Round Two: Nakamura

The Nakamura household was far from peaceful and Shiina couldn't see that the addition of twins would help any. She spent a lot of time on the phone to her friends, complaining about how unfair her life was. When could she move out?! She and Emma were already looking for bachelorette pads for when the time came to flee.


Despite the angst she projected at her friends, Shiina was still cheerful and positive around her family, especially her mother. Her motives were partly selfish - who knew what would happen if she annoyed the VERY pregnant Sachiko? She wasn't actively looking for a fight! Plus they did have a lot in common with their similar taste in movies.


Sachiko was proud of her increasingly enormous baby bump, and took every oppurtunity she could to show it off. Sabrina Davies encouraged her, talking to the twins in-utero and hamming it up. She was feeling kind of broody herself - she'd always rather wanted to be a mother of four, and here was the considerably-less-maternal Sachiko with everything she'd ever wanted! Sabrina was still happy for her, though.


Away from her friends and family, Sachiko was less positive. As proud as she was, carrying twins was tiring and sometimes she wished they'd just get the heck out already.


Thankfully she didn't have much longer to wait. She went into labour in the middle of the living room just as Nobuo was getting home from work and he rushed her to the maternity ward.


Sachiko finally gave birth to the twins, Yuki and Junko. They looked almost identical at first sight, sharing their father's skin tone and hair colour, but Junko's eyes were darker than Yuki's. Hiro was not at all impressed - he'd been hoping for brothers rather than a house FULL OF GIRLS. His worst nightmare!


Nobuo adored his little girls, and spent every moment when he wasn't at work helping take care of them. He especially loved tickling them and throwing them in the air, and they seemed to love it right back.


Despite being very active and sporty, Hiro was also very driven academically, so it wasn't long until he brought home his first A+ report card. He ran straight up to an impressed Sachiko with it, crowing and being generally pleased with himself.


Shiina wasn't doing quite as well at school. She'd been trying to balance socialising, working on her art, her schoolwork, a part-time job, and helping look after the twins, and it took its toll. Not only did she flunk every class, she lost the job that had been part of the reason she neglected her schoolwork in the first place! She spent several days sulking in her room, refusing calls and writing angsty poetry. Whatever, she didn't need stupid school anyway, she was an artist!


Money worries were top of all the adults' minds, and Hanako decided to branch out creatively in the hopes of making some more money. She started writing a book about her life before having Nobuo; he didn't know it, but she'd actually had a very interesting life indeed. Hopefully it would sell well enough to pay some bills.


The twins were soon toddlers, and adorable ones at that. The differences between them were becoming much more pronounced.


Yuki was quiet and shy; she didn't particularly like being played with, but she did love giving and receiving hugs from everyone around her.


Junko, on the other hand, was already more outgoing and liked to pull silly faces.


Junko also had a bad habit of grabbing at Sachiko's hair, so she got it cut even shorter. It suited her wonderfully.


The twins weren't the only ones who had birthdays. Hiro had become a teenager. He'd decided to slightly change his policy on girls; some of them were pretty cute. Really cute, even. But he still wasn't best pleased at living in a house full of sisters!

Note: this house was kind of hellish to play! Too many people! Plus I realised I'd given Sachiko the wrong hair in CAS, I always wanted her to have the hairdo she has now. Hiro rolled Popularity, if you're wondering!

Round Two: Mackenzie

Ewan Mackenzie wasn't going to take his bake sale rivalry with Jacinta Davies lying down. He was perfecting his cupcake mix and dreamed of perhaps becoming a chef when he grew up.


Lisa's busy work schedule meant that in the morning before Ewan went to school and at weekends he still needed a nanny. Ewan was a friendly child and liked to talk to her, asking her questions about her life.


Lisa still made as much time for him as possible. She spent any time she wasn't working or studying talking to Ewan and playing with him, making sure he was happy and helping out with his schoolwork.


Ewan was a bright kid as well as a nice one, and it seemed like he'd been at elementary school no time at all before he brought home his first A+ report card. He was ecstatic and showed it to anyone who stayed still long enough in his presence.


Unfortunately Lisa didn't make time to keep up with the gardening and housework. Their front lawn was full of weeds and the trash can kept falling over, which lead to a cockroach infestation requiring professional attention. Ewan was very mature and sensible and called the exterminators himself.


Sachiko's attempts to find Lisa a man had so far been unsuccessful, so she took to internet dating. Unfortunately none of the men she met were her type, but she wasn't about to give up.


She thought she'd hit the jackpot when she met Sinjin at work, and struck up a friendship with him quickly. He even came home from work with her. Unfortunately he wasn't as mature as she'd hoped, and bolted when he discovered she was a single mother looking for a serious relationship. Stupid playboys.


Lisa was beginning to think there were no nice guys left at all, so she couldn't believe her luck when she met Taylor Straight. He complimented her on her glasses (apparently he liked the nerd chic look) and it all went from there. He was kind, sweet, and wanted a family. Perfect.


