with the rain holding off it was time to finish this ride. Setting off from Alexandra the landscape flattens out, the rocks disappear making it feel quite different from almost the whole of the ride so far.

The interesting thing was until I saw these old rail traffic lights just outside Clyde I hadn’t realised how little of this sort of stuff is actually on the trail. In a couple of places there are old railway crossing signs but this was almost the only piece of signal equipment that we saw.

I thought to myself this is like the ride down the Champs-Elysees on the final stage of the Tour de France as the riders come into Paris even though there were only three of us it was an amazing sense of achievement 300 plus kms including the there and back again ride that we did with a little running around in various places.

So we made it WOW! A major bucket list item given the big tick. I can honestly say that aside from a sore backside there wasn’t a single downside to riding this Trail it will one of the highlights of my life that will live with me for ever. The scenery, the ruggedness of the country, the places we stayed, the people we met, the apples we ate. All of these things add up to just an amazing experience and a must do!

But wait! it’s not over yet, we still needed to ride back to Alexandra. Everyone we had spoken to all said make sure you ride the river trail so from the Clyde station we rode through the town over the bridge to join the trail back to Alex.

The trail follows the Clutha river as it winds it’s way down to Alex and although it’s not as well formed as the rail trail it’s still a great ride. With 7 days of riding through rocks and farmlands it was also a really pleasant change to be riding along the riverbank with the amazing colours beginning to appear as Autumn starts to take hold.

On the otherside of the trail from the river are the tailings from the gold mining. Masses of rock piles give testimony to the years of mining that has gone on in this area. We also saw this massive drilling auger alongside the path but had no idea where they may have used it.

The trail is around 12kms long and it’s such a major contrast to the Rail Trail with the trees closer to the trail and this waterfall right next to the track rather than being 20 metres away or underneath a large bridge.

At the Alexandra end of the ride we came across these guys playing cricket with the Hobbits also on the lawn it was an interesting diversion. I could not resist the photo.

So seven days after we met Brain in Middlemarch it was time to part as we made our way to Gore to update the COF on the Motorhome. It’s not often that you meet someone that you hit it off with almost immediately but Brian was one of these people with both Sarah and I enjoying our time together.

Without Brian’s help recharging the bike batteries each night with his generator or his desire to keep going along the Trail who knows if we would have completed the trail. So Brian Thanks a Million! we will stay in touch you are a good friend and what the NZMCA is all about, sharing your camping experience with others whilst enjoying yourself.

My final word on the Rail Trail is to find the map/brochure above before you set off on the trail as it details all the stations, distances involved as well as the elevations between each ride. We found it very useful. Also don’t forget your Travel Directory so you can find all the wonderful places to stay.

          Otago Rail Trail Part 4 I woke early as usual checking my phone for any messages overnight, thinking it was a little cold but to see it was 0 degrees was a bit of a shock to the system.

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #13 (part one)

Victor

You guys! Guess where Yuri and I are right now?

It’s our new house! And it’s in Kiyomatsu.

For those of you who don't know, the part of town where Yuri and I currently live is called Wakabamori, and it kind of reminds me of Foundry Cove, the subdivision where I grew up in Willow Creek. It's not a bad neighbourhood. Like, there isn't a high crime rate or anything, and it's not a sketchy trailer park kind of area, but it's also far from being the most ritzy location in town.

Where we're going to live is considerably more upscale. Kiyomatsu is basically where they have all the fancy rentals for vacationers with money, and where a lot of rich people from here live year-round. Yuri's parents, for example, live in Kiyomatsu. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about living in a posh neighbourhood like that, but I think I can probably overcome my discomfort, thanks to the best feature Kiyomatsu offers. It's farther up the mountain than Wakabamori. In fact, it's partially above the snow line.

Let me say that again. Our new home is above the snow line.

I'm seriously freaking out about that, but in a good way. When Yuri showed me a picture yesterday, and I could see ski lifts in the background, I might've cried a little. Ski lifts. Visible from our new back yard.

Seriously, just look at it.

I'm so stoked, I'm losing my mind here.

