#except for the country kitchen from that one kit

[jerichoes]

every time i make a starter home i think i’m going to use the base game cheap kitchen. and then i look at the kitchen selection again. and end up using one of harrie’s cc ones.

[fleuraliasave]

❤ Version 7.0 Fleuralia Save File ❤

Download link down below (please read entire post before installing)

This save file uses all EP’s, GP’s (not Journey to Batuu), SP’s and most of the kits (Country Kitchen, Blooming Rooms, Incheon Arrivals, Retro Fit, Industrial loft, Moonlight Chic, Little Campers, Pastel Pop, Everyday Clutter, Bathroom Clutter, Simtimates Collection, First Fits, Desert Luxe, Modern Luxe, Poolside Splash, Book Nook, Basement treasures, Greenhouse Haven, Pastel Pop and Bust the Dust).

What’s new in this update?:

Chestnut Ridge and Tomarang have been completely redone, added multiple new lots, updated other lots and provided make-overs for the households.

Added new households (when living in world; with jobs, friends, preferences etc).

Added rental lots in multiple other worlds outside of Tomarang (Brindleton Bay, Henford-on-Bagley, Britechester and more).

Spooky Fall Festival has been moved to Chestnut Ridge (bigger with haunted house ride). The old lot in Brindleton Bay has been changed into a cemetery.

Current Status of Worlds:

Finished worlds: Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Newcrest, Magnolia Promenade, Windenburg, San Myshuno, Forgotten Hollow, Brindleton Bay, Del Sol Valley, StrangerVille, Glimmerbrook, Sulani, Britechester , Evergreen Harbor, Mt. Komorebi, Henford-on-Bagley, Tartosa, Moonwood Mill, Copperdale, San Sequoia, Chestnut Ridge (NEW!) and Tomarang (NEW!).

Finished vacation worlds: Granite Falls and Selvadorada.

Finihed other lots: Hospital, Science Lab and the Police Station.

To be updated: the Magic Realm, will either be included in a future update or on the gallery (OriginID: fleuralia)

What do you get with this save?:

For my save file all lots are either completely new builds (almost all) or renovations, ofcourse created by me. Exceptions: I have added the official builds for the releases of the Paranormal SP by Dr Ashley and the Dream Home Decorator GP by Deligracy to this save, since I thought they deserved a spot. These two are therefore not my own creations, credits are given in the description to Dr Ashley and Deligracy. Mt. Komorebi, Henford-on-Bagley, Tartosa, Moonwood Mill, Copperdale, San Sequoia and Chestnut Ridge lots are largely created by GameChangers. Most lots have gotten smaller updates, others are completely new builds by me.

All the townies had make-overs plus I added new families to spice it up a bit. Some of the townies are made by other creators, who are given credits in the description of the household. All the townies in the different worlds have a story, some include sentiments and adjusted relationships to the story.

Added plenty of community lots to give your Sims something to do (YAY!). Almost every world has one restaurant, but it also includes festivals that represent the four seasons (park lots) and a fully functional shopping street in Magnolia Promenade (toy store, bridal store and more).

I have added rental lots so you can go on vacation in more worlds. For example in Sulani, Willow Creek and Windenburg.

Other details:

As mentioned at the beginning, this save uses almost all packs (except Journey to Batuu and some kits). This means that if you download it without owning or installing most of the packs a lot of objects will disappear from the save, but if you are not bothered by this you can still download and play in it.  

I disabled the autonomous fame gain and neigborhood action plan voting/environmental changes, you enable them again in the pack settings menu.

I would love to add some households in this save created by all of you! Add your household under the hashtag #fleuraliatownies in The Sims 4 Gallery, you can add a storyline and world in the description but thats not obligatory. If I respond on your creation it means that I have incorporated it in the save for the next update.

Sadly every game update comes with a lot of bugs. I suggest before reporting problems in the save to me, to check on forums if its related to a general bug/glitch or to mods (if you use them).

Questions and supportive feedback are always welcome, you can reach me here via a comment on this post, an ask or through a DM 😁

How to make it work in your game:

Download the save file from the link below.

Drag it in your saves folder under: PC/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/saves.

Change the numbers if you already have a save with the same name.

It should now show up in your game as: Fleuralia Save Version 7.0.

DOWNLOAD (SFS) / Alternate (GD)

!!Don’t re-upload or claim as your own!!

Future updates will follow after each pack release (if it includes a world). The time the update will be uploaded after each release depends on how much I have to change and on my work schedule around that time.

Last but not least, enjoy and till next time! XX

Fleuralia

Feel free to support me ❤️: Ko-fi account

[repulsiveliquidation]

Guardian of My Heart || Leah Williamson

based on this request here! it's not that long but i loved writing this so much so i hope y'all like it!

warnings : angst with happy ending. mentions of injury.

“And that’s the final whistle folks, Chelsea takes this game with a comfortable 3-1 win over the Gunners here at Stamford Bridge.”

Leah’s eyes fill with tears at the final whistle. Her heart shatters audibly in her chest. A game they needed to win to have a chance at the title, thrown away by silly mistakes and sloppy football. She walks around the pitch in shame, apologizing to all the Gooners in the stands who came only to see them fail.

“I’m sorry,” she says to the crowd, tears falling down her face. The rest of the girls do the same, making their way to the stands to thank fans and sign jerseys. The home side erupts in a painful cry of victory, one that makes Leah’s chest almost cave in on itself.

The changing room is silent except for the sound of bags being packed and the muted drumming of water on the floor from the showers. One by one the girls make their way to the bus, offending socks from the wardrobe mishap filling the trash bin in the locker room.

Leah sulks when she hears the girls all planning to see their partners at home and just forget today’s game. She just jammed her AirPods into her ears and played her country music loudly, hoping the gaping hole of loneliness in her chest would go away with the serenading words of Luke Combs.

She knew her house would be lonely. She knew her house would be quiet. She knew her house would be dark. There was no one waiting. The person she wanted most would not be there. There was only one person to blame for that.

“Leah, you can’t keep doing this to me!” you yelled, rounding the coffee table as Leah stumbled into the house at twenty past three on a Saturday. You came over at eight thinking Leah would be home since she promised to help you cook dinner and enjoy the Bachelor finale on TV together. Instead, you walked into her apartment with your spare key to an empty house and her bedroom a mess. Her makeup was all over the bathroom and she had clearly changed her shoes at least three times.

You waited and waited for her to get home, calling the Arsenal girls to figure out where she had gone. They felt sorry for you and tried to get Leah to go home to you but she said something that the moment it left her lips, your heart broke into pieces.

“You’re such a fucking needy bitch, get off my back for once!”

You don’t know why you still sat in her living room for three more hours and waited for her to get home. You knew you needed to know she was home safe. That she was okay. That she didn’t choke on her own vomit from drinking too much. Because despite being her second choice for a while now, you still loved the England skipper. You still love Leah Williamson.

Leah drove home in pin-drop silence. Her kit bag was thrown in the back to be dealt with later, her arm on the door holding her head up as the streets of London were a blur. She parked in her spot and walked out like a zombie, not noticing your car in her driveway and her porch light on.

The key turned easily and she walked into her house to the turntable on low and the smell of smileys and a roast coming from the kitchen. She looked down and saw a pair of shoes that she recognized and a voice that was singing along to the music that she had fallen asleep to a million times.

“Y/N?” Leah spoke aloud, toeing her shoes off and dropping her kit bag. She shuffled into the kitchen and saw you standing there at the stove, stirring in the roasting tray and making a gravy. There were two plates on the island she instantly knew which one was hers. You turn and give her a soft smile, pushing your chin out to gesture her to sit. She does and grabs the bottle of wine you’ve set out and pours the two glasses full of Cabernet.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, grabbing a smiley off the plate she knew was hers and nibbling on the cheek.

“I wanted to make sure you had something to eat,” you answer curtly as you put the whisk down and grab a gravy boat, smiling to yourself when you still remember where it was.

“Y/N,” Leah says sternly, putting her half-eaten smiley down.

You turn and put the gravy boat next to the roast, finally looking at your ex-girlfriend.

“I needed to know that you were okay, after today.”

“Why?” Leah asks, voice carrying a lilt of guilt with fresh tears filling her eyes.

You walked around the island and turned the skipper in her seat to face you. You held her face in your hands, wiping the tears that fell. You had been in this situation before when Leah tore her ACL.

“You’re going to be okay, Leah.”

“What if I never play like I used to ever again?”

“You don’t ever need to worry about that because you will. The Leah Williamson I know never gives up.”

She chuckles but more fear settles in her heart. Leah looks up at you at the very island she’s sitting at right now.

“I’m scared,” she admits sheepishly, looking defeated and terrified. You cup her face and wipe the tear stains off her face.

“You will get through this Leah and I will be there every step of the way.”

“You won’t leave? They always leave.”

“I would never. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispers back to you before you kiss her, her mind willing itself to get better. If not for her, for you.

Zach Bryan’s voice fills the room softly, the lyrics of ‘Tourniquet’ “take care of the blood that your love runs through” remind you of why you packed up a roast and stopped at the shops for a bag of frozen smileys. It reminds you of all the nights you massaged her leg when it was feeling tight. It reminds you of all the nights when you sat beside her and held her close while she cried at another delay in her recovery. It reminds you of all the nights you spent awake with her when she couldn’t sleep because of the pain.

Was it worth it? Yes.

Would you do it all over again? Yes.

