1.02 – Winter isn’t Coming, it’s Here

Last time on the Epic Challenge, our founder, Bruce, wooed and married Phoenix Someone, from the Legend of Someone. They had a daughter, Jess, who will be the heir of this generation, due to the one-child-per-family rule currently in place.

This is Jess’ little nursery; she likes Spice Brown, so it’s all brown and natural colours. Trying to go for a rustic look for most of this generation, due to the restrictions, it seems to fit. And it’s a change for me, since I so often decorate in a modern theme.

Phoenix had a wish to find some seeds; good thing I know a couple places in Riverview where she can do so.

What is with sims and this wish? Every since I installed Supernatural, they all want planter bowls! I can cancel the wish, and it will be wished again in a few days. So annoying!
Though in this legacy, it will actually be useful, since we’ll need food during winter.

Baby stage is only 2 days, so it’s Jess’ birthday already.

She’s a cutie; she looks a lot like Phoenix, but with Bruce’s eye shape, I think.

Bruce immediately wishes to teach her to walk. But it’s almost 10pm, and he has work the next day, so he doesn’t get very far.

Neat sims are fun: every single morning she wishes to make the bed, and does it automatically when she gets out of bed. Easy 150 points.
(also, I wish there was a way to turn off the visible ringing of the phones. It’s on silent, but I can still tell that the phone is ringing. There is no electricity or landline phones, let alone cell phones!)

More jogging; looks like Bruce is almost done with his 6th athletic skill point already.

Phoenix has wished to teach Jess to talk, but Bruce is on Jess’ sleep schedule, so he has more time to teach her.
(Whoops, looks like I forgot to recolour Jess’ socks!)

Bruce did this after work the next day. Okay then, maybe we’ll find something good.

He did! Wow, expensive item to be found dumpster diving! We may just keep that for Jess to use later.

Serves you right, Bruce.

Shot of the cute little reading nook I built for Phoenix. She keeps wishing to buy books, and I try to allow her; we’re building up a collection of skill books.

*blinks* Wow. I did not expect that to happen so quickly!

She’s only on cooking L6, and she’s learned 28 recipes already!

This is where Phoenix spends a lot of her afternoons; the library. She skills so much faster there! (possibly this is why she’s already finished her LTW?)

As you can probably see through the windows, it’s snowing and coming into winter. So we better get the indoor garden started! 3 plants is so not going to suffice for the whole family.

Plants planted and watered, Bruce goes out into the snow to upgrade the washing machine. He has a wish to upgrade 5 items; we only have 4 upgrade-able items, so he’ll have to go somewhere else to get the 5th one.

I can’t remember what this lady’s name is; she works with Phoenix at the bistro, and the two of them decided to build snowmen after work. They’re building in sync, too.

The random guy behind them is trying desperately to be a part of their Snowmen-Building Club, but he just can’t keep up.

Even when it’s snowing, Bruce has to jog around; the snow is getting too deep for his bike. Though maybe you should change up your athletic outfit – a tank top and shorts can hardly be warm enough in winter, even if you are running around, Brucie.

He’s going to the grocery store to buy some more produce for planting. Different ones this time, since everyone’s skill is up a bit now.

It’s Jess’ birthday again! Damn, and I forget what her new trait is; I’m pretty sure it’s not a skill-helping one, but that’s all I remember. Will let you know on her next birthday.

She has Bruce’s eye shape and mouth, and everything else is Phoenix, I think. Can’t really tell until they’re teens.

Bruce finally has someone to share his meals with! Phoenix is on a different schedule, since she works nights.

After dinner, father and daughter play catch.

Geez, Bruce, take it easy! You’re almost full athletic, she has none!

Poor Jess.

Phoenix waters our new indoor garden. She, especially, will need this food during winter, since she’s a vegetarian and won’t eat fish.

Bruce and Phoenix Jess go fishing. They do so much together, since he finishes work the same time she finishes school – they spend most afternoons together. She’s definitely a daddy’s girl.

And when it gets cold, they go to where everyone else goes in winter in Riverview – the library.

Bruce is still rolling wishes to upgrade items, so he’ll fix up the library bathrooms.

I forget who this girl is, but Phoenix had a wish to make a friend; this girl was at the library, so done.

Family of bikes! All painted in the favourite colours of the various family members.

I put my simself into town at the same time as Phoenix and Blueberry. She hooked up with some old fart, who gave her three children then died. All three kids have a weirdly shaped jaw. Maybe my simself shouldn’t reproduce…

Anyway, let me know if you’d like me to place your simself in town. Always looking to add new genetics!

