#now he's not only taking my sims' rent

[brandinotbroke]

@fwaysims trait randomizer made the landlord in my game a kleptomaniac, we love realistic gameplay

[enhastolemyheart]

ℂ𝕌ℙ𝕀𝔻 — SIM JAEYUN

PAIRING | bsf!Jake x reader (fem implied)

GENRE | fluff, f2l

SYNOPSIS | This summer, you and your best friend Jake planned activities every Saturday. Being his turn, he picked archery, but it was actually his plan to do something you never expected.

WARNINGS | profanity, kissing, jake being a tease, playing a sport(?), proofread but lmk if any mistakes.

WORD COUNT | 1.5k+

A/N | hey everyone!! I decided to write a Jake fic cause I haven't written one yet. Also cause the latest ep Jake jus pulled at my heartstrings. I wanna say thank you so much for 50 followers!! Here's a little 'thank you' gift 🫶. Reblogs and feedback are highly appreciated!! Enjoy reading!!

"Why are we doing this again?"

"Because my y/n, we did what you wanted last Saturday, and now it is my turn." He briefly glances at you, putting the car in park and turning off the engine. He gets out and opens the door for you. After you get out, you both make your way to the field that Jake, your best friend, rented for 6 hours.

This summer, you both actually planned to do activities that interests the other person every Saturday. Last week you both baked which was your choice. You made brownies which actually came out good, and you had them while marathon-ing a thriller series.

And for this week, he decided to do something related to the great outdoors. He's not going to lie, he initially thought hiking would suffice his idea but you for one, are not a hiker. You mean, you wouldn't mind hiking but you're incompetent at the sport.

So he decided to take the easier route for you and chose archery. You were actually interested. You took archery classes for a few months before the pandemic. But you had forgotten everything you learned. And now you were nervous to play, 'cause Jake was exceptionally good at archery.

You both make your way to the storage area where the archery and other equipment is situated. It was spontaneously windy and gloomy today. And the wind, as expected, is very cold. You fold your palms in front of you and try to blow some air into it. He looks at you before snickering, "cold?"

You hum and Jake shakes his head with a stern playful face on, "I told you that you should always wear gloves. We don't want your hands to freeze to death, do we? Whose hands am I going to hold if that happens hmm?" You mutter whatever under your breath despite your cheek feeling very hot, if he notices you were going to simply blame it on the strong weather. He scoffs before taking your hands in his, fingers interlaced, swinging it slightly between you both. You get the equipment needed like the bows and arrows (of course) stands for the target boards and then said targets.

You request to do a practice round first and your best friend obliges. When you see him shoot, you couldn't help but admire the way he focuses and plays the sport. His standee was jus like a professional, hands having a firm grip on the bow and arrow, elbow stiff and locked. You couldn't help but look at him in awe when he scores a 9. You also don't fail to notice the smug smirk plastered on his face, tongue sticking out just a bit. He punches the air before turning to you.

"Why don't you try now y/n?"

You give him a small nod before taking his position facing towards the target in the right stance. When you try and shoot, the power wasn't strong enough and the arrow only flies a few metres away from you. You place you head in your hands at the embarrassment, ear most likely tinted. He just giggle giddy-ly before coming closer to you, "let me help you, you're not shooting the right way."

He drops his bow on the ground before stepping behind you. "May I touch you, y/n?" Goosebumps run throughout your body. His voice was very close to your ears, indicating that he is standing very very close to you. You give him the green light and he plants his hands on the sides of your waist before twisting it gently to the right position, doing the same with your footing. You tells you aim the arrow at the target, pulling the string and keeping it there. He then adjusts your elbow. Your breath hitches as you feel his fingertips on your skin, feeling it's burning everywhere he touches.

After your position is set, you shoot and score a 7. Not bad for a beginner right? Jake immediately smiles even wider before giving you a high five. You giggle at him getting so hyped over you. You place a bet on whoever loses has to pay for dinner next time you have it together.

Time passes and you guys play head to head. Jake ends up ultimately winning, not that it surprised but it did In a way. You could just watch him play archery all day and all night.

He runs away from the target, punching the air in victory. You couldn't help but laugh at his antics, his competitive spirit showing. He runs to you and flicks your forehead, causing you to growl at him, "you are buying me korean BBQ next time." His face defines the definition of smirks and smugness and it's just everywhere you don't know how to escape it.

"I'm tired Jake, let's lay on the grass." He agrees with a smile. You make your way to the centre of the field, laying side by side on your backs. Jake has one hand under his head for support and the other resting on his side. You have both hands interlaced and placed on your tummy.

You stay like that for what feels like an eternity. Your mind keeps going to the thought of how your life would be if Jake was yours. How you wake up next to him every morning and sleep next to him every night. How cooking together would feel like, focusing on making the food right but still goofing around. How shopping with him will be, being a fashionable ace, you know that whatever outfit he picks for you would make you feel very pretty and confident. You desire to do all the domestic things with him. How kissing him would feel, considering he somehow symbolises the looks of Adonis, the way he can simply make your ears burn and heart flutter within a millisecond. He knows the effect he has on you and he uses it to his advantage, unbeknown to you.

"You know I have to tell you something." Jake breaks the silence. You turn to your side facing him propping on your elbow "oh yeah? What is it?"

He reciprocates your posture before clearing his throat, "Whatever I'm about to tell you right now is something that I've been thinking about for a long time. And a long time being since freshman year.

Y/n, I like you. I like you alot. The way you light up at the smallest things that excite you. The way your eyes glisten when you talk about something you're passionate about," He takes your hand in his and rubs his thumb over your knuckles. "When we were playing truth or dare with a bunch of random ass people and you picked truth one time, you talked about how a perfect confession would go. You said that when you get confessed, it would should be just you and the person. And that he should take his time ranting about why they want you and why a relationship would be a good choice.

I kept thinking about that little moment ever since it happened, and it icked me to confess to you sooner and I wish I did; but the fear of losing you even as a friend scared me," He leans in closer to your face, "I want you y/n. I want you to be there with me when I wake and sleep, cook with, learn together, to grow together, only you and me. Me and you. You're my favourite person y/n, I love you my y/n not just 'like', please my y/n, will be my girlfriend?"

Tears prickle your eyes as you watch him finish something he wanted to say to you for a LONG time now. Jake gets scared at tour lack of your response and he starts to panic, "Of course y/n, you don't have to say yes, or take how much time you want before you decide to answer. I will understand if you don't even want be friends after this but please know that—"

You were too impatient as he kept rambling on and pulled him for a kiss. He freezes before you but then when his mind alerts him that you are kissing him, he immediately closes his eyes but the second he is able to kiss back, you pull away. "I love you too, you idiot. What took you so long, hmm?" You swat at his chest and he just chuckles, swooping in to kiss you. You put a hand on the side of his neck and his slides to the side of your waist, pulling you in even closer as if the proximity right now isn't enough.

"Fuck y/n I love you so fucking much." He says as he pulls away, lips still lingering. You giggle and tell him that you love him too. It was like he was his own cupid to your heart, archery being the arrows. He leans is gives another peck, causing to smile brightly, resulting in him smiling like you do.

"Round two of archery?" You question as you sit up and look at him. He just looks like a happy puppy when you state the offer.

"Hell yeah! Get ready to lose my y/n!"

A/N | thank you sm for reading!! It means alot to me!! Reblogs and feedback are highly appreciated!! Please do feel free to share ideas if you'd like. Requests are open and so is the taglist!! Thank you again for reading, and I'll see you in the next one!

PEACE AND LOVE <333

perm taglist: @jak-ey ; @wanna-live-yn-life ; @snoowhore ; @hsheart ; @hsgwrld (bold can't be tagged; send an ask to be added)

[fxstpace]

hi, i’m aspen (she/her, 19). i write, sometimes, for pure self-indulgent purposes only.

please note. some of my fics may contain mature content. recent. oh, snap! (s. jake)

JEON WONWOO.

drabbles. ↳ the one with ramen at midnight.

KIM MINGYU.

nice boys don’t kiss like that. ↳ fluff, developing relationship!au, rivals to lovers!au

when your former rival chances upon your diary and reads all the unpleasant things you’ve written about him, he takes it upon himself to change your mind.

the very first night. ↳ romance, angst, smut, exes to lovers!au, roommates!au

the search for a new place to live takes a turn for the worse when the only person willing to split rent with you is your ex-boyfriend.

JAKE SIM.

oh, snap! ↳ fluff, angst, childhood friends to lovers!au, soulmate!au, college!au

you and jake sim might have been best friends once upon a time, but not anymore. now, you barely talk to each other—so you decide to prove the universe wrong when you find out that he’s your soulmate, because there’s no way both of you are compatible.

drabbles. ↳ the one with the window.

PARK SUNGHOON.

the subtle art of swinging. ↳ fluff, best friends to lovers!au, spider-man!au, college!au

park sunghoon is the spider-man. he’s also your best friend. he's also hopelessly in love with you. between fighting crime and intercepting alien invasions, park sunghoon barely has the time to confess his feelings to you. lucky for him, you’ve got him covered. or, five times park sunghoon tries to ask you out, and one time you ask him out instead.

disclaimer: the above stories are purely fictional and meant for entertainment purposes only. names, places, events, businesses and incidents are all used in a fictitious manner only.

