Diminish the Torment Legacy Challenge- Rules and LP

Here I am, on the first day of spring. I've just arrived to my new home lot in Newcrest, alone and without a simoleon in my pockets. Not the easiest choice, trying to cope on my own, but there really is no turning back. I'm here and have to remain hopeful and determined to build a bright future for myself and the generations to come. No matter what hardships I have to face, surely I'm ready for anything.
https://i.imgur.com/3HmaOHn.png

I'm not going to tell you, how I got my hands on this piece of property. It might have something to do with the fact that I've always been an insider. It might be linked to me being a bit hot-headed. It's not really important anymore, so we will not talk about it, ever. Like my past, this too will remain my secret. From now on, only the future matters.

To be honest, Newcrest is not exactly Big City Living I have aspired for, but it is a step further away from ... erm, towards the future.
I don't have much. There's a bench to sit on, so that's nice, right? At least I have something to sit on and enjoy the moment.
Everything seems great. Yet, as beautiful it is here, something just feels ... off. I have this weird feeling growing in my stomach. There's something wrong in this place but I just can't put my finger on it, what exactly.
https://i.imgur.com/58mUlyA.png

Surely it'll be fine, right?

Life's been ok so far. Kind of.
I met some people, had a chat with them. It didn't feel like they would become my friends but it was nice to have some social interactions.

At nighttime it feels like I'm never alone. The lot seems to be haunted, though I haven't met any of the ghosts yet. Even if the ghosts do come out at night, I really have no energy to interact with them. Some kind of flashing lights and eery sounds keep disturbing my sleep. I'm so exhausted all the time that I can barely keep my eyes open even at daytime.
There are also a lot of cats and dogs around here. Some of them are smelly but it's ok. Who am I to judge, I'm smelly most of the time myself. I try a cautious introduction every now and then. I can't feed them, so they don't pay much attention to me. Mostly we just co-exist.

In conclusion, it's hard to find food and shelter, I'm always tired and hungry, but I am getting by.
https://i.imgur.com/0FgwN26.jpg

I realize I made it sound like my life is miserable and devoid of hope. Well, it is a struggle but it gets better with each day.

I've found some mushrooms and flowers growing nearby. A nice lady who owns a grocery shop was willing to buy them from me, so I'm making some money now. I've even had a few warm meals at the pub. I also planted one of each plant I've found, alongside some seeds from the gardening shop. I have a little garden now and will have more produce to sell. Having a steady source of income will be great.

I was attacked by bees a few days ago. That was unpleasant, but I'm ok. Everything will be much better when I've saved up enough to have a roof above my head. There won't be as many creepy crawlers around then. That is, they should remain outside, right?

Also, fishing has been a life saver. Not my first choice but you know - desperate times... It is kind of fun ;) and I can sell the fish along the rest of the produce I grow in my garden and find in the neighborhood.
Basically my days consist of gardening and fishing and selling stuff at the market.

Oh, and one of the most joyous things.
I've met someone. His name is Gabriel. We went on a date at the Spice Festival. I ate every food there was to offer there, even the spicy stuff that made my mouth burn and stomach hurt. I do welcome a free meal these days :).
We had our very first kiss. Gabriel is romantic and sweet. He is a bit gloomy sometimes, but get's happier when we are outdoors.
https://i.imgur.com/FThzhMq.jpg

It'll be my birthday soon. Gosh, life goes by so fast. I do hope I'll have a house soon. And a partner and a family... a girl can dream.

I was working hard all spring. It's summer now and life is looking good.
First of all, the living situation has gotten so much better. I saved pretty much every simoleon just so I could build a house. That did not come fast and easy. It was more like a steady effort putting up one wall at a time. I bought a bed, a shower and a refrigerator, and "moved in" when there were only 2 walls up. That's how thrilled I was to have anything resembling a home again.
Four walls and a roof later - and poof! that's a real house.
Somewhere between all this gardening, fishing and building - my birthday came and went. I'm an adult now. I felt so sad and lonely that day.

