Sim in the City XIII: Swan Song
Previously: Nico became a teenager, Zora got old, and Miko spent a final fun-filled day with her children before meeting her untimely (because I wanted her to live forever) end on Spooky Day Eve.
Zora: Hello, Sadness Hotline? My daughter won't stop moping despondently around the house in her Spooky Day costume and refuses to eat anything but cake. Should I be concerned?
Meanwhile, Nico keeps wandering over to Miko's urn to lament all the amazing selfies he'll never get to share with her.
Despite how generally awful everyone still feels about Miko's passing, Zora is determined to raise morale with a low-key birthday party for Willow.
Try as he might, though, Nico just can't make it through without retreating to his bed for a long cry session.
Well, with or without him, Willow is going to grow up, and Zora is going to do her best to make it a happy memory.
Then Phoebe arrives and characteristically has her own approach to trying to cheer everyone up: dragging Nico and a newly-teenaged Willow out on the town for the Humor and Hijinks Festival.
Willow: Sorry, sis, but I don't think this is going to work.
Where'd you pull that voodoo doll out from, Phoebe? I hope you're only using it for good.
She's still skeptical, but Willow decides to give it a shot by joining the Pranksters side. Maybe a little light mischief is exactly what she needs to cure her sadness.
Nico: Ugh, what am I doing here? How can I even think about telling jokes at a time like this?!?
Oh no, Willow has turned her mischief-making on her own brother, and he's already in an awful mood. I'm afraid to see how he will respond.
Actually, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea! It's enough to break the ice of grief between them and produce the first genuine smiles I've seen them show in forever.
Willow: That was fun, I guess, and this cake is obviously amazing, but I don't know, I think I already feel the depression kicking back in...
Nico, on the other hand, is clearly on some sort of joke-induced euphoric high. What exactly was in that drink anyway?
Phoebe is also flying high on mischief juice, which naturally means she's ready to cut a rug all night long.
Phoebe: Oh my God, you were right. This cake is delicious.
Willow: Have you been here the entire night?
Phoebe: Of course! I was wondering where you losers got off to. I can't believe you still care about getting your homework done. I gave up on that shit early and look where I am now!
Does Willow have a hangover? Now I really am wondering what precisely was put in those drinks last night.
I think this is more than a hangover. She's developed some sort of weird spiral rash now. I know it's her first day of high school, but I'm thinking she'd better stay at home and rest.
(By the way, it took me an absurdly long time to realize you could send those big hunks of mineral off to the geo council or a jeweler, so I just had them sitting around my Sims' houses for ages in their raw state.)
Poor girl! This actually looks painful. Hopefully, a cup of tea and a refreshing nap will set her right.
It looks like Nico is wishing he would've stayed home from school, too, because he's had an utterly miserable day.
Not even a bathroom mirror pep talk can improve matters. I'm beginning to worry for him!
Willow: I hope you're not catching whatever I had. I think I'm on the mend now but, boy, was that an awful few hours!
Nico: Is this leftover cake really all we have to eat? Is no one in this apartment capable of cooking something else?
Willow is such a good sister. She clearly is not at all enthused to be at the park, but she's willing to sacrifice her own happiness to give her brother a chance to restore his via telescope. (She's also managed to dig up Miko's old Speak for the Trees protest tee to pay tribute to her late mother.)
Nico: Ah, there's nothing better than hunkering down for a long night of stargazing.
Meanwhile, Willow found her chidhood friend Preston, and he's clearly interested in being more than just friends now, but she's going to make him work a little for it - by having him literally chase her into a secluded, wooded corner where they can be all by themselves.
Oh, honey. The face isn't bad, but I'm not sure how I feel about that scout uniform or those body proportions. Sickly skinny arms and a bloated midsection are never a good look.
He then decided to change into this outfit, which I can't say is much of an improvement.
Willow might be kind of into it, though? At least, I think that's what her suddenly coy facial expression means.
Is this how teenagers flirt these days, by just shoving each other for hours on end? I feel so out of the loop.
Willow innocently suggests a game of basketball, which is clearly just a ploy to get Preston to work off some of that belly fat. Clever.
All this time, Nico's just been having a blast inside the observatory, and this is probably the only scenic observatory shot I'll ever take that doesn't involve woohooing.
He ends the night with some frog-hunting, as one does. Look at those swans in the background, how pretty!
Oh Lord, it's once again time for the arrival of the Harvestfest gnomes. Nico is still sleeping off his late night stargazing session when the first of their visitors shows up.
All right! We've managed to please the hallway bunny gnome. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
Two for two! Just one more to go, and we will be free of their expectant gazes.
Fuck! Of course, Nico's bedroom gnome has to be the one stubborn bastard who isn't pleased with anything. What has Zora ever done to be nearly struck down so many times in her life?
Willow: Don't worry, Mom. I've got this one. How could he possibly resist this face?
Willow: Please, please, Mr. Gnome, forgive my mother for her ignorant ways. She knows not what she does!
THIS FUCKER!!!!! I swear to God, they must have tried this about half a dozen different times. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to appease them once you've stoked their wrath.
