That's funny, I've been trying to think of a way to do a chat show kind of thing myself... Diago Lobo hosts Lobo's Den... but I didn't manage to get the set built before Raven's Apprentice distracted me.
Creepy old men is one of the reasons why Wyrd'verse future Londyn eventually starts her own production company. I know, my world isn't your world but it's cool to me to see how the threads run between them.
Danielle and Londyn are so great together. They support each other through everything. Everyone should have a partner, friend or sister like that. Also, love Cyndi
Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer.Wyrd Girls
In the past I've been guilty of overthinking builds to support my stories. For something like this all it needs to be is a single room that I can place in any world. Being a set makes it really easy because there's no need to add windows because it's a set, so I don't have think about what scenery can be seen outside the window.
The Simsverse is infinite threads of possibility each of which can then intersect with other threads or eventually weave in and out of itself.
I have yet to find a situation that can't be improved by adding Cyndi.
It’s great to see Londyn (and Danielle) doing so well. I love how you included lots of details here and there to really bring your scenes to life and readers into them. For example, when they arrived home and kicked their shoes off. It’s always nice to come home and relax. It’s even better when your floor is a temperature you’re accustomed to (or one that you can change at will because it’s heated/programmable). I also feel for Londyn with her shoes, but I think that’s a typical mistake and one only made once or twice because of how painful it is. From then on, people who often wear heels (or at least I) always have spare shoes (a tiny pair of flats, comfortable tennis shoes, or super padded slippers or something in your bag, car, or office). For photos, some daring people just go barefoot or wear the most comfortable shoes around when wearing a long dress because their feet won’t show and it’s a nice break. I’m glad that IRL other shoes are trending for teens and very young adults and that they’re much less pressured into wearing heels if they don’t want to wear them. Anyway, Londyn’s photos turned out beautiful. I love that she didn’t change her hairstyle for it.
Londyn and Danielle also look beautiful on the red carpet. And Allegra’s mystery woman is Venessa, it seems. It was a nice reveal.
Thank you for those kind words.❤️ This wasn't Londyn's first photoshoot as an actor, but her career is taking off and there are new demands being made of her. I had a few sentences in there describing how she felt dehumanized. I thought that would be better in a later chapter. I had set it up that Melissa would get her booked with someone really good who would take care of her and I followed that thread. So when I was shooting those pictures I was putting myself in her shoes and thinking what it must be like to be in that moment. I feel like the experience was eye-opening in good and bad ways for her so I introduced the idea she's getting her eyes opened to some of the sacrifices that are going to come with realizing her dreams. Things she knew existed in the business on some level, but you don't truly appreciate until you're the one they're happening too.
For me this chapter was a learning experience. As I get used to the idea of stockpiling gameplay and screenshots to use later to write and have material saved for a rainy day so to speak I came across something I need to file away. I added thousands of screenshots during my gameplay sessions but I didn't keep the story firmly in mind. When I finished writing and got down to adding pictures I realized that the way I wrote scenes up didn't match up to the pictures I had to work with. I got home from work yesterday thinking I'd only need a couple of hours to add the pictures and I could get it posted last night. I had to go back a reshoot several scenes to fill gaps or correct continuity errors. It started right away with the airport and video chat scenes. They were minutes apart in the world where the story lives. In my world they were hours apart. I shot the airport scene first, shut the game down and came back later. As I was setting up the chat scene I decided I wanted the ladies wearing different outfits but I forgot to double check what they should have been wearing for the sake of continuity. Things spiraled from there.😁 I learned when I write it wouldn't hurt to look through the screenshots I have saved to Imgur to remind myself of what my screenshots are depicting.
I got home from work yesterday thinking I'd only need a couple of hours to add the pictures and I could get it posted last night. I had to go back a reshoot several scenes to fill gaps or correct continuity errors. It started right away with the airport and video chat scenes. They were minutes apart in the world where the story lives. In my world they were hours apart.
I can tell you put a lot of work into this chapter. I think it turned out really well. I feel like it's always hard to come back from a break. I often notice things that aren't supposed to be noticed, but I think most people, including myself, are used to Sims repeating clothes, not changing their outfits much and changing their clothes randomly, so most image inconsistencies aren't going to be given any thought at all unless they're important to the plot or part of a mystery. I forgot to comment on this but by the time Londyn and Danielle began discussing how "home" wasn't just a location but people, I was immersed in the story and their sweetness, agreeing with them about "home" and paying 0 attention to outfit changes until clothes became a part of the story with the photoshoots.
Thank you❤️ It does mean that little bit extra when another writer comments about the effort put into the story. They know what goes into this art form and to notice it and mention it makes all that effort all the more worthwhile.
I don't know for sure, maybe I do view each chapter less like a SimLit story and more like an episode of a TV show. I do try to keep track of those little details. One thing I don't lay out so that readers can follow with is the concept of time. I really don't have a set age in my mind for any of the characters. If I really had to say, they're all around 25-28. But I never play with aging on so the concept and structure of months and years is fairly meaningless. All days denote is where we in the week in the story, and even that isn't something I track and discuss all that much. For some reason making sure outfits match scene to scene is something I do pay attention to.
I enjoyed reading Chapter 45. While I usually prefer longer styles, I really enjoy realistic and alpha style hairs as well. Her hair looks very cool. @DaniRose2143
@haneul
I don't know for sure, maybe I do view each chapter less like a SimLit story and more like an episode of a TV show. I do try to keep track of those little details. One thing I don't lay out so that readers can follow with is the concept of time. I really don't have a set age in my mind for any of the characters. If I really had to say, they're all around 25-28. But I never play with aging on so the concept and structure of months and years is fairly meaningless. All days denote is where we in the week in the story, and even that isn't something I track and discuss all that much. For some reason making sure outfits match scene to scene is something I do pay attention to.
