#c: ruthie nelson

[thesimsblues]

Tso's Chinese, Newcrest.

A Winterfest dinner at Tso's, a Chinese restaurant in a neighborhood notably rundown, even by Newcrest standards. Nadia has bought out the restaurant for the night to evade any scandal mag photographers. The Tso family idles around the restaurant while Nadia and her party eat. There's very little said at the table after niceties are passed around. Normally the curator of conversation, Nadia has checked out completely. Had the restaurant been open to the public, perhaps the noise of other diners might've eased the awkwardness. But the restaurant is mostly quiet, and it's driving Neven insane.

NEVEN --We're pregnant!

If the table was quiet before, it is now dead silent. Neven surveys the table: Maryam, Nadia's best friend, is perversely delighted by the dramatics; Nadia is stunned; Ruthie, mortified. Marcus has his usual poker face, but his eyebrows betray surprise.

MARYAM (to Ruthie) Is that why you're wearing that outfit?

NEVEN (to Maryam, in Arabic) That's your takeaway from what I said, really?

NADIA You're pregnant?

NEVEN (relenting) Technically, we haven't confirmed it yet. But we have been trying. We're tracking Ruthie's ovulation cycle, I'm eating a lot of shellfish because men's magazines told me that they help with my spermy dudes--

RUTHIE --Nev, less detail, please. I'm begging you.

MARYAM (aside, in Arabic) I knew she wore that outfit for a reason. No one would wear such an ill-fitted sweater on purpose. (to Marcus) Don't act like you don't understand me, habibi. You agree with me.

Marcus has expertly reined in a smile. He turns his attention to the group.

MARCUS We should make a toast to the soon-to-be parents. (to Nadia) Jadda, would you like to do the honors?

NADIA (struck) Jadda...what a strange thought. (A pause.) When I was a young girl, my mother told me that one day I would give her grandchildren. At the time, I had no interest in babies or even a husband because I wanted to go to school to learn and be with my friends. But even then, I thought her words were odd: give her grandchildren, like I owed them to her. (She sighs.) I see now what she meant by give: all of your life, Neveen, I have provided for you. I never once thought you owed me anything. But this...a grandchild...your child will reflect all your best efforts, just as you have for me. It's a gift from you both.

MARCUS Everyone, if you would please raise your favorite dumpling in honor of Ruthie and Neven...?

[thesimsblues]

Ruthie: I'll start with the cons, just so we can get those out of the way. Neven: Sensible. R: It's cold in Windenburg, and you hate winters. So you'll be miserable three months each year. It's also expensive to live there. N: --not as expensive as DSV, though. R: True. There are not as many fitness-related jobs there, so finding work will be a struggle. N: If you're about to go prima, I'm retiring early. R: But that's okay?

N: Yeah. I'll reach out to Jerry to see if he still wants me for that gym gig. I’ll find something. So, the cons list is: shitty weather and job scarcity.

R (increasingly nervous): And well, that leads to the pros. We both like Windenburg. It's closer to your friends and mom, so it'll be easier to see them. And I'll have Janek and Fenton around. If I take the position, that's job security. I wouldn't be a freelancer anymore, so that means more money and benefits. N: Cha-ching! [He notices Ruthie fidgeting.] Are you okay? R (continuing): Benefits would include dental, medical, retirement, and...maternity leave. Is that...is that something you want? [Neven sees where she's been building up to.] N (surprised): You want to have hairy, redheaded, ants-in-their-pants, sartorially gifted kids with me? [Ruthie nods her head, sniffing. Neven stands her up, and they embrace.] R: How scared are you on a scale of 1 to 10? I'm at a 7 right now.

N: I'm pissing myself as we speak. And now that I’ve set the mood, shall we...?

[Neven throws Ruthie over his shoulder to place her on the bed, but she protests and squirms so much they fall over and land on the floor instead.]

