#she’s a toddler and is two skills away from max

[intomybubble]

I started getting YT recs for Sims 4, and this is the start of my downfall.

I checked on steam, and the base game is F2P. I download the game and it’s basically the only thing I’ve been doing for the last 3 days, despite the fans in my laptop being put on blast.

Like, games with skills to level and autoplay? I am absolutely watching my screen for hours on end, only to realize several hours just disappeared for my life. I remember playing (and still have yet to finish) Persona 5 Strikers, and I am still in the 3rd dungeon and I already went ahead to max all the available characters skills bc it bothered me that they weren’t.

Seriously, I really should take advantage of cheats in the Sims so I’m not starting at my computer screen (literally not even mulitasking a game on my phone or Youtube on the side) waiting for my Sim to get better at gardening for an entire day.

[lunaroserites]

Mini You, Mini Me

Pairing: Avengers!Bucky Barnes x Ex-Black Widow!Reader (They're married)

Summery: A snippet of Bucky, his wife and their little girl.

Warnings: No use of Y/N, or appearance descriptors. Domestic fluff, mention of Bucky's past. Bucky folds like wet paper for his girls. This is just pure fluff

Word Count: ~500

Likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated! <3

Divider by @huraxy

Bucky had stared down death, been tortured, been brainwashed, experimented on, lost his limb, made into the fist of an organization that believed terrorizing the world was a good thing. Fought mutants, super soldiers, and wars. Got dusted by Thanos. Did he mention he was tortured? None of that had ever cracked him. Hell, he’s even told you no a few times. 

But this, this was what was going to crack the former brainwashed assassin, ex winter soldier. A three foot tall miniaturized version of you, looking up at him with chubby little cheeks, a big bright smile and his blue eyes, wearing a princess dress and her Bucky bear -a gift from Uncle Sam- tucked under her arm. She had her little hand up, nails painted sparkly pink -like mommys- making a ‘gimme’ motion. Why was she doing this, because mommy needed a coffee from starbies -he’s pretty sure that’s what she said anyway- and apparently the coffee here wasn’t good enough. 

The funniest part of this whole display as you listened about ten feet away was you didn’t even mention wanting Starbucks, you had been making your iced coffee and huffed because someone -James- used the last of your ‘too sweet coffee creamer’ in his coffee. And your endearing little girl took it upon herself to rectify the situation and well if mommy got starbies, she would get her little pink drink -non-caffeinated of course- and a cake pop and we would probably go to the TJ Max that was across the street. She was learning very quickly how to get what she wanted. The biggest problem with that was the fact  her daddy couldn’t say no to that adorable chubby cheeked toddler. He had an easier time saying no to you, a feat in itself. 

He caught your eye, your smile hiding behind your hand, sparkly pink nails matching their tiny terror and your wedding rings glinting in the sun from the window. He looked torn, almost betrayed thinking you set their precious baby up to go and ask for Starbucks. Which was frankly ridiculous because he and you both knew if you wanted it, you’d go get it. You figured this was coming from her watching you always let Bucky know you were going and where, and in her toddler brain that meant asking daddy for permission and monies as she called it. It was incredibly adorable. You shook your head, shrugging. As if to say ‘this is all her,’ and he let out a defeated sigh. 

“Here baby,” his card was laid in her tiny hand and she triumphantly cheered and turned, running up the hall toward you, you crouched and scooped her up. “Looks mommy, we’s gots daddy’s monies, we can get starbies now!” She cheered, proud of her negotiation skills, your heart swelled at her endearing little face. Your eyes filled with happiness. 

Who knew two former assassins could find this kind of love and normalcy in their life. 

And yes, you got Starbucks, she got her pink drink and cake pop. And you went to TJ Max and bought some fun nail stuff for you guys to try.

[weirdgirlsimmer]

Disney Princess 10 generations legacy challenge!!👸

So I got this challenge of Reddit and the op got it from ts4 but brought it to ts3, but idk who originally made. I gonna add my own add, but there optional, ANYWAYS

General rules for all gen’s

Must look the princess (my own add: doesn’t have to be an exact depiction but similar style/ and coloring)

Complete lifetime wish

Generation 1: Snow White 🍎

If you want to be more realistic make her a teenager (14) and give her an evil stepmother, but this is optional.

Rules: Must be female. Should never answer the door to strangers or old women. She should have 7 children with the same partner. She should know all her children traits. Complete her lifetime wish.

Child rules: Must have one negative trait (commitment issues, over emotional, rebellious, clumsy, unstable, klepto, etc.)

Generation 2: Cinderella 🥿

“Even though you had 6 brothers and sisters, you had to always do the cooking and cleaning But you kinda loved it, it made you feel relieved”

Rules: Complete your lifetime wish. Must clean and cook every day (own add on: til married). Must meet your partner at a party/social event. You can’t marry until your mother dies. You can’t have more than 3 kids. Must have perfectionist and neat traits.

Generation 3: Tiana 🍽️

“Your family wasn’t that good in the past two generations, so you gotta change that!”

Rules: Must have the aspiration celebrated five-star chef. Must have ambitious trait. Your father must die before you turn into an adult. Must marry a sim that has something green on its genetics (hair, eyes, skin, wings, etc.). With the sim state mod, you have to buy a restaurant and run it (if you can’t have it, you have to buy a restaurant property). (Own add on: max out cooking skill before owning restaurant).

Generation 4: Aurora 🛌 💤

“Thanks to your mothers success, you had everything in life, except love, since your father was overprotective and barely let you go out”

Rules: Must have the couch potato trait. You can’t have more than 3 friends. Meet your future partner while your parents are asleep at night. Must have private wedding. Have only 2 children (better if they’re two twin girls)

Generation 5: Anna ❄️

“Your sister locked herself away for no reason. As toddler, you were best friends, but now it’s just a dream”

Rules: Lose all contact with your siblings until you’re a young adult. Find love with a criminal. Experience near death by your lover. Become best friends forever with your sibling. Find your partner after reuniting with your sibling. Have only one child.

Generation 6: Rapunzel ☀️

“Your mother never trusted you or the outside world. You never knew about her past (and don’t want to). All you’ve gotten was loneliness.”

Rules: Must have artistic and loner traits. Must reach level 4 painting before becoming a young adult. Your future partner must be your only friend until you marry. Must have a private wedding. You have to sneak out at night and have a strict relationship with your parents. (Own add on: must have long hair until married, must have easily impressed or some naive trait, partner must be older OR criminal)

Generation 7: Belle 🌹

“You always loved books and visited the library often. You think that the beauty of every person is inside. Everyone was in love with you, but you turned them down. You wanted to choose someone that will actually love you.”

Rules: Must have the bookworm trait (own add on: irresistible trait). Date at least 5 men before meeting the love of your life. Marry an ugly or supernatural sim (OAO: preferably wolf, or rich person). Your partner must become beautiful after your first child is born (OAO: OR after you marry)(If it’s an ugly sim edit in cas, if it’s an supernatural you can make it human or edit the genetics).

Generation 8: Mulan ⛰️

“Your family always wanted that you bring fortune back to your family by marrying a high status sim, but you don’t want love, you want glory

Rules: Must have active trait. Fall in love with a coworker, marry and have kids when you reach the highest points of your career. You have to be a militar(???). You have to get famous by your career and reach at least 2 stars of fame.

Generation 9: Jasmine 💎

“You hated being rich and living like a princess. Your father wants you to marry a rich person, but you don’t want money in your life.”

Rules: have a childhood best friend (if you have the pets expansion it must be a pet). You can only leave home for school. Your partner must be poor, your partner must be on the criminal career. Have maximum of 4 children

Generation 10: Merida 🐻

“You always judge your mother for leaving her rich life and marrying someone poor. Your adventures lead you to trouble and getting grounded.”

Rules: you must have the rebellious trait. Lose yours siblings and mother in an accident.

Now you can choose two endings:

You try to change your families past, but you fail. You don’t believe in love and you never marry. You believe you’re cursed so you never have kids. When you’re older you realize you weren’t and you reject (oao: I think they meant regret) not having kids.

You gain the commitment issues trait as a young adult and you never marry. You can choose to adopt a child or be child free when you complete your lifetime wish.

[justkeeponsimming]

Back home, Hex and family have a small celebration for Honour so he can age up into a child. Her happy-go-lucky guy rolled the cheerful trait and maxed all of his toddler skills. If Hex wasn’t feeling so melancholy, she’d take credit for her son’s success. However, she knows that his father, Vaughn, and big sister, Bronwyn, had a bigger role in raising him than she did.

Winterfest with her main family is so wholesome compared to the awkward celebrations Hex shared with her family in Evergreen Harbour. The family decorate the double-height foyer of their home with a beautiful tree. They wear matching Winterfest jumpers and pose for a photo to share on Social Bunny. It’s what all the cheesy, seasonal movies depict as the perfect Winterfest.