He even got on well with Ewan, although Ewan was so friendly anything else would have been almost impossible. Still, it was a good sign as far as Lisa could see.


Lisa invited him around for several evenings in a row, and she definitely felt like the relationship was going somewhere. They stayed up late talking and flirting.


They stayed up so late, in fact, that Lisa couldn't even make it to bed once he left. She simply collapsed fully dressed onto the new sofa she'd bought with the money from her latest promotion. It was surprisingly comfortable, possibly more so than her very cheap bed.


The passion was definitely there, but Lisa wasn't sure if she was in love yet. She wasn't going to rush into anything. She would have to be sure before it progressed any further, and that included making sure that Taylor and Ewan got along. Ewan was going to be a teenager soon, and he'd need a reliable father figure more than ever. But for now, things were going great for the Mackenzies.

Note: Yay, a drama free round! This went so quickly. I'm glad Lisa has managed to stay away from Will so far, I was worried ACR would make a decision for me on that front while I was playing a community lot with another house.

Round Two: Knox

Things were going extremely well for Cassius and Kaylynn. She'd asked him out on another date and things progressed from there. They were both pretty certain they were falling in love.


For a while, Cassius had been a little worried. He adored his sons and his grandchildren and didn't know how Kaylynn would react to the prospect of being a step-grandmother. Thankfully he didn't have to worry. She was taking everything as seriously as he was, and wanted to meet the family and make friends with them.


Cassius was very glad. Destiny had grown up into a pretty young girl who was very friendly and into everything, and he was sure she and Kaylynn would get on famously.


Sure enough, they did. Destiny did ask a few awkward questions but it didn't take long until they were firm friends. Kaylynn was almost part of the family already.


Cassius invited her over as much as possible; she probably spent more time at their house than her own apartment, and whenever she wasn't there Cassius was on the phone to her. They were even beginning to make plans for the future; maybe Kaylynn could move in? Sure, it would be more convenient for Cassius to move into her apartment, but they both wanted to stay close to Danny and Destiny.


Now both his children were growing up and his father was in a long-term relationship, Jasper felt the pang of loneliness more than ever. He was ready to get over Lorena - after all, it had been five years since she died. He bit the bullet and asked Will if he'd take him downtown to meet some girls. Will seemed to have no trouble finding women and hopefully Jasper would have a little of the same luck. They shared the same genes, after all.


The night started off well. Will went out to the hot tubs and Jasper got talking to a pretty young lady in the chill-out area of the club. They got on fairly well, and Jasper was considering asking her for her number.


Unfortunately, as ever, she seemed a little more interested in his brother than in him. The story of Jasper's life.


Jasper spent the rest of the night sitting at the bar feeling awkward while Will hit the dance floor at chatted with various young ladies. What a waste of an evening...


Jasper left early and headed off to a clothes store that was open late to get Destiny and Danny some new outfits; they were both growing so quickly! He ran into Sabrina Davies, out buying baby clothes for little Amanda, and they ended up having a long conversation. Jasper definitely couldn't deny that she was absolutely beautiful, and the connection he'd felt when they'd first met seemed stronger than ever. But she was married, and he didn't want to cause drama. They parted as friends.


Jasper decided to put all his energy into looking after his kids and getting promotions, and succeeded on both fronts. He was moving up the corporate ladder quickly and Destiny was always quick to greet him with a hug every day when he returned from work. Life wasn't perfect, he thought, but it would do for now.


Cassius decided it was time to make a move and popped the question to Kaylynn. She accepted with obvious delight and moved in straight away. The house was cramped, but cosy. They got married in a private civil ceremony as soon as possible, not wanting to make a fuss or spend too much money unnecessarily.


Kaylynn fitted into the house seamlessly. Danny would often ask her to read to him and she always obliged. She seemed to be a natural mother.


Of course it didn't take long until her natural maternal instincts came in handy. After a week of morning sickness and nausea she broke the news to Cassius.

"I... I think I might be pregnant."

"Are you sure? Maybe you should see the doctor," said Cassius, trying not to let on how nervous he felt. Of course the idea of children had crossed his mind, Kaylynn was a young woman and very family-orientated, but now he was faced with the reality of it he was a little worried - he was old, would he be around to see them as they grew up?

Kaylynn sighed. "Well, I'm pretty sure, but you're right, I should see them in case it's something else."


The visit to the doctor confirmed her suspicions; Kaylynn was indeed pregnant. They were both overjoyed, although the niggling worry was still present in Cassius's mind. Not only was he old, but would their budget stretch far enough for four adults, two children and a baby?


The fates were clearly looking favourably on the Knox family. One day when out collecting the mail, Cassius stumbled across a dusty old lamp. He reached out to pick it up, and...


"I am the Genie of the Lamp! You have three wishes, master."

Cassius's first reaction was to assume that either the stress was causing him to hallucinate or he'd finally gone senile. He stood stock still for a moment, then mumbled "...um. I wish for enough money to keep my family comfortable, for a long life so I can see my child grow up, and for a happy old age." The Genie nodded, then disappeared.

