Anyhoo, short little update. Got a chance to play a little while, between all the real life stuff going on here.
Out in the ever-snowy land known as Hidden Springs, Princess Alexandra and her new husband, styled Prince Andrew in HS, were expecting their first child.
Andrew, of course, was the oldest son of a prominent Sunset Valley family, noted in the entertainment world - an illustrious clan that produced actors, musicians, professional athletes, and writers, among others. He was fully expected to follow in their footsteps. But missteps he took in his teens ultimately led him down a different road, a road that curved around to being married to a princess.
And so it was with Andrew the Younger, known for most of his life as AJ, a chronic underachiever who, by the stroke of luck, happened to be the object of a princess' affection, for reasons still inexplicable.
Royal marriage, AJ discovered, did have its perks.
His bride, Princess Alexandra, was in her own way a slave to expectation - being royalty, there were certain standards of behavior she was expected to adhere to. However, Alexandra, or Alex as she was called, was clearly her own person - and long before she married Savannah Jolina-Plumb's first-born son, with whom she was classmates at the royal military academy.
Here she is sitting next to her future husband, and arguing her professor down.
AJ had spent the morning jogging around the frozen tundra that was Hidden Springs, and then came back to relax in the hot tub.
Also that frozen morning, the very pregnant Alexandra was reading Totally Preggers while her fraternal twin sister, Anastasia, was eating waffles and their butler, Aldo, drinking coffee. "So, Ana," he began, using her pet name, "are you ready to become an auntie?"
"I'm already an aunt," Anastasia reminded him, "Sebastian's two, Emmanuel and Eleanor." She was referring to the two children of Crown Prince Sebastian and his wife, Ella Carlisle Vanderburg.
Meanwhile, AJ's charm offensive on Alexandra's mother, Queen Catarina, continued. Catarina greatly disapproved of Alexandra's wedding to the commoner, and more so, the son of her former friend turned adversary. AJ didn't understand why the friendship dissolved in the first place.
Alexandra finished reading her book...
...and then went to get treatment at the spa.
Anastasia hopped in AJ's car and went to do a cameo in a movie.
AJ fielded a call from a mysterious woman asking him out on a date. How did she get his number in the first place? And why would she ask him out, especially now that he was expecting his first child?
After Anastasia returned from her movie, she proceeded to make moves on Aldo the butler... moves that didn't seem to entirely surprise AJ.
One individual who was surprised, however, was Lucian, Anastasia's fiance. He covered his head and sighed.
@dreamerz13 Cute how they went back to where they first fell in love for Valentines. Any chance it was "love day" in game? XD @venusdemilosims Cool story with them being royal and all. Poor Lucian... I love the picture with the rainbow across the whole town
Every spoiler below only has one picture, just trying to keep this short while still typing a lot lol And just wanted to say- A lot of this is probably already common knowledge but this is the first time I'm really trying to play and experience what all the expansion packs have to offer so I'm excited to share this stuff lol
With my sim's twins being toddlers now, I just had to get mods to give them more actions. Rikki and Spencer (the twins) can now talk to eachother and eat out of the pet bowl it's great! Now that they can feed themselves and now that I realized the parents don't have to constantly take them and put them back into a crib, toddlers are pretty easy to take care of lol
You can see Spencer eating from the pet food bowl and Rikki sleeping on the floor in the back lol
Also, the babysitters are horrible. Anyone know how to get them to actually do something? Candi just stands outside the gate til an adult gets home and then charges $75 even though she didn't even enter the house. I've even left the gate open and all doors unlocked but that didn't do anything. I thought maybe if I called before leaving and invited inside that would work, but that didn't show up so I chose "ask to hang out" thinking theyd go inside next and she just stood there then Rena left to go do something for work and it said I needed to call a babysitter even though Candi was still there Davy ended up showing up after Jared was already home from work and taking care of the kids Davy walked in and turned on the TV so I turned off the TV and had to dismiss Davy.
Anyways, Rikki has been playing with her IF doll basically non stop, it's adorable, and with my founder being a painter I thought it would be so cute a picture of Rikki playing with her IF doll... I think I'm gonna forget painting after this...
I mean, you can kind of see it... but no, I had to sell that.
Anyways, as for the parents, they were invited to a party for spooky day. I'm sure it was just a costume but omg this one gave me the creeps when I first saw it XD
Also, I don't like Jared Frio's pajamas, especially around the kids. I had Rena take him to the "Barney's Salon and Tattoo" to offer him a make over of his pajamas... In short, he hated it. I kinda like it it looks goofy lol but I'll have to go do it again sometime. They were on a date, but after this the date ended "horribly"
The only thing I didn't like is his hair XD
An Alien just paid a visit to my house That's exciting lol
And last thing I wanted to share (for now) is I ended up building a roller coaster around my house
Thanks for reading
@Chi5678 Lol love the roller coaster around the house I don't like the babysitters either, although my other sim Sebastian got a decent one. Do you use mods?
Yeah I kinda felt for Lucian when she did that. He really didn't confront her though. As for them being royal, Alexandra and her sister Anastasia are of royal birth, and so too is Lucian. Alexandra married AJ, a commoner from my main family. She's now pregnant with his child.
@venusdemilosims I try not to but when I see something really cool I just have to! lol Is there a good babysitter mod? XD
Did you command her to make a move on the butler or was that totally autonomous?
Haha so funny thing happened in my game. I decided to start a new save file to take a small break from the legacy family. I wanted to experience University Life finally, which I've had forever just never played with. Anywho, this new sim has won the lottery twice now without cheating into the future or being lucky, I'm amazed lol anyways the funny part is the first time, she won §100,000 and the check was huge!
The second time, just now, she only won §50... and the check size reflected it! lol
Sorry I don't know why I just found that so funny (:
@venusdemilosims wow that's interesting. Guess sims really do have a mind of their own. I've come across a problem in my game, my sim's hygiene bar went completely red, and sudden too. Usually if a bar is low I would take care of it. Anyways this is my first time playing university so I don't know if maybe it's a university glitch but the needs bars will be fine then all of a sudden go red. She has a class right now so I haven't had her try taking a shower but I went ahead and cheated using tce and dragging the bar up and it wont change, I also tried make all happy at the "mail box" but that didn't work either. She doesn't appear smelly (no green smoke) and she doesn't have any of the negative moodlets for having low hygiene but the bar is completely red. Anyone know if this is a known glitch and if any mods might cause this? I always play with tce, if it doesn't work anymore idk what'd i do lol
Rafael: Rafael wondered when Mr. Reyes had been bitten. Was it a relief to him to not have to have a big formal dining room or was he annoyed at how informal Simericans were in comparison to what his expectations were? And of course, Mr. Reyes had no accent, was that in an effort to make the Simericans comfortable...or was he really hiding where ever he came from? Would he have taken a different last name to throw people off? Wouldn't being in a place long enough require changing last names and moving around a bit to throw off suspicion? Rafael hadn't been a vampire long enough to figure out those systems...he'd barely gotten a hint at it from the brief though thorough control Lavinia had over him. Still, he had to wonder if there were so many photos on this man's wall because to him photography was an amazing new innovation or if it was a ploy to gain sympathy; Zelda was interested in photography, so she would look at them if they were around; and then she would see plenty of pictures of this man playing with his children...though there were occasionally other people in the photos or even just beautiful scenery.
Zelda: "You know, this is not what I thought you were talking about when you said we should come have some brunch. What is this? I mean, obviously those are egg tarts...of some kind...but what are the little wrinkly things, and are those rolls? Chopsticks...oh, wait, are those potstickers? We're eating Asian food for brunch?"
Rafael: "This is Dim Sum, Chinyese brunch, Zyelda. Clearrly you didyent hearr all of his vorrds. See the steamyerr baskyet? Styeamed dumplinks. Also styeamed buns, prrobably stufft vith porrk. Or arre these sveet vones vith bean pyaste?"
Mr. Reyes: "You are right, these are shrimp and water chestnut dumplings, and the steamed buns are stuffed with barbecued pork...and yes, those are the traditional egg tarts."
Butler: He walked in quietly and spoke in an undertone. "At the salon, trying to get a tattoo...but now at her aunt's."
