I had to capture this smile, it was too cute and too funny not to.XD
Kimberly: Its getting late, I think I should go home now.
Ray: Really? They still have an hour or so left.
Kimberly: Yeah, I have some studying to do.
Ray: Fair enough, I'll bring you home.
Ray: Thank you for attending with me, though I do wish you could
have stayed longer.
Kimberly: Thank you asking me, and I'm sorry, but I'm exhausted
and have homework.
Ray: Well, then I guess its time to say good night..
Ray pulled Kimberly in close...
Kimberly: ....Its really, late I do have to go...Good night.
She pulled away and made her way to the door.
Ray: Right....Good night.
He waited outside to make sure she made it inside safely, once she
was in Ray took his leave.
@KiearaPhoenix It was the worst! My 9 year old daughter was crying because she'd recently expressed to me that she had a crush on Kanan. I thought it was the cutest thing ever!
(Then I proceed to tell her how incredibly hot the man who talks for him - Freddie Prinze Jr. - was to us teenage girls back in the day. Hee hee!)
I thought Season 1 was great! However the series definitely got better as it went on.
I did a tiny bit of playing today, mostly to grab a couple of more pictures for my story, and took some random shots to share.
(Mostly I was just admiring this view of his chest. )
Shane and Sam were enjoying themselves in the hot tub.
@bekkasan I just realized I hadn't removed the necklace in this save. Gotta make a mental note to fix that.
Today was one heck of a stressful day. I won't bore you all with the details. My mind isn't up to playing and I'm not even sure if it is for writing either...
But the good news is, Homeschool is out for Spring Break until April 13th! Woop woop!
I mean I've never been so excited for Spring Break in all my life!!! (Until I became the teacher... )
@Karritz Thanks for the concern. So far so good. I picture Donna wearing her chain gang outfit laboring to learn all you want her to learn. Gosh, let the poor girl have a bit of fun.
@GraceyManor That is a fun picture of him flying up into the trees!!
Kimberly looks lovely in her formal dress. Ray looks in his tux!
Glad they had fun and looks like Ray didn't want it to end like that.
@Evalen Nice to see Dewey getting to know the world they are stuck on and meeting some fellow earth citizens. Cool, they get a free house! I hope Lillie soon settles in. It would be a big adjustment!
Poor Lillie, she is having trouble adjusting and now finding out about the aliens. lol at Dewey doing all he can to attract one, even if he doesn't realize it.
@emorrill I'm looking forward to more of your story. I'm hoping to get time today to work on an update. I've got some yard work that needs to be done desperately though.
Oh, yes, more lovely men without shirts! Shane! :::sigh:::
@rubyskywalker Sorry about the crashing. The venues that came with Showtime count as those venues, if they are not in the world you can add one from the library or build one yourself and mark as one of these: coffeehouses, live show venues, private venues, and large venues. The lounges came with Late night and you can add one or build it yourself if one is not in the town.
I hope you enjoy IP. It is a fun world, but glitchy.
@Silverofdreams30 I hope you have a good weekend and I should have an update today or tomorrow.
Oh, I definitely remember your awesome Thornton!
@Brandontaylor Thanks so much for the comment. It was so sweet to see the great grans go for the toddlers to hold and snuggle them. It was a struggle a few months ago to get the family relations correct having to add the ghosts of the parents into the games and remove them from the game without losing the relationship. I don't even remember what finally worked, but it was with MC. I didn't really want their ghosts hanging around town at this point in the story. Maybe later since it is a supernatural story.
@KiearaPhoenix Thanks for the comment on the picture I posted. I do hope when I get my desktop up and running I can use worlds such as yours. Right now the laptop I use is cranky about large worlds or busy ones.
I do love the detail you've put in your shops in the world. It really comes alive seeing them.
I'm happy that Momo found another friend and had such fun playing games with him.
@CK213 I agree about the aliens. I want my 'hybrid' ones to be a little more human so they always get a trip into stylist!
Congrats on them moving up in the world. I do love the little house and the bigger version of it.
Seeing how your teens look in their uniforms almost makes me want to assign uniforms for the teens.
I enjoyed seeing William's fun with the girls.
@zei I do agree a proper EA medieval world would have been an awesome EP.
I enjoyed the pictures from your Strangetown save. I have that world and someday will use it!
I will join the others in showing off nekkid chests. Marshall chatting with Drew as they get ready for their busy day in the Fairy Realm.
The family had two days to get ready for their trip to the Fairy Realm and finish up a few leftover projects. Jennifer had to arrange some time off work. Her boss said he would like her to bring back an interview with the King to publish. Jennifer declined, telling him she would not exploit a family visit that way. If in the future, the King was agreeable to an interview she would be happy to arrange it. In the meantime, she interviewed one of the bartenders at the local tavern for the spotlight blog. Turns out she is a professional bartender and went to a bartending program. Jennifer can attest to her ability to make an awesome Simtini.
The three toddlers became very good friends as they had fun together in the playroom.
Drew tells them. "Mommy says we're going on a trip."
Kailena looks around the room and whispers."Yep, Daddy said we're gonna get another Granddad."
Fillian shrugs. "I got a new sister! How many granddads do we have?"
Kailena holds up her fingers. "Maybe eleventy-thirty."
Fillian claps his hands. "Wow! That's a lot!"
Alice got a request from the town council for her to provide a mural at the local park. Alice remembers getting arrested for putting her art on walls at university. She is hesitant to do it during the day, but she wants to do it before they leave for their trip. She goes late in the evening to the park and does a ground mural for the town. She is paid a lovely sum of simoleons for the mural and is not arrested.
Adam takes Tymenth outside so he can enjoy flying around the yard. After Tymenth finishes his flight, Adam takes him down to the egg room. He has made him a little nest area with plenty of food and water. "Guard the eggs while we are gone, but don't play with them." Adam does not want to take a chance of his dragon scaring the people of the Fairy Realm.
Wisteria enjoyed spending time rocking Willow after helping Dedric in the garden.
Dedric brings the fruits and veggies into the main house and stocks the fridge. He hears Willow cooing and singing as she swings and walks over to watch her. She reaches her arms out and his heart melts as he reaches down to pick her up and he snuggles her close and enjoys playing with her.
Marshall has mastered his final level in Marshall arts and challenges Adam. They enjoy sparring together as they are now evenly matched in skill with Adam having more experience. Marshall wins two out of three matches.
Kailena loves being with her Daddy and Adam agrees to take her on a stroll.
Fillian has quickly learned all his primary skills.
The two days fly by as they get ready to leave. They gather at the garage having stowed their luggage in the car. They all get in the car to meet Nickolas and his family at the arboretum.
They follow the Willowisp family into the arboretum and pass down the pathway through a trellis of ivy until they reach the portal that Nickolas has just opened up. Each one steps into the portal and is magically transported to the Fairy Realm.
@bekkasan Donna thanks you for your concern - but she's a sim - she doesn't need fun. Except she is very excellently good at organising her own fun.
She has a green dragon and a fairy house. She loves fairy house parties and pollen punch and indulges herself often - without permission - and she has sprinklers. I do tend to put a stop to 'play with sprinklers' when it goes on for too long though. She specially loves to do that while the gardeners are slaving over her garden.
I tend to let her have her fun when she manages to have a fairy house party even if she is only a sim. I've got video of a few of the house parties to add to future episodes of Perfect Genetics Challenge just so people who watch the story get a feel for what Gary has in his future.
Donna has recently expressed a strong desire to learn the science skill. I think I'll let her do that - it's worth 500 lifetime happiness points for her too.
Happy Simming
EDIT: I forgot to mention the tiny train she loves to ride and her alien friends abduct her regularly and she doesn't even have any telescopes or space rocks.
@KiearaPhoenix It was the worst! My 9 year old daughter was crying because she'd recently expressed to me that she had a crush on Kanan. I thought it was the cutest thing ever!
(Then I proceed to tell her how incredibly hot the man who talks for him - Freddie Prinze Jr. - was to us teenage girls back in the day. Hee hee!)
I thought Season 1 was great! However the series definitely got better as it went on.
Well now I feel old when you start pulling out the back in the day. ~smirk~
I remember his Dad in Chico and the Man. 😆
Yeah had some darned internet issues and when money permits, I’m getting a gaming PC with a proper graphics card this time around. Still around; just my JAG fanfic muse decided to kick up. 😇
River’s expression pretty much was mine when I found out that hunk of junk A10-7800 wasn’t worth fixing.
“ARE YOU ~insert pungent expletive of choice~ KIDDING ME?!!!!”
