Aldric Davis: Week 1

The brothers' Senior Year at college is here.

Here is the first of two weeks with one of the Davis brothers. We start of course with Aldric, since his name comes before Almeric in alphabetical order. 

The twin brothers have changed their hair since we last saw them, as I have noticed with a few other Sims since installing the Legacy Edition. Aldric is the one in the back.

This is how he used to look all through his college life, which is coming to an end this very day. 

Aldric is a Popularity Sim who dreams of becoming a General - he doesn't seem the type, but maybe spending so much time with the Grunt brothers who were his dorm mates and are the sons of General Buzz Lee, formerly Grunt, has influenced his decision.

Anyway, here he is in his graduation robes, giving the dorm's drum kit one last workout. 

His party goes well, with his girlfriend Stella Terrano looking on as his brother Almeric autonomously jumps into the arms of his girlfriend Klara Vonderstein. Both Stella and Klara have graduated a little before the Davis brothers and already live in their own places in Strangetown.

Aldric graduates and leaves, and his marginally younger twin brother Almeric is next. One of his guests is Professor Samantha Cho, whom he befriended. She is very proud of her student on this particular day. 

The brothers soon arrive at the modest townhouse they have purchased with the help of their saved student grants at No. 33 Mendoza Lane in Strangetown's downtown. I won't show you the inside as they are not going to stay very long - Aldric is about to join Stella at her rented flat in a minute.

But first, Almeric invites his Professor friend over, and Samantha accepts his suggestion to retire from teaching and move to Strangetown for good. 

Samantha Cho is 54 and a Romance Sim who wishes to woohoo with 20 different Sims. She has her work cut out for her since so far she only knows Almeric well enough to engage in a romantic relationship with him (if he is so inclined - he is, after all, an item with Klara Vonderstein). It's not impossible for her to achieve her lifetime want, though, and she'll give it a genuine try... ...after she has moved to her own place, which is easy since she has 17,000 Simoleons on top of the 20k starter money for new arrivals.

Meanwhile, Aldric has arrived at Stella's flat along Road to Nowhere in Old Strangetown. 

She is VERY happy to welcome him!

The flat comes partly furnished, but the two graduates have been careful with their grants and have plenty of money to play with. 

For now, I leave the kitchen unchanged except for lamps. The bathroom gets more luxurious and modern fittings, the bedroom (lower left hand corner, dark green carpet) is furnished and the small room sandwiched between bedroom and kitchen becomes a study with computer desk, bookcase and comfy armchairs to read and study in.

"It is so nice to finally be out of the dorm and have our own place together, isn't it!" Stella enthuses over the lunchmeat sandwiches that are their first meal together here.

"And it's wonderful to be best friends as well as lovers..." she says, gazing into Aldric's eyes. I don't think I need to tell you what happened next!

Well, one thing that happens shortly afterwards is the phone ringing: Buck Grunt, their former dorm mate and still at uni, invites them to meet him and a bunch of others downtown at the FM.

Aldric LOVES the karaoke machine and graces us with an enthusiastic rendering of Ooghi-Ooghi-Ooh (my all-time favourite disco song from the original Sims game!). 

He is then joined by Stella in the photo booth, but they really only take photos (everything else has already happened shortly before they were invited to the outing). 

By the way, Aldric has already landed a position as Junior Officer and will start tomorrow. To his surprise, one of the military people he met at the online interview for the job is also at the FM for a meal, and it looks like he recognises their latest recruit immediately.

The group is too large to all fit at one table, and Aldric shares the dining booth with his former dorm mates Tank and Buck Grunt as well as their Dad, General Buzz. A good opportunity for him to get some tips for the job from someone so experienced! He has an early start tomorrow, though, and he and Stella leave soon after the meal.

Tuesday is quickly told: Aldric is off to his first day as a Junior Officer. Leaving the flat in his brand new uniform, he worries whether anyone will ask him to have his hair cut as short as he's seen it on General Buzz. Stella has not yet found a job in Journalism and stays home, skilling the way only a Knowledge Sim in autumn can, talking to friends on the phone and having leftover sandwiches for her meals.

Nobody has said anything about Aldric's hair, but it has been hinted that he needs to get physically fitter, and he diligently spends a couple of hours in the evening doing Yoga.

His diligence is duly rewarded on Wednesday, when he returns home as part of Strangetown's Counter Intelligence.