N: Can I be the one who tells Val we're leaving? No wait, you can tell him. I want to film his reaction.

[They burst out laughing.]

[thesimsblues]

The conversation continues--

R: Amanda is retiring soon. She's the director of the Windenburg Ballet Company, she's going to leave it in Fenton's hands. But she's been a big part of the Windenburg performance scene, and she's afraid that when she steps down, they'll lose a ton of donors, too. So...[She exhales.] So, she wants to make me the lead dancer. She thinks it'll help. N: That's great! ...Isn't that good news? You're too frowny for this to be good news. R: No, it is. But last time you and I talked about a move, we had that huge blowout, and I don't want that. I want to do it right this time. N (seriously): Yeah, for sure. I don't want that to happen, either. That sucked. [His tone brightens.] Okay, so pitch Windenburg to me. I will keep an open mind, but you gotta sell it good cuz I finally found a decent gym around here, and my Simstagram follows are through the roof now. And you know, that Valiant...he's really fun to have lurking around the apartment. [Ruthie rolls her eyes and grabs her phone from the side table.] N (teasingly): Oh god, you actually wrote something out. R: It's important, okay? I wanted to remember everything! N: All right, nerd. Get to it.

[thesimsblues]

225 Likes

all_soles_go_to_neven Heya, Simstas! We’ll get back to #fitness and #gainz in the next post, but first an announcement: ya boy is in DSV for the next few months!!! While @ruthienelson473 is balleting it up, I'll be seeing the sights and eating all the eats. Keep your eyes peeled on my Stories for the next few months for the return of everyone’s favorite street food series: Neven Puts It In His Mouth. #dsv #delsolvalley #simstafit #gainz #nevenputsitinhismouth #askmygirlfriend #sheneedsabetterusername

6 hours ago

[thesimsblues]

Later, on the tram ride back to the Gutter House--

Neven: Well, we survived the night. That's a relief.

Ruthie: Yeah...

Ne: What did you think of Nadia?

R: She’s nice. Her cooking was great. [Overheard, the speaker blares "Now at...Main Street North. Next stop...Alley Park Station. Ding-ding!" The tram lurches on.] R: ...she disapproves of me for leaving for DSV.

Ne: What? No, she loves ambition in women! She just likes the details ironed out; she's very practical. She was just thinking through the plan aloud, not critiquing.

R: Do you think our plan is good?

Ne (lamely): I think it's good for six months?

R: What does that mean?

Ne: Well, do you honestly believe it'll only be a short-term thing? You’ve got so much talent, and you work harder than anyone I know!

R: There's no guarantee that they'll offer me a position. It's just a temporary gig.

Ne: It's a personal invitation from the "Leonardo Simvinci of dance" — yeah, I read up on him!

R: What I'm saying is that we don't have to worry about that right now. We don't even know what will happen! You said it yourself, it's not a big deal.

Ne (bristling): Fine. Just forget I said anything. We have a plan, it’s a solid plan, let's stick to the plan! [There's a pause; the tram groans and clacks down the tracks.] R: Why didn't you say anything while we were figuring out things?

Ne: What other options were there? You're moving to DSV; I'm staying in Newcrest. Neither of those things is going to change.

R: Eventually you'll want to move, though. Right? You can't stay in Newcrest forever.

Ne: Why not?

R: I know what your mom said, but Newcrest is not a place for us to live. It’s sad, and it’s broken.

Ne: Marcus was born and raised here, and he's fine!

R: Can we please have one conversation without mentioning Marcus? He's not involved in this relationship.

Ne: He's my best friend--

R (sarcastically): --yes, how could I forget?--

Ne (piqued): Am I not supposed to talk about my  friends? You talk about Janek all the time!

R: Janek is not my ex-boyfriend.

Ne: I can't unboyfriend Marcus! I told you he's my friend, what else do you want me to do? Stop talking to him completely? Cut him out of my life?

