#mercy quick

After school, Raine finds a post-it note stuck to her locker. The familiar handwriting tells her to make her way to the music room. Raine had a suspicion that this moment was coming, so she stayed on her best behaviour in classes. She couldn’t get an afterschool detention and leave Tea hanging!

Raine tugs the post-it note off of her locker and tucks it into her inventory. It’s a cute keepsake she doesn’t want to lose! She follows the instructions and heads to the music room. As she pushes the door open, the sound of a marvellous melody fills the corridor.

Tea peers over her shoulder with a dramatic flick of her hair as she plays the most beautiful tune. Raine hasn’t heard it before! Knowing her crush, she’s probably written a whole song for her!

Raine pulls out her phone and turns on the flash as Tea starts to sing. She’s got a lovely singing voice that only Raine gets the privilege of hearing. Once Tea gets to the second chorus, Raine’s heard enough of the lyrics to sing along with her.

Tea knows she will never forget this moment. She notices that Raine clutches the post-it note that Tea left on her locker. She sways to the music, holding her phone high with her other hand. Her gorgeous singing voice harmonises perfectly with Tea’s. Raine’s a very talented vocalist. It’s no surprise that she picks up on Tea’s self-composed lyrics with ease.

The next morning, Apricot rolls out of bed with a spring in their step! They’re really keen to cook breakfast for the whole family. It’s a big task, so they’ll need some expert help!

Apricot incessantly taps on their brother, Baker’s, arm until he stirs and swats their hand away. The youngest sibling doesn’t stop until their brother finally pushes himself up and kicks off the bedcovers.

Baker: “The sun is just rising, Rico. Why wake me up so early?”

Apricot: “I wanna make breakfast for everyone and I need your help! I found some really fresh produce at the market yesterday…”

Baker blinks the sleepiness away as his sibling cheerily chatters about their meal plans. Apricot has no cooking skill yet, so they do need his help. How can Baker say no when his younger sibling is so passionate about something?

Baker: “Alright, let’s do it! A watermelon salad would be really refreshing in this climate. Plus, it doesn’t involve us using the oven, so we won’t start a fire.”

Apricot: “Uh…not just that. I wanna bake some fresh bread…”

Mercy’s not in the mood to manage her team, so she tries to keep to herself for the rest of her work day.

Her dream job never stresses her out, but a revelation in her personal life consumes all of her thoughts. She should have booked the day off work to process her emotions, but she has a big open day at the lab tomorrow. She can’t let her team carry the burden of getting the lab ready without her there.

Some members of Mercy’s team were not happy with their tasks. Mercy pushed aside her initial annoyance at the requests, knowing she’s just in a bad mood. She swaps things around and takes on the monotonous task of repairing and upgrading all of the equipment. She can keep to herself and let her mind reflect on the recent revelations in her personal life.

Last night, Mercy became aware that her youngest, estranged siblings aged up into teenagers. She’s missed their whole lives due to family drama. Her parents, Hex and Weatherly Crewe, started their family anew after destroying the lives of their eldest children. The twins were raised in a stable, loving home - everything Mercy begged the Sim God for as a child. She’s never met her teenage siblings, Jinx and Draven. She considered reaching out over the years, but she doesn’t know if they even know she exists!

The existence of her siblings, though not their fault, stirs up so many feelings of hurt, neglect and guilt. She can’t shake off the negative thoughts, hence needing to spend time alone. She can’t be a good boss for her team when her mind isn’t focused on work. If she reflects on her thoughts, she can come to terms with them somewhat and get back on track.

Hours pass and Mercy finally feels ready to face other sims. She checks on every member of her team before heading to the Invention Constructor. Her robot friend won’t question her low mood, making it the perfect companion to end the work day with.

Mercy: “Hey, Venti. Let’s run through the test programme one last time. We wanna make the perfect momentum conservator for the demonstration tomorrow!”

Venti: “I am at your service, Doctor Quick. Initiating sequence…”

Later that evening, Apricot sits outside on the porch, levelling up their logic skill at the chessboard.

The air is crisp and cool for a warmer season’s evening. The porch light is bright overhead, but Apricot is too engrossed in their skilling to notice. It’s only when they hear the porch floorboards creak that they look up and see their mother approaching them.

Mercy: “Rico, it’s midnight. You should go to bed.”

Apricot’s eyes widen as they check their watch. Their mother is right - it’s the early hours of the morning! They were so deeply concentrating that they didn’t notice the time flying by!

Apricot: “Red Plumbobs! Mum, thank you! I didn’t notice! I’ll pack up and go to bed now!”

Mercy smiles, reassurance flooding her expression. Her child is extremely hardworking, just like her. Apricot is so like her as she was growing up. Some parents worry about their children getting into trouble, but Mercy has concerns her child will overwork themself.

Apricot notices their mum lingering. Their head tilts to one side as they curiously regard their mother. Concern crosses their face, but not for themself.

Apricot: “Are you okay, Mum?”

Mercy: “I’m fine. You know we’re really proud of you, right?”

Apricot’s face lights up at the praise. If there were any dark circles under their eyes, their elated expression masks the tiredness.

Apricot: “I know, Mum! You and Ren tell me everyday! I’m so grateful for your support!”