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.

Nawwaf Lewis: Week 1

After a busy dorm with eight playable students, I expect a quiet week at a single household. We are at 1099 West Leisure Lane in Desiderata Valley. 

Nawwaf Lewis has just moved in - he was made playable because of his surname (there are members of the Lewis family in TS4), accepting Herbert Goodie's invitation to become a permanent resident of the Valley. 

He is a Knowledge Sim who wants to use his abilities not for a good cause, I'm afraid - his lifetime want is to become Criminal Mastermind, and he currently works as a pickpocket. On this Monday morning, he has the day off and 9.230 Simoleons left after buying the partly furnished house.

The open-plan ground floor is equipped with the cheapest of kitchen appliances, a dining table with one single chair as well as an end table, settee and book shelf. The small bathroom is empty, and a spiral staircase leads to the upper floor. 

There, we find a master bedroom with the cheapest double bed and an en-suite bathroom as well as a second bedroom off the relatively spacious landing.

Nawwaf's Welcome Committee consists of Trent Traveller, Natasha Una and Elizabeth Aspir. Their host's skill profile is not very impressive (although he has a Bronze Cosmetology badge) and so he can only serve a platter of lunch meat sandwiches. Natasha questions him openly about his family status and wants to know whether there is a special someone in his life; so far, Nawwaf has not expressed any particular interest in another Sim, but he is friendly with a view townies and playables, such as Sharon Wirth. 

A phone call by townie friend Camryn Lee later he turns up at Maple Springs Pools & Spa for the evening. 

Most of the other Sims present are townies, but a few playables appear, too, David Ottomas being one of them. Nawwaf can satisfy a series of wishes here, such as going for a swim, playing chess and darts, and use one of the hot tubs. But it's been a long day, and he has to be fit for work tomorrow, and so he does not stay very long.

As you can see, Nawwaf has invested in a better bed, bedside tables and a lamp for his bedroom. 

On this Tuesday morning, he checks the paper for events where his pickpocketing promises to be successful. 

And it was indeed a good move, since he returns from work with a promotion to Bagman, going back to work straight away for an additional shift in his new position. 

At least in for our Sims, diligence and hard work really pay off - Nawwaf is made Con Artist by the time he comes home from work at 1:00 am on Wednesday. 

He has the rest of the day off, and after he has slept as long as he needed to, Nawwaf spends much of the day skilling - partly for his next promotion, partly to satisfy his typical Knowledge Sim wishes. It being autumn helps, of course. He also makes a few phone calles in order to maintain his friendships.

Thursday is quickly told: Nawwaf gets up, has breakfast, does the crossword, goes to work, returns from work - with a promotion to Bagman plus the career rewards object available to him -, pays the bills, acquires a creativity point, talks to Sharon Wirth on the phone, acquires a mechanical point, has a shower and goes to bed. 

I know that usually one of the Repair Men is called Lee Lewis, and before Nawwaf left for work, I had him call the service just so that he could meet his relative. But to my disappointment, a lady by the surname of Curtin was sent instead.

It's rinse and repeat on Friday, but not quite - due to the wrong decision with a chance card, Nawwaf returns home with two creativity points less than when he left for work in the morning, and to make things worse, he burns the spaghetti he wanted to enjoy for his tea. Really not his best day!

Although Nawwaf is glad to have the weekend off, he is still somewhat grumpy when he discovers that a stray dog has dug a hole in the lawn in front of his house. 

Later, he decides to try his hand at spaghetti again - this time on his brand new, much better stove - but once again the tomato sauce and meatballs burn in spite of his diligent stirring. 

His first go at the senso-switch lie finder does not leave him any happier, and so he goes to  bed early, even though he is not all that tired yet. (I have observed this from the start, even before he bought the better bed, that Nawwaf's fun increases while he is asleep.) 

On Sunday morning, Nawwaf wakes up to find himself in winter wonderland. A lot of snow has fallen over night. 

He manages to fix himself a grilled cheese sandwich without burning anything.

Spotting Luis Aspir walking by outside, he greets the elderly man. "Come on in, please - it is too cold to be out in this much snow!" Well, unlike him, Luis is sensibly dressed for the cold weather. But of course he comes in, and the two men get to know each other a little better. 

Nawwaf's week was mostly dedicated to work and skilling, but he did not neglect his friends, even though he did not wish to invite anyone over or show an interest in any of them specifically. After Thursday was a bit of a low, he rolled the wish to stay home from work - something I very rarely see with my Sims. It will have to wait until next time I play him, as he had all weekend off anyway.

It certainly was not the most exciting week, but nice and quiet for a change :-)