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lorinsv60I bring another update of my Build a City Challenge! :)
Welcome back to Mesa Vista! And yes, another new CAS family has settled in...
The Korben family is a new side challenge I'm playing, where a single parent and children (the number is optional, but I followed the suggested one of each stage) start out with only the basic items necessary for survival plus $50, the goal being to improve the quality of their lives until the youngest becomes an adult, or YA if you want to send them to University. But unlike the original premise, I'm considering my Broken family refugees rather than victims of domestic violence.
And as you can see, a couple of them are none too pleased with their circumstances.
Broken, created by StrangeTownChick on MTS (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=473772).
The rules don't say you have to start with the cheapest items on the list, but that's what I did with the exception of the canopied crib – I couldn't stand the idea of a toddler sleeping totally exposed to the elements. I also blew their $50 on surrounding the crib with the carpet divider from Pets. I wasn't positive this would prevent her from waking up the others, but I figured better safe than sorry.
The family's fearless leader is Pariah Korben (Hysterical Paroxysm's Pariah Corax at MTS, except I substituted Maxis-y purple eyes on her), and toddler Ynez is the youngest child (via CAS with a random Sim).
Pariah is Family, with a LTW of Raising 20 Puppies or Kittens. And to that I have two words: HELL NO! Are you nuts?! (Okay, five.)
Cora is the middle child, and a beautiful one at that.
And the oldest, Ethan. (All three have the same father.)
Ethan and Cora walked to school that first day, which is a huge help in hardship challenges like this.
They started in the Summer, and there were two lightning storms, which was quite concerning when they had no shelter.
But along with the rain came puddles, and Ynez occupied herself happily with them, not to mention the toilet.
Toys shmoys, we don't need no stinking toys!
And did you know toddlers can gain Nature enthusiasm trying to catch fireflies? I didn't. It's so cute!
But I digress!
The Korben's lot was one of the rare ones in Mesa Vista with no treasure to be found buried in the ground (no Dig for Treasure in this challenge!), so Pariah checked the newspaper and found an opening in Education.
Pariah celebrated her first promotion with an impromptu barbecue for the welcome wagon.
Due to his mother's work schedule, Ethan was stuck at home taking care of Ynez, and as a result the inevitable happened – he flunked school.
(Ethan is Romance, with a LTW to WooHoo 20 Sims. Based on his dispirited expression and considering the sacrifice he was making for his family, he might get them.)
But at least now they could afford a bookcase with lots of cool stuff for Cora to read.
And more importantly, a cover for their sleeping area, plus a couple of chairs for some much-needed comfort on the lot.
Once again Pariah got a promotion, and with that...
Cora finally got to take her first shower at her new home. The kid looks ecstatic, and I don't blame her!
Despite having to miss out on the high school experience, Ethan doted on Ynez.
And even for Ethan, things were looking up. Lora Langarek was not immune to his charms and accepted all of his moves...
... except a first kiss.
He figured some cuddle time under the stars was sure to change her mind.
Seriously?!
Okay, she was done! As the saying in Mesa Vista goes, there were plenty of other fish in the desert...
Sadly, Pariah's luck did not last, and she got fired from a chance card. Boo, Seasons chance cards!
Thunderclouds started rolling in, echoing her disappointment. Ynez had wandered to the far side of the lot, and Pariah ran to scoop her up.
"Tired, Mommy!"
"That's why I came for you!" Pariah said, putting on her brave face.
Although her career in Education had come to an end, Pariah had earned enough money to begin construction on a real house.
And Ethan may have been flunking school, but he passed taking care of his baby sister with flying colors.
I should reward him somehow, Pariah thought a little sadly.
"Oh boy, look at our new house!"
The floor was still dirt and the walls were unfinished, but they now had a real roof over their heads!
"How's the bed now, Mama?" Cora asked her mother after insisting she try it out.
Pariah closed her eyes for a moment and said, "Very nice, why don't you try it?"
But Pariah in her worry was too restless to relax inside with the kids, so she thought she'd work off some nervous energy jumping rope. She'd looked for another job in the paper, but Music, Science and Journalism jobs weren't available in Mesa Vista yet.
The sound of a whistle – like somebody imitating a bird kind of whistle – caught Pariah's attention, and she saw a man looking around with a pair of binoculars.
She decided to find out what he was up to and trotted toward him. "Hello there," she called a little breathlessly. "Are you having any luck?"
The man turned away from the trees and brush that he was searching in...
