#sims4settler

[fleusebius]

A long winter

The rest of the winter dragged on. With only a few hardy plants to gather, Ava was able to focus on other projects: she continued knitting sweaters and socks to keep her family warm, and was able to sew a new set of curtains to replace the old, tattered set that they had inherited with the house.

Addison was impatient for spring. Used to spending several hours a day fishing for their meals, he felt trapped in the small house. He began to drive Ava crazy with his near-constant pacing across the ground floor. When his frustration finally peaked, he released his pent-up tension by destroying one of the Snowpals that Brooke and Bella had spent a snowy afternoon constructing.

After apologizing to his teary-eyed children, Addison was determined to find a project to keep his mind occupied throughout the winter. He began collecting timber—sometimes wandering further from the neighborhood than Ava would like—and preoccupied his mind by crafting wooden flooring panels. He was able to replace the house’s battered flooring before spring.

Meanwhile, Ava had found herself, once again, vomiting up her breakfast each day. Her second pregnancy seems to pass even more quickly than the first, and before long the Neudorfs were welcoming a second set of twins into the household: Claire and Charlotte.

[fleusebius]

The Neudorfs’ first Winterfest

By the time Brooke and Bella were old enough to climb up the ladder to their new second-floor bedroom, Addison had finished its construction. Brooke spent long hours in her room making crafts from found objects. Bella was more often found downstairs, studying the pieces of their new chess table, or learning how to knit with Ava.

It wasn’t long before the Neudorf’s spent their first winter together. Brooke and Bella spent as much time as they could playing in the snow, and their parents even managed to find each of them a few Winterfest presents to open.

Winter was challenging without plants to gather or a source for fish. Luckily, they were still able to trade with Maka, and had some stored vegetables from their first seasons in Willow Creek. The cold weather gave them a chance to spend more time indoors with each other, feeling grateful for their family…and their ability to try to expand it.

[fleusebius]

Bonus toddler pics <3

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Just toddler things <3

[fleusebius]

A new family

The remaining days of Ava’s pregnancy passed rather peacefully, only disturbed by the sort of day-to-day troubles one might face while preparing to raise a child in the midst of the apocalypse.

They continued to prepare as best as they could. They repaired the clothesline, the toilet, and the sink (a particularly troublesome fixture). Addison’s improved fishing skill gave them a sense of food security that was only amplified by their Sunday trades.

Ava continued to work as much as she could, gathering water and harvesting nearby plants. But she also took many naps, and indulged Addison’s solicitous attentions.

When she finally knew that the day had come, she was both apprehensive and excited. Although she and Addison had adapted surprisingly readily to the challenges of living without electricity, Ava couldn’t deny that she would have appreciated the comforts of a pre-war hospital. But Addison, after a brief moment of panic, came to her aid as an admirable midhusband.

They were both surprised when, after the birth of their beautiful new daughter Brooke, Ava continued to feel contractions. Brooke’s twin, Bella, was not far behind. Tired but happy, the Neudorfs held their children, and celebrated their new family

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New preparations

Ava had been surprised at how much she’d been able to barter in exchange for her foraged flowers. The one-eyed man she’d traded with told her they were useful for dyes, and informed her that he’d be passing through the area every Sunday. She thanked him, and was happily able to bring back a few food items in addition to the spider bite antidote: tofu, bread, and some herbs. After perusing a cookbook found on the mantle, Addison made forager’s stew and veggie burgers, a welcome change from the grilled fish and boiled taro that had formed the staples of their diet.

After such a luxurious meal, Ava was surprised to find herself throwing up the next morning. Was the tofu off? Or had they not boiled their water long enough? When Addison woke and appeared to be fine, she did some mental math, and realized another alternative. She’d lost count of the days while they were on the run, but it was possible. After another week she was certain: she was pregnant.

She dusted off the knitting supplies that had been left behind and tried to remember the skill her mother had insisted she learn as a child. It was slow-going at first, but it gave her time to daydream about the new addition to their family. She eventually managed to knit herself a sweater. Even though it was a bit lumpy and she’d had to switch colors halfway through, it kept the chill off during the cool spring evenings.

When Ava noticed her belly had begun to expand, she told Addison. He was as thrilled as she was, though they both had fears. They were certainly not living in the ideal environment to raise a child; there were no schools or hospitals, no other children to play with, and only rather precarious means of finding enough food to eat. They would have to work even harder to provide for three.

More alarming than their future fears was a present one: Addison had been bitten by another spider. Although this bite was less severe and did not require a dose of the antidote, they both knew that they couldn’t risk living in a spider-infested hovel with a child on the way. For three days they did nothing but clean. Addison shifted the furniture, stomping on any spiders that tried to escape to new hiding spots; Ava carefully carried the curtains outside and scrubbed them in the washtub after she found tiny white sacs of eggs in the curtain folds. Feeling more confident in the future, they were finally able to rest. Ava spent a quiet night knitting hats while Addison read aloud.

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First troubles

Their first troubles were not, as they initially feared, from outside intruders. It seemed that their humble abode, during its phase of inhabitation, had acquired a number of critters that also considered it home. First Ava was attacked by bats. After patching a number of small holes in the ceiling, these were not seen again.

More worrisome were the spiders that attacked Addison. At first he seemed fine, with only a few swollen red marks where he’d been bitten. But after a few days, he was covered in alarming green splotches. Ava tried to persuade him that he needed help, to no avail. He was adamant that the rash would disappear in a few days; she was equally adamant that they would not.

After taking a quick jog to clear her head, she finally persuaded Addison that he needed an antidote for the spider bites. She packed up all of their gathered flowers and as much food as they could spare to trade, and set off in the direction of the rail yard they had seen in the distance. Addison tried to protest one last time—he didn’t want to put Ava in any unnecessary danger—but he was too dazed to make too much of an effort, and easily dozed off while waiting for her return. Ava returned tired and even dirtier than she had been when she left, but she returned with an antidote, and Addison was safe.

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Work

They fell into a routine. Addison was still rather dreadful at fishing, and he spent hours each day trying to catch enough small fish to satiate their hunger. Without a refrigerator or some other means of food preservation, they frequently had to toss out spoiled leftovers. Boiling water was tedious, but seemed to protect them from whatever bacteria might be lingering in the supply. In spite of the difficult work, Addison found himself enjoying the time he spent outdoors.

Ava continued to nurture her plant and gather what food she could from the nearby neighborhood, though she didn’t want to venture too far from the safety of their home. She spent an inordinate amount of time repairing and cleaning the sink, their primary source of water. She discovered that adding bluebells to the washtub imbued their laundry with a lovely scent—it made her feel clean and pretty for the first time since they’d had to abandon their home in Oasis Springs. She began to flirt with her husband when he came home from his daily fishing expeditions.

One day while Ava was washing the laundry, Addison broke down the dilapidated dresser in the yard and crafted two more planters for Ava’s garden. She planted her remaining seeds, eager to find out what plants would grow. Her first seed had already begun to sprout, but with her limited gardening knowledge she couldn’t yet determine what type of plant she had been nurturing.

When she tenderly thanked her husband for his hardwork, his support, their teamwork, she found herself spun around, supported only by Addison’s arms while he passionately kissed her. It wasn’t long before they tumbled into bed, spending the rest of the afternoon in more pleasurable activities than fishing or laundry.