The Drifter Chronicles - House 004 - (COMPLETE)

[commasplice]

From: Lyanna Flint
To: Drifter Board of Directors, No Sim Left Behind
Re: Progress Report 004

I am pregnant! Willem is very excited about it. I wasn’t sure how I would feel, but it turns out I am ecstatic. I just don’t much care for the way my needs keep plunging and it’s making work harder.



I was promoted again, but I can’t share any photos for a certain time period as we were fulfilled a classified government contract. I can tell you, though, that I now have my very own simray: Proudwing.



Journal Entry, Willem Flint



I think I finally understand what the heck this “Project” is. It kind of explains why Lyanna was so hipped on having a kid right away. I love kids and I want them, but it seems like they should have a bedroom and stuff. When I asked Lyanna where the baby would sleep, she just looked at me kind of puzzled and waved around the lot and said “there’s plenty of room.”



She was so self-assured that I was relieved when her mom and Uncle Toby came over and both asked the same questions.





After they left, Lyanna broke down and started crying.

I did my best to comfort her and finally she just blurted out, “I wanted to do everything perfectly. Better than any drifter before.”

I am not the most ambitious sim and Lyanna’s drive puzzles me sometimes. “Everybody makes mistakes. Let’s just get through making sure our baby has what he or she will need.”

We did some calculations. Assuming everything goes right, we think the baby will have a bedroom after her first or second day back to work. It’s not optimal, but as we have no real weather, it should be okay. We will definitely have a bedroom by the time he or she ages up to a toddler.

We are going to do a lot cloudgazing and stargazing to get me inspired as I am slowly getting demand for my paintings.

I also suggested that maybe I could be the point person for taking care of the kids while she’s at work rather than me getting a job.

From: Evangeline Hecking, Drifter Board of Directors, No Sim Left Behind
To: Valeria Holiday; Lyanna Flint
Re: I am so sorry

Hi Valeria and Lyanna,

We were so sorry to hear of Eddard’s passing. He was a great Drifter and a wonderful sim and he will be greatly missed by all of us here at No Sim Left Behind.

Evangeline

From: Lyanna Flint
To: Drifter Board of Directors, No Sim Left Behind
Re: Progress Report 005

I went into labor yesterday morning and delivered a healthy pair of twins. Willem and I named them Davos and Serra. Davos entered the world a few minutes before Serra so he’ll be my heir.



I will be switching to a new Ob/Gyn because with a proper scan he should have been able to let us know ahead of time that we were having two infants rather than just one.

This is the reason why one of our children has to sleep out in the open until my next paycheck.



Journal Entry, Valeria Holiday

I am a grandmother!



I just wish Eddard had lasted long enough to meet his grandchildren.



We all went over to Lyanna’s today. She and Willem were having their hands full trying to take care of the twins and also to keep painting.



By the time evening came, they had enough simoleons to enlarge the bedroom so that one of the twins could be moved indoors.



Over some eggs and toast, Lyanna asked me if it had been hard going back to work so soon after she and her sisters were born.

“It was brutal. Looking back, I wish I had taken family leave.”

“I had wanted to take it,” Lyanna said which surprised me.

“Why can’t you?”

“I’m due for a promotion. If I don’t go in tomorrow, it’s two days before I work again and that puts me behind schedule. I need to work on my rocket science and there’s just so much I have to get done.”

With Lyanna I never know how much is the Project and how much is her type A personality. My best guess here is that it’s a little bit of both. I told her I would come by whenever I could.

[PeregrineTook]

Looks around the lot and says there's plenty of room.  Glorious!  I love how oblivious she can be while simultaneously being so bright and clever.  It's a wonderful balance of contrast within a character and I think she's a delight.  Realistically, she may be my favorite Drifter thus far!!

[Shewolf13]

I have to agree with Pipping hehehe.  She is so bright and clever, but can be quite oblivious about things.  She's amazing.  Congrats on the twins!

