I'd Like to Teach the World a Song: Day 9

Hunter woke on Day 9 with the conviction that he had it in him to become a proficient cook.  He set to work preparing the traditional HRS breakfast of grilled hotdogs.

His delusion didn’t last long.  Fortunately, he safely extinguished himself, and survived his experience.  It didn’t seem to discourage him, however, because after a thorough shower, he was back at the grill.  

Perhaps hamburgers would be a better breakfast choice for the novice chef!

At Morning Meeting, chaired by Aileen, the sims were told that there would be an in-house party that evening.  They also noted that Braylen would be presenting the first common room painting, and received the unnerving information that on the following morning, they would for the first time find out their current scores and placement in the HRS contest.  While a couple of them were feeling confident and looked forward to hearing how they were doing, others were more anxious.

Aileen said that today’s Sim in Spot opportunity was for a performer to attempt to make at least $100 in tips within a four hour time frame.  Efrain almost fell out of his chair in his eagerness to seize this opportunity, and the rest of the sims felt it was rightfully his.

He spent the morning practicing and warming up at home.

By 1:30, he was in place at the Museum, ready to entertain.  It proved a good venue, although he was convinced that he’d have made more if he’d been allowed to set his guitar case out to collect the tips instead of having them thrown on the ground in front of him.

After two hours, he’d made a solid $50 and set off for the Lounge in Oasis Springs in good spirits.

It turned out, unfortunately, that the older crowd who filled the Lounge during the early Happy Hour were more interested in drinking the half-priced drinks than in entertainment.  

Even when they came over to listen, they proved to be stingy tippers.  Efrain was pretty sure that the Lounge singer didn’t add to his take, either.  At the end, despite his hard work and persistence, he was forced to return home in defeat, having made only $70 total.

That evening’s party also couldn’t be described as a rousing success.  Despite having now spent 9 days together in the House of the Rising Sim, the household didn’t seem to be growing any closer.  If anything, some of their initial relationships seemed to be getting a bit frayed. 

They spent the evening eating and drinking, chatting about trivial matters, playing a desultory game of cards, and eventually gathered in the dining room for the presentation of Braylen’s painting.   

No one seemed to have had a particularly good time and except for Braylen himself, who found it sweet to be in the spotlight, the mood was poor.

Braylen’s daring venture into surrealism met with a negative response, unfortunately—even Efrain, the sim Braylen felt was most sensitive and artistic, after himself, of course, claimed that it made him feel ill.

When questioned about whether this left him downhearted, Braylen only scoffed.  “My painting, eet eees a masterpiece.  A work of the genius.  The rest of the household, they are simply philistines—they lack the ability to appreciate my brilliance.  Eet is unimportant. The generations to come, they will value zees painting as eet deserves.”