SB 5.47: Tripping the Light Fangtastic

The last day of winter!

A Sharebear Legacy/Gen5, Kirsten Sharebear

Week 15/Saturday (Winter 7)

Kirsten: Later that morning, I go into labor.
After just getting married, I dismiss the thought of a hospital birth altogether.
With two household vacancies and the On Ley Line lot trait, I optimistically place two bassinets.

Takuya: Two little boys, just like we wanted!
Kirsten: Well, I did listen to alternative music when I could, though I couldn’t be bothered with carrots.
Takuya: Do you mind if I name them, Kirsten? I’d really love to name them!!!
Kirsten: As you wish. Just remember that the names should begin with “N” and “O.”

Takuya: After considering various naming themes, including Japanese novelists, I think food names are best.
Let’s name our first-born “Negi” for spring onion. That’s “Ne” as in “net” and “gi” as in “geek.”
Kirsten: I like it! His name is short and simple.

Takuya: It’s much harder to find a good food name that starts with “O,” but I choose “Omurice.”
It’s short for “omuretto rice”: fried rice wrapped in a thin omelette and topped with a sauce.
We can call him Omu for short, like “oh-moo” (accent on the “oh”).
Kirsten: That photo shows a fancy version of Omurice with beef demi-glace sauce!
It’s commonly served with a ketchup topping.

Takuya: That’s the foodie in you talking, haha.
Are you familiar with the Japanese cultural trend of maid cafés?
They’re staffed by girls dressed as maids who greet their male clientele of geeks with “Welcome home, master.”
Kirsten: I’m sure you realize your maid café days are over, right?

Takuya: Aren’t you listening? Those cafés cater to bachelor geeks who struggle with dating.
So, for an extra fee, a customer can order omurice with a cutesy painting drawn with ketchup.
Or various drinks decorated with flavored syrup, also drawn by their maid-garbed waitress.

Takuya: I was shocked to find a photo online of Tommy Lee Jones at a maid café.
See how he’s getting his omurice on?
Kirsten: I dunno. That seems completely out of character for Tommy Lee Jones.
Takuya: Yeah, turns out it’s part of a TV commercial he filmed in Tokyo years ago.
Anyway, back to our household…

Kirsten: While we train and share vampire knowledge together, Akito reaches Grand Master rank.
I don’t mean to obsess over his vampire powers but… *continues to obsess
Papa, would you mind mixing Akito another Draught of Reconfiguration so he can start over?

Now that Akito’s points have been reset, you can see how off they are.
He should have 46 power points and 5 weaknesses.
Our watches uses cheats to require one less weakness and add 10 points more worth of vampire powers.
(If this happens to you and you want to know how to do that, contact our watcher for details.)

In other news, Akito discovers that our butler leads the Guild of Gamers club.
He takes over our butler Tetsu’s club, with plans to turn it over to our sons when they start school.
I’m so glad Papa persuaded us to ask Akito to join our legacy.

While Liv and Takuya are at work, Papa, Akito, and I quickly reach gold for the New Year’s Eve holiday.
For my New Year’s Resolution, I could have challenged myself and chose “Complete an aspiration milestone.”
Instead, I choose the easiest option (Raise a skill) then proceed to reach Cooking 10.

Speaking of my Master Vampire aspiration, I’m still only a Prime Vampire.
I’m on the Strength and Wisdom milestone, which requires me to defeat 3 vampires in combat.
That’s why I’ve started working out.
I hope to compensate for my lower vampire rank with my Vampire Strength powers and high fitness.
Wish me luck!

Remember how I’ve been concerned that I never emulate Akito’s actions whenever he trains me?
What a relief to know that I’m not to blame.
Apparently, the advent of Seasons has switched the animations for Vampire Training and Show Off Powers.
And now that Akito knows, he doesn’t lose his temper with me during training anymore, either.

Jaga: Hey, Liv! Congrats on your promotion and on branching to the Botanist career.
Liv: Thanks! This work uniform is perfect for me, don’t you think?
Jaga: I agree. And how have you been doing? Everything’s going well with Fiorella?
Liv: Why so chatty, Papa? Oh, I get it. You need to socialize with your kids for Big Happy Family.

Jaga: Yeah, I’m pushing myself to finish it by making that my New Year’s Resolution.
And I’m counting on you and Fiorella for my last two grandchildren!

Kirsten: Hey, Akito! Would you mind sparring with me for my aspiration?
Akito: Sure, kiddo. I’m always happy to teach my first and only offspring a thing or two.
Kirsten: *bares claws and gets serious
Akito: How did I just lose three times in a row?

Kirsten: I sincerely appreciate your waiting to start leveling your fitness, Akito!
Yay, I’ve reached my final milestone!