Mr. Reyes: He spoke back in an undertone and bowed his head an inch. "Well, safe at least. Thank you."
Butler: He bowed his head two inches and left as quietly as he'd come in.
Rafael: Mr. Reyes had not struck him as Chinese, but he was beginning to wonder...he knew there were 33 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China. Besides the unrecognized ones, of course. But a vampire could very well be a world traveler, and schooled on very many different kinds of manners. Rafael tended to believe the behavior of his staff towards him more than him, though, the fact that his butler knew the proper way to show respect in return spoke more for him valuing this behavior...of course, in older days in Europe, bowing had also been appreciated as a show of respect...it had eventually been replaced by the salute and the tipping of one's hat but perhaps a European vampire would still want some bowing and would accept a Chinese convention that more suited him.
Zelda: She missed the exchange, her focus was on her husband. "Wait, wait, you never had a peanut butter sandwich before this morning but -this- is normal to you?"
Rafael: Well, the man had said his teenage daughter was giving him a hard time... and since it wasn't even noon here yet, if she'd tried to get a tattoo and was at her aunts, this meant she'd skipped school or left it early, and that might have caused him some alarm...so was he wondering about where his teenage daughter was this whole time or had he not known she was missing until he'd gotten home when they were standing out front looking over the place? Also, was her aunt this man's sister, or the mermaid's sister? If he was a cured vampire who had been a vampire long enough to reference 'going way back' with Mr. Morganthe...did that mean his sister could be an uncured vampire? She'd have to be something supernatural to still be alive, wouldn't she? But if she was the mermaid's sister...that would make her also a daughter of the witch...meaning there was no telling what she'd be...she could be a witch, or a human or anything a witch would have turned his daughter into. Still, hopefully there would be no reason to care. "Yes, dumplinks arre eatyen all ovyerr the vorld, Zyelda. Ourrs are usually filled vith meat orr mushrrooms...ve buy them frrozyen and micrrovave them...but they arre norrmally...studyent food...vhat do you call it...salvagche food?"
Mr. Reyes: "Junk food?"
Rafael. "Ah, yes. Junk food. But this, this is Chinyese style brrunch... restaurrant food vithout the noise of restaurrant."
Zelda: "Well, how do you know about it, then, China's pretty far from Moscow?"
Rafael: "I can't tyeleporrt, Zyelda... I had to trravyel frrom Moscow to get herre, it took me tvo yearrs... I lift in China, Egypt and Frrance on my vay to Simerrica..."
Zelda: "That's not a straight line at all!"
Rafael: "China and Russia sharre a borrdyerr. Historryically...people haf crrossed back and forrth, and so has the borrdyerr. There arre Chinyese that lift in Russia...forr many genyerrations. Evyen frrom the Revolution, you can see picturres of Chinyese Russians. Vell...China also has Russians who lift therre forr many genyerrations... my grrandma's frriend thought it vould be good forr me to go to the Canton Fairr...on the vay in and the vay out." He kept his information sounding like it was a sight seeing event, rather than making it obvious that the point of using a large event with many foreign workers was that he could be overlooked coming in with one company and leaving with another. Even though the man looked distracted, he might be listening, after all.
Mr. Reyes: "Please excuse me while you are eating. I'll be in the living room...just leave the dishes when you are ready."
@Nikkei Simmer: I'm extremely impressed you made those yourself! I thought you must have scoured websites sites to find someone who made them...not that you'd made them yourself! They look convincing! Well done! As someone who can't even figure out how to load cc onto my computer, you might have just shown me you can do magic. (Figuratively speaking)
Mina and Loki are adorable! They look like fun... mischievous, hide-your-bare-feet fun. I love Mina's face expression there, such a smile.
@Dreamerz: Yeah, we're back now...and sick. Aw... Haylie's is adorable. Yeah, spies probably don't want to be physically outmatched by just anyone...and criminals get recommendations to learn sim fu so...lol. Lol- wow, the phone ringing, the dog breathing so close to his face, even the ice cream truck...none of it can disturb his inner peace! That's a lovely picture of Paris!
What a sweet Valentines update! I love the set up with them at the table and glasses and deserts and all...and that pose is very warm.
@Venus: Hmm, I wonder what Sierra's purpose in having the get together is... (Sierra: "So, Kaydence has told me about having parties...I thought I'd have one as sort of an experiment... but I don't want too many variables, so I've invited people I know and only one I don't...in case the need to socialize strikes me...besides, if I can't get Ned's father in law to talk, one of my sisters might be able to...") It seems like Sierra has a good idea of what her sisters will respond to. (Maybe she didn't like his talking about spaghetti because she made the vegetarian version for her sister). (Sierra: "No, just straight talking about recipes is boring. I don't need another spaghetti recipe, I already have one that meets my specs. I fail to see the purpose of such redundancy.")
Aj looks so comfortable in the hot tub with the snow falling. (AJ: "Not going to be fun getting out of the tub...but at the moment, ah, yeah! It's good to be some kind of prince....") I sure hope AJ can make peace with Caterina. He does have his father in the mix too, after all. *Facepalm* Oh, Anastasia, why would you do such a thing? Poor Lucian.
@Chi: You don't have to reply to me, I just thought I'd point out that the kind of LTR that can be passed on are things like the Collection helper...and anything like that air freshener thing that you can place in the world, so it's not tied to the person you got the LTR with...so...while the lower value ones can't be transferred, some of the higher value LTR have objects that can be.
@jillbg: It seems like forever away right now, but that's something to look forward to!
@Zabeth0 What a lovely dinner with Mr. Reyes. I forgot just how large Russia is. Shares a border with both Europe and Asia. Interesting about the number of groups in China, fascinating
I have yet to figure out myself why Sierra hosted the party... but she promptly fell asleep during it lol. Nevertheless, she has been around her sisters long enough to know what they will respond to.
As for her brother, he does have enough of his dad in him to launch this charm offensive. He did inherit his Good Sense of Humor trait after all. It is probably what charmed the Princess as well.
Zelda: "Actually, you totally have to tell me the recipe! I mean, obviously, I know how to make egg tarts, but those other steamed things.. are they basically steamed rice flour ravioli just closed different? All looking like little metroid monsters and tasting delicious...?"
Mr. Reyes: "Metroid? I hadn't considered that, they do look rather like that, don't they? Perhaps I'll use thin sliced purple cabbage to play off that...I think I'll surprise the kids with a metroid version for Halloween. Should be fun. Ravioli are similar, but these are a specific mixture of wheat and tapioca flour dough. I'll show you later. Also, you will have full access to the kitchen should you wish to cook, when we get to the kitchen, I'll show you everything you have access to."
Zelda: "You expect me to believe that you, Mr. Oldy McOldenface Ex vampire, are -a gamer-?"
Mr. Reyes: "I didn't ask you what Metroid was, did I? ...But, I can understand why you might think some of us are a little...set in our ways... and most of us are very set in our ways in some areas and rather happy about new ways of doing things in others... but...since clearly you are a gamer, I'll let you check out my game systems. You can look at the evidence with time stamps if you'd like. Also, we're not in a rush, if you'd like to play."
* * *
Zelda: "Oh, can we play Hoodlums & Hotrods? Never played it two player before."
Mr. Reyes: "By all means, please get all your car wrecking out of your system before you drive my cars."
