One Month One World One Year Challenge (Selena Lilly)
So, I started this off in the hopes that I could keep up with it, and immediately couldn't. I've decided to instead do it in this thread, but please check out the main thread with all its wonderful stories here if you're interested!
I'll be picking up from where I left off in the thread, which is here if you want to catch up.
Selena Lilly
Our protagonist! She's struggling to make her way through life after being kicked out of her house.
Selena had been daydreaming in art class as they worked on their projects, blending colours together as she idly thought about yesterday's flea market. Being back in San Myshuno had been slightly unpleasant, and she'd ended up sleeping a little later than she might usually have done. She'd enjoyed the street food, and she'd even had some fun, but there was still that old feeling in her heart, the one that felt as though she was building a house of cards and expecting it to withstand a hurricane. She'd never wanted to feel like that again, and she hadn't been sure who she'd been more scared of running into.
The project in question was 'self-reflection', which was, as usual, a broad topic. Still, she found herself wanting to do her best, even if her initial idea hadn't stuck with her. She'd wanted to paint a cracked mirror version of herself, but that had seemed too...well, even so. Instead, she found herself beginning to paint something else. She sketched it first, outlining the women with their masks and claws, and began working harder.
She didn't even notice when the teacher came to stand behind her, eyeing the piece.
"Impressive, Miss Lilly." Her voice made Selena jump and turn around, brush still in hand.
"I..." She looked around, to find other students leaving. The class had ended, and she hadn't noticed. She looked back at the canvas, but began tidying up as the teacher watched. It was a good feeling to wash the paint out of the brushes she had used, and she felt proud of what she had done.
"Good work today, Selena," the teacher called out, as she left, and Selena felt a slight glow of pride. Perhaps that explained why she spent the extra bit of budget on a large easel and some paints, and why she found herself doing something she never thought she'd do again when she got home that night.
We started the day off asking for more petitions! It seemed to be going well, but I actually got a notification that night that voting closed. Oh, well.
Selena's skills are hiking up slowly, including cooking, which is definitely a relief. Again, I can leave her alone without too much fire risk now. As you've probably guessed, her Painting skill is definitely getting up there as well.
But of course, she still is tired most of the time. I really can't wait for the High School pack to come out, although Selena will likely age up before she sees it. High school just really tires out your teens...
Selena had found herself painting more and more since that day. She'd picked up her brushes again, and started to go with the flow - though it wasn't always easy. Frustration, sketches going awry, and paint being wasted were common, but she began to really love what she created again, and in the end, she found herself starting to relax more while she was painting. Her worries simply didn't seem to exist with a brush in her hand.
Her teacher began talking to her about creating a portfolio, and mentioned Britechester casually from time to time. It seemed like a very long way off, and Selena wasn't sure, but Mrs Fox kept on about the importance of a portfolio, and finally, Selena relented slightly. Sketching was also fun to do while out and about, practicing capturing people's expressions and movements.
Some of the other students had started to take a bit more of a look at her, which she wasn't sure about, but the other art students had begun to talk to her a little more, and she wasn't as lonely. Luis, one of the boys, had even called the mask painting she'd started 'creepy cool', which she guessed was a compliment. It made her smile a little, even.
Selena's Painting is just getting better and better! I decided to actually keep the one she's working on in the image of the day, and hung it up above her desk to help with homework. It seems to actually be working well, too.
Also, the fridge broke, but Selena fixed it up right away. She then decided she doesn't like Handiness, and frankly, I can't blame her. I don't imagine that was pleasant in any way.
She also had to clean up after, but she's pretty responsible these day - by which I mean fully in range to earn the trait when she becomes a Young Adult!
It might have been the influence of picking up the paintbrushes again, but Selena had found herself longing to go up to the slopes once again. She'd always had fun skiing or snowboarding when she was younger, and she'd been happy to find out that there were rental boards available if you didn't have your own. Given that the paint supplies had already stretched her budget, that was a good thing.
It was as if her mood had simply started picking up again this last week or so. Sure, things weren't perfect, or the way they used to be, but she was slowly getting used to how they were if nothing else, and it was no longer as nightmarish as it had been at the start. She even wondered sometimes if she could ever have had the freedoms she did now if things had stayed as they were.
