(Apr 10 update)
Week 3/Day 16 (Mon)
Misa: Yesterday, our little family spent the day visiting different housholds so that our Wonder Child, Satoru, could complete the Social Butterfly Aspiration, which he did.
Jin: And today marks a huge milestone in Satoru’s progress! He comes home from grade school with an A, which triggers completion of his fourth and final aspiration, Whiz Kid!
Of course, the second son Shinji also achieved the same feats but he is not the star of this story.
Aging up to a child just this past Saturday, Aya enjoyed her first day of school today.
Jin: Well, now that Satoru has completed the four childhood aspirations, he can work on several skills: Logic, Charisma, Fishing, Violin, and Piano.
I can mentor him in violin.
Watcher: Video Gaming and Mischief are also available but not useful for the career I have in mind for my Apocalypse founder.
Satoru: So that means I’ll be working on Charisma, Fishing, and Violin for the next week, huh? Good thing I’m already halfway done with Logic and Violin!
Day 17 (Tue)
Misa: With me to mentor him, Satoru has an easy time maxing Logic!
Next, the little charmer starts working seriously on finishing off Charisma.
Here’s a walls-down screenshot of our Wonder Child practicing a speech. He’s Level 7 at this moment.
Sorry about making you work in the bathroom, little man, but you need to be isolated to sustain that Very Happy mood!
While Satoru is busy leveling Charisma on his own, Jin and I have downed those amygdelight drinks that @Playalot is always raving about (because they’re fantastically effective!) then build a rocket ship in our miniscule backyard.
Jin: Isn’t this overkill, Watcher? It’s not as if anyone in the family’s going to have time to become an astronaut.
Watcher: Every family needs a Nerd Brain who can do advanced instant upgrades all over the house. That Nerd Brain will be Misa.
Think of all the TV channels! All the radio stations! The positive moodlets! Also, I’ve got my heart set on Satoru learning Nerd Brain, as I’d mentioned before.
Jin: When I’m not mentoring or painting, I spend a lot of time in my garden.
I figure that painting takes skill but anyone can harvest a garden.
After I’m gone, the kids can live off this garden without working any more than necessary.
Tonight, I max Gardening, but I need to evolve a few more excellent plants to complete the Botanical Enthusiast aspiration.
Watcher, why are Misa and I working so hard on aspirations? We both have more aspiration points than we can use.
W: Just force of habit, partly. But when this challenge is finished, you’ll be glad you did!
Misa: Our daughter, Aya, is also keeping up with her childhood aspirations.
Since she will eventually take over cooking duties (which Rally the Troops also makes less essential), she only really needs to complete Artistic Prodigy.
Aya: So why are you having me working on the other aspirations, too?
W: The more reward points you have, the better equipped you’ll be for your teen years and for supporting the Wonder Child.
Misa: Though Shinji has the Genius trait, his first iimpulse upon returning from school is to go fishing.
He’s already Level 8. He’s such a sweetheart, so easy to look after.
Watchette, have you already decided what role each child will fill when they become teens?
W: Actually, not yet. Since Shinji’s a Genius, though, I imagine he’ll be in charge of programming and gaming.
He can mod games on your computers; he doesn’t really need to fish except to complete that aspiration. Aya can cook and clean.
Satoru: What about me, Watcher? What’s my role as the Wonder Child?
W: Glad you asked. You’ll be doing non-stop skilling, with some skills more fun to learn than others.
Satoru: Cool! Does that mean Woohoo is a skill?
W: (at a loss for words…..)
Day 18 (Wed)
No hard feelings, Misa but, when the Wonder Child becomes a teen, he could use some Essence of Focused potions to boost his performance at high school and his part-time job.
Misa: I’m feeling so grungy after being eaten by that stupid cowplant.
I’m going to go soak in a bath with some Soothing Sage incense.
Jin to the rescue!
Jin: What’s up with the incense burner? We’ve only lit it twice and both times a fire started.
Shinji: In the early evening, I max out the Logic skill in the upstairs Focused Room.