But, I guess I should try to calm down and tell you how Yuri and I ended up with a gorgeous new home in Kiyomatsu. I'm also losing it a little over that, because I mean... drama. Also, Yuri's mom may have gone up a few places on my official respect-o-meter. I might actually make an effort to like her more after this.

Yesterday, out of the blue, Yuri's mom phoned him and invited him to lunch. Now, for most people, this wouldn't be unusual. Like, me and my mom used to have lunch together all the time when we still lived in the same town, and now that she's here with us for a while, we always eat together. But, Yuri's mother isn't the sort of person who'd make your favourite bacon and tomato sandwiches for you and then spread out a big blanket on the living room floor for an indoor picnic. I doubt if Rei Okamoto has ever done anything fun or spontaneous like that in her entire life.

Not going to lie; I was very suspicious about Mrs. Okamoto's invitation, especially when Yuri told me that his mom specifically said I couldn't come along. Not that I wanted to sit through lunch with Rei Okamoto silently judging me and not-so-silently correcting my table manners, but usually when Yuri's parents command his presence, mine is also required. They hate me, but they're so bound by their traditional values that they can't seem to have a family gathering without the whole extended 'family', which unfortunately now includes me.

My mom got really offended on my behalf when I explained that to her. She thinks Yuri's parents are horrible people, even though she's never met them. Honestly, I hope she never does. Mom and Mrs. Okamoto in the same room would be bad. Like, super extra bad. I'm pretty sure Mom would cause a huge scene, and I would so not want to be around to witness that.

But, in fairness to Mrs. Okamoto, as much as I'd rather not be around her and her critical gaze, I also can't bring myself to think of her as truly terrible. Regardless of how she feels about me, I'm sure she really cares about Yuri, and in my view, that redeems her at least a little bit.

She may not be the greatest at demonstrating affection, and she may not be okay with all of Yuri's life choices, but she's still his mom at the end of the day. She knows how to take care of him, and the times he's really needed her, she's been there.

Like, when Yuri was in the hospital for over a week last winter, she came every day and stayed with him for a few hours so I could get some rest. While he was recovering back at home, she came by to bring us food. Well, she brought me food, and some weird-looking smoothies she'd made for Yuri. She even stayed with him for a whole day so I could still participate in a snowboarding competition I'd signed up for several weeks before he'd even gotten really sick. Of course, the way Mrs. Okamoto put it, she wanted me to get out of the house because I was disrupting the flow of calming energy. She said she wanted to make sure Yuri was looked after properly for a change.

Yuri told me later that he was certain she really didn't mean it, but I hadn't minded too much anyway. I had been feeling pretty restless, so she probably wasn't wrong, and by that point, I'd already figured out what she's like. It was all good in the end because I'd known that, with his mom, Yuri was in the best hands possible other than my own.

I don't think Mr. Okamoto knew that Mrs. Okamoto came to our house, because I'd overheard her telling Yuri not to mention anything to his father. As if Yuri would ever talk to his father voluntarily. Honestly, I think if it weren't for Yuri's dad, maybe his mom could show her real feelings for him a lot more, and I think he'd like that. After all, everyone should have a caring mom in their life, right? I don't know what I'd do without mine.

So, yesterday, when Mrs. Okamoto invited Yuri to lunch, the reason I was worried wasn't because I thought he wouldn't be okay with her. It was because I had no idea what her motivation was.

As it turned out, though, it’s likely that I was worried for nothing.

When Yuri got back from his lunch date with his mother, I was home alone. Mom said she'd wanted to go exploring, and she'd taken my bike for a self-guided tour of our corner of town.

I was in the kitchen, in the process of making avocado onigiri — something Yuri almost never refuses to eat — when I heard the door open. I turned from the counter just in time to see him rushing in. He practically flung himself at me, and it was lucky that I can move fast and that I was ready to catch him, because he literally fell against my chest. He was out of breath, and I wondered if he'd been running, and how far.

"Victor!" he exclaimed. "You'll never guess what happened!"

"I'm wondering if I should be scared to ask," I said.

"No, you definitely should ask. It's... I can't even believe it!"

"Catch your breath first, and then tell me."

"Okay," he said.

He rested his head on my shoulder, and I rubbed his back slowly until his breathing evened out. I said, "What were you doing?"

