Watchette here. I just wanted to explain about the title.
From here on out, I will be using "The Waiting Years" instead of the generation number and a lowercase letter.
Although the remaining chapters (whether I successfully finish this challenge or not) will naturally focus on the Generation 7 and 8 heirs, I don't want to look at them exclusively.
Also, most of the dynasty requirements will soon be completed and we will be waiting for elderhood.
And now you know, in case you were wondering, why I've changed the title.
Just Waiting 01: A How Romantic is Your Cereal?Welcome back. It’s me again, Takao.
The house feels so empty without Dad around, especially for Mom.
For a short while, she considered going back to work. She says time weighs too heavily on her hands though she's only eight days away from becoming an elder.
But I won’t be an elder for 36 more days, so I hope she finds a way to embrace life once more. Not just going through the motions of living, but finding joy in life again.
She does find some comfort connecting with family members through massage.
Some days, the grief overwhelms her. I find her in a secluded corner of the house, sadly gazing at photos of dearly departed Dad.
Today, I found her in the living room, reading a book on baking.
The Watchette approves, believing that learning a new creative skill may help heal Mom’s heart.
Personally, I think she should find a new companion—not to replace Dad but to help ease her constant loneliness.
Mom has also slowly started working on friendships with members of the extended family.
In the absence of common traits, relatives seem easier to befriend than complete strangers.
And though Mom has the Beloved trait from completing the Friend of the World aspiration, she’s not the first in the household to do so.
I wonder if Beloved will start working again, since previous non-heir household members possessing that trait have passed on.
W: We’ll keep an eye on your Mom and she can be our test case! She needs to focus on befriending sims with houses, aged young adult or younger.Why not adults, Watchette?
W: I initially thought adults would be fine, too, but her good friend Pablo Gundersen from the Police Station became an elder last week.
Sadly, he won’t live long enough to count as one of her good friends.Wow, dynasty rules are harsh! But it’s too early for me to worry about friendships.
By the way, readers, I’ve been discreetly working on my second aspiration.
You may remember that, during my final teen days, I’d abandoned Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for the Soulmate aspiration.
However, the Powers-That-Be cruelly sent away my first love Raquel (top photo) and my first girlfriend Ariana (lower photo).
Ariana and I had even exchanged promise rings, but I never saw her again! And here I was thinking that our Watchette was almighty.
The problem is that the homeless sims get culled unless they're in a romantic relationship with a housed sim (I think that’s how it’s working).
But I find myself distantly or, even (shockingly) closely, related to many of the female sims in houses.
And that is how I came to start the Serial Romantic aspiration. It’s actually a longer story than that, but I’m running with that story.
Armed with my Beguiling and Great Kisser traits, I found that I was able to kiss 10 sims in no time.
But breaking someone’s heart is never enjoyable.
I might have also hit on a few elders around town, who I knew fancied me, both female and male.
Not only am I an equal opportunity kisser, I wanted to avoid long-term ramifications of my superficially intimate socials.
Sorry, no photographic evidence remains. I can’t have you along on my polyamorous journey.
Happily, I complete the aspiration by going on three gold-medal dates with my beloved Stephanie Holiday, my first girlfriend as a young adult and the second girl I ever kissed.
It's not obvious at all, but Steph is the great-great-granddaughter of Summer Holiday and our dynasty’s first pollinator (Darien McFarland).
You’re probably wondering why I didn’t choose to do Soulmate with Steph.
I see, you want to hear the whole story, do you?
In fact, when we first dated, Steph already had a boyfriend. I asked her to break up with him, but she wasn’t ready.
But I didn’t want to be with someone who had other priorities, so we stopped seeing each other. Just like that.
I guess you could say Steph’s the reason I ended up completing Serial Romantic instead of Soulmate.
By the way, NOW I understand what Mom’s always said about never bringing dates home.
Grandpa Naomi, you need to get a life!
And yes, I realized "woohoo in the closet" is not the most classy way to complete my second aspiration, but Steph is so huge--I don't want her walking upstairs to the bedroom.
Anyway, I have now completed the Musical Genius and Serial Romantic aspirations. It's time to start focusing on my career and my family with Stephanie!
Here I am leaving for work, a Level 6 Musician. I’m just a half tick away from Level 7!
Before work this morning, I even drank an Essence of Inspiration, but it wasn't enough.
I wish I’d made time for family member to “Suggest Visualization Techniques,” enabling me to start my workday with an even higher Very Inspired boost. Or taken a bath with incense.
It’s fine, I’ll nab that promotion tomorrow on Saturday!
Meanwhile, Mom seems to be making good progress with her friend (and club member) David Caliente.
She issues a “Go here together,” then a “Do energized workout together.” Go get him, Mom!
Now that David’s on the punching bag, Mom can just mentor him into the Good Friend zone.
We’ll let you know in several sim-days if her Beloved trait is working.
With G2 Grandpa Satoshi mentoring me, I max Handiness.
Especially since I’m wearing the same hairstyle as his, I resemble him more than I resemble even my father Chad or Grandpa Koetsu.
Odd how genes can skip generations that way!
Before work today, I’m dropping by the gym then visiting Steph and our newborn twins.
Yep, you heard that right, twins! Can you believe it?!
I bring along Mom and a family friend, Kolby Soto. Mom’s chosen him as her fifth good friend. He is half alien like Mom.
Though our world’s become depopulated, many of the residents are aliens or alien hybrids. I wonder why.
Since I was small, Mom has often reminded me to be proud of my alien heritage.
She would like nothing better than for me to settle down with “a nice alien girl,” haha.