Your attention to detail is great. You know your characters and your story better than anyone else and you know how to convey your knowledge to the audience in an entertaining way. For readers, I just think it's hard to take in and hold as much information as the writer does because for most? readers doing so would be immersion-breaking. Being able to notice outfit consistency, walls up, no white outlines, proper cropping, and lighting that matches the right time of day while also digesting the text at a pleasant pace is probably more than can be handled. But SimLit creators like you can enjoy nailing everything like that themselves and everyone else can appreciate your comments when you discuss your approach.
I think your concept of each chapter being like an episode of a TV show works well with how you treat aging too. It's clever.
@LeucosiaX Thank you, I’m happy you enjoyed it.😁 With Danielle’s hair if and when it grows back out I want to do it slowly. I’ve looking through my collection for hairstyles I could use to slowly depict it growing out. When I chose Londyn’s hairstyle I was planning to have her try some different natural styles but I can’t imagine her with any other style right now.
@DaniRose2143 It's a lot of work for that realism but well worth the storytelling. Great job!
I have a lot of dread styles in all lengths as well. I have barely even scratch the service with using thing all, and I have my couple characters that have their styles I like best, but excellent idea. Also I like to change it up when they go to sleep or in the pool.
I read your other post about all the cc challenges. When I used Sims Mod Manager, it said I had like something over 22,000. There is simply no way to go through all that to remove files. I tried but my patience. I which there was an way officially in game when in cas you see a cc you don't care for or doesn't work you can just opt click it and have it deleted from there. Really customization makes this game fun, and I don't know how to manage all the little things.
A lot of mods broke with the last update. Good luck!
A lot of that mindset comes from my OCD. I try to ignore the little discrepancies but sometimes once I see something I can’t unsee it and it drives me crazy until I fix it. I’m getting better at letting them slide but I have good and bad days with it.😁
I need something like mod manager mixed with a version of TwistedMexi’s locate outfit cc that tells you everything you used across all outfit categories on a sim. Each of my sims has more than one outfit in each category but I have to run locate cc on each outfit and each sim one at a time.
I’d love it if we could do what you were saying and just delete the outfit right from the CAS thumbnail. Click, gone, done. That’s what has been stopping me from cleaning up my mods folder properly. It would take me days or even weeks to fix so many characters looks. But what I have thinking of doing is deleting everything from the CAS side that was created prior to 2020 2021. I have items that go all the way back to 2014-15 still.
A lot of that mindset comes from my OCD. I try to ignore the little discrepancies but sometimes once I see something I can’t unsee it and it drives me crazy until I fix it. I’m getting better at letting them slide but I have good and bad days with it.😁
I need something like mod manager mixed with a version of TwistedMexi’s locate outfit cc that tells you everything you used across all outfit categories on a sim. Each of my sims has more than one outfit in each category but I have to run locate cc on each outfit and each sim one at a time.
I’d love it if we could do what you were saying and just delete the outfit right from the CAS thumbnail. Click, gone, done. That’s what has been stopping me from cleaning up my mods folder properly. It would take me days or even weeks to fix so many characters looks. But what I have thinking of doing is deleting everything from the CAS side that was created prior to 2020 2021. I have items that go all the way back to 2014-15 still.
@DaniRose2143 right. Same like I don't know where to start with the sims 4 mod managers app, and I usually have my folders organized by date. But still, I have a lot of good stuff there for my older characters. I really wish there was like a way to get them. Even like you describe categories of so many little tiny files like lipstick, but it really adds up.
I think it would so helpful if the game was not like a million little files for a specific thing. Like this objects or this particular hair style exactly but if create a sim was a bit more fluid like curly hair, straight hair and you adjust the length and style with other tools. Same with objects and furnishings, dimensions - I need my table heights to match the surroundings. Some couches are high, some are low. I can never find the right coffee table.
But we have better build buy- we need something like that for cas. But something official, dealing with the system we have not to edit properly.
But clearly all your cc hoarding has paid off as your sims always look freakin' fantastic. Love your thread! @DaniRose2143
@haneul A lot of that mindset comes from my OCD. I try to ignore the little discrepancies but sometimes once I see something I can’t unsee it and it drives me crazy until I fix it. I’m getting better at letting them slide but I have good and bad days with it.😁
I don't have OCD, but if my concept weren't gameplay-based, I would fix every little mistake of my own that I found, so I understand. Now, I fix what I can without completely betraying my concept and I delight in fixing things.
I wish you the best of luck with managing all your CC. It looks great in your screenshots.
@LeucosiaX First, thank you. Your sims look freaking amazing too😁
What got me in trouble with CAS is I couldn’t stand to let go of anything because, you never know, I might have a use for it later. Now I have so many sims and I don’t want to spend forever fixing outfits. But I see sooo many outfits and separates that I want for my simmies that I just keep digging myself in deeper. My bb fixation is from downloading lots, but when the creator list single items from a set I just download the whole set because, again I might have a use for it later and everything is so pretty.😁
Thank you@DaniRose2143 for your kind words about my sims🙂
And to make new sims doesn't feel like the are rehash of other sims you, you have to go on a custom content shopping haul. Plus styles change with time and you want to revamp old characters.
I feel the same way about build buy sets. I was obsessive about create a sims custom content at first, but it was build buy sets that did me in with multiplying my mods folder size exponentially. They are bigger, and the sets make a huge difference for interior design jobs as they all match and transform a space based on a theme, look or aesthetic.