[erikahenningsen]

Do you have any Regina headcannons?

Yes that girl lives rent-free in my brain

I subscribe to the lesbian Regina starter pack headcanons like she only takes Aaron back because she has a crush on Cady and is jealous, she had feelings for Janis at some point (especially because she kept the rainbow pin), etc

I have mentioned this before but I think Regina figure skated when she was younger, and I now accept her having done gymnastics as part of canon. I think she probably quit around level 7 or 8.

Lacrosse Regina is canon to me I think she joins in her senior year

I wrote a throwaway line about her having a horse in a fic but I think she did express interest in horseback riding at one point so her parents bought her a horse but Regina smelled a barn for the first time and turned around and left

She was traumatized by the bus—she tries to hide it but she has nightmares and panic attacks and is sometimes afraid to go into the parking lot. She also has chronic pain.

Regina and Shane are very close friends and remain so after high school. He's the first person she comes out to.

She also becomes close with Damian post-canon

Regina has a near-perfect GPA but is very "what, like it's hard?" about it. She wants to go to law school. If debate club wasn't for nerds she would demolish anyone in a debate.

She is deeply insecure about literally everything but especially her body/appearance and craves assurances but doesn't know how to communicate that

Her relationship with her mother is strained at best and downright hostile with her father (I will continue to demonize this man in every fic despite his .5 seconds of screen time)

The movie shows her having seemingly no hobbies but I think she loves to read and, according to Taylor Louderman, she plays the sims

She's a touchy-feely drunk (e.g., her high at spring fling licking Cady's head) but will bite you if you try to hug her when she's sober. Except Cady. Cady is allowed to play with her hair but you can't tell anyone.

I always find it interesting to reverse the typical canon power dynamic in intimate settings—like Regina has such a dominant personality but it's rooted in her need to control things in her life (friends, status, her weight, etc) so I think when she is with someone she trusts she'll hand them the reins and let go. I'm specifically thinking of the Cady/Regina dynamic here.

[windtorndagger]

Sampard modern aus live in my head rent free - but to be fair some of them can just be canon divergent.

Okay but I REALLY want streamer au with streamer!Gepard who plays farming sims and works on his art and like it’s Belobog’s most open secret. Everyone knows that the cute little snowman on the screen watching art tutorials is the beloved Captain Gepard, but no one brings it up. At all. Everyone knows how much of his young life has been dedicated to the protection of their city so they just watch his streams and support him through that.

After the Overworld and the Underworld are reconnected, Gepard (or rather SilverShield), opens donations on his stream for the Rivet Town Orphanage, as well as the rebuilding of the Underworld as a whole. He doesn't expect much, doesn't want people to give more than they can afford, but he leaves it there.

As it turns out, he's popular in more than just Belobog.

As it turns out, he's made quite a name for himself across multiple planets and the galaxy. So donations just come rolling in.

There is however, one viewer who always makes sure they are top donor.

And that person?

Sampo.

Sampo who will literally pause mid interrogation with a customer who betrayed him because Gepard started streaming. Sampo who will change the screens in The Tavern to Gepard's streams and throw anyone out who dares try to change it. He's gotten in several fights with Fools and Actors both for attempting to bother him when he's watching Gepard's streams. (Those fights are short lived because neither group can tell if he's an Emanator of Aha or Aha themselves so they don't put up too much of a fight—especially since he can also wield IX's power too...)

Sampo who is Gepard’s boyfriend and has been for a few years now, but only recently did they make it public. Sampo who has two accounts, one in which he chats and mods (the dashing Mr.ColdFeet) and one that he just donates money with (the elusive TheLadyElation). He knows that Gepard won't take his money, even if it's honest, so he makes do with a side account.

Sometimes, when Sampo has down time (he always has time for Gepard but sometimes Gepard gets worried that if he ignores his clients they'll come after him—like they can harm him, ha!—so he doesn't do it often), he'll either appear on Gepard's chat as a cat in a trash can or he'll just sit offscreen and be a presence in the room.

Gepard likes streaming, likes to be able to work on his art and improve and hopefully inspire others to pursue their passions. He enjoys playing his farming sims because it's so different from his day to day life as a soldier. His model was gifted to him by Sampo, after the man had caught Gepard watching an offworld stream. He doesn't ask, but was happy to receive the model and to have the chance to do something he now deeply enjoys.

Now if only Serval would stop asking to be a guest on his stream. She already did his intro an outro music and he knows all she'll do is tell embarrassing stories. (And if he says yes to her then Lynx will want to join and they would just embarrass him on stream and Sampo would never let him live it down.)

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 26 (Cassandra Goth Joins the Family!)

Heather's new son was perfect. Ash loved attention right from the start, and to ensure she was ready for single parenthood, Heather’s family came to stay with her in the weeks after delivery. Little Ash had plenty of loved ones to dote on him.

It was a tight squeeze in Heather's one-bedroom home, but she was grateful to have them as she adjusted.

Besides, the family needed to be together in Brindleton Bay. River and Cassandra were finally getting married, and the Goths had planned an elaborate celebration for their only daughter.

River Nesbitt and Cassandra Goth exchanged vows on Family Day, at a wooden arch under a canopy of lavender blossoms on the waterfront. A reception followed at Calico Lounge in downtown Brindleton Bay, where the Goths had rented out the entire yacht club for the wedding.

"You're beautiful," River said as they shared a moment alone before the ceremony. He'd grown a beard for the wedding, and Cass smiled at her soon-to-be husband.

"My handsome love," she said. Cassandra was so happy to be marrying her soulmate, she felt as though she floated on air.

She wore her long hair up and decorated her black-and-white wedding dress with an opal-and-gold armband. The heirloom piece was once owned by her Selvadoradian maternal great-grandmother, Enriqueta, who was said to descend from ancient Omiscan healers. The band shined as bright as the smiles on the newlyweds’ faces.

They exchanged traditional vows under the wedding arch at the pier, bringing tears to the eyes of their loved ones when the lovebirds said "I do."

Several guests were uncomfortable in their formal wear because of the heat, but once mother-of-the-bride, Bella, was in her swimsuit, the reception moved to the pool. After a refreshing dip without wetting her hair, Bella sashayed up to the pool bar for a drink.

"What'll it be, gorgeous?"

The silver-haired bartender made her blush. Or maybe that was just the heat. "I'll take anything on the rocks," she said as she sat down.

"You look way too young to be the mother of the bride." He passed her a freshly-made wrench. Most of the guests were in the pool, so he stepped out from the bar to chat on the stool next to hers.

"Her father and I married young." She laughed at the faded memories of youth. A time before the disappearance that changed her. The bartender glanced at her ring finger. "We're not married now. Well, he is. To Karl. I still wear this because it's too expensive to keep in a box." She pointed out Mortimer's husband swimming laps in the pool.

"Whoever you're seeing now is a fortunate man."

Bella hid a grin behind her glass. "Perhaps you'd like to be that man."

He raised his brow suggestively and mixed her another drink. "My name's Diego. Diego Vazquez."

Father of the groom Neal finally washed out his last attempt to dye his hair, embracing his grays to see his son walk down the aisle. His wife, Daisy, was still a PlantSim, and since she didn't need human food she spent most of the reception in the pool to stay hydrated.

This lifestate was only supposed to last a few months, but now it had been a year! Embarrassed the experiment went sideways, she neglected to pose for pictures in her photosynthesized form. She feared she'd be stuck with green skin and leaves for hair forever, subsisting on nothing but water and sunlight for survival.

Would the Watcher figure out how to cheat-code Daisy's way out of her PlantSim form? Probably, she does love cheat codes in a jam. But anyway, let's find out! ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

NOTE: I know they're posing in front of the pool. But I am not an incredible simmer by any means and getting the poses to work is a struggle, so really I'm just happy to have gotten them to pose properly. I don't care where.

[simslegacy5083]

Not So Berry (Straud Descendants) Gen 9

Today's (8/28/2024) Episode: On Her Shoulders

Luigi’s reputation was critical to maintain his endorsement deals, buzz for his game, and of course his actual e-sports career, so he took it seriously.

One easy way to make others see him as a “good sim” was regular donations to charity.

He found worthy causes to associate his name with, such as Tess’s ex-boyfriend Julio’s “happiness for all” campaign and the Tomorang Renters Fund, which temporarily paid the rent for sims who were down on their luck so they wouldn’t get evicted and wind up homeless.

Luigi’s enterprising efforts were only possible by the grace of his rock-solid support system.

Now that it was her full-time job, Noemi had taken over the lion’s share of management and development for Project Daisy, in addition to being Skye’s primary caregiver. She’d never been the best at dealing with strangers, and lately organizing their staff of artists and programmers was wearing through her patience faster than it ever had before. It was a trial she could only bear by assigning herself chunks of relaxing code work between meetings.

The freedom to pick her own timelines and teammates was undeniably the part of being “lead programmer” that got her through all the rest, but her strange irritability remained a worrying mystery. Fortunately, at her annual GYN checkup, her doctor put her mind at ease with a simple explanation.

