This section is dedicated to all my challenge attempts that I’m not writing a full-on story about. Usually I do these mostly in a commentary style, as it’s the easiest way to write them. I blog these challenges for two main reasons: 1, to keep a record of what I’ve done and where I am in the challenge; and 2, to share these challenges with other people. Since I have so many challenge attempts “in progress” I would NEVER be able to keep them all straight if I didn’t blog them. And so, you all get to enjoy reading along with my challenge hijinks!

Also: I have separated out the ones that are fully on hiatus (for whatever reason), and the ones that I’m 100% done with. I will attempt to make sure that the “landing” page for each of the challenges have info about whether they’re currently active or not, but if I forget, pay attention to the categories the stories are listed under, and anything with the “retired” or “on hiatus” categories will not be updated anytime soon. On a side note: the featured photo for this page is actually from one of my Streamed challenges, which will be in another section, but it’s so dang cute I couldn’t help using it!

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Sometimes a picture just brings to mind a storyline. Like this one… Where’s the bunny going? And why? Is he leaving his farm family behind to explore the wild, or is he off to find a little girl bunny and bring her home to meet the family? … Other times, it’s something that happens, or a character (or sim) that really just speaks to you. This section is where I’m at my most creative. It’s also, by far, the hardest to write. So – I have to be in the right mindset to write the stories listed here… and sometimes I get fully stuck in writer’s block mode for a while. So I can’t promise these will be updated with anything close to regularity… but each and every story listed below was crafted with love, and holds a special place in my heart. (and imagination!) I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!

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Simlit comes in many different forms. Some people think it’s just stories about the sims, but I believe it can also refer to any writing that is inspired by your sims. Stories, commentary and picture posts.. Heck, even just a series of pictures can tell a story and show what’s happening in your game. I am utterly addicted to challenges. Playing them, writing them, thinking about them, and most of all… starting a new challenge. Which explains why there are so many different stories and challenges listed in this section. I tried to split them up in a way that makes sense – I separated out the ones that are fully stories about the sims themselves and their lives from the challenges where I just take pictures to document what happens in the game, then write some commentary to explain each picture. I enjoy writing both styles, but they both come with their own pitfalls. Their own highs and lows. And more than anything – they both require a certain amount of pure inspiration and creativity. Which is 1, why I like them.. And 2, why sometimes it’s hard – or next to impossible – to write on any given day. I always fully plan to go back to stories I’ve had to stop for one reason or another, and I will always feel at least a bit guilty for the ones that I’ve simply had to fully face the fact that I need to throw in the towel and retire them. I’ve tried to make this section as easy to navigate as I possibly can, but with so many stories, keeping things organized is sometimes difficult. If you find a missing or wrong link, PLEASE tell me so I can fix it. I do try to always have links from each post to the previous post in that story as well as the following post, and I hope that helps navigation. Enjoy your browse here, and feel free to leave comments!

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House 013 Chapter 6 < | > House 014 Chapter 1

First, we get a look at our goals:

House 013 Building Goals:
2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom home worth at least $100k Simoleons
-Must include a designated gaming room
House 013 Generational Goals:
Achieve Level 10 of the Gamer branch of Tech Guru on Jax
1st place in Pro tournament for both Hillock II and Sims Forever on Jax
Achieve Level 10 of Start-Up Entrepreneur branch of Tech Guru on 2nd sim
*Note* All sims are Controllable in this house!
Produce and raise The Heir to the Young Adult life stage

It’s been so long since I played this, I have no idea what I did towards the goals so far.. But I’m pretty sure the house value was complete by this point.

Apparently it’s Springfest.. Because Elissa is having a blast…

Jax has by now completed all of his goals, and I’m feverishly trying to beat the clock to have him finish his servo before his death.

Elissa grows up. What a cutie!!

Mama helping Journey and Elissa with projects. Pupper is helping, of course.

Ethan is our last toddler, but not for much longer. I can’t wait.

I add a playground to the back of the house.

… And a graveyard. 🙁

Elissa apparently doesn’t care that it’s her little brother’s birthday. Popcorn > Zombie Cake.

Another cutie! What a great family.

I finally give the two of them room upgrades. This is Ethan’s…

And this is Elissa’s.

