postcards from the land of wanting

April & May 2088. 

*warnings: briefly NSFW* 

#1: the fountain of desperately reclaimed youth

Pamela Collins is making forty look divine. As much as she dreaded this big day, it turns out there was no need to worry at all. Her butt is still firm, her breasts are still high, and her smile lines are light and cheerful. At the gym, she still draws a crowd of men—married men, single men, co-workers, teenagers.

But don’t worry, she’s not screwing any of these men.

Only this one (and note, we said only, as in, not in addition to her poor neglected husband): Olympic diver, Marc Hall. Marc stopped into town to deliver her a special treat (which first involved her giving him a special treat.)

Happy birthday to me, Pamela thinks.

He doesn’t take her to the fancy hotels for their rendezvous anymore, but she’s excited to see him all the same. Screwing Marc feels like reclaiming her youth. He is a stallion among men. A legend. There are rumors that he’s about to be honored with a celebrity star. And here he is between her legs. For an aging suburban mom and washed-up once-upon-a-time cheerleader, screwing Marc Hall feels something close to achievement.

Not that anyone could ever know. (Although, she sometimes wonders if everyone already knows.)

Pamela returns home to find her youngest child, sweetheart little Susie, sitting in the dining room with a birthday cake. It was a lovely little cake, not even burnt.

“Oh, gosh, what is all this?”

“Everybody was here,” Susie said, “but they all left. Janie helped me bake the cake. Dad said not to bother—he said you probably fell asleep in the meditation garden again—but I wanted to anyway. Jake couldn’t wait any longer, he had to go to practice. But where were you? It’s so late now.”

“Oh, darling, I suppose I did fall asleep in the meditation garden.”

“Well, I can put the candles back on. Maybe we could still eat some?”

“Oh, bless your little heart. I just couldn’t. Think of all the calories in that. But you go ahead and have some, sweetie. You still have a teenager’s metabolism, it’ll melt right off you.”

“Never mind,” Susie said. “I don’t think I want it anymore.”

— 

#2: you can still put birthday candles on a burnt cake

Dorothy Banks burnt her son’s birthday cake, muttering to herself, “Should have went with store bought.” 

Oh, well, you can still put birthday candles on a burnt cake. So the party goes on.

Desmond grew up with a great relationship with his mom, dad, and brother. He has earned the responsible trait. He does not receive any good habits bonus for healthy traits. 

Desmond’s 18th birthday was a small event—he had no friends to invite, which is sad. But he’s a rather lonely young dude, so he’s used to it. 

Big brother, Calvin, came home from uni for the party, but he wouldn’t sit down at the table no matter how they asked because he had to play with that goddamned stupid ball of clay (for real, how is this annoyance not fixed yet?!?). 

YA Desmond looks practically identical to his teen self, because TS4. But hey, he’s kind of cute. Why doesn’t he have any friends? We should find him some friends. And we should persuade future storyline Delphie to give him a chance when he asks her out in 2091.  

The cake tasted as bad as it looked. Desmond was the only one who even tried it. But don’t worry about Desmond, he’s used to disappointment. 

— 

#3: the thought that counts

It’s a beautiful spring day this Easter Sunday. Baby Sienna is ten months old this spring, and after much avoidance, Aliyah and Angelo finally admit that it might be time for their families to gather together.

It really couldn’t be put off for much longer.  

Aliyah is hosting the holiday in the lovely two-bedroom home her parents helped her buy. Deirdre and Raymond Sylvester have never met their daughter’s partner in the ten months their granddaughter has been alive. Now they see why the eventual day has been avoided. He’s a “lawyer” with the swagger of a gigolo, looking like a greasy used car salesman on a Florida vacation. And he informs them that he’s actually living here now. In the house they paid for.

“Mom, don’t.” Aliyah glares, sensing her mother about to get started. But the timer on the oven goes off and she doesn’t want the ham to burn. 

“You’re taking advantage of our daughter,” Deirdre accuses once Aliyah is busy in the kitchen. 

“Advantage? Nah, I’m pretty sure she wants me here… most of the time.”

Devon snickers, watching her brother squirm in his chair. Like, really, how did he think this was going to go? 

Angelo: “Ha ha, your mom has such a wild sense of humor.” 

Aliyah: *lets him believe that her mom was joking*

Ailyah’s parents simmer down once the food is served. The ham is juicy, smoky, and sweet, and it puts everyone in a better mood. Being hangry is never fun for anyone. 

Angelo’s mother also shows up to the holiday, finally, hours late, but you have to forgive a woman for working two jobs to support her family while her husband is in prison dead of cancer. 

“What kind of cancer did you say?” Valerie whispers to her son. 

“Oh, damn,” Angelo says. “I don’t remember. Like, liver or something? Do people get liver cancer?” 

Maybe the topic wouldn’t come up. 

The dining room is much too small for all of them, so they eat in the living room instead, taking whatever couches and chairs they can, and even Angelo’s desk. 

“So, you meet clients here?” Raymond asks. 

“Yup, this is my office,” Angelo says. “And if you ever get sued or anything— personal injury at the workplace, little bit of tax fraud, whatever, I’m your guy.”

Raymond Sylvester has never so much as gotten a parking ticket. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he says. 

Angelo’s little sister, Devon, is the sweetheart of the day. Aliyah’s mother is charmed by her doting little boyfriend and the nostalgia of first love.

“Does Angelo ever buy you flowers?”

Shit, Angelo thinks. He’s not about to be shown up by his sister’s half-pint weasel of a boyfriend, but it’s evening now and the flower shops are all closed. So he ducks out to the park where he saw some wild roses in full bloom. He picks the prettiest one for his beautiful lady.

It’s the thought that counts, or something.  

By the time everyone has said their goodbyes, Angelo has “okay” chemistry with both of Aliyah’s parents, and they thought he was fun to be around and interesting. He finished with a tiny green bar with her dad and nothing with her mom. Oh well, could have been worse.

At least this vicious spotty sickness waited to kick in until after everyone went home. 

—

#4: pretend you can fly

None of you will know this little girl who just turned 5 in my game. Penelope Pickett lives in Del Sol Valley, California, and she is the youngest daughter of the governor of the Pacific District. She is rich and super spoiled, but refreshingly down-to-earth so far. 

Her age-up traits are adventurous and outgoing, and she is a motor aspiration. She dreams of being a gymnast when she grows up, and we all dream of child gymnastics being properly added to the game. Unfortunately for this little tumbler, it’s probably going to have to be faked. 

—

#5: what if?

previously: Tyler and Maya get married // adventure honeymoon

Probably everyone dreams of quitting their entire life and running to the mountains to be a professional snowboard star and mountaineer… right?

They don’t want another vacation. They want adventure. It’s what they live for in between making a living. They’ve been to the stars together. They’ve seen the literal end of the world and fought it off together. And this—these days and days, do they really fill the gap?

“Talk me out of it, be my grounding,” Tyler begs his wise, steady wife. But Maya dreams of snowcapped peaks and wonders, truly, how she’ll ever reach them if they settle into their jobs and trade up to a bigger home so they can have three kids in five years.

Don’t worry, maybe, just have them later. Twins run in his family.

Talk me out of it, her husband pleads, because he already has one foot out the door. But how can she be his grounding when all she really wants is to take his hand and pull him into the sky?

You’re the smart one, Maya. You’re the sensible one. Be the sensible one.  

Let’s be real here. They can’t afford a bigger house for all those babies without his mother’s money, and his mother took out a business loan to fund the adventure water park that he promised to manage and thought was such a sound financial decision. Be real, they can’t afford another vacation, either, because it’s the start of water park season and their vacation days are already spent. They made promises and commitments.

And this is a beautiful life. It is. It truly is. 

But, what if? Oh, what if?

—

April Birthdays & Events: 

1: Gabrielle Roseland is 16

2: Keri Riley is 27

3: Pamela Collins is 40 (age up)

4: Malia Kapule is 17

7: George McCarthy is 34

10: Ally Lind is 34

12: Oliver Trudgen is 12

14: Sarah Harris is 20

16: Sloane Martin is 42

17: Lorena Blair is 34

19: Brady Lind is 74

19: Bryson Riley is 66

20: Chad Hathe is 38

21: Gwen Palmer is 36

23: Justin Kim is 28

24: Poppy Grimes is 26

26: Yvette Bachman is 24

27: Desmond Banks is 18 (age up)

29: Nicolas Rodriguez is 14

4/3/2087: Marlie & Daniel Levin, 1 year

4/22/2087: Tyler & Maya Jackson, 1 year

4/24/2077: Jackson & Vanessa Phoenix, 11 years

Health strike: Moses Rodriguez 

- this is strike #2 for Moses, who is basically one rung above being a townie and I can’t imagine anyone even knows who he is, lol!

Lot strike: Cora Lawrence, wall damage, exterior, small

May Birthdays & Events: 

2: Joseph Booth is 53

5: Jamie Pendleton is 30

6: Liberty Blair is 11

7: Rowan Phoenix is 4

8: Clark Beech is 51

10: Monica Bachman is 58

12: Luisa Palmer is 2

14: Penelope Pickett is 5 (age up)

16: Robert Kim is 54

18: Bruce Collins is 43

21: Lucy Deppiesse is 22

22: Angela Harris is 48

24: Reid Morton is 15

25: Amelia Bradshaw is 33

26: Ryanne Phoenix is 17

28: Blaine Quick is 6

29: Lara Nova is 35

31: Colt Rodriguez is 8

5/5/2087: Dallas & Lucy Deppiesse, 1 year

5/3/2056: Raymond & Deidre Sylvester, 32 years

5/13/2084: Hayden & Piper Phoenix, 4 years

5/23/2054: Bryson & Madison Riley, 34 years

Health strike: Wesley Grant 

- going from +2 to +1, and still very healthy

Lot strike: Ashley Deppiesse’s Capital Bistro develops a random bad smell. Yikes. That’s gotta be bad for business in such a classy place!