Bewitched Berries Epilogue: An Embarrassment of...Berries [Completed 14 Mar '23]

[oshizu]

Well done on completing the full fish collection. I know it was a bit of a "white whale" for you. And thanks for sharing the process and tips although it'll be a long time before I attempt it!
And welcome to gen Orange. Blaze sounds like a passionate name, hm.... I love Cara's skin tone, so warm. And I've already developed soft spot for Sunny/Sunrise as my granddaughter's name is Italian for "red dawn"

You've no doubt figured out by now that fishing is one of my favorite activities in Sims 4, lol.
What I love about the fishing collection is that, despite its large size, it mainly revolves around figuring where and how (bait type) to catch each fish.
It's much easier than, say, the Omiscan Artifacts collection which required my sim two extra weeks just for the last artifact.
Another thing I love about fishing is that it gets my sims off the home lot. Left to my own devices, my sims hardly ever leave their home lot, LOL!
The Orange gen triplets wave hello back!

[oshizu]

Hahaha, Cara and her slippers as everyday wear is just so delightfully realistic.  My daughter had a pair of rain boots that she loved as everyday wear as a child, so the slippers are wonderfully realistic as how a child would dress :=)
Excellent job finishing up that fish collection despite how elusive the Royal Sabrefish proved to be!  And yes, super fitting that it was finally caught on the day the triplets were born  :=)

Thanks so much for putting such a positive spin on Cara's slippers.
Truth be told, I was quite sleepy when I dressed the toddlers but stubbornly persisted in choosing their wardrobes before exiting the game.
I was using the Colors/Orange filter when choosing wardrobe items and didn't notice that Cara's shoes were actually slippers.
And, based on your parenting experience, toddler Cara can realistically keep her slippers? Great news!

Yes, i'm so relieved about completing the fish collection.
Raising toddlers is hard enough with Damson working as a doctor.  Having to also catch the most elusive Sulani fish and fish in two gated areas in Selvadorada on top of that would've been crazy.

[oshizu]

A townie criticized your outfit? I didn't know they could do that! Haha! Oh wow, what a lovely bunch of toddlers. I'm partial to Cara; her skin tone is so striking and looks wonderful with her red hair. Thanks for sharing your fishing progress; good tips to know! #TeamCara

Haha, I saw that Tuki got a message about that in the Notifications.  I should have saved it!
There's a Mean interaction called "Mock outfit.'
At the time, I'd imagined that was the cause for Tuki's notification about being criticized for his fashion sense, lol.
i struggle not to blatantly favor Tuki because he's such a gorgeous sim, but the other sims get jealous anyway. LOL

[oshizu]

5.25: Paging Dr. Feelgood
(Sing it, Aretha!)


Week 25, Sunday (Year 2, 1st week of autumn)
Damson: Tuki and I were hoping for twins, not triplets, but here we are!
From L to R: Cara, me with Blaze, Mama Koa, Tuki with Sunny, and Papa Fetu.


My first day as a medical doctor is demanding and chaotic.
First, I successfully diagnose and treat a patient with Llama Flu.
Next, I'm paged to the reception area to assess a collapsed sim.


To my shock, I have to perform surgery on that collapsed sim.
Where are my surgical scrubs, mask, and gloves?
More importantly, where the heck are my assistants!? Scalpel, please!


Coming out of surgery, I get a nasty message about kicking up my pace.
Apparently, several sims got tired of waiting at reception and left the hospital.
Am I the only doctor on duty? What about this doctor standing next to me?
Why would the hospital open its doors with but a single doctor on duty?


My third and last patient of the day suffers from Burning Belly.
It's a rare disease requiring surgery, so I perform my 2nd operation.
Three successful treatments in one day, which include two surgeries!
How dare hospital admins pressure me to process patients faster!



