I caught Xiuying autonomously snuggling her new niece. <3
(very sad sim pet death below :( )
Jia: Oh!! Da, Mouse is...
Mouse: Was I a good cat?
Grim: NO. BUT FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT, YOU WERE VERY ENTERTAINING. HERE, KITTY KITTY, WHO WANTS A TREAT?
Random stray cat who showed up immediately afterward: I heard there's an opening for a cat here?
Random stray cat: I'll just make myself comfortable while I wait.
Well, that's a bit of a downer cap on Jia's last day as a teen.
Drustan tried to tell Jia about his travels and she was not having it.
It's also Una's birthday! Unlike Duncan, Una's looks definitely take after her mother.
Cute! You can keep that for your formal wear. 👍
Oh, girl, that's sad, we've gotta get you out of here.
Drustan has commitment issues, Jia is pining after her former best friend who just got married, and Xiuying is like 14, so good luck with that. Maybe Elmet is willing to marry Arturo for you.
Xiuying popped out to the market, but nothing interesting happened aside from briefly running into Kara.
Kara: You look soooo pretty tonight!
Xiuying: Oh, uh, thank you. You do too?
And Faro came by to see Jia as well!
Faro: I guess we won't be moving into a cottage together anytime soon.
Jia: You could come with me, you know. Ply your talent as a traveling bard, maybe woo some hot guys or gals with your songs.
Faro: I'd like to, I really would, Jia, but I can't. My parents are getting older; someone has to help them with the farm now that Kinet… at least until the girls are old enough.
Jia: They could find a farm hand, Faro. People do that. And no offense, but you have all the constitution of a leaf.
Faro: They could, but they shouldn't have to. They have me, don't they? I know I'm not quite as sturdy as Kinet was, but I'm strong enough. I already helped with the sowing and harvest anyway, it's just a bit more.
Jia: I'll miss you.
Faro: I'll miss you too. If you fight any ogres, you have to get word to me somehow so I can finally compose that epic song.
Jia: Deal!
I know neither of you has done that yet, so I have to assume we're discussing the plethora of hot girls Jia's gonna seduce in Acornhill.
Yeah, Dunk, a lot of things have changed while you were gone. :'(
We're a little out of order now due to my story posing shenanigans, but MOUSE IS BACK!!!!!! When the sims reset, Mouse did too. You have no idea how excited I was when I tabbed over and he was just chillin' in the sheep pen.
Xiuying: Babá! Da! It's Mouse! He came back!
Mouse is once again the only king of his hall.
It's shearing season again and Xiuying was way ahead of me, rushing out with her scissors before I even noticed, lol.
Xiang prefers to have as little to do with the sheep as is reasonable and prepares a hearty lunch for everyone instead.
Xiuying: So you have two kids now? You know Aunt Helenet makes contraceptive tea, right?
Xiang: Xiuying, no teasing your brother until he's been home for at least a whole day.
Xiuying: I'm just saying.
Drustan: Yes, I know, mèimei, thanks for your concern.
Jia: Maybe we should ask her to give Dunk a remedial birds and bees talk?
Drustan: I think I liked it better when you weren't both ganging up on me.
Fine, we'll have a wholesome conversation about severed fingers instead.
Lotsa visitors to the farm today. Shortly after Orla and Duncan have left, Sun drops by.
Eisu: Hello, sweetheart. Look at you, you've certainly popped since the last time I saw you!
Sun: Aunt Helenet said the exact same thing this morning.
Eisu: D'you want to come sit down? Something to eat? I've got a pot of soup still on.
Sun: I could eat!
Sun: Sorry for not coming by earlier... I didn't want to make things awkward for Jia, coming to hang out with her father after...
Eisu: That's quite alright. I'm sure you've been very busy getting ready for the baby, too!
Sun: Spirits, yes. Cadwgan's mother sent us home with a bunch of cloth to make things for the babe, and Mum's been on a tear rearranging the hall.
I heard the most wretched noise in my headphones and was like 'wtf is that?'. And that turned out to be Mouse's ghost appearing. lmao @ those eyes.
Also hilarious: Elmet getting chased off by one of the new random wolves. I don't think he'll be adopting this one.
Some of the ewes have lambed, so milking is back on the roster of chores. Xiuying's father makes butter with it, or else it gets traded to Fial next-door for cheese-making.
Xiuying rather likes the sheep. Most of them are quite sweet, even if they have a tendency to nibble on her dress.
Xiuying: Nice hat. You steal that from Da?
Drustan: You used to be such a nice, sweet child. This is what I get for leaving you with just Jia's influence, I guess.
Xiuying: *snickers*
He does still have a face under there, btw.
Eisu is trying to ensure Una's first word is actually 'granda'; she is less than cooperative.
This is Jia's reaction to me telling her to go practice with her sword.
Drustan: It smells like fish in here.
Glamaer: Well, it is a—Drustan! You're back!
Drustan and Glamaer spend a while catching up. Glam is surprised to learn Drustan has brought a baby home with him, but excited about the news too.
Glamaer: Enna is expecting again—maybe the two of them will grow up to be friends too, eh?
Drustan: That's a nice thought.
Glamaer: You should come over for supper sometime soon. On a completely unrelated note, have you happened to see Orla yet?
Drustan: Um, no, but Da told me. And her.
Glamaer: Thank the spirits, I don't have to do it.
Drustan: I think she's supposed to bring... Duncan over tomorrow. Is it weird that I'm far more nervous about that than I was when Una was born?
Glamaer: You'll do fine.
Drustan: Well, at least one of us is confident about it.
Drustan only brought a few mementos home with him besides Una and an untidy pile of notes: a shell from the beach, a sketch he did of the road outside the Library. And the lightweight blue tunic he wore in Thessos, but it's far too cold here to wear it right now.
I sure did miss Mouse screaming at everything whenever he's high off his catnip (which is constantly).
NOT AGAIN!! 😭 Mouse couldn't take what he dished out, so when Ash started chasing him, Mouse decided to bounce... again.
Ash: And I'd do it again.
Xiang: *sigh* I'll keep an eye out for him, let a few people at the market know to watch for him. Perhaps he's gone to hang around Gytha's cat again?
Eisu: I'll go ask once the sun's up. I wonder if it'd be best if Gytha and Angus adopted Ash back; Mouse was here first, and he and Ash just aren't getting along.
Xiang: Well, Xiuying won't like it, but it's probably for the best if they do.
Angus: Oh dear. No, but if he turns up, one of us will bring him by. Um, I'm sure Gytha would be thrilled to take Ash again.
Eisu: I hate to do it, he's such a sweet cat, but he and Mouse just get on like oil and water. You'd think father and son would get along better!
Angus: Ehhh...
The snow actually melts a bit, and everyone is soon back for the next party--Xiang and Xiuying's birthdays! Anyway, look at these dorks.
Daisy is also here to make sure her boyfriend's cat toys don't go unused.
Oh no, I was not prepared to have to pick a new hair for him. 😭 And I was so invested in the little half-up bun, too. Xiang embraces his new stage of life by going to take a nap before I can even get him back into his regular clothes.
There! I'll actually go back to that other hair in a round or two, but that was just too drastic a difference for me.
Xiuying's turn!
I love the big ring of sims on one side, and then Jia off to the left by herself, lmao.
Xiuying looks more like her baba with each year. She grew into a Popularity/Family sim, and has a penchant for creative brunet(te)s who can't cook. I guess Xiuying wants to be the only chef in the kitchen? You better pick up a few cooking points, then.
Senovara: It's cool that you're a teenager now too! Sun and Jia and the other older kids never want me tagging along, and they're always talking about kissing and work and other boring stuff, and Cináed is always being annoying. You and I can have our own girls' club now!
Eisu had a want to invite Orla over, and of course she brought baby Duncan with her to spend time with his granda and aunts. He's very interested in the cats.
Mouse: Oh no, I thought I got rid of all these things.
Ash: Hehe, sucker.
Eisu adores spending time with Orla and Duncan. Orla is such a sweetheart, and the little boy looks more and more like his father with each passing day.
Everyone say 'good job, Eulalia' on me repurposing one of my five forest lots for ice skating instead of building a sixth one.
Jia found her father and uncle's old bone skates in the barn and wanted to try them out, but it turns out she's not good at skating. And she is shocked by that fact.
Jia: But... I have ten body points...
Hey, did you remember that Jia kind of has a girlfriend who isn't her best friend that she's been pining over for literal years? Because I'm not sure she does sometimes.
Cináed: Um, if you ever want to date someone who will pay attention to you, I volunteer as tribute.
