Christian Love - Week 1

We're staying in Pleasantview for the moment, but in a different part of town. Brandi Broke and her sons live in the lilac house on the crossroads, but we're going to be next door at No. 35 Woodland Drive.

It is a modest dwelling with only the cheapest shower, toilet and sink in a small bathroom and an incomplete kitchen, equally cheap, without a fridge. Who would move into such a place? 

Christian Love would! He was asked to become a resident of Pleasantview earlier this round by Darren Dreamer (whom he now has a pink heart for, but I am not going to follow up on that, since Darren is otherwise romantically involved). 

Christian is, as you can see, an elderly man. That means he won't be able to reach his lifetime want of becoming Criminal Mastermind. But he can have a good life nonetheless, and I will try to fulfill as many of his daily wishes as possible. 

He is unemployed and has only a handful of skill points scattered about his profile, but a Gold Badge for Sales. With more than 7,400 Simoleons in the bank, he does not have any pressing financial worries yet, but will have to be careful about spending. 

Welcoming him to the neighbourhood are Herb Oldie, Mortimer Goth and Denise Jacquet. "I have only just moved in and not really unpacked yet," Chris tells his guest in way of explaining why there are not enough chairs for everyone.

His first wish was to buy a fridge, which was the sensible thing to do. But then, he wanted to have a Makeover Station, and going along with his wishes, I bought him one. Of course the wish for a Bronze Badge in Cosmetology follows, and Denise will be his first (non-paying) "customer". 

Oh dear! That didn't go well... hardly surprising. 

But on his third attempt, Chris manages to make Denise happy with her subtle make-up. 

Herb is next, looking rather suave with an elegant hat and moustache. Mortimer is last, but I make him end up unchanged. Monday is over and it is time for bed, but so far, Chris has not wished for a bed. I can't let him drop asleep on the floor, though, can I? 

It's the double bed from IKEA's "Malm" series Chris ends up sleeping in, even though he never wished for a bed. Getting up on Tuesday, I can tell he did not have the most comfortable night.

But he puts up his most neighbourly smile when Checo Ramirez walks by. The two men start talking, with Checo wanting to know what Chris does for a living. "I'm retired from Sales," he explains, "and am now working on my cosmetology skills. Care for a free makeover?" 

Checo does, and the elegant hat does not only cover his receding hairline very well, it also suits his suit :-) 

Jodie Larson, on the other hand, is less than happy with her free make-over. Of course Chris immediately remedies the situation. 

For lack of any comfortable furniture, he then spends most of the evening resting on his bed, reading. Two phonecalls are made, then he goes to sleep. 

Wednesday's most noteworthy event is the Oldies coming over for a game of kicky bag and a meal of Grilled Cheese. By the time they leave, Herb and Chris are friends, and Coral has had a free makeover (only replacing her existing lipstick with a shade better matching her pink shirt).

Chris has known Townie lady Katerina Kim (yes, Kim!) for a while, and quite likes her. In fact, he REALLY likes her. To test his chances with her, on Friday morning he asks her over for breakfast, and along with the cereal, he serves champagne.

He also gives her a makeover - much more successfully than with an unsuspecting passers-by, whose hairstyle needs fixing... AFTER Chris has "treated" him to a free makeover. 

He then decides to visit a community lot, and since I have not played at Sky Arc Spire in a very long time (if ever?), I send him there. A bowl of steamed rice later, he walks around to see who's there to greet.

"You're a Romance Sim, too, aren't you?" - "Yes, I am!!" exclaims Jill Smith happily. But before things go any further, Chris goes home - he has other plans for the rest of the day. 

Katerina is his plan, actually :-) Soon after this picture was taken, these two are well and truly in love. 

And who is the person who has agreed to a free makeover, totally unfazed by his host walking about in a pair of heart-patterned boxers? 

It is next door neighbour Justin Broke, who appears unchanged but has actually had his eyebrows done. 

Herb Oldie is almost best friends with Chris by now, and listens with interest when Chris confides that he has met that special someone. (The settee was actually Christian's wish - finally, he wished for something sensible!)

It is only 2:30 am on Saturday morning when Katerina - who has left only a couple of hours ago - suddenly turns up on her own accord, ringing the doorbell and waking Chris, who was fast asleep. She plants a big fat kiss on his lips and then leaves without a word! 

