Some random snapshots from the first week of the Burb family in New Maximiliania, after they moved here from Pleasantview:
Little Lucy, proudly bringing home her first A+ report from school. In the background, you can see Coral Oldie who was paying a visit that day.
Lucy and her Dad spending a fun afternoon having a waterballoon fight in the yard.
When her Mum returned from work, Lucy always made sure to run out to welcome her home.
She was a friendly and polite little girl; here she meets and greets Alexander Goth.
Lucy turned into a pretty teenager.
Sally Riley was a bit older than she, but the two of them got along very well.
Sally often came home with Lucy after school, and the two girls would spend hours talking about their plans for when they would be grown up. Little did they know back then that poor Lucy would not live long enough to even finish college.
With her parents, Lucy got along as a teenager just as well as she had as a child.
(Note the change in furniture and decoration. At first, the Burbs didn't have much money left after buying the house, but with both John and Jennifer doing well in their jobs, they eventually were able to afford better furniture.)
A view of the kitchen with some Christmas decoration and John getting ready for work.
Lucy loved the Christmas season, and winter; in fact, the last time her parents saw her was at her dorm's Christmas party a few months before she died. Here you can see her just having made a snow angel. She is probably an angel in Sim-heaven now.
Back at the Burb's house, we find John and Jennifer on their own just as we had left them - with a difference: their daughter Lucy will never return from college. If you have read the previous post on this blog, you will know that Lucy tragically died in a fire at her dorm at La Fiesta Tec, along with fellow student Carolina Curious. She was the Burbs' only child, and now the two of them face their old age without the prospect of their daughter coming back, or having grandchildren one day. Last time they saw Lucy when she had invited them to the dorm for a Christmas party. Now all they have left is each other.
Jennifer still goes to work, although she has reached her lifetime want of becoming Hand of Poseidon some time ago. But what else is she supposed to be doing?
John is home on his own today and greets Jason Greenman who happens to walk past the house.
Monday and Tuesday pass uneventfully. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, lightning hits the tree in the front garden, and at first it seems the rain will extinguish the flames.
But then the rain stops, and some sparks reach the potted plant Jennifer has put next to her koi pond.
Soon, even the pond itself is ablaze (how does that work, I wonder?!), and Jennifer and guest Ashley Pitts come running out of the house when they realise what is going on.
The tree that started the whole fire off once again catches fire, too, and neither Jennifer nor Ashley are smart enough to either call the firemen or use an extinguisher themselves.
John has been unaware of the goings on in the front garden, but now he races out to save his wife - I am not sure about what happened to Ashley Pitts, whether one of the small piles of ashes are his remnants or he ran off the lot and made his way home.
Sadly, John's heroic efforts come too late... how tragic that his wife should suffer a similar death to that of their daughter!
John still directs the extinguisher against the parts where the flames were raging, like a madman; meanwhile, the Grim Reaper is already there to collect Jennifer.
Finally, John lets go of the extinguisher and pleads for his beloved wife's life.
And he wins the little game Mr. Reaper suggests!
Jennifer is brought back from the dead... One of the rare incidents when I have actually intervened in such a situation in my game. But somehow I could not do this to poor John!
In daylight, John surveys the damage from the fire and clears up the yard. The fish are, by the way, alive and kicking (or, rather, swimming)!
Jennifer seems to think "new life, new clothes" and goes to do a bit of shopping.
On Thurdsay, Jennifer turns into an Elder. The traumatic experience of the previous day seems forgotten already.
John returns home with his last and most important promotion: Now being a Celebrity Chef, he has reached Permanent Platinum at the age of 58.
With both of them now being on Permanent Platinum, I do what I often do with my Sims and leave the Burbs to their own devices, just watching. Who would have thought a Celebrity Chef can't be bothered to make himself something to eat?
Possibly, the trauma of losing first her daughter and then (for a short time) her own life in a fire has been deeper than Jennifer acknowledged at first. She sleeps in her daughter's bed, in the room that has remained exactly as it was when Lucy still lived there.
John, meanwhile, goes to bed on his own.
Still not intervening, I watch John cleaning the kitchen...
...and Jennifer sitting on the garden bench in her PJs - in the rain!
These portraits of John and Jennifer at a younger age were done by Lucy... how sad that she never did one of herself!
While Jennifer gives financial consulting online, her husband would so much like to talk to her. Instead, he just watches her.
