3.2 - Sari Moon

„Cel? What's this dress?“, Mauricio laughs, „Is it carnival already?“



„I have to talk to you. When I told you I earn my money as a waitress in that bistro... I didn't tell the truth."

Mauricio raises an eyebrow. „You lied to me?“



„Yes. And I'm sorry about that. I was afraid of how you'd react when I tell you what my job really is. The truth is... You've seen that gypsy wagon next to the graveyard. I work there. As a fortune teller."

Mauricio bursts out in laughter. „Is this some kind of late april's fools prank?“



"No, I'm serious...", Celestine sighs then points at the bed. This will be a longer conversation. "Sit down, I guess I owe you an explanation.“

„You definitely do!“, Mauricio exclaims while he makes himself comfortable on the bed, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"



"I was afraid you'd think badly of me because I...", Celestine pauses, struggling to find the right words.

„Because you're a scammer? You earn your living by lying to naive or crazy people.“, he completes her sentence without showing any emotion on his face. He isn't sure what to think of this yet and wants to hear the whole story. „Or are you trying to tell me that you actually believe in this stuff and you're some kind of medium?

„That's … no! It's not like this.“ Celestine sighs once more. This is exactly why she hasn't told him for so long. „I'm not a scammer and I like my clients. I like my job. Yes, most of my clients are rather naive and yes, I don't really have any supernatural powers. But I genuinely want to help them. I listen to them, talk to them, I'm their advisor and counselor.“

„Look, as long as you don't do anything illegal I don't really care but... It's an odd profession to say the least. How did you get into it?“

"Hmm...", Celestine thinks and decides that telling half the story will be enough for now, „simply put my first client had me mixed up with a lady who used to do readings. I played along, pretending to be said lady, and got some money for it.

[Are you Madame Sari? I imagined you older...]

And since I was a teenager with little money I continued doing it... It was just something I did occasionally besides school to earn some pocket money, like babysitting or delivering newspapers or something like that. I didn't have a lot of customers. But whenever a client was convinced by my readings they would spread the word and that's how I got more and more clients. At this point I couldn't stop anymore of course, and it somehow became my... job.

"What are these clients like? What kind of people come to you?"

"The majority are middle-aged to elderly women. The younger ones are usually concerned about love, relationships, family, finances and career – the most common topics. Older people ask more health related questions. Most are regulars, walk-in customers are rare; except for the summer months when tourists sometimes walk by and want to give it a try. These are typically younger than my regular clients and often don't really believe in fortune telling; they just do it out of curiosity. I put a bit of a show on for them and alllow myself to go a little crazy with my readings."

[Celestine puts her hand on the woman's face and speaks in an overly dramatic voice. „Be very quiet now, please. I need full concentration to communicate with the universe! Let us see what the stars have destined you to be!“]

„And how do you... do it? I mean, how does a reading look like? Do you just make up stuff and hope they believe you?“

"When I meet them for the first time I normally start by making guesses based on my first impression of them or what they told me before if they called for an appointment. This is to gain their trust and have a starting point for my reading. Some are easily impressed, others are sceptical and harder to work with.

["I can sense you have a conflict with a friend or relative.", Celestine chants in a soft voice. "Oh really?! Who doesn't?", the woman scoffs angrily, "I don't need a fortune teller for this!"] 

Cooperation is the basis. But most people that come to me are ready to believe what I tell them. They tend to quickly forget the parts of the reading they couldn't identify with and are deeply impressed with what they think is right - even if it's a vague statement or something that applies to most people's lives.

When I feel like I have them on my side, got some crucial information, and asked them what they want to know, the actual reading begins. I'm mostly doing horoscopes, which are very complicated and therefore the most expensive option, but other methods are popular too: tarot cards, palm readings, crystal ball. 

Regardless of the method, most of the information comes from the client, not me, even though I do the most talking. I make guesses based on their age, gender, appearance, or what we have talked about so far and then have to quickly pick up on subtle cues and body language to see if what I'm saying makes sense to them or not.