Monday
Tuki: Damson's off to work unaccompanied, 30 minutes late as usual.
You know, if moving weren't such trouble, we'd be sorely tempted to move.
Due to this house's layout, Damson's constantly late.
When he waits at the front of the lot, his parents run up to initiate a convo.


Sunny (left) is the first to max all his skills.
He waits another hour for Blaze (right) to join him, then they age up together.


After another hour or so, Cara's ready to age up, too.

In hindsight, I regret not waiting until past 10 pm to age up our triplets.
They'd have had a day off to earn badges instead of starting school tomorrow.


Damson: When I get back from work, the kids have just begun playing chess.
My parents were so helpful in raising our kids as toddlers but have little to do now.
They're planning to move back to Oasis Springs next week.
We can always invite them over for help with mentoring, if needed.



Tuesday
Blaze: We do  everything together!
Sunny:  "One for all and all for one!"
Cara: Yeah, we're the Three Mouseketeers. Um, can I be Minnie?
Sunny: Uh, that's....never mind.


Damson: I don't work today and the kids are at school for the next 7 hours.
Let's do something fun together, Tuki! *waggles eyebrows
Tuki (distracted): Oh really? But I'd like to spend time on my novels today.

Damson (to himself): Eh! Tuki's too used to my being busy with uni!



Wednesday
Our kids will earn their B grades today for sure, so Watcher joins me at work.
What luck! While examining my first patient, I get a Code Watermelon!
Needless to say, the delivery goes without mishap.


I'm always on the lookout for potential spouses.
It seems the most the attractive ones are my relatives.
Carter (left) is the teen brother of my mother.  Hey, Uncle Carter!
Arjun (right) is Tuki's sister's son, making Arjun my nephew by marriage.


Another patient suffering from Burning Belly, requiring surgery?
Is Burning Belly really such a rare disease as they say?
If so, why have I already treated two cases in only two workdays?
Today's promotion to Surgeon means I "only" work four 10-hr shifts a week, instead of five.



Thursday
I don't have any good shots of the kids since their recent birthday.
Sunny reminds me so much of Tuki. What do you think?
Blaze lacks Sunny's wholesome look, but he's definitely going to break hearts.


And here's our youngest, Cara.
We gave her the same shade of hair as Blaze's, but I'm not sure it's right for her.
Would a lighter shade suit her complexion better?



Friday
Now that my parents have less to do, they're constantly grabbing water.
The empty glasses they leave all over the house are driving Tuki and I crazy.
It seems like a good time to ask my parents to move back to Oasis Springs.


Sunny: So, we're eating Sweet & Sour Eggplant to become Chopstick Savvy?
Damson: That's right. As of today, both your fathers are Chopstick Savvy.

Tuki: By the way, great job on become "A students" yesterday and earning your last badge this morning.
As your reward, we're taking a three-day vacation, starting today.


Later in Tartosa...
Damson: Tartosa's a great choice for a vacation. What are the kids doing?
Tuki: Let's see…homework, extra credit, and play an instrument for 4 hours.
Then, practice typing for 4 hrs.
Damson: Not much of a vacation for them, is it? They could've done all that at home.
Tuki: Oh please! This vacation is for you and me. But you're right!
They can play musical instruments at the beach.  C'mon kids, off to the beach!


Damson: Hey look! What are these odd lumps on the seashore? *digs
Tuki:  I don't know. I'll also try digging.
Damson: Hey, I found two bottles with messages. The messages say, well, they're secret.
Tuki: I found a message in a bottle, three.


Tuki: Should I be worried? I know I've been preoccupied with writing bestsellers.
But we rarely spend any time together, just the two of us.
Damson: It's not you. My job as a doctor pays almost $4k a day, but it's so stressful.
No matter how hard I try, I can never treat all the patients. It's so frustrating!
Tuki: Maybe forget about your career this weekend and focus on your family?


Tuki: I like your parents and all, but I'm glad they returned to Oasis Springs.
Damson: Same here. Someday, Blaze will be saying that about us, you know.
Tuki: Never!

