Just Waiting 02: The Seventh Immortal (Mar 12 update)Hello again, it’s Nanami here! I’m feeling a little less gloomy these days and Watchette believes talking with you, our dear readers, will help me heal.
As Takao has mentioned, I
really like the idea of my son settled down with a woman of alien descent.
Just look at Yasmine and her extremely uncomfortable orange glow. Yet she has the composure to treat me with the respect and courtesy due to a mother-in-law.
Yasmine and I have become close friends. And she would make a lovely bride for Takao but I haven’t been able to convince him yet to make an honest woman out of her.
Watchette: I agree, Nanami, that Yasmine is quite lovely. But she’s also an adult going on elder. Takao: Watchette, when Yasmine passes, will our children be taken away by social services?
W: I really can’t say, Takao.Nanami: And by the way, Cocoa Puffs, having more children does not necessarily increase your chances of your children not disappearing. Don’t think I didn’t see you and Yasmine carrying on in the hot tub earlier today.
T: Cocoa Puffs?
W: Hehe, I get it, Nanami, Cereal Romantic—that’s a pathetic pun!T: Oh puhleeze! There are waaay worse puns in this game, like that Walkin’ the Dog dude who lives on the island in Windenberg! It’s like the devs expect the simmers to know French, too!?
N: Excuse me, Walkin’ the Dog? You don’t mean Joaquin Le Chien? Oh no, that’s bad!
W: Right?
Takao: I still don't know Yasmine's third trait.
Minoru: Takao, you ask me to give Yasmine a fertility massage, then you stand there laughing when she passes gas. You're no help at all. Open a window, at least!
T: Haha, it's pretty hilarious watching you trying to keep massaging her, despite the smell. Could her third trait be Slob?
Nanami: Actually, dear, her third trait is Squeamish. Not such a thrilling combination of traits.
The days continue to pass slowly. Today, I reach Level 7 Baking.
Since we’ve sold our store, I have no practical reason to bake. Still, it’s a pleasant way to pass the time.
I’ve also recently maxed the Cooking and Gourmet Cooking skills, a fact that serves a very practical function since I can now prepare Ambrosia.
The other immortals ate their ambrosia while The Founder was at work today, so The Founder now eats his serving by himself while keeping me company in the kitchen.
(Ugh, that awful green jacket!)
My Great-Grandfather Minoru seems to have become infatuated with the floozy bartender at the Shreiking Llama Bar. Her name’s Jasmine Eason.
They both share the Genius and Geek traits, so it’s no wonder they get along. I avoid her like the plague, though, since her third trait is Evil.
I walk into the massage room with a message for Great-Grandpa Minoru.
His behavior and action queue suggest that he’s giving his girlfriend a massage.
Apparently, he’s the only one who can see her. Weird.
Takao: Mom's a little preoccupied with something right now, so I'm going to spend time with you now.
Mom seems to think I was just fooling around in the hot tub with Yasmine this morning.
Truth is, Yasmine had a baby girl yesterday.
Because Mom really hopes that Dad’s spirit will transmigrate to an infant boy and because Yasmine was present at Dad’s death, we’re hoping to have a boy next time.
On the other hand, Stephanie Holiday gave birth to twins--a boy and a girl.
This morning, I noticed the boy, named Garrett Holiday, has aged up to a child so I invite him over.
After a quick visit to the closet, I introduce Garrett to Mom.
She falls in love with Garrett, more than half hoping that he’s a reincarnation of Dad.
Mom and Garrett become friends immediately. If I want him to be one of my five Good Friends, I’ll need to keep him away from Mom.
At this point, I don’t really have the heart to do that. It’s too early to tell about Dad’s spirit, though, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
And incidentally, do you remember that Dad had gotten a job as an author as a young adult? Well, little Garrett is a Bookworm!
It’s Tuesday afternoon, and I leave for work a little past 2 p.m. I’ve done everything possible to ensure that I arrive at work in the most Inspired mood possible—Brain Boosting yoga, a happy +2 bath with Lemon incense, an Essence of Inspiration, and the Discuss Visualization Technique with G2 Grandpa Satoshi.
Upon arriving home at night, I get promoted to Level 9 Musician! Just one more promotion!
It’s Wednesday morning and Mom ages up to elder in just three days.
The whole family is happy to learn that all of her dynasty-required friendships have not decayed, which means that her Beloved trait is working after all. Fabulous news, eh?
I invite a son over that I didn’t even know I had, Alberto Clarke.
That vixen Ariella Clarke must have spiked my drink! I don’t remember having been with her at all.
