Welcome to The Freezer Bunny Club! This reading circle is an open space for the members to share our stories and discuss them with each other. Each week, starting on Mondays, we will focus on reading/catching up on one of the stories. The author can post a list of discussion questions, and/or ask for advice, suggestions, or thoughts on certain aspects of their stories and writing in order to foster meaningful and constructive discussions. Though each of the stories will get the spotlight in a rotating fashion, general questions, happy sharing of screenshots, and cheering along of any of the stories in the circle at any time is also encouraged!
Our fifteenth week of discussion, from September 21st to 27th, is focused on Ridley Residence by @Skeilah!
Make sure to check the post below for detailed information about the stories and archived discussions. (The adorable freezer bunnies in the banner were made by SimLaughLove!)
I really want to root for this family. I feel invested. Your writing has a way of drawing me in and making me care about the characters and want to see them do well. I don't think there's anyone I particularly dislike (even if Max is a bit evil).
What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
Absolutely. Some of the lines in particular really tug at the heart strings. The Villareals (and by extension, Bjergsen family) struggle with real problems, problems any family might encounter and need to work through, and that makes it feel authentic. Hugo and Sofia's relationship seems particularly real as they are just going through the motions in a way, with no high dramatic moments, but still fraught with realistic tension and lack of communication.
I'm able to navigate your website easily. I like the new look. It's clean and crisp, easy to follow. Minor note... the pictures on the character page and text with titles are off-center. It may have been a design choice on your part, but it's a little jarring the jumping to the right of the screen and then to the left, especially when reading on a smaller screen (like I so often do on my phone).
In-depth (spoilers)
Do you think I portrayed Sofia’s addiction storyline well?
Yes, she feels like a real addict. Spaced out, disconnected from the world, fell into it in a lackadaisical way, and is incredibly self-centered without realizing its impact on those who love and care about her.
I also relate to Hugo - wanting to be their for his girlfriend and support her, recognizing she needs help, but having no clue where to start or how things grew to be so bad. I can understand how scary it is to change status quo and move on from someone like Sofia, even if he no longer have feelings, or never had feelings for her. It can be hard to leave someone like that behind. The dependency is almost a bit addicting too. Hugo strikes me as someone who gives his all in a relationship, and he wants to take care of her. I wonder if losing his mom at an early age and/or his father's remarriage impacted that as well - his need to care for and protect others even at the expense of his own happiness.
I also think she is jumping from one relationship to the next to numb the pain she might be feeling. Like fixating on Luna keeps her from focusing on her real issues - her addiction. And I feel like she probably cared deeply about Hugo at one point, enough to ask him to move in. Perhaps instead of grieving the loss of a relationship, even if she's fallen out of love or never really loved Hugo in a romantic sort of way, she's jumping to Luna as a band-aid.
What is your favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
Luna and her daughter, Allyson's seems the healthiest relationship right now. Even if Allyson is a difficult child at times. Also Paolo and Lucy had the sweetest wedding at the beginning. I hope to see more of them and that post-wedding life is treating them well (despite Max putting a damper on things).
What is your least favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
I want Luna to find happiness. I really do. But I don't think it's with Sofia. That's dangerous territory given Sofia's addiction and her behavior. She seems to either be in a funk and apathetic toward everything and everyone, hurting people as she disconnects, or she's flitting right into another relationship at the expense of really working on herself and without thinking clearly about the impact to Luna and Luna's daughter.
What do you think of my portrayal of the Villareal family?
I've read a few other stories with the Villareals. I also had my own lore around them (without ever publishing it... yet). It's an interesting take on the family. I do think there's a good bit of subtle drama happening, but in a way that doesn't feel over-the-top or forced, and feels genuine. Reading the chapters is like ambling through their everyday lives. No crazy explosive fights or catching spouse with other people kind of drama (at least not yet), but a family that genuinely struggles with a wide variety of issues that a lot of families face.
How would you interpret and describe Max as a character?
Max is a self-centered individual. He only seems to care about what's his and making things his, without giving thought to other people's input, thoughts, or feelings. He also seems like a bit of a mooch, up until he moves out. He doesn't seem to work very hard at his job, but I could be wrong. However, I do think he's intelligent or at least clever as he schemes to gain back his "club"/gang.
