House 004: Taylor Drifter – Chapter 1 Coming of Age

This is the drifter challenge House 004. You can learn all about it the challenge here and read or watch lots of folks trying it out. My game is just for fun – but I was super stoked about this generation so I ended up writing a diary for Taylor.

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Generation 4 – Part 1

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Dear diary,
I’m almost as nervous today as I was on my first day of high school. That day, I wore my best dress, but I was afraid everyone would look through me and see the boy the doctors saw the birth. Mama had been 100% understanding back then. She’s always had a dual nature. She loved dressing up and had wigs for when she wanted to feel ultra feminine. But I wanted that all the time.

But back to the present, today I am officially an adult. That means, according to the rules, I’m on my own. It’s a mix of excitement and sheer terror. Mama told me about her first day of adulthood. She showed me pictures of the house before it was a house.

She said it would all work out and I believe her, I know all the strategies, find a bench to sleep on, find collectibles, find a park with a grill. Same as my great-grandparent did all those years ago. But that doesn’t stop my heart from racing.

Knowing it was my last night home, I stayed up waay too late with the cow plants. But they’ve been a part of my life for my entire life. Millie, Billie, Willie, and Tillie. I think I’ll miss them more than anything but mama and papa.

Mama baked me a cake and made me shower before we celebrated. Postponing the inevitable. It was my favorite, double German chocolate. I’ve always struggled with my weight. Chubby as a child, but mainly it means I have to pass up most of the cutest dresses. With no waist to speak of, there are only a few that work with my body instead of against it. And I’m not brave enough to think I can wander around in pants and not be mis-gendered.

And so here I am, early evening and at my assigned plot of land as directed. exhausted, but otherwise fine. I’m not looking forward to these first few days.

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Dear diary,
Uhg, the first days were as bad as I feared. I thought I’d do better, but napping is NO substitute for proper sleep. Mama warned me, but I thought I could handle it. Those extra hours with the cow plant took days to recover from. Until I got back to a proper schedule where I wasn’t falling on my face tired every three minutes. I met some nice people at the park, at least. But I was too embarrassed to even call Roger. A friendly face would have been nice, but I didn’t want anyone to see me.

When Papa dropped by the next day I almost died of shame. But he just laughed and told me about his adventures before he met Mama. We had grilled mushrooms and apples since that is all I could find in this neighborhood. I had hoped he would sneak me some real food, but rules are rules. He didn’t complain though.

The park is miles away! At least I can drop some of these pounds by running back and forth. Mama doesn’t know how lucky she was to have a bench RIGHT outside her lot. By the time I get to the park I’m too exhausted for words. I was trying to save simoleons, but I finally gave up and used some of my hard-won cash on a toilet and a bench. I used the bench to kind of hide the toilet. I hate using it outside. But everyone is super understanding and try not to watch. They must all remember their own coming of age.

The only silver lining is I finally got a job! I know mama managed just fine fishing and gardening, but I want the extra cash. Crystal Labs accepted my application. I just hope they don’t mind me showing up to work smelling like I spend the last few days sleeping on a bench. Cuz I did, and I do.

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Dear diary,
I’ve died and gone to heaven. The receptionist at Crystal Labs took one look at me dragging myself in the front door and pointed me at the showers. I guess they must be used to their newest employees being too poor for showers and beds. According to the government, it’s supposed to “build characters” and “keep us humble” – I’ve read the propaganda. Perhaps it’s true. Perhaps we’re all more accepting starting from nothing. Even the richest brat, born with a silver spoon up their ass will be handed an empty lot and 0 simoleons.

I made it through my first days in a bit of a fog. I was clean and fed, but oh so tired. I can’t have been very good company. Something Lincoln was “kind” enough to point out after I forgot to use the sanitation sink twice when cleaning the test tubes. I don’t like him. He acts so smug just because HE’s an adult now with a house and family and I’m still debating if I have enough money for an air mattress.

Anyway, the lab is epic. They expect you to pull your own weight, us newbies tend the garden and clean up after the older scientists, but there’s plenty of time to study on our own. I’ve always been a bit of a tinkerer. Mama says she had to fight me off to get time on the workbench back home, and I know I was good with carving. But I didn’t realize those skills also translated well to inventing. I’ve named the brainstorm bot Willie after my favorite cowplant. It doesn’t seem to mind. There’s a trick to inventing using the bot. Clear visualizations. That’s how my carving skills came in handy. Seeing the rabbit locked in a block of wood makes for excellent visualization skills. And my very first invention turned out just as I imagined.

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Dear diary,
Well, I have a house now. Oh sure, some people may laugh and say a box with a toilet and an overhang over the air mattress does not a “house” make. But if it ever rains, I won’t get wet and I am eternally grateful I no longer have to pee outside where anyone could see. I put up my pictures next to my bed and it feels just a bit more like home.

I have a strategy you see. I could have built a bigger house, put my bed inside as so many of my classmates have, but I figured if I saved up enough for a woodworking bench, I could use my skills to make and sell statues. I could even MAKE all the furniture I might need although getting the upfront cash for supplies is a bit more difficult.

At work, I’ve been promoted and can leave beaker-washing to the new unwashed interns. Mostly I spend my time analyzing the rocks and crystals I dig up. I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, but I’ll know it when I see it. I hope.

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Dear diary,
I am so embarrassed. Today I finally invited Roger over. I feel like I’ve finally “made” it. As far as owning a shack with a toilet and a roof over my bed goes. But with the new grill I purchased and a simple outdoor shower, I was no longer starving, tired, and smelly. I finally felt like a sim again. So I invited Roger over. I’ve only had a crush on him since forever. We went to school together, hang out together and all my future planning revolved around marrying him and starting our family.

Only, that’s not going to happen. I finally told Roger how I feel about him and it was pretty clear that he didn’t feel the same way about me. Utter embarrassment! How did I misread all the signs? I laughed it off and we’re still friends at least. But I feel like something broke inside me. Now what? Who will be my future husband if it’s not Roger? I don’t have a backup plan.

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Dear diary,
My schedule is pretty routine these days, at least during the week. Wake up, pee, shower, eat, dress. Then at 10:00 am sharp, I show up at work. Sometimes I have breakfast at work since the sandwiches there are my favorite. If I wake up really early, I’ll go for a jog. I can’t be sure, but I think I’m losing some weight at long last. My coat at work isn’t quite so tight as I remember.

I work, analyze samples, learn from my co-workers, chat with Willie. In my free time, I’m building a rocket. There’s nothing to stop me from heading to space one day. I think that would be the absolute best! Space with nothing around but stardust and space rocks. I’m saving money right now to buy my own ship.

So work is pretty normal. There’s another sim at work named Taylor so it’s funny when someone tries to call my, or her name. They end up with two sims’ attentions. Have you ever toured Crystal Labs? It’s pretty basic, but it really makes you feel like you’re part of a huge team all working towards…something.

Then at 7:00pm sharp, I head back home. I make a quick check of the area to see if there are any collectibles that I can find. I make dinner, sometimes I go for a run. Otherwise, I continue making sculptures for sale. It’s not a bad life, but it’s a bit lonely.

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