Klara Vonderstein: Week 1

For Klara's Senior year, see this post.

We have accompanied Klara Vonderstein "from afar", without really focusing on her, all through her college life. Now she is a Senior and has just graduated Summa Cum Laude in Political Science at Strangetown's La Fiesta Tech. 

According to Maxis, "Though Klara was at first excited about studying abroad, she finds Fiesta a bit provincial and her fellow students strange. She's not interested in spending time with anyone, really, and is working to overcome an espresso addiction." Nothing of it proved not to be true - she has made friends with most of her dorm mates, and even autonomously fell in love with Almeric Davis. 

Her aspiration is Knowledge, but unfortunately her heart is set on using any knowledge she can gain towards becoming a Criminal Mastermind. 

She certainly has no qualms talking about her career plans to the professor who has come to her graduation party! 

Eventually, the taxi is here to take her to Strangetown, where her former dorm mate and friend Stella Terrano has rented a flat in this building and told her that there are still two more available. 

The Landlord seems kind enough, she can afford the rent, and once Klara has signed on the dotted line, she can move in.

The second floor is all hers. Zaitrarrio Lee has recently moved into the ground floor, while upstairs from Klara lives Stella, and the upmost flat is rented by a townie.

The outfit Klara has found to be her everyday one upon growing up is very different from what she was used to wearing at college! Maybe this calls for a change in the rest of her appearance, too.

The new Klara seems to favour purple, although she does look a bit uncertain about the hair, I must admit. The lighter glasses and different lipstick suit her much better than what she had, I think. 

Of course, her college sweetheart Almeric is invited over instantly. Strangely enough, however, he can not be asked to move in, although he has graduated as well - but he has not had a party yet, and has not left campus for good just yet. 

Never mind the burnt toaster pastries - Klara happily spends the day with Almeric. In her four years at college, she only gained the one compulsory cooking point, can you believe it! 

William Williamson, another former dorm mate of Klara and Almeric, calls and asks them to meet a him and a bunch of friends at Games of Glory. 

The Grunt brothers, Blossom Moonbeam and Stella Terrano are all part of the group along with William, Almeric and Klara. 

The friends enjoy hotdogs after everyone has had a go at various games; then it is time for Klara to say goodnight. 

On Tuesday morning, Klara wakes up wondering whether today she will find a job in the criminal career.

Since she doesn't, she decides to learn how to cook - now that there is no dorm cook to rely on, it's the only way she'll be able to have proper meals on a regular basis. 

Kristen Singles walks by just as Klara has been to the mail box to pay the bills, and of course she is invited to come up to the roof terrace.

There, Klara applies her newly learned cooking skill and makes a batch of burgers for herself, her guest and her fellow tenants. Unfortunately, she insists on taking her own plate downstairs to her flat instead of sitting at the table with the others.

Wednesday sees Klara similarly engaged in household matters and skilling, but she greets passers-by Chloe Singles. This time, the hotdogs she's made on the rooftop grill are actually eaten up there under the starry sky over Strangetown. The ladies do not only have the same haircut, they also find that the one topic of conversation they agree on is fashion :-D 

There are no pictures for Thursday and Friday, because both days were almost identical to the days before: Klara still didn't find an opening in the criminal career, and as a Knowledge Sim, all she really wanted was to skill - and skill she did! I made sure she talked to at least one friend every day and had her meals and cleaned up, but that's about it. 

On Saturday, the Landlord hosted the customary tenants party and ordered pizza for everyone. At first, Karla was the only one to sit down and grab a slice.

But then she was joined by Stella (who is one of her best friends since they went to uni together) and Mr Lee from the ground floor. He made the mistake to admire Klara, which she found inappropriate. 

But soon afterwards, all three cheerfully joined in the Smustle :-)

Every morning, the first thing Klara has been doing was checking the Simternet for a job in her dream career, without success. On Sunday, she is finally lucky - but she will start as a Con Artist only on Monday. 

That gives her time to spend this first day of winter just as she likes best, which is of course skilling - but with a small Christmas tree on the coffee table :-) 

Before the week is over, I have her talk to Almeric on the phone; they only saw each other on Monday, but Klara never rolled a wish about him as seems to be the case quite often with my playable students and their college sweethearts once they have graduated and moved to a place of their own.

Stella Terrano: Senior Year

After the quiet week with Erik Swain at his Single Sim household, it's back to being really busy: Canyon Commons Dorms at Strangetown's La Fiesta Tech is home to 9 Sims, seven of which are playable and will need good managing at least until they have all their required skills and completed their term papers. 

The reason we're here is Stella Terrano, easily recognisable for her light green skintone. 

She is a her Senior, as are most of the others (William Williamson, Klara Vonderstein and the Davis brothers, Aldric and Almeric), while the Grunt brothers Tank and Buck are in their Junior and Sophomore Year respectively. 