I do remember meeting her at the Shrieking Llama Bar last week for the first time and then waking up the next morning with a splitting headache, alone in an unfamiliar but empty house.
The house was in another part of Willow Creek, so I just saw myself home.
Whatever, Alberto is still my son, even though his mother tricked me into being with her.
Mom chats with Alberto first, while I finish up my career task for tomorrow.
She learns that he possesses the Kleptomaniac trait. Hmmmm.
When I’m done playing the piano, I take Alberto to the closet to change his outfits.
Although he’s rather pudgy, the uncanny thing about Alberto is his eyes—he has the same amber-colored eyes as Dad and me (upper photo).
Mom digs up a photo of Dad from his childhood and we compare them (lower photo).
As Mom and I gaze at the photo of Dad as a child, we simultaneously reach the same painful conclusion.
For Mom or me, there will be never anyone else like Dad. We need to learn to live with that aching emptiness he's left behind.
We need to learn to love those who are with us now—Garrett Holiday, his twin sister Sheila (who we haven’t even taken the time to meet yet), and Alberto Clarke.
I give Alberto a fatherly hug and promise myself to love him for who he is, not who I want him to be.
(Huh? Did he just pick my pocket!?)
Quite frankly, though, I’m glad that Mom’s stopped being fixated on Dad’s reincarnation. Please don't tell Mom I said this!
I really don’t want to have to accept Alberto as my Dad’s spirit in a child’s body.
I mean, is it just my imagination, or does Alberto sometimes seem to harbor some unnamed evil? That look in his eyes seems older than that of a child…
Perhaps I’m just unfairly swayed by the presence of his Kleptomaniac trait. Whenever I see him doing that swiping movement with his hand, I can’t help but rush over and check if anything’s missing. (I actually hear a slight swishing sound before I spot him making that swiping gesture.)
Tonight I max the Musician branch of the Entertainer. My remaining requirement—making a best friend and 5 good friends—I’ll leave until I’m closer to becoming an elder.
I realize it’s a dark shot, but this is the last career promotion of the Nishijima dynasty.
I have 10 days until I’m and adult (and another 20 days until I’m elder), so I’d like to just relax a bit, maybe take Steph and the kids to Granite Falls or something.
Watchette also decides my promotion is worth commemorating. She builds a new outdoor cinema on our back patio. While G4 Grandpa Minoru makes popcorn, the others relax in their new recreation area.
Oh no, everyone except Mom ends up with the Boring Movie moodlet! Hahahahaha…
W: I just can’t win…
Me? Nah, I didn’t get to see the flick. Watchette would like all of us to be able to prepare Ambrosia, just in case. So here I am, leveling Gourmet Cooking.
At least, you can get a better look at my new career outfit—a navy blue tux with black lapels and black slacks.
Eat your heart out, Grandpa Koetsu!
W: That wasn’t very nice, Takao (but sadly true, sadly true).
Takao: Mom, this is your last day as an adult—do you want to talk with the readers, too?
Nanami: Thanks, Takao. That’s really thoughtful of you! Readers, do you remember my old friend, Maximillian McAlister?
Today, he drops by for a visit. We went to the same grade school and high school—I guess you can say we’ve been friends most of our lives.
In high school, he used to visit our house a lot and I even briefly considered marrying him, but he’s more like a brother to me.
Anyway, it’s so nice to chitchat about old times.
We end up becoming Best Friends. If the dynasty requires that I make friends, it seems reasonable to me that my best friend would be a real friend—someone I’ve known all my life, who’s known me as a teen and as Chad’s wife. How can such a friendship not surpass merely chatting up someone I’ve just met for the dynasty’s sake?
It’s such a comfort to talk about Chad with someone who’s known him so long.
My age bar finally shows that I have zero days to age up into an elder!
The household gathers around to celebrate my birthday (for a change).
Then, in the typical Nishijima style, they all get distracted as soon as I blow out the candles.
What the heck is everyone looking at?
Now that I’m an elder and have completed all my dynasty requirements, I choose to eat ambrosia right away while my Best Friend and Good Friends all live.
What a miraculous moment this is! Here I sit eating a plate of ambrosia, flanked by my caring father and my accomplished son.
Behold, the seventh immortal of the Nishijima Dynasty!
The eighth Nishijima heir, Takao, has already completed all of his requirements except for the friendships, but he won't be an elder for another 28 days.
So although he may take a one-weekend vacation to Granite Falls, I don’t think I’ll be writing many more chapters for this challenge.
I wonder how risky it would be to simply speed double- or triple-time to a point near the end of Takao’s adulthood.
As always, thank you for reading. It’s so much more fun imagining my sims conversing with you than with only myself.
