A Townie Dynasty with Zest, Completed

[cyclonenic]

Squee, the first Zest toddler! Amber is adorable. I love how she gives that side look that makes it look like she is saying "crazy adults" like when she is in the chair. My thoughts on the nanny is that for such poor care its almost worth getting in a homeless sim to "Nanny" as a caregiver, i bet they would be much better and there would be no -1 per day used.

[MarianT]

@oshizu, we added a rule that nannies had to be hired when the last teen or adult left the house if a baby or toddler was on the lot. Having the baby whisked off to daycare never felt right, and since we have nannies, we might as well use them. The ones in TS2 were pretty incompetent, too.
That rule will probably be added to the Rival Dynasties and Immortal Dynasty, too.

@cyclonenic, a homeless Sim is a good idea, but in this generation, the Zests don't have a lot of room, nor do they have the ability to add on. I'll keep that in mind for the next generations, though.

[FrancescaFiori]

Oh, boy! Looks like Toddler Week is going to be pretty much a Lost Week in terms of advancing the townie dynasty. But it's worth it because, look at that face! And the little glasses! And the tantrums! And the stuffie-hugging! D'aaaaawww! And to think I wasn't that excited about the idea of toddlers. I was wrong. They're amazing. Thank you so much for this chapter showcasing the new adorableness.

Here's hoping next week Elsa gets a few more points and a lot more rest!

[MarianT]

Chapter 32 -- The Third 10 Points and Free Day



Early the next morning, Elsa took Bjorn's urn and placed it next to Izumi's tombstone in the family cemetery. Although she missed him, she was happy that her parents could be near each other again.



Upon returning home, she found that Maki had become a teenager. Since she didn't have to go to school and the Geekcon Festival was in town, Elsa found that her fishing trip would have to be put off.



Of course, Amber had to have breakfast first.



At the festival, Amber had to get a hug from a total stranger in a llama suit.



Maki was in bliss playing Blicbloc.



Amber wandered away from the crowd and was very happy when Elsa found her again.



The two of them left Maki to enjoy the festival while they went home. As a geek and a materialist, Maki plans on becoming a tech guru when she grows up.



Both Elsa and Amber were ready for naps when they got home. Ezequiel took care of feeding Amber when he got off work, but he didn't realize that she had decided that high chairs were a thing of the past. "Don't you throw your food on the floor," he scolded. "Then don't lock me up in this," she glared back.



The next day was Amber's birthday. Elsa helped her blow out her candles.



Elsa had to give a speech uptown, so she brought Amber along rather than hire another nanny.



Amber listened to an old-timey guitar...



...while Elsa spoke movingly about the needs of trees and birds and fish. Uptown was probably not the best venue for such a speech, as no one stopped to listen.



The next morning Maki fortified herself with a cup of coffee while Amber marched off to her first day of school. Thanks to having been a happy toddler, Amber would learn things a little faster even though she was a goofball.



Her favorite activity was making potions on the chemistry table, just like Maki's had been. Worried about another fire, and trying to encourage Amber's artistic interests, Elsa put the chemistry table in storage.



Amber was okay with switching back to the dollhouse.



One evening Elsa needed to go to the Spice Festival because of her job. She was more fortunate in the meal she chose than the man sitting next to her.



Later, she tried to get his support for her proposal. Maki, like any teenager, found it embarrassing to be in public with her mother, especially when she was campaigning, but Amber didn't mind.



Back at home, Ezequiel mentored Elsa in handiness as she gave an upgrade to the microwave. Thanks to a few upgrades and a lot of camping mascots, Elsa maxed handiness and also made an additional $30,000.



She hurried over to the old mine in Oasis Springs and soon managed to get it open.



Inside she found a place of wonder -- and also of new types of fish to catch.



Elsa returned home to take a nap, while the rest of her family worked on their tasks for their free day. Ezequiel raised his charisma level and filled out some reports while Amber worked on her aspiration to become an artistic prodigy.



After finishing her homework, Maki learned how to paint.

Elsa picked up 10 points from maxing handiness, adding $30,000 to household income, becoming good friends with Hannah Mattingly, getting a promotion at work, getting another 1000 satisfaction points, and gaining another level in fishing. Amber's mastery of potty training contributed the final 2 points.

[oshizu]

Nice! Amber is one point in the black in terms of point contribution!
Great strategy to have the hubby max Handiness then mentor Elsa in it!
Amber seems more subdued now...is that just a coincidence of screenshot timing?

I'm learning so much from your story though the challenge looks very, well, challenging...

[lesleyj42]

You did a great job with the first dynasty toddler! I couldn't imagine not being able to control them all the time. Mine would constantly be miserable or at least on the verge of misery.

