#I love Mt Komorebi so much she's so pretty!

[nuttydragonbird]

Snowy station...

[stargazer-sims]

Takashi Abbottsford for @jonquilyst Total Drama Sims 2!

Name: Takashi Abbottsford Pronouns: he/him Gender Identity: cis male Sexuality: bisexual Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast Traits: Nosy, Dance Machine

__________

Takashi: Hey, world! How's it going? My name is Takashi Abbottsford, and I'm from Willow Creek. I'm sixteen years old, my birthday is August 13th, I'm a student at Willow Creek High, and I like pizza and energy drinks. Actually, my dads always say I probably don't need energy drinks, but hey... we can always use an extra boost, right?

Let's see... Other stuff about me... I love sports! I like snowboarding, rock climbing, soccer and swimming the best, and every time we visit my Papa's family in Mt. Komorebi, I always spend as much time as I can on the mountain. Shredding is life! Yeah!

Um, okay... My favourite colours are green and blue, and my favourite season is winter. I like video games and I like to cook. I also like dancing, like a lot, and I like rocking out to my favourite bands. I can play the piano too, although not as well as my brother Forest, which is a bummer because he won a medal at the youth music festival last year and I kinda messed up during a trio performance with two of my sisters, and of course Forest made fun of me about it. Siblings... ugh!

Yeah, so while we're on the subject of siblings, I should probably tell you about mine, and my two dads as well. My family falls squarely into the category of 'wild facts you could never make up', no joke.

We're a stupidly large family, just so you know. I'm the youngest of six siblings, and all six of us are science babies. My oldest siblings are Camellia and Forest, and they're twins. Next is Matsu, and then there's the triplets; Midori, Willow and me. Oh, and if you're wondering about why some of us have English-sounding names and some of us have Japanese names, it's because our Dad, Fox Abbottsford, is a Canadian and our Papa, Takahiro Suzuki, is Japanese. They met in Japan when Dad was there on a working holiday visa, and they have this absolutely crazy love story, but that's a tale for another time. The reason for our mixed bag of names is because they wanted us to have names that reflected both their cultures, so here we are.

Oh, and fun fact. Me, Matsu and Midori don't have middle names, which is part of Japanese naming tradition. Forest, Camellia and Willow do have middle names, and I don't know if I should be envious of that or grateful that I only had to learn how to spell two names instead of three when I was in first grade and we were all practising how to write them.

Right. Why did I sign up to be on Total Drama?

Hooo man... where do I even start with that? When you're one of six, 'total drama' is a way of life! I figured I'd be pretty good at it, because I'm used to chaos. I mean, 'chaos' should be our family motto or something.

Actually, let me tell you the real reason I signed up, besides the ongoing total drama in our household.

When you're one of six, there's this never-ending competition for attention, and this constant need to distinguish yourself from your brothers and sisters. Don't get me wrong. I love all my brothers and sisters, especially my older brother Matsu, but it's hard to be the youngest and the most unremarkable. I don't just have one shadow to live in. I have five.

For example, my absolute nerd of a brother Forest is like, this insanely gifted artist, just like Dad. Forest already has his illustrations in a children's book and he's only 18. Also, despite being Nerd Number One, he somehow managed to land the most popular girl at school as his girlfriend. Also, Forest's girlfriend Caroline is hot and she's a star athlete. Everybody's always talking about how great they are together. Like, how's a guy supposed to level up to that?

My other siblings all have their thing, too. My sister Camellia is good at acting, and Matsu is amazing at sports and the captain of the cheer squad. Midori and Willow are identical, which always gets them noticed just because, but also Midori is already planning her career as an aesthetician, and Willow is super-smart like Forest and wants to become an engineer.

As for me, I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I'm okay at most things, but not awesome like my siblings, and I don't have my future figured out like some of them do. I'm thinking maybe I'd like to be a police officer and work in something science-y like forensics, 'cause I really love science. Or I might like to be a journalist, 'cause I'm good at finding out stuff that people don't necessarily want me to know.

My dads keep telling me that being nosy isn't really a good thing, but I prefer to think of it as inquisitiveness. Anyway, I'd use my powers for good, so I think it's okay.

Everyone says I talk too much, so I should probably wrap this up so I don't annoy people too much. Kinda insecure about that, to be honest, but like... I can't help myself. Sometimes I feel awkward 'cause I don't know if I'm talking too much or not and I'm worried about what people might think. Like, 'Oh no, not that guy again. He can never shut up', or whatever.

Okay, that's it, I promise! I'm super pumped about this show, and I can't wait to meet everyone! Bring on the adventure and bring on the drama! Your boy Takashi is READY FOR IT! Woo!

[sirianasims]

We had decided to just let things happen naturally after the wedding, and it didn’t take long until I was pregnant.

We were both overjoyed, and our roommates were excited for us. Griffin immediately started changing our weekly meal plans around the nutritional requirements of pregnant women.

I asked if he was sure he still wanted to be a surgeon and not become a nutritionist instead, but he laughed it off.

“Freya, don’t be silly. You can do more than one thing with your life! Just look at Daria. Would you tell her to choose whether she wants to only do programming or podcasting or animal rights activism?”

“You know I’d never dare tell Daria what to do, but I honestly don’t understand how she finds the time.”

“Exactly, priorities!” Griffin looked at me like he’d just won the discussion and went back to his meal planning.

I thought about it. Sports had always taken up most of my time, and the rest I spent with friends and family. I didn’t really have any other interests, unless you counted reading a book or watching a movie. Griffin had his cooking, Daria seemed to be doing all the things, and even Jessica had a fashion blog.

At least Samuel was more like me, we both tended to focus on our careers and family. He wanted to specialise in paediatrics, he really loved working with children.

He was so excited about becoming a father. He kept flipping between ‘doctor mode’, spewing random facts about child development and asking me how I was feeling, and ‘dad mode’ where he obsessed about names and insisted on talking to my belly in silly voices.

It was pretty adorable. I couldn’t wait for us to finally meet our baby. We were going to be the best parents ever, together.

Nothing like my own parents.

I wasn’t even three years old when they split up. My father then proceeded to spend almost five years drinking and whoring his way through a pretty miserable existence.

Still, most of my memories of him back then were good. Even though he was troubled, he was always so happy to see me, and he always came to my games or picked me up from practice.

I remembered our trip to Mt. Komorebi vividly. The snowboarding had been amazing, and I loved spending time with my dad.

But then I had woken up from a nightmare in the big, dark, and unfamiliar house. I had felt very alone.

I was used to living by the harbour with my mother, used to the constant noise outside.

Here, the thick snow blanketed everything and it was eerily quiet.

I couldn’t remember how to turn on the lights, so I stumbled into the dark hallway, blinded by tears, only vaguely certain of where my dad’s bedroom was.

He wasn’t there.

It wasn’t the first time in my life that I’d gone to his bedroom to find it empty, but at home, it just meant that he was downstairs watching TV, or had fallen asleep on the couch with Cooper snuggled up next to him. Here, there was no sound of a TV or any light anywhere. The house felt completely deserted.

I knew I wasn’t really alone, my grandparents were in their bedroom somewhere downstairs, but I was afraid to go down there. I didn’t even want to go back into the dark hall.

I curled up on the big, empty bed. Surely, my dad would come. He had to sleep sooner or later.

I don’t remember crying myself to sleep, but I remember waking up.

My dad had been there, moisture still in his hair, fresh from a shower. With the smell of toothpaste and only the faintest hint of alcohol left on his breath.

I always hated that particular combination of smells.

He’d promised never to leave me again, and he hadn’t. Much later, I learned that he had started therapy as soon as we got home, and as far as I knew, he hadn’t touched alcohol for over fifteen years now. But I still remembered the smell.