About Stella, Maxis have written that she "... has definitely come a long way from home. Will a diverse campus like this one offer enough opportunity for even her to fit in?" Well, so far she has had no problems fitting in. Last time I played at this dorm, she even fell in love with Aldric Davis autonomously. 

As we all know, exams make hungry, and the first thing Stella does upon her return to the dorm is have breakfast with the Grunt brothers.

She already has the skills she needs this semester and is - again! - the first student here to complete her term paper. Her Major is Physics, which suits her Knowledge Aspiration, but not so much her lifetime want of becoming Media Magnate.

Left to her own devices, she walks over to where her boyfriend and Buck Grunt play chess. But who does she throw pink hearts for? Not her boyfriend, who is as oblivious to this happening as Buck.

Outdoors, I catch Klara and Almeric cuddling unter the stars; another couple who found each other without me doing anything.

Before going to bed, Stella spends some time at the arcade game and does a triumphant little dance when she wins. 

When they return from class, Aldric and Stella don't go inside immediately but enjoy the sunshine for a while. 

They then have a meal together at the cafeteria.

Later, I observe Stella observing Buck and his 3-bolt-girlfriend, NPC student Kay "Spikey" Kosmokos. 

It is so nice to see the Grunt brothers together! They didn't have the easiest of childhoods and weren't close when they were younger, but their family life has improved beyond expectations, and now that they are young adults and life at the same dorm, they often seek each other's company and nearly always eat together.

Almeric is in his girlfriend's room, looking up the footie results while Klara sleeps. 

Aldric's paunch doesn't come from thin air! He can't even wait for the dorm cook to serve the earliest round of breakfast but has to eat straight from the fridge.

Since he has already eaten by the time Stella gets up and has breakfast, he patiently waits for her to finish (he could at least sit down, though, couldn't he).

After class, Stella joins the Llama mascot in the cafeteria, and they talk about how they are making friends for life here at college.

One of the things Stella loves best is playing chess. William is nearly as much of a chess lover as she, and they have a good game together. 

A big wish of hers comes true when she is handed her special plaque for Games enthusiasm.

The first term of this year is already over, and everybody has done really well academically, although they weren't always taking great care of their personal needs such as hunger or hygiene. The autumn semester begins, and for everyone but the Grunt brothers, it is their very last term! 

The term is off to a firey start when the dorm cook burns the food. Fortunately, the sprinklers work well, but SOMEONE has to clean up afterwards, and it is not the cook! (Actually, Tank took it upon himself, which was very nice of him.) 

This time, Stella isn't the first to hand in her term paper; she needs to brush up on her mechanical skill before it makes sense to start writing.

To accomodate the need for creativity skill all around, and grant a wish of Tank's, a drum kit is set up in the hallway. Almeric gets to use it before anyone else. 

It seems that Stella still has the hots for Buck, who by the way was first to hand in his paper this term. 

This must have exhausted him so much that he can't even drag himself off to bed, but falls asleep in the common room. 

Stella has nothing better to do than to switch on the TV - which of course wakes Buck. 

The next morning, Stella visits Klara in her room for a chat.

William was hiding in the men's shower room but to no use - the campus coach finds him, and makes him work out until he needs another shower. 

Stella keeps following Buck around, and even though he likes her as a friend, his heart is set on Kay - 3 bolts are 3 bolts. 

Come on, Stella, give them some privacy and don't look so downcast - you have a boyfriend anyway, and as has been said often enough, three bolts are three bolts...! 

The Grunt brothers engage in a mock boxing fight, all smiles and laughs.

Aldric jumps into his girlfriend's arms, and Stella just about manages to catch him - not only is he a bit on the heavy side, he is also very smelly! 

The drum kit is a huge magnet, and there is nearly always someone practising at it.

A mascot fight breaks out in the common room, and guess what - this time the cow wins, not the llama! 

It's the very last, truly FINAL exam for Stella and the other Seniors here, and the end of Buck's Sophomore and Tank's Junior Year. All seven end up with best grades, their names on the Dean's List and the full grant.

For her graduation party, Stella invites Blossom Moonbeam, Danielle Smith, Sarah Love and Jessie Pilferson (not pictured). The dorm is already quite full and I fear the game will crash, but it doesn't. 

Instead, everybody has a good time, especially once Stella starts the smustle, so loved by all. 

One last look back at the dorm and her friends, and it is good-bye to uni for good! 

We will of course see Stella again, but it'll be a while until it is her turn on my alphabetical list again. Hopefully, she'll quit pursuing Buck Grant! Maybe she's one of those Sims who find love late in life; one of her turn-ons is grey hair, and of course she did not find that among her fellow students.