Can you really mentor the handiness skill? I had no idea that was possible.

[MarianT]

@oshizu, Ezequiel was already at 10 handiness when Elsa moved in because he has the hidden trait isCityRepair.

@lesleyj42, Elsa asked him to mentor; I'll have to see if she can mentor Maki (which means getting the workbench out again). As for controlling toddlers, Amber did pretty well with very little direct control from me, growing up potty-trained and with level 4 in communication and imagination, 3 in movement and 2 in thinking. She had the Fussy trait, too, which is supposed to be difficult. One reason I had Elsa try for baby was to see how difficult a toddler would be in a challenge where you could control only one Sim. Being able to work from home has been a big help.

[lesleyj42]

Handiness is mentorable. That's good to know. It would have been nice if I had known a few months ago. I would have put it to use during the Renaissance challenge.

I'm glad Amber did so well. She's super cute btw.

[FrancescaFiori]

Amber hugging the LlamaWoman is the cutest thing I've ever seen, and the fact that it was a total stranger makes it even cuter. I haven't tried taking toddlers out of the house yet, but I'm glad to know she enjoyed Geekcon.

Good job Elsa on maxing handiness and accessing the Forgotten Grotto! And good job on the painting, Maki! That will definitely come in handy!

[MarianT]

Amber hugging the LlamaWoman is the cutest thing I've ever seen, and the fact that it was a total stranger makes it even cuter. I haven't tried taking toddlers out of the house yet, but I'm glad to know she enjoyed Geekcon.

Good job Elsa on maxing handiness and accessing the Forgotten Grotto! And good job on the painting, Maki! That will definitely come in handy!

What's fun is that I wasn't controlling Amber at the time. And the woman in the llama suit really was a stranger. Maybe Amber thought she was a stuffed animal? In TS2, I loved to watch toddlers fall asleep and I loved to listen to their voices. This time around, everything is as fascinating as that moment in TS2. I feel like I'm hurrying just to get to the next generation of toddlers.

[MarianT]

Chapter 33 -- The Fourth 10 Points and Free Day



Elsa never knows what to expect when she goes fishing. Sometime she might catch a batfish and hear the crystals of the Forgotten Grotto humming.



Another time she might encounter "The Spirit of Twinbrook" as it makes its stately way down the river.



Or she might run into a gathering of the followers of Princess Leia, women who devote their lives to the overthrow of the evil empire.



Elsa was having so much fun that she almost forgot her birthday was drawing near.



As an adult and an Elder Stateswoman, Elsa now had to meet different expectations. Instead of giving impassioned speeches wearing ripped jeans and canvas jackets, she now dressed in pantsuits to discuss neighborhood changes with her constituents.



Ultimately her hard work paid off, and she became the National Leader. Her mother Izumi and her great-great-great grandmother Miko gave ghostly sighs of relief and were thrilled that she'd followed in their footsteps.



But the job came with many frustrations. Elsa often relieved her feelings by destroying Amber's dollhouse. She always repaired it afterwards, however.



Amber has become quite a sociable child, and imaginative, too.



Here's the story she was telling herself the other night: "The princess tried to escape the sea monster in her coach and four, but her horses were no match for the purple creature with its long purple tentacles. The faster they went, the farther the tentacles stretched..."
[Ooh, sounds scary. Does the princess get away?]
"No," Amber informed the Watcher. "Giant squid have to eat, too."



The night Elsa achieved her 40th point, she started to give Maki the woohoo talk, but when they both got embarrassed, she turned it into a review of the requirements for a dynasty heir.



Since it was a free day, Maki went straight to work on putting together a collection of fossils.



Her mother had told her that quite a few could be found in the Forgotten Grotto, so Maki went there next.



On her way out, she met Hamza, a teen who lived in Oasis Springs. She chatted with him a bit, but didn't try to get romantically involved. He was a glutton and had a very high-pitched voice. Maki thought she should investigate all her options first.



By the end of the free day, she had assembled a collection of fossils.



She also had painted portraits of her father and little sister and taken a photograph of herself.



As she hung Elsa's portrait in the Heirs' Gallery, Maki realized she had a lot to live up to -- her mother had been the first female heir, the first parent of a toddler, the first heir to complete a career, and of course, the first female National Leader.



"But I'm going to be the first Tech Guru and the one who makes the most money," said Maki. "So we're almost even."

Elsa maxed Charisma and maxed the Politics career. She also picked up two promotions, gained another level in fishing, and became good friends with Roger Dockery. Ezequiel was promoted, and Amber came home with a B to round out the 10 points.

[cyclonenic]

" "No," Amber informed the Watcher. "Giant squid have to eat, too." "
This girl is a keeper, i'm a bit sad she isn't the heir and therefore won't be followed. Though Maki seems to have some style about her too.

