Chapter 4.1 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 4.3

Generation Four: Orange

Appearance: Orange hair, Island clothing style
Traits: Foodie, Good, Active
Aspiration: Friend of the World
Occupation: Lifeguard
House Goal: 40,000 worth

The Lonely Gnome

Morning dawned somewhere beyond the fog, and … somehow… when I waded back to shore, there was a Gnome sitting next to my mailbox. Oh yeah. It’s Harvestfest. Pangs of loneliness assailed me as I realized this was the first time I’d even not been around my family and friends for a holiday. Feelin maudlin, I pulled out my phone and flipped through my contacts. One caught my eye. My biological Father. Sure, I’d always known he hadn’t been a Mermaid, and that my beloved Dad, Kado, wasn’t my actual Father. We just had never really talked about my real Father much. So, on a whim, I tried out the new Social Bunny app on the phone, and sent him a friendly message. I had no idea what would come of it, but at least I’d made the first step.

WC: Day Ten < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Interlude 2

After the crazy night before, Jaz did a bit of a sleep in, and chores and breakfast was in full swing by the time they wandered downstairs.

All the kids were pitching in, and Jaz felt super guilty for not being awake in time to help, but a soft word from Wendy dissipated the guilt.

WC: Interlude 1 < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Eleven

It was Saturday. Club meeting day. Jaz woke up early, and decided to get some chores before the rest of the household was up and getting ready for the day. There were some puddles in the kitchen, who knows from what.. nothing was broken.. but nevertheless, Jaz got out the mop and got rid of them. The excitement bubbled inside them, because they knew they’d be able to finally see Colin again – as well as all the rest of their friends.

Chapter 3.13 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 4.2

Generation Four: Orange

Appearance: Orange hair, Island clothing style
Traits: Foodie, Good, Active
Aspiration: Friend of the World
Occupation: Lifeguard
House Goal: 40,000 worth

Day One

I didn’t even make it to my new home before Mom called and insisted I meet with her to go shopping. She insisted that it didn’t count as her helping me out, because it was just clothes, and, quite frankly, she said she should have taken me for a makeover before now. I’m not sure whether I agreed or disagreed, but – it WAS Mom… and I always valued spending time with her, anyway. Plus, I was curious about the Thrift shop.. and whatever the heck bubble tea was…?

1890s Week 5 | 1900s Week 1

Well, here we are, back with the Sheppards – who, currently, are not a story… but this post might be a bit different than most of my commentary posts. Because we definitely have some story here.

1850 Part 1 | Story Info | 1851

Charlotte’s morning started very much like the mornings had back east. With a waddle to the outhouse. Sighing deeply, Charlotte rejoiced when she actually made it there, and headed back inside to get dressed for the day and make breakfast for her growing family.

She didn’t have more than a few moments of peace before the delicious smells of the Forager’s Stew woke everyone up with rumbly bellies.

WC: Day Nine < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Ten

Penpal Project: The weird-letter World

Marlin was just about to go to recess with the others, relieved that so far nothing had gone too horribly wrong -after all, it was his first day at middle school!- when something on the notice board caught his eye.
“Letters around the world – LGBTQIA+-friendly pen pals
Do you feel like you don’t belong? Like no one really understands? Different? Sign up and find others who feel just the same – and perhaps make a friend for life!”
He sighed. He really just wanted to be normal and accepted by the others -he’d seen what happened otherwise through Milo!-, and anyway, what was that weird garble of letters? LGTBCKA? But still. Something on this poster just spoke to him. The world did feel like a bubble to him where everyone had their place, girls and boys, and he was just… outside that bubble. Wrong.
And maybe, just maybe… maybe he’d be accepted there, should the others at school not warm up. He really didn’t understand them. It wasn’t even anything he had done. They’d had one look at his shoulder-long hair and snickered. “What, don’t you know what scissors are? You can use mine if you want, and at least try to look not-horrible…” But he liked his hair! It felt soft and shiny and when he turned his head, it swooshed a little. And then they seemed to follow weird rules nobody had told him about, when something was funny and when laughing was bad, how to greet each other, all that… so he just stuck out even more.

WC: Day Eight < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Interlude 1

Jaz’s day started with a pell-mell run for the bus after sleeping through their alarm. They made it, though, so it all worked out okay.

WC: Day Seven < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Nine

Jaz woke up early the next day, and was not surprised to see a cheerful Penny preparing to dash downstairs.

“What’s up, Penny? Why the rush?” Jaz asked, curious.

“Oh, I just want to check my email before school! Want to come down with me??” Penny asked, smiling broadly at Jaz.

Slightly surprised to be invited to something Jaz had assumed would be a private affair, checking one’s mail… Jaz stumbled over their words, “Um.. sure. Sure Penny. I’ll come with you.”

“Great!” Penny replied, and, to Jaz’s further surprise, grabbed Jaz’s hand and pulled them along with them down the stairs in their slippers and PJs.

Chapter 15 | Chapter 17

The dreary weather outside actually was a boon to me, because it meant that there wasn’t a sun to burn me up. I could see that Mari was getting tired of the constant rain, however, so I made sure she had plenty of things to do inside.

With what was left of our savings, we had bought some curtains (which I can’t believe I had forgotten… Thank you, Mari, for mentioning it to me…) and started cluttering up the house to really make it look lived-in.