Sim in the City VI: Mixed Signals
Previously: The Romance Festival rolled into town, and with Salim at home dutifully taking care of Phoebe, Zora saw it as the perfect opportunity to first propose to Miko and then marry her in a poorly attended but beautifully decorated impromptu ceremony. It was truly touching, a Sim union for the ages, and I may have even shed a tear or two.
I'm so pleased to have Miko in this household now because it means I can give her countless super cute and quirky pastel outfits to look adorable in. I was getting a bit tired of the old one but tried to keep the spirit of it alive, in this case with some amazing cat-print leggings.
Salim has pretty much reached his limit on family leave and vacation days, so it's back to work for him, which means Zora is left completely in charge of Phoebe for what's probably the first time since she was born. So far, so good.
She even manages to sneak in some flashcard time. Wow, what an amazing mother (of one day)!
And Salim got another promotion! Successes all around.
It seems like you actually have to work harder at getting a promotion in this game and they don't always happen even then, which annoyed me at first, but it's probably more realistic and also means I won't constantly have every single Sim hitting the top of their career tracks halfway through adulthood. For some reason, all this makes me feel less obligated to have Sims unquestionably devoted to their careers and more interested in seeing what they might accomplish in other avenues of their lives.
Salim: It's so great to finally have the time to sit down and do some real writing again!
That's not to say he's any less attentive to Phoebe than usual. Here, he and Zora appear to be arguing over who gets to help her stack blocks. Meanwhile, Phoebe just wishes they would both go away and let her play on her own for once.
Miko is adapting well to being a sort-of adoptive mother - although this may also just be an excuse to show off another one of her cute outfits.
The neighbors are still obnoxiously going at it every night, which really cuts into Phoebe's much-needed sleeping time. Miko attempts a much different approach than Salim and instead of pounding aggressively, knocks politely with food peace offering in hand. Let's see if her technique works any better.
She also got a promotion at work! I love that she's an activist. It's somehow so suiting to her general vibe, even though I can't really explain why.
Meanwhile, Salim bumped into this friend of his who it seems he might have some romantic sparks with (her name is Liberty, by the way). Unfortunately, his skin has become inexplicably marred by ugly red spots, so, actually, he should probably keep his hands away from her and walk very far away.
Liberty: Seriously, you need to go get some rest or something. You do not look well.
Salim: What are you talking about? I'M PERFECTLY FINE!!!!
So much for flirtation. Salim has to go straight home and drink some medicine of dubious origin and quality before he spreads the plague across the entire city. You'd think he might need to see a doctor in person or something but, nope, apparently this strange miracle potion is at the fingertips of every single Sim, prescription or no prescription.
The next night, he makes a second attempt at connecting with Liberty. They get to hip bump territory this time, which is only an inkling of progress, but at least it's something.
What? Now he's having dizzy spells? It's like the universe just doesn't want him to experience happiness.
Salim may be out of commission for now, but at least Zora is still thriving. I sort of always thought she was "serious" about her craft, but I guess this finally makes it official.
Salim: Not so easy single-handedly raising a rambunctious toddler, is it?
Zora: What do you mean? *grins through gritted teeth* This is a breeze!
Oh no! Despite Zora's false bravado, we've finally reached the complete meltdown phase that comes at least once per toddler stage. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long.
You know things have gone south when a Sim is too exhausted to make it to bed before passing out. She couldn't even muster the energy to finish her grilled cheese and left it sitting there on the counter top cold and all alone.
Miko: I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR A WAILING TODDLER AND A FILTHY KITCHEN! I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND!!!
Salim: I knew you guys couldn't handle it! I go back to work for one day, and everything goes to shit.
Salim: Well, you're just going to have to deal because I've had a hell of a day and must get my game on now.
Miko: *despairingly holds up yet another flashcard*
Later, when things are relatively back to normal, Salim decides to put on his fanciest duds and invite Liberty over for a delicious home-cooked meal (or at least the best he can do with his limited culinary experience). He employs Miko to keep Liberty distracted so that he can surprise her with his food wizardry.
Salim: Dinner's on! Everyone named Liberty to the dining room table for a very special meal!
Salim: Really? You're just going to sit there and read instead of eating?
Liberty: Reading is fundamental, after all! You of all people should know!
Salim: But I made this just for you, and isn't it delicious, Miko?
Miko: It is certainly... something. *swallows painfully*
Man, Liberty is hard to pin down. One second she's totally there for Salim's semi-flirty advances, the next she's storming out of the house when he dares to have a shower. I'm beginning to think she might not actually be the one.
Look at Phoebe studiously reading a picture book all on her own like the big, smart girl she is.
Did I say reading? Just kidding. She's actually eating it.
Zora has had it with the neighbors across the way and their obnoxious nightly woohoo sessions! I suppose running over to scream at them every time isn't going to make them any more considerate, but the nicer route clearly hasn't worked either.
Time sure flies, and it's already the day for Salim and Miko to transition into real proper adults. (It would be for Zora, too, but I didn't discover until afterward that Sims' ages are inexplicably frozen in time during pregnancy.) Salim looks a bit worried he'll go grey and develop deep crow's feet as soon as he blows out the candles on that cake.
As you can see, though, literally nothing about him changed save maybe some slightly darker bags beneath his eyes.
Salim: Tell your wife to hurry it up, damn it! I'm creeping ever closer to death, and I've got things to do before I croak!
Aww, how nice of Maki to come over with her guitar and serenade Phoebe to keep her occupied while everyone else bitches and moans about getting older.
Of course, as soon as she discovered there was delicious chocolate cake to be had, she was back inside and gobbling it up in a flash.
Poor Salim. He's so downtrodden about his prospects for romance at this point that he has to admire Liberty by proxy of Maki. Regardless of how bizarrely it's conveyed, it looks like she appreciates the compliment.
Yes! Yes! Keep hugging! This is good!
Maki: Looks like my job here is done.
"You're hot, then you're cold/You're yes, then you're no/You're in, then you're out/You're up, then you're down."
Seriously, Liberty, stop being a tease! Either you like Salim or you don't. It's that simple.
Ugh, now their other neighbors are causing a ruckus! I love apartment living in the Sims, but the noisy neighbors seriously make me reconsider every time, and my Sims just don't have the energy or the desire to become close enough friends with them to get them to pipe down permanently.
Miko: Listen, I'm not going to judge you for your lifestyle, and you look banging in that maid's uniform, but for the love of God, can you please just keep it the fuck down?!?
You know you fucked up when you get sweet, adorable Miko all riled up! Looks can be deceiving, and she's about to destroy everyone in her path.
Miko: Really?!? I finally get a few good hours of sleep, and now I've got to deal with these fucking teleporting gnomes? What did I do to deserve this torture?
I forget how incredibly weird this game can be at times. Today is Harvestfest, which you'd think would mean family and decorations and meals, which it does, but it also means creepy little gnomes showing up in your house to beg for appeasement in the form of various food and trinkets. Luckily, Miko was able to appease one of these little suckers with some fruitcake before she noped the fuck out of there for work.
See, there's the happy little guy with his halo. Unfortunately, his friend was less impressed by Zora's gift of a toy and immediately began shooting flames from his head. Zora knelt to beg for his forgiveness...
And then this happened! So now Zora has nearly been shocked to death not just once in her life but twice! Then the asshole gnome hung around wreaking havoc all day by summoning piles of dust and breaking household appliances. By the time I realized I could just delete the fucker in build/buy, the day was sufficiently ruined, and no harvest was to be had - though his happy friend did leave a few seed packets behind. Better luck next time, I guess. (If there is a next time for this particular holiday.)
I'm so pleased to have Miko in this household now because it means I can give her countless super cute and quirky pastel outfits to look adorable in. I was getting a bit tired of the old one but tried to keep the spirit of it alive, in this case with some amazing cat-print leggings.
Salim has pretty much reached his limit on family leave and vacation days, so it's back to work for him, which means Zora is left completely in charge of Phoebe for what's probably the first time since she was born. So far, so good.
She even manages to sneak in some flashcard time. Wow, what an amazing mother (of one day)!
And Salim got another promotion! Successes all around.
It seems like you actually have to work harder at getting a promotion in this game and they don't always happen even then, which annoyed me at first, but it's probably more realistic and also means I won't constantly have every single Sim hitting the top of their career tracks halfway through adulthood. For some reason, all this makes me feel less obligated to have Sims unquestionably devoted to their careers and more interested in seeing what they might accomplish in other avenues of their lives.
Salim: It's so great to finally have the time to sit down and do some real writing again!
That's not to say he's any less attentive to Phoebe than usual. Here, he and Zora appear to be arguing over who gets to help her stack blocks. Meanwhile, Phoebe just wishes they would both go away and let her play on her own for once.
Miko is adapting well to being a sort-of adoptive mother - although this may also just be an excuse to show off another one of her cute outfits.
The neighbors are still obnoxiously going at it every night, which really cuts into Phoebe's much-needed sleeping time. Miko attempts a much different approach than Salim and instead of pounding aggressively, knocks politely with food peace offering in hand. Let's see if her technique works any better.
She also got a promotion at work! I love that she's an activist. It's somehow so suiting to her general vibe, even though I can't really explain why.
Meanwhile, Salim bumped into this friend of his who it seems he might have some romantic sparks with (her name is Liberty, by the way). Unfortunately, his skin has become inexplicably marred by ugly red spots, so, actually, he should probably keep his hands away from her and walk very far away.
Liberty: Seriously, you need to go get some rest or something. You do not look well.
Salim: What are you talking about? I'M PERFECTLY FINE!!!!
So much for flirtation. Salim has to go straight home and drink some medicine of dubious origin and quality before he spreads the plague across the entire city. You'd think he might need to see a doctor in person or something but, nope, apparently this strange miracle potion is at the fingertips of every single Sim, prescription or no prescription.
The next night, he makes a second attempt at connecting with Liberty. They get to hip bump territory this time, which is only an inkling of progress, but at least it's something.
What? Now he's having dizzy spells? It's like the universe just doesn't want him to experience happiness.
Salim may be out of commission for now, but at least Zora is still thriving. I sort of always thought she was "serious" about her craft, but I guess this finally makes it official.
Salim: Not so easy single-handedly raising a rambunctious toddler, is it?
Zora: What do you mean? *grins through gritted teeth* This is a breeze!
Oh no! Despite Zora's false bravado, we've finally reached the complete meltdown phase that comes at least once per toddler stage. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long.
You know things have gone south when a Sim is too exhausted to make it to bed before passing out. She couldn't even muster the energy to finish her grilled cheese and left it sitting there on the counter top cold and all alone.
Miko: I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR A WAILING TODDLER AND A FILTHY KITCHEN! I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND!!!
Salim: I knew you guys couldn't handle it! I go back to work for one day, and everything goes to shit.
Salim: Well, you're just going to have to deal because I've had a hell of a day and must get my game on now.
Miko: *despairingly holds up yet another flashcard*
Later, when things are relatively back to normal, Salim decides to put on his fanciest duds and invite Liberty over for a delicious home-cooked meal (or at least the best he can do with his limited culinary experience). He employs Miko to keep Liberty distracted so that he can surprise her with his food wizardry.
Salim: Dinner's on! Everyone named Liberty to the dining room table for a very special meal!
Salim: Really? You're just going to sit there and read instead of eating?
Liberty: Reading is fundamental, after all! You of all people should know!
Salim: But I made this just for you, and isn't it delicious, Miko?
Miko: It is certainly... something. *swallows painfully*
Man, Liberty is hard to pin down. One second she's totally there for Salim's semi-flirty advances, the next she's storming out of the house when he dares to have a shower. I'm beginning to think she might not actually be the one.
Look at Phoebe studiously reading a picture book all on her own like the big, smart girl she is.
Did I say reading? Just kidding. She's actually eating it.
Zora has had it with the neighbors across the way and their obnoxious nightly woohoo sessions! I suppose running over to scream at them every time isn't going to make them any more considerate, but the nicer route clearly hasn't worked either.
Time sure flies, and it's already the day for Salim and Miko to transition into real proper adults. (It would be for Zora, too, but I didn't discover until afterward that Sims' ages are inexplicably frozen in time during pregnancy.) Salim looks a bit worried he'll go grey and develop deep crow's feet as soon as he blows out the candles on that cake.
As you can see, though, literally nothing about him changed save maybe some slightly darker bags beneath his eyes.
Salim: Tell your wife to hurry it up, damn it! I'm creeping ever closer to death, and I've got things to do before I croak!
Aww, how nice of Maki to come over with her guitar and serenade Phoebe to keep her occupied while everyone else bitches and moans about getting older.
Of course, as soon as she discovered there was delicious chocolate cake to be had, she was back inside and gobbling it up in a flash.
Poor Salim. He's so downtrodden about his prospects for romance at this point that he has to admire Liberty by proxy of Maki. Regardless of how bizarrely it's conveyed, it looks like she appreciates the compliment.
Yes! Yes! Keep hugging! This is good!
Maki: Looks like my job here is done.
"You're hot, then you're cold/You're yes, then you're no/You're in, then you're out/You're up, then you're down."
Seriously, Liberty, stop being a tease! Either you like Salim or you don't. It's that simple.
Ugh, now their other neighbors are causing a ruckus! I love apartment living in the Sims, but the noisy neighbors seriously make me reconsider every time, and my Sims just don't have the energy or the desire to become close enough friends with them to get them to pipe down permanently.
Miko: Listen, I'm not going to judge you for your lifestyle, and you look banging in that maid's uniform, but for the love of God, can you please just keep it the fuck down?!?
You know you fucked up when you get sweet, adorable Miko all riled up! Looks can be deceiving, and she's about to destroy everyone in her path.
Miko: Really?!? I finally get a few good hours of sleep, and now I've got to deal with these fucking teleporting gnomes? What did I do to deserve this torture?
I forget how incredibly weird this game can be at times. Today is Harvestfest, which you'd think would mean family and decorations and meals, which it does, but it also means creepy little gnomes showing up in your house to beg for appeasement in the form of various food and trinkets. Luckily, Miko was able to appease one of these little suckers with some fruitcake before she noped the fuck out of there for work.
See, there's the happy little guy with his halo. Unfortunately, his friend was less impressed by Zora's gift of a toy and immediately began shooting flames from his head. Zora knelt to beg for his forgiveness...
And then this happened! So now Zora has nearly been shocked to death not just once in her life but twice! Then the asshole gnome hung around wreaking havoc all day by summoning piles of dust and breaking household appliances. By the time I realized I could just delete the fucker in build/buy, the day was sufficiently ruined, and no harvest was to be had - though his happy friend did leave a few seed packets behind. Better luck next time, I guess. (If there is a next time for this particular holiday.)