Tuesday 26 October 2010

Friends like you

Round 29: July 2029 (Winter)
Last updates: Ethan/Adrienne/Matilda
Next update


Ethan Novak and Matilda Jacobson are both 23 and Adrienne Novak is 22.
(Rose is 34, Olivia is 32, Amar is 28, Maia is 27 and Sylvia and Alice are both 3)

Narrated by Adrienne Novak

When Matilda and I moved in with Ethan, we weren't expecting him to bring his enormous dog, Kaiser, with him. We didn't have a yard, or even a place for a dog bed.

Not that Kaiser was bothered, seeing he loved my bed more than he could possibly like any dog bed.

It just got way too much though, having this huge dog in this tiny apartment. Matilda and I didn't have the heart to make Ethan get rid of Kaiser, so we moved.

We found one pretty quickly. The rent is more expensive than our unit and it's a little further away from, well, everything. We can see farmland from where we are now!

The yard isn't really a yard, exactly, but there's enough space for Kaiser to run around, as well as some grass.

Which has brought with it its own set of problems.

Ethan thinks Kaiser just needs to burn off energy, so he and Maia have been taking him to the park when it's not snowing too heavily.

Kaiser doesn't even seem like he has any energy, given how much the dog likes to sleep.

I think the park trips are more for Ethan and Maia's benefit than for the dog.

I was expecting a bit more awkwardness between Matilda and Ethan, seeing they used to date, but so far, it's been okay.

Ethan and Maia see a lot of each other, often in the kitchen, because Ethan's teaching her to cook.

They're both pretty reserved though, especially Ethan, so they're not really rubbing it in Matilda's face often enough for it to bother her. Usually, they're in Ethan's bedroom, or on the little balcony outside his bedroom.

When we were still living in our old building, Matilda met a guy in the gym. She caught him checking her out as she was getting off the exercise bike.

He introduced himself as Miles and they made plans to go out together pretty quickly.

He told Matilda he was an artist.

I was a little dubious about that. It sounds like just the kind of thing a guy would make up to get women to swoon over.

Matilda was quite convinced he was telling the truth though.

They've been out a few times now and it seems like it's going well.

And it sounds like he is actually an artist, so I've had to eat my words a bit. He draws comic books for a living.

He's so serious though, which is an interesting choice for Matilda. She's not really serious at all.

I guess people don't need to be exactly alike to make a good match though.

Matilda certainly seems happy with Miles so far. Ethan and I haven't met him yet but I'm looking forward to Matilda bringing him around so I can judge him for myself!

I'm still visiting with Sylvia once a month. Last time, Rose brought her over here instead of me going to them.

It was a little bit more relaxed that way, at least for me. Rose is a lot more easygoing than Joanna is.

Matilda happened to be babysitting her little sister Alice at the same time, so the girls got to play together.

They were so cute, dancing to the music we had playing. They're both 3 and a half, and will be starting pre-school together in February.

I like spending time with Sylvia but I'm not sure how long it will continue. Legally, I'm entitled to keeping see her for as long as I want to. It's not something I want to force on her though.

I don't want to confuse her or anything, though Rose isn't worried about that happening. She said Sylvia is very clear on who her parents are.

It seems that way so far. I guess if it's all she ever knows, she'll just accept it the way it is.

I'm trying to focus on my career right now. I really wish I'd started trying to learn to sew earlier. All I've succeeded in making so far are potholders.

Olivia says it'll come if I keep practising. She's my supervisor at work and she's taken me under her wing. Any time she has to go and meet anyone around town, she takes me along so I can make connections and learn all the ins and outs of the industry.

On this day, we had to go see a photographer, Amar Hamilton, about doing a shoot for our new line. He was very business-like with Olivia...

...but he got really flirty with me once Olivia was out of the room.

Not that I minded. Amar was really cute and I was having fun flirting with him.


Until Olivia came back in and broke up the party. I was given a warning that not all bosses would be so forgiving about flirting on the job.


I guess I'll have to be more discreet in the future but I did manage to swap phone numbers with Amar before we left. I was very keen to see him again!

I called him a couple of days later and we met up that night at a club in Exeter.

I definitely had the impression that Amar gets around quite a bit but that's okay.

I'm not really looking to settle down with anybody right now. I'm only 22.

At the same time though, I'm trying not to move as fast with guys as I might have done before I had Sylvia.

Amar is a real charmer and quite persuasive though, and he managed to talk himself back to my place.

We got as far as my bedroom and started making out but I put a stop to things before we moved to the bed.

I ended up just kissing Amar goodnight and sending him on his way. I really wish I could just jump into bed with a guy without a second thought but I can't. I can't risk getting pregnant to a stranger again, so Amar will just have to wait.

Extras:

Miles must definitely be making a living from his art, if he can afford $2000 stereos as gifts for girls he's been out with once! But cheers, Miles, because these kids didn't have much money! And they already had a stereo. ;)

I don't know why, but Kaiser doesn't like Maia. They hadn't "met" at this point, but Kaiser just started growling at Maia and then she appeared in his relationship panel at -1/31. Never seen anything like that before!

Meh, this is my least favourite of the portraits I did. The Novak clan are almost as big as the Morettis and this isn't even all of them - this is only Augustin's branch. I wish I'd thought to arrange them like I did the Moretti family, because it was much easier to fit everyone in frame with that one.

Notes:
  • Title is from Friends Like You by You Am I.
  • Ethan, Matilda and Adrienne were originally living at Sawyer Lofts, built by Apple Valley. Awesome lot but it was struck by the clock slowdown bug, so I had to move them out. I had to write the move in to the story, because I'd already taken pics I didn't want to trash. And I'm going to try placing a fresh copy of that lot and see if that fixes the problem. It has in the past.
  • Matilda and Miles's attraction score is 95, putting them at a low 3 bolts. I'm not sure where they're headed but I've decided that Matilda's secondary aspiration will be Family (once she earns enough points to get one), because she rolls so many wants to interact with her relatives anyway. So at some stage, she'll want to settle down with somebody.
  • Amar and Adrienne's attraction is almost 100 points higher, at 190!!! The only couples I've seen higher are Emil and Anna and Luc and Asha. Adrienne started rolling wants for Amar the second they met (literally). Amar really likes Adrienne too but he's also still thinking about Anna. Which is just not going to happen!
  • Adrienne didn't roll any woohoo wants this round, though she and Amar did try to ACR woohoo twice. The first time was a route failure and the second time, they only had six seconds left on their date, so they didn't have time to get started. It's very interesting to me that Adrienne's wants and actions have been lining up with how I've been writing her. I love when that happens.
  • The lot where Adrienne and Amar met is Hamilton Photography, Amar's new business. I could run it as a studio, but I think I'm more likely to run it as a gallery where Amar can sell his stuff. Paintings as well as photos, I think, because photos don't sell for much if I remember correctly. It's not really set up at all, except for the camera you can see in some of the pics. It's about as empty as it probably looks!

15 comments:

  1. I'm very proud of Adrienne, getting knocked up has really helped her grow up, and focus on her life and future. And Amir wasn't worth it anyway. But then again, you never know what our simmies will decided in the end.

    That is so funny about the dog and Mia. I wonder why he doesn't like her? That's so strange.

    I find it hilarious with Matilda and Miles. I don't know, but for me they remind me of Amelia and Drew. LOL It's the hair on her and the nose ring, and that fact that Miles is an artist. I wonder if they will go far or are just having fun. And Matilda is really pretty. I think she'll have beautiful babies if she ever has any.

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  2. I agree, Matilda is really pretty. I hope to see a lot more of her in the future.

    Ummmm, not a fan of Amar and Adrienne, but I have to admit, they are perfect for each other-both romance sims with no desire for a relationship.

    Loved the pic of the toddlers dancing-classic.

    Ugh, too bad about the apartment. I hope you can get it fixed, especially since you removed the coffee shop (which is usually the cause of my clock slowdowns). Let me know if it works or if you want me to build you a custom apartment unit instead.

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  3. Thanks for reading, guys. :)

    Riverdale, I'm quite proud of Adrienne too! Not all of my Sims roll such sensible wants after they get themselves into a mess but Adrienne seems to be really making an effort to be a bit more cautious. She's very keen on Amar but she's not ready to leap into bed with him just yet.

    Ha, I never thought of Drew and Amelia (though I do think of Matilda's hair as "Amelia and Matilda's hair", lol)! I'll have to go back and look at Amelia because I didn't know she had a nose ring.

    I do want to get Matilda breeding one day, because she is a really pretty Sim. Miles is quite pretty too, so he'd probably make good genetic stock for the hood but we'll see what Matilda thinks as time goes on.

    Apple Valley, well, I've upgraded Matilda to full playable status, so we'll see her for as long as she lives. :)

    Amar and Adrienne definitely have similar relationship goals, ie. none, so I think they might be good together, if they keep rolling wants. They won't expect the other to be faithful, like Claudia and Nick did, so they're a better match in that respect as well.

    I'll probably test out the apartment lot again with Rebecca once she graduates. And I'll remember not to delete it from the bin this time until I'm sure it's all working smoothly, because now I'm going to have to redownload it. It's a great building and I had their little unit decorated so cute. Oh well!

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  4. I'm glad to see that Adrienne has grown up so much. Jumping in bed with Amar so soon would've been a mistake. Maybe this way she can keep him interested in her longer.

    I was afraid it would be all awkward with Ethan and Matilda living under the same roof but it's looking good. He and Maia are such a sweet couple. I love the pic of him teaching her to cook.

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  5. As long as Adrienne is careful, I think her and Amar might be a pretty good match. Neither of them want anything permanent.....maybe they'll end up staying together lol.....I LOVE Miles I hope he and Matilda can stick it out! And I agree with everyone else, Matilda is very pretty. I wonder why Kaiser doesn't like Maia? Very weird lol.....The Novaks are a HUGE family aren't they?!

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  6. Aw, I love Kaiser! And I love the way the handle him :)

    Amar and Adrienne... seem like a pretty good match. I wonder if they can settle the other one down.... I'm glad Adrienne is more grown up now, she really can't use another unplanned/unwanted pregnancy.
    I like Miles and the fact that he kind of is the opposite from Matilda, but you know; opposites atrackt :)

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  7. Sari, jumping into bed with Amar right away would definitely have been something 18 year-old Adrienne would have done without a second thought. She still wants to but she's thinking more with her brain these days.

    I love Ethan and Maia together too. I can't remember if I mentioned that they are now my highest natural chemistry couple - they beat Josie and Troy by 8 points (148). The cooking picture was one they did on their own. Ethan was cooking and Maia just came and stood by him on her own. She was following him all around the kitchen, just smiling.

    Mizzgin03, Adrienne's not allowed to be careful, per my BC rules (a Sim needs more than 5 neat points to be able to use BC), so I'm glad she's just being a little pickier these days! She and Amar definitely like each other a lot.

    Miles is cute. I was quite glad he took a liking to Matilda. He just started making out with her in the pool room of their first apartment building!

    The Novaks would be equal to the Morettis, if I'd included Magdalena's branch. But a lot of the Sims in those two branches aren't even related (Maia and Ethan, for example!), so I didn't combine them in the end. The pic was big enough!

    Tanja, I'm writing my Sims' pets into the story a bit lately. I started doing that with Abel, Rose and Joanna's baby before they had a real baby. ;)

    I'm not sure either Amar or Adrienne will ever want to settle down. It's hard for me to see either of them that way but my Romance Sims usually do want that, eventually. Adrienne might have settling down forced on her though - she's not allowed to use BC and neither is Amar, so they're at a high risk of a risky woohoo baby. I don't think she'd want to adopt out yet another child but I'm hoping I don't have to consider that until she's a little older.

    Miles is a decent match for Matilda in most traits except playful. I guess he'd have to be, for them to have such high chemistry! But I like him too. It's the glasses, for me. I love Sims with glasses, although I don't have a lot of them.

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  8. Adrienne and Amar, now that's one combo I didn't think of. I/m glad that she's been behaving herself. It is awesome when they act out the way you're writing them.

    Matilda with her hair up is really really gorgeous!

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  9. Lunar, I'm actually surprised no one thought of Adrienne and Amar. For a few years now, they've been the only two Romance Sims in the hood who were not hooked up with anyone else. But I'm very pleased she hasn't jumped into bed with him yet.

    I think Matilda with this hair is my favourite incarnation, even if I have to Photoshop the head gap out of most of the pictures! I think I'll keep her with her hair up in the future, if I ever change her hair again.

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  10. Seeing Amar with Adrienne, I was like, ohhh no! I was hoping she wouldn't join countless, nameless others into the bedroom. I'm glad she didn't!

    Miles is a cutie, I'm glad that Matilda found someone, and that Maia and Ethan aren't super showy in front of her.

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  11. Maisie, I think Adrienne will give in eventually but it was nice to see her thinking with her brain here and waiting on sex for a while. I'm sure Amar won't turn her down when she's ready for it next time. ;)

    I think Maia and Ethan are both a bit too reserved for too many ultra public displays of affection. They like their privacy. I can see them wanting their own place eventually, especially seeing Maia's been doing the roommate thing for a long time now.

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  12. Ethan and Maia are sweet. I like that he was teaching her how to cook. And too cute that she just did that on her own. Glad that Matilda has found someone for herself. Miles is cute and I hope he really is an artist and not a con artist lol. Funny that Adrienne was suspicious of him but wasn't of Amar. I hope she's careful, but it looks like she is. Good girl.

    BTW I really like that pic of Adrienne and Oliva walking down the street. I like seeing the city in the background like that.

    And Kaiser is such a sweet looking dog but he has some issues LOL. I already saw him peeing on Kirsten in your taxes update LOL.

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  13. Dani, yes, I love when Sims do cute stuff like that on their own! I wasn't sure about them together at the beginning but they grew on me!

    LOL, Miles is definitely an artist! As for Adrienne, she just likes to think she's smarter than everybody else, so clearly, she would see through BS like that but Matilda might not. She didn't really have much reason to be suspicious of Amar though. You get what you see with him.

    Oh, I like that pic too. That's the bad part of town. It made sense to me that Amar's lot would be there, seeing he bought it for under $10,000!

    Ha, yes, Kaiser needs some kind of doggy psychiatrist, I think!

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  14. Oh, hello Miles! :) How funny that Dani mentioned Miles the "con artist" because that was my first thought as well, lol! Don't know why?! Probably because with that hair, he actually reminds me a bit of my James, who is kind of a con artist, lol! ;)

    I'm glad, for Matilda's sake, that he isn't actually a con artist though.

    OMG @ Adrienne and Amar!!! I didn't think of them either! I'm so glad she didn't go there (yet). Damn, that attraction though! I bet you'll have a hard time keeping those two apart!!!

    I always feel a bit squeamish about my own very promiscuous Sims (like Max, lol) and I kind of feel the same way about Amar, I think. I know Sims can't really "catch anything" lol! But if they could, I bet most of these self-respecting ladies wouldn't go near guys like them! Let's just assume they use lots and lots of protection ;)

    I once got hit on (way back in the day) by a guy who claimed to have been with 84 women! And I was all like, WTF, you've been with that many women and I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole!!! :o I think that probably has to be one of the funniest pick-up lines I ever had, lol!

    Sorry, tangent...

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  15. Laura, oh my God, "I've been with 84 women" counts as a pick up line these days? Eww. Yeah, I wouldn't want to touch him either.

    You're so right about Sims though! Thank goodness they can't really catch anything, because some of those Romance Sims would be in big trouble!

    I've already seen Amar and Adrienne making out on community lots, so yeah...I don't think she's going to be quite so discriminating next time I play her! I'm fully expecting a booty call, lol.

    Ha, nope, I checked Miles's job info and he is legitimately an artist. Matilda probably would have believed him even if he was lying though, so Adrienne had a point.

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