Sims 4 Playthrough: Love and Family Part 2

 Do I just pick this back up in January or what? Is January through March the time to play Sims 4?

Anyway... it's... honestly exhausting. Taking pictures. Playing through. I'm also an eager beaver to get to the storytelling part.

So... this is the last post on my blog. Cassidy is going to have children, and when one of them becomes a young adult, I'm going to move them out and start a new save with them.

Well... this is the second to last post on my blog. My last post will be linking you to wherever I decide to store that story I want.

I don't intend to delete it, so it'll just, sit here, gathering dust.

If you want updates on life and writing, go visit the blog on my website. Currently it's https://kunabeeheart.wixsite.com/creations, although I will eventually have it be kunabeecreations again. When I get money.

(If I get money. x_x)

So... yeah.

Thanks for reading my blog. Closing out Blogger feels like the end of an era, but at 25 I'm ready to move on. I've had a blog on blogger for 13ish years, first under Unistray208 at 'Tiger's Corner' or something and then Kunabee. It's been a while!

I'll catch you around :)

Sims 4 Playthrough: Love and Family Part 1

 First thing's first: It's time to move. I was going to live the rest of my days in Glimmerbrook, but - nah, fam. Mount Komorebi stole my heart.

Plus, it has a BIGGER LOT in it and good GOD there's so many skill building things that require SO MUCH space.

I give it the traits 'great soil', 'good schools', and 'eco lot'.

And also it's haunted because the Paranormal Stuff has come out and I already have a ghost dog.

I am the Worst at building.

My welcome wagon literally gets chased off by specters, which I can't be too upset by. The welcome wagon is annoying and all that. I also throw a seance table in my bedroom and do some stuff with that.

You may notice my rooms changing in the next pictures. I didn't REALIZE Mt. Komorebi had a BIG LOT that was empty and I had to move Cassidy in the middle of this post to the BIG LOT. However, I quickly got sick of the snow, so I just switched the Itos and their house with Cassidy. Don't judge me.

I have a positive friendly presence in the house and I try to make it a little less haunted. Cassidy's moodlets flipflop between 'scared' and 'energized' because she's still a thrill-seeker.

Let me just avoid actually doing my goal...

I am an expert at procrastination.

I figure the best place to start looking for romance is the romance festival, so I'm going to wait around for that to happen and someone to invite me to it.

I finally got around to changing my outfits, too.

In the meantime, I worry about keeping my fun need high and making decorations of paintings and flower arrangements for the house. And, you know, contending with the ghosts and specters.

It's Guidry. While I'm knitting.

I was planning to just do random things until the Romance Festival, but then...

She appears.

She wreaks havoc while I take Dusty for a walk, but THEN - I greet her with a 'cheerful' introduction and give her a flower arrangement gift. I want to befriend her, dangit!

Plus, Guidry said he goes 'way back' with Temperance. I wonder if Guidry wronged her somehow? After all, he's a womanizer and all that...

Anyway, after I do a few friendly socials with her, I fix the messes she created and then do some rituals to increase the spiritual serenity of the house.

I even manage to con Temperance into cleaning up the messes she made. Cassidy is stupidly charming, it's great >D

Once Temperance leaves, I preform a ritual with Guidry to increase the house's spiritual serenity. (Before Temperance showed up, I had the maximum spiritual serenity and was befriending all the specters.) I get level five Medium skill and ask Guidry to certify me as a paranormal investigator. Why not, right?

Now I can take paranormal investigation gigs AND I've made good progress in befriending Temperance.

I take the opportunity to drink a specter sip I got a hold of while befriending specters.

I get a 'dazed' moodlet that my positive moodlets drown out, and nothing else cool happens. Darn.

Also, quick fun thing:

YOU CAN READ WHILE YOU MAKE CANDLES.

Temperance shows back up in the middle of my candle making. I take time to chat with her, and chat with her... and I manage to become 'good friends' and get her to be 'inspired' instead of angry. Yay!

Of course, Cassidy also panics for a bit there...

When Temperance stops being willing to talk to me, I have to shove a haunted idol in the bathroom attached to the nursery so I can do Other Things while Temperance bitches.

