Martin Ruben: Sophomore Year

We're not finished with the Urele-Oresha-Cham fraternity yet! The youngest member, Sophomore Martin Ruben, will be our host for a "year". He was invited to join the fraternity and move in by his big brother, Joshua Ruben. 

Click here for his Freshman year at the house he shared with Allegra Gorey and Jane Stacks.

"Martin can hardly believe he's really related to a frat member. Rather than dwelling on it though, he keeps his nose to the grindstone, hangs out with his roommates and tries to avoid the sorority girls." - That's what Maxis write about him, so maybe becoming a frat brother himself seems a little out of character. 

Well, now he is here, and we'll see how college life suits him under these different circumstances. 

His aspiration is Knowledge, and rather typically, he sees his future as Desiderata's Education Minister. Maybe you remember that he fell in love autonomously with Jane Stacks; I wonder how she takes his moving out of the house they shared with Allegra Gorey. First things first, though; Martin needs (and wants!) to write his Term Paper. 

Meanwhile, Jared Starchild greets Genesis Lee, an NPC student I want to make playable because of her surname.

A group of Sims - current and former students, such as Erik Swain and Ashley Pitts - are arriving at the house. You can guess why, can't you?

It's Joshua Ruben's graduation party! Martin looks a bit lost, wondering how he is supposed to keep the fraternity going with the last three of its original members leaving campus for good. 

Jane is here to join the party which has seamlessly moved from Joshua's to Castor Nova's graduation. Of course Martin is more than happy to see Jane, especially after he has just had to wave his big brother good-bye.

Castor, who has somehow managed to stuff all his wild hair underneath his mortar board, and Allegra Gorey are our next couple to fall in love autonomously!

Martin has taken over the fraternity tradition to eat pizza in the yard behind the house.

Jared Starchild has graduated Summa Cum Laude in Arts. 

Kevin Beare is next to throw his graduation party. Of course his 3-bolt-lady, Vamsi Simpson, is his guest of honour, and he plays a love song on the piano exclusively for her. "My Kevin!" she sighs happily. (Naturally, the piece was neither a love song nor just for Vamsi, but it sounds like something Kevin would do, doesn't it?)

Next to return with a diploma in his pocket is Toby Scott. "Tobs" has graduated Summa Cum Laude in Mathematics.

Having graduated doesn't help to escape the campus coach who turns up just as Toby enters the house, and before he can put on his robe and mortar board, he has to change into his gymnastics outfit and do some exercises. 

But eventually, the coach leaves, and Toby can have his graduation party. Of course, his former dorm mate and frat brother Erik Swain is invited, too - after all, it was Erik who brought him here. 

If Martin and Heather Huffington ever had anything going on, I can't remember! Anyway, it looks like Martin is very unhappy seeing her talk to Ashley Pitts - these two were three-bolters last time I checked.

The fraternity house sees the fourth graduation party in as many days - it is now Jared Starchild's turn. Once again, the former dorm and house mates gather for the occasion. 

Martin has just finished the first semester of his Sophomore Year. He already has the required skills for the second semester, and so I send him to write his Term Paper (he wishes for it, too) right away. However, with Jared's party going on downstairs, Martin feels left out, working away all on his own upstairs. "Everybody but me is having fun!" he thinks. 

Building a snowman is much more to his liking right now. But soon afterwards, he completes his Term Paper - there were only a few more paragraphs left to write anyway. 

The next morning, I catch Martin daydreaming about Jane. Funnily enough, all this winter he has not yet rolled any wish involving her.

Jimmy Phoenix has just graduated, and the customary party ensues. After he has boarded the taxi to The Valley, Martin is left on his own in the big house - hardly surprising, the fraternity drops to level 2 (after it had reached level 6 not that long ago).

Martin's Sophomore Year is over. He has done well academically, but could have done better socially. I really hope the fraternity is going to keep going - maybe when I play other students, they will wish to join a Greek House, and can befriend Martin in order to do that. We'll see!

The second semester went by excepitonally quickly, since there weren't as many parties to throw (and watch what everyone was doing). Desiderata's Downtown is rapidly filling up with graduates - almost every one of the cheaper houses has been taken.

Joshua Ruben: Senior Year

We're back at the Urele-Oresha-Cham fraternity at Desiderata Valley's Sim State Uni.