I also added a science table for the kids in the hallway.

We adopted a new dog, Chester, so we can have a new puppy.. and this is the result. Pippa (the puppy) will be going with us to the next house.

Mom ages up to elder. 🙁 Time is running super short for Jax, and the servo is still not dead. His life’s work. Uncompleted.

Journey’s Teen birthday arrives….

… And she rolls Perfectionist. um.. okay?

She’s still gorgeous, though. I definitely will need to give her a makeover, though. LOL. And typical teen, immediately pulling out her phone.

Mom helping Journey on her school project.

The other two kids had to do their own.

Disaster strikes. Fidget is officially gone. She will be terribly missed.

I laughed so hard at this picture. Apparently Journey is astounded by the holiday meal.. and someone must have dropped something nasty in Adrienne’s food .. or something. What a face, though.

Proof that it is, indeed harvestfest. Those darn gnomes….

Mom is working on the fireplace, while Elissa grows up. Ethan was not far behind.

Also: by this point, Jax had died. Spoiler… he didn’t finish his Servo. But he had been literally MOMENTS from finishing it. I was so mad, I brought him back as a ghost, and made him finish it. Journey will take the Servo with her (including paying the penalty for it).. as a tribute to all the hard work Jax put into it. I immediately had him go back to the netherworld once it was complete. No harm done…. just a minor cheat.

This photo is to prove that they all made it to Winterfest. You can also see Ethan and Elissa grown – and they’re both still cute as heck.

Sadly, that night, alone.. Adrienne quietly joined the group in the graveyard. Luckily, I am still allowed to control Journey and her siblings for the rest of the generation.

Journey on her last day in the house. She will owe 6880 simoleons for the servo and robotics table to activate it.. as well as 200 for bringing the dog along.

Proof that I did, indeed, finish the house. Also: a couple shots of the finished build:

I did not, however, remember to take final shots to prove that Adrienne and Jax finished their goals.. but they did. By this time, I was just glad to be done with the house. See you for next house!

House 013 Chapter 6 < | > House 014 Chapter 1

Chapter 3.6 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 3.8

Generation Three: Red

Appearance: Red hair, scandalous clothing style
Traits: Romantic, Hot-headed, Art Lover
Aspiration: Serial Romantic
Occupation: Art Critic
House Goal: 30,000 worth

The Terrible Twos

My day started with a phone call from work. I had stuff I needed to get to, but my time was so filled with toddler care and training, it was hard to find spare moments to get work things done, too. I disliked calling babysitters .. and there was no way I was going to rely on a nanny, so I was coping as well as I could.

I was working on other things, too, like my aspiration … and there was nothing wrong with supplementing my income with selling any treasure or shells I find while beach combing. The sand mural .. is for working at home. Sometimes I just can’t get to the city to do the required graffiti spraying, so I decided to do it at home.

Little Charlie continues to grow by leaps and bounds, both in what she can do, and size. She’s walking easily now, and has finally started talking. We’re still dealing with middle of the night nightmares, but they’re getting further and further apart.

My cousin, Grayson, came by to to chat – and announce his new baby on the way. I congratulated him, and we chatted for a long while before Charlie woke up from her nap and needed some dinner. I excused myself and went back into “mom mode”.

I was so busy, that even cleaning sometimes has to take a back seat. It didn’t really help my appetite, however, so I made sure to do a cleaning pass every night before bed.

Poor Charlie. She spent so much time with me today, learning skills, that her little body just gave out. I picked her up and carried her exhausted little self straight to bed.

Tucking her into bed, and reading her a story, she finally fell into a deep sleep, one I hoped would last the entire night. Crawling into bed myself, I reminded myself that the toddler stage couldn’t last forever. I just had to survive it.

When I had time, I also worked on my painting and writing skills for work. Both were really nice, and helped in the income department, because raising a kid is not cheap. Other parents never warn you about that part of parenting!

Day by day, little Charlie learned more about her world. She loved getting baths – and splashing me, so I knew she was going to make a wonderful mermaid. I specifically neglected to tell my parents and family that Charlie had been born human, because I figured that was personal info. If Charlie wanted to tell them someday, that was her choice. Plus, nobody would ever notice, because fins don’t show up until you’re a teenager, anyway, so as long as she eats the kelp on her birthday and changes right away, nobody will be the wiser.

