Thursday, December 30, 2010

Temperature Dropped, 2006

Peacar, winter, 2006

Johan is 45, Jadhira is 44, Myra and Naraj are 11, Udar is 2

Johan had finally finished his degree. He finished in record time thanks to lots of cramming and late night studying. In the end, it was the final papers he had to submit to journals that really killed him. Thankfully the papers and his thesis were behind him.

Obtaining his advanced degree had meant a lot of late nights which had meant a lot of nights tucking in his children after they have been sleep for hours.

Needless to say his intimate relationship with his wife suffered. Not for lack of trying on her part, but it seemed as if every time she approached him he was too tired or too stressed or too something.

"I'm tired of you pushing me away, Johan." Jadhira hissed as she jumped from the bed after another unsuccessful try.

"I'm tired, maybe tomorrow."

"That's what you said yesterday and the day before and last week! Do you know when the last time we woohoo'd?"

Johan tried to recall the date, "Last Monday?"

Jadhira rolled her eyes. "No, it's been six simweeks! Six freaking simweeks without woohoo!"

"Um...I'm sorry. It's been a stressful time."

"Whatever, I'm tired of your excuses. You're always tired or stressed or sleepy or sick or something!" she said grabbing her overcoat.

"Where are you going?"

"I need more batteries, unlike some sims I know, I do need regular orgasms."

---

Thankfully the twins and Udar were having a much easier life. Myra would indulge her mother who insisted on reading to her. Thankfully she convinced her that it was time to move from Choo Choo Chippy Train and to something a bit more age appropriate for a pre-teen, The Inside Story of Drag Racing.

Naraj was also enjoying his last few days as a pre-teen. He knew that he shouldn't enjoy playing with his toy cars and if the boys at school found out then he would be a dead sim and shunned at the lunch table. Hence the reason why he only played when he was sure that no one would walk in on him.

---
"I think you need to pack it tighter," Myra prompted.

Naraj nodded in agreement and added more snow to their creation.

"What are you two doing? Shouldn't your friends be here soon, you don't want to freeze before they arrive." Johan asked coming around to the back of the complex.

"We're working on a snow sculpture," Naraj explained. "Maybe we could submit it for art class and get an A."

"Maybe," Johan agreed. "Hey, who wants a quick swing?"

"I do!" Myra squealed dumping her handful of snow to jump into her father's arms.
Naraj watched in awe that Myra didn't promptly vomit afterwards. He could never tolerate being swung around very long and instead focused on his snowman.

"Hi Naraj! Hi Myra!"

"Dad, you can leave now." Myra reminded her father as more children began to arrive.

Jadhira and Johan had agreed to allow the twins to host a Christmas party. Thankfully the weather cooperated and delivered buckets of snow for the children to play in.

Myra, Naraj and their guests spent most of the afternoon having snowball fights,

giggling about entering secondary school next spring,

building snowmen and

just enjoying the cool weather.

Finally the children were called inside as the temperature dropped.

"So...uh...are you excited about going to secondary school next spring?" Abel asked.

"I am! Secondary school is where your life begins! You find out who you're going to marry and what you're going to be when you grow up. I can't wait!"

"I wish I was going too."

"You will, you have one more simyear and then you'll be in secondary school too. I'll still be in some of your classes though because of my...uh..."

"Your program?"

"Yea...I hate it, I don't like being different."

"It's ok. If you wasn't different, then you wouldn't be as special."

"You think I'm special?" Myra whispered.

"Yea...I think that you're-"

"Myra! You won't believe what Bryant said!" Grace Elise interrupted.

Abel watched as the cousins whispered

and giggled about whatever Bryant said to make his face go all splotchy and red.

"I think you're amazing," he whispered to himself.
---
  • ROS: Johan fulfill biggest want
  • For some reason Johan's ACR was reset and his One True Love was set to Julio Wilsonoff...um how about no. #1-Johan doesn't like men, #2-Those two have a polite working relationship, the most they do is wave at each other.

Deeper MAXIS Hobbies, Part 2

As I have been playing for quite some time with my personality and trait system, I decided to update you on the changes I made in game. As always, feel free to borrow/steal/use them in your game and tweak them to suit you. Ask any questions, concerns or comments as well.

Deeper MAXIS Hobbies, Reduex


Based on a sim's one true hobby, I decided that they would have a corresponding skill strength. This means that they will learn that chosen skill faster (mostly through the Thinking Cap from the aspiration rewards and skill bonuses from SimBlender). Some hobbies will also have a boost in talent badges, meaning that they will start with a bronze badge (of thier chosing if multiple badges are available) even without studying.

Skill Bonuses
When a sim with a OTH is studying a skill or participating in their chosen hobby then they get a skill bonus on every third skill. For example, if a sim is painting and they just gained their 3rd creativity skill point, then they get an extra skill point from SimBlender, thus making them have 4 skill points. If a sim is painting and they gain their 7th creativity skill then they don't get a bonus.

Talent Badge Boost
Once a sim has identified their OTH then they automatically get a bronze talent badge of their choice.

Arts & Crafts:
-Skill Strength= Creativity
-Talent Badges= Pottery, Sewing, Flowers, Toys

Culinary:
-Skill Strength= Cooking
-Talent Badges= none
Films & Literature:
-Skill Strength= Charisma
-Talent Badges=Sales

Fitness:
-Skill Strength= Body
-Talent Badges=Restocking

Games:
-Skill Strength= Logic
-Talent Badges=Toys

Music & Dance:
-Skill Strength= Creativity
-Talent Badges= none

Nature:
-Skill Strength= Cleaning
-Talent Badges=Fishing, Gardening

Science:
-Skill Strength= Logic
-Talent Badges=Register

Sports:
-Skill Strength= Body
-Talent Badges=Restocking

Tinkering
-Skill Strength= Mechanical
-Talent Badges=Robots

Monday, December 27, 2010

Painful Lack, 2006

Peacar, winter, 2006
Optional Soundtrack, Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone

Cameron washed her hands as she put the remains of dinner away. She could hear Tobi making his way downstairs after tucking the children into bed. The day had finally come, but it didn't make it any easier.

"Well?" she asked as he joined her on the couch.


"Why can't we just keep things like this?"

"You know I can't.I want more."

Tobi knew what she wanted from him, but he honestly couldn't give it to her. He tried to think of a reason why. Was he scarred from the divorce with Li? No, the divorce was amicable, some sims thought too amicable. Was it Ginger's rejection of his love? He knew that this wasn't it either. It had hurt, but he knew that they would have never worked. His parents still had a happy marriage that was an example to any young couple.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly closed it again. There were no words to say. Every time he tried to think of his future with Cameron...he drew a blank. Other days Cameron's face would melt away and he would see Li. He wasn't having romantic feelings for his ex-wife, quite the contrary. He only wanted to chat with her or tell her about the funny joke he heard in the department meeting.
Maybe that should have told him more than the lack of marriage wants for Cameron. He didn't come home wanting to share his day with her or tickle her until she cried. Instead he wanted to share his day with Li, hear her laugh at their inside jokes or see if she could still beat him in red hands now that he had been practicing with Aaron.

Cameron sighed. His silence said it all.

"So this is where the road ends,"

"I guess so."

Cameron tried not to cry. She wanted to get married and have a family, she thought that Tobi would be the one she could settle down with. It had been two simyears, two precious little boys and not even a hint of an engagement ring, but plenty of hints that he was still not over his ex-wife. Even after the pregnancy scare a few simlonic months ago didn't spur him to do the right thing and marry her.

"We'll have to set-up child support payments," she said putting on her strong face. She had to be strong, it was now her and her two boys. Thankfully her new job allowed her to work from home, but she would have to get an apartment and start paying bills alone.

"Of course, we can visit the lawyers to get everything worked out." He wanted to ask her to stay, to let things remain the way that they were. However, he knew that it wouldn't work, that he would make her cry and that she would slowly start to drive him insane with her begging for a proposal. He loved her, he would always love her. He honestly loved her more than he loved Li...so why wasn't that enough to make him want to marry her? To give her his last name and stop playing at marriage, as she called it. He wished that he had an answer, but he felt like a jerk.


He couldn't give her what she needed and he didn't even have a good reason. There wasn't another woman whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, there wasn't any scars from past relationships, and there wasn't a fear of marriage. The only thing was a clear and painful lack. A lack of desire in making her his wife, a lack of communication, just a simple lack.

Cameron swallowed and moved away from the couch. The pain in the room was thick and heavy like the snow falling outside. She could hear the uncried tears, she could taste the hidden pain. Cameron pushed all those feelings away and turned the computer on. She spent the rest of the evening searching for cheap apartments and filling out rental applications.

The next morning, she received a phone call informing her that there was an available apartment and that she could move in within the week. The couple silently packed the few boxes that belonged to Cameron and the boys. Simora and Aaron watched quietly, not quite understanding everything they saw, but understanding enough to know that they would be seeing a lot less of their brothers.