Mathias: Uncle Akito tells me that he’s completed two New Year’s Resolutions today.
One to raise a skill (Writing) then, when he finished that, another to write a book.
So I’ve added a second resolution, too, but I won’t be able to finish it until after school on Monday.
Since I can’t move ahead with Whiz Kid, though, I’ve been collecting scout badges instead.

Takuya: Papa Jaga, can you stop mentoring me in painting for a sec? We need to talk.
Jaga: Of course, Takuya. What’s on your mind?
Takuya: I was checking my relationship with my newborn sons and…
I have no idea when it happened, but I see that you and I are lovebirds.
Have you been flirting with me while the watcher wasn’t paying attention? *asks to be just friends

Jaga (to Maja’s photo): Don’t side-eye me like that, Maja! I swear I don’t how it happened! Honest!

Week 16/Sunday (Spring 1)

Kirsten: At 6 a.m, we get a popup about a surprise holiday, Prank Day. Great, another holiday.
Here’s a look at our calendar for this year.
As you can see, our week-long seasons means that we have too many winter holidays close together.

This year, we skipped HarvestFest because we’re not descended from the Mayflower Pilgrims, last I checked.
And I also cancelled Winterfest because we lost a day last week but still hosted the double wedding.
The watcher wants to replace Winterfest or New Year’s Eve with a summer holiday that she actually celebrates.

I immediately invite over Mama, Auntie Yesenia, and my sister-in-law Fiorella.
They could provide me with plasma and…I mean, we could enjoy their company on New Year’s Day.
Auntie Yesenia is Very Uncomfortable and I fear she’ll go into labor soon, so I send her home right away.
I imagine Fiorella (right) isn’t due until late tonight or early tomorrow, but she chats a little with Liv then leaves.

When we get our boys’ birthday notices, Takuya and I rush to their bassinets to age them up.
Our watcher, however, makes us pause for a public service announcement.

See that blank menu option in the lower right of the bassinet’s shift-click menu?
Grandma Edamame clicked it out of curiosity and social services immediately whisked away her just-adopted nooboo.
Too ashamed to admit her mistake, Grandma adopted another nooboo right away.
But she didn’t count the nooboo who was taken away for her 10 kids that generation. Sheesh!

So, if you happen to shift-click your nooboo’s bassinet, never click the blank option.
I checked the official forums recently and that blank option is a Maxis thing, not from MCCC.

Here are our little darlings, right after being aged up but before their makeovers.
I wish toddlers and children had access to all the hair colors of teens and adults.
Eh, since Omurice has my grey eyes, I’m giving him Takuya’s white hair!

This is our firstborn son, Negi, who is an independent toddler.
He has my black hair and Takuya’s brown eyes.
His color is green like spring onions, which are his namesake.

We have the On Ley Line trait, but not the Dark Ley Line trait.
Moreover, Takuya wasn’t a vampire yet when the twins were conceived.
But look at what appears above Omu’s Silly trait! He’s a born vampire!!!

Because he’s named after omu-raisu, his color should be yellow with red (ketchup) accents.
That would look horrid, though, so his color will be grey.

It’s been wonderful having Akito living with us.
Thanks to his constant training, I’ve reached the Master Vampire rank already.
Also, reconfiguring my power points enables me to become a Daywalker like Akito.
Besides earning one more vampire rank, I just need to “survive” for 20 more days. *sighs

Akito and his Good Vampire aspiration are also treading water.
After not drinking deeply for 3 more days, he’ll complete his third milestone very quickly.
Then he’ll need to go two weeks while never drinking without permission.

It’s such a tedious aspiration. It’s a good thing he’ll never age!
Do you think he might actually finish his aspiration before I do?

Takuya left for work in the morning, not long after the boys aged up.
It’s late afternoon now and I’m also leaving for work in a few.
The boys will be fine with Papa and my family-oriented sister, Liv.

Liv: Hey, thanks for cropping me out of the screenshot…

 

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Legacy Score: unchanged (84 points)

Chapter Notes
*I haven’t decided yet how to handle ageing and vampirism for the entire household.
Takuya has the Vampire Family aspiration but can’t leave the home lot much.
Maybe he’ll turn various members of Kirsten’s family for his aspiration, then cure them later.
*Sorry for the blurry screenshots. It’s a graphic glitch that came with the Seasons update.
*Not much new happening in this update, except for the twins’ birthdays.
It’s almost impossible for the household to leave the home lot now, due to all the different schedules.
I think my legacy’s agonizingly slow progress lately may be caused by a combination of unfamiliarity with Seasons and clumsy micromanaging.
*Career Status:
Liv: Gardener/Botanist 5
Takuya: Painter 5
Kirsten: Culinary 5
Akito: Social Media 3 (he’s the only one who hasn’t been to work yet)
Mathias: Scouting 4

SB 5.48: I Will Survive