Sim in the City II: Save It for a Rainy Day
Previously: Zora Chen arrived in San Myshuno to take the city by storm with her soon-to-be-but-not-quite-yet expert violin-playing skills and hustle her way to musical stardom. As a self-professed loner, she didn't exactly plan for romance to factor into that equation, but life had different ideas, as it often does, and she now has three potential love interests: the bookish and kind Salim, the eccentric and confident Maki, and the mysterious and cool Miko. Who will she choose? The impossible decision looms.
Now that she's got a few days' pay from her job under her belt, Zora sets about redecorating her apartment one room at a time. Here's her very botanical bedroom. I'm not sure she'll actually have enough left for rent so she can stay in this beautiful room, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Here's the other side of the room, where Zora is not hard at work on anything important or meaningful but instead wasting her morning away "trolling teh forums," as one does.
After a relaxing hour or two of trolling, she decides to check out the nearby gym. Gotta keep that core solid and strong for maximum violin-playing capacity! Bowing those strings is a workout in and of itself.
Zora actually had super cute and colorful athleticwear that somehow got replaced with this basic white tracksuit. We'll have to do something about that. Can't be caught playing basketball in anything less than high fashion!
Pro-tip: you'll know you've reached your workout limit for the day when you've been sweating so much there are now literal fumes of green funk radiating from your body, threatening the noses of all who surround you.
One shower and sexy outfit change later, Zora decides she's had enough of fulfilling her lone wolf side for the day and calls Miko, who she hasn't been able to stop thinking about since their whirlwind first encounter, to set up another date. Apparently, Miko slipped Zora her number just before slipping like a ghost into the skyscraper-shadowed night.
At first, despite the romantic surroundings, Miko plays hard to get, acting as though she isn't at all attracted to and is instead completely repulsed by Zora's perfectly exposed, perfectly flat stomach. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Zora: It's fine. It's fine. Everything is totally cool.
...She said before downing her entire drink in one swallow and ordering another for good measure.
Luckily, before Zora is able to completely drown herself in mortified self-doubt, Miko arrives with a rose to smooth things over. She's a true romantic! Maybe she was just overwhelmed by Zora's assertiveness earlier and would prefer to go the coy, subtle route for now.
Or maybe she was just messing with Zora and she's down for anything because there's certainly no hesitation from either party now.
And with that, Zora asks Miko to be her girlfriend in record time, an offer which Miko heartily accepts. Um, Zora, I'm totally down for polyamory, but I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. This could get ugly fast if your partners aren't as wild about the whole "free love" concept as you are.
At least she's enjoying the ride before it gets too bumpy. Metaphorically speaking. It looks plenty bumpy in a more physical way already. But good bumpy, not bad. Ew. What am I saying? I don't know. Let's move on now before I embarrass myself any further.
Apparently, Salim is the type to wander around in nothing but a pair of fire engine red knee-high socks after a particularly fulfilling woohoo session. Good to know. I'm sure that knowledge will come in handy at some point down the line.
As if juggling two serious relationships at once isn't already more than enough, Zora is still in the will they/won't they phase with Maki. On one hand, Maki can't seem to settle down to a conversation for longer than five minutes before getting distracted by one of her eccentric whims. On the other hand, she is pretty adorable. Decisions, decisions.
Anyway, one decision that Zora will make tonight: impulse-buying that antique purple sofa from the flea market and giving it prime position as soon as she has enough money to remodel her living room.
By the way, it's at this point that it started raining and kept raining for what felt like an entire week straight. I assumed San Myshuno was modeled after San Francisco, but with this weather, I'm beginning to think it may be the Sim version of Seattle instead. Yikes, I hope her new sofa's upholstery doesn't succumb to the sogginess before she can get it home.
She was also able to capture Maki's interest long enough to kiss her, because, at this point, why not? Kisses are the one form of currency Zora will surely never run out of.
Phew! She got a promotion just in time to pay her rent. That was a close one.
She celebrates the fact that she's not about to get kicked out onto the street and become a destitute homeless person living in an alleyway somewhere with a drunken karaoke performance. There are certain activities I never get tired of watching Sims do, and karaoke is one of them. So, here, have an assortment of shots to really immerse yourself in the off-key magic of it all:
You're welcome.
