Sanada Apocalypse Challenge [Completed]

[oshizu]

 @FrancescaFiori

I'm sure you're right about Erika trying to make Paolo regret what he passed up! This is actually the first opportunity for my sims to wear their formal outfits, so I was surprised to see her oufit after so long.
You receive the "Attentive Reader Award" for remembering Erika's age-inappropriate childhood crush on Paolo! In terms of careers, Yuki Behr and Siobhan Fyres seemed like better choices as move-ins than Paolo. Sorry Erika!

My challenge would have been easier if I'd just moved in Naoto's son Cade for the barista, but Kyle is just too cute. Thanks for supporting him! 

[Nettlejuice]

Hee hee, giggling over the cowplant and Paolo xD

Erica out of her bathrobe! She's been hiding her beauty and I've missed seeing her around. I wonder if she's over Paolo or not. I'm so pleased Kyle will be moving in, I'm sure I'd have felt the same about any of the other extended Sanada family as well.

Seeing Watson looking miserable made me think he's missing his Sherlock.

Congrats, Amanda! Gned is finally released from his glass prison. She and Paolo are too cute, I loved the wedding (I'm going to download that lot to see what it's like) and seeing everyone in formal wear for once.

[oshizu]

@Nettlejuice
Now that Paolo got his happy ending in my challenge, I can go back to watching The Super Sim challenge, lol.
I was also really surprised to see Erika looking so good! I feel bad now about having made her live a spinster's life.
Regarding that lot, it was my first time to download a lot that required me to be in Build mode with MOO active so I probably did something wrong, but I had to delete several large rocks that had become incorrectly placed on the lot. One was blocking the path to the public bathrooms downstairs. Comparing my lot with the gallery photos, I noticed that some things had simply vanished, like the wedding arch and the small round table for the cake. Otherwise, it's a stunning lot with cherry trees around the wedding arch.

I ran out of space in my update to include all my shots, so I'll add them here. Here's the entire "Japanese Garden + Wedding" lot (30x20).


There's a bar in the second little room (staffed by your favorite sim), with stairs to a kitchen and public bathroom  behind the bartender.


There are dining tables plus a piano and microphone, so I'm thinking this would actually make a great nightclub. I have no idea what the "National park" designation did for it (except that a national park lot can't be chosen as a wedding party site).


I'm moving Tao's family into the Japanese house next door because I want to see that build more closely, too.

[Luna264]

All you pictures are so pretty! I guess they have to be, to match your sims.

[LivvieLove]

YES! It's my bathrobed beauty, Erika! I've missed her!

What a wonderful update! I've always had a soft spot for Amanda, so I'm glad she gets happiness! I also love that the dancers are slowly growing in number too. All those achievements in one place... 

I can't believe this challenge will be wrapped up soon! I'll be sad to see it go as I've been following since the start of your wonder-child challenge. It'll be bittersweet. You can do this, Oshizu! Go kick this challenge in the rump!

[oshizu]

@Luna264
Thank you, Luna. You always say the nicest things! Thank you for reading!

@LivvieLove
I'm glad you are content with Amanda's ending. I gave the spinster Erika a present of sorts as well.
And I really appreciate your following this odd story from the Wonder Child Challenge. I don't think Gen5 looks much like the Gen1 founder or his parents--Kage's genes were strongly influential!
Yep, now that most of the careers have been unlocked, life with the Sanada household is close to normal!

[oshizu]

Week 24/Day 167: Not Quite a Vacation

Day 167 (Fri)

Sara: We party past midnight after Amanda’s wedding and it’s very early Friday morning by the time we arrive home.
Go is absolutely furious! He returns from the party with an Angry +3 “Flirty Spouse” moodlet.
Mitch: I noticed that, too! I wonder who Go caught her flirting with? Cade? So then Go insults Mina and she gets angry, too.
Sara: Yeah, now she tries to give Go a “Frenzied Kiss,” but Go pushes her away!
Mitch: I hope those two will be okay. It’s their first argument. Oh Mina…. *shakes his head
Unfortunately, I was so focused on Amanda and Paolo that I didn’t notice what made Go so angry. Mina?