The couple celebrate Aldric's promotion on the apartment building's rooftop terrace over a batch of hot dogs, freshly grilled by Stella and washed down with glasses of sparkling wine. 

As an added bonus to his promotion, Aldric has Thursday off, and since Stella still has not found an opening in her coveted line of work, he suggests they walk to the shops along their street for groceries and other things.

While he buys some clothes... 

...she greets Loki Beaker and a few other neighbours.

Back home, Aldric and Stella go for a round of jogging, resulting in him finally getting rid of the excess belly fat he's been carrying around for some time now.

The couple end the evening with a delicious dish of pork chops, but Aldric is determined to stay slim and become fitter, and only eats until he is full and not until the plate is empty, putting the rest in the fridge. 

Friday turns out to be a really good day for the couple. First, Aldric is promoted to Flight Officer. Earlier today, he took the right decision with a chance card, earning him a 2,000 Simoleon reward for apprehending "the enemy" by listening in on their phone conversation.

Then, Stella has not only finally found an opening in Journalism as a Movie Critic, but was promoted right away to Fact Checker. With her off the car pool is her colleague Lazlo Curious. The two are almost friends by the time he needs to go home.

Both Stella and Aldric have the entire weekend off, and when she greets him in the morning with a smile and a freshly baked omelette, he couldn't be happier. With the bonus he has earned and their careers being off to such a good start, he suggests they take a mini break on Twikkii Island. The shuttle is called, and they are off...

...to the Beach Hotel. Or so I thought! Only when Aldric gets off the taxi on his own, I realise that I forgot to add Stella to the booking.That's a shame, but I decide to have Aldric stay until Sunday night nonetheless - after all, it really was his wish to have an island holiday, not hers, and it won't matter that he will now be a little older than she is.

He may still be a bit on the pale side, but his beach figure is much better than it would have been at the start of the week :-D

The first afternoon passes quickly, and Aldric ends the day with a rather lonesome meal at the hotel's restaurant and a movie in his room. The next morning, he enjoys a private yoga session on the beach... 

...followed by a dip in the crystal clear water. 

He has a snooze in the sun before heading inside for another meal. 

It was all rather nice, but by evening, he is ready to fly home, and is dropped off in front of the apartment building in Strangetown a couple of hours later. 

"I've missed you, Stella..." (He very sweetly rolled the wish to flirt with her while he was on the island on his own!) Of course, it is still Saturday morning here, and Stella hasn't missed her boyfriend at all - for her, he has only just left. 

He found a pair of clam shell earrings on the beach and gave these to her. 

Although it's still Saturday here, Aldric has had his full week thanks to the trip to Twikii Island, and so our time with this couple ends now.

Aldric has always been one of those Sims I was never especially fond of while at the same time not disliking them, either. This week, he has grown on me - maybe because he has changed for the better (in my opinion) and really makes a nice partner for Stella. Both have achieved something in their careers, but still quite a bit of work ahead before they'll reach their respective liftime wants. 

Next will be Almeric Davis.

The Curious Family: Week 2

The 1st week with this family is here.

This is the first time I am playing in Strangetown since I have acquired the Legacy version of the game, and I am really looking forward to another crash-free session with a busy household: The Curious Family! 

Let's start with the youngest family member: Kitty Curious, named so after her late grandmother. She is the daughter of... 

...Vidcund, the middle one of the three Curious brothers. On top of being father of a toddler, he is also working at his lifetime want of becoming Celebrity Chef.

The oldest of the three brothers is Lazlo. He wants to become Strangetown's next City Planner (and the town can indeed do with some improvements), but that's not all he does; he also has a daughter...

...Zo, who is fast asleep when I enter the lot on this Saturday morning. She is named after her great-grandmother.

Last but not least, there is Lazlo, the youngest brother. He wishes to be a Media Magnate. 

Breakfast is a lively affair on this Saturday morning; two of the three brothers have to go to work, but nobody has to leave the house early, so they can eat their pancakes while comfortably chatting away. 

The Nanny arrives in spite of Pascal being home, but he's grateful for her services and studies skills for his career. He also loves to spend time with his daughter and rolls many wishes to play with her, talk to her and tell her jokes.

It is already dark by the time Lazlo returns from work; he has just been promoted to Fact Checker.

Vidcund follows a little later, also with a promotion: He is now Host at the restaurant where he's been working for a while. 

