Read on for the rambly introductions...
Third Time Lucky: Markal Go and Arafa Herendez
Markal is 39, Arafa is 30, and their marriage is the third serious relationship for both of them. They have no children together, but have a total of eight between them.
Markal is a Family/Popularity sim, whose traits are:
Optimistic (Freshwater) - Without this trait, I have no idea what sort of state Markal would be in. He's suffered a lot of losses in his life, was picked on through most of his childhood, but still has hope that things can and will get better.
Kind-Hearted (Earth) - Markal is easily one of the nicest sims in Kulo Seeri, maybe too nice for his own good at times. He never stood up to the mean kids, and has a hard time saying no to anyone, especially his daughters.
Unlucky (Metal) - As I've said, Markal has suffered a lot of losses. His father Ben died in a fire the day he was born, his first wife Turi died in childbirth with their second pair of twins, his second wife Zade didn't care much about him or his children and they ended up divorcing, and a few years ago he lost Aralata, his only son, in another fire. A lot of the sims in Kulo Seeri think he's a jinx.
Musical (Air) - Markal uses music as an outlet for his feelings, he's composed several love songs over the years (and changed the words as relationships have come and gone) and also makes up sillier songs to entertain his stepchildren.
Hopeless Romantic (Fire) - Even though Markal's first two marriages both ended on a tragic note, he hasn't given up on love. So far, it's been a little crazy with Arafa's three young children in the house and Moli (his teen daughter from his marriage to Zade) acting out, but he's committed to making it work this time, and if it doesn't he'll probably get back up and try again.
Arafa is a Knowledge/Family sim, and her traits are:
Natural Cook (Earth) - Exactly what it says on the tin, Arafa has a natural talent for cooking. In game terms, this means she gains cooking skill at an accelerated rate.
Protective (Earth) - Arafa is hardly the most outgoing sim, but she is very close to her family and the friends she does have. She tends to avoid taking risks and anything that might harm her loved ones, and doesn't like her children wandering too far.
Modest (Saltwater) - Some sims love being in the spotlight, but Arafa prefers not to attract too much attention and feels uncomfortable accepting compliments. She is quite happy to stay in the background, this often means she downplays her own talents or doesn't share her thoughts with other sims.
Sympathetic (Fire) - Arafa is the one her friends usually go to for comfort and advice, and can usually see both sides of a conflict. (However, this tends to irritate some sims.) This trait also balances her protective nature as a parent - she understands that her children don't always want to be wrapped in a blanket by their mother, although it doesn't stop her worrying.
Spiritual (Stone) - Arafa has a firm belief in the ancestors' power and trusts that the spirits will guide the tribe to a better future. She is the quiet, contemplative type, and she uses meditation to calm herself while dealing with the craziness of her family life.
Together, Arafa and Markal cover most of the elements, with only Wood missing from their combined trait list. There's a slight skew towards Earth and Fire, which is a good thing in their large family - they are both affectionate spouses and loving parents. Hopefully they will manage to keep it together - "until death and/or an unfortunate ROS do us part".
Happily Ever After?: Tia and Asken zan-Ace
39-year-old Tia and Asken have literally been together their whole lives. Asken was born in TS3-era Bridgeport during his mother's two-decade gap year, and Tia was the imaginary friend doll sent to him when he was a baby. After she became a real girl and the two of them hit puberty, they got together and have stayed that way since. But are they really Kulo Seeri's cutest couple?
Tia is a Fortune/Pleasure sim, whose traits are:
Curious (Freshwater) - Having been "born" an imaginary friend, Tia wonders a lot about how things would have been different if she'd always been a regular Sim like Asken. Would they still have become a couple? What's it like to have actual parents and siblings? Where did she come from in the first place? Does she even want to know? Probably not, but the thoughts are still there.
Squeamish (Earth) - Not the best trait to have in Kulo Seeri, although Tia isn't involved in much of the "icky" stuff like hunting and healing. She prefers dealing with construction and resource supplies, and she's very glad to be more or less past having children.
Hard Worker (Wood) - Tia is in charge of gathering building materials and deciding what goes where, a role she inherited from the late Li Yoo. She's always been a workaholic, right back to her TS3-era childhood, and throws herself into her work probably more than the rest of the council combined do.
Insecure (Saltwater) - Sometimes Tia's curiosity leads to uncomfortable thoughts. Does Asken love her, or just what he thinks he created her to be? He wanted kids more than she did - has he been tampering with her birth control? That's three unexpected pregnancies now, out of three total. Just because she's paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get her...right?
