Apocalypse Life – 4

The sink is broke again.

That might not seem like an issue – but we need the parts to fix it and Aeon’s store is only open when she thinks she can avoid the Landgraab gang. It’s pretty hit or miss most days. For a while she’d run up a flag when she was open, but then the gang figured out that symbol and we only just managed to hid the bulk of her goods before they descended.

Since the gangs rarely bother kids, so often Theo’s the one to run out and check on the store. If we need a lot he can race back and all of us can try but sometimes the store is closed by the time we all manage to get there. So often we just send him with a couple fish for trade for the essentials we need so if she is open we can take advantage.

Usually what we need are valves and washers to stop the sinks from leaking. There’s only so much water we can gather from the pond each day so a leaking sink means we can’t really wash up much before the water’s all gone. A stopped up toilet is worse. Without city maintenance, it’s all on us to fix and repair. Right now at least, the sewage still seams to be working so we can flush (when we have the water), but who knows when that will stop working.

We end up stinking a lot more than I’d hope, but you do get used to it. After a while you stop smelling yourself. Mostly. Food at least, is not one of our problems. But teaching Theo important fishing skills is a losing battle. He hates the worms, hates the smell, and hates the mud on his boots.

He has managed to catch a few minnows…and then whines when Jay and I try to teach him how to gut and descale it. The boy may just starve. But he’s a good brother to his sister and Angelina dotes on him. Following him around wherever he goes.

She’s a little terror compared to her brother. Always running around, climbing things, and getting into the most unusual of spaces. Theo was such an obedient child compared to her. Not that we mind too much. She’s not malicious or anything, just curious.

The other day I came home to find she’d gotten into the paint I found in an old abandoned store. I was going to pain the kid’s bedroom walls, something less deary than brick. But she was happily splashing in the puddles she made while Jay watched on.

“Why’d you let her do that? That was all the paint we had and now it’s half gone.”

“There wasn’t enough to do the walls, and you know it. And it kept her occupied all afternoon,” she said exhaustion evident in her voice.

I figured I owed her one for watching her while I went had been checking up on the neighbors and enjoying tepid tea.

For now though, I want her to enjoy her toddlerdom and all the innocence it comes with. All too soon, she’ll grow up. So play on little one. Explore and get into trouble here where it’s safe. All too soon I know you’re going to be too big to hide away from the world.

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You’ll be too big not to ask those same questions that Theo has been asking. Why do some people walk away when they see you coming? Why do we have to stay inside at night? Why can’t I hang out with Malcom Landgraab? Why do you always look sad?

The worse part is he doesn’t ask the question that I would have asked in his shoes. But he doesn’t even realize that it was once possible to keep food fresh overnight, to have hot water, to spend the nights gazing at the stars, to text our friends, to eat something that isn’t fish. He doesn’t realize that it’s possible for a sink not to be broken for days.

At least the one downstairs is fixed, for now.

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Author’s Note: So the hardest initial lock is the washing only in sinks. Since these are the cheapest “off the grid” sinks you can buy per the rules, they break every 15th wash or so. Doesn’t sound bad? It takes about 8 washes to get to the middle of your hygiene bar. Both sinks are ALWAYS broken. And if i’m not watching them like a hawk, they go and autonomously repair the sinks since normally I want my sims to do that. Oops. But I can’t imagine how much worse it would be for the sinks to all break on Tuesday and not be able to repair them until Sunday instead of returning from from a fishing trip or working to get Adam’s career up only to find they’ve fixed the sinks. So I try to stop them from repairing, but it’s a losing battle. If you can keep your toddler from using her diaper she has a chance to make it most of the week non-smelly, but it only takes one slip up. Toddlers can’t use sinks so once it happens, she’s doomed. I do play with a rule that says if it’s raining you can have them go and bathe in the rain. But it never rains in StrangerVille. (It has rained twice so far in my game and both kids are teenagers already…)

This story is a playtest of some new apocalypse unlock rules that includes more/most of the careers that are in the game now than what Pinstar initially created. I’ve also put in all the houses and characters from Brennachan’s Murkland Challenge to populate and color this world.

The store shown here is the Murkland Mercantile Co. owned by Aeon Salamander and her new husband ex-inmate Renny. Span still lives with them. All were made by Brennachan. I let MCCC play with the Murlanders to get some fun family dynamics. But now I’ve captured as many as I can and they should stop aging and getting MCCCed. (I didn’t realize I had to mark them as PLAYED to get them to stop aging so sadly some (such as Mayor Epoch) are gone). I did go in and dress/update all the new children so they’ll fit in with their families (little bears for the hamsters!) From time to time I’ll unfreeze them and let them join in the story as well as adding other building and sims from the Murkland world so we can visit with them! Here’s a sample of the new families I have with Murky folks.

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