And yet, Hex just feels disconnected. Her two lives - her family here and her three children in Evergreen Harbour - seem to function better without her around. Her dark thoughts are all consuming despite the false smile plastered across her face in photos.

Honour breaks away from the group hug, begging his parents to run outside and play in the freshly laid snow. He grabs Bronwyn’s hand, dragging his sister to play outside.

A comfortable silence falls between Hex and her husband as they watch their children rush outside. If only Vaughn could hear the dark thoughts running rampant in Hex’s mind.

[simmingwithbec]

Creating My Own Legacy For Sims 4

Rebekah’s Legacy Challenge

Starting out a new game- I suggest new sims and new worlds if you run a lot of CC and mods as it will slow your game down if you use an already establish save file. You can be on any age span but normal is recommended.

You goal is to have 10 Generations each completing the assigned aspiration and the skills listed- also completing the Job assigned or the goal assigned.

Normal legacy challenge rules apply after this.

Mods You May Need For This Challenge:

The Education Overhaul mod will cost you a monthly membership so I suggest you get everything that they offer then you do not have to renew if you do not want to.

https://modthesims.info/download.php?t=545512 - This one allows you to use a notebook to write not a computer

https://www.patreon.com/posts/life-manager-mod-67821267- great to start your family tree

https://www.patreon.com/posts/instant-cas-89279227- So you can set up your sims with skills they would have as an adult and Careers and even university degrees

I also use gshade as well.

Full video on how to use it:

Generation One: Helicopter Parent

After you lost you whole family in tragic accidents you pack up from the city and dream of having a family of your own, you want nothing more then to raise them in the country and away from the influences of the world. So you set off to Hendford On Bagley where you can home school your childern- (you will need mods for this) So you decided to be a stay at home parent while your partner works fulltime at the local pub. On the side you write books and publish them to help out but your main goal is to raise your childern and be a homemaker. You do not need to have any lot challenges but it is fun with them.

Rules:

Computers are allowed but I suggest using mods till your babies are in school (as they will need a computer to do homeschooling.)- I have linked a mod to be able to write your books in a notebook. If the Mod doesn't work you can use this Typewriter Mod https://www.curseforge.com/sims4/mods/funtional-typewriter/download/4515152

TV allowed when you have your first child age to toddler if you have SNB Bills mod only buy the basic internet package

You can have a job as a writer until you have you first child then freelance writer after. You do not need to do gigs just have it there so you have a job in the careers panel.

Aspiration: You have two that you can jump between- Super Parent and Best Selling author.

Trait: Creative, Family Orientated, Neat and yes to three of the traits that come up in the game I suggest you choose ones that go with your sim.

Skills: Writing, Parenting, all cooking related skills, knitting, crochet.

Live in a cottage- Home school your childern, master all skills and complete at least one of the aspirations.

Please use the life manger mod to create your family tree you will need to fix your relationships with your family to be full and then kill them off with MCCC.

Your Heir is the one with the most skills and have at least 3 that are maxed and has all character values upon their age up to young adult. Roll three times for every trait upon age up if you have more traits mod pick only one on the third roll. You can change this when you have chosen the next heir.

*you can move each child out but not have the in world till you are ready to move on to next Generation. But you can not move on till you are an elder and can pass on a keepsake box to the next generation. If all you childern have completed this you can use a spin the wheel to find out who is your next heir. The last one is your heir. Non heirs will need to be set up with a job before you move them out of your household.

GENERATION TWO- Overachiever

You lived all your life sheltered by your parents, you didn't go to regular school and the only real friends you had were your siblings.

After discussing going to University with your parents, and after a lot of back and forth with them, they really did not want you to go they let you move out but they asked that you didn't move all the way to Brichester but to stay close. You agreed but didn't want to stay in Henford, so you decide to move to San Mysuno into an apartment, as Brichester was only an hour away from the city and 2 hours away from Henford. So the best of both worlds.

Aspiration: Goal Orientated (Teen)/ Friend Of The World (YA)

Traits: Ambitious, Bookworm, Outgoing and any other from game play

Skills: Charisma, Research and Debate, and logic

Career: A part time while you are in University/Business (any branch) after graduating.

RULES

Have a high relationship with your siblings and parents.

Apply for every scholarship, and then apply for University. (There is a mod to make the University shorter I suggest 8 Units)

Move to San Mysuno into a tiny apartment you do not need to move into a TLC apartment.

Enroll in Communications Degree and once completed enroll in Economics Degree. This should take you to Adult.

Do not have kids till you have graduated both degrees. You are to have two only

Have five best friends

Throw at least one dinner part a week once you are an adult.

Have at least three boyfriends one as a teenager, one a young adult and your final one is to be your husband that you will marry in adulthood.

Once you have graduated you can move to a bigger apartment. But you are to live in San Mysuno for your whole life.

Your heir is the one with low confidence and has the least relationship with you. If both are the same then use the spin the wheel to chose.

Generation Three- Teen Pregnancy/ Werewolf

You were left to raise yourself once you became a grade schooler. You didn't have much of a relationship with your parents because they worked all the time and never really supervised you when you were younger.

As a teenager you got into party and seeking out of the apartment, to smoke and drink. It was a night of partying that lead you to hooking up with a fellow class member and surprise you find out your pregnant. You decide to keep the baby, but when you told your parents they refused to help you and kicked you out of the house. What are you meant to do now you still had dreams and one more year of High School to go before you could really get a fulltime job to support this child, but with those odds stack against you, you decide to move out of the city to get a fresh start, you drop out of High School and start a part time job as a Barista. You need to save up for a place to live somewhere, where no one knows who you are and you do not need to tell them your age. So you move to the mysterious town of Moonwood Mill. You heard so many rumors about this place that there were creatures living in the woods that you have to find out more.

It is there where you find your true love a werewolf. You decide you cant live without your love but the only way you can be with him is to turn into a werewolf.

Rules

Have very little relationship with your parents a difficult dynamic would be good too.

Sneak out of the house every Friday and Saturday Night.

Meet your baby daddy at school

Hook Up With your baby daddy, you do not need to be dating but at least have your first kiss. Get pregnant and decide to keep the child

Tell your parents, they will react poorly and kick you out of the house. quit school.

Move out to Moonwood Mill. You will have no money so you can use freerealestate to move her into a starter home.

Oh and get turned into a werewolf. You can't use Greg

Be a good parent to your childern you need to have three and the second set to be twins. You next heir will be one of the twins hopefully one or both will be a werewolf.

Aspiration: Werewolf Initiative

Skills: Fitness, Parenting and a skill of your choice.

More Generations will be coming I am just playing through and will be updating this when I have completed each Generation.

If you would like to use the sims I use my EA user name is MisfitBec and you will need to turn on custom content to bring them up. Their names are Shane Ebert and Rebekah Cowley

Happy Simming

Bec

[girlyfrey]

Beneath Foreign Skies - 1337

The Hundred Years’ War officially began this year, drawing a bloody line between France and England that would stretch across generations. But even as the world shifted, life carried on - births, deaths, meals, and moments of unexpected grace.

Andrew aged up into a child, and though he initially rolled a number that foretold death, his older brother Conall’s heartfelt pleas were heard and the Grim spared him. A close call, and a reminder that sometimes love truly changes fate.

Andrew Reid

Back at home, Ada continued meeting potential partners. Ever observant, she found herself most drawn to Sorley MacIver, Lachlan Bain and Gavin Kirkland - a strong shortlist of suitors for the year to come.

Domhnall Fairbairn Euan Fairbairn

Domhnall and Euan Fairbairn successfully aged up into child and toddler, respectively - a great success, even if the birthday celebration itself crashed the game. (At least Made’s glutton trait was in full force — always the first to the food.) Despite technical hiccups, the boys grew into absolute cuties.

At the castle, Made and Eachann MacDonald aged up into adult and toddler, respectively. Meanwhile, Alesonne went on her first date with Ruairidh MacDara on the castle grounds. Things were going well until she fell sick halfway through, but the connection was there - wedding bells may well ring within the next year.

Eachann MacDonald

Made also maxed her cooking skill - a proud moment for a beloved Sim and a fitting achievement for the castle’s devoted cook.

Over at the McIntyres’, Thorstein rolled poorly on his toddler birthday, marked to die from freezing. But once again, a father’s desperate plea made the difference: Asaild was heard, and Thorstein lived.

Thorstein McIntyre

Mid-year, we crossed the Channel for the first time this challenge, arriving in southern France to check in on David Boyd, who had fled there a couple years earlier. He safely aged into Young Adulthood - no surprise, given his survival streak. He also began growing closer to Isabeau Dumont, a local woman with the potential to bring a new chapter to his story.

David then rolled to determine his fate in the newly ignited Hundred Years’ War, and once again, fortune favoured him. For now, he remains safely tucked away at the inn, indulging in romance and mischief — as ever.

