The DeBateau Family - Week 2

Week 1 with the DeBateaus is here.

We're at Cornerstone Condominium, the most prestigious apartment building in all of Belladonna Cove. The entire top floor is rented by one man: Armand DeBateau.

You may remember that last round he tragically lost his adoptive daughter Tara in a kitchen fire; she was only a teenager, and Armand is determined to bring her back with the help of the "Reaper Phone", the reward object in the Paranormal career. 

Right now, though, he has no job - and he certainly doesn't need it for the money, since he has well over 200,000 Simoleons to his name, on top of the contents of his luxurious apartment. 

Sitting here next to him and talking about her work (she's an aspiring Criminal Mastermind) is his three-bolt love Audrey Collins, a former Townie introduced to him by the Matchmaker. The two got married last round, but strangely Audrey is still Collins and Armand is still DeBateau. 

On this Monday, much to everybody's shock, the kitchen stove bursts into flames just like it did when Tara died. 

All Armand wanted to do was make omelettes for breakfast! Thankfully, he runs out of the building as soon as the fire alarm goes off, and Audrey follows him; just then, her car pool picks her up for work, and so both of them are out of harm's way. 

Still, the event brings back the trauma of losing Tara, and Armand now wants to learn fire prevention.

Audrey has the next two days off, and so on Tuesday morning the two walk to Freya's Raiments for some outfits suitable for winter, which has begun in earnest. They decide to have a meal at the counter on the top floor with great views of The Cove before heading home.

Back at the apartment, Armand spends some time catching up with friends while Audrey works on her creativity skill in view of her next promotion.

Rather sweetly, he later joins her, having his bowl of chili in the room where she is painting away at the easel - in spite of the large dining table next to the kitchen, where he could have sat just as well.

On Wednesday morning, the couple are once more together in the cosy sitting room with the fire place, where Audrey paints and Armand has just lit the fire - it has started to snow, and nothing beats the warmth from a proper fire on a day like this.

However, it is not long before a few sparks fall on the rug which has stupidly been placed right up to the fireplace. This time, Armand is prepared!

His having learned Fire Prevention makes him able to extinguish the flames instead of panicking. Well, fire PREVENTION should have taught him not to have a rug so close to the fire in the first place, shouldn't it! 

Anyway, the firewoman appears swiftly, too, and together the two of them manage to deal with the emergency quickly and efficiently. No harm done except for a destroyed rug and Armand needing a shower. The rug that was in Audrey's inventory when she moved in is placed there now; it is round and smaller, and just fits underneath the settee without touching the fireplace. 

Over bowls of chili con carne for their tea, they talk about the best friends they have made; they need more friends for Audrey's career, but with Armand not working, he can work on friendships instead.

On Thursday, Armand wishes to use the gym on the ground floor of the building. 

He then steps outside to pay the bills just as his wife gets on the car for work.

"How my Tara would have loved all this snow..." he sighs and builds a snowman in her memory. 

After he has warmed up in front of the fire (!), he walks to the grocery store. 

On his way to the counter for checkout, he notices an attractive townie. Armand!! You have a three-bolt lady as your wife, and no business checking out other women!

He has just returned home and is putting away the groceries when Audrey is dropped off after work. She has been promoted to Con Artist. 

Not much happens on Thursday. 

For some unknown reason, the option to request a repair from the Landlady does not appear on the phone, and the regular repair service can't be called, either. Armand therefore has to fix the broken taps on the bathtub and one of the showers himself, and succeeds after several attempts (he had no mechanical skill until now). 

With Audrey still at work and left to his own devices, Armand plays with the espresso cups in the kitchen for entertainment. 

At night, Audrey has a much better idea for some home-made entertainment ;-D (Don't worry - Armand seems distant here, but he picked up on his wife's suggestion immediately!)

Audrey has no problem calling the Landlady in for repairing the broken trash compactor in their kitchen on Saturday morning.

It is a beautiful spring day, if yet somewhat chilly, and the couple enjoy a leisurely breakfast of Armand's omelettes - this time with no accident! (The stove has been replaced with a more expensive model.) 

With no appointments lined up, all the housework done and the spring afternoon sun luring them out, the two decide on a jogging round through the neighbourhood. 

Sunday goes by without any particular events. 

Neither Armand nor Audrey have family living in The Cove, and neither of them rolls the want to have a party, so no friends are invited over. Audrey does a lot of skilling, and when Armand has nothing else to do, he wanders into Tara's room and rests on her bed for a while. All week he has been trying to get into the Paranormal career so that he could have the special phone to call Mr. Reaper to resurrect her, but to no avail. 

Still, he isn't an unhappy man - married to his three-bolt-lady and leading a life free of financial worries, he enjoys a Sunday evening meal of pork chops and sparkling wine with her. 

Although the apartment is way too big and I need to look for the phone every time I want one of them to work on a friendship, I enjoyed playing Armand and Audrey.

Unlike with many other Sims, Audrey's career is a bit slow going, and I was really hoping for Armand to find the Paranormal career this week. But they are nice together, and Armand surprised me a few times with unexpected actions, such as rather having his meal on the settee in the room where Audrey was painting, or spending time in Tara's room.