Leah breaks down when her eyes meet yours. The smell of your perfume and your musk flood her senses with all the reasons why she was in love with you all those years. Deep down inside she knew she still felt that way and hoped that you did too.

Leah cries. The pain of losing, hurting her hamstring just as she’s called to the England squad for the first time since her ACL, and the overwhelming sense of disappointment burst the moment you held her in your arms again. It was home and it was safe. Leah clung onto your hoodie and made a right mess on the front but you didn’t care. Leah needed you and you wished you could take away her pain.

“I just wasn’t me out there today and that cost us the game,” Leah muttered after calming herself down and her hiccups stopped.

“Today wasn’t just your fault, honey,” you cooed, taking the hair tie out of Leah’s hair and combing your fingers through her blonde locks. She rested her head against your stomach and closed her eyes, zeroing in on your touch.

“I let the team down,” she countered, pulling you closer to her.

“It just wasn’t anyone’s day today, my love,” you cupped her face and wiped more of the tears that were about to fall from her eyes. You leaned in a little and were a bit unsure, but feeling her nudge herself towards you gave you the approval you sought.  

Her lips felt familiar against yours.

Salty.

Warm.

Recognizable.

Home.

She chased your lips and melted into them, gripping your wet hoodie like her life depended on it or that you would vanish if she let go, even for a second.

“I’m sorry I treated you the way I did, you don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve you.”

“You deserve someone willing to love you for you, Leah,” you reassure her and seal it with a kiss, walking away from her to chuck the roast back in the oven to warm up for a bit and her smileys into the air fryer for a little reheating.

Zach’s voice fills the blanks when you look at her blue eyes, her features blow you away every time you look at her. You bled your whole soul into things you can't control; in a world you'll never satisfy brings Leah back to reality. The game today was good. It didn’t go their way from the beginning with those wretched socks and their delayed start but they gave it their all. It was a lesson to be learned and one to look back on when the team had lost its spark.

Leah scoffs down half the roast and convinces you to throw a couple more smiley into the air fryer for her to drown in your delicious gravy. You put a fresh toothbrush next to hers in her bathroom and have a glass of warm milk on your bedside waiting for you like you like.

“You remembered,” you tell her as she hands you a ratty jersey for you to sleep in. You throw it on and inhale her delicate scent, your heart filling with warmth and ease.

“I still set it out sometimes you know, especially after you left.”

“You’ll have to try and remember again now, I think,” you tease, and she stands in front of you. You sip on your milk and she kisses the foam mustache off your lips.

“I’ll never forget, my love. Ever.”

[utterlyinevitable]

Where It Begins (22/?)

↪ series masterlist  

22. And maybe some day...

Pairing: Colin Bridgerton x Penelope Featherington   Format: textfic   Chapter Rating: T+

Summary: Moving day, hooray!

She was centre stage - the golden focal point of the image before him. The last of her bags at her feet and her fingers tapping the back of her phone as she waits. Everything silent except the tip tip tapping of nails on hard plastic. She’s so entranced, head slowly tilting, regarding the three walls in front of her so intently she doesn’t even hear him creep up behind.  

Colin stands there just past the doorjamb surveying, watching as Pen draws it all to memory. The closet bare and not overflowing for the first time in three years, the desk empty save for her keys and sunglasses, her cloud-like double bed downgraded to poorly padded springs. 

"Hey," his soft voice permeates the silence. 

"Hey.” 

Oh. Oh, that pensive look stuck on Pen’s natural face (her adorable freckles on full display in the sunlight pouring through the open window) as slowly looks over her shoulder, has Colin’s toes twitching. She looks as if she dares move too fast this will all pass her by. 

“Need some water before we head out?"

"No, I'm okay."

Her brows furrow at the lopsided smile on his face. "Okay?" 

Three strides is all it takes for Colin to wrap his arms around her shoulders, thumbs tucking under her top to rub her collarbone, feeling the atmosphere change solemn. 

"Take it all in. Lots of memories in this room."

It’s true. Colin himself has had nothing but wonderful experiences here in this very room. All of them centered around the petite beauty in his arms. Waking up holding Pen, giggles as they watch Naked Attraction in bed, conversations across the pillows, all the times they did a lot more than talking. But most of all, it’s where he got to know her again. And for that he’ll be sad to let these good times go. To become whispers in the white walls.

"Thought you weren't the sentimental sort?"

He chuckles, dry and hollow. 

"I'm just saying,”  thumbs still working into the tension at her shoulders. “You've spent the last few years of your life here. It's good to say goodbye."     

She’s quiet, her head lulling back onto his shoulder. 

"You do this with all your hotel rooms?"

"Only the good ones."

He lets her have this moment; and another and another. Pen’s gaze doesn’t move from the window. 

Lots has happened in this room. If Colin is feeling emotional about never being here again, he can’t imagine she’s faring much better. Penelope has always been strong and private but this… Moving across the country and further away from her family, leaving behind the support system she knows and carefully cultivated these last few years isn’t an easy feat. Hell, Colin couldn’t do it.

His hand trails down the length of her back as he moves. He steps back as she takes a deep breath in as Colin grabs her duffle and rucksack.

"Okay," she exhales after taking a long glance around. Shakes her head, pulling herself from the past and into the present. "Lets go."

--

A hop, skip, and a jump back into the van with a litre of water, a can of pepsi max, and the sweetest treat of all -  

Pen’s knowing smirk and quirked eyebrow lounging in the passenger seat. 

Colin dangles a duo kit kat crunch between them.

"We're going to be there in forty minutes," she chides. But it’s all in jest, he knows it. That unbelievable smile makes it so. 

"Correction: we're gonna be having lunch in thirty minutes."

She playfully rolls her eyes.

And as they drive Colin gets that little flutter in his belly. 

--

It’s been a full and fulfilling day. Her bed’s been blessed with two toppers and all the kit that turns it into a sanctuary, rivaling every luxury mattress he’s snuggled into. They’ve been building the Billy bookcases for the last few hours, and gave up to find the little bits of kitchen she’s had packed before food turned up. 

Unsuspecting, it hits him like a gust of wind. 

Pen’s on her tip toes placing her mugs in the cabinet of her tiny blue kitchen. 

Something about the cardboard boxes, and the half eaten containers pad thai peppering what little surface space there is and the dim lighting this late at night and the back of her head as she begins to carve her marks into this new place... 

He wants this. 

All of this. 

A home base, but more. 

Colin Bridgerton wants to create a life like she's doing now. Those flutters turn solid roots inside him. 

It’s time to grow up and stop running away.

[abellinthecupboard]

The Last Mojave Indian Barbie

Wired to her display box were a pair of one-size-fits-all-Indians stiletto moccasins, faux turquoise earrings, a dream catcher, a copy of Indian Country Today, erasable markers for chin and forehead tattoos, and two six-packs of mini magic beer bottles—when tilted up, the bottles turned clear, when turned right-side-up, the bottles refilled. Mojave Barbie repeatedly drank Ken and Skipper under their pink plastic patio table sets. Skipper said she drank like a boy. Mojave Barbie secretly hated the color of her new friends' apricot skins, how they burned after riding in Ken's convertible Camaro with the top down, hated how their micro hairbrushes tangled and knotted in her own thick, black hair, which they always wanted to braid. There wasn't any diet cola in their cute little ice chests, and worst of all, Mojave Barbie couldn't find a single soft spot on her body to inject her insulin. It had taken years of court cases, litigation, letters from tribal council members, testimonials from CHR nurses, and a few diabetic comas just to receive permission to buy the never-released hypodermic needle accessory kit—before that, she'd bought most on the Japanese black market—Mattel didn't like toying around with the possibility of a Junkie Barbie. Mojave Barbie had been banned from the horse stables and was no longer invited to dinner, not since she let it slip that when the cavalry came to Fort Mojave, the Mojaves ate a few horses. It had happened, and she only let it slip after Skipper tried to force her to admit the Mojave Creation was just a myth: It's true. I'm from Spirit Mountain, Mojave Barbie had said. No, you're not, Skipper had argued. You came from Asia. But Mojave Barbie wasn't missing much—they didn't have lazy man's bread or tortillas in the Barbie Stovetop to Tabletop Deluxe Kitchen. In fact, they only had a breakfast set, so they ate the same two sunny-side-up eggs and pancakes every meal. Each night after dinner, Mojave Barbie sneaked from the guesthouse—next to the tennis courts and Hairtastic Salon—to rendezvous with Ken, sometimes in the collapsible Glamour Camper, but most often in the Dream Pool. She would yenni Ken all night long. (Yenni was the Mojave word for sex, explained a culturally informative booklet included in Mojave Barbie's box, along with an authentic frybread recipe, her Certificate of Indian Blood, a casino player's card, and a voided per capita check.) They took precautions to prevent waking others inside the Dream House—Mojave Barbie's tan webbed hand covering Ken's always-open mouth muffled his ejaculations. One night, after drinking a pint of Black Velvet disguised as a bottle of suntan lotion, Ken felt especially playful. Ken was wild, wanted to sport his plastic Stetson and pleather holsters, wanted Mojave Barbie to wear her traditional outfit, still twist-tied to her box. She agreed and donned her mesquite-bark skirt and went shirtless except for strands of blue and white glass beads that hung down in coils around her neck. The single feather in her hair tickled Ken's fancy. He begged Mojave Barbie to wrap her wide, dark hips around him in the “Mojave Death Grip,” an indigenous love maneuver that made him thankful for his double-jointed pelvis. (A Mojave Death Grip Graphic How-To Manual was once included in the culturally informative booklet, but a string of disjointed legs and a campaign by the Girl Scouts of America led to a recall.) Ken pointed his wooden six-shooter and chased her up the Dream Slide. The weight of the perfectly proportioned bodies sent the pool accessory crashing to the patio. Every light in every window painted itself on as the Dream House swung open from the middle, giving all inside a sneak peak at naked Ken's hard body and naked Mojave Barbie gripping his pistol, both mid-yenni and dripping wet. Ken was punished by Mattel's higher-ups, had his tennis racket, tuxedo, Limited Edition Hummer, scuba and snorkel gear, aviator sunglasses, Harley, windjammer sailboard, his iPad and iPhone confiscated. Mojave Barbie had been caught red-handed and bare-breasted. She was being relocated—a job dealing blackjack at some California casino. On her way out the gate, she kicked the plastic cocker spaniel, which fell sideways but never pulled its tongue in or even barked—she felt an ache behind her 39 EE left breast for her rez dog, which had been discontinued long ago. Mojave Barbie tossed a trash bag filled with clothes and accessories into her primered Barbie Happy Family Volvo, which she'd bought at a yard sale. The car had hidden beneath a tarp in the Dream House driveway since she got there. She climbed through the passenger door over to the driver's seat, an explosion of ripped vinyl, towels, and duct tape. She pumped and pumped the gas pedal, clicked and clicked the ignition, until the jalopy fired up. Mojave Barbie rolled away, her mismatched hubcaps wobbling and rattling, a book of yellow WIC coupons rustling on the dash, and a Joy Harjo tape melted in the tape deck blaring, I'm not afraid to be hungry. I'm not afraid to be full. Mom and Dad Barbie, Grandma Barbie, Skipper, and Ken stood on the Dream House balcony and watched Mojave Barbie go. Grandma Barbie tilted at the waist whispering to Mom Barbie, They should've kept that one in the cupboard. Dad Barbie piped in, Yep, it's always a gamble with those people. Mom Barbie was silent, hoping the purpling, bruise-like marks the size of mouths circling Ken's neck were not what she thought they were: hickies, or, as the culturally informative booklet explained, a “Mojave necklace.” Skipper complained to Ken that Mojave Barbie had flipped them off as she drove out the wrought-iron gates, which, of course, locked behind her with a clang. Ken fingered the blue bead in his pocket and reassured Skipper, Mojave Barbie was probably waving goodbye—with hands like that, you can never be sure.