"Running," he confessed.

"I figured, but since when do you run anywhere if you don’t have to?"

"Since I was so excited that I couldn't wait to tell you what happened at lunch with Mama."

He pulled away from me a little, and I let go of him so we could step back and look at each other. He was grinning, and I don't think I've ever seen him looking so pleased in the entire time we've known each other.

"And?" I said.

"We have a place to live. And it's in Kiyomatsu."

I stared. "What?"

"Isn’t this great news?"

"Yes, but I mean... What...? How...?"

"My uncle," Yuri said. "You remember my uncle, Kazuya Fujimoto?"

"Uncle Kaz from America? Your mom's brother?"

I'd met Uncle Kaz once, when he was here in town visiting his family and friends last year during Harvestfest. Yuri's birthday happens to be on the first day of autumn, and Uncle Kaz decided that he wanted to invite his 'favourite nephew' to an outdoor concert and dinner afterward, to celebrate. For the record, Yuri is his only nephew. Also, I got invited as well, and it was a lot of fun.

Uncle Kaz seemed kind of eccentric, but I really liked him. He lives in America, in the Del Sol Valley, and he's been there for about twenty years. He works in the film industry as a director, and he's apparently kind of famous, although I had to admit I'd never heard of him before we met.

For some reason, Uncle Kaz thought it was funny that I'm from Canada, and he kept asking me random questions about the wilderness and hockey and maple syrup. That's what I remember about him most.

"There could only be one Uncle Kaz," Yuri said.

I laughed. "Very true. So, what about him?"

“It’s his house,” Yuri told me. “His vacation house, although he obviously doesn’t use it much.”

“Right, but how exactly are we living in Uncle Kaz’s vacation house? How would he even know we needed a new place to live?”

“This is the best part,” Yuri said, and the only word I could think of to describe his expression was gleeful. “Mama told him. It seems she overheard part of my conversation with Papa about Mrs. Ito asking us to move out.”

“Oh.”

“Evidently, Papa’s been complaining for days about the whole situation. He really wants me to come back and live with them for some reason, but I won’t do that. Mama says he somehow blames you for us getting evicted, even though he knows that’s not true. It’s got nothing to do with you, and—“

“Yuri, it’s okay,” I said. “Of course your dad blames me. He’s looking for more reasons to dislike me, when there really aren’t any. Don’t worry about it. Keep telling me the story.”

“Okay. It seems Mama got frustrated with him, and she was really worried about us, so she called Uncle Kaz to ask about letting us live in his house.”

“And I take it he said yes.”

“He did. Mama said we’re not supposed to tell anyone that she arranged it, though, especially not Papa.”

“No worries there. I’m fine with never talking to your dad again, if I can help it.”

“He’d be furious if he knew,” Yuri said.

“He’s going to figure out we’re living there.”

“Yes, but it’s all right for him to assume that I was the one who asked Uncle Kaz about it. He doesn’t need to know Mama had anything to do with it. He wouldn’t like it if he realized she did all this herself without even consulting him, so we can’t say anything, all right?”

“Sure,” I agreed. “So, is there a catch to this arrangement?”

Yuri frowned, looking confused. “A catch?”

“Yeah. Like, do we just get to live there worry-free, like normal people with normal lives, or are there some sort of unreasonable conditions attached?”

“We have to pay rent,” he said. “And Uncle Kaz will stay there with us whenever he visits, but I think that’s fair, don’t you?”

“That’s it?”

“Were you expecting something else?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I guess it’s just kind of hard for me to trust your family. Some people don’t believe in letting others have something for nothing.”

“We’re not getting it for nothing. Uncle Kaz is expecting us to pay him the same amount of rent we’ve been paying Mrs. Ito for this place, and of course we have to take care of it for him.”

“But, no ulterior motives. That’s what I meant.”

“None that I can see.”

I was mostly relieved, but still slightly wary. "Do you know when we can move in?"

"Whenever we're ready," Yuri said. "As soon as we're finished packing up all our stuff here. Mama said we can meet the caretaker tomorrow to pick up the keys and have a look around, if we want. She gave me his number, but she said she already arranged for him to meet us there at two o'clock."

