House of the Rising Sim: Where Are They Now? (Part 1)

Fifteen years ago, we were all glued to our TV sets watching the smash hit reality show House of the Rising Sim.  We cheered their successes, empathized with their failures, and watched with amazement as their stories played out.   

Now, SimPeople Magazine is taking advantage of the fifteenth anniversary of the show, to find out what our favorite contestants have done with their lives after the show.   

Our correspondent, Campion Huston, reports.

My first visit was to Deb McMahan and Hunter Lyons.  After the contest finished, Deb and Hunter moved—next door to HRS!  In the intervening years, they’ve purchased the home and made some significant renovations.  I sat down to chat with them—and to meet their family!

“So, here you are!  Still together after fifteen years, and still living right next door to the old stomping grounds.  How’s it going?”

Hunter “Things couldn’t be better!  We’re really happy.  Let me show you some family pictures….

This is Deb with our daughter Yseulte, when she was a baby.  Wasn’t she the cutest little button?

And here’s my two best girls now.”

Deb “Our son Leo is an amazing big brother, too.  He helps Yseulte with everything.”

“So, Hunter, what do you do for a living?”

“ Well, you know, I started out in the tech field, thanks to a little help from Reece Britton, and it really has worked out great.  At the moment, I’m an independent consultant for a number of firms, and I do quite a bit of work on mobile apps.   I enjoy being able to work at home sometimes, to spend more time with Deb and the kids.

“And you?  Deb?  How are those restaurant dreams coming?”

Deb (laughs) “I had such unrealistic ideas, didn’t I?  I thought I could just walk into owning my own restaurant, fresh out of CIS.  There’s a lot more to it than that, of course.  But I still really enjoy my work.  Right now I am the pastry chef at Crumbs, and I’m still learning a lot and loving being in the field.”

“Tell us more about the kids!”

“Leo is almost 13—he’s our steady guy.  He’s so much like his dad!  He loves to mess around on the computer, and to play basketball.  Yseulte—she’s 7—she’s creative, more like me.  We sure don’t know where that red hair came from, though!  It’s really fun to watch the kids growing and we love that they are so close to the other HRS kids. “

What are your thoughts about the HRS experience, so many years later?

 Hunter “That’s a good question.  We were all such kids.  We had a lot of crazy ideas and plans.  But without HRS, we’d never have met,  so it was definitely worth it.  But, man, some of those sims were hard to get along with!  There were some tough times during the show. “

Deb “Yes, that’s very true.  And I hated the feeling of being constantly watched and manipulated.  We were like puppets to them, but we were real sims, with feelings and emotions!  I’ve always thought that the pressure of being constantly watched was what drove…well, never mind that.  We’re all doing great now!”

My next interview was with Reece Britton.  I got to sit down with Reece and his husband and hear about their lives.  

Reece shared that when he moved to Oasis Springs immediately after the show, he was feeling pretty determined to change his life in a big way.

“Between the broken engagement just before the show started, and then feeling publically ridiculed throughout the show, I was really ready for a fresh start.  The second-prize simoleons really gave me the opportunity.  When I moved into this house, I was feeling out of shape, and not sure of where I wanted to go in life.  But moving here and starting the job at Smoogle was like a breath of fresh air.  I started exercising, changed my look, and did some dating—and then I met Benson.”

So you guys have been together for, what, about 13 years now?  Tell us about that!

“We met at the Rattlesnake Douche Bar—oops, Juice Bar!  It was pretty much love at first sight—once we met, we were just together all the time.  We were the first couple to get married at the HRS! See, here’s our wedding photos!”

Chatting with the couple, I discovered that Benson, like myself, is a journalist, and a Front Page Writer with the Sim City Chronicle.  Reece is still at Smoogle, now as Development Captain. I asked them how they thought Reece’s HRS experiences had affected his later life.

Reece “It really taught me that you can’t trust someone too quickly.  Some people have a lot of superficial charm, you know, but when you really get to know them, there’s really no compassion or empathy there at all.”

Benson commented that his husband’s broken engagement, followed by the mockery and harsh treatment from some of the HRS contestants, had left him hesitant to really go out on a limb and trust a partner.  “I really had to prove to him, during our first few years together, that he could rely on me.  That I’m always here for him.”

“Any comments about your plans for the future, gentlemen?”