— Natalie Diaz, When My Brother Was an Aztec (2012)

[twinsimming]

Country Cottage Kitchen Set 🥚

Happy new year everyone! 🥳 I haven’t converted a kitchen set since 2020, which means it’s past time for another one! @hideoutpeach sent me an ask a while back about converting items from the Sims 4: Country Kitchen Kit, so I converted everything with the exception of the sink and cabinets. I also converted my favorite fridge from the Sims 4: Cottage Living!

I also just hit 1,000 followers on this blog! I’m so glad so many of you like my conversions, it means a lot to me!! 💙💙💙

Appliances

ReFridgeAdeezer - by Re FrostyFridge Corporation: three channels | $500 |

Pancakes at Dawn Stove: three channels | $600 |

Country Charm Fridge: two channels | $1750 |

Décor

Handy-Dandy Flower Caddy: two channels | $35 |

Granny's Cozy Casserole Dish: one channel | $83 |

Nicki Knack's Anything 'n Everything Jar: non-CAStable | $45 |

Heritage Bread Box: three channels | $75 |

Heritage Flour Tin: two channels | $63 |

Bountiful Bucket: non-CAStable | $57 |

Surfaces

Country Charm Shelf: one channel | $165 |

| All TS4 presets included and base game compatible |

Credit: meshes by EA, The Sims 4, Sims4Studio, TSRW, Blender, Milkshape, Photoshop, and Gimp.

Download (SFS, package) | Mirror (MEGA, package)

Experiencing issues with my conversions? Inbox me. Enjoy! 💙

[ashuriasims]

Half Haven v1.2

is now live!

Hello and welcome to Half Haven v1.2 launch! I have gotten couple new packs that included new worlds so here we go with an update. :)

This save file or I are not fixing already existing bugs within the game! This save file does not come with any mods or cc.

This save file uses all Expansion packs up to High School Years. All Game packs except Journey to Batuu or Werewolves. All Stuff packs. And the following Kits: Country Kitchen, Blooming Rooms, Moonlight Chic and Little Campers.

Build wise not much has changed, Tartosa & Copperdale have gone through townie makeovers and small building renovations but nothing big (due been built by gamechangers and looked pretty good as were to me).

- If you download this save file without owning some of the packs that I do; The game will either delete or replace those missing items with other (in most cases base game) items. - I have used the following mods all through out the building and creating process:  * MC Command Center  * Ui Cheats Extension  * BuildCam: FreeCam  * Map replacements from 20th Century Plumbob I do not guide you through these mods. They have their own support staff/creators. The mods are not required to play with this save file. Download with your own discretion.

- Cheats I have used while building:  * bb.moveobjects on  * bb.showhiddenobjects true  * bb.showliveeditobjects true - I have NOT used T.O.O.L mod - I have tried to gameplay test every lot, but I am only a human and might have overlooked some things - The Save File does not come with a Haunted House; up to you if you wish to add one - Some of the lots have been built before the game updates for stairs, platforms or  terrain tool - The save file comes with specific sims chosen by me, and as a surprise to you, who have joined Doctor, Scientist & Detective careers - I have given jobs and skills to majority of the townies and then randomized the level of skills with MC Command Center mod

○ You will find installation guide from the .rar you download. Read the installation guide carefully before coming in and asking why something is not working. Do not skip steps. Do not think "I don't need to create a backup". I can't save your save files if you lose them.

○ How to make a backup of your own save files: Head to the file: Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves Choose the files, copy (ctrl+c) Head to Desktop, right click with mouse; New; Folder Paste (ctrl+v) the save file/s to the empty fresh folder Name the file, example "TS4 Save Backup"

You find the information above and download from my PATREON page, for free.

Happy Simming! -Ash

[miraraeblog]

MiraRae Royal Starter Save

Have you always wanted to start a royal save file, but haven’t because you don’t know where to begin? Well, this is the save file for you! 

Seven newly established kingdoms have been formed in this world, and they have just discovered each other’s existence. The monarchs of each kingdom recently held a meeting and decided to form an alliance- The Alliance of The Seven Kingdoms. The alliance includes the kingdoms of Windenburg, Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Komorebi, Sulani, Dakarai, and Brindleton Bay.

But how will these kingdoms coexist? Will they live together in harmony, or will it end in turmoil? It’s up to you to decide the fate of the seven kingdoms.

Things you should know:

All sims and builds are cc free. However, it is recommended to download Nando’s Trip to Egypt mod to fully experience the kingdom of Dakarai, which replaces Strangerville. You can find the mod and its download instructions here.

All original EA townies have been deleted, and new townies have been made to accompany the new noble and royal families. There are 7 royal families, 10 noble families, and 8 commoner households that have been added. All families made for this save file are under “played households” (Only one or two noble families have been made for each kingdom in order to keep future titles available for the other royal family members that are not heirs, monarchs, or consorts.) Plenty of lore has been added for each royal family and some of the other families as well :)

DISCLAIMER: In order to make this save file more compatible for lower-end computers, most of the lots from the worlds being used have been deleted. Some lots have been replaced, but some have been left empty so you have the freedom to do what you please with them. The palaces included in this save file are very large, and the fewer lots you have in the save file, the easier the game will run!

This save file would not be possible without the amazing builders and other sim creators that contributed. Thank you to Laurenloves12345, Zoe_quwu, Tinysaltysimmer, Melan_ia_sims , Simlicy, Ryley05_5, AJDestaJo, LordCrumps, SimandaBuilds, OmnySim, Frogprincessmeg, KateEmerald, Doctor_Ashley, and Maxis

How to Install the Royal Starter Save:

Download save file

Create a back-up folder of your current save files

Copy and paste the files from the Royal Starter Save into your “Saves” folder (Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves)

Open up your game and go to “Load Game” and you’ll see “MiraRae Royal Starter Save” and press “play”

Enjoy!

All packs are used in this save file except for the items listed below. Please note that this save file will still work if you do not have all the packs, some items will just be missing. The sims from any worlds that you do not have will just show up in “Manage Households”.

Packs not included:

Journey to Batuu

Dream Home Decorator

My First Pet Stuff

Backyard Stuff

Laundry Day

Fitness Stuff

Tiny Living

Country Kitchen Kit

Bust the Dust Kit

Throwback Fit Kit

Blooming Rooms Kit

Industrial Loft Kit

Lord Crumps was also kind enough to give early access to his Kingdom Flag Tapestry CC to anyone who downloads the save file! You can find the link to download on the Patreon post at the link below. 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Early Access on November 30th, 2021

Available for everyone on December 21st, 2021

[mizoreyukii]

Mod Updates July 8th (2021)

As promised here are the last of my planned mod updates for a while (except one, explained in Everyone Can Suntan)! I will now be focusing on a few of my other WIP mods to try and finish them before Cottage Living releases. I'm trying to get as many done as I can because I'll be swamped with farming WIP mods for a while once it does release. I'll be explaining more in a monthly post soon as I haven't done one in a while, sorry about that!