I put my hands protectively on my growing belly.

“I’m going to do a better job than they did, no matter what it takes”, I whispered.

beginning / previous / next

[igotsnothing]

OC QUESTIONNAIRE

Thanks for the tag, @stargazer-sims and @eljeebee! I really enjoyed reading your questionnaires! And since you both tagged me, I am going to do this for Sasha and Gideon because I'm obsessed with telling their story, and I need a little fluff for them; they've been going through a lot recently.

Gideon: Interesting! Ready?

Sasha: Nooooo.

Gideon: I'll go first.

NAME: Gideon Westergaard

NICKNAME: None (Sasha: Oh, I can think of a FEW, all of them unpublishable.)

GENDER: Cis man

STAR SIGN: I honestly don't know...and I don't really care. (Sasha: He's a virgo, obviously. Please.)

HEIGHT: 6'3 (1.90 cm)

ORIENTATION: Bi, like many vampires.

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Citizen of San Myshuno, member of the Forgotten Hollow Coven, originally from somewhere further north of Windenburg.

FAVORITE FRUIT: Sasha... (Sasha: SERIOUSLY? You think that's funny? F*ck you!)

FAVORITE SEASON: Fall.

FAVORITE FLOWER: Lily of the valley

FAVORITE SCENT: Cartier's Pasha.

COFFEE, TEA, or HOT CHOCOLATE: (Gideon: *Looks at Sasha.* Sasha: DON'T YOU DARE. NO.) Scotch. If good quality, I prefer it neat. (*Sasha pretends to puke*)

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: I don't need much sleep; I usually get 4-5 hours.

DOGS or CATS: *Grins broadly* My kitten, of course. (*Sasha grumbles incoherently*)

DREAM TRIP: I actually love San Myshuno. I like going to the art galleries, theaters, concert halls- all the activities the city has to offer. But if I had to travel somewhere...I like skiing. Mt. Komorebi is quite the challenge.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: I don't really get cold.

RANDOM FACT: Vampires are connected to their covens via specific bloodlines. Gideon has a coven sire, who turned him- but the one who claims him as her "child" is his coven's mistress (more to be revealed...can't wait to share.)

Gideon: Your turn!

Sasha: Hello, nosey people! Why don't you mind your own bu-

NAME: Sasha Velky

NICKNAME: Sash. Sassy, but don't call me that ever. Loco- but only Hector gets to call me that (Gideon visibly bristles at this). And...that's it. (Gideon mouths 'kitten' and winks. Sasha does not acknowledge this and maintains a steady glare.)

GENDER: Cis man

STAR SIGN: Okay, my sun sign is Taurus, moon sign is Leo, and Aquarius rising! (Gideon: What? Was that even Simlish? Sasha: That's such a virgo reaction.)

HEIGHT: 5'9 (1.75 cm)

ORIENTATION: Homosexy (Gideon: Did you mean homosexual- Sasha: NO! I know what I said! It's a JOKE! I didn't get mixed up this time! You are so pretendcious sometimes! *Gideon doesn’t dare correct him this time; Sasha’s irritated enough.*)

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: I'm from San Myshuno, born and raised, but my mom was from Simvlakia and I understand and speak Simvlakian a little bit. I can't write it for sh*t.

FAVORITE FRUIT: Twinkies. (*Gideon shakes his head*)

FAVORITE SEASON: Summer.

FAVORITE FLOWER: Sunflowers.

FAVORITE SCENT: (*Looks sheepishly at Gideon*) Cartier's Pasha. (*Gideon sits up, pleased*)

COFFEE, TEA, or HOT CHOCOLATE: Cigarettes. (Gideon: What happened to quitting? Sasha: I'm no quitter! Hey- don't look at me like that...I am trying. It's been three days, ok? Gideon: I'm so proud of you!)

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: I need 7-8. I'm a pretty deep sleeper.

DOGS or CATS: Yes.

DREAM TRIP: I don't know...I haven't really been out of San Myshuno. I always wanted to visit my mom's family in Simvlakia, but I wouldn't know where to begin. After she died, my father got rid of all her pictures, her papers, documents...I don't have anything from her, except for a stuffed animal from when I was really little. (*Gideon inhales sharply and his expression darkens- it begins to soften again when Sasha rests his head on his shoulder.*)

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: One? Two? I guess I get cold at night. (Gideon, knowingly: Hey- I can keep you warm at night. *Sasha, perking up*: You are a pervert! Is this a ploy to get me in your bed? Gideon: Always... Sasha: *Snickers*)

RANDOM FACT: Sasha has a green thumb. It's something he shares with his late mom. He's really good with plants.

I AM TAGGING: @agena87, @damseljamsel, @lynzishell, @alinelie (plz plz plz!), @simarcana (Alika or any of your fabulous OCs), @eslanes (love your stuff and saw you have more storytelling coming soon?), and even though @greighish is taking a hiatus, I AM NOT ! This is all optional, do it if you want to, ignore me at your own risk, up to you! ❤️😆

[lynzishell]

✨23 Faves of 2023✨

I've been tagged on a few different versions of this throughout the month. For mine, I've decided to take 23 moments from my story and share them in chorological order. 💖TYSM for tagging me @hannahssimblr, @jarakio, @rebouks, @theosconfessions, @bloomingkyras, @igotsnothing 💖 I'm sorry if I missed anyone... I'm usually better at keeping note of who tagged me but I dropped the ball on this one and had to search through my mentions lol!

Alright... let's dive in shall we?

✨First up: Looooook at baby Phoenix 🥹 hehe! This was the first time he visited Mt Komorebi and the first time he saw snow... sparking his love affair with both. If you listen carefully, you can hear Wolfgang yelling in the distance, "Yo Penis!" (I miss that nickname. Special thanks to Becca for never letting it die 😅)

✨Ahhh The Bluffs -- I think this is my favorite lot in game, and look how stunning it is at sunset! This is from Phoenix's 18th birthday... aka that fateful night when [redacted] was [redacted]

✨Just me being obsessed with San Myshuno... particularly the Spice District. This is from Phoenix and Dawn's movie night... back when they were still just friends/co-workers.

✨Eeee this moment still gives me all the feels! When these two finally crossed the line from friends to lovers.

✨This one doesn't need a caption... just look at them... and the vibrant colors... 😍

✨The moment they became official

✨Falling in looooooove

✨I don't know why, but this is actually my favorite pic of them

✨Greta returns...lol! It was actually unintentional how well these two match the environment, but it made taking screenies so fun!

✨My second favorite pic of these two... *sigh* just look at them

✨Enter my Asher obsession... I can't tell you how happy I was when I found this pose because this is exactly how I envisioned him entering the room... against the door frame all leaned over and relaxed... even the way his feet are crossed and his left arm just hangs... it's just sooo HIM.

✨I mean... ahhh! I love him! and Lex too lol... we don't see much of her in my story, but these two have been BFFs since middle school. She's super sweet and funny.

✨Atlas and Asher, my loves. There's so much in this scene for me... I had such a clear picture of it in my mind looong before I created it in sims, and I was pretty happy with how it came out. And the song I used was very purposeful (even if I never state why lol) This moment here was actually quite self-indulgent if I'm honest.

✨Yep, still obsessed with these two lol! I just love this shot... the colors and the way they're holding each other. This is actually the desktop background on my laptop lmao

✨I had soooo much fun making this post!! Omg this song is so fkin good! I'll probably reblog this post on New Year's just for funzies 😊

✨Back to Phoenix and Dawn as they prepare to move in together... Had to get a shot of the fountain before saying goodbye to the Spice District

✨Ahaa and here we are.. beginning the journey up Mt Komorebi! I think this little bridge is my favorite spot along the way. It's really cool, and I got lots of great screenies from all angles. I really like this one.

