The story of Audrey Houser

[Peaches]

FAMILY FLASHBACK #1

Disclaimer - The screenshots of the family are far and few between, and were just casual, so apologies!

ENTIRE FAMILY TREE HERE

Right, I'm not going to go back to the VERY beginning. That would take...a while. But this charming individual here is my great-grandmother, Autumn Storm. Cool name, huh? She's a ROCK STAR. How cool is that? As you can tell, I idolise her, she was awesome.

She had settled down and married a gamer-turned-businessman named Ivan Anguiano. They soon adopted a precious girl named Zahra. This photo in our photo album always makes me smile. Zahra had walked in at an awkward moment.

Autumn then gave birth to a beautiful little girl, my grandmother, Peighton Anguiano.

As you can see, she was loved dearly. I heard she was quite a timid girl, but loved playing on her dad's virtual reality video games. She was also really cheerful, so happy-go-lucky. She spread happiness wherever she went!

[Peaches]

Back to the story...

Hannah and I decided that our little cottage didn't have enough room, and we had visited Windenburg many, many times and fell in love with the place! So we moved into a quaint little house next to a river.

It's just what we wanted! I loved the old, Tudor-style houses, and Hannah liked that we had a large garden to the side. We knew that we'd be here a while.

When we entered, I knew immediately that Hannah had taken a disliking to it. She hadn't viewed it before, I had done all the viewings with the landlord. She better get used to it!

Hannah: "This place looks terrible. Is it 500 years old? And what's that smell?"

Hannah: "Audrey...do we really have to stay here?"
Audrey: "Kinda yeah. We have already paid the deposit and got the keys so..."
Hannah: "Surely there must've been some better houses in Windenburg?"
Audrey: "Not on our budget, Hannah! This was actually the best we could afford..."

Audrey: "Listen, if you spent more time viewing places like I have, and less time DJing, we probably could've found a place we BOTH liked. Anyway...look over there. I think you'll like this."

Hannah: "Oh my gosh! Audrey...what have you done?"

Hannah: "My...my DJ posters. I'll forgive you for rummaging through my stuff, this is so nice, thank you!"
Audrey: "I knew you'd like it!"

So, Hannah went back to DJing. Neighbours brought some fruitcake as a gift, and we had a great time together! We all sang, danced and laughed all night.

I however, couldn't help looking at pictures at Cannon on my phone. We had met up a few more times since the fire incident. We had gone to the park to feed the ducks, watched a movie together, and even went to a theme park! I wasn't calling him my boyfriend, and he wasn't calling me his girlfriend. I needed to wait for the right moment before I ask if we can go steady. I'm sure he'll say yes. After all, he always wants to hang out with me!

[Peaches]

So I started on the garden outside the house. I figured I could've sold some fruits and vegetables to get by. It was really serene and quiet in Windenburg, apart from the occasional chiming of the clocktower.

Luckily, Windenburg wasn't too far from Newcrest, so my mother was able to visit regularly. I preferred to meet her in the park and play chess with the neighbours.

I also sampled the nightlife! There were lots of great pubs in Windenburg!

I ran into Bjorn, who lives nearby. We met a few weeks back, and we kept in touch. As you probably remember, he's the guy that loves cats!
Audrey: "Hey, Bjorn! Nice to see you again!"
Bjorn: "Great to see you too! This is my regular haunt, I've probably spent more time here than at home!"

Audrey: "I've moved here permanently now, so I'll be able to come here more often!"
Bjorn: "Great news! You won't regret it, Windenburg is the best place to live. Everyone is friendly, the house prices are reasonable, and the town is full of things to do."
Audrey: "I'm already sold! Haha. Had a good day?"
Bjorn: "Well, today was quite eventful. I went to my teenage daughter's poetry recital earlier. No idea what she was talking about, so I just kept a smile on my face."
So we had a good heart to heart about everything going on in our lives. He was a great listener, and didn't mind that I ramble on too much sometimes.

[Luna264]

I love your story! Your characters are really interesting!

[Peaches]

I love your story! Your characters are really interesting!

Thank you! 

[Peaches]

A few weeks later, Hannah and I had heard a new swimming venue had opened! This was a great alternative to the gym, and meant that I could finally put my swimming costume to good use seeing as our house is too small for a pool...

Hannah had invited Ulrike. They had been hanging out a lot more, it was looking promising!
Hannah: "So are you enjoying yourself? Weather is pretty nice, huh?"
Ulrike: "It's alright, I'm a litte afraid of the water. I can't swim."
Hannah: "Well, I can teach you?"
Ulrike: "That's okay, I'm not really up for it."
Hannah: "Do you want to go somewhere else?"
Ulrike: "I need to be back home in an hour, so staying here is fine."

From what I could hear, things were flopping fast. Ulrike was such a hard person to pin down, I couldn't understand if she was being cold, or just plain shy. She is definitely an unusual character, but Hannah was besotted, there was no way she was letting her get away...in totally normal, non-creepy way! From the look on her face, I knew that Hannah was feeling gloomy again. It doesn't take much to bring her mood down.

When Ulrike left, Hannah perked up a little bit, especially after I MADE her jump from the diving board. I knew she loved swimming, and I would do anything to make sure my sister was happy.

Bjorn was making the most of the day too, checking out the pool just like us.
Bjorn: "Nice to see you again, Red!"
Red was the nickname he gave me, because of my red hair. I didn't mind it. I've been called a lot worse!

Bjorn: "Couldn't you afford the rest of your swimming costume?"
Audrey: "It's designer, actually!"
Bjorn: "It's revealing, that's what it is!"

I eventually had to go home after sharing more stories with Bjorn. He told me that he thinks it's ridiculous that the Sims Government have banned pets, apart from fish. All Bjorn wants is a pet cat to call his own, but all he can do instead is look at pictures of them. Hopefully they'll change that soon.

[oshizu]

I've been reading your story from the start though I hadn't posted.
Totally adore your quirky sisters, their unconventional lifestyle, and the unpredictable convos!

I've never played a sim who lives in Windenberg proper so that's been fun to read about as well.
Bjorn is one of my favorite Windenberg sims, flatulence and all. He is having so much more fun in your story!

Looking forward to your next update! 

[Peaches]

I've been reading your story from the start though I hadn't posted.
Totally adore your quirky sisters, their unconventional lifestyle, and the unpredictable convos!

I've never played a sim who lives in Windenberg proper so that's been fun to read about as well.
Bjorn is one of my favorite Windenberg sims, flatulence and all. He is having so much more fun in your story!

Looking forward to your next update! 

Thanks so much! I'm so happy to know that you're enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy making it 

[Peaches]

The morning after...I had begun to regret going to get mexican food after fun in the pool. I knew I had to remind Hannah not to go in after me. STRAIGHT through me. Sorry...TMI!

On a lighter...and more fragrant note, I got a text from Bjorn, he was heading to the ruins with his friends and wanted to know if I wanted to join since...I guess I'm a part of his friend group! I'm actually really happy about it, I haven't been able to make any other friends since living here in Windenburg. Such a gorgeous town, but very isolated. Would...Cannon consider me a part of his friendgroup? Stop it Audrey.

AT THE RUINS:
Audrey: "Hey, thanks for inviting me along!"
Mila Munch: "No problem, we've heard so many good things about you!"
Dominic Fyres: "Bjorn tells me you're an animal lover and passionate about history. We thought inviting you here would be a great idea."
Bjorn: "Think nothing of it, Audrey. I, well we, would like to spend time with you."

Mila and Dominic went to get themselves a some lemonade, leaving myself and Bjorn alone. He gave me this look. I don't think he'd ever looked at me that way before, but it made me slightly uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in the way that I couldn't look him directly in the eye, and my cheeks had started to burn. One of those looks which made me lose my breath, and my voice reduced to a mere squeak. If I could've slapped myself without Bjorn noticing, I would've, however his eyes never waivered.
Bjorn: "You sure you don't want any lemonade?"
Audrey: "I'm fine."
Bjorn: "Are you okay?"
Audrey: "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."
Bjorn: "Something tells me you're fine!"
Bjorn let out one of his deep, goofy chuckles. I had suddenly felt myself take a deep breath of relief. What was that? Wasn't like me to freeze like that, like a rabbit in headlights. It had made me think of Cannon, and how I missed him. He was always taking my breath away.

Mila: "You two alright? You should've tried the lemonade, it's amazing!"
Audrey: "Oh, I'm good thanks, Mila."

I had to leave and compose myself. I had left Bjorn, Mila and Dominic to their own devices. Literally. They were obsessed with their mobiles.

[Peaches]

When I reached the cliffside, I heard a familiar voice.
"Hey!"
I turned around, and lo and behold, it was Cannon. My eyes grew wide and so did my smile.
Audrey: "Cannon!"

Cannon: "Are you okay? You look a bit pale."
Audrey: "I'm, I'm fine now you're here."
Cannon: "Oh, shut up you. Weirdo."

Cannon pulled me into a hug. I felt so safe. He smelled really good too, he was wearing that cologne I got him for his birthday.

Audrey: "So you got the fire started on your own? Impressive. Usually you need my help."
Cannon: "Hey, I'm a man, I don't need any help!"
Audrey: "Yeah, yeah. Last time we were here you threw a hissy fit because your matches got wet, so you had to rely on my girl scout skills to get a fire going!"
Cannon: "I...have no memory of this."
Audrey: "It was last month, you doof!"
Cannon: "We shall not speak of that day."
I let out a giggle, he's such an awkward, yet funny man. He never fails to make me smile, and we both are comfortable insulting each other, in a friendly way of course. He came a stood next to me. Quite close. It was then when I felt his hand slide around my wait, pulling us towards each other.

Cannon: "Audrey...do you ever think of the future?"
Audrey: "I try not to. I don't like holding out hope for things, in case I get...disappointed."
This was a lie. I was hoping that Cannon and I would...become partners. This was going against my own rules, I hated hoping and pining for something that...I wasn't sure would happen. However, there was something about Cannon whenever I looked at him. I had a feeling, even if it was quite deep down, that something good would happen between us. Well...we had already had that saucy "moment" in the closet back home. That was a moment to remember!

Cannon: "I like thinking about the future?"
Audrey: "Really? Does it hurt your head? You can barely remember what you had for breakfast."
Cannon: "Shush, you."
Cannon laughed, but his eyes remained on the fire. His hand started to stroke the small of my back, quite affectionately.
Cannon: "I've always wanted to become a photographer. I'd love to have my own photography business, have a large house...a wife and kids. You know, the typical, cliché. What about you?"
Audrey: "I just said, I don't think about the future."
Cannon: "Surely there must be something you wish for. Or at least some plans? You can't be living blindly."
I shuffled my feet for a moment and looked into the fire. The heat felt good on my skin. I did have plans, but they didn't really extend past a week. I always try to live in the moment and not worry about kids, pensions, careers...
Audrey: "Well...I..."
Cannon: "Go on."
Audrey: "I would like to find happiness I guess..."
Cannon: "Oh, come on that's what everyone says-"
Audrey: "...with you."

Cannon came closer. He had a massive smile on his face.
Cannon: "You really are a weirdo, you know?"
He ran a hand through my hair and pulled my face closer to his.
Cannon: "But...that's exactly why I love you."
Audrey: "I love you too."

Oh lordy. My heart was racing. He's such a good kisser. I'm glad I can finally call him mine.

MEANWHILE...

Hannah was entertaining Ulrike in the garden. Well...looks like Ulrike was the one doing the entertaining.
Ulrike: "...and that's how I looked when I realised my pants had fallen down!"
Hannah: "In front of everybody?"
Urike: "Yes! In front of a crowd of about...three hundred people, I was so embarrassed!"

Hannah: "I bet you looked fine! I-I mean...not fine like...THAT...but..."

Ulrike: "You're cute when you get flustered, Hannah."

Ulrike: "I had better get going. Thanks for having me over!"

I could almost hear Hannah's heart rip in two from the other side of Windenburg. She really needed to *ehem* grow some balls and tell Ulrike how she really felt!

[Whirligig]

Just found this - it's a really neat little story! I love how vibrant all your characters are. And it's great to see that the twins' love lives are shaping up. I agree, Hannah just needs to come out and tell Ulrike how she feels about her. And I'm glad to see that Audrey and Cannon are finally getting together.

[Peaches]

A few weeks went by, and things couldn't have been better. Cannon and I had travelled everywhere together, he brought his camera and loved snapping everything, and anything that moved. We were inseparable, and I was in heaven. Also, in between our get-togethers, I had played the Llama game in the local pub on Alien Night! I won...obviously.

They weren't too pleased about losing!

Also, I had started to become a pretty good dancer, I was practically famous in Windenburg! But I always found time for myself, to just relax and unwind...most of the time with Cannon.

Later that evening, Bjorn had texted me. I hadn't heard from him in a while as he had been on a camping trip with his family. I learnt he had a wife and teenage daughter. He had confided in me that he was trying for another baby with his wife, but things weren't going too well. His wife had lost interest in trying, to the point where they just...gave up. Bjorn said this was heartbreaking for him, as he had longed for a second child before he got too old. He was already in his mid thirties, and time was running out. Soon, he had just resigned himself to the fact that it may never happen, and he was at peace with it.

Bjorn had text me sometime mid afternoon: "U still coming out 4 dinner laterz?" He had a tendancy to text like a teenager, he thought it made him sound cool, but I had told him on multiple occasions that it's just silly. We had arranged to meet for dinner, since we hadn't seen each other in a while. Cannon was perfectly fine with this, he knew that Bjorn was just a friend.

Audrey: "So Bjorn, what is it that you're ordering?"
Bjorn: "I was thinking perhaps the salmon, or maybe start with a cocktail."

Audrey: "That's a great idea, Cannon LOVES his cocktails. He loves salmon too I think, but one time he found a bone in a salmon fillet and nearly choked. That put him off for a while, but he DOES love to fish! Once he caught a massive trout and we tried to take a picture, but it slapped him and swam away! It was hilarious!"

Bjorn: "Is that so?"
Audrey: "Yeah! He's such a lover of animals and nature, just like you! He recently donated 100 simoleons to the local dog shelter, he's so caring, I love him so much. Oh! He also saved a squirrel from dying, did I tell you?"
Bjorn: "...no?"
Audrey: "Oh my gosh, he saw this squirrel practically at deaths door, lying there at the base of a tree, it looked like it had been attacked by something. A cat maybe? But he nursed it back to health and let it go. We both shed a tear when we released him, we named him Mr Nutty. We kept calling him our baby, it was so adorable."
Bjorn: "Nice. Hey, since you're into world affairs, did you catch the interview with Mayor Simmins today? What a fellow!"
Audrey: "No, I missed it this morning, Cannon and I had a lie in. It was quite chilly outside, so we just cuddled together for hours we didn't want to move!"

Bjorn: "Hm. Really."

Audrey: "Are you okay? You seem...off?"
Bjorn: "Not at all...let's order some food!"
Bjorn had eaten his meal practically in silence, which was weird for him. Was it something I said?

[Whirligig]

Ooh, a bit of mystery. What's up with Bjorn?

[Peaches]

Ooh, a bit of mystery. What's up with Bjorn?

Well, that may all be revealed very soon
Trying to update this as frequently as I can! x

[oshizu]

I commented on your most recent update the day you posted it but am baffled not to find my response.

Did I forget to hit "Post", I wonder? To be honest, I'm a little anxious that my post got removed for over-zealously shipping Bjorn and Audrey...
Can't wait for the reveal about Bjorn!