[FrancescaFiori]

Nice work, Elsa! And way to go, Maki! She's got all of her ducks in a row already. Just needs a spouse with a decent housing situation. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Love the Princes Leia club! How do I join?

Also love Amber's imaginary play. I agree with cyclonenic that she's quite a special girl!

[MarianT]

Chapter 34 -- The Last 10 Points and Free Day



Elsa needed to catch four more different types of fish, so she took the day of and headed to Sylvan Glade. She caught one new type, the Treefish, there.



She went next to the Forgotten Grotto, where she caught several sturgeon, enough to bring her household income up another $30,000. She maxed fishing there, but the wolf eel and piranha remained elusive.



Back at home, Elsa fixed a birthday cake for Maki, who added gloominess to her character traits.



She and Ezequiel also listened to Amber tell her story of the princess and the squid.



Later that evening, Elsa invited Hamza Abd Al Kader over. He was a young adult who lived in Oasis Springs and seemed like a good prospect for Maki. Through careful questioning, Elsa found out that he was a glutton and cheerful. He seemed a bit tense, but then being grilled by the National Leader might have that effect on someone.



Elsa was almost ready to suggest that he go on a date with Maki, when Hamza went into the study and destroyed the dollhouse. Elsa didn't particularly care about the dollhouse -- she'd destroyed it herself many times -- but his act did seem to indicate that he was either hot-headed or hated children. His earlier tension when Amber was around suggested that his trait was the latter. Maki crossed him off her list.

The next morning Elsa was up bright and early. She needed to become good friends with three more people. She went downstairs and found someone having an early breakfast. Then the GeekCon Festival was announced. Elsa gathered up Maki and two people that she was friends with, Ishaan and Navya Joyson, the children of her friend Aarohi.



Once she had ascertained that Ishaan was squeamish, cheerful, and a bro, Elsa bowed out of the conversation and left Maki to get better acquainted with Ishaan and his sister. By that time, Elsa had completed her 50 points.



Maki flirted with Ishaan enough to suggest that they go out on a date at Bovine Villa. After a little more flirting, she texted him her phone number, which he put on his speed dial at number 1.



They flirted and talked some more. After two deep conversations, they had a gold medal date.



Ishaan was in a flirty mood, and Maki decided it was time to take things to a new level. She moved in for a kiss and then asked him to be her boyfriend.



At that point, one of the cooks was inconsiderate enough to die. Maki managed to hold back from going to witness the death, but Ishaan couldn't help looking. They left the restaurant as soon as Grim let them go.



Back at home, it was time for Amber to become a teen.



She turned out to be an attractive young lady, but unflirty (her alternative would have been to become mean). Everyone was tired by then, so they all went to bed.



Both Maki and Elsa were up early the next morning.
"Mom, I think I'm ready to leave," said Maki. "I've put my collection and the portraits in the Museum already, and I'm pretty sure Ishaan will accept when I propose. Mom? Are you listening to anything I've said?"
"Sorry, dear," said Elsa. "I was just thinking how nice it will be to not have the Watcher interfering all the time. Just think -- I can smash the dollhouse whenever I want now."
"Oh," said Maki. "Sorry, but I got rid of the dollhouse after Hamza attacked it. Sorry."



Maki met Ishaan at Myshuno Meadows, where he was happy to accept her proposal.



It wasn't long before they got married under the same arch where Maki's great-great grandfather Ojo exchanged vows with Olivia .

Final Stats -- Elsa
Skills: 10 -- fishing
Promotions: 13 -- Elsa, 9; Ezequiel, 1; Maki, 2; Amber, 1
Satisfaction Points: 6
$30,000 added to Household Funds: 6
Good Friends: 9 -- Ezequiel, Maki, Amber Zest, Aarohi Joyson, Hannah Mattingly, Roger Dockery, Ali Al Arabi, Ishaan Joyson, Navya Joyson.
Maxed Skills/Job: 10 -- handiness, charisma, fishing, potty training (Amber)/politics.
Negatives: -4 -- Fire, Maki; Passing out, Ezequiel; Hiring a Nanny, Elsa.

Maki's Stats upon moving in
Portraits: $389
Collection: Fossils, $455
Satisfaction Points: 810
Aspiration: Computer Whiz
Household Funds: $1163

[oshizu]

Elsa accomplished so much during her era, even while raising a toddler, and set high standards for the next generations of Zest women to challenge.

It feels like Maki was ready to move out in no time! (Love her yellow and purple outfit)
She and Ishaan make a handsome couple. How rude of that cook to spoil the after-glow of their gold-medal date.
Teen Amber aged up wearing sunglasses--does she resemble Elsa?

Looking forward to learning about Maki's new life.