Back in the Highlands of Scotland, Luithais Reid and Arthur McClery both successfully aged up into adults. The final roll of the year was for young Thora McClery, who safely aged into a child.

Luithais Reid Arthur McClery

Thora McClery

The year ended on a prosperous note: the Fairbairns opened their store, earning 7,930 simoleons. After a 40% tithe, they were left with 4,758 simoleons - not bad for such a difficult era.

To top it off, Ada went on a date with Sorley MacIver at the local park. The chemistry was undeniable, and the two became romantic partners. Another wedding for the main household is now on the horizon.

Also this year, both Murdoch Fairbairn and Arne McIntyre aged up into infants - with Murdoch looking particularly grumpy about the whole affair.

Murdoch Fairbairn Arne McIntyre

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Watch the Episode Here: ↓

beginning - previous - next

[simkermellebel]

Lockwood Lepacy (p. 3)

Shortly after the move, Flynn grew up into a young adult. He gained the nurturing trait, and a beard.

Red travelled back to Al Simhara. Unfortunately, due to the move, she lost her current opportunities. But she found a cute turtle and got right back into some new adventures.

When returning home, Red had collected a total of 5 fragments that she could reconstruct in a sarcophagus. This scary, cursed sarcophagus now sits in her and Ho Sung's bedroom. The two even woohooed inside of it! It was quite heavy and difficult to open, though.

Flynn was able to have his graduation ceremony at the Twinbrook town hall and was voted most popular by his fellow students. The whole family (except for Ho Sung, because he unfortunately had to work at his new job at the police station!!).

Now that he was an adult, Flynn decided it was time for him to get a real job. He searched the web and newspaper, but didn't find anything he wanted to do. His goal of maxing the athletics and martial arts skills wouldn't earn him a lot of money, sadly. Not that the household needs much more, but it's nice to feel like you're contributing, you know?

Meanwhile Ho Sung got really into his job and was tasked to read a book. The picture below could easily go on Hot Men Reading, no?

Red decided to focus a little more on her artistics and painted a portrait of her mother. It was a brilliant painting and hangs in the hallway right by the door.

In between the job searches, Flynn kept practicing his martial arts.

Mare's birthday came up and the family decided to go out and celebrate. They headed to the Red Rendezvous and Mare aged up beautifully. A little red color stayed present in her now gray hair. She sang karaoke with her daughter while the boys played some foosball. Connor and Flynn didn't seem to be winning from Ho Sung.

That same night, Red discovered she was pregnant. A bit scared, she told Ho Sung. But he assured her they'd be amazing parents, and she could still go on her adventures in the future.

Flynn went on a date with Twinbrook local Justin Kayes. The two hit it off at the pool and shared their first kiss.

In the newly-made baby room, Connor decided he was gonna read one of his own books and dream about his future grand child.

Soon, Red gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. She and Ho Sung decided on the name Jensen. His first traits are Brave and Eccentric. Now the question is; will the boy have his family's iconic red hair, or introduce his father's dark hair into the Lockwood family?

Red and Ho Sung took good care of their baby boy at home. Shortly after his birth, the second year ended. On to year 3 we go.

The Lockwoods started off the new year well with the birthday of Jensen. He grew up into a beautiful toddler, looking almost like the spitting image of his father.

Flynn went on another date with Justin Kayes. He asked Justin to go steady, and Justin accepted! Flynn then offered to give Justin a very romantic massage.

Red taught Jensen how to talk and celebrated by having a little chat with him as she held him in her arms.

Feeling itchy to continue her adventures, Red travelled to Champes Les Sims to check out more tombs. On one of her adventures, she was electrocuted. This wasn't the first time, but it scared her away from adventuring more now that she had a son back home she wished to see grow up.

Red went exploring around Champes Les Sims on her own and discovered the nectary. She found she really enjoyed making (and drinking) nectar and bought all the equipment she needed to set up her own nectar making station at home. With that, she bought a vacation home to one day take her family to and show them the beauty of Champes Les Sims.

The first thing Red did after cutting her vacation short and arriving home was hug Jensen.

Being done with adventuring for the foreseeable future, Red decided to undo her braids and put on one of the few dresses she owned. She didn't need her adventuring appearance anymore.

Even after finishing her cooking skill, Mare still cooked up a bunch of dishes for the family in the grand kitchen she now had available.

Red spent a day teaching Jensen how to walk. When he finally took his first steps while learning, she threw him up in the air in celebration.

It had been a while since Connor got out of the house, so Mare decided to take him on a date to the diner she works at. She took him into the kitchen, made him his favorite dish and the two watched the stars outside afterwards.

While Flynn watched Jensen, Ho Sung took Red out on a date as well and proposed to her. Red accepted the proposal, and announced that she was pregnant with their second child.

The next day, they held their wedding at the Holy Matrimony Resort, with all their new friends in attendance. Even Jensen was having a great time.

[bttrswt-sims]

Hart Legacy Recap - Gen 1, Part 2

Fire and Ulrike Hart welcomed their second daughter, Lilah (who, quite frankly, does NOT look ready to be born yet. like girl put her back in she's still halfway in her past life), not long before Sarah aged up into a toddler.

With two very young daughters to take care of, Fire made the decision to step down as leader of the Paragons- having both adults juggling their careers alongside parenthood was hard enough, and though Fire was still eager to be a Paragons member, he simply didn't have the time to host their meetings anymore.

The girls grew up fast, and before they knew it Fire and Ulrike had the time to dedicate to their careers again- not to mention hobbies.

In this time, Fire was able to max both his Handiness skill and the Politician career, and soon the girls became teenagers and began to attend high school, no longer requiring their parents to be home when they got there- freeing up plenty of time for the couple to indulge themselves.

Aging up into elders didn't slow them down, and Fire- ever the romantic- continued to woo Ulrike right up until their daughters moved out, one after the other. After all, they were so close in age in was merely days between their leaving the nest.

Ultimately, Fire died of old age just days before Winterfest. The rest of the family gathered in the apartment, both to mourn his loss and celebrate the holiday- including Sarah's boyfriend, Byron.

Ulrike too passed away from old age not long after the holiday.

In their lifetimes, they achieved the following:

Fire maxed his Cooking, Charisma, and Handiness skills, as well as completing the Politician career and the Leader of the Pack aspiration. He also got to the second level of the Super Parent aspiration.

Ulrike maxed her Cooking and Painting skills, completed the Painter career, and the Painter Extraordinaire aspiration.

Prev / Next

[changingplumbob]

Rotation 7 Wrap-up

What a series of weeks it's been. I was hampered by a few long shifts in my temporary job, and breaking my toe which has been more exhausting than I expected. My sims have had a bunch of stuff happen to, time to recap before beginning a new rotation!

9 households took almost 3 months, oops...

3 sims have been ferried to the timeless save, and 1 is missing

3 sims born

3 new pets, 2 cats and 1 dog

1 new house build

1 wedding

2 offers of moving in following 2 new established relationships

Read on for highlights and key photos.

Goth Household, Chapter 7

Things got worse between Bella and Mortimer. Mortimer reached 5 star celeb status. A maid issue resulted in the hiring of live in help, Dina and Nina Caliente. Bella vanished and Mortimer died leaving a confused Milton under the guardianship of Dina and Nina who now control the Goth fortune.

2. Knightstone Household, Chapter 7

Suzanna had a second pregnancy. After initially struggling Adam accepted and welcomed his second son Pollock. Silas is thrilled with his little brother and Suzanna has reached the top of the scientist career.

3. York Household, Chapter 7

Both Aaron and Calista got promoted to Promising Prosecutor and Fourth Lieutenant respectively. Kelly had a mean streak and became a preteen. Deanna had a cute prom with Paris and aced her exams.

4. Chopra Household, Chapter 4

The Chopra's moved to their new home in Henford-on-Bagley. Cassandra worked hard for a promotion and Rahul corralled the twins. Savannah aged up to a fussy toddler and Mercedes aged up to a clingy toddler before she had even said her first word. Casandra and Rahul are now trying for another pregnancy.

5. Pancakes Household, Chapter 7

Trying for a daughter took the backseat this time as Dale had his last few days and Bob immersed himself in Home Chef Hustle. Iggy became a top tier Llamacorn Scout and Fergus reached his preteen years. Eliza worked so hard burnout threatened and Ginger joined the family.

6. New Goth Household, Chapter 2

Marta became Keira's girlfriend and moved in to the mansion. Joey's count is now at 5 sims. Alexander and James adopted two cats and tied the knot. After running away from home Milton is now officially living with his older brother.

7. Villareal Household, Chapter 4

Luna finally gave birth to twins Alfred and Rilian. Raising a sensitive infant alongside a cautious one is not a recipe for harmony and Luna suffered from postpartum depression. Devin stepped up to help and also achieved her aspiration of gold performance in a movie gig.