New! No Map Lot Outlines (Releases July 10th):

A UI mod that comes in two versions to either remove the lot outlines on world maps, or makes them thinner. (Does not affect the build mode lot outlines.)

Human Ghost

The arm snapping for the kids animation during Possess for Energy has been fixed.

Autonomy for possessing objects, breaking electronics and plumbing has hopefully been reduced. I added a hidden buff that has a timer of about 2 hours that keeps them from autonomously doing it every chance they get.

Everyone Can Suntan

Converted to a script, though it does not contribute to the script limit since it doesn't use injecting (neither does any of the other mods I've converted into scripts lately). When installing make sure you delete the old package, then add in the new package and script.

The kids update is not in this update. Unfortunately I ran into some major snapping issues with the beach towel that I can't solve, which is 9 of the 26 animations I need to do. I'm a little burnt out on trying to solve it so I've put it on the back burner for now so I can move on to other mods.

School Uniforms For Any World

Has now been converted into a script to avoid conflicts with other school related mods. Delete the old package file and add the script instead. Note that this does not contribute to the script limit since it doesn't use injecting (neither does any of the other mods I've converted into scripts lately). Huge thanks to Frankk for helping me with the script!

No Fade On Everything

Updated for new BG posters, pictures, etc. we received in the recent update and a past update.

Get Together has been updated to remove some problematic files. Turns out some debug car models from this pack, when on lots, were causing infinite loading issues for some people.

Package added for Country Kitchen kit (SP21)

Package added for Bust the Dust kit (SP22)

Package added for Courtyard Oasis kit (SP23)

Package added for Dream Home Decorator (GP10)

Note that there is no SP19 because it does not exist, and SP20 was the Throwback Fit Kit which only had clothes.

Next update I will be splitting the individual download zips, and the All Packs package, into different sets to make downloading faster and to avoid issues, for those who are skipping kits, etc.

@maxismatchccworld @luthsthings 

[liwia-sims]

New challenge time!! 😄 I’m going to be doing a Big Brother challenge!

I’ll be posting more in depth rules later, but the main idea is:

Twelve sims will live in a house together.

Every week a skill challenge takes place.

At the end of the week, one sim is voted out based on the relevant skill and their relationship with the other contestants.

This will happen until only one sim remains (and thus wins fame and money!)

So, I’ll need some sims for this, and it would be a lot of fun if those sims came from other simmers! If you’re interested in entering a sim for this challenge, keep reading!

Creating your sim:

Your sim should either be a Young Adult or an Adult. 

Only human sims. No supernaturals.

I have all packs & kits except for Bust the Dust and Country Kitchen, so don’t use stuff from those two kits.

Feel free to use CC! Try to keep your sim in a maxis match or maxis mix style, but I’m not super strict on that. Just no alpha hair!

Also, I won’t be downloading any custom sliders. Custom presets are perfectly fine though!

Please give your sim at least one outfit in every category. (You can give them more if you want!)

Use whatever aspiration and traits you want! Since I use the More Traits in CAS mod, you can give your sim anywhere between 3 and 5 traits! The only rule I have for traits is no CC traits and no reward traits. Only give them traits that are available in CAS basically. 

Please give your sim at least one like and one dislike in the activities category. 

Making a submission: 

When making your submission post, please include one picture (or more) of your sim, and this info about your sim:

Name

Age 

Traits

Aspiration 

Gender

Sexuality

Relationship status (Single? Dating? Married? etc.)

Occupation (What do they do for a living?)

Likes

Dislikes

Feel free to tell me more about your sim! Like where they grew up, what they do for fun, what their family and friends are like, why they want to go on this reality show, or something else. You can write as much or as little as you want. Just make sure to tell me everything about your sim that you feel is important.

Please @ me in your post and tag your post #liwiasimsBB so I can be sure to see it. (If I haven’t interacted with your post within 24 hours, I probably missed it, so send me a DM in that case!)

More info:

I’ll be accepting 11 sims. 

Deadline is: 30th of July (2021) 15:00 / 3pm (CEST)  Check what time that is for you here!

If you want to submit a sim but need more time just let me know, and I can extend the deadline a bit!

If I happen to get more than 11 submissions, the contestants will be chosen by random.org.

If the deadline passes (and no one has asked for more time) and there’s less than 11 submissions, I’ll create the remaining sims myself!

That’s all, I think. Let me know if you have any questions!

This is my first time doing a challenge that will involve other peoples sims, and I’m so excited for it! I’m going on vacation (or “stay-cation” I guess) soon, and I’ll have so much time to play!! 😄

[midnightstar-90]

Hidden~ Eddie Diaz x Nash! Reader

A/N: I wanted to add some action, so I moved up when Shannon decided to divorce Eddie. Eddie is too good to make him into a cheater. I'm not really good at describing intimate-type stuff either.

Lose Some, Win Some

Y/N's POV

I am finally home. I'm home with my son, and the school gave me a couple of days to rest. I sat on my couch, watching the news. "Today, police suspect LAFD's 118 for robbing $300,000 worth of cash from a local bank. Police say that the LAFD was there to help the bank manager and a delivery man with a seizure or a possible nerve agent. Police also say that they found the cash inside one of their firetrucks. More information coming up, soon."

After hearing that, I remember the number on one of the firetrucks at the crash. The 118 saved me, and if they saved me, that means that Eddie and my dad are being questioned for a robbery. I haven't known Eddie long, but I know that Eddie, nor my father, would rob a bank.

Zachary walks into the room. "Mommy, I'm ready for bed," my little man says. I turn to him and say, "Ok, I'll be in there in a bit." He runs back to his room.

I hear a knock at the door. It is almost 9:30 pm. Who could be at my door? I go to the door and look through the peephole. Eddie and Christopher stand at the door with a to-go bag.

I open the door, and I say, "Eddie? Chris? what are you doing here?" "I bet you have heard about what is going on. The police have ransacked our house, and I was wondering if you could watch Chris until this blows over?" Eddie asked me desperately.

I smile at the two boys. "Sure. Chris, Zach is in his room getting ready for bed. You can go hang out with him until I get you a bed ready. His room is down the hall, the First door on the left," I tell the little boy, and then turn to Eddie.

He hands me Chris' night bag, and I joke and say, "There better not be any evidence in here." He chuckles, saying, "Nope, no evidence, just clothes, and a toothbrush."

I invite him into my apartment. He walks in and says, "Nice apartment. Is that a skylight?" He points up, at the skylight, in my living room.

(Y/N's Living room /w a skylight)

"Yeah, when Levi died, I would tell Zach that his father was watching him from the stars. So, I decided that anytime we missed Levi, we would watch the stars," I said, trying not to tear up.

Eddie reaches in his pocket and pulls out a picture. "I'm guessing this is Levi?" Eddie asks, handing me the picture. I look at the picture and lose my cool. Eddie sits me on the couch and just hugs me.

This is the closest I've ever been to a man since Levi. It felt good. I felt protected. I don't need protection because I was in the navy, but this man made me feel loved.

We sat on the couch, with me crying into his shirt. "Mommy, aren't you gonna put me to bed?" "Yeah." I get up, heading into my child's room.

Eddie follows me into the room, and what he sees shocks him.

(Zachary's bed)

Christopher is sitting on the bottom bunk of a firehouse bed. The whole room was dedicated to firefighters. When we got in that crash, and he met his grandfather, Zach decided that when he gets older, he would become a firefighter.

Christopher looks at his dad and says, "Dad, Zach said he wants to be like you and uncle Buck when he gets older."

Eddie continues to look around. He walks towards the cubby. Inside the cubby is some of Zach's favorite toys, some pictures of Levi and I, and some pictures of Zach and I. What really caught Eddie's eye, was the picture of Zach on my shoulders, at the El Paso Zoo.

I am tucking the boys in, when I hear, "You were in El Paso?" I look back and say, "Yeah, that was Zach's 2nd birthday. Levi was born in Austin, but he grew up in El Paso." Eddie just nods and goes back to looking around.

As I'm tucking Christopher in he says, "Dad and I are from El Paso. It would have been cool if we met before LA." I smile at the boy, before walking out and turning off the lights.

"We have a lot in common, you know?" Eddie tells me. I look at him and he looks back. "Oh, really?" I ask. Eddie and I move closer to each other. I continue to look at the man and I ask, "Like what?" "Well, for starters, we were both fought for our country." Imagining this man in a military uniform made the moment even hotter. I moved closer. "Ok, and?" "And, we both had a son at a young age."

At this point, he was towering over me. I quickly pulled the man into a kiss. He kisses back. I move my hands from my side to his chest, and he grabs my hips. He deepens the kiss as I move my hands from his chest to his neck. I feel strong hands go under my shirt.

We keep making out for a couple of minutes until I pull back. "I'm so sorry. I forgot you married," I say frantically. "She told me she wasn't ready. She filed for divorce. I also didn't feel like our relationship was working. She left us when Chris was little. I kinda like this hot teacher, who was in the Navy and has a son. Also, she knows about being a firefighter." Eddie tells me, holding my hands.

I kiss Eddie again. Eddie and I head to my room, without breaking the kiss. That night was the best night in forever. Everyone got a sleepover.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The robbery thing has been put behind us, but a new problem has arrived. My father didn't tell the LAFD everything about why he transferred, therefore leaving him suspended. He hasn't told me either, but I think it is best to let him come to me about it.

I started work again today, except I feel like I'm looking after 3 kids. My dad insisted that we hang out, you know since he wasn't there for most of my life.

