It will be some time before she finishes mourning, but when she does, I think things will be different for Alice. With Kev no longer periodically dropping by to wreck her self esteem, Alice will have a comparatively stable life. With her new job, she will be earning enough to start saving money, even with her spending on food and her charitable donations. There is still a long hard journey to be made if she wants to own a home of her own. But I think the worst of her life is behind her.

While she’s not quite living happily ever after, I think her future will be brighter but less eventful from here on. I feel it is a fitting place to end the story.

But of course, if you’ve cared for Alice while reading this, there’s no reason for her story to end for you. If you own The Sims 3, I invite you to download her to your game and carry on guiding her towards whatever happiness you think you can find for her.

This blog will still be host to things related to Alice and Kev in the future, so there is still reason to subscribe to the RSS feed or follow the twitter.

If you are tempted to buy The Sims 3 after reading this, consider supporting this blog by buying through these links to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, remember there are a great many people living similar experiences around the world. Please consider helping a real-world charity.

…

But Kev doesn’t immediately insult her, as she might have been expecting. Instead, he starts to break into tears.

He tries to cry on her shoulder, but Alice pushes him away. Comfort and acceptance is a little too much to ask of her by this point.

But I do see a lot of subtle emotion in their animations. As Kev hides his face and his tears, I see pity in Alice’s eyes, and she gingerly reaches her hand toward his arm, as if she’s no longer sure she made the right decision. But before she touches him, she recoils again, and Kev sobs alone.

It feels like two lifetimes of regret being played out in that short moment.

After some more uncomfortable interaction between them, Kev curls up on the bench. Alice sits with him through the night.

Before the morning, Kev has passed away.

Next: Alice

If you are tempted to buy The Sims 3 after reading this, consider supporting this blog by buying through these links to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, you might want to consider helping a real-world charity.

…

Charity Spotlight: Jimmy’s Night Shelter

When I first began Alice and Kev, it was just me playing around and then talking about how my game had been going with my friends. I didn’t have any connection to homelessness aside from purchasing a weekly Big Issue and an occasional chat with their vendors. But I’ve learned a lot about it in the months since starting this blog, from the comments here, from emails I’ve had, and from the charities and organisations that have contacted me.

One charity that has been particularly helpful to me is Jimmy’s Night Shelter, located near me in Cambridge, UK. But more importantly, they are a huge help to the homeless people of Cambridge.

Jane Heeney from Jimmy’s Night Shelter recently wrote a new introduction for our charity page, and this is what she has to say about the work her charity does.

Jimmy’s Night Shelter in Cambridge is open every night of the year welcoming 25 men and six women who would otherwise be forced to sleep rough outdoors or in inappropriate or inadequate accommodation. What’s unique about Jimmy’s is that we are the only facility in the city where the homeless can come straight in and have a meal and a bed – no waiting lists, no referrals, no interviews.

We were set up in 1995, named after Jim, who spent much of his life sleeping beneath a bridge on the M11 motorway. His story was the inspiration behind the founding of Jimmy’s, and today we continue this work with the tireless efforts of our volunteers and supporters.

Please help us to continue making a difference to the lives of the homeless: please visit www.jimmyscambridge.org.uk to find out more about how you can support our work.

-Jane Heeney

If you visit their donation page, they give a breakdown of exactly how the money donated to them is used.

If you do give to Jimmy’s Night Shelter or any other charity as a result of Alice and Kev, let me know by email, and if you want it, I will send you a personalised unpublished tiny story snippet from the lives of Alice and Kev, unique for you.

Despite all that’s happened, Kev still thinks he and Yvette are a couple. But Yvette puts a stop to that, and clearly and officially terminates their relationship.

Kev doesn’t accept it easily. He’s never seemed to understand why people don’t like him, and this rejection still hurts him more than most. He begs.

But he is eventually convinced that it is over, and he leaves.

There’s only one more of Kev’s wishes left to fulfil – only one more person he wants to say a few last words to.

Next: Kev and Alice

If you are tempted to buy The Sims 3 after reading this, consider supporting this blog by buying through these links to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, you might want to consider helping a real-world charity.

Gradually, she seems to have gotten a routine and begun to cope with her existence. Neither she nor I noticed the change happen, but she’s now coming in to work most days feeling mostly alright.

So it’s a surprise for me when she’s given a promotion one day. But not as much of a surprise as it is for her. Her traits mean she would never have thought herself capable or deserving of this. I have seen other Sims get a promotion. They’re pleased, but otherwise go about their day as normal. Alice is ecstatic, and she shouts in celebration as she leaves work.

For some time, she thinks about little else. Whatever she’s doing, she will periodically stop to punch the air or cheer.

After so many hours of watching Alice display only misery or numbness, seeing her loudly and outwardly express genuine happiness is startling.

