Cherry Smith

"Wow, Mom!" Jason walked up the stairs onto the porch. "It's perfect. And it's already got furniture and everything."

"Here that, Thomas? Even has furniture. Aren't you glad we decided to keep walking when the others stopped in town?" Cherry did not make an effort to disguise the smugness in her voice. This would show Richard, Jr., the self proclaimed Mayor and Thomas' son from his previous wife. Richard had not been much help to them as they were coming up the bluff and into town. Instead, he slipped into his previous role as Mayor (a Mayor who had inherited the job, Cherry might add) and proceeded to help everyone BUT them.

"Thomas?" Cherry turned around towards her silent husband. He'd been quiet as they had walked down the road that lead out of the city, but she'd also been quiet as she fumed over the treatment she had endured from her son's half brother.



Thomas stood at the bottom of the stairs, clearly having trouble breathing. He started walking up the stairs, but a shadowy form seemed to follow him. Before she could do anything, Thomas fell to the ground clutching at his heart before he'd even had a chance to look in the window.

"Thomas! NO!" Cherry screamed.

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Tierra de Legado, the promised land

Everyone decided that it was time to go. They had heard promise of a new and beautiful land full of bounty. Everyone that mattered took a vote and decided they should leave and go to the new land.

A captain, who happened to meet Ann Mellon on one of her many vacations, was commissioned to take everyone to the new land. Non-Person Class Sims (NPCS) were given the opportunity to come along if they so wished to help start a new land..

It was a long trip. They were supplied with food thanks to the Food from the Mellon Farm. Fresh meat, eggs, and fruits and veggies were at the disposal of Chef Water Mellon who some how managed to simultaneously cook for everyone and to keep an eye on the rations so that they only ran out of food at the very end of their trip.

At the very end of their trip, when hopelessness set in and food began to run out, they saw land in the distance. In their rush to get to land and find some food, the captain destroyed the ship along the rocks.

The ship smashed upon the coast still there years later

Everyone made it out alive, but from that point on they had to walk.

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City Jobs

There is a larger government that most of the sims are not aware of. Richard is paid by this larger government to take care of the city. (Otherwise known as Maxian Jobs.) Other sims can get in on the action, but there can only be ONE mayor . And only the mayor (supposedly) has contact with the larger government. Who are these people? I don’t know. Only Richard does. Supposedly.

Of the jobs in control of Richard and the city are: Teachers, and currently an open position for Librarian. Inge is taking over the duty right now (but she sort of scares the children even when she’s wearing her formal gown).

Other jobs may be created as deemed necessary by the town Mayor.


Current officals as of Summer 1

Mayor - Richard Mellon, Jr.
Council member/treasurer - Jeanie Stratton
"Junior" council member - Aden Mellon

Elementary School Teacher - Amberle Silverring
High School Instructor - Samantha Kerr

Librarian - OPEN

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Aging

I hate math. This hurt to figure out, but I think I got it now.

Two things to know:

1. Four Seasons equals one year.

2. I'm taking a cue from Sim State Megahood. Basically, I am not seeing a sim's everyday life, but a general overview of parts from it. So a year is not a human year.

3. Sim age like fruit flies! And I actually don't want to really change that.

Length of life stages:
Babies - 1 year
Toddlers- 2 years
Children - 3 years
Teens - 4 years

Sims are in college for 2 years.

Adult stage lasts for how ever long I see fit. I pretty much figure that it depends on the sim, but by the time their first child enters college, their parents are ready to turn into elders (which is generally what happens in game).

For story purposes, I leave the adult and elder stages lengths at my discretion.

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Financial Institutions

I’m still working on this slowly. In my ‘hood, things are inherited or created or suggested by the sims I play.

Ethan Stratton (older brother of Kate Stratton) has been suggesting to me that he would like to start the first bank. He’s been working with his roommates to gain experience in the Sim Stock Market. So far he’s only lost money. But if he CAN do better, he might be able to get larger deals, such as investing the city’s money.

The city keeps its money in an online bank (Monique's computer). Jeanie Stratton is the treasurer right now. Her Servo Inge takes care of things.

