#sh:damien

Present Day

Chantal is over and we're shooting the shit while Chelsea snacks on the couch.

"That looks like a mess waiting to happen," Chantal warns.

"You have no idea," I reply. "I wouldn't sit on that side of the couch if I were you. There's no telling what's stuck to it."

"Gross!" Chantal crinkles her nose. "I think she just used that pillow as a napkin."

I shrug. "Yeah, that's what she does."

Chantal shakes her head. "I'm way too much of a clean freak for that."

"We're going to get a new couch when we move anyway," I explain. "And we'll have space for a high chair, or at least a table. If we ever move, that is."

"Paul still holding out?"

"Yeah, but I think he might be reaching the end of his rope with this place. The other day he was trying to get some work done and realized he didn't have a quiet place to go to write his clinical notes."

"I'm glad he's coming around."

Chelsea starts to climb down off the couch. "I go play now," she announces.

"Great, make sure you smear all of the food from your shirt onto the couch while you're on your way down," I suggest. "Really drive home how much we need a kitchen table."

"Ok, Dada," Chelsea responds.

"Come give Auntie Chanty a hug before you go," Chantal tells her, reaching out her arms.

"Aren't you worried about getting something gross on you?" I tease as Chelsea gives her auntie a big bear hug.

"A little, but it's worth it for this hug."

"Well, I guess you might as well desensitize yourself before you have kids."

"Speaking of," Chantal begins as Chelsea scampers off. "I decided I'm ready to officially start trying!"

"Really? That's amazing! Hopefully your husband is on board."

Damien is walking in with Paul in tow. Paul was showing him his progress on the garden.

"Of course I am," Damien laughed. "I've been waiting for this day for a while."

"I know the feeling," I tell him. I turn to Chantal. "It's kind of funny, you're the last one on mom's side of the family to have kids."

"That just means I can go to you, Destiny, and Trinity for parenting advice."

"Well, maybe not Trinity," Damien cuts in. We laugh.

"She's not that bad," I say in her defense. "I mean, she's better than our mom."

"That's not saying much," Paul says.

We chat for a while and then it's time for Chantal and Damien to go.

"Come on, future mother of my children," Damien says to Chantal, kissing her on the cheek. I'm glad my sister has such a supportive partner, even if it's a bit awkward with him being my boss.

Once they're gone, Paul gives me a kiss.

"Thanks for not giving me a hard time about the baby thing tonight," he says.

"Well, if you're not ready, then I'm going to respect that. Besides, I wanted to focus on my sister."

"I appreciate it. And I promise, as soon as one of the bigger units opens up at Hopewell, we can start planning our move."

"Hmm, are you trying to be sexy right now? Because this is kind of turning me on."

"Oh? How's this?" He starts kissing my neck.

"I think we should put the girls to bed and then finish this in the bedroom," I suggest.

"Yeah, me too. Let's go."

How to Build Your Empire

Hire a graphic designer to create a logo

Put some fashion students to work...and flirt with the cute one

Meet with a fashion designer to show her your designs

Cut a deal with her that will change your life

Don't forget to make time for yourself by spending time with friends...a lot of time

After Johnny had his talk with Lucy, she made good on her promise to trust him with more tasks. For a bit, he worried about what he’d gotten himself into. Gone were the days of lazing about on set—Johnny was following in Lucy’s footsteps with the amount of running around he was doing.

As much as his feet were aching by the end of the day, the productivity actually helped to boost Johnny’s confidence. For once, he felt useful. The things he did at work contributed to the content they were producing, both directly and indirectly. His co-workers appreciated his efforts and Lucy was grateful to have more time to focus on the bigger picture.

He was distributing call sheets when he heard Lacey, Lilly, and Clara discussing an idea for a video.

“We could all dress up as a different Voidcritter when we play the new game,” Lacey was suggesting to her cast mates.

“Great idea! I think I would really serve as Avesu,” Lilly offered. “I just need some feathers and some gold jewelry.”

“Ooh, I want to be Cyprin! They’re the cutest Voidcritter in my opinion,” said Clara.

“Hmm, you kind of look like Cyprin,” Lacey told her. Clara pursed her lips like a fish and crossed her eyes, making her friends laugh. “I’d like to be Nimbus,” Lacey continued. “I don’t know how I would make the cloud part, though.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Johnny broke in. “The art department has some foam sheets. If you cut them into strips you could arrange them to look like a cloud without it being too heavy.”

Johnny flipped over one of the call sheets and began sketching out his idea. “Like this. You can sit on one of the ottomans and it’ll look like you’re perched on the cloud.”

“Wow, that’s really great, Johnny!” Lacey exclaimed. “It’s perfect. Do you mind if I keep this to show the art department?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Johnny agreed.

“Who knew we had another artist in the building?” Lilly enthused as she peered at Johnny’s drawing.

Johnny shrugged. “I’m not really an artist. I just do silly little drawings in my journal sometimes.”

“You have a journal?” Clara asked.

He could feel his face grow hot. That wasn’t something he usually told people about. “Well, I used to when I was younger,” he explained. “I haven’t written in it much lately.”

“Well, I think that’s cool!” Clara reassured him. “I like to journal, too. I never thought about drawing in mine, though.”

“Yeah, I think it’s attractive when guys are in touch with their feelings.” Lilly clasped her hands to her chest and smiled sweetly.

“You should pick up journaling again if it’s something you enjoy,” Lacey suggested.

“Maybe I will.” Johnny thanked them for their compliments.

He started to distribute the rest of the call sheets when Damien entered the room and requested everyone’s attention.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I just got out of a major meeting and there’s something I need to discuss with everyone.”

Everyone gathered around, murmuring to each other about what their boss might be getting ready to tell them.

“As of today, I'm no longer the CEO of Rainy Day Entertainment.”

Not long after he finished his applications, Johnny was surprised to find he was invited to interview at Rainy Day Entertainment.

He had a successful interview with their hiring manager, and from there, was scheduled to meet with the company's CEO, Damien Major, for his final interview.

Johnny was a little intimated at first but quickly turned on the charm. Damien was surprisingly grounded for someone running such a successful company.

It turned out his early childhood was similar to Johnny's--raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. They chatted about their favorite video games and SimTube channels. It seemed more like a conversation between two old friends than an interview. Johnny was inspired seeing how Damien achieved so much despite having a rough start to life.

Damien offered Johnny a position on the spot, which he happily accepted. Being a Production Assistant wasn’t exactly his dream job, but it was a big company with a lot of room for growth.

At the very least, it made his dads happy. Johnny hoped they would stay that way.

Damien: So how did the meeting with Milena go?

Chantal: It was great! She's letting us sell a few items from Chaka in her boutique as long as we can finish them in a timely manner. And if they sell well, she'll expand our deal.

Damien: Sounds like an amazing opportunity!

Chantal: It is. She's been giving us a lot of advice and referrals. I really lucked out running into her when I did.

Damien: I don't think it was just luck.

Chantal: Maybe. I mean, I've definitely been working hard, but not everyone gets opportunities like this.

Damien: You're not like everyone.

Chantal: Neither are you. How did you end up running such a successful company at only 25?

Damien: I started early and never stopped. And like you, I made some connections that really helped me out.

Chantal: I guess if it's meant to be, it's meant to be.

Damien: I think so. I just hope that applies to other areas of my life as well. I've spent so much time being an entrepreneur that I forgot to be a person.

Chantal: I guess I can understand that. I've always wanted to be established in my career before I get settled into a relationship. Especially after my last experience with dating.

Damien: If I'm being honest, it isn't worth it. I'm proud of my success, but I wish I had someone to share it all with--the good and the bad.

Chantal: I just don't want to get distracted from my goals.

Damien: If you're truly dedicated to establishing your career, a relationship won't be a distraction. And the same applies the other way around. Things don't have to be so serious, Chantal.

Chantal: I'm not that serious. [Damien raises his eyebrows] I'm not!

Damien: Prove it then.

Chantal: Ok, how?

Damien: Jump into this fountain. Come on, I'll join you.

Chantal: No way, I'll get all way, and besides, I don't think we're allowed...[realizing how she sounds] You know what, fine!

[Chantal and Damien jump over the ledge into the fountain. Chantal kicks water at him]

Damien: Hey!

Chantal: Who's serious now?