Noemi was officially going through “the change” and her issues were just temporary side effects of her body and mind adjusting to the perfectly normal and expected changes of leaving her child-bearing years (and hormones) behind.

Noemi was honestly relieved by her advancing age. She had never feared the idea of growing older and she and Luigi had long ago decided they were “one and done” in the kid department. If anything, saying goodbye to worries about a second unplanned pregnancy was a big win!

Her doctor warned her about other unpleasant symptoms that might pop up, but she was hardly listening as she gleefully composed emails pushing her most annoying issues back to Luigi.

“These hot flashes make me way too sweaty during the all-hands standup meeting. I’m going to need you to take those over.” … “Susan’s being a plumhole about revising the walk animations. Talk her around before I shiv her. Mood swings, you know.”

By the next time both sims had a day off, Noemi was feeling much more like herself, and they made some time to visit family.

Luigi and the relatives he was closest to had mostly ended up childless or with small families, but Chance and Bianca’s daughter Fern wanted a full house. When her third little one was born, she invited his family over to meet the new addition and hang out with the rest of her crew.

While the energetic Skye played outside with Fern’s doggie and the other kids, Luigi and Noemi headed in to say hello to little Alice. Noemi and Luigi had a great time holding the adorable tiny newborn and an even better time handing it back for a diaper change with big smiles. No more for them!

Even their next stop, seeing relatives at the wake for Denton’s mother Nikita, put no significant damper on Noemi’s improved mood.

She was, of course, sad for her friend’s loss, but the quiet atmosphere, surrounded by sims she knew well as her husband mixed drinks behind the bar, was as close to her ideal evening as was possible without a sturdy set of padded handcuffs.

She’d felt lonely and misunderstood as Kiana’s “too young” wife, but loving Luigi had brought her right into the heart of his warm family circle.

As Denton wept on her shoulder, she reflected on how happy she was to have given this strange family a second chance.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[guessimate]

This week I'm trying to finish playing the Asian part of my town, or at least the Laos and the Siews who are related to my main families. The Laos are first and guess what ROS they got... Men are just cursed in this part of my town and they keep leaving their wives.

If you haven't seen my previous post, I have uploaded some videos with short recaps and family trees of my Asian households. Here is the video about the Laos.

Almost all the dads in my Sim Asia are abandoning their families to join the monastery. It might not make a lot of sense, but that's some good drama for me, so I'm allowing it to happen...

Hisashi and Satet just got married, but they have been together since their adolescence, and they have a toddler and a baby on the way. If Satet died, Magu (Hisashi's sister) would have to take care of the baby and the toddler. They would both be brought up by their extremely young aunt who is just turning into a teenager this round.

I might have to play the monastery at some point, to make sure the original monks get to die peacefully and Hisashi can take over as the new head monk.

Hisashi has left his family before, so I can understand he would feel the monastery is his real home. Maybe he really doesn't like living in the same house as his younger sister. They aren't enemies, but they were both interested in taking over the business. Hisashi might have just given up on running the business in general.

~*~

Guiren became a child on the same day her aunt Magu aged up. But there was no need to worry, because Satet survived her last birth. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl, so the Lao family name won't survive the 'test of time' either, unfortunately.

The little girl has dark blue eyes like her older sister and black hair like her aunt. Her name is Bazi. Baby Bazi aged up at the very end of the round. She immediately knew she was into Fitness, just like her older sister. She's a Sagittarius: 3 Sloppy (her dad is 4 Sloppy), 8 Outgoing, max Active (1 more active than mom/sister), max Playful, and 3 Grouchy (just like mom and sister).

~*~

Magu's aspiration was randomized to be Popularity, like her mother's (and her brother's aspiration is Fortune, like their dad's). I personally like the idea of children having the same dreams, especially if their parents never achieved much in their lifetimes.

Magu's possible romantic prospects, Tasuku and Sangen, are also Popularity sims, so it's getting a bit samey this generation in my Sim Asia. We will see next round whom she likes more. So far she has only met Sangen and she has got 2 bolts of chemistry with him.

~*~

On the day when Hisashi was going to leave, one of the monks, Yutaka Siew, was walking by. He was checking on his student, and it turned out he would like to come back to the monastery after all...

Satet wanted to learn Couples Counselling, but I don't think that will help this family. She's not getting more babies.

~*~

This family is not running a florist's anymore, now they are poultry farmers. The chickens they had on the lot depreciated quite a bit, but they got lucky with the most recent eggs and got a rooster to sell.

Magu is quite enthusiastic about getting customer stars, but I might have to restart this home business. Something seems to be wrong and no business perks can be unlocked.

They earned ~950$.

500$ - rent

380$ - tax (40%)

95$ - tithe

They paid basically everything they earned (~980$), but at least they were able to afford the taxes. They have almost nothing left. But it's still probably better than spending money on flower arrangements for little profit.

[quill-pen]

two things!! ahoy again!!

1) do you have a bess/ebeness playlist? bc sometimes i think of them when i listen to certain songs and i’m like “oh man this would go so well on a playlist for them” (ahem. “howl” by florence + the machine)

2) do you think bess and ebenezer ever pretend-argue about the metric vs imperial system

Ahoy again! Welcome back to my little Scroogey corner!

I don't technically have a playlist just for them (yet), but I do have a playlist for my Scroogeverse in general, and, admittedly, a lot of the music in it is very much Ebeness vibes. You can listen here if interested. And now I need to go add that song to the playlist as well as my general playlist. Also, can I just say how genuinely touched I am to hear that you think about my Wolves? I often feel that my head is the only one they take up space in (apart from @rom-e-o, but that's because we've twined our worlds together bia Sims). So it's so nice to hear they're living rent-free in some other people's heads, too.

Pretend-argue? No. It's an actual argument. Not one that'll cause any sort of great marital strife, but it's a legitimate--if small--argument. They do this a lot concerning British and American cultural differences, and Bess usually starts it just for shits and giggles. She's something of a little instigator and likes to get her beloved Brits all riled up and heated on occasion. Especially Eb, because it typically ends up with some breathtaking sexy time with him being rather dominant in the sack. She loves to be dominated by him--gently and conscientiously, of course. He's quite skilled.

[jessykosisimblr]

My Sims:

Elousie Montero and Melody Valerio

Elouise and Melody are a vampire/werewolf couple that live together in Evergreen Harbor. Elouise is somewhat of a hipster with a love for art and gardening, and Melody is an upbeat and enthusiastic gamer who loves books. Elouise works part time in a grocery store while Melody pursues her dream of being streamer. In her spare time Elouise paints portraits of Melody, and Melody uses her free time to research her werewolf heritage.

Wes Meri

Wes is a mermaid who lives in Sulani, he's married to Lou Howell and they have an adopted daughter named Ada and a science baby named Lian. He's incredibly family oriented and dreams of having a big happy family.

Wes works part time as a babysitter, and in his free time paints his favourite views from around Sulani. He also enjoys practicing mindfulness and takes the time to regularly practice yoga.

Cole De Mort and Ales Toledo

Cole is a Zombie living in an abandoned shack in Copperdale, where he has become the subject of many urban legends. After spending the years since his death in isolation, he's finally decided to pursue his living dream of going to college, and now studies programming at the University of Britechester despite the challenges that come with being undead. Ales is a loner who struggled connecting with others growing up, finding solace only in books. He dreams of being an author and moved to Britechester to study Literature at Foxbury Institute. The two met during a study break at a cafe, and clicked despite their obvious differences.

Evan Vertigo

Evan is an aspiring alternative musician with a love of all things weird. He moved to Strangetown with hopes of being inspired to create new and unique music.

He spends a lot of time tuning and tinkering with his instruments to try and find his new sound, and can often be found doodling up new ideas for album art.

He's dating Nervous Subject, who he finds a huge inspiration for his art. His quirks can be difficult to manage now that the two are living together, but Evan still finds them incredibly endearing.

Zoel Corps and Ezra Corps

Zoel and Ezra are a pair of siblings with a love for the paranormal and a close bond. These two rent a trailer in Belladonna Cove where they hope to experience a little more magic and mystery.

Ezra has a love of literature and is fascinated by witches, who she often includes in her writing. She works as a journalist, but writes fiction in her free time.

Zoel has an obsession with zombies and hopes to one day meet a member of the undead. He works in a kitchen but dreams of someday becoming a DJ.

Webb Burns

Webb is a sweet natured guy who lives in Sunset Valley. He's fairly absent minded, but can sometimes be overwhelmed by anxiety. He's easily scared and avoids confrontation, but never holds back when it comes to giving compliments, especially to people he cares about.

He formerly worked as a stylist but quit as he felt it wasn't the best way to express his creativity and now works part time at the day spa. He loves the outdoors and has a small vegetable garden. He loves cooking with his own ingredients.

He's in a relationship with Connor Frio and spends a lot of time hanging around at his house.

[scottysketches]

wip wednesday

been a month since I posted any form of wip progress. I don't really have anything new - this time of year is always really bad for me, my motivation and desire to do anything creative tanks thanks seasonal depression you're a real one - not to mention that xmas eve was also the ten year anniversary of my nan's passing. It's just been a really weird month.

But! I've started sleeping better, I'm going to start going back to the gym (want to shed a load of weight before my cousin's wedding in August), and actually taking some time off from writing Don't Dream It's Over has helped me with blocking out the remaining chapters.

There have also been some developments with regards to how my Satine Lives AU will continue once DDIO is completed:

I've worked a little more on talk me down, my Korkie/Amis side story

I've started writing notes and drafting ideas for a Korkie-centric story, set between the end of DDIO and A New Hope (so will actually cover the nineteen-odd years that the Kryze-Kenobi clan are in hiding after the downfall of the Republic)

I completed Jedi: Survivor! And I loved every second of it! The combat is incredible, the maps are beautiful, the ability to customise Cal's appearance is very well done! I've actually got a story in the works where Cal, Merrin and Greez run into Korkie on Ryloth (no working title as of yet, it's saved on my computer under the name 'twin sons' - yes, playing on the idea that Cal also looks like he could be Obi-Wan's kid lol)

In case folks were unaware, after I published the first chapter of DDIO I ended up creating a series for it on AO3 because I knew I was going to end up writing loads more set within this AU. It's titled (rather appropriately) The One Where Obi-Wan Gets a Happy(ish) Ending. For now, DDIO is the only story in it, but the other stories that are in the series description are meet you there, talk me down, tear me to pieces and afterglow:

meet you there: Ahsoka Tano & Korkie Kryze, in progress - set immediately after Ahsoka leaves the Jedi at the end of S5 Ep20, "The Wrong Jedi" [excerpt here]

talk me down: Korkie Kryze/Amis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, in progress - follows Amis from the age of ten to the Night of a Thousand Tears as he comes to terms with his sexuality, meeting Korkie and falling for his best friend [excerpt here]

tear me to pieces: Korkie Kryze/Amis, in progress - set in the immediate aftermath of the Night of a Thousand Tears

afterglow: Ahsoka Tano & Korkie Kryze, Korkie Kryze/Amis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze (mentioned), in progress - set during the galaxy-wide celebrations after the downfall of the Empire. Ahsoka is reunited with an old friend and his family on Naboo

---

Aside from all this Star Wars stuff, I've also gotten into some new stuff - I'm really enjoying the Percy Jackson show, criticisms about some changes from the source material aside; I've been playing The Sims 4 again after not touching it from around the time the latest expansion pack, For Rent, was released; and I've spent the last few weeks binging the few seasons of Chicago Med, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire that are available on Now TV here in the UK.

Anyway, now that my seasonal depression seems to hopefully be settling down to hibernate until the end of November, I'm going to try and set some time aside to work on DDIO and try to get chapter 4 out before the end of January.

Cheers, folks, Scotty :)

[ariellewm]

"Whispers of the Enchanted River" A Short Story by Arielle W.M.

Author's Note: Thanks to my Brazilian friend that introduced me to some Brazilian folklore that inspired this story. I've wanted to try my hand at writing a fantasy mystery.

Warnings: Kidnapping, hypnosis (for those that are uncomfortable with those scenarios)

Summary: Strange disappearances have been occurring lately along the Amazon River close to the riverside town. Alipha reassures herself that her visiting American friend Rose would be safe. At the last minute her family found Rose a place after her rental was mysteriously cancelled. Although the cabin is a few blocks away from Alipha's family house, it just to happened to be right along the Amazon River itself. Will Alipha and Rose be safe from the mysterious occurrences?

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The riverside town was lively as the afternoon sun brought warmth to the locals. Amidst the hustle and bustle was a large family seated outside the riverside restaurant. Everyone was engaged in conversation filled with chatter and laughter as they waited for their drinks. They arrived not long after their daughter, Alipha, received a text from her friend that she was on her way.

One of the servers came around with an array of drinks on the large tray.

“Cafés, waters,” the server said, placing the cups of coffee and glasses of water down at the table before reaching for Alipha, “and one strawberry caipirinha for the senhora.”

“Obrigada.” She thanked the server.

“Filha,” her mother glanced at her, “daughter, it’s only the afternoon, and your already drinking?” “Why not?” “Why now? Don’t you want to wait until your cousin’s festa later today?”

Alipha replied, raising her glass, “Might as well start celebrating earlier than later.”

She took a sip of her caipirinha, anticipation building within her. She hadn’t seen her foreign friend in many years since she graduated from an American college. The river gently lapped against the dock as small boats passed by the restaurant. She wondered how much further her friend was. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Ei, ei, va embora! Get away!” The fisherman spoke aloud.

A small river boat titled for a moment, almost causing a patron to fall over. She gripped tightly on the edge of the boat. The fisherman noticed her pale face hovering over the murky water. Her blonde hair stuck to her neck from the excruciating heat.

“Are you alright, miss?” He called out to her.

Ignoring his question, of course she wasn’t alright. She already dealt with a delay that almost made her miss her international flight; the Airbnb she rented out was canceled for unknown reasons. To top it all off, she was riding in a small, somewhat functioning fishing boat only fit for two people on a hot, humid day. Then there was the sea sickness issue. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths in and out to calm herself.

I’m almost there. Rose said to herself. Then I can finally meet up with my best friend from college.

It’s been three years since their graduation. Back then, Alipha and Rose were inseparable and went everywhere together. They would go bar hopping, go on shopping excursions, and try new restaurants that opened nearby. Since Alipha returned home to Brazil, life for Rose hasn’t been the same. Conversations consisted of texting or reacting to other socials.

Rose’s sapphire eyes opened to notice something in the water. It rose gracefully up and down by the boat. It was a dolphin. This dolphin, however, wasn’t just any ordinary dolphin she’s seen by the marina back home. It was pink, like her grandmother’s kitchen tile walls. It looked almost alien with its triangular shape and long, thin snout.

She turned back to the local fisherman that Alipha had arranged for Rose, “Pink dolphins?”

“Sim, yes, river dolphins.” He kept his eyes focused ahead, “They’ve lived in these waters for as long as I can remember.”

The pink dolphin was getting rather close to the side of the boat. It seemed that the creature was trying to get a better view of the pretty human, with his head popping up occasionally. Rose noticed its small, playful black eyes staring back. Smiling, she reached down to gently stroke the creature. The dolphin squeaked back, enjoying her gentle touch. Like a cat, it nudged the boat several times, seeking more attention. She chuckled, reaching down once more to pet it. It wouldn’t be long, though, before they arrived at the village. As they got closer to the docks, her new friend circled and disappeared into the depths of the river.

“ROSE!” She saw her friend by the dock, waving her down. In tow from behind was her family. They all had warm smiles and greeted Rose as soon as the boat docked. Her father tipped the fisherman while her mother and Alipha got Rose’s belongings off.

While sitting outside of a small family-operated café, Rose told them of the mysterious cancellation of her rented-out Airbnb within the village.

“Meu amor, Palo, you know of someone who has a place for Rose, don’t you?” Alipha’s mother asks her husband.

“Of course I do! There’s a small, lovely cabin nearby the river.” Palo reached for his cellphone. “I’ll try to give them a call to see if it’s available.”

The place was vacant, to her surprise. Luckily, it wasn’t far from Alipha’s parents’ home, and she didn’t have much to bring. A large suitcase, a travel backpack, and whatever money she was able to exchange beforehand. So, she made the trek to the cabin, and as soon as she arrived, she was in awe.

The cabin’s cleanliness was quite impeccable. Crisp white linens, a small wooden box filled with sweets, and a welcome card on top of the pristine countertop. There were double sliding window doors to reveal the backdrop of the Amazon River, with a dock included for renting out boats. If only she could stay a little longer. Rose received a text from Alipha that read,

Don’t settle in too quickly, amiga! We have a festa to go to! I’ll come back to pick you up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The outdoor birthday festa was lively, even in the late evening. Rose was happily getting along with Alipha’s family, along with Alipha’s cousin, who happened to be the birthday girl. They danced, they laughed, and they drank the night away. Rose had never had such fun outside of her own country before. It was the first time in a long time that she felt comfortable getting loose and having fun.

Rose excused herself to get another drink at a secluded bar far off the dance floor. She decided to order herself another round of one of the fruity cocktails her friend had introduced her to. It was her third drink of the night. Fumbling for her Brazilian real, she felt someone nearby approach the bar.

He was the most collected gentleman Rose had ever seen. She looked over his polished white suit, noticing hints of fuchsia along the collars and vest area. It was almost hard to see his face with his broad-brimmed white hat on. He looked up to notice the beautiful foreigner staring. Quickly, she looked back at the bartender crafting her drink, fiddling with her money.

The gentleman leaned in slightly, his arm resting on the countertop with his hand on his cheek. A charming smile appeared on his handsome face, “Olá beautiful.” 

Startled, she turned to see him, nervous as ever. It was the first time any man had ever greeted her in this sort of setting. “Umm, hi there.” She turned back to notice that her frozen concoction was ready to be consumed.

“Senhor, I’ll order what she’s having,” he spoke to the bartender. She handed the money over, but a warm, tanned hand stopped her, “and it’ll be on me.”