“Well, we’re saving for a bigger house.  Hoping maybe we might need an extra room before too long….”

Finally, this reporter had the opportunity to meet with bestselling author and well-known HRS celebrity, Keira Bryan.  I was surprised to find that Ms. Bryan still resides in a small home in Oasis Springs, overlooking the river. 

“I can’t discuss the terms of the settlement between myself and the HRS producers, but I moved here right after I got out of the hospital.  I rented the house for the first few years, but I own it now—I find it perfect for my needs.  I write in my bedroom, overlooking the river.”

“Please tell us more about your life, and about your amazing career success.”

“I always believed that I was going to be a successful author, even when things were at their darkest.  Looking back, of course, I know that I should never have been on the show—the stress, constantly being watched, being surrounded by so many people—it was the worst possible thing for me.  By the end of the show, I was really in deep trouble.  It’s hard to believe that something like that could unfold on national TV, in front of the whole Sim Nation, without anyone speaking up and saying STOP!  This woman needs help!”

“You’ve been an outspoken advocate for mental health care and support.”

“Yes!  I think the stigma prevents people from seeking help.  For myself, I have found that appropriate medical support, including counseling as well as a quiet and structured life and plenty of fresh air and exercise, are fundamental to managing my condition.  I want to stress, though, that even with the best possible medical treatment, my illness isn’t ‘cured.’  I still have symptoms which I have to watch and my friends and family are very careful to help me keep on track.”

“Family!  I think everyone would be amazed and happy for you, to learn that in fact your son Shawn was the first ‘child of the HRS’ to be born.  Can you tell us more about him?”

“Let me show you some pictures, too.  Shawn is a great kid.  He’s the most social, friendly, talkative person I know.  When he was little, the house was constantly full of kids.  Sometimes they got on my nerves, but it gave me a taste of a whole different kind of life.  It’s kind of hard for me to believe that he’s already 14—and he looks even older, I think.”

“So, um, anything you’d like to share about his father?  Did you ever consider marrying?”

(wild laughter) “Nope.”

"What's it like, having a teenager?  Doesn't sound like a recipe for a stress-free life, to me..."

"He's a good kid, really.  He can get a little mouthy--but then he could do that even when he was little!" 

“Oh, here’s Shawn now!  Shawn, can you tell us about what it’s like living with a famous author?”

“It’s not always a piece of cake, that’s for sure.  Sorry, Mom, you know it’s the truth! Mom is full of surprises. But, I wouldn’t change her for anything—no matter how weird she gets!”

“How about your own life, anything special you’d like to tell our readers? Any sports you enjoy?  Girlfriends?”

“Nah.  Nothing to tell….”

Check back next week, when SimPeople’s correspondent, Campion Huston, gets together with the rest of the former House of the Rising Sim contestants!

New Beginnings

The sims woke up on the 21^st day with a sense almost of unreality.  After 20 days of living together in the House of the Rising Sim, 20 days of scoring and competing, being observed and monitored every second and following detailed directives, it was all over. 

Of course, they’d all given a lot of thought to what they would do when the competition ended.  But somehow, now that the moment had actually arrived, it felt so much more challenging—so portentous, almost frightening.  For the first time in 20 days, no wake-up calls came.  Some sims woke early, others late, but all on their own timetables. 

Finding Hunter in the upstairs hall, Deb hesitated to bring up the discussion they’d had the previous evening at the park.  Perhaps he hadn’t been serious?  Perhaps he had changed his mind?  She knew that after the extended togetherness of the competition, he was longing for some time alone….

Tentatively, she flirted a little.

His response was gratifying.

She brought up her goal of pursuing her career as a chef, and he countered with his idea of trying the tech field while working to get into better shape.

When she asked where he’d live, now that he could choose anywhere he liked,  he just smiled.  “Where is that restaurant of yours going to be?” he asked lightly. “That’s where I’m planning to try first.”

They embraced joyfully.  Nothing was certain—their relationship had had plenty of ups and downs and awkward moments, but they were both eager to start anew in a home of their own, where they could figure things out without the constant presence of other sims.

While Deb hadn’t made the big stake she had hoped for, to allow her to start a restaurant of her own, she had definitely become comfortable cooking for others and had refined her skills and developed some recipes she felt excited to show off.  The Directors had forwarded an offer from a restaurateur right there in Willow Creek, asking her to join his staff.  While she would be starting at a humble level, she felt confident that she could advance quickly and do well.  The cash both she and Hunter had received for their participation would be a welcome buffer, allowing them peace of mind while they became established in their careers.

Just then, Alysha wandered into the hall.  Deb wholeheartedly congratulated her on her third-place finish and, when queried, explained her plans.  

Alysha hugged her warmly and wished them both well.  “Keep in touch, bro!  I mean, we’re like  a team, right!  We’ve got to have each other’s backs!”

Downstairs, Hunter ran into Reece.  “Way to go, man!  You really charmed those Directors!”

“What are your plans, Hunter?”

“Well, Deb is planning to take a job at a restaurant here in Willow Creek.  We’re going to try living together."

 

"It could be good, right?”"

            

 Reece agreed.  He, too, had a move planned.











“But we’ll stay in touch.”

 

Reece grabbed a bowl of cereal, then continued into the dining room, where he found Braylen in the former Super Sim chair, chatting with Aileen, Alysha, and Efrain.  Pointedly sitting at the far end of the table, Reece silently addressed himself to his cereal.

 

Even so, his presence seemed to anger Braylen, who very soon got up and stalked out of the room.

Once he was gone, the other sims rather shamefacedly moved down to sit closer to Reece.

“Don’t worry about me!” Reece smirked.  “With the prize money, I don’t have a care in the world.”

“I think that Hunter and Deb might have wedding bells in their futures, though!" he continued. "Not for me, I don’t want to get shackled yet!”

He and Alysha laughed together.

“I’m going to get a new car right away,” Alysha said.  “At least, as soon as I can figure out where the car dealerships are.  I haven’t seen one, the whole time we’ve been here in Willow Creek.  Weird, isn’t it?”

“What are you planning, Efrain?” Reece asked.  The others were aware that Efrain had come in last, score-wise, and therefore had the least amount of simoleans to start his new life with.

Efrain looked at Alysha and Aileen for a moment, and then said, rather awkwardly, “Well, you know, Braylen asked us if we’d like to stay on here in HRS for a while.  He said it was a big house, too big for just one man, and he’d be glad of some company, and wouldn’t charge us much rent.”

“I offered to take on some of the cooking, now Deb won’t be here,” Alysha said.

“And I said I’d do some cleaning,” Aileen agreed.

“We thought it was a good deal,” said Efrain, “and so we decided to go for it.  It doesn’t have to be forever, but I didn’t have any firm plans and it seemed like it would work out well for now. So we’ve reached an agreement.”

“What about you, Reece?” Alysha asked.

“You know, that whole ‘whiny baby’ thing has really got me thinking,” Reece answered.  “That was really embarrassing, knowing it was airing on national TV, and everyone would see it.  I’m going to move to Oasis Springs, I think, and spend some time thinking about my future before I make any firm decisions.”

“Keep it real, bro!” Alysha said, giving him a hug.

“And Efrain’s going to try to make it as a musician,” Aileen added.  “He and I might even work together if I get a job tending bar at the Lounge.”

“What about Keira?” Efrain asked.  “I haven’t seen her at all this morning.”   But none of the others could answer him.

No one had been around early that morning when Keira woke from her troubled sleep.  Still feeling tense and uneasy, she started her solitary breakfast in the hall, then, feeling as if she was still being watched, moved into the library to eat at the bar.

She was alone in the room—but the voices wouldn’t stop.

After a while, she started answering them. 

It turned out that her intuition had been right—she was still being observed.   

The ambulance pulled up quietly, with no sirens, and Keira was half-persuaded, half-forced to get in.  No one would hear from her for several months, while she “rested” at a facility outside of Oasis Springs, still under 24-hour surveillance.  Gradually she began to recuperate from the stress of her time at HRS.  With good care and carefully chosen medications, she began to feel stronger than she had done for a long time, and to gain a sense of mental clarity which had been sadly absent from her life.  After careful thought, she agreed not to sue the HRS directors, and to accept her six months of care in lieu of further settlements.

Six months after Day 20, she climbed out of a taxi in front of her own small, rented home in Oasis Springs.  Although her grandiose ideas had dissipated, she still felt determined to make her way as an author.  Would she have it in her, to succeed?