Tuesday 31 July 2012

1st things 1st

Round 34: March 2039 (Autumn)
last update/Lauren's last update/next update

Jessica Royce-Nihill, Emma Gottlieb and Louisa Gentry are 19 and Lauren Carmody is 18.
(Eddie is 19 and Justin and Declan are 18)
Narrated by Jessica Royce-Nihill

Louisa was placed on academic probation last year after earning some pretty crappy grades and she’s been trying to get back on track ever since.

She has to have lots of meetings with her professors, to make sure she’s doing all the right things she needs to do to catch up.

Louisa talks to her professors once a week or so. They’ll probably relax that a bit soon, as they’ve all been really pleased with her efforts so far.

So they should be too! She’s been working so hard this semester.

Even most of the time she spends with Justin, she ends up studying. I’m sure she imagined their long-awaited reunion would be a bit more romantic than it has been so far.

She’s trying to stay focused though. If she keeps it up, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to have more fun next semester.

Last year at Suffolk was pretty awesome but it’s even better this year now that we have Lauren with us.

We all really missed having her around last year, so it's great to be together again. It's almost like we're back in high school again.

Emma, Louisa and I have been showing her the ropes around Moretti Hall and around campus in general.

Of course, she’s also got her boyfriend, Eddie to show her around.

We saw Eddie a little last year, seeing he’s Louisa’s brother, but he’s here much more often this year to see Lauren.

Lauren has decided she doesn’t like the house Eddie is sharing with two other guys on campus, so they’re usually out somewhere else these days.

This semester, they’re both finished with classes by 3pm, so they like to spend a couple of hours in the uni bar after that, before it gets crowded in the afternoon rush.

It doesn’t seem too romantic to me - the place is kind of dingy looking - but it seems to work for them.

When Emma and Lauren fought over the “penthouse” dorm at Moretti Hall when we all visited on Open Day a couple of years ago, Emma was pretty smug about her chances of snagging it.

As it turned out, the room was occupied when we moved in last year, only to be vacated shortly before Lauren arrived in January.

Emma was still a little sore about it, especially seeing she’s stuck with one of the smallest rooms here.

To her credit, Lauren hasn’t rubbed it in at all. Emma is mostly over it now, because Lauren just didn’t engage with it.

Emma often just gets in these moods where she’s looking for a fight and we’ve all learnt that it’s best to just keep calm until it passes.

I wonder how Makenzie deals with it sometimes. They've been dating for almost a year now.

From what Emma has said, they actually don’t seem to fight or argue all that much, which has to be different for her.

I’m really happy for her though. Makenzie seems like a good match for Emma.

Makenzie is a couple of years older than Emma, so at the end of this year, she’ll be graduating. When that happens, she wants to get a place in Exeter and have Emma move in with her.

Makenzie thinks it’ll be great. They’ll get to see each other even more often than they do now and they can have fun setting up house together.

She doesn’t really understand why Emma keeps balking at the idea.

Emma just doesn’t feel ready for anything like that. She’s not even close to thinking about moving in with anyone, even Makenzie.

Truthfully, Emma thinks the whole idea is completely insane. She doesn’t see why they can’t just keep dating like they are now and see how things go.

It’s causing some tension between them, which is sort of stressing Emma out. It's the first hurdle they've come across in their relationship and it's a big one.

It’s a shame, because otherwise, Makenzie is a really great girl. She’s been much friendlier to me and to Louisa and Lauren than Laurel ever was.

Emma likes Makenzie a lot but she’s starting to feel like Makenzie’s feelings might be a lot stronger.

It's just all moving too fast for her and she's not sure where she and Makenzie are really going any more.

It makes me extra appreciative that Declan and I both see eye to eye on things like that. No talk about moving in together when we’re both still in our teens!

We’re definitely going to finish our degrees before we even start to think about a step like that.

That’s about six years away for Declan. Once he finishes his undergrad, he’s going to start on his Master’s of Architecture.

People have told him he should wait until he finishes his bachelor’s before he decides whether he wants to do further study but I love that he knows what he wants already.

I’m the same way about my future career. I'm going to go into catering and then use that experience when I take over Dad's restaurant. So Declan and I understand each other there.

For an 18-year-old, Declan can definitely be very serious at times but he can loosen up when he gets in the right mood for it.

I do sometimes help him along in that capacity!

I was a little worried things wouldn’t be the same between me and Declan once he got to campus. Noah and I were separated when he went off to college and we didn’t even make it until my freshman year.

But things have gone so much better with Declan. We’re actually closer than we were before.

I think that might mean Declan is just the right person for me. I’m feeling really optimistic about our future together.