But maybe I’ll get a better PC out of the whole thing.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
@emorrill I know what it’s like to have a crush on a fictional character! Unfortunately, it seems like most people (like you) prefer the celebrities, but maybe it has to do with age because I’m still in high school.
Kimberly: Get back here, you pesky little gnome...Ouch! It bit me.
Ray: Gotcha..I think that's all of them.
Kimberly: Seriously...I'm done with catching gnomes...they're mean.
Ray: I could have told you that...Say, you hungry? I'm hungry..let's get food, okay
good you're coming.
Kimberly: Uh, well I guess you answered for me.I have no choice.XD
Kimberly: Why are you staring at me like that?
Ray: I'm not staring...
Kimberly: Yes you are, and its weird.If I have something on my
face please tell me so I can wipe it off.
Ray: Oh no, you're just fine...I mean good, there's nothing on your
face.
Kimberly: Its getting late, and I got to do some homework for my college courses.
Ray: Here, I'll walk you home..
Kimberly: Oh, I'm okay.Its just a couple blocks down.
Ray: You sure?
Kimberly: Yeah, I'll be fine.
Kimberly: I should go...Loads of work to do.See you tomorrow
at..right can't say it, well at work..
@KiearaPhoenix Emu seems nice.
Sounds like they have similar interests.
Glad to see she didn’t completely forget about Taiga.
I don’t like most of those changes either, to be honest. But knowing how comics are, hopefully things are back to status quo soon.
@Evalen yikes, can’t blame Lillie. I wouldn’t want to be abducted either.
Uh oh, not good having a space rock. We know what that means...
Hopefully he can see Earth, although that might make him homesick.
I've been having major problems with Donna. She can't make her plants bloom. She has to bloom 100 plants to get her LTW and she has to get her LTW before moving into the Perfect Genetics Challenge.
Well, it turns out NRAAS Hybrid mod is to blame. I do have it in my game and it is mostly there to help my hybrids, and to add extra options to other mods to allow hybrid babies. Since I have got a special Sims 3 folder for each of my YouTube series, I can safely remove Hybrid from my mods folder until Donna has got her LTW.
I did spend quite a while updating all of my NRAAS mods before discovering the new version of Hybrid fails to fix this bug.
Since I'd previously removed GoHere to allow my plant sims to have their flower trail, I decided to put it's new version into my mods folder and added a plant sim to Donna's household just to test if it's been fixed. So far my plant sim has a flower trail again with the mod in place. I'll test for a while longer to see if it stays or vanishes again. I have a vague recollection that in previous versions of GoHere mod the flower trail was present for a while and then disappeared permanently. So I won't get too excited about that possible fix just yet.
I am now about to shut down my game and remove Hybrid mod, at least until Donna has her LTW.
In the meantime - Happy Simming.
EDIT: Result
I Quit the game.
TEST Hybrid mod with Fairy Bloom ability
Removed Hybrid
Reloaded game.
Donna can now successfully Bloom the plants
TEST GoHere mod with Plant Sim flower trail
After reloading the game my plant sim no longer has a flower trail.
Therefore - I'll remove GoHere next time I launch as I want the flower trails regardless of what other benefits I may have to miss out on by not using GoHere.
@GraceyManor A formal party sounds fun.
Heroes committee reminds me of the Justice League.
Kimberly looks nice in her formal wear.
I feel for her, I can’t dance either.
Well, it’s a start. I’m sure Kimberly will come around, Ray.
That was rude if the gnome to bite her.
He’s probably thinking that’s the only way he can get Kimberly to go with him.
Ray can’t catch a break. I’m sure Kimberly will warm up to a relationship eventually though.
@emorrill Chin ups are a struggle lol. I can do them but I sure the heck don’t look like Alex does. I’m not muscular at all.
Looks like a good time in the hot tub.
You stay safe too!
@bekkasan You’re welcome.
Lol, well I guess having them as ghosts wouldn’t be the worst thing. I didn’t know there was a way to keep the tree intact that way.
Ok, I’m a bit behind on your story so I won’t comment here. Once I get my internet next week, I’m going to get caught up and will comment there. That way I know what’s going on fully.
@Brandontaylor I haven't let her in on that secret yet. She'll find out eventually. I don't think she will mind - so long as she has access to sprinklers.
Ah heck, I'm sharing it: Today (and tomorrow) our church members been privileged to hear from our church leaders once again in our semi-annual General Conference. (Well, it's not just for us, anyone can tune in. ) Hearing their spiritual words and counsel has helped me SO much today, buoyed me up, more than it has in the past, especially during this dark time in our lives as COVID-19 plagues the entire Earth. I needed it.
(It was quite weird seeing them sit in chairs 6 feet apart from each other and address an empty auditorium. )
I am just SO thankful for my faith and I thank God for my blessings! 🙏 Hallelujah! 🙌
^Hee hee I LOVE your response so much! It's just the response I was expecting!
I think I do remember that save with your version of Thornton and that picture is very nice.
Oh, yes, more lovely men without shirts! Shane! :::sigh:::
^Hee hee glad you enjoyed the pictures.
I love how much you swoon over Shane. And I promised to throw him in some cowboy garb for you and I intend to deliver! (I tried to find good cowboy poses one time, but failed to find any. ) Guess I'll have to make do with what I have huh?
Oooohhhh! You KNOW I love that picture of Marshall holding Drew without his shirt on! WOO!
----
Update!
Good for Jennifer for standing up to her boss about interviewing the King. Yeah...this visit wouldn't have been a good time to do something like that.
"Simtini" I love it!
Aww, such adorable conversation between the toddlers again. "Eleventy-thirty" A toddler would totally say that.
Curse those cops for going after the good people trying to create a pretty mural for the town!
Tymenth is seriously the perfect name for a dragon!
Aww, what a happy little Willow in her swing. Me thinks she's gonna be a mini Wisteria.
Go Marshall!
This pic is adorable.
Finnian doing the "poo face!"
Now there's an idea for transporting fairy wings!
I'm SO looking forward to the next part! I know it's going to be exciting!
@king_of_simcity7 Nice pics of Tammy blowing the kiss. But how did you get her to do it without Simon standing there?
@Karritz Hey lady. Hope you're doing well over there.
Our choir had to postpone our Spring Concert for obvious reasons. Made me sad.
@Nikkei_Simmer Sorry to make you feel old. It made ME feel old telling her that.
I was so happy to see you post on here! I've been thinking about you and hoping you've been doing okay and surviving since this Pandemic has done a number on my mental health lately as I'm sure it has yours. My thoughts are ever with those who also have mental health struggles, and addiction struggles, at this time. 🙏
I was thinking about your stories where they are all stuck underground and comparing it to all this quarantine going on. I swear, being underground would be MUCH worse! I'd DIE being underground for months and not able to get out or bask in the fresh air! Talk about doing a major number on my mental health. Please Lord don't ever let our life situations get THAT bad!
@SimTown15 Did not realize you're in High School. I've definitely had crush's on book characters in my lifetime, but yeah mostly it's been celebrities. And I am not ashamed.
@Brandontaylor Thanks for the comments.
LOL! Boy, I was NEVER able to do chin ups, even when I was a skinny young girl! I've been plagued with weak arms since birth.
I MIGHT post some of my story tonight, but I haven't decided for sure yet. I started on a new scene and I dunno if I want to reveal it in the part I could totally post now, or wait until I write up the rest of the chapter. 🤔 Guess y'all will see soon enough. I gotta get to writing!
Kimberly: I know you have the artifact from the museum, Stella.
Give it back.
Stella: Who do you think you are? I don't think you're in any position
to give threats.
Kimberly: That's it, you Harpy, you're going down.
Ray: Pretty pathetic, Stella.Just give up.
Stella: Never.I'm not being defeated by a preppy princess.
Kimberly: I am not preppy! You shrew.Now give it back.
Stella: I can not.
Kimberly: Why not?
Stella: Twas not I who stole it.Invoke a name, if you wish.I am not threatened.
Ray: Look Stella, I've had it up to here with you games.Now give it back.
Stella: I see, a punishment for your whining is in order.
Kimberly: Gah, what did you do?! Fix this right now.
Stella: Fare thee well, Girl Danger.
Kimberly: Paul..I'll have to get his help.
Paul: Anything I could do, would take weeks or months to make..
Kimberly: So there's nothing we can do?
Paul: Not exactly.There is one thing YOU could try.
Kimberly: why do you look like the cat that swallowed the pidgeon?
Paul: Canary.
Kimberly: What?
Paul: I look like the cat that swallowed the canary.
Kimberly: Whatever...wait you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting.
