Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.
Field of Stars - Sidra and Alcyone (50 Foal Challenge)
KaytayRoall
Posts: 923 Member
Hi all!
Let me start by saying that this my first challenge. I'm brand new to the forums, in fact. So if I'm doing something wrong or get off track, please let me know! Suggestions are welcome, too. Thanks and I hope you enjoy my venture to produce 50 foals!
Here are the challenge rules: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/450566.page
Sidra Feenix was born in Appaloosa Plains to a large family that ran the prosperous Starfield Farms. Early in her rebellious teenage years, she grew bored of the quiet country life and convinced her parents to allow her to move to the city for school. At first she found the city life thrilling, but it quickly wore on her and she found she missed the wide expanses, natural surroundings and most especially the horses with which she had grown up. Planning to return home after graduation, her parents promised her a mare all her own to get her started in the family business. Just before her graduation, however, tragedy struck in the form of a fire that burned the entire farm to the ground. There were no survivors, horse or sim.
So Sidra returned to her home, no more than a large, empty plot of land, the rights to which are the only remainder of her birthright. Joining her is Alcyone, the mare she had been promised, who had still been in transit when the fire happened. Sidra has very little money to her name and a heavy heart, but she hopes, together with Alcyone, to build a future from the ashes of her past.
***
Sidra Feenix - Equestrian, Loves the Outdoors, Artistic, Excitable, Nurturing - Lifetime Wish: The Jockey - Favorites: Indie music, Autumn Salad, Green - 17 days to Adult
Alcyone Feenix - Brave, Friendly - 30 days to Elder
***
Starting from humble beginnings. I've probably forgotten something, but at the moment I have $2,822 left after building this on a 64x64 lot. (Note: the screenshot above isn't an exact match, I had to start over early on and forgot to take a screenshot the second time, but I just remade the same thing so it's very, very close.)
Sidra and Alcyone greet one another tentatively. They have much of their lives lying uncertain before them and largely dependent on one another, but they are little more than strangers. Alcyone can sense the ghosts of Sidra's past and shies away at first. A little care goes a long way to making friends, though.
With Alcyone reassured of her new owner, it's time for the first ride. There's a meet and greet at the nearby equestrian training grounds, so that is their first destination.
I never noticed the expression of terror on a sim's face when riding before zooming in for this shot.
And what would a first ride be without at least one fall? Getting over her embarrassment, Sidra shakes hands with several of the local horse folks--reacquainting with familiar faces from her childhood and greeting newcomers. She doesn't have much time for making friends, though, there's too much to do!
Her next stop is the grocery store for some apples and lettuce to start a small garden, then back home to get Alcyone. And just after her rear end had stopped aching, too. This time they're off to the equestrian center. Neither of them are skilled enough for racing, but Sidra investigates possible studs for Alcyone. She picks Cascade for the first pairing (might as well start off with the most expensive while I have the money).
As night closes in, Sidra plants a tiny garden, makes herself dinner, then says good night to her new friend and companion, Alcyone.
Let me start by saying that this my first challenge. I'm brand new to the forums, in fact. So if I'm doing something wrong or get off track, please let me know! Suggestions are welcome, too. Thanks and I hope you enjoy my venture to produce 50 foals!
Here are the challenge rules: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/450566.page
Sidra Feenix was born in Appaloosa Plains to a large family that ran the prosperous Starfield Farms. Early in her rebellious teenage years, she grew bored of the quiet country life and convinced her parents to allow her to move to the city for school. At first she found the city life thrilling, but it quickly wore on her and she found she missed the wide expanses, natural surroundings and most especially the horses with which she had grown up. Planning to return home after graduation, her parents promised her a mare all her own to get her started in the family business. Just before her graduation, however, tragedy struck in the form of a fire that burned the entire farm to the ground. There were no survivors, horse or sim.
So Sidra returned to her home, no more than a large, empty plot of land, the rights to which are the only remainder of her birthright. Joining her is Alcyone, the mare she had been promised, who had still been in transit when the fire happened. Sidra has very little money to her name and a heavy heart, but she hopes, together with Alcyone, to build a future from the ashes of her past.