✨Love how this shot came out! We all know this moment, yeah? Right before Dawn [redacted]

✨Yay! Celebrating the fact they made it to the summit... enjoy you two, you earned it!

✨Me carefully side-stepping the sad posts... love this moment of the two of them reconnecting... with the water and the city in the background... I just think it's nice.

✨Relaxing in their favorite summer spot... I love all the blues

✨I really like this shot from Kiyoshi and Kaori's wedding, with only their ceremony in the distance in focus, and the vibrant colors.

✨This seemed like a nice one to end on. I love the snow falling out the window, and the way Dawn is lit up by the candles. And I know there are mods to get rid of the z's when they sleep, but tbh, I kinda think they're adorable lol

Thank you to anyone who took the time to go on this little journey with me! If you made it to the end, please help yourself to a cookie 🍪 and know that I adore you!

My story will return on Jan 1st yay!! 🎉

I'm not going to tag anyone because a post like this doesn't need a tag! If you haven't done this yet, PLEASE do! Revisit your work from the year and share your favorites with us! Let's all go into 2024 feeling excited and inspired 💖

[acuar-io]

haii interview incoming about your ocs

If they were an animal what animals would they be?

Do they have any siblings? hows their relationship with family?

Where are they fromm? do they speak another language?

What's their biggest (stupidest) fear?

Favorite music genre/artist?

and last because im yapping away...are there any fun facts or deets about them youd like to share?

YAY OC ASK TIME!! I actually answered this on the app and tumblr poofed it. So im going to reanswer the questions again lol. Its going to be a long one so BUCKLE UP CUS HERE WE GO!

If they were an animal what animals would they be?

Sephtis would be a black cat 🐈‍⬛, Izara a bunny 🐇, Benny an otter 🦦 and I have really introduced him to the blog yet and gotten into his character, but Dante would be a dog 🐶 specifically a Jack Russell

2. Do they have any siblings? hows their relationship with family?

I love this question and I will get more into detail with all of my ocs in another post or in their character page (when i create one :3)

Sephtis has an older sister (three years older). They both have a good relationship with their mother, but a terrible one with their father. Their dad actually cut ties with them because they are both (according to him) "a disgrace to the company and family name" he ended up giving the company to their cousin because neither of them wanted to inherit their fathers company, nor cared about his business lol. Their father was never really there for them, their mother practically had a facade the entire marriage & fought so much for Seph and his sister to live "normal lives" as nepo babies (lol) they were pretty popular in school because of their bg which they hated. Their parents divorced Sephs senior year of hs and at that time is when his dad cut ties w him as well.

Izara is an only child. She has a good relationship with her parents. They're more on the traditional side & older people, so sometimes they dont see eye to eye, especially when she was in Junior High & High school. Izara's interests concerned them (literally just regular interests teenagers have that freak out ethnic parents bc they need theyre becoming demons or some shit lol) also didnt like that she loved art and wanted to be an artists/art curator. Eventually though, they understood that they cant control what their daughter does with her future and that is all up to her ( I think they left her alone more so because they realized she is successful in her art and modeling career).

Benny is the youngest of 4. He has 3 sisters. His relationship with his parents was really shitty growing up, sadly. He is gay & hes known that for his whole life. Having 3 sisters and being the only boy, he loved to play with dolls. His parents being very religious, seeing him play with dolls, was not something they liked. Even if he was just playing with his sisters. In school, he was bullied. There was name calling and rumors that spread around about him. His parents hated the rumors and name calling not because it hurt Benny, but because it makes them look like bad Catholics. Benny truly only had his sisters and other female friends by his side throughout school. It wasnt until high school where things seemed to change for the better. This especially were better because he had Sephtis. His parents have come around, but they def took their time to finally accept their son.

3.Where are they from? do they speak another language?

Sephtis is from Osaka, Japan (Mt. Komorebi) then moved to Los Angeles at age 4 (Del Sol Valley). He speaks English and Japanese!

Izara is from New York (San Myshuno), shes Ethiopian-American. She speaks English and Amharic.

Benny is from Quebec (have no idea what sim world would be considered Canada lol) He speaks French & English

What's their biggest (stupidest) fear?

Okay so Sephtis & Izara are afraid of movie characters LMAO Sephtis will forever be afraid of Kayako (The Grudge) movie he watched as a kid with his sister that scarred him as a child ksfkksfks. Izara specifically does not like the older Godzilla (model?? costume??) she thinks its ugly and creepy as fuck like literally nightmare looking ass creature. IS THIS NOT JUST CREEEPY TO U???

Ok I wouldnt say Benny's is stupid....hes afraid of bugs specifically roaches. I mean logically, hes bigger than them so he can step on them and kill them, but he just finds them super fucking gross that he cant bring himself to do that lol.

Favorite music genre/artist?

Sephtis' fave band is BUCK-TICK, Fave genre is Rock (I'll keep it broad because he loves a toe=ne of sub rock genres).

Izara's fave artist is PinkPantheress! For groups, she likes New Jeans, Aespa & Perfume (yes she listens to kpop/jpop). Fave genre is pop for sure!!

Benny's fave band are the cranberries!! fave genre is also rock, but he prefers alternative rock!!

and last because im yapping away...are there any fun facts or deets about them youd like to share?

Okay well, I want to share a little about Seph and Benny's relationship rq!! So they went to the same high school. Sephtis is a year older than Benny. Their paths didnt officially cross until Sephtis' senior year and Benny's junior year of high school. They met one day after school when it was raining, Benny didnt have an umbrella but sephtis did :) thats all ill say for now :3

[honeyjars-sims]

1.47 I Won't Be Home for Christmas

Lexie: So I guess this is Christmastime in Del Sol Valley.

Johnny: Yeah, it’s no winter wonderland. I bet it’s more festive in Brindleton Bay. Are you going there for Winter Break?

Lexie: Well, I was supposed to, but my mom just told me that she and my dad are going skiing on Mt. Komorebi this year. 

Johnny: Oh, that sounds nice. Are you going with them?

Lexie: Nope. It was pretty last minute and they won’t be getting back until after the new semester starts.

Johnny: You sound disappointed.

Lexie: I am. I didn’t get to see them on my birthday, and now this. I’ve never not spent Christmas with my parents. It’s extra hard because I’ve been feeling a little homesick lately. I’ve never been away from my family this long.

Johnny: I’m sorry, baby. You’re welcome to spend Christmas with me and my family if you want.

Lexie: Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to intrude.

Johnny: Yeah, my parents would love to have you over! They’ve been hounding me to bring you around.

Lexie: Well, in that case, I’d love to come! I have a feeling your family knows how to entertain.

Johnny: Oh, for sure! There’s never a dull moment when we get together. I know it doesn’t make up for you missing out on time with your family, but I’m glad we’ll get to spend the holiday together.

Lexie: Me too. Christmas has always been a big holiday in my family. I was just thinking about my favorite Christmas memory. When I was 6, my parents surprised me with my favorite stuffed animal. You remember that little white dog from the dog food commercials?

Johnny: Yeah, he was so cute!

Lexie: I was obsessed with that dog. Apparently they made him into a stuffed animal and that’s what my parents gave me that year. I named him Snowflake and I took him everywhere. After a while he was more of a dingy gray.

Johnny: Aw, that’s cute! Do you still have him? Don’t tell anyone, but I still have my favorite stuffed cat from when I was a kid and I still sleep with it every night.

Lexie: I think that's sweet! Unfortunately our dog mistook Snowflake for a chew toy. My mom tried her best to salvage it, but it was a lost cause. I wish I still had him, though. Maybe having Snowflake to cuddle up with would help me feel less homesick.

Johnny: I’m sorry you’re missing home so much. I know I can’t replace Snowflake, but if you ever need a cuddle buddy, you know I’m here.

