| If there is one constant to be observed in the Barimen household, it would be learning. |
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| In one way or another, Mark and his sisters are being taught by one of the adults in the household. Bebe often instructs the children in painting, but still manages to instill the same moral upbringing she was taught as a child. Ciara is an artful storyteller; as she uses her guitar and her melodic voice to sing lessons she holds dear from her time at the convent. |
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| David, being neither creative nor artistic sticks to the basics and uses simpler means to sharpen the childrens’ intellects. David seems to favor playing with Deirdre and Claire as they navigate the peg box. There is no denying the uniquely gifted minds both girls possess, and Mark sometimes feels left out as his parents focus on feeding the girls’ insatiable appetite for knowledge. |
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| It is on a typical Friday evening of teaching to walk, talk, and potty that Mark begins to record his observations through the telescope. He is not particularly fond of spending time alone, but he finds that sometimes other people just get on his nerves. While it’s not his intention, he can often times be unsociable as a result. There are a few kids at school who know to just leave him alone when he’s “in a mood”, and look past his grumpiness. But most of the kids just leave him alone ALL of the time. |
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| Unfortunately, Mark sometimes lets his social awkwardness get him in an even fouler mood still, and ends up writing just about everybody off as snobs. At least one of the girls at school, Charlotte Langerak, seems not to mind his moodiness. She is something of a misfit because of her unfortunate combination of facial features, and there are times when the other kids tease her relentlessly. |
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| But Mark had been taught that friends come in all shapes and sizes. so the two unpopular kids at school end up spending time together and become best friends. But Charlotte is not the kind of kid that will stand up for herself when being bullied, and just silently takes the abuse. |
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| Mark, on the other hand, is not the kind of kid to suffer fools gladly. So when one of the boys at school takes his teasing too far one day during recess, Mark lets his anger get the best of him. Throwing punches seems to come easily to Mark; maybe a little too easily. After the fight, both boys are sent home from school with black eyes and bruised egos. |
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| David does his best to understand what his son is feeling as he listens to Mark’s account of the incident. David had never been very good at resolving conflict, and for the most part had avoided it most of his life. He worries that Mark may have inherited more from from Julian and his criminal father, Corwin, than from either Bebe or Ciara. |
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| And the scowl that Mark wears the rest of the day leaves him feeling anxious about how his son will handle himself when a real crisis arises. |
Stories by Zoxell 
Hmm, maybe it’s just because I have two boys but I think an occasional fist fight is a natural and normal part of growing up. Sounds like Mark is not going to be content to float along through life.
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Heh, I have three boys and I know what you mean. The worst fights are usually with each other… 😛
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You’re really good at showing your Sims’ personalities 🙂 I hope David is able to help Mark while also accepting him for who he is.
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Aww..I really hope that David can help Mark also.
I can see Mark turning down the bad road that Julian went and I really hope that his parents will be able to set him down the right one. I think he needs an outlet for his anger as well.
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