Rafael: If this man was putting on a pleasant act, he was a Green Orb grade actor. Of course, he could just be that skilled...it depended on how long he'd had to practice...Rafael wished he knew how old he was or at least where and when he was born, since Lavinia had successfully drilled into his head, in his short time as her unwillling puppet that vampires always remember what happened to them when they were young and alive...and often bear those grudges forever... and Rafael did not want to be caught off guard again...learning about vampires made things a lot more dangerous since their manner of thinking was less predictable than normal humans. But what if this man wasn't just putting on an act with Simerica's fake friendliness? How could he be this happy to have them there? Was he seriously missing his twins? Was he lonely? Bored of the same old routine and there was something fun about having them here? Why? Was it fun for him to a see a witch as a young newlywed just starting out? The man had specified that he had a soft spot for foreigners in Simerica... could that be enough for him to just shrug off the whole 'criminal' issue? Had people been so broad with their definition of criminal that he was dismissing 'criminal' as something harmless like jay walking or skateboarding by a 'no skateboarding' sign? Why didn't that revelation get a second question? Had the man really not heard Zelda? Or was it that Zelda often expressed things in over the top language, so he was mentally correcting for her insulting way of talking? Rafael tried to relax, but he felt uneasy because this did not make sense. He had to be missing something very big for this to make sense somehow. Was Lavinia the one that had bit this man? Because that would make it all make sense. But wouldn't that have been one of the first things out of his mouth? Rafael could imagine the man having said something like, 'So, I heard you rid us all of that sadist who had control of me for so many years, here, stay in my house, use my cars, I've got a spare bedroom, we'll get you the best honeymoon money can't buy!' but that had not been the case. It didn't make sense...
Rafael: Zelda was actually pretty good at this game. He'd never played it. Rafael wasn't very used to video games still, but having had some practice with Zelda with her sports games... he adjusted. He kept having to remind himself that he was not doing this to drive carefully, since this game was not just about getting to the location fast in one piece but making sure the other cars didn't. He started off slow because he hadn't figured out the controls and kept hitting the brakes by accident. Once he got that down, he set about wrecking the computer cars to find out the optimal way to wreck a car. He noticed that hitting a car damaged one's own car, depending on how much of the car's surface area connected to the other cars. Interestingly enough the single point nudge while they were turning a corner seemed to do the trick the best-very much like hitting a pool ball with a bit of spin- but in this game it transferred the most force for the least damage since only a corner of the car was touching- it did only a tiny bit of damage to the car doing it as long as they evaded the wreck of the car which was thrown off it's turn.
Zelda: She was having a lot of fun ramming computer run cars at the front of the pack. Mostly she rammed them by sideswiping them and ran them into walls or barrels. "Haha! Painted flames on your car, that's too flat to be fire! I'll show you fire! Boom! Oh, three for one!"
Zelda: "Now it's just me and you, Twinkle Toes! And you're behind me! I'm so going to win! Come on, Twinkle Toes, you can do better! Get up here and show me how it's done!"
Rafael: He laughed darkly. "Vhy, Zyelda, I thought you'd nevyerr ask!" Her car was so damaged from all of the energetic, full side of the car ramming she'd been doing he could just hit her once and it would fly apart...but of course he wanted it to be a little more impressive than just that (Zelda deserved better than that!), so he waited for a turn to hit her corner bumper... they were on the last bridge...it was over so fast that he'd hit the finish line before the camera cut scene to show her wreck, so she just looked at his car over the finish line wondering where her car went.
Zelda: "What? How did you do that?"
Rafael: "Gently." He grinned as the screen showed the nudge and her car flying off the bridge and rolling. "I haf been told vomyen vant men to sweep them off theirr fyeet. Perrhaps not off a brridge, but yit's a game aftyerr all, and I do lyike to get yourr hearrt rracink in vone vay or anyothyerr.."
Zelda: She just laughed. "Oh, well, I guess you always do keep me falling for you in one way or another. Come on, best two out of three!"
@Zabeth0 Ah a video game contest! Not something I pictured Zelda and Rafael doing, but they ARE on vacation, so why not? I could understand why Rafael would be suspicious of Mr. Reyes, given where he comes from, his background, and because just about everyone winds up dead
Well, I know things are pretty slow around here, because I'm also pretty busy and because spring flowers are blooming, people aren't inside playing games...
Kaydence gives a little update on what's been happening at home, just in a bit of a different format... since she's a simmenial and up with technology, I gave her a SimTube channel.
"I left a soap opera, only to come back to one at home..."
It had been three months since Kaydence Jolina-Plumb's return to Sunset Valley from Starlight Shores and six months since she left her starring role on her hit TV show 'As the Sims Turn.' In truth, it had seemed like a millennium ago. In fact, she had even stopped making her regular visits to the studio.
The only contact with the movie business she had now, was the reports she had from her father, and the newsletters she read both online and offline.
Over breakfast, she learned that her former co-star and rival, Alanna Starr Stanley, was starring in a new movie, and that film was not being reviewed very well. In it, Stanley plays a would-be adventurer hunting for a genie to take on a mummy. The reviewer compared Alanna's performance to that of 'one of the Egyptian mummies,' and said that she and her co-star, actor Eric Alexander Norman, completely lacked chemistry.
Kaydence admitted to having a small bit of schadenfreude over the devastating reviews of Alanna's film.
Meanwhile, she did spend the day with her boyfriend, Terrance Jeffery Ho, son of a Chinese Simerican and an African Simerican, greeting him with a jovial fist bump.
They spent the morning gossiping about Kaydence's visit to Starlight Shores, Alanna's movie, Sierra's party, and other topics they felt they needed to talk about.
"Kay, I've told you, you are much more talented than that Stanley girl. And I'm not just saying this just because... you know..."
"I know, but still...I'm just not sure acting is my thing, you know? I think I prefer writing, and doing stuff behind the camera."
"Kay, you know I'm not going nowhere, right? Whatever you decide..." His voice trailed off. "Kay. I know you. Alanna Stanley is bothering you, isn't she?"
"Where did you get that idea?"
"I saw your face this morning, Kay. Alanna Stanley played the role you should have, and you know it. Show business is in your blood, Kaydence. You cannot stay away."
"That's where you're wrong, Ter. I'm happy now, more relaxed."
@venusdemilosims Lovely updates! Especially the part talking to her boyfriend, but not getting around to the glasses business! I totally relate to her feelings when she saw the review in the paper, schadenfreude is sometimes satisfying! Laughed at the picture of Ana having breakfast with her mask on, she must have had some pretty awful dark rings under her eyes, lol! Can't wait for the birth...
@dreamerz13 I've enjoyed your updates and great pics, especially the Valentines!
Zelda is funny, she goes from ironic witch making loving fun of her softy Dragon Master husband cooing over his children, to a housewife who can solve everything with food - as long as she gets the quantities right! Nice touch to name Ludmila after Raphael’s grandmother. It’s a lovely name. Who doesn’t wish to have shiny glossy hair that falls into place naturally? As usual it’s the guys getting all the good stuff, along with sweeping eyelashes and soft curls, so I’m happy about you letting the girls inherit his looks. Or locks!
“… it's their parents choice and they get bred like dogs for their pedigree.” So vampires are in the same boat as my poor Grey witches… Luckily Tristan followed his heart and stood by his Bailey! Of course Zelda waves off the fact she almost killed Tristan with a nonchalant wave of her hand! Dryer indeed. I’m not so sure about Tristan’s version.
Such an emotional mess. Poor Zelda is having a hard time knowing Bailey’s afraid of her, and Raphael putting so much work just to hide his amical feelings for the young couple. Zelda explains it so well with the glued rock book parable!
That’s not very sympathetic of Zelda, not remembering the name of Deedee's supposed romantic interest, Chadmick. Err… Chadwick.
Gaah… He's a paparazzi. Him knowing Deedee is a witch probably changes everything. She’ll suspect him of being with her because of her supernatural status, and how could he prove her the contrary?
Chadwick hand continues: “And while we’re at it, would you mind awfuly telling me about yourself, letting some juicy secrets slip? Don’t worry, it’s for my next story, the one that will get me the Simlitzer price!”
Chadwick really made an impression on Deedee, having her looking for him almost a year. And talk about destiny, running into him like that. It’s a good thing he apologized, not because he had done something wrong, but it sure must have eased Deedee’s mind, as I suspect she had thought a lot about the pushy salesperson image she believed she had left him.
Ah, Zelda. Not everyone meets love in the shape of a notorious Dragon Master…
So typical of the image I have of Rafael – precise, analyzing. It doesn’t surprise me he draws an artful picture of a sleeping baby with a T-square! Even Zelda is impressed!
So sweet thinking of Deedee, first making her jealous, then considering taking her there – after the honeymoon. Of course. I’m sure she would love it, that they both would love spending some vacation time together!
She’s proud of her husband, and she should be. Seeing them both on vacation – the powerful witch and the feared Dragon Master – I can’t help thinking of them as teenagers with their parents waiting for them back at the hotel while they are exploring on their own for the first time. Zelda’s selfie face is too funny!
Time zones are hellish! And when you’re traveling, you seem to be the only one thinking about them – your friends and relatives continue calling at impossible hours of the night or the early morning… I always have several time zones on my cell and computer so know where I am at. Texting is good though, as you don’t really have to answer immediately. I agree. I bet Raphael wouldn’t have made the same mistake, not checking the time!
The joy of the tropics. Sunshine, sunshine and then wham! Rain period and the water pours down with the same intensity as if a bucket of water was thrown at you! The good thing is that the water is relatively warm, but you quickly feel cold anyway, and then there’s the joy of going driving on the inundated roads with your Jeep, in water so high you can’t open the doors! I miss all that…
Avoiding predators. It’s not easy for them to have a relaxed honeymoon anywhere on earth. But Rafael has thought of an even better solution than a resort hotel – staying with a, well not exactly a friend. Who could that man be?
Free-spoken Zelda, being supernatural herself, talks too fast. Of course it’s better not being overheard talking about vampires. Especially as Rafael points out that “normal” people don’t believe in such nonsense. And those who do, well… Luckily the truly deafening noise of the rain smattering on the tin roof would drown out anything, even a shouting match!
Uh-oh. Dealing with temperamental witches? I’m not sure Rafael should trust this Mr. Reyes they are going to stay with, expensive cars, boats and whatnot.
Yay, Zelda! Atta my girl – credit cards are not made for gathering dust in a bag, even if it’s design!
Curious behavior indeed. Locking customers up in the store. What is going on here? It makes me wonder even more about Mr. Reyes…
“even though he could go from pleasure to all business in a second, Zelda might not do well with that” Zelda knows what to do on a love seat, though. I like how she takes charge, but sometimes Rafael, Dragon Master of evil, seems a tad lost. And the wall thingy. Why did the clerk place them there, anybody could surprise them...
Zelda: "I told them no vampires!"
Oh my. Vampires. Zelda has to stop kissing, and the person stopping them is a vampire! Hourrah! I knew something was going to happen!
Rafael takes charge. Yes, go ahead. They had been promised a super vacation, protected from evil, and now this “cured” vampire plays hard to get? Sure, he’s miffed by Zelda’s reaction. Sure, he’s important enough on his tropical little island. But standing up to Rafael? He can’t possibly know who he’s dealing with here.
Mr. Reyes seems like an honest guy, filled with remorse about having been a vampire and talking about his kids at college. But it sure hides something. Therapy? He’s some kind of philanthropist with an urge to help fellow millionaires? This will be interesting…
Zelda is so right. “Why can’t anything just be easy?” The only conclusion I’m drawing, is that Mr. Reyes is shady. Very.
Of course he’s worried about his children. With a history like his own, interspersed with bad experiences with vampires and witches, letting a criminal mastermind who’s commanding vampires and his spouse which he surely must recognize as quite the hot-headed witch, into his home is taking risks. But maybe the Butler has some hidden bodyguard powers…
“Just don’t hurt kids?” Right Zelda. And I’m sure the kids won’t risk anything around you. But Mr. Reyes can’t know that, can he?
Witty exchange! Zelda is hilarious, asking about exploding cars. I get back to what I said earlier, she’s so powerful and yet so innocent. And surprised at learning about Rafael knowing how to drive. Better have a driving license, though. Even if he’s a criminal mastermind, using extreme measures like dragons! I understand him fully, it’s difficult to drive a sports car without driving fast, the whole experience cries for speed. And the worst thing is you don’t even feel the car going well beyond the speed limits!
Oh, my. Zelda blabbering. Sometimes it’s better to be quiet. So Mr. Reyes doesn’t know who Rafael is… True or not, it must be hazardous on the roads, without the “hazzle” of driving licenses. I have lived in Africa. I know about meeting cars on the wrong side of the road, cars starting a left turn about a hundred yards before the exit, no blinking – or blinking right then turning left. Oh, I forgot about red lights. They are for Europeans. Or if there’s a policeman right next to them. And on Fridays, as it was a muslim country, the police didn’t work…
Yay, a gas station! Aren’t there people with cars in Moonlight Falls? She’s like a kid in a candy store! Oh, the explanation comes a little further down. She notices what’s important in her eyes, and doesn’t care about the rest. It’s pretty easy to satisfy her, take her to see boring human stuff and she’s happy, as long as she’s doing the sightseeing with her beloved Rafael. Just like any normal couple, when you’re in love. Of course, tropical fish, diving and escalading volcanoes, but it’s just as nice to go to the local supermarket holding hands and buying boring couple’s stuff.
There are vampires, so why not ghosts. But it’s probably best to discuss that between four eyes. Mr. Reyes should not hear more than necessary.
Luckily everything dries pretty fast in the tropics. The breeze helping the sun. I can feel the warm wind and the smell of hibiscus flowers, mixed with the not always so pleasant smell of the sea. Rafael must feel almost elated. Being on his guard all the time, waiting for the worst to happen.
He is humble and very practical. Your description of the Soviet housing is very accurate, I could almost see the musky shades of murky brown walls and furniture. Ugh. I hope Zelda gets her way, if they have the money, why not spend it on a really nice house?
“A small army of little yous”, “I will give you all the me that you want”… That’s so tender. I keep mixing up your Christmas special, where they already have kids, so I know they will be blissfully happy the day it happens in your “usual” story. And who knows? It’s their honeymoon after all. He’s got so much self-control, not many guys could resist Zelda like he does!
Trust Zelda to make a comment about the star child’s (I love that expression!) skin color.
Poor Rafael, even though he should be prepared for anything, I mean, he’s talking to and riding on dragon’s for Pete’s sake! But I admit getting pregnant by Aliens and having a green kid is pretty extraordinary. But so are dragons!
I bet there’s some kind of amnesia – Mr. Vargas doesn’t remember anything neither. Or at least not much…
Oh, Zelda. Please. Don’t call the poor child a creepy alien kid in front of his father!
Very thoughtful of Mr. Reyes to tell them about his kids and warning them about what has to be done before they try their own luck.
Two children with mental defects, a rebel with fangs and a half-alien is more than anyone would ask for… And it’s not all! Wow. Mr. Reyes is dating a mermaid! And his mermaid friend’s father is a witch! This vacation will be interesting indeed.
Zelda is so used to being feared she’s absolutely stunned at someone acting completely normal around her. But she’s smart in all her childish discoverings. Yes. Tell me how Mr. Reyes knew about them both being orphans.
Oh, so he was at a conference, was he now. Why does he hang with vampires if he doesn’t want to become one again. I bet he’d love to be immortal to live a long happy life with his mermaid. Because mermaids live longer than humans. Err… Right?
So the vampires are trying to make amends? I can get that. Facing up to a hot-headed witch like Zelda who easily burns them all to ashes asks for a little diplomacy.
Dante should be worried. If Mr. Reyes fails Dante’s confidence and there’s an attack, well, I guess both Zelda and Rafael will be upset enough to wipe out all vampires they set eye on. But enough about attacks and worries. Go and get a nice start on your honeymoon, both of you!
@jillbg *hugs and big sloppy kisses* Good to see you again!
Yeah, about those specs... that convo with her BF took a direction I didn't expect... actually Terry did more talking than Kaydence did, which is surprising, usually she monopolizes conversations. He was totally on to her about her feelings about Alanna and about show business in general, which I didn't expect at all, which didn't even give Kaydence a chance to mention his new eyewear
Sometimes I think Terry knows Kaydence better than Kaydence knows herself.
@venusdemilosims *bearhug* I've been reading the updates on my cell, but haven't had the time to comment. I'm following the pregnancy, it will be so nice with toddlers in your story! And I bet Kaydence will be overjoyed! Her relation with Terry is strong - it's good to see how they are friends and not only in love!
Getting back to your update of the royals - Anastasia seems to be a fun character to play. And what's with the butlers in your game - they must be very attractive, to have their employers hit on them so often! Lol!
Oh, and I re-watched your videos on YouTube and liked them + subscribed! I've noticed that there aren't any views when they are watched on the forums. I especially liked Madison singing and Kaydence playing the teen sent away to horse camp because it made me think of Taïga. Using horses, and animals in general, is great therapy!
@Zabeth0 and @venusdemilosims I have tagged you both on my blog, inviting you to do the OC challenge! I'd love to hear more about Rafael, Zelda, Kaydence and why not Sebastian or Madison! You both have such wonderful characters in your game, and I bet there are lots of people who'd like to read and interview with them!
@jillbg I'm going to definitely check out Sandy's newest uploads to decorate the nursery! Anastasia is definitely a hoot at times - she has her snooty qualities, but there are times when she lets her guard down! She is Alexandra's twin sister, after all, lol. Both girls suffered immensely from having Catarina as their mother, and like Francisca before them, they rebelled as a result of it - in different ways. Their father Renauld, on the other hand, tried to buffer some of the emotional abuse. But when he passed away 2 days after their high school graduation, it was completely devastating. Yet another case of 'you don't get to pick your parents.'
Here's some of their background. Remember, Alexandra, of course, is AJ's wife, so it ties in there. They briefly had a reality TV show, hence the title of the blog. In a very real sense, AJ didn't just marry Alex, he married Ana, too. Ana is younger by 3 minutes. The show, of course, was Ana's idea. She brainstormed the whole thing one night in their shared bedroom.
@Venus: Zelda's impatience and competitive streak (mean spirited) as well as her love of photography told me she'd probably be thrilled with video games, especially ones with good graphics, but she would also be driven to try the "old school" classics for the bragging rights. Yeah, Rafael might come across as paranoid if you had no idea where he was coming from.
Well, I've had the flu since January, and it seems to have gone now... but this time I know it was the flu because I got my husband sick too. (I didn't mean to, but it happened). He was unemployed just in time to spend all that time with me sick... and then he recovered and now just has allergies...and they called him back into work- now he works second shift. So, not the weather in my case.
Yeah, having to live with your dad's pregnant mistress sounds soap opera enough! It was funny to hear Kaydence say that her father couldn't 'keep his legs closed' that's not usually a sentiment we hear aimed at men. Well, 6 months is a long time for a teenager. Wow- so she played a detective role because Alanna Star Staley wanted it, then Miss Stanley played a role that totally sounds like it's based on Savannah's life story and did it badly. Lol! What competitive ladies they are. lol. I'm glad to see Terry knows Kaydence so well. Sometimes it really helps to have someone who knows you enough to know when you're fooling yourself. She might be more relaxed, but she's still divided- sometimes when people are very gifted, they get pulled in all directions- because they want to do so much but if they commit to one thing, they aren't using the time to do the other thing... sometimes they'll even freeze up and do nothing, like someone at a restaurant with too many chooses on the menu, struggling to make a choice. And when they do make a choice, then they still have to fight their tendency to second guess themselves. Poor Kaydence. Hopefully Terry can help her. I liked the cute fist bump greeting and his cool glasses.
@Jillbg: For the specials I kinda just went with what the game gave me. I was really happy one of the kids got Zelda's skin and his nose at last. So even though the girls both got his hair, and their mother's blue eyes, they got different noses and skin, so they don't look identical. And the boys both got her hair, her nose, his skin, but Dima got her eyes and Nicolae got his. So not identical but very alike still. I was kinda of hoping the game would give me another boy and make Zelda wait for her second girl some more, but I'm pretty happy with it anyway. Keep in mind the main story they'll probably have a completely different mix of kids. (I'm still divided on this, but they are still on their honeymoon in the main story so I have a little while to think about that).
Most of the vampires are rather old fashioned on family relationships... well, it's a similar boat, but not the same one.. It's not a council trying to breed a super vampire...it's just the vampire's old fashioned ideas about marriage being something way too important to be left up to flighty and naive young people to decide on... and that it's a father's right to marry his kids off to whomever he can afford to marry them off to, and his responsibility to find a good family to marry them into so they'll have a decent life, but it's the children's duty to marry whoever their father thinks is worthy. But a lot of vampire father's still think about family lineage and that sort of thing- that Zelda knows, and is being critical of. But often times, marriage within the vampire community are arranged when the kid's born or a small child- it's about the family...not the individual... so Tristan and Emilie have been engaged pretty much since they were born... so in that respect it is quite similar... But you know how difficult it is to get kids into certain schools so they'll get ahead in life? That's kind of how the vampires see the whole marriage engagement thing if they've been around long. So, imagine someone got their kid from their handpicked day care up to their handpicked Prestigious college...and then at the last minute...their kid decided they were not going to college, they were going to go spend their college money on slots at Vegas instead! That's how infuriating Mr. Van Gould views Tristan running off to marry Bailey. That's why he almost murdered her.
Yeah, these two are very bonded in this version. Yeah, Tristan thought he was going to die- he didn't even know that witches could stop their fire once they cast it, he was just throwing himself in the way of the murderously angry pregnant witch to try to save his pregnant wife or die with her, and he was shocked when the fire didn't destroy him.
Well, Deedee's so used to people in Moonlight Falls being scared of witches that she's not really thinking he might use her for her power or the story or any of that...
Well, you don't see a lot of guys with orange highlights, it's attention catching, you know? But yeah, it really helped that he found out she wasn't a pushy sales person trying to trick him into buying something. Very true.
Um, I'm sorry the Xmas specials Alternate Universe is confusing everyone... the main story version of Rafael is not yet the Dragon Master, he hasn't even gone to work for the Moonlight Falls criminals yet...he doesn't even know dragons are real yet...he's only recently found out about vampires and witches...this week. So, the reason they seem like teenagers is that Zelda is 19 and Rafael's 21 and they've been married for less than a week, and Rafael slept through half that time recovering from the vampire transformation and curing. Rafael's still trying to put his view of the world back together after finding out vampires and witches are real. And his list will grow!
Yeah, I miss the tropics too. You'd think after all these years, I'd have adjusted, but I still get times when I feel like I can't breathe and have to go hang out in a greenhouse or at the zoo's tropical exhibit and breathe in some heavy humidity for a while. I also miss the sea, but I don't do anything about that.
Oh, you know Zelda's going to get her way. Well, I took a cue from the sims behavior and assumed there must be some amnesia, and went with that. Thanks. Zelda has no tact. He hopes they'll live. Um, a conference call is a phone call where there is more than one person on the line... so he's been on the phone with a lot of vampires at once... he's not hanging out in the room with them, it's just a phone call. Mr. Reyes has a magical means of extending his life without being a vampire. Yes, Mermaids live longer.
Um... I'm honored, but I'm so technologically inept I can't find it... I've looked through the whole story... even looking through the Star Wars photo shoot stuff...and I'm not sure what the OC challenge is either... sorry. Was it a timed thing?
Comments
Yay new page!
Anyhoo, short little update. Got a chance to play a little while, between all the real life stuff going on here.
Out in the ever-snowy land known as Hidden Springs, Princess Alexandra and her new husband, styled Prince Andrew in HS, were expecting their first child.
Andrew, of course, was the oldest son of a prominent Sunset Valley family, noted in the entertainment world - an illustrious clan that produced actors, musicians, professional athletes, and writers, among others. He was fully expected to follow in their footsteps. But missteps he took in his teens ultimately led him down a different road, a road that curved around to being married to a princess.
And so it was with Andrew the Younger, known for most of his life as AJ, a chronic underachiever who, by the stroke of luck, happened to be the object of a princess' affection, for reasons still inexplicable.
Royal marriage, AJ discovered, did have its perks.
His bride, Princess Alexandra, was in her own way a slave to expectation - being royalty, there were certain standards of behavior she was expected to adhere to. However, Alexandra, or Alex as she was called, was clearly her own person - and long before she married Savannah Jolina-Plumb's first-born son, with whom she was classmates at the royal military academy.
Here she is sitting next to her future husband, and arguing her professor down.
AJ had spent the morning jogging around the frozen tundra that was Hidden Springs, and then came back to relax in the hot tub.
Also that frozen morning, the very pregnant Alexandra was reading Totally Preggers while her fraternal twin sister, Anastasia, was eating waffles and their butler, Aldo, drinking coffee. "So, Ana," he began, using her pet name, "are you ready to become an auntie?"
"I'm already an aunt," Anastasia reminded him, "Sebastian's two, Emmanuel and Eleanor." She was referring to the two children of Crown Prince Sebastian and his wife, Ella Carlisle Vanderburg.
Meanwhile, AJ's charm offensive on Alexandra's mother, Queen Catarina, continued. Catarina greatly disapproved of Alexandra's wedding to the commoner, and more so, the son of her former friend turned adversary. AJ didn't understand why the friendship dissolved in the first place.
Alexandra finished reading her book...
...and then went to get treatment at the spa.
Anastasia hopped in AJ's car and went to do a cameo in a movie.
AJ fielded a call from a mysterious woman asking him out on a date. How did she get his number in the first place? And why would she ask him out, especially now that he was expecting his first child?
After Anastasia returned from her movie, she proceeded to make moves on Aldo the butler... moves that didn't seem to entirely surprise AJ.
One individual who was surprised, however, was Lucian, Anastasia's fiance. He covered his head and sighed.
@venusdemilosims Cool story with them being royal and all. Poor Lucian... I love the picture with the rainbow across the whole town
Every spoiler below only has one picture, just trying to keep this short while still typing a lot lol And just wanted to say- A lot of this is probably already common knowledge but this is the first time I'm really trying to play and experience what all the expansion packs have to offer so I'm excited to share this stuff lol
With my sim's twins being toddlers now, I just had to get mods to give them more actions. Rikki and Spencer (the twins) can now talk to eachother and eat out of the pet bowl it's great! Now that they can feed themselves and now that I realized the parents don't have to constantly take them and put them back into a crib, toddlers are pretty easy to take care of lol
Also, the babysitters are horrible. Anyone know how to get them to actually do something? Candi just stands outside the gate til an adult gets home and then charges $75 even though she didn't even enter the house. I've even left the gate open and all doors unlocked but that didn't do anything. I thought maybe if I called before leaving and invited inside that would work, but that didn't show up so I chose "ask to hang out" thinking theyd go inside next and she just stood there then Rena left to go do something for work and it said I needed to call a babysitter even though Candi was still there
Anyways, Rikki has been playing with her IF doll basically non stop, it's adorable, and with my founder being a painter I thought it would be so cute a picture of Rikki playing with her IF doll... I think I'm gonna forget painting after this...
Anyways, as for the parents, they were invited to a party for spooky day. I'm sure it was just a costume but omg this one gave me the creeps when I first saw it XD
An Alien just paid a visit to my house
Thanks for reading
Yeah I kinda felt for Lucian when she did that. He really didn't confront her though. As for them being royal, Alexandra and her sister Anastasia are of royal birth, and so too is Lucian. Alexandra married AJ, a commoner from my main family. She's now pregnant with his child.
Did you command her to make a move on the butler or was that totally autonomous?
Haha so funny thing happened in my game. I decided to start a new save file to take a small break from the legacy family. I wanted to experience University Life finally, which I've had forever just never played with. Anywho, this new sim has won the lottery twice now without cheating into the future or being lucky, I'm amazed lol anyways the funny part is the first time, she won §100,000 and the check was huge!
The second time, just now, she only won §50... and the check size reflected it! lol
Sorry I don't know why I just found that so funny (:
Rafael: Rafael wondered when Mr. Reyes had been bitten. Was it a relief to him to not have to have a big formal dining room or was he annoyed at how informal Simericans were in comparison to what his expectations were? And of course, Mr. Reyes had no accent, was that in an effort to make the Simericans comfortable...or was he really hiding where ever he came from? Would he have taken a different last name to throw people off? Wouldn't being in a place long enough require changing last names and moving around a bit to throw off suspicion? Rafael hadn't been a vampire long enough to figure out those systems...he'd barely gotten a hint at it from the brief though thorough control Lavinia had over him. Still, he had to wonder if there were so many photos on this man's wall because to him photography was an amazing new innovation or if it was a ploy to gain sympathy; Zelda was interested in photography, so she would look at them if they were around; and then she would see plenty of pictures of this man playing with his children...though there were occasionally other people in the photos or even just beautiful scenery.
Zelda: "You know, this is not what I thought you were talking about when you said we should come have some brunch. What is this? I mean, obviously those are egg tarts...of some kind...but what are the little wrinkly things, and are those rolls? Chopsticks...oh, wait, are those potstickers? We're eating Asian food for brunch?"
Rafael: "This is Dim Sum, Chinyese brunch, Zyelda. Clearrly you didyent hearr all of his vorrds. See the steamyerr baskyet? Styeamed dumplinks. Also styeamed buns, prrobably stufft vith porrk. Or arre these sveet vones vith bean pyaste?"
Mr. Reyes: "You are right, these are shrimp and water chestnut dumplings, and the steamed buns are stuffed with barbecued pork...and yes, those are the traditional egg tarts."
Butler: He walked in quietly and spoke in an undertone. "At the salon, trying to get a tattoo...but now at her aunt's."
Mr. Reyes: He spoke back in an undertone and bowed his head an inch. "Well, safe at least. Thank you."
Butler: He bowed his head two inches and left as quietly as he'd come in.
Rafael: Mr. Reyes had not struck him as Chinese, but he was beginning to wonder...he knew there were 33 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China. Besides the unrecognized ones, of course. But a vampire could very well be a world traveler, and schooled on very many different kinds of manners. Rafael tended to believe the behavior of his staff towards him more than him, though, the fact that his butler knew the proper way to show respect in return spoke more for him valuing this behavior...of course, in older days in Europe, bowing had also been appreciated as a show of respect...it had eventually been replaced by the salute and the tipping of one's hat but perhaps a European vampire would still want some bowing and would accept a Chinese convention that more suited him.
Zelda: She missed the exchange, her focus was on her husband. "Wait, wait, you never had a peanut butter sandwich before this morning but -this- is normal to you?"
Rafael: Well, the man had said his teenage daughter was giving him a hard time... and since it wasn't even noon here yet, if she'd tried to get a tattoo and was at her aunts, this meant she'd skipped school or left it early, and that might have caused him some alarm...so was he wondering about where his teenage daughter was this whole time or had he not known she was missing until he'd gotten home when they were standing out front looking over the place? Also, was her aunt this man's sister, or the mermaid's sister? If he was a cured vampire who had been a vampire long enough to reference 'going way back' with Mr. Morganthe...did that mean his sister could be an uncured vampire? She'd have to be something supernatural to still be alive, wouldn't she? But if she was the mermaid's sister...that would make her also a daughter of the witch...meaning there was no telling what she'd be...she could be a witch, or a human or anything a witch would have turned his daughter into. Still, hopefully there would be no reason to care. "Yes, dumplinks arre eatyen all ovyerr the vorld, Zyelda. Ourrs are usually filled vith meat orr mushrrooms...ve buy them frrozyen and micrrovave them...but they arre norrmally...studyent food...vhat do you call it...salvagche food?"
Mr. Reyes: "Junk food?"
Rafael. "Ah, yes. Junk food. But this, this is Chinyese style brrunch... restaurrant food vithout the noise of restaurrant."
Zelda: "Well, how do you know about it, then, China's pretty far from Moscow?"
Rafael: "I can't tyeleporrt, Zyelda... I had to trravyel frrom Moscow to get herre, it took me tvo yearrs... I lift in China, Egypt and Frrance on my vay to Simerrica..."
Zelda: "That's not a straight line at all!"
Rafael: "China and Russia sharre a borrdyerr. Historryically...people haf crrossed back and forrth, and so has the borrdyerr. There arre Chinyese that lift in Russia...forr many genyerrations. Evyen frrom the Revolution, you can see picturres of Chinyese Russians. Vell...China also has Russians who lift therre forr many genyerrations... my grrandma's frriend thought it vould be good forr me to go to the Canton Fairr...on the vay in and the vay out." He kept his information sounding like it was a sight seeing event, rather than making it obvious that the point of using a large event with many foreign workers was that he could be overlooked coming in with one company and leaving with another. Even though the man looked distracted, he might be listening, after all.
