Chapter 0.1 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 0.3

Generation Zero: Beige - Starts with a HUMAN Sim

Appearance: Dark Blonde Hair, poor clothing style
Traits: Slob, Childish, Clumsy
Aspiration: Pick whatever you'd like. (Your goal this
generation is only to become a Mermaid and have your heir)
Occupation: Part Time Jobs ONLY
House Goal: None
Lot Trait: Off the Grid

A/N: This challenge is written in first person, and I started her as a teen for the purpose of the story. Also, I am ignoring the "don't travel to other worlds" until she actually moves to Sulani. Yesterday was the longest day EVER - waiting for Island Living to release. Being that I had been watching a Live Stream Party ALL day while waiting, I was pretty tired by the time it released, and only ended up playing a couple hours worth. But the little bit I played was AMAZING! The world's beauty alone is worth the pre-order price to me. On that note.. let's get the rest of Jazzy's last days in Willow Creek completed so we can see the new world!

I was starting to get looks wherever I went in town, so I kept trying to stay out of the way during school hours, keeping to outdoorsy activities. After school hours, though, I spent a lot of time downtown. Today, the venue of choice was the Gym.

It turned out they were having some trouble with their plumbing, so I stepped in to help out. I didn't really know what I was doing, but there was no time like the present to learn, right? It took a couple hours.. but I did manage to fix the leak, and the trainers at the Gym were so thankful they offered to let me use the Gym machines free-of-charge for as long as I was in town. (I did fudge a little bit and pretend I wasn't a teen. I also made sure they knew I wasn't in town for long, just passing through on my way to the beach.)

So.. the next day or two after work and hiding out during school hours, I spent time at the gym, working on my Fitness skill. I knew I was going to need it when I was swimming in the ocean, so I even managed to talk the Gym Trainer into a couple of training sessions. Too bad they didn't have a pool, but I still remembered my swimming lessons from when I was a kid, so I figured I'd be okay.

There was also a playground near the Gym and Library, and I often spent time with the kids there after school. They enjoyed having an "adult" around to play the sea monster, and, luckily, they didn't ask too many questions. I had to do SOMETHING for fun - because working out was the pits. Being able to take a real hot shower in the Gym bathrooms, however, was much appreciated, and being clean for a change was certainly a luxury I enjoyed.

I found this park area near the Gym with a picnic area and a place to fish.. and that's where much of my week was spent. I was definitely getting better at this grilling thing, and I hadn't burnt a hot dog in days.. but I was getting awfully tired of the processed meat. I didn't want to dig into my savings, however, to buy anything else, so hot dogs it was. What can I say, cheap food is cheap food. And when I had no way to STORE the food, and had to throw away whatever I couldn't fit in my tummy, cheap was important.

The fishing hole was fun during school hours, but I wasn't particularly good at actually catching anything. However, hours upon hours of practice does pay off, and I finally caught a couple fish that were big enough to gut and eat. I had to ask for help learning how to do just that from another fisherman I spotted, however, since that wasn't exactly something they taught in the city where I grew up.

Fish. Finally. Something else to eat. It was a rare and welcome treat.. and free food. Things were looking up - despite this being a very slow, torturous week while I saved up more money in the hopes that I could afford to build at least a weather-proof hut when I moved.

I had done some research at the Library and found the cheapest lot in Sulani was going to cost me 2,200 Simoleons, so I figured if I could save up around 5-6 thousand, I would at least have a little bit of a start. I was still selling my frogs daily, and, having gotten another promotion at work, I was doing pretty good at saving up.

Tomorrow was my birthday. And I could think of no better birthday present than to get out of town. People were starting to ask questions I couldn't really answer, and I had a grand total of 5,901 Simoleons saved up. So I made the phone calls, bought the bus ticket, and took the "plunge".

The bus ride itself took forever. It may have been only hours on an overnight ride, but it felt like forever. Days, even. Each minute passed by so slowly, and the only thing I had to pass the time was looking out the window. I watched the scenery pass by, and got more and more excited with every Palm tree I noticed. Ages later, we pulled into the bus Depot on Sulani, and I headed immediately to the Real Estate office. It was early morning, but they were there, waiting for me.

They all seemed terribly glad to see me - apparently finding residents for the town wasn't going too well for them... so they were thrilled that I was moving in. I had found a cafe that I could transfer to and keep my current job level, so I even had employment I could use to fill out the forms. Granted, I had to fudge a little on the age department, but it really wasn't much of a fudge since my birthday was so close. Luckily, the agents didn't seem to be interested in asking too many questions. Even better, they found a building crew that could get a little thatched hut built for me today. I was now the proud owner of my very own land. I helped out with the construction, and even learned a few things, so I felt I could expand when I managed to save up some more money.

Before long, I had myself a home. It was off-the-grid, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and I was definitely a beggar. Above all, though, it was MINE. I was even able to afford a tiny bathroom, so I cleaned up for the day, and used my new outdoor grill to make "breakfast." (Even though it was raining. I was pretty used to cooking in the rain by now.)

Baked Potatoes.. because I couldn't stomach the thought of eating any more hot dogs. That particular meal was always going to remind me of these last weeks. And now that I had my own home, I felt splurging on something a little more expensive was okay. I had a job. I had my frogs. I was going to make it.

By the afternoon, the rain had stopped and I took the opportunity to wander around town, meeting the locals and asking questions about my new town. I couldn't get over how gorgeous the scenery was... and I have to admit, I even "wasted" a couple hours building a crude sand castle to commemorate my new home.

That evening, the rain moved back in, so I spent some time at the local bar, meeting more people, and enjoying the rumors. Apparently there was a cave near the local waterfall and volcano that people avoided, but I couldn't help but think it sounded like a great place to explore. There were also dolphins that frequented these waters that weren't afraid of humans.. and I couldn't wait to meet one.

A bed. A REAL bed. It was little more than an air mattress, but in time, I would be able to afford better. I was sure of it. In a mood that I couldn't even describe, I tucked myself in, and let myself drift off to my first uninterrupted sleep in a very long time. I had work in the morning, of course, so the alarm was set.. but at least I wouldn't be woken by people wandering past my bench or couch. The sounds of the local wildlife lulled me to sleep in no time at all... and the rest of my life began.

Chapter 0.1 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 0.3