8. Foster Household, Chapter 7

Kayleigh sold enough paintings to reach 4 star celebrity status. Harvey caught and released his first endangered fish, and got so old his hair turned white. Carson mostly annoyed Reece and rode around the islands. Reece had a lot happen. He got a new boyfriend, finished his high school years, and has moved out to join Samir in a new household next rotation.

9. Nishidake Household, Chapter 4

Beloved Allie crossed the rainbow bridge giving Charlie a fear of death. Clover grew into a big dog and Kaori maxed the media production skill. Finally Charlie scored a promotion and the couple beat the spice festival curry challenge!

[agentofmischief]

Birthstone Legacy Part?

Honestly, I can’t remember what part I was on. All I remember was last time, Aelia and Erik had become teens, and I believe Traeth had just become a toddler. And Will a kid. That means, I’m starting to get work done on Aelia’s Citrine generation, which is:

November stone: CITRINE

    Color: Dark Yellow (almost Gold)

Citrine’s yellow stone radiates happiness, creativity, and wealth. Named for it’s citrus like color, it’s no wonder it’s the stone for a month known for it’s food. Citrine is known also as the Merchant’s stone for it’s golden color.

Traits: Cheerful, Foodie, Creative

Goals:

-Complete Culinary Career.

-Complete Culinary aspiration.

-Master Cooking and baking skills.

-Own a fruit and vegetable garden with every possible fruit and veggie in your game.

-Own a Bakery or Restaurant.

-Cook an Excellent quality Grand Meal.

-Learn 10 Food Stall recipes.

Also, I had made a small note when I opened this save a few days ago that with the attraction system, Azalea and Gregory found each other unattractive. Well, CAS, as expected fixed that. They now find each other basic, but their relationship is so close, that doesn’t matter. I also added a Home-Ec/cooking class room to my High School, so when Aelia’s at school, she can work on those skills.

I had a whole weekend before school, though, so I got her cooking and baking skills up before then. 

She is working on her gourmet cooking skills now alongside her cooking and baking skill. I did have her make her first few meals as a kid with her dad, Gregory, so I think story-wise, she got into cooking because her Dad liked to cook with her, and she likes to emulate him.

And Aelia’s first day as a Barista to get some money going. Erik is currently also working as a construction worker on the weekends.

Aelia and Erik’s first day of high school. I feel like Erik is going to drop the renegades, just because his likes and dislikes say he’s a lot more preppy.

He’s also and excellent older brother.

Also found out that Traeth and Will had birthdays the same day, meaning Azalea and Gregory were about to have a house full of teenagers!

New family photo!

I randomized all likes and traits for everyone except Aelia. Erik is preppy and chill. Will is a bit self-conscious of himself, and likes streetwear. Aelia is just an indie-yellow ball of sunshine with cookies. And Traeth’s favorite colors randomized to Pink and Black, so I think he’s going to grow to be our Punk Prince who likes the ocean.

Of course, I was grinding both Pink Tourmaline Gen (1) and Citrine Gen (2). So here is where I’m at:

Pink Tourmaline Goals:

-Complete the Politician career as a Charity Organizer. (7/10)

-Complete Friend to the World aspiration. (3/4) *I am 2 charisma points away from this though.

-Adopt 2 kids (Do not have to be legacy continuation).

-Max out friendship/be best friends with 4 sims before becoming an Adult. The friendship must be maintained throughout life.

-Have a rose garden.

-Write 5 Children’s books. (4/5)

-Volunteer with family 5 times. (5/5)

Citrine Goals:

-Complete Culinary Career. (Start at YA)

-Complete Culinary aspiration. (1/4)

-Master Cooking and baking skills.

Cooking (5/10) 

Baking (2/10) 

Gourmet Cooking (1/10)

-Own a fruit and vegetable garden with every possible fruit and veggie in your game.

-Own a Bakery or Restaurant. (YA)

-Cook an Excellent quality Grand Meal.

-Learn 10 Food Stall recipes.

So, we are making progress. Soon, I will only be worrying about Azalea’s career. She’d have been promoted if her job worked more days. Gregory just got promoted.

I think my plan for Aelia is to just get her cooking skill and baking skill as high as I can before she becomes a young adult, as well as start collecting Food Stall recipes and cook an excellent Grand Meal in two days on Thanksgiving. She’s not far from the 2nd level of the culinary aspiration either.

Happy simming!

[miadeardn]

to grow up and stay young

(read on ao3)

Thad awakes to a strange buzzing sound emanating from above his head. He blinks blearily, frowning, and jolts in surprise when he sees Bart’s vibrating head poking through the bed above him.

“Grife, Bart—”

“Hey, not so loud, Max’ll be pissed if he hears us awake. Can I come down there?”

“No. Now get your head out of the bed—”

Thad realizes his mistake too late. Bart grins deviously. “Okay.” And with that, Bart phases through the top bunk and lands on Thad’s bed with a plop. Thad takes his pillow from behind his head and screams into it.

“Hey, Thad.”

Thad, his face still buried in his pillow, replies with a muffled “What.”

“Look at the time.”

Thad uncovers his face and glances at his alarm clock. The illuminated red numbers read 1:06 AM. He turns his head to glare at Bart, who smiles cheerfully back at him. “Great. Thank you for waking me up at one in the morning.”

“You’re welcome,” Bart says, unperturbed. “Now close your eyes.”

“To go back to sleep? Gladly.”

Bart makes a face at him. “Jeez, rein in the snark, Thadpole—just close ‘em!”

Thad squints at him suspiciously, but complies. As soon as his eyes shut, he hears Bart zip away for just a moment before returning and settling back onto the bed. There’s the sound of a lighter being ignited, and Thad’s eyebrows shoot up in alarm; Bart and fire are not a good mix. He says as much, but Bart just snickers in response—which, if anything, concerns him even more. “Okay, you can look now.”

He hesitantly opens his eyes, bracing himself for whatever disaster Bart has planned, but—oh.

“Happy birthday, Thad.” In Bart’s hand is a cupcake with a birthday candle stuck in the frosting, the flame illuminating the broad smile on his face. Thad stares, his eyes wide. “You gonna blow it out or what?”

“Oh.” Thad leans forward hesitantly and blows, and the flame flickers once before going out. Bart cheers softly and holds the cupcake out to Thad, who takes it with near-reverence.

“Okay, my turn!” Bart plucks the candle from the frosting and whips out another cupcake from who-knows-where, lighting the candle and holding it out in front of him. “Happy birthday, me!” His cheeks puff out comically as he blows out the flame.

Thad inspects his cupcake in the dim light. “Are these the cupcakes Helen made for the party?”

“Yup,” Bart replies, his mouth already full of cake.

“I’m not covering for you when she asks why two of them are missing.”

“Eh. It’s my birthday, she’ll go easy on me,” Bart says with a shrug.

“You mean my birthday,” Thad refutes.

Bart rolls his eyes. “Our birthday. Dweeb.”

“Idiot,” Thad replies automatically. Bart grins at him with chocolate-stained teeth, and Thad wrinkles his nose. “You’re a primitive.”

“And you’re an old fart. How old are you now anyways, three thousand?”

“That’s rich, coming from the toddler.” Bart snorts and playfully shoves Thad’s shoulder. Thad shoves back, resisting the compulsion to escalate the fight further. He looks down at his cupcake, and takes a deep breath. “Bart?”

“Yeah?” Bart says, and Thad pushes down the reflexive urge to sneer when he sees the frosting smeared around his mouth.

“Happy birthday.”

Bart beams. “Right back atcha.”

Thad smiles, faintly surprised when he doesn’t have to force it. He carefully unwraps his cupcake and takes a bite. “Mm.”

“Good, right?”

“Mhm.” Thad swallows. “Helen’s going to ground us as soon as the party’s over, isn’t she.”

“Oh, yeah.” Bart holds the lighter out in front of him and dangles his empty wrapper above the unlit top. “But if we destroy the evidence...”

“That’s a terrible idea. Your self-preservation skills are abysmal.” Thad holds out his hand. “Give it here.”

Bart grins.

thank you to @thadsthawne and @bartallen for beta-reading this, you guys are the best <3

--

they set off the fire alarm and wake up max and helen. they get extra grounded.

bart vibrating his head through the top bunk was directly inspired by this post by @eyefocusing. this fic as a whole was also inspired by this post by @cryptocism

thank you so much for reading <3

[awellboiledicicle]

My “long lifespan, but i forgot to turn on aging for a solid two irl days” family is going great.

Karla [pink spellcaster] got with Rashida Watson and had a baby named Miranda. She inherited Karla’s eyes and is independent. By which i mean we got her all her milestones for infant, aged her up, and she promptly maxed all her skills before getting all the milestones and i’m curious to see what that does. Might age her up early just to see, but i’m waiting to see if more unlock just on a time basis.