Paul: Exactly.
Kimberly: Nope, not doing.
Paul: You owe him for spilling your secrete to that fake boyfriend of yours.
Kimberly: Sure, tug on my guilt strings...Fine, but this better not back fire on me.
I'm gonna regret this she thought as she leaned in, she didn't
even know if it would work or not.
A few minutes went by, and Ray thawed out.It took him a moment
or two to realize what was going on.Kimberly, had no clue he had
unthawed.
He pulled her in for an embrace.
Kimberly: Let go...
Ray: What? Why?
Kimberly: What the heck, you should have said you were okay..
Ray: I'm sorry...You were holding me first...just returning the
gesture.
Kimberly: I was only doing it to help you.I owed you for spilling
my secrete..
Ray: Oh..
Kimberly: Well, since you're okay.I'm going home.
Ray: Kimberly, wait..
Kimberly: What?
Ray: Thank you...for saving me.
Kimberly: Of course.Just doing my job.Good night.
@emorrill Hi. I'm glad you are keeping your distance over there. We are doing that here too. Nothing much has changed for me as I've been isolated at home for about 4 years now with my son having constant use of my car. But I had just got the idea of going out to large shopping centers by bus to do some walking to get the exercise I need. It's so hot here in Summer that I don't like to be out walking in the heat. Well I did my bus trip about 3 or 4 times and then this virus arrived here and I've not been game to go on the bus since then. Last time I went on a bus was to go to the dentist on March 18 as I've had a cracked tooth for about a year and I had an appointment for it to be fixed. That was a day or two before we got told not to go outdoors unless necessary and shops started shutting down due to no customers. Now I'm not supposed to go out at all except for exercise or medical reasons. I can easily walk near my home and there are never many people about. The most I've seen out when I went walking was less than 10 and usually there has been less than that out when I go.
As for choir, it started at the start of February and I was looking forward to it, but the day or two before it started I had a feeling of dread about going back to it so I didn't go. Then a few weeks later, about the time I went to the dentist, I got an email saying they'd cancelled the April concert and there'd be no more rehearsals until further notice. They were hoping to do the June concert but I can't see that happening as the whole country is asked to stay indoors unless it is necessary to go out for one of a few specific things - such as to get food, go to work, medical, exercise etc...
Our Prime Minister says expect this situation to last at least 6 months, but it could have to continue for much longer it all depends on how the virus continues to affect us. The numbers on our Govt web site currently say 5,635 cases in Australia with 900 of them in my state which is the 3rd highest state total in the country. Most of them came off cruise ships or airports from overseas. There is some community spread here now too - just over the past few days. They say we have the highest rate of testing here, but are only testing people with symptoms as the tests are not sufficiently sensitive to pick up the virus in someone who is still without symptoms. Most people tested are found to be negative.
They say everyone will get it eventually. One hope is scientists here have found an old, currently used drug that is available by prescription only kills the virus instantly in a test tube. They just announced that last night. But they will have to do trials to see if it works in people and what the effective dose is. Fortunately the drug has been safely used for years for another conditions, so if it is found to be effective against the virus when used on people instead of just in a test tube then it will hopefully become available in a few months, or a year. So there is hope. If we can all manage to remain virus free until someone finds a cure or a vaccine or both we should be OK. At least for this one.
@Karritz I'm hoping it comes sooner rather than later... I hate the idea of having to move my November Disney trip to next year... which will end up in the beginning of Disney World 50th celebrations if those end up on time. I've been looking forward to seeing what Christmas is like there. Not changing it until October in case Disney automatically cancels the trip... there's benefits that way.
On the plus side, I'm looking forward to lower prices of stuff after this all goes away. More LEGO Friends! Also I've got my eye on the Disney Zombies 2 Wynter doll when those come out. And if D-Signed makes a clothing line for it.
And the new Barbies... I saw one with freckles and a red haired one I've been wanting since they started making curvy, tall and petite Barbie dolls. I only have the Originals. Might get rid of some old ones to make room for new.
And then there's my 18 Inch doll obsession... I have 2... plus a blog for them.
Anyway, onto the sims topic.
Didn't do much today. Built a house in ip for the sims to move into someday.
Unfortunately Star Stable took up most of my computer time... and virtual dance party... there was a Hee Haw skit involved... that shows old and yet I remember watching it with my grandma.
Hey friends. Sorry it took SO long to get this out, but...you can understand with how crazy everything's been the past month. I'm glad I'm feeling better enough to write.
Hope y'all enjoy!
When we last left off, Harvey, Alex and Shane just discovered that the cashier lady at the Grocery Store is an Android or...something.
Pelican Town to Sims Town Continuation of Chapter 5...
Meanwhile, Abigail, Leah and Maru loaded themselves up into one of the vehicles that was also provided for them and made their way toward the hills behind their home. If there was any place to go foraging and find various rocks and soil, it would be in those hills.
The sky held a salmon pink glow as they followed the road up into the hills, which would soon become a cerulean hue once the sun made its way above the horizon.
The road came to an end before a medium sized lake, surrounded by a dusty terrain spotted with rocks and dead grasses, with a skinny, multi-colored waterfall, much to the girl’s surprise, raining down into it from three giant boulders. Whether the water came from a natural source or was the work of magic they couldn’t be sure and didn’t think too hard on it. They just stood in awe over its glimmering beauty.
“Is that...rainbow water?” Leah asked curiously with peered eyes.
“It’s breathtaking!” Abigail whispered. This world is spectacular!
“No, not literal rainbow water,” Maru answered, studying the whole scene very carefully, “or else the water in the lake would also be rainbow colored. See how the water falls into a rainbow glow on the surface of the water,” she pointed, “yet the colors do not spread. Interesting…”
“Fascinating,” Leah breathed.
“It could be the way the light is reflecting off the water droplets, therefore producing a rainbow effect,” Maru intelligently concluded. But wait...the sun hasn’t fully risen into the sky yet...Hmm?
“That or it’s a magical waterfall,” Abigail continued to admire. “I wonder if it’s really even water or just an illusion. I’d love to get a closer look!”
“That may be dangerous,” Maru cautioned, snapping out of her thoughts. “Look how steep the slope is below those giant boulders. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Abigail did notice and curled her lower lip between her teeth in disappointment. If I could just get close enough, she thought, then I could...no. There’s not enough cover. Nevermind. She sighed.
“Let’s get to work,” Maru directed, “we’ve got a lot to collect.”
The other two nodded, pulling out a crumpled up grocery bag from their pockets.
“Okay, you two will be collecting plants, grasses, seeds, and any other bits of vegetation that you feel might aid us,” Maru began. “If something looks neat or even odd, grab it. We don’t want to miss anything. We’ll work on collecting insects after we do that.”
The two ladies nodded in acknowledgement again.
“While you two are foraging I’m going to collect soil samples, and a sample of this lake water, as well as do a little fishing,” she smiled. This was the one time she was thankful her dad took her out fishing as a kid.
Abigail took a quick look around and noticed a fence behind the waterfall that stretched out many feet on each side. “I think I might sneak over that fence and collect stuff too,” she said. “Lots of greener vegetation over there; should be some good stuff.”
“Sounds good,” Maru nodded. “We’ll hit up some other areas around the countryside too, but for now let’s get to work as quickly as possible here while still being thorough in our search.”
When Maru turned her back to the girls for a moment, Abigail leaned towards Leah and whispered in her ear, “She’s starting to sound like Harvey.”
“Oh I know!” Leah whispered back with a snicker, thinking the same. “She’s been working with him for WAY too long!”
“Almost to the point that they’re starting to look like each other!”
“Just like an old married couple!”
Their chuckles got louder.
“You know, I bet those two will--” Abigail started.
“What’s so funny?” Maru asked them.
Instantly the ridiculous grins appeared. “Nothing,” Leah replied. “We’ll...uh...get to the foraging now.”
“Yup!” Abigail chimed in. “Don’t want to waste anymore time!”
“Okaaay,” Maru acknowledged, shooting them a questionable look. She watched them gather for a few seconds and then turned and made for the car.
She pulled out a handy little scanner doo-dad from the backseat that she found resting on the chemistry table in her bedroom she shared with Abigail. She wasn’t sure how to use it, but after fiddling with it a bit she was able to figure a few things out.
“Okay,” she whispered, stepping closer to the lake. “Let’s see what kind of reading I get from the lake water here.”
The handheld device’s ability to collect various amounts of informative and scientific data on whatever it was being aimed at, even at a far distance, was beyond fascinating! The budding little inventor that is Maru, found herself geeking out all over it. It was a relief to see that many things from this world were made up of the same molecular structure as things similar to it in their world back home. That would certainly make doing research and studying much easier! I must pass this info on to Harvey, she thought, it should ease his mind a bit.