Next: Kev and Yvette

If you are tempted to buy The Sims 3 after reading this, consider supporting this blog by buying through these links to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, you might want to consider helping a real-world charity.

It’s very early in the morning when Kev arrives at Robert’s house. So he waits. He sits on the lounge chair by the pool, and he waits.

At six in the morning, he rings the bell. Someone else answers the door and lets him in. Kev looks for Robert, and finds him, still in bed with his wife. Kev waits.

When Robert wakes, he is alarmed to find a man he barely remembers standing in his bedroom watching him sleep. Who then unleashes a barrage of abuse on him.

Once Kev has said his piece, he leaves, leaving Robert to be comforted by his wife after the traumatic experience.

Next: Celebration

If you are tempted to buy The Sims 3 after reading this, consider supporting this blog by buying through these links to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, you might want to consider helping a real-world charity.

He has accumulated a lot of wishes in a short space of time. All of them are to say certain things to various people he’s met in his life. To tell them what he thinks of them. First on the list is Rhoda Bagley, who he wants to insult. Rhoda’s brother Sherman answers the door, and clearly remembers Kev.

Once upon a time, Kev had a job working for Rhoda. A job that got him a spell in prison more than once. It doesn’t look like Kev blames himself for that. He strides into her living room and starts a loud shouting match with his former boss.

When he leaves, Rhoda still has a scowl on her face. Let’s hope that anger and frustration doesn’t get passed on.

Next: Kev and Robert Newbie

If you are tempted to buy The Sims 3 after reading this, consider supporting this blog by buying through these links to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, you might want to consider helping a real-world charity.

…

Charity spotlight: Homeless Truths

A while ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to appear on a local radio show because of this blog. That radio show was Homeless Truths, which is run and presented by a bunch of lovely people who are all homeless / ex-homeless / vulnerably housed.

Homeless Truths is the only radio show IN THE WORLD … produced and presented by homeless people for 209radio 105Fm in the Cambridge area. We have just completed a funded course teaching us all aspects of radio production and we’ve been broadcasting live once a fortnight giving voice to the stories and issues and talents of the homeless community in Cambridge.

We love making radio! and we want to carry on producing Homeless Truths … but now it’s up to us to cover the core costs so that we can continue to broadcast with 209radio. Our target of £3,500 will enable us to produce one more year of programmes and train up to 6 new team members.

Whatever you can spare – even £1 – will give us a huge boost. THANK YOU
- Kirsten Lavers

Update: Unfortunately, I’ve received word that Homeless Truths failed to raise their funds, and 209radio have shut down. But I have been told that many of the homeless people who worked on it are now participating in a venture called Homeless Not Hopeless, and I am sure they would appreciate any support you can give them.

His masterful silly faces would seem to have successfully impressed her.

But then someone says or does the wrong thing, and the mood is lost. Shirley goes to sleep in the spare bed, and Zedadias retreats to his own room.

Which means Alice is left with the sofa.

Next: Kev and Rhoda

If you are tempted to buy The Sims 3 after reading this, consider supporting this blog by buying through these links to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, you might want to consider helping a real-world charity.

This is Shirley Lin, who seems like they might be a girlfriend of Zedadias’, or a potential one at least. They flirt while Alice watches TV.

Things sometimes seem a little awkward between them, though, as they both occasionally reject the others’ advances.

Shirley doesn’t appear to like Alice. Several times I see her make an unpleasant face at Alice, or make signs of disapproval while thinking about her.

Nevertheless, Zedadias invites her to stay the night. Alice nearly chokes on her peanut butter sandwich. These two events are entirely unrelated.

After the meal, Zedadias and Shirley cuddle on the couch while Alice is left to clean up.

Next: A sofa is still better than a bench

He begins the morning by trying to make friends with Alice’s old schoolfriend Anita.

He isn’t very successful. She’s more shocked than impressed.

Anita’s mother gets involved but randomly tries to give him a hug. It’s at this point I recognise her as the woman that was also rather over-friendly to Kev in the library a while back.

After initially rejecting her, I think Kev realises that this woman might be his best chance at companionship. He tries to show her he has changed his mind.

The whole situation is a terrible tragedy. Both of them are desperate for physical affection, but it seems neither are willing unless they are the ones to initiate it.

Kev cheers himself up after his rejection by declaring the next person he sees to be his greatest nemesis.

But that doesn’t exactly go to plan either. Kev wasn’t expecting him to fight back quite so much.

Next: Shirley

When Alice arrives back at Zedadias’ home late at night, she finds Kev wandering around behind the house. She immediately gets more verbal abuse from him.

But she puts up with it and takes Kev to the diner, where she pays for him to have a meal.

When his hunger is satisfied, Kev begins to accost the other people outside.

Alice comes out after Kev, stands and watches him for a moment, then goes back inside to buy a drink.

Next: Hugs and Nemeses