[FrancescaFiori]

I love that her response to twins is to fire her OB/GYN. Well, I hope it makes her feel better!
Willem is working out to be the perfect spouse. His relaxed approach to things balances out her hyper-competitiveness.
I will miss Eddard, but I'm very excited about the new arrivals, and I'm glad at least Valeria got to meet them.

[commasplice]

Looks around the lot and says there's plenty of room.  Glorious!  I love how oblivious she can be while simultaneously being so bright and clever.  It's a wonderful balance of contrast within a character and I think she's a delight.  Realistically, she may be my favorite Drifter thus far!!

I have known a lot of really smart people in my life and while they have amazing intellects, sometimes the simple things trip them up. That's kind of where I was going with Lyanna.

I have to agree with Pipping hehehe.  She is so bright and clever, but can be quite oblivious about things.  She's amazing.  Congrats on the twins!

I am so glad Lyanna is a hit!

I love that her response to twins is to fire her OB/GYN. Well, I hope it makes her feel better!
Willem is working out to be the perfect spouse. His relaxed approach to things balances out her hyper-competitiveness.
I will miss Eddard, but I'm very excited about the new arrivals, and I'm glad at least Valeria got to meet them.

Thank you. Yeah, I was relieved Valeria lasted as long as she did.

[commasplice]

From: Lyanna Flint
To: Drifter Board of Directors, No Sim Left Behind
Re: Progress Report 006

Willem has been a stellar father so far. Davos and Serra are toddlers now. I’m a little shocked at how fast the time has passed.



Davos is very independent, which is quite a handy trait to have. Serra is angelic, which also has its compensations.





My mother and sisters come by regularly to help out and that’s been very helpful.





As you will see from the photos, the house is beginning to take shape. Both my children have bedrooms now.
We upgraded the substandard appliances.

Willem and I decided that rather than a 2-story home, we’d like a house with a fully finished basement. The floor plan doesn’t really allow for a large living room so a family room in the basement and maybe a playroom will compensate. Also, at some point, we’ll need a bedroom for the alien I need to befriend and move in. I’m pretty sure at least one of my coworkers is an alien, but he’s got a family and kids and I have no desire to try and separate him from them.



I can bring an alien back from Sixam, right?

From: Ben Lynx, Drifter Board of Directors, No Sim Left Behind
To: Lyanna Flint
Re: Re: Progress Report 006

Absolutely!

Phone call from Shireen Holiday to Lyanna Flint

Lyanna: I’m at work. I don’t have time to hear about the juicy gossip you’re spreading—

Shireen: It’s Mom. She—Cassana just called me. [begins crying]

Lyanna: What? [beaker crashes to the floor]

Shireen: I was at work. She was home and I guess Mom collapsed. Cassana tried to plead with the grim reaper, but…[crying gets louder]

Lyanna: [crying] Mom’s dead? She can’t be dead. The twins are aging up tonight.

Shireen: She’s dead.

Lyanna: But she doesn’t know that I’m pregnant. She hasn’t met her next grandchild…. [through sobs]I forgot to tell her I loved her last time I talked to her.



From: Lyanna Flint
To: Evangeline Hecking, Drifter Board of Directors, No Sim Left Behind
Re: Progress Report 007

Everything is on schedule. Davos and Serra have successfully aged up to children. Davos has the creative trait and Serra is an art lover.



As you will see we’ve performed substantial upgrades to the house. The Blandco counters are no more.



I am in my third trimester. The doctor says I am having a girl. She’ll share with Serra.

Thank you for the floral arrangement and condolence card you sent.

[PeregrineTook]

(Sigh) Losing the family members is the hardest part about these dynasty/legacy/challenge things.
Wonderful progress being made (changing to a happier topic)!  Can't wait to see the finished house and the nooboo!  Of course, that final shot with a candled cake definitely makes me eager for the next update  ;=)  Way to leave your readers wanting more! 

[FrancescaFiori]

Well, I knew it was coming soon, but I'm sad about Valeria. The phone call was heartbreaking.

The house is looking really good, though! I love those counters. And another baby on the way!

I'm curious but forgot to ask, does the bookshelf stocked with low-level skill books work? Did Willem manage to pick up any skills on his own?