She knelt down and gathered a hefty sample of water into one of the test tubes she carried in her pocket, sealed it, and then went on to collect different colors of soil from all around the lake. With all of the tubes safely placed in the car’s backseat cup holders, she grabbed the fishing rod - also found in her room - and stood near the edge of the lake and cast the line.
While she fished, Abigail picked up some fallen leaves from a large crimson colored tree. In the corner of her eye the rainbow waterfall continued to flow and greatly called out to her, but she would have to ignore it for now.
When she made her way to the fence line, she took a quick look from the left to the right, making sure no strangers were around to witness her jump over it.
When the coast was clear, she stepped up onto the middle fence post, carefully swung her other leg over, and landed on the other side with ease. She smiled while gazing at all the clusters of pine trees and went right on collecting the needles, cones, a long piece of bark, and even a solid drip of sap.
The forested area seemed unusually quiet. Normally there’d be the random sound of a bird chirping, cicadas singing, or a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. There was none of that, only silence and there was quite a vast forest spread out in front of her. It felt a little unsettling, but at the same time she didn’t sense an air of danger. The dried pine needles cracked beneath her feet, piercing the silence, as she inched her way deeper into the trees to collect whatever else she might find. She stumbled upon a patch of mushrooms, hoping they weren’t poisonous, even some growing on the trees producing little platforms, but one thing she knew for certain is that some could be used for medicinal purposes so she collected as much as she could store.
As she continued on her way she suddenly crashed into some unseen force that sent her flying backward and landing onto her back. “Ow!” she cried out, even though the collision didn’t hurt much. It felt like she ran into a gel padded wall. Carefully getting back onto her feet she peered ahead, still seeing the vast forest, but knew better than to keep walking forward. She reached out her hand, her forefingers raised, inching forward until they indeed met with something solid. It felt like a soft, invisible sheet and her touch created a ripple that spread out far into the treetops. Her mouth dropped in awe and question as she watched. Is this some kind of a barrier? Why is it here? Then her heart really pounded. Are we living in a giant bubble? But...why!? Breathing heavily now she whipped out her phone and called Harvey.
When he answered she started off by saying, “You’re not going to believe this...but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.”
Meanwhile on the other side of the fence, Maru finished fishing, capturing three different kinds of fish, and then went on to forage as well.
Across the waterfall from her, Leah happened upon a rather large seed lying on the ground.
It seemed more like a pod, perhaps containing other smaller seeds in it, but she couldn’t be sure. She was tempted to pry or crack it open to see, but figured she better not and just dropped it into her bag. Then she sighed, staring off towards the town. Is it really necessary for us to gather all this stuff? Surely the stores have all that we need. I wonder what kind of information Elliott has gathered from the computer? She smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of her love and missing him once again. Maybe I should call him?
“Maru! Leah!” Abigail called out. “You girl’s have gotta see this!”
I guess I’ll just see him when we get back.
*******************************
Back at the guy’s house, Elliott was completely immersed in the "World-Wide-Web," finding all sorts of information on the history of the world and town where they currently resided.
His eyes glued to the screen, he returned to some notes he’d been taking in a separate word document and naturally he wrote it all up like a story. He read it aloud to himself in a whisper to refresh his mind, “The town of Appaloosa started out as a cowboy ranch town in the Midwest of Deserta - southern continent of Simthaer - on the edge of a major highway. As time passed, the town degenerated into nearly a ghost town when a few city slickers arrived turning the area into a bustling hub of activity. With their bags of gold they retrofitted the town with modern amenities while eagerly believing they’d acquired their own slice of country paradise. The clash between the old and the new is relatively apparent, with some elderly die-hards clinging to the remaining vestiges of life as they knew it.”
Hmm, he stopped to think, glancing up and staring at the blank wall. A bustling hub of activity? I’m really not getting that vibe here, but...maybe it’s just me.
His concentration and thoughts were continually being disrupted by the sound of music coming from the room next to his.
Sebastian and Sam were jamming out on the various musical instruments in their room, getting familiar with them, ultimately settling on the electric guitar and drums. The drums were Sam’s favorite instrument to play, next to the guitar. Sebastian normally played keyboard and only recently learned to play guitar due to the fact that Sam had been wanting to start a band with him and Abigail for a while and expressed sometimes wanting to play the drums depending on the song. Sebastian also wrote up a couple of songs for their soon to be band and Sam wrote out the guitar and drum parts, leaving Sebastian to figure out the keyboard part later. They practiced the songs so much back home that they had them memorized and couldn’t wait to jam them out in this new world. The two were indeed a talented pair of virtuosos.
“The extra strings on this guitar are so flippin’ sweet!” Sebastian expressed to his buddy, lightly plucking at them. “More notes for us to learn and experiment with.”
“Fo sho!” Sam concurred. “Let’s see how we can add those extra notes into your ‘Nutcase’ song.”
“Yeah! Let’s do it!”
“Time to wing it!” Sam declared, raising his drumsticks in the air. “You ready?”
Sebastian positioned his fingers and nodded.
Then Sam counted while hitting the sticks together, “One, two, three, four…”
The sounds from the guitar strings instantly permeated the room, producing a catchy Rock tune as Sebastian began singing the lyrics. He wouldn’t call himself a great singer, but he wasn’t terrible. Soon Sam would join in on the drums.
The first few bars of the song sounded pretty good to Elliott through the wall, but after hearing it being replayed over and over and over again during his research, the key changing each time, began to wear on his nerves. Nevertheless he pressed on. He was just too darn curious about this world and didn’t wish to cause any contention in the household on their second day here, even though it would surely happen. He still shuddered to think about living for months with these guys when he was so used to living on his own.
“Okay that time it didn’t sound so good,” Sebastian expressed with a grimace.
“Yeah, the verse notes sounded alright, but the chorus suc’ked,” Sam said.
Looking thoughtful, Sebastian then said, “The time I played it in this new E-flat major sounded righteous!” He re-positioned his fingers over the guitar strings. “Let me see if I can remember...”
“True!” Sam pointed with his drumstick. “Alrighty, from the top then?”
“Yeah.”
Thinking the guys had finally taken a break in playing, that ever familiar Rock sound once again rang in Elliott’s ears. His fingers slammed down onto the keyboard with his forehead nearly following suit. He’d had enough!
He jumped up from his chair and headed straight for the other bedroom door. Raising his fist to knock he suddenly stopped himself. Something within him told him to chill because he was somewhat of a musician himself and could respect a good jam while trying to experiment with a song. And obviously the two young men weren’t trying to bother him. It wouldn’t be fair or kind to just burst in there and yell at them, especially when he really had no authority to do so. This is something he would just have to learn to get used to.
He lowered his head with a sigh and thought, I swear those boys act like teenagers and it drives me nuts! Or am I just turning into an old man prematurely? He cracked a smile. Nah...let them keep thinking Harvey is the oldest and authoritative one here. I refuse to get too involved in anything, especially drama. Standing up straight and clearing his throat he calmly opened the door, approaching the situation in a different manner now.
“Hey,” Elliott addressed through the music. “Could you guys maybe take a break from playing for a bit? I can’t concentrate on my research.” He paused, seeing the guys acknowledge, but choosing to finish the song before stopping. “Besides...we’re all supposed to be exploring and discovering all we can about this place today.”
“We are discovering something about this place,” Sam spoke in between drum beats, “the musical instruments!” He threw out a cheesy grin.
“They’re pretty much the same as they are in our world,” Elliott retorted.
“No,” Sebastian corrected, “they are quite different. For example, this guitar has six strings instead of four. Can you believe that!?”
That prompted Elliott to glance over at the keyboard to study and see if it too had more keys than his piano back home.
“That means there’s more musical notes to discover,” Sebastian went on with a grin.
“And that's so rad!” Sam added. “Wait until I get my hands on that guitar!”
“Besides Elliott, this is enlightening ourselves is it not?”
“What he said!”
Elliott just stared at them both with his mouth in a hard line and a raised bow, not willing to give them the pleasure of admitting they are right, but rather...doing something else. “I’ll show you two what key this song belongs in.” And he headed straight for the keyboard, sitting himself down.
Sam and Sebastian shot each other some bright-eyed looks of wonder as they kept on playing.
They didn’t even have to start the song over, Elliott jumped right in on the keyboard, knowing exactly when to, leading it into a key change that hadn’t been attempted yet and the other two naturally followed suit. The more Sebastian played in the new key the more he began to approve of it and soon...he began to love it. He and Sam now jammed louder and with more feeling than before. “Fantastic!” Sebastian gleefully voiced.
“Wow Elliott,” Sam began, “I’d heard you played the piano some, but I didn’t know you were this good!”
“You should totally join our band!” Sebastian blurted out in excitement, without fully thinking about that first.
Sam rapidly shook his head ‘no’ at him.
“Not on your life kid,” Elliott said, secretly loving the feeling of the music pulsing through his soul from each fingertip. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, smiling. It’d been too long since he played and he missed it more than he realized.
Yeah, I still got it!
*****************************
To be continued...
Author's Note: The song Sam and Sebastian were playing I imagined to sound something similar to this song:
Comments
Ray: There you are,miss "I don't do formal." Care to dance?
Kimberly: Sure,but be warned, I'm even worse at dancing.
Ray: Show me then.
Kimberly: Ray,I'm sorry.I told you I couldn't dance.
She apologized as she stepped on his feet multiple times.
Ray: You're okay.Don't worry about.We'll try again.
I had to capture this smile, it was too cute and too funny not to.XD
Kimberly: Its getting late, I think I should go home now.
Ray: Really? They still have an hour or so left.
Kimberly: Yeah, I have some studying to do.
Ray: Fair enough, I'll bring you home.
Ray: Thank you for attending with me, though I do wish you could
have stayed longer.
Kimberly: Thank you asking me, and I'm sorry, but I'm exhausted
and have homework.
Ray: Well, then I guess its time to say good night..
Ray pulled Kimberly in close...
Kimberly: ....Its really, late I do have to go...Good night.
She pulled away and made her way to the door.
Ray: Right....Good night.
He waited outside to make sure she made it inside safely, once she
was in Ray took his leave.
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
(Then I proceed to tell her how incredibly hot the man who talks for him - Freddie Prinze Jr. - was to us teenage girls back in the day.
I thought Season 1 was great!
I did a tiny bit of playing today, mostly to grab a couple of more pictures for my story, and took some random shots to share.
I could watch Alex work out ALL day! (Right @Silverofdreams30
The struggle!
(Mostly I was just admiring this view of his chest.
Shane and Sam were enjoying themselves in the hot tub.
@bekkasan I just realized I hadn't removed the necklace in this save.
Today was one heck of a stressful day.
But the good news is, Homeschool is out for Spring Break until April 13th! Woop woop!
I mean I've never been so excited for Spring Break in all my life!!! (Until I became the teacher...
Keep calm, keep safe, and Sim on my friends!
Boys look great in the hot tub.:o
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
I would have stared at that gorgeous chest
too.
@Zei
Nice update,
Welcome to the thread.
@KiearaPhoenix
That world looks lovely.
@Brandontaylor
Glad you will soon hae the internet back.
I think @bekkasan and @emorrill might remember which
save this Thornton is from haha.
Thank you @KiearaPhoenix ! I use Kurasoberina's defualt Primer skin in SD.
@Karritz Thanks for the concern. So far so good.
@GraceyManor That is a fun picture of him flying up into the trees!!
Kimberly looks lovely in her formal dress. Ray looks
Glad they had fun and looks like Ray didn't want it to end like that.
@Evalen Nice to see Dewey getting to know the world they are stuck on and meeting some fellow earth citizens. Cool, they get a free house! I hope Lillie soon settles in. It would be a big adjustment!
Poor Lillie, she is having trouble adjusting and now finding out about the aliens. lol at Dewey doing all he can to attract one, even if he doesn't realize it.
@emorrill I'm looking forward to more of your story. I'm hoping to get time today to work on an update. I've got some yard work that needs to be done desperately though.
Oh, yes, more lovely men without shirts! Shane! :::sigh:::
@rubyskywalker Sorry about the crashing. The venues that came with Showtime count as those venues, if they are not in the world you can add one from the library or build one yourself and mark as one of these: coffeehouses, live show venues, private venues, and large venues. The lounges came with Late night and you can add one or build it yourself if one is not in the town.
I hope you enjoy IP. It is a fun world, but glitchy.
@Silverofdreams30 I hope you have a good weekend and I should have an update today or tomorrow.
Oh, I definitely remember your awesome Thornton!
@Brandontaylor Thanks so much for the comment. It was so sweet to see the great grans go for the toddlers to hold and snuggle them. It was a struggle a few months ago to get the family relations correct having to add the ghosts of the parents into the games and remove them from the game without losing the relationship. I don't even remember what finally worked, but it was with MC.
@KiearaPhoenix Thanks for the comment on the picture I posted. I do hope when I get my desktop up and running I can use worlds such as yours. Right now the laptop I use is cranky about large worlds or busy ones.
I do love the detail you've put in your shops in the world. It really comes alive seeing them.
I'm happy that Momo found another friend and had such fun playing games with him.
@CK213 I agree about the aliens. I want my 'hybrid' ones to be a little more human so they always get a trip into stylist!
Congrats on them moving up in the world. I do love the little house and the bigger version of it.
Seeing how your teens look in their uniforms almost makes me want to assign uniforms for the teens.
I enjoyed seeing William's fun with the girls.
@zei I do agree a proper EA medieval world would have been an awesome EP.
I enjoyed the pictures from your Strangetown save. I have that world and someday will use it!
I will join the others in showing off nekkid chests.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Adam's Quest
The family had two days to get ready for their trip to the Fairy Realm and finish up a few leftover projects. Jennifer had to arrange some time off work. Her boss said he would like her to bring back an interview with the King to publish. Jennifer declined, telling him she would not exploit a family visit that way. If in the future, the King was agreeable to an interview she would be happy to arrange it. In the meantime, she interviewed one of the bartenders at the local tavern for the spotlight blog. Turns out she is a professional bartender and went to a bartending program. Jennifer can attest to her ability to make an awesome Simtini.
The three toddlers became very good friends as they had fun together in the playroom.
Drew tells them. "Mommy says we're going on a trip."
Kailena looks around the room and whispers."Yep, Daddy said we're gonna get another Granddad."
Fillian shrugs. "I got a new sister! How many granddads do we have?"
Kailena holds up her fingers. "Maybe eleventy-thirty."
Fillian claps his hands. "Wow! That's a lot!"
Alice got a request from the town council for her to provide a mural at the local park. Alice remembers getting arrested for putting her art on walls at university. She is hesitant to do it during the day, but she wants to do it before they leave for their trip. She goes late in the evening to the park and does a ground mural for the town. She is paid a lovely sum of simoleons for the mural and is not arrested.
Adam takes Tymenth outside so he can enjoy flying around the yard. After Tymenth finishes his flight, Adam takes him down to the egg room. He has made him a little nest area with plenty of food and water. "Guard the eggs while we are gone, but don't play with them." Adam does not want to take a chance of his dragon scaring the people of the Fairy Realm.
Wisteria enjoyed spending time rocking Willow after helping Dedric in the garden.
Dedric brings the fruits and veggies into the main house and stocks the fridge. He hears Willow cooing and singing as she swings and walks over to watch her. She reaches her arms out and his heart melts as he reaches down to pick her up and he snuggles her close and enjoys playing with her.
Marshall has mastered his final level in Marshall arts and challenges Adam. They enjoy sparring together as they are now evenly matched in skill with Adam having more experience. Marshall wins two out of three matches.
Kailena loves being with her Daddy and Adam agrees to take her on a stroll.
Fillian has quickly learned all his primary skills.
The two days fly by as they get ready to leave. They gather at the garage having stowed their luggage in the car. They all get in the car to meet Nickolas and his family at the arboretum.
They follow the Willowisp family into the arboretum and pass down the pathway through a trellis of ivy until they reach the portal that Nickolas has just opened up. Each one steps into the portal and is magically transported to the Fairy Realm.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
She has a green dragon and a fairy house. She loves fairy house parties and pollen punch and indulges herself often - without permission - and she has sprinklers. I do tend to put a stop to 'play with sprinklers' when it goes on for too long though. She specially loves to do that while the gardeners are slaving over her garden.
I tend to let her have her fun when she manages to have a fairy house party even if she is only a sim. I've got video of a few of the house parties to add to future episodes of Perfect Genetics Challenge just so people who watch the story get a feel for what Gary has in his future.
Donna has recently expressed a strong desire to learn the science skill. I think I'll let her do that - it's worth 500 lifetime happiness points for her too.
Happy Simming
EDIT: I forgot to mention the tiny train she loves to ride and her alien friends abduct her regularly and she doesn't even have any telescopes or space rocks.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW44b3uCMtCSaq4gwC8EZg
Well now I feel old when you start pulling out the back in the day. ~smirk~
I remember his Dad in Chico and the Man. 😆
Yeah had some darned internet issues and when money permits, I’m getting a gaming PC with a proper graphics card this time around. Still around; just my JAG fanfic muse decided to kick up. 😇
River’s expression pretty much was mine when I found out that hunk of junk A10-7800 wasn’t worth fixing.
“ARE YOU ~insert pungent expletive of choice~ KIDDING ME?!!!!”
But maybe I’ll get a better PC out of the whole thing.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Kimberly: Get back here, you pesky little gnome...Ouch! It bit me.
Ray: Gotcha..I think that's all of them.
Kimberly: Seriously...I'm done with catching gnomes...they're mean.
Ray: I could have told you that...Say, you hungry? I'm hungry..let's get food, okay
good you're coming.
Kimberly: Uh, well I guess you answered for me.I have no choice.XD
Kimberly: Why are you staring at me like that?
Ray: I'm not staring...
Kimberly: Yes you are, and its weird.If I have something on my
face please tell me so I can wipe it off.
Ray: Oh no, you're just fine...I mean good, there's nothing on your
face.
Kimberly: Its getting late, and I got to do some homework for my college courses.
Ray: Here, I'll walk you home..
Kimberly: Oh, I'm okay.Its just a couple blocks down.
Ray: You sure?
Kimberly: Yeah, I'll be fine.
Kimberly: I should go...Loads of work to do.See you tomorrow
at..right can't say it, well at work..
Ray: See you tomorrow...
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
Sounds like they have similar interests.
Glad to see she didn’t completely forget about Taiga.
I don’t like most of those changes either, to be honest. But knowing how comics are, hopefully things are back to status quo soon.
@Evalen yikes, can’t blame Lillie. I wouldn’t want to be abducted either.
Uh oh, not good having a space rock. We know what that means...
Hopefully he can see Earth, although that might make him homesick.
Well, it turns out NRAAS Hybrid mod is to blame. I do have it in my game and it is mostly there to help my hybrids, and to add extra options to other mods to allow hybrid babies. Since I have got a special Sims 3 folder for each of my YouTube series, I can safely remove Hybrid from my mods folder until Donna has got her LTW.
I did spend quite a while updating all of my NRAAS mods before discovering the new version of Hybrid fails to fix this bug.
Since I'd previously removed GoHere to allow my plant sims to have their flower trail, I decided to put it's new version into my mods folder and added a plant sim to Donna's household just to test if it's been fixed. So far my plant sim has a flower trail again with the mod in place. I'll test for a while longer to see if it stays or vanishes again. I have a vague recollection that in previous versions of GoHere mod the flower trail was present for a while and then disappeared permanently. So I won't get too excited about that possible fix just yet.
I am now about to shut down my game and remove Hybrid mod, at least until Donna has her LTW.
In the meantime - Happy Simming.
EDIT: Result
I Quit the game.
TEST Hybrid mod with Fairy Bloom ability
Removed Hybrid
Reloaded game.
Donna can now successfully Bloom the plants
TEST GoHere mod with Plant Sim flower trail
After reloading the game my plant sim no longer has a flower trail.
Therefore - I'll remove GoHere next time I launch as I want the flower trails regardless of what other benefits I may have to miss out on by not using GoHere.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW44b3uCMtCSaq4gwC8EZg
Heroes committee reminds me of the Justice League.
Kimberly looks nice in her formal wear.
I feel for her, I can’t dance either.
Well, it’s a start. I’m sure Kimberly will come around, Ray.
That was rude if the gnome to bite her.
He’s probably thinking that’s the only way he can get Kimberly to go with him.
Ray can’t catch a break. I’m sure Kimberly will warm up to a relationship eventually though.
@emorrill Chin ups are a struggle lol. I can do them but I sure the heck don’t look like Alex does. I’m not muscular at all.
Looks like a good time in the hot tub.
You stay safe too!
@Silverofdreams30 Thanks, me too.
Nice to see Thornton.
@bekkasan You’re welcome.
Lol, well I guess having them as ghosts wouldn’t be the worst thing. I didn’t know there was a way to keep the tree intact that way.
Ok, I’m a bit behind on your story so I won’t comment here. Once I get my internet next week, I’m going to get caught up and will comment there. That way I know what’s going on fully.
@king_of_simcity7 Great screenshots of Tammy!
@Karritz Donna’s got a pretty decent life going. Does she know she already has a future husband, lol
@Nikkei_Simmer I always thought your version of River looks pretty. Every time I see her in my game, she never looks that good. Lol
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW44b3uCMtCSaq4gwC8EZg
Ah heck, I'm sharing it: Today (and tomorrow) our church members been privileged to hear from our church leaders once again in our semi-annual General Conference. (Well, it's not just for us, anyone can tune in.
(It was quite weird seeing them sit in chairs 6 feet apart from each other and address an empty auditorium.
I am just SO thankful for my faith and I thank God for my blessings! 🙏 Hallelujah! 🙌
Ok, I'm done.
Comments and Replies time:
@GraceyManor ^Thanks chica.
Enjoyed your update. I very much dislike gnomes myself...
Man! I was expecting a kiss!
@Silverofdreams30 ^Hee hee I LOVE your response so much!
I think I do remember that save with your version of Thornton and that picture is very nice.
@bekkasan ^Hee hee glad you enjoyed the pictures.
I love how much you swoon over Shane.
Oooohhhh!
----
Update!
Good for Jennifer for standing up to her boss about interviewing the King.
"Simtini" I love it!
Aww, such adorable conversation between the toddlers again.
Curse those cops for going after the good people trying to create a pretty mural for the town!
Tymenth is seriously the perfect name for a dragon!
Aww, what a happy little Willow in her swing. Me thinks she's gonna be a mini Wisteria.
Go Marshall!
This pic is adorable.
Finnian doing the "poo face!"
Now there's an idea for transporting fairy wings!
I'm SO looking forward to the next part! I know it's going to be exciting!
@king_of_simcity7 Nice pics of Tammy blowing the kiss.
@Karritz Hey lady.
Our choir had to postpone our Spring Concert for obvious reasons. Made me sad.
@Nikkei_Simmer Sorry to make you feel old.
I was so happy to see you post on here! I've been thinking about you and hoping you've been doing okay and surviving since this Pandemic has done a number on my mental health lately as I'm sure it has yours.
I was thinking about your stories where they are all stuck underground and comparing it to all this quarantine going on. I swear, being underground would be MUCH worse! I'd DIE being underground for months and not able to get out or bask in the fresh air!
@SimTown15 Did not realize you're in High School.
@Brandontaylor Thanks for the comments.
LOL! Boy, I was NEVER able to do chin ups, even when I was a skinny young girl! I've been plagued with weak arms since birth.
I MIGHT post some of my story tonight, but I haven't decided for sure yet. I started on a new scene and I dunno if I want to reveal it in the part I could totally post now, or wait until I write up the rest of the chapter. 🤔 Guess y'all will see soon enough. I gotta get to writing!
Keep calm and Sim on my friends!
@Brandontaylor - will work on my youtube when I get my computer back and I’ll do a tutorial video on how to get her looking good 😄
@emorrill - Darth Real Life has a tendency to hang around when he’s not wanted. 😉 but outside of that every think is hunky dory.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Yep, I don't think he wanted it to end that way either.XD
I love sims in their tuxes
@Brandontaylor
She may or may not.She's still adapting to her
new lifestyle so it for sure will take time.
@emorrill
LOL, I think he was expecting it to...
not yet in her book XD
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
Kimberly: I know you have the artifact from the museum, Stella.
Give it back.
Stella: Who do you think you are? I don't think you're in any position
to give threats.
Kimberly: That's it, you Harpy, you're going down.
Ray: Pretty pathetic, Stella.Just give up.
Stella: Never.I'm not being defeated by a preppy princess.
Kimberly: I am not preppy! You shrew.Now give it back.
Stella: I can not.
Kimberly: Why not?
Stella: Twas not I who stole it.Invoke a name, if you wish.I am not threatened.
Ray: Look Stella, I've had it up to here with you games.Now give it back.
Stella: I see, a punishment for your whining is in order.
Kimberly: Gah, what did you do?! Fix this right now.
Stella: Fare thee well, Girl Danger.
Kimberly: Paul..I'll have to get his help.
Paul: Anything I could do, would take weeks or months to make..
Kimberly: So there's nothing we can do?
Paul: Not exactly.There is one thing YOU could try.