Lexie: Hmm, well, you’re not as soft and fluffy, but you’re still pretty cuddly. What’s your favorite Christmas memory? 

Johnny: Well, Christmas growing up was pretty rough. We didn’t have much money and my mom usually had to work so it was never much of a thing in my house.

Lexie: Oh, I’m sorry. I keep forgetting you didn’t grow up like I did.

Johnny: That’s ok, I haven’t really talked about it much. Maybe I’ll tell you more about it someday. But things were much better once I moved in with my dads. 

Lexie: That’s good. What do they do for the holidays?

Johnny: Well, Dad is Jewish and Pops grew up Protestant so we do a secular “Chrismakkuh” thing where we combine traditions from Hanukkah and Christmas. On Christmas Eve we make cookies and popcorn and hunker down in the living room for the night to watch cheesy holiday movies. We get our sleeping bags and make snarky comments about the movies. 

Lexie: Oh, like those movies where a woman goes back to her hometown and discovers the true meaning of the holiday season, which always involves a guy?

Johnny: Yep. Our first Chrismakkuh together, my parents kept trying to get me hyped up, but I wasn’t having it. I was just being a typical 14-year-old who was too cool to hang out with his family. But I ended up having a great time. That’s probably my favorite memory. 

Lexie: It sounds like a lovely one.

Johnny: It was. I remember waking up the next morning with the TV still going and seeing the rest of my family still snoring away in their sleeping bags. That was the first time I really felt like I was home.

Lexie: I’m glad you finally got to make some positive holiday memories. That must have meant the world to you.

Johnny: It did. And it means the world to me that I’ll be making memories with you this year.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[purplesimmer455]

I then switched to the Takamura household in Mt. Komorebi. I haven’t played/posted them in a bit so to recap:

It’s Stephanie Takamura (née Whitaker) with the red hair, her spouse Riley in the green blazer, and their daughter Nancy who’s a kid sim. Riley and Stephanie met when Stephanie moved to Mt. Komorebi to become a ski instructor and Riley worked as a chef. They fell for each other, moved in together, got engaged, and adopted a baby who they named Nancy because Stephanie can’t get pregnant and they really wanted kids. They then got married in a quiet but sweet ceremony when Nancy was 2, and Stephanie took Riley’s last name. Nancy is part Japanese from one bio parent and part Simerican from another parent, and her bio parents had her pretty young and not in a good financial situation so they gave her up so she could have a good life. Riley was born in Japan but was raised along with their sisters by their parents in Willow Creek, and Stephanie was born and raised in Newcrest by her dads. Nancy looks so much like Stephanie with the same red hair and brown eyes that some sims are surprised when her parents mention she’s adopted. Not that Riley and Stephanie would care if Nancy didn’t look like them because they’d love her anyway, but they find it really sweet how much she looks like Stephanie. Okay, recap finished. 😄 I want them to have one more kid eventually, and now that we have the have science baby/surrogacy option I’m excited to try that for them.

Stephanie kisses her spouse Riley’s cheek, making them blush, before Nancy comes running up to them, finished with her school for the day. “Ri!” She says excitedly, happy to see her parent. “Nan!” Riley replies, picking Nancy up and giving her a bear hug, making her giggle. Stephanie comes over, and Nancy hugs her too. “I love you and Ri so much, mama.” Nancy says as Stephanie snuggles her. “Ri and I love you too.” Stephanie says. “Yeah.” Riley adds, smiling at their nooboo. After talking with her parents for a bit, Nancy decides to play some marbles, and asks them to watch. “Ri, check this out.” She says as she rolls one marble forward and knocks another one away*. “Good job, Nan.” Riley says as Nancy beams at them.

[bunbeeplays]

OC Questionnaire

Thanks for the tag @simslegacy5083! Since it took me a hot second to get around to, I'm doing a two for one deal with both my legacy heir and her spouse.

Name - Ophelia Marie Lemon

Nickname - I call her Feefs sometimes (from the ph in her name) but her most famous nickname is Lemon Cake, which is what her husband Xander always calls her. 

Gender - Cisgender woman

Star sign - I think she’d be an Aries

Height - Adult Sims are the same height but if they weren’t I think she’d actually be on the shorter side like 5’3”

Orientation - Pansexual

Nationality/Ethnicity - Ophelia was born and raised in San Sequoia but I feel like she’d have ancestry in Windenburg

Favourite Fruit - Ironically it’s not lemon, but açaí! She makes açaí bowls for breakfast all the time

Favourite Season - Spring

Favourite Flower - Lilies

Favourite Scent - Water-based scents like rain or ocean water 

Coffee, Tea or Hot Chocolate - Coffee, though she does enjoy a cup of peppermint hot chocolate every now and then in the winter

Average Hours of Sleep - she runs on coffee and determination so she only needs like 6 hours

Dogs or Cats - Cats all the way

Dream Trip - Mt Komorebi, she’s visited for a bit but she’d love to vacation there and ski

Number of Blankets - Just a light comforter and the top sheet is fine with her

Random Fact - Ophelia’s competed on a baking show! If you know you know

Name - Alexander “Xander” Amir Lemon (née Pappas)

Nickname - Pretty much everyone calls him Xander except his sister, Hilary, who usually calls him Alexander

Gender - Cisgender man

Star sign - I think he’d be a Sagittarius

Height - Adult Sims are the same height but if they weren’t I think he’d be 5’11”

Orientation - Pansexual

Nationality/Ethnicity - Xander was born and raised in Tartosa but his dad was Greek and his mom was Indian (we don’t have worlds in the Sims that represent those nationalities though, even if Tartosa has some Greek influences I consider it more Italian-based)

Favourite Fruit - He’ll say it’s lemon because it reminds him of his beautiful wife, but he’s not gonna sit around and eat raw lemons, so his actual favorite fruit is pineapple

Favourite Season - Summer

Favourite Flower - I feel like Xander wouldn’t know anything about flowers, so something basic like daisies

Favourite Scent - Nectar

Coffee, Tea or Hot Chocolate - Coffee, he autonomously makes it every day. 

Average Hours of Sleep - He gets like 6 hours of sleep a night but it’s enough for him 

Dogs or Cats - Xander likes both but cats are way less needy and with four kids, cats are just easier pets to have. 

Dream Trip - Batuu but Ophelia always shoots it down lmao

Number of Blankets - One, he runs hot at night 

Random Fact - I just downloaded Divergent Sims so we'll see if this is canon, but I always had it in my mind that Xander has ADHD but never got diagnosed because his parents, while relatively open minded about most things, didn’t really believe as much in stuff like that and thought he just needed to “focus” more in school. 

[fallin4fiction]

Struck by Love Gen 7: Hopes and Hookups

The sisters live next door to a rock band called G.R.A.V.E who were taking a hiatus in Mt. Komorebi before their big show in Ravenewood. Kerry became woohoo partners with one of the band members, Roxanne J.

And unbeknownst, to Kora, Kerry even had the nerve to woohoo in her bed.

Kora was too busy taking pictures of their new adopted cats, Cinnamon and Minnie for Simstagram. She adopted them because she knew her followers would eat up the feline photos and her sister, Kassidy was a cat lover.

After her roll in the sheets, Kerry came downstairs to gloat.

Kerry: Aw playing with kitties? Looks like that’s the closest thing you’ll ever get to—

Kassidy ( from outside) : Don’t finish that sentence!

Kerry: Such prudes, the lot of you. So, that Haylee Trevino is pretty hot, huh? Must suck you’ can’t have a conversation with her. I told her to her face she wasn’t shit and she just smiled at me.

Kora: Don’t you have a girlfriend?

Kerry: Roxie and I are just friends with benefits. You can’t even get one of those . Must be your townie work clothes.