By the time Chris has gone back to bed and woken up again, it is full daylight. Immediately, he asks Katerina over... and to move in. She happily accepts, and we have a newcomer:

Katerina Kim, currently working as a GP but dreaming of becoming Criminal Mastermind (is that why she and Chris get along so well). Her aspiration is Knowledge, and she adds 4,000 Simoleons to the household. In her backpack are a vase of sunflowers and a video game. 

After the sensible wish for a settee, Chris is back to his "fun" wishes and now wants a hot tub. I wasn't sure whether the one in the aspiration rewards catalogue fulfills that, but it does - and our lovebirds put it to the test right away :-D 

More home improvements are made. Katerina wants a book case, and because she needs to look for a job, Mr. Humble's computer (which until now was in Chris' backpack) is placed on a desk. The roses on the side table next to the settee were of course Katerina's gift for Chris after their first date.

Sunday is an uneventful day with Christian and Katerina enjoying their newfound domestic bliss. 

No job offering in the Criminal career yet for Kate, but Chris gets busy with the makeover station, offering a free demonstration of his skill to everyone who happens to walk by. As it is winter, now some of the townies wear matching headgear with their padded coats, boots and scarves. A few phonecalls are made, meals are eaten and baths taken. As I said - domestic bliss :-) 

Chris and Kate make a nice couple, in spite of their age gap. Whether they will remain together is anyone's guess - you know what i think of 3-bolt loves: If either of them shall come across a 3-bolt-attraction, I won't stop them.

Katerina ringing the door bell at 2:00 in the morning and then disappearing without a word after that kiss was odd; I don't think I've ever seen it happening before.

Having Christian give makeovers to all and sundry was fun and gave him something to do.

Ajay Loner - Week 1

Welcome back to Strangetown! We are going to spend a week at No. 93 Road to Nowhere, a small house right next to where the four ladies making up the Singles household live. 

The house is furnished very modestly but has everything to cover a Sim's basic needs, with an open plan kitchen-dining-lounge area, a small shower room and a bedroom. There is also patio at the back of the house, reached from the kitchen, where a grill has been set up. 

Ajay Loner has just moved in here, with a little more than 6,600 Simoleons left in cash, so he can afford a few first improvements (mainly a better bed). 

According to Maxis, he "has come to Strangetown hoping to find himself. Will he be successful in his new home or will the odd things that always seem to happen here drive him away?" That's his household bio; his personal one reads: "To pass the hours, Ajay enjoys counting the grains of sand in his backyard." 

Well, as he is a Fortune Sim, I suppose Ajay will prefer counting the Simoleons on his bank account; he fancies himself as future Hand of Poseidon and that should give him a nice income. But before he has a chance to reach his lifetime want, he'll have to work hard - there is not a single point in his skill profile, and he has no friends yet, only knowing a handful of other Strangetown residents. 

On this Monday, he is successful on the job front right away: Tomorrow morning as early as 4:00 am, he will start as a Fish Chummer. 

To welcome him to the neighbourhood, Chloe Singles from next door, Stephen Cho (who also has recently moved to a small property on Road to Nowhere) and Vidcund Curious join Ajay for a round of lunch meat sandwiches. 

Then, Jenny Smith - the Smiths of course have been living on 101 Road to Nowhere for a long time - rings and asks Ajay to come along for a meal at the One-Twenty-Five Café. 

Nice to see that the small group consisting of Pascal Curious, Ajay and the Smiths are all sitting at the same table! Their food has just been delivered, and Jenny here seems to critically compare her plate of Lobster Thermidor with the description on the menue. 

Because Ajay's job starts hours before sunrise the next morning, he leaves soon after the meal. Just before his taxi is there to drop him off home, he meets & greets Jill Smith, a distant relative of his hosts and neighbours. 

Although it really is awfully early when Ajay has to get up on Tuesday morning, he has slept well in his new bed and feels fit for his first day on the job. The ship model on the side table was already there; it suits his Oceanography career and so it stays. 

His smile upon his return says it all: Ajay has been promoted to Dolphin Tank Cleaner.

A shower and a mechanical skill point later, he greets another one of his next-door neigbhours, Kristen Singles. 