Kimberly: why do you look like the cat that swallowed the pidgeon?
Paul: Canary.
Kimberly: What?
Paul: I look like the cat that swallowed the canary.
Kimberly: Whatever...wait you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting.
Paul: Exactly.
Kimberly: Nope, not doing.
Paul: You owe him for spilling your secrete to that fake boyfriend of yours.
Kimberly: Sure, tug on my guilt strings...Fine, but this better not back fire on me.
I'm gonna regret this she thought as she leaned in, she didn't
even know if it would work or not.
A few minutes went by, and Ray thawed out.It took him a moment
or two to realize what was going on.Kimberly, had no clue he had
unthawed.
He pulled her in for an embrace.
Kimberly: Let go...
Ray: What? Why?
Kimberly: What the heck, you should have said you were okay..
Ray: I'm sorry...You were holding me first...just returning the
gesture.
Kimberly: I was only doing it to help you.I owed you for spilling
my secrete..
Ray: Oh..
Kimberly: Well, since you're okay.I'm going home.
Ray: Kimberly, wait..
Kimberly: What?
Ray: Thank you...for saving me.
Kimberly: Of course.Just doing my job.Good night.
Ray: Good night...?
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
As for choir, it started at the start of February and I was looking forward to it, but the day or two before it started I had a feeling of dread about going back to it so I didn't go. Then a few weeks later, about the time I went to the dentist, I got an email saying they'd cancelled the April concert and there'd be no more rehearsals until further notice. They were hoping to do the June concert but I can't see that happening as the whole country is asked to stay indoors unless it is necessary to go out for one of a few specific things - such as to get food, go to work, medical, exercise etc...
Our Prime Minister says expect this situation to last at least 6 months, but it could have to continue for much longer it all depends on how the virus continues to affect us. The numbers on our Govt web site currently say 5,635 cases in Australia with 900 of them in my state which is the 3rd highest state total in the country. Most of them came off cruise ships or airports from overseas. There is some community spread here now too - just over the past few days. They say we have the highest rate of testing here, but are only testing people with symptoms as the tests are not sufficiently sensitive to pick up the virus in someone who is still without symptoms. Most people tested are found to be negative.
They say everyone will get it eventually. One hope is scientists here have found an old, currently used drug that is available by prescription only kills the virus instantly in a test tube. They just announced that last night. But they will have to do trials to see if it works in people and what the effective dose is. Fortunately the drug has been safely used for years for another conditions, so if it is found to be effective against the virus when used on people instead of just in a test tube then it will hopefully become available in a few months, or a year. So there is hope. If we can all manage to remain virus free until someone finds a cure or a vaccine or both we should be OK. At least for this one.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW44b3uCMtCSaq4gwC8EZg
On the plus side, I'm looking forward to lower prices of stuff after this all goes away. More LEGO Friends! Also I've got my eye on the Disney Zombies 2 Wynter doll when those come out. And if D-Signed makes a clothing line for it.
And the new Barbies... I saw one with freckles and a red haired one I've been wanting since they started making curvy, tall and petite Barbie dolls. I only have the Originals. Might get rid of some old ones to make room for new.
And then there's my 18 Inch doll obsession... I have 2... plus a blog for them.
Anyway, onto the sims topic.
Didn't do much today. Built a house in ip for the sims to move into someday.
Unfortunately Star Stable took up most of my computer time... and virtual dance party... there was a Hee Haw skit involved... that shows old and yet I remember watching it with my grandma.
Hoping to complete the Brunch at the Old Mill set for CYS. 16 items left.
My Sims 3 Store Wishlist: https://store.thesims3.com/myWishlist.html?persona=DollyGizzy
My TS3 Blog: https://rubysasimslife.blogspot.com
Hope y'all enjoy!
When we last left off, Harvey, Alex and Shane just discovered that the cashier lady at the Grocery Store is an Android or...something.
Pelican Town to Sims Town
Continuation of Chapter 5...
Meanwhile, Abigail, Leah and Maru loaded themselves up into one of the vehicles that was also provided for them and made their way toward the hills behind their home. If there was any place to go foraging and find various rocks and soil, it would be in those hills.
The sky held a salmon pink glow as they followed the road up into the hills, which would soon become a cerulean hue once the sun made its way above the horizon.
The road came to an end before a medium sized lake, surrounded by a dusty terrain spotted with rocks and dead grasses, with a skinny, multi-colored waterfall, much to the girl’s surprise, raining down into it from three giant boulders. Whether the water came from a natural source or was the work of magic they couldn’t be sure and didn’t think too hard on it. They just stood in awe over its glimmering beauty.
“Is that...rainbow water?” Leah asked curiously with peered eyes.
“It’s breathtaking!” Abigail whispered. This world is spectacular!
“No, not literal rainbow water,” Maru answered, studying the whole scene very carefully, “or else the water in the lake would also be rainbow colored. See how the water falls into a rainbow glow on the surface of the water,” she pointed, “yet the colors do not spread. Interesting…”
“Fascinating,” Leah breathed.
“It could be the way the light is reflecting off the water droplets, therefore producing a rainbow effect,” Maru intelligently concluded. But wait...the sun hasn’t fully risen into the sky yet...Hmm?
“That or it’s a magical waterfall,” Abigail continued to admire. “I wonder if it’s really even water or just an illusion. I’d love to get a closer look!”
“That may be dangerous,” Maru cautioned, snapping out of her thoughts. “Look how steep the slope is below those giant boulders. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Abigail did notice and curled her lower lip between her teeth in disappointment. If I could just get close enough, she thought, then I could...no. There’s not enough cover. Nevermind. She sighed.
“Let’s get to work,” Maru directed, “we’ve got a lot to collect.”
The other two nodded, pulling out a crumpled up grocery bag from their pockets.
“Okay, you two will be collecting plants, grasses, seeds, and any other bits of vegetation that you feel might aid us,” Maru began. “If something looks neat or even odd, grab it. We don’t want to miss anything. We’ll work on collecting insects after we do that.”
The two ladies nodded in acknowledgement again.
“While you two are foraging I’m going to collect soil samples, and a sample of this lake water, as well as do a little fishing,” she smiled. This was the one time she was thankful her dad took her out fishing as a kid.
Abigail took a quick look around and noticed a fence behind the waterfall that stretched out many feet on each side. “I think I might sneak over that fence and collect stuff too,” she said. “Lots of greener vegetation over there; should be some good stuff.”
“Sounds good,” Maru nodded. “We’ll hit up some other areas around the countryside too, but for now let’s get to work as quickly as possible here while still being thorough in our search.”
When Maru turned her back to the girls for a moment, Abigail leaned towards Leah and whispered in her ear, “She’s starting to sound like Harvey.”
“Oh I know!” Leah whispered back with a snicker, thinking the same. “She’s been working with him for WAY too long!”
“Almost to the point that they’re starting to look like each other!”
“Just like an old married couple!”
Their chuckles got louder.
“You know, I bet those two will--” Abigail started.
“What’s so funny?” Maru asked them.
Instantly the ridiculous grins appeared. “Nothing,” Leah replied. “We’ll...uh...get to the foraging now.”
“Yup!” Abigail chimed in. “Don’t want to waste anymore time!”
“Okaaay,” Maru acknowledged, shooting them a questionable look. She watched them gather for a few seconds and then turned and made for the car.
She pulled out a handy little scanner doo-dad from the backseat that she found resting on the chemistry table in her bedroom she shared with Abigail. She wasn’t sure how to use it, but after fiddling with it a bit she was able to figure a few things out.
“Okay,” she whispered, stepping closer to the lake. “Let’s see what kind of reading I get from the lake water here.”
The handheld device’s ability to collect various amounts of informative and scientific data on whatever it was being aimed at, even at a far distance, was beyond fascinating! The budding little inventor that is Maru, found herself geeking out all over it. It was a relief to see that many things from this world were made up of the same molecular structure as things similar to it in their world back home. That would certainly make doing research and studying much easier! I must pass this info on to Harvey, she thought, it should ease his mind a bit.
She knelt down and gathered a hefty sample of water into one of the test tubes she carried in her pocket, sealed it, and then went on to collect different colors of soil from all around the lake. With all of the tubes safely placed in the car’s backseat cup holders, she grabbed the fishing rod - also found in her room - and stood near the edge of the lake and cast the line.
While she fished, Abigail picked up some fallen leaves from a large crimson colored tree. In the corner of her eye the rainbow waterfall continued to flow and greatly called out to her, but she would have to ignore it for now.
When she made her way to the fence line, she took a quick look from the left to the right, making sure no strangers were around to witness her jump over it.
