The Bachelor Experiment : Day Fifteen (Elimination #5)

On the morning of Elimination #5, Corey wakes up with a whim to cloudgaze with Jessamine.  Time is a precious commodity for The Bachelor, especially on elimination day, and so he immediately seeks Jessamine out. Luckily, she is already awake.

Unluckily, she is not particularly happy.

Jessamine is still feeling very sad after seeing Corey flirt with Roskva the previous night.  As Corey approaches to invite her to cloudgaze, she is thinking about how badly her heart has been broken.

Still, she accepts, and the two head out to the deck, Jessamine hanging her head dramatically as she goes.

But as they lay out under the shining sun, and Jessamine enjoys the beautiful morning, she begins to feel a little better.  Inspired, even!

But their time together must come to an end, and as soon as they part ways, Jessamine once again flips back into her very sad mood.  She’s in good company, though, because Namika, who somehow found out about Roskva’s flirt fest last night, has spent the bulk of the morning crying uncharacteristically in the closet.

Honestly, I didn’t expect this from Namika.  One, she didn’t even witness Corey’s flirtation with Roskva (I guess gossip get around fast in this house), and two.. well, she’s Namika. She’s never shown us a chink in her armor before!

Meanwhile, Corey is on his way to the bathroom when he is intercepted by Roskva.  She’s really pulling out all the stops as Elimination draws closer. From the look on his face, Corey seems surprised, but definitely in a good way, right?!

She does a little flirting…

And since no man can resist a beautiful woman in a black garter belt, Corey does a little flirting of his own.

Morning quickly turns into afternoon, and Corey seeks out some lunch. He has a pretty good idea about his choice for elimination, but he certainly has his doubts, and is hoping for a quiet moment to deliberate a little further.

Unfortunately, peace and quiet are definitely not in the cards for Corey today.

Jessamine joins him, and boy does she have other plans!  She has spent her entire morning in a terrible, horrible, no good, very SAD mood – and she wants Corey to know exactly who’s fault that is.

Poor Corey! He’s feeling pretty exhausted after getting an earful from Jessamine, so he excuses himself and heads to the bar for a drink.  Maybe he’ll finally get a little time to himself to think and unwind…

But of course, no such luck.  Roskva has somehow flipped into a flirty mood, and comes sauntering out to the bar to meet him. She slides on to a barstool and I can just hear her hitting on her “sexy bartender.”

Corey takes the bait, and sits down next to her.  Even when she has clothes on, Corey is happy to chat with Roskva.

She’s throwing out every single signal there is, but Corey just won’t throw her a flirt interaction.  And to be fair, she’s not exactly flirting with him either.  I think she’s trying to tempt him into making the first move, but unfortunately she runs out of time because it’s time for everyone to prepare for the Elimination ceremony.

I break the two of them up and send everyone off to tend to their need bars, and when the sun begins to set, Corey meets the three remaining ladies in the Ceremony Hall. As usual, he’s looking dashing, but for the first time, he’s also feeling confident. I’m glad to see that he’s feeling good about this elimination, because there is no question as to which bachelorette is going home.

The ladies all make their entrances.  Jessamine is in a happy mood, finally. Maybe all she needed was to get things off her chest.  The only question is how much that little tirade hurt her relationship with Corey.

Roskva also arrives in a happy mood.  She’s had more time with Corey in the last two days than she’s had in the the entirety of the competition, and she’s feeling pretty confident that she’s finally made the right impression.

Only Namika shows up feeling sad. She’s still pretty mopey, and keeps thinking about her broken heart.  I find it hard to believe that our wily Namika is really so lovesick, but who knows?  Either she’s playing it up for Corey’s benefit, or she really is hurt by his “betrayal.”

At any rate, the women find their seats and the ceremony begins.

Corey clears his throat and calls the name of the first woman he wants to keep in the house for the final round : Jessamine. Her one-on-one date may not have gone as well as she’d hoped, but it was just enough to edge her way to the top. Jessamine stands and walks gracefully to the front of the room to greet Corey…

But Namika doesn’t take the news quite so gracefully.

She’s been called first so many times now that she’d grown to expect it.  If Jessamine has stolen her place in Corey’s heart, will she make it to the last round at all?

Corey gives Jessamine a friendly hug, and Jessamine happily accepts her place in the last round.

She chats briefly to him about cooking – maybe she’s offering to make him a home cooked meal? They do say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach…

And then she heads back inside the mansion, feeling relieved. It turns out that speaking her mind at lunch wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Corey is left alone with the remaining two women.  Namika looks petrified, but Roskva seems ready to accept her rose.

The only problem is, when Corey calls the name of the second woman to stay in the house, it isn’t Roskva.  It’s Namika.

Namika’s romance bar with Corey is exactly the same as Jessamine’s, but since Jessamine’s friendship bar with Corey is completely full (and Namika’s isn’t), Namika gets the second spot this week.

She makes her way to the front of the room, and while you’d think she’d be happy with this outcome, it’s clear from her face that she’s anything but. Namika doesn’t like being chosen second, but it’s poor Roskva I worry about.  The expression on her face looks pretty disgruntled.

Corey gives Namika a friendly hug, which she accepts with a smile.

But as soon as Corey pulls away, Namika’s face falls once again.

For someone who didn’t get sent home, she sure is laying it on thick with the guilt.  Namika quickly heads back into the mansion, and she hangs her head sadly as she goes.  And I thought Jessamine was the resident drama queen!

Roskva shoots her this look like, What do you have to be sad about?! and Corey just looks entirely confused.

With Namika gone, Corey must turn his attentions to Roskva.