On a happier note.
Gabriel and I are still dating. We've spent a lot of time together and I'm so-so smitten. We had the loveliest date at the Rattlesnake Juice bar in Oasis Springs. We could barely get our eyes off of each other. So of course I asked him to move in as soon as the house was "complete" and I could afford to get a double bed for us.
And he agreed!!

I expected everything to go uphill from there, but no..
With all the construction dust in the house our relationship started to deteriorate. He claimed he can't sleep in all this filth. He would get in the bed and within a minute get out again, tired and tense. He would be in lousy mood going to work (he works as a gardener) and even worse coming home. I mean, what am I supposed to do? We have no electricity and there is no way to vacuum the floors. We do have mops but everybody knows, mops are no good against the mighty Dust. Oh I wish there was something to collect the dust other than vacuums, maybe a brush and a shovel of some kind. Wow, that sounds so out of this world.

Gabriel kept spending the evenings outside, chatting with Guidry, the ghost that lives here. One night I saw Gabriel sleeping on a bench in the nearby park! That's not what I imagined our life would be like.
https://i.imgur.com/RyaSfy7.jpg

The next morning we had a chat. I expressed my feelings and so did he. We agreed we'd put all our efforts in buying a wind turbine and we'll keep the house clean and our relationship pure. Our love is burning bright again.
Soon we had the turbine running and the house clean again. I've been making sure to not let any dust get between us again.

We've been working on the house a bit. It is getting roomier. We've re-arranged the furniture and bought some new one. Well, we needed to, with a baby on the way ..
Yes, we are expecting!
It happened sooner then I planned. Or maybe just in the right time. Life is short and we do want to have a family before we become elders.
I hope it's a girl, I've always wanted to have a daughter. I think Gabriel is happy to just have a kid, so there's someone he can talk to, besides me and the plants.
https://i.imgur.com/IzcDNmB.jpg

Pregnancy was... Let's just say, it was hard.
I couldn't afford to slow down. We kept to the same routine of planting, harvesting, fishing and selling produce. Except now I had a baby growing inside me. I was constantly exhausted (though that might've been caused more by the "wibes" on the lot than pregnancy itself). The number of times I wet myself, ugh.

When it was finally time to get to hospital I was home alone, tired, hungry... I had just fought off some plasma bats and the most recent shame of not holding my bladder still freshly on my mind...
It was too much for me.
I just passed out.

But I did get to the hospital in time. There were some minor glitches during the childbirth, or maybe it's normal (it was my first time after all).
At times I felt I was in the weirdest fever dream, floating above the floor, through the doctors legs, while the doctor was standing there just helplessly waving their hands.
In the end it was all good, and I gave girth to a healthy baby.
https://i.imgur.com/4F1o12i.jpg

We named the baby boy Grant.
No girl this time. I'm young enough to try again. For my relief, Grant was a good baby, slept a lot and ate well.
It was autumn but our mind was set on growth. We planted some new crop (supposedly oversized crop, we'll see if I got scammed or it's a real deal).
That same night was the first time Death arrived. Let me assure you, we're all ok. They came to collect the soul of a stray cat (so nice of them to care even for the strays, right?).
To my surprise Grim (that's their name) is a rather friendly character. Reaping souls is just something in the job description, there's nothing personal about that. I would have never guessed but Grim likes the color yellow. They should feel right at home with us :smile:

Grant is growing up fast. He's an inquisitive toddler, always eager to wander around and to make a mess here and there. It's a good thing Gabriel is a fantastic father and teaches Grant all the basic needs and everything else a boy needs to know.
https://i.imgur.com/dlu5NKv.jpg

I think Harvestfest is my favorite holiday so far. Don't get me wrong, the gnomes are creepy. The way they appear and disappear all the time is unsettling. But with all the other unsettling stuff happening in this lot, at least the gnomes come with some benefits. Once they've gotten their cup of coffee (or whatever else they fancy at the moment) - they start leaving all these seed packets around. Yeah! Free seeds! What's there not to like.

Gabriel has gotten all gray over the holidays. I don't mind the gray but it reminds me how fast the life goes by. I'm not ready to let go of him. I'm glad ageing has not affected his fertility. I'm not sure he was as happy about it when I announced I'm eating for two again.
https://i.imgur.com/cgkEK3h.jpg

Maybe he's worried he'll die and won't see the kids growing up? Maybe he's right.
But I'm not giving up my dream of having a daughter of his.

Our first winter in Newcrest had plenty of snow, more then I've ever seen. It was almost as cold inside as it was outside. It would have been nicer if we had installed some heating beforehand, but we had not started to prepare for the cold weather just yet.
Grant was grumpy and freezing all the time. I kept dressing him in his warmest outfits, but regardless of my efforts he was always wandering around the house in shorts and a t-shirt.
It was a relief when he finally got big enough to get dressed by himself. I was worried he might hold a grudge against us, as we have been able to provide him with very little comforts and entertainment, but he seems to have embraced our humble living conditions and is willing to keep our footprint as small as possible. A real green fiend.

My water broke in the middle of the night and I once again went to the hospital on my own. Gabriel would have joined me if I asked, I'm sure, but I didn't ask. He's been getting exhausted more often then before, so I chose to let him have a good night sleep. Guidry promised that he'll tell him where I am, if Gabriel would wake up.
At the hospital I had the same weird out-of-body experience as the first time. Maybe it is normal during childbirth, but I'm glad it lasted only for a moment Soon enough I could hold my baby in my arms.

We named him Greyson.
https://i.imgur.com/sKW4Np2.jpg

Winterfest rolled in.
We celebrated the way we could. We didn't have a tree or fancy lights, but we did decorate the house and wrapped some presents.
Some friends joined the festivities. I invited Herman, the new creature keeper we've been selling some of our foraged plants to. He's been really friendly and Gabriel agreed that inviting him would be a nice thing to do. It is Winterfest after all and I imagine it gets really lonely at that secluded cabin in Bramblewood.
And Grim came over - they had been in the neighborhood (was called in to reap the soul of some poor fox) and were willing to join us for a family meal. Grim even helped me cook, while Gabriel was dealing with an unexpected NAP inspector's visit.

After dinner I delivered Gabriel my special present - Surprise, I'm pregnant again!
He sure was surprised.
Or maybe more shocked. I'm not sure, because Father Winter stepped in at that very moment and distracted us. Perhaps it was for the better. Not sure if I would have managed to hold my feelings in if Gabriel had said anything negative about me expecting again. He knows I've always dreamed about having a daughter and that would be the best winterfest present for me.

Grant was courageous enough to talk with Father Winter and ask for a present. And Herman was bold enough to flirt with me. It took me by surprise but I had no time to react. Gabriel and Grant stepped in the room right after and we started opening the gifts together. Herman left right after that so I couldn't confront him about the flirting then and there.
Probably I should've talked with him next time we met, but it felt weird to bring it up so much later. Actually, better if I forget about it. I'm starting to think that maybe I imagined it. It was a long evening and I could have sworn Father Winter almost froze to death in front of our house. And that's impossible for sure, with all the warm clothes he's wearing all the time. So, yes, it must have been my imagination.
https://i.imgur.com/vtPlFe8.jpg

Just like that - the winter was over again. It was lovely. Gabriel kept the house in order and looked after the boys. Grant is doing great at school, always on point with his homework and chores. Greyson has been growing bigger and bigger, always taking note from his older brother, rarely asking for any help. He even taught himself to potty, I mean, all by himself, my independent little man. It's been blissful.

With all my boys supporting me, this was the easiest pregnancy so far. Even childbirth was over in a minute. I walked in the hospital and then I was already holding Gil, our third son.
Well, yes, once again, a boy. I am a bit sad, but I've realized I shouldn't be disappointed about it. Who's to say I would have been happier if my firstborn would have been a girl. Perhaps I'm not to have a daughter until I've learned my lesson and started to appreciate what I have already. And what I have is great. All my boys have been the best.

...

Grim stopped by a few nights ago.
It was not a courtesy visit.
I begged them to leave, take the strays or the foxes or the neighbors walking by.
But they took what they came for.
It was all business for them.

https://i.imgur.com/uoySaIb.jpg

I suppose I'm not to have a daughter with Gabriel after all.

I've been feeling lost.
I missed Gabriel so much. I knew boys missed him too.
Grant was acting up, for several school days he left home and hadn't done his homework. And a few days I caught him making a mess in the kitchen. Greyson cried all the time. Gil was still a baby and slept a lot, but it's been breaking my heart to know that he won't remember his dad at all.
I couldn't mope around too much. Without Gabriel's help I had to step up my game again. More foraging, more chores.

For once I was glad life goes by so fast.
Gil, my baby boy, got bigger. He has curly hair now and an inquisitive nature. Greyson started school, I hope he'll do well. I'm slightly worried about his lactose intolerance. We've rarely had any milk products at home, no wonder I had no idea dairy might not suit him at all.
Grant has started to show some erratic behavior. I don't know how to help him. He was always such a happy toddler and seemed to do okay as a child. Maybe losing his father made a dent in his self esteem. Maybe it's just s phase. I should tell him more often how much I appreciate him and his help.
I'll be needing it a lot soon.

Something has happened, something I would have never expected. I'm eating for two again. I had no idea those last moments I shared with Gabriel would create the ultimate surprise for me.
Could it be? Maybe I'll have Gabriel's daughter after all!!
https://i.imgur.com/EocSGWw.jpg

I've spent my days in the garden. I can see the appeal of talking with the plants. They seem to enjoy my company and I enjoy theirs.
Herman came by again. I don't know what exactly happened, but it seems that he enraged some of the specters. I discovered a huge fire on the porch and Herman was right in the middle of it! Good thing I had an extinguisher at hand. He said I saved his life. I guess I did.
He has visited me more often since that. No weird flirty vibes anymore, thank goodness! He's just friendly and helpful. And still giving me triple the price for any foraged plants I lay my hands on.
I sure do need a friend in these times. It feels like I'm always fighting off some dark clouds. And sometimes even bats and other dangerous creatures.
https://i.imgur.com/aFaBG15.jpg

It's not easy to be a single mother of three, with fourth one on the way.

I've been pregnant three times before, so the fourth one gave me really no surprises. Belly getting bigger, making everyday chores harder. Exhaustion, embarrassment, flashes of overt confidence and crushing doubts. Trying to be a good parent, and still demanding more and more assistance from Grant to care for Greyson and Gil.
And then it was finally go time. The usual trip to the hospital. Waiting at the reception, floaty feelings in the delivery room.
Until finally the doctor announced - you have a baby boy!

...
Another boy!

What a twist of fate. I was hoping to have a daughter. After three boys I should have had finally a girl.
Well, no. No baby-girls for you, Gita! But hey, here you go - have two boys instead!

I named them Kirk and Samir.
Samir was a quiet baby. Kirk cried for the both of them.

Once more I was happy I could rely on Grant to help me. I think I've used him more as a babysitter then I should. He was complaining about it the other day. To my shame, I didn't pay much attention. Babies were crying and I had no patience to deal with the mood swings of a teen.
I tried to apologize later, but now it was my turn to be ignored. I just hope that once the twins get bigger and require less attention I can try to build a better relationship with Grant again.
I know it's not fair to put so much pressure on him just because he's the oldest. Feeding the babies, changing diapers, now potty training. He complains every now and then but still does everything that's expected of him. It's a good thing Kirk is more of an independent nature. And Samir is such a charmer, so no one can say no to him. Not even Grant at his grumpiest.

https://i.imgur.com/MSihyRd.jpg

I've had so many kids in a row that I was starting to forget what it felt to be a woman. Especially since Gabriel died, I have been only a mom. So, I was eager to go out, when Herman invited me to hang out and I could go alone.
The address he gave me was in Sulani, but I didn't think much of it. We had a lovely walk on the beach. He was funny and nice and made sure I got home safe after our walk. I think I fell for his charms.. or just wanted to feel alive, to have an adventure. It shouldn't make me blush, it was just a little woohoo. That was all that happened. Just a woohoo.

Or so I thought.
I've had 5 kids. I should have known better.
A little woohoo is enough when you're not careful.
I'm pregnant again.

Herman was so happy about it. He's going to be a father, something he had always hoped for. Something his wife...
Wife? I asked.
Oh, we're not living together, he replied. But Karissa never understood him like I did, he said. She never approved his love for the creatures and the nature.

He went on and on how I've made him the happiest man and how unhappy he was in his marriage and that he'll provide for his kid. It'll be great, his job pays well.
His job?
Yeah, he's actually a salaryperson at Farseer Data Corporation. No worries, he can afford to pay for anything I desire.

When he left that afternoon I let him kiss me on the cheek. He seemed to want more, a loving embrace, a passionate kiss. All I wanted was to scream and push him away, but I felt powerless, just hollow inside.
The whole evening I tried to figure out, how did I manage to get in to such a mess. I'm not interested in having a relationship with a married man. He never mentioned anything about having a wife and it never occurred to me to ask. A creature keeper living in the woods, not a female in sight. Except he doesn't live in that cozy cabin, he lives in a charming beach house in Sulani. And he has a wife and a corporate job.

And now I'm having his child. What a dumpster fire!

It was just perfect when that same evening a handsome young man named Caleb knocked on the door and got set in flames by the specters. Such a fabulous sign from the universe.
Grant extinguished the flames. Caleb was thankful. But we didn't invite him in. For all I could care that moment, I would let any man showing up at my front door just burn to death.
I know that Caleb guy, or any guy for that matter, didn't deserve my contempt just because I was so careless with Herman. I probably shouldn't be so harsh on myself either.
I was just so ashamed. I still am.
https://i.imgur.com/CPw8U6o.jpg

What am I going to do? I feel too proud to accept any help from Herman, but how am I going to manage all on my own with six kids?

https://i.postimg.cc/9QPGdC7r/2-lot.png

I decided not to build a structure with the basic necessities, to add a bit more challenge. He does have a tent, and there's a nearby bush. There is also a grove of lemon and cherry trees right behind the lot.
Succession will be by whoever inherits the lazy trait. :)

The welcome wagon came. Clarence loves them all. He got along especially well with Maaike Haas. Knox was a random walkby, but they're buds now.
https://i.postimg.cc/LXWf9sr0/3-welcome-wagon.png

The fruitcake fed Clarence for days. He loves it. Unfortunately, sometimes eating on his lot makes him throw up.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fJZkb12/4-cake.png

He likes fishing too.
https://i.postimg.cc/C5f8zg0M/5-fishing.png

Clarence tried singing in front of the neighborhood bar for tips, but no one tipped him. He went to the Solar Flare and tried singing at their mic. No tips. He played the guitar they had there. He was terrible, but people tipped him! He met the cute bartender Becca Clarke, but more pressing on his mind was the fact that he now had enough simoleons to take Maaike out on a date.

https://i.postimg.cc/pLMf5pyw/6-date.png

If only Maaike had a drink and he ordered only water, that is.

Clarence learned on this date that Maaike is a Snob. Maybe she's not a good choice for a Slacklater. They enjoy each other so sweetly though.

Having accumulated a lot of berries, cherries and lemons from the neighborhood, Clarence went to sell his wares at the grocery stand. He was surprised at the S700 he earned. Enough for his very own guitar!
https://i.postimg.cc/q7k2QSsQ/7-sale.png

And his thoughts turned to Becca... who was a wonderful partner for skinny-dipping at the Bluffs. They are getting along VERY nicely. Clarence hopes to take her on a proper date soon, but skinny-dipping at the Bluffs is hard to beat...
https://i.postimg.cc/B6bHfFwK/8-becca.png