Johnny Zest: Day 1

On my first day of playing with Johnny, I just followed one of his wishes, which was to level up in his comedy skills. I checked if he had a job yet, and he is in Level 2 of the Entertainer career. His job title is Open Mic Seeker.

Johnny's house looks a bit dark so I'm thinking some lighter colored walls might help. He only has $3,590 at the moment so I'm not going to go too crazy with the decorations.

I think that's a large improvement. His house already looks larger just from that one change. After Johnny leveled up his comedy skill, I decided to have him do one of his promotion tasks, which is to level up his guitar skill. That candle lamp he has makes me feel like he really likes medieval stuff, or Game of Thrones. LOL.

I want Johnny to stay healthy so I decided to have him workout using a DVD on his TV, and had to rearrange his living room a little bit so there was space for him to do so.

Actual rearranging will happen later, this was just a spur of the moment thing. I don't like how there feels like there's too much stuff in that one tiny space, so after Johnny goes to work and makes more money, I'll add another room to his house and then put some of the stuff in there.

One of Johnny's tasks for his aspiration is to be funny to five Sims, so I sent him to the Solar Flare lounge to tell some jokes. He just had a fire at his house which he successfully extinguished, so he's feeling pretty confident. Strike a pose! He is practicing to be a male model, I see.

Several Sims came into the lounge, so I'm going to have Johnny do "Funny Introduction" on a few of them to fulfill his goal. The first person he talked to was Geeta Rasoya.

This ends the first day of me playing Johnny's challenge.

Johnny Zest: The Initial Makeover

This is Johnny Zest who lives in Oasis Springs. His house looks like a trailer, I'll be upgrading it as he makes more money. I didn't feel like using the motherlode cheat on this one, even though my challenge rules do allow for money cheats to remodel the house.

Here's what Johnny looks like before his makeover. I think he's fairly handsome, but his facial hair leaves something to be desired.

Here's Johnny after, I gave him a different hairstyle, eyebrows, facial hair, and gave him contacts to make his eyes more realistic.

His outfit also probably could use a face lift. I am not sure what is going on with his shoes. LOL.

Since one of Johnny's traits is Ambitious, I decided to keep his suit style appearance, but I definitely made him look more polished, or I hope I did. Haha.

Wow... Johnny's athletic wear makes him look like he's a twelve year old. LOL. Maybe with a little workout time, I can make him look more like a grown up.

For now, Johnny definitely looks better with long sleeves.

Here's a particularly funny outfit. This is Johnny's hot weather clothing before the makeover.

This is what he looks like after. Much better.

OK, I am not going to go through all of his outfits on here, mainly his face and hair were what I was going to show, as well as any particularly hilarious combinations of clothing the game decided to throw at me.

Johnny's traits are Gregarious, Ambitious, Outgoing, and Goofball. His lifetime wish is Joke Star, which is to be a famous comedian.

Evan Best

I started Simself out in Starlight Shores, the town that came with the Showtime expansion pack. I moved her into the townie Evan Best's house, and kicked out all the unnecessary Sims. I'm not trying to cause drama or whatever with my Simself, I just want to create some offspring. I kept Evan's dad, Paul in the house too because he wasn't going to have any issue with what I am doing.

This is what Evan looks like, I changed his hair, but nothing else, which is why he has that silly 70s porn star mustache. He's a police officer, which goes along with the mustache stereotype as he looks like a motorcycle cop. If he had a helmet, and sunglasses, he'd look like this guy.

Wierdly though, I feel like Evan looks a little like Jake Gyllenhaal.

I did change Evan's clothes too because he was working out in khaki cargo shorts, a boring tshirt and hiking boots. I don't foresee how any of that could be comfortable while running on a treadmill. After Simself and Evan did the deed, I noticed he'd have to get some different pajamas too because that robe is doing nothing for him.

Much better, now he looks like a man and less like he's wearing an ugly area rug. Now... we wait, to see what this child will look like. I'm keeping it a surprise as to how many and what gender. I didn't use any fertility treatment LTR, so chances of it being a single child are high.

Revival

Hello everyone who follows or reads this story. I have been on my other blogs, like Echoes of Eternity, The Proposal, and Tumblr, for a long time, so this one has been getting neglected. I don't think that I'll end it because the idea of making over the townies to people who are acceptable looking is something I've always wanted to do. However, for now that isn't my first priority.

Something else I have always wanted to try is to see what kids with Simself and the townies would look like, as a way to get some extra Sims for my stories so that I don't always have to make Sims from scratch should I need some of the minor characters. I decided I would start that today, and use this blog to post it on, since this blog has sort of been a mish mash of random items since I started it.