"Tomorrow at two. Got it."

“I’m probably not going to be able to sleep tonight,” Yuri said.

“That excited, huh?”

“Yes! Aren’t you?”

I lifted him up and spun him around, and he laughed. It was the most carefree sound I’d ever heard, and it made me so happy that I felt like crying. Yuri never laughs like that, not in the unrestrained way he did in that moment. It was the voice of someone who’d suddenly been unburdened of a crushing amount of stress and fear.

“Seeing how excited you are makes me excited,” I told him. “I’m sure I’ll be interested in the house itself, once I’m totally over how we ended up with it.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’ll take you that long,” he said. “Put me down, and let me show you the photos.”

Yuri was right, of course. The pictures had been the lure for me. He’d passed me his phone, and the two of us curled up on the sofa to look at the images his mother had texted him. While I tried to absorb every detail, Yuri snuggled next to me and began to tell me a story about two boys who found their happy place in a magical mountainside forest where there’s snow all year.

By the time he was done with his specially-made fairytale and I’d scrolled through all the pictures at least a dozen times, I’d resolved to try not to worry about Yuri’s family and their possible motives. Yuri wasn’t worried, after all, and he knows his family a lot better than I do.

I told myself this was going to be good for us. We were going to enjoy our new house and fill it with everything, both tangible and intangible, that would make it ours. We would create a home, and it’d be amazing, and nothing anyone else said or did would change that for us.

I coaxed myself into letting go of my remaining anxiety, saying to myself that it was okay to believe everything would be fine. It was a lot easier to think anticipating, hopeful thoughts about the future after that.

We told Mom our news as soon as she got back from her bike ride, and she seemed pretty thrilled about it too. After dinner, Mom got us organized, and we started packing in earnest. Yuri and I decided that we were determined to be in our new house and return Mrs. Ito’s keys for this place to her in a week. If Mom thought that was an unrealistic timeline, she didn’t say anything about it. She threw herself into the task with almost as much enthusiasm as us.

By the time bedtime came around, I found that I couldn’t go to sleep. Yuri, who’d already predicted that he’d be too keyed up, was lying beside me with an open book, but he hadn’t turned a page in several minutes. I guessed he was daydreaming.

Under the covers, I tapped his ankle with my toes. “Hey, cute boy,” I said. “Want to get up and pack some more stuff?”

He rolled over and grabbed me, burying his face in my t-shirt to muffle his laughter, obviously aware that my mom was probably already asleep in the next room.

“That’s the best offer I’ve had all night,” he said.

We filled boxes until, finally, we were too tired to focus, and then we fell asleep in each other’s arms, on the living room floor.

And that’s the tale of how, today at two o'clock in the afternoon, I found myself standing on a small, snowy plateau halfway up the side of my beloved mountain, Yukimatsu, gazing around at one of the most elegant properties I've ever seen. The house isn't super huge and fancy, which is a fact that I'm glad about. It's certainly bigger than our current house, and a lot nicer looking, but it has gorgeous, clean lines and a kind of classic, unpretentious sense about it.

Yuri went inside ahead of me. I wanted to admire the scenery for a few minutes, and marvel at the strange, incredible turn of events that'd brought us here. And I thought about how it’d been Yuri’s mom who made it all happen, and how we had to keep her wonderful gesture of kindness a secret.

I considered Yuri’s parents, and the uncomfortable dynamics that must exist in their household, wondering how Mrs. Okamoto could be in a relationship with someone she couldn’t communicate with. Maybe that’s another reason why they don’t like me. Maybe it’s envy that their son has something they don’t. Yuri and I talk to each other about everything. That’s our strength. We’d never have been able to learn to trust each other as much as we do without that.

I’m not sure how long I was out there, just staring up the mountain and feeling grateful. It must’ve been long enough for Yuri to see the whole interior, though, because he popped through the front door again, calling to me, “I know which room is going to be mine!”

I smiled, absolutely loving how joyful and energetic and well he looked. Maybe this place would be good for us in more ways than I’d expected.

“I guess that leaves the other one for me.”

"Victor, come inside and look!" he said, breathless with pleasure. "You can see your room and everything else, and you won’t be disappointed, I promise. Everything's so beautiful. You're going to love it."

