Before they could move,there had to be farewell party. As it was summer, the Sparrows decided to hold a pool party, assisted by Kevin and Jocelyn to give them a suitable send-off. Rose and Fleur de Lis would be staying with the young Sparrows, of course, and everyone (including Rose's new foal) would be moving into the family homestead, so Bill's and Autumn Leaves' grave stones were left to the keeping of Kevin, as would the cows and chickens. A steady stream of neighbors and nearby horsefolk (and paparazzi!) streamed in and out all day, whether they could stay to swim and eat or not.
For some reason, though everyone gathered in front of the house to eat, rather than around the pool and grill.
As night fell, Everett lit a bonfire. Several guests looked nervously at the horses, but Electrum, Elm and Fairy were not the least bit fazed by the flames.
The next morning Katie, Everett, and Wren moved out. Unlike the last time, when Kevin was a teenager, this time the humans (and genies) took a taxi. The horses got to travel on their own four hooves - except when they got to the river, where they took a water taxi across!
First things first, they got the horses settled into their new barn. Fairy seemed to recognize that she was back in her hometown and was quite pleased. The barn was spacious and more weather-secure than the Riverview stable. Unfortunately, the exercise area was too small for the number of jumps they'd brought from the old farm.
Katie's favorite part of the new property was the gate to keep out intruders: no more paparazzi wandering the property at all hours!
Smokey wandered around the property, and then across the street to a small park around the corner. At the moment, the 'park' was merely a designation, as there were no amenities, or even a fish pond - just a weedy patch with a couple of trees. But people collected there anyway, and Smokey was delighted to make new friends.
Finally, they got all the gnomes unpacked, and declared themselves moved in.
Good updates! The new place is nice. I like the new foal. But I admit I can't wait to see the foal Fairy gives you. And especially Crayola whenever she makes her appearance.
Everett took a trip over the river to the downtown area and registered himself as a professional horseman. He also arranged for the transfer of Katie's registration. He wandered around, exploring the local amenities, and lost track of time. Realizing how late it was, he started home - but for some reason instead of taking a cab as he had coming in to town, he chose to swim the river in the dark. It was a very wide river.
Fairy was trying out the small exercise paddock when he made it home. "We definitely need to do something about this," he told her.
Later that evening, despite Elm's best efforts, a burglar slipped through the fancy gates. The good news was, there was a burglar alarm on the ground floor.
]
The bad news was, the police officer sent in response simply waited for the burglar to get in her car and drive off, rather than catch her.
Elm seemed to have appointed himself watch-stallion, so he was also the first to notice one of their new neighbors was . . . vitality-challenged.
But the disasters weren't over yet - that evening the stove somehow caught fire! (And later they noticed they had a rather high-temperature guest investigating the gnomes at the time. Coincidence? Or not!?)
Katie sought consolation in her horses, taking Elm out for a training ride. He wasn't best pleased with the smoke smell, but enjoyed the warm evening run. Spotting a shop still open, Katie reined up and went in to investigate.
She was pleased to discover that it was a consignment store, where she could sell not only her inventions but her produce from her garden. The freshly planted seeds were already sprouting well in their new home, under close supervision.
Arriving back home, Elm and Katie were pleased to discover a new Elf on the property - Fairy had a handsome little colt. He looked remarkably like his mother, minus the muzzle patch and plus some extra white. Fortunately he'd inherited Fairy's beautiful tail.
That was so bizarre! I'd had him at City Hall, then sent him to one of the stores or something, and clicked on 'Go Home' while I was occupied with the lot. Then, when I realized he hadn't arrived, I went looking for him and found him in the middle of the river. Why he didn't take the limo as usual I have no idea; he did get into one about a block from the house, but only after running several blocks along the streets from the river.
Eh, I just play these folks, I make no claim to understanding them!
In the middle of the night, the gnomes threw a party. Whether this was because of Elf's arrival or for reasons of their own was unclear.
Katie shared a quiet moment with Electrum, praising his foals and reminding him that he was still her favorite; then went out to take Elm to be sold. In the rain, of course. But the ride to the Equestrian Center crossed the most beautiful old covered bridge.
Elm sold for a relatively 'mere' $8,967, but he was actually kept by the Center rather than sold on; they bought him to add to their stud.
Katie joined Everett at the local art center, inventing while he sculpted for a few hours, then they hurried home to receive the newest mares. One was a fairy-bred by the name of Spring, and the other was her Paint stablemate. Erika was a splash-white with an oddly skewed pattern.
Elf celebrated the new arrivals by growing up. No one seemed to notice except their ghostly neighbor.
Outside it started to rain again, which didn't dampen the ghostly gnome, who took a midair nap, but drove some of the others inside. The invention gnome tinkered with the video game console, while the animal gnomes settled to howl around the stereo. Just another rainy night in Moonlight Falls.
Now that Elf was grown, it was time to send Fairy home. Everett groomed her to gleaming and rode her back to her owner.
Katie was trying to utilize the local Art Center as a base for her inventing, but the paparazzi were annoying. At least at home she could keep them out - but there wasn't much room for her bench!
Electrum wasn't bothered by the trials of fame, although he was probably one of the best known stallions in the country due to the breeding project. He was more interested in getting to know Spring.
Everett had heard there was a diving area in the lake, and boated out to see. Diving in, he found the depth a bit beyond his abilities yet. He'd need more snorkeling practice before he could scuba dive. Unfortunately, no one had warned him that this was a haunt of the very rare freshwater fangshark.
So he scrambled back into the boat and decided to spend the afternoon at the new exclusive lounge instead. Moonrise Ripples had recently opened to cater to the elite of the area, and Everett and Katie were both elite enough to be invited.
The next day he started improving his snorkeling skills.
The gnomes seemed to be gathering around the house in the evenings, as if staging a protest. Wren discovered the reason, looking out of her treehouse one evening. Bonehilda was repeatedly kicking them over, then standing them up and kicking them again.
