Breaking Tradition

Round 2 - Fall 2022
Ariyo is 24, Kuo is 15
Narrated by Ariyo Makasi

My life was completely perfect up until a few months ago. My parents sent me to Simerica for college and I loved it so much that I decided to stay after graduation. I have dreams of becoming a best selling author one day. AND it's really wonderful to be away from my parents and their strict sense of tradition. Speaking of their traditions.......

My brother Kuo couldn't stand living by my parents' rules and they couldn't stand fighting with him on a daily basis, so he came to stay with me. Kuo isn't really a bad person, he just has no sense of our family's traditions. Yes, my parents go a bit overboard, but the traditions themselves are important. I hope that I can get that through to him.......

Writing is my first love, but second to that would be cooking. I've always loved cooking meals. My parents are pretty wealthy and so we had maids and butlers and all that, but I always loved to make my own meals. Their money actually paid for this house. It was their graduation gift to me. Crystal Bay seems like a pretty nice place. Maybe I'll meet a nice guy, you know, start a family. That is, after I get my first book published.

As I was fixing my lunch, the doorbell rang. It was Dimitri Ivanov, my next door neighbor. Dimitri is married with a teenager and is almost a whole decade older than me, but he is the most gorgeous man I think I have ever seen! Anya is a very lucky woman......

Lucky may not be exactly the best way to describe it. Rumors going around are that Dimitri isn't very faithful to her. It's a shame really. I mean his outside is wonderful, but inside, he is a liar and a cheat. I try to remind myself of that and not get lost in his cool blue gaze. It's obvious that he's use to women fawning over him. It's in the coolness of his walk, his stoic composure, and the way he seems to undress you with his eyes.......I try to avoid him as much as possible!

Kuo isn't doing the best in school right now. I told him that it will take him some time to adjust to his new school. Part of the problem is that he isn't really interested much in school. He wants to design video games and is already designing basic games. He doesn't seem to think that he can learn any more.......he's a very arrogant young guy......he would probably do better in school if he concentrated more......

If he concentrated on his school work like he does with girls, he would be a straight A student! I can't believe how easy it is for him to meet girls! I haven't really gone out looking for a guy (been too busy writing), but he uses no effort at all in his pursuit......

But he always leaves them wanting more.....it's insanity! I think maybe he got that trait from our father. Dad is as gruff as they come, down right rude sometimes, but my mother still has goo goo eyes for him!

Book writing takes time. So I've also been looking for a part time job as well. Hopefully I can find something in journalism. That way my writing skills will remain sharp, even when I'm not working on my novel. So far, I haven't been successful in my search yet.

Kuo is even romancing Dimitri's daughter Halinka. She's a gorgeous girl, with her father's raven black hair and her mother's Russian good looks. I've warned Kuo that flirting with his neighbor may lead to problems later, but he doesn't listen.

I've also been practicing on making flower arrangements. My mother was actually pretty good and sold them as a hobby back home. My parents bought me the house, but the up keep is up to me. Not to mention food, clothes, and other neccessities. So I have to have some income coming in.

I remind Kuo on a daily basis that his homework needs to be done. I even offer to help him do it. He really is a smart guy, he just refuses to apply himself. But part of our deal is that he will keep his grades up. Otherwise I'm shipping his butt back to Simasia!

After his whining and complaining, it doesn't take us too long to go through his assignment. The only good thing about having him here is that it's good practice for when I finally have a kid of my own!

I make a healthy dinner every night. Not just for Kuo, but for me too. Even before he moved in with me, I would cook a whole meal each night. Well actually before he moved in, it was more like every other night. I ate alot of left overs!

"What do you think of me having a baby?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you need to meet a guy first?"

"Hahaha. Yes, smarty I would. I am aware of that."

"Are you? Sometimes I wonder! What's with the baby talk anyway?"

"Just thinking about some things," I said.

"Well, how about we start off small. You need to meet someone. Why don't you go out tonight?" he asked.

"Because I hate going out. I've never been a clubber."

"Who said anything about a club? You know, you could go out to eat some nights instead of cooking all the time. You can meet someone that way."

"What would you eat if I did that?" I asked.

"Order a pizza. Ari, I am capable of doing some things for myself!"

"Yea, yea."

"You know, the weather has been nice, we should have a tea ceremony tomorrow."

"Ugh, can we NOT do that? Did you not have enough tea at home?"

"Kuo, it's important. It's part of the way our family bonds," I said.

"Yea well we're bonding right now over this food, right? What makes the tea so special?"

"Oh, Kuo, you don't know what you're saying."

I told him to clean up the plates and put the leftover food away. I still can't believe he can so easily throw away his culture. I mean, I guess I was like that when I first came here. It was just so nice not to have my parents ramming it down my throat everyday. But I came around, maybe he will too..........

I can hear him downstairs talking to Halinka. I hope he knows what he's doing. I don't want any trouble with Anya and Dimitri because of something he did or said to their daughter. She a year older than him, what's the attraction anyway? Kuo has to be the most immature guy I know!

I can't wait to come home from work to my husband. Family has always been really important to me.........but first things first.......I have to get a regular job!

*I am so pissed! I'm just snapping away while I'm playing this family, only to find that Gadwin didn't capture them all. Out of about 40 pictures from this house and the Ivanovs, only 25 came out! The rest were black screens! And I didn't know until I was done playing! UGH! I think I'm going to like playing by seasons instead of months. It leaves room for more to happen and it doesn't have to all happen in one month. Kuo is a pleasure sim, but he still likes the ladies! He and Halinka have two bolts, which is purely coincedential! I don't know what's going to happen with them since she will go off to college a year before he does......ah, who knows!