***
Sidra Feenix - Equestrian, Loves the Outdoors, Artistic, Excitable, Nurturing - Lifetime Wish: The Jockey - Favorites: Indie music, Autumn Salad, Green - 17 days to Adult
Alcyone Feenix - Brave, Friendly - 30 days to Elder
***
Starting from humble beginnings. I've probably forgotten something, but at the moment I have $2,822 left after building this on a 64x64 lot. (Note: the screenshot above isn't an exact match, I had to start over early on and forgot to take a screenshot the second time, but I just remade the same thing so it's very, very close.)
Sidra and Alcyone greet one another tentatively. They have much of their lives lying uncertain before them and largely dependent on one another, but they are little more than strangers. Alcyone can sense the ghosts of Sidra's past and shies away at first. A little care goes a long way to making friends, though.
With Alcyone reassured of her new owner, it's time for the first ride. There's a meet and greet at the nearby equestrian training grounds, so that is their first destination.
I never noticed the expression of terror on a sim's face when riding before zooming in for this shot.
And what would a first ride be without at least one fall? Getting over her embarrassment, Sidra shakes hands with several of the local horse folks--reacquainting with familiar faces from her childhood and greeting newcomers. She doesn't have much time for making friends, though, there's too much to do!
Her next stop is the grocery store for some apples and lettuce to start a small garden, then back home to get Alcyone. And just after her rear end had stopped aching, too. This time they're off to the equestrian center. Neither of them are skilled enough for racing, but Sidra investigates possible studs for Alcyone. She picks Cascade for the first pairing (might as well start off with the most expensive while I have the money).
As night closes in, Sidra plants a tiny garden, makes herself dinner, then says good night to her new friend and companion, Alcyone.
0
Comments
***
The day starts early at the farm: 6am with the rising sun, Sidra is up to tend her garden.
***
More to come! And more pictures and less text-walls next time, hopefully. I'm still getting used to taking screenshots of everything.
The next day, her second foal was born while she was out winning a second beginner race with Okul. Another colt, she names him Castor. He's untrained, fast and piggy.
In the meantime, Okul and Alcyone have been getting acquainted.
Sometime Pollux wonders about Okul and his mother being so friendly.
Pollux is a very active young colt. Sidra plays tag with him sometimes.
And he loves playing with his brother, Castor.
All too soon, it's time for him to grow up, though.
Sidra starts training him immediately the next day. In fact, she was so excited to, she forgot to saddle him first.
Then again, is it worth it when his saddle looks like that?
As she started training him, Sidra found the difference between lazy Okul and fast Pollux to be glaringly obvious. After a single day of training, Sidra and Pollux took first place in a beginner race with ease. She couldn't help but remember all the time Pollux spent watching her train Okul. Had he been learning even then?
Castor grew up into a handsome stallion and Sidra worked on training him in preparation for selling him. She was taking a break from that to give Alcyone some attention when the third foal was born.
Another colt, she named him Mekbuda. He inherited his father's laziness as well as being noisy and, of course, untrained. Sidra still dotes on him, though, even early in the morning before she is even dressed.
All too soon, it seemed, Castor was trained and it was time for him to be sold. He bid his big brother and foalhood playmate farewell.
And whispered a little brotherly advice in his younger brother's ear.
With a racing skill of 6, Castor sold for $4,121. He was the first of the foals born in this challenge to be sold and his parting was certainly bittersweet, being a moment of both sadness and success.
---
A few days later, Alcyone gave birth to her fourth foal. He took strongly after his father, Magpie, an EC stud.
By then, Sidra had saved up a bit of money and did some renovations around the farm, starting with a fenced in pasture and sheltered area at the back for the horses as well as an extra stall.
She even expanded her own home a little, mostly just to make room for a new, bigger bed. That was all she really needed, since she spent so little time there, anyway.
After that, Sidra had a bit of down time, aside from her growing racing career with Pollux, while waiting for Mekbuda and Mebsuta to grow up.
She felt like she was doing something wrong, having free time on her hands, so Sidra contacted the local shelter to see what horses they had available. They had a mare coming from an abusive home, who was very obedient. A second mare will really speed things up around here, she thought. How hard could one more horse be? So she agreed to give the mare a caring new home.
After unbraiding the poor mare's tail (it looked so uncomfortable), she gave her the name Pleione and started getting acquainted. And there's no better way to greet a horse than with apples.
Pollux was the first of the herd to greet the new arrival. He probably sees himself as the head stallion around the farm.
He was quick to let Alcyone and Mebsuta know that he approved of this new mare, though.
That night, Mekbuda grew up into a fine young stallion. (Sorry, no pictures, they all have awful lighting because it was a full moon night. The next update will have pictures of him training, though.)
Edit: Forgot to mention Pleione's name, so I added it in.
After a long training session, Mekbuda dozed off by the water trough after a long drink from it.
Alcyone's fifth foal and first filly was born just as Sidra was about to leave for the evening's races with Pollux.
That night, Mebsuta grew into a handsome young stallion.
The next day, Sidra took Mekbuda on a ride to the beach to try to finish his training. When they arrived, they found the delightful surprise of a small wild herd roaming nearby.
Pleased with how calmly Mekbuda was behaving around the wild horses, Sidra was convinced his training was complete and gave him an apple as a reward.
Then she tried to get closer to the wild horses, but she didn't have much luck.
Mekbuda was doing better in that department.
So Sidra did a little swimming instead.
Then she decided to ride home while still wearing her swimsuit. (Ow, that must have hurt.)
The next day, as she went about her usual activities, she didn't really think about her change in age. She gave Mekbuda one last apple before riding him to the equestrian center to sell.
Then she bred Pleione to a stallion named Breaker at the center. And ended the evening by entering into her first international race with Pollux. They placed fifth. Everything seemed to be the same as when she was younger. But then that night, the dreams started.
At first, she dreamed back to her first few days at the farm. The good and the bad. Then her dreams took her further back...
To her days in school. Then further still to her childhood.
She woke feeling distracted and odd. Instead of her usual quick apple before getting started on chores, she took her time and made some pancakes. She had felt as if she had everything she wanted from life. What had changed over night?
Trying to get back into her regular routine, Sidra began training Mebsuta.
She found quickly that her heart just wasn't in it, though, so she changed course and took off for a ride into town instead. Finding herself at the grocery store, she decided to go in to pick up a couple items. She went into town so rarely, she figured she might as well take advantage of the opportunity.
While she was waiting in line at the checkout, she overheard a conversation between the clerk and another shopper. Just outside of town, a house had been destroyed in a rock slide. The entire family had been killed, except for an infant who had somehow survived being buried in a cellar for several hours while the wreckage was dug up. Hearing the sad tale, Sidra couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for that child, alone in the world after a sudden tragedy ripped her family away from her.
Later, as she stood alone in her little home, she found herself considering something crazy. Before she could have any second thoughts, she made the phone call, then waited nervously.
If there's interest, I can upload the others from my challenge. Except Okul and Castor. I sold both of them before I thought about uploading.
***
Although Sidra thought she was quick to respond when the social worker arrived, she wasn't as quick as the other woman was to leave.
A little paper tag on the basket gave the child's name as Felicia and as Sidra lifted the little bundle of life into her arms, she wondered just what she had gotten herself into.
Of course, the new addition to the family called for some renovations, starting with a new room for Felicia.
While she was at it, Sidra finally put her own bed in its own proper room and improved the kitchen.
There was even room left for a living room, but being opposed to television because of her busy and active lifestyle, she wasn't really sure what to put in it, so it was a bit bare.
As she tucked Felicia into her crib and the little girl gurgled happily after a light kiss on the forehead, Sidra found her worries ebbing away. Come what may, she could never regret this choice.
Imaginary Friends Legacy: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/563003/baptiste-imaginary-friend-legacy-updated-6-18-new-baby/p1