Tao: Last night, I asked Nana about Kyle living with me for a while, and she was happy he’d be moving in.
It’s great to live with one of my sons. And now, like Go and Mitch, my Employment status has changed to "Stay-at-Home Dad"!
Kyle: Don’t forget to tell them, Dad, that we helped Mom and Albert move from Windenberg to Newcrest last night!


Mina: While I’m out jogging, I run into Go who’s also out for a jog. He kisses me sweetly.
I guess this means that I’ve been forgiven.
Go autonomously kisses Mina. Whatever happened at Amanda’s party, it seems Go is over it.


Go: In the evening, Mom invites me over so I take along Tao, Sara, Makoa, Jade, and Kyle.
You remember, don’t you, that Mom lives next door with Dad and Grandma Yuki.
Dad mentors Jade in fitness.


Grandma Yuki and Mom mentor Kyle and Makoa in logic. Makoa, I can’t believe little Kyle beat you!


Go: To thank my parents and Grandma Yuki for helping out with our kids, I along with Tao and Sara spend our time upgrading the house.


Day 168 (Sat)

Go: It’s finally Saturday, and time for this house to go on our first vacay, ever.
We are rather obscenely rich by this time, so we rent the largest cabin and spend our time doing the usual.
Mina: The boys fish and gather herbs. I cook, Makoa and Jade work on their aspirations, while Sara and Kyle fish at a different spot.


Tao: In the afternoon, we spend a few hours in the National Park and then I discover the secret path to the Hermit’s Retreat.


Mitch: Jade and Makoa aren’t that thrilled to be fishing, despite the lovely scenery, but Makoa turns out to be surprisingly good at fishing.




Go: I catch a red crawdad! All our fish collection lacks now is a piranha!


Mitch: Go, Tao, and I work on gathering and identifying all the herbs durng this trip!
What the heck is this mushroom?


Kyle: It is more of a vacation for some of us than for others. Take me, for example.
I’ve spent the entire vacay skilling---fishing, playing chess, playing the violin.
What’s wrong with me just running around and being a kid?
Oh and I’m definitely not liking Auntie Mina much lately. She’s actually clenching her fists!


Kyle: Gimme a break, Auntie Mina, I have Level 5 Creativity. My playing can’t be that bad!
Seriously, stop with the ugly faces already, Auntie Mina!  Sheesh!
When we get home, I'm learning piano from Uncle Mitch instead!


Week 25/Day 169 (Sun)

Tao: The last thing I want to do here is befriend the Hermit!
I form a group with ONLY the hermit, but every time I ask him to sit with me on the log, Mitch and Sara run over and claim the seat instead.
That’s why Sara and Mitch have been sent far away to cloudgaze!


Tao: Incredible! The hermit and I are finally seated together, but he actually dozes off during our convo!
How can he be so immune to my many charms?!


Tao: Thanks, Mitch! We really needed a campfire during the hottest part of the day.
Would you please go away so I can befriend the hermit?  And stop trying to chat with us!
Mitch: Uh, yeah, I’ll just put out the campfire and go see if Sara wants to cloudgaze…


I finally get the hermit focused on me!


And….friends at last! (It usually doesn’t take me this long, honest!)
Okay, folks, we are done here! Let’s go home!


Go: When we get home, Watchette decides to renovate the house since walls and ceilings are no longer required.
Well, I’m just going to open up the house a little, since you’ve all been cooped up for so long.
I’m too lazy to do a complete renovation since not many sim-weeks remain.


Go: As you can see, the walls on the front part of the first floor are gone.


The second floor gains a veranda railing, the garden is moved up there, and blossoming plants are planted on the pergola over the pool.
There’s now a bar, dance floor, and DJ booth where the garden used to be.


Day 170 (Mon)

It’s no secret that these two are my favorite sims.


Mel the Mailbox: There goes Tao’s son, Kyle, off to his first day of grade school!
Gned the Gnome: Took the words right out of my mouth!
Tremain the Trashcan: I wonder if he’ll grow up to be even more handsome than his father?
Mel: Now that I would like to see!




To spare us all the tedium of watching my sims leveling their skills all day everyday, the next chapter skips several days to begin on Friday.
That's the day when Makoa and Jade age up to young adults and join their respective careers.

[Nettlejuice]

You tricked me with the 'favourite Sim'. I was expecting Mitch and see Eliza instead!

Mina, what have you been up to? I wish we knew who it was but then again the fun is not knowing and coming up with wild ideas  At least she and Go have made up.

Why does the hermit remind me of old anime characters that fall asleep during conversations and have to be violently awoken? How dare he resist Tao's charms. Lol.

Opening or rather removing some of the walls has vastly improved the house. I've see houses that have entire walls folded back so it gives the appearance of having no walls and it's beautiful and that's what I'm reminded of seeing your house. The pergola looks so pretty with all the plants and your roof, I love it.

In the last shot of Kyle going down the stairs I noticed a 'statue' in the background and then looked closer to realise it's Tao. He looks like that stretchy toy man from the 90s (I forgot his name).

[Luna264]

In the last shot of Kyle going down the stairs I noticed a 'statue' in the background and then looked closer to realise it's Tao. He looks like that stretchy toy man from the 90s (I forgot his name).

Stretch Armstrong? I think that's what those were called.

[FrancescaFiori]

I think Tao and Kyle are my favorites, too. Such a cute father-son duo!

The house looks amazing, especially the pergola. I'm so glad the porch trio finally get to breathe some fresh air!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LivvieLove]

Oh man, Mina, what did you do?! Poor Go... whatever happened to him. I'm glad he was able to move past it though - whatever "it" was.

That house is GORGEOUS, Oshizu!

Kyle is pretty cute too. Better keep him away from Mina when he ages up... 

[Joria]

I don't ever want to hear you say you aren't a good builder ever again.  That house is gorgeous!  I love the way you used different styles of window in the front.  The entire thing is lovely and I absolutely want to see interior shots.   As for Mina, what on earth bit her on the butt?  Ms. Grump is her new name at the moment.

[Magpie2012]

I had lost out on so much of this story. Scary what time away will do to you. As always, this story was/is fantastic and I love the house you built. i did notice, in the collage of Naoto, Cade and Yae, you have Yae down as Mina.

Your game must really love you to give you all these gorgeous in-game sims! And I noticed Kyle in the pirate ship with Jade, but, I actually thought it was a child sim-bin version of Tao from your IDC. And, I so knew Kyle was gonna be moving in :-) he looks too much like his dad for you not to include him :-) where did you get the pastel hair CC? is it specific to certain hairs or does it translate over all the styles?

[oshizu]

@Nettlejuice
Haha, I wondered if you'd even be able to recognize Eliza because she looked pretty small in that shot. Sorry for my bad joke!
Thank you for helping me with that pergola. I had never used MOO before and didn't realize I would need to use MOO in order to place flowers atop the pergola. Luckily, I'd already unlocked the MOO cheat.

@Luna264
I can always count on you for the pop culture references, lol. As for me, I had to google Stretch Armstrong--I'd never heard of him but was also not living in the US at that time.

@FrancescaFiori
Tao and Kyle are very cute separately but irresistible as a duo, lol.

@LivvieLove
Thank you for the warning to Kyle--Mina is getting a bad reputation, lol.

@Joria
Seriously, you are too kind. I'm extremely limited in the styles of houses I can build, but thank you! Everyone's nice words make me want to become a better builder.

@Magpie2012
As you'd guessed, the pastel hair colors are specific to certain hair cc. So if I want a sim to have pink hair (like Tao), he can only choose between hair styles offering pink hair shades.
Thanks for catching my misnamed Sim in that collage. I'm unable (and too lazy if I could) redo that collage, but I've added a note about the misnomer.

[oshizu]

Week 25/Day 171: Remember Us?

Day 171 (Tue)

Heyo. It’s me Kyle Kaneda!
Just to remind you, I’ve been here since late Thursday night, right after Amanda got married and moved out to live with Paolo.
It’s been pretty cool living here with my dad, Tao, even though he nags me about homework.
Tao: Oh what? So now that Kyle lives here, the entire shot is about Kyle and I only rate an elbow and a shoulder?
What can I say? It’s not as if there haven’t been dozens of adoring shots of you so far…


Oh please, Dad. Watchette says that I can chat with the readers this time!
Anyway, let’s go see what everyone in the household’s been doing.


Jade completed her Painter Extraordinaire aspiration today after school, which is super cool!


On the other hand, Makoa is taking a longer time with his Bestselling Author aspiration.
It’s not that Makoa is slower than Jade, but his aspiration just takes longer to complete!
He’s been stuck at Tier II forever, trying to finish five good books.
You can do it, Makoa!


And me, I’m trying to complete my Artistic Prodigy aspiration by having Uncle Mitch mentor me in piano.
At Granite Falls, I had a really unpleasant time being mentored in violin by Auntie Mean-o, hehe, I mean, Auntie Mina.
Look how much nicer Uncle Mitch is, even though I’m only Level 1 Piano!


Uncle Go, I don’t understand why you’re working out! Dad says you already reached Level 10 Fitness, right?
Go: Yeah, first of all, it’s good to just keep in shape.
But I’m also trying to complete the BodyBuilder aspiration without using the weightlifting machine so I can keep my slender profile.
Kyle: Watchette says to try eating one of those protein plates before you get back on the treadmill.


Day 172 (Wed)

Kyle: Watchette, why’s Auntie Sara locked up in her bedroom?
Well, her desk and computer used to sit next to Makoa’s. But instead of writing novels, she kept wandering off to mix drinks or play video games.
She’s been trying to write her last two bestsellers for over three weeks.
Kyle: She sounds like a lost cause to me!
I have to admit that I’m starting to feel the same!


Kyle: In the former garden area, which now has a dance floor and the bar, Dad’s been learning how to DJ.
Dad, why would a member of The Dancers need to know how to DJ?
Tao: For home parties, Kyle! And where did you hear about The Dancers?
Kyle: I promised not to say.
I’ve been trying to think of a challenge that would allow me to play Tao again after this challenge is over.
 

Auntie Mina invited over my twin Albert this evening and has been reading to him.
He looks like he’s really enjoying it but Auntie Mina looks a little sad.
Tao: Hmmpph, she doesn’t care about your brother, Kyle. She just needs to “Read to a child for 2 hours.”
Kyle: Ever since I moved in, everyone seems unhappy with Auntie Mina. I thought she was kinda mean to me while I was learning violin. What's going on, Dad?
Tao: Uh, it’s a little complicated, son. She was mean to Uncle Go and made him cry.  Shhhh, don't tell Uncle Go what I just told you, son.
Kyle: 


What exactly are you doing right now, Kyle? I wanted you cross the monkey bars three times at the mini-park for your Rambunction Scamp aspiration.
Next, I wanted to come back to the Focused Room and play Keyboard Commander.
Kyle: I’m not really sure what happened, Watchette. Looks like I’m crossing the monkey bars but in the Focused Room. Weird, huh?


Day 173 (Thu)

Hey, Tao, where are you off to?
Tao: I thought I’d work on some of our household’s incomplete collections by visiting Sixam.
We have two rocket ships with the wormhole generator installed, but no one’s ever been there.
I can’t take Kyle with me anyway, so I thought I’d go while he’s at school.



By the way, Tao, why aren’t you wearing your spacesuit?
Tao: I’m not sure, Watchette. When I arrived on Sixam, I wasn’t wearing it anymore.
I guess that just means that I can breathe the air and it’s safe for me to walk around, right?
Also, I even ended up wearing the shirt, so nobody can complain that I’m always shirtless!  Win-win!


Jade: Makoa and I have been spending a little time each day to level our Charisma using mirrors.
This morning, we both max out Charisma. We are ready to start pushing that job performance bar!


Tao: When I’m out for a jog this afternoon, I run into Erika Sanada and her new friend out for a walk.
Instead of just telling Go about it, I decide to invite them out for dinner.
I also invite my wife, Nana, which means leaving Sara, Mina, and Makoa at home.
 

Go: Kyle, this is my Great-Auntie Erika Sanada. She is the sister of Grandpa Tatsuya (who married Yuki Behr).
Erika: Hello, little Kyle. Nice to meet you! Please call me Auntie Erika as well.
Kyle: A pleasure to meet you, Auntie Erika. Do you live in our neighborhood?
Erika: Well, yes, I recently moved from northern Newcrest to a house not too far from yours.
I’m living in that Japanese-style house with my nephew Naoto along with his wife Yae and son Cade.


Tao: And everyone, I’d like you to meet Auntie Erika's friend, Surfer Dude.
Go: Seriously, that’s your name? Watchette couldn’t give you a better name than that?
Surfer: Well, you know it’s kinda late in the challenge to throw another tricky Japanese name at the readers.


Go: So, who are you, Surfer?
Surfer: Well, I’m a newly-created CAS sim and, when I gained consciousness, I found myself living in a house with Naoto, Yae, Cade, and Erika.
I exist for a single purpose. My one and only aim in life is to keep Erika happy.


Jade: Hi, my name’s Jade Sanada. You must be Tao’s wife.
Nana: Yes, I haven’t seen you since you were in grade school!
Jade: I’m sorry that we are keeping Tao away from you and your children.
Nana: It’s okay, I understand. And it will all be over soon. Did you hear that I gave birth to twins recently?
Jade: No, I hadn’t heard! We should have a big get-together at our place soon!
Erika: Pssst, Watchette! Why did Go bring his daughter instead of his wife?
It’s a long story, Erika, but we all just wanted to make sure that you and Surfer had a good time this evening.
Erika: What’s that supposed to mean?


Erika: Thanks for inviting us out for dinner tonight, Tao! It was fun seeing everyone and meeting your family, too.
Surfer: As you might imagine with a name like Surfer Dude, I wasn’t exactly designed for a formal outfit.
Ahhh, so nice to be back in my casual clothes!
After Amanda’s wedding, I realized with a shock that Erika was the only sim from the household who ended up alone.
And now she’s not.


Week 25/Day 174 (Fri)

Go: Some of us decide to hang out at the Harbor Quarter Gym today, while waiting for Makoa and Jade to age up to young adults.
Tao’s fiancée, Nana, comes with us and—as usual—she is turning heads.


Jade: I’d heard the tragic tale about how Nancy Landgraab missed being able to move home by only five or six hours.
While running on a treadmill, I spot Geoffrey Landgraab outside doing push-ups.
I’m glad to see him enjoying life again.


Kyle: After I come home from school, Dad invites me to Harbor Quarter Gym.
I’m still working on Rambunctious Scamp so I try swimming laps in the pool.
Tao: After mopping up the mess Kyle makes from “diving” in, I slip into the pool and “coach swimming.”
I’d never actually tried this interaction before, but it does level Kyle’s Motor skill by roughly 33% per sim-hour without any special mood.
It’s roughly the same as playing Key Commander but still a cool social to watch, while also allowing your sims to get away from the computer!


Day 175 (Sat)

Makoa: Finally, it’s my young adult birthday!
To my existing traits of Cheerful and Music Lover, I add Lazy in honor of my father.
Then I phone in to join the Writer career!


Jade: I can’t believe that I’m a young adult at last!
To my traits of Art Lover and Cheerful, I add Loves the Outdoors in honor of the many sacrifices that allow us to safely live out in the open again!
Before hitting the sack, I don’t forget to phone in to join the Painter career!


And now, gentle readers, we are ready to begin the remaining two adult careers—Writer/Author and Painter/Arist of the Real!
Kyle, who will complete the Teen/Barista career, becomes a teenager in about five more days.

My apologies for the break in updates. I participated in the tournament's collecting challenge for a few days and then fell very sick over the weekend (no doubt caused by the collecting challenge).
After getting better, I’ve had a hard time playing Sims 4 again (may I blame that on the collecting challenge, too?)
But now I’m eager to get back on track and take this little train to its final destination.

As always, thank you very much for reading!