"I can already tell you love it," I teased. "Usually, you're the one telling me to calm down."

"I can't help it," he said. "This is essentially my dream home. It’s so quiet and peaceful here, and we’re far enough from our neighbours that it feels private, but not so far that we’re isolated.”

“Plus, we’re close to the trails,” I said.

“Yes, that too.” He smiled. “This is exactly the sort of thing I always imagined when I thought about moving out of my parents house and living on my own, but it always felt so out of reach. Maybe, if I'd agreed to work for my father's company, I could've done it some day, but..."

"No," I said. "You never would've been happy doing that. If you'd worked for him so you could have your dream home some day, would you have really loved it?"

"No," he said. "I think I might resent it."

"The good news is, you don't even have to think about that now."

"You're right. I don't." He took my face between his hands and kissed me playfully on the tip of my nose. "Because here I am, by some amazing stroke of luck, in a home I already adore, with the person I love most in the world. This is going to be so perfect. I can hardly wait for us to move in."

“Soon. You’ve got to try to be a little patient, at least.”

“I know, but I wish it was moving-in day right now, right this minute.”

"I have an idea," I said.

"What is it?"

"We have the keys now, and your uncle said we could move in any time, right?"

"Yes."

"How would you feel about spending the night here tonight, just to see what it’s like? We could go to the old place and grab a few things, and then come straight back here. What do you think?"

That time, when he kissed me, it was on the mouth. It was an uncommon enough occurrence to have caught me a little by surprise, but I definitely wasn’t complaining. He smelled like peppermint.

“I love you," he said, lips still brushing gently against my skin. "And that idea is brilliant. Let's do it."

[darrark]

Why The Sims 4 Had Me Hopeful, and How It Ultimately Disappointed

My first exposure to the Sims was with the first game, but I never really got to play it immediately. You can blame my sister and her suspicion that I would irreversibly ruin her neighborhood-- fair enough, I was probably about seven, a prime age for ruining my older sibling’s things.  I was far too impatient to sit around and just watch, so I was off playing and doing other things most of the time.  I did always want to play the game though, but wasn’t able to experience it firsthand until maybe sometime after 2010.

2004 rolled around and so did the Sims 2.  I had to have it, since I had wanted to play my sister’s game for so long-- if it was mine, I couldn’t be denied playing it, right?  I played it and played it endlessly; from then on, I was absolutely hooked, getting all manner of expansion packs in the years that followed and putting countless hours into it. The Sims 3 was an immediate purchase in 2009 as well, and while I immensely enjoyed it, it did fall short in some areas I had so been hopeful for. As mentioned earlier, it was only a bit after this that I finally got a hold of The Sims Complete Collection, a game I also gave a fair share of time, and loved despite playing it after playing more advanced later iterations in the series.

The Sims 4 was something I saw potential in.  Most everyone lambasted it for its more closed nature, taking steps back from the open world and customization that The Sims 3 had introduced, but it had promise in places where The Sims 3 had failed and where The Sims 1 and 2 had succeeded to different degrees.  It had to do with content, and how well that content was delivered to players. Let me try to explain.

Way back, with the first Sims, they did something I still think is spectacular to this day. They made expansion packs exciting, full of content that might not have even been expected for the focus they had. The Unleashed expansion pack is the most notable for me, for how it transformed the neighborhood you had up until that point. See, if you’re not familiar, the original base Sims game had just a simple little neighborhood. No downtown, no vacation area, just maybe around ten lots of different sizes, with 5 separate families occupying those lots... this was Sim Lane.  It wasn’t much, and despite the Sims Unleashed being focused on adding pets, they went above and beyond.  Enter Old town, a huge expansion to the existing neighborhood bringing many new families, houses, community lots which hadn’t been in the original neighborhood, and more empty lots to build on.  For the time, it was an astounding amount of content to add in one sweep, and while I wasn’t there for it when it was new, I bet Sims players were absolutely stoked to see this new content so seamlessly added to their game.

You didn’t even have to place or build any new lots.  Everything was available immediately.  We’ll come back to this.