R: No...I just want to make big decisions with you that prioritize us—you and me—not Marcus, not your mom.

Ne: They’re my life, Ruth. There’s no me that is separate from them.

R (acidly): Funny, considering how much you avoid your mother.

Ne: You have no right to judge my family and my home, and you sure as hell don't get to say I don't prioritize our relationship like I haven't spent all my spare time on public transportation just to be with you! I'm watching you go off to an even more remote location when all I want is for you to stay.

R: Don't you think this is hard on me, too? Do you think I want to be apart from you? Like it doesn't drive me crazy that I have to choose between my dream or the love of my life? And you forced me to make that choice. You say you can't move to DSV, but what you really mean is that you won't, and that's so damn selfish--

Ne: Okay, I get it, Ruthie, god! I fucked up, but you're still getting on that plane tomorrow morning, so just...stop. [Overheard, the speaker blares "Now at...Alley Park Station."] Ne (in a hollow voice): This is us.

[thesimsblues]

moocha-muses replied to your post “moocha-muses replied to your photoset “Lookbook Challenge by...”

Ruthie: You really need to clean out this closet. *shifts box* *a dozen pairs of arm-warmers spill out*

asdklasdfjlkasdf lmao Nev says he kept them because he’s cold all the time.

[thesimsblues]

Neven: Fun fact: Nadia is a dancer, too.

Ruthie (grinning): No way! What style?

Nadia: Tango. When I was a young adult, I wanted to be a competitive ballroom dancer.

R: What changed your mind?

Na: Neveen's father and I wanted a family, and it wasn't practical for us. But it was the right choice.  Neveen was an especially active child who thought it was hilarious to have everyone chase after him. I still have photos of you running around Desert Bloom Park with no clothes on, do you remember that, habibi?

Ne: I've never been so free nor so well photographed.

Na: He didn't like clothes when he was a kid.

R: From what I've heard, he hardly keeps his shirt on in the Gutter House.

Ne: Old habits die hard, I guess.

[They smile at each other.]

Na: You two are a lovely couple. I’m so pleased. Neveen's struggled to find someone to settle down with. I thought for sure it would be Marcus, but I was mistaken. They were inseparable.

R (a little stiffly): They still are.

Ne (in Arabic): Ma, now is not a great time to talk about my ex-boyfriend.

Na: Doesn't she know you were in love with him?

Ne: She does, but no one wants to be compared to their boyfriend's ex by his mom. (back to Simlish) We're just best friends, like Thelma and Louise. Except Marcus would drive more carefully around cliffs.

[thesimsblues]

budgie2budgie replied to your post “moocha-muses replied to your post “moocha-muses replied to your...”

lol! together they know have 35 arm AND leg warmers.

A match made in heaven, lol.

[thesimsblues]

Nadia: So, you're moving to Del Sol Valley? How exciting.

Ruthie: Yeah, Alphonse Belamy invited me to tour with his company. They perform contemporary ballet, which is what I want to focus on.

Na: Oh yes, of course, dear Alphonse! The last time he toured in Oasis Springs, I had him here for dinner. In that exact seat you're in, in fact. He's a good laugh. When do you leave?

R: Tomorrow, actually. I'm staying over night at the Gutter House, and Danny's driving me to the airport in the morning.

Na: That's a very long flight. My old firm had an office there, and we'd always be a little punch drunk when we arrived.

R: Ha, yeah. It's pretty far.

Na (to Neven): How do you plan to see each other while she's away?

Ne: Well, I guess we're going to video chat most of the time, and then I'll come out to visit her a few times.

Na (to R): Will you be visiting us back here, too? Staying with the boys?

R: Um—

Ne: —It makes more sense for me to go to DSV. My work schedule is more flexible.

Na: But you should take turns traveling? To share the burden. Certainly, you shouldn't have to do all of it.

Ne: It's not a big deal, Ma. I have the money for it.