Potty training has been a struggle, but I think we’re finally making headway on it. At least – she’s started letting me know when she has to go, so *most* of the time, we’re able to make it to the potty in time.

Rohan and I have made up after his little jealous fit on Love Day at the restaurant, and he still comes over from time to time to check up on Charlie and I. He’s a sweet guy, but certainly not “keeper” material. I’m still wary of his weird “spell-casting” and strange hand motions.

Finally, my day ended, and this time it was me who barely made it into bed. I prayed Charlie would let me sleep through the whole night. I certainly needed the break!

---

Chapter 3.6 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 3.8

Chapter 3.5 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 3.7

Generation Three: Red

Appearance: Red hair, scandalous clothing style
Traits: Romantic, Hot-headed, Art Lover
Aspiration: Serial Romantic
Occupation: Art Critic
House Goal: 30,000 worth

Messing Around

Charlie wasn’t tiny forever, and I felt she was going to need a Dad.. eventually, and I had no prospects on that… so I needed to meet more men. On yet another trip to the city, I met Kado. He was married with kids, but didn’t seem concerned about leaving them behind to spend time with me. For a moment, I felt guilty, but then, I decided to just let that slide. If he felt guilty, that was his business, but I didn’t think I really needed to.

Therefore, when Love Day hit, he was first on my list to invite out to dinner. Kado was smart, and caring, and really seemed to put all his attention on me whenever we were together… which was music to my ears. I invited him out to Sand Simoleon Seafood, and he readily agreed to meet me there. We ordered our food, and were deep into conversation, when a nagging feeling hit me. Something was wrong.

Apparently all Kado and me flirting had not gone unnoticed. Rohan was sitting at the next table with a date, and, by the frown on his face, it was clear he had spotted Kado and I. Resolutely, I turned away and focused on Kado. What Rohan did was his business, and if he was going to get jealous.. well then, poo on him. I had never told him we were exclusive, so there was no reason for him to be jealous, in my opinion. Consequently, Kado and I had a lovely meal. He continued to be a great companion, and someone I could really have a full conversation with. I had SUCH a good night with him, that I was loathe to end the night. So… I invited him home with me. He agreed without hesitation, and we headed back to my cozy little red cabin on the beach.

I really only had one thing on my mind (ok, well two.. I made sure Charlie was well cared for before going to bed with Kado…) and Kado was quick to agree. Turns out: he was as attentive and skilled in bed as he was at conversation.

The next morning, Mom called to check up on how Charlie was doing, and I answered her questions, neglecting to mention there was a married man still sleeping in my bed behind me. I knew she wouldn’t approve, and since I was an adult now, her approval didn’t really matter to me, anyway. (At least, that’s what I was trying to tell myself…) So, instead of waking up Kado, I went for a swim. Charlie wasn’t up yet, and my scales were feeling awfully itchy.

Unbeknownst to me, while I was out for my swim, Charlie woke up, and Kado happily took care of her for me. He found a bottle in the fridge, changed her diaper, and gave her a cuddle. By the time I got back, he was still baby-talking to her and seemed to be having a great time getting to know her… which was … well, surprising to me.

Once he noticed me watching him, Kado confessed to having to go home for the afternoon, but he promised to come back later. I reserved judgement on whether that was going to happen or not.

While he was gone, Charlie had her first birthday. With very little fanfare, all of a sudden I had a toddler to take care of. I mean, I had some experience with toddlers because of my siblings.. but it was still a bit of a shock. I ended up calling into work and taking the rest of the day “off”, because I needed to concentrate on keeping Charlie busy and out of trouble.

That afternoon, the doorbell rang, and I yelled that the door was open, wondering who it was. Kado walked in shortly after my yell, with a rose in his hand, and a smile and a kiss on the forehead for Charlie.

A sudden urgent call from work a bit later, and Kado immediately stepped in to take Charlie outside to play so the two of them would be out of the way while I worked.

The next time I had a chance to look out the window, they were happily building a sand castle together, acting for all the world like they’d known each other forever. I wrapped up my work as fast as I could, and called them back inside as the sun started going down.