I wake up at 5 am to a large banging noise. I look to see who it is, and surprise surprise, it is my father with tons of groceries. "Dad, what are you doing here. Zach is still asleep, and I don't have to be up till 7 am." I tell my dad, letting him in.

He heads to my kitchen and sits down the food. "I was thinking that I could make you and Zach breakfast, and then I could take you to work."

I gave my father a loving look. I feel bad that his past came back to haunt him, but maybe something good will come out of it. Besides, I missed the father/daughter bonding we had. Eddie told me his food is at grade A chef level, so why not let him cook for me.

"Well I love what you're doing, but I'm missing sleep. If it's fine with you, could I go back to sleep?" I ask, and receive a nod back. I walk to my room, but I turn back to check upon him. I know he's sad, but at this moment he looks happy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up at 7 am to a heavenly smell. I walk into the kitchen, after remembering my dad was making breakfast. As leave the hallway to see my son and father talking about firefighting. I smile, and my dad turns to face me.

"Ah, you're awake! I woke up Zach and got him dressed for you." my dad says taking a bite of the french toast. I go into the kitchen and make myself some food. I see french toast, fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice. I look amazed as I take some of everything.

My dad works up the courage to ask me a question, "I was wondering if you wanted to stop by the firehouse, like old times. I have some people I would like you to meet." With my mouth full, I say, "Yeah, I missed those days" "Oh man, mommy is breaking a rule. She is talking with her mouth full," Zach says to the man next to him.

Dad laughs. "Well I ate, but I have to get dressed." I head to my room to get dressed.

(Y/N's outfit to work)

I walk back into the living room and we get ready to head out. We make it to the school, and I say goodbye to my father. I take Zach to class. I get to the office and I see Eddie and Chris. "Hey, I was just hanging with your fire captain." "Well, can you tell him we want him back because his replacement is terrible?" I laugh.

"So, are you coming to the firehouse?" Eddie asked me like he knew my dad would ask me. I give the firefighter a suspicious look and then say, "Yeah, my dad asked me this morning. Would you like me to bring Chris?" He gives me a "yeah, sure", and then we say goodbye.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christopher and I had so much fun. We were in math, and I helped teach him fractions with mini Kit-Kats. Then, in English, we acted out storytime with his class. The day ended in science, where we build and erupted our own volcanos.

It is the end of the day, some and of the boys waited outside for my father. When he arrived, we got in and started heading towards the fire station, which was only a 5-minute drive.

We walk into the 118's fire station, and Zach went off. A scream could be heard throughout the whole building. All the firefighters and paramedics stopped to see what was going on. My dad walked up to me and said, "Just like his mother."

Eddie and another man walked down the stairs to see what was happening. I smile at the majestic man walking towards me. We go into a hug before I hear a cough.

"Eddie, aren't you gonna introduce me to the pretty lady," the man asked Eddie. I smile at the man, but Eddie and my dad roll their eyes. My dad jumps into the conversation, "Buck, this is my daughter, Y/N, and her son, Zach. Y/N, this is Buck."

Buck and I shake hands. "My name is actually Evan Buckley, but everyone calls me Buck. You are somewhat of what Eddie has told me. Your pretty, but I expected a younger Bobby, with boobs." Eddie smacks Buck's chest.

I'm laughing and I head upstairs with the others. "Mommy! Mommy! Can I go down the fire pole," Zach asks, tugging on my pant leg? I nod my head yes.

Another man and woman walk over and sit with us in the lounge. "Why is there a little boy running around? Did someone drop him off, because I think your only supposed to do that with babies, not children," the man said, sitting right next to me. "That's my son. I'm Y/N." I hold out my hand waiting for the man to shake it. "I'm Howie, but everyone calls me Chimney. This is Hen," The man says, and the woman waves.

We continue to talk until the emergency bell rings. Everyone heads downstairs, but I pull Eddie back. I give him a long kiss, with my arms around his neck and his around my waist.

I pull back and say, "I had fun the other night. Maybe, I could see if my dad could watch the boys, and you and I could maybe have dinner at my house." Eddie groans and says, "Oh, how I would love that. We could also watch a movie."

This man will be the death of me. "Yeah, but you need to go." Eddie runs off to an emergency, I head to the store with my dad, Christopher, and Zachary.

"You know, you don't have to hide Eddie from me," He tells me. I look at him shocked. "I see the way you guys look at each other, and I saw you guys kiss today," he says calmly.

"Well, since you know could you help me make a meal for him and I tonight, and can you watch the boys?" I practically beg. He nods, and then he moves towards the isles, picking out ingredients.

"I don't want to intrude, so I will give you a recipe card. But yes, I will take the boys, just use protection. I don't want to see another grandchild for a while," he says, earning a smack on the chest from me. "There are children around," I whisper.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My dad gave me a recipe for Ravioli, served with garlic bread and bacon-wrapped asparagus. I am almost finished cooking when I hear a knock.

(Y/N's Date Outfit)

I open the door to see a devastated Eddie. I go in to hug him, and Eddie says, "She's dead. Shannon died in the emergency room. That call we left for, that was for her. What am I gonna tell Christopher."

I welcome the man in, and I sit him on the couch. "Do you want to eat?" I ask, hoping that I could get him to relax and eat. "No" is all I hear, before he shoves his face into my shoulder, and lets it all out. I rub his back and say, "Everything will be fine."

We sit there, on the couch, just cuddling. I smell something burning. My eyes widen and I yell, "My bread!"

Eddie's mind comes back to earth and he heads towards the kitchen. Not only is the bread burnt, but there was also a slight fire. Eddie quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the fire.

I was so scared. Eddie saved me from a fire. At the moment, I forgot all about the food, Eddie's emotions, and everything else. I kissed Eddie out of thankfulness. We kissed for about a minute before he pulled away.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have done that, with everything going on. I was scared. I could've just stood there and let the fire grow, but no, you saved me. You are m-" Eddie cut me off with a kiss.

Eddie picked me up and took me to my room. He laid me on my bed, and next thing you know, our clothes are off.

Taglist: @notanordinaryprincess95 @jjpogueprincess @wiypt-writes

[path-of-my-childhood]

Aaron Dessner on How His Collaborative Chemistry With Taylor Swift Led to “Evermore”

By: Claire Shaffer for Rolling Stone Date: December 18th 2020

Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner didn’t expect to make another record so soon after Folklore. As they were putting the final touches on Swift’s album this past summer, the two artists had been collaborating remotely on possible songs for Big Red Machine, Dessner’s music project with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (who also dueted with Swift on the Folklore track “Exile”). Dessner recalls:

“I think I’d written around 30 of those instrumentals in total. So when I started sharing them with Taylor over the months that we were working on Folklore, she got really into it, and she wrote two songs to some of that music.”

One was “Closure,” an experimental electronic track in 5/4 time signature that was built over a staccato drum kit. The other song was “Dorothea,” a rollicking, Americana piano tune. The more Dessner listened to them, the more he realized that they were continuations of Folklore‘s characters and stories. But the real turning point came soon after Folklore‘s surprise release in late July, when Dessner wrote a musical sketch and named it “Westerly,” after the town in Rhode Island where Swift owns the house previously occupied by Rebekah Harkness.

“I didn’t really think she would write something to it — sometimes I’ll name songs after my friends’ hometowns or their babies, just because I write a lot of music and you have to call it something, and then I’ll send it to them. But, anyway, I sent it to her, and not long after she wrote ‘Willow’ to that song and sent it back.”

It was a moment not unlike when Swift first sent him the song “Cardigan” back in the spring, where both she and Dessner felt an instant creative spark — and then just kept writing. Before long, they were creating even more songs with Vernon, Jack Antonoff, Dessner’s brother Bryce, and “William Bowery” (the pseudonym of Swift’s boyfriend Joe Alwyn) for what would eventually lead to Folklore‘s wintry sister record, Evermore.

Even more spontaneous than the album that preceded it, Evermore features more eclectic production alongside Swift’s continued project of character-driven songwriting, and includes an even wider group of collaborators, like Haim and Dessner’s own band the National. Dessner spoke to Rolling Stone about the album’s experimentation, how it was recorded during the making of the doc The Long Pond Studio Sessions, and how he sees his collaboration with Swift continuing in the future.

When did you realize this was going to end up being another album?

It was after we’d written several songs, seven or eight or nine. Each one would happen, and we would both be in this sort of disbelief of this weird alchemy that we had unleashed. The ideas were coming fast and furiously and were just as compelling as anything on Folklore, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. At some point, Taylor wrote “Evermore” with William Bowery, and then we sent it to Justin, who wrote the bridge, and all of a sudden, that’s when it started to become clear that there was a sister record. Historically, there are examples of this, of records which came in close succession that I love — certain Dylan records, Kid A and Amnesiac. I secretly fell in love with the idea that this was part of the same current, and that these were two manifestations that were interrelated. And with Taylor, I think it just became clear to her what was happening. It really picked up steam, and at some point, there were 17 songs — because there are two bonus tracks, which I love just as much.

Evermore definitely sounds more experimental than Folklore, and has more variety — you have these electronic songs that sound like Bon Iver or Big Red Machine, but you also have the closest thing Taylor has written to country songs in the last decade. Was there a conscious effort on her part to branch out more with this album?

Sonically, the ideas were coming from me more. But I remember when I wrote the piano track to “Tolerate It,” right before I sent it to her, I thought, This song is intense. It’s in 10/8, which is an odd time signature. And I did think for a second, “Maybe I shouldn’t send it to her, she won’t be into it.” But I sent it to her, and it conjured a scene in her mind, and she wrote this crushingly beautiful song to it and sent it back. I think I cried when I first heard it. But it just felt like the most natural thing, you know? There weren’t limitations to the process. And in these places where we were pushing into more experimental sounds or odd time signatures, that just felt like part of the work.

It was really impressive to me that she could tell these stories as easily in something like “Closure” as she could in a country song like “Cowboy Like Me.” Obviously, “Cowboy Like Me” is much more familiar, musically. But to me, she’s just as sharp and just as masterful in her craft in either of those situations. And also, just in terms of what we were interested in, there is a wintry nostalgia to a lot of the music that was intentional on my part. I was leaning into the idea that this was fall and winter, and she’s talked about that as well, that Folklore feels like spring and summer to her and Evermore is fall and winter. So that’s why you hear sleigh bells on “Ivy,” or why some of the imagery in the songs is wintery.

I can hear that in the guitar on “‘Tis the Damn Season,” too. It almost sounds like the National with that very icy guitar line.

I mean, that is literally like, me in my most natural state. [laughs] If you hand me a guitar, that’s what it sounds like when I start playing it. People associate that sound with the National, but that’s just because I finger-pick an electric guitar like that a lot — if you solo the guitar on “Mr. November,” it’s not unlike that.

That song, to me, has always felt nostalgic or like some sort of longing. And the song that Taylor wrote is so instantly relatable, you know, “There’s an ache in you put there by the ache in me.” I remember when she sang that to me in my kitchen — she had written it overnight during The Long Pond Studio Sessions, actually.

Did she record all her Evermore vocals at Long Pond while you were filming the Studio Sessions documentary?

Not all of them, but most of them. She stayed after we were done filming and then we recorded a lot. It was crazy because we were getting ready to make that film, but at the same time, these songs were accumulating. And so we thought, “Hmm, I guess we should just stay and work.”

On “Closure,” there are parts where Taylor’s vocals are filtered through the Messina, which is this vocal modifier that Justin Vernon uses a lot in his work with Bon Iver. How were you able to modify her vocals with it, if she was never in the same room as Justin?

I went to see Justin at one point — that’s the one trip I’ve made — and we worked together at his place on stuff. He plays the drums on “Cowboy Like Me” and “Closure,” and he plays guitar and banjo and sings on “Ivy,” and sings on “Marjorie” and “Evermore.” And then we processed Taylor’s vocals through his Messina chain together. He was really deeply involved in this record, even more so than the last record. He’s always been such a huge help to me, and not just by getting him to play stuff or sing stuff — I can also send him things and get his feedback. We’ve done a ton of work together, but we have different perspectives and different harmonic brains. He obviously has his own studio set up at home, but it was nice to be able to see him and work on this stuff.

“No Body, No Crime” is also really interesting, just because I don’t think I’ve ever heard you produce a song like that. How did this country murder ballad featuring Haim end up on the record?

Taylor wrote that one alone and sent me a voice memo of her playing guitar — she wrote it on this rubber-bridge guitar that I got for her. It’s the same kind I play on “Invisible String.” So she wrote “No Body, No Crime” and sent me a voice memo of it, and then I started building on that. It’s funny, because the music I’ve listened to the most in my life are things that are more like that — roots music, folk music, country music, old-school rock & roll, the Grateful Dead. It’s not really the sound of the National or other things I’ve done, but it feels like a warm blanket.

That song also had a lot of my friends on it — Josh Kaufman, who played harmonica on “Betty,” also plays harmonica on this one and some guitar. JT Bates plays the drums on that song — he’s an amazing jazz guitarist, but he also has an incredible feel [for rhythm] when it comes to a song like that. He also played the drums on “Dorothea.” And then Taylor had specific ideas from the beginning about references and how she wanted it to feel, and that she wanted the Haim sisters to sing on it. We had them record the song with Ariel Reichshaid, they sent that from L.A., and then we put it together when Taylor was here [at Long Pond]. They’re an incredible band, and it was another situation where we were like, “Well, this happened.” It felt like this weird little rock & roll history anecdote.

You also brought on the National to record “Coney Island.” What was that process like, where you’re recording a song with your band that’s for a different artist?

I had been working on a bunch of music with my brother [Bryce Dessner], some of which we were sending to Taylor also. At that stage, “Coney Island” was all the music except the drums. And as I was writing it, I don’t think I was ever thinking, “This sounds like the National or this sounds like Big Red Machine or this sounds like something totally different.” But Taylor and William Bowery wrote this incredible song, and we first recorded it with just her vocals. It has this really beautiful arc to the story, and I think it’s one of the strongest, lyrically and musically. But listening to the words, we all collectively realized that this does feel like the most related to the National — it almost feels like a story Matt [Berninger] might tell, or I could hear Bryan [Devendorf] playing the drum part.

So we started talking about how it would be cool to get the band, and I called Matt and he was excited for it. We got Bryan to play drums and we got Scott [Devendorf] to play bass and a pocket piano, and Bryce helped produce it. It’s weird, because it does really feel like Taylor, obviously, since she and William Bowery wrote all the words, but it also feels like a National song in a good way. I love how Matt and Taylor sound together. And it was nice because we haven’t played a show in a year, and I don’t know when we will again. You kind of lose track of each other, so in a way, it was nice to reconnect.

When working on Folklore, you had to keep most of your collaborators in the dark about who you were working with. What was the process like this time around, now that everyone knew it was Taylor? How did you keep it a secret?

It was hard. We had to be secretive because of how much people are consuming every shred of information they can find about her, and that’s been an oppressive reality she’s had to deal with. But the fact that no one in the public knew allowed for more freedom of enjoying the process. A lot of the same musicians that played on Folklore played on Evermore. Again, it was a situation where I didn’t tell them what it was, and they couldn’t hear her vocals, but I think a lot of them assumed, especially because of the level of secrecy. [laughs] But as funny as this is, I think everyone who’s been involved has been grateful for these records to play on this year and is proud of them. It kind of just doesn’t happen, to make two great records in such a short period of time. Everyone’s a little bit like, “How did this happen?” and nobody takes it for granted.

Taylor has mentioned that you recorded “Happiness” just a week before the album was released. Was that something you guys wrote, recorded, and produced all at the last minute, or was it something you’d been sitting on for a while before you finally cracked the code?

There were two songs like that. One is a bonus track called “Right Where You Left Me,” and the other one was “Happiness,” which she wrote literally days before we were supposed to master. That’s similar to what happened with Folklore, with “The 1” and “Hoax,” which she wrote days before. We mixed all the tracks here, and it’s a lot to mix 17 songs, it’s like a Herculean task. And it was funny, because I walked into the studio and Jon Low, our engineer here, was mixing and had been working the whole time toward this. And I came in and he’s in the middle of mixing and I was like, “There are two more songs.” And he looked at me like, “…We’re not gonna make it.” Because it does take a lot of time to work out how to finish them.

But she sang those remotely. And the music for “Happiness” is something that I had been working on since last year. I had sang a little bit on it, too — I thought it was a Big Red Machine song, but then she loved the instrumental and ended up writing to it. Same with the other one, “Right Where You Left Me” — it was something I had written right before I went to visit Justin, because I thought, “Maybe we’ll make something when we’re together there.” And Taylor had heard that and wrote this amazing song to it. That is a little bit how she works — she writes a lot of songs, and then at the very end she sometimes writes one or two more, and they often are important ones.

My favorite song on the album is “Marjorie,” and I feel like, for most artists, the instinct would be to present a song like that as a somber piano ballad. But “Marjorie” has this lively electronic beat that runs through it — it literally sounds alive. How did you come up with that?

It’s interesting, because with “Marjorie,” that’s a track that actually existed for a while, and you can hear elements of it behind the song “Peace.” This weird drone that you hear on “Peace,” if you pay attention to the bridge of “Marjorie,” you’ll hear a little bit of that in the distance. Some of what you hear is from my friend Jason Treuting playing percussion, playing these chord sticks, that he actually made for a piece that my brother wrote called “Music for Wooden Strings.” They’re playing these chord sticks, and you can hear those same chord sticks on the National song “Quiet Light.”

I collect a lot of rhythmic elements like that, and all kinds of other sounds, and I give them to my friend Ryan Olson, who’s a producer from Minnesota and has been developing this crazy software called Allovers Hi-Hat Generator. It can take sounds, any sounds, and split them into identifiable sound samples, and then regenerate them in randomized patterns that are weirdly very musical. There’s a lot of new Big Red Machine songs that use those elements. But I’ll go through it and find little parts that I like and loop them. That’s how I made the backing rhythm of “Marjorie.” Then I wrote a song to it, and Taylor wrote to that. In a weird way, it’s one of the most experimental songs on the album — it doesn’t sound that way, but when you pick apart the layers underneath it, it’s pretty interesting.

I do have to ask: How did you come to find out about William Bowery’s real identity as Joe Alwyn? Or did you know all along?

I guess I can say now that I’ve sort of known all along — I was just being careful. Although we never really explicitly talked about it. But I do think it’s been really special to see a number of songs on these albums that they wrote together. William plays the piano on “Evermore,” actually. We recorded that remotely. That was really important to me and to them, to do that, because he also wrote the piano part of “Exile,” but on the record, it’s me playing it because we couldn’t record him easily. But this time, we could. I just think it’s an important and special part of the story.

Do you have a personal favorite song or a moment that you’re proudest of?

“‘Tis the Damn Season” is a really special song to me for a number of reasons. When I wrote the music to it, which was a long time ago, I remember thinking that this is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made, even though it’s an incredibly simple musical sketch. But it has this arc to it, and there’s this simplicity in the minimalism of it and the kind of drum programming in there, and I always loved the tone of that guitar. When Taylor played the track and sang it to me in my kitchen, that was a highlight of this whole time. That track felt like something I have always loved and could have just stayed music, but instead, someone of her incredible storytelling ability and musical ability took it and made something much greater. And it’s something that we can all relate to. It was a really special moment, not unlike how it felt when she wrote “Peace,” but even more so.

Do you see this collaboration with Taylor continuing onward, to more albums or Big Red Machine projects?

It’s kind of the thing where I have so many musicians in my life that I’ve grown close to, and make things with, and are just part of my life. And I’ve rarely had this kind of chemistry with anyone in my life — to be able to write together, to make so many beautiful songs together in such a short period of time. Inevitably, I think we will continue to be in each other’s artistic and personal lives. I don’t know exactly what the next form that will take, but certainly, it will continue.

I do think this story, this era, has concluded, and I think in such a beautiful way with these sister records — it does kind of feel like there’s closure to that. But she’s definitely been very helpful and engaged with Big Red Machine, and just in general. She feels like another incredible musician that I’ve gotten to know and am lucky to have in my life. It’s this whole community that moves forward and takes risks and, hopefully, there will be other records that appear in the future.

[fleuraliasave]

*OUTDATED NEW VERSION AVAILABLE HERE*

❤ Version 6.0 Fleuralia Save File ❤

Download link down below (please read entire post before installing)

This save file uses all EP’s, GP’s (not Journey to Batuu), SP’s and most of the kits (Country Kitchen, Blooming Rooms, Incheon Arrivals, Retro Fit, Industrial loft, Moonlight Chic, Little Campers, Pastel Pop, Everyday Clutter, Bathroom Clutter, Simtimates Collection, First Fits and Desert Luxe).

What’s new in this update?:

San Sequoia has been completely redone, added multiple new lots, updated other lots and provided make-overs for the households.

All households that are currently living in the different worlds have set sim characteristics and conversation topic prefrences.

Added new households.

Updated existing community lots with objects for infants like changing tables and toys (where it would make sense to have them, so not in night clubs and such). Added infants to some of the households.

Added splash pad items to some of the pool lots.

Changed up some of the older lots (example Boba Tea shop in Copperdale, ice cream shop in Brindleton Bay).

Current Status of Worlds:

Finished worlds: Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Newcrest, Magnolia Promenade, Windenburg, San Myshuno, Forgotten Hollow, Brindleton Bay, Del Sol Valley, StrangerVille, Glimmerbrook, Sulani, Britechester , Evergreen Harbor, Mt. Komorebi, Henford-on-Bagley, Tartosa, Moonwood Mill, Copperdale and San Sequoia (NEW!).

Finished vacation worlds: Granite Falls and Selvadorada.

Finihed other lots: Hospital, Science Lab and the Police Station.

To be updated: the Magic Realm, will either be included in a future update or on the gallery (OriginID: fleuralia)

What do you get with this save?:

For my save file all lots are either completely new builds (almost all) or renovations, ofcourse created by me. Exceptions: I have added the official builds for the releases of the Paranormal SP by Dr Ashley and the Dream Home Decorator GP by Deligracy to this save, since I thought they deserved a spot. These two are therefore not my own creations, credits are given in the description to Dr Ashley and Deligracy. Mt. Komorebi, Henford-on-Bagley, Tartosa, Moonwood Mill, Copperdale and San Sequoia lots are largely created by GameChangers. Most lots have gotten small updates, others are completely new builds by me.

All the townies had make-overs plus I added new families to spice it up a bit. Some of the townies are made by other creators, who are given credits in the description of the household. All the townies in the different worlds have a story, some include sentiments and adjusted relationships to the story.

Added plenty of community lots to give your Sims something to do (YAY!). Almost every world has one restaurant, but it also includes festivals that represent the four seasons (park lots) and a fully functional shopping street in Magnolia Promenade (toy store, bridal store and more).

I have added rental lots so you can go on vacation in more worlds. For example in Sulani, Willow Creek and Windenburg.

Other details:

As mentioned at the beginning, this save uses almost all packs (except Journey to Batuu and some kits). This means that if you download it without owning or installing most of the packs a lot of objects will disappear from the save, but if you are not bothered by this you can still download and play in it.  

I disabled the autonomous fame gain and neigborhood action plan voting/environmental changes, you enable them again in the pack settings menu.

I would love to add some households in this save created by all of you! Add your household under the hashtag #fleuraliatownies in The Sims 4 Gallery, you can add a storyline and world in the description but thats not obligatory. If I respond on your creation it means that I have incorporated it in the save for the next update.

Sadly every game update comes with a lot of bugs. I suggest before reporting problems in the save to me, to check on forums if its related to a general bug/glitch or to mods (if you use them).

Questions and supportive feedback are always welcome, you can reach me here via a comment on this post, an ask or through a DM 😁

How to make it work in your game:

Download the save file from the link below.

Drag it in your saves folder under: PC/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/saves.

Change the numbers if you already have a save with the same name.

It should now show up in your game as: Fleuralia Save Version 6.0.

DOWNLOAD (SFS) (outdated)

!!Don’t re-upload or claim as your own!!

Future updates will follow after each pack release (if it includes a world). The time the update will be uploaded after each release depends on how much I have to change and on my work schedule around that time.

Last but not least, enjoy and till next time! XX

Fleuralia

Feel free to support me ❤️: Ko-fi account

[viltrumitesuperboy]

Like Home (Matt Murdock x Reader)

Gender neutral. Sorry I always make these the same plot that’s my fault

Requested by: anon Matt finds male reader in an alley beat up while on patrol and takes him back to his place to help him? I'm assuming they would already know each other

Word count: 1276

There were times when even Matt couldn't hear something over the sounds of Hell's Kitchen. He'd get caught up in the adrenaline of a fight, and, with the sound of his blood rushing through his ears, he'd miss a few people in trouble. He'd beat himself up over it all the time, but he knew he was only one man. He couldn't be there for everyone no matter how much he wanted to.

He rarely found people in the aftermath of a situation. If he did, he'd get them the help they needed and leave instantly. This time was no exception until he realised who it was.

"(Y/N)? Hey, stay with me."

You groaned from your position half-leaning, half-laying by the wall of the alleyway. Pollution was probably one of the worst things Matt had to get over smelling, but blood had been just as hard. He got used to it over time, but he hated knowing that it was coming from someone he knew. He picked you up in a fireman's carry after hearing no strange sounds from your body that would have indicated anything broken. You were nearly unconscious, but the jostling had helped you stay awake.

"You have a concussion. No sleeping, got it?"

"Sure thing, Satan," you mumbled back.

As Daredevil began to climb up his way to the rooftops like the dramatic bastard he was, he made a noise of confusion.

"Cause you're the Devil. People call you that, right? Humour me. You said I have to stay awake if I have a concussion."

"Well, Daredevil and Devil, sure, but not really 'Satan,'" Daredevil responded.

You tried laughing but it turned into a groan when your body disagreed with it. Daredevil continued to ask you questions to keep you awake until you reached a quiet building. Everything was kind of dark and blurry at this point, so he could have brought you to the ocean or a warehouse and you wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

"Stay here and don't move. I'm getting the first aid kit," he said. "I'll have you stay awake for another hour before you sleep."

You made a noise of agreement. He didn't have many other questions to ask. It was mostly about who attacked you and what happened. Most of your injuries were defensive, but some of your attackers got your stomach and back a few times. He dealt with those and even chuckled when he sensed that your knuckles were a little bruised. He'd given you a comforting pat on the shoulder, almost in congratulations that you managed to fight back.

"It's been well over an hour. You can sleep. Thank you for being patient," Daredevil said, draping a blanket over you.

"Okay. This blanket smells nice," you mumbled. "Kinda like home."

If you knew of his powers, he would have told you that you did not smell like that blanket at all. Your natural scent was entirely different from his, and he was so used to his that he rarely consciously registered it. The blanket smelled like the rest of his apartment. He snapped back to reality when he heard nothing from you. It was quiet except for your breathing and slowly beating heart. With another quiet check of his apartment, he took off his cowl and got ready for bed.

———

You awoke slowly, feeling light for a second, then the pain of sore limbs and harsh bruises. You managed to lean yourself up onto the side of the sofa you were laying on, taking in your surroundings. A quiet rustle behind you was the familiar crackle of oil on the stove, but turning your head was too much work at the moment. You felt a little nauseous even deciding to sit up, but the wariness of not waking up in your bed was alarming. You felt yourself calm a bit when the table, chairs, and massive windows covering nearly the entire wall registered in your mind.

"Matt?" you called as loudly as you could.

Even in your head, it wasn't very loud. It hurt your head to speak. A plate was placed on the table in front of you along with a mug. The energy was coming back to your body slowly, but not quite enough to hold something fragile yet.

"It's me," Matt assured, lightly putting his hand on yours. "I found you yesterday and brought you here."

"That was the uhh... the horns... that guy," you said, gesturing with your hand. "Daredevil."