She'd also been thinking about Donny again, recently. Slowly, she was starting to wonder if it really was so much her fault that things had turned out the way that they had. He'd told that she couldn't blame him for getting sick of the way things were, and that she expected too much of him, but she'd been clear when they were dating about why that was. Selena couldn't help but think that maybe Donny wasn't as reliable as she had thought, and that...well, that maybe it was for the better that they weren't together anymore.
If she was honest, she was also beginning to think wistfully about dating again. She'd always been cautious, of course, but even with this newfound freedom, she found herself not wanting to get her heart broken on a whim. But it was nice to at least wonder what it might be like to go on dates again, or to get to know someone.
She took a deep breath of the cold air, and smiled.
We've hit Day 22! Still a little while to go before we move out, but the end of our Mt. Komorebi stay is in sight, and I have to say, I'm a little sad. Selena has been taking excellent care of the garden, and it will of course be coming with us when we move.
I sent Selena to get some snowboarding in, as part of the Extreme Sports Enthusiast Aspiration. I'm not sure that we'll complete it, but I wanted her to get as much of it done as possible. So, off to the Bunny Slopes we go!
She was eventually able to head to the beginner slopes, and to my surprise, didn't fall over as often there, either. She actually seemed to be having a blast!
At the end of the day, she'd levelled up her skill a little bit, and it was time to head to bed, sore but happy. She definitely seems to be smiling a lot more these days, and she's gotten a lot better at a lot of things!
Also, one last screenshot - she went hiking up a trail and got a blessing from the little spirits, and I got this beautiful picture of her smiling and energized. I think this might be one of my favourite pictures of her to date!
Selena carefully mixed colours, trying not to think about what everyone would be up to right now. It was Harvestfest, and she'd ended up not actually doing anything for it. She'd just been pretty busy, today. Last year, she'd been sat down with her family for a massive meal, and this year, she was ignoring the whole thing.
The next day was the Festival Of Lights, luckily for Selena, who desperately needed a distraction. She'd carefully put on a yukata that she'd been loaned by one of the neighbours, and actually found she was looking forward to the whole thing. They'd had festivals in San Myshuno, but the only one she'd ever envied tourists for was the Romance Festival. She'd never been, not even when she had a boyfriend, and the other festivals weren't really worth risking getting caught sneaking out.
But this festival was beautiful, with lanterns, and lights floating down the river, and the smell of sweet taiyaki drifting through the air. She could hear the soft murmur of a growing crowd, and felt a tentative smile creep onto her face. No one would scold her for being here, or make her go home, or anything like that. She really could just enjoy herself.
This is also one of my favourite shots of this day! Selena got to make a wish, and I can't help but be curious what she'd wish for. Maybe 'better luck in romance this year', although perhaps that's too much of a hint for the storyline.
Halloween had finally arrived, and Selena was actually pretty excited. She'd found an old cheerleading uniform in one of the thrift shops, at least, and she'd been pretty excited to buy a pumpkin this year. Halloween had just been a party holiday for her before, usually going along with her cousin to some big, expensive party which wasn't really any different from any of the other parties they had to go to. She'd never had to buy candy before, and so she tried to put her all into carving the pumpkin.
She probably could have gone out herself, but she wanted to be the one handing out candy, and to thoroughly enjoy her Halloween.
It looks like I might have made this holiday, because I looked for 'Spookytime' and found nothing. Past me had naming...choices, let's say, but I think at least that it's one of the ones you can make yourself.
And yes, Selena dressed up as a cheerleader this year! There were many fun options to choose from, but this was definitely the best choice for her.
The pumpkin carving station was my gift to her, this Halloween/Spookytime, and she had a blast making a pumpkin on it. We went with the cat one, and in my mind, Selena has hot chocolate and is watching Hocus Pocus between people trick or treating. Cozy, right?
And here's our first trick or treater! I don't remember her name, but she's the youngest Goth (she may very well be Cassandra's daughter, if I remember correctly?)
Gemma Charm showed up dressed as Princess Leia, which was pretty cool! I think she ended up getting some candy, but all the teenagers I saw were pretty much dressed in Star Wars outfits. Maybe it's a GeekCon thing?
But THIS was the highlight of the night. Celeste dropped by, dressed up as a skeleton! Celeste is Iris' twin sister, and Jenny's other daughter. It was so sweet seeing these two interact.
I was really happy with how this turned out, honestly. I didn't expect Celeste or Iris to drop by, but seeing Celeste again was amazing, and also, in case you can't tell, I really miss her. I might try to weave Jenny into the story a little bit if I can once Selena goes to Windenberg, which is where Jenny is currently, I think. I could be wrong!
Selena had found herself back at the slopes today, with a rented snowboard and slightly less stress than usual. She'd been picking up her old skills with it quickly, and even when she fell over, it didn't feel as though that really mattered. Every small jump was exhilarating, and she'd started to recognise others who regularly practiced here.
The snow, the clear air, and the privacy of Mt. Komorebi was beginning more and more to feel like home, and recently, she'd followed her teacher's advice and started selling her paintings at a local cafe. To her surprise, some of them had actually sold, and she'd felt pride and happiness beginning to swell.
She was doing wonderfully until she overheard someone talking excitedly on the phone. Selena recognised the girl from one of her classes, and almost raised her hand to greet her - and then she heard possibly the worst thing she could have.
"I can't believe Mia Michaels is actually going to be coming here for her next reality show! My aunt said they'll begin filming by the end of the month, isn't that amazing?"
Her heart dropped into her boots, and she excused herself quickly, trying to focus on her breathing. It couldn't be right - no, it shouldn't be, anyway. She found herself on a bench, and began calming herself down.
Selena's painting continues to improve day by day! Look at this, I'm genuinely impressed. I love all the lovely paintings you can collect within the Sims.
She's also reading to learn about rock climbing, just to try and get part of the Aspiration at least. Unfortunately, there's only so much you can do with that.
As for snowboarding, it's going well! Selena's skill level is climbing rapidly, which is actually a lot of fun for me. I've never used this feature much before, as I hadn't completed the first aspiration previously with Jenny, so this is a bit of a wild ride.
As for the story, it's slowly moving along! Selena's got a lot to think and worry about now, but she's not in the position she used to be in, so there's that. Our next world will be Moonwood Mill, which is going to be fun to explore given that it's such a new pack. I'm honestly loving what I've seen of it!
A hike the next day brought her to a ruined house, with graffiti all over the walls. Selena could see where a fire had been lit, and she carefully struck a match against one of the bricks, lighting the fire again. As she stoked it, she tried to calm her racing thoughts.
She'd been unable to sleep most of last night, waking up and falling asleep, in and out. It had left her irritable for most of the morning, but here she could think more clearly. Of course, what she dreaded most was what she had to do.
She would have to leave.
It wasn't as though she could run away forever, of course, but certainly she knew what would happen if she were to be discovered. She'd been avoiding things on that front for quite a while now, anyway. She took a deep breath as she reviewed the facts, mentally.
Mia was her cousin, and possibly the worst person that Selena knew. They'd been a little close in childhood, but slowly, as they grew, Mia had turned spitefully against Selena. If Mia came here and Selena was still here, her reality show would turn into exposing Selena's new existence on live television, or possibly something worse. It hurt that Selena had so little to uproot, but the chances of being discovered by Mia were too high to stay.
She would have to talk with the counselor about moving, as she was doing it on her own. She didn't even know where to begin with that, and she certainly didn't want to start over the way she'd had to before. She also wanted to talk to the art teacher, and maybe see if she had any advice.
Plot point reveal! Yes, Mia and Selena are cousins, and Selena will have to leave before Mia arrives. There's definitely more to that story, but for now, let's roll the images! Selena got invited to a party that...pretty much didn't happen.
I'm just going to sandwich these together as I never got the chance to post yesterday. It's been really hot, which made me super tired, so I'm just going to do a double post to make up for it.
Day 28
It had taken a couple of weeks, but things were finally in motion for Selena to start leaving. The hype about Mia's imminent arrival kept making her feel nervous, but she'd found that eating lunch in the art room usually calmed her down. Her teacher had been very supportive when she'd expressed that she needed to find somewhere to transfer.