Everett also trained Smokey further in his hunting skill, while Katie tried to butter up Elf with treats. The young stallion was proving resistant to training, and of course he had to have some manners before he could be sold. Spring was confirmed in foal, and Katie and Everett had plans for expanding their training area. Life was busy!
Since there really wasn't enough room on the property for a jump course, Everett and Katie decided to purchase an additional piece of property. Just half a block up the street was one of several lots designated 'park land' by the town but utterly unimproved. As the current contents of this lot consisted of two trees, they decided that it was perfect to convert to a small horse training park.
The initial improvements went in quickly: fencing; a small bathroom building; a grill and picnic tables under the trees. A hitching post and watering trough completed the amenities, and the jumps from the old farm were brought out of storage and set up in the large ring. Immediately people began to show up. (Although, oddly, none of them brought horses.)
The evening after the opening, once the initial look-see crowd had thinned out, Everett rode over on Electrum to practice jumping. This was not an endeavor that the genie was particularly comfortable with yet. Katie kept telling him he needed to keep his eyes open, but it was hard! Electrum was utterly unperturbed; the stallion apparently figured he had enough jumping experience for the both of them.
After that, Everett went to the Art Center to sculpt a bit longer, although he paused to admire the glass gnomes in the fountain, which he hadn't noticed before. Unlike the ones at home, these appeared to be static.
The local wild horses made occasional appearances. They seemed to be shyer than their Appaloosa Plains or Riverview counterparts, and were clearly of fairy stock.
Everett was also spending time at the gym, exercising and telling ghost stories. Summer was drawing to a close, and the kids were getting excited about Spooky Day.
Katie and Everett were preparing for fall as well, having a greenhouse built over the 'good' part of the garden. The best plants were safely growing under glass, while the lesser quality ones were rapidly going dormant in the cooling nights. A hot tub and the wishing well were placed at opposite ends to provide humidity, and sub-floor heating kept the stone paths warm. Chairs and a bookshelf full of gardening books and summer reading rounded out the area as a winter haven.
Great update!! I can't believe I never thought of buying another lot for a full training grounds!!! I'll have to do that. Because my lot never had enough room for a full training area.
If you go with a commercial lot, you'll need a certain set of items before it will open for business, but you can collect money from it. People seem to come even before that, you just don't get paid. You can also add specified items to increase to levels 2 and 3 of earning power. Or you can buy a residential lot and it's (mostly) private. I think next town I may buy adjacent house and horse properties from the start.
Katie received an invitation to visit Moonrise Ripples as Everett had, so she dressed up in her best dress and went to check it out. Wren snuck out and followed, but was told she wasn't famous enough to get in. And the bouncer had the nerve to tell her she was too young to bribe her way in! So Wren cast a brief Genie spell to make the woman flap her arms and squawk like a chicken when the next couple of guests arrived, then went home again. Katie, blissfully unaware of her daughter's behavior, enjoyed the new drink, posed for photos for an adoring ghost, then got all fannish herself when she met Robin Goodfellow.
The next morning she slept in, while Everett rode out on the now-trained Elf, and galloped across town to the Equestrian Center. He came out of the EC sans stallion, but $10,299 richer.
He received a rather bizarre request to convey a parcel to Egypt. Arranging for Kevin to pay a visit to manage the horses, Everett, Katie and Wren traveled across the ocean to a new country.
Base camp was hot, dusty and . . . basic.
Delivering the package wasn't as simple as expected, as they then had to retrieve something from a tomb. "How did we get into this?" asked Katie, as they left Wren fishing in a safe spot and headed into the hot, dirty tunnels.
Strangely glowing boxes and piles of debris hiding doors were easy, if sometimes tedious, to deal with. But then Katie ran into some real trouble. Or perhaps trouble ran into her.
So they had to wrap up the trip with a plea to the great sphinx to uncurse her. Fortunately, it agreed.
They arrived home just in time to greet Spring's new filly Equinox. At first glance, another lovely platinum striped foal. On closer look - not platinum after all!
Everett was now training regularly on the real platinum-striped zebra.
Wren helped out with the horses; although she wasn't allowed to ride yet, she loved to talk to them and brush them out.
In what seemed like no time at all, Equinox grew up. Her intriguing color deepened, causing Katie to joke about having raised the Fruit Stripe zebra.
Everett was working on training Spring, and now he had to work with her daughter as well. Spring was happy to gallop wherever he asked, and cavalettis were simple enough, but other jumps . . . not so much. ('You want me to jump WHAT? Oh, very well.')
Equinox was friendly as well as eye-catching, so most of her training had to be done in-house, as it were, because otherwise she and Everett were swarmed by people wanting to know if her color was real, did she bite (usually asked as the questioner shoved a hand in her face), was she a unicorn, and other questions. Not to mention wanting photos 'so just turn her this way and make her smile'. It was a relief to get back to the quiet of the walled farm.
Erika gave birth to her foal as a nasty storm rolled in. Knight actually looked a very much like Champagne, Electrum's first foal, except for his dark muzzle marking.
After the storm ended, Katie and Everett were called to help drain and dry the Art Center, which had flooded rather badly. How the water had run up the stairs was unclear, but it had gotten under the door and required a good deal of mopping and cleaning. Fortunately all of the artwork was safe, but a couple of display stands were water-damaged to the point of needing replacement. Everett found a gnome hiding in one corner, up to its chin in water, and retrieved and dried it.
The green roan mare Spring was sold, and Katie got an unexpected response to her search for a gulblakk (yellow/palomino dun) Fjord mare. A woman called who worked for a Fjord breeder, sounding absolutely furious. They didn't have a gulblakk Fjord, but they'd had an extremely rare and unwanted filly born that wasn't dun at all. The breeder had been going to knock it on the head - wouldn't do to have it get about that they'd produced such a freak! - but the stablewoman had gotten permission to find a home for it fast. If she could get it off the property within the week, the filly could live, although it was NEVER to be linked to the breeder's name or farm in any way. With a foal's life at stake, Katie readily agreed to accept her, and enter her in the zorse pedigrees as an adopted grade mare, background unknown. And so, shortly after Knight was born, a stranger showed up with a foal Katie and Everett named Hope. 'Some people are trash,' she said. 'I'm so glad you're willing to save her. I'm looking for a new job - I can't work with this person anymore - and I'll keep an eye out for a gulblakk mare for you. Do let me know how she does.'
