hurrah, my new medieval-fantasy rotational hood is finally ready to play! i've been caught up in a building and planning frenzy these past few weeks, but now everything is complete eeee. its heavily inspired by the viking period, but with fantastical and generic-medieval elements to it too.
where is nordhavn?
nordhavn is a small town tucked away at the northernmost tip of the country of norrevik. whilst only a small harbour settlement, it is still of somewhat strategic significance to the crown due to the ease of access it provides to the nordik sea. the nearest large town to nordhavn is eldenberg, which is about half a day's ride away. drekigatt, the capital of norrevik, is a 3 day ride to the south.
who lives in nordhavn?
nordhavn is administered by its own jarl, a leader who oversees all matters of importance in the town. the position of jarl is not hereditary, but rather one collectively elected to by the townspeople, based on perceived strength and level of respect. it is a lifetime position, but it can be just as easily stripped away should the holder lose the favour of their people.
as nordhavn is only a small town, the jarl isn't of particular importance in the grand scheme of things. the neighboring jarl of eldenborg is far more powerful, for example. other than the jarl, there are households of various wealth and standing in nordhavn, and we'll meet them all very soon, but above is an overview of where some of these families live!
okay, now gimme the lore
so at this point i have already wrote 10+ pages of lore for this hood lol, but i won't share all of that now 😆 i can certainly give some of the highlights, though.
before nordhavn was founded down on the harbour, there was an ancient city that stood on the hills above the current town. it was known as nordfjall, and was a seat of one of the old dragon riders of times long gone. whats left of it now lies in complete ruins, but some lots such as the handfasting tree and the watcher's temple are still located up there (as shown below).
speaking of dragon riders, they ruled norrevik (and beyond!) for many millenia, but the last dragons died out centuries ago now. the descendants of the dragon riders still rule, however, with king hakon drekivaldr currently atop the throne of norrevik. his distant cousin, queen disa, rules the country of surrland directly to the south.
norrevik and surrland used to form one single kingdom, but after the last dragon riders died out, the realm was split into dozens of smaller kingdoms, each ruled by various drekivaldr descendants. these descendants fought amongst one another for hundreds of years, and it is only norrevik and surrland that remain now, having swallowed up all of their weaker neighbours over time. both king hakon and queen disa claim the full realm as rightfully their own, but the borders between the two countries have barely changed in the last 100 years, despite frequent skirmishes and wars. i have a loooot more to say on this history, but i won't bore you with any more detail just now 😅
a couple more final things to note - dragons used to be worshipped as gods in their day (and by some, they still are), but in present times it is mostly the almighty watcher to whom people pay homage. oh, and present times is specifically the year 325 (nearly 300 years before my vinterfjord legacy, which is set in the future kingdom of simdinavia 😉).
and heres a final picture because i couldn't decide which one to use
welcome to fernwood meadows, my build a city challenge 🌳
meet the intern assigned with making sure this land gets populated the mayor, mayli gray! she's a popularity/pleasure sim who wants to see the town thrive. she's a bit of a snob, but who isn't in politics?
Let's collectively pretend this rotation is still in the neat alphabetical order, I just don't know the alphabet.
CW: This gameplay update has portions where my Sims discuss child abuse and neglect. There's nothing graphic, but be warned.
< PREVIOUS ROTATION
PART 2 OF THE CURRENT ROTATION >
CATCH UP: Nico the Priest is going through the most turbolent times once again. His beloved daughter Melody has returned alive, and for a great cost he managed to also resurrect her sister Winter, but his conscience is heavy and his loneliness is overwhelming, especially after the death of his girlfriend Quincy. Luckily, Nico has plenty of work to distract him from all that. He adopts Marlon, a confused teenage survivor of untold horrors of Homeland, and dedicates most of his time helping him get back on his feet and establish himself in Wormville. How is Marlon's first round in the town going to look like? Where is Melody going to take her life after returning and getting her safe loving home turned into chaos by the virtue Winter's resurrection and Marlon's sudden appearance?
