Nery Turner: Week 1

Hello again! Not long ago, we spent a week here, and we're back already.

This time, the week is played for Nery Turner and his half-Alien baby daughter Tina, born at the end of last week.
Nery is a former townie who became a New Maximilianian because of his surname (it is the same as that of an uncle and aunt of mine in Yorkshire).
His lifetime want is to be Professional Party Guest, and he started on Saturday as a Record Store Clerk.

His host - the man whose house it is - is Jared Starchild, now 73, and as far from reaching his lifetime want of becoming General as can be. Nevertheless, Jared is happy with the way his life has turned out; he may never have had a family of his own, but he loves his two dogs, and friend Nery and little Tina are his surrogate family.

Here are Tessa (left), now an elderly dog of 29, and Maxx (in the hut), who will become elderly in a few days' time.

More often than not, a day at this household starts giving one or both of the dogs a bath, and this Sunday is no exception.

Nery has to go to work later, but knowing his baby daughter is in very good hands, he can focus on the job and is duly rewarded with a promotion to Party DJ. His next shift starts that same evening, and so he makes sure to get some rest and study the mechanical skill point required.

The career rewards object is now his, and he plants the first seeds shortly before the car pool arrives.

A[And just like the previous days, on Monday Jared takes care of little Tina while her Daddy is out working.

Nery comes home with another promotion: Now he works as a Projectionist, still on night shifts.

"You did not want to risk me burning your breakfast, did you, and therefore got yourself a bowl of cereal," Jared smiles - knowing full well that his grilled cheese always turns out great.

Nery uses the hours before work to acquire yet more skill points.>

And almost as soon as he is off to work, Tina grows up into a toddler, helped along by "Uncle" Jared.

In the evening, Tessa has a playful encounter with Charlie the wolf.

A homely scene on Tuesday: little Tina has her bottle while watching her Daddy taking care of the seedlings on the plant rack in the kitchen. (I have decided to change her hair to red, in order to match her human father's colour.)

Maxx turns into a senior dog.

An hour or so later, poor dear old Tess gets attacked by a stray dog.

She is now 32 and really should just enjoy her last few years in peace.

While Nery is off to work, Jared takes advantage of the golden autumn sunshine on the patio at the back of the house and teaches Tina to walk.

Wednesday is off to a good start when Nery returns home in the early morning hours with a promotion to Home Video Editor. He has the rest of the day and the next two days off - plenty of time to gain another skill point and take care of his little daughter.

In the afternoon, Tessa has her very last game of sticks - with Mr. Reaper, friend of all dogs and cats. She was 33 or 34 and had a good long life with Jared looking after her every need, and Maxx for company.

A weird situation is observed in the kitchen on Thursday morning: Little Tina patiently waiting by the open fridge door for someone to get her a bottle.

Nery and Jared are rarely up and about at the same time these days - they usually take turns sleeping while the other looks after Tina, or Nery is at work - but it's another day off for Nery, and so the two men take the chance to catch up. Jared has never regretted offering Nery his home, and the two have become friends for life.

It is almost mid-winter now, with snow falling thick and fast all night.

Friday is an important day for little Tina. It begins with her cuddling her four-legged friend Maxx just after her breakfast bottle.>

While her Daddy is out working (during the day, for a change), Uncle Jared keeps her company at the "talking" rabbit.

He is soon replaced by Geoffrey Scott (one of the late Vyn Scott's adoptive sons, you remember?) and uses his visit to do some housework and make a batch of Hamburgers for later.

"Later" meaning Tina's birthday - she grows up to a neat-looking girl at 6:00 pm. Her biggest wish is now to make a friend, and I am sure she's not far off with Geoffry being that first friend outside the household by the time he leaves and she has to go to bed.

Of course Tina now has a Big Bed instead of her crib, and she proudly makes it after getting up on Saturday morning.

After a breakfast of grilled cheese, her Dad goes to work.

Uncle Jared takes her to H&M for new clothes - a wish of hers that was present since her mid-toddler years.

At the shop, she meets George Scott, Geoffrey's brother.

Back home, Jared gives Maxx a bath.

Nery returns from work with a promotion to Freelance Photographer.

It turns out that today was the very last time bath Jared gave Maxx. He is met by Mr. Reaper on the patio at the back of the house at 6:00 pm, just as he turns from 79 to 80 years old.

Tina is very sad. Uncle Jared had been there all her young life, and she misses him dreadfully.

So does Nery. Jared not only gave him a home and took care of his daughter when he was at work, he was also his closest friend and something of a father figure. He certainly couldn't have made it thus far without him.
But now the house with everything in it belongs to Nery and Tina - including Maxx.

