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Try Everything - A Going Solo Challenge (Sims 3)

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  • Nancy01905Nancy01905 Posts: 3,929 Member
    You are very welcome B) I have your thread book marked :wink:
  • VunecaVuneca Posts: 1,686 Member
    All caught up. I love it!

    To me it has the feel that her memory loss and the little houses were a set up that the mother and son engineered somehow. Or were at least part of in a greater scheme. I wonder who those eyes belong to and why they don't want her to get her memories back?

    She seems to content to just kind flow along with whatever is happening to her. I am glad to see that something of her true self is showing through. I can't wait to learn what's really going on.

    PS I had to look up the 4x4 challenge and I love the idea! Plus it goes great with Going Solo.
  • suzsessuzses Posts: 2,433 Member
    Very mysterious eyes. Hmmm why "not yet."
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  • jazenjazen Posts: 5,612 Member
    What???? So someone is responsible for her memory loss. They have some plan for her and that makes it worse. Ominous voices like that are never a good thing. :(
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  • KaytayRoallKaytayRoall Posts: 923 Member
    @Vuneca Thank you! I'm so happy everyone seems to be liking the start so far. She is somewhat going with the flow, but she also doesn't really know what's going on yet. As far as she is concerned, she is fortunate just to have a roof over her head. Once she starts figuring things out, she might not take it quite the same. I'm glad you approve of me mashing another challenge in with the Going Solo. I've wanted to do that one for a while, but it's tough for me to find much time to play so I'm trying to get the most out of what time I do have. :)

    @suzses Why indeed? Thank you for reading and commenting.

    @jazen It certainly seems that way, doesn't it? It's tough to imagine any good coming of this situation. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. :)
  • MischiefTheKittenMischiefTheKitten Posts: 3,635 Member
    !! Great chapter! You, my dear, are the queen of intrigue! :D Those eyes are so pretty, and I don't think it's evil. Something protecting her, perhaps?
    Her odd feeling at the cemetary and her being drawn to it is too strange! I wonder if that old lady killed her? :O She doesn't remember her name, so she wouldn't know if one of the headstones has her name on it!! :O Or maybe she was the subject of some satanic ritual? :O
    I wonder if they are trying to keep her busy so that she doesn't have the time to remember anything, or even to go digging for info. That community the old lady and her son are building is sinister as fudge! I wonder if she could run? I know she has nowhere to run to that she remembers, but would they hunt her and remove her memories again if she tried? What if she's tried already? :O

    I need answers, Kaytay! :P

    ~MischiefTheKitten

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  • KaytayRoallKaytayRoall Posts: 923 Member
    @MischiefTheKitten Why thank you! That is quite the compliment. :D Not evil, you say? Interesting... And wow, what an amazing theory! You've really thought this through. Thank you for reading and commenting. :)
    As for answers, stay tuned. I'm about to start working on the next chapter and will be posting it later today. There might be some answers... or not... ;)
  • KaytayRoallKaytayRoall Posts: 923 Member
    Chapter 1.3 - Egypt

    I spent the entire flight consumed with thoughts of my past and unanswerable questions about what had happened to me. Did I really hear another voice in my head? And what about those eyes, which seemed to pierce my very soul. What does it all mean?

    Even the sight of Egypt's desert spread out below me as the plane came in for its landing did little to distract me from my thoughts.

    Egypt.jpg

    Once off the plane, I went straight to the camp where I would be staying. I started to pace as I thought hard. I remembered something. My memories are still there. If I could just get at them... Maybe if I just focus, I could remember more.

    Pacing.jpg

    I wracked my brain, trying to remember, trying to understand. But evening fell and I hadn't gotten anywhere. No more memories had returned and none of it made any sort of sense. I sat at the campfire and found myself staring out at the distant pyramids.

    Thinking.jpg

    They really are beautiful, I thought idly, then suddenly realized what a fool I was being. What am I doing? I didn't fly all the way to Egypt to walk circles around the camp and mope! Pulling my hair out thinking about this isn't doing me any good. I'm going to enjoy my vacation!

    The next morning I started doing just that. I went to see the sights.

    Sphinx.jpg

    And took pictures of them.

    PyramidsPhoto.jpg

    One night as I roasted my dinner over the open fire, I realized how happy I was. Exploring and taking photos so I would never forget the amazing memories I made here, it was exactly what I wanted to do. I decided then and there that no matter where else my life would take me, I would keep traveling the world and making those photo-perfect memories.

    Camping.jpg

    The next morning I went to the market. I was running low on film. When I walked into the store, I was shocked by what I found, though. The Hikon QX40di Gladiator was legendary, the absolute pinacle of photographic technology. I looked at the price tag and did some quick calculations in my head. It was pricey, but I could afford it. Just. And it would be so worth it for the photos I could take with that baby. I was sure I could recoup the expense pretty quickly.

    I stepped up to the counter, pointed to the camera and handed the clerk my card. He swiped it, but then frowned as he handed it back to me and shook his head.

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    "Sorry, ma'am," he said politely. "Your card has been declined due to insuffient funds."

    "What? No, that can't be right. Let me just check with my bank. I'll be right back."

    I was careful with my money and kept close track of it. I was sure I had enough. I stepped outside the shop and pulled out my phone to check my account online.

    Phone.jpg

    Sure enough, my balance was alarmingly depleted. I started checking my transactions, starting with when I left on vacation. That was exactly how I remembered it. The charge for the plane tickets, a couple meals I'd purchased while here. All in order. A few deposits from photos I had sold while here, before realizing they would probably sell for more once I got home. Yep, everything looked fine there. Then, right after the last deposit, was a large withdrawal. The name listed was "New Growth Realty." What?! That was the name of the business Marvin worked for. I dialed his number immediately.

    "Cyprus! Good morning! I was just about to give you a call and you beat me to it."

    "I hope you were calling to explain what the hell happened to my money."

    Call.jpg

    "Well, yes. I was calling to congratulate you. You've earned your first upgrade."

    "Upgrade? What are you talking about?"

    "Based on your earnings, we expand your home. 'New Growth Realty. Helping you grow your dream home.'" I could tell he was quoting a slogan at me, but I fought down my anger.

    "And what does that have to do with you draining my bank account?"

    "We make the plans and contract the construction workers, but it does come out of your bank account. We also make withdrawals against the initial investment at the same time, so that you can pay it off over time. It's all in the contract, if you'd like to come take a look. It's best if you stay out of the way of the workers today anyway."

    "I'm in Egypt right now!" I exploded.

    Call2.jpg

    "Well then no need to worry about you being underfoot while they work. Enjoy your vacation!" *click*

    I fumed, staring at my phone for long moments after the call ended. Then I tucked it away with a sigh. I should have known this house deal was too good to be true. All that legalese and Marvin talking a mile a minute, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Now I had to deal with the consequences and there wasn't anything I could do from here.

    I considered trying to trade in my ticket to go home early, but rejected the idea. That would be such a waste. I wasn't about to let him ruin my vacation. And who knew when I'd see another Gladiator for sale. Maybe if I worked hard, I could still earn enough money to pay for it before my trip ended.

    I sold a few more photos, although I was still saving most of them to sell once I was back home, then headed out to look for other money-making opportunities. I excavated a couple dig sites, finding relics and gems, which I then sold at the market.

    Dig.jpg

    When a local contacted me with a request to recover something from a tomb, I agreed. I finished the job on my last day of vacation and had just enough after he paid me to buy my shiny new Hikon Gladiator before departing.

    Job.jpg

    Welcome home, I guess.

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  • KaytayRoallKaytayRoall Posts: 923 Member
    edited April 2016
    Author's Note

    4x4 Challenge Expansion #1 -

    Exp1Layout.jpg

    Exp1Interior.jpg

    So, photography and the trip to Egypt kind of broke the challenge. At first I was really struggling because she barely broke even selling her photos. Since the money spent on taking them didn't count toward the money needed for the expansion, I worried she'd never earn enough. She had plenty of lifetime happiness, though, so I bought her Jetsetter and Prepared Traveller, so she got 6 days in Egypt at a discounted price. I had her save up a bit more, wanting to get the best camera while she was there before I sent her on vacation. Then I discovered how much money photography can really make. She came back with over $70,000 in photos, and that doesn't count those she's saving for her LTW. I probably shouldn't have sold them all at once, but I didn't think of it until too late. I'll still progress the challenge with the story as I originally planned, but she technically has enough money for the first 7 expansions. Probably more if I sold everything, such as the $7,000 cut Soulstone gem.