Everett gave the filly a good brushing to welcome her home and let her get to know her new family. She immediately undid the grooming with a good roll!
Equinox really did grow up in no time at all - somehow the foal age-span got changed from 5 days to 0 days! And a bonus glitch: Electrum as a carousel mount.
Once Hope had gotten herself all dusty, the rest of the herd came out to greet her. Knight seemed quite pleased at the idea of a new friend.
Electrum even was willing to play with her.
That evening, Everett went out to start Equinox's saddle-training in earnest. Perhaps in the darkness they'd run into fewer distractions. She was far calmer about the whole idea than her mother had been.
A few evenings later, Knight annoyed Hope by growing up in the middle of a game of tag. While not as eye-catching as some of Electrum's other offspring, he was quite a handsome stallion.
Hope wasn't very impressed though; she wanted her playmate back!
Katie had been using the driller she'd invented to set up underground tunnels to connect various spots in the neighborhood for easy access. While exploring one tunnel she turned up a particularly villainous-looking gnome.
With Knight grown, Everett rode Erika up to the EC, and returned with a new fairy-bred mare: a butterfly appaloosa named Easter. With her and Hope, the farm was approaching the midpoint of its fifty foal target.
Electrum wasted no time making friends with Easter. Since the herd currently consisted of his son, his daughter, and the filly Hope, she was the only mare he wasn't related to! Besides, as a new arrival, she had interesting news and stories to convey. "Did you hear about the great budgie escape?"
Winter was setting in, but Easter didn't seem to mind the cold rains. Nor was the argument between Equinox and Hope able to disturb her nap.
Hope reached her birthday, and became a pretty bay mare. Katie and Everett kept their promise to keep mum about her breeding - but they did keep her mane trimmed in the lovely Fjord arc. She just lacked the contrast between guard hairs and dorsal stripe, not being a dun. She also had surprisingly high black stockings, compared to the usual Fjord's knee-and-ankle marks.
The first major snowfall roared in and cancelled school, leaving Wren some time to play with her dad. Then they went out to tend the horses together. Afterwards, Everett rode Knight over to the training grounds, to discover some idiots building an igloo in the middle of the training track!
Hope was outside in the pasture making snow horse-angels.
Electrum decided to stay in the warm barn and pay court to Easter, who seemed quite willing to get started on foal twenty-four.
Somewhere along the way, Katie and Everett realized they'd neglected to actually get married (apparently the engagement was enough ) so they invited their new friends to a quick service at the local church.
The reception was outside in the snow, and in the dark because someone had forgotten to install outdoor lights. :oops:
Meanwhile another someone, aware the family was out, was attempting to bypass the electronic gate. Bonehilda was not amused.
Thanks! I'm glad you could find time to catch up. Pastelle turns up below.
Katie had reached the heights of fame, making national news and even a talk show or two over the breeding program. A number of other people were trying similar programs, but few zebras had Electrum's superlative temperament, and not all were as consistent in passing on the disease resistance. Several years of unfavorable weather had limited spread of the trypanosomes, but the predictions were this next year should be excellent conditions for the flies that carried the parasites to thrive. Several celebrities had contacted them, to see the horses and get their names associated with the project. Katie and Everett tried to ascertain which ones were truly interested, and invited them to visit and showed them around the town. Everett was showing one such guest around the Art Center on the evening that Easter foaled.
Although she had been put in her stall that evening, Easter was a great opener of latches, so Pastelle was born in a snowbank.
As soon as she was discovered, the filly was hustled into the barn and dried. She was a pretty little zebra with her dam's pastel shadings and butterflies under her gold stripes.
Knight had reached the end of his training, so Everett groomed him to perfection and took him to the EC. With zebra antibodies but no stripes, the grey stallion brought $7500 into the bank.
Wren thought that seemed like a splendid amount of money, and staged a royal party at dinner. She'd been begging her parents to let her work at the art center too, but Katie and Everett were concerned that projects like glass-blowing and blow-torching metal sculptures might be a bit too appealing and dangerous for her. Instead, Everett spent part of the money for Knight on an easel for Wren's very own.
Wren spent the day out painting (it was another Snow Day) but as night fell the temperature dropped sharply. A blizzard warning was posted, and the Sparrows made sure all the horses were securely locked in the barn. The stalls, though, didn't lock, and Easter quickly opened hers, letting Pastelle out to nap on the barn floor.
Katie then repaired to the hot tub in the greenhouse. Everett joined her shortly thereafter, and they listened to the winds roar outside the frosted windows while relaxing in the steamy warmth, breathing the scents of the thriving garden a few feet away. Storms were much more pleasant with good shelter and good company.
The storm was short but snowy, and there was no school the next morning. Wren sometimes wondered, that winter, if she was ever going to get to school! But there were horses to tend and snowmen to build, so she kept busy enough. Pastelle wanted very much to help her with the latter.
Electrum and Hope found a way to stay warm despite the chill air.
Snow or not, Wren enjoyed painting on her new easel. Her father had offered to move it inside, but she didn't like feeling crowded.
Easter had no fear of the cold, and Pastelle seemed to feel the same. Of course, a good gallop really got the blood pumping! Like mothers everywhere, though, Easter never seemed to think her daughter had a clean-enough face.
Easter was taken out for a ride occasionally, to give her a little time away from her filly.
And then - foal twenty-five was born! "Halfway there!" said Katie, feeling elated, and so they named Hope's filly Elation.