Taxes are now in effect. Every year, sims will give 5% property tax which pays for city buildings, city events, and city employees. Those exempted from taxes are City Officals. (Aden Mellon, Jeanie Stratton, and Richard Mellon.)

There are other exceptions and discounts which are at Richard’s discretion.

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My current play style

Right now, after some testing, I have found I like four days per season, which is normal. Four seasons per year.

I don’t play in rotation style any more. Now I’m playing more in story mode. I visit a sim’s house when I feel I should, when I want to, and for however long I want to.

There are two house holds right now that I play and use as my measuring stick: The two teacher households, Amberle Silverring and Samantha Kerr. As I see it, they’re the only two people who absolutely must be present at work every day. My students must learn after all.

Those two households will determine the season I’m on and when the year ends.



The stories I write are for my own fun. They are suggested by my characters themselves most of the time. Even pictures that are staged I count as game play. Sometimes they spark new ideas (like the bathroom scene between Alberta and Kate).

Staged scenes also result in real relationships between sims since I have them talking to each other. If they aren't liking my ideas, they let me know. XD

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It's time for a change

I was inspired by Isle of Thyme months ago. I love the idea of a little hood where looking out of the window of one shop gives you a lovely view of a neighboring shop or just down the street. I want my sims to feel connected to each other, and most of all I want a little world where I can escape to in the winter! Because it is getting cold now and there's not much to do outside.

So I got Sim City 4 and made my own terrain. I wanted it to have a water fall and more beach lots. The terrain is loosely based off my home here in Central CA.


(We're not that green, though.)



So I've been working on putting down shops, homes, apartments, decorations. I'm the city planner until I move some sims in there and they start taking over.


I have made a clean hood with no characters. The thing is that NPCs are an important part of my game. They are a sub group of sim, and they bring in fresh genetics. I need them. So I will be generating NPCs for this hood. Especially those AL NPCs.

But to make them fresh and new because we're in a new hood, I've downloaded HystericalParoxysm's Name replacement file. And I picked up Spookymuffin's default face templates to bring in new faces and genetics.



Thanks to AL, lots now have value based off of more than what they are worth. What is around them is also important. So I've made areas of high priced apartments and condos, another area of high priced homes, another area for cheaper houses, and another area for really cheap apartments that include a flop house.

For "the calender," what I'm going to do will be very basic. Jade had a system worked out that I found complicated. It seemed she enjoyed playing the same sims for a long time. But I enjoy the Maxis way of aging, and want my sims to grow up and grow old and have babies.

But I also want to play sims longer especially since rent is due on Monday. So I thought I would play in what I'll call "Phases." (Originally I called it "Periods," but that made me think of Aunt Flo and Jane Austen.) A phase should last for seven days. One season will be selected per phase.

College students go to school for one phase. This is so that my college sims don't get too far ahead of the other sims. (I had been seeing headlines for the local magazine, "Studies show that those who go to University live longer!")

But, if I have to, I wouldn't feel opposed to turning off aging and playing around a bit. This is my world, right?


This new land is called Tierra de Legado, because everyone leaves behind some sort of Legacy really.

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Picture day!

I've been wanting to take some fun pictures of my various sims. Lately, it's been ever present because of the song "I Kissed a girl" by Katy Perry which reminds me of Sofia just for the line "You're my experimental game/ Just human nature."

So here she is, the best pics I took last night I think.

I call this one "Empress" because it suits her. See her haughty smile? Yes, she is better than you, and if you turn your back she'll take your boyfriend and leave him a crumpled mess in the street for you to pick up.

There is a darker side to Sofia. She is pragmatic, and yet the occult fascinates her. No one wants a pragmatic woman with the powers of the occult on her side.


Sweet and innocent... yes that's her too. Sometimes I think that she doesn't really know what she's doing is wrong. As far as she's concerned the world owes her.

As bare natural as she'll get. I have to admit it was a little embarrassing getting this round of pictures because her raw sensuality just shined through. My boyfriend was in the room with me at the time and I was sure he was going to turn around at some point and accuse me of making pornography!

Yes, we're ending on a wink. That's Sofia for you. She just never quits.
Plans are in store for her. She's really just turning into a fun character to play.

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