Cassius wandered around for the rest of the day in a daze. But when an apparently clerical error left the Knox family bank account a good §20,000 more solvent than it had been the day before, he wondered if he'd really seen the impossible.


Kaylynn's pregnancy progressed steadily, and even sleek black pyjamas couldn't hide the huge bump - twins! (MORE TWINS! These were entirely natural ones - the ones the Nakamura house is expecting were the fault of the final family benefit, but this is all luck).


Danny hit a growth spurt as he entered his teenage years. He was growing into quite the handsome young man and the whole family were pleased. He'd decided his father's workaholic life and his uncle's philandering weren't his thing - he wanted to be happy and popular, make a lot of friends, and hopefully make a career out of his love of sport. Oh, and finding a cute brunette who was a really excellent cook to share his life with wouldn't go amiss...


Soon after, Will decided it was time to find a place of his own. Now Danny was a teenager and Kaylynn was around they didn't need him to help out, and he could finally get back to the bachelor lifestyle he was designed for. He vowed to keep in touch as he got into the taxi and left for his new apartment down town.

Round Two: Davies

James had tried to be faithful, he really had. He'd tried to be a supportive husband and father, but he just didn't seem to be made that way. He'd bumped into Linda Barthelet a few times now and found himself asking her out for dinner at a local 50's style diner. It went well. A bit too well.


James had also added one or two other vices to his catalogue of sins - specifically, gambling. He occasionally bumped into people he knew, such as Lisa Mackenzie, but he didn't think much of it. What did it matter if he played a few card games, drank a few beers, and talked to a few ladies?


Unfortunately for James, he didn't realise that Sachiko Nakamura had spotted him on one of his poker nights when he'd been chatting up a young blonde. Both Sachiko and Lisa disappeared quickly to gossip and consider whether or not to tell Sabrina. Eventually they decided it wasn't their business and they didn't want to wreck a marriage when there were children involved if they could help it, but if they caught James again they'd serve his head up on a plate. And that would be if they were feeling KIND.


James's other bad-husband habits included playing the synthesiser while the now very heavily pregnant Sabrina tried to get some mid afternoon shut-eye.


Despite how tired she was, Sabrina made sure she still made time for Jacinta, both before and after school. If either of them had any worries about James, they didn't let on about it - as far as they could see they were perfectly happy.


Jacinta was excited at the prospect of a baby brother or sister, and completely fascinated by the whole process of pregnancy. Every time the baby kicked, Jacinta was there.


She was also making excellent progress at school, not least because Sabrina made sure she did her homework!


Other than schoolwork and the baby, Jacinta enjoyed everything related to cooking. Unfortunately most of her attempts were coming out all wrong, but she was nothing if not persistent. She would bake the perfect cake!


Sabrina made the most of her time while Jacinta was at school and James was working or partying. She often stopped and chatted with neighbours, trying to keep her spirits up as her due date came nearer. Jill was one such friend. Unfortuntely, James took a certain interest in Jill...


Despite all the drama bubbling under the surface, Amanda Davies was born with very little trouble and Sabrina wasted no time taking her home. Like Jacinta she had her father's olive-green eyes and her mother's jet-black hair, but unlike Jacinta she had also inherited her father's pale skin. She was a beautiful little baby and Sabrina spent as much time as possible cuddling her.


Jacinta was thrilled by the new addition. A baby sister! Perfect! She was forever babbling away at her and couldn't wait until Amanda was old enough to play with properly.


James, however, wasn't quite so enamoured. He'd somehow ended up striking up a relationship with Jill, and was beginning to think he'd actually fallen in love. They were like two peas in a pod, both outgoing, emotional, musically inclined, and not prone to thinking too much about the future - Sabrina's complete and utter opposite.


He couldn't tell if Jill felt the same way or not, but she didn't seem to feel all that guilty about cheating with her friend's husband so James assumed the best. He had no idea how he was going to keep this one under wraps, but Jill was something special. He'd never felt chemistry like this with Sabrina!


Meanwhile Sabrina was, as always, left with the menial duties of actually raising a family and keeping the house clean. Thankfully she was a complete neat-freak and rather enjoyed making sure everything was sparkling.


The time flew by, and Amanda hit her toddler years. As she grew older her resemblance to her father became even more striking, although she already showed signs of being more like her mother in personality. She was very finicky and a little shy.


Jacinta had finally perfected her EZ Bake cake technique. That little brat Ewan Mackenzie wouldn't know what hit him when it came to the school bake sale...

Note: JAMES! STOP IT! I don't know what I'm going to do with him. Every time he meets a new woman he spins up wants to go on a date with her and refuses to have any wants related to Sabrina. This was almost fine until he went and fell in love with Jill after ONE date! She's in love with him too. Ohhhh dear. Amanda's cute though! I was hoping for a boy to carry on the name, but ah well.