Kora: At least I have a job and I’m up for a promotion thank you very much.

Kerry: Focus too much on skilling and you miss out on life. Careful, I heard heirs only get two gallery spouses per save. We wouldn’t want the potential love of your life to get with someone else.

Kassidy: Girls, get out here! Zayden and I are now official and we’re eloping in the front yard!

Kora: Right next to the dirt plates? Classy.

After that makeshift wedding, Kora resolved to herself that she will be getting a significant other within the week.

But first, she had to go out on her own and lie to social media.

Post by Kora-Kora1007: Spending New Year’s Eve out with my family. So what if you don’t have anyone to kiss at midnight. The love you have for yourself is all you need.

[moonfromearth]

College Sim Dump!!

Will I ever be on time for a follower milestone? Not likely. 😅

Anyway, as a celebration for 150 followers here are eight cc free sims all enrolled in university! Each sim has been enrolled in a degree program, had two skills set to level three, signed up for organizations, as well as gotten scholarships!

Should you use them feel free to do as you want with them but I've provided some information on each one below the cut 😉😉

And finally a huge thank you to everyone who's followed me! I've had such a great time interacting with the simblr community and it means so much any time someone interacts with a post of mine so... Thank you!! 🤩🤩🤩

~ download (google drive) ~

A little about the sims...

Cassidy Whitmore (she/her) - Music Lover, Outgoing, Mean - Unapologetic, loud, and the mastermind behind The Whitmores, her and her brother's duo. A bit much to handle sometimes but a brilliant songwriter without much of a care for actually doing her homework, after all why write essays and answer multiple choice questions about songwriting when you can actually be writing songs?

Quinn Whitmore (he/him) - Music Lover, Paranoid, Good - Cassidy's younger brother. He looks up to his sister and has followed her lead thus far in life. His passion, though, lies more in the instrumental side of making music, and he's responsible for mixing songs that he and Cassidy work on together under the name The Whitmores. Good natured and friendly but overly anxious and tends to overthink too much. Actually does his homework, unlike his sister.

Whitley Miller (she/her) - Geek, Bro, Slob - The ace of Britechester's ESports team, Whitley's entire life revolves around gaming, modding games, and, well, more games. She's already completed several small video games as well as dozens popular mods for various games. Though some could say she's a little.. Unorganized, but who has the time to clean their room anyway?

Kai Māhoe (he/him) - Adventurous, Active, Squeamish - Britechester's all star soccer player, Kai is an athlete through and through. Outside of soccer he also snowboards and rock climbs, having gained himself several sponsors while still being in college. He's hoping to study abroad for a year and go to Mt Komorebi in order to reach the summit of the famed mountain for which the area is named.

Zoe Cho (she/her) - Art Lover, High Maintenance, Vegetarian - An artist who holds her opinion in the highest regard. Dreams of becoming an art critic but only after having her work featured within every famed San Myshuno gallery's walls. I imagine she wears contacts but unfortunately that's not a thing in the game so... Her natural eye color is brown. Member of the Britechester Art Society.

Blake Nora (he/him) - Perfectionist, Bookworm, Loves the Outdoors - You might recognize Blake if you've seen my last sim dump. His cousin, Jennifer, and him are pretty much identical. Blake was created by accident while I was trying to figure out Jennifer's look and personality. Anyway, Blake's a devoted student but rather than go on daring adventures like his cousin he'd prefer a good book and a small garden. He's a member of The Debate Guild solely to put it on his resumed, as he hates confrontation and arguing... So basically everything about The Debate Guild.

Averie Stewart (she/her) - Dance Machine, Hot Headed, Noncommittal - A dancer and cheerleader pursuing a career in theater, hoping to one day travel the world performing, never settling anywhere. Loves to have fun and hang out with friends but don't get on her bad side. Fun fact: Her look was inspired a lot by K-pop group dance practice videos. Member of the Foxbury Spirit Squad.

Gus Richards (they/them) - Self-Absorbed, Genius, Glutton - A medium with psychic abilities and an ego that's waaay too big. They're going to revolutionize paranormal research (so they claim). Probably watched Ghostbusters one too many times as a kid. On Foxbury's robotics team.

[bridgeportbritt]

Creeksbrey Palace | Umbrage, SimDonia

Rose: And then, we went down the hill on the sled and - BOOM! Completely crashed.

Olivia: Oh my, Watcher! That sounds rough.

Rose: We were alright. My friend's family is from Mt. Komorebi so she's used to wiping out and getting right back on the hill!

Olivia: That's good! There's a lesson in that.

Rose: Always wear a helmet?

Olivia laughs: Yep, good one.

Door opens

Grayson: Oh, hey Emmitt. Didn't know you'd be in here. Sorry to bother you.

Emmitt: Hey, Grayson. Boy, you're home late. Rough day?

Grayson: Yeah, we're having trouble getting the education budget in order. That's why I came in here to see if you had any books on finance that could help me.

Emmitt: I'm sure there is something here. Sounds like it's going to be a long night for you. Don't make too much of a habit of it. Trust me from experience, significant others don't like it.

Grayson laughs: Yeah, thanks for the adivce. Luckily schoolwork keeps Olivia busy, but graduation is right around the corner.

Emmitt: Your mother runs a clothing empire and still expects me home for dinner every night. Or ran.

Grayson sits: I'd be scared to disappoint her.... how is she, by the way? Have you talked to her?

Emmitt chuckles: She's doing alright. I think being with Maia and the family certainly helps.

Grayson: That's good. I hate to see her so upset.

Emmitt sighs: I know, me too. But, your mom is tough. She'll get through this. So... was there something else on your mind?

Grayson: Actually... since you're dishing out relationship advice, I do need some.

Emmitt: Oh yeah? This ought to be good.

Grayson: Well, I have my eye on a couple houses in Umbrage and Cypress. Not that I don't love the palace, but you know, for me and Olivia.

Emmitt: Okay, interesting...

Grayson: I also have my eye on a few... rings.

Emmitt: I see. These are big moves, son.

Grayson: I know. Which is why I'm struggling. There are so many options. How do I make the right decision?

Emmitt: On which house or ring to pick?

Grayson: Yeah. I want to make Olivia happy.

Emmitt: Ah. Well, your heart is in the right place then already. From what I know about Olivia and what I see between you two, Olivia will be happy no matter what you choose. You just need to actually choose.

Grayson: But, how do you not get caught up in the details?

Emmitt: With decisions like this... it's hard to describe, but when you know, you know. You will see that house and that ring and know that it's the one. It's all about trusting yourself. You know you're making the right decision with Olivia, right?

Grayson: Of course!

Emmitt: Then, trust me. That's what truly matters.

Grayson: Thanks, Emmitt. Dang, you're two for two on words of wisdom tonight.

Emmitt laughs: Well, don't be so surprised. I'm a pretty wise man! Bring her in, Gray. This is an exciting time! Your mom will be estatic when this all comes together.

Grayson: I'm definitely excited. Just gotta follow through.

Emmitt: You got this, Gray.

[cakepoppresent]

Finally Back Home!

Finally! School is out and everyone is free to go back home and relax after a stressful semester. The Reeves Siblings head off to the airport to catch their flight back home.

Luna, Benji and Malcolm are heading to Mt Komorebi and Gideon is putting plans in motion.

Veronica: Mom called me before we got here, she says you are in BIG trouble. She took your PlayStation and Switch away

Xavier: This isn't fair! I just wanted to see you guys, why am I being PUNISHED!

Sams: Be so serious! What if something happened

Xavier: But nothing happened! This is the worst! You guys gotta help me!! Dad listens to you Veroinca, talk to him for me!