Liebster Award

I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by Daijah V, the author of Codename: Danger. This is my fifth nomination overall. My first was Jinx, who nominated my Wordpress blog, where I keep a compilation of links to my actual stories. Second was MrsOogieBoogie, who nominated The Compound, my completed story about a cult. Third was MsMidnightBlonde, who nominated Blink of an Eye, my apocalyptic story. Fourth was Stormy, who nominated Echoes of Eternity, my legacy. Thank you all for your generosity and continued support for my stories. ♥

The Liebster Award is an award passed between bloggers to show appreciation for others' blogs. There are some rules for accepting the Liebster Award, which are as follows:

1. Post the award on your blog.
2. Thank the blogger who presented the award and link back to their blog.
3. Nominate 5-11 bloggers whom you feel deserve this award and have fewer than or equal to 3,000 followers.
4. Answer 11 questions posted by the nominator, and ask your nominees 11 questions.

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My Nominees

I have already nominated five bloggers for the award, so I won't be nominating them again, but these were the ones I picked initially, just for information's sake, and also if you are looking for something to read, these are five amazing stories worth checking out.

1. The Insane Dubois Legacy by Simcomix aka MrsOogieBoogie
2. Another Life to Live by MsMidnightBlonde aka RaeNic
3. Different Winters by LilyShadowWriter
4. Perfection by littlesims2chick aka alexandrea
5. Summerdream by caterpillarsims

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Questions from Daijah V

01. When did you start writing?
I started writing in 2013, a few months after I had purchased the Sims3 and played it for a few months.

02. Are any of your characters or situations based on real people or events?
Not for this particular story, but my story, The Compound, is based on a real life situation I myself experienced for a few years, and the characters are basically different versions of myself personality wise, as it changed, while I was going through the situation. In Echoes of Eternity, one of the generation one's character's mannerisms and thought processes is based off a girl I used to know. Many times, small bits of a character's personality will be a small part of me that I will explore in more detail with the character than I do in my own life.

03. What inspires you to write?
A mix of things, usually. Movies and television shows are the two big ones that give me the most inspiration. Music can inspire me at times, sometimes I'll hear a song on the radio, and immediately picture one of my characters because the song was speaking to a situation the character was going through, or a certain aspect of their personality. 

04. Which of your characters is your favorite?
I'm going to go with Camo Balestrom, from The Compound. He has a spark for life, and he always wanted to think for himself, especially when things around him seemed questionable. He wasn't just going to lie down and take it, so to speak. However, he is smart at the same time, and he's always strategic about how he questions things, so the powers that be can't simply just get rid of him because they have no real reason to. Sure he may be annoying to them because he's slightly rebellious, but he doesn't do enough to get himself into serious trouble, or killed.

05. Who is your favorite author?
Like, book author? I'm going to go with Michael Crichton, and Bret Easton Ellis. I can't really pick between the two of them. When I was a teenager, I read Michael Crichton's books a lot. Bret Easton Ellis I like because I like American Psycho, the movie, and my best friend suggested I read the book too. So I did, and it was cool because I kept picturing the actors' voices from the movie as I read the book, and it made it that much more enjoyable.

06. What kind of books do you read?
I don't read a whole lot of books because I like pictures, and obviously, adult books don't really do that. LOL. However, books I have read in the past are usually suspenseful thrillers, or some sort of murder mystery, or a historical story of some kind.

07. If you could use the Sims Time Machine, where would you go and why?
I'd go to the medieval times in England. Despite that being one of the most tumultuous and nasty times in the world's history, I find the raw nature of the medieval times enthralling. I've always loved the dress of those times, mainly for the royalty and upper class people, the corsets and beautiful dresses are lovely. Horses are also fun, and I'd like to experience that as a form of transportation. I had a short horseback riding lesson once, and it was scary but thrilling at the same time. I also love the English accent, and the way people carried themselves back then. Nowadays we just slouch and lounge around constantly, even when we walk. I don't know how many people I've seen nowadays walk with their eyes pointed towards the ground, no one looks up when they walk. It's not even a matter of eye contact, it's just a matter of look forward and be sure of yourself. I try not to do that as much, but I'm guilty of it too. It was more the royalty again, but they had a gait that was just confident and they walked head held high, on a mission. It feels majestic and like they're in control of their life, despite whether that's true or not, LOL, and I like that.