On Friday night, our Celebrity Chef serves... burnt Lobster :-)
While he is awake, Jennifer sleeps - but at least she has returned to the marital bed.
John finishes a painting he has begun a while ago. Mind you, I am still not intervening here.
Before it turns completely inedible, Jennifer eats a plateful of John's burnt lobster.
The two of them finally seem to have found comfort in each other again; here they are, dancing in the kitchen.
What would I be doing without my John, Jennifer seems to think. You probably can't see it, but in the painting of their house Lucy did, she can be seen at the window in her room, painting.
On Saturday, John makes another attempt at Lobster Thermidor... ...and burns it again! That is in spite of him having 10 cooking points and very good kitchen equipment.
Jennifer reads the fitness section in the paper.
On Sunday, the bathtub breaks. Of course, no Sim repairs any broken item on their own accord, and the Burbs are no exception. Jennifer wipes the puddles on the floor, though.
Later, she has a can of juice. So far, she has never made a meal on her own accord.
But she takes care of cleaning and tidying on her own; here, she has just gotten rid of the old newspapers that had been piling up near the front door (and, funnily enough, did not burn during the fire earlier this week!).
Oh! Jennifer surprises me by making Grandma's Comfort Soup.
The couple hug and kiss more often now. It looks like they are indeed finding some comfort in their marriage.
As their week ends, they are both fast asleep next to each other in the marital bed. A sad story, but such is life, and at least they are still together.
Welcome to the next chapter straight from La Fiesta Tech's most popular dorm! We are going to spend a "year" here because of the latest newcomer:
Lucy Burb!
The other residents at the dorm presently are the Broke twins Benvenuto (left) and Brent (right), Sally Riley and three others which you are going to meet in a minute.
Lucy's Freshman year is off to a firey start when lightning strikes the big old tree next to the dorm. Thankfully, the rain quickly puts out the fire, and nobody is harmed.
Lucy's favourite colour is blue, and so it is only natural that she gets to use this room at the dorm.
She has not decided on a major yet, but she has already finished her term paper - and chosen an outfit better suited for the summery temperatures.
Do you remember Sally Riley's lifetime want? She wants to have 20 lovers at the same time, and has just made David Ottomas her No. 8.
Here is one more of the dorm's residents: Puck Summerdream; a bit of a loner, it seems. Well, he IS different with his pointed ears, isn't he?
Sally is really working at her lifetime want now - No. 9 on her list is Alexander Goth.
Tessa Ramirez, another of our playable students here, has just maximized her creativity skill. Seconds after this picture was taken, she received her membership card to the My Muse Art studio.
Tessa and Lucy both love doing the school cheer.
Last but not least, the girl with the braids is Sandra Roth. Now you know all our playable students here. The semester has ended for these three, successfully - as expected.
Benvenuto has just been charmed by Lucy - she only has one bolt for him but she seems to develop a particular liking for the young man.
This semester, Tessa is the first to finish her term paper.
Brent, Benvenuto, Sally and Lucy have completed the first half of the uni year, too.
Maybe you remember that Brent and Sandra were together until the unlucky and uncalled for flirting with Brent by the cow mascot? I really want these two to become an item again, as they share the same lifetime want of raising 20 puppies and kittens, and surely it is easier to do that in one household later on. Sandra and Brent have been apologizing to each other all semester, and finally Sandra seems to see sense and tells Brent she is ready to give their relationship a second chance.
Lucy is being invited to "Games of Glory". She has, by the way, declared her major in Arts.
Uh-oh... when Sally walks with that sway in her hips, she is up to something... or, rather, someone ;-)
Puck Summerdream can't escape of becoming No. 10 on Sally's list. That's half her lifetime want done!
Some mornings, when I leave the students to their own devices, they like to gather in one of the student's rooms; this time, it is Tessa's.
Finally, Brent takes all his courage and jumps into Sandra's arms - and she does not reject him anymore! Hooray!!
"I am going to miss this place... I really love it here," Tessa confesses to Sally over breakfast. Well, love it as much as you like, dear, but soon you will graduate and then it is time to move back to New Maximiliania.
And indeed, Graduation Day is here! Tessa and Sandra have just both graduated summa cum laude. Puck is the first to congratulate.
Sandra throws a proper graduation party and has invited her family. Her brother Xander and her father Morty Roth are getting ready to pose for the graduation picture.
Meanwhile, Sally has graduated, too. Lucy is now a Sophomore, while the Broke twins are starting their Junior year. Puck is now the only Senior left.
