Jasmine Rai: Freshman Year

Another student household: I am sure you all know The Shifting Paradymes, who are firmly established by Maxis at La Fiesta Tech. In my game, I have associated this college with Strangetown. Here are the band members and house mates Gunnar Roque, Jasmine Rai and Zoe Zimmerman. 

They rent this house at 116 Aridestra Drive. On the roof terrace, you can see their instruments. The hot and dry climate obviously does not harm the electric guitar, base or drum kit :-) 

According to Maxis, "The Shifting Paradymes have bonded over their love of music and moved into their own place to focus on their art. Will living outside the dorms inspire them enough to create the masterpiece they desire?" 

Indoors, we found an open plan kitchen-dining-lounge area, cheaply but cheerfully furnished, with a small showerroom in the middle and a bedroom in the corner. 

Upstairs are two single bedrooms, a somewhat better shower room and a desk with computer on the spacious landing. 

With only just over 1,400 Simoleons in cash, the housemates need to think carefully about spending any money. But I feel generous and invest not only in a better double bed (the two single beds are already good quality) but also in a chess table and two cheap chairs, since they all need logic skills for their History course. 

Jasmine Rai is the reason for us being here. She is a Fresh(wo)man and "... wanted to live out her dream of being a professional musician, so she founded the Shifting Paradymes. But now it seems she spends all her time trying to keep the band together," according to her bio. 

She is friends with housemate Zoe, but her best friend is Sarah Love. Suiting her bio and her Popularity aspiration, she fancies herself as a future Rock Goddess. Shouldn't she be studying music for that rather than history? 

Zoe Zimmerman is in the same year and same class as Jasmine, and also a Popularity Sim. But unlike Jasmine, she is an aspiring Celebrity Chef. Well, even for that career, she's got to start somewhere - maybe her lunch meat sandwiches have that little something that someone less interested in cooking would not achieve. 

Seeing that music is not her real focus goes well with what Maxis have written about her: "Zoe joined the band to get out of the dorms and make some new friends, but her real focus is on her studies. As much as she likes music, Zoe wants to graduate and get a job." Gunnar is two years ahead of the girls. A typical Romance Sim, he seems to be less interested in music as in where it can get him - to woohoo with 20 different Sims is his big goal in life.

Jasmine needs just one logic point and achieves it quickly with the newly bought chess board before she sits down to write her Term Paper.

She wakes up in her red bedroom the next day, still a little bleary-eyed. They all just went to bed "whenever", and get up rather late - good job classes are in the afternoon and evening for them! 

Gunnar seems to wonder whether he should approach Jasmine for some help with his lifetime want. So far, they are only just barely friends. This would somehow suit his bio, which says "Gunnar is a so-so musician, but he thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. Perhaps he'll eventually understand why his female bandmates aren't exactly at each others' throats for his attentions." 

The girls are closer and spend much time today playing chess on the balcony. 

They leave for class and Gunnar stays home alone, something he doesn't really like. But then he rings the professor he wishes to befriend, invites her over, and a friendship is formed - it won't harm Gunnar's grades, either.

Jasmine loves to play "The Sims" and can be found at the computer anytime she doesn't have anything more pressing to do.

But she also does her share of housework without being asked.

Spaghetti straight from the fridge and a bag of cookies make up today's breakfast - probably not all that far from reality in some student households ;-D 

Jasmine is just taking out the rubbish when Stella Terrano walks by, but she is too slow - by the time she is ready to greet Stella, the young woman has left the lot.

The professor Gunnar has been befriending has just rung and asked after him, but he's at class. Jasmine looks out of the window in the hope of spotting him on his way back, so that she can tell him immediately about the professor's call.

Here she is, the professor in question - quite a bit older than Gunnar, obviously, but still a beautiful lady, I think. Might she become one of the 20 names on his list? (So far, there is none!) 

All three History students pass their end of semester exam with flying colours - and get the grants to match. 

Since Jasmine now needs a cleaning skill point, I send her on a cleaning expedition throughout the house. Goal achieved!

Gunnar needs loads of skill points this semester! Three or four logic and three mechanical - he really has his work cut out for him. Good job he can alternate studying mechanical (which doesn't raise his fun) with playing chess (which does, even though he doesn't look like it).

Zoe needs mechanical, too. So far, there has not been a book shelf in the house, but with their full grants, the three housemates can well afford not only a shelf but also a modern settee to place next to it, as well as another settee to replace the old, shabby one that was in front of the TV set. 

Jasmine is not at all interested in the school cheer as performed by the visiting Llama mascot - the paper holds her full attention. Zoe wonders what her friend is reading that's so capturing. (It's about games, that's all I know.)

For the first time this year, all three members of The Shifting Paradymes manage to have a meal together. 

After that, I send them (on foot!) to the College Corner Market to stock up on groceries and meet some of their fellow students.

While Jasmine takes care of the groceries, Zoe and Gunnar greet a few people. Unfortunately, they all need to go to class soon afterwards. 

It is still interesting to see what Tiffany Riley (looking out of the window), Jessie Pilferson and Buck Grunt are up to while I am not directing them. I am pretty sure Buck and Kay Kosmokos (remember her, the girl with the spiky hair?) are now an item - I heard the "falling in love" jingle and saw the two dancing together, although I never caught the hearts floating above their heads. 

Back home, Jasmine's best friend Sarah Love comes visiting on her own accord, giving the girls a chance to catch up. They have been talking on the phone a few times but not met at all this year. 

Aaron Hart walks by later and is also greeted by Jasmine, who recognises him as a cousin (or something like that) of her friend Sarah's boyfriend, Matthew Hart. 

Gunnar surprises me by wishing to write his Term Paper. I can just hear him declaring that "This, friends and fans, is going to be the BEST Term Paper EVER at Fiesta Tech, you'll see!" :-D 

The next morning after breakfast, I find all three Paradymes gathered in the kitchen, joining in a round of congratulations: For having best friends, for having acquired admission to the secret hobby lot for games, for having studied well, for having best friends for life... for anything, really! It is quite amusing to watch until they run out of things to congratulate each other on.

But not to worry - they can start all over again after having passed their final exam with A+ grades, their names on the Dean's List and the full grants as a reward! 

For Jasmine and Zoe, the Freshman Year is over; Gunnar's Senior Year has just begun. We will be back for him when it is time for the name "Roque" on the list - not all that long. 

I enjoyed The Shifting Paradymes more than I thought. My original intention was to play with more emphasis on them being a band, but somehow it never happened - they need other skills than creativity, and there wasn't enough time to fit everything in. But it was still fun, and I wonder whether Gunnar's professor will indeed become the first name on his list.