1.2 A Bunch of Problems

 Chris woke up dry despite having rained all night. The advantages of having his own roof. Now he needs a bathroom, his fumes are predominating the screenshots.

After a rich breakfast consisting of grilled fish, he went to star his day.

Horse: I don't think that's the way to cross this rock formation.

Chris: I've been doing it every morning, so far, I haven't gotten stuck.

Glitches. I love them.

Chris spent the first part of the day dumpster diving. Although, I do have to comment on the wisdom of eating the apple right next to the trash.

Chris: My head has been in there all morning, I think on several occasions I ingested something from there without realizing it, I don't see much of a difference.

It was something I didn't want to know. Yuck.

Chris: You have nothing to complain about, you see it through the screen, my head is really in there.

Ethan Bunch was nearby so I sent Chris to say hello. Why do I keep making him do these things, you ask? Well, it's funny.

Ethan: Get away from me, you smell like the food from a week ago that Arlo forgot under his bed.

Chris: Oh, trust me, it's worse than that.

The relationship between them seems doomed, at least until Chris can use technology and start spamming Ethan with friendly text.

Their relationship bar is half way red, they're in disliked territory now. (A side nota: Is Michael Bachelor puffing out the chest while sitting?)

Seeing that we couldn't do anything here anymore, I took advantage of the proximity of the pool and sent Chris to take a shower.

And who followed us there? The one and only Ethan Bunch. I thought maybe this was a sign, but no.

Chris splashed him playfully but Ethan took it badly and turned around leaving our runaway teen alone in the water.

Unlike her brother, Lisa was interested in playing with Christopher. She seems to be on alert to interrupt their interactions.

This seems like a four-way breathing contest but not, Tori Kimura and Beau Andrews just don't understand personal space.

Lisa following Christopher to the picnic table.

Chris: Does your brother have a problem with me?

Lisa: No, he is like that, only he has everyone fooled with his good and charismatic traits. 

What have the world come to if inappropriate, snob Lisa is a better acquaintance than Ethan?

Lisa: See! Even your watcher was fooled!

Lisa must have made a good impression on Chris because he was thinking about her a few hours later while picking flowers.

Are you thinking of love, my dear Christopher?

Chris: Maybe.

Are you blushing?

Chris scraped together enough money to pay for the 1,500 simoleons to turn on the water, and had enough left over money to buy a shower and toilet. He's living a luxury life.

Chris: Yeah, because showering with no light is really luxurious.

Christopher started with his garden, indoors because autumn has arrived. Planting a couple of seeds is what every runaway teen does, isn't it?

In one of his daily visits to the park, Chris met Lisa again. I'm think she's stalking him, but since she's the one who keeps his social bar green, I'm not too worried. He now has the wish to be friends with her, so I spammed her with a lot of friendly interactions. One of those was consider attractiveness.

Lisa: Look, we have flying hearts over our heads.

Chris: Oh, yes. According to the notification that just appeared I'm find you blindingly stunning.

Lisa: Yes, it says we have a 10/10.

Chris: Well, that's good, right? 

It looks like I was chasing the wrong Bunch. We'll see what comes out of this.

The second day of autumn came with a morning frost. 

Chris: I think this is the first time I'm happy to have fish for breakfast. 

Our founder is happy with his fire. 

Those who are not happy are the service sims.

Mailcarrier: I feel so unappreciated in this game. Nobody seems to pay us enough attention and they don't realize the sacrifices we make.

Paperboy: It's too early to get so philosophical, ma'am. Also, I'm trying to walk without falling, don't distract me.

Since it was the third day in a row that it rains, I felt bad for Chris and sent him to use the easel at the fire station so he could be dry for at least for one day. Also, the painting skill will be needed when we get into the legacy part of this challenge.

Chris: I think is looking good.

What are you painting?

Chris: Lisa. 

Er... I prefer not to comment.

Before going home, I sent Chris to the park to pick some flowers and harvest the pumpkins, but I didn't notice the time and he was caught by the police after curfew. But when the household consists of only one teenager it's not really a problem and it's basically a free ride home.

Chris: What is the cop lady waiting for? I'm very tired and I want to get home.

Thanks to finding three cosmo flowers, Chris was able to pay the electricity bill (2000 by my own rules) and had enough left over to buy a fridge and a counter.

Chris: My first real meal.