The fillies got on famously. You'd never know they were sisters. :P
Since Hope had come to them as a foal, she still needed to be trained to saddle. Katie had arranged for Kevin and Jocelyn to take the young mare, calling her a Fjord cross. That she was crossed with another Fjord remained a secret, as agreed. Hope was gentle enough that Katie decided to start training her bareback, just hopping up on the deep-pile winter coat. After a few circuits of the paddock, Katie took her out on the road, still bareback and with only a halter. (Folks, don't try this at home!)
Later, properly tacked up, Katie rode the bay Fjord to the consignment shop to check on her items left for sale. Unfortunately, the shop had closed early due to the snow. Still, it was a long enough trip to complete Hope's training.
The mares and foals got along well, to the point that sometimes the foals just slept in whichever stall was handy, regardless of whether the occupant was actually mother.
Outside, the snow had melted and the gnomes had a new arrival.
Elation asking Easter whether Pastelle can come play. The fillies did have a grand time together.
Everett got an invitation to the grand opening of a new nectar terrace at Moonrise Ripples. Curious about this 'nectar', he got dressed up and went to lend his name to the opening and buy a drink. Unfortunately, the electrician hadn't gotten the wiring right, and only the full moon illuminated the exterior area. However, as the server was a vampire, she had no problems seeing in the dim light beneath the pavilion.
Although most guests drifted on inside to the lit lounge after picking up a glass of nectar, Everett stayed outside. He was recognized and served to attract several passersby to sample a glass. He realized he'd hit maximum fame, at least locally, when the grandest of the local celebrities paused to greet him and ask his advice. And at the end of the evening, the owner of Moonrise Ripples asked his assistance. She needed a particular bottle of aged nectar, which could only be found in France. Would he be willing to retrieve it for her? Everett agreed, on the condition that his wife didn't mind. Katie was certain that she and Wren could manage the herd for a few days, so Everett set out for France.
Exploring the palatial museum, he admired artifacts from Egypt, from China, and from local digs. He explored further and found a room with three gnomes - and was certain one of them moved!
He was well aware of magical gnomes - he had a huge flock of the things on the farm, although none like these. But he was a bit surprised that, if they moved like the ones he was familiar with, they were posed so staidly on the pedestals. Then he looked back as he left the room . . .
Returning to his task, he found out that the nectar he was after was actually down in a tomb. Strange place to leave it, he thought, but that was what he'd come for. At least the tomb was in a lovely area.
Down the steps he went, and sure enough the door was behind a pile of rocks. With a grin, Everett flexed his muscles and got to work. One thing he truly enjoyed about living free of the lamp was the chance to do physical labor from time to time. Once he'd cleared several rooms, he paused to summon a plate of pork risotto. He'd been given some samples of dried food, but why suffer when you didn't have to?
A bit further on, he found another set of stairs and a remarkably green and thriving hedge maze at the bottom. Working his way through that, he arrived at the room with the desired nectar.
Having accomplished his main task, Everett relaxed for the last day of his trip, tasting nectars (and purchasing items for trying to make his own) and fishing for frogs.
At home, Katie was out with the horses, Wren was in school, and Bonehilda was . . . hard at work?
Everett arrived unexpectedly and sent her back to work. He delivered the antique nectar was promised and came home to discover new faces among the gnome clan. They looked curiously like those that had vanished from the museum in France.
Wren brought home a permission slip for a field trip to the local toy shop/toy factory. Unfortunately that day it was so heavily overcast it looked like a night-time trip. Still Wren and her classmates took lots of notes. They also got to try out the toy-making equipment and bring home their own personally-made toys.
That night, Elation and Pastelle both grew up into a pair of striking striped zorse mares. Halfway to the goal of fifty resistance carriers!
Wow I was far behind! I love Easter and Pastelle turned out really nice even if the stripes try to hide the butterflies. I like the side trips too. Makes for interesting little adventures. When I am able I have a little side trip to college for one of my people in my challenge. But I am woefully behind in my own updates. Looking forward to more!
I just got Pastelle ready for uploading today. I'd planned to have a second version of her with the butterflies 'uncaged' as it were and brought up out of the stripes, but discovered that a) she has a LOT more than you can see, and b) they've moved all over, some right off her outline so they aren't visible, and some piled one atop another. I may try again and only move the ones that show through the stripes, but I think she's going to be an interesting mare to breed from. I'll probably have to move her to another game so I can try that!
I revised Pastelle for version 2, just pulling up about 4 butterflies; she'll be posted as an alternate to the in-game version. Also, Smokey's about to 'move out'; he's being converted to a flatcoated retriever in memory of my sweet 10-year-old Adam, who was put to sleep this past week. According to the breed club (who is researching it desperately) as many as 70% of flatcoats die of a particular cancer, and many get it before 5 years, so Adam did beat the odds there. But even 10 years isn't nearly enough with a wonderful dog.
Because of the last month being complicated, I've actually caught up with this next post to where I am in the game, so the posts may drop off a bit, until I can get some actual play time in.
Katie had done some exploring with her drilling machine while Everett was in France, and now she gave him a gift - a gnome that appeared carved out of stone! "You didn't steal this from the Art Center, did you?" he joked.
"Of course not! I found him in a tunnel." The gnome was turned out with the others, bringing the total of new gnomes to 4, and the total types to 20.
Now that the fillies were grown, it was time to bring in new mares, so in the foggy, gray dawn Everett rode Easter to the EC. Her sale brought him to the top of his Equestrian career, adding a $5,000 bonus to her price of $5,807. He and Katie were both disappointed that she didn't bring any more than that, given her unique pattern. Hopefully Pastelle would sell better once trained.
The next mare was dropped off that afternoon by her owner. The Sparrows had arranged to lease another mare from Fairy's owner, this one a brightly patterned mare aptly named Crayola. (Crayola is courtesy of WolfLady74's Fifty-foal Challenge and can be found here.)
