While Damien is away, Jamie calls his brother. He asks him to pack up his belongings and send them to Hidden Springs. Jamie doesn't have much because of the job that takes him all over. He stores his books and clothing at his parent's house. When he is in town, he stays in his old room. He is used to living in motels and bed and breakfasts depending on the town and the jobs. "Please send my research books as soon as possible. I'd like them to arrive overnight. I'm moving my base of operations here." His brother agrees to send the books overnight and the other things when he can get them packed and sent. "I owe you one," he tells his brother.
"Yes, you sure do, and I will hold you to it!" is the brotherly reply.
Jamie is deep in thought when Mary brings her research papers down to put on Damien's desk. She can't resist having a little fun with the famous ghost hunter.
Mary sneaks behind him as quietly as possible. She raises her hands and brings them down on his shoulders shouting 'boo' at the same time.
Mary 1, Jamie 0.
Jamie turns around to confront the ghost that just took at least a year or two off his life. She is as beautiful as Damien said. She is laughing happily that she scored one over him. He makes funny faces at her, and she makes some back at him. He senses a change in her from the ghost he was sensing when he first arrived. Less anger and rage emanate from her. The fear is still there despite the laughing and happy face. Meeting Damien has been good for her, and he hopes they can help to take the fear away. "Mary, what a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Jamison McNeal. Please call me Jamie."
"Yes, I am Mary Kendall. You had me worried a few times about trying to break into the attic." Mary watches Jamie as he answers her. He has a good sense of humor taking her playful scare in good sport. She likes that in a person. It's funny, as cute as he is and so cheerful he doesn't affect her the same way Damien does. Damien is more serious and determined but he makes her heart flutter when he looks at her. She is getting warm thinking about him. She shakes herself and pays attention to what Jamie is talking about.
"Yes, well, that is what I do...ghost hunter you know. I didn't really want to tear down the walls. I was going to buy climbing equipment and try to get in the broken window. I'm thrilled I don't have to do that. Not crazy about heights!" He laughs and thanks her for coming out and talking to Damien last night. "Are you okay with me contacting Dr. O'Dourke and setting up a meeting here in a few days?"
"I saw you leaving his office before my appointment yesterday. Was it about me?"
"No, it was about the resurrection project. I wanted to know more about it. It is not a project that will help most of the ghosts I deal with but occasionally I run across ghosts that it might help. "
"I see." Mary looks thoughtful and sad. "He is going to call when he gets results from the sample he took from me. He was hoping to meet me here. I expect he wants to meet the other ghosts. He also encouraged me to quit hiding. He said he believed you and Damien might be able to help me. It is fine if you want to set up a meeting when both you and Damien can be here as well. It's not like I go out often."
Damien arrives back home and is happy to see Mary has met Jamie and is not hiding in the attic. He tells them about the interview. "I need to write the interview, and then I will deliver the report. I hope it will not take them long to reopen the official investigation."
"I hope it does not take long either! Jamie excuses himself. "I'm meeting the boss lady of Hidden Springs, Catarina Vanderburg. I cleared her mansion last night. She asked me to meet her at the house this afternoon."
Damien completes his report and takes a copy to the police chief, the judicial attorney's office, and the local paper and news station. He hurries back home hoping to spend some time with Mary.
Catarina is outside when Jamie arrives. She shakes his hand and thanks him again for ridding the home of the poltergeists. She is a little bit warmer to him than in their previous encounter. "It is the first peaceful night we have hand in our home in many months." She hands him an envelope. Inside is a large bonus check. "Renauld and I like to reward excellence and you achieved what no other hunter was skilled enough to do. Please go to the town hall, and Renauld has a service award for you as well. He is expecting you. If we can do anything to help you, please don't hesitate to contact us."
Jamie is stunned at the size of the bonus check, and his usual ease abandons him. "I'm sorry, I can't accept this check. I think you put too many zeros on that."
Catarina glances at the check in his hand. "No, that is exactly what we meant it to be. It is well worth it to be able to have peace and no fear in our home. You are the best just as you said. I hope we do not require your services again but if we do I hope we can contact you directly."
Jamie gives his card with his contact numbers to Catarina. "The address is not correct as I am moving here. I am staying with a friend for now at Spring Manor."
Catarina glances up at him. "I knew the house had been purchased. You don't mind living in a haunted home? That place has been an eyesore for many years. Because of the historical committee, we could not condemn it and have it torn down."
Jamie blanches at that thought. "My friend is restoring it. It will take some time. The ghosts will be taken care of. We hope to help them move on depending on their wishes. They are not evil or poltergeists. Just trapped here because of the circumstances of their death. Thank you again for the generous bonus. Don't hesitate to call if you are troubled about the poltergeists returning."
Jamie travels to the town hall and meets Renauld Vanderburg who is very friendly and affable. He receives his service award in a small ceremony and shakes the hands of the other dignitaries present. He takes the moment to hand out a few of his business cards and makes a mental note to get new ones printed.
Arriving home he finds Mary playing with the cat who does not seem scared of her. Smart cat. Damien is chatting with Betty about her will and how Damien found out the husband inherited instead of Betty's children. Betty screeches when she hears about the will. Damien tries to soothe her with little success. Jamie threatens to whip out his banshee banisher if she screeches again and doesn't settle down. Betty stops the hysterics, sniffles and listens to Damien. He tells her a handwriting expert will help them prove the will was false. "I have a few more things to investigate and hopefully can obtain proof of what he did." She nods and tells him thank you while glaring at Jamie and poofs out of the room.
Damien stares at Jamie. "You can't threaten my ghost clients like that!"
"What? Did you really want her to keep making all that noise? My method was more effective than your soothing attempts." He grins cheekily at Damien.
"Well, there is that!" Damien looks over at Mary and she is playing with the cat but looks up at them and shrugs. "Betty gets upset easily. She can wail for hours. We used to upset her on purpose to frighten the renters."
Jamie tells Damien about the bonus check and the service award from the Vanderburgs.
"Congratulations. Glad they recognize the job you did."
"I want you to use it to get the floor fixed and finish the windows."
"Jamie, that is your money. You know you can stay here as long as you want, but I don't expect you to pay for the repairs. Besides the windows are in the garage. We just need to replace them."
"I'll just blow it on my bike or something equally unimportant. I'd like to help."
"Thanks, Jamie. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to have to hire someone to oversee the renovations. I've gotten busy with the private investigations as well as the ghost ones. You are busy with ghost hunting and trying to help me out in the investigations as well and with Mary. The contractor I hired was good but too scared of the house being haunted."
Mary overhears the conversation. "I wonder if Emmaline could recommend someone that is not frightened of ghosts. She has helped me get a few things done in winters past. I've got a stack of rocks and gems that need to be smelted, cut and sold. A few of them are quite valuable once cut. I don't need the money I just collect them for something to do at night when everyone is asleep."
"That is a great idea about asking Emmaline. You will need to introduce her to me as I've not met her or seen her around town. I appreciate the offer of the rocks. I've collected a few on my hiking trips in the woods. We can take them to the consignment store to smelt and cut them."
She places her hands on her hips. "You are determined to get me out of this house aren't you?"
Damien raises his hands. "Guilty, with good intentions. I've encountered several ghosts since coming to town going in and out of the stores. A few people seem frightened, but others don't seem troubled at all. I think the more people you meet the less fear they will have of you."
Mary chews at her lower lip thinking to herself how shy and socially awkward she has always been. She thought the girls had a change of heart and wanted to be her friend. Nope, they just wanted to kill me. She's not a very good judge of character either. "I'll think about it," she tells him.
Jamie receives a call from Liam inquiring if he minds doing a job. "I know it is Snowflake eve, but I'm out of hunters to call." Jamie agrees to do the job. While they are on the phone, he briefs him about Mary and scheduling a meeting. Liam is satisfied Mary opened up to them. "I will call and set up a meeting when all the results are back. It may require an extra day because of the holiday."
Damien asked Mary about getting into the attic so he can replace the broken windows.
"I guess there is no reason to keep it closed off. Come with me."
Damien follows her up the tower stairs. She floats through the wall and picks up the potion from Emmaline. Tossing it at the wall the spell dissolves and the door is no longer hidden. She invites Damien into the room. He is surprised at the amount of equipment she has in her tiny room. She introduces the bird, Sherlock.
"I knew I heard a bird at times."
Mary laughs. "Sometimes it was hard to keep him quiet."
@bekkasan Yay for an awesome new chapter to read after my Conference watching.
I'm so happy to hear Jamie will be moving to Hidden Springs. It really is a beautiful and special place that just draws folks in. Now he and Damien will be a dynamic duo! And I couldn't help thinking of what Donkey said on "Shrek" when I thought that:
"Two stalwart friends on another whirlwind adventure!"
Mary scaring Jamie and his reaction face! OMGosh! I laughed so hard!
And then they threw silly faces out at each other, that was too cute.
It's funny, as cute as he is and so cheerful he doesn't affect her the same way Damien does. Damien is more serious and determined but he makes her heart flutter when he looks at her. She is getting warm thinking about him.
^I like hearing that since meeting Damien she's becoming warmer and warmer each day. A hinted foreshadowing. I do that quite a bit in my stories as well.
Cute convo she had with Jamie. It's as if they were always friends and just didn't know it yet.
I hope all goes well with Damien's efforts to reopen the investigation! Because I can see how he will most likely be met with resistance.
It doesn't surprise me that the Vanderburgs would reward Jamie so handsomely, but I can understand his reaction. I think his dimpled cheek charm really rubbed off on Catarina. (Her hair pulled up like that is cute. It must be an ITF hair because I don't have it in my game...)
Damien is chatting with Betty about her will and how Damien found out the husband inherited instead of Betty's children. Betty screeches when she hears about the will. Damien tries to soothe her with little success. Jamie threatens to whip out his banshee banisher if she screeches again and doesn't settle down.
^LOL! Ohhhh man! Another good laugh! I know I wouldn't be able to handle that screeching either and probably would've threatened the same if I had to listen to it long enough!
Damien's scolding towards him about it. I understand, and I love that Damien likes to handle things in a more gentle way.
"Betty gets upset easily. She can wail for hours. We used to upset her on purpose to frighten the renters."
^Lol! Good one!
Awwww! That is SO sweet of Jamie to offer Damien his reward money to help with the renovations on the Manor. *Holds hand to heart* And it was equally sweet of Mary to offer up her gemstones to sell too.
Damien raises his hands. "Guilty, with good intentions..."
^That was cute. I could totally picture it and his face expression. And he's right in what he told her. I hope she will be able to find the ability to trust in that. She was burned badly...and I can understand her hesitation.
Snowflake Eve! I'm excited Snowflake day is coming and that you got the chance to play it after not having Seasons in your game for years.
Cute that Damien would hear Sherlock sometimes. I love birds so much that when I hear one, I know I'm not hearing things and I'll find it.
Yay she opened up the attic to him. They are growing closer and closer and I just LOVE it! (I may have this picture in my mind of them kissing up there, but...I think it's still a bit too early for that. )
Can't wait for the next Chapter!
@bekkasan : great update!
scaring the ghost hunter! So Mary has a great sense of humor! Good that Jamie is such a relaxed person and that he gets along so good with her!
So Mary feels warm when thinking of Damien? Perhaps here lies the answer! She will be resurrected because somebody loves her! Like Snow White who had to be kissed by the right prince!
Interesting that the Vanderburg´s were so generous, I really thought that they would try not to pay the full price because Jamie was not good enough or so! It´s so nice of Jamie to be willing to spend it on the house!
the howling Betty! Funny that the ghosts upsetted her to make her screech to frighten the visitors! Clever!
Let´s see where his new job takes Jamie, hopefulle he will be successful again! Good way to meet the new neighbors.
Aww, Mary has torn down her attic wall for Damien! That means a lot! Time for a new beginning for her and new hope!
I like how you´ve described what she thinks about the boys, that she thinks that Jamie is cute but Damien gives her more warmth with his seriousness and determination. (I would go for the cutie, but each their own! )
Let´s see what Liam will tell them when he has the results of the tests!
@emorrill I'm happy to see your comments. Thanks so much!
I think Jamie and Damien could have a lot of adventures helping other ghosts once they get Mary and the others settled.
Mary picked that way to meet Jamie! She's a trip for a shy, socially awkward gal.
I have no idea what hair she is wearing. I'll check next time I'm in the game for you.
Yes, she has kept to herself or just the other ghosts for so long that it will be hard. She is enjoying the company of the guys though and seems to seek them both out. I did find her wandering in the woods the other day hunting gems. I had to send her home it was picture time! lol
yes, snowflake day kinda popped up on me! I had forgotten it would be coming and had not checked any work calendars since I have both of them in jobs I have to help manage.
I had a bird in the other story chirping outside the kitchen window driving me bonkers. It was too close to the house and Wisteria couldn't capture it, so I used nraas debug and sent it to the household inventory and sold it that way!
No kisses yet!
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for the comments. Glad to read them!
lol, I have a feeling if they were fairies they would be pranking each other all day.
She has feelings for Damien and is starting to recognize them. Damien for sure has feelings for her and doesn't have a problem with it. Mary will be a little slower coming to terms because of her past.
Yes, the Vanderburg's particularly Catarina can be pretentious, but they also reward excellence.
Yes, Jamie's reputation is growing and the town is getting plagued by little sprites and poltergeists!
She had instant hearts for Damien and none for Jamie. None for Liam either as I decided to give her that third option. If she gets hearts for any townies...too bad! LOL Choice is made.
Damien was up late decorating the house to celebrate Snowflake day. He rummaged in the storage room over the garage and found the boxes that came with him from Riverview. Four of the ghosts were drafted to help him. Jamie also helped once he arrived home from his ghost-hunting job. Betty kept an eye on Mary to make sure she stayed asleep and didn't come down while they were putting out the decorations. Damien wanted to surprise her. They finished in record time with all of them working and were able to get a few hours of sleep. Damien dressed in a holiday sweater for the day and went downstairs to prepare a nice breakfast for everyone. Flipping pancakes is his favorite part of cooking other than eating them of course. He whistles and hums holiday songs as he fixes the meal.
Jamie comes downstairs looking pretty fine in a winter sweater. "Happy Snowflake Day! It looks great Damien! Very festive."
Damien walks over to light the fire. He says a silent prayer to the Fates, 'no fires today please'.
"Happy Snowflake Day to you as well! Thanks so much for helping. We got it done pretty fast working together."
Mary, hearing Jamie and Damien talking floated downstairs. She stopped and stared in wonder at the huge festive tree in the room with gaily wrapped gifts tucked around the tree and the lights twinkling in the foliage.
"It's beautiful! When did you guys do this? You must have been up all night."
Damien smiled at her. "It was a team effort and it didn't take long with all of us working together. We wanted to surprise you."
"I am surprised and amazed and love it. Thank you so much! I remember the excitement and joy of Snowflake day celebrations as a little girl. This brings back many wonderful memories. Thank you so much, Damien and Jamie."
Damien had found a few mismatched chairs in the storage room as well as a table. He cleaned them up, and they now had a place for all three to sit and eat at one time. They enjoyed the pancakes and talked about their favorite Snowflake day memories from their childhood while they ate. He asked Mary to invite Emmaline and anyone else she wanted to a gift-giving party that is to start at 1 pm. He has already invited the house ghosts to be present for the party. The three of them play a few rounds of dominoes which they all remember enjoying with their families on Snowflake Day's in the past.
Emmaline arrives on time for the party. She thanks Mary for the invitation, and Mary introduces her to Damien. They chat about Mary and Emmaline thanks Damien for trying to assist Mary.
"It is my pleasure to help Mary," Damien replies.
Emmaline, who has the gift of sight stares into Damien's eyes. She nods apparently satisfied with what she observes.
She cryptically informs him, "You must maintain the faith, keep your mind open and follow your heart."
She blinks and tells him she must leave for work, despite it being Snowflake Day. She hands him a card. "Mary told me you required some help renovating the house. Rebecca is not frightened of ghosts or any other occult. Rebecca is a talented builder and artist and would do wonders on this house."
Damien thanks her for coming and asks her to visit Mary anytime. "She needs her friends and considers you a true friend. Emmaline agrees and goes over to say goodbye to Mary.
Damien looks at the card. Rebecca Renovates. No job too small or too big. Fully licensed for all your construction needs. He tucks it into his pocket to call after the holiday.
The house ghosts arrive, and the party is in full swing.
In a short while, it is time to open the gifts. All the gifts were very thoughtful. Everyone enjoyed the laughter and fun of guessing what was inside and opening the packages. Damien had set out a few snack platters and those were soon emptied by the eager guests. Jamie winked at Damien and told the ghosts he was taking them to the festival for the rest of the day. Jamie wanted to give Damien and Mary some time alone.
Betty set her hands on her hips. "You know we can't leave the lot."
"You can if I take your gnomes with us." He and Damien hauled the gnomes to the truck that he borrowed. The ghosts followed and settled in the truck on each other's laps and in the bed of the truck.
They arrived at the festival lot and scattered to enjoy their favorite winter activities.
Awww, Mary gets a Christmas party, that is so sweet of the boys!
So nice of the ghosts to help to decorate!
I wonder what the ghost get as presents, something substantial or something ethereal???
Hehehe, Damien´s prayer to the fire god: don´t set the chimney on fire. It had helped obviously! Does it work just with the fire god?
So I ask myself what Emmaline told Damien when seeing his future: does she see danger coming to him and Mary? But she approved of him, she should tell Mary to trust him fully if she doesn´t do that already.
So it is tradition in the Sims world to play domino at Christmas? Or is it just a coincidence of the three friends and their families´ traditions?
A trip to the winter festival for the ghosts, so nice of Jamie and so convenience for Damien and Mary.....
I saw the cat hunting in the other thread, did she stay away from the Christmas tree?
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for the comments!
First Snowflake day in so many years for me and Mary. We had to make it special.
Everyone got cool stuff except one got a dorky alarm clock. We had 3 chess sets, two video game systems, Mary got a lamp which I put in her room. One of the chess sets was nice so swapped it for the one in Damien's room.
Isn't it funny how those seers like to be so cryptic with their messages?
I've always had my sims play dominoes or other things they can do together on special days.
hehe, the cat attacking the tree would be such a fun animation!
@bekkasan Alright, getting comfortable here.
Snowflake Day surprise? Oooohhh!
Oh my gosh I love Damien's Christmassy Sweater. And he looks darn sexy there flipping pancakes and the nice shot of his cute, tight butt is a plus. 👍
Just reading this first paragraph is getting me all into the Christmas spirit and like I said it's making me REALLY want to write another Christmas story this year, but...I really don't think I can.
I love that he wants to surprise Mary with the decorations. Awwww! *Holds hand to heart* He's such a super sweetie!
Jamie's sweater looks great on him too.
Damien walks over to light the fire. He says a silent prayer to the Fates, 'no fires today please'.
^Lol, right!?
Is that the same fireplace that was there before or did Damien replace it? It's gorgeous! (Was Jamie doing that boxing punch there that athletic sims do sometimes? You know what I'm talking about?)
Aww, Mary's reaction. I bet it warmed her heart all the more, just as it did mine.
The way Damien is looking at her here.
I really like that you portray Emmaline as a kind and sweet person in this story. It may take me a while to no longer view her as an evil woman. I see she approves of Damien through her insight. And quite the insightful advice she gave him. I know he'll remember it.
Oooh, is this Rebecca about to become a new character?
Rebecca Renovates. No job too small or too big. Fully licensed for all your construction needs.
^Okay, that's super cute!
What a beautiful gift giving party. You captured some great photos to illustrate that.
Jamie is a sweetie too, wanting to get the other ghosts out of the house so Mary and Damien can be alone. And I know they appreciated his willingness to take them somewhere else for a change. I'm sure it meant a lot.
Oh man I can just picture the ghosts having one heck of a jolly good old time at the Festival! I can't wait to see! More please!
@emorrill Thanks so much for commenting!
I do love holiday themed sweaters!
I would love a Christmas story from you too, but I don't think you will have time. You don't need extra stress trying to push one out.
Damien wants to see smiles on her face and the worry and fear gone. He knows he can't take it away completely but he is sure trying.
Yes, that is the same fireplace.
Jamie does the excited animation a lot! Sometimes it is very timely and other times a little inappropriate. lol
I really should give Emmaline a makeover since I took the insane away from her. lol
Rebecca is going to help renovate the house as the funds are available.
The ghosts definitely enjoyed the festival.
Thanks again. I've got pictures for the next part, just need to start writing it up. So romantic! Need a good song for it.
@bekkasan How nice of Damien to want to surprise Mary and nice of the other ghosts to help .
Yes, no fires please . I hope sims don't keep real candles in the Christmas tree like my grandma did (and they never caused a fire, but it sure was risky in a house with a cat).
I like their Christmas decorations!
Glad Mary is happy with the surprise! I guess most of us have fond memories of Christmas when we were little, and for Mary they must be very special because she was still alive.
Pancakes for Snowflake day - not a bad tradition, lol.
Nice that they all got to meet Emmaline. I'm sure Damien will follow his heart .
The party with all the ghosts looks really busy. They must be happy someone's arranging this for them .
Jamie is a very good friend giving Damien some privacy with Mary. How smart of him to think about packing up the gnomes!
Your update makes me wish it was Christmas even though I'm not a winter person at all .
@meerkattime Thanks so much for your comments.
Damien is going to update the electricity and the heating so they don't have to rely on fireplaces and candles and lanterns.
It was a fun celebration and the first in a long time for me as well.
I'm not crazy about winter either but luckily I don't live where it gets too cold. I don't mind winter in the sims at all.
Mary helps Damien with the clean up from the Snowflake party. In no time at all the chairs are put back in place. The wrapping paper, boxes, and ribbons are tossed in the trash. Damien finishes the dishes and turns around and notices Mary watching him from the doorway.
Damien walks to the doorway with a mischievous grin on his face and points up to the ceiling.
"Look at what you are standing under."
Mary looks up. "Oh, the mistletoe is so pretty."
Damien bends towards Mary and brushes his lips softly against hers giving her a brief kiss.
His lips tingle from the kiss and his heart skips a beat or two. He smiles at Mary hoping she felt something too.
The magical mistletoe blesses them both. Mary blushes with warmth from the kiss. She wants to reach out to Damien and have him kiss her again. She was never good at this boy-girl stuff when she was alive. She has certainly not improved as a ghost. Her heart races with her nerves flying on edge. Damien would love to kiss Mary again. Perhaps this time with more than a brief touch of their lips together. He can sense Mary is nervous, so he doesn't try.
"Would you like to go to the festival?" he asks her.
"I would love going out, but maybe not the festival. Will you go with me to one of my favorite places? Do you have skates?"
"I'd love to! Yes, I have skates!"
Mary leads him into the woods, and they follow a path that takes them deep into the woods that surround the town. A pond at the base of the mountain is frozen except for a small area where a waterfall splashes into the depths. Mary puts on her skates and skates to the center of the pond and shows Damien how she has learned to spin. She laughs joyfully, exhilarated by the speed and perfection of her spin.
Damien loves seeing her happiness and obvious glee as she spins faster and faster and then gradually slows down. She is so very beautiful as her face lights up and glows in the moonlight. He could stand there and watch her for hours.
"Put your skates on and join me," she calls to him as she slows her spin and stops.
Damien puts his skates on and carefully joins her on the pond. It has been a few years since he has been skating. He hopes it is like riding a bike and it comes back to him.
He joins her in the middle of the pond, and she takes his hand and she tells him how to use his body to speed up and slow down the spin. Things are going very well as they spin together. "This was a great idea. I've not skated in years," he tells her. "You skate beautifully."
"It is one of the few things that I enjoy from my endless winters."
Damien's confidence grows, and he is soon skating easily. They skate, chasing each other around the pond laughing and teasing each other as one or the other gets closer. Mary turns the tables on Damien just as he reaches out for her and starts skating backward away from him. He watches her for a moment and soon mimics her backward skating. They come together in the middle of the pond and join hands to do some more spins.
Somehow Damien's blade connects with a thin crack in the ice causing him to stumble. He falls forward on his face causing Mary to land on her bottom. He laughs as he awkwardly stands back up and reaches out to help Mary up when he notices she is shaking. His laughter quickly turns to worry.
"Are you OK? Mary, are you alright?"
She can't hold it back any longer and giggles erupt out of her until tiny tears fall from the corner of her eyes. She wipes her eyes as she tries replying to him and the fits of giggles start again.
He stares at her knowing full well he will never completely understand women. He loves hearing her giggles though and takes her hands in his as she continues trying to stop the giggles.
"I'm fine Damien. This is the most fun I've had in years since you came into my life, and I want to thank you for helping me to laugh and live again. I've been bitterly angry at my fate and with the Fates for so long. All I've known is anger, rage and yes, even hate towards others who are alive. I forgot life was what you make of it. Landing on my bum and you on your face in the midst of our perfect spin made me realize we are meant to fall at times. Our strength comes from getting back up and moving forward and not looking back, except to learn from it. I think I got a fit of the giggles from realizing such a momentous discovery from a fall on the ice. I've been very weak and stupid and missing out on what I could have had. From this moment I will look forward to my life such as it is. If I only have winters to live then so be it. I will experience each winter to its fullest. I hope we can come up with a way to resurrect me, but if not, I will deal better than I have in my past."
Damien realizes this is a pivotal moment for Mary, and he is so proud of her. "I will always be here for you, Mary. I hope you know that."
He hopes in his heart that her acceptance of her fate will allow her to understand his feelings towards her. He will not rush her. She needs a friend, and he will be that friend...and maybe get her under the mistletoe for another sweet kiss.
"I do know that Damien. I am very happy that you didn't run off with the tricks I played on you. I'm happy you are still willing to help me after I was so mean to you." She tucks her head in sorrow and shame not willing to look in his eyes.
He loosens one of his hands from hers and lifts her chin with his fingers. His look is so tender and caring it causes a few more tears to fall from her eyes. No one other than her parents ever looked at her like that.
"My dear Mary, those tricks you played were a cry for help. No one else understood as well as I did. I told you, I know you. I didn't know 100% that it was you, but I suspected and hoped it was. Jamie knew as soon as he came. We just had to wait for you to be ready for us to help."
He used his glove and dried her tears. "Are you ready to try that spin one more time?"
"Lets do it!" She places her hand in his and they skate out to the middle of the pond and spin together.
@bekkasan Mistletoe Kiss! Ooooh! I like where this is going!
I bet Mary was swooning watching him clean up - thinking about how incredibly sexy he is - from the doorway.
I love that he pointed out the Mistletoe. *hint hint*
Such an adorable and tender kiss he gave her. And it was sweet of him to be thoughtful of her and respect her nervousness so he didn't try to kiss her again. (I love him! )
Ooh, she invites him to a secret pond to go skating.
Awesome picture you captured of her skating here. Beautiful.
They skate, chasing each other around the pond laughing and teasing each other as one or the other gets closer.
^ *Squeal!* I love it! So cute. Flirting scenes are almost as fun to read about as kissing scenes. (To me anyway. )
THIS picture! With his beautiful smile and the snow falling all around them as they hold hands!
^I think it's the picture you shared with me in a text. It looks so much more gorgeous here!
Hee hee! Him falling on his face and her falling on her bum. And the fact that she was laughing so hard it made her cry...You can tell there's a crazy mix of happy and sad emotions surging all throughout her right now and you described it all perfectly.
Her moment of realization she shared with him there...beautiful, on point, those are lack of better words that I can't think of at the moment. Inspiring. The impact Damien's love and kindness (and patience ) has had on her...he's the best thing that could've ever happened to her and sometimes it takes the love and influence of another to break us from our foolishly stubborn behavior. I can't say it enough, you wrote this VERY well! I could feel all the emotions deeply in my soul.
Of course he'd always be there for her no matter what. Aww.
Wow! Just wow! This was a wonderful, fun and romantic read, and I am even more hungry for more! I love these two.
(Is this how it felt when you guys were reading about Sam and Emma? Because...MAN! )
Great job S!
@emorrill Thank you so much for the comments! I've got a big smile on my face.
I thought the mistletoe would be great if one of them got under it. It is a sweet soft kiss kinda like the shy kiss.
It's still hanging even though the other decorations are gone.
The skating is so cute and it is a shame they didn't do couple skating animations. That would be super romantic! But probably very hard to animate.
You got it exactly! It was the moment she realized how she had let her emotions ruin what life she did have. So, will this realization have any impact on what the Fates have in store for her? My lips are sealed.
Thank you again! I'm happy that what I tried to convey turned out so well.
Yes, exactly how we felt for Sam and Emma! And think how long it took to get them together! And what they had to go through!
I had to break part of this last update up as I had too many pictures so there may be one more Mary update before I go back to the Dragon Valley story.
@CravenLestat Thank you! I can feel it too.
lol, yes good thing this is the sims and teeth are not busted and jaws don't break.
What a great picture of Mary and her pirouette! Beautiful!
So much love in his stare! She can be so lucky that he is there for her!
His strategy was successful and she begins to embrace life again! This should be the beginning of bringing her back, there is no restraint to hold her back to become alive anymore, he feelings don´t hinder her anymore.
@bekkasan A kiss! So innocent so far, but hopefully a beginning for something...
Oh Mary, just kiss him again - he's more into it than you know! The warmth must feel great on her frozen lips .
The mistle toe kiss did its job .
Funny that Mary has ghostly skates.
I love the late night pictures of them skating. The snowfall looks really pretty and romantic .
Aww, Mary, this is really good for her . Living company is really what she needed to make the best out of "life" again. And Damien's love...
And I do think she will be even really alive again because I find it hard to believe you wouldn't revive her .
Poor Mary is almost apologizing for her behaviour... How sweet!
@meerkattime Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
She really does get warm from his touch, but not from other sims. Ya think it would sink in sooner than later for her!
I really adore the mistletoe!
hehe, yes, I put a Christmas pattern on her even though you guys couldn't tell. lol
I would have them skate together a lot. It is so romantic.
Damien is a good influence on her.
Jamie and the house ghosts have a great time at the winter festival. Jamie is soaring and learning to do several tricks on the snowboards without falling and injuring himself. The ghosts enjoy the various winter activities and very few of the townspeople at the festival were frightened of them.
The ghosts are hungry and Jamie is as well. Breakfast was a long time ago, and all they had since was delicious snack food at the party. The food booths are closed at the festival. Jamie decides they will all go to the local diner rather than go back and cook. He is not a good cook and it has been a fun day and he doesn't want to head home and work. He texts Damien and invites him and Mary to join them at the diner for a late supper.
Damien reads the text from Jamie and talks to Mary about going to the diner. "Are you hungry? The others are going to the diner to eat and would like us to join them."
Mary takes a deep breath as she recalls her decision a few moments ago to live fully. She nods her head. "Yes, I'd love to hear how much fun they had at the festival."
Damien smiles and he cannot resist. He hugs her to him.
The ghosts turn the jukebox on and with the permission of the manager move a few tables and dance while they wait for their meals. Betty gets Jamie to dance and teaches him how to swing dance. Damien and Mary watch and try to follow Betty's instructions laughing as they make a few mistakes before getting the hang of the dance. They enjoy a delicious and fun meal and Jamie leaves a big tip that makes the manager and wait staff very happy for working on Snowflake Day.
Back home Jamie and Damien place the gnomes outside and the ghosts return to them after thanking Jamie and Damien for a fun Snowflake day. Damien is greeted by Lia who demands some attention after being left alone all day.
Jamie senses less fear and anxiety in Mary and observed her closely while they were at the diner. He watched his buddy Damien as well and knows he has lost his heart completely. He is not quite sure about Mary. "So, how was your day Miss Mary?" he asks with his customary charm.
"It was the best Snowflake day since I was a little girl. I cannot thank you and Damien enough for making it a special day for the house ghosts and myself." Mary looks over at Damien who is petting the cat and her face softens as she looks at him.
Jamie watches her and smiles with satisfaction.
"Goodnight Jamie. Goodnight Damien. Thank you again for a wonderful day."
Damien smiles up at Mary as he continues petting Lia who is purring loudly by now. "I will see you in the morning. I'm fixing fresh pancakes for breakfast.", he teases her and Jamie. "Don't be late!"
Mary floats up the stairs to her room rather than through the ceiling.
Damien continues hugging and petting Lia who seems to need the attention this evening. He tells Jamie about skating with Mary and her breakthrough moment when they fell on the ice.
"I felt less fear and anxiety in her this evening, so the fall was a blessing in her finally accepting her fate. You seem to be content with how things are between you."
"I guess I'm better at hiding it from you than I thought I would be. I love her Jamie. I need her to be mine more than I've ever desired anything in my life. I love Mary as she is right now, a ghost. It doesn't matter to me what she is. I hope she will come to love me as well. I fear it is too soon for her, though. We only have a few more weeks of winter. I don't want to rush things and frighten her away. I'll stay her friend and pray she will fall in love with me as I am with her."
Jamie looks concerned as he watches Damien petting the cat. "Yes, she needs a friend, but she needs to know how you feel too. You can be both. She's shy and is not going to make the first move. I know that about shy girls, trust me!"
"I did kiss her under the mistletoe." Damien smiles in remembrance. "It was just a little kiss and she didn't back off or run away. We went skating after that and laughed and chased each other. We had a great time together and Mary seemed very relaxed and happy to be with me."
"Good, just keep working your way into her heart. How can she not love you?", Jamie teases him. "Goodnight, don't stay up all night working or worrying."
"I won't! Thanks for the advice, Jamie. You are right about her being shy and not making a move first."
Mary changes into her warm long johns, lights a fire, and sits in the rocker contemplating the day and how her life has changed this winter. I don't want to be an angry, bitter ghost anymore. I don't want to be the shy, awkward, geek I was at university either. What do I need to be? I have a chance to become something more than I've been. A better person, well a better ghost.
Mary closes her eyes as she rocks. She sees Damien's smiling face with his tender eyes gazing at her in concern. His smile warms me inside and out. What does that mean?
Her body relaxes as she keeps his image in her mind. I am actually content with who I am right this minute. I might be a little unsure but I am a ghost with a new chance at life. I have new friends that I trust and old friends like Emmaline and the house ghosts who were loyal no matter what I did. Hmm, maybe I can help Damien with his work so they can be free. I will always be a geek because science and knowledge are important to me and I'm okay with that. Being a geek could help him with his research. I can work on the shy thing by being friendly to others even if they start out a little scared of me. I would have been frightened of a ghost too. That should help my social awkwardness as well. Maybe I can get Damien to stand under the mistletoe. I will have to watch him closely while we are downstairs together. She falls asleep as she rocks dreaming about the kiss Damien gave her under the mistletoe.
@bekkasan : Awww!
A chapter for the heart!
I really hope that nothing unexpected will happen which disturbs the progress Damien and Mary make while falling in love and getting together fully!!! They are on the best way to be lovebirds soon! I so wish that for both of them! Mary needs love in her live after such a long time being alone and knowing that she was so disliked that she was murdered and Damien is just such a reliable, caring and friendly boy, he deserves a girl who loves him completely!
This picture gives the term "hang out" a new meaning.
Furthermore the ghosts look so colorful in the whiteness of winter.
It´s just great that Jamie and Damien treet them as real humans, athough they don´t have a body anymore, they still have their soul, it´s sad that lots of people don´t treet them as persons, but are afraid of them.
Jamie is such a good friend to Damien!!!! He cares for him and doesn´t want his heart to be broken by Mary! That´s so sweet of him! Although he makes the impression he is someone who just wants to have fun in life and who is a bit shallow, he is such a caring, observing and sympathetic man!
I like how he looks at Damien, so attentive!!! Makes him even more attractive!
So Mary begins to change and to scrutinize her life, that´s so good for her! Now she can begin to get a good life, either as a ghost or as a human, her future could be bright! I love how her mind has changed after seeing that Damien really cares for her! I really wish her dreams will get real.
@bekkasan I love the titles you give to each update. They are perfect and really pique the interest of the reader and get them excited.
My goodness Jamie looks good snowboarding there.
I was wondering if the townsfolk would go ape over seeing all the ghosts at the Festival, but I'm glad they didn't.
Sweet of Jamie to take them to the Diner. (And to invite Damien and Mary as well.) It was great to see Mary act on her realization and new goals she's just set in her life.
Aww, he couldn't resist hugging her. *pleasurable sigh*
I love that Betty was teaching Jamie how to swing dance! Right on! 👍
Oh my goodness, Damien's declaration of love here:
"I guess I'm better at hiding it from you than I thought I would be. I love her Jamie. I need her to be mine more than I've ever desired anything in my life. I love Mary as she is right now, a ghost. It doesn't matter to me what she is. I hope she will come to love me as well. I fear it is too soon for her, though. We only have a few more weeks of winter. I don't want to rush things and frighten her away. I'll stay her friend and pray she will fall in love with me as I am with her."
*Holds hand to heart* Awwwwww! (I just wanna squeal! But my voice has always been too low for that, dangit. )
I agree with Jamie that Damien needs to not hide expressing his feelings for Mary for too much longer. She does need to know. Question is, will she express the same in return or hold back because of her shyness?
Mary's thoughts while rocking in the chair: Reminds me of when hubby and I were dating and how his beautiful smile would always pop up in my mind when we were apart. He seriously has the most beautiful - and sexiest - smile.
I think it would be great if she helped Damien and Jamie solve the other ghosts cases so they will be free. It's a way she can pay them back for all the times they protected her. The 3 would sure make a wonderful team!
I knew she enjoyed that little kiss under the magic mistletoe. (Love that close up pic of it at the end. )
Hungry for more as always lady.
@alexakry Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Love can sometimes be a rocky road. A part of this story depends on them, not just what I have written in my outline and head.
hehe, it was fun watching the townies. Some of them were perfectly fine with the ghosts, a few did the 'uh uh' reaction and interacted with them anyway, but no one passed out.
They got to the diner kinda late so I think all the townies had gone home and no one came back.
Jamie has been Damien's best friend since they were kids in school. They have a tight bond and he loves him like a brother.
Yep, Jamie has depths he doesn't show easily, except to those he cares about.
@emorrill Thank you so much for your comments and for reading my story!
I like coming up with chapter titles and sometimes I have the chapter name first and sometimes it changes as I write it. This one changed after I wrote it. When I ended with the kiss picture I decided the chapter needed to start with the kiss even if just in the title.
It was a fun day and evening playing for me too! I'm having so much fun with winter I don't know what will happen when spring comes.
I started to build the inside of the diner and take a few pics of what I wrote for it. I have to stop some of my ideas sometimes because then it would take too long to write the update. I'm a slow builder as well as a slow writer. Plus, I stopped and played in DV story while writing this update.
I love your wanting to squeal when Damien admits to Jamie he loves her. He just needs to tell Mary! He is afraid it is too soon...and he might be right. I think Damien had good instincts about Mary and will know how to proceed. Let's hope he is not too late!
@bekkasan Brave citizens! If I ended up in a festival with a bunch of ghosts I'd be scared .
It's so good for Mary to participate in normal life again and go to the diner.
I'm glad Jamie made a good day for the wait staff as well. Nobody wants to work on Snowflake day unless they get properly paid for it .
Funny that Mary doesn't count herself as a house ghost .
Damien doesn't even realize how well Jamie knows him. He's a great friend being so worried about Mary breaking his heart .
I hope Damien is still fully supportive of Mary turning back alive because that's what she wishes to happen. For him, it means everything will change and things will get less certain.
Jamie is so right - if Damien wants something happening, he'll have to let Mary know how he feels.
I think I have a little crush on your Jamie by the way . He's been interesting throughout the story.
Oh, even Mary has long johns - i thought she only had the cute nightie she was wearing the other night when floating down from the ceiling . Good girl Mary - no more freezing! Wise choice!
Mary, Mary, we all know what it means when someone's smile does that... She may not realize it but she's obviously in love. I really hope this will work well for them .
I'm glad Mary is starting to accept her situation, even though she's still a ghost. She's already thinking how she can be helpful with Damien's work regardless of that.
@meerkattime Oh sorry I didn't comment sooner! I do appreciate you reading and commenting.
I was happy to see Mary settling down and enjoying what she can.
Yep, I've got a soft spot for Jamie too! He might be mischevious and a bit of a flirt and kinda arrogant in a good way, but he has a good heart.
I gave her those long johns since she is so cold all the time. I usually alternate what my sims wear each day so that just happened to be the sexy outfit @CravenLestat made for her.
I think it will take Mary awhile to accept with her history at uni and how shy she is and a bit of a loner. She's never felt lovable other than by her parents. Damien is gonna have to work for it.
Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
A Memorable Day, Part 1
The next morning as promised Damien fixes pancakes for breakfast. They sit around the table eating the delicious breakfast and discussing plans for the day. Most businesses are still closed for the holiday, so Damien is unable to schedule any interviews for his investigations. Jamie is free until evening since poltergeists don't take off for the holidays and he is sure to be called to work later tonight. Mary is still feeling good over her decision to be more active in life. She would like to visit the festival as the other ghosts had so much fun.
Jamie is a friendly and charismatic man and loves getting to know others. He enjoys chatting with Gabriella Omales who works at City Hall in the mayor's office. She is quite happy working with the Mayor and Vice Mayor who are husband and wife. He is invited to join a snowball fight that turns into quite a competition and is soon soaked despite his leathers. He loves to skate but is soon freezing from the soaking he experienced during the snowball fight to enjoy skating.
A young woman watches Jamie as he skates around the rink. She came to the lot early to practice her skating before others arrived. Looks like she arrived too late this morning. He's good!, she thought to herself. He's cute too. I've seen him a few other times around town recently. I'd be too embarrassed with my poor skating to skate in front of him. I think I'll go to the overlook and wait to practice tomorrow.
Mary and Damien enjoy the festival. She loves the smell of the popcorn lingering in the air and shares a box with Damien. Mary tries snowboarding and loves it. The rush she experiences from flying on the board in the air is so much better than the slow float of a ghost. She has not tried to do any of the stunts but witnessing Damien perform them is thrilling. He is extremely fit and her heart jumps each time he flips in the air and yet manages to come down on the board.
Jamie is contacted by his friend Nicholas Riverhawk who invites him to the overlook. Jamie joins him after going home to change out of his snow soaked clothing. Nicholas is explaining how he and his friends live off the land and how the long winters make that very difficult but a challenge they are willing to accept. Jamie has not met Nicholas's housemates yet but they are both young women who also enjoy living off the land.
Alisha Cho wants some help building a snowman and asks Jamie and Nicholas to help. Nicholas prefers sitting down with his computer at one of the tables under the shelter. Jamie enjoys helping Alisha build the snowman and they get to know each other as they laugh and play in the snow.
The young woman spots Jamie helping Alisha. He sure does get around the ladies , she thinks to herself. She goes back to working on the snowman she and Francesca were building. When she looks up, she notices Francesca is now chatting with the cute guy. She shakes her head and finishes the snowman on her own.
Bert Alto approaches her and she cringes inwardly while trying to maintain a neutral look on her face. How does this sleazy guy keep from freezing out in the cold wearing that tacky outfit?
Luckily Francesca notices Bert trying to chat her up and calls her over and introduces the redheaded cutie.
"Bekka, this is Jamie. Jamie this is my friend Bekka."
"Nice to meet you, Jamie." Bekka thinks Jamie is even cuter up close. He has an adorable twinkle in his eyes and his smile lights up his entire face. She has to place her hand behind her back to keep from reaching up to touch the dimple in his cheek.
"A pleasure to meet you Bekka." Jamie thinks Bekka is extremely attractive, loves her strawberry blond hair, and thinks the cute freckles across her nose and cheeks are irresistibly kissable.
Francesca says goodbye to both of them. "I've played long enough today. I need to go home and get busy writing. Those books don't write themselves. Have fun!"
Comments
Boo!
While Damien is away, Jamie calls his brother. He asks him to pack up his belongings and send them to Hidden Springs. Jamie doesn't have much because of the job that takes him all over. He stores his books and clothing at his parent's house. When he is in town, he stays in his old room. He is used to living in motels and bed and breakfasts depending on the town and the jobs. "Please send my research books as soon as possible. I'd like them to arrive overnight. I'm moving my base of operations here." His brother agrees to send the books overnight and the other things when he can get them packed and sent. "I owe you one," he tells his brother.
"Yes, you sure do, and I will hold you to it!" is the brotherly reply.
Jamie is deep in thought when Mary brings her research papers down to put on Damien's desk. She can't resist having a little fun with the famous ghost hunter.
Mary sneaks behind him as quietly as possible. She raises her hands and brings them down on his shoulders shouting 'boo' at the same time.
Mary 1, Jamie 0.
Jamie turns around to confront the ghost that just took at least a year or two off his life. She is as beautiful as Damien said. She is laughing happily that she scored one over him. He makes funny faces at her, and she makes some back at him. He senses a change in her from the ghost he was sensing when he first arrived. Less anger and rage emanate from her. The fear is still there despite the laughing and happy face. Meeting Damien has been good for her, and he hopes they can help to take the fear away. "Mary, what a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Jamison McNeal. Please call me Jamie."
"Yes, I am Mary Kendall. You had me worried a few times about trying to break into the attic." Mary watches Jamie as he answers her. He has a good sense of humor taking her playful scare in good sport. She likes that in a person. It's funny, as cute as he is and so cheerful he doesn't affect her the same way Damien does. Damien is more serious and determined but he makes her heart flutter when he looks at her. She is getting warm thinking about him. She shakes herself and pays attention to what Jamie is talking about.
"Yes, well, that is what I do...ghost hunter you know. I didn't really want to tear down the walls. I was going to buy climbing equipment and try to get in the broken window. I'm thrilled I don't have to do that. Not crazy about heights!" He laughs and thanks her for coming out and talking to Damien last night. "Are you okay with me contacting Dr. O'Dourke and setting up a meeting here in a few days?"
"I saw you leaving his office before my appointment yesterday. Was it about me?"
"No, it was about the resurrection project. I wanted to know more about it. It is not a project that will help most of the ghosts I deal with but occasionally I run across ghosts that it might help. "
"I see." Mary looks thoughtful and sad. "He is going to call when he gets results from the sample he took from me. He was hoping to meet me here. I expect he wants to meet the other ghosts. He also encouraged me to quit hiding. He said he believed you and Damien might be able to help me. It is fine if you want to set up a meeting when both you and Damien can be here as well. It's not like I go out often."
Damien arrives back home and is happy to see Mary has met Jamie and is not hiding in the attic. He tells them about the interview. "I need to write the interview, and then I will deliver the report. I hope it will not take them long to reopen the official investigation."
"I hope it does not take long either! Jamie excuses himself. "I'm meeting the boss lady of Hidden Springs, Catarina Vanderburg. I cleared her mansion last night. She asked me to meet her at the house this afternoon."
Damien completes his report and takes a copy to the police chief, the judicial attorney's office, and the local paper and news station. He hurries back home hoping to spend some time with Mary.
Catarina is outside when Jamie arrives. She shakes his hand and thanks him again for ridding the home of the poltergeists. She is a little bit warmer to him than in their previous encounter. "It is the first peaceful night we have hand in our home in many months." She hands him an envelope. Inside is a large bonus check. "Renauld and I like to reward excellence and you achieved what no other hunter was skilled enough to do. Please go to the town hall, and Renauld has a service award for you as well. He is expecting you. If we can do anything to help you, please don't hesitate to contact us."
Jamie is stunned at the size of the bonus check, and his usual ease abandons him. "I'm sorry, I can't accept this check. I think you put too many zeros on that."
Catarina glances at the check in his hand. "No, that is exactly what we meant it to be. It is well worth it to be able to have peace and no fear in our home. You are the best just as you said. I hope we do not require your services again but if we do I hope we can contact you directly."
Jamie gives his card with his contact numbers to Catarina. "The address is not correct as I am moving here. I am staying with a friend for now at Spring Manor."
Catarina glances up at him. "I knew the house had been purchased. You don't mind living in a haunted home? That place has been an eyesore for many years. Because of the historical committee, we could not condemn it and have it torn down."
Jamie blanches at that thought. "My friend is restoring it. It will take some time. The ghosts will be taken care of. We hope to help them move on depending on their wishes. They are not evil or poltergeists. Just trapped here because of the circumstances of their death. Thank you again for the generous bonus. Don't hesitate to call if you are troubled about the poltergeists returning."
Jamie travels to the town hall and meets Renauld Vanderburg who is very friendly and affable. He receives his service award in a small ceremony and shakes the hands of the other dignitaries present. He takes the moment to hand out a few of his business cards and makes a mental note to get new ones printed.
Arriving home he finds Mary playing with the cat who does not seem scared of her. Smart cat. Damien is chatting with Betty about her will and how Damien found out the husband inherited instead of Betty's children. Betty screeches when she hears about the will. Damien tries to soothe her with little success. Jamie threatens to whip out his banshee banisher if she screeches again and doesn't settle down. Betty stops the hysterics, sniffles and listens to Damien. He tells her a handwriting expert will help them prove the will was false. "I have a few more things to investigate and hopefully can obtain proof of what he did." She nods and tells him thank you while glaring at Jamie and poofs out of the room.
Damien stares at Jamie. "You can't threaten my ghost clients like that!"
"What? Did you really want her to keep making all that noise? My method was more effective than your soothing attempts." He grins cheekily at Damien.
"Well, there is that!" Damien looks over at Mary and she is playing with the cat but looks up at them and shrugs. "Betty gets upset easily. She can wail for hours. We used to upset her on purpose to frighten the renters."
Jamie tells Damien about the bonus check and the service award from the Vanderburgs.
"Congratulations. Glad they recognize the job you did."
"I want you to use it to get the floor fixed and finish the windows."
"Jamie, that is your money. You know you can stay here as long as you want, but I don't expect you to pay for the repairs. Besides the windows are in the garage. We just need to replace them."
"I'll just blow it on my bike or something equally unimportant. I'd like to help."
"Thanks, Jamie. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to have to hire someone to oversee the renovations. I've gotten busy with the private investigations as well as the ghost ones. You are busy with ghost hunting and trying to help me out in the investigations as well and with Mary. The contractor I hired was good but too scared of the house being haunted."
Mary overhears the conversation. "I wonder if Emmaline could recommend someone that is not frightened of ghosts. She has helped me get a few things done in winters past. I've got a stack of rocks and gems that need to be smelted, cut and sold. A few of them are quite valuable once cut. I don't need the money I just collect them for something to do at night when everyone is asleep."
"That is a great idea about asking Emmaline. You will need to introduce her to me as I've not met her or seen her around town. I appreciate the offer of the rocks. I've collected a few on my hiking trips in the woods. We can take them to the consignment store to smelt and cut them."
She places her hands on her hips. "You are determined to get me out of this house aren't you?"
Damien raises his hands. "Guilty, with good intentions. I've encountered several ghosts since coming to town going in and out of the stores. A few people seem frightened, but others don't seem troubled at all. I think the more people you meet the less fear they will have of you."
Mary chews at her lower lip thinking to herself how shy and socially awkward she has always been. She thought the girls had a change of heart and wanted to be her friend. Nope, they just wanted to kill me. She's not a very good judge of character either. "I'll think about it," she tells him.
Jamie receives a call from Liam inquiring if he minds doing a job. "I know it is Snowflake eve, but I'm out of hunters to call." Jamie agrees to do the job. While they are on the phone, he briefs him about Mary and scheduling a meeting. Liam is satisfied Mary opened up to them. "I will call and set up a meeting when all the results are back. It may require an extra day because of the holiday."
Damien asked Mary about getting into the attic so he can replace the broken windows.
"I guess there is no reason to keep it closed off. Come with me."
Damien follows her up the tower stairs. She floats through the wall and picks up the potion from Emmaline. Tossing it at the wall the spell dissolves and the door is no longer hidden. She invites Damien into the room. He is surprised at the amount of equipment she has in her tiny room. She introduces the bird, Sherlock.
"I knew I heard a bird at times."
Mary laughs. "Sometimes it was hard to keep him quiet."
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
I'm so happy to hear Jamie will be moving to Hidden Springs.
"Two stalwart friends on another whirlwind adventure!"
Mary scaring Jamie and his reaction face!
And then they threw silly faces out at each other, that was too cute.
Cute convo she had with Jamie. It's as if they were always friends and just didn't know it yet.
I hope all goes well with Damien's efforts to reopen the investigation!
It doesn't surprise me that the Vanderburgs would reward Jamie so handsomely, but I can understand his reaction.
Damien's scolding towards him about it.
Awwww! That is SO sweet of Jamie to offer Damien his reward money to help with the renovations on the Manor.
Snowflake Eve!
Cute that Damien would hear Sherlock sometimes.
Yay she opened up the attic to him. They are growing closer and closer and I just LOVE it!
Can't wait for the next Chapter!
scaring the ghost hunter!
So Mary feels warm when thinking of Damien? Perhaps here lies the answer! She will be resurrected because somebody loves her! Like Snow White who had to be kissed by the right prince!
Interesting that the Vanderburg´s were so generous, I really thought that they would try not to pay the full price because Jamie was not good enough or so! It´s so nice of Jamie to be willing to spend it on the house!
Let´s see where his new job takes Jamie, hopefulle he will be successful again! Good way to meet the new neighbors.
Aww, Mary has torn down her attic wall for Damien! That means a lot! Time for a new beginning for her and new hope!
I like how you´ve described what she thinks about the boys, that she thinks that Jamie is cute but Damien gives her more warmth with his seriousness and determination. (I would go for the cutie, but each their own!
Let´s see what Liam will tell them when he has the results of the tests!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
@emorrill I'm happy to see your comments. Thanks so much!
I think Jamie and Damien could have a lot of adventures helping other ghosts once they get Mary and the others settled.
Mary picked that way to meet Jamie!
I have no idea what hair she is wearing. I'll check next time I'm in the game for you.
Yes, she has kept to herself or just the other ghosts for so long that it will be hard. She is enjoying the company of the guys though and seems to seek them both out. I did find her wandering in the woods the other day hunting gems. I had to send her home it was picture time! lol
yes, snowflake day kinda popped up on me! I had forgotten it would be coming and had not checked any work calendars since I have both of them in jobs I have to help manage.
I had a bird in the other story chirping outside the kitchen window driving me bonkers. It was too close to the house and Wisteria couldn't capture it, so I used nraas debug and sent it to the household inventory and sold it that way!
No kisses yet!
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for the comments. Glad to read them!
lol, I have a feeling if they were fairies they would be pranking each other all day.
She has feelings for Damien and is starting to recognize them. Damien for sure has feelings for her and doesn't have a problem with it. Mary will be a little slower coming to terms because of her past.
Yes, the Vanderburg's particularly Catarina can be pretentious, but they also reward excellence.
Yes, Jamie's reputation is growing and the town is getting plagued by little sprites and poltergeists!
She had instant hearts for Damien and none for Jamie. None for Liam either as I decided to give her that third option. If she gets hearts for any townies...too bad! LOL Choice is made.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Snowflake Surprise
Damien was up late decorating the house to celebrate Snowflake day. He rummaged in the storage room over the garage and found the boxes that came with him from Riverview. Four of the ghosts were drafted to help him. Jamie also helped once he arrived home from his ghost-hunting job. Betty kept an eye on Mary to make sure she stayed asleep and didn't come down while they were putting out the decorations. Damien wanted to surprise her. They finished in record time with all of them working and were able to get a few hours of sleep. Damien dressed in a holiday sweater for the day and went downstairs to prepare a nice breakfast for everyone. Flipping pancakes is his favorite part of cooking other than eating them of course. He whistles and hums holiday songs as he fixes the meal.
Jamie comes downstairs looking pretty fine in a winter sweater. "Happy Snowflake Day! It looks great Damien! Very festive."
Damien walks over to light the fire. He says a silent prayer to the Fates, 'no fires today please'.
"Happy Snowflake Day to you as well! Thanks so much for helping. We got it done pretty fast working together."
Mary, hearing Jamie and Damien talking floated downstairs. She stopped and stared in wonder at the huge festive tree in the room with gaily wrapped gifts tucked around the tree and the lights twinkling in the foliage.
"It's beautiful! When did you guys do this? You must have been up all night."
Damien smiled at her. "It was a team effort and it didn't take long with all of us working together. We wanted to surprise you."
"I am surprised and amazed and love it. Thank you so much! I remember the excitement and joy of Snowflake day celebrations as a little girl. This brings back many wonderful memories. Thank you so much, Damien and Jamie."
Damien had found a few mismatched chairs in the storage room as well as a table. He cleaned them up, and they now had a place for all three to sit and eat at one time. They enjoyed the pancakes and talked about their favorite Snowflake day memories from their childhood while they ate. He asked Mary to invite Emmaline and anyone else she wanted to a gift-giving party that is to start at 1 pm. He has already invited the house ghosts to be present for the party. The three of them play a few rounds of dominoes which they all remember enjoying with their families on Snowflake Day's in the past.
Emmaline arrives on time for the party. She thanks Mary for the invitation, and Mary introduces her to Damien. They chat about Mary and Emmaline thanks Damien for trying to assist Mary.
"It is my pleasure to help Mary," Damien replies.
Emmaline, who has the gift of sight stares into Damien's eyes. She nods apparently satisfied with what she observes.
She cryptically informs him, "You must maintain the faith, keep your mind open and follow your heart."
She blinks and tells him she must leave for work, despite it being Snowflake Day. She hands him a card. "Mary told me you required some help renovating the house. Rebecca is not frightened of ghosts or any other occult. Rebecca is a talented builder and artist and would do wonders on this house."
Damien thanks her for coming and asks her to visit Mary anytime. "She needs her friends and considers you a true friend. Emmaline agrees and goes over to say goodbye to Mary.
Damien looks at the card. Rebecca Renovates. No job too small or too big. Fully licensed for all your construction needs. He tucks it into his pocket to call after the holiday.
The house ghosts arrive, and the party is in full swing.
In a short while, it is time to open the gifts. All the gifts were very thoughtful. Everyone enjoyed the laughter and fun of guessing what was inside and opening the packages. Damien had set out a few snack platters and those were soon emptied by the eager guests. Jamie winked at Damien and told the ghosts he was taking them to the festival for the rest of the day. Jamie wanted to give Damien and Mary some time alone.
Betty set her hands on her hips. "You know we can't leave the lot."
"You can if I take your gnomes with us." He and Damien hauled the gnomes to the truck that he borrowed. The ghosts followed and settled in the truck on each other's laps and in the bed of the truck.
They arrived at the festival lot and scattered to enjoy their favorite winter activities.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Awww, Mary gets a Christmas party, that is so sweet of the boys!
So nice of the ghosts to help to decorate!
I wonder what the ghost get as presents, something substantial or something ethereal???
Hehehe, Damien´s prayer to the fire god: don´t set the chimney on fire. It had helped obviously! Does it work just with the fire god?
So I ask myself what Emmaline told Damien when seeing his future: does she see danger coming to him and Mary? But she approved of him, she should tell Mary to trust him fully if she doesn´t do that already.
So it is tradition in the Sims world to play domino at Christmas? Or is it just a coincidence of the three friends and their families´ traditions?
A trip to the winter festival for the ghosts, so nice of Jamie and so convenience for Damien and Mary.....
I saw the cat hunting in the other thread, did she stay away from the Christmas tree?
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for the comments!
First Snowflake day in so many years for me and Mary. We had to make it special.
Everyone got cool stuff except one got a dorky alarm clock. We had 3 chess sets, two video game systems, Mary got a lamp which I put in her room. One of the chess sets was nice so swapped it for the one in Damien's room.
Isn't it funny how those seers like to be so cryptic with their messages?
I've always had my sims play dominoes or other things they can do together on special days.
hehe, the cat attacking the tree would be such a fun animation!
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Snowflake Day surprise? Oooohhh!
Oh my gosh I love Damien's Christmassy Sweater.
Just reading this first paragraph is getting me all into the Christmas spirit and like I said it's making me REALLY want to write another Christmas story this year, but...I really don't think I can.
I love that he wants to surprise Mary with the decorations. Awwww!
Jamie's sweater looks great on him too.
Is that the same fireplace that was there before or did Damien replace it? It's gorgeous! (Was Jamie doing that boxing punch there that athletic sims do sometimes?
Aww, Mary's reaction.
The way Damien is looking at her here.
I really like that you portray Emmaline as a kind and sweet person in this story.
Oooh, is this Rebecca about to become a new character?
What a beautiful gift giving party.
Jamie is a sweetie too, wanting to get the other ghosts out of the house so Mary and Damien can be alone.
Oh man I can just picture the ghosts having one heck of a jolly good old time at the Festival!
@emorrill Thanks so much for commenting!
I do love holiday themed sweaters!
I would love a Christmas story from you too, but I don't think you will have time. You don't need extra stress trying to push one out.
Damien wants to see smiles on her face and the worry and fear gone. He knows he can't take it away completely but he is sure trying.
Yes, that is the same fireplace.
Jamie does the excited animation a lot! Sometimes it is very timely and other times a little inappropriate. lol
I really should give Emmaline a makeover since I took the insane away from her. lol
Rebecca is going to help renovate the house as the funds are available.
The ghosts definitely enjoyed the festival.
Thanks again. I've got pictures for the next part, just need to start writing it up. So romantic! Need a good song for it.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Yes, no fires please
I like their Christmas decorations!
Glad Mary is happy with the surprise! I guess most of us have fond memories of Christmas when we were little, and for Mary they must be very special because she was still alive.
Pancakes for Snowflake day - not a bad tradition, lol.
Nice that they all got to meet Emmaline. I'm sure Damien will follow his heart
The party with all the ghosts looks really busy. They must be happy someone's arranging this for them
Jamie is a very good friend giving Damien some privacy with Mary. How smart of him to think about packing up the gnomes!
Your update makes me wish it was Christmas even though I'm not a winter person at all
@meerkattime Thanks so much for your comments.
Damien is going to update the electricity and the heating so they don't have to rely on fireplaces and candles and lanterns.
It was a fun celebration and the first in a long time for me as well.
I'm not crazy about winter either but luckily I don't live where it gets too cold. I don't mind winter in the sims at all.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Mistletoe Kiss
Mary helps Damien with the clean up from the Snowflake party. In no time at all the chairs are put back in place. The wrapping paper, boxes, and ribbons are tossed in the trash. Damien finishes the dishes and turns around and notices Mary watching him from the doorway.
Damien walks to the doorway with a mischievous grin on his face and points up to the ceiling.
"Look at what you are standing under."
Mary looks up. "Oh, the mistletoe is so pretty."
Damien bends towards Mary and brushes his lips softly against hers giving her a brief kiss.
His lips tingle from the kiss and his heart skips a beat or two. He smiles at Mary hoping she felt something too.
The magical mistletoe blesses them both. Mary blushes with warmth from the kiss. She wants to reach out to Damien and have him kiss her again. She was never good at this boy-girl stuff when she was alive. She has certainly not improved as a ghost. Her heart races with her nerves flying on edge. Damien would love to kiss Mary again. Perhaps this time with more than a brief touch of their lips together. He can sense Mary is nervous, so he doesn't try.
"Would you like to go to the festival?" he asks her.
"I would love going out, but maybe not the festival. Will you go with me to one of my favorite places? Do you have skates?"
"I'd love to! Yes, I have skates!"
Mary leads him into the woods, and they follow a path that takes them deep into the woods that surround the town. A pond at the base of the mountain is frozen except for a small area where a waterfall splashes into the depths. Mary puts on her skates and skates to the center of the pond and shows Damien how she has learned to spin. She laughs joyfully, exhilarated by the speed and perfection of her spin.
Damien loves seeing her happiness and obvious glee as she spins faster and faster and then gradually slows down. She is so very beautiful as her face lights up and glows in the moonlight. He could stand there and watch her for hours.
"Put your skates on and join me," she calls to him as she slows her spin and stops.
Damien puts his skates on and carefully joins her on the pond. It has been a few years since he has been skating. He hopes it is like riding a bike and it comes back to him.
He joins her in the middle of the pond, and she takes his hand and she tells him how to use his body to speed up and slow down the spin. Things are going very well as they spin together. "This was a great idea. I've not skated in years," he tells her. "You skate beautifully."
"It is one of the few things that I enjoy from my endless winters."
Damien's confidence grows, and he is soon skating easily. They skate, chasing each other around the pond laughing and teasing each other as one or the other gets closer. Mary turns the tables on Damien just as he reaches out for her and starts skating backward away from him. He watches her for a moment and soon mimics her backward skating. They come together in the middle of the pond and join hands to do some more spins.
Somehow Damien's blade connects with a thin crack in the ice causing him to stumble. He falls forward on his face causing Mary to land on her bottom. He laughs as he awkwardly stands back up and reaches out to help Mary up when he notices she is shaking. His laughter quickly turns to worry.
"Are you OK? Mary, are you alright?"
She can't hold it back any longer and giggles erupt out of her until tiny tears fall from the corner of her eyes. She wipes her eyes as she tries replying to him and the fits of giggles start again.
He stares at her knowing full well he will never completely understand women. He loves hearing her giggles though and takes her hands in his as she continues trying to stop the giggles.
"I'm fine Damien. This is the most fun I've had in years since you came into my life, and I want to thank you for helping me to laugh and live again. I've been bitterly angry at my fate and with the Fates for so long. All I've known is anger, rage and yes, even hate towards others who are alive. I forgot life was what you make of it. Landing on my bum and you on your face in the midst of our perfect spin made me realize we are meant to fall at times. Our strength comes from getting back up and moving forward and not looking back, except to learn from it. I think I got a fit of the giggles from realizing such a momentous discovery from a fall on the ice. I've been very weak and stupid and missing out on what I could have had. From this moment I will look forward to my life such as it is. If I only have winters to live then so be it. I will experience each winter to its fullest. I hope we can come up with a way to resurrect me, but if not, I will deal better than I have in my past."
Damien realizes this is a pivotal moment for Mary, and he is so proud of her. "I will always be here for you, Mary. I hope you know that."
He hopes in his heart that her acceptance of her fate will allow her to understand his feelings towards her. He will not rush her. She needs a friend, and he will be that friend...and maybe get her under the mistletoe for another sweet kiss.
"I do know that Damien. I am very happy that you didn't run off with the tricks I played on you. I'm happy you are still willing to help me after I was so mean to you." She tucks her head in sorrow and shame not willing to look in his eyes.
He loosens one of his hands from hers and lifts her chin with his fingers. His look is so tender and caring it causes a few more tears to fall from her eyes. No one other than her parents ever looked at her like that.
"My dear Mary, those tricks you played were a cry for help. No one else understood as well as I did. I told you, I know you. I didn't know 100% that it was you, but I suspected and hoped it was. Jamie knew as soon as he came. We just had to wait for you to be ready for us to help."
He used his glove and dried her tears. "Are you ready to try that spin one more time?"
"Lets do it!" She places her hand in his and they skate out to the middle of the pond and spin together.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
I bet Mary was swooning watching him clean up - thinking about how incredibly sexy he is - from the doorway.
I love that he pointed out the Mistletoe. *hint hint*
Such an adorable and tender kiss he gave her.
Ooh, she invites him to a secret pond to go skating.
Awesome picture you captured of her skating here. Beautiful.
^ *Squeal!*
THIS picture!
^I think it's the picture you shared with me in a text.
Hee hee! Him falling on his face and her falling on her bum.
Her moment of realization she shared with him there...beautiful, on point, those are lack of better words that I can't think of at the moment. Inspiring.
Of course he'd always be there for her no matter what. Aww.
Wow! Just wow!
(Is this how it felt when you guys were reading about Sam and Emma?
Great job S!
@bekkasan I can feel the love in that screenshot
PS: That faceplant on the ice made me queesy,in real life his jaw would be dislocated and probably at least 8 broken teeth
@emorrill Thank you so much for the comments!
I thought the mistletoe would be great if one of them got under it. It is a sweet soft kiss kinda like the shy kiss.
It's still hanging even though the other decorations are gone.
The skating is so cute and it is a shame they didn't do couple skating animations. That would be super romantic! But probably very hard to animate.
You got it exactly! It was the moment she realized how she had let her emotions ruin what life she did have. So, will this realization have any impact on what the Fates have in store for her? My lips are sealed.
Thank you again! I'm happy that what I tried to convey turned out so well.
Yes, exactly how we felt for Sam and Emma! And think how long it took to get them together! And what they had to go through!
I had to break part of this last update up as I had too many pictures so there may be one more Mary update before I go back to the Dragon Valley story.
@CravenLestat Thank you!
lol, yes good thing this is the sims and teeth are not busted and jaws don't break.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
What a great picture of Mary and her pirouette! Beautiful!
So much love in his stare!
His strategy was successful and she begins to embrace life again! This should be the beginning of bringing her back, there is no restraint to hold her back to become alive anymore, he feelings don´t hinder her anymore.
This is a very romantic update, I really like it!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
Oh Mary, just kiss him again - he's more into it than you know! The warmth must feel great on her frozen lips
The mistle toe kiss did its job
Funny that Mary has ghostly skates.
I love the late night pictures of them skating. The snowfall looks really pretty and romantic
Aww, Mary, this is really good for her
And I do think she will be even really alive again because I find it hard to believe you wouldn't revive her
Poor Mary is almost apologizing for her behaviour... How sweet!
She really does get warm from his touch, but not from other sims. Ya think it would sink in sooner than later for her!
I really adore the mistletoe!
hehe, yes, I put a Christmas pattern on her even though you guys couldn't tell. lol
I would have them skate together a lot. It is so romantic.
Damien is a good influence on her.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
A Kiss Remembered
Jamie and the house ghosts have a great time at the winter festival. Jamie is soaring and learning to do several tricks on the snowboards without falling and injuring himself. The ghosts enjoy the various winter activities and very few of the townspeople at the festival were frightened of them.
The ghosts are hungry and Jamie is as well. Breakfast was a long time ago, and all they had since was delicious snack food at the party. The food booths are closed at the festival. Jamie decides they will all go to the local diner rather than go back and cook. He is not a good cook and it has been a fun day and he doesn't want to head home and work. He texts Damien and invites him and Mary to join them at the diner for a late supper.
Damien reads the text from Jamie and talks to Mary about going to the diner. "Are you hungry? The others are going to the diner to eat and would like us to join them."
Mary takes a deep breath as she recalls her decision a few moments ago to live fully. She nods her head. "Yes, I'd love to hear how much fun they had at the festival."
Damien smiles and he cannot resist. He hugs her to him.
The ghosts turn the jukebox on and with the permission of the manager move a few tables and dance while they wait for their meals. Betty gets Jamie to dance and teaches him how to swing dance. Damien and Mary watch and try to follow Betty's instructions laughing as they make a few mistakes before getting the hang of the dance. They enjoy a delicious and fun meal and Jamie leaves a big tip that makes the manager and wait staff very happy for working on Snowflake Day.
Back home Jamie and Damien place the gnomes outside and the ghosts return to them after thanking Jamie and Damien for a fun Snowflake day. Damien is greeted by Lia who demands some attention after being left alone all day.
Jamie senses less fear and anxiety in Mary and observed her closely while they were at the diner. He watched his buddy Damien as well and knows he has lost his heart completely. He is not quite sure about Mary. "So, how was your day Miss Mary?" he asks with his customary charm.
"It was the best Snowflake day since I was a little girl. I cannot thank you and Damien enough for making it a special day for the house ghosts and myself." Mary looks over at Damien who is petting the cat and her face softens as she looks at him.
Jamie watches her and smiles with satisfaction.
"Goodnight Jamie. Goodnight Damien. Thank you again for a wonderful day."
Damien smiles up at Mary as he continues petting Lia who is purring loudly by now. "I will see you in the morning. I'm fixing fresh pancakes for breakfast.", he teases her and Jamie. "Don't be late!"
Mary floats up the stairs to her room rather than through the ceiling.
Damien continues hugging and petting Lia who seems to need the attention this evening. He tells Jamie about skating with Mary and her breakthrough moment when they fell on the ice.
"I felt less fear and anxiety in her this evening, so the fall was a blessing in her finally accepting her fate. You seem to be content with how things are between you."
"I guess I'm better at hiding it from you than I thought I would be. I love her Jamie. I need her to be mine more than I've ever desired anything in my life. I love Mary as she is right now, a ghost. It doesn't matter to me what she is. I hope she will come to love me as well. I fear it is too soon for her, though. We only have a few more weeks of winter. I don't want to rush things and frighten her away. I'll stay her friend and pray she will fall in love with me as I am with her."
Jamie looks concerned as he watches Damien petting the cat. "Yes, she needs a friend, but she needs to know how you feel too. You can be both. She's shy and is not going to make the first move. I know that about shy girls, trust me!"
"I did kiss her under the mistletoe." Damien smiles in remembrance. "It was just a little kiss and she didn't back off or run away. We went skating after that and laughed and chased each other. We had a great time together and Mary seemed very relaxed and happy to be with me."
"Good, just keep working your way into her heart. How can she not love you?", Jamie teases him. "Goodnight, don't stay up all night working or worrying."
"I won't! Thanks for the advice, Jamie. You are right about her being shy and not making a move first."
Mary changes into her warm long johns, lights a fire, and sits in the rocker contemplating the day and how her life has changed this winter. I don't want to be an angry, bitter ghost anymore. I don't want to be the shy, awkward, geek I was at university either. What do I need to be? I have a chance to become something more than I've been. A better person, well a better ghost.
Mary closes her eyes as she rocks. She sees Damien's smiling face with his tender eyes gazing at her in concern. His smile warms me inside and out. What does that mean?
Her body relaxes as she keeps his image in her mind. I am actually content with who I am right this minute. I might be a little unsure but I am a ghost with a new chance at life. I have new friends that I trust and old friends like Emmaline and the house ghosts who were loyal no matter what I did. Hmm, maybe I can help Damien with his work so they can be free. I will always be a geek because science and knowledge are important to me and I'm okay with that. Being a geek could help him with his research. I can work on the shy thing by being friendly to others even if they start out a little scared of me. I would have been frightened of a ghost too. That should help my social awkwardness as well. Maybe I can get Damien to stand under the mistletoe. I will have to watch him closely while we are downstairs together. She falls asleep as she rocks dreaming about the kiss Damien gave her under the mistletoe.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
A chapter for the heart!
I really hope that nothing unexpected will happen which disturbs the progress Damien and Mary make while falling in love and getting together fully!!! They are on the best way to be lovebirds soon! I so wish that for both of them! Mary needs love in her live after such a long time being alone and knowing that she was so disliked that she was murdered and Damien is just such a reliable, caring and friendly boy, he deserves a girl who loves him completely!
This picture gives the term "hang out" a new meaning.
Furthermore the ghosts look so colorful in the whiteness of winter.
It´s just great that Jamie and Damien treet them as real humans, athough they don´t have a body anymore, they still have their soul, it´s sad that lots of people don´t treet them as persons, but are afraid of them.
Jamie is such a good friend to Damien!!!! He cares for him and doesn´t want his heart to be broken by Mary! That´s so sweet of him! Although he makes the impression he is someone who just wants to have fun in life and who is a bit shallow, he is such a caring, observing and sympathetic man!
I like how he looks at Damien, so attentive!!! Makes him even more attractive!
So Mary begins to change and to scrutinize her life, that´s so good for her! Now she can begin to get a good life, either as a ghost or as a human, her future could be bright! I love how her mind has changed after seeing that Damien really cares for her! I really wish her dreams will get real.
Great update!!!!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
My goodness Jamie looks good snowboarding there.
I was wondering if the townsfolk would go ape over seeing all the ghosts at the Festival, but I'm glad they didn't.
Sweet of Jamie to take them to the Diner.
Aww, he couldn't resist hugging her.
I love that Betty was teaching Jamie how to swing dance!
Oh my goodness, Damien's declaration of love here: *Holds hand to heart*
I agree with Jamie that Damien needs to not hide expressing his feelings for Mary for too much longer. She does need to know.
Mary's thoughts while rocking in the chair: Reminds me of when hubby and I were dating and how his beautiful smile would always pop up in my mind when we were apart.
I think it would be great if she helped Damien and Jamie solve the other ghosts cases so they will be free. It's a way she can pay them back for all the times they protected her. The 3 would sure make a wonderful team!
I knew she enjoyed that little kiss under the magic mistletoe.
Hungry for more as always lady.
@alexakry Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Love can sometimes be a rocky road.
hehe, it was fun watching the townies. Some of them were perfectly fine with the ghosts, a few did the 'uh uh' reaction and interacted with them anyway, but no one passed out.
They got to the diner kinda late so I think all the townies had gone home and no one came back.
Jamie has been Damien's best friend since they were kids in school. They have a tight bond and he loves him like a brother.
Yep, Jamie has depths he doesn't show easily, except to those he cares about.
@emorrill Thank you so much for your comments and for reading my story!
I like coming up with chapter titles and sometimes I have the chapter name first and sometimes it changes as I write it. This one changed after I wrote it.
It was a fun day and evening playing for me too! I'm having so much fun with winter I don't know what will happen when spring comes.
I started to build the inside of the diner and take a few pics of what I wrote for it. I have to stop some of my ideas sometimes because then it would take too long to write the update. I'm a slow builder as well as a slow writer. Plus, I stopped and played in DV story while writing this update.
I love your wanting to squeal when Damien admits to Jamie he loves her. He just needs to tell Mary! He is afraid it is too soon...and he might be right.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
It's so good for Mary to participate in normal life again and go to the diner.
I'm glad Jamie made a good day for the wait staff as well. Nobody wants to work on Snowflake day unless they get properly paid for it
Funny that Mary doesn't count herself as a house ghost
Damien doesn't even realize how well Jamie knows him. He's a great friend being so worried about Mary breaking his heart
I hope Damien is still fully supportive of Mary turning back alive because that's what she wishes to happen. For him, it means everything will change and things will get less certain.
Jamie is so right - if Damien wants something happening, he'll have to let Mary know how he feels.
I think I have a little crush on your Jamie by the way
Oh, even Mary has long johns - i thought she only had the cute nightie she was wearing the other night when floating down from the ceiling
Mary, Mary, we all know what it means when someone's smile does that... She may not realize it but she's obviously in love. I really hope this will work well for them
I'm glad Mary is starting to accept her situation, even though she's still a ghost. She's already thinking how she can be helpful with Damien's work regardless of that.
@meerkattime Oh sorry I didn't comment sooner! I do appreciate you reading and commenting.
I was happy to see Mary settling down and enjoying what she can.
Yep, I've got a soft spot for Jamie too! He might be mischevious and a bit of a flirt and kinda arrogant in a good way, but he has a good heart.
I gave her those long johns since she is so cold all the time. I usually alternate what my sims wear each day so that just happened to be the sexy outfit @CravenLestat made for her.
I think it will take Mary awhile to accept with her history at uni and how shy she is and a bit of a loner. She's never felt lovable other than by her parents. Damien is gonna have to work for it.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
A Memorable Day, Part 1
The next morning as promised Damien fixes pancakes for breakfast. They sit around the table eating the delicious breakfast and discussing plans for the day. Most businesses are still closed for the holiday, so Damien is unable to schedule any interviews for his investigations. Jamie is free until evening since poltergeists don't take off for the holidays and he is sure to be called to work later tonight. Mary is still feeling good over her decision to be more active in life. She would like to visit the festival as the other ghosts had so much fun.
Jamie is a friendly and charismatic man and loves getting to know others. He enjoys chatting with Gabriella Omales who works at City Hall in the mayor's office. She is quite happy working with the Mayor and Vice Mayor who are husband and wife. He is invited to join a snowball fight that turns into quite a competition and is soon soaked despite his leathers. He loves to skate but is soon freezing from the soaking he experienced during the snowball fight to enjoy skating.
A young woman watches Jamie as he skates around the rink. She came to the lot early to practice her skating before others arrived. Looks like she arrived too late this morning. He's good!, she thought to herself. He's cute too. I've seen him a few other times around town recently. I'd be too embarrassed with my poor skating to skate in front of him. I think I'll go to the overlook and wait to practice tomorrow.
Mary and Damien enjoy the festival. She loves the smell of the popcorn lingering in the air and shares a box with Damien. Mary tries snowboarding and loves it. The rush she experiences from flying on the board in the air is so much better than the slow float of a ghost. She has not tried to do any of the stunts but witnessing Damien perform them is thrilling. He is extremely fit and her heart jumps each time he flips in the air and yet manages to come down on the board.
Jamie is contacted by his friend Nicholas Riverhawk who invites him to the overlook. Jamie joins him after going home to change out of his snow soaked clothing. Nicholas is explaining how he and his friends live off the land and how the long winters make that very difficult but a challenge they are willing to accept. Jamie has not met Nicholas's housemates yet but they are both young women who also enjoy living off the land.
Alisha Cho wants some help building a snowman and asks Jamie and Nicholas to help. Nicholas prefers sitting down with his computer at one of the tables under the shelter. Jamie enjoys helping Alisha build the snowman and they get to know each other as they laugh and play in the snow.
The young woman spots Jamie helping Alisha. He sure does get around the ladies , she thinks to herself. She goes back to working on the snowman she and Francesca were building. When she looks up, she notices Francesca is now chatting with the cute guy. She shakes her head and finishes the snowman on her own.
Bert Alto approaches her and she cringes inwardly while trying to maintain a neutral look on her face. How does this sleazy guy keep from freezing out in the cold wearing that tacky outfit?
Luckily Francesca notices Bert trying to chat her up and calls her over and introduces the redheaded cutie.
"Bekka, this is Jamie. Jamie this is my friend Bekka."
"Nice to meet you, Jamie." Bekka thinks Jamie is even cuter up close. He has an adorable twinkle in his eyes and his smile lights up his entire face. She has to place her hand behind her back to keep from reaching up to touch the dimple in his cheek.
"A pleasure to meet you Bekka." Jamie thinks Bekka is extremely attractive, loves her strawberry blond hair, and thinks the cute freckles across her nose and cheeks are irresistibly kissable.
Francesca says goodbye to both of them. "I've played long enough today. I need to go home and get busy writing. Those books don't write themselves. Have fun!"
The Cowboy and the Mermaid