Stephanie Stacks: Week 1

Stephanie's Senior Year can be found here.

A long time ago, I gave this Maxis-made house to the Ramaswamis (if I remember correctly). It was then decorated and furnished by me, but this one is the completely untouched version directly from the lots & houses catalogue.

Downstairs are the most basic kitchen, a cheap table and two chairs. In the corner where the picture is taken from is a book case.

Upstairs is a bathroom containing the cheapest shower/tub combination and a toilet - no sink. The bedroom looks like this.
But who are we here for?

Not Mr Humble, who has just delivered his customary package.

It's Stephanie Stacks, the only remaining daughter of Cedric and Helena Stacks.
She has just graduated Summa Cum Laude in Biology and actually meant to move back in with her parents. But then she decided to try life out on her own for a change, knowing her parents weren't lonely with Vyn Scott, her two adopted sons and her three-bolt man Waylon Lam. Suddenly, the idea to live in a house so full of people who were strictly speaking not her family did not hold much appeal.
Here she is on this Monday, looking for a job in that will eventually allow her to reach her lifetime want of becoming The Law. As a Fortune Sim, she will certainly start to roll "buy me" wishes soon - until then, I won't do much about the house.

The welcome party consists of Gabriella Newson and Vince Walter. The redhead is a townie who won't be asked in. Vince seems to be attracted to his new neighbour, but the feeling is not mutual - there is a crossed-out bolt for him in Stephanie's relationship panel.
All through her college years, she has not been romantically involved with anyone. Is that going to change at some stage?

Oh dear! The Stacks family seem to be hit particularly hard with fiery incidents and accidents. Here, the tree next to the house is hit by lightning. Thankfully, Steph and her guests were indoors having lunch meat sandwiches, and only Gabriella ran out, and the rain put the flames out quickly.

Later, Steph receives a phone call from Steve Riley who invites her downtown for a group outing. She accepts and boards the taxi, but then the game just did not stop loading without ever getting to the community lot. I had to force it to shut down and lost the outing gameplay, but when I entered the lot the next day, Steph just got off the taxi - with no memories of any outing.

No job for Stephanie on Tuesday, either. But there is enough to do for her at home, such as cleaning the bathroom, doing the crossword and recycling the paper, and paying the bills.

She sits down for a lone and late breakfast.

One of her many half-sisters and good friend Hailey Hart comes visiting on her own accord.

Somehow, Steph made it through four years of college without acquiring more than one single cooking point. Thererfore, her wish to ask someone to serve a meal is not surprising, and Hailey happily obliges.
Over their hamburgers, she explains the situation to her half-sis. "You know, if were just for my Mum and Dad on their own in the house, I'd move back in tomorrow. But with the boys... I don't know."

I send Stephanie out to rake the leaves on Wednesday morning. I also make her burn the pile, knowing full well what that could lead to. But nothing happens.

She rolls the want to gain a skill point, and since cooking is not exactly her forte, that's what she studies - with obvious pleasure.

She is a lot prouder than she looks here, ready to eat the first hamburger she has ever made!

As every Sim (and Sims player) knows, Thursday means a new set of bills to pay.

For Steph, it also means a wished-for visit to a community lot where she can buy clothes - another wish of hers. Remember what happened on Monday evening with her failed outing? Although she never called anyone but only asked for a taxi for herself, she gets off at Amelia's Closet with the entire group Steve Riley originally got together for the Monday outing.

Never mind! Stephanie makes her choice of outfits and heads home after a while... still with the group in tow.

Before they leave, the community lot is bathed in golden light, summoned by a visiting good witch. I've not seen that in a while!

With so many unexpected guests joing her at her humble home, Stephanie decides to order pizza to feed everyone. Most of the group are half-siblings of hers, but she hardly knows them.

Finally, on Friday morning Stephanie starts working towards her lifetime want. She has found a position as Legal Biller and is picked up at 8:00 in the morning. Her own car is not quite as comfortable, and so she happily opts for the car pool.

Upon her return, an unlikely colleague accompanies her: Otto Ottomas. He is only a teenager and has no job - how can the game treat him as if he were Steph's colleague? Anyway, he is yet another half-sibling (or nephew?), and so he is not immediately sent home.

It is actually nice that he is here, because Stephanie now asks her parents over. Unfortunately, Helena is booked for a performance (remember, she is a Rock Goddess), and so Cedric arrives without her, but with the two boys left behind by the late Vyn Scott.
The foursome spend a pleasant enough evening together, giving Stephanie the chance to meet the boys on her own terms.

After that first day at work and a not-so comfortable night's sleep still in the same cheap bed that was already in the house when she bought it, Stephanie feels still somewhat sleepy when she gets up relatively late on Saturday morning.

But she has invited her parents and the boys over for lunch and spends some time in the kitchen - unfortunately, not quite with the desired result.

Nobody remarks on the slightly burnt food, though; instead, once the boys are elsewhere in the house, Cedric tells Steph that he wishes for her and the boys to become best friends.

Helena knows her husband won't be around much longer and decides to tell their daughter; it would be so good to have her back at the family home before it is too late for Cedric.

[Maybe starting a new job and having the house full of guests - even if they are family - for three days in a row was a bit much; anyway, by Sunday Steph comes down with a cold.

A hot bubble bath is always nice, and certainly helpful when one is not feeling well.

By evening, Steph is well enough to work on her Charisma skill, necessary for her first promotion.

Will we see her moving back in with her parents next time the Stacks household is played? Is there any Sim out there who eventually will catch her eye (and heart)?

And are the strange happenings (the "outing that never was", the casual group appearing on the community lot with Steph and her teenage "colleague") signs of my game being in danger?