rafamundosims

[rafamundosims]

Speaking of Cassandra, her first mission was to find the voodoo doll on Twikki Island.

She had no idea where to start. She tried digging in the sand and ended up finding some shell earrings and necklaces.

She also quickly realized she needed lighter clothes for the island weather. So she changed into something more comfortable and put on her new earrings and necklace.

After weeks of searching, things were finally looking up — Cassandra had found a map… and a treasure chest! And for a moment, Cassandra could breathe

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Back to where it all started — Don’s house.

Completely unexpected (thank you, ACR), right after Henrique was born, Brandi got pregnant again.

Now the house was full. Beau was incredibly social and constantly brought little friends over to play.

As for Don — he was exhausted. He used to live alone, and now… silence felt like a distant memory.

He started to wonder if marrying Cassandra wouldn’t have been so bad after all…

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Still during the barbecue, Darren was playing in the arcade area of the common area, and Samantha was watching him. He was failing miserably.

Samantha laughed and said:

— Admit it, Darren. You’ve got real talent when it comes to painting, but as for games…

Darren laughed too.

— Oh, come on.

Then he reached over and tickled her.

She smiled and asked:

— How’s the painting going? Working on anything new?

— I am! Wanna see?

— I’d love to.

They went inside, and among all the pieces, one unfinished painting caught Samantha’s attention.

— This painting has been here since the first time I came over. Is it… — she leaned in for a closer look — a broken heart? Why didn’t you finish it?

Darren answered:

— Well, it’s just… back then, I was heartbroken. But now… I don’t really feel that way anymore.

He threw the painting away and looked at her — steadily.

Samantha felt her heart race. They were alone. And she remembered Connor. What was she doing?

But the truth was… she didn’t want to think about Connor right now.

And no more words were needed.

Darren made sure the doors were locked.

And they took their time before coming back outside.

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Celebrations

Geoff was wrong when he said Samantha would never see Darren again. A few days later, Darren called her, inviting her to a barbecue at his place over the weekend.

He was in high spirits — he had never sold so many paintings before. And Dirk, his son, had just landed an internship with Armand. They had plenty of reasons to celebrate.

In addition to the Burbs, the Patels, and Samantha, Darren also invited Mortimer.

Dirk invited Tara, Angela, Justin, and Ginger.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

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Connor and Samantha

Connor finally gathered the courage and went to Samantha’s house to ask her out. She was a bit tired from work, but thought it might be a good idea to get some distraction.

They went to a restaurant and had a great meal. Don happened to be there too, but Nina simply decided to ignore him.

After lunch, Geoff and Nina headed home. Connor, picking up on the subtle cues, realized it wasn’t quite time for him to go back either — so he invited Samantha to go somewhere else.

They ended up in Quarter 4, and that’s when Connor discovered something new about her: Samantha had a beautiful voice.

Stunned by how sweet and angelic it sounded, he moved closer, gently.

— Sam… you know you get to me, don’t you?

Samantha had known Connor for a long time. She’d never been quite sure how she felt about him — but maybe now… she was willing to find out.

She nodded.

Connor stepped in. And when he saw she didn’t pull away, he found the courage to lean in… and finally kissed her.

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Geoff and Connor, neighbors of the Crevelands and the Cordial sisters, worked together. They had a small dog and always seemed to know everything going on in Upside.

Connor had been focused on work lately. Geoff, on the other hand… was focused on Nina.

Connor kept telling Geoff to take his job more seriously — after all, his parents’ inheritance wouldn’t last forever. Meanwhile, Geoff was always trying to convince Connor to ask Samantha out.

He was close to doing it — until he saw her dancing with Darren. That was enough to make him back off.

— Come on, Connor! You lost a round, not the whole fight. Besides, Samantha’s right here, next door. That guy, Darren — where does he even live? With any luck, she’ll never see him again.

— I’ve got an idea. I’ll ask Nina out, and you’ll ask Samantha. We’ll go out together!

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Gossip

Apparently, Mortimer wasn’t great at keeping secrets. Not long after the party, the rumors started spreading.

Some said Mary-Sue had caught Daniel red-handed. Others said she hadn’t. Everyone had their own version, but the core story was always the same: Daniel was cheating on Mary-Sue.

Jessica, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about the gossip. She was used to it. Ever since her breakup with Armand, people had always talked about her. What really concerned her now was keeping one thing from Daniel: that she no longer lived in Upside.

One day, when Daniel asked her out to meet in the downtown, she decided to say no.

She wanted to play the game.

She clearly couldn’t get him out of her head — but she wasn’t about to make things easy.

Not until he was right in the palm of her hand.

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Hopeless Romantic?

Dustin and Lilith went to a small park in the BK District. They took advantage of the cool evening to unwind, letting the quiet distract them for a while — like the world could wait.

Dustin was quiet, but his mind was a mess. He didn’t really understand what he was feeling — or maybe he did, and was just scared to face it. He’d grown up thinking relationships were traps, that love only made you weak.

But Lilith… she was different.

Somewhere in the middle of that confusion, he made a choice.

At one point, he stopped in front of her, took a breath — and got down on one knee.

Lilith looked at him, surprised and unsure of what was happening.

— Lilith… — he said, awkward but honest — will you be my girlfriend?

She smiled. And said yes.

In that moment, Dustin knew: the problem was never love.

He just hadn’t found the right person.

And now… he had.

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A Little Boy

Dustin and Lilith always wore disguises when they had to go out. That morning, Dustin wore one of Klaus’s baggy outfits, and Lilith looked like a certain Canadian pop rock singer from the early 2000s. It was almost fun — if it hadn’t been necessary.

The plan was the same as always: one stayed outside keeping watch while the other went in to shop.

This time, Lilith waited outside, sitting on a bench. Everything was calm, until a little boy sat down next to her. His eyes were distant, his shoulders slumped.

Lilith, without thinking too much, started a conversation:

— You okay?

The boy shrugged without looking at her.

— My mom said she’d come back, but I’ve been here a while… I think she forgot about me.

Lilith stayed silent for a few seconds. That hit a place in her that still hurt.

— Sometimes… adults really mess up. Sometimes they hurt people without meaning to. And sometimes, yeah… they disappear. But that has nothing to do with you.

The boy looked at her, surprised by the calm strength in her voice.

— I was about your age when I wished someone would say that to me — she went on. — That it wasn’t my fault. That I didn’t have to carry the weight of what others couldn’t give.

The boy stayed quiet. After a while, he leaned against her. Lilith wrapped her arm around him. Slowly. And for the first time in a long while, something inside her shifted — like it had finally found where it belonged.

Maybe… she liked helping kids. Maybe that was what she had needed back then. Maybe it wasn’t too late to become that person for someone else.

Inside the store, Dustin had just finished paying for the groceries. But before leaving, something caught his eye: a few pieces of jewelry. He stood there for a moment, looking. Not with greed, but with a kind of quiet admiration, like an idea was forming, slowly taking shape.

Outside, he found Lilith saying goodbye to the boy with a warm hug. She looked different. Calmer — in a way he didn’t see very often.

Dustin gave a soft smile and said:

— It’s still early. Wanna take a walk?

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Freedom

Lilith and Dustin were finally feeling free. Money wasn’t a problem, and without the pressure of the Pleasants or Gordon breathing down their necks, the world felt quiet — and safe enough for them to rediscover who they really were.

Dustin found out he enjoyed working on cars — especially the electrical systems. There was something calming about it. Wires, circuits, batteries… it gave him a sense of purpose he’d never felt before.

Lilith, who had never been one for reading, found herself flipping through an old psychology column in the newspaper — out of sheer boredom at first. But something in those articles spoke to her. There was hope. Despite everything her parents had failed to give her, she began to realize she didn’t have to carry all that weight alone. Slowly, she started letting go — of the bitterness, the anger, the pain that had eaten her alive for years. She was beginning to heal.

She and Dustin made a good team. Flawed, but in sync.

They loved the cabin. But deep down… they knew they couldn’t stay there forever.

[rafamundosims]

Square One

Mary-Sue waited anxiously for Daniel to return home. He finally arrived… but he was alone.

She confronted him, unable to hold back her anger:

— How could you be so stupid, Daniel? Of course they’re not going to give our daughter back! And now we’ve lost all our savings!

She was right. Lilith didn’t return the next morning. The atmosphere in the house grew heavier — stranger than usual.

And once again, a deep rift opened between Daniel and Mary-Sue. Everything was back to square one.

Angela spent her days crying in the corners, silent and heartbroken. Mary-Sue, always in control, now had to admit she didn’t know what to do. So she did the only thing she knew how: she buried herself in work.

And Daniel… well, Daniel had his own ways of escaping.

Things had never been worse in the Pleasant household. And this time, keeping up appearances — the one thing they always clung to — would take more than effort.

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Please... don’t hurt her

When the Pleasant family got home and realized Lilith was gone, they immediately called the police. But the officers were tired of being called to the Pleasant household, Lilith was already known for her late-night disappearances. The police brushed it off and even scolded them for overreacting.

Days went by. Lilith didn’t come back.

Then, one night, the phone rang. The voice on the other end was unfamiliar.

— 15,000 simoleons if you want your daughter back. Midnight. Forest, NY. Don’t call the cops.

Mary-Sue and Daniel were shaken. They weren’t exactly role models as parents, but they didn’t want anything bad to happen to their daughter. And after how the police had treated them, they weren’t going to bother calling again.

Daniel took the 15,000 simoleons they had managed to save over the past few weeks and went to the location alone.

Dustin, wearing one of Klaus’s disguises, was completely unrecognizable.

He greeted Daniel, who didn’t waste time.

— Where’s my daughter?

— The money.

— I’ve got it. Where is she?!

— She’ll be back tomorrow.

— No! I want her now! Where is she?

— That’s the deal, sir. Give me the money and she’ll be home tomorrow.

— No!

Dustin’s voice hardened.

— Then it’s off. I hope you said goodbye to your daughter, sir.

Daniel’s chest tightened. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d said something kind to Lilith.

— Wait... okay. I agree. Here. Please... don’t hurt her.

Dustin took the money and reached out his hand as if to shake on the deal. But just as Daniel moved to take it, Dustin pulled his hand back with a grin — then turned and ran off, laughing.

Adrenaline surged through Dustin’s veins.

It worked.

Daniel didn’t suspect a thing. And in Dustin’s mind, Daniel and Mary-Sue were finally getting what they deserved.

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Thank you, Klaus

Shortly after leaving their homes, Lilith and Dustin met up with Klaus at a cabin on a deserted road. There was nothing around — just the cabin and a thick border of trees. No cars passed, no voices, no lights. In the distance, they could hear dogs howling and the wind rustling through the leaves.

Lilith, surprised, turned to Klaus.

— How did you find this place?

— This old cabin’s been in my family for years — Klaus replied calmly. — And as you can see, no one’s come around here in a long time.

He went on:

— It’s not fancy, but I set up these beds for you and brought a few clothes too. Might help with the disguise.

Dustin nodded, grateful.

— Man, this place is better than my house. Thanks a lot.

Klaus smiled.

— Stay as long as you need.

— If everything goes right, it won’t be for long — Lilith replied. — Thank you, Klaus.

— I’ll let you settle in. If you need anything, call me.

Dustin and Lilith said goodbye as Klaus walked off down the road.

Once he was gone, a heavy silence fell over the cabin — almost deafening. Dustin and Lilith looked at each other, communicating with nothing but a glance. “What kind of madness did we just get into?” Still holding each other’s gaze, they suddenly burst out laughing. Laughing at the absurdity, at the fear, at the adrenaline. Laughing because there was nothing else to do.

And then, overwhelmed by emotion, they finally fell into each other’s arms.

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Dustin and Lilith

While the Pleasant family was finally setting foot in Upside for Armand’s party, Lilith took advantage of being alone at home. It was now or never. Her plan sounded insane, but wasn’t her whole life already a bit of a mess?

She walked through the empty house, quietly said goodbye to each room, took a deep breath, and finally called Dustin.

Dustin was out in the backyard. Everything was quiet outside when the phone rang. This was it.

He thought about leaving a note for his mom. After all, despite everything, he didn’t hate her, he was just angry, wounded. But he gave up on the idea. He just grabbed what he needed, turned off the light... and left.

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Armand’s Party (16)

The party was finally coming to an end. Armand said goodbye to all the guests, thanking them for being there and giving special thanks to Samantha.

– Ah, Sammy, none of this would’ve been possible without you. Do you think she liked the ring? – Are you kidding? It’s beautiful, Armand. We made a great choice, trust me.

Daniel and Mary Sue said goodbye to Jason and Marissa.

Daniel stepped away briefly to say goodbye to Jessica and whispered in her ear:

– I’ll call you.

Dirk and Tara didn’t leave each other’s side for the rest of the night, and Angela was thrilled that her plan had worked. She and Justin also had a lovely evening.

Alexander and Sofia said goodbye with a hug — apparently, the chess table wasn’t Alexander’s only companion anymore.

Darren thanked Samantha warmly for the recognition. At the end of the night, he handed her a painting he had made especially for her.

– For you, as a token of my gratitude. – Oh, Darren, you didn’t have to… but thank you.

He hugged her goodbye, his heart light and content.

Nina was chatting cheerfully with Geoff. Geoff then asked: – Want a ride home? I’ll have them bring my car around… – I’m okay, Geoff, I’ll call a cab.

Nina had completely forgotten about Carlos until Isabel approached.

– Nina, have you seen my uncle Carlos? Ben and I should probably take him home. Nina glanced at Geoff with a guilty look. – Well, I don’t know, Isabel… last I saw him, he said he was going for a walk among the flowers.

A while later, Isabel found Carlos, gave him some water, and helped him back on his feet.

She scolded him softly: – How could you just pass out in the flower bed, uncle? No one knew where you were. I even asked Nina…

Carlos, still disoriented, interrupted her and walked toward Nina.

– Nin… I’m sorry… I think… I drank too much nectar…

Carlos reached out to touch Nina’s face.

Feeling awkward, Nina gently pulled his hand away. She was still upset.

Carlos went on: – Did you… already call a cab? I’ll go… with Isabel. Come… with me…

Geoff’s car arrived, and Nina, noticing people around beginning to watch, and realizing she’d be left alone once Geoff left, simply said:

– I’m fine, I already have a ride home. Shall we, Geoff…?

The party finally ended. Many things happened — new bonds were formed, others were strengthened, and some came dangerously close to breaking. But in the end, everyone had a good time and, just for one night, managed to forget all their problems.

♢♢♢ NAVIGATION

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[rafamundosims]

Armand’s Party (15)

At the end of the dance, Tara placed her hand on Dirk’s chin and moved closer. Dirk looked toward Armand with concern.

Noticing this, Tara said gently:

– Don’t worry, my father trusts me. He trusts my choices.

Dirk smiled, relieved. All the tension left him as he leaned in to kiss Tara.

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First: Welcome to Pleasantview Cove!

<< Prev: Armand’s Party (14)

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[rafamundosims]

Armand’s Party (14)

Jason was the only one who didn’t seem truly excited about Armand’s wedding announcement.

While the others celebrated, he danced with Marissa, wearing a distant, restrained smile.

After a few minutes, he gently let go of his wife’s hand. – I’m just going to grab a drink, love – he said, heading over to the bar.

He poured himself a glass, but didn’t drink right away. His eyes fixed on Armand and Kimberly, dancing and laughing together. Jason felt his chest tighten.

He finished the drink in one gulp and quietly stepped outside into the garden.

Feeling the cool night air, he let out a deep sigh. He stayed silent for a few seconds, thoughts swirling quietly in his mind.

"He looks so happy…" He closed his eyes. "And here I am, pretending. Pretending everything’s fine, pretending it doesn’t hurt." He took a deep breath, his chest tightening slightly. "Armand… I wish I’d had the courage. But you never knew. And now… it’s too late." A faint, bitter smile crossed his lips. "Who am I kidding anyway? I never even had a chance…"

♢♢♢ NAVIGATION

Avoid using Tumblr’s pagination to browse the stories, since some posts are backdated and it causes a bug. Instead, use the links below to navigate.

First: Welcome to Pleasantview Cove!

<< Prev: Armand’s Party (13)

>>Next: Armand’s Party (15)