Veronica: Should I? You were pretty cozy with Vaghun the other day. Maybe you should ask him to vouch for you Xavier Omg Veronica! Please I'm begging!

Sams: Don't mind Veronica. Just get mom to give dad a few kisses and he'll forget all about it.

Xaxier: I knew I could count on you, Sams. That's why you are my favourite.

Veronica: Remember you said that Little Xavier.

Xaxier: *Hmph* You don't scare me!

Grayson grunts and throws himself against his chair" You guys I'm in distress! I am conflicted!"

Veronica: What the hell is wrong with you? Is it Alaia?

Grayson:...Kinda and another issue came up but I think it's more dangerous

Sams: What's happening now?

Grayson: You know Su? he works at the art gallery as my supervisor? Veronica: What about Su?

Grayson: I dunno but I think he likes me? it's just.. I don't know the way he acts and how he speaks with me makes it seem that way

Veronica: Does he make you uncomfortable? should I beat his ass for you?

Grayson: No! no nothing like that...it doesn't make me feel bad at all but like...I don't know. I kinda like it? the attention I mean!

Veronica: What about Gideon? you guys are always tied to the hip

Sams: The better question is, Do you like Su the way you like Gideon or do you just like the attention you're getting. Those are two different things!

Grayson: I still love Grayson very much. With all my heart! It just Su seems very intense...I don't know how to describe it!

Xaxiver: ugh this conversation is BORING. Let's talk about something else! Are you guys going to come back for my birthday!

Veronica: I think you should talk to Mom about this Grayson and yes Xavier we wouldn't miss it for the world.

Grayson: You're right! mom knows best

The Reeves siblings are finally home. Everyone is excited to be under one roof again! While everyone is catching up, Xavier tries to sneak upstairs so he doesn't have to deal with his parent's anger but he fails

Brayden: Where do you think you're going huh?! What if something happened to you? You couldn't wait a couple days Xavier?

Blair: Honey, I was so worried! what would I do if something happened

Xavier: I'm sorry! I really am!! I was safe and I came back in one piece

Blair: Your punishment is on hold due to the holidays, but no PlayStation, no Switch, no T.V. From school straight home, no hanging out with friends. The duration is still pending

Xavier: What am I supposed to do!! You're basically sending me to my death

Brayden: You'll be fine

Xavier: Omg Mom! Let's talk about this!

Blair: You won't smooth talk your way out of this one

Xavier grunts in annoyance "Ugh this isn't fair!" and runs up into his room

Blair: Do you think we were too hard on him?

Brayden: No! don't weaken your heart! He'll be fine!

Previous - Next

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #59

Journal Entry #58 // STORY INDEX

Victor

We’ve been having an amazing summer.

Yeah, I know we’ve been neglecting our journal again, but in a way I feel like maybe we’re outgrowing it. We’ve been chronicling our life this way for over a year, and so much has changed for us in that time. So much has changed about us as well. We’re not the same people we were a year ago, and that’s a good thing.

I started this journal for fun because I wanted to do some travelling that wasn’t connected to a snowboarding competition, and I thought it'd be cool to document my adventures. I did get to go to Sulani, but in hindsight, now I see how unrealistic it was to think I’d be jetting frivolously all around the globe.

But, starting the journal wasn’t a wasted effort by any means. Looking back on it, it’s a reminder of how far Yuri and I have come, what we’ve learned and how we’ve grown as individuals and as a couple. I love us, and I'm proud of the progress we’ve made together.

It’s been interesting to share a part of our story with everyone, but I feel like we’re moving into a different stage of our life now. I don't know if we'll keep recording our journey like this in the future. We'll see.

Anyway, we're still doing it for now, so let me pick up where I left off back in June.

After Mom and Julian's wedding, Yuri and I had a few days together before he and his family returned to Japan. I had a great time showing them around, and I think Mr. and Mrs. Okamoto fell in love with Willow Creek a little bit, because they said they wanted to come back for a longer visit in the near future. Yuki's favourite thing was actually the amusement park in nearby Newcrest, and her parents really seemed to enjoy the scenic walking trails and the farmers market.

Before they left, Mr. Okamoto asked me if I'd like to stay with them when I returned to Mt. Komorebi instead of moving back into Uncle Kaz's house for what might end up being only a couple of months. My knee-jerk reaction was to say no, but I'm glad I managed to keep that to myself. The offer did make a lot of sense, after all. If Yuri and I both stayed with his parents, we wouldn't have to pay rent on top of our mortgage payment for the haunted house, and we could pack up the rest of our stuff so we'd be ready to leave whenever we reasonably could. I just didn't know how I'd feel, being in such close proximity to my in-laws for an extended period of time.

I told Mr. Okamoto I'd think about it and get back to him, and he seemed satisfied with that.

Grandpa Michael also hung around in Willow Creek for a while after the wedding. I said he could stay with me, but he declined, claiming the house would be too crowded with all Yuri's family members staying there too. I found that a little odd at first, until I discovered that he somehow managed to hook up with someone at the wedding and got invited to stay in her guest room for a few nights.

"She's a younger woman, and she’s hot," he told me confidentially. "Her name's Juliet. How about that?"

"Uh... how much younger are we talking?" I asked.

"She's sixty-six."

"Don't you think you're moving kinda fast? Like, sleeping over at her place after you literally just met her?"

"Listen," Grandpa Michael said. "At my age, you gotta move fast so you don't miss the good opportunities."

He's seventy-three. If he was in a contest for old people who move fast, he'd probably win a medal.

Still, he deserves to find happiness and have fun. It’s been seven years since my grandma passed away, and I’m pretty sure he’ll never stop loving her, but seven years is a long time to be alone if you’re used to being with somebody. If he feels like he's ready to get back into the dating scene, who am I to tell him not to?

When I met the aforementioned Juliet a couple days later, I totally understood the attraction. Although ‘hot’ wasn’t exactly the first word that sprang to mind, I could definitely see why Grandpa Michael would think so. She was elegant and confidently attractive in the way women are when they embrace aging with grace instead of engaging in a useless battle with it. I could easily imagine her being a knockout in her younger days. When she was my age, I bet she turned every head in every room she stepped into.

Beyond my initial impression of Juliet Picard, I was startled to realize I recognized her. She was the woman who'd been in charge of all the flowers for the wedding. Turns out she owns a florist shop called Hearts and Flowers, which happens to be down the street from Mom and Julian's clinic. Coincidentally, the flower shop also occupies the same building as the flat where Davian St-Jean, a friend of mine from high school, lives.

I used to say Willow Creek was the most boring place on Earth, that nothing ever happens there, but that's when I was viewing it through the eyes of a guy who thought events didn't have much meaning unless they were big and exciting and important to everyone. I was wrong about that. Sometimes the most seemingly insignificant thing carries the most weight.

A lot happens in Willow Creek. It's a town of connections, of opportunities small and large, the sort of place where a chance interaction could change the course of somebody's life in ways they might never have been able to imagine.

I mean, I was in Willow Creek when I met Yuri. Sitting alone in my sparsely -furnished unit at the Sage Estates apartment complex, scrolling through a forum for snowboarding enthusiasts, I had no idea I was going to see a photo of this impossibly cute Japanese boy doing a silly pose with his board. My impulsivity made me message him, and his curiosity made him message back. Prior to that day, if anyone had suggested I would meet my soulmate through a random encounter on the internet, I think I would've laughed out loud.

But now? Don't tell me stuff doesn't happen in Willow Creek. Dreams are born there, and nobody will ever convince me to change my mind about that again.

The day after Yuri and his family headed home, Grandpa Michael and I departed for Brindleton Bay. He returned his rented car, and then Juliet met us for breakfast and dropped us off at the bus station afterwards.