“You’re too kind, sir. Thank yo—I mean, ahem, obrigada.”

He chuckled at Rose’s nervous response, “De nada, your very welcome.”

While they waited for his drink to be finished, they made small talk. Rose talked about graduating from college, starting a new job, and visiting her friend. Even after his drink was made, they continued to talk on and on. Clearly, there seemed to be some chemistry between the two. Alipha, from a distance, even noticed how close they were getting.

Another bartender came back from his break to notice the man, “Excuse me, senhor, but are you even part of this gathering at all?”

The white-suited man was surprised, “Oh, my apologies, I thought this was a public bar tonight.” “I’m afraid no—”

Out of the gentleman’s pocket, he gave the bartender a gracious tip. “No need for trouble tonight, meu amigo, I’ll be on my way.” He smoothly slides off the stool before reaching for Rose’s hand.

His soft lips touched the back of her hand, his dark onyx eyes looked into hers, “I hope to see you again, querida.” He soon rushed off into the dark part of the street, almost as if he had vanished, blending in with the shadows.

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“How could you forget his name?!” Alipha asked as both walked back to the cabin, “The two of you seemed to really hit it off.”

“I never got his name to begin with.” she said, a little disappointment in her voice. “We were so lost in conversation that by the time he left, I forgot to ask. He just left so suddenly. I honestly thought he was part of the party.”

Alipha sighed, “My parents got super worried about you. My mother apparently has seen him at other bars and festa’s in the past.” “Really?” “Yes, so just be careful, especially on your own out here.”

They reached for the front door as Rose fiddled for the keys in her purse.

“We aren’t far from here if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Alipha, for everything. Have a goodnight.”

“You too, Rose. See you tomorrow.”

Later that night, she could’ve sworn she heard someone calling out to her. It was a lovely, honeyed voice. She was tempted to open those sliding doors. To see if it was the white-suited man. Those dazzling onyx eyes, that charming white smile. She was too exhausted to leap out of her memory foam bed, sleep taking over.

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For the next two days, Rose’s itinerary was planned out by Alipha’s relatives. They would take her around town and to all the historical sites nearby. It would end with them visiting other family members, including her grandparents. After having lunch on the second day, they all decided to take a walk. The trail they followed was near the river. Rose noticed from behind that Alipha’s grandfather looked uncomfortable. He kept glancing back at the river and back at the girls.

Alipha pointed out something peeking out of the water, “Hey, look Rose!”

Rose caught a glimpse of her pink dolphin friend. Squeaking, it tried to get Rose’s attention. It swam as close as it could get. The dolphin paused to get a better look at its friend. Rose smiled back at the creature, remembering her encounter earlier in the week.

Alipha’s grandfather rushed over to the girls, spooking the dolphin before it got any closer. It dove back down into the water.

He cursed under his breath in his language before continuing their walk. Alipha was confused by her grandfather’s actions.

“That creature is dangerous!” He told her, especially toward Rose. “You must never go near the river. Bad things happen to those who stray near the water. And especially at night. It grabs yah and takes you down with it.”

Alipha rolled her brown eyes. “Oh, avô, please. It’s just a myth.” “A myth?! I may be old, but I’ve seen things before your time.”

She whispered to Rose, “Don’t listen to him. My grandfather had too many of those Brazilian papaya cream desserts from earlier.”

“Eu ouvi isso! I heard that!” He groaned. They giggled in response as they made their way back to the house. 

The dolphin popped up its head once more without the grandfather looking. It then dove back into the murky water. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun subsided over the Brazilian horizon. Another day is gone. No more being dragged around by Alipha’s parents. Rose could finally enjoy the large feast her parents hosted outside of their casa. She could already smell the illecebrous aroma that lingered in the air. Grilled and smoked meats are placed on skewers or on large platters around the large table. At the center was a traditional Brazilian seafood stew she had been wanting to try since her arrival, moqueca.

The gathering continued. Family members mingled about, laughing at jokes, and simply enjoying the evening. Rose was finding herself growing tired. The rich, savory food had caused her to grow weary. She excused herself, thanking Alipha and her family for hosting. Rose was reminded once more that if she needed anything, she could call them. So, she left, but not without getting plenty of leftovers for the next few days to have back at the cabin.

Rose decided to sit outside for the rest of the evening. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying the scent of florals around the cabin. Her legs were kicking over the edge of the dock, staring out into the lapping of the river. The crescent moon illuminated the vast expanse of the night sky. Stars that seemed to dance high above the dark abyss.

She found solace in this very moment. No loud music, no annoying relatives speaking loudly. Just serenity by the water. If she wanted, she could leave everything behind in America and make a place for herself here. Alipha’s family would be more than happy to help with her move. But unfortunately, she had other things going on back home.

A low, melodious song broke out, stopping all thoughts. There was a sense of familiarity to the faint, hauntingly mesmerizing voice. Her eyes looked around her surroundings, and the gentle breeze tousling her long hair. Could it happen to be the same voice that whispered to her the first night in the cabin? A shiver ran down her spine, trying to locate the person or thing that was singing to her. There were no fishing boats or any sort of creature on the water.

Her heart raced in anticipation and eagerness. The voice seemed to slowly emanate somewhere beneath the dock. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously leaned over the edge, peering down into the water. Rose felt a strange presence in what lay below. She was transfixed, her eyes slowly swirling into a dark, pearlescent daze.

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“Ô filha?!” Alipha’s mother called out from the kitchen to her daughter, “Have you heard from your friend lately?”

“Não mother.” Alipha joined her parents and grandfather at the table. She sighed, reaching over for the warm bread rolls, “I’m sure she’s just enjoying herself around.”

It had been two days since the last time she or anyone in her family heard from Rose. Not even the locals in town had seen her. It was too soon for her to leave, as the same fisherman who brought her over hadn’t seen her. She had about three days left before leaving to head back to America.

Her grandfather crossed his arms, “Somethin’ isn’t right.”

Alipha looked at her grandfather, “Avô?”

“I’m sure Rose is having a lovely time.” Her mother responded, “She’ll respond back.” “Mãe, it’s been two days.” Alipha took out her phone, showing her mother, “Nothing back from her. She hasn’t seen any of the messages I sent. Even the one I sent her last night.”

The old man got up from the table, grabbing his jacket from behind the chair. He groaned as he pulled up his jacket, “I’m going to get a search party.”

Alipha’s mother stopped him at the door, “That’s going a bit far, isn’t it pai? Perhaps Alipha should visit the cabin to check up on her.” “No.” “Wha—”

Opening the door, he turned back on his daughter and granddaughter, pointing at each of them with assertiveness, “I don’t want neither of yah you to go near that god forsaken cabin! There’s somethin’ strange about that place.”

In the past, when outsiders visited the cabin, they were usually by themselves or with a significant other. It was uncommon for families to stay at such a place. Occasionally, the place would be vacant, so those who had trouble booking could stay for a night or a week if need be. The last time they had a visitor was during Festa Junina, when a single lady from another town was visiting. She was reserved to stay for a week, only to notice her belongings were gone after day five of her visit.  

He continued, “Haven’t you or Bernardo noticed that whenever the place opens, it’s always during a festa? No one bats an eye when they notice they’re gone early. They just assume they have gone elsewhere.”

Bernardo shook his head before taking another sip of his espresso. He pondered in silence before opening his mouth, “I could call the man that owns the place—” “NO! You estúpido idiota. We do this my way! Do meu jeito!”

His daughter was hurt by Abilo’s harshness toward her husband. She was about to open her mouth before she noticed someone missing from the table.

“Alipha? Alipha!”

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Alipha rushed out of the house before her mother realized she was gone. She just couldn’t stand the bickering from her family. Another part of her felt there was something odd about that cabin. Her grandfather had always speculated that it was haunted. Even before its renovation.

As a child, she and a few other children explored the abandoned cabin. The locals had no recollection of who the past owner was. Some claimed that the owner had perished or simply neglected the place. Children would play hide-and-seek there and sit by the dock to throw rocks into the river. During her grandfather’s time, there was a drowning incident in the river near the cabin. This caused many of the locals to fear what sort of evil surrounded the place. Children have been forbidden to visit since.

As time went by, a new owner bought the property and began renovating. Alipha couldn’t remember what the owner looked like. In fact, no one knew. It was a mystery who the man was. Some say he was a rich American man, while others claim he looked to be outside of the Americas. All that they knew was that the owner rarely ever showed up, and Alipha’s father somehow had his number in case a foreigner needed a place to stay.

Overwhelming thoughts rained over her. Could perhaps the person who owned the place take Rose hostage? The place had security in place. There were cameras outside and around the cabin. The police would’ve already started their investigation if that were the case. But it wasn’t common.

Then her grandfather’s statement sent shivers down her spine.

“Haven’t you or Bernardo noticed that whenever the place opens, it’s always during a festa?”

Of course! Why hasn’t she thought of that? In the past, she noticed that whenever a party or festa was happening in town, the cabin would be open the day of. Other times, it would be vacant for tourists during American vacations or a holiday getaway. It had been happening since her arrival back home. 