    Career/LTW Tracking -

    Photographer level 9

    Gallery value - 14,729/25,000
    Egypt - 10/10
    China - 0/10
    France - 0/10
    Post edited by KaytayRoall on
  • Nancy01905Nancy01905 Posts: 3,929 Member
    another great chapter, and a shocking call as well
  • VunecaVuneca Posts: 1,686 Member
    I started s 4x4 just for fun (and to test out my new and improved comp) and it is silly easy to earn the upgrades without really trying. I think it's way too easy to earn money in TS3! To make it more challenging for myself I made each upgrade exponentially more expensive. (10k,20k,40k,80k, etc.)
    I love the name of the realty company, it really fits! Imagine coming home to a renovated house when you had no idea it was going to happen! They did a good job at least?
  • KaytayRoallKaytayRoall Posts: 923 Member
    @Nancy01905 Thank you! :) It was quite a shock for Cyprus!

    @Vuneca I have to agree about it being easy to make money in TS3. With the exception of the traditional rabbithole careers, which only make a moderate amount of money. I like your idea of each upgrade costing more! I might adopt that myself, since the upgrades are being earned much faster than I expected. The renovated house is a bit of a shock for her, but yes, they did do a good job. Fully upgraded kitchen and a full-sized, high quality bed.
  • MsPrissy88MsPrissy88 Posts: 3,122 Member
    edited April 2016
    Hiya @Kaytay! Your challenge (name) intrigued me over on the "Easing Into Spring Exchange" thread. So I had to pop over here and start reading. ;)Awesome story so far!!! You sure have a knack for storytelling. And that company?! Oh my gawwwwwwwwd. If that had been *me*, I would have screamed and pitched a fit in the phone! lol :D


    Bookmarked!! Now I *have to* keep reading. B)
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  • MischiefTheKittenMischiefTheKitten Posts: 3,635 Member
    :O I feel like he should have made a point of telling her about that little detail. The house looks good at least, it's definitely a nice addition and I'm sure she'll appreciate the space! But something as big as that, you'd think they'd check in with her to make sure she was prepared. Maybe she should take another look at that contract once she's back home? Who knows what else she's missed!
    I can't wait to see how their involvement will affect future generations!

    ~MischiefTheKitten

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  • suzsessuzses Posts: 2,433 Member
    @KaytayRoall The house is looking good. :) Oh, that Marvin not telling her what was in the fine print! Love how you worked that in. Teehee.

    And, yes, I know what you all mean about the easy moneymaking. I found the biggest challenge in the 4x4 was finding ways to spend that much in such a small space. :s I had to keep scouring the catalog for items that cost too much and fit my theme.
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  • KaytayRoallKaytayRoall Posts: 923 Member
    @MsPrissy88 Hi there! Thank you for coming to check out my story and for your kind words. :) She was about to pitch a bit of a fit on the phone, but Marvin was too quick to hang up.

    @MischiefTheKitten He technically did tell her, but it was just a tiny part of a long spiel that he said very quickly, so Cyprus didn't catch most of it. The extra space is nice, although she barely spends any time at home anyway aside from meals and sleeping. As for the next generation, when I was planning this out, I was working off the suggestion in the rules to wait until after the adult birthday to have an heir, so I'm afraid the next gen is still a ways off. Thanks for reading and commenting! :)

    @suzses Thank you! :) Yep, as they say, the devil's in the details. Cyprus really didn't know what she was signing up for. I suspect I'm going to have a hard time spending all that money, too. I can't even dump it into ridiculously expensive artwork, because she'll be decorating the house with her photographs to meet the requirements of her LTW. I remember seeing your 4x4 house pictures and being impressed that you managed not only the 4x4 challenge but keeping with the medieval theme of Dragon Valley. You ended up with a really lovely home.
  • SkullloverSkulllover Posts: 110 Member
    I like this.
  • jazenjazen Posts: 5,612 Member
    Wow...so she might want to whip out that contract and read it over. If they can just drain money and do upgrades without consulting her first, what else does it say they can do? If it's 'her' house, then she should be able to have some say in what's done to it. I think she should have called him back. I get a bad feeling about this whole thing.
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  • KaytayRoallKaytayRoall Posts: 923 Member
    @rockergirllee Thank you. :)

    @jazen Don't worry, she'll be taking a closer look at that contract soon. :) As always, thanks for reading and commenting.
  • MsPrissy88MsPrissy88 Posts: 3,122 Member
    jazen wrote: »
    Wow...so she might want to whip out that contract and read it over. If they can just drain money and do upgrades without consulting her first, what else does it say they can do? If it's 'her' house, then she should be able to have some say in what's done to it. I think she should have called him back. I get a bad feeling about this whole thing.

    I agree!!! lol Poor girl. She needs some friends to come over there and help beat the you-know-what out of that guy! lol

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