"I'll be back," he told her as we were about to board the bus, and I swear it was totally dramatic, like something out of a movie. He was dead serious, though, so I had to do my best not to laugh.

"I'll be looking forward to it," she said.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the keys to the house. "Here," I said, handing them to my grandpa. "Consider my place your place until Yuri and I come back. Feel free to use it any time."

He grinned at me, and for a split second I could've sworn I saw the face of a man half his age. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll enjoy that heated swimming pool, and your fabulous kitchen. I'll make myself at home."

"Go for it," I said. "Just don't use the red mug, and don't sleep in the basement bedroom."

Juliet raised an eyebrow. "What an odd thing to say."

"It's only odd if you don't know about the ghost," I told her.

"The ghost?"

"Victor's house is haunted," Grandpa Michael said cheerfully. "Cool, don't you think?"

"Really?" Juilet looked intrigued. "Well, I can't wait to see that."

"Victor, I presume I'm allowed to have houseguests?"

"Go for it," I said. "Far be it from me to cramp your style."

He winked at Juliet. "Heated swimming pool."

"Oh, lord..." she responded, but she was laughing. "I think I'll have to keep him, Victor. I wouldn't want to unleash him on anyone else."

"Consider me kept." Grandpa Michael put the keys into his own bag, and then gave me a thumbs up. "Just let me know when you're coming back. I'll make sure I'm there, so you can get in."

"Don't worry," I said. "Mom has the other set of keys. We'll be able to get in. I'll let her know you'll be coming and going, though. We don't want her to think somebody's trying to break into the place."

"Imagine explaining that to the police," he said, and the look on his face implied he'd very much enjoy stirring up a little trouble like that.

Mom says I'm just like Grandpa Michael. She's probably not wrong. Aside from sharing an almost obsessive passion for snow sports and being international competitors — he was a world champion slalom skiier back in the day — we have the same love for food, the same enjoyment of being with other people, the same sense of humour and, I think it's safe to say, the same impulse control issues.

I love him. I mean, I love my other grandparents too, but I think I have a deeper bond with Grandpa Michael than with the others. We get each other on a fundamental level.

We had a blast during the week I spent in Brindleton Bay with him. We passed a lot of our time at the local fitness center, and every morning we had tea and breakfast with his friends at a café in town. His friends are awesome, for the record. After the first day, I kind of forgot I was hanging out with guys in their seventies. One afternoon, we all played golf together, and on another day we went deep-sea fishing with one of the friends who owns a boat.

When we weren't socializing, we managed to get loads of yard work done, and we did plenty of cooking. Oh man... the cooking. It was so nice not to have to worry about ingredients and portion sizes and making sure everything had the right balance of protein and carbs. We cooked whatever we felt like having, and trust me, we had a lot of it. I'm pretty sure I've never eaten so much in a week in my entire life. With my belly full, I slept like a dead man every night, and it was absolutely satisfying.

On the evening before my flight back to Japan, Grandpa Michael and I were sitting on his back doorstep, drinking some fruit juice and staring out at the ocean. If I thought sunsets over the lake in Granite Falls were beautiful, let me tell you they've got nothing on sunsets over the ocean. The last time I'd seen anything like that, I'd been in Sulani, but somehow this was better. It wasn't that the sunset itself was any more gorgeous, but because I was seeing it with someone I care about and who I know cares about me.

"It's been a long time since I got to sit here and enjoy this with another person," my grandfather said, as if he were reading my thoughts.

"I'm glad I get to watch it with you."

"Me too," he said. "I hope you'll come back here more often, once you're all settled into your new home. Bring your husband too. He seems like a sweet little fellow."

I laughed at that, thinking about how Yuri would respond to being referred to as 'a sweet little fellow'. He'd probably love it, and I could picture him blushing.

"I will," I promised. "But I guess you'll be coming to Willow Creek more often now too, won’t you? So we'll have extra chances to see each other."

"Hmm..." Grandpa Michael leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. "I never thought I'd find someone I wanted to be with after your grandmother. I didn't think I'd ever want to love anyone that way again, honestly, but I might have changed my mind."

"You think love at first sight is a thing?"

"No," he said. "You never want to say 'love' too quickly, but it's okay to think about it, and I've got a good feeling."

I smiled. "I'm really glad you met Juliet."

"So am I. She made me remember that being alive and living life aren't the same thing," he said. "You know, it's easy to give up on living when you feel like you've lost your reason to live. But, I think we forget that we've got more than one reason. There's more to live for than that one person or thing we lost."

I thought about Yuri. He'd been at his lowest point this past winter, and for a while I'd really been afraid that he'd given up on wanting to be alive, not just on living. Nothing I said or did seemed to matter, and it was scaring me more than anything else ever had. But then, just when I was wondering what would become of him, of us and the future we’d planned, his reminder to live came from the most unlikely source; his father.

If somebody asked me to guess who'd save Yuri in the end, I never would’ve predicted it’d be his dad. Their relationship was practically non-existent up until this year.

It’d taken some pretty horrible events to make them take the first tiny steps toward fixing their broken trust, but all the pain and suffering was worth it if Yuri and his dad learned how to communicate with each other. They’ve both found hope and renewed determination to make the most out of their time in the world, and I’m thankful.

Since March, their relationship has grown by leaps and bounds, and it's been truly amazing to observe. Yuri is happier than I've ever known him to be. He's looking forward, rather than being stuck in a bubble of self-pity and going nowhere. Even the smallest things seem to bring him joy now, and I can't even begin to describe how full my heart is over that.

I want this to last. I want him to be happy forever, and I don't even care if I'm not the catalyst. Seeing him happy makes me happy. The reason for it doesn't matter, as long as he's thriving.

Of course, I'm enough of a realist to get that it's not always going to be sunshine and strawberry milkshakes. Yuri's chronic illness will never go away, so it's inevitable that he'll have bad days or weeks. Plus, we're doubtless going to have to deal with difficult stuff that's completely unrelated to Yuri's health.

That having been said, I'm of the opinion that happiness is a state of being. Like, even if we're not constantly cheerful and we're navigating scary or unpleasant situations, we can still be happy. There's always something to be grateful for, always one more reason to keep on living, and that's what I want for Yuri. My wish for him is that he'll finally understand happiness is something he can choose for himself, and even if everything around him is dark and bitter, he can still find his own metaphorical sunshine and strawberry milkshakes on the inside.

When I shared that with Grandpa Michael, he told me he was proud of me and said I should be proud of myself too.

"You've grown up a lot since you've been away," he commented.

"Thanks. I've had a lot of people helping me."

"Other people can only get you so far. You have to want to do it."

"I don't know if I wanted to," I confessed. "Being an adult is hard. Part of me wishes I could just stay a kid forever, Know what I mean?"

"Believe it or not, I do," he said. "But you know what they say. You don't have to stop playing just because you're growing up."

With that in mind, I've made it my mission to get in as much playtime as possible this summer and to bring as many people along with me on my adventures as I can.

I made up my mind to stay with my in-laws when I got back to Mt. Komorebi, and I have no regrets. Yuri and I have been filling our days with all kinds of activities from long walks on the mountain trails, to visiting local museums and galleries, to picnic lunches by the lake near his parents' house. I returned in time for the Festival of Snow, and the whole family went to it together. We were out all day, and it was even more fun than last year.

A few weeks ago, Yuri and I took a weekend trip to Kyoto for shopping, sightseeing, and a classical music concert. Yuri convinced me to go back to the spa we went to on the day before we got married, and afterwards we bought dango from a street vendor and ate it in the little park where we had our wedding pictures taken.