I think I already made this clear - Lucy and by default, Paolo. I'd like to see more of Luna. It would be nice to see more of Jacqueline also. All three ladies are really pretty Sims, and seem like good people. Obviously, I'd also like to see more of Hugo. <3 :blush: And Nelson is pretty cute!
I'm really invested in Hugo and Sofia, but now that they are splitsville, I'd still like to follow their characters. Their stories seem to be what ties together the Villareal family and the story overall.
What are your predictions for any of the ongoing (or future) storylines?
Okay, predictions... fun times! Sofia attempts a relationship with Luna and Luna indulges her, only to be hurt in the end when Sofia returns to her addiction or changes her mind for some reason. Maybe she really realizes she needs help and checks into rehab and breaks things off with Sofia. Or crazy thought? She wants Hugo back but he's already with Nelson. :open_mouth: Sofia needs an intervention from her family, probably her mom and sister.
Hugo and Nelson go on a few more awkward dates and realize they are meant to be! <3 Hashtag #TeamHuson or #TeamNelgo! :lol:
There will be a growing rift between Hugo and Luna if 1) Luna doesn't talk to him about what's going on and 2) her relationship with Sofia continues. I think that would be really sad, but realistic. I hope the twins can make up.
I'd love to see Jacqueline grow to love and embrace her body. She's a beautiful Sim! And triumph over the bullies by refusing to listen to the naysayers and becoming a strong and confident woman.
I'd love to see Lucy and Paolo stay happily married. Someone needs to in this family. If they expect a little nooboo of their own, that would be cute. Or I could see incredibly juicy drama with that situation. Lucy didn't want more kids but is suddenly expecting. Paolo is thrilled. It could cause some awkwardness. Or Lucy wants another child, a child of their own together, but Paolo doesn't. Hmm... okay, no I still like my happily married idea best.
Max's plans backfire on him. Maybe he spirals and realizes he needs some help or counseling too. I doubt it though. It would be really wild if Christin left her husband, Brody, and she and Max became an evil power couple! Mwahaha! Or Veronica, Brodie's sister.
If you could give a piece of advice to one character, who would you choose and what would you say?
To Jacqueline, on a subject near and dear to my heart, girl, love yourself! Love all of yourself. Even the parts you think are ugly. You live in a world where beauty is defined so superficially and the world's standard of beauty is so fickle. What's in today is out the next. Be true to yourself. Take care of yourself. Be strong and confident in who you are. You'll radiate even more beautifully.
You mentioned in a comment somewhere that you might do a little more backstory on the Villareal kids. I'd love to read it. I think it would help fill in the blanks. You write the story in a way that feels like we're already in the middle of it. We jump right into the action and things are revealed slowly over time. But I do find myself wondering about motivations and their earlier years so if you're willing to share, I'd love to read it!
Okay, some questions for you. Sorry if others have already asked similar questions. I try and write my answers before reading what other people said so it's my thoughts and not too influenced by what others write.
How did you pick the Villareals as a family for your story? Did you play the family a bit before writing or did you develop backstory in notes and then just jump right in? How much of gameplay influences your storytelling? (I know, at least, parts of it does, but I'm curious). Who's your favorite character and why? Who do you struggle to write the most? Do you have an overarching plot you're trying to achieve or are you just writing as you go? Will you play future generations/write their stories? Like Allyson as an adult and her kids if she has them? Or Jacqueline and Neal? Or do you plan to end with this generation?
@Skeilah Congratulations!!!!!! *throws confetti* I hope you have a great and memorable last year =) We totally should! Mine’s March 28 and Duvelina’s is March 27. Ajam’s is December 18, and AdamEve’s is… December 9th? Do I have that right?
@Duvelina My gods. That sounds incredibly difficult, especially if all of that is only in one year. 0.o Do you start in September, or are you already attending classes? And yup, talking about these things is a lot of fun, too =D
@AdamsEve1231 That’s sounds incredible. I have massive respect for people that are able to make a career out of volunteer work. You sound like you’ve gone through some great experiences and came out an amazing person. College is pretty much expected here too, to the point where even the “hands-on” jobs are asking for degrees. It’s a bit of a problem, because if everyone is forced get a degree, then the degree no longer means anything.