Faint voices from afar
Blaze: Hey, where did our Dads go?
Sunny: I know, right? I'm already Level 7 Violin!
Cara: It's getting dark and I'm starving! Where are they?



Saturday
Damson: Our kids are champs, finishing all their aspirations except Social Butterfly.
We spend hours at the park, hoping three children will show up, but nope.
Finally, I invite over nephew Arjun, whom I treated at the hospital recently.
Next, I invite nephew Nathan, sister Heather's son who aged up from a toddler last night. (Great timing!)


Here's Sunny with Nathan.  The boy favors his father Jaxton, doesn't he?
Meanwhile, Sunny really, really resembles Tuki at this point.


Tonight's the Festival of Snow and our family's first visit to Mt. Komorebi.
The only other children who show up are the two cousins they met earlier at the park.
At least, Blaze gets to take a selfie with Yamachan, who even gifts him a Simmie.
Hmmmm, will the kids want to spend tomorrow in search of their third friend?




Progress: End of Week 25

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Damson Berry (Gen5 heir) - YA (10 days to Adult)
Traits: Inquisitive; Genius, Dance Machine, Noncommittal
Spouse: Tuki (Ember); Children: Blaze, Sunrise, and Cara
Remaining tasks
Careers: Doctor 9/10 plus one more requirement

Tuki (Gen5 spouse) - YA (13 days to Adult)
Traits: Loves the Outdoors, Vegetarian, Family Oriented

Blaze (Gen6 heir) - Child (8 days to teen)
Traits: Inquisitive; Self-Assured
Skills: Charisma 3, ?
 
Sunrise/Sunny (Gen6 spare) - Child (8 days to teen)
Traits: Inquisitive; Green Fiend

Cara (Gen6 spare) - Child (8 days to teen)
Traits: Inquisitive; Loves the Outdoors

Notes
*Doctor career: Damson isn't required to max this career.
  I was hoping he'd reach Level 9, though, so he'd work one day less per week.
  He makes $3,790/day ($379/hr) which sounds great until we remember the garden.
  A perfect Dragonfruit sells for $685, a perfect Orchid for $625.

*Constantly drinking liquids: Are your sims also grabbing drinks ALL the time?
  My sims go to get a drink the instant they're idle, and sometimes even drop queues to do so.
  This behavior has been patched before but is now an [OPEN] bug report. *sighs

 *Only 2 Children in the World?: I was a bit worried about future spouse prospects.
   But I guess new teens will be spawned to meet the usual 11-student enrollment.

*Messages in a Bottle: I've never completed this collection so have assigned it to a later generation.

[oshizu]

Ze Fish Collection

I know, I know. Y'all are sick and tired of hearing about Damson and his fishing.
But he's my first sim to complete the entire fish collection, so I want to share screenshots.
(I hear the Werewolves pack adds another fish, but I don't own that pack).

The first wall displays the fish from base game plus those from the Spa Day and Vampires packs.


The second wall displays fish from Granite Falls, Sulani, and Selvadorada.
It might seem like a lot of work but catching fish is hands down easier than insects, lol.


There! No more talk about fishing unless future children go for the Outdoor Adventurer badge. ;p

[PeregrineTook]

What an adorable trio!  The Three Mouseketeers indeed, Cara!  And yes, she's my favorite.  No hesitation, no apologies  ;=)
I love how you always manage to strike that balance of getting goals done for a challenge/dynasty with letting the characters just be a sweet and adorable family.  Delightful Sims delivered by a wonderfully talented Watcher...what could be better?

[oshizu]

Pippin, I seriously do not deserve such high praise as you offer, but thank you so much for the encouraging words.
i shall strive to get better at achieving such a balance as you describe.

Incidentally, whenever I log into this forum these days, I hold my breath and wonder: "Is today the day that Pippin starts his new story?"
Counting the days!