After she leaves, I change to 'heroic mode'. I can always switch back - I probably will when I get married. For now, however, heroic mode gives me MORE POINTS.

Finally, the romance festival comes along. Yay!

I get some sakura tea and ask for the romance guru's wisdom. I keep an eye out for other 'young adults' - so far, there's just teens and adults, plus the elderly romance guru.

I notice a young adult finally, and start things off with an enchanting introduction. She's even a painter selling some of her paintings!

I purchased the painting on the bottom and in the middle.

I keep flirting with her. She seems sweet and cute and I'm pretty sure adoption counts for the parenting aspirations.

...Aaaannnddd then I find out she's married. I'm not wanting to break her up. Sigh. I hunt around the festival to see about finding another Sim to flirt with.

Another young adult shows up. After an enchanting introduction, I IMMEDIATELY ask him if he's single. Nope, married.

A third one... she's married. Why are all these married people at the romance festival?! I DON'T HAVE A POLYAMORY MOD, SIMS.

I order a drink for myself and then flirt with the bartender over at the nearby karaoke bar.

SHE'S SINGLE!

I flirt with her relentlessly. Nobody can stand the force of Cassidy's charisma; the bartender is no exception.

Even though she's at work, I invite her to sing a karaoke ballad with me since my fun is in imminent danger.

Yay, singing. And paparazzi.

I have a rose on me that I give her after. She returns it, but both gifting sessions improve our relationship so, you know.

Then I ask her to be my girlfriend. She accepts! Happy, I head home, planning to boost my fun need there.

New Skill Day starts, and I decide to start working on my violin skill. After I reach level two and complete new skill day, I call Pania (the bartender) and ask her on a date.

We go to the South Square Coffee café in Windenburg. Nice, casual, quiet, and nearby other places. Since, y'know, Windenburg is from Get Together.

The date goes excellently and nets me a reward: a VIP bucket.

After some fun-increasing and skillbuilding and general caretaking that goes into owning a ghost dog in a haunted house, I invite Pania over to my house for another date.

Why is everyone at my house.

Or... this was a terrible idea.

On the other hand, I got to woohoo.

For the next stage of the aspiration, I need to become an adult (which is checked off: apparently, young adult counts for that. Hurray!) and be married to my bff.

Easy. I'll just earn lots of relationship with Pania and propose. Although I definitely have to make us a wedding venue... (Or download it from the gallery, I guess, but I AM trying to get better at building!)

I decide to have the wedding at Granite Falls, and make some changes to the Green Getaway lot and the Granite Falls Forest. I ask Pania to join the household...

...and then I dress her, because she could use some improved sense of fashion, as all townies do.

THEN, FINALLY, I take us both (and Dusty!) on vacation to Granite Falls. It'll be a nice honeymoon after our marriage (:

I also disable Heroic Mode in the house before I go because HOLY MOLY it is STRESSFUL.

I tried to do an event, but it wouldn't let me do one during the vacation in the park, only at my rental...

They're married.

And then...

CASSIDY WINS THE LOTTERY?

And, with PERFECT TIMING: Love Day happens the day after they get married. Which is just perfect and romantically cute.

Oh, yeah, and since Cassidy won the lottery Pania's 'Fabulously Wealthy' ambition gets completed. Okay then. I go ahead and set up 'Mansion Baron' next... time to work on the house when we get back home!

I have them go on a date to pursue Cassidy's ambition, and then another date on Love Day.

They're very cute.

I spend all seven days in Granite Falls, working on Cassidy's herbalism skill and collecting all the available plants there to add to the greenhouse.

I also manage to complete Cassidy's ambition.

When we return, Pania and Cassidy will be preparing for their first child in the haunted house as Cassidy is ready to become a 'Super Parent'! Thank goodness she only needs to worry about her 'fun' need, because with ghosts, kids, and everything else Cassiday has going on, things are going to be crazy...

Sims 4 Playthrough: Realm of Magic Part 2

 I don't sell any of Dusty's things, but I do put them in the inventory. His bowls, his bed. I also tuck his grave in the inventory too, since I do plan to move to Mt. Komorebi when I'm finished in Glimmerbrook.

There are bigger lots in Mt. Komorebi anyway. I can build a spacious house with a spacious backyard and a spacious greenhouse. I'm literally running out of room in the current greenhouse!

A neighbor stops by and gives me a specially crafted violin. Holy crap, that's lovely! I head over to the Magic Realm to train/practice magic and win duels. I've only won one and I need to get three victories to get to the next step of my ambition.

And, you know, I need to level up to an 'adept' from an 'acolyte'.

Best spellcaster 10 out of 10

I manage to end up in the 'overcharged' state after becoming an acolyte, although I still need to win one more duel. For now, I head back home.

While I wait for my charge to drop, I do a gig for my freelancing career, and get a call that someone else has died. Everyone I knew in Strangerville is gone, and now the people I met from Sulani are dying, too. On top of losing Dusty...

It's sad. This is the true curse of immortality, losing people you care about. But, I do plan to let Cassidy age once we start looking for a partner. After all, 'superparent' is an ambition, and I need to be an adult - not just a young adult - for that.

I finally complete the stage of the aspiration with another victorious duel, and now I just need to reach rank five because I already know ten spells.

Time to experiment with potions, that gets me lots of magical experience!

Once I get charged, I head home to do other things, planning to practice magic whenever I have low enough charge.

We get a visit from Dusty! I invite him to my household as a ghost dog, and then bind him as my familiar again. I may, eventually, need to let him go in favor of a living dog - or my kids can just become familiar with a ghost dog. Decisions, decisions...

Either way, Dusty's back! :D

I practice some magic, then buy a cauldron (which I should have done way sooner...) and practice my brewing skills. And then practice some magic some more. Infinite magical practice.

I also start putting things in household storage, since I'm close to completing this ambition. Soon(tm). I also notice that Dusty needs to be fed and walked as if he was alive.

Cool, cool. Ghost dog is a permanent member, all the benefits and negatives of a living dog except Dusty can't die or get sick xD

New Year's Eve happens so I start putting stuff up for that. I also make a resolution to complete the current milestone of my aspiration. And then I dance.

Once it hits 11:30 PM, I watch the TV for the countdown. And, bam: New Year's Eve, done and dusted.

After New Year's Eve, I hit level four on my spells and get 'dedeathify'.

....

I can bring Dusty back to life.

...Except I can't. I don't have the option, and a quick Google tells me it doesn't work on pets. Well, that's super lame! Darnit :(

I go ahead and invite a spellcaster friend over. Let's see what we can do here... Since it's also the first of spring, it's prank day, so I go ahead and do a couple of mischievous socials as well.

I feel like this would get me in trouble...

I manage to make it to the next stage in terms of magic, and spring happens.

I head back to the magical realm and learn every single spell in practical and untamed magic, including the 'ultimate' spells - 'duplicato' and the 'rite of ascension'. The rite of ascension will actually be SUPER nice for whoever I end up marrying!

I go ahead and read a book while I wait for my spellcaster charge to go down. Once it's down - I experiment with potionmaking and ultimately... bite the bullet. Time to learn mischief magic too I guess!

I end up learning about a potion of immortality. Which. HM. Would have been useful when Dusty was still alive...? Then again, if spells don't work on pets, potions probably don't either.

Some experimenting and ingredients collecting, along with some potions of good fortune, gets me a lot of ingredients and the experience I need to become a virtuoso and thus, complete the ambition!

I select the 'soulmate' ambition. Next you'll see me, I'll be preparing for love and for family.

Love and Family

Sims 4 Playthrough: Realm of Magic Part 1

 The part I have been waiting for, longing for, HOPING for... It's time. It's time to

become a spellcaster.

I am so excited. You can tell because I did the fancy font and things.

Now then. I know that the magical portal is somewhere in the Glimmerbrook neighborhood, so first thing's first: I take Dusty for a walk.

I don't find the portal while walking Dusty, so I just find it scrolling around town and go through it, leaving Dusty at home. Now I need to find a sage.

I find one quickly and perform a 'respectful' introduction right off the bat. I want to make a good impression, after all. 'Sage of Untamed Magic' Morgyn Ember.

I have to collect seven magic motes and turn them in.

Behind me, a duel occurs.

Right away, I ask to learn a spell from untamed magic. I'm going to ignore mischief magic, but the other two sound up my alley - and untamed especially sounds something like Cassidy would do, considering everything she gets up to.

I then ask for a potion recipe, and the sage from practical magic is here too so I introduce myself to him and then ask him for a spell and a recipe.

Once done with all that, I search for tomes and find nothing, then wander off to castle alley to explore the magical realm. The Harry Potter inspiration is Real.

There, I buy a wand, a tome, a familiar, and a broom. Heeck yes. Magical things! I choose a bunnerfly for my familiar and a natural wand for my wand. I accidentally bought tomes of a too-high level, so returning from caster's alley I head out to the gardens. I gather some ingredients and then go fishing.

There's a new untamed magic sage in the building, so after I finish fishing I go ahead and introduce myself to her. For some reason, I can't ask her for a spell despite being a different person than before, so I ask her for magical training instead. After that, I duel someone for knowledge in hopes of learning a third spell and going onto the next stage of my ambition. Well, I also have to become an acolyte, which the knowledge duel should... still help with. And then I can read the tomes I just bought, too!

So far, so good

Unfortunately, in the end I lose. I guess I just have to practice more. Let's earn that XP!

I head back home and start practing. Thanks to Lifestyles, Cassidy gets a +5 uncomfortable moodlet, but it goes away when I go home thanks to her jogging. Bah. I want to get rid of that lifestyle. I also set up the familiar orb and bind the familiar to me.

Meet Aetherum, the red and black flying bunny in the back there.

I also notice I can bind Dusty as a familiar. OMG. Would this prevent him from dying? Of course I do that. Come on, give me my eternal Dusty...

He's bound as a familiar, though I'm not sure what all that entails. After some more practicing and doing other things, I get summoned for a duel at the dueling grounds over my phone. Nice! Night on the Town happens so I go to visit the Glimmerbrook bar and buy something.

I get invited to another duel.

Another victory.

After that, I get some training while I'm here in the magic realm, and become an acolyte. Yaaay.

Asking both sages for another spell gets me to the five spells I need for this level of the ambition. I need to also become an adept and win three duels against other spellcasters. I can wait for them to invite me to duels, that's cool :P

I visit caster's alley to see about more tomes, and find a dragon familiar (squee!) and a sixam owl. I go ahead and buy those in addition to my bunnerfly, because obviously.

There's also an astral wand, and I like that more than the natural wand, so... new wand it is!

I also max painting skill as I try desperately to capture a good image of Dusty to paint and immortalize him. Painting by reference is hard to make work, man.

Winterfest starts so I make sure I'm prepared for Father Christmas and that everything else is ready. I also invite a bunch of people to the house to eat the Grand Meal I need to cook. Happy holidays ONLY! xD

One of my Sulani friends also dies. Which. Sad. :(

I end up missing Father Winter and for some reason the Grand Meal doesn't work, but I complete three traditions so hopefully Cassidy at least doesn't get a NEGATIVE moodlet from it. PLUS, I did the tradition she loves. We'll see.

Luckily, Winterfest DOES end up with a success! Yay!

At 7:30 AM, the day after Winterfest, Dusty... dies.

Beloved Pet. Beloved Friend. My family, who I wish was still here.

Since Dusty died, he can't be my familiar either. Sad. I am very upset. :(

I'm going to end this part here. In part two, we continue to explore magic.

I miss Dusty :(

The best boy.

Sims 4 Playthrough: Snowy Escape Part 3

 So.

I need to reach level three rock climbing skill, complete a hiking trail, actively ski, snowboard, or rock climb for three hours, and encounter a kodama or forest spirit.

Sounds like I should hike until I reach a place where I can rock climb? Let's see what I can do! It's freezing but I'm ice proof and in winter gear, and the weather is clear.