"That's great - first day on the job and already promoted!" Kristen says over their bowls of Mac & Cheese. But it's been an early start and eventful day for Ajay, and he soon says good-bye to his guest and goes to bed.

Wednesday sees him returning from work with another promotion, starting as a Sea Lice Researcher tomorrow. The rest of the day goes by quickly; by the time he's had a shower, rang Jill Smith (becoming friends), ate a leftover sandwich and made a mechanical skill point, Ajay is well ready for bed. 

On Thursday, Ajay's days of researching sea lice are over already - tomorrow, he will be back to wearing a wet suit, as he has just been promoted to Dive Master.

To help him celebrate, he invites Jill Smith over. Kicky-bag is great for cementing friendships AND having fun at the same time.

The two of them enjoy glasses of champagne with leftover Mac & Cheese before Ajay says good-bye to Jill and goes to bed. 

On Friday, Ajay is promoted to Underwater Demolitionists. Skills and friends are needed now; his next promotion is not going to come along as quickly as the ones until now. 

Saturday is just another work day for Ajay, but at least he manages to make friends with Jenny Smith over the phone (as per his wish, as well as being required for his next promotion), and invites Jill Smith over for the evening. The two of them are now best friends, but so far, Ajay has not shown any romantic wishes about any of his female friends and acquaintances. 

Jenny's friendship makes all the difference - on Sunday, Ajay is promoted to Marine Biologist and can now place the koi pond in his garden.

He ends the week not only successful in his career, but also by moving in former townie Jill Smith. They have no romantic relationship (yet), but with Jill being a typical Romance Sim who wants to have 20 Lovers, I guess she'll make him #1 on her list... and then will find her own place. 

She has 3 bolts for Abhijeet Cho, by the way, who lives close by and is just about to start a family with Bella Goth.

Another relaxing week with a single Sim. Ajay's day-to-day life may be less colourful than Don's, but it was still nice to play him in his small, well-ordered house and most of his wishes easy to fulfill.

Don Lothario: Week 1

One of Maxis' background stories set in Pleasantview involves the Caliente sisters and Don Lothario. Here we see him going for a run with Nina. Judging from their smiles, they are enjoying both the run and each other's company.

He is then seen making out with Nina's sister Dina.

Both sisters are with him in the hot tub on the roof of his house (which is next to the sisters' place - what a coincidence!), and I am not sure whether we are to think that Don is trying to explain his way out of trouble here, obviously having two-timed the ladies.

The next picture shows a scene that ties in with Don's household bio, which reads: "Who is Don Lothario? Is his engagement to Cassandra Goth genuine? And what about the rumor that her mother, Bella, was last seen scaling the deck of his condo?" As we all know, Bella was indeed whisked away by Aliens and now lives in Strangetown with no memory of her old life in Pleasantview. One of Don's memories shows that he was rejected by Bella when he tried to make out with her.

As for Bella's daughter Cassandra... 

...Don obviously caught her eye while at a place that is probably meant to be a library. From playing the Goth family, we already know that Cassandra and Don were engaged, but that this is now history. Strangely enough, Don does not have any member of the Goth family in his relationship panel, not even Cass. 

That was the last of the Maxis-made pictures, and from this one onwards, all were taken by me. Here we see Don's house with the Caliente sisters' place in the background. 

The ground floor has a small lounge with a TV and a larger kitchen/dining area which also holds a desk with a computer and an exercise machine. Off the lounge is a tiny shower room. 

The only room upstairs is Don's bedroom, but the deck is set up nicely for when he wants to have a date (or even just friends) over, with the hot tub we've already seen in one of Maxis' pictures, a bar with a small seating area, and a stereo.

The telescope that apparently triggered Bella Goth's Alien kidnapping is still on the roof top. 

"So many ladies, so little time. When Don isn't thinking about dating, he's sleeping." His personal Maxis-written bio sums him up in a nutshell :-) But even though he is a Romance Sim alright, his lifetime want is not about having 20 lovers or 50 first dates - instead, he really wants to become Hall of Famer. As his current job is that of an Intern, he will have to switch careers. 

But first, the game tells me that "Don's romantic life is really humming along! Maybe now's the time to put the moves on Nina Caliente. Pick up the phone to invite her over." 