Artistic (Air) - The only trait Tia shares with Asken, although her artistic talents lean more towards street art, which there isn't much call for in Kulo Seeri. She makes up for that by designing the layouts of new village structures, but she admits to missing her pavement murals.
Asken is a Knowledge/Family sim, and his traits are:
Loves Family (Earth) - Asken's family is very important to him. He has seven children with Tia, and loves spending time with the six still living at home. Sure it gets crowded, but they're all there for each other, most of the time.
Loves Outdoors (Earth) - Asken's favourite thing about Kulo Seeri is all the wide open space and unspoiled nature - the sort of thing he never had growing up in the big city. He enjoys plalying catch outside with the kids, gathering trips and occasionally wandering around the forest for no particular reason.
Socially Awkward (Wood) - Back in Bridgeport, Asken was the nerdy kid everyone picked on. He related more to art and computers than other Sims, and to this day he finds it difficult interacting with other Sims on a regular basis. At least he's got the more extroverted Tia to deal with the weird social stuff for him.
Genius (Air) - Asken is just as good at logical thinking as he is at creative thinking - which used to mean lots of good grades and lots of stolen lunch money. He still enjoys stargazing and misses his video games, but has no intention of going back to SimNation now.
Artistic (Air) - Unlike Tia, Asken's creative side leans towards painting on a canvas (not concrete) and sculpting. He's put his talents to good use making the tribe's pottery, but there is part of him that wants to use them for slightly less mundane purposes. He just has no idea what at the moment.
Tia and Asken's traits are mostly clustered around the southwest point of the compass, slightly balanced by three Air traits. Both are sort of balanced as individuals, but between Asken feeling that Tia's never around enough and Tia suspecting that Asken doesn't really love her for who she is, will that be enough to keep them together?
Not Just Yet: Kitira mi-Avira
Kitira is 19, and the second oldest of Markal's children (being about four minutes younger than the late Aralata). As the latest in the line of eldest twin daughters descended from Sena Yuleng, she's also the rinwi (headwoman) of Kulo Seeri. And, given that there are only two Sims eligible to succeed her as rinwi - her two younger sisters Abina and Kenda - she's under a lot of pressure to find a partner and ensure the future of the mi-Avira line. Too bad there's such a limited choice in Kulo Seeri...
Kitira is a Knowledge/Popularity Sim. Her traits are:
Worrier (Earth) - The responsibility of leading the tribe can be a bit much sometimes, especially at such a young age, and Kitira tends to overanalyse things to make sure she's making the right decision.
Practical (Earth) - A trait that sometimes brings Kitira into conflicts with her older advisors, as she often favours untraditional solutions to problems (such as planting a handful of vegetables in the village as a backup in case there's a forest fire). However, it will no doubt be a good thing as she matures!
Perceptive (Air) - Kitira often picks up on things that the elders overlook. Again, this is usually a good thing when it comes to problem-solving, but it doesn't impress the elders much, even if she is the rinwi.
Studious (Stone) - Kitira has always loved learning, whether it's about the Nuidya tribal lore or that weird SimNation bunch with their talking boxes. She's currently considering studying abroad, partly because she's rarely seen without a piece of parchment or three, and partly because she might meet someone there which means Great-Aunt S'Ahmisa would get off her back about choosing a mate.
Loves Cats (Stone) - There's a difference between merely acknowledging that cats are sacred in Kulo Seeri and being a cat person. Kitira is a cat person. She definitely has a way with the assorted kitties that roam around the village, and shares her home with several of them, including some who left their former homes in favour of hers.
All in all, she has a somewhat elementally balanced personality, with two traits each on the southeast and southwest points of the compass and one on the northeast point. She would probably be best suited to a partner whose traits either favour Saltwater strongly, or are mostly split between Metal and Wood. Personally, I'd say the Metal/Wood split would be a better match for her own traits, as long as one of the Wood traits isn't Dislikes Children - because that mi-Avira twin thing.
I'm thinking Arafa might be great for Markal, the whole mix, as you describe makes for a happy and peaceful homelife, but that protectiveness will be good for him. He sure has had it hard!
ReplyDeleteIt is neat to see how you are using this system. Reading it shows me I had a bit of a misunderstanding, thinking sims fell primarily in a compass point or two, but it is much more complex than that, although with Kitira she falls mainly in two.
This is really interesting to see how you do traits. Markal really has had it rough, and I like that he's still optimistic. Eight kids between them, wow! It's hard for me to not have blended families have at least a child together, but with eight, I would have to really think it over!
ReplyDeleteThe compass is a really interesting concept, I enjoyed seeing it laid out and in action with your sims.