Her heart raced as she approached the cabin. The sun was already settling, creating a warm glow over the dark river. The dock she once sat among with friends shared no boats or birds around the area. No cars were parked in the lot, and there were no bicycles near the neatly organized porch. The dirt pathway remained untouched other than Alipha’s footprints, which left a trail from behind.

A chill ran up her spine as she approached the door. Her heart pounding with every step. She raised her hand, knocking hard against the wooden door.

“Rose? Rose?” She knocked again, “It’s me, Alipha! Open up!” There was no answer, to which she released a long sigh. This was concerning.

With a reluctant groan, the door creaked open. Surprised, Alipha’s brown eyes peered through the crack. “Hello?” Cautiously, she opened the door further.

The cabin was cleaned to her surprise. Not a single speck of dust. Polished countertops with a welcome basket filled with fresh fruit and other goodies. She made her way toward the small kitchen. The fridge that held Alipha’s leftovers was gone. The small pantry next to the fridge, which had a couple of Brazilian snacks Rose had gotten, was empty. Her gaze went over the pristine countertops to the neatly made queen bed. Blankets and decorative pillows were tidily placed for its next guest. There was no sign of Rose’s bags either. It really did seem as if she had left the place.       

Alipha slid the back porch sliding doors open. She stepped outside upon the wooden floor, the dock stretched out toward the dark water. The sun had completely disappeared, casting a blanket of stygian night. She then glanced at a dark figure from afar that alerted her. It emerged gracefully from the river before planting himself at the edge of the dock near the unilluminated lanterns. Alipha was puzzled.

Who in their right mind would go swimming at this hour? It’s far too dangerous to be in the river at night. Even the locals in town were aware of the dangers within.

The figure moved their arms, reaching for an object to put on its head. A hat, perhaps? It’s rather odd to be carrying a hat while swimming.

It straightened its back, turning its body and head sideways before turning its attention toward Alipha. She froze, unable to leave the porch. It was too dark to tell if the figure’s gaze was locked on her in the darkness.

Then, a soft and calming voice slithered into Alipha’s consciousness.

“Venha até mim,” it spoke, its whispers tickling her ears, “Come to me.”

Her legs had a mind of their own, carrying her down the length of the dock. Her heart was fluttering in her chest. There was anxiety, yet fascination, about who was calling out to her. The little part of her mind was telling her to stay put, to resist the call. She tried to grasp at anything as she slowly passed by. The railings, the poles—anything to keep her from approaching toward it.

The ethereal susurrus continued to beckon her.

“Don’t be afraid, darling,” it whispered, “não tenha medo…that’s it…come closer…”

Each step Alipha took felt heavier. The groaning of the aging wooden dock grew louder and louder as she continued. Her legs refused to stop or turn around. She wished that, at any point, the old wooden platform would collapse on itself, preventing her from reaching toward the figure. She regretted all of this. She should’ve listened to her grandfather to begin with.

The hypnotic voice ceased, causing Alipha’s legs to stop. This was her chance. She could finally take a break for it. Leave this haunted place and admit that her friend had been taken by this mysterious being. Her pulse quickened at the revelation of the figure.

The flickering of the lantern that obscured her vision had now stayed on. It was a man—a finely dressed man. His presence was otherworldly and yet alluring. But this man, however, she had seen him before. Many days ago, in fact, on the night of her cousin’s birthday festa.

“You’re… you’re the—” She gasped at the sight of the man’s lower half. A pinkish-grey tail was in replacement of the gentleman’s legs. Its faded purple caudal fins undulated as the tail lifted slightly. There was an absence of scales; instead, the merman’s tail looked smooth and rubbery. “Y-you’re a boto encantado.”

A dolphin shapeshifter. Enchanted beings of the Amazon River. Beings that could turn into handsome men, luring women, and children through their charms. They came from Brazilian folklore her grandfather told her as a young girl.   

She had several more questions for this being, “You’re the one responsible for all those disappearances, aren’t you? Espiescally of Rose.”

The shapeshifter smirked, “That’s quite the accusation, minha bonita.” He shifted himself upon the dock, still in his tail form. He continued, “What makes you think I’m responsible for such an act?”

“You’re the owner of that cabin, are you not?” She pointed behind her to the vacant property, “You only open it’s vacancy when there’s a festa happening in town.”

He chuckled once more, “Inteligente girl you are my dear. Yes, I am the owner of the place. I renovated that place years ago.” “And you kidnapped those girls, those women that stay there?”

These benevolent, sadistic creatures were known to do such acts. Charm female humans or innocent children to the point of no return.

“Me?” Innocently, he responded, “Kidnapping? Oh, I would never do such a thing, bonita. Have you mistaken me for another of my kind, perhaps?”

Alipha was losing her patience, “Then where is Rose?”

The encantado puzzled for a moment in thought. Humming to himself, Rose wasn’t having it, “Answer me, boto!”

“Oh! Your amiga from America?” He leaned up against the pole, turning his handsome face back to Alipha, “She’s quite the woman your friend is. We had a lovely talk one evening about meeting the Amazon manatees. I assure you though she’s well, and…wha—what are you doing?”

Alipha dropped to her knees. Tears slowly trickled down her freckled cheeks. Whatever this shapeshifter was hiding from her, she didn’t believe that Rose was well. No, she knew her friend was in danger or worse.

“Please,” she begged, “please bring back Rose. I beg of you, shapeshifter.” She covered her face, unable to control her anxiety over her fear of her friend’s fate.

“Shh, shh… não chore, don’t cry.” He cooed to her, reaching a hand toward her. His hand was shockingly warm on her soft cheek, causing her to abruptly open her eyes. Alipha had a better look at the man.

His face was chiseled by a master sculptor. He had a strong jaw that paired well with his chinstrap beard. Deep, onyx eyes pierced into hers. His tanned thumb continuously wiped the tears under her brown eyes. Another hand stroked her chestnut hair back. She closed her eyes, leaning into his gentle touch.

“Não chore bonita. I tell the truth.”

She gradually opened her eyes, “She…she is?”

“Have you heard of the place my people are from, lovely human?” She shook her head, and the shapeshifter smiled, continuing, “Encante, that is where your friend Rose is. She is among others who have entered the underwater city. It’s a peaceful, wealthy city.” He sighed, “Unfortunately, those that enter the boundaries of the city are forbidden to leave. There is no need for tears. They will treat her like a queen.”

He glided his smooth hand toward her chin. Alipha took a deep breath, glistening eyes fluttering open. She gasped at the sight.

His ethereal voice returned with the capture of black swirling pearlescent eyes, “I could always bring you to her. That way, the both of you will never have to be separated again. Doesn’t that sound nice?”          

The brown in her eyes slowly transformed into a mystic black haze. Alipha sighed, smiling and forgetting about all her worries and concerns. Rose was safe. She could be with her, together. Never be separated again by continents or from other worlds. Alipha nodded in response.

“That’s a good querida…” He leaned in toward the dazed Alipha. His cool lips met hers, indulging in a passionate kiss. An arm coiled around her thin form, bringing her closer to his shockingly warm body.

The shapeshifter’s hypnotic trance on the human was cut short. A group of men, along with the barking of dogs, headed straight to the cabin. Flashlights led the way, along with the loud noises of members of the group calling out for both Rose and Alipha. The boto encantado noticed the female awakening from his magic spell.

Blinking, Alipha shook her head to realize just how much closer she was to the enchanting man. For a moment, she felt like she was in a dream. Now, it turned out to be a nightmare. It was probably how Rose fell for this being—from not only his mesmerizing eyes but his musically entrancing voice. She struggled in his tight grip on her. Unable to get free, she began to scream out to the group.

The boto cursed himself. Quickly, he placed a hand over her mouth, muffling her calls for help. She twisted and turned her body, trying anything to get out of his grasp. He pushed himself off the dock, with another female human, into the cold river. Her Clothes soaked, the freezing water causing her to spasm.

She screamed through the palm of his hand once more before descending into the water, never to be seen again.

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To this day, no one has been able to find Rose or Alipha.

The town, including her family, searched all parts of the area. From searching in all parts of the town, the jungle trails, and the riverside. Nothing. There was absolutely no trace of either of the girls. After many months, they had given up their search.

The people of the town eventually blocked access to the cabin by the water and destroyed it. No one was allowed to build anything in that area. The dock, however, remained standing for unknown reasons.

Three years had gone by, and another festa was around the corner. The people would celebrate the lives of Rose and Alipha at Alipha’s family’s casa. Just then, an attractive woman made an appearance at the festa. She sat in silence, stirring her cocktail of choice at the table.

She arrived in town about a year ago, taking residence at a condo residence near the river. The lady was generous enough to help Alipha’s family during the tough times. Since then, she has always been invited to the family’s gatherings. It was rare, though, as she was busy with many other things out and about.

“Why, you look just like Bernardo’s daughter.” A local complimented the lady.

Another had asked, “Do you have relations to the family?”

“Porque sim, yes. A family friend of theirs.” She smiled back.

Before they could ask any more questions, both locals were called over for help inside the house. She took a sip of her pink cocktail. The fancy-dressed lady lifted her head, careful not to mess around with the white extravagant hat upon her head.    