The Sims 2 had relative success with this sort of concept as well.  While you still had to place lots if you wanted them in your base neighborhood, it was relatively painless.  You installed Nightlife into your base game? No problem.  Not only could you just add a new downtown neighborhood that was already fitted with the new lots introduced, you could build or place pre-made lots anywhere you liked to bring the nightlife right into your neighborhood.  Pretty seamless, but you DID likely have to sacrifice a bit of time you could be building or playing with your sims to perhaps move things around and place new lots. But there was always believable space for those lots, and it really didn’t take very long.

The Sims 3 introduced some issues alongside the boon of an open world.  The Sims 2 had used the framework from the world building interface from SimCity 4, so everything was on a grid.  Every lot since the beginning of this game series has been, guess what, also on a grid.  The Sims 3 did not use grid placement in its roads or lots, nor SimCity 4 as its world building tool.  They had their own special world editor this time that allowed for all manner of curved and windy roads… but the lots were still grid based.  This is where the first issues arose, where fitting lots onto even slightly curved roads proved a chore, and even roads that seemed straight wouldn’t allow even small lots to be placed.  This problem only got worse with every new expansion pack. Combining, say, Ambitions, Pets, and Late Night, you reach a frustrating impasse wherein you must sacrifice what a neighborhood is capable of accessing from content you paid good money for.  With Sunset Valley from the base game for instance, there is absolutely no way that a family existing in that neighborhood will be able to seamlessly experience acting, going to a bar, scavenging for junk, taking a horse to the equestrian center, and entering the firefighting career, among many other additions in these expansions that require special lots.  With so many new lots and a world that is so restrictive on where you can place them, you would have to frequently switch out lots of similar sizes in an effort to provide more options to your sims, but you will never have all this simultaneously.

Basically, in making an open world, they actually made some things more restrictive.  This is where I had hopes for The Sims 4.

The Sims 4 is restrictive in a weird mishmash of elements from 1, 2, and to a lesser degree 3.  Up until about a year ago, I thought this could have been a good thing.  Restricting the game like they have provides opportunity to integrate new content more smoothly. Think Old Town again, where the neighborhood, because of its closed nature, can be added to in ways that could provide more to the player without needed finicking or making tradeoffs.  By now, The Sims 4 could have doubled the size of Oasis Springs and Willow Creek, adding in their new special lots onto the already existing neighborhoods.  

But they didn’t.

In any way that they could bring new content seamlessly to the player with the least amount of fuss possible, they dropped the ball.  Honestly, this is why I’m disappointed. Because I know Maxis has talented people who are more than capable of making the most of these limitations they put on The Sims 4. No messing with lots that refuse to be placed where they’d make sense, no compromising the player’s experience, everything readily at your fingertips from the get go… but none of that.  That and probably so much more was within their grasp but they just didn’t.  

Honestly, I haven’t bought anything since Outdoor Retreat because nothing else has really expanded in the way that I’d hoped it would.  As of writing, the Sims 4 has been out for about 3 years. In that time there have been 12 stuff packs, 5 game packs, and only 3 traditional expansion packs with Pets coming soon.  For comparison, The Sims 3 after 3 years had 5 expansion packs, and 7 stuff packs. The Sims 2, 6 expansion packs, 5 stuff packs. Worth noting is that while the the stuff packs for The Sims 4 are more numerous, they have substantially LESS content than they did for previous games, and there seems to be a bigger focus on shoveling out these things that don’t really provide much.

There was a time when Maxis, like I said before, went above and beyond what they had to do and made amazing things.  Every time I think of The Sims 4, I see the potential that was wasted.  Where something like the Old Town expansion was possible again… but alas, it wasn’t meant to be I guess.

I don’t know if the passion has left Maxis, but by this point it wouldn’t surprise me.  The dedication to bringing an amazing experience and then expanding on that seems to have faded, and that’s truly disheartening.  I was one of the most hopeful that these imposed limits could provide an opportunity for bringing a more robust experience further down the line and I was proven wrong.  The Sims 4 was a disappointment, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

If you enjoy The Sims 4, more power to you. I too also love the look and feel of it, I just knew there was opportunity for more and it’s not just for my sake but also yours that I pine for what could have been.