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?