The brothers have over 9,000 Simoleons in the bank now and can afford to do something about their impractical house; last round, I added a bedroom/nursery and bathroom for Vidcund and Kitty, but the only downstairs bathroom makes it hard to manage three adults who work full time plus a girl that needs to be ready for the school bus at a set time, too. 

Zo and her Dad have breakfast together on Sunday morning, and Zo expresses her disappointment that it's the second day when the schoolbus won't come to get her. "Who needs weekends?" she complains in typical half-Alien-future-Knowledge-Sim-manner. 

Upstairs, Vidcund is teaching his little daughter to talk. How delighted he is when Kitty says "Da-dee" for the first time! 

The day passes by with everyone doing their share of household taks but also spending time together talking or playing. In the evening, Zo joins her Uncle Vidcund when he is having a late dinner after work, and they talk about college (already!!). "You know, neither me nor your Dad or your Uncle Lazlo could go... there was no college yet near Strangetown when we were young," he explains, "but it will be different for you and Kitty when you're old enough."

In spite of her wish to go to school even on the weekend, Zo can't help feeling happy when she wakes up on Monday and learns that it's Snow Day - the school bus won't come, and she can stay home and play with cousin Kitty.

Her Dad and her Uncle Lazlo return from work in the afternoon. Pascal has been promoted to Draftsman and now has the drafting table set up in his bedroom.

In the evening, Kitty happily grows up into a child - no more potty for her! 

The largest bedroom upstairs now is all hers, and decorated and furnished in her favourite colour. Her Dad's bed has been moved to the much smaller bedroom next to hers.

On Tuesday, everyone except Vidcund is out of the house for work or school by 8:00 am. He has all the skills he needs for his next promotion and instead gives the upstairs bathroom a good scrubbing before he rings a few friends to catch up.

He discovers that the fridge is completely empty (I don't think I have ever really seen the food level go down to zero!) and walks to No. 88 Road to Nowhere to stock up on groceries. He also hopes to meet a few neighbours, but only a handful of uninteresting townies appear, and so he heads straight back home. 

The girls are dropped off by the school bus at 3:00 pm, both wearing the same hairstyles (as I knew since Kitty's birthday, of course) and the same outdoor wear. That needs changing - it is too confusing, and before I send the girls to do their homework, I have Kitty change her hair to look more like Vidcund, her human father. 

Lazlo is promoted to Obituary Writer.

In spite of it being spring already, and the road looking perfectly good for driving to me, another Snow Day is announced for the girls on Wednesday. Kitty spends some time skipping rope on the sunny upstairs terrace. 

Zo is happy to have a late leisurely breakfast of leftover hamburgers with her Dad, who is the only one of the three brothers who has the day off. 

I then discover that I can send the girls to "walk to school" in spite of the Snow Day, and off they go - they both want to get A+ grades and won't achieve that hanging out at home, will they. 

Zo's efforts pay off when she does indeed return home a couple of hours later with her first A+ report!

Vidcund is promoted to Waiter...

...and Lazlo to Horoscope Writer.

On Thursday, Vidcund's shift at the restaurant starts only in the afternoon, and so he is home when Stella Terrano happens to walk by and is invited to join him for an omelette. 

The school bus and Lazlo's car pool both pull up in front of the house at 3:00 pm, and when Kitty proudly waves her first A+ report, her Uncle Laz is happy to cheer for her.

Kitty's Dad returns a couple of hours later with a promotion to Prep Cook...

...followed by Pascal who has been made Architectural Partner. 

Very strangely, I find Zo being enemies with her uncle Lazlo - but why, I have no idea! Her memories don't yield a clue, and at the same time she has a wish to be best friends forever with him.

Friday is the last day of the week with the Curious family. The most remarkable things to happen are Lazlo's promotion to Columnist...

...and Pascal's to Master Architect. He can't be far off from reaching his lifetime want now. 

It was fun to play the three brothers and their daughters, but I will never be a fan of the house. I wanted to spend what time I had on playing rather than altering the house, but I guess at some stage I'll do that - it is just too impractical with all those corners and angles, and just one bathroom on the ground floor is just not enough, even though it is easier now with the upstairs one that I have added. 

The girls are growing up fast; next time (which is a long time off) I'll play this household, Zo will already turn into a teenager, and her younger cousin isn't that far behind. 

The "boys" are focusing on their career and the girls and have little time for friendships outside the family, let alone romance.