Meanwhile Rashida developed both Perfectionist and Erratic traits after the baby. Karla just assumed showering in the rain was a non-magic people thing. The random moodswings were more of a concern tbh. Miranda is one age up away from being the only one to go “oh, that’s... mom no”

Also the Rec centers are fun until the toddler needs a nap. Bless the heavy sleeper quirk, bc otherwise she’d have been screaming.

Meanwhile Karla is growing a whole garden outside Crik Cabana for potion ingredients and the keepsake box is mostly rocks and frogs.

[sushigal007]

Time to go and visit some Capps!

Where Regan shows off how smart she is by throwing the toddler outside, rather than through the ceiling.

After that, Cornwall takes over the training.

Regan: Been working hard?

Cornwall: And ready to work even harder!

Oh, and here’s disaster gay Kent, lusting over a married man. Kent: Love knows no boundaries. Unfortunately, his flu knows no boundaries either, go make soup.

Kent: And how am I supposed to do that with no fucking counters?

How do you feel now? Peter: Souper. Oh good grief. Are you sure you want him, Kent?

Kent: YES.

Martha conquers walking!

While these two...

Regan: Great, potty-training’s done, can I go back to bed yet? When I’ve finished kicking your brother out of it.

Well done, Cornwall.

Kent: REJOICE. FOR I HAVE RETURNED. Nanny: Great, you can let me in then. Oops.

Makoto: I’m just gonna stand here and watch.

Regan: Same. Kent: Please don’t.

Regan: All right, I’ll do this instead. Cornwall: Wait, what was the safe word again? Regan: Montys.

Cornwall: You’d think that would put us off, but nope!

Random picture of playful Martha.

Kent: THIEF! THIEF!

As if we don’t have enough to put up with, with Antonio’s daily bin shenanigans.

Kent: I can see you, you know.

Antonio: Good. Kent: Seriously, what the fuck?

Skills, skills, all the skills.

And now it’s time for Martha’s birthday.

Kent: TOOT TOOT.

I think I really might have fixed that invisibility glitch, you guys!

Child Martha makeover. Don’t be fooled by the miserable eyebrows, she is a happy kid.

Martha: Dance party!

Martha: And that’s why birds are the best. Ariel: Interesting theory.

Regan: I am NOT HAVING FUN. Wow that’s too bad.

Martha’s having a great time!

She even finds a moment to heckle Hal. Martha: Boo, you suck, go home.

And then Cornwall decided he hates his niece. Cornwall: The fuck are those wings for? Are you a Capp or a Summerdream!? Desdemona: Fuck OFF!

Cornwall: Take that! Well done, you beat up a teenager. I hope you’re proud of yourself.

At least he gets on better with his nephew. Hal: Grilled cheese! It’s so good!

Regan has started writing a book. I have already forgotten what it’s about.

Pauline: Are you OK? Kent: No, I think my hand is broken.

Pauline: When I’m older, I wanna travel all around the world. And get away from my parents.

Kent: And that’s homework sorted forever. Martha: I get more next week. Kent: I meant for me.

Regan and Cornwall bring home more promotions.

Kent: Is that an aeroplane or a shooting star? Who cares, make a wish!

It’s Free Pizza Saturday!

But I felt like sending the household out on an outing instead.

And apparently I didn’t take any pictures of it and they wound up at Gorilla Burger instead.

Perhaps my lack of screencaps is because of this annoying error that’s started popping up and preventing other Sims from showing up. It only happens on owned business lots, so I need to check and see if it happens in my genderswapped uberhood too before I go and yank all my CC.

Back home, Martha plays some chess.

And Kent maxes out Cleaning.

Not to be outdone, Martha maxes out logic.

Martha: Dear Diary. Today I established myself as a boss-ass bad bitch.

But not as bad as Desdemona, who broke in to beat up her uncle.

Bianca: Heh heh heh... that paper is gonna be mine. Regan: Good luck doing that while I’m-

Bianca: YOINK! Regan: FUCK YOU, MONTY BITCH!

Landlord: And that’s why ladybird houses are prohibited.

Oh for fuck's sake. Go home, Desdemona.

Desdemona: NOT UNTIL I KILL HIM! Kent: Omg.

Martha: Daddy noooooo.

Cornwall: Wow, fighting my niece really got me in the mood. Regan: Kinda creepy, but I’ll let it go.

Desdemona: Sleep with one eye open. Cornwall: Gasp!

Anyway, in between all these shenanigans, Kent maxes out logic. Kent: I deserve a reward.

Didn’t you hear? Ladybird houses are prohibited.

Kent: Apple tree then? Kent. How do I put this? They’re prohibited because you live in an apartment. The garden is shared. You can’t put anything there. Kent: You’ve ruined my life.

Kent: Maybe I’ll feel better if I max out another skill. Don’t think there’s enough time, but-

Kent: Already done it. And now I want something new. Fire away!

KENT. NO.

Uberhood Index

[cjfritos]

In Dreams Begin (Jessa wedding story)

Obviously written by Cassandra Clare. I own no rights to this. This was included in first editions of The Lost Book of the White by her and Wesley Chu. It tells the story of Jem Carstairs and Tessa Gray’s wedding and explains why no one remembers it.

Unfortunately it does include some spoilers from LBW so if you have not read it yet, I don’t recommend reading it. Otherwise, enjoy :)

~~~

Magnus Bane was scheming.

         To an untrained observer, the High Warlock of Brooklyn wouldn’t look like he was doing much of anything at all. For one thing, he was wearing purple silk pajamas. For another thing, he was in bed, leaning back against a pile of pillows with a spell book open in his lap.

         Beside him, Alec Lightwood was stretched out on his side, deeply asleep. Earlier that day, Alec had taken their son, Max, to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This had been at Magnus’s request—he wanted Max to have ample opportunity to tire himself out before bedtime. It worked almost too well. Max had made fast friends with a werewolf toddler named Eliza, and the two of them tore around the gardens blissfully for about three hours straight, Max crawling while Eliza ran, albeit unsteadily. Eliza’s mother had been quite surprised the first time Max levitated. Luckily, he was glamoured so only she and Alec noticed.

         Though not possessed of much vocabulary, Eliza clearly wanted Max to levitate her as well. Fortunately, Max did not yet have that sort of skill. Alec and Max returned home happy, covered in mud, and—best of all—exhausted. Magnus really wanted them all to sleep through the night.

         Magnus shifted position and peered across the room at the mantel clock atop the dresser, a hideous thing covered in putti that Ragnor had given him years ago. The room was lit only by a candle that burned with a blue flame on the table beside him, but he could make out the numbers. It was one forty-five a.m. Surely that was late enough. Surely even the Shadowhunters and Downworlders of the West Coast would be turning in. He’d given Catarina and Jem and Tessa a heads-up, after all, and as for the Blackthorns and Emma Carstairs, they were kids! And not even babies, with their bizarre and erratic relationship to sleep. Surely the would be asleep by now, worn out from running around on the beach or whatever it was that the residents of the Los Angeles Institute did all day. Yes, it was time.

         Snuggling a little farther under the blanket, Magnus looked fondly over at Alec’s sleeping form, his black hair like spilled ink across the ivory pillowcase. He closed his book and set it on the bedside table. He mentally reached within, feeling about for a particular pocket of magic folded away deep inside, a self-contained bubble. I had been two weeks since he’d been freed from the influence of the Svefnthorn, and while the markings on his skin had faded, his teeth had shrunk back to their normal size, and the overcharged magic of the artifact had left his system, this one reserve of magical energy had lingered.

         At first, Magnus had considered hanging on to it as a sort of insurance policy. A little extra magic went a long way, especially when the magic was this potent, and Magnus was quite certain that he and Alec and their friends would have plenty more dangers to face in the years to come. That was their job, after all. But clinging to the magic out of fear of imagined dangers didn’t feel good. It felt like letting demons have a small victory over him, playing right into their scaly, demonic hands. No, instead he had resolved to use the power in a decidedly un-demon-sanctioned manner—to create joy.

         Magnus shut his eyes. Oneiromancy, the study and practice of dream magic, had never been one of his specialties. But with the added kernel of power from the Sveftnthorn, he felt quite confident that he could pull of this one feat, even as complex as it was. The trickiest part, it seemed to him, was holding himself in that drowsy state between waking and sleeping, while maintaining enough awareness to cast the spell. He lay back against the pillows, letting his eyelids flutter shut for just a moment….

~~~

When Magnus opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of Blackfriars Bridge, the panorama of London spread out around him in all directions.