R: And there’s more to do in DSV, plus it's prettier out there and safer than Newcrest.

Na: Actually, the metro DSV area has one of the highest rates of crime in our country. We keep track of these things in realty so that we know where to buy property. DSV is prettier, granted, but Newcrest is a better investment and a better place to live if you're looking to start a family.

Ne: Ma, she's just going for six months, relax. She's not going to buy real estate while she's there.

Na: Well, I'm not so sure. Alphonse invited her personally, which even I know is a rare distinction. That seems like an indication he sees her potential as a full member of his company. And I know you'll perform wonderfully, Ruthie.

R: Thank you.

N: I hope you two will prepare for that inevitability...?

[thesimsblues]

That Sunday evening, at Nadia’s house in Oasis Springs--

Ruthie: Everything tastes amazing, Nadia. I haven't had good meat pies since I moved to Windenburg.

Nadia: Thank you. My mother-in-law was kind enough to teach me how to cook. She thought Neveen's father would die from food poisoning if I ever cooked for him.

Neven: I lived on those as a kid.

R: Mr. Shirazi in Bedrock Straits made amazing meat pies--I used to live in that neighborhood. I should go visit him...

Ne: Shirazi closed his bakery last year.

R: Oh no, he was the heart of the Straits! Is he all right? Did he retire?

Ne (dryly): He was priced out of his own neighborhood.

[Na replies to him in Arabic.]

Ne (unfazed, in Simlish): I'm not wrong.

Na (in Simlish): Perhaps his son, Amir, will reopen the grocery some day. (to R) More wine?

[thesimsblues]

Sim Height Tag

Rules: use this site to make a chart of your sims’ heights, then screenshot your sims and place them onto the chart. Adjust their size to get a comparison. Then tag as many others as you want to see their character’s heights too.

I was tagged by @eslanes, thank you!

I absolutely did not use the above site because I’m terrible with measurements. But this is more or less how I see the line up, ranging from Marcus (hobbit) to Danny (giant). There are equal signs between those sims whose heights are the same. If you’d like to see a larger version, click here.

This was fun AND a pain in the ass, so I’m tagging whoever would like to suffer in their spare time.

[thesimsblues]

Neven Are you okay? You’re quiet tonight.

Ruthie: Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just tired.

N: Toothie...spill it.

[R sighs.]

R: I didn’t realize how close you were to Marcus.

N: He’s my best friend. We’ve been through a lot together.

R: That’s not what I meant.

N: Then what?

R: Forget it.

N (serious): Ruth.

R: You used to date him, didn’t you?

[Neven looks at her; his gaze is measured.]

N: Yes. But we’re friends now.

R: How long did you date?

N: At the end of high school and a year or so after.

R: Why did it end?

N: Does it matter?

R: Yeah, it kind of does.

N: He called it off. We were better off as friends.

R: Did you love him?

N: I did.

R: Do you still?

N: Not in the same way.

[R stares off a bit.]

N: Ruthie, I love you.

R: Don’t say that to make me feel better.

N: But it’s true.

R: The last guy who said he loved me vanished without a word. Most sims don’t mean what they say.

N: Ruthie, I mean it. Yeah, I had something with Marcus, but I didn’t ask you to come to Newcrest to show off my ex and hurt your feelings. I wanted you here to see me, see what’s important to me: the house, my friends...my shoe collection.

[R smiles a little.]

N: I wanted to say I love you here because it’s the one place that I am 100% myself. I’m not expecting you to say it back. But I at least thought you’d believe me when I said it.

[R takes a moment.]

R: I do—I’m not—it’s, um. I’ve always been a confident sim. I know what I’m good at. And I thought I was good at relationships. But it’s a lot more complicated than I remember.

N: Yeah, it is. But you’re doing great. I even gave you a five-star review on Yelp: "Excellent snuggler, good taste in breakfast cereal, champion folder of fitted sheets, and very easy on the eyes." And I followed that with about five heart-eye emojis and one eggplant.