[They laugh]

And so Chantal was on the verge of some big changes in her life. First, her dreams of owning her own company were finally coming true; and second, she was opening herself up to the possibility of love for the first time in a long time.

This wraps up my little sidequest. The rest of Chantal's story will be told through Johnny's perspective.

Damien had just announced to the staff that he was no longer the CEO of Rainy Day Entertainment. The crowd erupted in gasps and people turned to their coworkers to speculate about what was going on.

Damien held up his hand. “Please, before everyone begins to panic, let me explain.” Their voices began to quiet down as everyone looked at Damien expectantly. “I’m grateful for the time I’ve spent at Rainy Day, and I have a lot of respect for the work that’s being done in the company. But that’s not where my passion lies.”

Damien began looking around the room. “My passion is here, in this room. When I decided to expand my role at Rainy Day to producing new forms of digital content, I thought I could still handle my regular duties. Now I realize I don’t have the time to continue my work in the E-Sports division and also foster the work we're doing here. So as of today, Sunny Side Studios is branching off and a new CEO will be taking over my duties at Rainy Day."

The crowd once again erupted with questions. Johnny glanced back at Lucy to gauge her reaction; surely she would know more about the situation. He was relieved to see a relaxed smile on her face.

Damien continued, “I want to assure you that his won’t affect anyone’s pay and I’m not letting anyone go. We’re only getting bigger. We’re still a part of the Rainy Day family, but I'll be devoting all of my time here. And this building?”

Damien gestured around. “The whole thing belongs to us now. That means more expansion, more content, more staff members. Speaking of, there are a couple of people I want to introduce to you.”

A man and a woman who both looked familiar to Johnny turned the corner, both smiling warmly.

“These two amazing people are Celeste and Christopher Michaelson," Damien explained. "If you’re a video game fan, which you should be"--he paused and gave a knowing look the to the staff, who responded with laughter--"I’m sure you’ve heard of them. Christopher will be joining the team as my new Production Manager, and Celeste as Creative Director. They’ll be working with us on developing new projects. Celeste?”

“I know this must come as quite a shock," Celeste acknowledged. "But I promise these changes will only lead to more growth and more opportunities for everyone here. Christopher and I would love to hear all of your ideas and suggestions for where to take things from here.”

“Our ears and offices are open to you,” Christopher chimed in. “Everyone is here because you bring something to the table, so we want to hear from you before we add on any more team members.”

“Celeste, Christopher, and I will be meeting with each department over the next few weeks to hear your suggestions and concerns, so please don’t hesitate to speak your minds. Together, we’re going to make Sunny Side Productions really shine.” The staff began to clap and cheer.

Lucy stopped to talk to Johnny briefly before joining Damien, Celeste, and Christopher in a planning meeting. "You have nothing to worry about," she promised him, seeming to have noticed his apprehension. "This is going to be a good thing."

???: Excuse me, you're Chantal, correct?

Chantal: Milena Neely?

Milena: Yes, I'm Milena. You seem surprised.

Chantal: Well, I don't understand why a fashion designer knows my name.

Milena: I followed the Ambrose Staton trial. By the way, I saw she attended tonight. I can't believe she had the nerve.

Chantal: My thoughts exactly!

Milena: I hope she didn't cause you any trouble. Were you one of the applicants for the grant?

Chantal: No, I wasn't eligible. But I'm starting my own company, so I decided to take the opportunity to get to know some other entrepreneurs.

Milena: How exciting! What industry?

Chantal: Fashion. My friends and I are creating a leisurewear brand that's inclusive, comfortable, and affordable.

Milena: Oh, lovely! I have been considering creating more casual designs myself lately. Leisurewear is very profitable these days. You know, if you'd like, I can meet up with you and your team and we can discuss the possibility of collaborating in some way.

Chantal: What? Of course, we'd love to meet with you! But what makes you think this is worth your time?

Milena: Well, that's what the meeting is for. But the heart of the matter is that a long time ago, a fashion designer took a chance on me. I've always wanted to pay that forward.

Chantal: Thank you for the opportunity! I know you'll love what we have planned. I can't wait to tell my friends we have a meeting with Milena Neely!

[Chantal hugs Milena excitedly]

Milena: Oh, um, you're welcome!