         He took a deep breath of river-tasting air. The sky was a dark violet, the sun only just beginning to rise. There was no traffic, which was a distinct advantage to throwing a party on a dream bridge rather than on the real thing. There was a warm breeze in the air, and the Thames danced beneath it, silvery in the dawn light. Had he ever noticed wind in a dream before? Magnus wasn’t sure. He admired the view from the bridge—it seemed just about right, though he hadn’t been here for a couple decades. Perhaps some ugly new construction had taken place since then, but who would fault him for omitting that?

         “Magnus!”

         He turned and saw two figures hurrying toward him. It was Tessa and Jem, both in what Magnus assumed was their pajamas. Tessa’s were gray with white rabbits on them. Jem’s were dark-green-and-navy-blue plaid. They were barefoot, but that wouldn’t matter on a dream bridge. He started to smile as they got closer and he could see that they were both giddy and laughing, a hint of disbelief on their faces.

         Tessa threw her arms around him, knocking him off-balance. He marveled at how solid and real she felt.

         “It’s working!” she said in wonder.

         “A magical discipline unexplored is always worth exploring,” Magnus said, stepping back. “I may be late to the game with oreiromancy, but I plan to make up for my tardiness all at once, right now. Is that what your planning to wear to your wedding?”

         “It’s not traditional, but neither was the yellow cotton shirt dress I wore for the courthouse wedding. And I do love bunnies,” said Tessa. “I’m all right with it if Jem is.”

         “I would marry you if you were wearing a barrel,” said Jem.

         “But why would I be wearing a barrel?” said Tessa.

         They were both grinning at each other stupidly. Magnus decided something needed to be done; he wasn’t sure how long his magic would hold out.

         “I won’t have it!” he said. “If I’m to throw you a dream wedding, you must be properly dressed for the occasion. It’s in my contract. I do hope you read the fine print.”

         He snapped his fingers, and Jem’s pajamas were replaced by an exquisitely cut black suit. Magnus aimed for something that suggested the style of the Shadowhunter gear Jem had worn long ago, in the first years he knew Tessa. Wedding runes were intricately embroidered on the lapels in gold thread. As Jem marveled at the excellent fit, Magnus turned his attention to Tessa.

         “I know,” he said, “a wedding dress is a highly personal choice. But as our other guests will be arriving momentarily, and time is of the essence, I’m going to take a stab at it.”

         “You have my express permission,” Tessa said.

         Magnus snapped his fingers again, and the Tessa was wearing a beautiful sleeveless gown of pale silver, with a full skirt that reminded Magnus of the first time he’d met her, at a vampire ball. A couple more flicks of his fingers, and her hair rearranged itself beautifully into an updo, with a few tendrils loose around her face. One more gesture, and Tessa’s familiar jade pendant appeared around her neck—as did the pearl bracelet she always wore, a gift from Will on their thirtieth anniversary.

         Tessa looked startled, reaching up to touch her hair, then brushing her hands over the gown. “How do I look?”

         Jem looked very young again as he gazed at her, his dark eyes full of emotion. “Ni hen piao liang,” he whispered. You are very beautiful.

         Magnus turned away to give them a moment—and felt familiar arms close around him.

         Alec kissed Magnus on his forehead—being slightly shorter than Magnus, he had to pull Magnus down a bit to do it, which Magnus didn’t mind at all—and muttered, “You’re a sentimental bastard, aren’t you?” in his ear.

         But he was grinning all over his face as he turned to greet Tessa and Jem, congratulating them. They both looked delighted to see him.

         “So let me get this straight,” Alec said. “You, me, Tessa, and Jem will all remember this with perfect recall. For the other guests, they’ll remember it at first, but then it will fade away, the way dreams do?”

         “That is correct. They won’t recall it the way we will, but their souls will be present, and glad for it. Well, mostly glad for it,” Magnus said.

         “What do you mean, ‘mostly’?” Jem said nervously.

         “I mean that I’m not sure how Church will feel about the whole thing.”

         “Church!” Alec and Jem exclaimed at the same time, and turned to see the grumpy Persian cat sauntering toward them down the center of the bridge.

         Tessa laughed. “Well, he does sleep twenty hours a day. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised.”

         “I took the liberty of adding him to the guest list you gave me,” Magnus said. “I’m trying to get on his good side.”

         “Why?” Alec asked, incredulous. “He’s a cat.”

         “So he won’t hate me forever when I do this.” Magnus snapped his fingers, and a silver bow in the same fabric as Tessa’s dress appeared around Church’s neck. Church’s eyes widened for a moment. Then he sat down, and after a moment, became very focused on cleaning his front paw.

         “Now,” Magnus said, “I simply must get this bridge decorated.”

         “It’s decorated perfectly,” said a voice from behind him. Turning, he saw Clary, who was holding Max. Behind her was Jace, followed by Isabelle and Simon, who were leaning together, whispering conspiratorially. Jocelyn and Luke were there, looking slightly unkempt, and Magnus remembered that they were in the process of remodeling a barn at Luke’s farm so Jocelyn could expand her painting studio. Ragnor and Catarina had also appeared, as well as a whole gaggle of kids—the Blackthorn clan. Julian and Helen, Tiberius and Livia, Drusilla and Octavian. Emma Carstairs was with them, though she broke away from the group immediately, running to hug Clary. They were the same height now, Magnus noticed with amusement. Max had escaped from Clary and was riding on Alec’s shoulders now, babbling a story to Helen Blackthorn and her wife, Aline. They looked very amused, though it was unlikely they understood even a quarter of what he said.

         Maryse and Kadir were there too, already deep in conversation with Jocelyn and Luke. Kadir hadn’t been on the guest list Jem and Tessa had given Magnus, because they didn’t really know him, but Magnus had added him as Maryse’s plus-one. It never hurt to butter up your boyfriend’s mother, especially when she was willing to babysit for days at a time.

         A couple Silent Brothers had appeared—Enoch? Shadrach? Magnus was slightly embarrassed to admit that they all looked alike to him, now that Jem was no longer counted among their number as Brother Zachariah. Magnus hadn’t known if the Gregori would be able to attend, since they didn’t normally sleep. One of them—Enoch?—inclined his hooded head slightly at Magnus, acknowledging this mad thing he was doing as worthwhile. At least that was how Magnus chose to interpret the gesture.

         Octavian was climbing Jace like a jungle gym. Clary was talking with Julian and Emma, while Tiberius stood near his older brother, looking around at London with fierce curiosity in his gray eyes. Livia and Drusilla were perched on the railing of the bridge, Livia chatting animatedly with Simon and Isabelle, Drusilla looking around shyly. Catarina went to lean beside her, asking her a question. Magnus looked at the motley assortment of clothing on the assembled group. Mostly casual, though there were more pajamas as well. Magnus made two sweeping gestures, and all at once everyone was looking very sharp in formal attire. Even better, they barely seemed to notice the change. Magnus was impressed. Oneiromancy—who knew!

         A hand gripped his arm. It was Tessa, who looked close to tears. “Magnus. I can’t believe you’re doing this for us. I…” She trailed off, at a loss for words.

         Magnus regarded her fondle. “Tessa, most people’s idea of a dream wedding is not a literal dream wedding. But since yours is, I am happy to oblige. Shall we get this show on the road?”

         Jem and Tessa took their places on either side of Magnus, and the guests gathered around. The sun had climbed well above the horizon, casting rays of warm light between the long shadows of the wedding guests.

         “Dear friends,” Magnus said to Jem and Tessa, “we are honored to share this moment with you, and I am doubly honored to be given the chance to speak. Several hundred years ago I got very drunk and woke up as ordained minister. Today I have decided that doing so was a wise choice after all.”

         Jocelyn snorted, then looked embarrassed. Luke grinned at her.

         “Joking aside, it is impossible to stand here with you all and not feel that there is some greater plan at work, some greater force that has brought these two souls across more than a century to be joined as one.”

         Clary’s eyes were glistening. Jace reached into his pocket and offered her what looked like a handkerchief but was more likely a soft cloth for polishing blades. She gave a wry smile of recognition, and sniffled into it.

         “I debated which customs to follow in officiating this wedding,” Magnus went on. “Whether to conduct a Shadowhunter ceremony, or a warlock ceremony, or even a mundane ceremony, for many worlds have been united in the two of you. But none of these traditions seemed quite appropriate on their own. So I’ve attempted to tailor a ceremony that will honor your unique paths.”

         Magnus nodded to Jem, who reached into his pocket and produced a gold ring. Jem had requested a single word etched around the outside of it: Mizpah.

         “It has been said,” said Magnus, “that when two people are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze. Theresa Gray, are you at one with James Carstairs in your inmost heart?”

         Tessa’s eyes were wide, her face serious as she gazed at Jem. “I am,” she said, offering her hand to him. He slid the ring onto her finger.

         The Magnus nodded at Tessa, who produced another ring, this one from thin air. Magnus had to suppress the grin that threatened to break his calm officiant expression. It delighted him that Tessa was engaging in a small amount of oneiromancy herself, and Jem looked as pleased by it as Magnus felt. This ring was the exact match of the first, and he knew what it said as well: May the Angel watch between me and thee when we are absent from one another.

