Abhijeet Cho: Week 1

This small but pretty house in Strangetown is our next stop - not Vivian Cho's house, is it? No. We'll get to who lives here in a minute, but let's first take a look inside. 

Apart from a basic shower room and equally basic kitchen, the house is empty.

The removal company have left a number of items near the front door: A pinball machine, poker table, chess set, a bonsai tree, vase and a children's chair. Who do these things belong to?

They were in Abhijeet Cho's inventory when he moved to Strangetown upon Circe Beaker's invitation. 

Abhi was a Townie, working as a Freelance Web Designer, when he was "discovered" - having a "playable" surname made him eligible to become a permanent resident here. His aspiration his Romance, and he wants to have 20 best friends - therefore, the telephone is the most important item in his house.

I decide to use only some of the things in his inventory and leave the rest there; he has enough money to comfortably furnish his small house, and I might make him quit his job, too. For now, he still has well over 11,000 Simoleons left. Circe Beaker is his first and so far only best friends, but he has a number of townie friends.

Wanting so many best friends, Abhi obviously should be a good host. A large dining table and chairs are prominent in his open plan living/dining/kitchen area, and the bedroom gets a double bed - it was in fact his first wish to buy one, as soon as I entered the lot to play him. The kitchen gets a good fridge; everything else will be done as and if I feel like it - or Abhi wishes for it. 

His welcome committee consists of Ajay Loner, Jenny Smith and Lola Singles. They happily share a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches with their friendly host.

Later, Circe rings - she does not want her friend to spend his first evening all alone (not knowing that he already has visitors) and asks him to join her, Loki and Nervous at The Lucky Shack.

There, Abhi meets Kristen Singles, but there is no attraction whatsoever between them. 

That cannot be said of the Diva, Mackenzie Miguel. Abhi has two bolts for her and would love to sing a duet with her at the karaoke machine, but she - not very politely - declines, and he soon goes home afterwards.

Loki is quite fun to watch at karaoke :-)

As soon as he is home, Abhi's phone rings - and who should it be but Mackenzie! "It was nice meeting you... no, no, please don't apologise, you don't know me yet and I understand that you did not feel like singing with a total stranger..." Could this be the start of more than another friendship for Abhijeet? 

One of the first things Abhi does on Tuesday morning is quit his job. He does not need the money, but wants to dedicate all his time to his friends becoming best friends.

A date is a big wish of his, and not only dares he call Mackenzie, she promptly accepts his invitation. Not much later, these two have pink hearts flying, and share their first kiss. Then, something totally unexpected happens... 

BELLA GOTH APPEARS!!! Yes, it's her - the "Strangetown" Bella, as described on SimsWiki. Can you believe that I have NEVER spotted her before in Strangetown, no matter how long I used to play there in the past? And it gets even better: Abhijeet turns out to have THREE bolts for her (only two for Mackenzie)!

What more can a Romance Sim whish for than two beautiful ladies hanging on his lips? 

Wednesday is Phone Day, and by this means, Abhijeet makes his Best Friends # 3, 4 and 5. (Apart from Circe, they are all Townies who won't become residents of Strangetown, and therefore I am not going to list their names.)

In a spare moment, Abhijeet spots Christian Love walking by and greets him. After a grilled cheese sandwich and a little chat, he says good-bye to the elderly man and resumes his phone calls until bedtime.

During a spot of late night shopping, Abhi runs into Jill Smith - maybe you remember her from New Max, where she also started out as a Townie and became a permanent resident at the Smiths' house. What an exciting day!

Abhijeet spends part of Thursday morning making his house spic and span. He has plans for today... and they involve Bella.

Olive Spectre, whose household we will visit much later this round, passes by and is of course politely greeted. However, she is anything but polite and starts to annoy Abhi, who leaves her to her own devices and makes several phone calls to his friends, resulting in him making Best Friends # 6, 7 and 8. 

Then (Olive is still there - you can see her in the house) he plucks up all his courage and asks Bella for a date at his modest place. She accepts, and after some flirting, hugging and kissing, the two end up having a Dream Date - and a firm crush on each other.

Olive stays for dinner, but Bella only has eyes for Abhi.

Friday turns out to be a super day for Abhi. It starts unspectacularly enough with him doing some gardening. 

Around lunch time, Vidcund Curious (whose family will be played not too far off in the future) walks by and is invited to join Abhi for leftovers Mac & Cheese. "I came here to make at least 20 best friends, and maybe you could become one of them," Abhi says. And while it is too early for the two men to be best friends, by making his usual round of phone calls, he manages to make Best Friends # 9 and 10 - that's his lifetime want half way done. Even better: He invites Bella over, and she becomes his Best Friend # 11.

Before sunrise on Saturday, Bella leaves a present for Abhi on his front porch: A vase worth 4,000 Simoleons.

Along with the rose bouquet he received from her after their dream date, Abhi gives it pride of place on a shelf and calls it his "Bella corner". 

Nervous Subject becomes his Best Friend # 13 today (# 12 was a townie). 

And then... he asks Bella to move in, and she accepts. Welcome to Strangetown, Bella! The items she had in her inventory are a chess table (sold), a grill, potted plant and something for the kitchen counter. She also adds 4,000 Simoleons in cash. 

Bella is a Romance Sim who wants to become Hall of Famer, currently holding a job in the Science career. She has no family tree and no memory of her family in Pleasantview, just like SimsWiki says - but Maxis still consider her to be the "real" Bella, placed in Strangetown after she had been abducted by Aliens, resulting in her complete memory loss and severing of family ties. With her three-bolt man Abhi, I am sure she will find happiness here. 

While Bella looks for a job in the athletic career (unsuccessfully), Abhi makes another of his Townie friends his Best Friend # 14.

Later, the couple celebrate Bella's move-in - first in bed... 

...and then at the dining table. 

Just as Abhi and Bella are sitting down for breakfast on Sunday morning, Nervous Subject turns up. As one of Abhijeet's best friends, he is of course asked to join them. 

Pollination Technician Smith lives right next door (it is his house in the background), but today is the first time he walks by the house.

Bella has brought the grill with her when she moved in, so it is only fitting that she makes hot dogs for everyone. 

The couple do have family living in Strangetown, and so what would be Family Sunday in other households is Friends Sunday for them, including Christian Love who has become friends with Abhi earlier.

Later, Mackenzie calls - remember her? It is a little awkward when Bella picks up the phone and the other woman asks to speak to Abhijeet. "Yes... umm... he's here."

"Hi there, Mackenzie..." Abhi still has a pink heart and two bolts for her, and she is one of his Best Friends, having rung nearly every day to ask whether he would like to meet downtown, but Bella is his three-bolt lady and True Love.

An eventful week ends! I really, really enjoyed this - never thought I would spot Bella in Strangetown, let alone move her in so quickly. Abhi has been doing really well regarding his lifetime want, and the couple are quite sweet together.