We've been spending time with our friends as well, and it probably goes without saying that Sakura and I are training on the mountain as much as we’re reasonably able to. Last week, Yuri told me that he thought he was finally feeling strong enough to get back on his board, so I called Sakura and asked her if we could skip training for the day so I could take Yuri snowboarding. She sounded only too glad to oblige, and said she might come out to join us, if Yuri didn't mind. He said he didn't, so Sakura met us at the intermediate slope, and the three of us had one of the most wonderful mornings I've had in a long time.

Yuri was exhausted by the time we were done, but even more importantly, he was hungry. He practically begged me to take him to a local ramen house for his favourite meal of the moment, kake udon. That's a kind of mild noodle soup that can be served with different toppings like tofu, sliced fish or shrimp tempura. Yuri likes it with scallions and fish. He somehow talked me into buying him strawberry daifuku as well, and then he didn't even share them with me. Like... the nerve! When it became clear I wasn't going to get even a bite of one of his, I had to order my own. I pretended to protest, but I was secretly thrilled, if you really want to know.

Yuri's been doing so good with his eating that Dr. Kasongo thinks she might be able to remove his feeding tube by the end of the year. He officially finished the first phase of his nutrition rehabilitation therapy in mid-July, so that means no more food intelligence classes and no more weekly visits with the nutritionist and psychologist.

He's happy about not having to meet with the psychologist every single week, but he's nervous about not seeing the nutritionist as regularly. She's been like a safety net for him, I think. He had to be accountable to her, and now he's worried that he's not going to be able to do it without her encouraging, reminding, and occasionally scolding him about his food intake and eating choices. He's supposed to continue with his daily food diary, and at this point he's supposed to start planning his own weekly menu or at least contributing to the planning of a family menu. He has a short consultation with the nutritionist every two weeks, usually ten or fifteen minutes by video call, so he can go over his food diary and meal plans with her. It's nothing like his previous hour-long weekly in-person sessions, and he's stressed.

Everyone in the family is cheering him on, though. We all know he can do it.

His current goal is to go sixty consecutive days without a single tube feeding. That, and his general overall health, are the criteria for having the tube removed. He looked like he was about to panic when the doctor told him that, and on the way home from his appointment he cried while telling me he didn't think he was ready to go sixty days in a row.

"It's okay," I said. "If you're not ready yet, that's not a bad thing. Just do the best you can."

"But, I'll be delaying our move even more if I can't do this," he said.

"No, you won't. We've got the date for your first appointment with Dr. Kim now, don't forget. We can move any time between now and then, and if you still have your tube when we move, I'm sure Dr. Kim can take it out just as easily as Dr. Kasongo could."

As a matter of fact, he'd received the email from Dr. Kim, the gastroenterologist at Willow Creek Regional Hospital, just the day before we last saw Dr. Kasongo. Yuri's initial appointment with Dr. Kim is scheduled for the twenty-second of October. While I wanted to leave Japan before autumn, I had to acknowledge there really was no rush, and if we didn't get to Willow Creek until mid-October, that would still be fine.

When we got back to Yuri's parents' house, we told them all about how it'd gone with Dr. Kasongo. Mr. and Mrs. Okamoto agreed that it was okay if Yuri didn't think he was ready to commit to the sixty-day home stretch yet, but they also said they were confident in his ability.

Yuki, who had overheard part of the conversation, later offered the helpful suggestion of making a sticker chart. "So every day you go without formula, you get to put a sticker on it, and at the end, you get a big reward!"

I thought she meant the 'big reward' was having his tube taken out, but Yuki had something else in mind. She conspired with her mother to create the most fantastic sticker chart I've ever seen. They drew it on poster board, and blocked it with six rows of ten squares each. Every tenth square had 'reward' written on it, and the sixtieth square boldly proclaimed 'BIG REWARD!!!' in alternating yellow and pink letters, Yuri's favourite colours. They bought an assortment of stickers for him to use on it, including ones with pink ice cream, seashells, glittery rainbow stars, cute baby animals, and — to his obvious delight — sparkly musical instruments, including violins.

"Look at this, Yuri. We have a plan," his mother said, as she went about hanging the chart on the wall in the kitchen. "Whenever you're ready to start counting your sixty days, let me know, and I'll give you the stickers."

To my surprise, it was less than a week later when he told her he was ready to begin.

Today is the ninth of August. We're on day eight of the first ten days today, and the full sixty days will bring us up to the first of October. We’ll be sure to keep you informed about how it’s going, but so far, so good.

We're tentatively planning our move for the middle of September, and I'm cautiously optimistic. Everyone who's watching this, please wish us luck.

There are people who say luck isn't really a thing, and that we can only get ahead by persistence and hard work, but I think it's a combination of the two. Like, I think it's true that our own efforts and our determination to succeed is the real driving force, but who would ever say no to a serendipitous stroke of luck? Even the hardest worker needs a helping hand now and then, and I'm not too proud to accept a well-meant wish for good fortune and success.

[simulation-machine]

I had plans to play a save that focused on Mt. Komorebi but then Cottage Living came out, and welp! Anyways upon doing some research I find the Ito family and their potential drama with the Akiyamas to be fascinating. BEHOLD. Naoki: Money-hungry business bro who is too up his ass trying to ruin his wife’s hometown to realize she’s probably gonna end up having an affair with her high school ex. No matter how that goes, they’re going to end up divorcing, probably. I can see him with Bess Sterling, they seem to have a bunch in common. Megumi: Skiing is clearly her thing, but she also wants to get more into rock-climbing and traveling more of the world and less into making money, which has her at odds with her husband. Add that and her ex-boyfriend came back to town, and you got yourself a divorce a-brewin’! She’s pretty checked out of her family at the moment. Kiyoshi: Dude just wants to board on some slopes and makeout with his crush, Kaori. Nanami: Can I just say that I love that this child is a kleptomaniac? It makes the family dynamics so much easier! She has a “strict” dynamic with both of her parents so she’s probably constantly getting yelled at for always getting into trouble. Kinda wanna play with this family at some point and just let her prank her family to madness.

[berryscaryskies]

The last shadow moon gen !!!

-there's so much to say about Lovely, he's been so much fun to play and imagine. And her romance with Laila was just so sweet and down to earth. They met as kids, but unfortunately Laila's family moved back to her dad's hometown so the two stayed in contact as pen pals and then the internet. It was only as teenagers when Laila came to visit and the two wound up going to prom together did they realize their romantic feelings. And it was pretty smooth sailing form there. They got a place together in Mt. Komorebi. Lovely got a job as a bartender and Laila works at a local ice rink(fake, she was actually an athlete, but just play pretend with me for a second) they even adopted a dog and a kitten.

-They got married in their backyard with their whole family there to watch, just an overall beautiful ceremony.

-unlike his moms' date nights tho Lovely isn't much of a quiet night in person and neither is Laila. So the two will go on cute little hikes with Elf at their side or maybe try rock climbing together. Most days they sneak off to go snowboarding together. 

-shortly after their wedding the two decided to go on a fun little rock climbin excursion. They prepared all they could and made sure they were ready and equipped, but unfortunately that didn't stop a bad storm from rolling in. Laila, being adventurous and an overachiever tried to get them to a good area safe from the storm, but unfortunately it didn't quite work as planned. And in one horrifying moment, she fell to her death. 

-The worst part is that they both had a "wants to Try For Baby" whim that I'd pinned before the Event. So after placing Laila's grave her ghost was added back to the household and now she's kinda of just hanging out. I like to imagine Lovely is VERY clingly and protective of her right now. And has come to the decision that she will learn how to revive Laila by any means necessary.

-And tbh I've technically finished the challenge now and am just kinda playing out a bit more of their life together for funsies lol. They wanted a kid and I think a good way to end their story is for that to finally come to fruition. And guess what! They wound up with a little human boy named Yuki :)

sim versions (Laila, Lovely, Yuki, and the second row is Laila and Lovely one as teens and the other as kids)