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[notjustyourhealers]

Cat's Go-To Cozy Games

Screenshot by the author.

I'm one of those people that might best be referred to as "high-strung." I'm constantly obsessing about my work, my chores, my family, and all the other moving parts of my life, to the point that it gets a bit difficult to relax.

So, of course, I turn to video games. Specifically, I tend to play a lot of cozy games - sims, worldbuilding, low-stakes survival, that kind of thing. It makes me happy to create a little virtual life with low-stakes adventures I can enjoy at my leisure without the pressure of competition or timed events.

If you, like me, are looking for a way to wind down, I've got a couple of recommendations.

Stardew Valley

Screenshot by the author.

Stardew Valley is the classic cozy game. It's got everything: cutesy retro graphics, a little town, a customizable farm, cute animals that you can name and pet, magic and mystery, and sprinklings of romance.

I've played well over 300 hours of this game in the last few years and I'll happily play 300 more. I still haven't found every secret! On top of that, this game has one of the most helpful and welcoming communities on the internet, which is lovely.

Slime Rancher (1 & 2)

If you're a fan of self-guided adventures with adorable characters, Slime Rancher (both the original and the sequel, which is currently in early access) should be your go-to. It's a game all about taking care of precious little blob creatures with different themes. The soundtrack is incredibly relaxing, the story is bittersweet and relies on exploration, and the mechanics of the game are simple to pick up and consistent across games.

My personal favorite character is bOb, and no, I will not elaborate beyond saying that he likes chickens and that's the best thing ever.

Minecraft

Image from Mojang.

Yes, it's a meme. Yes, it's totally worth it. There's something ridiculously relaxing about wandering through a cuboidal world, making a little house, interacting with villagers, digging through caves, getting pet cats, and seeing what else the game has to offer.

For the ultimate relaxing experience, I recommend playing in peaceful mode and simply building a massive farm.

Travellers Rest

Screenshot by the author.

Love the idea of a business sim, but make it fantasy? Then Travellers Rest is the best possible game for you. It's a low-stakes fantasy game where you run the tavern that adventurers go to between adventures. You can cook food, brew drinks, rent out bedrooms, and craft interesting new furniture to make your tavern even better. And there's a cat!

The game is still being updated and created in early access, so if you jump in now, you get to influence how the game is created, which is just awesome.

Armello

Image from League of Geeks.

Armello is a digital board game with a cool fantasy premise: you're playing to take the throne from a king corrupted by evil magic called Rot. You play as a variety of cute (and sometimes a bit spooky) animals from various houses each with different abilities and powers in the game.

It's low-stakes even when playing against your friends, the music is beautiful, the art style reminds me of the Redwall books, and it's perfect for people who love board games in person.

Cozy Games Rule

I know there's a stigma about girls only playing "cute" games, but the truth is they're perfect for anyone and everyone who wants to take a little time to chill. Cozy games are meant to be comforting, so why not let anyone enjoy them if they want to? I think we could all use a little comfort nowadays.

[richmondsims]

Andrew had never really seen the point of making a bigger deal of 'milestone' birthdays. I mean, sure, you can contemplate your life at 20 or 30 or 40, but you could equally contemplate the past decade at 24 or 36 or 41. Now however, at age 30, he found himself drawn into reflecting back even so.

To be fair, his life was hugely different to the way it had been ten years ago. At 20, only a couple of years out of a childhood spent in children's homes and foster care, Andrew was completely without ties.

He travelled around, taking any job he could, and only staying until he had enough money to move on to the next town. Then, at 25, he'd come to Richmond.

He'd got a job as usual, but in a matter of months, he also had a girlfriend, a dog and an apartment. True, the only one of those things he still had now was the the dog, but he hadn't exactly shaken off the bonds of adult responsibility either.

He'd lost the job because of his somewhat chaotic relationship with the girlfriend. Then in quick succession he broke up with the girlfriend, got the apartment and got the dog. Then he got another job working for the brother of the woman who had just fired him. The ex-girlfriend left town, came back, and then started working for the same guy as Andrew. Not that it mattered because, by then, he had another girlfriend.

He'd met Tracy through an online dating site. She was living in a cottage in Bluewater Village that had belonged to her late grandparents, with her daughter Tania. 

She was also studying for a Communications degree at SSU. Their relationship had developed quickly, and Andrew (and his dog) left the apartment to move out to Bluewater village with her. 

Tracy's parents now owned the cottage, and they'd let her stay there rent free while she was in college. It was only fair that they start to pay after Andrew moved in with her. Money was tight but Tracy grew vegetables for them and Andrew did extra shifts, and they were a happy little family.

As for Andrew's other extended family, as he'd told Tracy they weren't really people you'd want to get to know. He'd kept in loose contact with a couple of relatives, though, and through them he learned about a distant cousin, a five year old boy who needed a home following the dissolution of his own family. 

Andrew's experiences in state care hadn't been too bad, but he'd heard the horror stories from others. And in any case, a home and family of your own were going to be better no matter what. They were far from rich but they were sure they could afford another child, and there was some government support for foster parents. Following a hectic series of appointments, lessons in kinship fostering, home reviews and legal advice, Neal joined their family.

Tania was used to being an only child, and it took her a while to accept Neal. After a couple of years, they now got on well. 

There was still the occasional argument, but no more than any other kids growing up in the same family. And they really were all family now, after Andrew and Tracy were married a couple of summers ago.

It was a quiet ceremony in their backyard, with only their children and Tracy's parents and a couple of close friends as guests.

They'd kept it small partly because of the cost, and partly because Tracey's friend Juliana was finally planning her own wedding for that autumn, and they didn't want to steal the attention from her when she'd had so many problems and delays.

---

From Andrew

These guys have never had an update since I recreated my neighborhood in TS3, so there's a lot to get through.

Neal joined the family almost immediately after I recreated them in TS3. I had set up Story Progression for the household and turned off pregnancy - but I forgot to turn off adoption. Family-orientated sims that they are, the next time I went to play the household it had a new addition. I had played other households for some time and I didn't have a save before it happened, so he got to stay. I made him a family member of Andrew because that made more sense than a couple in their position intentionally seeking to adopt an unrelated child.

Everything Andrew describes in the first part of the story happened back in TS2 and on the blog - you can find the updates by following his tag. It was a slightly crazy period in the story, but it all seems to have worked out well in the end. 

[jazzytrait]

I'm drinking and rambley so how about a non-sims, Jazzy-gives-advice-no-one-asked-for post? No? We're doing it anyway!

So, my friend just told me about another friend of hers who has been asking her for money on the regular and I had to tell her this story because it's...

a lesson I had to learn the hard way:

Story time! Once upon a time I had a close friend. We'd known each other for years. When he finally moved out of his parents' house he had no end of financial trouble.

(This is gonna get long and rambley... so adding a cut)

Now, I'm no stranger to that... I'm disabled and have no college degree. I've struggled to make ends meet my whole life. I have gotten very good at churching up ramen noodles and rice/bean dishes. For reference: I've been under or only slightly over the poverty line for the majority of my life. Sucks when you feel like you're making a little progress and then they take away your health insurance because you made $1k more a year. (and I have to have my medications, so forgoing medical treatment is not an option)

Anyway, my friend got into a bind when he quit a job because the manager was rude to him. He was slightly younger than me and new to "real life", so I gave him a pass. Life is rough and adjusting is hard. I helped him out with a couple hundred dollars that I barely had because that's what friends do, right? Right.

A couple months later, I found out that instead of paying his rent with that money he had taken his gf out to dinner a few times and now he was getting kicked out. Luckily, he was living with roommates and it wasn't an actual eviction. But he did have to find somewhere new to live. He asked to come stay with me and I had to decline because my place was extremely tiny (300sq ft) and I didn't even have a couch for him to surf on.

He found someone else to couch surf with rent free until he could find another job and another place. He kept talking about all the job hunting and how hard it was. A few months later his gf confessed to me that he hadn't been looking or putting in applications because he thought he deserved more money than the going rate for his education level (no hs diploma or GED). His friend eventually kicked him out and he found ANOTHER place to couch surf. He did eventually take another job.

A few months later he was in trouble again because he had to go to the doctor and was short on rent. My other friend helped him out with some money. This time he spent it on his rent. But lo and behold, the next month he said he needed help again. A different friend helped him out with some more money. The next day he, I and his gf were online together gaming in Discord. He said "brb I'm gonna order some food". He ordered $60 of sushi for he and his gf to split (she didn't work btw, so he paid). I asked him "Didn't [friend] just lend you money for your rent? Why are you ordering sushi?" and he replied "All I have is sandwich stuff and I don't feel like eating a sandwich". This was the first time that red flag really went up for me, even though it should have been sooner.

It continued this way. Every month he had some new sob story of why he needed money from people and even though our friend group had long since ceased helping him, he always found someone new to help him out (he was charming and had a knack for making friends and sounding genuine).

He went through job after job. He'd quit after a month or so because he didn't like the work or didn't like his boss or didn't make enough money (which... any money is better than no money). I'm not saying that adult life isn't soul-crushing. It is and it sucks, but we do what we have to do to survive. To him, he was victim forced to do something he didn't want to do and so he refused to do it. He had a million and one excuses for how his joblessness and constant need for assistance wasn't his fault.