Jess found her new desk! (and I probably shouldn’t be so excited about that)

It’s Phoenix’s birthday! I didn’t realise she was so much older than Bruce. And she’s singed because of some explosion at work. Also, she’s at the library again. This family spend so much time there; Bookworm Phoenix even rolls wishes to visit the library.

I built a shelter for the bathing area – still outside, as per rules, but there’s a roof overhead now. It was annoying me that the toilet was half buried in snow.

What else is annoying is Jess and the bathroom. I didn’t realise before, since Phoenix and Bruce don’t care about seeing one another bathing or on the toilet. But Jess can’t go while her parents are outside, nor they while she is. I have to time the baths and toilet breaks carefully.

You want to go swimming in the dead of winter, Bruce? Really?

Okay, sure. Here you go.

Cool, I haven’t seen this moodlet before! (possibly because non of my sims have been stupid enough to go swimming outside in winter?)

I took pity on him and let him swim inside after that.

The indoor plants are sprouting! Excellent, we’re almost out of produce. Phoenix will have to suffer fish if we don’t harvest soon.
(of course they can’t buy produce at the supermarket that would be stupid! Also, Sam is a n00b and didn’t think about this until just now, when I’m typing this up)

More fishing; we’re getting a good stack of fish for fertiliser, since they can’t possibly eat them all.

Bruce helps Jess with her homework. (and Bruce, why are you in your swimsuit again??)

She finds his explanation confusing.

Phoenix brought home leftover Ratatouille from the bistro today, so the Rourkes have their first ever family meal! And it’s Phoenix’s favourite meal, too.

Every single time they’re in a room together, Bruce and Phoenix roll wishes for one another.

This time it was a simple kiss. Also a view of Phoenix’s new look – I changed her hair and her top.

Riverview library is certainly the place to be of a winter afternoon.

It’s a full moon…and this zombie next to Phoenix only wants to read. (WTH, Phoenix, why are you in your PJs in public??)

He’s so non-threatening that the teens have a homework party right in front of him.

Jess and Phoenix have been having fun in the snowBut they only ever build classic snowmen, it’s kind of sad.

Bruce, however, builds a hockey snowman on the first go. Yay, athletic trait!
And then he tries to catch snowflakes with his tongue *facepalm*

Jess has an opportunity at school, to make friends with…some boy. I think his name is Zho or Von or something half-baked like that. And of course she wants to build a snowman (it doesn’t have to be a snowman).
It’s Snowflake Day and the kids have the day off school.

As do the adults. And what do the married couple wish to do while their only child is on a playdate? Have a snowball fight, of course.

Hey, Jess and whatsi made a new snowman! Tragic Clown, cute.

I forgot about Bruce’s birthday. It’s only the Adult one, they stay the same, so not so bad.

Except for these. *sigh* Phoenix didn’t get one, btw.

*blinks* Kids, do you really think this is the best time to be playing tag in your swimsuits? It’s snowing!

One really good thing about the firepit is that the sims can “warm self” and get rid of the “chilly” moodlet really quickly.

Jess invites Von-or-whatever over the next day; they play blocks. Building skills and friendship. I do so love killing two birds with one stone.

The kid stayed the night…in Jess’ bed. She slept in the igloo.

It’s the weekend the next day. Pillow fight! As you can see, Jess continues the tradition of every sim child ever since Generations, autonomously reigning over the table kingdom.

Bruce got a promotion at work, this is L7 I believe. He only works 3 days a week, and no consecutive days, so it’s really hard to get more than one promotion in a week. One day on Work Hard takes him about 3/4 of the way up the performance bar, but not much more.

More fishing. Bruce is trying to show how hardcore he is by not dressing in his outerwear.

And Bruce’s first midlife crisis wish? Completely against character. What else do you expect from EA programming?
At least it’s only “flirt” I guess.

Every night, if I don’t send her to bed, Jess chooses to sleep in the igloo. At least she’s not asking for stories all the time…

Bruce maxed the athletic skill! It took way longer than it would have with exercise machines, but he did it.

Jogging as a mode of transport may take a while, but it builds skill pretty well. And your sim will run 500km in no time!

Hahaha, no, Bruce. You have no electricity nor indoor bathroom. You certainly cannot have a car!

Jess is out collecting gems for an opportunity. There are tons in front of this abandoned mine.

Since we have a chunk of money, and not much to spend it on, Phoenix starts investing in businesses.

She also maxed her cooking skill.

Count the sims in this picture – I have never seen so many people consistently at the library. I know the coding sends sims to the community lots my active family is at, but not usually this many.

Spring is here! Finally, we can start thinking about gardening again.

Naw, the snowmen look so forlorn, half melted.

 

And we’ll end things here for now. Next time, I’ll be adding some families to town, and Jess grows up!