It had been Mrs Fox again who suggested Moonwood Mill, which was an out of the way town with very few people. Apparently, Mrs Fox had a friend there, who she promised to recommend Selena to as an artist.
"Keep building your portfolio in the meantime. Britechester could be a wonderful option for you, Selena, if it's what you want, and you'll need to show them your talents." She'd smiled, and then left Selena to her lunch.
Mrs Fox was, Selena had realised in the past couple of days, her favourite teacher here. But it wasn't like she could change her mind with how things were. She already had a prospective place lined up, anyway. Still, she'd miss Mrs Fox, at least.
Not much happened today! As we go into Moonwood Mill, I'll be working on getting a lot more story in, and maybe only a few comments. Selena is doing a lot better than she was when this challenge started.
I've been focusing her on Painting, as it's a very versatile skill and great for building up money...
Finally, Selena finished up with some homework. I really do think the Focused painting is very good for this, but I'm also intrigued as to what will happen when the High School EP comes out. I reckon it'll spice things up some!
With her house pretty much packed up, and most things sorted out, Selena found herself with quite a lot of free time. As such, she decided to take the time to check out the best slope that Mt Komorebi had to offer for snowboarding, and see the best sights she could at high speeds. And, to her delight, she found a breathtaking view from the very top that she could see again and again.
She took in the sight for what could be the last time (who knew if she'd be able to come back here?) and then started down the slop, feeling her eyes grow wet. She'd enjoyed living here more than she'd realised, and she knew she'd miss it. She resented Mia for being the reason she had to move, and she wished with all her heart that she could stay.
So, a lot happened in this day! This was pretty much the chunkiest day it could be, and it ended up being a lot of fun given that I hadn't really tried out the slopes like this before. I think I'll be way more prepared for them for next year's challenge, and it definitely felt like a wonderful goodbye to Mt. Komorebi, which is already one of my favourite worlds.
To start the day off, Vlad came knocking but with no luck...
This was the point at which I spotted freakin' GREG running around the slopes at what, 5am? I got very worried that Selena was going to get turned into a werewolf before even getting to Moonwood Mill, but luckily I didn't see him after this.
As for Selena, she was doing just fine, despite grumpy werewolves running around while vampires were knocking on her doors. I'd pay to see those two run into each other, frankly...
Of course, she built up an appetite, so I had her come down and get something from the vending machine because it was still too early for anyone to even be around. One lukewarm hotdog, please!
But just like before, she absolutely had this, and I'm so PROUD of her. We started off sleeping on benches and showering at the onsen, and now she's crushing it on the slopes with her own house!
There were plenty of other screenshots like this, but eventually, I sent her home to get some real food and rest up. It was a lovely day full of snowboarding and beautiful views, honestly, and I'm always impressed at the effort that was put in for this.
Now, for the last couple of images, I did try to get her to climb the mountain, but it didn't go as planned at all. I had Sakura join her, but in the end, I couldn't get Selena to climb very well. Here is a picture of her *attempt*.
So, while I was able to complete the Sightseer Aspiration, I wasn't able to complete the Extreme Sports Enthusiast. Still, I had a lot of fun trying, and I look forward to showing off Selena's life in Moonwood Mill in a couple of days! (Yes, I've been playing ahead a little, which is a lot harder when writing the story!
Her paperwork was sorted for the transfer to Moonwood Mill's high school, and now she just had to get herself across there tomorrow. She'd started to wander around the area she'd first found herself in, just one last time. The mascot statue stood as bright and cheerfully as it ever had in the centre of the square.
Selena would miss Mt. Komorebi, but maybe someday when she was older, she'd be able to come back here properly. For now, she'd have to focus on building up things in Moonwood Mill, and sorting out her new life there.
Yep, officially the last day! I'll definitely miss this place, but hopefully Selena can come visit it in the future.
So Selena started off by making what I think is french toast, and she looked pretty sad, too. I think this process will get easier as time goes on, but for now it's not easy at all.
And we ended up expanding the collection, which was great! Unfortunately this is the last screenshot from today, as I think she went to school and pretty much collapsed, and then I had to move her to Moonwood.
I'll be attaching her new look below, which I love, but we'll be upgrading to full chapters now that we're in Moonwood! Or rather, starting from Day 2 we will.
