Adventureland #13 - Featuring Boyd Medley, Rocco Sample, the Cadets, and a castaway.

 As the invasiveness of the paparazzi continues, I am trying to decide how to handle it. Some people in the town want to be famous, so having one occasionally pop up, especially with the film studio being one of the more prominent industries, it makes sense to have them around, but they are EVERYWHERE! I'm considering taking a break from them: enacting Story Progression again so I can eliminate celebrities as one of the options, setting up Grim's door in the cemetery to eliminate the paparazzi already in the town. There might be a setting in Story Progression to set the number of paparazzi allowed, but I suspect that paparazzo would still show up everywhere. Maybe check the opt household out of celebrity system box in options? What will this do if I jump from household to household? Will it just be temporary while I am playing them? That would be optimal. I'll have to try that. They even follow poor Lakeshia to school.

Boyd sent an insulting text to the other one who was following her around, but this is a new guy. Lakeshia gets the positive "in the limelight" moodlet, but it irritates me. 

Speaking of Boyd and Lakeshia, things are going well for them. They are best friends now.

They had a father/daughter day out at the junkyard, where Boyd collected gems and cut them, while Lakeshia swam and fished. 

Boyd thought he'd try selling his sculptor's eggs at the museum, but they didn't sell. (I think the Savvy Seller excludes gems as something that can be sold.) Holden Wonzy was mildly interested, but felt he could get something similar for less money on the home shopping channel. 

 Boyd also attempted to collect some discarded furniture pieces to refurbish, but they didn't show up in his household inventory, so I had to have him purchase the items when he got home. He's storing these art projects for a later time when he can either buy the museum or start his own little art shop. He autonomously rejoined the education career after autonomously quitting and being a hobbyist. I guess he felt he needed a steady income. 

Boyd and Denny Pyle have become good friends and band members. There isn't anywhere for them to perform as of yet, but I have an idea for that. In the meantime, Denny invited Boyd to a party. Boyd spent the entire time playing the bass while Denny offered his guests spoiled waffles. Jenni Adam was too polite to refuse and autonomously ate the waffles.

Gwen had a bad feeling about the waffles, and declined.

Anwar refused them too. 

Being a werewolf must have left Denny immune to negative effects, but Jenni was definitely not feeling well.

Denny's wondering why she came to the party if she wasn't feeling well. 

Gwen: "How could you even choke down that disgusting food?"

Jenni: "I think I learned my lesson about that."

Jenni: "There should be a law against serving spoiled food at a party."

Gwen: "The next time I am invited to one of his parties, I'm bringing a sandwich!"

Jenni: "I still think the man needs to be arrested!"

Because of the celebrity system, Boyd had an opportunity to get to know Korie Devine to get some extra bonuses. He went over to her house to get to know her better. Korie's daughter Annabelle aged up to a teen. She didn't like the cut of Boyd's jib - probably because he started flirting with her mother, and her mother was responding positively.

She thought Boyd was being extremely rude. But she did sit down and play dominos with him, Alexander, and Maggie. It was a rather intense game from the looks of it. 

A while later, I went to see what Rocco was up to. He recently joined the criminal career, and I wanted to lurk around the criminal warehouse while he was at work.

This place isn't for only criminals, it seems. Jaron was giving a talk to the whole Wonzy family and Jack Ransone. I'm not sure what he was talking about, but I think he was concerned with the influence the film studio was having on the neighborhood by attracting all the paparazzi. He later ranted about the evil influence of television.

This is a strange place to have a toddler playdate, but who am I to judge.

Apparently it has maid service?

Rocco: "Hey, Robin, I got that letter you sent me. When you're done eating, I've got something for you."

Robin: "Are you crazy?!? What do you think you are doing, manhandling me like that!"

Rocco: "Bbbut, the letter! You said you wanted to get together!"

Robin: "I was wanting you to ask me out on a date like a gentleman! You can forget it now, Bucko!"

Feelings hurt, Rocco retaliated by shaking down Robin for 453 simoleons.

Rocco had an assignment to deliver a mysterious package to the woman in red in China. He quickly forgot the altercation with Robin.

He felt this was the perfect opportunity to finish Planet Beezboz. 

This kid was a bit of a distraction, though. He decided to try the marketplace.

You're in China, dude! Get your nose out of that book and enjoy the trip! In addition to finishing his book, he explored a couple tombs, . . . 

skinny-dipped in the public fountains, . . . 

insulted some locals, . . .

tried impressing a woman in the Zen Garden, . . .

and generally just relaxed. When he got home, he laid into poor Carlos who only asked him how his trip went.

You're such a jerk, Rocco.

Moving on to the Cadets, I did a little switching around. It seems Natalia Cheek and Jaron Belanger are now a couple. In addition, Natalia really really wants to be an acrobat. She hung around the film studio and slept in the sarcophagus when I switched over and started looking for her. I let her join the acrobat career, but that means she can't keep living at the military barracks. I had her move in with Jaron and had Eunice move out and to the barracks as she's in the military anyway. 

Due to Story Progression, Jenni also has a new boyfriend. She's been seeing that sketchy Roger Kadukin. She thinks he's a hunk. 

Between this and the food poisoning incident, I don't think she's been making good decisions lately. Speaking of questionable decisions, Robin was given the opportunity to befriend Denny Pyle for a fame boost. She went to his house for a visit.

His wife, Naomi, was there, yet, Denny offered Robin flowers - right in front of Naomi!

Then Robin had the wish to kiss Denny! Well . . . okay, I guess. Aren't werewolves and vampires supposed to be mortal enemies?

Denny liked it. Naomi walked away then did a school cheer????

Do they have an open marriage or something? I'm confused. Then Robin wanted to be friends with Naomi. She has a funny way of showing it. 

Naomi then lured her husband back to her with pretty flowers.

Apparently, it worked. Robin was a little put-out by Denny's fickleness, but since she wanted to befriend Naomi, I thought I'd give it a try.

She apologized for trying to steal Naomi's man, and it seemed like Naomi might forgive her, but in the end, it was clear that Naomi was not going to trust Robin around her husband. 

As for the other cadets, I was under the impression that Jack and Robin were getting romantic, but maybe due to Robin's recent behavior, sending admirer letters to Rocco and kissing Denny, he has decided to just be good friends with her. He's starting to get cozy with Eunice, though his friendship panel is still showing him romantically interested in that old lady Daisy Kadukin. 

I wanted to stay long enough to push each cadet to the next level of their careers. Jack was promoted to wingman (level 6); Jenni was promoted to squad leader (level 4); Robin was promoted to grunt (level 3); but Eunice turned into a werewolf, left work early, and came home "hangry," so she remains at level 3.

My Facebook group has a 10x10 lot challenge with the theme Castaway. I thought, since it's spring in the game, that I would give this a shot. I built the lot then created a playtester sim for the lot, randomizing name, traits, etc. and just doing some minor tweaks to appearance. I also made sure his wardrobe was appropriate for someone stranded on a deserted island. Here's what I came up with.

Santo Bobo has always wanted to be a famous actor. He was thrilled when he was finally offered a part in a major motion picture. However, on his way to Adventureland to work on the film being made by Plumbob Studios, his ship sank in a storm, and he wound up on a very small deserted island. Luckily, with a little ingenuity, he was able to survive for over a year. But he longs to be rescued. Even though he has missed out on his big break into show business, he's hoping he can get another chance.  

I think I'll stay here with him for a week (with Story Progression and aging shut off) and have him develop some skills before being rescued. Then he won't have much money for more than an empty lot. 

Until then, he dreams of stardom.