Rival Cowfolks in Newcrest: Akira Soma (2/4)
Previously in Week 6 (yesterday):
· Akira fights his bitterness upon realizing that he could have moved to one of the two remaining 30×20 lots instead of his 20×15 Oak Alcove;
· Akira and Jun are overjoyed, though, that the Gen4 Soma heir–their child–is a boy;
· As the first Soma to run a retail shop instead of a restaurant, Akira ponders whether this switch a blessing or a demotion;
· With little fanfare, his new shop Jungle Spice stays open for 15 hours on Sunday, closing with the purchase of its first retail perk;
· Meanwhile, Ulrike slacks on her customer service to make time with a certain vampire bro.
Week 6/Monday
Ulrike: Before we start with Monday morning, allow me to indulge myself by sharing this screenshot taken at Jungle Spice.
This captures the very moment when my honey Masatao Yamaguchi heard “The Big News.”
Adorable or what?
Jun: Satoshi has been such an easy nooboo to care for.
He hardly ever fusses and always smiles when I hold him. Where did he get those big eyes?
Ulrike: I’ve been painting some math diagrams for Akira’s woodworking studio.
But space prints are what we really need for the gardening area!
I foreesee a trip to Desert Bloom Park in the near future!
Ulrike: Awwww, ain’t he sweet phoning me for a morning date? He must be a daywalker!
I don’t think anyone’s visiting the Solar Lounge recently.
Maaike: Yeah, didn’t visiting the Solar Lounge used to spawn a bunch of elders in the simverse?
Jun: I mostly look after Satoshi, play the violin, or garden. The garden area is so dreary now. *sighs
Akira: Listen, hun. Our first priority is the store. Once we’ve sold it, we’ll be swimming in coin.
And you need to hurry with the watering and the grafting, dear!
Jun: What difference does it make?
Akira: My woodworking studio is only 2 tiles wide now to make room for growing the trees you plan to graft.
I deserve a more spacious studio, Jun! It’s positively claustrophobic in there!
Akira: I’m working from home today, so I head out to Uptown to complete my assignments.
I invite my mother and Grandpa Yukio along to “discuss neighborhood changes.”
And getting to know potential donors is always a positive! Easy-peasy!
Jun: We’re not allowed to leave our nooboo home alone and a hired nanny won’t stay if we work a store or restaurant.
That’s why we need to wait for Erina to get home from high school to babysit Satoshi.
Akira: We arrive at Jungle Spice after 3 pm and enjoy a brisk business, just like yesterday.
And yes, that’s Ulrike carrying on with her vampire paramour who came to buy a stove.
Jun: A stove?
Ulrike: I have to say that I’m loving the retail industry! It attracts a different crowd of sims.
Thanks to Jungle Spice, I’ve become Masato’s baby mama AND also get to meet these two guys.
Wyatt Patrick is the host at Chez Llama and Wyatt Owen is Bedrock Strait’s community gardener.
Very handsome, both of them! But, sorry, guys! Masato is moah bettah!
Tuesday
Akira: It’s 12:30 am when we finally have enough perk points to buy another retail perk.
I’m torn between “Serious Shopper” and “Faster Restocking (Large),” but finally buy Serious Shopper.
Ulrike: Good choice! Nothing worse than a shop full of window shoppers!
Akira: Okay, folks. Jungle Spice is closed! Let’s restock all the merchandize asap!
Jun: Wait a sec, Akira! We just got Satoshi’s birthday notice!
Akira: I take a quick trip home to age up my boy and give him a make-over, then return to the shop with Satoshi and Erina.
While we’re restocking, Satoshi can just repeatedly walk around the shop to “Watch” us.
Check out Satoshi’s irresistible smile!
Satoshi Soma aged up to a toddler nearly 24 hours earlier than Mint Dinero. Why?
Because I missed Mint’s birthday notice so she aged up naturally, but I saw Satoshi’s notice as soon as it appeared.
Maaike: Erina, what in heaven’s name are you doing!?
Erina: Working on my school project?
Maaike: I see that. But you’re Level 7 in painting and writing now. Why are you doing a project that builds Programming?
Erina: This wasn’t my choice, believe me! It’s just what I brought home.
Maaike (whispers): Would replacing it with a Painting-related project damage your Responsibility?
Satoshi: I “watch” the rest of the household, but not Erina.
With Erina, I gaze upon her with the rapt adoration deserving of my future wifey.
Erina (interally): Satoshi is kinda adorable in a totally age-inappropriate way.
As you rush to learn skills and age up, Satoshi, remember that my young adult birthday is on Friday, Week 7!
Ulrike: Hey guys, could we make a quick stop at San Myshuno on the way home? I need to buy some produce.
Akira: Sure, I’ll come with you to meet potential donors. Jun, you need to go home in case of a vampire break-in.
Jun: Hey, guys! You sent me home but I came back to San Myshuno, anyway.
Akira: Aaaaaannnnd, we get trapped by a vampire break-in, thanks to Lio Zanna.
Akira: Why couldn’t you just stay home like I asked you to, Jun?
Jun: I didn’t like staying home by myself. Anyway, didn’t the vampire break-ins at community venues get fixed in the last patch?
Akira: Apparently not, since we’re all forced to stay in San Myshuno until 7 a.m.
Jun: Sowwy…
Akira: An hour before my work shift, I get promoted to Level 6 Charity Organizer.
Then, the Well generously arranges another full promotion to Level 7.
On the plus side, I’m off for the next three days until Friday.
On the minus side, I need to collect $1,350 more in donations.
Now that I can collect $250 donations instead of $100 or $25, though, it will go quickly, I hope!
Akira: Looking across the street, I notice the pond behind Grandpa Yukio’s home swarms with dynasty folks.
What luck! Besides Caleb (who is now my good friend), I’d never met any of them before.
I work my way through that crowd, introducing myself, promoting my cause after some small talk, then asking for a $250 donation.
Thanks to them, I’m able to raise $1,500 in donations in a very short time.
Of course, my Level 10 Charisma makes schmoozing even easier.
Akira: Speaking of maxed Charisma, I remember that I can “Negotiate Bonus” to boost my job performance.
Drats, my job performance drops instead of rising.
Oh well, the Well just gave me a full promotion this morning and every single one of those sims fishing across the street donated to my cause.
Seems asking for another job performance boost was pushing my luck!
Jun: Erina’s still at school, so we take Satoshi along with us to Jungle Spice. The store’s packed as usual.
Ulrike: I’m so touched that you drop by the shop every day, Masato. It’s a busy time for our household.
Hey, you wanna feel the baby? He’s starting to kick!
Masato: Did you just call our unborn baby “he”?
Ulrike: Well, I’m hoping for a little boy who looks just like his handsome papa.
Satoshi: I wake up feeling sad but also have a whim to talk to a stranger.
I waddle over to the shop to talk to the sim with the red beard.
But Auntie Maaike won’t stop yakking and just ignores me.
She makes me wait so long to talk to the stranger that now I have go potty!
Maaike: Hmmph! Ulrike gets to have a boyfriend, but I don’t?
Satoshi: Is it just me or do you also thinking asking your future wife for potty help is awkward?
Akira: Serious Shopper + Faster Checkouts (Large) = WIN!
For some reason, the same customers keep getting recycled.
I wonder what criteria decides which sims will visit my store. They’re all random townies, except for Katrina Caliente and the Landgraabs.
Maaike: By 11 pm, we’ve earned another 1,400 perks points so Akira closes the store.
Akira: As our third perk, I buy Faster Restocking (Large). Only two more to go!
It’s going to take us at least three days to earn our remaining 4,500 perk points.
Jun: Something tells me that Jungle Spice will be extensively remodeled.
Why bother? It might be ready to sell by the end of this week!
Current Week 6 Status: Soma Line
Gen3 Heir: Akira Soma
*Completed requirements:
Career: Politican/Charity Organizer (L7)
Retail perks: Serious Shopper, Faster Checkouts (Large), Faster Restocking (Large)
*Incomplete requirements:
Store: Jungle Spice, resale value = $63,933
Retail perks: Sure Sale and Cheaper Restocking
Gen4 Heir: Satoshi Soma
Trait: Inquisitive
Toddler skills: Level 2 Communication/Imagination/Potty/Thinking; Level 1 Movement
oshizu's asylum 