@ajamkeevin , Hey, translate buddies! I don’t know if you’ve answered this yet because I’m playing catch-up on the thread, but what languages do you focus on? Mine are Dutch, English and Japanese ^^ I used to be able to do German too, but you know how it goes when you never use something. My vocabulary is now limited to “fahrrad”.
I guess I should chip in, too. ^^ I’ve finished college with a bachelor, but never thought about doing a master. Didn’t have the time – I was recruited by a Japanese company that pulled me overseas for two years, for training. It was intense in many ways. :D The idea is to sit between their HQ and our branch office and try my hardest to make everyone play nice. It's easy some days. Other days, I end up wanting to chuck people through windows. :sweat_smile: I'm back in The Netherlands now, and just finished furnishing an apartment before the whole Covid-mess started. There's two beautiful cats keeping me company, though, so life is good. :blush:
@AdamsEve1231 Thank you for answering so elaborately and asking your own questions. I'll make myself comfortable and get into it tomorrow. Right now it's 10 P.M. so I need to be in a better headspace.
@_sims_Yimi I currently have two months of vacation. I start in September. I was looking for an internship for the summer but covid-19 made everything a lot harder so I don't think that's happening.
"Duvelina;c-17563562" wrote: @skeilah Congratulations! Super exciting. ☺What are you studying, if you don't mind me asking? I don't think you've mentioned it yet.
I study Human Resources :)
Oh yeah, before I forget: I'll answer the other questions tomorrow since I'll have lots of time now :D
"Skeilah;c-17561876" wrote: Okay I'm gonna put it in the spoiler. I can't really be vague about it but I'll try :') If you don't want any spoilers, DONT READ IT!
So, I'm at this point where the next heir, a girl, became a teenager. As a kid, she had two boy friends. One is just as awkward as the girl (so like his dreamhusband for later, youknow?) and the other one basically knows about this challenge and just wants to marry her to stand in the spotlights. He's willing to fight VERY hard. I aged both of the guys together with the girl so the drama-series can go on, but now I'm like, not knowing what to do. Do I want the 'bad guy' to win (because yeah, he's pretty hot), or do I just want him to get in the way REAL BAD and let the true lover win? I don't knowwwwww because whatever I choose will affect the whole rest of the story.
I'm a big proponent of autonomy in game. Of course, it can be obnoxiously slow... or I guess obnoxiously fast... in the Sims, but I think Sims have a pretty good idea of who they want to be with. I had a similar problem in gen 1 of my ISBI challenge. Without getting too spoilery, I had everything all planned out. I thought it was pretty obvious who my protagonist would pick and then something happened to trigger a completely different response. It was all autonomous. So autonomously shocking that I fell out of my chair. :lol: But it was the best choice, and the better choice actually in the long run. If you can let your protagonist autonomously pick, or figure out with whom she has the higher relationship, that might be your answer.
Jacques died of exhaustion once. I had no clue that he could die if he woohooed twice as an elder. I was trying to get Lucy pregnant with Jacques' baby when he suddenly dropped dead. I was super surprised but brought him back to life.
I keep looking for a mod for this so if anyone knows of one, please tell me. It's really annoying when I have elder protagonists. I almost always have to freeze aging to prevent death, and even then, they can still die of other reasons.
I also love the themes in your story. Family(Luna), ambition (Max & Hugo), intrapersonal(Sofia & Hugo), Body positivity (Jacqueline), Self-discovery(Neal & Alyson) and Love. Of course there are a lot more and these themes and characters overlap with each other so I’m really not doing your story any justice here. I also not only love your chosen themes, your portrayal of them is absolutely lovely. Your story has the right shade of bright and dark, growth and setbacks.
I love that you mentioned theme! I took a theme class at the writer's convention I attended. When I returned home, I discovered a newfound energy for my story, KCLKF, because I understood the themes. It made it interesting to find how everything connected. :) I'd love to share my thoughts sometime with the group, but I still need to add my extra notes on Villains. >:)
