Helena Stacks: Week 1

This Maxis-made downtown house has recently been purchased by...

...Helena Stacks, daughter of Matthew and Jane Hart (née Stacks). Helena is a Popularity Sim with the LTW of becoming Rock Goddess. She has graduated Magna Cum Laude in Political Science and, while at university, fallen in love with Xander Roth (although there is not even one bolt between the two of them). Her Senior Year at uni is covered here, and her first year here. Helena's teenage years are described here, and everything else about her life so far is covered in the chapters before that one.

When she moves in, the house contains only some basic kitchen furniture (not even a fridge, though), toilets, sinks and a bath tub. Her resources are limited, but with the grant money she's been saving at uni, there is still enough left after having bought the house to get the most necessary items.

irst things first - the grey concrete surrounding the house is planted over with green grass. Looks a lot nicer already, doesn't it! Also, she places the small fountain she had in her inventory (unless I forget, I always put the equivalent of a student's grant money in the shape of objects into their inventory before they leave uni) in front of the house.

Inside, she splashes out on rather expensive bedroom furniture and decoration...

...which leaves her with not that much to spend on the rest of the house. Therefore, only a cheap dining table and chairs from IKEA are bought, and of course she gets a fridge for the kitchen.

As soon as Mr. Humble has left his welcome package, Helena sits down and looks for a job. (She did not want to spend any extra money on a desk and has placed the computer on the dining table for the time being). There is no position available in the music career, though. Her account now being down to 735 Simoleons and with no job yet for a regular income, she'll have to be a bit cautious.

The welcome committee arrives: Lilith Ottomas (née Pleasant), Rick Contrary and Trent Traveller. And who is approaching in the background? The Roth siblings, Sandra and Xander.

Xander gets, of course, a very special welcome :-)

Seeing that she won't have to leave to go to work, and wants her family to see her new place anyway, Helena asks her parents over as well. Here she is talking to her Dad, Matthew Hart. (Helena was born before her parents were married, which is why she still carries her mother's maiden name.)

Her half-sister Hailey Hart is there, too. Helena, do you really have nothing to offer to your guests but bags of cookies?

Helena takes another 40 Simoleons from her account and orders pizza for everyone.

The impromptu party turns out to be great fun for everyone.

When everybody else leaves, Xander stays... and spends the night ;-)

On Tuesday, and still without a job, Helena meets & greets Romeo Monty and Kimberly Cordial. It was Romeo, by the way, who added soap to the fountain.

Wednesday afternoon sees Helena surrounded once again by her family. She entertains them, hoping to get some money to tide her over, but all her Dad is ready to give her is a mere 25 Simoleons. The little girl Hailey is playing with is Fenya. Do you remember her tragic story? She is one of Phineaus Furley's half-Alien daughters, and her entire family perished in a fire caused by the lights on the Christmas tree. She was adopted by the Harts.

On Thursday, Helena finally finds a job. She will start tomorrow as a Piano Tuner. With both the Tuesday and the Thursday bills wanting to be paid, she's down to 388 Simoleons.

On Friday, Helena returns from work... sneezing, not unhappy :-) She has just been promoted to Coffee Shop Sound Engineer. Her salary plus the promotion bonus are very welcome!

On Saturday, she is promoted yet again: next week, she'll start working as a Summer Camp Music Teacher.

Sunday is her day off, and she invests some of her promotion bonus into a Christmas tree and some more Christmas decoration, as well as a computer desk and chair plus a bookshelf for skilling.

Then, she invites her family over to celebrate Christmas together.

Everyone appreciates her Christmas cookies :-)

Fenya does not seem to carry any lasting effects from the traumatic Christmas during which she lost her family.

Xander and his sister have been asked over, too. Helena and her sweetheart dance to the music from the snowman stereo.

Santa puts in a very brief appearance - there are no cookies left, and he does not even leave a present behind (I don't think I've seen this before!). Bye-bye, Santa! And bye for now, Helena!
Is Xander going to move in with her, or she with him during the next round? Or will there be a three-bolt-man sweeping her off her feet at some stage? How is her career going to progress? 

[It was a bit strange to play Christmas at this household while there's been 34 or 35 Celsius out there today!