By the way, I love that Nico is sleeping peacefully through this entire ordeal.
Willow: I know you're upset, little dude, but could you and your friends please move out of my way? I'm sort of trying to kick ass at Party Frenzy over here!
I think it was at this exact moment I decided to delete the gnome tradition from Harvestfest for good. I know it's supposed to be quirky and fun, but I am finished with these little cretins for the foreseeable future. Good riddance.
Nico: Man, I can't believe I slept in that late. Did anything interesting happen while I was asleep?
Willow: Nope, nothing at all! Just a regular, boring morning!
Zora: *tosses Willow an all-knowing glare*
In his outdoor adventures, Nico stumbled across this big, mysterious-looking tree...
It seems to be some sort of portal to a hidden land. Let's hope he comes out alive on the other side!
Oh, wow, this looks like a dream.
There's not really much to do here besides fish, but, damn, is it ever beautiful.
Unfortunately, the fish weren't biting that day and Nico didn't have much time to stay before having to head out for the family Harvestfest dinner.
Obviously, I was doing a lot of hopping back and forth between the apartment and Phoebe's house during this time, and after Harvestfest, I got so completely wrapped up in Phoebe's life that I completely neglected to keep track of the time until Zora's death, even though I knew it was getting close...
Which is all to say I wish I could call it an artistic decision to skip over Zora's actual death and instead post this far more comforting image of Nico embracing her non-corporeal form. But it was actually a decision made by necessity of the fact that I straight-up missed her actual death.
Willow: Mom, I wrote this song mere minutes after you died. Let me play it for you now.
Zora: Oh, honey, there's really no need for that...
Zora: For the love of God, please tell your sister to cut that ear-splitting racket out!
Come on, Zora. She's just processing your death the best way she knows how by taking up one of your instruments. Cut the girl some slack for not being a virtuoso yet.
In the midst of having to say farewell to their last living parent, Nico unceremoniously blew out his birthday candles and became a young adult.
Nico: Well, fuck, what do we do now?
Willow: I don't know, brother. I just don't know.
As depressing as it is, I think this is a good place to naturally end the series. It began with Zora, so it should probably end with her, too.
I have to admit, I struggled for a long time with how to handle things moving forward in terms of everyone other than Phoebe. I didn't want to abandon them, but the more I tried to become invested, the more it became abundantly clear that they just weren't maintaining my interest. There's going to be one more installment of Suburban Bliss, which ended up being partly sort of a crossover Sim in the City epilogue. After that, I'm letting the others make whatever they want of their lives in the background while I devote myself to Phoebe's World full time. Of course, there'll be plenty of cameo appearances, considering they're still important to Phoebe's life, but maybe they just weren't destined to take center stage.
Zora: Hello, Sadness Hotline? My daughter won't stop moping despondently around the house in her Spooky Day costume and refuses to eat anything but cake. Should I be concerned?
Meanwhile, Nico keeps wandering over to Miko's urn to lament all the amazing selfies he'll never get to share with her.
Despite how generally awful everyone still feels about Miko's passing, Zora is determined to raise morale with a low-key birthday party for Willow.
Try as he might, though, Nico just can't make it through without retreating to his bed for a long cry session.
Well, with or without him, Willow is going to grow up, and Zora is going to do her best to make it a happy memory.
Then Phoebe arrives and characteristically has her own approach to trying to cheer everyone up: dragging Nico and a newly-teenaged Willow out on the town for the Humor and Hijinks Festival.
Willow: Sorry, sis, but I don't think this is going to work.
Where'd you pull that voodoo doll out from, Phoebe? I hope you're only using it for good.
She's still skeptical, but Willow decides to give it a shot by joining the Pranksters side. Maybe a little light mischief is exactly what she needs to cure her sadness.
Nico: Ugh, what am I doing here? How can I even think about telling jokes at a time like this?!?
Oh no, Willow has turned her mischief-making on her own brother, and he's already in an awful mood. I'm afraid to see how he will respond.
Actually, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea! It's enough to break the ice of grief between them and produce the first genuine smiles I've seen them show in forever.
Willow: That was fun, I guess, and this cake is obviously amazing, but I don't know, I think I already feel the depression kicking back in...
Nico, on the other hand, is clearly on some sort of joke-induced euphoric high. What exactly was in that drink anyway?
Phoebe is also flying high on mischief juice, which naturally means she's ready to cut a rug all night long.
Phoebe: Oh my God, you were right. This cake is delicious.
Willow: Have you been here the entire night?
Phoebe: Of course! I was wondering where you losers got off to. I can't believe you still care about getting your homework done. I gave up on that shit early and look where I am now!
Does Willow have a hangover? Now I really am wondering what precisely was put in those drinks last night.
I think this is more than a hangover. She's developed some sort of weird spiral rash now. I know it's her first day of high school, but I'm thinking she'd better stay at home and rest.
(By the way, it took me an absurdly long time to realize you could send those big hunks of mineral off to the geo council or a jeweler, so I just had them sitting around my Sims' houses for ages in their raw state.)
Poor girl! This actually looks painful. Hopefully, a cup of tea and a refreshing nap will set her right.
It looks like Nico is wishing he would've stayed home from school, too, because he's had an utterly miserable day.
Not even a bathroom mirror pep talk can improve matters. I'm beginning to worry for him!
Willow: I hope you're not catching whatever I had. I think I'm on the mend now but, boy, was that an awful few hours!
Nico: Is this leftover cake really all we have to eat? Is no one in this apartment capable of cooking something else?
Willow is such a good sister. She clearly is not at all enthused to be at the park, but she's willing to sacrifice her own happiness to give her brother a chance to restore his via telescope. (She's also managed to dig up Miko's old Speak for the Trees protest tee to pay tribute to her late mother.)
Nico: Ah, there's nothing better than hunkering down for a long night of stargazing.
Meanwhile, Willow found her chidhood friend Preston, and he's clearly interested in being more than just friends now, but she's going to make him work a little for it - by having him literally chase her into a secluded, wooded corner where they can be all by themselves.
Oh, honey. The face isn't bad, but I'm not sure how I feel about that scout uniform or those body proportions. Sickly skinny arms and a bloated midsection are never a good look.
He then decided to change into this outfit, which I can't say is much of an improvement.
Willow might be kind of into it, though? At least, I think that's what her suddenly coy facial expression means.
Is this how teenagers flirt these days, by just shoving each other for hours on end? I feel so out of the loop.
Willow innocently suggests a game of basketball, which is clearly just a ploy to get Preston to work off some of that belly fat. Clever.
All this time, Nico's just been having a blast inside the observatory, and this is probably the only scenic observatory shot I'll ever take that doesn't involve woohooing.
He ends the night with some frog-hunting, as one does. Look at those swans in the background, how pretty!
Oh Lord, it's once again time for the arrival of the Harvestfest gnomes. Nico is still sleeping off his late night stargazing session when the first of their visitors shows up.
All right! We've managed to please the hallway bunny gnome. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
Two for two! Just one more to go, and we will be free of their expectant gazes.
Fuck! Of course, Nico's bedroom gnome has to be the one stubborn bastard who isn't pleased with anything. What has Zora ever done to be nearly struck down so many times in her life?
Willow: Don't worry, Mom. I've got this one. How could he possibly resist this face?
Willow: Please, please, Mr. Gnome, forgive my mother for her ignorant ways. She knows not what she does!
THIS FUCKER!!!!! I swear to God, they must have tried this about half a dozen different times. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to appease them once you've stoked their wrath.
By the way, I love that Nico is sleeping peacefully through this entire ordeal.
Willow: I know you're upset, little dude, but could you and your friends please move out of my way? I'm sort of trying to kick ass at Party Frenzy over here!
I think it was at this exact moment I decided to delete the gnome tradition from Harvestfest for good. I know it's supposed to be quirky and fun, but I am finished with these little cretins for the foreseeable future. Good riddance.
Willow: Nope, nothing at all! Just a regular, boring morning!
Zora: *tosses Willow an all-knowing glare*
In his outdoor adventures, Nico stumbled across this big, mysterious-looking tree...
It seems to be some sort of portal to a hidden land. Let's hope he comes out alive on the other side!
Oh, wow, this looks like a dream.
There's not really much to do here besides fish, but, damn, is it ever beautiful.
Unfortunately, the fish weren't biting that day and Nico didn't have much time to stay before having to head out for the family Harvestfest dinner.
Obviously, I was doing a lot of hopping back and forth between the apartment and Phoebe's house during this time, and after Harvestfest, I got so completely wrapped up in Phoebe's life that I completely neglected to keep track of the time until Zora's death, even though I knew it was getting close...
Which is all to say I wish I could call it an artistic decision to skip over Zora's actual death and instead post this far more comforting image of Nico embracing her non-corporeal form. But it was actually a decision made by necessity of the fact that I straight-up missed her actual death.
Willow: Mom, I wrote this song mere minutes after you died. Let me play it for you now.
Zora: Oh, honey, there's really no need for that...
Zora: For the love of God, please tell your sister to cut that ear-splitting racket out!
Come on, Zora. She's just processing your death the best way she knows how by taking up one of your instruments. Cut the girl some slack for not being a virtuoso yet.
In the midst of having to say farewell to their last living parent, Nico unceremoniously blew out his birthday candles and became a young adult.
Nico: Well, fuck, what do we do now?
Willow: I don't know, brother. I just don't know.
As depressing as it is, I think this is a good place to naturally end the series. It began with Zora, so it should probably end with her, too.
I have to admit, I struggled for a long time with how to handle things moving forward in terms of everyone other than Phoebe. I didn't want to abandon them, but the more I tried to become invested, the more it became abundantly clear that they just weren't maintaining my interest. There's going to be one more installment of Suburban Bliss, which ended up being partly sort of a crossover Sim in the City epilogue. After that, I'm letting the others make whatever they want of their lives in the background while I devote myself to Phoebe's World full time. Of course, there'll be plenty of cameo appearances, considering they're still important to Phoebe's life, but maybe they just weren't destined to take center stage.