Homeless in the City: The Public Library Colony (Episodes 1 and 2)

 

The Roaring Heights Public Library, after years of neglect, underwent some renovations. Unfortunately for the general public, the funds ran out, and upgrading the upper two levels was stalled indefinitely. This was a boon for the city's homeless who found their way to the upper floor and silently set up housekeeping there. Let's take a moment to meet the members of the homeless colony.

Carmen Arroyo is a hopeful musician. He has been living on the streets since he aged out of foster care. He takes an interest in teens because as a teen he and his younger siblings were separated and placed in different foster homes after being removed for a dangerous domestic situation. They quickly lost track of each other, and so Carmen is quick to bond with teens he meets. Carmen has no sense of humor, is charismatic, athletic, has a green thumb, and is a heavy sleeper. 

While he hopes to someday land some gigs as a magician, he is trying to make ends meet as a mixologist at the Luminescent Lounge. He has a workplace rival named Alphonso Nash who makes it clear that he doesn't like Carmen and will likely sabotage his job. 

(I think Alphonso is worried that Carmen will take his job if there are any layoffs. There doesn't seem to be a lot of customers at the Luminescent, probably due to the economy.)  Alphonso is the shift supervisor, so Carmen is worried. 

Carmen can't afford to lose his job because he has just become a father to baby Darby, who is artistic and athletic. Darby's mother, Angie Schuster, is having a tough time adjusting to motherhood. 

Angie is unlucky, good, a genius, neat, and a gatherer. She doesn't have a job, but she also isn't getting much sleep. Carmen, the heavy sleeper, is no help at all for tending the baby at night. He can sleep through all the fussing. Luckily, a new addition to the colony has arrived who seems willing to help out. 

Her name is Helena Carver. She used to be a ghost hunter, but is currently a level 5 singer. She ultimately wants to be a firefighter. Maybe I need to build or place a fire station in Roaring Heights? Helena is brave, a daredevil, easily impressed, a computer whiz, and has the photographer's eye. 

Carmen seems a little suspicious of Helena and isn't very comfortable with her taking care of Darby. 

To be fair, she is a bit of a goofball. 

She also arrived at the colony without her own sleeping bag, so she helped herself to Kirk's. 

Kirk Nickerson is also a singer, and has recently become interested in martial arts. He's a diva and a social butterfly who likes to be the center of attention. 

He's also a bot fan, excitable, and athletic. He's been singing for tips out at Prosperity Park. Maybe he needs to try and get some gigs as well. 

He met Gloria Phan the other day, who apparently lost her husband. Kirk tried to console her. 

Before I started playing with this household, I often saw Kirk out picking fights with people, especially with Andrew Hutchins, who also lives in the colony. 

Andrew is an artisan and a criminal. He's brave, Avant Garde, eccentric, a bot fan, and a savvy sculptor. He often does some dumpster diving after he gets off work. 

Andrew isn't the only criminal in the group. Davina Thomas also works at the criminal warehouse. She's insane, flirty, eccentric, grumpy, and a mooch. She has a little kitten named Ichabod, for whom Kirk has developed a fondness. She has been chasing after an old man named Grumpo West-Marks, who is married to May West-Marks. I think she's more interested in him than he is in her, but Grumpo's wife May is not at all happy about Davina flirting with her man.

Teenaged Paulo Sousa is the last of the group. Carmen has posed as his big brother and enrolled him in school. Paulo is adventurous, a couch potato, a night owl, and irresistible. He would really like to watch TV, but the colony doesn't have one, and he doesn't think it's worth returning home to do so. Hopefully he'll make some friends at school and be invited to their house to watch TV. 

Attached to the library is a pet store. The homeless volunteer caring for the animals, feeding them and cleaning their cages, in exchange for being allowed to use the dog-washing stations to bathe in after hours. 

Also attached to the library is a swanky jewelry and gift shop. This is where Andrew crafts his artistic creations. 

Stay tuned to see what these folks get up to.