And that's just what I have Don do, only to find out that Nina isn't home. Such a shame, and Don's disappointment is obvious. No kissing with Nina tonight, by the looks of it. Next, a message pops up saying that "This place is a mess! Use the phone to hire a maid." Of course Don obeys. 

Kaylynn Langerak promptly appears and sets to work. She and Don have a history, as can be seen from his relationship panel and his memories, but while she seems to look at him longingly, he appears totally disinterested. After all, it was Nina he wanted to invite over. 

He tries again, and lo and behold, Nina is home from work and agrees to come right over - Don gets his kiss after all! 

Meanwhile, an unsuspecting Kaylynn has found her way to the hot tub. 

The rest of this Tuesday (it is not Monday when the game starts at this household) goes by uneventfully. Don tries unsuccessfully to find a position in the Athletic career and then proceeds to gain two charisma points as per his wish. He eats two plates of lunch meat sandwiches and sends Nina and Kaylynn home before retreating to his bed - alone. 

There is no job Don wants on Wednesday, either, which makes it the perfect day for visiting a community lot while he has the time. The taxi takes him to 250 Main Street. 

Quite a few Pleasantview residents are here today, such as Darren Dreamer, Gilbert Jacquet and Dina Caliente.

She is obviously really pleased to see Don here! 

Back home (after a hot dog and chatting to a few neighbours), Don is just having a nap when Nina comes visiting on her own accord.

While Nina joins Kaylynn (who has stayed on after finishing her daily round of cleaning) in the hot tub, Don prefers to spy on Dina - obviously seeing something amazing! (Never mind the telescope is pointing in the wrong direction for the Calientes' house.)

Again, no job for Don on Thursday. 

But he fulfills a big wish when Nina - who is still here from her Wednesday afternoon visit - has an... erm... good splashing about with him in the hot tub. 

If he does not find a position in the Athletic career soon, he will have to take anything that comes up. Or maybe he could sell the paintings of beautiful ladies adorning his bedroom wall. What he does do, though, is ending the daily service contract with Kaylynn. He has plenty of time and not an awfully big house, so he can very well take care of household matters himself, and save a bit of money.

After he has paid the bills, his bank account is down to 101 Simoleons. Thinking of Nina won't get you anywhere financially, Don!

Gilbert Jacquet whom he met yesterday at the community lot rings, and Don talks at length about how he is surely going to rise in his new career... all he needs is that first job at entry level. 

Lisa Ramirez walks by and is warmly greeted. Like most ladies, she is rather smitten with Don. 

As if on cue, there is indeed an opening in the Athletic career the next morning: A happy Team Mascot goes to work on this Friday, and an even happier Minor Leaguer returns :-) 

The only thing worth mentioning on Saturday is Don's promotion to Rookie. He wasn't kidding when he told Gilbert that he was going to rise those ranks quickly! 

The serious look on Don's face when he returns from work on Sunday is misleading - he has just been made Starter! 

A little after sunset, Brandi Broke walks by and is of course greeted. 

Does she find Don hot or does she find him hot? :-D (He has a crossed-out bolt for her, by the way.) 

While Brandi joins Gilbert in the hot tub, Don is completely disinterested in his guests and goes about his own business until it is bedtime for him. On Monday morning, the last day of our week with him, he discovers that winter has set in. 

Back from work (now dropped off by his team bus) he notices someone has kicked over his rubbish bin. Well, with Don's way of two-timing the ladies, it's hardly surprising someone seeking revenge sooner or later! (In fact it was an unknown townie; I saw it happening and know for a fact that Don has never met the man.)

The exercise machine is put to good use that evening, as Don needs two more body points for his next promotion. 

He gets an aspiration boost when Gilbert Jacquet becomes his best friend during a phone call. 

And this is where we leave Don for now. With all his typical Romance Sim wishes about dating etc., he also wants to make friends just for the sake of friendship.

After a slow start, he did well career-wise. His romances with Nina, Dina and Kaylynn have kept going without causing any trouble for him (yet). 

It is strange that, although he has memories about Cassandra Goth, he does not even know her anymore. Will he ever settle for one lady?

Yes, I have inadvertedly skipped Ajay Loner, whose household should have been played before Don's, of course. Blame me having read Twoyys4me's story about Don that made me go and play him, forgetting Ajay for the moment! But he'll be next, starting today.