Matt just hummed in agreement, taking a seat in the chair across from you as he ate his own food. He pushed the coffee table closer to you with his foot so you could reach down without much effort.

"I hear things. Things that make me angry enough to want to do something about the problem. I learned how to fight when I was little. So I do."

"Yeah? Already sounds like you're doing a better job than most people in this country," you scoffed.

He responded with one of his own, and you found the strength to take the mug. The smell was unfamiliar, but a few dark, floating remnants hinted that it was herbal tea of some kind.

"It's a mix of teas. My own. Helps with... everything," he explained.

You felt like you had so many questions and none at the same time. It just made sense in so many ways, but Matt was also your friend. The way he took care of your wounds, even blind, made it clear that he had a lot of practice. Every time you saw him with a bad bruise or a black eye, it was just him going out as Daredevil, not a clumsy and blind idiot. He was still a blind idiot, but far from clumsy.

"I know I can't say anything about you doing... whatever you do, but... just take care of yourself. Please," you said.

"I promise," Matt said.

His promises were something he took very seriously. You suspected it was a bit of his Catholic faith. He got up to put his plate in the sink, his movements so smooth and quick that confirmed he wasn't a typical blind person. When he came back, he gestured if he could sit next to you. You nodded and he sat, you a little baffled that he could sense a gesture so small.

"When you were falling asleep, you said it smelled like home. As far as I know, this is not your home," he said in a lower tone.

You lifted the blanket wrapped around your shoulders and brought it closer to your face. It was purely of Matt and soft detergent, something that was just him.

"Guess I was thinking about you," you said with a small smile.

You watched Matt hide his smile with an awkward cough, turning his head away. The implications of that statement was enough for the both of you.

"I used your phone to let your boss know what happened last night, without including... you know. I'll stay with you until you feel strong enough to leave. Foggy and Karen have been very adamant that they come see you after work."

"And food from your clients?"

"And food from our clients."

You both shared a knowing laugh. He got up and offered an arm.

"Go back to sleep. I'll help you to the bed."

"Wow, at least take me out on a date first."

"Sleep."

You slowly got up with his help and let him half-carry you to his room. Laid on the bed with Matt's hands lingering by your sides, you could only think of home.

[brooklynislandgirl]

[ PERSON ] + Andrew Riley

Walking In Tired Twilight || - Beth is a master when it comes to moving. A lifetime of being a military dependant will do that, supplemented by her work with Médecins Sans Frontières, with moving halfway across the world to attend University, to helping others do the same. Andy carries the boxes from the back of the moving truck and deposits the small ones in the hall. He and Sam move the heavy furniture to Kit’s exact expectations. After a gruelling two hours of work, the men climb back into the truck and set off to get the last remaining things at Kit’s old apartment. Glancing from the corner of her eye, Beth watches as Andy’s fingers slide against the small of Kit’s back, fingertips catching at the curve of her waist and giving it a supportive squeeze. She looks away and continues to unpack the box of glassware, putting each one in its cabinet. The country style kitchen is bright and airy. There’s plenty of room for Kit to cook, or for Andy to do so if she wants him to, and the farmhouse is much better for her physical and emotional health than the city could offer. Sure, she’ll have to drive to get coffee or the paper, and now she’ll have a commute to meet with patients, but Andy swears that this will be better for Kit, and who is Beth to argue with her brother? Every weekend for the last six months he’s come out here. Worked on the plumbing to get it up and beyond code. Plastering, painting, installing new wallpaper. Replacing the wood and fixtures as needed. Putting the tiny dock and the outbuildings in order. Never asking for anything except her company, the odd dinner or movie, or symphony. Kit doesn’t seem to mind the haze of cigarette smoke in the low light of his favourite bar as he picks his guitar and sings. Or when she knows he’s let her beat him at a game of 8-ball. Ever since the accident, Andy has changed. He didn’t laugh as much as he used to, and the need to control everything around him only got worse, his grip tighter. Kit is managing to bring out some of the old Andy, the funny and sweet knight in grubby armour. Once they are alone and Beth has moved onto the plates, she smiles fondly. “He’s happy t’ help, ya know.  Makes him feel productive, needed. An’ Panda’s da kine dat needs external commitmen’ f’ be wholly fulfilled. Fair warnin’ d’ough… if you let him, he take ovah ya kitchen all hostile kine, an’ ya nevah gonna get it back.”

[millywidow]

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Day 5)

Prompt ~ Person A and B get snowed in together.

Ship ~ Clintasha

Characters ~ Natasha Romanoff; Clint Barton; Phil Coulson

Warnings ~ Mentions of Injury. Mentions of Illness

AN // Hey, thanks for all the love! Also @/hawkeyes-chicklet liked my last fic and I am D Y I N G. I am literally fangirling so hard rn. I love their fics so freaking much, I can't believe they read mine!!

Ahhhh and @/quietlyimplode just commented. I AM NOT OKAY. I feel like I am dreaming...

-----

All he wants is to be warm, part of him thinks he will never be warm again.

Both in physical terms, and mental.

Trudging through the snowy hills of Northern France, his body as cold as ice, he longs to rest. His toes have no feeling.

But his heart is frozen too, cold and numb. He can't feel anything but Natasha's limp body in his fatigued arms.

Through the snowy haze, he spies his destination - a small cottage on the top of a whitened hill.

"Only a bit further now, love," he whispers into her body. He hopes she can hear him. Hopes she knows that everything is going to be okay.

As he walks towards the house, his body almost gives out, but he perseveres. He has to persevere; to make sure she would be safe. For her safety, he would walk a hundred miles.

But now, he was at a loss.

The mission had been a shit show from the very start. Their intel was wrong, they were ambushed, and then they lost sight of the target. But that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was when he saw one of the men pull out a great knife and lunge for Natasha. He tried to warn her, but nothing came out of his mouth, except a guttural yell. It was all for naught, as not a second later the knife sliced her body, and she fell to the ground.

A moment later, the man who dared to hurt her found an arrow through his neck.

Descending from his posting on top of a building, he ran over to her.

When he reached her, she was still conscious, but she was evidently in a lot of pain.

"Hold on, love, It's all going to be okay"

He had then taken her into his arms, and set out into the country in search of a safe place to stay.

SHIELD had a safe house nearby, that's where Coulson would meet him. It would all be okay. It had to be okay. And for a moment, as he entered the house, with his partner in his arms, he thought it might actually be okay. But then her head lolled to the side, and more blood spilled from the wound on her chest.

It was then, more than ever, that he knew she really needed medical attention.

Dust jumped into the air with every step he took. The filth from the house was evident on every surface. Nothing seemed to be clean. Which would prove finding a clean place to lay her down difficult.

From her place in his arms, he could feel her shivering, and yet her skin burned under his touch.

He knew she had a fever, but he also knew there was nothing he could do to help her. In a place like this, there was no escaping infection. He would just have to help her through it.

In the end, he decided to place her on the bed, after he stripped the top, dust-covered, coating.

Gently, he laid her down on the soft mattress. She moaned weakly as she was forced to stretch out her body.

"Sorry, my love, I just need to clean the wound," he whispered softly, collecting the first aid kit from the kitchen.

With great trouble, he managed to clean the wound. But it just kept bleeding. He ended up going through four rags, each one gradually getting soaked in her blood. Eventually, it was clean, dry, and sewn.

Once she was sated, he left to clean the rags and maybe even give himself a rinse. As he headed outside, he noticed that the snow was falling at an increasing rate. It worried him, if that snow kept falling, the extraction team would not be able to reach them

The extraction team

In all the chaos of the past four hours, he had completely forgotten to alert the extraction team of their whereabouts.

Practically running back into the safe house, he picked up his phone and called the second pinned number.

Coulson picked up in three rings, his ordered and calm voice only giving the slightest indication of the relief he felt at Clint's phone call.

"Clint! Where the hell are you guys. The extraction team arrived at the planned point over an hour ago, and you apparently aren't there."

"Mission went south, we've had to make a detour. We are at the Reims safe house. You know, the one in the hills?"

"Yes, I know the one. Why did you not inform the team? It is unlike you…well unlike Natasha...to not make sure everything runs smoothly."

Clint spares a look at the woman in question, who was breathing heavily, sweat beading down her forehead.

"How far away are you. Nat's hurt; knife wound. An infection had already set in. She...she needs medical attention"

"I'm sorry Barton. Have you looked outside lately, you're snowed in, there's nothing we can do," Coulson sighed.

Clint hung up the phone immediately. Not wanting to listen to Coulson apologise for something he had no control over.

In truth, there was nothing they could do. Except wait this out.

Do nothing but watch over his fever-ridden partner while also trying to keep himself from spiralling.

There was nothing to do, but sit in the cold, and wait for the warmth to creep in.

Dropping his phone onto the bedside table, he crawled into the bed with her. Curling himself into her body, he snuggled up next to her. From his position on the bed, he gazed at her. He could tell she wasn't present. She was awake but was locked in some sort of fever dream. He could tell she was getting worse, the fever taking every last piece of energy she had left. The faster the extraction team arrived, the sooner she would get the attention she needed.

The archer checked his phone again, hoping to see a message from Coulson letting him know that help was coming.

There was no message.

In a moment of despair, he shut his phone off, tossing it back onto the table. But not before noticing the date in the left-hand corner.

Leaning back into her limp body, he rested his head against her shoulder. Gently, as not to hurt her, he whispered three little words into her ear.

"Merry Christmas, Tasha."

---------

Question of the Day; What is a Christmas song that makes you cry?