The Sanada Apocalypse Challenge: Dystopian Dearth
Week 05/Day 029 (Sunday)
The sun rises on Sunday morning and, in a fit of sheer spite and architectural schizophrenia, I give the house another renovation for two important reasons.
Most importantly, Jade’s $50,000 business opp on Friday tremendously boosted our cash holdings. No way we would just meekly hand over the post-bills remainder to the mob!
What could we do but spend, spend, spend?
With glee, I go and buy an expensive Environment 7 painting for each floor, then remember that we can only buy the lowest-quality item in each category (Start-up Entrepreneur restriction).
This isn’t a challenge fail because I both bought them and eliminated them without leaving Buy/Build mode. Close call!
Also, I want to avoid getting stuck placing items with a footprint larger than 1×1 that can’t be moved until Bodybuilder is cleared.
It’s not the dream house but it’s the best we can do under the circumstances.
So, what’s left? Recoloring, pricier floor and wall coverings (they don’t have “stats”); pricier furnishings with no Environment or Comfort values, such as cabinets and chairs; and a few more 1×1 items and clutter.
Oh and a third floor.
(Yes, I know. The challenge creator suggested in a post—but not his rules—that we go up and down one floor each. I’ve added a third floor, anyway.)
Satoru: Our fourth child Sasuke will eventually enter the Musician career, which requires a piano.
Our house had no space anywhere for a piano and we couldn’t create space by rearranging furniture, since we can’t move items with a footprint larger than 1×1.
Now we have space for a piano and, if need be, can even wall off a bedroom for an eighth sim.
Satoru: I’ve been mentoring Tatsuya in Painting, even though he’s going into Journalism.
Watchette just informed me that my time would be better spent mentoring Sasuke on the new piano.
Still, Tatsuya painted an amazing portrait of me the other day!
Tatsuya: When Dad leaves for work at noon, I’m working on Handiness and Yuki on Wellness.
That’s when Watchette asks us to upgrade the rocket instead so we can use up a little more of our cash without increasing our bills.
That’s fine with us.
Erika: Well, it’s 6 pm and I’m off to my first night as a Level 2 Babysitter.
I tried to get into a Playful mood before work, but everyone was too busy to listen to my jokes!
Did you notice my work outfit also comes with pink sneakers?
They don’t look so weird, though, because my hoodie’s hood is linked with pink, too.
Girl, you’re going to be such a knockout when we get our dresser back! Well, technically, we bought a dresser this morning. We just can’t use it…yet.
Jade: What skills should Erika be building, Watchette? She already meets the L4 Charisma requirement for clearing the Babysitter career.
W: I’d like her to take over fishing to free up Satoru for other things, like rocket upgrades.
It would be great if she could learn to cook without starting a fire!
Jade: What about me?
W: Just continue helping all the kids max Logic, including Yuki, and Creativity.
You can’t mentor any skills except Logic but, rather than mentor you in other skills, it’s faster for Satoru to mentor the kids directly.
However, you’ve had lovely four children and maxed your career—you’ve done an excellent job, Jade!
Jade: Thanks, I’m happy that you’ve noticed all my efforts!
Erika: I’m back from work! And, darn, I’m just a half tick away from maxing Babysitter! Next Saturday, for sure!
Here’s a close-up of our hard-working Erika, with Jade’s lips and eyebrows.
Day 30 (Mon)
Satoru: After our massive Sunday spending spree, which even included my starting to install a wormhole generator on the rocket, we are still left with $30, 153.
Around 10 am, we receive a bill for $4,138. (I wonder if it’s this low because we did all of our spending yesterday?)
Sadly for us, the mob’s take this week amounts to $26,015 of our hard-earned cash!!! *sheds manly tears
Day 31 (Tue)
Satoru: Hey, this music room is pretty cool!
By the way, now that we’re over that post-apocalyptic grunge phase, when can I lose this stupid camo tank top?
Patience, patience, my dear. The Dresser’s Return is not far off.
Jade: Satoru gets to wait until he ages to adult naturally. But on my adult birthday, I get rushed along with a cake?!
Satoru: Awww, honey, it’s not like that! I hadn’t maxed Chef until the day after my birthday, so I didn’t cake up because we didn’t have an oven yet.
Oh, and sweetheart?
Jade: Yes, darling?
Satoru: You’re just as lovely as ever! Happy birthday, my gorgeous Jade!
Jade: *blushes
Day 32 (Wed)
It’s Wednesday and all the kids are off to school. Everyone loves Yuki!
Good thing the twins are 13 days younger than Tatsuya and Yuki, or Tatsuya would be facing some stiff competition!
Tatsuya: Hey, look who I met and made friends with this evening, while I was out trying to boost my Mischief!
It’s Siobhan Fryres from Windenberg! Her younger sister, Morgan, goes to the same high school as me and Yuki.
Who me? Nah, Yuki’s got nothing to worry about! Siobhan’s an adult and one of Mom’s co-workers.
I hear Watchette’s planning to move her in eventually, after she moves in one other person.
What? You want me to tell you the name of that other person? Oh puleeze!
Day 33 (Thu)
Tatsuya: It pains me to prank a nice person like Siobhan, who may be a future housemate and perhaps even future daughter-in-law.
Tonight, I’m on the prowl for someone else “less nice” to pester.
Ahhhh, perfect! It’s that Jealous, Evil, Music Lover next-door neighbor, Traci Markham!
*shares conspiracy theory
*tricks with hand buzzer
W: Enjoying yourself, Tatsuya?
Tatsuya: Of course, not! Well, maybe just a little…hehehe.
And as a parting shot, I send her a Noxious Cloud.
As you all know, this a complex social conducted in two phases. Watch closely and learn!
Phase One: pass gas as evidenced above by the green musical note (because beans are a musical fruit? You didn’t learn that poem?)
Phase Two: use one hand to subtly waft the aromatic breeze toward your target. In the demonstration above, I am using my right hand.
Mischief, Level 5!!!
Whoops, I forgot this lady is evil! Time to go home!
No, I’m not running away from her! I need to get my beauty sleep for school tomorrow, okay?
W: I can’t believe that after all you did to Traci Markham, you two somehow ended up as friends!
I guess your being young and cute doesn’t hurt.
Day 34 (Fri)
Tatsuya: First of all, I’d like to share that I swiped a potato while at school today at Mischief L6. For some reason, Watchette was insanely happy about the potato.
I guess she hasn’t appreciated all the books, posters, and dirty dishes I’d brought home so far.
W: That’s because the potato’s not a local plant.
At school today, Yuki and I had lunch with Morgan Fryres, then invited her over after school to do homework and hang out.
I’m almost convinced that Dad deliberately forgets to change out of his sleepwear or athletic outfit.
Satoru: Oh, hi, Morgan! Nice to see you again. I just got back from jogging. Mind if I sit down here?
Tatsuya: Daaaad, Morgan’s a friend of Yuki and mine. You know, like, from high school?
W: By the way, I probably shouldn’t have moved Satoru’s painting to the right, but Jade’s portrait just has to go there next to his. I’ve decided to let this one go….
W: Uh, no offense, Tatsuya, but would you mind picking someone else for leveling your Mischief skill?
Day 35 (Sat)
Yuki decides to autonomously serenade Tatsuya.
In fact, I’d turned free will off (thanks to a tip from christina3106) to stop the family from constantly taking drinks from the fridge (restricted by the Mixologist career).
I’d queued Flirt for Yuki because she had a whim to flirt with Tatsuya and she did her one Flirt social.
Next thing I know she’s singing hearts at Tatsuya. Did Yuki just override my “Free Will Off” setting?
Erika: Who is awesome?
Tonight, I maxed the Babysitter career. You know what that means for us?
Watchette can freely choose whatever traits she wants for us, without having to use a random trait generator.
Until Musician is cleared, though, aspirations must still be rolled.
Day 36 (Sun)
Satoru: Erika works Saturday from 6 pm until midnight, so all the birthday caking technically starts on Sunday.
Birthday notifications for Tatsuya, Yuki, and the twins had actually started arriving early Saturday morning, but we postponed the cakes until after Erika cleared Babysitter.
Tatsuya and Yuki are now young adults!
Tatsuya’s already cleared Nerd Brain. To Creative and Klepto, he adds Cheerful.
Yuki can now start on Computer Whiz once she joins the Tech Guru career. To Loner and Geek, she adds Family Oriented.
Jade: Kenta and Sasuke have become teenagers!
Kenta (on the left) rolls Angling Ace (-_-) . To Art Lover, he adds Cheerful.
Sasuke (on the right) rolls Painter Extraordinaire. To Music Lover, he adds Cheerful.
For some reason, I couldn’t add “Active.” And yes, I lurv the Cheerful trait.
Tatsuya: Watchette missed taking a good shot of my caking up, so she gives you Yuki and I chilling on the roof.
The kids all get jobs, except Sasuke who’ll join the Entertainer/Musician career as a young adult.
Tatsuya joins the Writer career to become a Journalist (baths, showers!)
Yuki joins the Tech Guru career to become an eSport Gamer (computers, TVs, tablets, gaming gigs!)
Kenta joins the Retail career (may enter Buy/Build mode or replace broken objects anytime; the dresser!)
And Erika joins Kenta in retail for her Renaissance Sim aspiration. (I’m sure maxing one teen career counts for the aspiration, but am testing if three will, too.)
Jade and Satoru (in unison): Ahhh, our little babies are growing up so fast!
Watchette: And we’ll be able to use the dresser in 3-4 more days! *cackles gleefully
Thank you for reading! Makeovers galore in the next chapter!
Gone are the pink/grey high-tops, red plaid pants with zippers, bad hair, camo tank top, and more!
oshizu's asylum 