         “James Carstairs—Ke Jian Ming—are you at one with Theresa Gray in your inmost heart?”

         “I am,” Jem said, delight visible in his dark eyes. Tessa put the ring on him, and they stood for a moment, holding hands and smiling at each other like they couldn’t quite believe this was happening.

         “For I am persuaded,” said Magnus, and Jem and Tessa both looked up at him, recognizing a piece of the old Shadowhunter wedding ceremony, though he had altered the wording, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate these two.” He stretched out his arms. “Therefore I am overjoyed to declare this marriage consecrated, here in the presence of your friends and family. Tessa Gray and Jem Carstairs, you are married, and the world is better for it. You may kiss each other, not that you really need my permission.”

         The assembled crowd cheered as Jem and Tessa kissed, a kiss that had been long delayed. The kiss continued, and Magnus slowly backed away, joining the cheering audience. “Let’s give them a moment,” he said, and happy chatter swelled around him.

         Magnus noted that Alec was looking very foxy in his Armani suit, laughing with Maryse. Ragnor and Catarina were cackling over something, glad to be reunited now that Ragnor didn’t have to pretend to be dead—or at least, didn’t have to pretend with them. Clary had her arm draped over Emma’s shoulders, and Jace was arguing with Simon about how to properly tie a necktie. Tiberius and Drusilla were watching this argument as though it were a tennis match. Julian had lifted Octavian up so he could look down at the river flowing by beneath. Isabelle was joking with Livia, who was giving Max a piggyback ride. It was a miraculously good wedding.

         Here they were, his friends. They’d literally gone into Hell twice with him now. He found himself reflecting on how much had changed. At first his life had felt like Magnus against the world. Then for years and years it had been Magnus, Catarina, and Ragnor against the world. Now his community was a much larger group, one that had spread wide enough that instead of Magnus and his friends against the world, it felt like Magnus and his friends, a part of the world. Probably the best part of the world.

         It was a good feeling.

         “Look!” a girl’s voice cried. It was Drusilla, pointing up into the sky, eyes wide with wonder. There was a collective gasp as the crowd saw what she had spotted. Two figures flew overhead, riding a translucent white stallion with two gold hooves and two silver. One of them was a blond boy in ragged clothes, who looked down at the Blackthorns and waved. The figure in front of him was harder to make out—a gentry faerie in clothes just as ragged, only he was as translucent as the horse. The blond boy must be Mark Blackthorn, Magnus marveled. He’d “invited” the whole family, not knowing whether those who rode with the Wild Hunt could be summoned by dream magic. He had his answer, but it came with another mystery. Who was this companion, so close to Mark that they would appear together in a dream?

         The riders made a circle overhead, while the Blackthorns shouted and waved, and Mark waved back, smiling an odd smile down at them. Then they faded away into the morning air.

         Magnus saw with relief that Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, and Alec had all move in around the Blackthorn kids, giving them an opportunity to talk about what they had just seen—their stolen brother, visiting so briefly.

         He glanced over and saw Tessa and Jem still standing by the railing. There was a shimmer beside them, at the edge of the bridge, and the hair on the back of Magnus’s neck rose.

         He knew Will Herondale had never haunted the moral world, because he had lived and died happily and had no unfinished business among the living. While Magnus didn’t subscribe to any specific set of beliefs about reincarnation or the afterlife, he had always had a strong sense that Will was waiting on the other bank of a dark river—be it Lethe, or some other border between the living and the dead. He was there among the green grass, the sky above as dark a blue as his eyes, waiting patiently for Jem and Tessa to join him, that he might lead them by the hand to whatever wonders lay beyond the veil.

         The philosophers of ancient Greece had believed dreams and sleep to be the twin of death: Morpheus and Hades, standing side by side. And here, in that space, Magnus would not have been surprised if Will stretched out his hand to those he had loved best in life—to Jem and Tessa.

         He was, after all, a Herondale, and very stubborn.

         Alec sidled up to Magnus, leaving the Blackthorns in the capable hands of his siblings and their partners. The kids seemed to have taken Mark’s appearance as a sort of wedding favor created especially for them.

         Alec twinned an arm around Magnus’s waist and pulled him close, kissing him on the temple. “It was very kind of you to use the last of your Svefnthorn magic on this,” he said.

         Magnus leaned into Alec. “Well, it wasn’t enough magic to send us to the moon, or get us into the front row at the Alexander McQueen runway. So I figured, next best thing.”

         Alec smiled at him pointedly. “Actually, I happen to know that you did it because you are an incredibly kind person, and that is one of the many things I love about you.”

         “Oh dear,” Magnus said, turning to face him. “You know all my secrets.”

         Then they were kissing, and kissing in a magical dream turned out to be just as perfect as kissing in the waking world.

[hargrove-mayfields]

Just A Dream Away

Chapter 13/13 read here on ao3!

for @harringrovebigbang

~~~~

Just as they had predicted, it really wasn’t easy.

Billy spent a lot of time in his first few months back constantly breaking down. Everything from his basic needs, where he couldn’t hold down any foods, the sunlight was painful, and wheeling around a damn thirty pound cart just to breathe was just inconvenient, to his social life, where he was dealing with the stigma of being zombie boy 2.0, and the harsh realization that he had killed his own best friend, but also that he had to cope with knowing his abusive father had mourned him, was now thrown off, and after living so long on the other side with no way, or not time really, to cope, he was lost in the real world.

When anything went wrong or made him upset he’d just shut down and cry, leaving it up to whoever’s care he was in at that time, be it his family, the one he was born into or the one that he chose, or his therapist, to figure out how to help. He always felt stupid, like some bratty toddler throwing tantrums over not getting his way instead of like the survivor he was.

Like somehow he could fight dozens of interdimensional monsters twice as big as he is, but he couldn’t handle a little bit of stress or discomfort.

Thankfully, with a lot of reassurance and promises under their breath, they were able to move past that stage of recovery rather quickly, and the hardest part from there was just deciding what to do with their lives next.

Before the world ended, Billy was ready to study sports medicine at SCU in the fall, and Steve was thinking about following him out west to get his masters in teaching. That’s of course not what happened, nor is it going to work out at this rate, at least not until Billy gets the clearance to breathe on his own, so it’s back to the drawing board, deciding between the only two choices they really have.

Either they were going to head back towards Cali anyways and just wait to start the rest of their lives there, or they would stay in Hawkins and set up while Billy recovered. The choice was obvious to both of them.

After all that had happened, all that time that had been lost, the unnecessary grief they had all suffered, there was no way they could leave now, ditching to California would only put distance between them and the people they cared about, while the memories, the nightmares, and scars would always follow them wherever they went.

So they start looking for places in Hawkins, which turns out to be a lot goddamn harder than they thought it would be.

A house won’t fit into their budget, though even if they did, they’re pretty sure that two guys in a town like Hawkins wouldn’t have been able to buy a house together, so they look for apartments instead, so they can file as roommates. That’s no easier, because everywhere they try to go is either roach infested, or full of smokers and pets, and the very last thing Billy needs to get better is a bunch of their neighbors giving him asthma attacks on the daily.

John Harrington made it very clear that no rapscallion punks would be staying under his roof, and Billy himself had decided that, despite Neil Hargrove’s turnaround, he was never going to let Steve anywhere near the man, especially not after they were outed to him. Right now, he could walk away with his peace of mind and at least a smidgeon of respect for his father. He wasn’t willing to jeopardize that, or Steve’s safety just to move them into a house full of bad memories.

Close to deciding that maybe their only choice was to book it after all, Robin approaches them with an offer. She says she’s going to be commuting to Ivy Tech for school, and since she won’t be home most of the day anyways and Steve technically already has a room there, that they’re free to move into her apartment.

If it wasn't for their circumstances, they’d never have taken her up on that offer, but seeing as they don’t have anywhere else really to go, they decide to accept, but only if she agrees to let Steve pay part of her tuition at least.

Billy has a hard time agreeing to that, Robin to him a reminder of Heather, and Heather a reminder of what he did, but eventually they have a talk about it, and they both cry, but things turn out okay in the end between the two of them.

So by spring of the next year, they have their things packed and a list of days to expect a phone call from Max, and they’re out of their respective homes, dragging into Rob’s place what few possessions they had to call their own.

Billy isn’t allowed to lift more than fifteen pounds yet for fear of collapsing a lung, so his job is mainly to point to where he wants things and change his mind so Steve has to do all the hard work, the both of them all light and laughing at themselves, giggling like their younger counterparts until their newly allotted room is at least semi presentable.

They still have a long way to go, in their decoration skills yes, but also in the recovery aspect, both physically and mentally. But for now, they get to be happy, and appreciate what they have: eachother, a newfound sense of security, and a boundless love that could stand the trials of grief and separation, and would definitely be able to make it through the unknown that lied ahead.

Billy is alive. And Steve is whole once again.

[recentanimenews]

J-Novel Club Anime Expo Lite 2021 Announcements

  J-Novel Club took to Anime Expo Lite 2021 to announce yet another sizable slate of titles, many that will launch later today on the service digitally, from pulp novels to its light novel bread and butter and everything in-between, J-Novel Club’s latest slate has something for everyone. Without further ado, the slate of announcements.

      Maddrax by Various Authors with Cover Art by Nestor Taylor 

When a comet struck Earth, Matthew Drax found himself sent 500 years into the future - only to find civilization in ruins. In a world filled with barbarians, hostile mutants, and lost technology, Drax and co. cross the globe in search of adventure. Having recently saved the world by restoring the moon from its falling orbit, an accident in proceedings causes pockets of parallel worlds to dot the globe. What new dangers await Matt and his travelling companion, the telepathic warrior queen Aruula, as they cross these strange gaps in time and space? 

A J-Novel Pulp title launching today with Part 1 of Volume 1!

A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life by Yuu Tanaka with Illustrations by Nardack

Old MacDonald had a...gnome?! The Law of Justice Online, also known as LJO, is the hottest new VRMMORPG of the season, and office worker Yuta Sasaki is one of the lucky few granted access to the official launch. After some careful research, Yuta is chomping at the bit to start his virtual life as a Tamer, a class that harnesses the powers of wild monsters. Luckily, upon building his character, Yuta manages to land not only his chosen class, but a heap of bonuses to boot! He soon finds, however, that his abilities are not all they're cracked up to be, and that the talents of the rare first monster he is granted lie not in combat...but gardening! Already well behind the other adventurers, and facing a long and slow progression path ahead of him, Yuta is left with two choices—start over from scratch, or make the best of what he has been given. For Yuta the choice is obvious: When life gives you manure...start up a farm!

Launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers by Miya Kinojo with Illustrations by Katagiri 

The Magical Kingdom of Klyrode summons hundreds of heroes from other worlds every year to fight in their war against the Dark One and his army of powerful demons. Banaza is one of those heroes, summoned from the Royal Capital Paluma, but something’s not right—Banaza is only an average merchant. He has no magic, no fighting ability, and his stats are abysmal. Worse, a mishap leaves him unable to return home! Rejected as a hero and stranded in another world, abandoned to the far reaches of the kingdom by a cruel king who just wants him gone, Banaza’s fate looks pretty bleak. But what will happen once the failed hero candidate finds himself with super cheat powers once he hits level two? 

Launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World by Schuld with Illustrations by Lansane Commissioned in death to save a world in peril, a tabletop RPG fanatic is reborn as a humble farm boy with the rulebook for the universe at his fingertips! Young Erich’s quest for an invincible character build will require more than his decades as a number-crunching munchkin, though. Even with powerleveled skills, feudal life is no cakewalk—especially when you keep drawing more attention than you can handle…Can Erich adapt to his strange new world before his worst impulses take the campaign of a lifetime completely off the rails? Let the dice fall where they may! Launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes by Bisu with Illustrations by Yukiko 

After an accident, a modern careerist is reborn as Princess Rosemary Von Velfalt. She soon realizes that her new life is identical to that of a rival character in an otome game that she’d once played to “100%” completion. Luxury and magic abound in the Kingdom of Nevel, alongside a collection of attractive men. However, beneath the suitors' dazzling faces lie awful personalities: masochists, necrophiles, and perverts, oh my! But it’s not all bad news—the side characters are perfect, and Rosemary has fallen for the captain of the royal guard. 

Since the game offers no true route to happiness, Rosemary decides to forge her own path; to avoid marriage with the suitors, she'll have to skip their story routes and fix their deviance. She’ll navigate palace and marriage politics, kidnappings, and the threat of war, all while contending with a world that’s drifting further from the game she remembers. “100%” game completion isn’t all it’s cracked up to be— sometimes, “0%” is the route to a dream life! A J-Novel Heart title launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a 

Chance Against Me! —AΩ— (Manga) by Hanamaru Nanto, Based on the Novels by 

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka with Original Character Designs by Chisato Naruse

Awaking to absolute chaos and carnage while on a school trip, Yogiri Takatou discovers that everyone in his class has been transported to another world! He had somehow managed to sleep through the entire ordeal himself, missing out on the Gift — powers bestowed upon the others by a mysterious Sage who appeared to transport them. Even worse, he and another classmate were ruthlessly abandoned by their friends, left as bait to distract a nearby dragon. Although not terribly bothered by the thought of dying, he reluctantly decides to protect his lone companion. After all, a lowly Level 1000 monster doesn't stand a chance against his secret power to invoke Instant Death with a single thought! If he can stay awake long enough to bother using it, that is...Launching today with Chapter 1 of Volume 1!

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire♀ (Manga) by Moto Kuromura, Based on the Novels by Hayaken with Original Character Designs by Nagu 

From his deathbed, Hero-King Inglis, the divine knight and master of all he surveys, gazes down on the empire he built with his mighty hand. Having devoted his life to statecraft and his subjects’ well-being, his one unfulfilled wish is to live again, for himself this time: a warrior’s life he’d devoted himself to before his rise to power. His patron goddess, Alistia, hears his plea and smiles upon him, flinging his soul into the far future. Goddesses work in mysterious ways—not only is Inglis now the daughter of a minor noble family, but at her first coming-of-age ceremony at 6, she's found ineligible to begin her knighthood! However, for a lady of Inglis's ambition, this is less a setback and more the challenge she was (re)born to overcome. “It's not the blood that runs through your veins that makes a knight; it’s the blood you shed on the battlefield!” The curtain rises on the legend of an extraordinary lady squire reborn to master the blade! Coming Soon to J-Novel Club!

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer by MOJIKAKIYA 

with Illustrations by toi8

The life of an adventurer isn’t always a glamorous one. 

Belgrieve finds this out the hard way when a deadly encounter robs him of his leg and the ability to pursue his dreams not long after setting off for fame and fortune. But fate isn’t finished with this retired adventurer! While gathering herbs in the wilderness, he discovers an abandoned baby girl and names her Angeline after deciding to raise her as his own. Angeline grows up to become a top-tier adventurer in her own right, yet after venturing out into the world and making a name for herself, fame, fortune, and power hold no allure for the accomplished S-rank adventurer: her heartfelt wish is for nothing more than to see her father again.

Launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

Dragon Daddy Diaries: A Girl Grows to Greatness by Ameko Kaeruda with Illustrations by Sencha 

“Daddy!” The dragon blinked as the wee little human called out to him. Him? Her “Daddy”? Powerful enough to have been venerated by humankind, yet warmhearted and even a tad ditzy, the dragon soon finds himself raising and doting on the precocious Olivia as if she really were his daughter in this touching tale. The toddler may be impossibly cute now, but just you wait—she’s a curious child and she’s growing up real fast. You can bet that one day, she’ll be the strongest human there is! But first, how will he handle little Olivia receiving an acceptance letter to a human school? Launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start With Magical Tools by Hisaya Amagishi with Illustrations by Kei 

After dying of overwork in Japan, Dahlia is reborn into a world filled with magic. Raised by a master of magical toolmaking, she develops a passion for the craft and becomes engaged to her father’s apprentice. Before her father can see her wed, however, he suddenly passes away. As if this weren’t enough, on the day before their wedding, her fiancé announces that he’s in love—but not with her! Dahlia finally realizes she needs to live for herself. She vows to be her own woman from now on and devote herself to her craft, even if it’s not quite the quiet life she was hoping for! From a chance encounter with a knight to starting her own company, there are challenges aplenty on the horizon. But this young craftswoman is no longer a shrinking violet—she’s Dahlia, and she’s ready to bloom. 

A J-Novel Heart title launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

  Hell Mode ~The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing~ by Hamuo with Illustrations by Mo 

“‘Level up even while offline’?! That’s not a game on ‘easy mode’—that’s just an AFK game!” The online game Yamada Kenichi had been playing religiously is shutting down its servers, leaving him with a void in his heart. He looks for a new game to fill it, but everything he finds is way too easy. The kind of game he likes—the kind punishing enough to make players want to spend thousands of hours on it—just isn’t around anymore. “What’s this? ‘You are invited to a game that will never end.’” Kenichi stumbles upon an untitled game, one promising incomparable challenge with unprecedented potential. Without hesitation, he selects the “Hell Mode” difficulty. Lo and behold, he finds himself reincarnated in another world as a serf! Now called Allen, he sets out to unlock the secrets of his mystery-laden Summoner class; without the convenience of walkthroughs, game guides, or online forums, he must grope his way to the top of his new world! Launching today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1!

  By: Humberto Saabedra