One time, I was in town visiting and we met up to get a burger. I offered to split the bill and he said after we'd already eaten "Oh, I don't have any money". I bit my tongue and paid because it was too late anyway. Afterwards, as we were walking back out through the mall he said he wanted to stop and look in a couple stores. He asked me to buy him things three separate times. I declined because I could barely afford my own rent and expenses and I worked my ass off to get what little I had. He was pretty frustrated by my refusals and even called me "stingy".

To this day (5 years later) he is famous amongst our friends for always asking for money, always spending it carelessly and then just asking people for more... he doesn't have to work his ass off because people keep giving him things to the point that now if you say "no" to him he gets offended and feels entitled to whatever money you have.

The moral of the story is: One time is a mistake. Twice is a pattern. Three times is a problem. Some people can't be bothered to help themselves as long as others are willing to prop them up and do it for them. Don't get suckered into every sob story you hear and feel obligated to help. We want to be good people and helping out isn't wrong. Help should be available to people in times of crisis... but keep an eye out for the ones who seem to always need help. Some people are very good liars.

[marukissnack]

Totally for SCIENCE purposes only....

🏠 😍🧑‍🍳🫵🐢💵🧑‍🤝‍🧑🦸

aaaaaaaaaand another question of my ooooowwwnnn.....

which iteration of TMNT do you think has inspired your AU the most?

Anon you’re spoiling me here ( ；∀；) Lots of longer answers in this one so BUCKLe UP BOYS

Find the list of questions here!

🏠 What is the Lair like?

This is an interesting one, ‘cause in this AU their lair and their home are two separate places!

I’ve mentioned/implied multiple times before that Yoshi, the turtles’ “uncle” & official guardian, is still human. Because of this, My AU turtles live topside in what’s essentially a large apartment.

I…definitely 100% made their home in the sims, and spent hours in first-person Google maps roaming the streets of NYC to find a real live building as reference to make it that much more realistic. It was a lot of fun. That is not sarcasm. I also plan to recreate their hideout in the basement of the sims lot when I get motivation, and I’ll be posting it entirely once it’s complete. But for now, have a basic description!

Their “house” is a three story building, purchased at a time when the housing market was not impossible, and passed down generations of Hamatos. On the main floor is the Hamato Dojo (name pending) where Yoshi works by teaching people (mostly children) the art of ninjutsu. This is also where the turtles do most of their formal training sessions, and when they were tots they sometimes had to hide/hangout in the staff kitchen but I’ll get into that bit some other time.

The second floor is their main living quarters. I tried to imitate a very apartment looking layout for it, but it takes up the entire floor if that makes sense. 5 males, 4 teenagers, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. You can probably imagine the chaos that takes place in the morning. Ha. Yoshi gets his own room, Mikey & Leo share another, and Raph & Donnie share the Master bedroom because those two are the most picky about their personal space and they both NEED their own desks. Couldn’t just SHARE like Leo & Mikey do. Smh my head.

The third floor shares the exact same layout as the second, very apartment building like. It is currently unoccupied. The reason they don’t use it is because technically it can be rented out, and Yoshi’s father (another bit I’ll get into some other time) wants him to do that (for more money), so they can’t use it so it stays in decent shape for future occupants. It most likely is/will be rented out during the story, but it’s also very likely it will be a complete rando who has no purpose in the main story.

NOW THE LAIR, which the turtles call their Hideout. It is in the sewers. The main entrance is the manhole in the alleyway conveniently right by their house, like literally climb out the window, jump down the fire escape, boom, right there. There is a slight walk through the tunnels to get to the main area, but it’s very close. The hideout itself isn’t super lived in, but a majority of their hobbyist things are down there due to the lack of space in the apartment, for example:

A lot of Leo’s musical instruments are down there, like a portable keyboard, an abandoned drum set they found, etc.

Mikey keeps his spray paints and messier art stuff there

Donnie’s built his big, mainline PC down there, you know the one, the one that does the heavy technological stuff like the serious hacking. Idk. Anyway, a majority of what would be considered his “lab” is down there.

Raph…he hangs out down there. Lmao, most of his hobbies are on his main PC in his room so he just follows his brothers to hang out tbh. There is a sort of Rage Room a little ways away from the main area that Mikey put together for the two of them to blow off steam.

There’s a couch they found on the side of the road one night that they dragged across town to take down there. Some old beanbags. Idk, I haven’t visualized in the sims yet, my decor game severely lacks when it’s just in my head. This is typically where they’ll go when they need out of the apartment but don’t wanna get all human-disguised for the public.

😍 Are there any romances in your au?

There is no explicit romance, and VERY very few implied (like…one, lol). I considered it for a few of the adult characters, but ended up deciding that I just don’t feel it’s necessary to include in the story I wanna tell.

Mikey does have a crush. But there is no hope for it going anywhere, and he knows that, so I don’t really count it as a “romance”. Just a teen with a celebrity crush. Nothing more.

🧑‍🍳 Who is the best cook?

Of the main cast? Raph, but don’t tell the others; he has a reputation to maintain.

Yoshi’s pretty good, too. Fresh grown herbs do wonders for a meal.

🫵 Who do you project onto the most?

….That’s funny because I project onto all of them all the every all the time. But I GUESS that’s not the question sooo…

Me: Geez this is such a weird thing that I do. Probably from my ADHD or whatever.

Me: ……

Me: Here you go, Mikey.

🐢 Are your turtles different species?

YES! :D I spent many hours researching turtle species to find the right ones for each of them. Leo gave me the HARDEST time, fr.

Donnie is a False Map

Leo is a River Cooter

Mikey is a Yellow-Bellied Slider

Raph is a Common Musk (aka stinkpot)

And as I mentioned in my last post, Sandro is a turtle, so he gets included. He is a Red-Eared Slider.

There is also a Painted Turtle.

💵 How do your turtles make money? Or do they only scavenge?

As mentioned above: Yoshi is a human! With a human business! And gets money for it! Crazy! Each turtle gets some form of allowance idk how much I haven’t really thought about it, but they do get something.

On top of that, there are some other forms of income that the boys have developed.

Raph occasionally livestreams gaming. People are crazy about his hyper realistic vtuber model, it’s rigged so well and the 3D textures wtf (Don’t tell Yoshi he’d FREAK!)

Donnie helps people choose parts for PC builds and/or builds it for them. All his reviews have the same format: “I heard good things about this guy, so I gave him a chance. Kinda freaky how I was told to just drop off all the super expensive parts outside an alleyway and walk away, and when I turned around they were immediately gone. Like, those were definitely just stolen lmao. But then the next day, there was my perfectly built PC right there, right when he said it’d be done. Absolutely insane experience, definitely some kind of cryptid. 5 stars.”

Mikey does art commissions and probably some kinda webcomic

Leo definitely has some kind of “I will make banger background tunes for your business/livestream/etc.” listing on fiverr.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Is April considered a sibling?

Yeah…yeah, eventually. April is an only child, so she DEFINITELY learns to see them as brothers. Because they don’t meet until the story’s actually started, it takes some time. But eventually the Hamatos become a second family to her, and they start to forget there were times where April wasn’t sitting on their couch. Plus, they’ve always had that 6th chair at the table practically waiting for the final family member to arrive, and it just makes sense for her to be there.

…they’re gonna need to buy more chairs soon.

🦸 Is Casey a vigilante?

In a way.

I’m gonna be honest, my Casey is not very fleshed out at the moment, as he doesn’t come into the story for some time. But I do know that Casey has a heart for good and justice, and hates the clear disconnect with how some people are treated differently for seemingly no reason. And he hates the way that those in authority deal with it all. But I don’t think he is very active in this passion, in the ways of his canon counterparts, at least not early on.

I think, where he is now, he’s one push away from running head first on the vigilante’s path. If only a red garbed turtle would show up and like shove him over or something. Wouldn’t that be crazy?

❓Which iteration of TMNT do you think has inspired your AU the most?

That’s a funky one! I’m a big fan of every iteration (I still have not seen them all, but I hold each one I have consumed very close) so there’s not one specific iteration that serves as THE inspiration. I’m sorta taking bits and pieces from each —a character from here, a hobby from there, a storyline to reference here, etc.— what I feel fits the best for the story I want to tell. I’m also wanting to try new things that haven’t been seen in official turtle media yet (afaik), y’know, like…“What if Donnie was the oldest? How would that change how his personality manifests?“ — “What if Splinter didn’t mutate and was a human instead of a rat? How would that affect how the turtles were raised and where they live?”

So in a way, I suppose Rise is my biggest inspiration? As it’s the first show to REALLY change up the status quo outside of just tone (with Raph being the oldest & leader, Shredder being an ancient demon instead of Just Some Evil Dude, etc.). But each iteration is uniquely different in its own special ways. And I love that.

Anywho, uhhh… For the overall tone of the story, 2012 is what I’m using as an “inspiration”/guideline; a slightly darker, more serious take but still very silly and humourous.

I’m also snagging quite a bit from Mirage comics (and sort of by extension 2003 show?).

So like. To answer your question:

Yes.