Not really, because you had hotdogs and burgers thank to the picnic baskets.

Chris: I was trying to enjoy the moment, thanks for ruining it.

Chris went to visit the Bunch family, specifically Lisa, who left the house seconds before he arrived. But Chris wasn't the only one with the same idea, Parker Langerak was there to visit his friend Ethan.

Ethan: Good thing you're here, Parker. I was thinking of doing something together.

The teen completely ignored my founder and together with his guest entered the house leaving Chris alone at the door.

Ethan thought he was being funny leaving Chris out. He knocks several times on the door but he was ignored.

Chris: I don't know why you put me through these things, it's clear that he doesn't want me here.

I find it funny; I think it's the first time that a sim of mine is not invited to enter a house.

Lisa came back a few minutes later and she was glad to see Christopher, we finally got into the Bunch house.

Ethan was not amused and started fighting with Chris.

Ethan: Look the finger, it's saying no.

Parker: This is so awkward, and the TV is broken and can't use it as a distraction. Why I came here?

Lisa: That's why I came to the kitchen to make a salad, not because I'm hungry but to avoid those two. You can come here if you want.

You're not even in the screenshot.

Lisa: That doesn't mean I don't exist. I'm important enough in your story not to appear even without a shot of me.

Snob sims, right?

The visit ended when Judy arrived. Our teen is a runaway and it's not good for him to be seen by adults. Not that she seemed very interested in a teenager in torn clothes being in the middle of her house.

Judy: The cold is more worrying, it will freeze my plants.

Chris returned home to find that this watcher had a surprise for him.

Chris: Yeah! The bedspread is not lime colored!

I'm trying to break the habit of coloring my sims and their things with their favorite colors.

Chris: Good for you and for me! It only took you eleven years to do it.

1.1 Is It Flirting?

Chris thought that settling in the mountains was a good place to start his life, hidden from the rest of the town and with a lake nearby. No one owned that land, so he was sure no one would find him there.

Chris: Of course, we have to ignore the trashcan and the mailbox for that.

Hush you! I'm trying to tell a story here.

Chris: We'll also have to ignore that the university mascot found us in our safe place that is supposed to be away from the world.

Okay, I give up with the story, Chris is taking it on his own way, apparently. Let's add some additional rules for this part of the challenge.

• Don't picking flowers while the allergy moodlet is in effect.
• Dumpster Diving only for small objects, the first large piece of furniture found cuts off the activity.
• No consignment or elixir store sales. All must be sold from inventories.
• He has to pay 1500 simoleons to have running water and 2000 for electricity.

I'm playing the runaway part with long lifespan with teen being 28 days. When we move to the legacy part I'll change it to 90 days.

Chris' small plot of land is nearby to wild plants, it's very convenient.

Mascot: What is not convenient it's me bringing the basket all the way here. Couldn't you have found a more accesible place?

No, the place is perfect. And I really don't care what a mascot, who is not relevant to this story, thinks.

Paperboy: What is he doing?

Trying to be in this story, I guess. Not that it helps him to achieve it.

Mascot: I was interesting enough that this is the third screenshot I'm in.

Just because Christopher is being boring harvesting plants.

Chris: Hey! I'm doing it at your command.

It's amazing how you can see all that from this side of the lake.

Paperboy: The mascot is still in your house. He keeps looking in the garbage, what he thinks he'll find in a trashcan that was never used before? I don't know.

Chris: Me neither. The good news is that he will be gone by the time I get home.

Chris: Your secluded land idea is falling apart. Vita Alto is the third person here and it's only10 a.m.

Yeah. Let's get out of here, it looks like she's looking for friends and you're not allowed to talk to adults.

Chris: I think she's following me.

She definitely is following you. Run!

Even in this life, Christopher is an angler, The seriousness with which he judges his prey is admirable.

Chris: Not the best specimen to eat. A little on the small side.

He has four of his original traits (angler, daredevil, natural cook and friendly). He's no longer a great kisser.

He spent the rest of the day in the park, fishing, harvesting apples and eating from the picnic basket.

By evening, as Christopher was making his way home, it began to rain.

The rain did not stop all night, so the teenager had to sleep in a wet sleeping bag.

Chris: Why do I have to be subject to these things? Couldn't you be a normal watcher and be happy having me as spouse' founder? On top of that I have to deal with teenage hormones that I have never experienced before.

What were seven sims doing all night in the middle of the mountains? And why did I miss it?

Chris: I see that this place becomes more desolate with each passing moment.

I don't appreciate your sarcasm.

I don't think opening your mouth before diving is the way to do it.

Chris: I hope to find a desk or table on the first try. That way you will have to follow your own rule and I will be free from this torment for the rest of the day.

Luckily for me, and not so much for Chris, he was able to dive three times in a row before finding a end table on the fourth try.

What we were also lucky about was finding flowers without the allergy moodlet showing up.

Chris kept the nightstand he found in the dumpsters. Little by little his house is growing, at least it already has almost a bedroom.

Chris: I'm not going to deign that sentence with an answer because I'm really tired right now, but you should check what you consider to be a bedroom.

You said you weren't going to answer but you just did that.

Thanks to all the simoleons found the day before, Chris now owns a bike and a fire pit.

Buying the firepit was a serious mistake on my part, daredevil Christopher began to play with the fire after eating. He giggled the entire time.

Chris: This is so fun!

Chris: I burned my hand!

And what did you think was going to happen? Be thankful it wasn't the whole body, since even though you live next to a lake, the game doesn't consider it enough water to put you out if you catch on fire. 

Since he's sweating profusely thanks to his little fire play and being a very hot day, I sent Chris to the library to prevent him from dying of spontaneous combustion.

Which worked for both of us, because Chris had the wish to visit the place and to learn cooking.

After the library, Christopher visited the gym, since he urgently needed a shower (he hasn't showered since the challenge started). He also went looking for children or teens with whom to talk.

The only sim that age was Ethan Bunch. Chris immediately wished to become friend with the teen.

Or maybe something more? I like how Chris is looking at him. Time will tell, I usually let my sims choose their partners. 

On a side note, I like how good he looks with a tan, it really brings out his eyes. 

The conversation ended when Ethan wandered away, at least he left thinking of Chris, and under the darkness because some frugal sim clapped their hands to turn off the lights.

Picking flowers before bed again. He's being lucky with this, no allergy moodlet yet.

Christopher is contemplating his future.

Chris: Not really. I just like the fire.

I go into telling a story and you just ruin my moment.

Today Chris is going to collect things, I like him to do different things on different days so I don't get bored while playing.

Chris: I'd like to keep you but you're worth over 300 simoleons so my watcher is going to sell you as soon as you show up in my inventory.

So very true.

But the game didn't agree with my strategy because it didn't generate anything more than a couple of flowers. There should be a couple of rocks or gems lying around by now but I didn't find any in the usual spots. So, my new strategy is to have Chris fish in front of the school so we can see when Ethan comes out and follow him.

Ethan: I feel like someone was watching me all the way from school to my house.

When I saw that Ethan entered his house, I immediately sent Christopher to visit him. He still has that wish to be friends with him so I trying to fulfill it.

Of course, the first thing Chris does is snub him without my consent. Why???

From then on, everything went downhill. I tried to get Christopher to apologize but the option wasn't there so I chose the safer option which in my opinion is chat but to no avail as Ethan started doing the same.

From then on, they both took turns to snub the other. Maybe is a type of flirting? I don't think so but I can hope.

Chris: Your house is too big for my taste.

Yeah, I don't think that's an insult.

Ethan: And you don't have any.

On the other hand, that is an insult.

Shut up, watcher.

In the middle of this, Lisa arrived and I thought it would be good to get Chris away from Ethan for now, talk to his sister a bit and wait for things to cool down before trying to talk to the boy again.

Not such luck. Ethan interrupted them to continue to snub Christopher again. I like the look Lisa is giving them, by the way, it's like she knows something is up.

While that was happening, SP gives me this message:

Wow what a great power of induction, buddy. Sunset Valley's safety is in really good hands if Hank just found out that Vita is filthy rich.

Continuing with the drama...

I was eyeing that plant the whole time they were fighting, so on a quiet moment I had Chris pick its fruits. Christopher and Ethan weird flirting doesn't stop this being a challenge where we need money!

At this point I gave up and decided it was their last interaction for the day, maybe I'll give it a couple of days for things to cool down a bit before trying again.

Chris's satisfied face as he left. 😂

The positive thing about this day is that our runaway teen has the beginning of a house.

It's mostly empty, but at least he has a roof over his head now.