This was a difficult decision for him, but actually more so for me.  I admit, I orchestrated a few of their interactions toward the end there – I wanted to really make sure there was nothing there between them, and unfortunately, I think they’re just missing the chemistry.  Corey is listed as “lovebirds” with both Namika and Jessamine, but only as a “romantic interest” with Roskva.  Their romance bar is also significantly lower than his romance bars with the other women.  While Corey really seems to like Roskva as a friend, he has never rolled a whim for her and she really hasn’t rolled many romantic ones for him, either.  Sadly, I think the relationship panel is accurate when it says “just good friends” – at least on Corey’s end.

 

He asks Roskva to join him at the front, and she keeps her composure as she obliges.

“We’re just better as friends,” Corey says. “I am so glad I’ve gotten to know you, Roskva, but the spark’s just not there.”

Which is a shame, because I do think Roskva’s still holding a torch for Corey… ah, unrequited love.

At this point Corey autonomously takes a seat on the “bachelorette bench” and begins talking with Roskva.  She keeps getting the “home/domestic/family” speech bubbles, and I think she’s telling him that neither of these women are marriage material.

“Look, Corey,” she says, “I care about you, but this is one really stupid decision you’re making.  Have you met these girls?  Jessamine is a total drama queen, and Namika is a conniving manipulator! But if that’s what you’re looking for, then to each his own I guess.”

Corey just nods along, not really hearing her.  All he can say in response is, “Friends?”

Roskva sighs and agrees.  She gives him a friendly hug, and wishes him luck.  Class act all the way, our Roskva.

Only, I can’t help but wonder if she’s just making a show of it.  If and when these other girls crash and burn, guess who’ll be waiting in the wings?

Cheers, Roskva –  you’ll find Mr. Right someday. And if it isn’t Corey, then I have a pretty handsome Hasslich for you!

---

 

Duckling to Swan : The Bachelor – Hasslich Edition CASTING CALL

Welcome to Duckling to Swan : The Bachelor – Hasslich Edition!!! As my Bachelor Experiment draws to a close and I find my way back to my favorite Hasslich clan, it’s time to finally get The Bachelor – Hasslich Edition underway!

I’ve been planning this for quite some time, and I finally have the perfect Hasslich bachelor lined up. For those of you who follow The Hasslich Prettacy, you’ll see that while you technically haven’t met him yet, the bachelor is closely related to one of our very favorite Hasslich couples. He’s a Hasslich at heart, and feels that true beauty is on the inside – which isn’t to say he isn’t a stunner!

I’m super excited to introduce you to the Hasslich Bachelor, but first I’m hoping to round up some eligible bachelorettes! I will be accepting applications through April 13, 2016. If there are more than seven entries, voting will commence after the application deadline.

Things to Know:

Like The Bachelor Experiment, the name of the game in this competition is autonomy. This series will be written with a bit more dramatic flair and artistic license, but the bottom line is the same – the bachelor will choose his leading lady with as little player interference as possible. And in the end, the bachelor and his lady of choice will join the “cast” of The Hasslich Prettacy.

To submit a contestant, please head over to my Ducking to Swan thread over on The Sims Forums.

Requirements/Guidelines:

-Applicants must be single.
-Applicants must be YA/Adult female.
-All shapes and sizes are welcome! The more variety the better.
-…but no aliens, please.
-All aspirations and traits are welcome. Big personalities make for interesting interactions!
-CC is acceptable as long as it comes in a package file.
-You’re free to submit as many contestants as you’d like.
-A note on formal wear: Please submit your bachelorette(s) with the formal wear you want her in at the first elimination ceremony. For subsequent eliminations, I will be changing up their formal looks to my liking (which means lots of beautiful CC gowns). Don’t worry – I will make sure your girls look their very best!
–Please upload your bachelorette to the gallery under #Hasslichbachelor.

Application:

Name:
CAS Photo:
Traits:
Aspiration:
Backstory:
Style: (Please tell me a bit about your bachelorette’s personal style, to help me in choosing their formal wear. Is she classy? Flashy? Sexy? Conservative? Feminine? What colors does she prefer?)
CC links (if applicable)
Your Gallery ID:

Deadline is April 13, 2016.

The Fairfield Diaries : 1.1 Eva Capricciosa

Eva

Two things you should know about me: 1) I never wanted to settle down, and 2) I’ve always had a soft spot for the bad boys. That’s why it’s so funny that I somehow became a married mother of three. What’s even funnier is that I love it.

My husband is a far cry from a bad boy, but there’s this crazy, unpredictable side of him that drives me wild. I never know what to expect with Rez, and he always keeps me on my toes. Never a dull moment. That’s what drew me to him when we first met – my friends thought it was his distinguished good looks, or even his family name I found attractive. But really, I just liked that wild look in his eye.

Still, I never thought I’d marry him, or anyone really. Not until he came to me with this absolutely insane idea that we leave Willow Creek together, and create some new kind of society. One where looks don’t matter, he said, where no one knows his name or his family history.  It was all completely out of the blue, and it made no sense to me, but it didn’t matter. Love, he said, was about so much more than physical chemistry or impulsive lust. I laughed, of course, because Rez is a Hasslich! Impulsivity and lust are in his blood, and isn’t lust what brought us together in the first place? But Rez was serious – he was beyond passionate about the idea, about this traditional society where marriages are arranged and couples stay together no matter what.  It was crazy and harebrained, and just insane enough to excite me. So I said yes.

And so we eloped, Rez and I.  He took my last name, and the rest is history.

Beyond the success of Fairsfield, Rez’s biggest dream is to become a well-known comedian.  He’s on the bottom of the totem pole right now, but he’s working his way up.  For some reason, he’s required to learn to play music before he they’ll give him a chance to tell his jokes.  He’s not very good, but I like to listen to him play anyway.

As for me, I’ve gotten a job in the tech industry.  That means I spend a lot of time playing games on the computer, so I can’t complain.  I’ve been out on maternity leave for quite awhile, but now that the kids are in school and our bills are increasing, it’s time for me to buckle down again.

Our kids are growing up so fast.  Zelda and Zachary are always at the park, making friends with other kids their age.

 

Well, Zachary is, anyway.  Zelda’s not much of a people person.

But even our youngest, baby Myles, isn’t a baby anymore.

But with the twins’ birthday getting closer every day, Rez and I spend time with the other Founders whenever we can. It’s important to Rez that we arrange Zelda’s and Zachary’s marriages now, so that we can surprise them with the news once they’re officially teenagers. Rez is sure they’ll be thrilled, there’s not a shred of doubt in his mind. But me? I can’t help but worry. Rez’s harebrained idea seemed exciting an interesting at the time, but my babies were only hypothetical back then. Now that they’re real, that they’re individuals with their own dreams and personalities, I wonder if arranged marriage is really what’s best.

But Rez has no doubts.  He spends hours on the phone, making the arrangements. He talks a lot with Tatiana Cloud, whose son is Zelda’s age and who Rez says is her best prospective match. They’re both loners, and will each respect the other’s need for space. Rez says he trusts Tatiana, and I wonder why he would rather talk to Tatiana than to me, but I remind myself not to be jealous.  It’s only business, so I keep my mouth shut.  I do think the Oulette’s new boy is a better fit for Zelda, though. I’ve been talking with Maaike, and we have plans of our own.

I’m sitting by the window, texting with Maaike, when I see Rez outside talking to a man I’ve never seen before. Well, they’re not talking exactly – Rez is furious, and I recognize that wild look in his eye.

Something inside me stirs at the sight of it, and I’m filled with exhilaration.

I run outside to intervene, but if I’m honest I have no intention of breaking this up. If I know Rez, he’s said something offensive, he’s pushed too hard, he’s set the man off. And I don’t care because deep down, his wild side excites me.

But when I get there, I see that this altercation is escalating more quickly than I’d bargained for.  I like seeing Rez in caveman mode, but I don’t want to see him fight.  I step in and kiss his hands, trying to calm him down.

But the man takes the opportunity to mock me, and Rez looses his cool.

I standby helplessly, but luckily Rez emerges victorious, and the other man rushes away with his tail between his legs.

And suddenly, I realize, I’m feeling frisky.

On a whim, I throw caution to the wind.

And a few days later…

I’m pregnant again, and this time I hope for a sister for Zelda.

My pregnancy progresses healthily, but as the days go on, I become more and more exhausted.  The twins’ birthday is impending, and fortunately, Rez has things “under control” in the kitchen.

He makes quite the mess, but at least the cake is actually edible.

Zachary blows out the candles first…

And Zelda goes next…

And as Rez prepares to inform each of them of their betrothed, I see both of my children take a deep breath.  Rez opens his mouth, the eagerness written on his face, but just as he begins to speak, a cry escapes my mouth.

I’m in labor.

Welcome to the family, Poppy Capricciosa!

---

 

Zelda Capricciosa : loner, hot-headed, Fabulously Wealthy aspiration.

Zachary Capricciosa: genius, slob, Bodybuilder aspiration

 

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Four

On the morning of Day Three, Corey wakes up and stands at the window of his third floor suite.  The view from here is fantastic, but if he’s learned anything over the past three days, it’s that this is nothing compared to the view downstairs.  These ladies sure do like to eat breakfast in their underwear, and Corey decides that this morning, he’s going to join the party.

He brushes his teeth and heads to the grill wearing his heart boxers.  If any of these women are feeling ambivalent towards him, they won’t be for much longer.  If there’s one thing Corey knows, it’s that ladies love heart boxers and hot dogs for breakfast.

Corey is manning the grill when he looks up to see Nakima on the other side of the window.  Unsurprisingly, she’s wearing a red lacy negligee.  And she’s staring at his hot dog.

Corey blushes and looks down, and then he realizes….. Nakima is staring at an actual hot dog.  She must be hungry.  Still, Corey feels self-conscious, and he pulls on a pair of pants before taking the hot dogs to the table, where Nakima meets him with a plate of macaroni and cheese.

So she wasn’t looking at a hot dog after all…

The two eat in companionable silence.  Or maybe it’s an awkward silence, I can’t really tell.  They don’t seem particularly comfortable with one another, but Corey can’t take his eyes off her.  Namika won’t meet his gaze, but maybe she just can’t look him in the eye after he caught her staring at his hot dog hot dog.

But when Paige catches wind of their private rendezvous, she makes a beeline to the table.  She’ll put an end to this little interlude real quick.

Subtlety is not Paige’s strong suit.  She shoots a venomous glare at Namika, willing her to leave, but Namika is not so easily intimidated.  She stands her ground.  Even if she can’t speak to Corey right now, sitting with him in silence is better than not sitting with him at all.

But Paige’s tactics backfire, and Corey politely excuses himself from the table.  This strange hot dog breakfast has only gotten stranger.

Besides, he has arrangements to make for today’s competition.

Corey heads out to the yard and sets up an easel for each of the women.  He’s known them only three days so far, and yet Elimination #2 is on the horizon already.  Corey needs a better understanding of who these women are – their hopes and their dreams, what makes them tick – before the next elimination.  And what better way to do that, than through art?  Corey is sure that the paintings will provide him with the information he needs to make the right decision.  It’s also a fair way to decide who to ask on a one-on-one date tomorrow.

The ladies join him in the yard and immediately get to work.  But one easel is decidedly empty.

Paige is incensed after her run-in with Namika, and she doesn’t take well to being summoned this way.  Men chase Paige, not the other way around.  She fumes in the kitchen and waits for Corey to come after her.  Only then will she join the others.

But Paige waits.  And she waits.  And she waits…

to no avail.  Paige bristles.  She deserves better than this, but she won’t lose to these brainless bimbos.  She has a competition to win.

 

Paige saunters up to the empty easel like she meant to be late.  She rolls her eyes at Namika’s icy glare, and takes a moment to scope out the competition.  Amateurs, the lot of them – nothing to worry about.  Paige scoffs – Colleen even has to copy off of Namika.  Not an original thought in that head, that’s for sure.

One by one, the contestants begin to finish their paintings, and I take the opportunity to fulfill the whims they’ve rolled for Corey.

Colleen tells a funny story….

Jessamine tells a joke…

And Sandy gets friendly.

Corey is definitely not thinking friendly thoughts when he watches Sandy walk away!  He gets the woohoo rocket ship thought bubble, and I just know his dirty mind is running away with him.

But this is a best painting contest, not a best butt contest, and so Corey assesses the artwork.  This has to be fair, so the most valuable painting will be the winner.

Colleen’s done an okay job with her teapot painting, and it’s worth $94.  But Corey saw her copy from Namika, and while that’s not exactly against the rules, it certainly isn’t in the spirit of the competition.  Colleen’s painting tells Corey more about Namika than it does about Colleen, and leaves Corey wondering – if Colleen is so willing to steal ideas, what else is she willing to steal?

Jessamine was in a flirty mood at the time I designated for the contest, and I decided she should paint accordingly.  I think this method worked well.  In future contests, any contestant whose current mood has an associated action will be instructed to use that action (i.e., an energized contestant in treadmill contest will use “energized workout”).

Jessamine did an okay job with her painting, and it’s worth $120.  Corey laughs when he sees that she’s labeled the cats as “you” and “me,” and he blushes a little at the implication.

Corey moves on to Namika’s painting next – the original teapot.  He looks for metaphors and allusions, and decides that Namika is the cardinal – wild and free.  While the painting is merely okay, it is worth $107, and Corey decides he likes its message.  He has a soft spot for a free spirit.

Next in line is Paige’s okay landscape painting, worth $88.  Corey looks up and sees that Paige has painted the view from her easel.  The painting lacks creativity and originality, and Corey is less enthralled with Paige’s painting than he is with Paige herself.

Sandy’s painting, however, is more whimsical.  Corey isn’t sure if it’s a snail or an alien, but he likes how it highlights Sandy’s playful side.  The painting is worth $97 and is of okay quality.

The last painting is Roskva’s, and Corey is highly impressed.  She’s done okay work, but at $134, Roskva’s painting is the clear winner.  Corey thinks her use of color and light are highly symbolic.  Just don’t ask him why.

Corey proclaims Roskva the winner, and Colleen offers her roommate her congratulations.

But it’s only when Roskva walks away that Colleen lets her true feelings show.  From the look on her face, I’d say she has plans for that painting.  Destruction or thievery, I’ll never tell.

---

 

For the rest of the day, the contestants are left to their own devices.  I decide to up the ante, and I direct Corey to initiate one flirt interaction with each of the ladies.

 

The women are all receptive to his advances, but Jessamine (our resident drama-queen-attention-monger) falls apart at the sight of Corey flirting with Paige.   How predictable.  Keep it together, girl.

At this point, Corey rolls a whim to skinny dip.  I think he’s hoping for Jessamine and/or Paige to follow along, but they’re not having any of it. I won’t deny him this small indulgence, though, and so I direct him to skinny dip on his own.

Namika is dancing nearby, and it’s clear she notices Corey, because his face appears in her thought bubble.  Just this morning, she blushed at the sight of his boxers, but Namika is  feeling frisky tonight. She gets a good eye full. Namika knows exactly what his hot dog looks like now!

When Corey finishes skinny dipping, he heads straight back to the living room to find Jessamine and Paige.  What he doesn’t do is put his clothes on.

Maybe he’s been drinking juice behind my back, because his inhibitions sure are low.  He walks his bare butt through the house and basically does the Naked Man for Jessamine.

Jessamine seems uncomfortable, and needless to say, she’s unimpressed with his shenanigans.  Paige, on the other hand, is happy to indulge him and his hot dog.

 

But Corey’s stomach is growing, and there’s a cheeseburger somewhere calling his name.  All this flirting sure has worked up an appetite.

So Corey goes outside to fire up his handy dandy grill…

and promptly starts a fire.

Luckily, our bachelor is brave and quick, and he sees this as an opportunity to demonstrate his heroism.

Roskva’s squeamish side takes over, and she lets everyone know how disgusted she is by fire.  But still, she’s glad for Corey’s safety.  She rolls a whim to be friendly with him, and since since she gets the “house” thought bubble, I have her “boast about family” to fulfill the whim.

Roskva thinks this is going well.  Corey wants a family, and she has one!  A perfect match, she thinks.

But this is when Corey rolls a whim to flirt with Jessamine.  This is the first time that anyone in the mansion has rolled a romantic whim that is aimed at a specific housemate.

Feeling confident from extinguishing the fire, Corey also rolls a (non-specific) whim to use a bold pick-up line.  Since both whims pop up at the same time, I send Corey to use a bold pick-up line on Jessamine.

It goes swimmingly, as expected.

But elsewhere in the mansion, Roskva is deciding what to wear for her one-on-one date  tomorrow.  She rolls a whim : “Have First Kiss With Corey.”

Considering she doesn’t have a romance bar with him yet, this is rather ambitious.  But, as they say – where there’s a will, there’s a way.

 

 

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Three (Elimination #1)

It’s day three, and most of the contestants have woken up with a whim for Corey.  Everyone wants to make a last good impression before elimination!  Jessamine heads straight for the grill, knowing that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

 

But Corey is sleeping in, and the other girls gobble up the grilled fruit before he even gets out of bed.  Sandy, Jessamine, and Roskva chat nervously over their breakfast, speculating about which of them will be the first to leave the house.  Jessamine feels confident she’s staying (her swan dive and cloudgazing should have done the trick), and Sandy felt a connection last night during foosball.  But Roskva is uncertain.  Corey hasn’t shown much interest in her so far, and she thinks she could be on the chopping block.

 

Likewise, Sierra mopes around the house all morning.  She seems to think that her future here is uncertain as well.

 

Roskva and Sierra are right to worry.  Their relationships with Corey are the two lowest in the house.  But Corey likes them both equally, and he has yet to decide which of these two beauties he’d like to keep.  I decide to pin all the ladies’ whims for the time being, and send Corey out on a last ditch date with Roskva and Sierra.  There are only a few hours left until eliminations, so there’s no time to dawdle.

I send Corey, Sierra, and Roskva to the Von Haunt Estate in hopes that the beautiful scenery will encourage a little romance.  But things get off to a rocky start when – predictably – Corey pays more attention to his phone than he does to his dates.  What is his deal?  Roskva plasters a smile to her face as she waits for him to address them, but from the look on her face, I have a feeling her patience is wearing as thin as mine.

 

 

Sierra looks unhappy as she gives Roskva the side eye.  Maybe she’s thinking Roskva has a better chance than she does, but Sierra is her own worst enemy.  She takes off once again, and walks directly to the chess table, where she seems delighted to play alone.  For someone who spent all morning seeming miserable, she’s certainly quick to ditch her date.

 

Meanwhile, Roskva also tires of waiting for Corey and decides to explore the mansion on her own.  She’s creative, after all, and she wants to see the art work in the museum.  She goes to check out the kitchen exhibit when she walks in on two flirty ghosts kissing passionately.  If only Corey would look at her like that!

 

At this point, Corey takes a break from his phone to use the bathroom.  He stares at himself in the mirror, and frowns.  I don’t think he’s looking forward to making this decision, or to facing the contestants at elimination.  He’s a good guy, our Corey – he’s not out to break any hearts.

 

But this is the Bachelor, and heart-breaking comes with the territory.  Time is marching on, and our Corey has spent zero time with either of the girls.  Due to the lack of autonomous progress, I decide it’s time to intervene.  I select “go here” for all three of them, and send them out to the terrace.

 

They talk as as a group for awhile, and Corey and Sierra gain quite a few friendship points.  I think we finally have a front runner, and Roskva seems to think so, too, because she heads off to the chess table, alone in defeat.  But Corey does something surprising, and for the first time during this date, he makes an autonomous action that seems to favor one woman over the other.

He leaves Sierra on the terrace, and joins Roskva in her game of chess.  Corey teases her a bit and cracks a blonde joke, but Roskva isn’t offended.  She laughs good-naturedly, and in the end she shows him who’s boss when she captures his king.

 

Still, Corey’s relationship panel indicates no preference, and with Elimination just hours away, I need him to make a decision.  I choose to have him initiate the “Flirt” interaction with each of the ladies.

 

He approaches Sierra first, complimenting her beautiful dark eyes.

 

She seems flattered at first, but she turns on Corey unexpectedly, brushing off his advances.

 

Maybe she’s ticked off he ditched her for Roskva’s chess game, or maybe she just isn’t interested.  But the end result is the same – she loses several relationship points with Corey, and moreover, he’s humiliated.

I send Sierra home, and wait until Corey gets over her rejection to have him flirt with Roskva.  I don’t want him dying of humiliation if Roskva rejects him, too.

But Roskva is much more receptive than Sierra.  She’s more than happy to feed his wounded ego, and throws him a flirtatious wave.

 

And so the date ends on a good note.

Back at the mansion, it’s almost time for Elimination.  Sandy and Jessamine knock back a few drinks to calm their nerves, and then it’s time to get ready.

 

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The contestants gather in the ceremony room, and wait anxiously for the Elimination to begin.  They talk amongst themselves, but when Corey appears at last – looking dashing in his light gray suit – the women fall silent.

 

Corey is nervous but he does his best to look confident.  His decision is clear now, and he knows what needs to be done.

Colleen is the first to be called.  Their relationship is the strongest, and while he’s not sure if his feelings for her are romantic, he is eager to see where things go.  She happily accepts his invitation to stay, and hugs him before heading back inside the mansion.

 

 

Jessamine is next.  She has definitely commanded Corey’s attention, and her efforts have paid off.  She gazes at him adoringly as he gives her the news, but Corey still isn’t sure if she likes him or if she just likes to win.  Only time will tell, and Corey seems happy to give her that time.

 

Corey calls Sandy next.  She really impressed him during their foosball game, and Corey thinks she’s easy-going and sweet.  He hasn’t seen her temper yet, and apparently he doesn’t notice that she’s wearing a wedding gown to Elimination.  Regardless, Sandy can’t hide her excitement at being chosen to stay, and moreover, that she has been picked before Paige.

 

 

But Paige is called next, and she saunters seductively up to Corey.  I didn’t think she’d take kindly to being called fourth, but she puts her game face on and graciously accepts Corey’s invitation to stay.  One thing is for sure, though – she will be upping her game before Elimination 2.

 

 

We’re down to the bottom three now, and Namika is visibly relieved to hear her name called.  She’s so excited, in fact, that Corey practically has to peel her off of him as she clings to their hug.  He doesn’t seem to mind, though.  There are worse things than having a beautiful woman cling to you.

 

 

It’s down to the last two women now, and Sierra and Roskva sit anxiously, hoping for Corey to call their name.

 

But their date this morning made things very clear, and Corey isn’t interested in pursuing a woman who has no interest in him.

And so it’s Roskva’s name he calls last.  She beams at him, thankful for another chance to win his heart.

 

 

Roskva departs, leaving Corey alone with Sierra.

 

He calls her to the front to join him.  It’s clear from the look on his face that he doesn’t look forward to this awkward conversation.

 

Corey is taken aback when Sierra begins to cry.  She rejected him earlier, after all.  He never expected her to react this way.

 

“Why are you crying?” he asks her point blank.  “You never even seemed to like me!”

 

“You don’t understand!” she yells.  “I did meet my soulmate here!  It just isn’t you!  And now I’ll have to go home to Oasis Springs, and I’ll never see my gardener again!”

Corey smiles, because he knows he has made the right choice.

And Sierra packs her bags and leaves the mansion.  Maybe she’ll go back to Oasis Springs.  Or maybe she’ll go find her gardener.

 

The Bachelor Experiment : Day Two

On the morning of Day Two, Corey wakes up with a whim to Be Friendly with Jessamine. Likewise, she’s rolled a whim to Be Funny with him – but the other women have also rolled whims for Corey, and it turns out that time with the bachelor is a hot commodity in these early hours.

Corey gets out of bed and changes, and I have him seek out Jessamine.  Since Corey is the bachelor, I think it makes sense for his whims to be top priority.  When he finds her, Jessamine is still wearing her sunny yellow pajamas, and Corey gets the heart boxers thought bubble.  Either he’s thinking of stripping down with her, or he’s just glad that her pj’s are nothing more than glorified underwear.

 

But Corey is in for a real treat today, because Jessamine’s not the only one running around without her pants on.

Rosvka has also rolled a whim to Be Funny with Corey, and she finds him next.  Corey barely noticed her yesterday, and so this morning she’s pulling out all the stops – garter belt and all.

 

 

So Corey is more than happy to indulge her when she cracks her joke, but he’s surprised to find that her punchline elicits a genuine belly laugh.

 

Rosvka is hot and funny, something he hadn’t realized until now.  If he could keep his nose out of his phone for five seconds, maybe he would know that already!

But Corey is distracted when Paige saunters into the room.

 

She’s woken up in a flirty mood, and rolled a whim to Be Friendly with Corey.  Like Jessamine and Rosvka, Paige also thinks that pants are unnecessary.

 

These two seem really comfortable with one another, and they stand so close when they talk.  Paige tells a racy joke, and though he doesn’t laugh the same way as he did with Rosvka, the look on his face is proof that he’s smitten with Paige.

And Paige knows just how to keep a man’s attention, and so she turns and walks away, giving him a good look at her backside, and leaving him wanting more.

 

 

Regardless, Corey also makes time for the other ladies, especially Sandy and Colleen, who who both rolled whims to Be Funny with him.

In the end, Corey knows that Elimination is only one day away and he needs to start thinking about who he’ll let go.  Ultimately, he decides to invite Colleen and Sierra – the girl he knows best and the girl he knows least – on a group date.

Rosvka waves goodbye to Colleen as she changes for her date, and wishes her luck.  Colleen is indignant.  She knows that she and Corey have something special – her relationship with him is stronger than anyone else in the house!

 

But Colleen doesn’t know that Corey has actually invited her because he isn’t quite sure how he feels about her.  He gets along great with Colleen, and their cloudgazing talk brought them closer together.  But Corey hasn’t rolled any whims for Colleen, and he hasn’t gotten that flirty feeling around her.  He needs to see if his feelings go further than friendship.

The three of them arrive at the Windenberg park, and Sierra immediately runs off to play chess with a gardener.  She has made little effort to get to know Corey, and this is no exception.  This doesn’t bode well.

 

Meanwhile, while Corey stops off for a bathroom break, Colleen notices a little girl playing on the jungle gym.  Colleen knows that Corey loves kids and wants a big, happy family someday.  She thinks this could be a good opportunity to impress him, and so she approaches the girl.

Of course Corey doesn’t notice because he’s standing outside the bathroom with his nose in his phone.

 

At last, Corey looks up and he smiles to see Colleen laughing with the girl.  He watches them for a moment, and gets the “house” thought bubble.  I wonder if he’s thinking about making a home with Colleen someday.  He walks over and joins Colleen on the bench, where they play astronaut with the girl (she’s the astronaut, they’re the aliens), and chat with each other between asteroid storms.

 

Corey leans in a bit, and I start to wonder if he’s getting ready to make a move…

 

but at that moment, Sierra decides to join them.

 

Colleen is not happy.  Why are they staring at each other like that?

She loses her cool and turns on Sierra.  Personally, I think she has a point.  I mean, get it together, Sierra.  Are you here for the bachelor or the gardener?

 

Corey sits back uncomfortably and hopes it blows over, but Sierra doesn’t take kindly to Colleen’s accusations.  They’ve been here – what? thirty six hours? – and this redheaded floozie thinks she owns Corey Mulligan?  Sierra strikes back, and finally, Corey cuts in, smoothing things over.  Something about ghosts.  Maybe he doesn’t want them to kill each other.

 

The date ends, but Corey is no closer to his decision.  Since Sierra spent the majority of the date playing chess with the gardener, Corey didn’t have time to gain many relationship points with her.  On the other hand, his friendship with Colleen grew even stronger, but there were no romantic developments.

That night, I give Corey another shot to get to know the girls.  I finally initiate the dance party that was supposed to happen on Night One.

 

Corey chats with several of the girls as they dance, but Sierra hangs off to the side, not joining the crowd.  Her mood flips in and out of angry several times, and I assume she’s not happy to have to socialize with Colleen.  Eventually Sierra removes herself from the situation entirely, taking up a seat at the bar, but she is shocked when Colleen joins her.

 

They exchange pleasantries, and I’m surprised that Sierra manages to be polite.  But Colleen is a no-nonsense type, and she tells Sierra that if she’s more interested in gardeners than in bachelors, then she should just go home and give the rest of them a chance.  Sierra doesn’t get the chance to respond, because Colleen is gone in a flash, her empty seat now filled by Corey.

I’m happy to see him making an effort with her, but once again, Sierra’s attention is elsewhere.  She’s talking with the ladies on the dance floor and seems oblivious to his presence.

 

Paige, on the other hand, is not oblivious.  She shoots him a look to kill.  He already spent all day with Sierra, and now he’s giving her one-on-one time again tonight?  Paige is just not having it.  Surprisingly, she gives in to her low energy bar and heads off to bed, followed by a few of the other girls.

 

At this point, Corey rolls a whim to challenge someone to foosball.  The only ladies left standing are Jessamine and Sandy, and since Corey currently has a stronger relationship with Jessamine, I have him challenge Sandy.

 

He beats her and it turns out she’s not a very graceful loser.  But, she looks good in a bikini, and Corey thinks that’s a plus.

It’s 4am by the time Corey, Sandy, and Jessamine (who’s been dancing alone all this time) head off for bed.  But Colleen, being an early riser, is just getting up.  She hears the music still playing, and follows it outside, only to find the dance floor empty.

The bar, however, is not empty at all.  Her eyes light up at the sight of fancy cocktails, and she takes a seat on a bar stool.  She is going to need some liquid courage for Elimination Day.

 

 

The Bachelor Experiment : Day One

I drop everyone on the lot, and they all immediately run off to do their own thing. So much for socializing. Sienna makes a beeline to the computer, Namika heads to the bathroom, and Colleen whips out her phone and starts texting no one, apparently, because the only people she knows are the the bachelor and the other contestants, right?

Only Paige, Jessamine, and Sandy hang out long enough to make small talk. Unfortunately Paige starts off on the wrong foot with Jessamine. Apparently she’s feeling a bit snippy already. She mocks Jessamine right off the bat, and Jessamine naturally looks less than thrilled.

But Sandy comes to the rescue and seems to smooth things over for them. Things get back on track, because, seriously – just look at that face!

Corey makes his way out to the lawn, but he only hangs off to the side, watching the ladies like a weirdo. I think he likes what he sees, but he doesn’t seem to be making a move on his own.

So I decide to send him off to introduce himself to all of the ladies. Of course, technically, he already knows them all (I forgot to set all of their relationships to zero. Note for next time.). Since he can’t use “Friendly Introduction,” I choose for him to use the “Get to Know” interaction instead.

He seeks out Sandy first, and things go well enough. He must make a joke, because she laughs, but by the look on her face, I don’t know if she’s laughing at him or with him. They would continue to chat, but I cancel the interaction. I’m directing Corey to make one identical friendly interaction with each lady, but I feel like allowing any resulting interactions would be cheating. I want to keep things fair here.

So Corey moves on, and luckily, he gets a better reaction from Namika. I think he looks relieved that someone actually finds him funny. After he “gets to know” her, I cancel the interaction and send him on his way.

Corey finds Colleen next, and as they’re chatting, he sidles onto the piano bench, trying to impress her. Too bad he doesn’t know how to play the piano, because Colleen gets a music thought bubble and I imagine she’s asking him to play her something. Now’s a good time to cancel their interaction. I wouldn’t want my bachelor to make a fool of himself already.

Corey heads over to Sierra. I initiate “Get to Know” once, but she seems to ignore him. She’s too engrossed in her game to give him the time of day. I consider initiating the interaction again, but decide it might border on cheating, so I send Corey on his way and hope he’ll have a chance to talk to Sierra later. In the meantime, I remove all the computers from the lot.

Corey heads to the next room, where he finds both Jessamine and Rosvka. He seems pretty happy to have these two beautiful blondes competing for him. I choose for him to “get to know” Jessamine first.

It goes well, and then I cancel the interaction to give Rosvka her fair shot. I have no idea what happens next, because suddenly Jessamine is crying and throwing a tantrum (see the tears she’s shaking away?). Dramatic much? I guess she wasn’t too happy about being passed over for Rosvka. But Corey and Rovska don’t seem to notice, and they carry out their interaction happily until I cancel it for them.

Corey heads outside now, where he finds the last contestant, Paige. She doesn’t seem too happy that she was left for last – there’s something about Paige that reminds me of a spoiled Southern belle. She’s definitely not used to playing second fiddle.

But Paige goes after what she wants, and she is absolutely determined to get our bachelor’s attention. She quickly changes into her bathing suit – can’t hurt to show a little skin – and just as she predicted, Corey can’t take his eyes off of her.

But when Sandy senses the chemistry between the pair, she makes it a point to break up their party of two. Maybe sweet Sandy has a little more sass than I thought.

Paige is obviously not pleased, but things are about to get even hairier because this is when I notice that Jessamine (who is currently wandering around the mansion somewhere unsupervised) has become flirty. She’s noticed the parade of bikinis around Corey, and we already know how she feels about being the center of attention. Jessamine has rolled a whim to swan dive into the pool…

Which she does, with her hat on. Because a swan dive in a sun hat is a surefire way to turn Corey’s head.

Unfortunately, no one seems to notice – they’re all too caught up in their love triangle drama to pay Jessamine any attention. Paige still has Corey twisted around her little finger, and Sandy’s temper is beginning to flare.

She decides she’s had enough, and she gets up to leave. Neither of them even glance her way as she stands up and storms off.

Sandy kicks over the trash can in a moment of anger. Sweet Sandy my plum! I didn’t know she had it in her!

Meanwhile, back at the pool, Paige and Corey are interrupted once again, when Namika enters the scene.

Paige is obviously not pleased.

She’s had enough of these inferior little girls getting in her way, and so she decides to leave them to it. Not like Namika is anything to worry about anyway.

Namika is thrilled, because this means she gets some time alone with Corey. She talks animatedly, and he listens attentively…for about five minutes. Then comes out the phone. Corey clearly isn’t listening to anything she’s saying.

Fed up with his nonsense, Namika stands up and leaves as well. Corey is too fixated on his cell phone to even notice. When he finally looks up and sees he’s alone, he gets up and heads back toward the house.

He’s steps away from the front door, when he is intercepted by Colleen, who has rolled a whim to cloudgaze with Corey.

He’s happy to oblige, and they engage in some hardcore bonding.

My plan was to end the first night with a dance party, but it’s getting late and everyone’s needs are plummeting, so I decide to leave it until Night Two and just leave them all to their own devices.  A few of the girls head off to bed early, but Corey gathers around the TV with Sierra, Namika, and Rosvka.  I’m hoping he’ll use the time to his advantage, since he has barely spoken to Sierra and Rosvka.  They sit there hopefully, waiting for Corey to unglue his phone from his hand.

But the phone proves too interesting for Corey, and the girls settle for conversation amongst themselves.

Is Corey really this immature (he is childish, after all), or is he just really that uninterested in these three girls?

Until next time…

 

 

 

The Bachelor Experiment: Intro

I need a break from my prettacy.  I love writing the Hasslich family, but I’m about ten (!) chapters behind in my writing – I have a lot of catching up to do!  For awhile now, I’ve been tossing around the idea of doing a Hasslich edition of the Bachelor/Bachelorette challenge.  It’s looking like this is probably going to happen someone within the next month, once the Generation 6 heir is decided.  Since I’ve never done a Bachelor challenge before, I thought it might be fun to run through it once before subjecting a Hasslich relative to my whims.  This is basically a dry run/experiment to figure out what works for my purposes and what doesn’t.

I downloaded the above lot from the gallery (Tropical Modern by Brookeyboo123), created my bachelor, and downloaded seven gorgeous contestants from the gallery.  I’ve set some rules for myself going forward, such as:  Eliminations will be every three sim days, and the contestant with the lowest relationship bar with the bachelor will be eliminated.  I am not to control the bachelor, OR the contestants EXCEPT to tell them “go here,” when directing them to a date or group event, or to fulfill whims that they’ve rolled.  If the bachelor OR any of the ladies ever rolls a whim for any other member of the household, that whim MUST be fulfilled.  Other whims can be fulfilled if it seems relevant for whatever reason, but I am not allowed to choose any other interactions for them.

MEET THE CAST

This is our bachelor, Corey Mulligan.  Corey has the Big Happy Family aspiration, and is a childish, domestic, insider bro.

The first of our contestants is Sienna Darden (downloaded from the gallery, by quietvamp13).  Sienna has the Leader of the Pack aspiration, and she is a neat, squeamish, gregarious perfectionist.

Next up is Colleen Middleton (by EthaanBeaar).  Like Sienna, Collen has the Leader of the Pack aspiration.  She is a creative, gregarious, insider kleptomanic.  I wonder if she can steal Corey’s heart?!

Sandy Tree (by Juipeli) is next.  I just think she’s cute as a button.  Like the other two girls, she has the Leader of the Pack aspiration.  Looks like I might have a bit of a popularity contest on my hands.  Sandy is a gregarious, insider, creative, perfectionist.

Then there’s Paige Taylor (by wrap1956).  Paige has the Soulmate aspiration, and is cheerful, romantic, alluring, and neat.

This is Jessamine Larken.  Jessamine is my own creation, listed under AllieK84.  I made her as a potential Amazon, and decided to give her a second purpose here.  She also has the Soulmate aspiration.  She is outgoing, romantic, and alluring, and she loves the outdoors.

Next up is Namika Phan (by Annikalice).  Namika has the Bodybuilder aspiration.  She is cheerful, active, self-assured, and of course has a high metabolism.

And our last contestant is Rosvka Ibramovich.  I’m having a hard time figuring out who the creator of this beauty is, but it’s definitely not me!  I’ll update later if/when I figure it out. Rosvka has the Painter Extraordinaire aspiration.  She is a creative, family-oriented, and squeamish muser.

So there you have it.  It’s time to get started!

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