The reason is Joshua Ruben, whose name appears next on my alphabetical list after the Roth family. Joshua was last seen here, during Ashley Pitts' Senior Year.

Here he is politely listening to Erik Swain, their latest frat brother - and probably the most short-lived one they ever had, too: Erik was already in his Senior Year when he joined the fraternity and is close to graduation. 

According to Maxis, "Joshua doesn't know where he wants to focus his studies. He's too easily distracted by sorority girls and pizza." Well, he has been focusing pretty good so far. He is a Fortune Sim who intends to have six pets reach the top of their career - meaning he won't have to work (but I know he'll have his work cut out for him looking after several pets, maybe not six at the same time, but at least two or three). 

He is majoring in Biology as per his wish, and his Senior Year has just begun. 

Of course he now needs a skill point or two, and sets to work right away. 

He even starts on his Term Paper, but before he reaches 30 %, he is off to class.

On the other side of the house, Castor Nova - another frat brother, and also in his Senior Year - first needs to repair the computer before he can get started on his Term Paper. 

Meanwhile, Erik seems to have taken over the role of Mr Pajama Bottoms, recently vacated by Ashley Pitts, who graduated and moved to The Valley last time I played here. 

Kevin Beare is the fourth frat brother here. On this evening, I have him make a batch of Grandma's Comfort Soup - the most nutritious dish, and he is the only Sim here who knows the recipe.

Joshua finishes his Term Paper in good time.

Erik Swain is still here, although he has graduated and should leave campus soon. But he has a job to do before that: He asks Jared Starchild, who has completed his Pledge period and is now a full member of the fraternity, to move in.

Jared has brought his dorm mates over for the day, and Jimmy Phoenix becomes the latest Pledge.

"They have asked me to pledge, but now what do I do?" he asks - surprisingly, there is nothing to clean or to repair at the moment, and when Jimmy is asked to serve a meal, all he does is put out canned drinks. His dorm mates Sam Thomas, Jack Kim and Ty Bubbler don't know the answer to Jimmy's question, either. 

Next to move in is Toby Scott, who has also only recently been rewarded for his Pledge period with full membership. Both Jared and Toby are Seniors like the rest of the "brothers", but their Senior Year has only just started, leaving them more time to make more friends and hopefully keep the fraternity going.

Joshua invites his younger brother Martin over, and to his surprise and delight, Martin sees quite happy to become a Pledge. 

Jimmy Phoenix wonders whether it was the right decision to pledge - he always thought the boys eat gourmet meals at the fraternity house every day, but all there is seems to be canned drinks! (I know, I know; it was actually Jimmy who served the drinks. But his face here is just so fitting the situation that I could not resist!)

Oooh... we have an autonomous falling in love!! Martin and Jane are now officially an item, as witnessed by Kevin and Castor. 

Before Erik leaves, there is always time for one last pizza, which he has just brought back from campus. "You know, Tobs, we even have our pizza out here in winter - you should try it!" Toby thinks "Tobs?!" but says nothing. 

It is then time for Erik to change into his "adult" clothes - and the blue shirt suits him, doesn't it? Jared waves good-bye as his former dorm mate and briefly frat brother walks to the taxi waiting at the curb. Of course we'll see where Erik has moved to when it his turn to be played. 

With only five hours to go until their end of term exam, I am not too happy about Joshua and Kevin using the bubble blower. Instead, I make sure they are reasonably well rested, have showers and a slice of pizza (what else!). 

And it pays off; all three of them return from their exams with good grades and the full grants gone to their account. 

This calls for a celebratory pizza, doesn't it! 

Oh dear... just as Joshua has placed the pizza carton outside at their preferred eating place, lightning strikes the birch tree next to the bench. Thankfully, the desaster is averted when rain quickly puts out the flames. 

You can always rely on Toby to do the cleaning. 

These two frat brothers may be at totally opposite ends of the spectrum, but they are united by their love of pizza!

Occasionally, Joshua does a spot of cleaning on his own accord, too.

Just as he pays this term's bills, Jimmy Phoenix arrives - he is now a full member of the fraternity, eligible to move in - and move in he does! 

Joshua may not be the best cook, but his frat brothers really appreciate the grilled cheese he's preparing for all of them.

Next (and last for this term) to move in is his younger brother, Martin. He can have Joshua's old room very soon.

And here they are, our last three original frat brothers just graduated!