Notes:
  • Title is from 1st Things 1st by Phantom Planet.
  • Louisa is finally off academic probation, though she's still a semester behind the other girls. She now has a 3.3 GPA. Jessica has a 4.0, Emma has a 3.8 and Lauren has a 3.6.
  • Things don't look good for Makenzie and Emma. Emma barely even rolls romantic wants for Makenzie until they're three quarters of the way through their dates and meanwhile Makenzie has rolled engagement and marriage wants for Emma. Which will not roll away! And while we're on the topic, I decided to make Makenzie a couple of years older because I only just realised that she's an adult, not a YA!
  • On the other hand, Declan and Jessica are doing really well. Absence has made the heart grow fonder in their case, for sure. They're pretty damn adorable.

22 comments:

  1. I like it how you incorporate the wants your Sims roll into the story, and turn them into how they feel about each other!
    Usually, I let my Sims get married also only if at least one of a couple rolls the want, and then they'll take his or her last name.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Using the wants makes it easier for me to figure out what to write about. ;)

      That's sort of the same philosophy I have on marriage - I only need one half of the couple to have rolled the want. But I also need to feel like the half loves their partner enough that they would consider marriage. And I don't think Emma is there, at least not yet.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  2. So glad Jessica is focused, though the last scene reminded me that Declan was conceived on campus so hopefully they're careful.

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    1. Jessica's a very good student, which is probably one of the reasons Declan likes her so much. I can see him valuing that in a girl.

      And yep, they're being very careful! They're both maxed out in neat, so they're on double birth control. And the BC actually works as it should now, so I figure the chances of Finn and Victoria becoming grandparents before 40 is very slim. ;)

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  3. I'm so glad Louisa was able to put her nose to the grindstone and get out of academic probation! Let's hope she can keep it up.

    Poor Mackenzie. I just don't see Emma as the type who is ready to commit like that while she's still so young. I hope something changes, though, or it looks like they might not last. :(

    Declan and Jessie are so cute together!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. As long as I can keep it up, Louisa should be okay! She's Knowledge, so she regularly rolls studying wants and the like. I just need to make sure the exam icon doesn't fall out of her queue again. I think it happened when she was trying to use the elevator. I don't find elevators are too efficient at moving more than one Sim at a time. :\

      Emma is definitely not ready for the kind of relationship Makenzie wants. And she doesn't seem like she's particularly into Makenzie any more either. I'm planning on touching on this again in Sophie's update.

      Heh, aren't they? I love them together.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  4. Good going Louisa! Declan is such a cutie! He's always been a favorite of mine (just like his dad lol) and I'm glad he and Jessica are doing so well :). Looks like Mackenzie is headed for some heartbreak :/

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I adore Declan too. I knew I was going to love him the second I aged him up to toddler! He and Jessica are a good match too.

      Yeah, she just might be. :( I was expecting Makenzie and Emma to last a little longer but so far, it doesn't look like they will.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  5. I can't believe Declan is in college. I remember when his parents were teens! I can understand both Emma's and Mackenzie's viewpoints. They are just at different stages in their lives. I hope Emma comes around eventually because Mackenzie seems to be really nice.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I know! Time really does fly around here. Finn and Victoria's college years are still very clear to me as well.

      I can see things from both girls' points of view as well. But if Emma's not ready, she's not ready. If this is something Makenzie really wants, she may have to look elsewhere. :\

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  6. It's great that Louisa was able to pull her grades.Lauren did really well for her first semester.This is a group of really smart girls anyway.That penthouse room is really nice;Lauren must be thrilled to have it as a freshmen.But since it's only a room, I'm glad that it didn't drive a wedge in her friendship with Emma.Hopefully, Emma is able to slow down a bit for Mackenzie, she's only a sophomore and two more years in undergrad may be enough for Mackenzie to take the next step.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. People probably don't expect it, because Lauren can be so flighty but she's a very smart girl. It figures that she'd buddy up with this gang. All four of them have Knowledge aspirations, either primary or secondary.

      I'm not sure what's in store for Emma and Makenzie. I'm playing Emma's sister Sophie and her roommates next and I expect Emma will come over and vent about Makenzie a bit. But I don't know what her decision will be - to end things now, or to wait and see if her feelings for Makenzie deepen at all.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  7. I always love reading about you collekids, and this household was no exception! There is always so much going on!

    I hope Emma and Mackenzie can work out their problems, but from the look of it at the moment, I doubt they wil. Too bad, because I really like them together, and would love to get to know more about Mackenzie. But if it's not working for Emma, it's not working.

    I still can't believe that Declan is in college, and you must be getting tired of hearing/reading that all the time!
    I remember you posted a picture of Jessica and Declan at N99, and mentioning their chins. Some time ago I saw a man irl, and immidiatly though he had the Kirby-chin. That chin really stands out, isn't it? :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The college households never disappoint in giving me something to write about! There's always something going on. :)

      There's still a bit of hope for Emma and Makenzie, as I haven't completely decided what to do. But honestly, Emma doesn't seem like she's very into Makenzie any more. I don't really blame her. Makenzie is a nice girl but all the moving in talk would get overwhelming, if it's not something Emma wants to do.

      LOL, a real life Kirby chin! Oh man, that's too funny!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  8. Oh I love Tim. He’s a hottie. I’m glad he’s making sure Louisa is staying on track. But also happy that Louisa is putting in that extra effort.

    That’s too cool that Lauren is the one that ended up with the “penthouse” dorm lol. I’m glad she didn’t rub it in, though.

    Man, it’s too bad that Mackenzie is moving so much faster than Emma is ready for. Wanting to move in together is a pretty big step after only being together for a year. And they’re so young to be taking a big step like that.

    Aww, I didn’t realize that Declan was so much taller than Jessica. How cute! So glad that things are still going strong for them and they didn’t go the way she and Noah went.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Oh, Justin, you mean? Justin's the brainy one of the Moretti twins, so he studies much more than the bare minimum a lot of students would do. His enthusiasm is apparently catching. ;)

      Lauren's too sweet to rub it in. And even if she wasn't, she knows exactly how that kind of thing would go down with Emma!

      Yeah, that's about where Emma is with it all too. And Makenzie's eagerness seems to be turning Emma off too. I seem to remember Emma was rolling more wants for her last year. :(

      Declan was noticeably taller than Jessica last year when he was still a teen but he's grown a couple of notches and she's stayed the same. ;) He gets his height from Victoria, so he was always going to be quite tall. I do love him and Jessica together - they're adorable.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  9. Ok Jessica and Declan are like the cutest couple ever! I love the photo of her splashing him in the pool, she really compliments him nicely. And he's such a sweet, geeky guy, ahhh, love them together!

    Poor Emma, she seems to be having issues with the dating department. She's not old enough that moving in should be an issue already, especially since she still has time.

    I really like this group of girls, and I'm glad Louisa is getting her grades up so she can stick around with them.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I really like them together too. They almost remind me of Victoria and Finn when they were younger. I can't wait to play them again and see what else they get up to.

      I'm going to touch on Emma and Makenzie again in Sophie's update, which I'm in the middle of at the moment. She has tons of time to worry about settling down with someone. It's definitely not something she needs to think about while she's still studying.

      I like this group a lot too. They've been friends for so long and have had so much fun together. Louisa should be okay, provided I remember to send her to her exams from now on, lol!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  10. I'm glad Louisa is doing much better with her grades. It's sweet that this particular gang is back together again--so often that doesn't happen in real life.

    I had to laugh at Eddie and Lauren opting to hang out in a dingy bar over their own abodes....

    It does sound like Emma isn't nearly as committed as Makenzie--maybe Makenzie is just in a different place in life since she's already an adult? Emma isn't ready for that kind of commitment yet.

    I'm loving Declan and Jessica together--if they end up having children, they'll definitely have their prominent chins! :)

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    1. I really love this group of girls together. They remind of Ione, Lia, Asha and Olivia, except this gang are all quite outgoing! It's just been a while since I've had a whole herd of girlfriends in game, I guess!

      Tim would probably be offended he he knew Lauren thought his place smelled - he's a total neat freak and he keeps it quite clean. ;)

      Emma and Makenzie...it's not looking too good for them, is it? There's a little more in them in Sophie's update, which you may not have reached yet.

      Declan and Jessica are cute but yes, the chins! They are epic! I was just saying that on N99!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  11. I worry about Emma, but I feel the same way she does. After she gets her degree, then she can think about whether she wants to take that next step. I guess we'll have to wait and see how that goes.
    Jessica and Declan are crazy adorable all the time. But my goodness, I just saw their chins. I know where Declan got his (Megan Kirby, his grandmother), but where did Jessica get that whopper?

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    1. Emma just doesn't need to be thinking about moving in with someone at the moment and even after she gets her degree, I can't see her being ready to take a step like that. I imagine it will still be a few years away for her once she graduates.

      Declan's chin actually comes from Trent; Megan doesn't really have much of a chin at all, if you see her from the side. Jessica's chin comes from Max. Josh has it too but it seems to be more prominent on women, for some reason!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete