Series 2.1; Episode 2: Bad Luck Burbs

Series 2; Episode 2: 

BAD LUCK BURBS

John Burb was excited, not particularly mournful, about the passing of the town's defacto mayor, Mortimer Goth. After all, this was the time that his political group, the Simulation party could gain momentum. 

The party was originally formed to bring into question Mortimer's ability to govern effectively, and now that he had died, the people of Pleasantview could speak freely as never before, reconsidering just how wonderful and noble Mortimer truly was. The Goth reputation had been tarnished and dirtied, and their history came into reconsideration. This was somewhat tragic, but fortunate for John. The way he saw it, the golden age of the Goth family was over, since Mortimer died without having a true heir. Sure, he had had four children, but they were all disillusioned and estranged. Indeed, the golden age of the Goths was over.

John's family, however, was as solid as a rock. Jennifer was the picture perfect wife, caring about little but fashion and fine cooking; and Lucy was simply the most likable lassie you ever did meet. Brad and Tiffany, John's parents, would be happy had they seen the idyllic vision that Burb tradition sought.

However, things were not quite as idyllic as John had wished. He had, after all, made the unfortunate decision of moving from SimCity to Pleasantview while unemployed. He barely scraped out a living doing campaign work at §37 an hour. 

However, he persisted, and was successful in applying for that internship. This paid §70 per hour, however, the work days were shorter, and he was required to travel to SimCity simply to do errand work for the controller. However, the §840 bonus made Burb comfortable enough to start considering what he could do for his little girl's future. He organized an application for Smuggsworth Prep, inviting over Headmaster Vince Walter for dinner. However, Vince declined the first time, simply because the family didn't have enough money. Heartbroken, Burb chose not to pursue the subject of preparatory education for a while - not until he knew he could afford it.

Much time passed, but John was still stuck with the tedious errand work at SimCity. Why, oh why, he asked, hadn't he just stayed in SimCity? Why did he think it a smart idea to move back to Pleasantview? Sure, it was a beautiful, idyllic community, but hadn't he stopped to consider the costs? It seems that he had not.

Since her father had to spend so much time out of the house, Lucy grew into a terrific young lady, also growing tired of only having Mother for company. She became more and more social with other youths in Pleasantview, such as the Broke boys on Woodland drive, which made John angry. 'Stay away from those kids, they're no good!,' he said. But Lucy didn't stay away.

John soon found out that she was dating one of the younger of the Broke brothers, Beau. Very doubtful of the young man, especially it being that his brother, Dustin, was a petty criminal scumbag loser, John demanded that he meet Beau. His doubts remained, but he didn't stop Lucy from seeing him. Especially, given that he wanted to focus more and more on his internship.

Finally, he got his big break, when a group of lobbyists agreed to bring John on board permanently. They would support the Simulation party, under the conditions that Burb partake in their activities and ventures to the best of his ability. The thousand simoleons up front was an offer Burb couldn't refuse. To this extend, Burb thought he was selling himself out, but he had no choice. He wanted, more than anything, to get Lucy into Smuggsworth, so she wouldn't have to be a later starter like him. Any way he could, John was determined to give his daughter the best.

Big John returned to Pleasantview, and with the support of the lobbyists, declared himself campaign manager of the Simulation party. However, he didn't head straight to work. Rather, he had an old score to settle. With the help of the §5,000 he had amassed, he organized a luscious get-together with Vince Walter. John, now armed with influential charisma, was able to persuade the headmaster that his daughter should attend Smuggsworth.

More good news when Jennifer announced she was pregnant. Soon enough, a young boy joined the family. John decided to name him William, after his grandfather, William Marsh, who had moved out of the city to Old Town, where his daughter, Tiffany, met Brad Burb. Tiffany convinced Brad to live in the city with her, so she could continue her department store job, but Brad grew tired of it, moving back to old town. John named his boy William to symbolize the hectic life he had endured, living in Pleasantview but working in the city. His full name was William Burb II, and would be John's heir. Unlike what happened with Mortimer, John told himself, he would not let his heir escape him. 'You'll make me proud one day,' John said.

To accommodate the growing family, the Burbs moved to a bigger, two story house. However, this had once again drained a lot of money, and the lights didn't work. Family life around this time was hectic. As Lucy's studies multiplied, she also needed a part time job at a gas-station to support the family. Jennifer, on the other hand, was too busy tending to a very needy William.

This culminated when John Burb was elected representative of Pleasantview. He now had his own office at SimCity Council, and was once again spending much of his time out in town. He became preoccupied mostly, with bills and laws which would bring a greater free-market to Pleasantview. However, he was standing alone against the masses. Pleasantview's business was state owned, but John was determined that change. He continued to partner with Mary-Sue Pleasant, and the Simulation party became the new face of Pleasantview. The stress this added to the rest of the family cannot be underestimated. Whenever he did return home, it would mostly be to help Lucy with her studies. She also had a part time out-of-town job as a gold caddy.

Above everything else, Lucy was continuing her relationship with Beau Broke. However, John was becoming increasingly suspicious of Beau, hearing stories of wild parties and possible flings with other girls. If word of this became true, John would organize his banishment from town.

However, above all the stories, Lucy remained faithful. She announced one day that Beau was leaving for college, and she would be going with him. They moved into a dormitory together, where they began their new life.

However, the idealistic young couple were soon to be shaken. Straight after her arrival in college, Lucy's lovely mother, Jennifer, died from a heart attack, and everything changed for the Burb family. William was without a Mother, and John would have to loosen up on his work to take care of the boy. Worst of all, Lucy's introduction to University would always have an unhappy memory about it. Would her love for Beau be enough to leave this unfortunate happening behind?

But this isn't about Beau and Lucy, nor about John. For now we shall make the case in point the young boy, William, who lost something so precious at such an early age, much like Beau. 

John looked at the young boy as he cried at her mother's grave. I am all he has, now, he thought. And he is all I have. You better not let me down, William. If you let me down, you'll be letting your mother down.

What will become of this shattered family? Will John and young William persevere together? How about Beau and Lucy? What if nobodies perseveres and everybody screws up? They might! - find out in future installments of the History of Pleasantview!

Series 1; Episode 8: Simerican Beauty

'My name is Daniel Pleasant. This is my neighborhood; this is my street; this is my life. I am 49 days old; in less than a day I will be dead. Of course I don't know that yet, and in a way, I am dead already.'

Episode 8: Simerican Beauty

Chapter One:
Home, Sweet Battlefield

Daniel Pleasant's daughter, Lilith, had changed very much ever since she began to date bad boy Dustin Broke. She started beating up her sister, Angela, as revenge for a decade of being the favorite, and Lilith, the reject. Stealing her boyfriend wasn't enough. She wanted Angela to suffer.

Lilith wasn't going to let anyone else have Dustin. He had been flirting with a girl named Tosha Go from school, but Lilith decided she could solve the problem simply by beating her up, too.

Daniel grew concerned, so he had a talk with his troubled daughter.

'I didn't raise you to be a no-good punk!', he yelled, 'apologize to your sister.'

'I ain't!' she sang, 'I'm unapologetic! I'se be miss-behavin', watchaw gawna do?'

'That's it!' he bellowed, 'you are grounded, young lady!'

'You think you can hold me down? I do what I want!'

And so, later that night, Lilith snuck into Angela's bedroom to use her computer, and sent an e-mail to Dustin.

omg my family r such LOSERS lol1
can u pik me up @ lyk 12 lolz?
cyu then babe lolz

And so, at midnight, Lilith snuck out to meet Dustin, who was driving a hotwired car.

'Get in, babe,' Dustin said, 'let's blow this lame-ass joint.'

But before they made it even halfway across the street, Dustin was arrested for driving under the influence of nectar without a licence, and Lilith was brought back home by the Pleasantview Police.

'Pigs can't hold me down!' Lilith proclaimed, 'Ain't none of ya'll not got nuttin' on me. How long can ya last, pa? Too fast fo' ya? I'll outlast ya!'

'I don't know, Lilith,' Daniel said, and he walked off. He would give his soul for a glass of nectar himself, but he wasn't drinking anymore.

He went over to the kitchen and shoved some poptarts in the oven, but he forgot all about it, and let it burn. The kitchen caught on fire, but luckily, Angela was there to put it out.

Daniel really wanted that glass of nectar now.

Chapter Two:

The Burbs

Daniel needed to talk with his wife. He thought that she should spend a bit more time with Lilith, as she might be able to talk some sense into her. 

But Mary-Sue was most often preoccupied with the computer, talking with Daniel's brother in-law, John Burb over the simternet. She and John were working on a campaign opposing Mortimer's government, and John would be moving into Pleasantview with his family.

When John and Jennifer Burb arrived in Pleasantview, Mary-Sue and Daniel agreed to help them unpack. After all, Daniel was looking for any excuse to get out of the house. They also arranged a brunch at the Burb's new house on the day of their daughter Lucy's birthday party, so they could get together and catch up.

The occasion was all planned out, but at the last minute, Mary-Sue informed them she couldn't go, because she was "buried in paperwork", so Daniel had to go by himself.

The get together went reasonably well, although Daniel did feel a bit uncomfortable. There were a few strange things about the Burb household. First of all, Lucy's room had invisible walls, which was rather creepy. Secondly, there was a plate of toasted cheese sandwiches lying on the floor, which was a bit strange. Somebody could step on them. Thirdly, Jennifer was in her underpants at the dinner table, which may have been some weird Burb tradition, but he didn't ask. He thought his sister would at least have the decency to wear pants when inviting a guest around for brunch. Maybe she thought it didn't matter with family members.

John started takling about ways to make money, and Daniel had a hard time being interested in this conversation, because he had plenty of money, although he heard the Burbs were struggling financially.

Daniel decided to ask Burb what his campaign was all about: John and Mary-Sue were working together to strip Mortimer Goth of his mayoral power, because they believed Mortimer was trying to shut Pleasantview off from the rest of SimNation, and they needed to modernize quickly:

'Everyone else is playing Sims 3,' John said, 'and Sims 4 is coming up soon, and here we are, on Sims 2.'

Daniel hadn't the slightest idea what the hell John was talking about, and he was quite anxious to get away from the house without offending his sister.

City life sure had a way of turning people bonkers.

Chapter Three:
Home Alone

When Daniel got back, Mary-Sue had just arrived home, but was getting ready to leave again. Daniel wanted to talk to her.

'Can't talk,' she muttered 'too much to do.'

Daniel thought that was a bit ironic, considering that she was just standing still, gazing out the window. He didn't bother to ask what was going on, he just said 'good luck at the office today, honey,' before she headed towards the door.

'Daniel,' she said, stopping, 'I need you to do something for me.'

'What is that?' he responded.

'I need you to clean the house today. I won't have the time, myself.'

'Sure thing,' Daniel said. And he waved his wife goodbye.

*

Daniel didn't really feel like cleaning the house. He was no good at it, and he needed sleep after that strange get together with the Burbs. He decided to pick up the phone and dial the housekeeping service.

'Welcome to Sexy Sims Sanitation Service,' a smooth female voice answered, 'please select from our wide range of qualified cleaning professionals. Would you like a male, or a female?'

'Uhh... female' said Daniel, unsure he got the right number.

'Select preferred hair color - blonde, brunette, or redhead?'

'Ummm... Brunette?'

'Very well. Your personally chosen maid will be over to your house in 30 minutes.'

'Wait, you haven't got my addre-'

'Goodbye,' 

And the phone hung up. He started running a shower when the door knocked. He answered it, and a maid came in.

'My name's Kaylynn, at your service,' the lady said. 'What a big house you have, it's gonna take me ages to clean it all!'

And so, Kaylynn spent the rest of the day carefully cleaning the entire house, with Daniel lounging about. He had a huge list of things he had meant to do today, but with the arrival of Kaylynn they had all suddenly slipped his mind.

Days later, Daniel had work, and everyone else was out. Mary-Sue had asked him to clean the house, since he had done such a great job last time. Daniel picked up t he phone, and asked for Kaylynn again. But this time, Daniel was waiting for her, in his bedroom....

And so it became a habit, with the family none the wiser, because as far as the rest of the family were concerned, what happened at home was of nobody's concern...

But then something horrific happened that would change Daniel's life forever...

Chapter Four:
The Bald Truth

Daniel started going bald, and with it, his whole life had changed forever. When he looked into the mirror, all he saw was his father - his father who had never accomplished his dream of visiting mars... Was he and Jennifer responsible for that? Was it they who had held him back?

Would he end up just like Jeff, his life unfulfilled; his dreams floating away like the hair in his head?

His father had told him to accomplish his dreams. He was now assistant coach to the Sim State Llamas, but what was it all for? A house so big he needs an attractive maid to clean it, two girls who think he's an ogre because of the nasty boys they date; and a wife who never has any time for him. What would Dad have done, if he was in this position?

Daniel wasn't going to let his body fade away, old and useless, like his hair. If his family wasn't going to love him, he would find someone who would. 

He had the maid, and nobody knew about her. How many more girls could Daniel sneak in under his coat!? 

And so, Daniel had found a new lease on life. He would follow, and improve upon, the teachings of Don Lothario. No girl was safe now that Daniel was on the prowl.

Thus, the midlife crisis of Daniel Pleasant has prematurely begun. Driven by the guilt of his father's death, and the alienation from his divided family, Pleasantview is Daniel's oyster. Sure to cause even more friction in the family, what will become of its scattered fragments? Find out in future episodes of the History of Pleasantview!

Series 1; Episode 4: The Simerican Dream

Introduction:

The Pleasant Family

Let's go back in time - back to the time when Mortimer Goth was being whipped with cattle prods for the sake of science. At this same time, a pleasant new family had moved into Pleasantview to get away from it all - to seek a new life of opportunity to pursue their dreams.  Like the Goths, their dreams were big and their pocketbooks were thick. However, some dreams are not to turn out as planned....

This is the beginning of the story of...

                                

1:

Jeff Joins The Army

Jeff Pleasant was a kind and pleasant man, but he was also troubled by a lot of great sadness. 
Jeff was sad that he was already in his middle ages; balding; wearing a tie he didn't like, and he still hadn't accomplished much in his life.

He loved his wife and kids, but his real dream was to become an astronaut and be the first ever man to walk on mars.



He needed a change in his life, so he decided to take his family to start off new in Pleasantview, where he could clear his head and figure out how he would turn his dream into a reality.

It is said that in Pleasantview, anyone can accomplish their dreams.

Determined to accomplish his goal, he joined the army and told them that he wanted to become an astronaut, but they said he didn't have the qualifications to carry out a space mission, so - instead of sending him into a rocket, they shaved off all his remaining hair and chucked him a broom, telling him he could sweep the mess halls for now. He was now a recruit of the Sim State Military, and he knew it would be a long time before the surface of Mars would be beneath his feet.

2:

Goals

Jeff had two wonderful children, but he was most proud of his daughter Jennifer.

Jennifer was a strong, beefy little girl who dreamt of becoming a soccer superstar, and Jeff gave her all the encouragement to follow that path in life:

'Pursue your dreams, Jennifer' he would say to her, 'and don't let anybody stop you. Pursue your dreams, before it's too late. Don't end up like your Dad, sweeping floors by the time your hair is grey!'

Jeff's son Daniel was also a lover of soccer, but unlike his little sister, he hadn't yet made up his mind about his life goals, no matter how hard his father pressed about it. Daniel didn't care about his future. Instead of having a job, he just wanted to play in the sunshine all day with his best friend, little Mary-Sue from across the street.

3: 
Jennifer and Daniel score!

By the time he was in his terrible teens, Daniel had a crush on Mary-Sue Oldie from across the street.

On one occasion, Jeff came home from elite commando training to find his son wailing with tears. When asked why, he said that he had tried to kiss Mary-Sue but she wouldn't let him.

Although it made Jeff sad to hear that he got rejected, he wasn't really surprised. Mary-Sue was adopted, and her foster parents had raised her to strive for success. She was a perfectionist who thought about her future all the time instead of flirting with random boys like Daniel.

Jeff told Daniel that if he wanted Mary-Sue, he should be more like Mary-Sue. He couldn't spend his whole life chasing girls who didn't want him. He should focus on his career and ambitions. If he was a success, than Mary-Sue would like him.

But Jeff didn't think little Mary-Sue would ever like him. To be perfectly honest, Jeff couldn't imagine any girl liking stinky little baby-faced Daniel with his dirty clothing and scruffy hair...

But Daniel only became motivated by his father's speech. He began to practice soccer extra hard. In fact, he was soon practicing even more than Jennifer, who wasn't playing as often now that she had a crush of her own - little Johnny Burb from out of town.

Johnny Burb reminded Jeff of his own son - they were both dirty little children who loved playing in the mud. Johnny lived in Old Town, which was eastwards, but he still managed to find his way over Pleasantview's steep valleys to meet Jennifer.

Jeff became a bit worried when his daughter began dating, worried she was only doing it so she could beat her brother at everything, instead of working to become the best soccer player in the world. But Jeff could do little about it. At the end of the day he looked just like another grouchy parent who wanted to stop his daughter from being happy...

Eventually Daniel's hard work paid off and he got a job, becoming a mascot for the Sim State Llamas, the local soccer team. Jeff was disappointed to see his son, now a young man, dressing up in a Llama outfit for work, but it was better than nothing.


But soon enough Daniel began training for the Llamas as an actual player, proving that he might have what it takes after all. Jeff was happy, but he had hoped it would be Jennifer doing something like this, since it was she who loved soccer the most, but Jennifer was too distracted by Johnny, and she was showing less and less interest in soccer every day.



Mary-Sue and Daniel eventually got engaged, and married soon after that. They went on their honeymoon to Sunlit Tides, a beachside resort on a tropical island. They had 25,000 Simeoleons in the bank; they were young; and the world was their oyster.

Much happened to them on Sunlit Tides, but that is a whole other story....

Epilogue

• Jeff Pleasant worked for the army until his death. He never accomplished his dream of visiting Mars.

• Jennifer Pleasant eventually became Mrs. Jennifer Burb, marrying Johnny and moving out to the city together. Because of the rage of city life, she gave up on soccer and took up an interest in fashion.

• After leaving Sunlit Tides, Daniel and Mary Sue moved back into Pleasantview and bought a large house on 215 Sim Lane. Mary-Sue soon announced that she was pregnant.

Whilst Daniel still played as a starter for the Llamas, Mary-Sue began running local political campaigns across Pleasantview to make extra money. They had their own jobs, so they spent little time together, but they agreed that their honeymoon on Sunlit Tides was the happiest time of their whole marriage.

But Daniel wasn't entirely happy at 215 Sim Lane, and he wasn't sure why. The memory of his father's unaccomplished dream haunted him, like one of the ghosts of Goth manor.

And so we have explored the origins of two of the crucial families - The Pleasants and the Burbs, who will go on to craft themselves into the history of Pleasantview, each in their own individual ways:

Two families that branched out from one - one family that had dreams, sought them, or gave up on them all together. We have heard the story of Jeff, who never accomplished his lifetime wish, we heard of Jennifer, who left behind her own goal to go live with the man of her life.

And then there is Daniel, now with a family of his own, constantly reminded of the words his father told him as a child - that he should accomplish his dreams, and pursue happiness. Had he accomplished his dreams? Had he found happiness on 215 Sim Lane? If so, then why did his father's words haunt him so?

What will happen at 215 Sim Lane in the pursuit for the Simerican Dream?