Violent Fields BaCC: Evercreech Family; Year 1, Week 1
An Introduction
Week 1: Evercreech
When I posted the introduction about the settlers Lvstndhrt had noticed the Sims 3 references I had made, and asked if and how I was going to implement the traits system. I hadn't thought about it yet, but thought it was a neat idea and in the end I just randomly roll traits for each and everyone of the Sims, unless these will contradict with their personality. (Harold had two outgoing points and rolled charismatic. Yep, not gonna happen.) Free will is on, but I will sometimes set them up for a fight if they are, let's say, evil. We start the week with Harold Evercreech.
He is clumsy, sleeps lightly, loves the outdoors, is rather shy and very unflirty. He desperatedly wants to marry off three children - better find a partner first, Harold - and is a family sim. His secondary aspiration is knowledge. Sims he fancies should be excellent at cleaning up and sport a moustache or beard... any facial hair will do. If you want to charm him, don't put on your best dress. Formalwear makes him uneasy. Harold is a pisces and has 4 neat points, 2 outgoing points, 5 for active, 4 for serious and 10 nice points.
And he wonders why he agreed to such a ridiculous project as this. He had called them all together, the first day they arrived. Maybe they had expected a speech, but there was nothing to say about it. Everyone knew why they had come there. He instead spent the day unpacking the rest of his belongings and getting to know the other settlers. The wasteland had proved to be fertile underneath the dry, hard sand and several spots were turning green. It was a welcome sight.
Not everyone was in the mood for small talk. Or maybe she had just been tense. Bonnie didn't have it easy, after all, and although he had no idea what exactly had happened, he silently told himself to look after her.
They had also sent someone from Strangetown - one of the more nearby places - to check if there was help needed by setting up the gardens. After all, the government couldn't afford to send trucks with food this way and therefore they had to grow their own crop. Harold was just about to plant the tomato seeds he'd brought from home.
Some were still tense. Probably from the loung journey. Others just didn't know when a joke went too far.
Still, it was great that overall the others were socialising. They were stuck with each other for the next few years, after all.
Bonnie told this wicked story to everyone who wanted to hear; the story of her teenage years, before the accident happened. Apparently she used to sneak out of the house all the time to go out. The LuLuLounge had been her favourite place. Until she got caught... and arrested by the police who brought her home.
Valerie came from the big city; Starlight Shores. None of them had ever been there - except for Valerie herself.
Harold had helped his parents in the garden when he was little, but that was quite a few years ago. He was relieved to find out he still knew how to plant seeds.
Harold hoped it wouldn't be long before the others would accept Bonnie in the group, but - ...maybe it was just because it had been a long day. Everyone was cranky and tired; naturally they'd laugh at each other. They finally left, too. It was late in the evening and Harold wanted to go to bed.
The next morning the newspaper arrived. How the government could send a papergirl out there in the wasteland, but no resources and food was something he probably should've asked about, but he didn't. Even though he would be the mayor of Violent Fields, the government still required him to apply for an open spot in the politics. Sadly, there weren't any. He reminded himself to write a letter to ask if they could open up one.
Bonnie had come by at the end of afternoon, telling him how grateful she was for the chance to start over. Valerie was there too, getting a little too friendly for his taste.
It turned out that Valerie stopped by about every day of the week. He grew quite fond of her, but he wasn't sure if the young woman was expecting something from him. Harold just saw them as friends.
Days passed by and there still was no word of the government. He really needed the job. Without it, this project was going to be a failure. He needed some help. He couldn't possibly do all that on his own. Harold was worried and went to bed early; trying to sleep.
He wouldn't be getting any.
As soon as he had stepped out of the bed to see where the noise came from, he saw the burglar. Harold was too scared to do anything about it and went back to his bedroom, waiting until the burglar would leave. He was angry at himself for being so weak, but he couldn't help it. He was too scared. Just too scared. And in shock, too. What was a burglar doing here, in the wasteland? Were there bandits nearby?
The burglar had taken his rug as well as one of his most prized possessions. His telescope.
After reading some articles on the wasteland of Violent Fields, he had discovered there actually was water. Harold immediately got a shovel. They finally could have fresh water and maybe build a shower, too. He soon hit the jackpot.
As well as another jackpot. Harold took the day off to drive back to Strangetown. He replaced his telescope and rug and bought a crafting station to keep himself busy if his plants didn't need tending.
His tomato plants weren't doing too great. He just hoped he could save them so they were at least edible.
The following morning Harold was in a much better mood. The government had granted him a job. He would start Tuesday. Even his tomato plants were saved. Although they weren't looking that great, they weren't as bad as aunt Ellie's tomatoes. She had the extra ordinary skill to make them taste like stones.
He couldn't wait for Tuesday to start.