Or there's a climbing wall just... right over here.

I equip the climbing gear and then start practicing my rock climbing ability. It boosts fun, so... I can basically do this forever.

Or until Dusty gets hungry.

I've reached level two by the time I've done it for three hours. I decide to go for a hike by myself since it's too cold for Dusty, so at least I can get that out of the way. And maybe the forest spirit or kodama, too. I decide to head to the natural cove. Let's see what we can see!

So. Damn. Pretty.

There was a wildlife encounter while hiking, and of course Cassidy handled it like a pro. She's well-prepared and has high athletics from her time in Salvadorado.

On my way back down, I spot the forest spirits and complete that stage. Then I climb the wall until I achieve level three climbing skill.

The next level has me skiing or snowboarding at 'high intensity' on an intermediate slope, successfully reach the peak of Mt Komorebi, and endure an injury from skiing, snowboarding, or rock climbing.

That last one may be a problem. My luck has been high. My athletics skill is good. Maybe... I can jump to an intermediate slope before I practice on the bunny hill.

...

Let's try it!

And it looks like I need level three first. Ah well. At least I can do the easy slope. I decide to focus on skiing, though I definitely want to get snowboarding skill too.

While training up to level three, I get injured. Never thought I'd be so happy to be hurt! Once I hit level three, I give Cassidy a break.

A bad storm chases me inside before level three, so I head home to cuddle and play with Dusty. I don't know how much longer he'll live, even though I've set lifespans to the longest they can be.

After I love on Dusty some, I grab a quick gig from Cassidy's career. She has a whim to write a mystery novel, there's a gig that requires that, so Houston, we have liftoff.

After the gig, I notice Dusty is sick. Time to take him to the vet. Gosh, I hate that he's an elderly dog now. I don't mind caring for him, I don't mind that I have to be careful, I don't mind the sickness. I just mind what I KNOW is coming!

Once I submit the gig, I level up my freelancing career. Nice! Now to just wait for the thundersnow to go away, so I can skii some more... I have an ambition to complete, here!

Snowing, but not THUNDERsnowing

I reach level three, aannndd... I can't ski on the intermediate slope with high intensity yet. Gosh darn it. I decide to try and do some research on the computer next time thundersnow chases me inside.

I reach level 4 before any. thundersnow and ski just once down the intermediate slope with high intensity. Now for the hardest part of this level: climbing Mt. Komorebi.

I go home to recoup and take care of Dusty. I have my climbing gear, I have basic skills... The only thing left is figuring out, uh, how to get to the top.

...Looks like I need to do an excursion, and apparently, I need a friend. Yaaay... I also need at least level six rock climbing skill.

I am so sorry, Cassidy. Infinite rock climbing for you.

Rock climbing is interrupted by the arrival of HarvestFest. Well, it's Gnome Appeasement Time. I grab a quick guide to make sure I do not accidentally anger any gnomes.

After my first appeasement, I make a tofurkey grand meal and invite some friends over. More gnome appeasing, then I shove them all in my inventory and sell them. I also grab the seed packets, but those I keep. Cassidy does have a garden going on and all.

Chatting and eating finishes the party off, and then I just let people hang out until it comes to its natural end. And then I ignore the gnomes and wander off to do more Infinite Rock Climbing.

Climb, Cassie, CLIMB!

During the Eternal Rock Climbing, I reach max fitness skill. Cool. Harvestfest also ends up being successful, which: double cool. It ends up turning into winter (instead of being fall the whole time despite me CALLING it winter) while Cassidy is doing her Infinite Rock Climbing.

Once I reach level six, I decide to check the weather. The conditions are 'icy', but screw it. I start a Mt. Komorebi expedition and invite Samanta. I just... cheat her skill to level six. Shhh.

I spent two hours on that building that I will never see again

Snow angel time.

It was shockingly easy to climb up the mountain, so I didn't get any pictures of climbing shots because I thought 'oh there's going to be another part'.

The final level of this ambition requires me to survive three wildlife attacks, achieve level 8 skiing, snowboarding, or rock climbing skill, and successfully complete a high intensity skiing/snowboarding on the expert course in inclement weather OR do a successful rock climb in inclement weather.