While I wish to grab the bad files from the cas cc, I know that organizing my build buy cc would make a more drastic difference to my mod folders size. I even tried to organize and seperate the two, so I can pull some bb cc out if needing to down size, if probably my best strategy at making a difference. There are some simmers who have figured out how to place all the cc on an external harddrive, and play it off there. Looking into it, it requires going into an area of your Mac, I've been advised to not, the terminal. So I will not be doing that. I wish I had a powerful pc for this game. Absolutely insane how the love of this game turns us all into IT specialist.
Forgive me if this response seems disjointed. I have two windows open. One to read and the other to respond. Otherwise I forget what I want to comment on. 😄
I love how you incorporate the everyday little mundane happenings in your story. Londyn forgetting her tablet stand just makes her feel more real.
No kidding. I got goosebumps when Melissa said Londyn had both parts. So happy for her.
Hope I'm not jinxing anything but reading how Londyn s dreams are all coming true I have the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Say it ain't so.
As the story progresses I've been thinking about how perfect their lives are. I don't want to have bickering, arguments, or breakups to make them less perfect. That's why I'm trying to work little things like that into the story. Londyn having a role yanked out from under her at the last minute, Danielle's fight with her homophobic former agent, and in an upcoming chapter Summer has a flashback to time when she was stalked while out for a run. It was something that happened years ago, before the story even started. I want to have more moments like in this chapter where we see the downside to fame.
I was hoping I hadn't gone too far in saying she two directors asking for her by name. But I suppose it does happen like that in real life. You hear entertain shows talking about how such and such director wants so and so actor.
There will be some bad things happen, but nothing too bad. None of the characters are going to die. None of the couples are going to break up but there will be more little bumps in the road.
She makes everything look sooo good. The more I look at her with those short locs, I can't imagine her with any other hairstyle. She's stunning. It flatters her, she flatters it, I don't know which, but dammm girlfriend rocks those locs! I won't rule out another look for her later on, but you know it's going to need to be epic to ditch that one.😁
@haneul I've learned how to use camera angles to cover up as many mistakes as possible and only go back and reshoot a scene if there's no other way or I just can't 'live' with it.
Thank you@DaniRose2143 for your kind words about my sims🙂
And to make new sims doesn't feel like the are rehash of other sims you, you have to go on a custom content shopping haul. Plus styles change with time and you want to revamp old characters.
I feel the same way about build buy sets. I was obsessive about create a sims custom content at first, but it was build buy sets that did me in with multiplying my mods folder size exponentially. They are bigger, and the sets make a huge difference for interior design jobs as they all match and transform a space based on a theme, look or aesthetic.
While I wish to grab the bad files from the cas cc, I know that organizing my build buy cc would make a more drastic difference to my mod folders size. I even tried to organize and seperate the two, so I can pull some bb cc out if needing to down size, if probably my best strategy at making a difference. There are some simmers who have figured out how to place all the cc on an external harddrive, and play it off there. Looking into it, it requires going into an area of your Mac, I've been advised to not, the terminal. So I will not be doing that. I wish I had a powerful pc for this game. Absolutely insane how the love of this game turns us all into IT specialist.
I've been go back and forth between thinking about the new pack and thinking about my mods folder issues. As far as CAS goes I think I just have to rip the band-aid off so to speak and spend a few days fixing outfits as I find them in the game. I have MCCC so I can click on any sim I need to fix or I just sit down and go through them all in manage households/ It's easy to identify which outfits and separates are 'iconic' to a character's look and most of them, for me, are luckily enough from creators that are very good about putting their name in their thumbnails.
You mentioned all the little files and how they add up. I'm a collector and one of the CAS creators I go nuts for is Zenx. I have everything they've ever released aside from a few of the really niche costume stuff. My folder for Zenx is 1.32gb. Over a gig for just makeup. I love their creations and Zenx is an amazing artist but they're early days stuff doesn't stand up to what they're making now, and it looks pixelated. And yet it's taking up space in my mods folder still.
On the positive side, if I thin out my CAS collection how hidden gems will I find that got lost in that mess?😁
It’s been a while since Londyn and Danielle both changed hairstyles but I forgot short time has passed in the UTS world.
A movie and a tv show, congrats Londyn! That explains the various the outfits and shoots, Londyn looked perfect in all of them. A nomination as well for Danielle, congratulations as well!
The hour has arrived😁 The mystery sim was Venessa! She really kept her eyes on her. So happy we finally know who it is, can’t wait to see this all unfold❤️
@BlueSeaWaves There’s never any rush, you can comment whenever, and I knew you’d be along eventually.😁
Burn out is such a bummer but I’m back, refreshed and ready to write. Venessa is totally captivated by Allegra. I’m looking forward to seeing where this relationship goes because it has the long distance relationship dynamic that none of the others had. I love exploring the little details now so this romance is perfect for me as a writer right now. Londyn and Danielle are about to ride the tail of the comet as both of their careers are set to explode, in a good way. This is just the beginning of a lot of awards shows.😃
@DaniRose2143 I just now read chapter Forty-Five. Congratulations to both Londyn and Danielle. For landing two acting gigs and for the Best Book nomination! So exciting. Your writing is so good and so powerful, it draws the reader right in. I look forward to seeing if one or both of them win their prospective Accolades!
"Allegra, I want you to meet Venessa Jeong. Venessa this is Allegra Rossi..."
Londyn and Venessa had met while waiting in line at an audition soon after both had embarked on their acting careers. They struck up a conversation to pass the time while waiting their turns to show the producers their acting skills. They found common ground which later became a rare friendship between two hungry up-and-comers. Those relationships were notoriously shaky at best. Part of their common ground was their passion for performing. Another was the fact that they were both lesbians. They had been tempted to see what could be, but in the end they decided their friendship was more important. Londyn knew from their nights out clubbing at gay bars what it looked like when Venessa was attracted to someone. She saw Venessa's eyes light up when Allegra walked by, and only a blind person wouldn't have noticed how her eyes tracked Allegra until she was lost in the crowd on the dance floor. She had no idea if Venessa would get flirty with Allegra, but she also knew that Venessa could be an outrageous flirt and she didn't need any drinks to get herself in the mood. Londyn believed that flirting came as naturally to Venessa as breathing. In the time that she and the rest of the group had known Allegra her sexuality had never come up, not in any great detail. Londyn wasn't worried that she would freak out but she was curious what might happen if Venessa did something flirty.
Allegra was rarely at a loss for words. She'd always been a chatterbox, and the queen of small talk. For a moment her mind raced out of control. Her subconscious mind screaming at her to say something, anything, while her face remained frozen in her beautiful smile.
The day had already been a heady experience. She had enjoyed sitting with her mom watching all the stars walking down the red carpet since she was a child. Now she'd been there live in person to experience the magic and the glamour. She just watched two of her best friends, dressed in the most stunning gowns, make that famous walk, bathed in the adoration of their fans while having their pictures taken by a small army photographers. Now here she was, Venessa Jeong, the Venessa Jeong, wanting to meet her. Allegra had seen her sitting and talking with Danielle and Londyn as she passed by on her way to the dance floor. She wasn't sure, but in this moment she felt like she was on the verge of an out-of-body experience.
"Allegra. That's such a lovely name. It matches your lovely voice."
"Thank you Venessa. I'm very happy you enjoyed my little concert. I got a bit carried away in the moment."
Londyn couldn't pry herself away, her curiosity was getting the better of her. She told herself she was only hanging around until she was sure Venessa and Allegra would hit it off. She knew it for the lie it was as soon as the thought entered her head. Anyone could see they were hitting it off. The sparks were there, but Danielle had rubbed off on her and she found herself listening and watching as the conversation unfolded, looking for those subtle hints, those little suggestions, that they were going to hook up. Knowing Venessa like she did only deepened her fascination with what was going on, and she had a front row seat for the moment.
"Care to join me at the bar" she said with a subtle coquettishness. "I'm thirsty, and being a celebrity my drinks, and those of my friends, are comped."
"I'd love to."
"Good for you girl" Londyn thought looking back over her shoulder as she went to fill Danielle in on the juicy details
The show was still a little over an hour away. Venessa and Allegra spent the time together getting to know each other a little better. Venessa asked whether or not Allegra was a professional singer. She reasoned that anyone who could sing like that almost certainly made a living at it. Allegra explained that she was a mezzo-soprano with the Windenburg Opera company. Venessa admitted she knew almost nothing about opera, but that she was fascinated by her voice anyway. Her musical tastes were more in the EDM and hip-hop genres. She left out the part about how it wasn't only her voice she found fascinating. It was in the lingering scent of her perfume, the way her gown highlighted and flattered her figure, and most of all how she wanted to kiss those lips like she wanted her next breath. It was Allegra's turn again to surprise Venessa as she began singing a spot on rendition of Flowers by Miley Cyrus. As a mezzo-soprano her voice lacked that theatrical, impossibly high range of a true soprano, and she didn't have the exaggerated pronunciation of each word. When she finished Venessa started clapping enthusiastically drawing eyes to them.
"Have you ever thought of becoming a pop singer?" she enthused with complete sincerity. "I know people who might be able to help you if you're ever interested?"
"Thank you, that's really sweet of you, but my heart's with the opera. Always has been, always will be. I couldn't imagine singing anything else, not on stage at least. Off stage I listen to music of all kinds, not just opera" she said as she leaned slightly towards Venessa and gently touched in her hand in a friendly gesture. "Thank you all the same." As she leaned back there was a moment where their eyes met and Allegra felt her head spin as a fresh wave of disbelief, and some other undefined feeling cascaded through her. Her she was, at the Starlight Accolades, mingling with Del Sol Valleys entertainment elite. She'd watched her friends, people she hung out with frequently walking the red carpet in front of the world's press. And here she was sitting next to a woman whose movies she loved, talking to her one on one like they hadn't just met an hour ago. Most of all it was the sure and certain knowledge that Venessa had been flirting with her and that she was loving it. Allegra hadn't really sat down and talked to her parents, or her brother about it, but she had been finding herself increasingly attracted to other women. She was very much open to seeing where this might lead.
Venessa grabbed her hand and said they should go grab a seat as the awards show was set to start in just a few minutes. They were lucky and claimed a pair of, if not good, at least fairly decent, seats together. Allegra still couldn't believe what was happening to her, but she wasn't going to fight it, she made up her mind that she was going to let the events of the evening take her wherever they may. The house lights came down and the show got under way. As the host began calling out the various categories they chatted like old friends. Who should win this category, who got robbed in that one.
The hours passed and then the show entered the home stretch just ‘Best Acting’ and ’Best Book’ were left to be handed out. They were on the edge of their seats. Danielle was too, but Londyn looked calm, cool, and confident. That was on the surface, inside her stomach was doing a floor routine to make Simone Biles proud. The host stepped up to the mic...
"The winner, for 'Best Book' is..." The presenter was fumbling with the envelope. Danielle and everyone in the audience had no idea if she was being serious or funny. That's what happens when you name a comic as the host. "The winner is...Danielle Huntley for her book, "Undeniable"
As nervous as she felt before her name was announced hearing it had switched her emotional gears from nervous to elated. As she got up to go get her award Londyn stopped her and gave her a toe curling kiss seen world-wide. It immediately began trending across social media.
She accepted her award from the host before stepping up to the mic. "Thank you very much. I'm touched that the committee chose my book for this prestigious award."
"When I decided to become a novelist I never thought I'd be standing here accepting a Starlight Accolade. I only wanted to write the best book I was capable of. I'm humbled that others love my books enough to even nominate them for an award like this, let alone vote it the best."
"I want to thank my loyal readers. Most of all I want to thank my wife Londyn. She's my rock, my inspiration, my entire world. Thank you all so very much!"
Danielle took her seat again, and after giving Londyn a little kiss they clasped hands. She could feel the nervous energy flowing through her wife. It was time now for the big one, the Starlight Accolade for Best Acting. Danielle held her breath as Londyn closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, centering herself. She was competing against Judith Ward, Brytani Cho, and Holly Alto for the award. If she won this would be her second Accolade and she would win it against tougher competition than her first. "The winner of the Starlight Accolade for Best Acting is...Londyn Huntley for her performance in Intergalactic Vice Squad!"
Danielle could feel all the tension go out of Londyn. As much as Londyn tried to hide it, this moment meant a lot to her and not winning would have left her disappointed, but not defeated. Summer had been seated behind them and she had leaned forward and held out her phone to Danielle to show her that their kiss had gone viral. In that moment she knew what she was going to do when, not if, Londyn won. If their previous kiss was burning up the internet, she was going to blow it up entirely.
The applause which had been robust, became thunderous. The crowd was eating it up, all except Holly Alto. Her certainty the award was hers was shattered and she couldn't hide her feelings.
As Londyn took the stage she could feel the heat of Holly's eyes on her. "Jealousy and envy don't become you honey" she thought to herself. She wouldn't let it get to her, she wouldn't give Holly the satisfaction. "You're just going to have to sort your ownself out."
She graciously thanked the presenter as he handed Londyn her trophy. "This is such a surreal moment. To be considered for this honor alongside such talent is mind-blowing. To actually win is surreal" she said as she casually glanced down at the visibly angry Holly.
"This trophy represents years of sacrifice and hard work. I've had no shortage of people in my life to lift me up and give me the strength and confidence to push, to dream, to strive to reach the pinnacle of success."
"My biggest cheerleader and my biggest fan is my wife Danielle. Without your love and support baby I wouldn't be here now. This award is your's as much as it is mine. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for this award" she said as she held the trophy aloft.
With the ceremony over Venessa turned to Allegra. "It's only 11:45, the night is just getting started. Would you like to go check the karaoke bar next door? Maybe a little dancing at 'The Cube' afterwards?"
"I was thinking about heading back to the hotel with my brother Matteo and his wife. We're not leaving until tomorrow afternoon, but the time difference between Del Sol Valley and Windenburg and Tartosa means I'm already up past my bedtime."
"I can arrange to get you back to the hotel later. And if you get tired and need to go that's not a problem. I'll totally understand."
Allegra remember what she had told herself earlier in the evening, let the night and Venessa take you where they will. It's not like she gets to hang out with a celebrity like Venessa very often. Or ever really. And it was clear that Venessa had been flirting with her all night and that she was loving it. Tonight was shaping up to be a night of discoveries. "Oh what the hell. In that case count me in."
Their first stop was Twinkle Twinkle Karaoke Star...
A bit of singing. Allegra was impressed. Venessa isn't bad at all.
A public outing with a celebrity isn't necessarily private...
A couple of drinks...
A bit of intimate personal conversation..
Then it was across the street to The Cube to dance away what remained of the night...
Neither one of them could deny it, there was a chemistry at work...
As the evening wound down, Venessa confided in Allegra
"I can't remember a night I've had that was as fun as this. I know it wasn't an official date, but would you be interested in going on one with me. At first it was your voice that captivated me, but now it's you that I'm captivated by. How about Friday night? I can arrange to bring you here, or I can come to you."
"I would love to go. I can meet you here in Del Sol. You don't need to send for me, but I'm touched by the offer."
Sure there was chemistry between Vanessa and Allegra
Datenight was awesome too.
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Comments
Creepy old men is one of the reasons why Wyrd'verse future Londyn eventually starts her own production company.
Danielle and Londyn are so great together. They support each other through everything. Everyone should have a partner, friend or sister like that. Also, love Cyndi
The Simsverse is infinite threads of possibility each of which can then intersect with other threads or eventually weave in and out of itself.
I have yet to find a situation that can't be improved by adding Cyndi.
It’s great to see Londyn (and Danielle) doing so well. I love how you included lots of details here and there to really bring your scenes to life and readers into them. For example, when they arrived home and kicked their shoes off. It’s always nice to come home and relax. It’s even better when your floor is a temperature you’re accustomed to (or one that you can change at will because it’s heated/programmable). I also feel for Londyn with her shoes, but I think that’s a typical mistake and one only made once or twice because of how painful it is. From then on, people who often wear heels (or at least I) always have spare shoes (a tiny pair of flats, comfortable tennis shoes, or super padded slippers or something in your bag, car, or office). For photos, some daring people just go barefoot or wear the most comfortable shoes around when wearing a long dress because their feet won’t show and it’s a nice break. I’m glad that IRL other shoes are trending for teens and very young adults and that they’re much less pressured into wearing heels if they don’t want to wear them. Anyway, Londyn’s photos turned out beautiful. I love that she didn’t change her hairstyle for it.
Londyn and Danielle also look beautiful on the red carpet. And Allegra’s mystery woman is Venessa, it seems. It was a nice reveal.
For me this chapter was a learning experience. As I get used to the idea of stockpiling gameplay and screenshots to use later to write and have material saved for a rainy day so to speak I came across something I need to file away. I added thousands of screenshots during my gameplay sessions but I didn't keep the story firmly in mind. When I finished writing and got down to adding pictures I realized that the way I wrote scenes up didn't match up to the pictures I had to work with. I got home from work yesterday thinking I'd only need a couple of hours to add the pictures and I could get it posted last night. I had to go back a reshoot several scenes to fill gaps or correct continuity errors. It started right away with the airport and video chat scenes. They were minutes apart in the world where the story lives. In my world they were hours apart. I shot the airport scene first, shut the game down and came back later. As I was setting up the chat scene I decided I wanted the ladies wearing different outfits but I forgot to double check what they should have been wearing for the sake of continuity. Things spiraled from there.😁 I learned when I write it wouldn't hurt to look through the screenshots I have saved to Imgur to remind myself of what my screenshots are depicting.
I don't know for sure, maybe I do view each chapter less like a SimLit story and more like an episode of a TV show. I do try to keep track of those little details. One thing I don't lay out so that readers can follow with is the concept of time. I really don't have a set age in my mind for any of the characters. If I really had to say, they're all around 25-28. But I never play with aging on so the concept and structure of months and years is fairly meaningless. All days denote is where we in the week in the story, and even that isn't something I track and discuss all that much. For some reason making sure outfits match scene to scene is something I do pay attention to.
I think your concept of each chapter being like an episode of a TV show works well with how you treat aging too. It's clever.
I have a lot of dread styles in all lengths as well. I have barely even scratch the service with using thing all, and I have my couple characters that have their styles I like best, but excellent idea. Also I like to change it up when they go to sleep or in the pool.
I read your other post about all the cc challenges. When I used Sims Mod Manager, it said I had like something over 22,000. There is simply no way to go through all that to remove files. I tried but my patience. I which there was an way officially in game when in cas you see a cc you don't care for or doesn't work you can just opt click it and have it deleted from there. Really customization makes this game fun, and I don't know how to manage all the little things.
A lot of mods broke with the last update. Good luck!
@LeucosiaX
I’d love it if we could do what you were saying and just delete the outfit right from the CAS thumbnail. Click, gone, done. That’s what has been stopping me from cleaning up my mods folder properly. It would take me days or even weeks to fix so many characters looks. But what I have thinking of doing is deleting everything from the CAS side that was created prior to 2020 2021. I have items that go all the way back to 2014-15 still.
@DaniRose2143 right. Same like I don't know where to start with the sims 4 mod managers app, and I usually have my folders organized by date. But still, I have a lot of good stuff there for my older characters. I really wish there was like a way to get them. Even like you describe categories of so many little tiny files like lipstick, but it really adds up.
I think it would so helpful if the game was not like a million little files for a specific thing. Like this objects or this particular hair style exactly but if create a sim was a bit more fluid like curly hair, straight hair and you adjust the length and style with other tools. Same with objects and furnishings, dimensions - I need my table heights to match the surroundings. Some couches are high, some are low. I can never find the right coffee table.
But we have better build buy- we need something like that for cas. But something official, dealing with the system we have not to edit properly.
But clearly all your cc hoarding has paid off as your sims always look freakin' fantastic. Love your thread! @DaniRose2143
I wish you the best of luck with managing all your CC. It looks great in your screenshots.
What got me in trouble with CAS is I couldn’t stand to let go of anything because, you never know, I might have a use for it later. Now I have so many sims and I don’t want to spend forever fixing outfits. But I see sooo many outfits and separates that I want for my simmies that I just keep digging myself in deeper. My bb fixation is from downloading lots, but when the creator list single items from a set I just download the whole set because, again I might have a use for it later and everything is so pretty.😁
And to make new sims doesn't feel like the are rehash of other sims you, you have to go on a custom content shopping haul. Plus styles change with time and you want to revamp old characters.
I feel the same way about build buy sets. I was obsessive about create a sims custom content at first, but it was build buy sets that did me in with multiplying my mods folder size exponentially. They are bigger, and the sets make a huge difference for interior design jobs as they all match and transform a space based on a theme, look or aesthetic.
While I wish to grab the bad files from the cas cc, I know that organizing my build buy cc would make a more drastic difference to my mod folders size. I even tried to organize and seperate the two, so I can pull some bb cc out if needing to down size, if probably my best strategy at making a difference. There are some simmers who have figured out how to place all the cc on an external harddrive, and play it off there. Looking into it, it requires going into an area of your Mac, I've been advised to not, the terminal. So I will not be doing that. I wish I had a powerful pc for this game. Absolutely insane how the love of this game turns us all into IT specialist.
I love how you incorporate the everyday little mundane happenings in your story. Londyn forgetting her tablet stand just makes her feel more real.
No kidding. I got goosebumps when Melissa said Londyn had both parts. So happy for her.
Hope I'm not jinxing anything but reading how Londyn s dreams are all coming true I have the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Say it ain't so.
Love that little black dress she's wearing.
Congrats to them both on their nomination!
Wow. What an awesome ending! Vanessa and Allegra.
As the story progresses I've been thinking about how perfect their lives are. I don't want to have bickering, arguments, or breakups to make them less perfect. That's why I'm trying to work little things like that into the story. Londyn having a role yanked out from under her at the last minute, Danielle's fight with her homophobic former agent, and in an upcoming chapter Summer has a flashback to time when she was stalked while out for a run. It was something that happened years ago, before the story even started. I want to have more moments like in this chapter where we see the downside to fame.
I was hoping I hadn't gone too far in saying she two directors asking for her by name. But I suppose it does happen like that in real life. You hear entertain shows talking about how such and such director wants so and so actor.
There will be some bad things happen, but nothing too bad. None of the characters are going to die. None of the couples are going to break up but there will be more little bumps in the road.
She makes everything look sooo good. The more I look at her with those short locs, I can't imagine her with any other hairstyle. She's stunning. It flatters her, she flatters it, I don't know which, but dammm girlfriend rocks those locs! I won't rule out another look for her later on, but you know it's going to need to be epic to ditch that one.😁
I've been go back and forth between thinking about the new pack and thinking about my mods folder issues. As far as CAS goes I think I just have to rip the band-aid off so to speak and spend a few days fixing outfits as I find them in the game. I have MCCC so I can click on any sim I need to fix or I just sit down and go through them all in manage households/ It's easy to identify which outfits and separates are 'iconic' to a character's look and most of them, for me, are luckily enough from creators that are very good about putting their name in their thumbnails.
You mentioned all the little files and how they add up. I'm a collector and one of the CAS creators I go nuts for is Zenx. I have everything they've ever released aside from a few of the really niche costume stuff. My folder for Zenx is 1.32gb. Over a gig for just makeup. I love their creations and Zenx is an amazing artist but they're early days stuff doesn't stand up to what they're making now, and it looks pixelated. And yet it's taking up space in my mods folder still.
On the positive side, if I thin out my CAS collection how hidden gems will I find that got lost in that mess?😁
A movie and a tv show, congrats Londyn! That explains the various the outfits and shoots, Londyn looked perfect in all of them. A nomination as well for Danielle, congratulations as well!
The hour has arrived😁 The mystery sim was Venessa! She really kept her eyes on her. So happy we finally know who it is, can’t wait to see this all unfold❤️
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
"Allegra, I want you to meet Venessa Jeong. Venessa this is Allegra Rossi..."
Londyn and Venessa had met while waiting in line at an audition soon after both had embarked on their acting careers. They struck up a conversation to pass the time while waiting their turns to show the producers their acting skills. They found common ground which later became a rare friendship between two hungry up-and-comers. Those relationships were notoriously shaky at best. Part of their common ground was their passion for performing. Another was the fact that they were both lesbians. They had been tempted to see what could be, but in the end they decided their friendship was more important. Londyn knew from their nights out clubbing at gay bars what it looked like when Venessa was attracted to someone. She saw Venessa's eyes light up when Allegra walked by, and only a blind person wouldn't have noticed how her eyes tracked Allegra until she was lost in the crowd on the dance floor. She had no idea if Venessa would get flirty with Allegra, but she also knew that Venessa could be an outrageous flirt and she didn't need any drinks to get herself in the mood. Londyn believed that flirting came as naturally to Venessa as breathing. In the time that she and the rest of the group had known Allegra her sexuality had never come up, not in any great detail. Londyn wasn't worried that she would freak out but she was curious what might happen if Venessa did something flirty.
The day had already been a heady experience. She had enjoyed sitting with her mom watching all the stars walking down the red carpet since she was a child. Now she'd been there live in person to experience the magic and the glamour. She just watched two of her best friends, dressed in the most stunning gowns, make that famous walk, bathed in the adoration of their fans while having their pictures taken by a small army photographers. Now here she was, Venessa Jeong, the Venessa Jeong, wanting to meet her. Allegra had seen her sitting and talking with Danielle and Londyn as she passed by on her way to the dance floor. She wasn't sure, but in this moment she felt like she was on the verge of an out-of-body experience.
"Allegra. That's such a lovely name. It matches your lovely voice."
"Thank you Venessa. I'm very happy you enjoyed my little concert. I got a bit carried away in the moment."
Londyn couldn't pry herself away, her curiosity was getting the better of her. She told herself she was only hanging around until she was sure Venessa and Allegra would hit it off. She knew it for the lie it was as soon as the thought entered her head. Anyone could see they were hitting it off. The sparks were there, but Danielle had rubbed off on her and she found herself listening and watching as the conversation unfolded, looking for those subtle hints, those little suggestions, that they were going to hook up. Knowing Venessa like she did only deepened her fascination with what was going on, and she had a front row seat for the moment.
"Care to join me at the bar" she said with a subtle coquettishness. "I'm thirsty, and being a celebrity my drinks, and those of my friends, are comped."
"I'd love to."
"Good for you girl" Londyn thought looking back over her shoulder as she went to fill Danielle in on the juicy details
The show was still a little over an hour away. Venessa and Allegra spent the time together getting to know each other a little better. Venessa asked whether or not Allegra was a professional singer. She reasoned that anyone who could sing like that almost certainly made a living at it. Allegra explained that she was a mezzo-soprano with the Windenburg Opera company. Venessa admitted she knew almost nothing about opera, but that she was fascinated by her voice anyway. Her musical tastes were more in the EDM and hip-hop genres. She left out the part about how it wasn't only her voice she found fascinating. It was in the lingering scent of her perfume, the way her gown highlighted and flattered her figure, and most of all how she wanted to kiss those lips like she wanted her next breath. It was Allegra's turn again to surprise Venessa as she began singing a spot on rendition of Flowers by Miley Cyrus. As a mezzo-soprano her voice lacked that theatrical, impossibly high range of a true soprano, and she didn't have the exaggerated pronunciation of each word. When she finished Venessa started clapping enthusiastically drawing eyes to them.
"Have you ever thought of becoming a pop singer?" she enthused with complete sincerity. "I know people who might be able to help you if you're ever interested?"
"Thank you, that's really sweet of you, but my heart's with the opera. Always has been, always will be. I couldn't imagine singing anything else, not on stage at least. Off stage I listen to music of all kinds, not just opera" she said as she leaned slightly towards Venessa and gently touched in her hand in a friendly gesture. "Thank you all the same." As she leaned back there was a moment where their eyes met and Allegra felt her head spin as a fresh wave of disbelief, and some other undefined feeling cascaded through her. Her she was, at the Starlight Accolades, mingling with Del Sol Valleys entertainment elite. She'd watched her friends, people she hung out with frequently walking the red carpet in front of the world's press. And here she was sitting next to a woman whose movies she loved, talking to her one on one like they hadn't just met an hour ago. Most of all it was the sure and certain knowledge that Venessa had been flirting with her and that she was loving it. Allegra hadn't really sat down and talked to her parents, or her brother about it, but she had been finding herself increasingly attracted to other women. She was very much open to seeing where this might lead.
The hours passed and then the show entered the home stretch just ‘Best Acting’ and ’Best Book’ were left to be handed out. They were on the edge of their seats. Danielle was too, but Londyn looked calm, cool, and confident. That was on the surface, inside her stomach was doing a floor routine to make Simone Biles proud. The host stepped up to the mic...
"The winner, for 'Best Book' is..." The presenter was fumbling with the envelope. Danielle and everyone in the audience had no idea if she was being serious or funny. That's what happens when you name a comic as the host. "The winner is...Danielle Huntley for her book, "Undeniable"
As nervous as she felt before her name was announced hearing it had switched her emotional gears from nervous to elated. As she got up to go get her award Londyn stopped her and gave her a toe curling kiss seen world-wide. It immediately began trending across social media.
"When I decided to become a novelist I never thought I'd be standing here accepting a Starlight Accolade. I only wanted to write the best book I was capable of. I'm humbled that others love my books enough to even nominate them for an award like this, let alone vote it the best."
"I want to thank my loyal readers. Most of all I want to thank my wife Londyn. She's my rock, my inspiration, my entire world. Thank you all so very much!"
Danielle took her seat again, and after giving Londyn a little kiss they clasped hands. She could feel the nervous energy flowing through her wife. It was time now for the big one, the Starlight Accolade for Best Acting. Danielle held her breath as Londyn closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, centering herself. She was competing against Judith Ward, Brytani Cho, and Holly Alto for the award. If she won this would be her second Accolade and she would win it against tougher competition than her first. "The winner of the Starlight Accolade for Best Acting is...Londyn Huntley for her performance in Intergalactic Vice Squad!"
Danielle could feel all the tension go out of Londyn. As much as Londyn tried to hide it, this moment meant a lot to her and not winning would have left her disappointed, but not defeated. Summer had been seated behind them and she had leaned forward and held out her phone to Danielle to show her that their kiss had gone viral. In that moment she knew what she was going to do when, not if, Londyn won. If their previous kiss was burning up the internet, she was going to blow it up entirely.
The applause which had been robust, became thunderous. The crowd was eating it up, all except Holly Alto. Her certainty the award was hers was shattered and she couldn't hide her feelings.
As Londyn took the stage she could feel the heat of Holly's eyes on her. "Jealousy and envy don't become you honey" she thought to herself. She wouldn't let it get to her, she wouldn't give Holly the satisfaction. "You're just going to have to sort your ownself out."
She graciously thanked the presenter as he handed Londyn her trophy. "This is such a surreal moment. To be considered for this honor alongside such talent is mind-blowing. To actually win is surreal" she said as she casually glanced down at the visibly angry Holly.
"This trophy represents years of sacrifice and hard work. I've had no shortage of people in my life to lift me up and give me the strength and confidence to push, to dream, to strive to reach the pinnacle of success."
"My biggest cheerleader and my biggest fan is my wife Danielle. Without your love and support baby I wouldn't be here now. This award is your's as much as it is mine. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for this award" she said as she held the trophy aloft.
With the ceremony over Venessa turned to Allegra. "It's only 11:45, the night is just getting started. Would you like to go check the karaoke bar next door? Maybe a little dancing at 'The Cube' afterwards?"
"I was thinking about heading back to the hotel with my brother Matteo and his wife. We're not leaving until tomorrow afternoon, but the time difference between Del Sol Valley and Windenburg and Tartosa means I'm already up past my bedtime."
"I can arrange to get you back to the hotel later. And if you get tired and need to go that's not a problem. I'll totally understand."
Allegra remember what she had told herself earlier in the evening, let the night and Venessa take you where they will. It's not like she gets to hang out with a celebrity like Venessa very often. Or ever really. And it was clear that Venessa had been flirting with her all night and that she was loving it. Tonight was shaping up to be a night of discoveries. "Oh what the hell. In that case count me in."
Their first stop was Twinkle Twinkle Karaoke Star...
A bit of singing. Allegra was impressed. Venessa isn't bad at all.
A public outing with a celebrity isn't necessarily private...
A couple of drinks...
A bit of intimate personal conversation..
Then it was across the street to The Cube to dance away what remained of the night...
Neither one of them could deny it, there was a chemistry at work...
As the evening wound down, Venessa confided in Allegra
"I can't remember a night I've had that was as fun as this. I know it wasn't an official date, but would you be interested in going on one with me. At first it was your voice that captivated me, but now it's you that I'm captivated by. How about Friday night? I can arrange to bring you here, or I can come to you."
"I would love to go. I can meet you here in Del Sol. You don't need to send for me, but I'm touched by the offer."
"Until then..."
Sure there was chemistry between Vanessa and Allegra
Datenight was awesome too.
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..