Nico: "Good morning, Marlon!"
Marlon: "G-good morning, Mr Priest..."
Nico: "You don't have to call me that. It's just Nico."
Marlon: "...okay."
Nico: "Anyway, how was the first night in your new bed?"
Marlon: "Comfortable."
Nico: "I see. I'm glad. Do you want breakfast? I'll go make you some breakfast."
Marlon: "I'm not hungry."
Nico nods. "Okay, then not. Tell me when you are."
Marlon: "...okay."
Marlon: "I... I'm sorry. What is his name?"
Nico: "What?"
The priest stops playing the piano and turns around, to see the boy petting one of the cats. He smiles.
Nico: "Oh. That's Malice. The other one's Broomer. You can tell them apart by their body shape. Broomer is round, Malice is long."
Marlon: "Malice? Doesn't that mean... evil?"
Nico: "Yes. But it's a joke name. She's not evil, and nobody thinks she is."
Marlon: "She's kind and soft."
Nico: "Right? They're wonderful creatures, both of them!"
Suddenly, they see somebody else coming down the stairs. It's Melody. She's frowning.
Melody: "Marlon, go somewhere else. I need to speak with father alone."
Nico sighs. He knows very well what's going on. He knew it even before she called him "father" instead of "dad". He turns back to the piano and starts playing again. He might as well provide some soundtrack.
...
In the meantime, Marlon sits in the hallway, unsure of what he even is allowed to do. He thought the Priest would tell him, but now the Priest's daughter doesn't want him in the room, so he can't ask anymore. This house unnerves him. He's never been to such a large house as anything other than an invader before.
Maybe that's what he is even now, an invader. Victor and the Priest let him be here and sleep in a bed and play with the cats, but what if they expect him to be a normal Sim and not a monster?
???: "I don't know you."
A child's voice behind him makes Marlon jolt. He jumps to his feet and turns to see a little girl in the door to one of the rooms.
Marlon: "..."
???: "Are you Mel's friend?"
Marlon: "No."
As far as he knows, Melody doesn't see him as her friend.
???: "..."
???: "What are you doing in our house, then?"
Marlon just stares at her. The girl is strange. Her skin glistens uncomfortably and her eyes are peculiar, with pale irises that look cracked.
Marlon: "The priest said I live here."
???: "Okay? Dad knows best."
She seems to think for a second. Then she grins at him.
Winter: "I'm Winter!"
Marlon: "I'm... Marlon."
Winter: "You look strong!"
Marlon: "..."
Does he? He used to be. His father wouldn't have it any other way. But Marlon doesn't feel strong anymore. He feels weak and sick. He also has no idea about the strange child's intentions.
Winter: "Can you swing me around? Pleeeease!"
Yes, Winter's first interaction with Marlon was her autonomously coming up to him and asking to be swung around. And he said yes.
Melody might've disagreed with Winter's resurrection and fought with Nico about it, but in the end, she has to admit feeling relieved to see her little sister alive again. Even if she looks... different, now. In some way, though, it's easier than making peace with suddenly obtaining a similar-age brother.
He's not doing anything wrong, he's just... there, and given how he came to be in that place, he automatically wins all the attention without even competing.
Her dad - no, their dad - dedicates most of his time to talking to Marlon and helping him acclimatize. He even teaches him how to cook. Even food in their home had to adapt for that boy. Every time Melody opens the fridge, she sees a box in there with her new brother's name on it. He can take things from the shared space, but nobody can touch the things in his box. Nico explained to the girls that because Marlon used to have nothing to eat very often, he could get anxious about something like that happening to him again, so having his own reserve stash that nobody can take from him will make him feel safer. Melody understands that it's a good thing, and she's genuinely happy the Church is trying to rehabilitate the poor guy, but sometimes...
Sometimes she misses the days when she could just talk to her dad about stuff and her life anytime, not just in between his Marlon-sitting duties and his actual job as the priest. Sometimes she misses the days when she could just open her fridge without being reminded that her pain doesn't really matter next to somebody else's.
But still, she tries.
Melody: "Hey. Can you dance?"
Marlon: "..."
Marlon: "No."
Melody: "That's a problem. You see, worms dance all the time. Not all of us are good at it, but everybody at least knows the steps."
Marlon: "..."
Melody turns the radio on.
Melody: "Come here. I'll teach you the basics."
She shows him some of the most popular moves people of Wormville do at almost all social occassions. To her surprise, the boy is able to repeat them after her almost immediately.
Melody: "You're a natural. Did you dance a lot in the forest?"
Marlon: "No." He laughs.
She raises her eyebrows and sighs. He still doesn't elaborate, but he puts on that strange direct glare again.
Melody: "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Marlon: "You talked at me when I couldn't respond."
Melody freezes. She awkwardly turns the music off.
Melody: "I... didn't mean anything. You looked so scared and lonely and most adults just wanted to kill you, so I thought you'd get better if at least someone was nice to you."
Melody: "But you don't need that anymore. Everybody's nice to you now."
Marlon looks into the ground. "You were right. You were the only good thing in the Nightmare. You were the good bird I was always looking forward to."
Melody: "The good... bird?"
He smiles. "I remember you as a bird. I recognized you because of your voice."
Melody looks confused for a bit, but then she bursts out laughing. "Yeah, I see. I was wearing a plague doctor mask. It kinda looks like a bird."
Marlon laughs, too. "So it was half-real? I was thinking I only remembered you as a bird because I was... mad."
Melody: "Okay, and now you know. You can stop with the staring. It creeps me out, honestly."
Marlon: "I...I'm sorry. I just wanted to thank you and respond to... to your questions. But I don't know how. I don't even remember them all."
Melody: "Take it easy. It's the past. The Nightmare, you called it? You're awake now. Just... don't look at me like you wanted to kill me anymore, okay?"
The same evening, a municipal police car from Downtown comes for Nico, takes him away for uncomfortably many hours, and then brings him back home.
Winter: "Dad! Are you okay?"
Nico: "Yes, honey. I knew they were going to want to talk to me. And it was nice of them to give me a lift, hey?"
Winter: "Why did they want to talk to you?"
Nico: "They're missing a guy from the city and he was last seen going to Wormville, so they wanted to ask me some questions."
Winter: "Aw, I hope they find him!"
Nico: "Yes, so do I..."
In truth, Nico knows very well that they will only find his remains, Serenity already informed him. He assured her he would handle the Downtown authorities. It leaves a major sour aftertaste in his mouth, but he doesn't think about turning the Elaho-Inipps in even for a second. He's going to deal with Serenity and her irresponsible gardening venture locally. Their way. No outsider laws necessary, or wanted.
Marlon is slow to open about his father, but as he talks to Nico and Victor Beldine (who spends a lot of time hanging out in the Priest's Home this round), he begins to confide in them.
Marlon: "He never hurt me."
Victor: "Marlie, he isolated you from the rest of the world and treated you like an extension of himself. That is 'hurting'."
Marlon: "No..."
Marlon: "It wasn't like that. He never hit me, even when I was being bad. My father loves me."
Victor: "Listen. You do not have to defend him. He is not here. Your father's actions were selfish and wicked."
Marlon: "..."
Nico: "Vic... Don't press him."
Victor: "What? I'm not doing anything!"
Victor: "Why shouldn't we help him understand he was abused? He was! Do not tell me you don't think so."
Nico: "I do, but that's just not how it works. You won't convince him with facts. He has to see it himself. His father was the most important person to him for most of his life, and that feeling is stronger than anything you say."
Victor: "That is why I am so worried. I do not want him to live a lie, to miss the man who did all those horrible things to him."