[Granny Lawlor]

Cara's hair shade is perfect as it is. You dropped a hint that Blaze is the next heir but I'm definitely #teamCara

[Rhoxi]

Looks like that's three for #TeamCara! My sims aren't obsessed with getting water, but they sure do love the mixology bar (even without a liking for that skill). Love all the shots of Damson and Tuki together - such a sweet couple!

[oshizu]

Sorry, fans of Cara, but Blaze is already chosen as the next heir.
If any of you have ever read any of my friend Ricalynn's fantastic stories about the iconic (iconoclastic?) evil, red Artie Grim, you know she's been featuring Artie in her dynasties for the past decade.
So, you would understand why I'm not interested in going there with an evil red Cara. (As Granny Lawlor knows, the Evil trait is one of the gen6 requirements.)
Plus, Blaze brings better genes including pointy ears and I'm all about the genes.

The only reason you've been seeing better screenshots and lines from Cara and Sunny is to make up for the fact that they're the spares. ;p

[Granny Lawlor]

Pointy ears for the win. Good luck Blaze.
All of your triplets are cute looking. Having Nina for my gen1 spouse gave very round-faced gen2 apart from one. I don't think I'd include her again despite the red hair and green eyes. (Couldn't write that on my thread, they might see it  )

[oshizu]

Pointy ears for the win. Good luck Blaze.
All of your triplets are cute looking. Having Nina for my gen1 spouse gave very round-faced gen2 apart from one. I don't think I'd include her again despite the red hair and green eyes. (Couldn't write that on my thread, they might see it  )

Blaze was feeling a bit dejected by the lack of support (besides the Watcher's which he takes for granted), so he thanks you profusely for your support.
Nina showed up at the moment Flint most needed her and did an awesome job of lifting the Chef restrictions.
And, lucky you, Nina's grand-daughter didn't inherit the round face!

[oshizu]

5.26: Too Legit


Week 26, Sunday (Year 2, 2nd week of autumn)
Damson: We're on the last day of our three-day vacation.
We'll let the kids decide whether to look for a 3rd friend or travel someplace new. From left to right:
Cara, Blaze (Gen6 Orange heir), me (Gen5 Plum heir) & my partner Tuki, and Sunny.


Around noon, we head out to Desert Bloom Park.
What can I say? This is our favorite park due to its year-round warm weather.
Eventually, three new children arrive so our triplets each befriend a third friend.
Blaze and Sunny are now Social Butterflies, but Cara needs another adult friend.


By the time Cara's finished, it's time for an early dinner, so off to the Flea Market we go.

Damson: It's never too early to follow the path to becoming a Spice Hound, son.
Blaze: But I'm not even Chopstick Savvy yet!
Damson: You're absolutely right! You need to work on Chopstick Savvy first!


Damson: At home, we all dig into Sweet & Sour Eggplant.
Blaze and Sunny become Chopstick Savvy after 2 servings.
Strangely, Cara requires 3 additional servings (5 total) but finally becomes Chopstick Savvy.
(Spoiler: Among the triplets, Cara is last to become Chopstick Savvy but beats her brothers at Spice Hound.)



Monday
This morning, Blazes maxes his Charisma and starts pranking his Grandpa Fetu.
My father doesn't mind at all since they're good friends plus he knows Blaze adores him.
Aren't there other skills Blaze could be learning now instead of Mischief?


As much as it pains me, we're going to have to move.
It takes so long to walk from house to greenhouse, I can't harvest the garden before work.
And, as usual, the kids and I arrive 30 minutes late at our respective destinations.
Tuki agrees this house isn't for us and will start packing so we can move tonight. *sighs


Damson: Great job with packing and unpacking, everyone!
An hour after I get off work, we're already unpacked and settled into our new home!
Tuki: We had to scooch the entire lot as far right as possible to make room for a greenhouse.

Sunny: Wow, look at that short walk from the house to the front of the lot! Why didn't we live here from the start?
Blaze: Yeah, Watcher, you could've added a basement bedroom for Grandma and Grandpa!
Watcher: There's a reason I'd never wanted to play on the Sapphire Shores lot before. Now I never have to play that lot again!



Tuesday
Blaze: This morning, the parents let me adopt a cat after I pledge to care for the cat myself.
Since I'm the Orange heir, I obviously choose an orange cat.
He's a Bengali cat, so I really want to give him a cool Bengali name.
But I can't find one that I can pronounce, so I'm calling him "Sly."


Isn't Sly the handsomest cat you've ever seen?
He's spoiled, affectionate, and clever.
When I'm a teen, I want to make gourmet cat food and Wellness treats for Sly.
By the way, we no longer live on the beach, but we have a pool and the beach is nearby.


Damson: You're a Bestselling Author and you wrote your first Book of Life. What next, Tuki?
Tuki: I think I'll go back to knitting. I'm almost a Lord of the Knits. What about you?
Damson: I loathe my job. Would you hate me if I quit and got a lower-paying job?
Tuki: You've always been a dancing machine. What about a career in Entertainment?
Damson: My adult birthday's in a week. I'll think over a career switch until then.



Wednesday
Sunny: Finish my sentence, Cara! The family who knits together…
Cara: Um…The family who knits together, sits together?
Sunny: *groans


Tuki: Before the kids leave for school, I capture their epic sagas in Books of Life.
Even Sly gets a Book of Life. After all, he's family, too!


Tuki: How do you want to spend your day off from school, Blaze?
Blaze: Can we visit Brindleton Bay? I want to buy Wellness Treats then chase pigeons with Sly.

Tuki: While we're at the vet clinic, do you want to get Sly neutered?
Blaze: New turd? What's that?
Tuki: So Sly can't make babies.
Blaze: Oh, like the stork?
Tuki: Uh, let's go to the park. Papa D can explain all about turds to you later when he gets home.


Blaze: Look how Sly sneaks up on those birds, Papa T!
Tuki: You chose the perfect name for him. He's super wily!


Sly: Blaze, what are you doing!? You're embarrassing us both! Aren't you aware you're too legit?!
Blaze: Huh? Too legit for…?
Sly: 2 Legit 2 Knit!
W: A nod to MC Hammer's fabulous song and masterpiece music video, "2 Legit 2 Quit."


Sly: I've been chasing birds all freaking day!
Counting the feathers from Sulani and today, Blaze has at least 18 piles of feathers.
Since he's still a kid, though, he can't even open dem piles yet. *rolls eyes
I'm ready to go home and have me some gourmet cat food!



Thursday
Blaze: I can't believe we're not allowed to age up early! We're just spinning our wheels!
Cara: When's our birthday again?
Sunny: It's Sunday, but Papa T says we can cake up on Saturday.
Blaze: Oh yeah, that's gives us an extra day to get ready. Copperdale High, here we come!


Blaze: Know what, Sly? We're so alike! You even have pointy ears, like me!
Imma learn the Veterinarian skill so you'll never get sick or grow old!
Whatchu thinka that, bestie?



Friday
Damson: As of lunch today, we've become a family of Chopstick Savvy Spice Hounds.
Tuki: Go us!  Since everyone's off today, let's go bowling at the Bowling Source in Willow Creek.
Damson: How great that your father can join us, Tuki!

Sunny (whispers to Blaze): Psst, is this bowling alley really a teen hangout?
Blaze (whispers back): Don't worry. Nobody will recognize us at high school on Monday.


Damson: It becomes painfully obvious that we're all noob bowlers.


Except for Tuki who is absolutely on fire.
Every time I glance over at his lane, he's bowling a strike!
Has Tuki been secretly playing in a bowling league while I'm at work?

After several hours of gutter balls, the rest of us regard dinner as a perfect alternative.