Joshua has reached Summa Cum Laude in Biology, Kevin's final exam in Psychology resulted in Magna Cum Laude, and Castor is another Summa Cum Laude graduate, but in Philosophy. 

A busy Senior Year it has been! There are now a few Seniors left here, about to graduate soon. Martin Ruben will hold the fort and hopefully find new members for the fraternity; he is the only younger student here, a Sophomore.

The Roth Family - Week 1

"Hello, Roths!" - "Hello, Betty Goldstein!" 

We're at No. 208 Welsh Lane in Riverblossom Hills, where the Roth family have just moved in. In this Maxis-made picture, they are welcomed by Betty Goldstein, who is related to the Goths via Morty. His father and Betty's mother were brother and sister. Maxis write about the Roths: "Having recently moved to Riverblossom Hills has had a wonderful effect on the Roth's! Sandra and Xander are doing great in school, Morty found a great job, but Stella seems a bit restless..." 

The next of the pre-made pictures shows Morty, obviously adventuring in a djungle-type environment, which fits his current job of Relic Liberator. He is a Knowledge Sim who dreams of reaching the top of the Adventure Career. 

"Charming, yet sophisticated, Morty brings a bit of high society to the small town of Riverblossom Hills. He hopes that the fresh air and nearby relations will do his family some good." - That's what his biography says.

The next picture shows the rest of the family: Morty's teenage daughter Sandra and his wife Stella relax by the pool, while the youngest family member, Xander, is splashing about in the water. Just outside the garden gate is Jacob Martin, Sandra's boyfriend. 

Stella's bio reads: "Making new friends comes pretty easy to Stella, but only when there are interesting people around. This town seems so much smaller to her than where she grew up." Her aspiration is Popularity, and her lifetime want is to become Media Magnate. She is already in the right career, but only at the bottom, holding a job as Year Book Supervisor. 

"Sandra is loud and boisterous and has no problems letting people know what's on her mind - and right now that's Jacob Martin!" Well, Maxis definitely had in mind a teenage love triangle when they created the playable inhabitants of Riverblossom Hills. 

Here, we see Sandra being attacked by Jules O'Mackey, who we remember is Jacob Martin's best friend. The object of the girls' affection helplessly watches. Sandra works as a file clerk after school. A typical Family Sim, she fancies herself as future Captain Hero, something her job doesn't contribute to. Quitting will probably the first thing I'll have her do. 

Here is the whole family enjoying a meal of spaghetti bolognese. Xander, the youngest, has neither aspiration nor lifetime want just yet. But he has a biography, and according to Maxis, "A well rounded kid, Xander is loving life in Riverblossom Hills. He enjoys school and exploring and hopes to follow in his father's footsteps." 

The house is large and spacious with a generous garden around it. To one side is the pool we've seen in one of the Maxis-made pictures. With over 54,000 Simoleons in the bank plus the house and lot, the Roths are wealthy.

The ground floor has a generous hall with a small cloak room in one corner. Off the hall to the left is the kitchen, leading through to the dining room (which looks different from the last of the Maxis-made pictures). A cosy family room with a fireplace, an aquarium and a chess table takes up the rest of the ground floor, with a door leading on to a porch from where the garden with a greenhouse and the pool can be reached. 

Upstairs is the master bedroom facing the street. It has an en-suite from which a door leads to the bathroom shared by the kids. Sandra's room is in the top right corner of the house, while her brother's room overlooks the greenhouse side of the garden. 

The top floor consists of one room holding a piano, small table and three chairs. On the roof terrace is a telescope; I have not bothered to take a picture of it since that's really all there is. 

On this Monday, Morty has some time to himself before he'll be picked up for work. The kids are at school and Stella is at work, and so he can sit quietly by the fire and brush up on some skills.

His car pool arrives at the same time as the school bus drops Sandra off, and it is up to her to greet Patricia Wan and another neighbour who have turned up to say hello. 

Sandra is not interested in her visitors; she rather has a swim in the pool. Being rich does have its advantages - not only is there a pool, it is also well heated!

Stella and Xander arrive home at the same time - Stella with a promotion to Blog Writer, and her son with an A+. Well done, both of them!

It is Tuesday morning, and Sandra really likes the way she looks, doesn't she!

The kids are at school by the time husband and wife get round to having breakfast. 