How is Tina going to get on at school, and how many more promotions does Nery need before his lifetime want is fulfilled? Also, Nery has been rolling wishes about falling in love; the future of this small family could be interesting!

Margaret Turner: Week 1

Margaret's Senior Year at uni and her graduation are here.

You may remember this block of flats from previous rounds, but the tenants are not the same ones as last time we visited.

Here is Margaret Turner signing the contract on this Monday morning to rent one of the four terraced houses.
She was a teenage townie when we first came across her; I then sent her to uni, and she has just graduated Cum Laude in Mathematics. Her lifetime want is to max out all skills - typical for a Knowledege Sim.
Her bank account shows a healthy balance of over 16,000 Simoleons - and she will need some of that money right away.

The ground floor of her place is completely unfurnished, just an empty garage and a staircase.

Upstairs only has the kitchen and bathroom ready, everywhere else is bare - no bed, no table or chairs. As usual, I wait with the furnishing until the newly moved-in Sim rolls wishes for items to buy. In Magaret's case, the first item she wants is a bookcase - again, typical Knowledge Sim.

The other three tenants here are Cataldo and Cameron Capp, and Ratna Walter. Margaret and Cameron became friends at uni, Cataldo is new to her, and Ratna no more than an acquaintance. She wants to get along well with her new neighbours and invites them all over for a spot of lunch.

Later, she calls her sweetheart from uni, Amin Fleig.

Margaret's first day as a proper New Max resident ends with a private little housewarming party ;-)

On Tuesday morning, Margaret smiles as she remembers the night spent with Amin.

She uses every opportunity to improve her skills, such as doing the crossword for logic. At the moment, she is not willing to spend precious money on a telescope or even a chess table.

Later, Amin rings.
Margaret spends the rest of the day skilling, only pausing for a brief chat with her neighbours.

It's not a smile but a coughing fit for Margaret on Wednesday morning. She better not invite Amin over until she gets rid of her cold. But maybe she should buy warmer clothes; after all, the skirt and polo shirt she has age-transitioned into are hardly an outfit for autumn.

Amelia's Closet is one of the community lots I particularly like - last but not least because the music in the shop is from the original The Sims game. It fills me with nostalgia for those long gone years every time I hear it.

Margaret makes her purchase...

...and then sits down for a game of chess with a townie. When I realise that playing here does not increase her logic skill, and no interesting new townies appear, I send her home.

By Thursday, Margaret feels much better. She takes care of the bills and then does some skilling.

Later, she invites Amin over again. From what he is wearing, you can imagine what was for starters before Margaret served dinner and opened a bottle of sparkling wine! "Here's to my health," she laughs.

When she wakes up on Friday morning, Margaret rolls a series of wishes to buy things for her flat. She gets an expensive new kitchen stove and a food processor, but I draw the line at a grill that costs at least 1,000 Simoleons. Margaret has no job and needs to be careful with her spending. Also, there is a perfectly good grill at the side of the block of flats, available to all tenants.

The day is chilly and rainy, and Margaret lights the fire in her still sparsely furnished open plan living-dining-kitchen area. She then settles down with her thinking cap and a cook book, and spends many hours skilling.

She is still at it when Friday turns to Saturday, but has switched to painting. Only when she is so tired that she can hardly hold the paintbrush anymore does she go to bed.

Saturdays mean the landlady throws a party for her tenants, and this Saturday is no exception.

Margaret has asked Amin over to join in the fun, and the two of them have freshly grilled hot dogs in the autumn afternoon sunshine.

As it is the last day of autumn (when skilling is easiest), she goes back to her book and her thinking cap after the meal. Her diligence is rewarded when cooking becomes the first skill she manages to max out.

Sunday - the last day of our week with Margaret - is here. Because she was up almost all night painting, it is nearly half eight before she gets up. Winter has set in, and it is time to find something more suitable for the season in her wardrobe.

Speaking of suitable - I have always wondered who designed some of the outfits in our game... a warm jumper and long pants, combined with sandals?! Who would wear such a combination in real life?
Anyway, I have Margaret interrupt her painting just long enough to greet Geoffrey Scott and later Chandler Cho (not pictured), out of sheer politeness. She does not even talk to either of her visitors but immediately goes back to hear easel. Nevertheless the boys have fun during their visit - the stereo is always on in the communal gym, and they dance the afternoon away.

Just in time before the week is over, Margaret maxes out her creativity skill. Well done! There's still plenty to do for her before she will make her lifetime want come true, but I have no doubt she will make it.
Whether and when she and Amin will move in together, I don't know yet - must check back on Amin first and remind myself of what his situation is.