on the safe side, part 3

January 15, 2084 - Hayden Phoenix is 34, Piper Wilson is 29, Ryanne is 13.

Soundtrack: "Because of You," by Kelly Clarkson.

Hayden has been through this two times before; there won't be anything there to see for a few months still. But Piper swears there's a bulge, a small one, a bloating. He only smiles and lets her believe it, lets her stand there in front of the mirror, holding her belly, their little bean. Her boobs are bigger already, she says, she's never had big boobs in her life.

She'll hardly even be showing by the time they're married this spring. Piper has plenty of nieces and nephews, and he knows she knows this too, but still she stands there every morning, cradling her still flat belly, as if she might see it start to grow before her eyes.

The first time he'd been through this, he was fifteen years old. There was little magic about that pregnancy. It was mostly panic, indecision, and the transforming end of two childhoods before they were ready for it. This time feels like a fresh start. Mostly.

"Do you want to be there when I tell Ryanne?"

2083, postcards from the edge, and December extras...

All work and no play for me these past couple weeks. But I do happen to have some funny gems saved up in my screenshots folder, so I thought I'd appease you all with some extras, outtakes, and updates from our supporting cast! ;)

And because you know you can never have too many pictures of angry Vicky! lol!

extras, friendship picspam

Friends is the picture theme over at N99 this week, and I spent a bit of time putting this together, so I thought I'd share it here too so that you all could see it. Some of these friendships go back so far, and when you look at it all in sequence, it kind of even tells a story.

If I get around to doing some other groups of friends, I'll share those here too. I'd definitely like to get around to doing my Tyler/Beau/April/Summer/Lucy/Dallas group too, but I know I have many others as well.

picspam, like a peace offering...

Sorry, no story update ready for you this weekend. But before you get very disappointed, I'm going to make up for it with pictures of Dallas and Lucy... and a very cute toddler ;)

LH stuff: Hayden and Piper wallpapers

Further amusing myself with some wallpaper! This one was requested by LunarFox (Hayden and Piper, at the arcade), like two weeks ago, lol! So here you go!

This picture happened completely randomly, by the way. I just had them there playing pinball together, and he looked over at her like he was all Champion of the Pinball Machine 'n stuff, and she was all *blush* and I just thought it was the cutest thing I ever saw! lol!

one day, Piper bought Hayden a new t-shirt...

December 1, 2083 - Hayden Phoenix is 34, Piper Wilson is 29.

A tiny little mini-story, about a new shirt:

She bought this shirt for him, a present for his 34th birthday. Space Invaders was his favorite game when he was a kid - he told her this. He told her how he'd play it so late some nights that he'd be too tired to wake up for school in the morning, and he'd fake sick. Then he'd stay home and play it some more, curled up on the couch under a flannel blanket, with a bowl of his mother's famous chicken soup and some warm tea and honey. Who'd want to go to school?

picspam: randomness with Hayden and Piper

This all started because Hayden and Piper wanted to buy a house. They won't be married for another six months still, but I didn't want to do the moving hassle at the same time I'm having to deal with wedding plans, so we did this now.

This is in Hazel Park (and hey, look, train station in the background!). He's still just about a mile away from his mommy, because I figured he'd want to move too far away, lol!

I didn't build this, but remodeled it quite a bit, both inside and out. I changed out all the windows and doors and stairs, and the color scheme. Complete overhaul inside. The second floor was left unfinished, so I finished it.

graduation, extras

*** graduation extras ***

I think I like posting the outtakes separately when they're as plentiful as this. I wish I'd been doing it all along, so I could have my concise and well-planned story posts, and then my long-winded and rambling gameplay posts... but you know, I didn't. Ah, well ;)

one day, just because they felt like it...

January 2083 (mini-update) - Jodie Larson is 27, Piper Wilson is 28, Hayden Phoenix is 33.

They all left her, as people tend to do. Jodie didn't know if it would be for good, because most of the time it is, but not Piper. This funny little sprite of a woman came back to visit.

Jodie doesn't hug people but Piper does. So Jodie returned the hug, and to her surprise, it actually felt so good she nearly picked little Piper right up off the ground.

2082, extras

Extras, misfits, and outtakes from the year 2082 :)

one day, when he is finally brave enough...

November 2082 (mini-update) - Hayden Phoenix is 33, Piper Wilson is 28.

One day, when he is finally brave enough, Hayden sits down to talk to his wife. Almost three years have passed, and he's never done this alone. The cemetery is empty, but still he looks around to be sure he's really alone. He is. There is nothing but the wind blowing through treetops, cold and subtle as whispers.

"I feel like an idiot," he starts, easing himself to the ground at her grave. "My therapist thought this might be a good idea."

national female appreciation month

November 2081 - Jack and Nessa Phoenix are 32, Aaron is three weeks old. Last update, April 2080.

Aaron Phoenix is three weeks old now, and his mommy is absolutely in love! Nessa has to go back to work in a few weeks, and she doesn't know how she'll do it. She can hardly even put little Aaron down for a second! Everybody knows you're not supposed to wake a sleeping baby, but she's been known to pick him up sometimes, just to hold him a little bit more, sneaking her fingers underneath him while he sleeps, carefully, so not to wake him.

But they've already filled out the paperwork, and Jack is going to stay home with Aaron. Nessa has places to go in her career, like executive vice president. She always knew she would be happy to become a mother, but she didn't think she wanted anything to slow her down.

strawberry tart

July 2081 - Carly Cook is 28, Piper Wilson is 26, Jodie Larson is 25. // Jason Larson is 30, Amelia Bradshaw is 25. // George McCarthy is 26, Blossom Moonshine is 22. Last update, May 2080.

*** eeek, this is long ***

"Those are pretty," Amelia says. "Did Hayden send them?"

"Yeah, we're on fire, I'm telling you."

fourteen percent

April 2081 (mini-update) - Hayden Phoenix is 31, Piper Wilson is 26.

They finally had coffee. And when they did, she actually said to him, "This is the most intense coffee I ever had." She doesn't mind if he laughs at her, which is good, because he just can't get over the things she says sometimes.

They didn't stop at coffee.

blissfully clueless

May 2080 - Carly Cook is 26, Piper Wilson is 25, Jodie Larson is 24. // Jason Larson is 29, Amelia Bradshaw is 24. // George McCarthy is 25.

Piper Wilson leads a simple happy existence, working as a Flag Capturer in the gaming industry, making little money, but having a lot of fun, showing up at her friends' parties, fliting from one non-relationship, to another, to another...

She doesn't figure there's anything wrong with her, that she knows of, but just considers herself picky. She isn't lonely, as many friends as she has, as busy as she finds herself. She's torn between a strong desire to settle down with just that perfect man, and raise an adorable baby or two, but also indulges herself in life's great frivolous pleasures.

the lofts, farewell marisa!

August 2078 - Cameron Gibson is 27, Marisa Wilson and Charlotte Centowski are 24, Amelia Bradshaw is 23.

Charlotte Centowski and Marisa Wilson have been best friends since they were five, and Charlotte doesn't know what she'll do without her. Marisa received an offer to dance in Abandia City, and she just can't pass it up. She's leaving at the end of the month.

LCU, unattainable

LCU, spring semester, 2077

Jason calls and says he wants to take Bella to Lost in Love Hedge Maze. She should have known something was fishy. He knows she's not the lovey-dovey type.

Jason says, "I think we'd be really good together."

Bella says, "Um, what are you doing?" He doesn't even get as far as to ask the question.

LCU, only have eyes for...

LCU, fall semester, 2076

There could have been a problem back in August, when there's only one ultra-posh residence hall on campus, and two rich cousins who hate each other who want to live there. Bella says, "Are you still not over that? That was like three years ago!"

The way Amelia sees it, Alon made a mistake - after all, she was Bella Bradshaw doing whatever she did to men, so it was almost expected. But Bella, her cousin, who she grew up with like a sister, had committed an unforgivable sin. Needless to say, Amelia holds one hell of a grudge.

LCU, we all get lucky sometimes

LCU, spring semester, 2076

The beginning of the semester was a bust with just about everyone being sick after spring break. Charlotte called up her mommy to come over and make them all some soup.

LCU, never quite what we expect

LCU, fall semester, 2075(a really long LCU semester this time. I really tried to keep it short, but there was just too much going on. I don't know how some people get bored playing Uni, because all these college kids sure do keep me on my toes, lol!)

Alon and Charlotte have moved into student housing block B, sharing their house with two other roommates. Amelia mentioned something to Charlotte about keeping tabs on Alon for her, not that they're exactly an item again just yet, but she still wants to know what he's up to.