Okay, Zora, I know you're feeling pretty good about your life in general right now, but maybe it's not such a smart idea to stand in the middle of a torrential downpour to eat your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, especially when you've got a perfectly good table/counter/sofa/bed/take your pick to use at home.
Zora: What are you talking about? I'm invincible!
Hmm, not so invincible now, are we? The news of her own mortality must have come as quite a shock to Zora.
Don't worry, she's fine. She's looking a little bit like a piece of very burnt toast, but she's fine. It definitely seems like she's regretting not getting that umbrella out sooner, though. (Not that an umbrella would have saved her. I don't actually know how being struck by lightning works, especially in the Sims.)
Despite being charred to within an inch of her life, Zora still appreciates talent when she sees it and has to pause momentarily to marvel at the dedication of this living cowboy statue. Even through the storm, he remains steadfast in his commitment to absolute stillness.
Another night, more rain, which Zora is less than pleased about. However, it's also the Humor and Hijinks Festival! To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what that entails, but Zora downed this dubious purple drink, pledged herself to the side of the mischief-makers, and immediately started glowing... so I guess we'll see where all that takes us.
As it turns out, it basically just means she has an excuse to scare the pants off complete strangers without any consequences. A bit underwhelming perhaps, but her side won, so I guess it was a fruitful event for her.
More importantly, she got the opportunity to try the "bubble blower" (we all know what that really is) for the first time, and judging by the look on her face, she may have just gotten herself hooked.
Zora, dancing in damp, frenzied circles at an abandoned park around 7:00 AM the next morning: I. JUST. FEEL. SO. FREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Somehow, after that intense bout of drug-induced euphoria, Zora managed to drag herself home in one piece, where she passed a leisurely day in rest and recovery before venturing out on the town once more. This time, she's determined to bring her music directly to the people (and their wallets). First, though, she has to scare off the competition. Violin duel, commence!
Yes, Zora won, scoring herself the most prime busking position in the town square. The other woman isn't so happy about it but, whatever, lady, you play here every night. I'm sure you're rolling in tips already and can spare a couple hours' worth.
Gullible tourists, the best tippers of them all! Dish all of your expendable cash and coins out to Zora now!
On an unrelated note, I wonder if that towel-clad guy sneaking into frame in the distance is a friend of Maki's. If not, someone should definitely introduce them. I have a feeling they'd get along quite well.
Oh God, there are some truly strange characters around this town, aren't there? It's not even close to St. Patrick's Day, and even if it were, this get-up would still be a fashion crime against all of humanity.
Zora: Oh, gross, he's heading straight toward me! Maybe if I pretend to be on my phone, he'll stay away. *does the poorest imitation of composing a text ever*
Speaking of strange sights in the city, this perfectly untouched red velvet cupcake just happened to be sitting in the middle of an otherwise empty sidewalk, and I know that sounds like a trap and there are probably human traffickers right around the corner, but red velvet is totally my weakness, hence I feel compelled to have Zora eat it against all better judgment.
Zora: Wow, a gift beamed directly from the heavens for me and me alone. What a blessed day.
Look, she devoured the entire cupcake and made it out alive, no food poisoning or kidnappers in sight! If anything, it actually invigorated her. Even after a night of hard partying, she's got more than enough energy for a brisk jog through the nearby scenic wildlife.
Things are getting steamy between her and Salim, and even though I'm still not convinced he's the one, she asks him to move in anyway, mostly to help fund her complete apartment overhaul, but that's another secret Salim doesn't yet need to be let in on.
Upon moving in, he didn't get too radical of a makeover, just a bit of a shave and a more logically color-coordinated wardrobe. Naturally, the first thing he headed for in the apartment was a book.
While he was busy reading, his roughly ten-thousand-simoleon life's savings went into some major redecoration, starting in the living room, which has a boho chic vibe inspired by Zora's flea market sofa.
On the opposite side, a bright but classy space for reading, eating, and socializing, with an office nook around the corner for Salim to write his future masterpieces.
The very sleek and modern kitchen.
A beautiful dining room for feeding and entertaining guests.
And, finally, the master bedroom got moved to the opposite side of the apartment so that it could be attached to this cute little combination laundry room/walk-in closet.
Zora very much appreciates Salim's generous contribution to increasing the quality of her home life, even if it's not quite enough to guarantee exclusivity in their relationship. After all, a girl's gotta thoroughly explore all of her options while she's still young, doesn't she? Zora's in the prime of her life right now, and that's certainly no time for making hasty decisions about settling down.
Now that she's got a few days' pay from her job under her belt, Zora sets about redecorating her apartment one room at a time. Here's her very botanical bedroom. I'm not sure she'll actually have enough left for rent so she can stay in this beautiful room, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Here's the other side of the room, where Zora is not hard at work on anything important or meaningful but instead wasting her morning away "trolling teh forums," as one does.
After a relaxing hour or two of trolling, she decides to check out the nearby gym. Gotta keep that core solid and strong for maximum violin-playing capacity! Bowing those strings is a workout in and of itself.
Zora actually had super cute and colorful athleticwear that somehow got replaced with this basic white tracksuit. We'll have to do something about that. Can't be caught playing basketball in anything less than high fashion!
Pro-tip: you'll know you've reached your workout limit for the day when you've been sweating so much there are now literal fumes of green funk radiating from your body, threatening the noses of all who surround you.
One shower and sexy outfit change later, Zora decides she's had enough of fulfilling her lone wolf side for the day and calls Miko, who she hasn't been able to stop thinking about since their whirlwind first encounter, to set up another date. Apparently, Miko slipped Zora her number just before slipping like a ghost into the skyscraper-shadowed night.
At first, despite the romantic surroundings, Miko plays hard to get, acting as though she isn't at all attracted to and is instead completely repulsed by Zora's perfectly exposed, perfectly flat stomach. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Zora: It's fine. It's fine. Everything is totally cool.
...She said before downing her entire drink in one swallow and ordering another for good measure.
Luckily, before Zora is able to completely drown herself in mortified self-doubt, Miko arrives with a rose to smooth things over. She's a true romantic! Maybe she was just overwhelmed by Zora's assertiveness earlier and would prefer to go the coy, subtle route for now.
Or maybe she was just messing with Zora and she's down for anything because there's certainly no hesitation from either party now.
And with that, Zora asks Miko to be her girlfriend in record time, an offer which Miko heartily accepts. Um, Zora, I'm totally down for polyamory, but I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. This could get ugly fast if your partners aren't as wild about the whole "free love" concept as you are.
At least she's enjoying the ride before it gets too bumpy. Metaphorically speaking. It looks plenty bumpy in a more physical way already. But good bumpy, not bad. Ew. What am I saying? I don't know. Let's move on now before I embarrass myself any further.
Apparently, Salim is the type to wander around in nothing but a pair of fire engine red knee-high socks after a particularly fulfilling woohoo session. Good to know. I'm sure that knowledge will come in handy at some point down the line.
As if juggling two serious relationships at once isn't already more than enough, Zora is still in the will they/won't they phase with Maki. On one hand, Maki can't seem to settle down to a conversation for longer than five minutes before getting distracted by one of her eccentric whims. On the other hand, she is pretty adorable. Decisions, decisions.
Anyway, one decision that Zora will make tonight: impulse-buying that antique purple sofa from the flea market and giving it prime position as soon as she has enough money to remodel her living room.
By the way, it's at this point that it started raining and kept raining for what felt like an entire week straight. I assumed San Myshuno was modeled after San Francisco, but with this weather, I'm beginning to think it may be the Sim version of Seattle instead. Yikes, I hope her new sofa's upholstery doesn't succumb to the sogginess before she can get it home.
She was also able to capture Maki's interest long enough to kiss her, because, at this point, why not? Kisses are the one form of currency Zora will surely never run out of.
Phew! She got a promotion just in time to pay her rent. That was a close one.
She celebrates the fact that she's not about to get kicked out onto the street and become a destitute homeless person living in an alleyway somewhere with a drunken karaoke performance. There are certain activities I never get tired of watching Sims do, and karaoke is one of them. So, here, have an assortment of shots to really immerse yourself in the off-key magic of it all:
You're welcome.
Okay, Zora, I know you're feeling pretty good about your life in general right now, but maybe it's not such a smart idea to stand in the middle of a torrential downpour to eat your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, especially when you've got a perfectly good table/counter/sofa/bed/take your pick to use at home.
Zora: What are you talking about? I'm invincible!
Hmm, not so invincible now, are we? The news of her own mortality must have come as quite a shock to Zora.
Don't worry, she's fine. She's looking a little bit like a piece of very burnt toast, but she's fine. It definitely seems like she's regretting not getting that umbrella out sooner, though. (Not that an umbrella would have saved her. I don't actually know how being struck by lightning works, especially in the Sims.)
Despite being charred to within an inch of her life, Zora still appreciates talent when she sees it and has to pause momentarily to marvel at the dedication of this living cowboy statue. Even through the storm, he remains steadfast in his commitment to absolute stillness.
Another night, more rain, which Zora is less than pleased about. However, it's also the Humor and Hijinks Festival! To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what that entails, but Zora downed this dubious purple drink, pledged herself to the side of the mischief-makers, and immediately started glowing... so I guess we'll see where all that takes us.
As it turns out, it basically just means she has an excuse to scare the pants off complete strangers without any consequences. A bit underwhelming perhaps, but her side won, so I guess it was a fruitful event for her.
More importantly, she got the opportunity to try the "bubble blower" (we all know what that really is) for the first time, and judging by the look on her face, she may have just gotten herself hooked.
Zora, dancing in damp, frenzied circles at an abandoned park around 7:00 AM the next morning: I. JUST. FEEL. SO. FREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Somehow, after that intense bout of drug-induced euphoria, Zora managed to drag herself home in one piece, where she passed a leisurely day in rest and recovery before venturing out on the town once more. This time, she's determined to bring her music directly to the people (and their wallets). First, though, she has to scare off the competition. Violin duel, commence!
Yes, Zora won, scoring herself the most prime busking position in the town square. The other woman isn't so happy about it but, whatever, lady, you play here every night. I'm sure you're rolling in tips already and can spare a couple hours' worth.
Gullible tourists, the best tippers of them all! Dish all of your expendable cash and coins out to Zora now!
On an unrelated note, I wonder if that towel-clad guy sneaking into frame in the distance is a friend of Maki's. If not, someone should definitely introduce them. I have a feeling they'd get along quite well.
Oh God, there are some truly strange characters around this town, aren't there? It's not even close to St. Patrick's Day, and even if it were, this get-up would still be a fashion crime against all of humanity.
Zora: Oh, gross, he's heading straight toward me! Maybe if I pretend to be on my phone, he'll stay away. *does the poorest imitation of composing a text ever*
Speaking of strange sights in the city, this perfectly untouched red velvet cupcake just happened to be sitting in the middle of an otherwise empty sidewalk, and I know that sounds like a trap and there are probably human traffickers right around the corner, but red velvet is totally my weakness, hence I feel compelled to have Zora eat it against all better judgment.
Zora: Wow, a gift beamed directly from the heavens for me and me alone. What a blessed day.
Look, she devoured the entire cupcake and made it out alive, no food poisoning or kidnappers in sight! If anything, it actually invigorated her. Even after a night of hard partying, she's got more than enough energy for a brisk jog through the nearby scenic wildlife.
Things are getting steamy between her and Salim, and even though I'm still not convinced he's the one, she asks him to move in anyway, mostly to help fund her complete apartment overhaul, but that's another secret Salim doesn't yet need to be let in on.
Upon moving in, he didn't get too radical of a makeover, just a bit of a shave and a more logically color-coordinated wardrobe. Naturally, the first thing he headed for in the apartment was a book.
While he was busy reading, his roughly ten-thousand-simoleon life's savings went into some major redecoration, starting in the living room, which has a boho chic vibe inspired by Zora's flea market sofa.
On the opposite side, a bright but classy space for reading, eating, and socializing, with an office nook around the corner for Salim to write his future masterpieces.
The very sleek and modern kitchen.
A beautiful dining room for feeding and entertaining guests.
And, finally, the master bedroom got moved to the opposite side of the apartment so that it could be attached to this cute little combination laundry room/walk-in closet.
Zora very much appreciates Salim's generous contribution to increasing the quality of her home life, even if it's not quite enough to guarantee exclusivity in their relationship. After all, a girl's gotta thoroughly explore all of her options while she's still young, doesn't she? Zora's in the prime of her life right now, and that's certainly no time for making hasty decisions about settling down.