The Riley Household - Week 1

For Meike and Stephen's last year at uni, click here.

In one part of New Maximiliania stands this small townhouse. Who lives here?

Meike Riley has only just arrived after having graduated Summa Cum Laude in Politics - certainly useful for her lifetime want of becoming "The Law".
She is a Popularity Sim with no secondary aspiration yet, and no three-bolt-candidate among her male friends.
However, there is someone she wants to move in with her right away. Who do you think it is?

Stephen Riley, her cousin/half brother or whatever else he is! The family relationships in the Riley-Cho household are complicated: Sally Riley (Timothy Riley's child,) had a daughter with Hal Capp; that daughter is Meike.
But Timothy Riley, who loved Vivian Cho dearly, fell in love with Vivian's child Etsu after Vivian's death. Etsu was long grown-up when that happened, and I felt rather uncomfortable with the constellation, but it was what my Sims decided for themselves.
So, when Timothy and Etsu became a couple, they had Stephen - almost at the same time that Timothy's daughter Sally had Meike! What are Meike and Stephen then? Definitely blood related, since Timothy is the father of the one and the grandfather of the other. Is Stephen Meike's uncle?

Be that as it may, the two of them grew up like brother and sister, went to school and uni together, and are not going to lead separate lives now, either. Steve moves in on the spot, adding 20.000 Simoleons to Meike's 8.588.

What he does first after moving in is to ask his girlfriend from college over. Wilma Williamson (half-Alien daughter of William Williamson) does not hesitate, either, when she is asked to move in, and brings a modest 230 Simoleons into the household.

Wilma's LTW is to become Mad Scientist, as befits a Knowledge Sim. Her secondary aspiration is Romance. Steve's LTW is to become Space Pirate, which suits his Fortune aspiration. With his second aspiration being Family, I imagine we're in for some interesting times with these two!

The house is definitely too small for three Sims, especially if two of them are a couple. Where next, then?

They move to this house on the other side of town, a Maxis-built home (like all houses and community lots in New Max) that seems to be made for a household like theirs, with an extra little house for Meike to afford everyone their privacy when they want it.
The place is not overly expensive and still leaves the three with more than 11.000 Simoleons left to furnish it, and that is a good thing, as you will see immediately:

It is largely empty, except for a row of kitchen equipment.

No chairs or table, no settee, book case or TV.

Nothing. And upstairs isn't any different.

When the welcome committee arrives (consisting of Jill and Matthew Smith and Francis J. Worthington), a dining table and chairs are quickly set up. (I like furnishing my Sims' homes slowly, preferably according to their wishes - when they wish for a fridge, I buy one, but not before that, and so on.)

Meike has made a batch of hamburgers, and the three share their first meal at the new place with their guests.

Later, Desdemona Broke (nee Capp) rings and asks them for an outing. Amelia's closet is where the taxi pulls up.

Quite a large group somehow fitted into that one taxi! The outing is fun but our three need to home when they all need showers and are tired.

Strangely, Mr. Humble never arrived to deliver his customary computer. Maybe he will come tomorrow; it will help with the job hunt.

Meike wakes up on Tuesday morning in her new bed in her own tiny house. Apart from the bed, bedside table and lamp plus a toilet and sink in the adjacent minuscule wash room, the place is still empty.

I send Wilma out to take care of the apple tree in front of the house.

Therefore, she is closest to welcome Nervous Singles when he walks by a little later.

Still no Rod Humble with the computer parcel. I guess he may not turn up at all, and so I spend the last precious simoleons for the second-cheapest desk and the cheapest computer. A dining chair from the next room will do for now. These three need jobs for their LTWs, and Steven is lucky: He will start in his coveted Adventure career as a Dread Pirate tomorrow.
One more item needs to be purchased now: The cheap IKEA book case, as he needs two mechanical points.
The household account is now down to 12 Simoleons!

But things turn around quickly on Wednesday: Just after midnight, both Meike and Wilma find jobs in their dream careers. Meike goes to work as a Family Law Attorney and is promoted on her very first day - thanks to a chance card -, coming home as International Corporate Lawyer.
Wilma will start tomorrow as a Field Researcher.

B'Elanna Beaker comes visiting. I think she's been friends with Meike and Steven since uni. She also happens to be one of Wilma's many half-siblings.

Steven comes home - still in his Dread Pirate outfit - with a promotion to Warhead Disarmer.
With currently 8,123 Simoleons, the three can certainly afford some of the things still missing in the house (and wished for by Steven), such as a settee and armchair for the living room.

And a new settee and armchair it is! Now they can all study for their next promotions in comfort.

Thursday brings a set of promotions and (for you, maybe) a surprise. First, Wilma decides well with a chance card and is promoted to Project Leader, returning from work just before 1:00 pm to get some well deserved rest and enough time to study for her next promotion.