Everett was coming back from the gym one evening and noticed a gathering around a small pond. He got out to watch and noticed a pair of Fjord-types amid the gathering of fairy-horses surrounding the local lilac unicorn stallion. One was a literal purple dun, the other a non-fairy-looking liver chestnut with red mane and tan tail.
He took Hope out the next day to survey the neighborhood, but was unable to find any of the wild ones. The bay mare's training was done, so arrangements were made for Kevin to come pick her up. Smokey was wildly glad to see Kevin, and moped around the house for several days after he left with the bay mare.
After his trip to France, Everett got a request to provide topiaries for a garden party, and quickly carved out a series of giraffes and penguins.
Katie was training Pastelle, and wondering if the heavy overcast and storms would ever let up!
Sometimes Everett would join her and they'd train Pastelle and Elation together. One evening they stopped at the bakery to pick up treats before riding out to the beach hut known as "Trail's End". After all the riding she'd done and having hit the top of her career path, Katie still couldn't always get on a horse correctly!
Pastelle was annoyed enough that she dumped Katie on the sand and took herself on home. Ironically, she finished her own training en route!
Across the inlet from Trail's End, a new corporation had set up a circus-themed park, with 'the most amazing carousel you've ever seen or dreamed about!!' according to Wren. She was allowed to go by herself to the pre-Grand Opening, an invitation-only affair that let celebrities in before the crowds came.
Bodie followed his owner in and raced around the carousel, trying to keep up.
Kevin came back around to report on Hope and visit, since he had brought Rose to town for a big jumping competition (they got second). Smokey quietly stowed away in the trailer, and wasn't discovered until Kevin got home and unloaded the mare. Since he seemed happier there, Everett and Katie took in a new dog in need of a home: a flatcoated retriever named Adam. Adam loved people and was never happier than when he was around them, although he considered horses an acceptable alternative when everyone was out.
Pastelle got a bit more coaching over jumps, and then was taken on to sell. Elation wasn't quite trained enough yet. The next two mares were already arranged for, a pair of fairy mares that had been purchased rather than leased like Crayola.
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For some reason, though everyone gathered in front of the house to eat, rather than around the pool and grill.
As night fell, Everett lit a bonfire. Several guests looked nervously at the horses, but Electrum, Elm and Fairy were not the least bit fazed by the flames.
The next morning Katie, Everett, and Wren moved out. Unlike the last time, when Kevin was a teenager, this time the humans (and genies) took a taxi. The horses got to travel on their own four hooves - except when they got to the river, where they took a water taxi across!
First things first, they got the horses settled into their new barn. Fairy seemed to recognize that she was back in her hometown and was quite pleased. The barn was spacious and more weather-secure than the Riverview stable. Unfortunately, the exercise area was too small for the number of jumps they'd brought from the old farm.
Katie's favorite part of the new property was the gate to keep out intruders: no more paparazzi wandering the property at all hours!
Smokey wandered around the property, and then across the street to a small park around the corner. At the moment, the 'park' was merely a designation, as there were no amenities, or even a fish pond - just a weedy patch with a couple of trees. But people collected there anyway, and Smokey was delighted to make new friends.
Finally, they got all the gnomes unpacked, and declared themselves moved in.
Imaginary Friends Legacy: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/563003/baptiste-imaginary-friend-legacy-updated-6-18-new-baby/p1
Fairy was trying out the small exercise paddock when he made it home. "We definitely need to do something about this," he told her.
Later that evening, despite Elm's best efforts, a burglar slipped through the fancy gates. The good news was, there was a burglar alarm on the ground floor.
]
The bad news was, the police officer sent in response simply waited for the burglar to get in her car and drive off, rather than catch her.
Elm seemed to have appointed himself watch-stallion, so he was also the first to notice one of their new neighbors was . . . vitality-challenged.
But the disasters weren't over yet - that evening the stove somehow caught fire! (And later they noticed they had a rather high-temperature guest investigating the gnomes at the time. Coincidence? Or not!?)
Katie sought consolation in her horses, taking Elm out for a training ride. He wasn't best pleased with the smoke smell, but enjoyed the warm evening run. Spotting a shop still open, Katie reined up and went in to investigate.
She was pleased to discover that it was a consignment store, where she could sell not only her inventions but her produce from her garden. The freshly planted seeds were already sprouting well in their new home, under close supervision.
Arriving back home, Elm and Katie were pleased to discover a new Elf on the property - Fairy had a handsome little colt. He looked remarkably like his mother, minus the muzzle patch and plus some extra white. Fortunately he'd inherited Fairy's beautiful tail.
Imaginary Friends Legacy: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/563003/baptiste-imaginary-friend-legacy-updated-6-18-new-baby/p1
Eh, I just play these folks, I make no claim to understanding them!
Katie shared a quiet moment with Electrum, praising his foals and reminding him that he was still her favorite; then went out to take Elm to be sold. In the rain, of course. But the ride to the Equestrian Center crossed the most beautiful old covered bridge.
Elm sold for a relatively 'mere' $8,967, but he was actually kept by the Center rather than sold on; they bought him to add to their stud.
Katie joined Everett at the local art center, inventing while he sculpted for a few hours, then they hurried home to receive the newest mares. One was a fairy-bred by the name of Spring, and the other was her Paint stablemate. Erika was a splash-white with an oddly skewed pattern.
Elf celebrated the new arrivals by growing up. No one seemed to notice except their ghostly neighbor.
Outside it started to rain again, which didn't dampen the ghostly gnome, who took a midair nap, but drove some of the others inside. The invention gnome tinkered with the video game console, while the animal gnomes settled to howl around the stereo. Just another rainy night in Moonlight Falls.
Imaginary Friends Legacy: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/563003/baptiste-imaginary-friend-legacy-updated-6-18-new-baby/p1
Katie was trying to utilize the local Art Center as a base for her inventing, but the paparazzi were annoying. At least at home she could keep them out - but there wasn't much room for her bench!
Electrum wasn't bothered by the trials of fame, although he was probably one of the best known stallions in the country due to the breeding project. He was more interested in getting to know Spring.
Everett had heard there was a diving area in the lake, and boated out to see. Diving in, he found the depth a bit beyond his abilities yet. He'd need more snorkeling practice before he could scuba dive. Unfortunately, no one had warned him that this was a haunt of the very rare freshwater fangshark.
So he scrambled back into the boat and decided to spend the afternoon at the new exclusive lounge instead. Moonrise Ripples had recently opened to cater to the elite of the area, and Everett and Katie were both elite enough to be invited.
The next day he started improving his snorkeling skills.
The gnomes seemed to be gathering around the house in the evenings, as if staging a protest. Wren discovered the reason, looking out of her treehouse one evening. Bonehilda was repeatedly kicking them over, then standing them up and kicking them again.
Everett also trained Smokey further in his hunting skill, while Katie tried to butter up Elf with treats. The young stallion was proving resistant to training, and of course he had to have some manners before he could be sold. Spring was confirmed in foal, and Katie and Everett had plans for expanding their training area. Life was busy!
The initial improvements went in quickly: fencing; a small bathroom building; a grill and picnic tables under the trees. A hitching post and watering trough completed the amenities, and the jumps from the old farm were brought out of storage and set up in the large ring. Immediately people began to show up. (Although, oddly, none of them brought horses.)
The evening after the opening, once the initial look-see crowd had thinned out, Everett rode over on Electrum to practice jumping. This was not an endeavor that the genie was particularly comfortable with yet. Katie kept telling him he needed to keep his eyes open, but it was hard! Electrum was utterly unperturbed; the stallion apparently figured he had enough jumping experience for the both of them.
After that, Everett went to the Art Center to sculpt a bit longer, although he paused to admire the glass gnomes in the fountain, which he hadn't noticed before. Unlike the ones at home, these appeared to be static.
The local wild horses made occasional appearances. They seemed to be shyer than their Appaloosa Plains or Riverview counterparts, and were clearly of fairy stock.
Everett was also spending time at the gym, exercising and telling ghost stories. Summer was drawing to a close, and the kids were getting excited about Spooky Day.
Katie and Everett were preparing for fall as well, having a greenhouse built over the 'good' part of the garden. The best plants were safely growing under glass, while the lesser quality ones were rapidly going dormant in the cooling nights. A hot tub and the wishing well were placed at opposite ends to provide humidity, and sub-floor heating kept the stone paths warm. Chairs and a bookshelf full of gardening books and summer reading rounded out the area as a winter haven.
Imaginary Friends Legacy: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/563003/baptiste-imaginary-friend-legacy-updated-6-18-new-baby/p1
Katie received an invitation to visit Moonrise Ripples as Everett had, so she dressed up in her best dress and went to check it out. Wren snuck out and followed, but was told she wasn't famous enough to get in. And the bouncer had the nerve to tell her she was too young to bribe her way in! So Wren cast a brief Genie spell to make the woman flap her arms and squawk like a chicken when the next couple of guests arrived, then went home again. Katie, blissfully unaware of her daughter's behavior, enjoyed the new drink, posed for photos for an adoring ghost, then got all fannish herself when she met Robin Goodfellow.
The next morning she slept in, while Everett rode out on the now-trained Elf, and galloped across town to the Equestrian Center. He came out of the EC sans stallion, but $10,299 richer.
He received a rather bizarre request to convey a parcel to Egypt. Arranging for Kevin to pay a visit to manage the horses, Everett, Katie and Wren traveled across the ocean to a new country.
Base camp was hot, dusty and . . . basic.
Delivering the package wasn't as simple as expected, as they then had to retrieve something from a tomb. "How did we get into this?" asked Katie, as they left Wren fishing in a safe spot and headed into the hot, dirty tunnels.
Strangely glowing boxes and piles of debris hiding doors were easy, if sometimes tedious, to deal with. But then Katie ran into some real trouble. Or perhaps trouble ran into her.
So they had to wrap up the trip with a plea to the great sphinx to uncurse her. Fortunately, it agreed.
They arrived home just in time to greet Spring's new filly Equinox. At first glance, another lovely platinum striped foal. On closer look - not platinum after all!
Everett was now training regularly on the real platinum-striped zebra.
In what seemed like no time at all, Equinox grew up. Her intriguing color deepened, causing Katie to joke about having raised the Fruit Stripe zebra.
Everett was working on training Spring, and now he had to work with her daughter as well. Spring was happy to gallop wherever he asked, and cavalettis were simple enough, but other jumps . . . not so much. ('You want me to jump WHAT? Oh, very well.')
Equinox was friendly as well as eye-catching, so most of her training had to be done in-house, as it were, because otherwise she and Everett were swarmed by people wanting to know if her color was real, did she bite (usually asked as the questioner shoved a hand in her face), was she a unicorn, and other questions. Not to mention wanting photos 'so just turn her this way and make her smile'. It was a relief to get back to the quiet of the walled farm.
Erika gave birth to her foal as a nasty storm rolled in. Knight actually looked a very much like Champagne, Electrum's first foal, except for his dark muzzle marking.
After the storm ended, Katie and Everett were called to help drain and dry the Art Center, which had flooded rather badly. How the water had run up the stairs was unclear, but it had gotten under the door and required a good deal of mopping and cleaning. Fortunately all of the artwork was safe, but a couple of display stands were water-damaged to the point of needing replacement. Everett found a gnome hiding in one corner, up to its chin in water, and retrieved and dried it.
The green roan mare Spring was sold, and Katie got an unexpected response to her search for a gulblakk (yellow/palomino dun) Fjord mare. A woman called who worked for a Fjord breeder, sounding absolutely furious. They didn't have a gulblakk Fjord, but they'd had an extremely rare and unwanted filly born that wasn't dun at all. The breeder had been going to knock it on the head - wouldn't do to have it get about that they'd produced such a freak! - but the stablewoman had gotten permission to find a home for it fast. If she could get it off the property within the week, the filly could live, although it was NEVER to be linked to the breeder's name or farm in any way. With a foal's life at stake, Katie readily agreed to accept her, and enter her in the zorse pedigrees as an adopted grade mare, background unknown. And so, shortly after Knight was born, a stranger showed up with a foal Katie and Everett named Hope. 'Some people are trash,' she said. 'I'm so glad you're willing to save her. I'm looking for a new job - I can't work with this person anymore - and I'll keep an eye out for a gulblakk mare for you. Do let me know how she does.'
Everett gave the filly a good brushing to welcome her home and let her get to know her new family. She immediately undid the grooming with a good roll!
Equinox really did grow up in no time at all - somehow the foal age-span got changed from 5 days to 0 days! And a bonus glitch: Electrum as a carousel mount.
Electrum even was willing to play with her.
That evening, Everett went out to start Equinox's saddle-training in earnest. Perhaps in the darkness they'd run into fewer distractions. She was far calmer about the whole idea than her mother had been.
A few evenings later, Knight annoyed Hope by growing up in the middle of a game of tag. While not as eye-catching as some of Electrum's other offspring, he was quite a handsome stallion.
Hope wasn't very impressed though; she wanted her playmate back!
Katie had been using the driller she'd invented to set up underground tunnels to connect various spots in the neighborhood for easy access. While exploring one tunnel she turned up a particularly villainous-looking gnome.
With Knight grown, Everett rode Erika up to the EC, and returned with a new fairy-bred mare: a butterfly appaloosa named Easter. With her and Hope, the farm was approaching the midpoint of its fifty foal target.
Winter was setting in, but Easter didn't seem to mind the cold rains. Nor was the argument between Equinox and Hope able to disturb her nap.
Hope reached her birthday, and became a pretty bay mare. Katie and Everett kept their promise to keep mum about her breeding - but they did keep her mane trimmed in the lovely Fjord arc. She just lacked the contrast between guard hairs and dorsal stripe, not being a dun. She also had surprisingly high black stockings, compared to the usual Fjord's knee-and-ankle marks.
The first major snowfall roared in and cancelled school, leaving Wren some time to play with her dad. Then they went out to tend the horses together. Afterwards, Everett rode Knight over to the training grounds, to discover some idiots building an igloo in the middle of the training track!
Hope was outside in the pasture making snow horse-angels.
Electrum decided to stay in the warm barn and pay court to Easter, who seemed quite willing to get started on foal twenty-four.
Somewhere along the way, Katie and Everett realized they'd neglected to actually get married (apparently the engagement was enough
The reception was outside in the snow, and in the dark because someone had forgotten to install outdoor lights. :oops:
Meanwhile another someone, aware the family was out, was attempting to bypass the electronic gate. Bonehilda was not amused.
Katie had reached the heights of fame, making national news and even a talk show or two over the breeding program. A number of other people were trying similar programs, but few zebras had Electrum's superlative temperament, and not all were as consistent in passing on the disease resistance. Several years of unfavorable weather had limited spread of the trypanosomes, but the predictions were this next year should be excellent conditions for the flies that carried the parasites to thrive. Several celebrities had contacted them, to see the horses and get their names associated with the project. Katie and Everett tried to ascertain which ones were truly interested, and invited them to visit and showed them around the town. Everett was showing one such guest around the Art Center on the evening that Easter foaled.
Although she had been put in her stall that evening, Easter was a great opener of latches, so Pastelle was born in a snowbank.
As soon as she was discovered, the filly was hustled into the barn and dried. She was a pretty little zebra with her dam's pastel shadings and butterflies under her gold stripes.
Knight had reached the end of his training, so Everett groomed him to perfection and took him to the EC. With zebra antibodies but no stripes, the grey stallion brought $7500 into the bank.
Wren thought that seemed like a splendid amount of money, and staged a royal party at dinner. She'd been begging her parents to let her work at the art center too, but Katie and Everett were concerned that projects like glass-blowing and blow-torching metal sculptures might be a bit too appealing and dangerous for her. Instead, Everett spent part of the money for Knight on an easel for Wren's very own.
Wren spent the day out painting (it was another Snow Day) but as night fell the temperature dropped sharply. A blizzard warning was posted, and the Sparrows made sure all the horses were securely locked in the barn. The stalls, though, didn't lock, and Easter quickly opened hers, letting Pastelle out to nap on the barn floor.
Katie then repaired to the hot tub in the greenhouse. Everett joined her shortly thereafter, and they listened to the winds roar outside the frosted windows while relaxing in the steamy warmth, breathing the scents of the thriving garden a few feet away. Storms were much more pleasant with good shelter and good company.
Electrum and Hope found a way to stay warm despite the chill air.
Snow or not, Wren enjoyed painting on her new easel. Her father had offered to move it inside, but she didn't like feeling crowded.
Easter had no fear of the cold, and Pastelle seemed to feel the same. Of course, a good gallop really got the blood pumping! Like mothers everywhere, though, Easter never seemed to think her daughter had a clean-enough face.
Easter was taken out for a ride occasionally, to give her a little time away from her filly.
And then - foal twenty-five was born! "Halfway there!" said Katie, feeling elated, and so they named Hope's filly Elation.
The fillies got on famously. You'd never know they were sisters. :P
Later, properly tacked up, Katie rode the bay Fjord to the consignment shop to check on her items left for sale. Unfortunately, the shop had closed early due to the snow. Still, it was a long enough trip to complete Hope's training.
The mares and foals got along well, to the point that sometimes the foals just slept in whichever stall was handy, regardless of whether the occupant was actually mother.
Outside, the snow had melted and the gnomes had a new arrival.
Elation asking Easter whether Pastelle can come play. The fillies did have a grand time together.
Everett got an invitation to the grand opening of a new nectar terrace at Moonrise Ripples. Curious about this 'nectar', he got dressed up and went to lend his name to the opening and buy a drink. Unfortunately, the electrician hadn't gotten the wiring right, and only the full moon illuminated the exterior area. However, as the server was a vampire, she had no problems seeing in the dim light beneath the pavilion.
Although most guests drifted on inside to the lit lounge after picking up a glass of nectar, Everett stayed outside. He was recognized and served to attract several passersby to sample a glass. He realized he'd hit maximum fame, at least locally, when the grandest of the local celebrities paused to greet him and ask his advice. And at the end of the evening, the owner of Moonrise Ripples asked his assistance. She needed a particular bottle of aged nectar, which could only be found in France. Would he be willing to retrieve it for her? Everett agreed, on the condition that his wife didn't mind. Katie was certain that she and Wren could manage the herd for a few days, so Everett set out for France.
Exploring the palatial museum, he admired artifacts from Egypt, from China, and from local digs. He explored further and found a room with three gnomes - and was certain one of them moved!
He was well aware of magical gnomes - he had a huge flock of the things on the farm, although none like these. But he was a bit surprised that, if they moved like the ones he was familiar with, they were posed so staidly on the pedestals. Then he looked back as he left the room . . .
Returning to his task, he found out that the nectar he was after was actually down in a tomb. Strange place to leave it, he thought, but that was what he'd come for. At least the tomb was in a lovely area.
Down the steps he went, and sure enough the door was behind a pile of rocks. With a grin, Everett flexed his muscles and got to work. One thing he truly enjoyed about living free of the lamp was the chance to do physical labor from time to time. Once he'd cleared several rooms, he paused to summon a plate of pork risotto. He'd been given some samples of dried food, but why suffer when you didn't have to?
A bit further on, he found another set of stairs and a remarkably green and thriving hedge maze at the bottom. Working his way through that, he arrived at the room with the desired nectar.
Mission completed.
At home, Katie was out with the horses, Wren was in school, and Bonehilda was . . . hard at work?
Everett arrived unexpectedly and sent her back to work. He delivered the antique nectar was promised and came home to discover new faces among the gnome clan. They looked curiously like those that had vanished from the museum in France.
Wren brought home a permission slip for a field trip to the local toy shop/toy factory. Unfortunately that day it was so heavily overcast it looked like a night-time trip. Still Wren and her classmates took lots of notes. They also got to try out the toy-making equipment and bring home their own personally-made toys.
That night, Elation and Pastelle both grew up into a pair of striking striped zorse mares. Halfway to the goal of fifty resistance carriers!
Imaginary Friends Legacy: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/563003/baptiste-imaginary-friend-legacy-updated-6-18-new-baby/p1
I'm adding it to my recommended stories to read which
are all located here!
I revised Pastelle for version 2, just pulling up about 4 butterflies; she'll be posted as an alternate to the in-game version. Also, Smokey's about to 'move out'; he's being converted to a flatcoated retriever in memory of my sweet 10-year-old Adam, who was put to sleep this past week.
Because of the last month being complicated, I've actually caught up with this next post to where I am in the game, so the posts may drop off a bit, until I can get some actual play time in.
"Of course not! I found him in a tunnel." The gnome was turned out with the others, bringing the total of new gnomes to 4, and the total types to 20.
Now that the fillies were grown, it was time to bring in new mares, so in the foggy, gray dawn Everett rode Easter to the EC. Her sale brought him to the top of his Equestrian career, adding a $5,000 bonus to her price of $5,807. He and Katie were both disappointed that she didn't bring any more than that, given her unique pattern. Hopefully Pastelle would sell better once trained.
The next mare was dropped off that afternoon by her owner. The Sparrows had arranged to lease another mare from Fairy's owner, this one a brightly patterned mare aptly named Crayola. (Crayola is courtesy of WolfLady74's Fifty-foal Challenge and can be found here.)
Everett was coming back from the gym one evening and noticed a gathering around a small pond. He got out to watch and noticed a pair of Fjord-types amid the gathering of fairy-horses surrounding the local lilac unicorn stallion. One was a literal purple dun, the other a non-fairy-looking liver chestnut with red mane and tan tail.
He took Hope out the next day to survey the neighborhood, but was unable to find any of the wild ones. The bay mare's training was done, so arrangements were made for Kevin to come pick her up. Smokey was wildly glad to see Kevin, and moped around the house for several days after he left with the bay mare.
After his trip to France, Everett got a request to provide topiaries for a garden party, and quickly carved out a series of giraffes and penguins.
Katie was training Pastelle, and wondering if the heavy overcast and storms would ever let up!
Sometimes Everett would join her and they'd train Pastelle and Elation together. One evening they stopped at the bakery to pick up treats before riding out to the beach hut known as "Trail's End". After all the riding she'd done and having hit the top of her career path, Katie still couldn't always get on a horse correctly!
Pastelle was annoyed enough that she dumped Katie on the sand and took herself on home. Ironically, she finished her own training en route!
Across the inlet from Trail's End, a new corporation had set up a circus-themed park, with 'the most amazing carousel you've ever seen or dreamed about!!' according to Wren. She was allowed to go by herself to the pre-Grand Opening, an invitation-only affair that let celebrities in before the crowds came.
Bodie followed his owner in and raced around the carousel, trying to keep up.
Kevin came back around to report on Hope and visit, since he had brought Rose to town for a big jumping competition (they got second). Smokey quietly stowed away in the trailer, and wasn't discovered until Kevin got home and unloaded the mare. Since he seemed happier there, Everett and Katie took in a new dog in need of a home: a flatcoated retriever named Adam. Adam loved people and was never happier than when he was around them, although he considered horses an acceptable alternative when everyone was out.
Pastelle got a bit more coaching over jumps, and then was taken on to sell. Elation wasn't quite trained enough yet. The next two mares were already arranged for, a pair of fairy mares that had been purchased rather than leased like Crayola.
But that will be for the next chapter. Peekaboo!