Child support papers were filled, it wasn't much considering that Tobi was also a single parent with a small salary. Who was she kidding, it wasn't even enough to pay electricity even though it was a quarter of his salary. No wonder why those songs talked about it being cheaper to stay together.

With the help of Tobi and his friends, Cameron was able to get all the furniture set up in the tiny apartment before nightfall.

She had just finished feeding Christopher,

and reading Craig his bedtime story, before giving the young boy a bath when she heard the knock on the door.

She looked in the peephole, but didn't recognize the man. "It's Devin, from apartment 3C." The man yelled towards the door. "I just wanted to introduce myself."

Cameron opened the door cautiously, still on guard.

"Hi," he said a little too brightly for the late hour. "Just wanted to say welcome to the complex."

"Thanks."

"My name's Devin."

"Cameron"

"Well Cameron," he said giving her a bright smile. "I live across the hall, so if you need anything, let me know."

"Anything?" she asked as Craig crawled into the living room and flashed a toothy grin.

"Anything," he grinned.

"Do you have soap? I need to give my oldest a bath and I just discovered that I didn't pack soap."

Devin laughed before darting across the hall. He returned with an unopened packaged. "Hopefully this will work. It's formulated for sensitive skin, so it should work for a toddler right?"

"It should, thank you."

"No worries. You have a good night and welcome to the complex."

"Thank you, Devin."

"Come on stinky one," Cameron said scooping Craig up in her arms. "Time for a bath."

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Short and Sweet, 2006

Peacar, winter, 2006

Emma looked at Bill's suit in disgust. "We should have rented you a tuxedo." she remarked, picking the lint off the sleeve.

"What do you want me to do? Go to the formal shop and demand a tuxedo in the next ten minutes?"

"Could you do that? By the time you return, the sitter will be here for Jacob."

Bill sighed. "No I can't get a brand new tuxedo in ten minutes!"

"Ugh, but a black tuxedo would look better with my dress. Why didn't you det a tuxedo?"

"Because we wouldn't have been able to afford your original A.Pentragani dress that you insisted on."

"Hmmm, well I did need the dress. Don't I look amazing?"

Bill took a step back and looked his wife up and down. "Yes..." he said in awe. "You look absolutely amazing...like an angel."

"O...uh...thanks." Emma said in shock blushing. It had been simlonic months since Bill had paid her an honest compliment and it was a bit unnerving.

----

"I wonder how much money Emma's father had to shell out to get this place." Bradford whispered to his wife as they waited for the nuptials to begin.

"Why does it matter?"

"We have four daughters, remember. I need to start saving for weddings."

"I think we still have a few simyears until that day arrives."

"Do you think they'll elope instead. Eloping is cheaper right?"

"We'll have to see when the day comes."

"You're right...." he said staring out the large windows. "Do you ever think about having another baby?"

"Hell no," Suzanna hissed a little too loud.

"Wonder what those two are whispering about?" Fiona whispered to her husband.

"Who knows."

"Do my boobs look bigger to you?" she asked.

Jesse stared at his wife's breasts, they did look larger, but he wasn't sure how to safely answer the question directed at him. He knew that Fiona had been working on her weight which had been yo-yo-ing up and down since Jeremy's birth.

"I love your breasts...and the body they're attached to...and the mind inside the body."

"How much longer?" Laci asked her cousin, Veronika.

"I'm not sure."

"Aren't you the flower girl?"

"Yea, but they said that they would call for me when-oh! It's time!" She jumped off the chair and rushed to the side door at the beckoning of the wedding planner.

The ceremony was short and sweet,

the couple exchanged the necessary words of love and endearment

then sealed everything with a kiss before bringing the families up for photographs.




"You look amazing," Bill whispered after the last family photograph was taken.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

"Even in this blue suit?"

Emma smirked. "A black tuxedo would have been better, but you do make that suit look good."

"I love you,"

"I love you, too."

"You know, we've been married for a few simlonic months and we haven't killed each other yet. Maybe this whole marriage thing isn't the worst thing in the world."

"So I was right?"

"Hell no, you shouldn't have tricked me-"

"I didn't trick you, you got me knocked-"

"Are you two coming upstairs? It's time for the toasting and I want cake!" Veronika screeched from the stairs interrupting the inevitable argurement.

After toasting to a happy marriage,

sharing their first dance

and cutting cake,

the couple slipped away during a particulary rousing selection of the smustle dance.

"Hey, maybe we could start working on a little sister for Jacob."

Emma laughed. "How much sparkling nectar did you have?"
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