My way of thanking Kado may not have been the best example for Charlie, but I wasn’t going to change myself just because I had a child now. She would have to decide what was right for her as she grew up. Finally, she decided to head outside to play in the sand again, leaving Kado and I some time to .. well.. you can figure out the rest.

At bedtime, I went out to find her playing with a local toddler outside (in fact, he was a relative of hers.. but neither of them knew it, which I found hilarious. I located my cousin to make sure Charlie’s playmate would be cared for, and gathered Charlie up to take her to bed.

The next morning, I took Charlie out to play in the new kiddie pool after breakfast and Kado heading back to Mt. Komorebi for work and family duties. I noticed Charlie seemed a little unfamiliar with the water, and a sinking feeling hit my chest. She wasn’t a born mermaid. Luckily, I still had a supply of mermadic kelp that Mom had passed down to me, so – once Charlie was a teenager – she could change. I was still determined she would be my heir, whether she was a mermaid born or not. It wasn’t her fault her father was human!

Later, the contractors showed up for some work on the house. I knew that, since I had a toddler, I was going to need a bathtub, so I had ordered a full bathroom installed, and the start of a real kitchen.

After all, I couldn’t expect Charlie to grow up healthy and strong if I was only feeding her from the cooler of cereal, granola, and yogurt. Finally, my house was turning into a real home.

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Chapter 3.5 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 3.7

House 013 Chapter 5 < | > House 013 Chapter 7

First, we get a look at our goals:

House 013 Building Goals:
2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom home worth at least $100k Simoleons (90k-ish now)
-Must include a designated gaming room
House 013 Generational Goals:
Achieve Level 10 of the Gamer branch of Tech Guru on Jax
1st place in Pro tournament for both Hillock II and Sims Forever on Jax
Achieve Level 10 of Start-Up Entrepreneur branch of Tech Guru on 2nd sim
*Note* All sims are Controllable in this house!
Produce and raise The Heir to the Young Adult life stage

We are finally getting somewhere on the goals.

Young Elissa has finally aged up.

And it’s Winterfest! Journey, our heir, is chatting with Mom, who doesn’t seem impressed.

Journey is off to play, while Elissa gets potty trained.

Also: Welcome baby Ethan!

Sadie being cute. I just had to take this picture.

Journey loving on Fidget. Sooo cute!

Ethan finally grows up to toddler. For a while, we’re going to have three toddlers. Yikes.

Breakfast time!

Mama is making the fireplace safe.

Finally! Journey’s birthday!

Apparently, Journey is still not sure about Mom. What a face.

Journey, and what a cutie she is. Super happy with the way she looks.

Journey’s room makeover:

Then, Ethan’s new room:

And, Elissa’s..

See you next time!

House 013 Chapter 5 < | > House 013 Chapter 7

WC: Day Four < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Six

Shopping

Jaz was up early before school, and found out they weren’t the only one awake. They tried to draw Timika into conversation, but all they got for their effort was a weird look, so Jaz just shut up and ate breakfast in silence. Jaz wondered what Timika’s story was, but didn’t feel like they could ask, so … silence it was.

Once breakfast was over, it was time to get ready for school, and at least there was Penny to talk to while doing that. Penny was about Phoenix’s age, an orphan, and apparently – until recently – they’d been in a home with mostly toddlers. Talking about them made Jaz feel even more lost without their siblings, and Penny empathized with them, remarking that she was glad she had no siblings to miss. Being moved to a new home was bad enough without feeling like they’d been ripped away from family. Jaz agreed with Penny sadly, and the two went out to wait for the school bus.

As the youngest in the house, and the only one to stay at home with Wendy during school hours, Jimmy was able to get a lot of attention during the day. Matt worked in the business industry, and between his paychecks and the payments from the foster agency, Wendy was able to be a stay at home parent like she really wanted to. After Layla, they had been unable to have another biological child, so the decision to become foster parents had been easy, really. So many kids these days were in need of a stable family life after falling on hard times.

After school, Jaz and the other kids all sat down to finish their homework. It was a rule in the house that homework had to be done before anything else, and it was one Jaz wholeheartedly approved of. Jaz was done first, and sat down for a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet of the house, wondering what to do with the rest of their afternoon. They decided that maybe they’d work on their Creativity aspiration, which needed Jaz to play with several different toys. With a sigh, Jaz got up and headed for the toybox they remembered seeing in Jimmy’s room.

“Oh, there you are, Jaz!” Wendy said cheerfully, “I was just coming to find you.”

“Oh? What for?” Jaz asked, hoping it wasn’t anything bad.

“I just talked to Penny, and I’m going to take her shopping. I thought maybe you’d like to get a bit of a makeover. I understand times have been rather hard lately, and I noticed your clothes aren’t the newest. Perhaps something new would be good?” Wendy asked, hoping Jaz wouldn’t take the offer wrong.

“Really?” Jaz replied, unsure of what really to say.

“Of course. We could make a whole afternoon of it. Maybe get hair cuts, if you are interested, and then go to Magnolia Promenade to see what we can find for new clothes.” Wendy replied with a smile.

“Magnolia…? Not the thrift store?” Jaz asked, astounded that they’d actually get to go shopping at a REAL store, not just get hand me downs or thrift store castaways.

Wendy chuckled, “No, honey. I meant new clothes.”

“I’ve never had new clothes.” Jaz commented quietly, then reached up to touch their shaggy hair, “And a haircut might be nice.”

“Well, let’s go then. Let me get my purse and keys. I’ll meet you at the car, okay?”

Jaz nodded, and went to find Penny excitedly.

After a short drive to the shopping district, they all got out of the car and followed Wendy into the store.

Both kids browsed for new clothes, surreptitiously looking at price tags. This was so much money, and both worried that this was just too much expense when there were other kids in the house. Wendy caught them, and told them to stop looking, and not to worry about it for today.

Jaz’s jaw dropped, and tried to not feel weird for doing actual shopping without being given a budget.

As if sensing a big sale, the saleslady came over, and insisted on helping Jaz and Penny find styles that would fit. Before long, even Jaz had gotten into the retail therapy, and happily picked out some new outfits that would fit closer with the boyish style they felt more comfortable with.

After picking almost a whole new wardrobe, Jaz felt horribly guilty about the total cost, but Wendy assured her that it was easily covered in the budget. They then went around the corner, to the salon – a place Jaz had NEVER been to. Marnie had always cut Jaz’s hair to save money. Not even sure what to tell the stylist they wanted, Jaz pored over style magazines until they found a style they felt would work. The style seemed more appropriate for a boy, which fit well with their new outfit style. Since Wendy seemed to be okay with it, Jaz sat nervously while the scissors snipped. When the stylist turned them around, Jaz’s jaw dropped. They looked so different! With a hesitant grin, Jaz showed Penny and Wendy, to resounding compliments. Both seemed to really like what Jaz had picked, to their relief.

The drive home in the dark was noisy, with all three of them chattering excitedly. Jaz had completely forgotten about calling Kayla. When Jaz finally remembered, they were already curled up in bed. Promising to try to call the next day, Jaz drifted off to sleep, happily fingering the ends of their new haircut and feeling so much older in their new pjs. Being able to get rid of that ridiculous rainbow bunny suit and slippers felt like actually growing up.

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Bonus shot: Post-makeover Jaz

And: an outfit tour for both Jaz and Penny.

WC: Day Four < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Six

WC: Day Three < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Five

The Concert

Jaz woke up the next morning feeling far less disorientated than previous mornings. Perhaps they were getting used to their new home. Rolling over, Jaz, noted that Penny was already up and gone for the day, so Jaz decided it was probably past time to get up. Getting themselves dressed in their normal clothes, Jaz made a face at the thin-ness of the fabric. It had been getting close to time for another thrift shop run, but that seemed out of the realm of possibility now. Jaz wondered if they should mention it to their new foster mom. After a moment of thought, Jaz decided not to. Things were still tense, and asking something about money just seemed.. wrong.

All dressed, Jaz headed down to the living room, and found their new foster mom, Mrs. Judd, hanging out with her daughter, Layla – while Layla watched some questionable TV. Jaz said good morning, and Mrs. Judd immediately told Jaz to call her Wendy, and patted the spot next to her on the loveseat.

“How are you settling in, Jaz? Any problems so far?” Wendy asked in a friendly tone.

“Oh, no, Mrs. – I mean Wendy – things are going just fine. I just miss my brothers. Especially the twins. They were fun to play with.” Jaz replied, then continued, “I really appreciate you making room for me in your house, .. um. .. Wendy.”

“Oh, Jaz, you are so sweet. Of course we have plenty of room for you. Perhaps you should talk to your caseworker, Kayla, and see if it would be okay for you to get the numbers of your siblings. I am pretty sure they’re not in the office today since it’s a Sunday, but you could always call them tomorrow after school?” Wendy suggested.

Jaz paused, thinking about Colin mentioning the same thing. “I think I will do that. Thanks, Wendy. Is it okay if I go grab some breakfast?”

“Of course, sweetie! There’s some leftover pancakes on the stove, and they should still be warm.” Wendy replied with a smile, then got up and continued, “Here, I’ll go with you and make some bacon and eggs to go with them. We need to get some meat on your bones!”

Confused as to what “getting meat on your bones” meant, but unwilling to ask, Jaz followed quietly, equally unwilling to turn down freshly made food.

Layla shook her head to herself, wondering at her strange new housemate. This non-binary “they/them” thing was kind of weird, but Jaz certainly seemed like a sweet, genuine person. How sad they had lost their whole family in one really bad week.

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Later that day….

The entire family packed up and headed to the park in the middle of Willow Creek. Jaz was handed a ticket for a concert, and looked at it curiously. They’d never been to a concert before. Heck – they’d never even heard of such a thing happen. This was terribly exciting.

Wendy immediately went to get some t-shirts, and some food for herself, while everyone else went to gather around the stage. Before long, the first performer showed up, and the music was … unreal. Jaz had never heard live music before, and this was amazing.

The whole evening was utterly magical. Jaz would never forget it. Jimmy, the toddler in the household, seemed to be stuck to Jaz’s side for most of the evening, and Jaz really didn’t mind. He reminded Jaz of Brett and Braydon. Which was both a good and a bad thing. Jaz decided they would definitely have to talk to Kayla at some point this coming week… because losing track of their brothers was out of the question in Jaz’s mind. Heck, Jaz even missed Phoenix, although telling him so wasn’t exactly high on their list of priorities.

Once they all arrived home, everyone filed silently off towards their own area of the house, focused on getting ready for bed and just falling into sleep as quickly as possible.

WC: Day Three < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Five

WC: Day Two < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Four

Leadership

To Jaz’s delight, the next day they were allowed to travel to Oasis Springs Desert Bloom Park for their club meeting. Above anything else, Jaz was really excited to spend some time with their best friend, Colin. It was hard to spend more than a few minutes together at school, so hanging out at club meetings was at the top of Jaz’s list of favorite things to do. After a big, relieved hug from Colin, they set out to enjoy the day.

They played some soccer, swung on the swings, and then played some Space Pirate. Then, Jaz noticed one of the newest club members, Pierce, seemed to be trying to get Jaz and Elsa’s attention.

Walking over to him, he hailed them enthusiastically, and asked them if Elsa had told them the news. Baffled, Jaz shook their head.

“I’m afraid to tell you, I’m going to have to leave the club. I am very glad for the offer to join, and you guys are amazing, but I know it’s currently kids – only, and my birthday’s coming up this week.” Pierce explained. “If it’s okay with you, I’d still like to be friends, though!”

“Oh.” Jaz replied, taking a moment to take all the information in. “I’d forgotten you were older that us, Pierce! I’ve had such a good time getting to know you. Good luck in high school!”

“Thanks a bunch, Jaz!” Pierce replied, and wandered off to talk to other club members.

Elsa, who appeared to have other things on her mind, asked Jaz if they had any ideas of who could replace Pierce in the club, now that there was an extra spot.

“Shouldn’t you be deciding those kind of things, Elsa?” Jaz asked, confused. “Aren’t you the leader?”

Elsa’s face fell. “Jaz, I really wanted to talk to you about that. I think, truly, you would be a better leader for the club at this point.”

“Wait. What??” Jaz asked, stunned. “You’re a great leader, Elsa, why would you want to step down?”

“Well, it’s no secret that I’m older than you by a year. That, and my parents are sending me across town to a private school, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to put my full attention into being a leader. I’m not leaving the club, and I’ll still try to make meetings on Saturdays, but.. yeah, I just think you should be the leader, not me. You’re the one everyone looks up to, after all.”

“I am?” Jaz squeaked.

“Definitely.” Elsa said, decisively, “I’ve already talked to everyone else, and they all agree you’re the best choice. So, what do you say?”

“Um… sure. I guess I can give it a whirl. At least I have your excellent leadership skills to pattern mine after.” Jaz replied with a smile, “I guess that’s why you were asking me who I thought would make a good new club member, huh?”

“Yep!” Elsa replied with a smile. “So, you have anyone in mind?”

Jaz thought for a moment, and then an idea occurred to them. “Give me a minute, I think I know who would be perfect.”

Jaz wandered away, made a quick phone call, then waited by the front of the park.

“Get this, Penny.” Jaz said excitedly when their foster sibling, Penny Forrester, arrived at the park. “There’s an open spot in the club. Would you be interested in joining?”

Penny broke into a smile, “I can’t believe that you’re asking me to join, of all people. I’d love to!”

“Cool!” Jaz replied, then pointed out the other club members, suggesting that Penny go get to know everyone.

Colin came over to congratulate Jaz on being club leader now, then, since nobody was around, he leaned in close to whisper, “So, we really need to talk, huh? My Dad got remarried and his new wife is already expecting. I feel like they’re replacing me and my other siblings, since we chose to stay with Mom. And.. seriously, what’s been happening with you to make you so cheerful? Is everything okay?”

“Things are great. In fact,” Jaz said, waving Penny over, “This is one of my new sisters, Penny. Penny, meet my best friend of all time, Colin.”

Penny broke into a smile, and greeted Colin happily.

“New sisters? Now I really need to know what’s going on!” Colin replied with a chuckle.

Jaz pointed at the chess tables, which were almost empty, and suggested a round of chess with some chatting on the side.

Colin readily agreed, and the two waved a temporary good bye to Penny, who seemed perfectly happy to go mingle with the other club members.

Jaz insisted on catching up with Colin’s life first, and Colin spilled all the details. He even mentioned that seeing Jaz doing so well as non-binary was inspiring him to maybe pursue coming out as trans. Jaz broke into a smile, and ran around the side of the table to give him a hug. “That would be amazing, Colin! Congratulations!”

Colin hugged Jaz tightly. “Now, I absolutely have to know. What happened to make you so much happier??”

Jaz launched into the whole sad story about Kayla Bliss and Gemma coming to the Malone’s “rescue”. Jaz expressed their worry about their other siblings, and even poor Marnie, in their new places, but especially how much Jaz was missing the twins.

“Why don’t you contact Kayla, and ask for their numbers, that way you can check up on everyone. Maybe you can even go visit them sometimes?” Colin suggested.

“Oh, Colin, what a great idea!” Jaz replied, “I didn’t even think of asking her.”

The conversation continued, the chess game ended (with Jaz as the winner), and Colin and Jaz joined the other club members for some more playtime.

By the end of the day, Jaz was exhausted, but happy. It had been a busy day, but by far the best part had finally been being able to catch up with Colin. After a big hug goodbye, Penny and Jaz headed home to Willow Creek, chatting happily about the day.

Wendy had food waiting for them, and they watched some cartoons while eating. Then, with tired but happy souls, both climbed the stairs to go to bed.

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Author’s Note: Sorry I’m behind a few days, I’m working on catching up. I had a major inspiration slump this past week, and, on top of that, when I moved the kids to their new homes, I used the “adopt child” interaction on MCCC. Unfortunately, this resulted in EVERY relationship – family, friend, etc, being wiped from all the kid’s memories. By the time I noticed it, it was too late to revert the save. So it took AGES of painstaking work to fix the family and friend relationships for each and every Malone kid, which didn’t help my writer’s slump any. I’m happy to report, everything is now fixed, though, and inspiration is coming back (as evidenced by being able to finish writing this today. I will have another chapter up later, too.)

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