A last glance at Sandra Roth's graduation party guests: Rick Contrary, Jules O'Mackey, the dorm cook (she was not invited but of course nobody had anything against her joining in), Ripp Grunt, Dirk Dreamer, Tessa Ramirez (sat on the settee), Xander Roth, Morty Roth and Stella Roth, Sandra's mum.
After Sandra has taken the taxi back to New Max and her guests have followed her, Tessa is the next to make that decisive phone call. Brent and Benvenuto wave her good-bye.
And Sally thinks: "Gods, no! I won't stay in this outfit for long!" before she boards the taxi that takes her back to the main neighbourhood. If you have kept count, you'll know that this dorm is now only inhabited by four playable students: Puck Summerdream, the Broke twins and Lucy Burb. Who is going to join them to fill up the empty rooms? Stay tuned to find out :-)
- - - Update 29.8.2010 - - - Back at the dorm, we see three newcomers standing outside. Come closer with me, and we'll find out who they are!
Hal Capp and Desdemona Capp...
...and Etsu Cho, who has kept the promise of turning into a very beautiful young woman.
Hal's first self-chosen activity after having claimed his room is exercising at the ballet barre.
Later, he talks to Desdemona about how much he likes her shoes.
Meanwhile, Etsu is enjoying her first cafeteria meal, with Brent sharing her table.
Lucy is upstairs in the girls' bathroom, practising charisma.
And Puck is at the easel, producing yet another painting to decorate the slightly drab-looking dorm walls.
Don't worry - the fight watched here by Hal, Benvenuto and Desdemona is not between any of the dorm's inhabitants...
...but the classic rivalry between cheerleader and cow mascot. This time, the cheerleader wins (I am not surprised - would you be able to fight wearing a cow costume?).
Looks like Brent here is developing a liking for Etsu Cho! Don't get your hopes up, Brent - you are destined for Sandra Roth and no-one else!!!
Lucy Burb and Benvenuto Broke have fallen in love of their own accord, observed by Desdemona Capp.
Hal declares his major in Psychology...
...followed minutes later by Etsu, who declares Mathematics to be her major.
What does it mean when a stranger watches a young man in a common wash room? Don't worry - it does not mean anything untoward is going on here; it is merely the head of Games of Glory, presenting Brent with his membership card to the club.
Desdemona's wish was it to learn about lifelong happiness, and within the first few days upon her arrival at university, she manages to achieve that goal.
"Guys, we have all that money between us; don't you think we should put at least some of it to use and give the cafeteria a make-over, like the students before us have done with the common room?" Enthusiasm seems limited ;-)
Puck is now in his final semester!
Etsu becomes a member of Games of Glory. Is there one student who is not?
Lucy has finished the first semester of the Sophomore year, while the Broke twins Brent (right) and Benvenuto (middle) have completed their first Junior semester.
Our newcomers Etsu, Hal and Desdemona successfully end their first semester here, too.
Desdemona really seems to enjoy university life; she gets up every morning with a smile on her face :-)
The campus coach is never far away, even though almost all the dorm's inhabitants are really fit.
Finally, the students act on Desdemona's suggestion, and the cafeteria receives a makeover, "American Diner"-style.
I have observed this before: every morning when the students get up and I leave them to their own devices for a while, they tend to gather in one of the students' bedroom. This one his Hal's room, and five out of seven playable students meet here.
Autumn has ended, and with the start of the Christmas season, the students throw Christmas parties for their families and friends. First to start is Lucy Burb; her mum and dad (John Burb with the blue coat and his wife Jennifer with the green coat) as well as some childhood friends come visiting.
Puck Summerdream is next to invite his family and some friends over for a Christmas get-together. Titania likes to smustle-dance, and so does one of the professors who was NOT invited (and will politely be asked to leave as soon as Puck has finished playing red hands with Beatrice Monty).
Of course, Desdemona's large family is happy for the occasion of a get-together in such spacious surroundings; her younger sister Ariel is seen here playing red hands with Desdemona, her mum Goneril is sat at a table in the background, as well as cousin Hermia Capp who, despite her pregnancy and the snowy weather outside, has managed to come, plus Desdemona's dad, Albany Capp.
Later, while Desdemona and her dad sit down together for something to eat, she is invited to Games of Glory.
Puck graduates Summa Cum Laude in Drama and moves back to New Maximiliania - not looking particularly happy. Does he know how difficult his lifetime want is? (It is that of having 20 simultaneous best pet friends)
Brent and Benvenuto Broke start their Senior Year, and for Lucy, it means the start of the Junior Year.
Our former Freshmen Etsu, Desdemona and Hal are now Sophomores, and we leave this dorm until it is time to come back for the next addition to La Fiesta Tech :-)
- - - Update 22.10.2010 - - - We begin the new semester with a newcomer: Carolina Curious. She has, of course, arrived here in the hope of making it easier to fulfill her lifetime want of having 50 first dates, not because she really needs a diploma :-)
The first male student she meets is Brent Broke.
But her first date at college (and the 5th of her planned 50 dates) is with Rick Contrary. As Rick's lifetime want is to have 50 dream dates, they both benefit from their encounter.
Hal Capp receives his membership to Games of Glory.
Benvenuto Broke has just maximized his Logic skill.
Just to show you how elegant Desdemona looks in her winter outfit.
Yes, winter :-)
It is rare that all students eat at the same time, but here everyone except for Lucy Burb has made it to the cafeteria for dinner.
Hal Capp and Etsu Cho are now best friends.
Oh... not just best friends, I think :-) Isn't it funny how our Sims seem to fall in love on their own accord almost always with Sims they have only one bolt for? Etsu and Hal are no exception.
The semester ends with everyone being successful at their exams.
Brent loves animals - hardly surprising for someone who grew up on a farm with lots of dogs and cats :-) The only pets allowed on campus are birds or guinea pigs, and he opts for Lora, a beautiful parrot.
Little did our students (or I, for that matter!) know that what started out as a routine (and rather boring) semester was going to turn into the most dramatic event recorded on campus so far! A thunderstorm (it is the second half of spring by now) has resulted in lightning hitting the metal balcony railing, and setting the balcony on fire. Carolina Curious just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the rain has stopped...
...so everyone runs up, trying to extinguish the flames and rescue Carolina from the flames.
Sadly, they do not succeed, in spite of their best efforts, but instead, Lucy Burb and Brent Broke get too close to the flames themselves.
While with a joint effort they manage to rescue the Broke twin, Lucy Burb does not survive.
When the sun rises over the dorm, it is to a very sad scene: Lucy and Carolina both dead, with the Broke twins close to a nervous breakdown, and everybody in such a terrible state of shock, hunger, loss of hygiene and energy that I fear for their lives, too.
The nervous breakdown is cured relatively easily, but nobody is able to plead for Carolina's or Lucy's lives with the Grim Reaper - they are all too badly affected of the night's events.
The voice of reason tells them to seek sustenance in the cafeteria, but it is difficult. Hal keeps breaking down over his breakfast. Benvenuto tries to talk to him soothingly about how their friendship is going to help them through this ordeal.
Etsu is the only one who was fit enough to take her exam - Desdemona and Hal both miss theirs.
The Broke twins had just returned from their final exam when the fire had begun, and Brent is the first one to leave and move back to New Max. Of course, throwing a graduation party would not have been appropriate.
Benvenuto follows his brother shortly afterwards. What a terrible end of semester! I really did not expect any of this to happen, but you know that I do not interfere with my Sims' lives. Carolina and Lucy are the 16th and 17th Sim to die in New Maximiliania. At the dorm now only Hal, Desdemona and Etsu are left. Will they recover from this shock? And how are the Burbs and the Curious family going to deal with the loss of their only children?
Little Lucy, proudly bringing home her first A+ report from school. In the background, you can see Coral Oldie who was paying a visit that day. 
Lucy and her Dad spending a fun afternoon having a waterballoon fight in the yard.
When her Mum returned from work, Lucy always made sure to run out to welcome her home.
She was a friendly and polite little girl; here she meets and greets Alexander Goth.
Lucy turned into a pretty teenager.
Sally Riley was a bit older than she, but the two of them got along very well.
Sally often came home with Lucy after school, and the two girls would spend hours talking about their plans for when they would be grown up. Little did they know back then that poor Lucy would not live long enough to even finish college.
With her parents, Lucy got along as a teenager just as well as she had as a child.
A view of the kitchen with some Christmas decoration and John getting ready for work.
Lucy loved the Christmas season, and winter; in fact, the last time her parents saw her was at her dorm's Christmas party a few months before she died. Here you can see her just having made a snow angel. She is probably an angel in Sim-heaven now.