He approached her and said with surprising eagerness (to Pariah, anyway), "To be honest, I'm much more interested in the owner of this lot. I'm Zach Adams, the founder of Mesa Vista."
"Founder! That sounds really important," Pariah gushed a bit sarcastically.
"And you are..?"
Realizing she wasn't in the mood for small talk, she answered bluntly, "Pariah Korben, single mother of three."
"It must be difficult..." he replied sympathetically.
"Unemployed mother of three." There. That should take care of any ideas he might be having.
Discouraged and exhausted, tears rose unbidden in her eyes, and she brushed past him so he wouldn't see.
"Are you okay?"
So, he wasn't letting her off that easily. She had started construction on the house, fully anticipating her promotion bonus, and now with no bonus let alone the day's pay, and Ynez growing up, they didn't even have enough beds to sleep in. Suddenly it was all too much.
"It's been a rough week and I need a job," she admitted wearily, rubbing her sore, tired neck.
And if he offered to give her a back rub, she'd punch his lights out.
But the offer Zach made was a different one altogether. "I can get you a job."
"Really," she said skeptically.
"Absolutely. You'd have to start as a recruit, but the pay is good."
"I already checked the listings, there aren't any..."
"There will be," he assured her with utmost confidence.
"...."
"The choice is entirely yours," Zach said quietly. Then he added, "No strings."
"...."
"If you want the job, be ready at 5am sharp."
"This all feels... very strange, but I don't have much of a choice, so I accept. Thank you."
"No, Pariah Korben... thank you."
Sure enough, a Hummer arrived at five am sharp, and she was ready.
Pariah returned with a promotion and a generous bonus, and to mark the occasion, she added paint and carpet inside while Cora and Ynez slept.
She also bought another bed.
As she waited for her turn to sleep, Pariah happily studied for her next day on the job.
And back to Ethan's fish, he reeled in Melissa Kalson, last spotted pigging out at the Pagoda Sushi.
"Kiss me? Tee-hee, why don't you try it and see?"
Yes!
Melissa proved to be not nearly as slippery a fish as Laura Langarek.
That night, Ethan learned there were always other fish to fry...
Not only was treasure hunting not in the cards, but extravagant date and outing rewards were apparently out, too.
Still, Ethan was a sweet boy and Melissa's roses were sweet too, Pariah thought on her way to catch the carpool.
Much like the Newsons earlier in the week, Ethan finally got to go back to school now that Ynez's toddler stage was behind her. She looks like an exotic little princess in that outfit.
"You got me this time, Stan Shin, but you can only lock me up if my cell's in a turret."
"You're funny!"
With Pariah's final promotion for the week, the house was expanded to include a small kitchen, and she had enough left over to buy Ethan a car.
Sure, it would take a lot of work for him to get it running, but she was glad to help. It sure beat studying Mechanical from a book.
"Hello, girls, is your mother home?"
"No. Who are you?"
"I'm Zach Adams, the founder of Mesa Vista."
"Is that like the mayor?"
"Er... not exactly. I just came by to see how she was doing with her new job."
"I don't know, good?"
"Okay," Zach laughed indulgently.
"Time for lunch!" Ethan shouted from across the lot.
Oh no!
Oh yes!
As usual, Zach was absolutely useless, preferring to dance around in panic and leaving the kid to put out the fire. But hey, he's been at the scene of both of Mesa Vista's fires, so I guess he's a sort of good luck charm?
After their lunch of burnt hamburgers, Ethan went back to his car. As he continued to work on the engine, something clicked in his mind. Something big.
Had his mom bought him the car because she wanted him to have a car? He liked the car, but what if he wanted something else now, something... not even close to a car?
Would it hurt her feelings if he sold it? It would bring some serious simoleons fixed up, and goodness knew they always needed money. Plus, Cora's birthday was coming up, and then she could help with Ynez.
As Ethan's plan solidified in his mind, he knew with certaintly he wanted to attend University more than anything.
And then he heard his sisters' playful laughter in the distance, and wondered if he'd be able to shake the feeling he was abandoning them...
That's it for the Korbens, so how about we finish with some sisterly cuteness. :)
Cora will become a teen on the first evening of their next week, and I can't wait to see her!
Broken score: 5 for Ynez growing up well + 4 (1 point each) for Pariah's promotions = 9 so far
BaCC quick score:
Sim count + graves: 35
Sim multiplier: 19
Population: 665
Thank you for reading and happy simming!
Welcome back to Mesa Vista! And yes, another new CAS family has settled in...
The Korben family is a new side challenge I'm playing, where a single parent and children (the number is optional, but I followed the suggested one of each stage) start out with only the basic items necessary for survival plus $50, the goal being to improve the quality of their lives until the youngest becomes an adult, or YA if you want to send them to University. But unlike the original premise, I'm considering my Broken family refugees rather than victims of domestic violence.
And as you can see, a couple of them are none too pleased with their circumstances.
Broken, created by StrangeTownChick on MTS (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=473772).
The rules don't say you have to start with the cheapest items on the list, but that's what I did with the exception of the canopied crib – I couldn't stand the idea of a toddler sleeping totally exposed to the elements. I also blew their $50 on surrounding the crib with the carpet divider from Pets. I wasn't positive this would prevent her from waking up the others, but I figured better safe than sorry.
The family's fearless leader is Pariah Korben (Hysterical Paroxysm's Pariah Corax at MTS, except I substituted Maxis-y purple eyes on her), and toddler Ynez is the youngest child (via CAS with a random Sim).
Pariah is Family, with a LTW of Raising 20 Puppies or Kittens. And to that I have two words: HELL NO! Are you nuts?! (Okay, five.)
Cora is the middle child, and a beautiful one at that.
And the oldest, Ethan. (All three have the same father.)
Ethan and Cora walked to school that first day, which is a huge help in hardship challenges like this.
They started in the Summer, and there were two lightning storms, which was quite concerning when they had no shelter.
But along with the rain came puddles, and Ynez occupied herself happily with them, not to mention the toilet.
Toys shmoys, we don't need no stinking toys!
And did you know toddlers can gain Nature enthusiasm trying to catch fireflies? I didn't. It's so cute!
But I digress!
The Korben's lot was one of the rare ones in Mesa Vista with no treasure to be found buried in the ground (no Dig for Treasure in this challenge!), so Pariah checked the newspaper and found an opening in Education.
Pariah celebrated her first promotion with an impromptu barbecue for the welcome wagon.
Due to his mother's work schedule, Ethan was stuck at home taking care of Ynez, and as a result the inevitable happened – he flunked school.
(Ethan is Romance, with a LTW to WooHoo 20 Sims. Based on his dispirited expression and considering the sacrifice he was making for his family, he might get them.)
But at least now they could afford a bookcase with lots of cool stuff for Cora to read.
And more importantly, a cover for their sleeping area, plus a couple of chairs for some much-needed comfort on the lot.
Once again Pariah got a promotion, and with that...
Cora finally got to take her first shower at her new home. The kid looks ecstatic, and I don't blame her!
Despite having to miss out on the high school experience, Ethan doted on Ynez.
And even for Ethan, things were looking up. Lora Langarek was not immune to his charms and accepted all of his moves...
... except a first kiss.
He figured some cuddle time under the stars was sure to change her mind.
Seriously?!
Okay, she was done! As the saying in Mesa Vista goes, there were plenty of other fish in the desert...
Sadly, Pariah's luck did not last, and she got fired from a chance card. Boo, Seasons chance cards!
Thunderclouds started rolling in, echoing her disappointment. Ynez had wandered to the far side of the lot, and Pariah ran to scoop her up.
"Tired, Mommy!"
"That's why I came for you!" Pariah said, putting on her brave face.
Although her career in Education had come to an end, Pariah had earned enough money to begin construction on a real house.
And Ethan may have been flunking school, but he passed taking care of his baby sister with flying colors.
I should reward him somehow, Pariah thought a little sadly.
"Oh boy, look at our new house!"
The floor was still dirt and the walls were unfinished, but they now had a real roof over their heads!
"How's the bed now, Mama?" Cora asked her mother after insisting she try it out.
Pariah closed her eyes for a moment and said, "Very nice, why don't you try it?"
But Pariah in her worry was too restless to relax inside with the kids, so she thought she'd work off some nervous energy jumping rope. She'd looked for another job in the paper, but Music, Science and Journalism jobs weren't available in Mesa Vista yet.
The sound of a whistle – like somebody imitating a bird kind of whistle – caught Pariah's attention, and she saw a man looking around with a pair of binoculars.
She decided to find out what he was up to and trotted toward him. "Hello there," she called a little breathlessly. "Are you having any luck?"
The man turned away from the trees and brush that he was searching in...
He approached her and said with surprising eagerness (to Pariah, anyway), "To be honest, I'm much more interested in the owner of this lot. I'm Zach Adams, the founder of Mesa Vista."
"Founder! That sounds really important," Pariah gushed a bit sarcastically.
"And you are..?"
Realizing she wasn't in the mood for small talk, she answered bluntly, "Pariah Korben, single mother of three."
"It must be difficult..." he replied sympathetically.
"Unemployed mother of three." There. That should take care of any ideas he might be having.
Discouraged and exhausted, tears rose unbidden in her eyes, and she brushed past him so he wouldn't see.
"Are you okay?"
So, he wasn't letting her off that easily. She had started construction on the house, fully anticipating her promotion bonus, and now with no bonus let alone the day's pay, and Ynez growing up, they didn't even have enough beds to sleep in. Suddenly it was all too much.
"It's been a rough week and I need a job," she admitted wearily, rubbing her sore, tired neck.
And if he offered to give her a back rub, she'd punch his lights out.
But the offer Zach made was a different one altogether. "I can get you a job."
"Really," she said skeptically.
"Absolutely. You'd have to start as a recruit, but the pay is good."
"I already checked the listings, there aren't any..."
"There will be," he assured her with utmost confidence.
"...."
"The choice is entirely yours," Zach said quietly. Then he added, "No strings."
"...."
"If you want the job, be ready at 5am sharp."
"This all feels... very strange, but I don't have much of a choice, so I accept. Thank you."
"No, Pariah Korben... thank you."
Sure enough, a Hummer arrived at five am sharp, and she was ready.
Pariah returned with a promotion and a generous bonus, and to mark the occasion, she added paint and carpet inside while Cora and Ynez slept.
She also bought another bed.
As she waited for her turn to sleep, Pariah happily studied for her next day on the job.
And back to Ethan's fish, he reeled in Melissa Kalson, last spotted pigging out at the Pagoda Sushi.
"Kiss me? Tee-hee, why don't you try it and see?"
Yes!
Melissa proved to be not nearly as slippery a fish as Laura Langarek.
That night, Ethan learned there were always other fish to fry...
Not only was treasure hunting not in the cards, but extravagant date and outing rewards were apparently out, too.
Still, Ethan was a sweet boy and Melissa's roses were sweet too, Pariah thought on her way to catch the carpool.
Much like the Newsons earlier in the week, Ethan finally got to go back to school now that Ynez's toddler stage was behind her. She looks like an exotic little princess in that outfit.
"You got me this time, Stan Shin, but you can only lock me up if my cell's in a turret."
"You're funny!"
With Pariah's final promotion for the week, the house was expanded to include a small kitchen, and she had enough left over to buy Ethan a car.
Sure, it would take a lot of work for him to get it running, but she was glad to help. It sure beat studying Mechanical from a book.
"Hello, girls, is your mother home?"
"No. Who are you?"
"I'm Zach Adams, the founder of Mesa Vista."
"Is that like the mayor?"
"Er... not exactly. I just came by to see how she was doing with her new job."
"I don't know, good?"
"Okay," Zach laughed indulgently.
"Time for lunch!" Ethan shouted from across the lot.
Oh no!
Oh yes!
As usual, Zach was absolutely useless, preferring to dance around in panic and leaving the kid to put out the fire. But hey, he's been at the scene of both of Mesa Vista's fires, so I guess he's a sort of good luck charm?
After their lunch of burnt hamburgers, Ethan went back to his car. As he continued to work on the engine, something clicked in his mind. Something big.
Had his mom bought him the car because she wanted him to have a car? He liked the car, but what if he wanted something else now, something... not even close to a car?
Would it hurt her feelings if he sold it? It would bring some serious simoleons fixed up, and goodness knew they always needed money. Plus, Cora's birthday was coming up, and then she could help with Ynez.
As Ethan's plan solidified in his mind, he knew with certaintly he wanted to attend University more than anything.
And then he heard his sisters' playful laughter in the distance, and wondered if he'd be able to shake the feeling he was abandoning them...
That's it for the Korbens, so how about we finish with some sisterly cuteness. :)
Cora will become a teen on the first evening of their next week, and I can't wait to see her!
Broken score: 5 for Ynez growing up well + 4 (1 point each) for Pariah's promotions = 9 so far
BaCC quick score:
Sim count + graves: 35
Sim multiplier: 19
Population: 665
Thank you for reading and happy simming!