I head back to the lodging and prepare myself to resume Eternal Rock Climbing. It never ends.

Rebate Day happens and I just immediately end the holiday. I'm on vacation. Even if I did the freebuild stuff, it would not count. I also extend the vacation by like three days so that I can get everything done I want to. I mean, I'm coming back to Mt Komorebi to live (despite how long I spent on my Glimmerbrook house, RIP me), but not until Cassidy's a spellcaster.

Once she reaches level eight, it's time to begin the Infinite Hiking in hopes of running into wildlife. Yaaay.

I made sure to take Dusty for a couple of hikes.

Hiking around without Dusty I run into a whole bunch of wildlife. Now all that's left is to do the things in inclement weather. I decide to go skiing until I max the skill, then I'll start training snowboarding.

And, while skiing... I complete the aspiration! I'm going to keep practicing until my vacation ends, skiing and then snowboarding (if I max it before the vacation ends), and next time I see you I'll be seeing you as I begin my journey to become a spellcaster!

Realm of Magic

Sims 4 Playthrough: Snowy Escape Part 2

 The easiest thing to start with is by changing my utensil preference to chopsticks and then eating some takoyaki, so I do that and buy some vanilla takoyaki.

I took Japanese for six years although I am not fluent by any means. I had some trouble learning and no-one to really practice with, but the class made me fall in love with the culture. My fiance and I plan to honeymoon in Japan after we have our official (and not just legal) marriage.

Of course, Cassidy eats the food with her hands. Ah well, maybe outside of the festival.

The joys of being a global superstar: YOU'RE NEVER LEFT ALONE

I'm able to change into my cold-weather outfit and use the vending machine I bought the kimono at to put it back on, and that does that! Excellent. I buy one more Simmi capsule and it, of course, gets stuck. I shake the machine....

Nothing bad happens. I open it and get the same Simmi I got before (Ol Gabby), sell the duplicate, and then escape the throng of my fans. plz halp.

When I get home, I go sledding on the bunny slope once, then find Dusty to do some dog care. I make sure he pees and has a full bowl of food, then I head off to the hot springs in the neighborhood. Time to soak and BE WARM!

God, I wish that were me...

Cassidy is a global superstar and the guy sitting next to her is a rising star, so of course, there's some paparazzi taking pictures. There is no escape.

I also, with my constantly-full hygiene, climb into the hot springs without taking a shower or a bath and get an 'embarrassed' moodlet. Woops... I climb out, take a shower, and then return. MY BAD GUYS....

The paparazzi also follows me and takes pictures of me showering. I'm in my swimsuit, but still. That's just... eurgh. I feel so sorry for celebrities, paparazzi suck. This also gives me another embarrassed moodlet. Thankfully, my happiness is high enough to overpower the embarrassment. I do not want to become very embarrassed. Cassidy does not die until I say she can, damnit!

Me too, lady. Me too.

I have no idea how long a 'long time' is, so I prepare to be here for a while and hope Dusty does just fine without me.

I get a 'lost in the warmth' moodlet, but when I hover over the goal I need 'complete relaxation'. So. We continue!

Once it hits, the goal automatically completes. The woman is still asleep, which is sad because I wanted to talk to her but I don't want to wake her up. Once I'm done, I hop out and change into my cold weather clothing before going sledding again. Then I head back to the lodging.

At the lodging, I make a meal of ramen and hope I use chopsticks. At least I know I won't get a negative moodlet from it like food that I DON'T make. Level 10 cooking skill.

We have success!

Once I eat, I sled one more time on the bunny slope.

Oh, God. The next level involves finding forest spirits. This is suffering. I also need to socialize at the onsen bathhouse and 'take it slow and become emotionally mindful'.

I became emotionally mindful randomly during University. So I've got this, right? I just need to do something relaxing. And then socialize at the bathhouse.

The forest spirit, the nature spirit, that's what's catching me. I need to hike. Well. Let's head to the bathhouse and see what we can do, then?

At the bathhouse, I buy some adventuring gear at the vending machine before heading into the bathhouse and talking to people.

I buy three of each wilderness-related item, a snowboard, and a pair of skis. Then I take a shower before hopping into the hot springs and chatting with whoever is there.

I decide to take the opportunity to flirt and start off with an 'enchanting' introduction.

...He happens to be married. I backpedal back into social and 'ask to just be friends', chat with him a bit, and then decide to try and relax or something in the hot springs to get that 'emotionally mindful' buff.

Oh, look who's back - asshole paparazzi

I head out now to the Senbamachi neighborhood and I take Dusty with me. TECHNICALLY, it's still fall, so it should be warm enough that he can go on the hike with me no problem. I'm going to be taking an easy hike anyway.

I decide to head to the mountain shrine with Dusty and hope that I run into a forest spirit. I'll need to do the meditative walk separately.

Dusty and I make it to the shrine, although I did not see any forest spirits. I 'view' the shrine and hope to get that 'emotionally mindful' buff.

It does not work. I head off to the bamboo forest next. Let's goooo.

And here are the spirits!

I attempt to catch one and it is not happy with me. Duly noted. Wishes, not capture.

...Look, I ignore the rules I usually apply to the supernatural (such as yokai, spirits, fae, etc) in the Sims because the Sims has weird rules.

I ask Dusty what's wrong and he DESPERATELY wants to play, so play we do! He's happy after a brief session, so I leash him up and hope that lets me take him on the 'meditative walk' that will, if all things go well, give me the 'emotionally mindful' trait.

Also, I sign a kid's autograph because they're adorable.

Fireflies! The good kind!

I am in love with the Snowy Escape DLC. In. Frikken. Love.

I run into this as well, but I can't click it and don't know what to do. Pretty though, isn't it?

After the walk, there's no 'emotional mindfulness' moodlet. I give Dusty a big treat and try once more, partially hoping to find some spirits again and wish on them instead of trying to catch them.

Mostly I just want the mindfulness buff.

I get it! The aspiration is COMPLETE. But I am not done with Snowy Escape, not by a long shot. It's time for the 'extreme sports' aspiration. I also go ahead and buy the 'iceproof' trait since I have enough satisfaction points for it.

The goals for level one of this aspiration are to go down the bunny slope, purchase a deterrent or remedy, and use an info board. Easy-peasy.

I take Dusty and me back to the lodging and do all three of those things in one fell swoop. Next part? We're starting level two of the aspiration.

Part Three

Sims 4 Playthrough: Snowy Escape Part 1

 

This part of my Sims journey starts off great. Dusty ages up to an elder. I do not want Dusty to die. I do not like this.

Samanta leaves the house on good terms with Cassidy, which is nice. First, I go into world edit and build a vacation place to my exacting tastes in Mount Komorebi. What? I am a person with STANDARDS!

Once the lot is set up - I just edited a pre-existing one to have a pet bed and other pet stuff - I take Dusty and start a vacation to this world.

Once I'm in Mt Komorebi, I also go ahead and plan some new outfits. I need some really sturdy winter stuff, since I'll be vacationing in the winter mountain world WHILE IT'S WINTER!

Much warmer

My goals seem to be fairly simple. I want to eat food at one of Mt. Komorebi's festivals, take a photo with the mascot, pop open a Simmi capsule (???), and swim in the Wakaba river.

Well, let's go freeze our butts off for at least an hour by swimming! C'mon, Dusty, time for FUN! (actually, probably just cold). Unfortunately, I do not have enough satisfaction points to buy the Iceproof trait. That's officially next on my list.

...I actually forget to select Dusty to travel with me. -facepalm- Well, I suppose it's fine, he gets to be nice and cozy.

I go ahead and dive into the river. One 'swim around' covers it. There's a board nearby which tells me the next festival is the Festival of Light on Friday.

I change into some warmer clothes after my swim and go hunt down the mascot.

I find the statue, but unfortunately, I need Yamachan themself to complete the wish. Alas. At least my Simstagram followers will be happy...?

Looks like I'm waiting until Friday - it'll get me everything I need. I head home back to Dusty to spend time with my aging pup and do a couple of gigs for my freelancing career. I go ahead and give Dusty a bath after some attention to make sure he's nice and clean and handsome, for anyone else who may be renting the other rooms here.

I also get a playful moodlet from wearing shoes in the house. Woops! So after I bathe Dusty I go ahead and take them off before I get started on those gigs.

Dusty snoozes while I work

I am filled with sass.

This scene is really familiar. My mom is a writer. We have two dogs (and two cats), and they like to lay at her feet when she is writing or editing on her computer.

I drink a flirty celebuserum too, just to get rid of it, and then do things to boost my fun need.

Dusty needs to pee, so I take him on a nice, long, rambling walk.

Except this is the Sims so we never actually go on a walk, because why in the world would the SIMS be functional? Hahaha, silly.

My sim refuses to move when the dog is leashed, Dusty keeps going to sleep despite needing to pee, but I see Yamachan so I'm just going to... take a selfie with the mascot and bang my head on the wall because Sims is broken and requires at least eight mods to be even functional. Truly, fuck EA, the money-grabbing assholes.

Who is the bigger star - Cassidy or Yamachan?

After closing the game to install a couple of bug-fixing mods, we get back and I finally am able to take Dusty on a walk. He produces a big old smelly poo and also pees.

The environment is gorgeous and Dusty and Cassie both have a lot of fun. It's the early early EARLY morning on Thursday, so I decide now is as good a time as any to do some more writing. This time, however, I write my own novel. I also write a song on my guitar. Gonna license them for some sweet, sweet cash over the next week or so.

A TV season premiere occurs while I'm in the middle of writing stuff, so I take a break to participate in that.

...Except I didn't buy a TV. So I enable cheats to let me plop one in the place. Woopsadaisies.

Tiny TV is tiny.

Once I'm done watching the premiere, I'm confident from writing my song lyrics so I go ahead and write a motivational book. I also notice the distinct lack of a mailbox on the lot, at least any mailbox that I can see. Hm. Rental lot quirk?

Something wholesome for you.

Still on a confidence high and in the midst of Thursday afternoon, I take on one more gig before the festival of lights.

Once I do the gig, I get a whim to watch some TV, so watch some TV it is.

I get a whim to build a snowpal, too, so I go ahead and do that.

That Snowpal is... more than a little creepy.

And then a fire breaks out from the unattended space heater I've left on!

I don't end up getting a picture because there were routing issues I had to contend with, but the two firefighters that arrive do nothing while Cassidy puts out the fire before it gets too severe. I then turn off the space heater and decide that I'm just going to wear the cold-weather outfits inside, okay, that was dangerous and they impact the eco-footprint.

I do, however, get a picture of the firefighters dancing in my hallway for some strange reason.

TV Premiere Holiday goes without a hitch, and then I take Dusty for a long walk around Mount Komorebi.

So pretty...

Oh no...

Unfortunately, a long walk turns out to be too long for Dusty, because he ends up getting sick! I should have paid more attention to the temperature. Luckily, I can rush him over to the vet's office without ending the vacation early.

I cure his Winterfest fever, then take him back to the rental. I need some way to heat the place up... I know! Temperature controls from Seasons!

Now, at least, it'll be nice and toasty inside and we'll just avoid taking him on any long walks. He's an old dog anyway, long walks may be a little much.

By the time everything is done and over with, it's 5 PM Friday, which means the festival of lights is VERY SOON. I freshen up to waste the time until it's, uh, time. I also leave Dusty at home because it is cold-cold-COLD outside.

I also find the mailbox (I'm a little blind) and license my lyrics and submit the book to a literary digest.

When I get to the Festival of Lights, I immediately order some edamame. Which I personally love in real life! Cassidy, being the diva she is, doesn't like it because it's normal quality. Ah well. I buy a Simmi capsule and pop it open, and thus complete the first stage of my ambition.

The next step involves soaking in a hot spring for a long time, eating food with chopsticks, wear a festival costume from a vending machine (I am doing that, why are you not enabled?), and sled three times. In part two, we continue!

Part Two