The kids had never met their Grandpa Morgyn until today.
They are absolutely thrilled to learn that he's THE Sage of Untamed Magic.
Truth be told, I'd never socialized with my father-in-law before, outside the Magical Realm.
Blaze, stop asking your grandfather questions and let him enjoy his meal!



Saturday
Tuki: I told the kids they could age up a day early on Saturday.
They're so impatient, they don't even wait for the sun to rise.
Blaze and Cara do their birthday leaps in the kitchen, but Sunny walks outside to do the leap.
Blaze: Somebody help! I'm wearing Cottagecore threads


Tuki: Blaze and Sunny remain identical twins except for their complexion and hair color.
Sunny: Don't forget our ears!
Damson: The triplets also gain their second personality trait:
Blaze: Self-Assured, Evil. He aged up with guyliner and he's keeping it.
Sunny: Green Fiend, Maker. He aged up with that hairstyle and it suits his wholesome vibe.
Cara:  Loves the Outdoors, Freegan. Cara got a complete makeover.
W: Blaze is gorgeous and we hope his children will be, too.


Blaze: Now that I'm a teen, I can finally open those feather piles Sly brought me.
And guess what? Sly and I have completed the Feather collection!

Be sure to tune in next time, y'all, when I become the active heir!
Yeah, yeah, Papa D hasn't finished all his requirements yet, but I'm ready for a change of pace.
Orange you? It's time to shake things up!
You there! Yes, you! Go buy some popcorn!




Gallery Downloads
*Movers & Shakers (30x20 gym): "Bowling Source" (bar) by MassySwift13.
*Sand Simoleon Beach (40x30): "Sulani Beach Restaurant" by Janttu45.

Progress: End of Week 26

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Residence: Journey's End, Lani St. Taz (Sulani)

Damson Berry (Gen5 heir) - YA (3 days to Adult)
Traits: Genius, Dance Machine, Noncommittal
Spouse: Tuki (Ember); Children: Blaze, Sunrise, and Cara
Remaining tasks
Careers: Doctor 9/10 as YA, Entertainer as Adult
Another requirement

Tuki (Gen5 spouse) - YA (6 days to Adult)
Traits: Loves the Outdoors, Vegetarian, Family Oriented

Blaze (Gen6 heir) - Teen (21 days to YA)
Traits: Self-Assured, Evil
Skills: Charisma 10, Baking 0
✔️Bonus collection: Feathers 12/12
Aspiration: Public Enemy 0/4; Bonus Aspiration: Chief of Mischief 0/4
 
Gen6 spares - Teen (21 days to YA)
*Sunrise/Sunny: Green Fiend, Maker
*Cara: Loves the Outdoors, Freegan

Sly Berry (Bengali cat): Adult
Traits: Spoiled (breed default), Affectionate, Clever

Notes
*Not enough children?: A recent scenario added a new family to MyLibrary.
  I considered adding this Martinez household, with its two children, to my simverse.
  But new kids came to the park on Sunday, so I'm saving the Martinez kids for another gen.
  Also, on Monday, the kids met two new children at school. Nice.

*Opposites Attract: You were right, Rhoxi!
  This past week, I noticed that Damson and Tuki both got the "Opposites Attracted" sentiment.

[Granny Lawlor]

Oh ho! Blaze is ready to become a major hellion! Looking forward to his adventures with beautiful Sly.

[PeregrineTook]

Cara will always be the true heir in my heart  ;=)
Love the new house and your greenhouse is just immaculate!  I've never really tried that much with green houses, but maybe I should give one a go...some day.  Definitely not giving up my tiny house skilling boosts for the TookAlots  ;=)
The title of this chapter had me immediately humming to myself and dancing.  2 legit 2 knit?  The family that knits together sits together?  Priceless!!! 
A fantastic chapter all around.  Can't wait to see the kiddos in high school and to read all about how everyone loves and adores Cara and she becomes prom queen and is elected supreme empress of the Simverse...I might have take that a bit too far, but seriously, looking forward to what's next  ;=)