Nico: "But if you take every mention of Marlon's father as an invitation to debate, you'll only make it worse. He already sees you as a paternal authority. If you impose yourself upon him and try to overwrite his love for his father, he'll start being too afraid to talk about it and see you as the aggressive force and the memories of his father as safety."
Victor: "..."
Victor: "Very well. I can see your logic, even though it infuriates me. If I could think of one reason to ever return to Homeland, it would be to find Marlon's father and strangle that excuse for a Sim."
Nico: "I know. It upsets me, too, to hear what Marlon went through and to know that he can't even see it was wrong yet. But I believe that if we show him a different world, he's going to naturally understand in time."
Victor smirks. "I guess we just have to be better fathers than he had before, and... well, the bar is very low."
Not all the conversations Nico has with Victor this round concern Marlon or any other serious matter. Both of the Beldines actually visit very frequently to just talk to him and have a good time. Pictured: Nico, having rolled the want to pull a prank on Victor and carrying it out successfully, is about to get his water baloon comeuppance. (he ends up finding it extremely funny)
Nico doesn't neglect Winter and Melody, or at least tries his best not to. It's not their fault there's only one of him and his day only has 24 hours. But once again, trying to balance being a caring attentive dad and the spiritual and executive leader of the village takes a huge toll on his physical and mental health.
But this time, it's noone's fault but his, and Nico knows that. He adopted Marlon because he believed he was the best suited to give the boy the care and safety he needs, and while he doesn't regret it, he realizes that it was an impulsive, irresponsible act. At the same time, the attention he gives Marlon isn't by far the only thing overwhelming him now, and all the other things, the spilled blood everywhere around, the werewolves, the funerals, the police, they're all his problems by choice. He didn't have to be the Priest. If he surrendered the power when he was young, he could've lived a much easier life.
Maybe Quincy wouldn't even have left if he wasn't the Priest. But who's to say? Thoughts of Quincy hang over Nico's head like a veil. She's gone, she's dead. He'll be giving her departure rites and a funeral soon. It's a numbing reality, the opening of a perfect Quincy-shaped void in his life. But one thing tears through the melacholy. It terrifies Nico.
Does he really mourn Quincy, or does he mourn his own expectations of their love? Does he miss her, or the idealized version that only lived in his mind?
Sometimes, the only time Nico can really sleep, be it from having no time to do so otherwise or his thoughts keeping him forcefully awake, is when he takes a nap in a chair he brought to Marlon's room, so he had a comfortable place to sit while he tries to comfort the boy who slipped into a panic attack in the dark or woke up crying in terror from a bad dream. Nico sits with Marlon, talks to him and keeps him company until the teenager falls asleep.
Marlon: "...where are we going?"
Melody: "I've already told you, I'm taking you out tonight. But first, we have to go shopping."
Marlon: "I have no money."
Melody: "I'm paying. You just try to relax and don't think about material things."
Melody: "Think about what colors you like. And patterns. You can't just wear Victor's gross hand-me-down coat, dad's old tracksuit and my pyjamas. We're getting you your own clothes."
Entering Beatrice's shop, Melody looks at Marlon and realizes painfully clearly that this is his first time actually shopping. And everybody's staring at them. She immediately directs her... brother to the appropriate section and tells him to pick something. She tries to advise him on fashion, but being honest, she's not very invested in Marlon actually looking good.
When they finish picking his new clothes, Melody gives him some money and unceremoniously pushes him in front of the cash register, so that he learns how to buy things by himself.
Ione: "Oh, hi! You're the wild kid from Homeland?"
Marlon: "..."
Ione: "I'm Io. Be seeing you around!"
Melody: "So, this is the school."
Marlon: "..."
Melody: "Folks hang out in there a lot in the evening. You'll meet some people!"
Melody: "Are you scared?"
Marlon: "No."
Melody: "Right, you have nothing to be scared of. Everybody loves creepy guys who communicate in grunts and one-syllable sentences."
Marlon: "..."