Stella is off to work, and Morty has the house all to himself once more. He loves his family with all his heart, but he enjoys the peace and quiet of a morning on his own nonetheless. 

Over their tea (a slightly burnt vegetable soup, prepared by Sandra), Stella quizzes the kids about school. In spite of the less than cheerful look on his face, Xander is doing very well at school - he only pulls a face here because of the burnt food.

It is Wednesday morning, the beginning of spring, and Sandra wakes up with all the wishes typical for that time of year - she want to flirt, kiss, and have a date. Who with, though? Jacob, who was her boyfriend while they were still both teenagers, is now a young adult and at uni. 

Stella takes care of the apple trees. 

Sandra not having a sweetheart at the moment means she can fully focus on her school work. Today, she is rewarded with an A+ report. 

"It's lovely, all that spring sunshine, isn't it!" she enthuses later at the dining table.

On Thursday morning, it is Sandra's turn to look after the trees.

The kids are home alone for a couple of hours after school, before their parents return from work. They are sensible enough to do their homework first, and then take advantage of the well heated pool. It is still only the beginning of spring, and a few snow flakes have been falling earlier - but since when has that ever stopped kids from playing in the pool! 

Stella is first to return from work. She looks serious, knowing that her new job as Internet Movie Critic brings more responsibilities.

It is already dark by the time Morty returns. "Ah, it feels good to be promoted!" he sighs happily. From tomorrow onwards, he will work as a Dread Pirate. 

Xander nearly jumps out of bed on Friday morning. He is a happy little boy and never more so than when his big sister plays with him. (When they have nothing else to do, I catch the siblings playing together, which I think is really sweet.) He'll miss Sandra when she leaves for college. 

For a change, it is Stella who has the house to herself all morning. She does the crossword and talks to a friend on the phone before the car pool picks her up for work.

Her good mood is even better when she returns with another promotion: She is now a Fact Checker. (A job never more important than now, is it!)

That night, Mortimer gazes at the wonders of the universe from the top of their roof. So far, nobody has sought out the telescope on their own initiative, which is weird - usually, Sims are quite drawn to it for fun, aren't they! But then the Roths have plenty of other sources for fun in the house, and the telescope is furthest away, so maybe that explains it. 

Stella has Saturday off, but her husband needs to work. She takes the kids to The Hills Community Centre for a change of scene and to reward them for the diligence they have shown all week, both at school and at home. 

Sandra spots Andrew Martin, her former boyfriend's Dad, and they have a chat, while Stella is greeted by some townies. 

Meanwhile, Xander proves to be a natural at skating!

A round of Myshuno follows before they are all tired and walk home. 

Before that, though, a batch of hamburgers is enjoyed, while poor Andrew gets closer to the Unsavoury Charlatan than he ever wanted. 

Sunday is a beautiful spring day, and so it is hardly surprising that Jules O'Mackey goes for a walk to visit her friend Sandra. The two girls have long gotten over whatever feelings of rivalry and jealousy were between them because of their relationships with Jacob Martin. Xander is out in the garden and first to greet Jules.

Morty returns from work with a promotion to Warhead Disarmer - he is still lacking some of the skills that were actually required for this job, but he was lucky with a chance card.

Over bowls of vegetable soup prepared by Sandra, he suggest to his daughter that they finally get some fish for the aquarium in the living room, which has been empty since their move in. 

A few hours later, Sandra is getting on a taxi... to buy fish at the pet shop? No, she has made that all-important phone call and is moving to college, even though she still has a few days of her teenage time left. But she has really been wanting to go, and also I do not want to make the age gap between her and Jacob even bigger. Who knows - when their paths cross again at the dorm, their old flame might be rekindled.

Xander misses his big sister, but he knows that they will remain best friends for life. Morty  fondly looks at his son (who, by the way, will grow into a teenager at the start of next round). 

Indeed, the Roths have done well all week. Contrary to their Maxis-written bios, Morty and Stella are very much in love, and they are best friends with both their children as well. Career-wise, things have been good for them, too. Long may it continue - I hope they will not do a mysterious disappearing act on me the way they did in New Maximiliania!

And here's a really funny thing: When I happened to look at the living room just before quitting the game, I noticed that all of a sudden, the aquarium really WAS stocked!! I honestly have no idea how that happened, since I never ordered any of the family members to do that. Could it have been Jules, while she was visiting? Can visiting Sims do that?