[R laughs.]

R: I love you, Neven.

N (airily): Yeaaah, I had a feeling you did.

[thesimsblues]

[ “You” by Rogue Wave ]

[thesimsblues]

That night-- Neven: So how do you like Newcrest so far?

Ruthie: It’s um, interesting. It’s not like I expected.

N: Probably more rats than you thought.

R: I guess the way you talked about it, I expected it to be nicer.

N: Some of it is pretty, like where the museum is. But I don’t think most people who live in Newcrest are here because they like the way it looks. Most stay here their whole lives because they can’t imagine living elsewhere.

R: If I lived here, all I would think of is getting out.

N (in the bathroom): What? I didn’t hear.

R: Nothing.

[thesimsblues]

Hubert: Newcrest was founded three generations ago by poor settlers who looked to raise their fortunes by participating in the Build a City Challenge, a government land grant initiative. Though the Aurelia family is renowned for their, ahem, strong leadership as the head of the town, the creation of Newcrest was the effort of many families, including my ancestors. Marcus (sotto voce): Ah yes, the family excommunicated from Old Windenburg. H (choosing to ignore M): Through the collective efforts of all the founding families, our community was built one lot at a time. By the time the second generation of Newcrestians arrived, Newcrest was developing at astounding rates. Soon industry was the main drive of the city, which put them on the map - both figuratively and literally! Newcrest was known by sims around the world for its textiles and craftsmanship, and it enjoyed a period of prosperity thanks to the efforts by the esteemed founding families and, of course, the keen business acumen of Renault Industries. M: ...made rich by tax evasion and sim rights violations. H: ...This continued through the third generation of Newcrest, until the mismanagement of city resources by the mayor’s office resulted in decreased productivity. [M's face drops; Neven’s does, too.] H: Though the Aurelias governed the city from the start, and founder Maurice Aurelia's diaries paint a rosy picture of his successes, there were those who questioned the direction of their leadership. Though Maurice's son, Charles, continued his father's work, his efforts unraveled shortly after his untimely death. H: Newcrest took its biggest nosedive over a decade ago when Charles took ill. Unlike their predecessors, the third generation of Aurelias had a disdain for industry, having accumulated wealth through inheritance rather than through effort. And so factories shut down, businesses closed, depriving hundreds of citizens of their livelihood. [M is livid but silent.] H: Eli Aurelia, better at golf than business and wanting a quick getaway, sold off his family’s remaining resources once Charles passed. He escaped with his wife in shame and notoriety, leaving behind their debts and abandoning their only son. Did I miss anything, Marcus? M: You are the biggest, most egocentric hack I have ever met. You have no fucking integrity, not an ounce of credibility, and— N (cutting in): OKAY, well, Hubes. Nicely done. We’re going to step away for a bit while you finish the tour. Ruthie: Should we all leave? N: No, no! Enjoy the tour, we'll just be here taking deep breaths and thinking happy thoughts. [H, Danny and R walk to the room across the hall. R looks back and sees N and M talking. Their gestures are intimate. R is struck with a thought.]

[thesimsblues]

Hubert: Welcome, welcome to Newcrest's humble historical museum! Plenty to learn here about the fascinating history of the world's first industrial hub. I’m Hubert Renault, a fourth-generation Newcrestian and the director and founder of the museum. Is this your first visit to Newcrest?

Danny: Well, she's visiting from Windenburg, and I'm originally from San Myshuno. [He points behind him.] And they--

H: Oh, Marcus, I didn't see you there, you get so lost in a crowd with that short stature. And Mr. Bahri, a pleasure to see you interested in intellectual studies. A rare pleasure, but one all the same. And how is your mother?

Neven: She's rampaging through Oasis Springs like Simzilla, thank you for asking, Hubes.

H: Delightful. Well, shall we? Let's start in the room to your left.

N (to M): He’s in fine form today.