Melody opens the gate, but Marlon suddenly jumps over the fence and positions himself in her way. She scoffs.
Marlon: "Why do you hate me so much?"
Melody: "What? I don't hate you."
Marlon: "..."
Melody: "Do you think I'd be walking you around Wormville and trying to help you fit in if I hated you?"
Marlon: "I don't know your customs. Maybe you have no choice."
Melody: "Okay. Let me tell you something about me that you've probably missed."
Melody: "I'm the future High Priestess of the Entity. That means that people are one day going to listen to every word I say. I always have a choice."
Marlon: "I didn't know that. I'm sorry."
Melody: "And I'm hanging out with you because..."
Marlon: "..."
Melody: "It's what a good servant of the Entity would do. C'mon. Don't take it so personally. I'm not gonna baby you, but I am on your side."
Marlon nods and moves out of the way, following Melody inside.
As much as Melody worries about Marlon crumbling down under the pressure of suddenly being in a building full of strangers (all of whom are his peers and are very curious about him), it turns out he stays perfectly calm. She watches him introduce himself and shake hands with several worms, even cracking a slight smile here and there. She doesn't know why she feels so relieved.
That relief is cut short when she sees Percy Celwitch enter the school building. She has always found him sort of pitiful, as he always seems like he tries way too hard to be cool and tough. But what worries her is Percy's presence on the expedition. Even if she didn't see him and speak to him there, she would know. There is something heavy, dark about his soul now that she picks up on as an acolyte, and his eyes just don't have the same sparkle as those of the other kids who weren't in Homeland do.
Melody thinks of warning Marlon. She doesn't know Percy's opinion on his survival and integration in Wormville, but she's sure it's more likely to be negative. But Marlon is standing in a circle of people and she'd look weird if she just waltzed in there now, so she just hovers in the distance, ready to protect her brother if things go south.
Hellene: "Here comes the dweeb brigade. I'm out."
Percy: "Go fuck yourself."
He pushes past her and smiles at Marlon.
Percy: "Hey. Good to see you alive. I was on the expedition, too."
Marlon: "I don't remember you."
Percy: "Uh... I only saw you when the adults were fighting about killing you or taking you with us."
Marlon: "..."
Percy: "..."
Marlon: "Why did Hellene Anora call you 'the dweeb brigade'?"
Percy: "Because she's an ass."
Marlon: "The insult sounds like you alone were enough to count for a brigade. It doesn't make you look like a 'dweeb'."
Percy: "..."
He starts laughing. Marlon just smiles, a bit apologetically. What he said must've been really stupid. But Percy smiles back at him.
Percy: "I'm sorry, it's just funny you'd... you'd just say it like that. But it's also really nice, huh? Thanks."
Marlon notices the boy blush a little. It makes him feel good inside.
Percy: "The name's Percy, by the way. Percy Celwitch."
Even as the onlookers chilling nearby and listening to their introduction disperse, Marlon continues talking to Percy. The Celwitch boy has questions about his past, and even though it might seem like Marlon would loathe to share it with his peers, he actually doesn't mind. It's just that Percy is the first fellow teenager brazen enough to ask.
Percy: "Man, your father sounds like a lot."
Marlon: "He's remarkable."
Percy: "I've actually never met mine."
Marlon: "Is he dead?"
Percy: "I don't know. I think so, but... I can't be sure. I have a crazy stepfather, though. He's fine, but..."
Percy: "I mean, right now he's just gone missing. He hasn't come home for days now. Ehm..."
Percy: "Sorry. Didn't wanna bring that up."
Marlon: "It's alright! I will listen."
Seeing that Percy doesn't have any hostile intentions towards Marlon, Melody relaxes. Actually, there is something she wants to try to accomplish here tonight. She wants to stop thinking about her failure and about mother's death, at least for one stupid evening. She wants to try to enjoy a first date with someone cute!
Jackie Fiera is a big dork, but Melody deems her plenty cute. She has always found her funny!