Mom mentored me a little but I mostly skilled on my own.
Downstairs in our teeny tiny backyard, Aya finishes the Social Butterfly aspiration with our neighbor, Luna Villareal.
Watchette: I’m so proud of you and Aya, Shinji! You’ve both killed those aspirations without almost any mentoring at all!
Day 19 (Thu)
Jin: Satoru maxed out Charisma last night. He was so glad to get out of that bathroom, haha!
And in the wee hours of the morning, I mentor him in violin until he hits Level 10.
Satoru: What’s next for me, Dad? Can we go fishing next? I’d really love that!
Jin: Tell you what, let’s both of us go fishing!
W: Hey, Jin! I keep forgetting that this isn’t an Immortal Dynasty.
You can write an excuse note for Satoru so he can take a “sick day” from school!
Jin: Let me do that right now. I feel rather bad that I can’t do the same for Shinji and Aya.
W: Don’t feel too bad. The twins have four vacation days from school and they’re four days away from their teen birthday.
Starting tomorrow, the boys can just take vacation days until their birthday.
Jin: Aya still has 8 days until her birthday. Darn, I wish I’d thought of it earlier! And now for some fishing!
Satoru: Ever since Mom completed Nerd Brain, Watcher’s been making her do Instant-Upgrades and other advanced upgrades all around the house.
I think she’d like to get away. Can we take Mom fishing somewhere far from our home?
Jin: Sounds like Mom’s kind of plan, Satoru. Let’s go get her and be off!
Satoru: Wow, this Forgotten Grotto is way cool. I like this kind of skilling much better than talking to myself in a bathroom!
Jin: You’ve been working really hard. You deserve a day off just fishing, son. We all do!
Satoru: Hey, Dad, may I ask you a question?
Jin: Sure, kid. What’s up?
Satoru: Why are Mom and I wearing our everyday outfits, but you’re wearing your Athletic outfit?
Jin: I can’t answer that question, Satoru. Watcher, help us out here?
Watcher: (sputters) Um, well, you see, Satoru, we got a message this morning that it’s almost your father’s birthday.
So in honor of his approaching elderhood (No, of course, I’m not in denial. What makes you say that?), I thought we could take some screenshots to commemorate his….his, uh….his, erm…..his athletic outfit?
Misa: Nice try, Watcher. So Jin’s birthday is in two days?
On the other hand, thanks to the babies, I don’t become an elder for seven more days.
Jin: Why only seven days, sweetheart? It should be eight days, right?
Two days same as me, then three days each for each pregnancy.
W: You’d think, right? It’s extremely confusing that the game is counting only two days for one of the pregnancies, when both pregnancies lasted three days long.
However, the twins aged up from infants to children in just two days. Gah, I’m starting to confuse myself.
Jin: (*changes the subject) Let’s go to a different fishing spot, Satoru! Are you game?
Satoru: You bet! Let’s go, Mom! School’s out so Shinji and Aya will meet us there, too.
Shinji: So how was school today, Aya?
Aya: Meh, I was just one tick away from an A when I left for school this morning!
But I got so worked up last night about finishing the Social Butterfly one that I forgot to do my homework.
Shinji: Ouch! You must have gotten punished for not doing your homework, you think?
Aya: Yeah, dumb teacher! Anyway, as soon as I get that A, I’ll be the last of us three to have completed all four childhood aspirations.
Shinji: Let’s do our homework together now, before you forget (again).
Misa: Let me guess, Watcher…now we’re commemorating his swimwear outfit?
W: Yeah, uh, well, you see, he’ll be an elder the day after tomorrow so today is really our last chance to take nice photos…
M: I think I misheard, Watcher. I know you didn’t just say “our” last chance…
Jin: Who do you think you’re kidding with that “I only have a limited supply of these special super fertilizer packs”?
Don’t think I don’t know you set aside an extra supply for for Rastelli dude and his band of minions!
At least before, you would give me three packs at a time. Today, you won’t even let me ask more than once. What’s your deal anyway? What do you want from me?