Then Stephen returns - not with a promotion, but a demotion. He, too, has been presented with a chance card, and took the wrong decision, being returned to his earlier position as Dread Pirate. As you can see, he takes it pretty hard, but I doubt it will take long before he is going to be reinstated.

Next home from work is Meike - with a promotion to Entertainment Attorney. She could look a little happier, couldn't she?

Maybe she has just thought what I have been thinking - that the Riley surname will become extinct in my game if I stick to my rules of only allowing babies if a Sim's lifetime want requires it.
Riley being my own surname in real life, I want it to remain part of the game, too. What to do? Meike does not have a love interest, but she has several male best friends. Shane Cho is invited, and even though there is a crossed out bolt between the two of them, it only takes a little flirting and kissing before they are both ready to produce the next generation of Rileys in New Maximiliania.
Minutes after this picture was taken, the baby jingle announces that they were successful :-)
Perhaps I was a bit rash in this, as I have no plans of keeping Shane and Meike together (unless they wish for it), but it is all with the best intentions!

Just as Thursday slips into Friday (and Meike has said good-bye to Shane), Lance Landgraab (who has been around all afternoon without anyone having invited him) leaves his fishing rod by the pond and storms into the kitchen to give Meike a hearty goodbye kiss!
Her reaction?

She swoons so that she even has to support herself on the dining table!
Honestly, this came as a total surprise. The two of them have long been friends (didn't they study together?) but never with any romantic feelings for each other. There still are no hearts in their relationship panels, but two bolts. As far as I know, Lance is in a relationship with someone else, isn't he? (I didn't check before I wrote this.)

By the time the sun is up and the car pools start arriving, everything looks like normal again. Meike takes out the trash on her own accord.

As expected, Stephen returns from work, proudly announcing (to no-one, really) that he has been promoted back to his position as Warhead Disarmer. Wilma has also been promoted; she is now an Inventor.

Stephen and Wilma would like to have children, too, in order to carry on the Riley family name. Stephen is also willing to summon the Aliens if all else fails - so far, they have tried for a baby a couple of times with no result. Meike listens to her half-brother/cousin/uncle-whatever and eats her comfort soup; very welcome, as she and the rest of the household is suffering a cold.

Saturday begings with Meike finding out that she is indeed pregnant.

And just to let you know: These two have been successful at their third attempt, too!

Over breakfast, Stephen tells Wilma of his idea of having an Alien baby just in case they had not been able to have a child together. Wilma is deeply moved.

Spontaneously, she pulls out a small velvet-covered box. "Go on, open it," she smiles.

Stephen can't believe it: an engagement ring!
Yes, if the baby Wilma is expecting (as yet invisibly) is to carry the Riley family name, they need to get married soon.

Stephen goes to work on such a high that it is no surprise he comes home with his next promotion. He is now a Hostage Navigator.

The effects of this morning's engagement have not been lost on Wilma, either - she is promoted to Scholar.

Early on Sunday morning, Wilma's pregnancy begins to show.

Meike has marriage on her mind!

The two ladies spend the day together in companionable silence, having naps and hot baths as they feel like it, it being Sunday and all.

Stephen had to work today but returns happily announcing his latest promotion: He is now "International Sim of Mystery", here still in his hostage negotiator outfit.

Well, this was a quietly busy week for the Rileys and their friend! Many promotions, two pregnancies, but zero Alien abductions (so far).
Will Stephen and Wilma get married in time before the birth of their baby? And is Meike's idea to get married going to become reality? Who will be the first of the three to reach their lifetime want?

The Ramirez Family: Week 7

Did I accidentally skip this family during one round, or lost count of their weeks? Shouldn't it be week 8 here? I don't know - but I do know that their previous week is called "week 6", as you will see if you click on the label with their name and scroll down to the post before this one.

Anyway - 

Welcome to a week with the Ramirez siblings and their pets.

This is Alabama. She has just returned from work with a promotion to Contraband Sniffer. Promotions for the pets are crucial in this household, since it is Ramon Ramirez' lifetime want to have 6 pets reach the top of their careers.

Here is Tessa. She was a child when the game began, the only daughter of Checo and Lisa Ramirez. Her LTW of becoming Game Designer was reached early on in her adulthood, when she was still 22 days from Elderhood.

Her younger brother Ramon is not on Permanent Platinum yet. With him and his pets, I am testing whether the 6 top-of-career pets mean it has to be 6 different pets, or if it works also with two pets reaching 3 times the tops of their careers.

On this Monday morning, Tessa makes omelettes for breakfast without me telling her to.

A better shot of Alabama.

Roux, the cat, has also come home with a promotion today, her new position being that of a Seeing Eye Pet.

When Tessa returns from work, strangely enough she has a colleague wearing a cow costume in tow. It is a townie, and so she says good-bye right away. (He keeps coming home with her every working day, and the two of them have a 100 points friendship - it must have happened at work and during the daily ride home!)

Immediately afterwards, she turns into an elderly lady. Time to check her late mother's wardrobe for something more suitable to wear.

Tuesday morning starts with this nice picture of Alabama and Roux meeting in the upstairs hallway while their humans are still asleep.

Tessa cleans the cat toilet on her own initiative.

Then I have her ring the police again - and this time, I am lucky: Demi Love appears! Of course she is angry with Tessa for having called her without there being an emergency. But I am sure one day she will thank her for it! Now she is in Tessa's contact list and can be befriended.

Roux returns from work with a promotion to Rescue Pet - that is the third time she has reached the top of her career, and the fifth time for Ramon - if it does indeed count towards his LTW.

For Tessa, Wednesday begins with some browsing of the web.

The gardener arrives at the same time as the repair service and Tessa's car pool - quite a collection of vehicles!

Ramon greets Hermia Capp as she walks by. He has a late lunch with her and they get along fine, but inexplicably, she says good-bye shortly afterwards. (More often than not, guests will stay well into the night, unless something happens that brings their needs down, such as being hit by lightning - this was definitely not the case with Hermia!)

The siblings watch some TV before going to bed. "I'd love for you to find someone special, really, Ramon," Tessa says to her little brother. Ramon pretends he has not heard. There IS actually someone he is in love with - Hailey Hart. But she is a Romance Sim and not ready (or willing) to settle with him, or anyone else for that matter. (Apart from that, Ramon does not roll wishes about her all week - romantic or otherwise.)

Cat and dog are quietly going about their business in the kitchen early on Thursday morning.

Tessa has to work, but just before she leaves, she invites Demi Love over - hoping her brother will like Demi, or maybe even more than that. Demi asks if she can bring along a friend, and indeed turns up with Isaiah Capp in tow (I had no idea they know each other). Sirius Swain has long been a close friend of Ramon's and happens to come visiting as well.
But as for Ramon liking Demi - thanks, but no thanks! He has negative attraction with her, and when he tries to talk to her, everything he says seems to be going against the grain somehow.

Still, they are polite enough with each other to sit down for a meal. Also, it gives Sirius a chance to meet Demi; sooner or later, one of the New Maximilianians that know her now will establish a friendship good enough with her to make her move in.
"I know that already two of my relatives live here, Sarah and Christian," Demi says. She obviously has not heard that Ryker Love has left uni to move here, too.

That afternoon, Alabama comes home from work promoted to Pet Corps - that is the third time she has reached the top of a career, and the sixth for Ramon. And much to my delight, the game informs me that Ramon has just fulfilled a lifetime want - so, my experiment of having not six pets reach the top of a career, but two pets reach three each, has worked out!
Ramon is still 18 days from Elderhood; from now on, he is on PP like his big sister.

Tessa repeats her strategy on Friday and invites Demi over again, just in time for her to say good morning before she leaves for work.

Demi has had an early lunch (or late breakfast) of grilled cheese with Ramon, and then watched some TV, played with Alabama and Roux and generally had a good day. When Tessa returns from work late in the afternoon, she has a present for Demi (a painting that was still on the easel). The two ladies are now friends, which was not all that easy, since their relationship started off with Demi being very angry at Tessa.

Demi shows her gratitude by autonomously cleaning one of the pet houses. You can see Roux the cat sleeping on the cold grass next to her - anything is better than a mucky pet bed!

Meanwhile, Ramon takes it upon himself to do some gardening. I really wish the gardener they have employed would do a better job of it, but it is nice to see the Ramirez siblings being houseproud enough to take care of things themselves.

Saturday morning sees Demi once again being asked over by Tessa. Today, Tessa does not work, so she can spend more time with her new friend. Ramon is still in his PJs and busy with some voluntary house work; Demi gets the impression he was not really ready for visitors.

But all is well when the three of them sit down for a lunch of grilled cheese. Tessa is reminiscing her college time with Demi and Ramon listening with more or less interest.

It is Sunday today, and another day off for Tessa. You can guess what she has been doing as soon as it was daylight: She rang Demi again and invited her over.
And who should happen to walk by today? Ryker Love, one of Demi's "lost relatives", who moved to New Maximiliania very recently!

Now Demi and Ryker have met - and I have caught Demi a few times fanning herself in Ryker's presence, as if she is finding him very attractive.
Never mind Ramon's question over dinner whether she knows how to handle a pair of handcuffs... of course she does!

By the end of the evening, Demi and Tessa are best friends. Unfortunately, the week is over, and so it will take a long time before I play this household again and can make Tessa ask Demi to move in. But through Tessa's hospitality, Demi now knows a few more New Maximilianians and will get a chance of moving in to the neighbourhood before this round is over.

It was interesting to play this week, with my experiment about the 6-pets-LTW and developing Tessa's friendship with Demi. I have no idea whether Ramon will remain alone or he and/or Tessa find partners eventually.