08. You're stranded on a deserted island with 4 characters from your story(ies). Who are they and what do you think would happen? 
The people I'm stranded with are Remy Devereaux from generation three of Echoes of Eternity, Patrick Hunt from generation two of Echoes, Maximus Hunt from generation one of Echoes, and Camo Balestrom from The Compound.
Remy would build a house because he is a construction worker, Patrick, Maximus, and I would entertain the group in our free time when Remy wasn't building because Patrick is a magician, and Maximus and I are both actors. Camo would be my boyfriend because I like him a lot LOL, and he would go scavenging for food. We would all cook together and have a bonfire at night and sing songs around it. LOL. Apparently this is a very kumbaya deserted island. XD

09. If you could be any character from a book or movie, who would you be and why?
I would be Lara Croft, lady explorer. I have always been a fan of Lara Croft, I have many Tomb Raider video games, and I love the movies with Angelina Jolie as Lara. She's tough as nails, and gorgeous at the same time. I really like that aspect about her because it's usually portrayed where the girl is tough but unattractive, or the girl is weak but attractive. I think things have changed in movies now for the most part as far as that goes, but really tough girls who are also pretty are still a little understated. I don't really see Lara Croft as a negative sex symbol or anything, I always thought it was a great thing that she looked the way she did, yet did the things she did. Plus I love the idea of rappelling, finding treasures, and those rock climbing walls are pretty fun, so those sorts of things appeal to me as well.

10. If you could marry the man/woman of your dreams, who would you choose and why?
LOL. I have a celebrity crush on Christian Bale. ♥ He is a really phenomenal actor, and he's inspired me in my own acting career, and in life. I had been going through a rough patch for many years, where suicidal thoughts often plagued me. Watching one of his movies one day, Equilibrium, got me out of that dark line of thinking and pulled me back to the world of the living, where I found a purpose for life again.

11. Sims have a lot of quirky and fun inventions and objects not found in real life. If you could choose one thing (for example, spellbook, time machine, Bonehilda) what would it be and why? (Feel free to choose from any of the amazing custom creations as well e.g. Pose Player, Pregnancy controller, lighting tweaks, etc.)
I would pick the Time Shifter mod, that controls time and weather. Where I live, it can get pretty overcast and gloomy looking sometimes, and it really puts a damper on my mood. I would love to be able to push a button and just pick "Sunny" and have it be sunny. LOL. There are also those days where I get up really late, or I find I'm running out of time to do something, so it would be awesome to set the clock back an hour or two so I could have just that much more time to do what I needed to get done. XD 

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My Eleven Questions

Since this is my fifth nomination, and I didn't pick new nominees, I'm just going to list my questions here so others can see what I asked. There's no need to answer these again.

1. What got you interested in writing? Have you always been a natural writer, or did some life event spark you to start the hobby?

2. How serious are you about writing? Do you want to be a world famous author someday, or do you just write Sims stories for fun?

3. Is there a time of day that’s the best time for you to write?

4. What do you do to get over writers block?

5. What made you start playing Sims?

6. Do you prefer creating and writing about male or female Sims? Why do you prefer the one you do?

7. Other than Sims and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

8. What are your favorite and least favorite expansion or stuff packs?

9. What is one of your greatest fears regarding your writing?

10. If you could pick five personality traits for your Simself, what would they be? I know when I do it, there’s always more than five I want to use, but just think of the first five that come to mind.

11. What is your favorite type of CC to download and why?

Chapter 3: Old Friend

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I've been playing this for a little bit, and I found something that I've been tying to figure out for story telling. The goal of my challenge was to try not to make your own Sims, but I found it a bit wierd for when I wanted to tell a part of the story where in my other stories, I would normally build a lot and populate it with Sims. My problem I ran into was I started off the story with a text to his boss. I got the idea from the Sim wishing to text his boss, the boss being barely an acquaintance, and the fact that he was in Business Career Level 1. So then I wrote some stuff about how his boss talked to him and stuff at work about his text. Problem was, boss was a townie too, but I'm not playing her household, and I was trying to avoid the whole "Add Sim to Household" cheat just to get pics, so basically I have no way to get pics of him at work with his boss. LOL. It drove me nuts in chapter two that there were no pictures to match that portion of text. I was thinking maybe for the future, I should either not write about his job, but it's a part of his life since he's a single Sim and he doesn't have a whole lot to talk about, or I should allow for lots to be built and populated Sims of your own creation, so long as the townie you're playing doesn't get involved romantically with them. 

So... FYI... there might be lots built with populated Sims  for Benjamin in order for me to tell his story effectively. :D

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Tuesday came and went, with Ms. Marshall giving me a promotion to Filing Clerk. I was proud of myself, even though I knew I was still at the bottom of the hierarchy in the corporation. At the same time, it felt good knowing I had climbed one rung of the invisible ladder. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I would no longer have to wait in those long lines at Starbucks to get all the suits at the office their morning lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas. When I got home, Ralston seemed restless because I found her running around in a circle, tracing a path along the walls that enclosed my kitchen. In order to prevent her from wearing a trail in my carpet, I hooked her leash on her and took her for a walk so she could get some fresh air. Come to think of it, both of us needed some refreshment.

After hooking Ralston's leash to her collar, we started walking, and I started thinking about my life. I wasn't old by any means, twenty-three, to be exact. I had never gone to college because my parents couldn't afford it, but to be honest, the sound of being in school as a grownup was pretty unappealing. My dad was an auto mechanic, and he ran his own car repair shop, while my mom was a waitress at the local diner. Our life was simple, I was the typical small town guy, and I still lived in the same town my parents did. I worked on cars with my dad when I was a boy, and when I got old enough, he let me work at his repair shop. As a result, I've become pretty handy in all aspects of the word. It's a good skill to have when you grow up not having a lot of money.

At eighteen, I moved out of my parents' small house and bought one of my own with the money I had saved up working for Dad. Ralston was our family dog, and my parents let her come with me so I wouldn't be lonely living alone. I continued working at my Dad's repair shop for about two years, even though I had moved out, but when I was twenty, Dad was beginning to grow concerned. He wanted better things for me, and he felt like me working at his shop wasn't going to allow me to achieve those things. I felt bad because I somehow felt like I had a sense of duty to my father to help him since he had always been so kind to me and he always did the best he could to see that I had what I needed despite our situation. Dad said he admired my good heart, and he admitted that he would be losing one of his best mechanics, but he couldn't and wouldn't hold me back anymore.

I agreed, even though at first I was sad for him and I didn't really think he was holding me back. I didn't think the life of an auto mechanic was that bad, but over time, I realized my dad felt bad for raising me poor. He felt like I had missed out on things that he wished he could have given me because of it. I also realized my thinking had been a little stunted. I hadn't been given the opportunity to even know that I could want more than what I had. I always thought what I had was enough, so I didn't really dream that things could be better. It wasn't that I didn't think I deserved it or anything, but it was more like I was satisfied with carbon, without knowing that if I put effort in, I could make it a diamond. I would always be grateful to my dad for that little push that opened my eyes.

So, with my dad's reassurance, I quit working for him, and got a part time job at the grocery store for a year to make some more money so I could buy myself some clothes that were appropriate to interview for more serious jobs. I kept in touch with my dad through emails and phone calls to let him know how I was doing. We were both pretty busy, me with my new office job, and my dad with his repair shop, which had always been really successful. I suppose he was just successful by default because he was the only repair shop in town. I took my car to Dad whenever it needed any maintenance, and I got to talk to him when I did. As I continued walking down the street, I saw my friend Gracie Loveland, who was a few feet in front of me. She hadn't noticed me yet, so I just admired her from a distance. She was a blonde girl that I'd known for a while, whom I was now good friends with. I waited for her to get closer, ready to grab her attention if she didn't see me, but she finally looked up and saw me, and a large grin spread across her face as she did.

"Hey Ben! How are you?"

"I'm okay. What about you?"

"Meh, The usual. Work at the science lab doing nerdy shit, so I'm just out for a walk after being cooped up in the stuffy building all day."

Gracie smiled at me coyly, tucking her hair behind her ear, even though I knew it wasn't going to stay there. I could read the signs of when a girl was flirting with me, and Gracie was definitely doing that, so I decided to take advantage of the situation.

"What are you doing later this week, Gracie? Do you want to hang out?"

"Yeah, sure! That sounds awesome. You have my number, Ben, I'll be looking forward to your call."

Gracie came up close to me, touching my arm and hand seductively, as she walked past me, smiling as she left. I smiled back at her, and I saw her blush. I watched her backside as she walked away, and I swear she was swinging her hips much more than she had been earlier.

Analysis: Gracie Loveland

Benjamin's lifetime wish is to be a serial monogamist, LOL, be the boyfriend of 10 different sims. I thought that it would be easiest to start with his friends that he already has. He saw Gracie Loveland outside of his workplace while I was playing, and they were attracted to each other, so I decided she'd be the first one. I had them talk a little, and had Benjamin ask if she was single, which she is, so I moved her in as his roommate to let them be in closer quarters to each other so they can maybe become romantic. Regardless of if they do it themselves, I'll make her his first girlfriend anyway LOL.

She's not bad looking, just like Benjamin was before his makeover, but I think I can make her prettier.

She was wearing her career outfit when I took this picture, so I had to wait for her to change (since I don't use Master Controller) before I could bring her into CAS. It was worth the wait because when she changed into her pajamas, I died laughing.

It's like... she's trying to be sexy on the bottom, but then she looks like a child with her hair. It's just plain ridiculous. Her everyday wear is not really any better.

The dress would be okay if the pattern wasn't something a three year old would wear, and I despise her shoes. LOL. I took a peek at her traits while she was in CAS so I could get some idea of how to write her in the story, and she is an Animal Lover, has Commitment Issues, is a Great Kisser, is Neat, and is a Perfectionist. Strangely her LTW is also Heartbreaker, the same as Benjamin's, but I won't be fulfilling her wish, as she's not the focus of this story. Ok... now, here's Gracie's makeover.