Jasmine: Uh, erm, would you like to exchange phone numbers? *bats eyelashes
Jin: Just fugeddaaboudit. What’s a guy gotta do? And Jasmine, don’t you dare answer that!
I’ll phone Brian later to tell him off for suggesting that I visit Jasmine in my swimwear! That joker!
Day 20 (Fri)
Jin: A guy could get used to a life like this! A house on the beach, no job, puttering around in the garden, paint a few paintings here and there…
Satoru: I know exactly what you mean, Dad. Shinji, Aya, and I all took a vacation day today!
Jin: We should have thought of it sooner, eh?
Satoru: It’s cool that you forgot about writing excuses for school—now we can stay home from school from this morning until we start high school!
Jin: Yeah, well, I basically have all day to do what I want and you have all day to….skill!
Day 21 (Sat), 2:00 a.m.
Satoru: Hey, brother Shinji, now that it’s past midnight, Dad’s age bar says: “Days to age up:zero.”
Don’t you think Dad’s been acting strange these past couple of days, like he’s in denial about becoming an old man or something?
Shinji: Nah, Mom and Dad aren’t like those people who go all crazy just because they’re getting old.
Satoru: Well, Watchette’s been acting weird, too. She’s been all weepy and taking screenshots of Dad in skimpy outfits.
Shinji: Everybody knows our Watchette is a weirdo. Tell me something new!
About our parents, though, they’re probably drinking hot cocoa and watching an old movie right now.
Satoru: Yeah, you’re right. What was I thinking? I mean, they’re already old—they’re just getting older!
Jin: Good morning, Watcher!
W: Hey, you’re up early! And all dressed up! What’s the occasion?
Jin: Don’t pretend you don’t know that I age up to an elder today. I don’t want to cake up but I do plan to throw a dinner party this afternoon.
W: Well, I think I’ll be leaving now. I’ll see you around tomorrow maybe.
Jin: Wait, wait!!! Aren’t you going to help celebrate my elderhood?
I thought you were all about commemorating my “outfits.” *smirks
Look! Misa and I have dressed in our party outfits so you can take a picture of us.
Don’t leave yet, Watcher! Now we’ve changed into our formal outfits. What do you mean, this leopard skin coat doesn’t look formal?
Misa tells me this look is fly! Just hurry and take a screenshot, will you?
W: I know, I know. It’s kind of a tacky superstar look, but I love you in that coat with black leather pants.
Misa: I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Watcher, but we both have violet eyes…
W: Well, I did tweak you both in the bin, so yeah I’m hoping your kids get violet eyes, too!
Jin: Watcher, will you still take screenshots of me when I’m old and grey?
W: *weeps bitterly
* * *
Satoru: So skipping school yesterday was all right, hey?
Shinji: Yeah, I got a lot of stuff done and I know you did, too, Satoru. What about you, Aya?
Aya: Yep, I spent the day very productively and had fun at the same time!
The Wonder Child’s Progress
(Newly learned skills/levels since last week are highlighted in blue)
Age: 2 days to Teen
Maxed Aspirations: Rambunctious Scamp, Artistic Prodigy, Social Butterfly, Whiz Kid
Maxed Skills: Mental, Motor, Creativity, Social, Logic, Charisma, Violin, Fishing
Other Skills: Video Gaming L9
Remarks
This update brings us to the end of Week 3.
There’s not much for our Wonder Child to do before he ages up the day after tomorrow.
If I buy a gaming rig, all the kids will max Video Gaming without even trying.
Satoru might be mentored in Piano today, taking the next day off.
In this challenge, no cakes will be used to age up family members so we can stretch out the challenge period as long as possible.
My apologies for the boring chapter. Satoru is just trying to max as many useful skills as possible during his childhood.
This challenge is moving quickly, with only fifteen days left to go!
Let’s see how much our little skill-demon can accomplish before his time is up!
As always, thank you for reading. I hope you come back next time to meet the children as teenagers!
oshizu's asylum 