First date ideas: Pillow fight in the empty school cafeteria.
Jackie agrees to spending the evening with Melody, both being on the same page that they might kiss at the end.
Unfortunately, Melody stops rolling Jackie-related wants midway (so I don't force her to progress), and they also tend to fight quite a bunch, as Melody develops an obsession with giving Jacqueline one noogie after another. The date is sort a flop.
Jacqueline: "I mean, I've done some experiments before, and I'm pretty sure I'm about 78% resistant to romance. You're just not good enough to cross the treshold. But the pillow fight was fun."
Melody: "Actually, I have some more data for you. You're also about 100% resistant to jokes, if you thought I seriously meant to date you. If I did, you'd be begging to be my girlfriend."
Jacqueline: "Okay, I dare you. Let's go out again soon. If I fall for you, I'm a loser. If I don't, you're a clown!"
Melody: "..."
Melody: "...fine. I'll let you know when I'm free."
And finally, later that evening, the family gathers and little Winter gets to grow up into a teenager, too! She's a Popularity/Knowledge Sim just like her dad, and her 4th trait is Daredevil. So far, she dreams about becoming an architect.
And yes, there's a visual elephant in the room.
(I later changed Winter's hair and I think it made a huge positive difference, but for in the screenshots for the rest of this rotation, she'll have the hairstyle in the first picture.)
To both signify Winter's unique touch of the great beyond (she's not only resurrected, she's the first resurrected Sim whose life was volunarily traded for by a willing sacrifice) and to utilize a few things out of my big horde of fantasy cc, I gave her a sparkly skin and pale winter-y eyes. It's way less subtle than I have hoped, but I think it has its charm. She sticks out like a sore thumb given how uncanny valley her alpha cc is in an otherwise Maxis Match-esque game, but that does give her the unnatural appearance effect I wanted, so...
Victor: "So, how do people treat you around here?"
Marlon: "Good."
Victor: "How secure do you feel in Wormville? You can rate it on the scale from one to ten."
Marlon: "..."
Victor: "Or not, that is okay too. Do you like Nico so far?"
Marlon: "Yes."
Victor: "Tomorrow, you are going to school for the first time, correct? How do you feel about that?"
Marlon: "Complicated."
Victor: "Yes, indeed... Well, I am certain it is going to turn out well. They do not expect you to immediately catch up with your peers, and will have an individual program for you. But even integrating yourself in and building a new sense of being normal will do you good."
Marlon: "And Percy Celwitch is going to tutor me in the afternoon."
Victor: "Oh? You have already befriended Percy? Good. I do not know the lad almost at all, but he gives me the impression of a very sad and lonely young man."
Marlon: "..."
Victor sighs.
Victor: "Alright, I will leave you alone. When you want to talk to me, you know I am always available."
Do you like Marlon as a character so far?
Yes.
No.
Passionate no, I hate that kid's guts. (Iulius option)
Voting ended onOct 30, 2025
This time, I've purposefully centered Marlon and sidelined the rest of the Devirs, especially Nico, while the next part I plan to focus on what Nico was doing while the children were in school and out. I'm so sorry if it's chaotic or if the pacing makes no sense, I'm not perfectly confident in how I made it work out XD
By the way, the big funeral is going to take place either during the Anora round or the Fiera round.
Devir, the farm edition! ...also, I've just realized that I switched my Devir households around. Devir (Oliver+Lester) were supposed to be Devir 3, and Devir 2 were supposed to be Devir-Jillenis, which means Felicia. Oh well. Now I can't do anything about it other than plead for forgiveness.
< PREVIOUS ROTATION
PART 2 OF THE CURRENT ROTATION >
CATCH UP: Oliver and Lester Devir have a small farm. However, Lester is now away on the dangerous Homeland expedition, so it all falls down on Oliver and Oliver alone, who is not taking both his spouse and his girlfriend (Xenia) risking their lives well at all. Apart from having a farm to run, Oliver also has 3 children to take care of, with the youngest being only a toddler. And last but not least, they might still be one of the poorest households in Wormville and money is definitely going to be a problem once again.
Oliver Devir works at the local clinic as the nurse. But this round, he mostly stays home, so that there's someone to raise little Květen.
...and work in the fields with the children's help.
Sweet! I think that might be the highest gardening badge in current Wormville. Shortly after, Oliver also rolls the want to join the Garden Club. We'll see about that...
Garden Club Lady: "So, you are the farmer who wishes to enter our association."
Oliver: "Oliver Archibald Devir, at your service."
Oliver: "Our farm is only in its infancy, and we don't have a lot, but I hope you'll like it."
Garden Club Lady: "Nice to meet you, Mr Devir. Would you kindly give me a tour?"
Oliver: "...excuse me. I need to go have a breakdown first."
Oliver really isn't handling it well. He has two partners, and both of them are gone and might never come back. He's a Fortune Sim, but he has no money.
...being a Fortune Sim doesn't help.
...and neither does Orfie, who invites Vincent Fiera home from school and subsequently gives him all money the family had in tips when the Watcher isn't looking.
But it's the Garden Club, not the "Mental Well-being Club", and they're here to evaluate the plants, not Oliver's psyche. They seem to like what they see!
...when there is something to see, that is. They criticise the empty plots (unfertilized, even!), the lack of decor and one (1) patch of weeds the Devirs forgot to dispose of. In the end, Oliver makes the club, but only barely. Still, success is success!
In the meantime, Elphie comes by to pillowfight with Orfeus. Just like more or less every teenager in Wormville so far, Orfie is very fond of the Celwitch heiress. They're good friends!
The cats return from work and Oliver receives his pay for his day off, so he visits the grocery store to buy more seeds.
Cyan: "Is something the matter, Mr Devir?"
Oliver: "..."
Oliver: "No, sorry. It's just weird to shop without getting insulted."
Oliver: "I've gotten so used to it."
Cyan: "...I see."
Cyan: "That's going to be 340 simoleons!"
Oliver: "Here you go."
Cyan: "Thank you! I mean- Um. I hate your shirt."
Cyan: "Have a nice day and come again soon!"
Oliver returns exactly at the right moment to witness Fabian Beldine dastardly stealing the newspaper. But despite pointing at him vigorously, neither Elphie or the Devirs manage to stop the villain.
Orfeus helps with Květen a lot. Despite his expression in the picture, he seems not to mind, and has a very high relationship to both of his little sisters.
It's the day when the family expects Květen to have her grow up milestone, so Orfeus goes downtown to get her a gift. He unfortunately has almost no money at all, so he ends up failing to find anything suitable that he could afford. He runs into Quinn Hanson, though!
Quinn Hanson, a member of one of the richest clans in Wormville (if not currently THE richest fullstop), could definitely buy the plushie Orfie wants for Květen without even feeling it, but Orfeus doesn't want to ask. He's too proud.
In the end, he does end up asking for something else...
It's a shy and chaste kiss, but neither of the boys is ready to take things further. Orfeus doesn't even ask Quinn to be his official boyfriend, unsure whether his friend even feels the same way.
(He also doesn't roll any further romantic wants, aside from getting his first kiss. Romance doesn't rank very high in his priorities, and he focuses on his hobbies, school and helping with the farm and his siblings first and foremost.)
Jacqueline: "It's plain and simple. Just catch her a bug. Bugs are for free."
Orfeus: "Do you know how many bugs do we have at home?"
Jacqueline: "If your farm has too many bugs, then your sister's birthday is the least of your problems."
Unfortunately I forgot to take a good picture of Květen after growing up to a child, so here she is with her older sister! Květen's 3rd 3t2 trait is Loner!
Anyway, let's go back in time to her birthday party.
...during which Květen asks her brother's almost-not-really-boyfriend to help her with school, and he for some reason accepts, despite not knowing her before that at all. Oh, Family Sims...
Edward: "Your mom still lets you go to parties after you ran away from mine?"
Yearning: "I don't have a mom, stupid."
Edward: "I- don't either... She's just died..."
Yearning: "..."
Yearning: "Are you gonna go be dumb somewhere else?"
Yearning: "I wanna watch the cat. Alone."
Yearning: "It's the most fun thing to do at this stupid party for stupid people."
Yearning can, indeed, still go whereever she wants, but not unchaperoned. Her guardian is not big on loud parties, though, so he waits for her outside.
Květen enjoys her childhood quite unbothered by her other parent being absent for the larger part of it. She barely remembers Lester in the first place. She spends a lot of time with her big brother, who plays and reads with her.
...and with her dad and sister in the field. She even manages to get a bronze gardening badge before Audrey!
Being deeply connected to the Entity as a priest clan, the Devirs always enjoy visiting the Temple.
Having a graveyard dance lesson.
Zachary's out! He's been very reclusive lately, still battling his grief, and it's very possible Květen meets him for the first time that evening. Orfie knows uncle Zach well, though, and immediatelly runs up to him to catch up.
Zachary, in his full white outfit, finds it smart to get on all fours to sniff some flowers. Living with Serenity must be rubbing off on him.
Květen: "I knew uncle Zachary existed, but... I've never seen him before..."
Orfeus: "Why so sad? Don't like him?"
Květen: "..."
Květen: "He's nice, I guess."
Květen: "I'm scared. Of meeting our other dad..."
Orfeus: "..."
Květen: "What if I'm already grown up when they return?"
Květen: "What if they don't recognize me? What if they're a stranger, like uncle Zachary?"
Orfeus: "It's okay... It's gonna be alright. Maybe it's gonna feel weird at first, but then they start living with us again and it's going to be fine. They will always recognize you. They love you."
Oliver: "Zach! Hi!"
Zachary: "Long time no see, Ollie. I missed you."
The brothers hug. After that, Orfeus speaks again.
Orfeus: "Actually, I was hoping we'd meet a ghost tonight!"
Orfeus: "Do you think there are any right now?"
Zachary: "No."
Oliver: "Yeah, I don't think so..."
Květen: "How do you know?"
Oliver: "Zach and I used to be acolytes when we were Orfie's age. Neither of us can do or sense much, but we can sense a little more than normal Sims."
Květen: "What's an 'acolyte'?"
Zachary: "That's a young person who trains to be a priest. Most acolytes will never be priests, though."
Květen: "I see... That sucks."
Květen: "I think you should all be priests, not just uncle Nico!"
Meanwhile on a different side of the Temple...
Jacqueline: "Hey, Resi..."
Resistance: "Oh, hey. Need something?"
Jacqueline: "Um... Your sweater looks good."
Resistance: "Thanks? It's just the school uniform."
Jacqueline: "I know. But! But... it looks good."
Jacqueline: "It would look. It would look even better-"
Jackie checks the writing on her palm.
Jacqueline: "Neatly folded on the dresser in my bedroom. It was supposed to be 'on my bedroom floor' but I don't really want your clothes on the floor, sorry. I'm trying to keep it tidy in there."
Resistance: "..."
Resistance: "What? You want my sweater?"
Jacqueline: "..."
Resistance: "Or did you just pull the worst, most cringe pick up line ever?"
Jacqueline: "But- but it was one of the best rated ones!"
Resistance: "Either way, Fiera, the answer is no."
Featuring: Aranni II. Beldine making random enemies in the background.
Audrey misses out on the reunion with Zachary, but she doesn't complain. She has a ton of fun playing wet balloon with Lee and Resistance. She'll be soon joining them in being a teenager...
Who's your favorite former Devir acolyte?
Cyrus
Felicia
Nico
Oliver
Zachary
Voting ended onSep 29, 2025
This round is fun to write, and it's nice that it's going to be just a two-parter. See you in part 2!
