Round One: Namakura

Nobuo Nakamura hadn't imagined that living with his mother again after so many years of freedom would be easy, and Hanako didn't disappoint. She was worried that he was spending too much on extending the house and redecorating, but he laughed it off. What was the use of money if you didn't spend it?


It didn't help matters that Hanako still didn't really approve of Sachiko. Nobuo was her little darling angel and she wasn't sure that a woman who wandered around in a tiny slip of a nightdress at all hours was right for him. Still, she made him happy, and that had to count for something.


Despite Hanako's reservations Nobuo and Sachiko still got on as well as the day they met when they were teenagers. They were an openly affectionate pair, always kissing and cuddling and playing silly games.


Sachiko wanted to make friends with all her neighbours, but it was difficult. Sabrina Davies was such a prude! The only thing they seemed to have in common was motherhood. Sachiko assumed her bad attitude was probably down to pregnancy hormones, though, and resolved to keep in touch and build up a friendship.


Her connection with Lisa Mackenzie was much more immediate - she most definitely wasn't prudish! Sachiko was glad; they could be all Sex-and-the-City and talk about men. Lisa was having some romantic troubles and Sachiko vowed to find someone to set her up with.


Hanako and her granddaughter Shiina were completely different in most ways - Hanako was traditional, Shiina was a free spirit - but they shared one passion: art. Hanako gave her plenty of tips and even promised to teach her how to sew. Shiina wasn't all that keen on work, but she supposed if she HAD to have a career then it wouldn't be too bad to be a world-famous designer and make darkly glamourous clothes. Just thinking about all the post-show parties made her head spin!


Sachiko really didn't get the appeal of all this creative stuff. "Stop talking about art all the time! It's driving me crazy!"

"Art is LIFE, mom!" exclaimed Shiina, and stomped off to her room in a spectacular goth tantrum.


Life carried on at a steady pace, although Nobuo's cooking skills left a lot to be desired. He left the stove for a moment to talk to his mother and his pan full of soup caught on fire!


When Shiina brought her friend Emma home from school she was immediately ambushed by Hiro. He was at the age where he reckoned all girls had cooties, and Emma was an easy target for some tormenting. Nobuo hoped his skills with the ladies would improve by the time he hit his teens. Emma didn't mind though, she just said he was "cute" and ruffled his hair.


The only girl Hiro would talk to was his sister but as far as he was concerned she wasn't a REAL girl and therefore didn't have cooties. They got on quite well for such different siblings. Shiina was arty while Hiro was more concerned with fitness and sports.


Soon after the renovations were all finished, Sachiko began feeling sick and had to make frequent dashes for the bathroom. The pregnancy test confirmed her suspicions.


When she told Nobuo he was much more pleased by the news than she was.

"Thats amazing!" He'd always wanted a big family, and he knew his mother would be pleased at the prospect of another grandchild.

"But how are we going to afford it? The house is barely big enough for all of us as it is, and we haven't got enough money to build even more extensions!"

Nobuo smiled. "We'll get by, we always will."


Meanwhile, Shiina wanted a boyfriend. Not a steady one, although she wasn't promiscuous and dreamed of someday finding a guy who would buy her presents and party with her until they were both old and grey. But for now she was young and free, and right now ANYONE would do. Well, almost anyone. She'd gotten chatting to various guys on the internet, but they were all a bit too old for her. Ew!


Her heart leapt when she found out there was a goth club in down town Virtue Falls. Their ID policy was apparently really lax and she got in without any trouble, but their clientele wasn't particularly alternative after all. She got wrecked on cocktails before hitting the dance-floor and "freaking out the Mundanes."


She didn't find any boys, but she did meet one person who looked like she fit in at the club and might be fun to hang around with, even if her whole creature-of-the-night vibe was kind of corny. The vampire thing? SO 1994.


Sachiko didn't let the news of her pregnancy get in the way of socialising. She was on the phone more often than her teenage daughter, chatting away to Lisa and Sabrina. She'd have to organise an outing to one of the cafés down town for the three of them soon, all girls together.


It didn't take long before Sachiko was showing, and she used her pregnancy to her advantage as much as possible. If anyone gave her trouble about eating the whole bag of cookies she could always tell them she was eating for two.


In fact, she was eating for three. Her first ultrasound revealed she was carrying twins. Nobuo promptly got a job as a security guard. Their savings were running out and if they wanted to furnish a nursery they'd have to bring in a bit more money. Pregnancy didn't put a damper on their amorousness, though - especially as it turned out that Sachiko really couldn't resist a man in uniform!