Mr. Reyes: "Please excuse me while you are eating. I'll be in the living room...just leave the dishes when you are ready."
Mina and Loki are adorable!
@Dreamerz: Yeah, we're back now...and sick. Aw... Haylie's is adorable.
What a sweet Valentines update!
@Venus: Hmm, I wonder what Sierra's purpose in having the get together is... (Sierra: "So, Kaydence has told me about having parties...I thought I'd have one as sort of an experiment... but I don't want too many variables, so I've invited people I know and only one I don't...in case the need to socialize strikes me...besides, if I can't get Ned's father in law to talk, one of my sisters might be able to...") It seems like Sierra has a good idea of what her sisters will respond to.
Aj looks so comfortable in the hot tub with the snow falling. (AJ: "Not going to be fun getting out of the tub...but at the moment, ah, yeah! It's good to be some kind of prince....") I sure hope AJ can make peace with Caterina.
@Chi: You don't have to reply to me, I just thought I'd point out that the kind of LTR that can be passed on are things like the Collection helper...and anything like that air freshener thing that you can place in the world, so it's not tied to the person you got the LTR with...so...while the lower value ones can't be transferred, some of the higher value LTR have objects that can be.
@jillbg: It seems like forever away right now, but that's something to look forward to!
I have yet to figure out myself why Sierra hosted the party... but she promptly fell asleep during it lol. Nevertheless, she has been around her sisters long enough to know what they will respond to.
As for her brother, he does have enough of his dad in him to launch this charm offensive. He did inherit his Good Sense of Humor trait after all.
Zelda: "Actually, you totally have to tell me the recipe! I mean, obviously, I know how to make egg tarts, but those other steamed things.. are they basically steamed rice flour ravioli just closed different? All looking like little metroid monsters and tasting delicious...?"
Mr. Reyes: "Metroid? I hadn't considered that, they do look rather like that, don't they? Perhaps I'll use thin sliced purple cabbage to play off that...I think I'll surprise the kids with a metroid version for Halloween. Should be fun. Ravioli are similar, but these are a specific mixture of wheat and tapioca flour dough. I'll show you later. Also, you will have full access to the kitchen should you wish to cook, when we get to the kitchen, I'll show you everything you have access to."
Zelda: "You expect me to believe that you, Mr. Oldy McOldenface Ex vampire, are -a gamer-?"
Mr. Reyes: "I didn't ask you what Metroid was, did I? ...But, I can understand why you might think some of us are a little...set in our ways... and most of us are very set in our ways in some areas and rather happy about new ways of doing things in others... but...since clearly you are a gamer, I'll let you check out my game systems. You can look at the evidence with time stamps if you'd like. Also, we're not in a rush, if you'd like to play."
* * *
Zelda: "Oh, can we play Hoodlums & Hotrods? Never played it two player before."
Mr. Reyes: "By all means, please get all your car wrecking out of your system before you drive my cars."
Rafael: If this man was putting on a pleasant act, he was a Green Orb grade actor. Of course, he could just be that skilled...it depended on how long he'd had to practice...Rafael wished he knew how old he was or at least where and when he was born, since Lavinia had successfully drilled into his head, in his short time as her unwillling puppet that vampires always remember what happened to them when they were young and alive...and often bear those grudges forever... and Rafael did not want to be caught off guard again...learning about vampires made things a lot more dangerous since their manner of thinking was less predictable than normal humans. But what if this man wasn't just putting on an act with Simerica's fake friendliness? How could he be this happy to have them there? Was he seriously missing his twins? Was he lonely? Bored of the same old routine and there was something fun about having them here? Why? Was it fun for him to a see a witch as a young newlywed just starting out? The man had specified that he had a soft spot for foreigners in Simerica... could that be enough for him to just shrug off the whole 'criminal' issue? Had people been so broad with their definition of criminal that he was dismissing 'criminal' as something harmless like jay walking or skateboarding by a 'no skateboarding' sign? Why didn't that revelation get a second question? Had the man really not heard Zelda? Or was it that Zelda often expressed things in over the top language, so he was mentally correcting for her insulting way of talking? Rafael tried to relax, but he felt uneasy because this did not make sense. He had to be missing something very big for this to make sense somehow. Was Lavinia the one that had bit this man? Because that would make it all make sense. But wouldn't that have been one of the first things out of his mouth? Rafael could imagine the man having said something like, 'So, I heard you rid us all of that sadist who had control of me for so many years, here, stay in my house, use my cars, I've got a spare bedroom, we'll get you the best honeymoon money can't buy!' but that had not been the case. It didn't make sense...
Rafael: Zelda was actually pretty good at this game. He'd never played it. Rafael wasn't very used to video games still, but having had some practice with Zelda with her sports games... he adjusted. He kept having to remind himself that he was not doing this to drive carefully, since this game was not just about getting to the location fast in one piece but making sure the other cars didn't. He started off slow because he hadn't figured out the controls and kept hitting the brakes by accident. Once he got that down, he set about wrecking the computer cars to find out the optimal way to wreck a car. He noticed that hitting a car damaged one's own car, depending on how much of the car's surface area connected to the other cars. Interestingly enough the single point nudge while they were turning a corner seemed to do the trick the best-very much like hitting a pool ball with a bit of spin- but in this game it transferred the most force for the least damage since only a corner of the car was touching- it did only a tiny bit of damage to the car doing it as long as they evaded the wreck of the car which was thrown off it's turn.
Zelda: She was having a lot of fun ramming computer run cars at the front of the pack. Mostly she rammed them by sideswiping them and ran them into walls or barrels. "Haha! Painted flames on your car, that's too flat to be fire! I'll show you fire! Boom! Oh, three for one!"
Zelda: "Now it's just me and you, Twinkle Toes! And you're behind me! I'm so going to win! Come on, Twinkle Toes, you can do better! Get up here and show me how it's done!"
Rafael: He laughed darkly. "Vhy, Zyelda, I thought you'd nevyerr ask!" Her car was so damaged from all of the energetic, full side of the car ramming she'd been doing he could just hit her once and it would fly apart...but of course he wanted it to be a little more impressive than just that (Zelda deserved better than that!), so he waited for a turn to hit her corner bumper... they were on the last bridge...it was over so fast that he'd hit the finish line before the camera cut scene to show her wreck, so she just looked at his car over the finish line wondering where her car went.
Zelda: "What? How did you do that?"
Rafael: "Gently." He grinned as the screen showed the nudge and her car flying off the bridge and rolling. "I haf been told vomyen vant men to sweep them off theirr fyeet. Perrhaps not off a brridge, but yit's a game aftyerr all, and I do lyike to get yourr hearrt rracink in vone vay or anyothyerr.."
Zelda: She just laughed. "Oh, well, I guess you always do keep me falling for you in one way or another. Come on, best two out of three!"
Well, I know things are pretty slow around here, because I'm also pretty busy and because spring flowers are blooming, people aren't inside playing games...
Kaydence gives a little update on what's been happening at home, just in a bit of a different format... since she's a simmenial and up with technology, I gave her a SimTube channel.
"I left a soap opera, only to come back to one at home..."
Also...
It had been three months since Kaydence Jolina-Plumb's return to Sunset Valley from Starlight Shores and six months since she left her starring role on her hit TV show 'As the Sims Turn.' In truth, it had seemed like a millennium ago. In fact, she had even stopped making her regular visits to the studio.
The only contact with the movie business she had now, was the reports she had from her father, and the newsletters she read both online and offline.
Over breakfast, she learned that her former co-star and rival, Alanna Starr Stanley, was starring in a new movie, and that film was not being reviewed very well. In it, Stanley plays a would-be adventurer hunting for a genie to take on a mummy. The reviewer compared Alanna's performance to that of 'one of the Egyptian mummies,' and said that she and her co-star, actor Eric Alexander Norman, completely lacked chemistry.
Kaydence admitted to having a small bit of schadenfreude over the devastating reviews of Alanna's film.
Meanwhile, she did spend the day with her boyfriend, Terrance Jeffery Ho, son of a Chinese Simerican and an African Simerican, greeting him with a jovial fist bump.
They spent the morning gossiping about Kaydence's visit to Starlight Shores, Alanna's movie, Sierra's party, and other topics they felt they needed to talk about.
"Kay, I've told you, you are much more talented than that Stanley girl. And I'm not just saying this just because... you know..."
"I know, but still...I'm just not sure acting is my thing, you know? I think I prefer writing, and doing stuff behind the camera."
"Kay, you know I'm not going nowhere, right? Whatever you decide..." His voice trailed off. "Kay. I know you. Alanna Stanley is bothering you, isn't she?"
"Where did you get that idea?"
"I saw your face this morning, Kay. Alanna Stanley played the role you should have, and you know it. Show business is in your blood, Kaydence. You cannot stay away."
"That's where you're wrong, Ter. I'm happy now, more relaxed."
@dreamerz13 I've enjoyed your updates and great pics, especially the Valentines!
p655: Thanksgiving Special
Zelda is funny, she goes from ironic witch making loving fun of her softy Dragon Master husband cooing over his children, to a housewife who can solve everything with food - as long as she gets the quantities right!
“… it's their parents choice and they get bred like dogs for their pedigree.” So vampires are in the same boat as my poor Grey witches…
Such an emotional mess. Poor Zelda is having a hard time knowing Bailey’s afraid of her, and Raphael putting so much work just to hide his amical feelings for the young couple. Zelda explains it so well with the glued rock book parable!
That’s not very sympathetic of Zelda, not remembering the name of Deedee's supposed romantic interest, Chadmick. Err… Chadwick.
Gaah… He's a paparazzi. Him knowing Deedee is a witch probably changes everything. She’ll suspect him of being with her because of her supernatural status, and how could he prove her the contrary?
Chadwick hand continues: “And while we’re at it, would you mind awfuly telling me about yourself, letting some juicy secrets slip? Don’t worry, it’s for my next story, the one that will get me the Simlitzer price!”
Chadwick really made an impression on Deedee, having her looking for him almost a year. And talk about destiny, running into him like that. It’s a good thing he apologized, not because he had done something wrong, but it sure must have eased Deedee’s mind, as I suspect she had thought a lot about the pushy salesperson image she believed she had left him.
Ah, Zelda. Not everyone meets love in the shape of a notorious Dragon Master…
Editing smileys! Lol!
p653
So typical of the image I have of Rafael – precise, analyzing.
So sweet thinking of Deedee, first making her jealous, then considering taking her there – after the honeymoon. Of course. I’m sure she would love it, that they both would love spending some vacation time together!
She’s proud of her husband, and she should be. Seeing them both on vacation – the powerful witch and the feared Dragon Master – I can’t help thinking of them as teenagers with their parents waiting for them back at the hotel while they are exploring on their own for the first time. Zelda’s selfie face is too funny!
Time zones are hellish!
The joy of the tropics. Sunshine, sunshine and then wham!
Avoiding predators.
Free-spoken Zelda, being supernatural herself, talks too fast.
Uh-oh. Dealing with temperamental witches? I’m not sure Rafael should trust this Mr. Reyes they are going to stay with, expensive cars, boats and whatnot.
Yay, Zelda! Atta my girl – credit cards are not made for gathering dust in a bag, even if it’s design!
p654
Curious behavior indeed. Locking customers up in the store.
“even though he could go from pleasure to all business in a second, Zelda might not do well with that” Zelda knows what to do on a love seat, though.
Zelda: "I told them no vampires!"
Oh my. Vampires. Zelda has to stop kissing, and the person stopping them is a vampire!
Rafael takes charge. Yes, go ahead. They had been promised a super vacation, protected from evil, and now this “cured” vampire plays hard to get? Sure, he’s miffed by Zelda’s reaction. Sure, he’s important enough on his tropical little island. But standing up to Rafael? He can’t possibly know who he’s dealing with here.
Mr. Reyes seems like an honest guy, filled with remorse about having been a vampire and talking about his kids at college.
Zelda is so right. “Why can’t anything just be easy?”
Of course he’s worried about his children. With a history like his own, interspersed with bad experiences with vampires and witches, letting a criminal mastermind who’s commanding vampires and his spouse which he surely must recognize as quite the hot-headed witch, into his home is taking risks.
“Just don’t hurt kids?” Right Zelda.
p655
Witty exchange!
Oh, my. Zelda blabbering. Sometimes it’s better to be quiet.
Yay, a gas station!
There are vampires, so why not ghosts. But it’s probably best to discuss that between four eyes. Mr. Reyes should not hear more than necessary.
p655
Luckily everything dries pretty fast in the tropics.
He is humble and very practical. Your description of the Soviet housing is very accurate, I could almost see the musky shades of murky brown walls and furniture. Ugh.
“A small army of little yous”, “I will give you all the me that you want”… That’s so tender.
Trust Zelda to make a comment about the star child’s (I love that expression!) skin color.
Poor Rafael, even though he should be prepared for anything, I mean, he’s talking to and riding on dragon’s for Pete’s sake! But I admit getting pregnant by Aliens and having a green kid is pretty extraordinary. But so are dragons!
I bet there’s some kind of amnesia – Mr. Vargas doesn’t remember anything neither. Or at least not much…
Oh, Zelda. Please. Don’t call the poor child a creepy alien kid in front of his father!
Very thoughtful of Mr. Reyes to tell them about his kids and warning them about what has to be done before they try their own luck.
Two children with mental defects, a rebel with fangs and a half-alien is more than anyone would ask for…
Zelda is so used to being feared she’s absolutely stunned at someone acting completely normal around her. But she’s smart in all her childish discoverings.
Oh, so he was at a conference, was he now.
So the vampires are trying to make amends? I can get that. Facing up to a hot-headed witch like Zelda who easily burns them all to ashes asks for a little diplomacy.
Dante should be worried. If Mr. Reyes fails Dante’s confidence and there’s an attack, well, I guess both Zelda and Rafael will be upset enough to wipe out all vampires they set eye on. But enough about attacks and worries. Go and get a nice start on your honeymoon, both of you!
Yeah, about those specs... that convo with her BF took a direction I didn't expect... actually Terry did more talking than Kaydence did, which is surprising, usually she monopolizes conversations. He was totally on to her about her feelings about Alanna and about show business in general, which I didn't expect at all, which didn't even give Kaydence a chance to mention his new eyewear
Sometimes I think Terry knows Kaydence better than Kaydence knows herself.
Getting back to your update of the royals - Anastasia seems to be a fun character to play. And what's with the butlers in your game - they must be very attractive, to have their employers hit on them so often! Lol!
Oh, and I re-watched your videos on YouTube and liked them + subscribed!
Here's some of their background. Remember, Alexandra, of course, is AJ's wife, so it ties in there. They briefly had a reality TV show, hence the title of the blog. In a very real sense, AJ didn't just marry Alex, he married Ana, too. Ana is younger by 3 minutes. The show, of course, was Ana's idea. She brainstormed the whole thing one night in their shared bedroom.
Well, I've had the flu since January, and it seems to have gone now... but this time I know it was the flu because I got my husband sick too. (I didn't mean to, but it happened). He was unemployed just in time to spend all that time with me sick... and then he recovered and now just has allergies...and they called him back into work- now he works second shift.
Yeah, having to live with your dad's pregnant mistress sounds soap opera enough!
Most of the vampires are rather old fashioned on family relationships... well, it's a similar boat, but not the same one..
Yeah, these two are very bonded in this version.
Well, Deedee's so used to people in Moonlight Falls being scared of witches that she's not really thinking he might use her for her power or the story or any of that...
Well, you don't see a lot of guys with orange highlights, it's attention catching, you know?
Um, I'm sorry the Xmas specials Alternate Universe is confusing everyone... the main story version of Rafael is not yet the Dragon Master, he hasn't even gone to work for the Moonlight Falls criminals yet...he doesn't even know dragons are real yet...he's only recently found out about vampires and witches...this week.
Yeah, I miss the tropics too.
Oh, you know Zelda's going to get her way.
Um... I'm honored, but I'm so technologically inept I can't find it... I've looked through the whole story... even looking through the Star Wars photo shoot stuff...and I'm not sure what the OC challenge is either... sorry.