While Mom launches her “Befriend Kolby Soto” Campaign, I work out on a treadmill to fire the “Work out at a gym” milestone.
Only two more hours until I leave for work, so it’s time to visit Steph!
How embarrassing! Here I’d planned on meeting and introducing you to our twins, but Steph's not home! Where could she be?
I haven’t even met my babies yet, so I sneak around the back and peek into the windows. Look, there they are!
Our son Garrett must be in that basinette with the blue ribbon!
And our daughter Sheila has to be in that basinette with the yellow ribbon.
I really want to hold them, but I’d better leave now before the neighbors call the police on me.
Hmmm, there must be another way! I know!
I phone Steph and “invite to hang out on current lot” (which just happens to be her house, whatever).
It works! I run around to the front of the house to give her a big kiss and we become best friends!
That’s my Steph!
Only a little time before I must fly to work, but here are the little ones.
Garrett is the one in green and Sheila in yellow.
Sadly, I missed Steph’s call when the babies were born (was I at work?), so I don’t who was born first.
If only I could move my family nearer to Oakenstead or, at least, into a nicer home!
Here’s a shot of the lovely Steph going into her house, as I run off to work.
When I first met Steph, I had a huge crush on her and we messed around one night, but she was actually seeing someone else.
After she learned she was pregnant and felt sure the baby was mine, she broke up with the other guy. I’m going to make sure she never regrets that decision.
Watchette, do you think Steph would feel offended if I asked her to have the kids take a paternity test?
W: I'm really glad you asked me first! Why don’t you wait until they age up, kiddo? We’ll know if they’re really Nishijimas once they’re older.You’re right, Watchette. I need to believe in Steph.
After I leave for work, Mom goes home and invites over another massage therapist she met at The Perfect Spa. (Her good friend Everett Hasting was culled.)
Nanami: I really wanted my fifth good friend to be of alien descent, but I spent hours with Kolby this afternoon and we're not even friends yet!
Watchette: Whoa, Max Hilliard has the Gloomy, Insane, and Insider traits. Not exactly someone a woman would pick as the father of her children.Nanami: But he’s a terrific masseur and we became good friends in no time. Let’s keep our priorities straight!
Takao: Great-Grandpa Seimei says he reached Good Friend status with Max after just an introduction and one friendly social.
All the Nishijimas together: Max, we love that you’re so easy!
By the way, do you remember Yasmine Hunt? She's the lovely alien woman who was visiting me the day that Dad passed away.
Anyway, I stopped dating Steph when she told me she wouldn't break up with her boyfriend. After that, I spent a lot of time with Yasmine.
But Yasmine and I stopped dating when Steph told me she'd broken up with her boyfriend and was pregnant.
Tonight, Yasmine stops by for a visit. I am completely shocked at the sight of her pregnant figure and the news that I'm the father!
I mean, she did ask me to help her change outfits in that closet last week and I might have been feeling a little depressed about Steph having rejected me. And Yasmine is quite stunning.
Also, I must confess that I have a soft spot for Yasmine because she’s an alien 100%.
I’m pretty sure of that, since she once pulled that “Analyze personality” social on me, which Mom (who is 50% alien) can’t use.
But, people, Yasmine and I are going to have a baby!
Despite her discomfort, Yasmine glows with the new life inside of her.
I feel her stomach, wondrous at the thought that our baby grows within.
It’s an understatement to say that this development complicates my relationship with Steph.
And yet, I can’t wait to greet our unborn child. I guess that makes me an unlucky jerk.
I mean if Steph hadn’t phoned me about getting back together, I would probably have proposed to Yasmine by now.
I introduce Yasmine to Mom, who’s immediately excited that I have a pregnant girlfriend who shares our alien heritage.
She shuttles Yasmine over to the massage room for a fertility massage.
Wow, Mom, I only let you whisk her her away because I’d thought Yasmine was too far along in her pregnancy for a fertility massage.
Nanami: Whatever. I'm busy now.
Mom gives Yasmine a fertility massage under Dad’s watchful eye. She's delighted at the prospect of a little hybrid grand-child or two.
Great, that’s all I need now—another set of twins! (cue sarcasm)
I can’t help but think I’d never be in this mess if I’d been allowed to move in a spouse.
*tries to shift the blame for his awkward predicament
With all the excitement over Mom making her fifth good friend and Yasmine showing up unexpectedly and being pregnant, I forgot to mention that I received that promotion!
I'm now a Professional Pianist (Level 7 Musician).
Mom’s so incredibly pumped about the baby!
I haven’t seen her smile like this since Dad passed away.
Come to think of it, Yasmine was here the day Grim took Dad away. Do you believe in the transmigration of souls?
Maybe Dad will come back to us in the form of an infant son. We can only hope!
Some Additional Comments from the WatcherThe Serial Romantic aspiration is the one that, usually, only the dynasty pollinators complete.
This time, the Gen8 heir ended up doing it because I found it easier to complete than the remaining alternatives: Soulmate (culling), Outdoor Enthusiast (sleeping in tent, grrrr), and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (it's boring). Thanks to indiscriminate kissing and the ease of earning gold medals for dates at the parks or at home, the SR aspiration is now a thing of the past.
This is a slow, rather mundane chapter but it includes setup for future developments. I feel sorry for Takao (Gen8) who will never experience life with a family of his own.
Perhaps the next chapter will be more exciting or, at least, more melodramatic.
Thank you all for reading my clumsy writing. I'm doing this for "fun," so I rarely revise as much as I should.
Your patience and good will are much appreciated!