I always try to make my reading a positive and uplifting experience for my client and avoid negative predictions." Celestine pauses briefly. "Well, unless they are really, really rude. In that case I might foresee death and despair."

„So you just tell them what they want to hear.“, Mauricio sums up, ignoring the last part.

"You say that like it's a bad thing! More often than not this is all they really need. I'm sure you heard about self-fulfilling prophecies? I work with this concept a lot. Convince them they can do it, and all of a sudden they can."

["I will find... my love?That's what it says?", the shy man asks with disbelief. "Yes, I can see it very clearly. You will notice that she's the one when you see her. And you will gather all your confidence and ask her out."]

"What are the hardest clients for you?"

"Sometimes people will ask me to contact their deceased husbands, children, or other loved ones that passed away too early. These are cases that I take very seriously, I do a lot of comforting, let them cry and listen patiently. And no matter what the client told me before, I always make sure to tell them that the deceased one holds no grudge against them. It is always their biggest fear; they feel guilty about an arguement they had before the death or think they could have prevented it, especially if it was a suicide. If the deceased person is buried on the graveyard nearby I offer them to visit the grave together.

[Close your eyes. Do you feel her presence? Do you hear her voice? Listen to the wind... hear her whispers... She will always be your daughter, always love you. And she wants you to know that nothing you could have done would have prevented this. She wants you to move on and be happy. You still have your life. Live it.]

Some people suffer from mental health issues like depression and anxiety... These can be tough cases too, and again I make sure to take them seriously. That's when I have to play the therapist."

"But why do these people not just consult a real therapist?"

"There are many reasons. Some are too proud to admit they are the ones who have a problem, and prefer to see their issues as something outside of their responsibility. Some want a quick solution – magic! - rather than having to work on themselves for months or even years. For others it is a cost issue. I'm much cheaper than a therapist!", Celestine laughs.

For a while Mauricio and Celestine just lie on their bed, not saying a word, staring ahead and processing everything they just talked about.



„My girlfriend, the fortune teller...“, Mauricio finally breaks the silence with a little laugh. „That's crazy. Can you see my future too?“, he asks jokingly.

Celestine looks away. Just say it. It's already confession time, isn't it? If you don't say it now, how long will you wait this time? You can't wait forever.

„Can you?“, he repeats, interrupting Celestine's inner monologue.




She takes a deep breath. „Yes, actually. Yes, I can.“ She laughs nervously and does some cliché magical fortune telling gestures to give herself time to think about the right words. She giggles for a few seconds, partially due to the absurdity of the situation but mainly out of nervousness, before she finally manages to pull herself together:

„The stars have told me...





… that in about 7 months from now... you will become a father.“

For a few seconds Mauricio just sits there with his eyes and mouth wide open. Then his eyes become watery, and a wide grin appears on his face.

__________________

AN: Wow, this chapter was so much fun to write! I love the fortune teller roll.
If you're wondering about the title, that's her fortune teller alias. Sari is of course the old lady that she "inherited" the gypsy wagon from and then she added 'Moon' to it as a last name to make it her name and make it sound cool and mysterious and because I like anagrams.

3.1 - Foul water

It's been a while since Feli and half of the cat posse moved out and Mauricio moved in, and Celestine has accustomed well to her new living situation.



The only stain in her new harmonious life is that she still hasn't told her boyfriend the truth about her unusual job because she worried she would sound crazy.

But there is no doubt anymore that this relationship is a serious one and she would have to tell it sooner rather than later.



But somehow there are always more important topics coming up that distract Celestine from what she actually wanted to say...

"Is that a giant garden gnome on your back?", Celestine asks at the breakfast table.

"Yeah."



"But why?"

"Why not?"

"Mhh.", Celestine nods it off without further comments, "The weather will be beautiful today."

Mauricio laughs heartily in response. "Wow, has our life gotten so boring already that we're having weather conversations?"



"I only wanted to ask you if you're up for a walk today!"

"I'd love to! Where do you want to go?"

***

"Not here, that's for sure."



The couple stares at an old abandoned water treatment plant.

It hasn't been in use for many years and nobody bothered to care for the land around it since then. And it shows: the water is dirty, most likely contaminated with plumbob-knows-what, the plants and trees around it are dying, the facility itself is rusty and useless.



Celestine, who has always cared greatly for her environment, is repulsed by the sight, and yet she wants to see more and drags Mauricio towards it.



"Um, we could also go to the park or the beach or something, that might be nicer...", Mauricio suggests.

But Celestine is too upset to listen. "I can't believe whoever was in charge of it just let everything rot here when they left! And look at these ponds, I bet people are using them to illegally dispose of all their hazardous trash!"



She storms ahead, then goes through an unlocked door that leads inside the building.

"Cel, I'm not sure we are even allowed here... this is trespassing."

"Hey, you're the archaeologist who never stops talking about his adventures in abandoned ruins! Shouldn't you be thrilled to explore one right in your neighbourhood?", Celestine teases him and laughs, running further ahead.
There's a minute of silence between them before Celestine continues, now with determination in her voice: "And it's not trespassing if it's our lot..."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Think about it... Nobody actually uses this plant. We could buy and restore it or turn it into a nature reserve or something."



Mauricio stays behind, now looking at his spouse like she spontaneuosly lost her mind.

"And how do you plan to finance this well-thought-out project? Rob a bank?", he remarks sarcastically, "You're not going to be able to afford this with your waitress earnings."

Ouch. She almost forgot about that again. The waitress thing was a little lie Celestine had told Mauricio to avoid having to tell him about how she's really earning her money.



But this is neither the right time nor place for these kind of conversations. And it is time for them to go home anyway: thick, dark grey rain clouds appeared out of nowhere as if in response to Celestine's mood change.

"Is everything alright with you?", Mauricio asks concerned.

"I feel a bit dizzy...", Celestine says and feels her forehead with one hand. "And my head hurts."

"Oh, that must be the sudden weather change!"

"No, I think... I'm sure it's this water treatment plant, probably some poisonous gases or... I don't even want to know..."

Mauricio sighs. Is she really serious about this?

***

Lately Mauricio and Celestine had some conversations about the
lack of cats in their home. With only Hanzo, Amy & Katerchen it just felt too quiet in the household! And besides, Celestine had promised her mom to find a mate for Hanzo and keep breeding cats when she moved out.

So one day...



… Mauricio came home with a little brown kitten. Her name is Nele and she is about 5 months old. 

Say hi to Nele!



Another family adopted her only recently – without realizing that their child is allergic to cats... And that's why Nele had to go into a new home quickly, which the Koyangis are more than happy to provide!



„I can't wait until Nele is old enough to have her litter!“, Mauricio says excitedly. While he has always lived with pets, he's new to breeding and never witnessed a cat giving birth.



"Do you like your new little friend, Hanzo?", he asks as Hanzo jumps on his lap and purrs happily in response.

***

It is fall and Thanksgiving is approaching. Celestine still has fond memories of when she was a little kid and her mom celebrated it with some of her friends. She remembers the vibrant colors and intense smells of all the fresh harvest. These days the food comes out of her own garden – which makes it even better. 

Thanksgiving is the time when she thanks mother nature for supplying her with all that she needs. Fruits, vegetables, fish – and most importantly: clean water. 

If only everyone cared as much about their environment as Celestine does the world could be a more beautiful place.



This year she will celebrate it together with Mauricio, only the two of them. 

The food, the colors, the music... and the person she loves. Celestine feels at peace with herself and the world. And she is certain now: this is the man she wants to grow old with.





Now there's only one little problem left: when will she tell him that she earns her money by lying to people and pretending to be able to see the future?



_____________________________________________

The Appaloosa County Water Treatment is a fishing spot in AP. The reason why I showed it here is that this is the lot the Koyangis will want to buy and improve as part of the 'Living Green' goal (create or significantly improve a nature-themed lot).

It will take a while to save up for it though, since it costs about 40k and I currently have about 15k (I'm roughly 4 chapters ahead of the story in-game); so don't expect that to happen anytime soon!

3.0 - Generation 2 review and future plans

Finally, generation 3! Oh, how I have waited for this. Even though Feli was funny in her own way, there are a few things about the Diva trait that get annoying eventually, and overall her roll (single parent, 1 child, music (classical), social bunny, fighter) was just not that enjoyable. This is also part of the reason why the generation was shorter than I planned (my goal was 12-15 chapters if you remember).

And that's why I focused more on Celestine growing up throughout this generation. Here's a little timeline of Celestine over the years (or weeks for a sim...):

And the gen. 3 rolls, as far as I can reveal them already, are...

Primary income: Fortune Teller (con artist)
Secondary income: Adventurer
Generational goal: Living green
Misc. Fun: My Precious - Our only wish, to catch a fish (collecting bugs and other minor animals)

I bought the nerd influence LTR until I could give her a 6th trait because I couldn't decide on only 5. Her lifetime wish is Zoologist (bring 20 wild minor animals home). Have you guessed any of her traits?

Lifetime wish: Zoologist

Internet cookies to Owly and Marcy who got quite a lot of it right with their guesses!

Mauricio

Mauricio who was briefly shown in the last chapter is Celestine's chosen one.
He is fat, hairy, has a big nose and a unibrow, and a giant garden gnome tattooed on his back. I did give him a makeover but decided to keep his general aesthetics or lack thereof (nah, that was mean... he's not looking bad despite these flaws).

His traits are pretty much perfect though - I only swapped one of his traits for adventurer when I had the 20.000 LTR points for him (sorry, can't remember anymore what that trait originally was), the rest was generated by the game and couldn't be more fitting!

Is it weird to have both the angler and animal lover trait? For me as a veggie it is, but I don't think Mauricio sees a conflict in that. Celestine isn't vegetarian either, even though she is very eco-friendly - her principle is to only eat what you caught yourself and only catch what you need.

Here's a fun fact: His name Mauricio means "the dark skinned" even though he is probably the whitest/palest guy you could imagine... Also my game loves to give spanish/italian names apparently. Remember Taziano and Blanca?

Face close-ups. Celestine is so pretty!

I will add them to the download page when the next chapter comes. I also plan to overhaul the rolls page, because somehow I always mess up the formatting when I try to update it.

Random Screenshots and Outtakes

Nothing funny here, I just love this screenshot and forgot to include it

Oh no, Amy, what happened?? :(

Celestine in the exact moment of peeing herself out of fear (monsters under her bed)

Reaction to getting her fortune told. Nope, not convinced this time

Freezer Bunny gnome riding a llama

Celestine stuffing a bunch of carrots in her face after prom because they don't serve food there

And some more background stories...

Remember the crazy librarian from when Celestine was a child?

Yeah, this one. She turned out to be a bit of a stalker, randomly showing up at the door...

... and even on Celestine's date.

Excuse me???

The following are technically not gen.2 outtakes anymore, but it happened pretty soon after gen.3 started so I'd say it counts. Mauricio got an opportunity to upgrade someone's stereo for money and I sent him outside to do so.
I think the pictures tell the story quite well.

Well, f*ck, I'm on fire.

Mauricio has to run back inside to get under the shower while a radnom neighbour warms his hands at the fire.

Thank goodness, the firefighter arrived! And he walks casually into the fire, taking his time to observe the situation...

Mauricio has to come back again and put the fire out by himself because the firefighter just stands inside the fire looking like the devil himself and watching. Then he leaves, telling us that he's glad we could put it out ourselves. A+ firefighting

What to expect in generation 3

• finally no "single parent + 1 child" roll =D
• most definitely more/longer chapters
• some epic beards
• some epic birds
• fewer cats and less frequent litters because of a bigger household
• Warcraft/HotS references that probably no one will recognize :(