[commasplice]

(Sigh) Losing the family members is the hardest part about these dynasty/legacy/challenge things.
Wonderful progress being made (changing to a happier topic)!  Can't wait to see the finished house and the nooboo!  Of course, that final shot with a candled cake definitely makes me eager for the next update  ;=)  Way to leave your readers wanting more!

I really like how this house came out so I'm excited for you to see it too.

Well, I knew it was coming soon, but I'm sad about Valeria. The phone call was heartbreaking.

The house is looking really good, though! I love those counters. And another baby on the way!

I'm curious but forgot to ask, does the bookshelf stocked with low-level skill books work? Did Willem manage to pick up any skills on his own?

Yes, he did. Not anything radically advanced, but enough that eventually I wasn't so worried about him setting the house on fire and he picked up some parenting skills and stuff. If there is anything this challenge has taught me about non-controllable sims, it's that a) they will often do what you want them to without prodding and b) there are still ways to motivate them.

The key is not having items that are more fun on the lot. You add a TV or a computer and they're going to gravitate toward that. But reading will get up their fun so if you put skill books in the bookcase, they will learn on their own. You can also push that even further if you want to by taking out all the fiction. Also a lot of this has to do with habits. In house 2 by having Robert stargaze/cloudgaze with Anya in the immediate vicinity of the easel, she would paint on her own. And as long as I didn't have him do anything to interrupt her, she'd paint. After a while, she would paint all the time.

[Shewolf13]

RIP Valeria.  Lyanna is moving along really well!  Can't wait to see all the kiddos ^^

[BallerinaHippo]

Aww...that phone call was very realistic. You wrote it well.

On a happier note, Lyanna seems to have finally hit her stride.  You go girl! 

[commasplice]

RIP Valeria.  Lyanna is moving along really well!  Can't wait to see all the kiddos ^^

Awww thank you so much!

Aww...that phone call was very realistic. You wrote it well.

On a happier note, Lyanna seems to have finally hit her stride.  You go girl! 

Thank you so much!

[commasplice]

Journal entry, Willem Flint

I don’t always get Lyanna. She has been so weird since her mom died. I thought maybe being pregnant wasn’t helping, but we had Marya with no problems. Her sisters are over here all the time. The kids are great and the house is coming along really well.



She’s kind of shut down all the time. All she’ll talk about is work or the Project.



Like Cassana came over and was trying to talk to Lyanna about Valeria and Lyanna just kept going on about how great the light wells we designed for the basement came out.

“I’m not surprised,” Cassana said when we played some chess while Lyanna buried her head in her rocket science book. “Lyanna has never great with dealing with emotion.”



The twins don’t quite get what’s going on, but they’re so close and seem to be able to cope because of the bond they have with each other.



Shireen visited the next night to meet Marya. I heard them talking upstairs, but I don’t know how much it helped because Lyanna was only interested in discussing her work at FutureSims.



I’m not sure what to do. Shireen grabbed me on her way out and suggested maybe I should contact some woman named Evangeline at No Sim Left Behind



From: Lyanna Flint
To: Evangeline Hecking, Drifter Board of Directors, No Sim Left Behind
Re: Reaching out

Thank you for the phone call.

I know everyone’s worried about me. Somehow when my father died, I was expecting it? But not so much with my mom. I know that doesn’t make sense and maybe that’s what is bothering me so much. I like things that make sense.

 I came home from work yesterday. I got promoted again. I walked in and Willem was playing with Marya. It took me a moment and then I saw the photo of Mom and also of Dad on the wall.

He found it in a box of the snapshots I took of my parents, picked one of each and had them enlarged, and framed.

I broke down and cried. I just miss them so much, you know?

[PeregrineTook]

Yes.  Uberintellectuals trying to deal with emotions.  #thestruggleisreal

[Shewolf13]

Oh my.  Poor thing.  It is definitely hard for anyone to deal with grief, and not being able to process it, especially for someone like Lyanna is so true!  Wonderful update!