When the coast was clear, she stepped up onto the middle fence post, carefully swung her other leg over, and landed on the other side with ease. She smiled while gazing at all the clusters of pine trees and went right on collecting the needles, cones, a long piece of bark, and even a solid drip of sap.
The forested area seemed unusually quiet. Normally there’d be the random sound of a bird chirping, cicadas singing, or a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. There was none of that, only silence and there was quite a vast forest spread out in front of her. It felt a little unsettling, but at the same time she didn’t sense an air of danger. The dried pine needles cracked beneath her feet, piercing the silence, as she inched her way deeper into the trees to collect whatever else she might find. She stumbled upon a patch of mushrooms, hoping they weren’t poisonous, even some growing on the trees producing little platforms, but one thing she knew for certain is that some could be used for medicinal purposes so she collected as much as she could store.
As she continued on her way she suddenly crashed into some unseen force that sent her flying backward and landing onto her back. “Ow!” she cried out, even though the collision didn’t hurt much. It felt like she ran into a gel padded wall. Carefully getting back onto her feet she peered ahead, still seeing the vast forest, but knew better than to keep walking forward. She reached out her hand, her forefingers raised, inching forward until they indeed met with something solid. It felt like a soft, invisible sheet and her touch created a ripple that spread out far into the treetops. Her mouth dropped in awe and question as she watched. Is this some kind of a barrier? Why is it here? Then her heart really pounded. Are we living in a giant bubble? But...why!? Breathing heavily now she whipped out her phone and called Harvey.
When he answered she started off by saying, “You’re not going to believe this...but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.”
Meanwhile on the other side of the fence, Maru finished fishing, capturing three different kinds of fish, and then went on to forage as well.
Across the waterfall from her, Leah happened upon a rather large seed lying on the ground.
It seemed more like a pod, perhaps containing other smaller seeds in it, but she couldn’t be sure. She was tempted to pry or crack it open to see, but figured she better not and just dropped it into her bag. Then she sighed, staring off towards the town. Is it really necessary for us to gather all this stuff? Surely the stores have all that we need. I wonder what kind of information Elliott has gathered from the computer? She smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of her love and missing him once again. Maybe I should call him?
“Maru! Leah!” Abigail called out. “You girl’s have gotta see this!”
I guess I’ll just see him when we get back.
Back at the guy’s house, Elliott was completely immersed in the "World-Wide-Web," finding all sorts of information on the history of the world and town where they currently resided.
His eyes glued to the screen, he returned to some notes he’d been taking in a separate word document and naturally he wrote it all up like a story. He read it aloud to himself in a whisper to refresh his mind, “The town of Appaloosa started out as a cowboy ranch town in the Midwest of Deserta - southern continent of Simthaer - on the edge of a major highway. As time passed, the town degenerated into nearly a ghost town when a few city slickers arrived turning the area into a bustling hub of activity. With their bags of gold they retrofitted the town with modern amenities while eagerly believing they’d acquired their own slice of country paradise. The clash between the old and the new is relatively apparent, with some elderly die-hards clinging to the remaining vestiges of life as they knew it.”
Hmm, he stopped to think, glancing up and staring at the blank wall. A bustling hub of activity? I’m really not getting that vibe here, but...maybe it’s just me.
His concentration and thoughts were continually being disrupted by the sound of music coming from the room next to his.
Sebastian and Sam were jamming out on the various musical instruments in their room, getting familiar with them, ultimately settling on the electric guitar and drums. The drums were Sam’s favorite instrument to play, next to the guitar. Sebastian normally played keyboard and only recently learned to play guitar due to the fact that Sam had been wanting to start a band with him and Abigail for a while and expressed sometimes wanting to play the drums depending on the song. Sebastian also wrote up a couple of songs for their soon to be band and Sam wrote out the guitar and drum parts, leaving Sebastian to figure out the keyboard part later. They practiced the songs so much back home that they had them memorized and couldn’t wait to jam them out in this new world. The two were indeed a talented pair of virtuosos.
“The extra strings on this guitar are so flippin’ sweet!” Sebastian expressed to his buddy, lightly plucking at them. “More notes for us to learn and experiment with.”
“Fo sho!” Sam concurred. “Let’s see how we can add those extra notes into your ‘Nutcase’ song.”
“Yeah! Let’s do it!”
“Time to wing it!” Sam declared, raising his drumsticks in the air. “You ready?”
Sebastian positioned his fingers and nodded.
Then Sam counted while hitting the sticks together, “One, two, three, four…”
The sounds from the guitar strings instantly permeated the room, producing a catchy Rock tune as Sebastian began singing the lyrics. He wouldn’t call himself a great singer, but he wasn’t terrible. Soon Sam would join in on the drums.
The first few bars of the song sounded pretty good to Elliott through the wall, but after hearing it being replayed over and over and over again during his research, the key changing each time, began to wear on his nerves. Nevertheless he pressed on. He was just too darn curious about this world and didn’t wish to cause any contention in the household on their second day here, even though it would surely happen. He still shuddered to think about living for months with these guys when he was so used to living on his own.
“Okay that time it didn’t sound so good,” Sebastian expressed with a grimace.
“Yeah, the verse notes sounded alright, but the chorus suc’ked,” Sam said.
Looking thoughtful, Sebastian then said, “The time I played it in this new E-flat major sounded righteous!” He re-positioned his fingers over the guitar strings. “Let me see if I can remember...”
“True!” Sam pointed with his drumstick. “Alrighty, from the top then?”
“Yeah.”
Thinking the guys had finally taken a break in playing, that ever familiar Rock sound once again rang in Elliott’s ears. His fingers slammed down onto the keyboard with his forehead nearly following suit. He’d had enough!
He jumped up from his chair and headed straight for the other bedroom door. Raising his fist to knock he suddenly stopped himself. Something within him told him to chill because he was somewhat of a musician himself and could respect a good jam while trying to experiment with a song. And obviously the two young men weren’t trying to bother him. It wouldn’t be fair or kind to just burst in there and yell at them, especially when he really had no authority to do so. This is something he would just have to learn to get used to.
He lowered his head with a sigh and thought, I swear those boys act like teenagers and it drives me nuts! Or am I just turning into an old man prematurely? He cracked a smile. Nah...let them keep thinking Harvey is the oldest and authoritative one here. I refuse to get too involved in anything, especially drama. Standing up straight and clearing his throat he calmly opened the door, approaching the situation in a different manner now.
“Hey,” Elliott addressed through the music. “Could you guys maybe take a break from playing for a bit? I can’t concentrate on my research.” He paused, seeing the guys acknowledge, but choosing to finish the song before stopping. “Besides...we’re all supposed to be exploring and discovering all we can about this place today.”
“We are discovering something about this place,” Sam spoke in between drum beats, “the musical instruments!” He threw out a cheesy grin.
“They’re pretty much the same as they are in our world,” Elliott retorted.
“No,” Sebastian corrected, “they are quite different. For example, this guitar has six strings instead of four. Can you believe that!?”
That prompted Elliott to glance over at the keyboard to study and see if it too had more keys than his piano back home.
“That means there’s more musical notes to discover,” Sebastian went on with a grin.
“And that's so rad!” Sam added. “Wait until I get my hands on that guitar!”
“Besides Elliott, this is enlightening ourselves is it not?”
“What he said!”
Elliott just stared at them both with his mouth in a hard line and a raised bow, not willing to give them the pleasure of admitting they are right, but rather...doing something else. “I’ll show you two what key this song belongs in.” And he headed straight for the keyboard, sitting himself down.
Sam and Sebastian shot each other some bright-eyed looks of wonder as they kept on playing.
They didn’t even have to start the song over, Elliott jumped right in on the keyboard, knowing exactly when to, leading it into a key change that hadn’t been attempted yet and the other two naturally followed suit. The more Sebastian played in the new key the more he began to approve of it and soon...he began to love it. He and Sam now jammed louder and with more feeling than before. “Fantastic!” Sebastian gleefully voiced.
“Wow Elliott,” Sam began, “I’d heard you played the piano some, but I didn’t know you were this good!”
“You should totally join our band!” Sebastian blurted out in excitement, without fully thinking about that first.
Sam rapidly shook his head ‘no’ at him.
“Not on your life kid,” Elliott said, secretly loving the feeling of the music pulsing through his soul from each fingertip. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, smiling. It’d been too long since he played and he missed it more than he realized.
Yeah, I still got it!
*****************************
To be continued...
Author's Note: The song Sam and Sebastian were playing I imagined to sound something similar to this song: