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"Pelican Town to Sims Town" - A Stardew Valley, Sims 3 Fanfic

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  • meerkattimemeerkattime Posts: 261 Member
    @emorrill Aww, Elliott is reading a romance novel... Isn't that cute. I guess the real life events in his life have gotten him into romantic mood lately :blush: .
    Shane is not making it easy for Elliott... :| Not that I expected he would.
    Poor Shane - no one likes him. The feeling seems to be mutual though. I'm glad Elliott has a mature attitude.
    Shane looks miserable in that picture of him sitting by the bed. Poor guy :( . That's a great pose for the purpose. I wonder if Jas knows about his depression - if not, she should. Shane needs a friend.
    "I don't drink water", lol. Shane should most likely learn to do that, the sooner the better. He's not being very likable towards people who are trying to help him, but I guess he feels a bit humiliated being taken care of and being the center of attention in his weakest moment. He looks even more miserable now, curled up in a fetus position like that :'( .
    Alex looks great sitting by the table without a shirt on <3 .
    Sounds like no one will be sleeping well the next night. Bummer there's no hospital anywhere around.
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    edited April 2020
    Pelican Town to Sims Town
    Continuation of Chapter 6...

    “ANDROIDS!?” Haley squealed with her hands on her cheeks after Harvey finished his revelation. The others all shot glances at each other in surprise.

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    “That’s...kinda creepy,” Emily voiced.
    “So this is a world that is populated by androids and not people?” Maru asked.
    “You know that’s the same question that entered my mind at first,” Harvey said, “but if that were the case there’d be A LOT more residents around and there weren’t any. Just those running a business.” Then he shrugged. “It would seem that the Wizard intended for us to only interact with each other as part of this quest.”
    “More like trial,” Sam muttered.
    “What’s strange though,” Elliott chimed in, “my research online revealed that people have inhabited this area and made a town out of it. This town has a very rich history. One significant event was a Gunfight that broke out and killed a few guys from a local gang. I saw pictures with blood on the bodies. Androids don’t bleed. There were even protests from old folks about the negative effects the current generation was having on the town and maybe I’m wrong, but androids don’t age either.” Most nodded in agreement. “It seems once we showed up all that changed. Like the people just...disappeared and the Wizard threw in mindless androids to run the businesses for our benefit.”
    “Exactly!” Abigail expressed. “Like the Wizard used some kind of magic to blow everyone out of town, keeping us sealed within it to fulfill the quest. We are freaking living in a bubble people!”

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    “WHAT!?” most of them cried.
    “Yeah!” she exclaimed and recounted her discovery of the invisible, magical barrier.

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    “There’s magic everywhere in this world,” Abigail concluded. “I can feel it. It would totally make sense that the Wizard would be viewing us from some crystal ball or portal or something. Because how else would he know if we’ve completed the quest so he can bring us back?”
    There were some nods.
    “Eww!” Haley squealed again with a flinch. “If he’s watching us like that then,” she instinctively wrapped her arms over her breasts, “does he see me when I’m naked!?”
    All the girl’s gasped except Abigail, who just shook her head. “I really don’t think so,” she said, “he’s got more important things to do than watch us over here 24/7.”
    “You don’t know that!” Haley countered with a pointed finger. “He could be a per'vert hiding underneath all that Wizard persona!”
    “Totally,” Alex agreed.
    “He’s NOT a per'vert!” Abigail exclaimed.
    “How do you know!?” Haley asked.
    “I just KNOW alright!”

    “Okay that’s enough you two,” Harvey intervened. “Haley, I’m with Abigail on that. I don’t think he has the ability to watch us that closely. And I know all this adds even more question and confusion to this whole quest thing, but I’m sure in due time the answers will come to us.”
    “I’m still confused as to why it’s just the twelve of us here,” Sebastian spoke. “There’s something fishy, almost sneaky, going on with this quest…”
    “That’s what I’ve been thinking!” Maru exclaimed, practically praising her brother for saying it.
    "Didn't we discuss this already?" Emily tiresomely asked, lifting her face from the palm of her hand.
    “You know what I think,” Penny lightly spoke out, “since I wasn’t present during the original discussion to share my thoughts.” She winked. All eyes then focused on her. “I think it’s very possible that this is all an experience for us to get to know each other better. I mean think about it, how long have we all lived together in Pelican Town now? Years. For some of us it’s been our entire lifetime and yet....something always seemed to distance us from one another. Did any of the rest of you notice that? Maybe it was because our families didn’t like each other, or we felt pressure to get married when we weren’t ready, or maybe it was because of all those small town rumors flying around about each other that weren’t always true, so we made snap judgments.” All of them seemed to glance away at that. “Whatever the reason might’ve been, I think the Wizard saw division where there should’ve been unity. Maybe that’s why our town isn’t thriving as well as it used to. And maybe, bringing us together, will aid in uniting our town and create better and happier futures for ourselves and family members back home. Friendship, and love, are two very powerful things, more so than magic. That’s just my thoughts about it.”
    Harvey smiled at her.

    Penny didn’t expect her opinion to silence the entire group; it certainly got each of them viewing this mysterious quest in a whole new light. Emily sat off to the right gripping her chin in thought about it. Speaking of unity… “Hey, where’s Shane?” she asked the group.
    “Uhh,” Alex went to answer, but looked to Harvey to do it.
    Harvey leaned over to face Emily and replied, “He’s not feeling very well right now so he shut himself up in his room.”
    “And he really doesn’t want to be bothered,” Elliott felt to add.
    Emily raised an eyebrow. “He’s going through withdrawals isn’t he?”
    There were some blank stares, but once again Harvey replied, “Yes. But we’re looking in on him and taking care of him in the best way we can. Don’t worry.”
    Emily slightly nodded. His assurance somewhat comforted her, but after unintentionally finding out something, it made her wonder what was going through Shane's mind at this time.

    “On a similar note,” Harvey now addressed the group, “regarding medical care, we searched greatly all over the town and were unable to find any medical clinics or a Hospital.”

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    That raised some eyebrows, while Haley was heard whispering to Alex, “What?” The guy nodded.
    “This is greatly concerning to me,” Harvey went on, “And I don’t think it’s necessary to spell out why. So the responsibility falls on me for the medical care of each and every one of you, however--”
    “We’re kinda already used to that Harvey,” Leah threw in with a wink. Everyone else nodded in agreement and appreciation.
    Harvey smiled. “I appreciate your support everyone, really I do, but don’t put too much faith in me just yet. I am grossly lacking in medical supplies and medicine. And there’s many fields of healthcare that I don’t specialize in. That’s the challenge here. I’m going to have to get creative in producing medical supplies and with that huge ‘science station’ in my room I might be able to compound various medicines. I discovered a few medical books up there as well that should have some information that can walk me through how to do that.”
    “Good thing we did all that foraging today huh ladies?” Abigail asked and they nodded. “We might’ve already gotten most of the essential ingredients for some of the medicines. And we can always go out and search for whatever else is needed according to the books.”
    “Right,” Harvey acknowledged. “And there’s a reading nook in my room, that I could turn into an exam/recovery room, so...I’ll get it all figured out.” He then sighed. “I’ve definitely got my work cut out for me, but I’m willing to do it for the care of all of you. I want us all to get back home in one piece.” He winked.
    “Harvey I’d be more than happy to help you with all of that,” Maru offered. “You shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone. It’ll be just like what we do at the clinic back home. Well, sort of,” she chuckled.

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    “Thank you Maru,” he smiled. “I appreciate that. I could use a second scientific opinion during my research.”
    Maru blushed a tiny bit at his response and Penny took notice, lowering her head while curling her lip.

    “Well it’s getting late,” Harvey informed after glancing up at the wall clock. “It’s probably time we send you ladies home.”
    “Not me,” Leah declared, shooting a suggestive look at Elliott. “I’ll be sticking around here tonight.”
    “Oh is that so?” Elliott asked with a smirk, rubbing his nose with hers. They both giggled.
    “Hey, why don’t all of you ladies come over and hang out tomorrow?” Alex happily suggested. “Since Leah will already be here, and Maru will be helping Harvey, and since I challenge Haley to a hoops contest--”
    “What!?” Haley cried.
    “...you all should just come over. We’ve got all sorts of fun stuff to do here. Whaddya say?”
    The ladies all glanced amongst each other and nodded. “Sure,” Abigail voiced for them.
    “Oh Abby you totally gotta play this sweet racing game with me and Seb!” Sam expressed. “The graphics are WAY better than the game graphics back home!”
    Sebastian nodded emphatically.
    “You’re on!”

    As the girls went about saying their goodbyes and headed out the door, Harvey called out to Penny, stopping her in the foyer.

    “Hey,” he said with a blushed smile as he approached her. “Forgive me for not having the opportunity to say it earlier, but,” he paused nervously, “you look really nice this evening.”
    A bright and blushed smile played across Penny's lips as she shyly clasped her hands behind her back. “Thank you.”

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    “Actually, correction...you look beautiful this evening.”
    Penny’s smile grew even brighter and her heart fluttered all the more wildly. She loved how cute Harvey looked when he was being sweet and flirting.

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    Then what really came as a surprise, that sent a pleasurable chill down her spine, was Harvey lifting a hand to stroke her hair, grazing her cheek for a second, where one of her “pony buns” used to be.

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    “I can’t help missing those pigtails though,” he said. “They were...cute.”
    Pigtails! So that’s the correct term for them. Flattered that he liked her boring old pigtails, Penny touched her hand upon his and assured, “Oh they won’t be gone forever. I just wanted to try out a new look.”

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    “Both looks suit you,” he smiled.

    For a moment the two stood in silence, holding each other’s flirtatious gaze while trying to figure out what to say next.

    “So,” Penny started, rocking on her heels, “that was a good discussion tonight.”
    “It was. And your thoughts on the reason for this quest makes a lot of sense! I was very impressed with your insight.” He blushed.
    “Thanks,” she blushed in return. “Though I think your opinion on it is more accurate. It sure is a mega bummer there isn’t a Hospital around here. That’s strange!”
    “Yeah…it really is.”
    “But I know you won’t have any trouble finding a way to take care of us. I mean, you sure didn’t have any trouble taking care of me with only your bedside manner and stethoscope,” she commented while looking away shyly.
    “Well, I guess that’s true,” Harvey agreed, leaning in with a grin.

    With his lips just mere inches from hers, they still managed to steal a breath from her. She had to draw in another to replace it. “So uh, did you happen upon any interesting places to visit?” She smirked.
    “Yeah, some,” came the natural reply. Then when realization set in as to what she was implying - based on a previous conversation - he grinned again and continued, “There’s this really nice Steakhouse that has a fancy outdoor seating area; right in the middle of town. I thought it would be a nice place for someone to take a date.”
    “Oh really?” Penny asked intimately, leaning in.
    “Really,” he said in the same tone.

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    “Is there a particular ‘date’ you had in mind?” she asked, feeling confident in what his response would be.
    Harvey co'ck'ed his head to the side for the second and replied, “Well, there’s this lovely auburn-haired school teacher from back home that came to mind, always does her hair up in pigtails, and,” he paused to gaze deeply into her eyes, “has the most stunning and enticing emerald eyes I’ve ever seen.” He loved witnessing Penny’s blush grow even brighter. “Do you know who I’m referring to?”

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    The corner of Penny’s mouth quirked up as she quickly tried to come up with a playful response in return. “I do...but she seems to have taken a vacation. Perhaps I might be a suitable replacement date?”
    Harvey tried not to chuckle. “Absolutely,” he said in the sincerest tone possible.
    “I’m really not very good at this…,” Penny said with a grimace and then a laugh.
    “Me neither so it’s okay,” he laughed with her.

    Penny then gave off another blushed grin. “So...does tomorrow evening after hanging out with our friends sound good? Around five?”
    “Absolutely,” he repeated.
    “I’ll be looking forward to it,” she said with a glimmer in her eye.
    “Me too.”

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    Harvey then went to see her out by opening the door for her, which Penny giddily appreciated within her mind. “Well, have a good night Penny,” he wished.
    “You too...Harvey,” she blushed as she stepped out.

    As Harvey watched her leave he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so lucky in the dating department. He blissfully sighed while leaning harder against the edge of the door. Tomorrow evening couldn’t come soon enough.

    *****************************

    Back in Shane’s room, he whipped off his sweat drenched, odorous clothes, throwing them into a corner, and continued to pace the floor. Keeping himself in motion reduced the annoyance of the tremors some, but with his depression beginning to overtake his mind it didn’t matter what he’d do, he’d still be in agony, and that just made him want to crawl into bed and die.

    He dimmed the lamp beside his bed, almost knocking it over in the process, and just stood in slouched shame for a few seconds. Breathing heavily, he once again uttered Jas’s name. And then he continued in a whisper, “I’m sorry kiddo. This is...getting...too hard. I’m...losing strength. I’m sorry...I could never be...the father figure...you needed me...to be.”

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    Falling flat onto the bed from exhaustion, he lay there for a few minutes shaking and shivering. His mind was actually desiring sleep now, but he didn’t know if his stricken body would allow it. He sat up with a couple of tears escaping his eyes. “I’m a failure,” he groaned, “and a loser...at everything. So many times...I’d rise above it...I’d be winning...but then I’d get suc'ked right back in. I couldn’t...conquer it...and I STILL can’t conquer it!” He punched at the mattress with his fist. “There is no...hope for me. I’m no good for you! You’re better off...with Marnie.” His shoulders shook harder now from years of deep, suppressed emotions. “I’m just an inevitable loser…and I’ve failed!

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    Sinking himself into the bed covers, he pulled the blanket up to his mouth, thinking to suffocate himself with it and end his misery.

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    DON’T YOU DARE!

    He recognized the woman’s voice instantly which caused his eyes to shoot open and he began panting. Mom!? He glanced all around the dark room, not expecting to see her spirit, but feeling a great disappointment that he didn’t. A couple of minutes passed in silence until he shrugged and began to close his eyes again.

    Don’t you stoop to his level!

    The voice sounded again, less forcefully this time, but still just as commanding. He continued to frantically look around for her.

    You’re better than that! FIGHT!

    His airway felt constricted making it hard to speak. Sweat seeped into his eyes and he rapidly rubbed at them, hoping the salty liquid might somehow clear his vision so he could see her, but...to no avail. Dejected, he fell back onto his pillow, breathing heavily. He could feel his rapid heartbeat pulsing through his temples and his head ached considerably. “Help…” he breathlessly asked her, the only person in the universe he would ever ask.

    Now...sleep…

    As if a switch had been flipped, his rising and falling chest slowed to normal and the tremors subsided. Sweat still dripped from his brow, but he lay in silence...falling into an instant deep sleep.

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    However as the nightly hours passed, his thirsty and ailing body forced him awake, continuing to torment him. He moaned and groaned as he tossed and turned, trying to grasp whatever his mother’s spirit did to calm his soul. If that’s what actually happened...

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    Or was he just losing his mind?

    *******************************



    To be continued...
    :mrgreen:

    Thanks for reading everyone! <3
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  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    Page 2! Yay! :smiley:

    @meerkattime Thank you for the comments chica and for reading. <3
    Yeah, I'd like to think Elliott has always been a romantic. ;)
    Shane's got it rough, that's for sure. :pensive: I've done a lot of research of alcoholic withdrawal and I just can't imagine... And you're about to learn so much more about him as the chapter goes on.
    Jas is only 6 years old so she really doesn't understand his addiction and depression. She just loves him and doesn't want anything bad to happen to him. <3 You'll learn more about that too. ;)
    He's not being very likable towards people who are trying to help him, but I guess he feels a bit humiliated being taken care of and being the center of attention in his weakest moment.
    ^Yup! Exactly!
    Alex looks great sitting by the table without a shirt on <3
    ^Yeah I thought a few of you ladies would like that. :smirk: You may see more of that in this chapter. :blush:
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  • meerkattimemeerkattime Posts: 261 Member
    edited April 2020
    @emorrill Hehe, I had no idea Shane's got a kid. I haven't touched Stardew Valley since the previous time we talked about it and still haven't met all the villagers. I hope Jas will get him back safe and sound :) .
    I wonder where the real residents of the town are and if they are going to be back.
    Poor Haley has no idea that not only the wizard but all of us are staring at them and reading all about their story from The Sims forums :| .
    I think Penny might be right about their reason to be there. Wise thoughts.
    Oh no, I hope Penny doesn't think now that Maru is interested in Harvey after all... I doubt she is.
    Oh yes, Harvey approves of Penny's hair and outfit :blush: . Maru was wrong - he's not so bad at flirting. Well, touching Penny's cheek is quite bold... Penny doesn't seem to mind at all. C'mon lovebirds, you both want to go on a date together! Yay! :smiley:
    Don't give up, Shane :(. Poor guy. Hmm, who is Shane's mother's voice talking about... Shane's father maybe? Sounds like something tragic might have happened to him back in time. I'm glad Shane finds comfort in his mother's voice even if it's just his imagination.
    Edit: I read who Jas is and see it's not as simple as I thought. That means the voice speaking to Shane could be talking about Jas's dad too. Or maybe... Hmm, we'll find out ;) .
    Post edited by meerkattime on
  • KevinL5275KevinL5275 Posts: 2,489 Member
    Does Shane have issues in the original Stardew Valley game?

    Do we get shirtless pics of the ladies, too? =P just kidding

    I like the couch shots! First you have Abigail throwing her hands up in surprise, and then Harvey did it. :)
    I'm a 48 year old married man, with a beautiful wife, a cat, and a simverted personality.My Sims 3 Pictures
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    @KevinL5275 Yes, Shane is always extremely rude to your character which makes it hard to want to get to know him. He's an alcoholic, seen drinking at the bar every night. If the player is willing to get to know him, which is a LONG process, you begin to learn quite a bit about him and why he's so standoffish.

    I do my best to keep the characters as accurate to their character on Stardew Valley as possible. ;)

    Yeah if I posted anything like that I'd get banned from the forum! :p

    And the limited couch expressions and gestures bug me! :grimace: Thanks for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
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  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    @meerkattime Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel like I missed your second comment post there. :kissing_heart:
    Yup, Shane has a kid. ;) Sort of...there's some details about that that will be revealed later.
    Poor Haley has no idea that not only the wizard but all of us are staring at them and reading all about their story from The Sims forums :| .
    ^Ha ha! :lol: I didn't think about that! :joy:
    Oh no, I hope Penny doesn't think now that Maru is interested in Harvey after all... I doubt she is.
    ^That's exactly what she was thinking. :(
    Maru was wrong - he's not so bad at flirting.
    ^Indeed. ;) She don't know what she's talking about! :p
    It was a little bold for Harvey to stroke her hair like that, I'll admit that thought had crossed my mind, but...with the way she was practically throwing herself at him earlier, and he liked it, I think he decided to be daring with it and succeeded. :p
    Hmm, who is Shane's mother's voice talking about... Shane's father maybe? Sounds like something tragic might have happened to him back in time. I'm glad Shane finds comfort in his mother's voice even if it's just his imagination.
    ^That's the big question at the moment. :smirk: You may be on to something or it may be someone else entirely. :p Sorry to tease like that. ;)
    Oh you went and did research on Jas like @bekkasan did. :lol: I don't blame y'all one bit! I'm so excited to write and reveal more! :mrgreen:
    Thanks for commenting. <3 I'm glad you enjoyed it. :smiley:
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  • Demery27Demery27 Posts: 222 Member
    @emorrill I love how your characters look, love the design of the house I can't wait to see more chapters of the story
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    Aww, thank you @Demery27 . <3 And thanks for popping in and reading. :blush:

    I've been hard at work continuing to write chapter 6. It's gonna be a long and revealing one! :wink:
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  • Demery27Demery27 Posts: 222 Member
    @emorrill No problem Reading is one of my favorite hobbies when I'm not playing the sims😁
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    Pelican Town to Sims Town
    Continuation of Chapter 6...


    The third day in the town of Appaloosa dawned just like any normal day in Pelican Town. Cool, faint-lit mornings which gradually led to the sun peeking out over the mountains, bathing everything below in an orange, lukewarm glow. That was when the shops would open and the town would become alive, the one thing the 12 new residents from another world were really beginning to miss. So it came as no surprise to the guys that the ladies arrived at the early hour of 8 o’clock. They’re desperation to be with others they are familiar with, and of the opposite sex, was much more appealing than spending countless hours cooped up in the drama that is an all female household. Admittedly, the guys had just as much drama going on and felt exactly the same towards spending time with the ladies.

    The only one who seemed bothered by the ladies early arrival was Shane, who’d been awake since only the Lord knew how long the night before, wallowing away in the agony of uncontrollable withdrawal, and the extra voices in the house only made his head feel more noisy.

    Sitting on the edge of his bed, he gripped his head with both hands, rocking and panting, almost forgetting where he was and what was happening; delirium beginning to rear its ugly head. Sparse bits of sleep left him feeling a tiny bit energized, but his body still shook rapidly as if suffering from Parkinson’s. The room felt freezing so naturally he grabbed some clothes to put on to warm up, forgetting that the crumpled up clothes in the corner reeked of body odor and were stiff from dried sweat. The smell and texture didn’t even phase him.

    About twenty minutes earlier, Elliott had cooked a hearty breakfast for the guys - eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns - and left a plate of it on Shane’s desk with a tall glass of orange juice. He asked the tormented man in bed how he was doing, but only got angry mumbles. When he asked, “Would you like me to get Harvey,” Shane’s reply was an immediate and emphatic, “NO! I can take care of myself! Get out!”

    With intense hunger seeming to gnaw at his stomach, Shane was reminded of the plate of food and whipped his attention toward it. He wolfed it down like a starving wild animal, crumbs falling all over the desk and floor, and when it was gone he promptly downed the glass of orange juice. He then slapped the empty glass down upon the surface and panted heavily. Suddenly he felt nauseated. It took every last bit of self control he had to keep himself from disgorging his much needed sustenance.

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    “Ah HELL!” he groaned while gripping the sides of the desk, still trembling fiercely, and working hard to focus on enduring. He couldn’t let the guys see him like this. They could NEVER see him like this! So utterly broken and exposing his greatest weakness. Focus on Jas, focus on Marnie, focus on Charlie the chicken, you must...endure this...for them...

    But a surge in the tremors caused his legs to give way and he fell onto his knees, nearly bumping his chin on the edge of the desk. Curse words flew out his mouth, ending with a loud cry of agony.
    *****************************

    Meanwhile, Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail went straight for the racing game to see who out of the three would come out victorious as the best racer.

    Abigail gasped in wonder as they started the game and began picking out and customizing their drivers and vehicles. “Oh my gosh you weren’t kidding about the graphics Sam! It’s like a real life game! This is EPIC!”
    Sam grinned. “Oh just wait until the racing starts. Talk about detail! I mean, there’s like all these people walking on the sidewalks wearing various outfits and you can see all the bricks, windows, and terraces on the buildings. You can even see smoke coming out of the gutters--”
    “And the weather changes too!” Sebastian added. “One minute there’s sunshine and the further you get into the city, it’s raining.”
    Sam gave an unamused look at getting interrupted.
    “Wow,” the gamer girl breathed. “I think I could get used to living in this world with games like this!”
    They all agreed.

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    “Alright, best 2 out of 3 races,” Sam set forth.
    “Aww, just three?” Abigail playfully whimpered.
    “Heck no! We’ll do 5 sets of 3 races and whoever wins the most sets is the winner. Unless there’s a tie then we’ll do a single tie breaker race.”
    “Oh there won’t be any tie,” Sebastian said with a smirk, “you both know I’m gonna kick a$$ on all 5 sets and come out on top!”
    “In your dreams Seb!” Sam countered. “Racing games are all I play! That would be me!”
    “Guys please,” Abigail said, doing a calming gesture with her hands, “you both know that I’M going to be the one to come out on top! I’m a better gamer than both of you combined and you two know it!”
    Sam and Sebastian shot a quick glance at each other. “Nah,” they both expressed, playfully ruffling at her hair.
    “Hey!” she cried. “It took me a half hour to curl my hair this morning so don’t touch it! Now, let’s get these races started!

    Outside, the “Hoops Contest” between Haley and Alex was going pretty well...for Alex anyway. He’d already shot the ball into the basket six times, while Haley kept missing and pouting about it. Alex didn’t mean to chuckle at her, he just thought she looked so incredibly cute in her annoyance.

    While Alex attempted to take another shot Haley said, “I dunno why you thought it was such a good idea to challenge me on this when you know I’m not very good at Basketball. Is it because you get off on winning?” She smirked at him.

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    Into the basket the ball went. Seven. “No,” Alex half-truth replied, “I just thought it would be fun. Besides I wanted to see if you’d gotten any better at Basketball since middle school,” he winked, coming over to stand beside her.
    Haley subtly licked the corner of her lip for a moment, watching him approach. She may never enjoy playing Basketball, but she sure enjoyed watching Alex play it shirtless. “Yeah, no,” she expressed, “I’ve been too busy studying fashion and taking photography classes since then to even attempt getting better at something I hate!”
    “Oh c’mon now, you don’t hate it…”
    She huffed. “Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. I don’t LIKE it!”

    Alex blushed at her. “Look, learning to shoot the ball into the basket isn’t as hard as you might think. It’s all about proper stance and wrist movement. Here, I’ll show you.” He got himself into position, his arm accidentally grazing hers a bit, which he didn’t mind. “You wanna keep your legs shoulder width apart while gripping the ball with your strong hand, your right I presume, underneath it and your other hand on the side of it.” Haley followed suit. “You’ll be shooting with your right hand so your left hand is to help guide the ball in a straight line towards the basket when you shoot. Got it? Now, raise the ball just above your head, keeping your right hand on the bottom, and focus on the net. When you’re ready to shoot, you’ll wanna jump upward, straightening your knees out, while flicking your right wrist forward to launch the ball into the direction of the hoop. Does that make sense?”
    “I guess…”
    “In a nutshell, hold the ball steady, find your target, jump, and flick. Give it a try.”

    Haley positioned herself as best she could and took a few deep breaths while locking her eyes onto the basket and then launching the ball.

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    “Oooh, good flick of the wrist!” Alex complimented.

    The ball hit the rim, bouncing upward a bit, and both lost a breath for a moment as it seemed the ball might land right into the hoop.

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    But not so...it fell just behind the hoop and bounced away. “Ugh!” Haley grunted as Alex went to go fetch the ball before it rolled too far away.
    “It’s okay,” he said. “That was much closer this time around so good job!” He tossed the ball over to her and she barely caught it. He then returned to her side and said, “Here let me demonstrate it one more time.”
    Haley watched as he flicked his wrist beautifully, sending the ball forward, and straight into the basket again.

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    She lowered the ball and her head in defeat. I’ll never get this down. This is exactly why I don’t do sports.

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    “You know what Alex,” she then voiced. “I give! Let’s do something else.”
    “Aww, c’mon! You were just getting better at it,” he griped. “Alright, let’s forget about the contest and I’ll coach you on your shooting for a bit okay?”
    Haley had the hardest time resisting his handsome face. “Alright,” she reluctantly consented, but still shot him a coy smile.
    Alex smiled in return and placed his ball down before going to stand behind her, taking her arms to help position them properly. Haley pleasurably enjoyed the touch, and so did Alex. In fact that was really the whole idea of moving on to coach her anyway and both had no problem with it.

    As those two played, Elliott and Leah were sprawled out on the grass underneath the fruit trees, their heads touching, chatting and giggling.

    “I can’t believe how incredibly right this feels, you and me,” Leah expressed, rolling over onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows to face him. “I mean in all my previous relationships there’d always be some kind of feeling that would nag at me, hinting that the relationship wouldn’t last or wasn’t the best idea, you know? Like one time, my partner took my hand as we were sitting on the couch watching a movie, and all of the sudden I got this sick feeling in my stomach and my chest would tighten.” She held her hand up to her chest as if to demonstrate. “It was so strange. And I couldn’t figure out why I would have such a feeling when we really liked each other. It was almost like I felt a little...disgusted by their touch or something. Then two weeks later we broke up.” She shrugged. “Then with my next partner we’d have these trivial little arguments and each time I’d get that same sick feeling. But with you,” she paused, stroking his cheek and then his hair, “I’ve never felt that at ALL! I’ve felt normal and at peace; blissfully, yet truly in love. I can say whatever and be exactly who I am and not worry about driving you away.” She brightly smiled. “We are just so meant to be! Do you feel the same?”

    Elliott propped himself up on one arm and leaned in to kiss her, gently stroking her lips with such passion. “Does that answer your question?” he asked with love in his eyes. “If not, Yes, I completely feel the same.” They chuckled, Leah feeling great joy from the validation. “I could totally relate to what you were talking about because I’d get those same nagging feelings in previous relationships too. But never once has there been any nagging with you. I guess this is what truly being in love is like.”
    “Oh Elliott…”

    Pretty soon they were standing and getting lost in each other’s kisses again.

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    Then Leah expressed feeling a little hungry after taking notice of how delectable the oranges looked.

    “They are ripe enough for picking,” Elliott observed. “Shall I pick one for you my love?”
    Leah blushed. “You’re very sweet, but...I’d kinda like to pick out my own if that’s alright?” She’d already eyeballed the perfect one.
    “Well of course.”
    “Alrighty,” she said, stepping forward and reaching up into the branches. It was a little higher than she thought so she got on her tippy-toes. “If I could juuuust…”
    Elliott saw an opportunity and took it. He gripped her beautifully curvy hips, which caused her to shriek for a second, and lifted her up just high enough so that she could pick the orange her heart desired.

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    It was a deformed one, that probably would’ve been left on the tree until it rotted away, but it was perfect in her eyes because it was shaped like a heart. She handed it to Elliott after he put her down with a blush. "Here. I wholly give this to you."
    He studied it for a moment. “Oh I see,” he grinned once he recognized the shape. “Perfect.”

    A few feet away from them, on the back porch, Emily stripped down to her swimsuit and carefully entered the steaming, frothy hot tub. The hot water stung her skin a bit, but her body quickly adjusted to it. She closed her eyes while leaning her head back and slowly drew in a deep breath, allowing herself to relax.

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    Once again it’s just me, she thought, since everyone else has paired off. Oh well! She was kinda used to it. But then her eyes shot open as she was reminded of someone who was probably feeling just as lonely as she was. She thought she could hear another loud moan through his bedroom window and was nearly dying to come to his aid, but...it was highly unlikely he’d let her in.

    For the past two years she had developed a soft spot towards the mysterious, new man in town, who came to the Saloon every night where she worked the bar, ordering the same hard drink, and standing a few ways off leaning against the wall beside the fireplace, just sipping and sipping. His eyes were always glazed over, staring ahead into nothingness, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Oh how often she longed to ask him about it, but the negative energy - she preferred to call it - surrounding his presence always held her back. He never spoke to anyone, unless someone was brave enough to approach him and if they did he always threw out a rude or an insulting comment to drive them away. It’d cause her to shake her head. What has this poor guy been through that’s made him so cold and distant towards everyone? She’d ask herself. The man’s ability to make a person hate him upon their very first meeting was clearly intentional and preferred, but why? It was that why that drove her so mad, a person who got along with most everyone, but even with her God given gift of intuition, she couldn’t crack the mystery behind this scruffy, yet handsome man who always had her so mesmerized.

    On rare occasions he’d be so wasted that he’d actually carry on a light conversation with her over the bar. It was mostly small talk, those typical little exchanges between the bartender and the patron. However she soon began to look forward to those moments. Because each time it filled her with the hope that maybe they were becoming friends and she could finally learn his story; maybe even help him. But every time afterward, when they happened to run into each other outside of the Saloon, she’d greet him...but he’d pay her no mind. It was as if she never even existed, or was forgotten, existing only within his drunken mind. It pained her heart greatly.

    Until one fateful night…

    Meanwhile back inside, Sam had just won the first three sets of races and Sebastian and Abigail were getting quite annoyed.

    As the fourth race began, Abigail leaned towards Sebastian and whispered, “Let’s take him down together. Do whatever it takes to slow him down so one of us wins!”
    “Got it! Teammate,” he whispered back with a smirk.

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    Upstairs, during all that time, Harvey had been fiddling with the Science Station to get more familiar with all its components and features while Penny looked through some of the medicine compounding books. Maru was excited to find that Harvey had a telescope just like the one in her bedroom and just HAD to take a long peek through it before assisting in the studying and research. Her love of astronomy would certainly come before anything work related.

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    Eventually Harvey joined Penny in delving into the medical texts, especially when she said, “Wow. This medicine compounding stuff looks kinda complicated to do, but extremely cool at the same time! Although some of these terms I don’t understand...Could you enlighten me Harvey?” Her blushed and “I want you to be closer to me” look was hard to resist even for a second. He promptly made his way over to her and sat down. Maru shot a quick glance over at them with a smile, thinking Penny’s little flirt there and Harvey’s quick reaction were adorable. The two were still continuing to surprise her in their flirtatious behavior that was so rarely seen back home.

    “Alright, let’s see what you got here,” Harvey said, leaning in closer toward her to read what she was pointing at. Her perfume smelled delightfully intoxicating, and he tried hard to ignore it so he could show off his intelligence. “Oh yeah, some of these are toughies. What this one means is…”

    Soon Penny had the idea to quiz Harvey on all sorts of medical terminology and procedures to refresh his mind - the teacher in herself coming out - to which he gladly consented while looking through a book about illnesses in this world that were completely foreign to those in their homeworld.

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    “Hmm,” he simply said in response to one of her questions which obviously wasn’t the correct answer, so she gazed at him for a moment. “This virus here sounds a lot like the Flu, but carries with it some additional symptoms. More fatal symptoms.”
    The color drained from Penny’s face for a moment. “Well...that’s not good.”
    “No,” Harvey agreed, glancing up and staring straight ahead for a moment. “It’s not.”

    They both lowered their books. With great concern, and a touch of fear, so prevalent in his eyes, Penny felt to rub at Harvey’s back for a moment to provide comfort. “We’ll be okay,” she soothed. “We’re trapped in a bubble, remember?” she tittered, but since he didn’t she went right back to being serious. “There aren’t any locals around to pass something like that onto us. So there’s nothing to worry about.” She pleasantly surprised herself with that one.
    Of course! I should’ve thought of that! Harvey turned to look at her with a thankful smile. “Did we just switch roles there?” he asked with a smirk.
    “Yeah,” she grinned. “I think we did.”

    “You two having fun over there?” Maru playfully asked, moving on to check out the Science Station.

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    “Always,” Harvey replied, which made Penny blush all the more.
    “I don’t mean to be a bother,” Maru began, “but Harvey could you bring me up to speed on how this thing works? I don’t want us to waste any more time getting ready to compound, especially with Shane being in the state he’s in…”
    “Right,” Harvey concurred, slapping his hands down upon his thighs, and stood up to go join her.
    “I’ll...see what other books I can find,” Penny said and headed for the bookcase.

    Meanwhile, down below in the hot tub, Emily wove her fingers together behind her head and closed her eyes while expelling a very deep sigh, taking her thoughts back to that fateful night.

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    ***The remainder of this chapter I will need to refer you to my Blog as the content is not forum appropriate. You DON'T want to miss it! :) ***
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  • KevinL5275KevinL5275 Posts: 2,489 Member
    Yay more story! Yay more beautiful sims. :) I wish I could write as well as you do.
    I'm a 48 year old married man, with a beautiful wife, a cat, and a simverted personality.My Sims 3 Pictures
  • meerkattimemeerkattime Posts: 261 Member
    @emorrill Poor Shane... :(
    I'm glad the others are enjoying the better graphics of the games of the new world :wink: .
    Do we have another cute couple in the making or is it just light flirting between Haley and Alex... Time will tell I guess. Looks promising. The garden behind them looks great - I wonder if androids take care of gardens too ;).
    Leah and Elliot are adorable :blush: . I hope their relationship will last. I like the picture of them kissing under the trees.
    Poor Emily is feeling lonely... It's probably not a wise idea to go talk to Shane now though.
    Abigail looks very pretty in that picture of her and Sebastian playing.
    Seems to me that Maru is ok with Penny and Harvey flirting. Good, Penny was worried for nothing :blush: .
    How strange that illnesses are different in that world than back in Pelican Town. Hopefully they won't have to get to know any of them any better than what they can learn from reading the books :confounded: . Good point, Penny!
    No wonder Shane is such a mess. That's a very sad story he told Emily. Emily seems to be a sweet and caring soul, the type that makes friends easily. It must be strange for her to know someone's secrets when that person has no idea she knows them :/ .
    Shane is definitely not easy to get to know, but I hope he'll let Emily or someone else help him soon.
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    edited May 2020
    @KevinL5275 I had a feeling you would like the pics of the gals, particularly Haley. :smirk: Am I right?
    I wish I could write as well as you do.
    ^Aww, thanks. :blush: Stems from a very imaginative mind - and early writing - as a child. ;) You should've seen the world my little brother and I created using just our imagination while playing in our backyard. :grin:

    @meerkattime Thanks for all the awesome comments. <3 I can sense your perception in the comments you make. :blush:
    Yes, poor Shane indeed. :cry: It was hard having to write some of that...
    Haley and Alex have always flirted and hung out with each other even in Stardew Valley so I guess we'll see. ;)
    No the androids don't do any of the gardening. :p The Wizard has left all that up to them! :trollface:
    I was wondering if anyone would catch that I was referring to something very much like COVID-19 when Harvey was reading about that foreign flu in this world. :smirk: I felt it fitting to throw in something like that, given the year this story has been written. :p
    Yeah Maru seems pretty chill about her two really good friends dating. :)
    Yup, Emily is very much a people person and is a ball of sunshine. :blush: Shane seems to be the opposite. (Of course now we all know why...) He'd be wise to allow her into his life.

    Thanks for reading you two. :kissing_heart: I always look forward to your comments. <3
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  • KevinL5275KevinL5275 Posts: 2,489 Member
    Yes Haley is pretty but I will always have a thing for the redheads. :D
    I'm a 48 year old married man, with a beautiful wife, a cat, and a simverted personality.My Sims 3 Pictures
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    KevinL5275 wrote: »
    Yes Haley is pretty but I will always have a thing for the redheads. :D

    @KevinL5275 Oh so Leah and Penny? :blush: I guess Maru has red hair too doesn't she? :p
    52607642900_bbbac3a314_c.jpg
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    edited May 2020
    Hey everyone. :)

    I'm FINALLY rolling out Chapter 7! :smiley: Thank you all SO much for your patience. :kissing_heart:

    So this is the first little bit of Chapter 7. I've only written half of the chapter so far (it's LONG, no surprise) and of course even posting half of it won't all fit in one post so, here is a quarter of it. :p

    *It might seem like Shane has been suffering for quite a LONG time, but keep in mind all the events of this chapter are happening in the same day of Chapter 6 - in the afternoon now. Just wanted to point that out. :) We left off with Emily thinking back on Shane revealing his entire life story to her in the Stardrop Saloon while drunk, back in Pelican Town, months ago.

    **There's a Quantum Leap reference in this portion of the chapter and you're awesome if you can catch it. :smirk: Actually I think you all will because it'll be pretty obvious based on the wording. ;) I couldn't help adding it. It was perfect for the situation.

    Now without further adieu, I hope you will greatly enjoy Chapter 7. :grin:

    ______________________________________________________________________________________


    Pelican Town to Sims Town

    Chapter 7

    Back in the tiny orchard just a few feet away, Elliott gasped while fiddling around on his phone and that drew Leah’s attention away from the wasps eating at the pears. “What?” she asked, looking over his shoulder.

    “These phones have cameras!” he exclaimed in surprise.
    “No way!” She leaned in closer.
    “Way! Gosh the technology here is incredible! I dunno how we’re ever going to go back once we get home.”
    “For real,” she said, growing thoughtful. “Hey, do you suppose that’s one reason why the Wizard sent us here? To gain knowledge of more advanced technologies that we can pass on to the whole of Stardew Valley?”
    “Possibly,” he acknowledged, but quickly dismissed the thought. “You know, we should get a picture of just the two of us...kissing,” he smirked at her. “If I hold the phone out like this…”
    Once he did Leah instinctively gripped his waist and planted a gentle and meaningful kiss upon his lips.

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    After hearing the “shutter” sound, Elliott lowered the phone so they could both take a look at how the picture turned out.
    “Aww!” Leah said in a cutesy voice.
    “We look good,” Elliott affirmed.

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    Leah then wrapped her arms around his waist to turn his attention toward her. “Yes,” she agreed. “The best looking ginger couple in all of Stardew Valley and no one can deny it.” She pressed her nose against his with a little giggle and gave him a peck.
    “Mmm...for sure.”

    As they kissed again, Leah took notice of Emily sitting alone in the hot tub and looking somewhat forlorn.
    “We should go join her,” she suggested to Elliott with a gesture of her head. “She looks sad and lonely.”
    Elliott glanced over at the blue-haired woman and nodded, recognizing Leah’s reasoning. “But isn’t it a little hot outside to be in a hot tub?” he countered.
    “Maybe,” she shrugged, “but she looks like she could use some company so we can deal with it. Besides, those bubbling jets might feel real nice on our achy lower back muscles.”
    He smirked at her. “I wonder how they got so achy…”
    With a playful slap on the arm she chortled, “Hush you!”

    Hand in hand they made their way over to the deck and removed their clothes down to their swimsuits underneath.

    “Hey Emily,” Leah greeted, startling the woman a bit. “Mind if we join you?”

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    “Oh...not at all,” Emily answered, sitting herself up a bit.

    Once the two sat down and got comfortable, Emily stuck her foot out of the water to see if her toes had become just as pruny as her fingers. Yup!
    “So, how are you today?” Leah asked her.
    “I’m fine,” came the simple reply.

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    Leah wished she would express what was really on her mind, but she honestly couldn’t expect her to since they weren’t exactly close. She couldn’t help noticing Elliott looking mighty fine beside her, with the light patch of hair on his chest peeking out above the surface of the water and his arms wrapped behind his head. “Elliott!” she sharply, yet playfully, addressed. “What are you doing over there? You’re supposed to be here by me! No offense Emily.”
    “None taken…”
    “Sorry babe,” Elliott said with a frown, wondering why he didn’t get in in the same spot that Leah did, it just seemed normal to enter the hot tub on different sides. To be silly, he held his breath and dove under the water, launching himself toward his lover’s side, and burst up out of the water pretending to gasp for breath. It worked because it sure put a smile on Leah’s face.
    “You goofball!” she giggled.

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    “So Emily,” she turned her attention to again. “Do you have any personal thoughts on this whole quest thing? Elliott and I are still trying to wrap our heads around it.”

    Emily blew up at her bangs as she replied, “Not really...I think Harvey and Penny both have some good theories about it.”
    “Whose do you think is more likely?” Elliott couldn’t help but ask.

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    “Penny’s honestly,” she quickly responded. “A falling out has definitely happened between most of the town residents for years now, when everyone used to be so close, caring, and friendly. I remember it well when I was a child,” then she looked away in thought. It’s almost like everyone is carrying a dark secret they don’t want people knowing about.
    “Yeah, but that’s just kinda how society has become these days,” Elliott stated. “People don’t look out for each other the way they used to. It’s really become everyone for themselves in the world. Or, er, in our home world. I don’t like it either, but...it is what it is.” He shrugged.
    “True,” Emily acknowledged, “but in Pelican Town it feels like there’s more to it than that. Like,” she shook her head for a moment, telling herself it’d be unwise to go on. She didn’t want to say anything that might allude to the fact that she’s keeping a big secret herself; one that’s not her own no less. “I dunno...”
    “I think,” Leah chimed in, “that everyone just got sick of the whole town knowing their personal business, a common small town problem after all, so they quit opening up to each other and have become much more reserved.” She spoke from her own feelings.
    Elliott nodded.
    “Yeah,” Emily said in a whisper. “That could very well be it.”

    “I’m more leaning toward Harvey’s theory,” Leah said in a tone of conclusion, “though I still wonder why the Wizard would want to do us any favors. It’s probably due to some ulterior motive, but regardless,” she stopped to look lovingly into Elliott’s eyes, “this experience so far has opened my eyes to my one true love and no matter what happens, good or bad...I’ll be forever thankful to the Wizard for that.”
    Emily cracked a smile at her, feeling a twinge of aching jealousy in her heart.
    Elliott then wrapped his arm around his love and said, “Indeed.”

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    Meanwhile, back inside and upstairs, after showing Maru the basics of the science station she assured Harvey that she could figure out the rest so he went back to join Penny on the couch to continue exploring through the various medical texts.

    The topic of Shane’s current condition naturally came up again and Harvey shared with the ladies everything he felt would be needed to help Shane through the withdrawal. The man was already at the peak of it and Harvey fully expected that he’d have to intervene very soon, hoping with much less resistance from Shane, especially since he feared the worst case scenario. At the moment Shane seemed to be holding up well on his own even though he’d be much better off with some medication and IV fluids. Those items needed to be produced quickly and he prayed for their success in doing so.

    “So compounding any kind of drug looks like it’s going to take a bit of time,” Maru began while turning from the pharmaceutical book to carefully studying one of the plants found under the microscope, “It says at least 24 hours, and I’m sure that’s not factoring in the time to go out and find the specific ingredients. But, since we already have a few ingredients here that’ll speed things up.” She paused for a moment in great fascination over what she was seeing under the microscope. “So you’re wanting us to get all the ingredients for a sleeping medication, antipsychotic, and an anti-seizure med?” she asked Harvey with a faint tone of doubt.

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    Harvey gripped the contents of his jacket pocket in thought for a moment before answering, “Yes. The sleeping medication we’ll compound first; that takes precedence. Then we’ll look into compounding the others.” He greatly hoped they wouldn’t be needed. “However what I’m more focused on right now is finding a way to get him on an IV. He’s horribly dehydrated and I can administer intravenous drugs much easier that way.”
    “Well it’s looking like these are ones that you take orally,” Maru informed.
    “Okay. But I’m also thinking about future scenarios where one of us might happen to need an IV and perhaps an intravenous drug as well.”
    “Oh...right.”
    He leaned over and rested his elbow upon his knee while squeezing at his forehead. “Now what around here can I use to rig up an IV?”
    “There’s gotta be some helpful supplies at the general store…”
    “Yeah, but I don’t recall...”
    Then it was like a light bulb turned on above Penny’s head and it excited her. “Hey! There’s an item at our house that might work!” She grinned as Harvey glanced up at her, adjusting his glasses. “I totally saw it being used as an IV in a TV show once…”

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    “Oh yeah,” Maru remembered, turning to face her, “I remember us watching that episode together at my place! Although, the things you see on TV shows don’t necessarily mean it’s possible to do in real life no matter how realistic it may seem.”
    “Well I’m open to anything at the moment ladies so, what is it?” Harvey asked.

    Penny and Maru both shot an awkward glance at each other, insisting the other reveal it, but since it was Penny’s idea, Maru gave her a hard nod to do it. Penny turned toward Harvey with her hands clasped in her lap and replied with a great amount of composure, “A dou'ching bag.”

    There was a brief moment of silence as a smile played across Harvey’s lips. Maru giggled in the background which wasn’t helping Penny hold hers back. “Well,” she voiced with her hands spread apart, “it’s got the bag and the tubing…and it’d be pretty easy to hang...”
    That was enough to snap Harvey out of the humor of it. “Yes...," he said in thought. "That’s actually brilliant!”

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    Penny blushed. “Oh...well...uh, thanks.”
    “Granted I’ll have to figure out how to attach a needle to it, but I’m glad you mentioned it Penny,” he said while taking her hand, “because that’s seriously something I never would’ve thought of.” Penny squealed within herself at him taking her hand.
    Maru just shook her head in amusement.
    “Now are you sure it’s been unused?” he asked Penny for good measure, pulling her up to stand with him.
    “Yes,” she tittered. “It’s still in the packaging. There were a couple underneath the sink when I was checking out the bathroom.”
    “Perfect!” he expressed. Although he couldn’t help wondering why in the wide world of Simthaer the Wizard thought to include something like THAT in the ladies house, but he quickly dismissed any more thoughts on it.

    “I’ll go fetch it right now if you want me to,” Penny asked.
    “Yes, that would be great,” he said, still holding her hand and not wishing to let it go. They threw smiles out at each other.
    “I’ll go with you Penny,” Maru said, coming over. “Then afterward we can hit up the general store to see what’s there and also look up where we can find the other two ingredients we need for the sleeping med.” She pulled out her phone. “We can actually access that World Wide Web on these things!”
    “Wow!” Penny exclaimed.
    “Sounds like a plan,” Harvey said. “Keep me informed. Time is of the essence! While you ladies do that I’m going to study that pharmaceutical book a bit more. Then I’ll attempt to check on Shane...”

    Downstairs, Sebastian and Abigail succeeded in their joint plan. Abigail won the last 3 sets of races, forcing a tie breaker race between her and Sam.

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    “OH COME ON!” Sam yelled in frustration, flinging the controller off to the side. “What the HELL Sebastian!? Why did you keep cutting me off and pushing me off the road? It’s like even when I’d get past you you’d somehow STILL end up in front of me, pushing me around! Seriously, what the hell?”
    Sebastian stifled a laugh. “Just took advantage of some shortcuts that’s all…”
    “What shortcuts!?”
    He slightly shook his head. “Do you ever look at the mini map while driving?”
    “Only to see how far ahead I am.”
    “Well there’s your problem. You may be a good racer, but you lack awareness and strategy.”

    Sam glared so hard at his buddy that Abigail could almost see smoke coming out of his ears.
    “So are we gonna do this tie breaker race or what?” she somewhat taunted Sam.
    “Oh you bet,” Sam replied, eyes still locked with Sebastian’s. “Now that Seb’s out of the way, you’ve lost your advantage.”
    Abigail huffed. “I don’t need Seb’s help to kick your butt!”
    “Whatever,” he muttered, reaching for his controller.

    Abigail quickly leaned toward Sebastian and whispered, “You didn’t have to throw those races for me...you never even gave me the chance to hold him back for you.”
    Sebastian loved seeing the thankful, yet doleful look, in her beautiful eyes. He simply gave her a blushed smile and shrugged. “Now prove to me that my sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”
    Abigail brightly grinned with her cheeks turning pink also. “Oh I won’t let you down. I meant what I said earlier about being the better gamer.” She winked while waving her controller. “I got this in the bag!”
    “I know you do,” he beamed. “Go get him girl!”

    Just as Sam and Abigail started the race, Sebastian heard Shane’s door abruptly shut. A big part of him didn’t want to care as he really wanted to watch his crush beat the snot out of his best friend in a car race, but then again had Shane finally allowed Harvey, or someone, into his room? He was just too curious and promptly got up to go check, telling the two he’d be back in a minute.

    When he knocked on the door there was the usual, “Go away and leave me alone!” But Sebastian opened it anyway and said as he walked in, “Sorry Shane, but I heard your door close and was wondering if…” he froze in place as he didn’t see anyone else in the room and was met with Shane’s glowering eyes, being filled with rage and annoyance. His pale face glistened and his cheeks looked a little sunken in.
    “What!?” he seethed, trying to steady himself.

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    “I,” Sebastian stammered, “I thought maybe you let someone in here and--”
    “I needed to take a pi’ss alright! Does everyone have to be involved in my private business now too!?”
    “No,” he raised his palms in defense, “Sorry, I was just curious.” He hesitated saying this next part, but it was mostly out of concern. “You really look like hell man. You should--”
    “Well I FEEL like hell!” he shouted, grabbing the alarm clock from his end table and throwing it at Sebastian to which he barely dodged.
    “Geez! Then will you just let Harvey take care of you already! What’s your problem with that?”
    “My problem is I’m getting sick of everyone checking up on me when I don’t NEED any of your help! I’ll get through this by MYSELF! Ya hear!? Now get out before I rip your head off!” He then charged towards the “intruder” like an angry bull.

    Sebastian instantly bolted through the doorway, falling to the floor and covering his head, while Shane slammed the door shut behind him and locked it with a loud click. “AND STAY OUT!”

    “WOO HOO!” Abigail cried at the end of the race, throwing her arms into the air and all Sam could do was lower his head and shake it, cursing under his breath. He hated losing at anything.

    “Seb you missed my victory!” she whined in disappointment, turning to see where he was. When she saw him lying on the floor covering his head, she gasped. “SEB!” Within a second she was by his side and helping him up. “What happened? Are you alright?”
    “Yeah...I’m okay.”
    Sam approached. “Did that je'rk hit you!?”
    “No, but he tried to.”
    “Oh my gosh,” Abigail breathed, brushing the hair away from Sebastian’s eyes.
    “It’s not what you think...he threw something at me, not trying to punch me.”
    “You know I’m getting real sick of his attitude,” Sam fumed, hands on his hips, and feeling his mother’s demeanor coming out in himself. “Has he no appreciation for our help?”

    “Not right now he doesn’t,” came the reply, but not from Shane or Abigail. The three turned towards the sound of the voice and it was Harvey, standing on the stairs near the base, arms folded upon the railing. “I heard a commotion and came down to see what’s going on.”
    “It was nothing Harvey,” Sebastian wished to dismiss, but explained what happened anyway since it involved Shane.

    The Doctor then twisted his mouth in thought. “So he was conversing normally with you then? Speaking clearly?”
    “Yeah,” Sebastian replied, “he was just WAY more angry than usual! Oh, and he looks terrible.”
    Harvey nodded. “At least he seems lucid, so that’s good. For now…,” he muttered that last part.
    But Abigail heard it. “What do you mean by that?” she asked inquisitively.
    “Nothing,” he dismissed. “I’m on top of it. I’ll check on him in a few minutes.”
    “Well good luck with that Harvey because he locked the door,” Sebastian informed. “And I don’t think it’s a knob you can unlock from the outside.”
    Harvey paused again in thought. “Well we’ll figure out a way to get it open if need be. For now we’ll just keep checking in by speaking to him through the door no matter how upset he gets. I know this is hard on all of you, but it’s crucial, and he’ll thank us for this later. I hope.”

    The three reluctantly nodded, trusting that the Doctor knew best in spite of their own personal better judgements on the matter.



    To be continued...

    I'll post the rest later today. 🤞
    Post edited by emorrill on
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  • meerkattimemeerkattime Posts: 261 Member
    @Emorrill I like Leah's braid. I think they might be the only ginger couple in Stardew Valley, but at least they are a cute one :).
    Lol @ their achy muscles... Young lovebirds! :p
    It's nice of Leah to want to join Emily.
    Silly man indeed, going to the other side of the hot tub than Leah did! Sims do that pretty often.
    I hope Emily doesn't feel like an outsider with the two.
    I'm sure the douching bag is what you got out of QL. I hope the idea works!
    I guess Sebastian won't get to see Abigail winning...
    Shane is such a sunshine... :s If I was Sebastian I'd leave the room pretty quickly. Ouch!
    I still hope Shane will let Harvey help him.
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    edited May 2020
    A little disclaimer here for this portion of the chapter:
    There's mention of a suicidal thought and a scene with playful, sexual banter, but it's all tame.


    Continuation of Chapter 7...


    Meanwhile, outside on the court, Alex was teaching Haley how to do a slam dunk.

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    It looked easy enough to do, but soon Haley found the ball slipping out of her hands mid air and was barely able to grasp onto the basket rim before making a bad fall.

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    Seriously, WHY am I still doing this? She asked herself with an eye roll.

    “That was really close,” Alex caringly said, “let’s do it one more time and I’m pretty sure you’ll slam it right in there.” He winked. “I’ll go a little slower with it this time so you can really see how to do it. Now watch me closely!”

    Once again he beautifully slammed the ball into the hoop and even hung on to the rim himself for a bit, his body swaying from side to side, and his sweaty, ripped-out chest glistening in the sunlight. Haley tried to pay attention, but was too caught up in the show. Gosh he’s got one hot bod!

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    “Your turn now,” Alex declared, resting his hands upon his knees to catch a breath. “You got this!”

    Okay I REALLY need to make a good impression, Haley told herself. I’m tall and fit so I totally got this! You DO got this girl! Just grip the ball hard, jump high, and land it straight into the hoop. Easy peasy! She gulped for a moment, remembering just how high the hoop was. I can do this…

    She drew in a breath and when she felt ready she bolted forward. Jumping as high as she could, she raised her arm carrying the ball up towards the sky, convinced she had it all lined up with the hoop, and would assuredly leave one lasting impression on Alex.

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    She grunted loudly as she put all her physical weight into her arm, swooping it down, but...once again the ball hit the rim and the impact made her lose her grip and she fell hard onto her bottom. Alex gaped at the sight. The poor girl just sat there with not only an aching bottom, but an injured pride.

    I hate this sport…

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    “Oh Haley…,” Alex expressed, coming over to her side to help her up, but she pulled away from him, stepping off the court and folding her arms in a pout.
    “I told you I’m not very good at sports,” she snipped, “I’m never playing this game again!”
    “Hey...come ‘ere,” he said, stifling his chuckle at her adorable misfortune.

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    “You don’t have to be the best at everything,” he said with a light squeeze. “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. So basketball isn’t one of your strengths, but you’re one killer photographer and I can’t take a picture without my fingers getting in the way to save my life! Heck you could even take photos at sports games and they’d totally ask to use your pictures in the newspaper. Not everyone can capture something in motion on film the way you can.”
    Haley blushed and squeezed him a little harder, caressing her hand down his bare, sculpted back as she did so. “You’re sweet,” she simply said. Too sweet...

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    As they broke their embrace they stared deeply into each other’s eyes for a moment.

    “Beauty is definitely one of your strengths too,” Alex complimented shyly.
    “Oh you’re one to talk,” Haley amorously said, inching closer to him.

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    Her eyes wandered down to his chest and she felt so tempted to run her finger seductively around his pecks, maybe suggesting a little something, and he probably wouldn’t have minded, but she decided against it with other people being around.

    As the two began talking about something else, inside the house Sam came up with the "brilliant" idea to check up on Shane through his bedroom window so he could get a better, and longer, visual on how he was doing without him even knowing. He hoped to gain a little bit of praise from Harvey at his idea, but he was soon to discover that maybe that was a little more of an invasion on Shane’s privacy than Shane felt they were already doing.

    Carefully stepping into the azalea bushes below the window, Sam's head barely rose to the base of the it and he could see Shane still pacing around wearily and irritably with gritted teeth.

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    Other voices were beginning to make their way into Shane’s mind. One of them tempted him by saying, Just take the sheet off your bed and form it into a rope...yeah you understand. This struggle is too hard...you can’t handle it...you’re a failure and always will be so just...do it…

    Shane gripped at his head, boring his fingers into it, as he tried desperately to push the thought away, Jas, Jas, Jas, but it was soon forgotten as he opened his eyes and saw a pair of eyes, below a spi'ky yellow-haired head, staring back at him through the base of the window. He glared fiercely at Sam to which the kid found himself grinning like an idi'ot at getting caught.

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    Promptly, Shane stepped forward and punched at the glass, sending Sam flying backward, feet up in the air, and landing flat onto his back; the azaleas somewhat breaking his fall. Then the curtains were abruptly shut.

    “Ow,” Sam grunted, lifting himself up a bit. “Okay. That was officially the worst idea ever!”

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    As he stood up and brushed himself off, Leah humorously asked from the hot tub. “You alright there Sam?”
    Elliott chuckled beside her ear.
    “Yeah,” came the reply. “I’m lucky the glass didn’t break onto my face! I wasn’t expecting he’d do that.”
    Emily just shook her head. It was a decent idea, she thought, but spying on anyone through a window, especially an alcoholic going through withdrawal, was just asking for trouble. Someone is just gonna have to put their foot down with him. She sighed. C'mon Harvey...what's taking you so long?

    Little did Sam, and everyone else, realize that his spying there obliterated the suicidal thought and instead sent Shane into a raging temper tantrum shouting out all kinds of colorful words in anger toward the guys checking up on him and threw things around the room like a toddler. It became wearing to listen to fast, but Harvey didn’t mind it at all. It was telling the Doctor exactly the state the Patient was in without being able to see him. For now. He was still holding out hope that giving Shane his desired space would develop a desire, and trust, within himself to finally allow Harvey in to treat him.

    Outside, just as Alex was about to say something suggestive to Haley, she unexpectedly gasped and cried, “Oh my gosh those poor plants are wilting!

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    “Huh, what?” Alex asked, looking in the same direction as her. Sure enough there were a couple of brown, wilting plants and Haley quickly disappeared inside to find something to water them with. Alex just stared off toward the horizon and shrugged. Once again I miss a good opportunity...

    When she returned and began drowning the first plant in water, she and Alex gaped at the sight of the leaves suddenly turning green; confirming what Abigail said about there being some magic in this world.

    “There you go baby,” Haley cooed.

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    Alex watched her from a distance with a blushed smile. He loved seeing this nurturing side of Haley when it was such a rare occurrence, around him anyway. In fact it was making him fall for her all the more. Gosh I love her...he thought.

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    Then his eyes bugged out and his pulse dropped for a split second. Woah there Alex, LOVE!? That’s a pretty strong word. I mean, sure you guys grew up together and have been flirting around for years, but...you haven’t even kissed! Well, there was that one time we almost did...ah, that was a good night...but anyway you can’t possibly be in love with her! However, his eyes were once again drawn to her with that same smitten gaze. Then again...maybe...

    “Hey Alex,” Haley called, interrupting his innermost thoughts, “be a dear and come pull out these weeds growing beneath the plants while I continue to water?”
    “Anything you say baby,” he whispered.
    “What?”
    “Oh uh, yeah, I’m coming.”

    Haley went on to discover another plant that was wilting and needed watering - and weeding - and this one too turned green and full of life in a matter of seconds.
    “You boys are lucky these plants are magical because they’d surely die with your carelessness,” Haley frankly said.
    Alex didn’t wish to argue with her about it because...she’s right. He never cared much for gardening and most of the other guys didn’t either.

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    Suddenly the back doors of the house burst open, startling everyone outdoors, as Abigail, Sebastian, and Sam came running out in their swimwear shouting, “WOO HOO,” and heading straight for the enclosed garden where the sprinklers were running.

    For a moment everyone watched the three frolic around the spraying water, giggling and acting half their age. But it was all in good fun.

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    Haley slapped her hands to her cheeks, dropping the watering can, and exclaiming to Alex, “Oh! That looks SO refreshing! I’m gonna go join them. You wanna get wet too?” she winked.
    Alex surprised himself by not feeling in the mood for it, plus, before his peers ran out, he took a hard look all around the garden and found many plants in need of weeding. He figured while he was at it, he might as well finish it. And perhaps he might impress Haley with his willingness to care for the plants. “Nah,” he replied, “I’ll probably get sprayed enough while I pull some more weeds out in there.”
    “Okaaay,” Haley muttered with raised brows and skipped on over to join the other three.

    As Haley made her grand approach, Sam cheered, “Alriiiight! Bring on another babe!”
    Haley smiled coyly at him before practically pushing Abigail out of the way to play in the same sprinkler he was.

    Annoyed, mostly at Haley’s interruption from having fun with her buddies, Abigail turned to find another sprinkler. Sebastian was having too much fun goofing off that he failed to notice. And maybe he didn’t mind Haley joining in on the fun either.

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    Haley expressed so many little squeals that aroused Sam to the point that he quickly forgot about his two buddies and wanted only to get her more wet with the chilled water to make her squeal all the more. He lifted up the sprinkler and brought the jets right up to Haley’s face, to which she screamed, and he dropped it down with a roaring laugh. “You je'rk!” she playfully cried, slapping at his back, and then rubbed at her eyes.

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    “That was bold man,” Sebastian said to his buddy. “You’re gonna get it now!”
    “Nah,” came the confident reply. “She won’t be able to resist watching me shake my sexy butt at the sprinkler and tell it where to go!”
    Sebastian just shook his head at Sam’s silliness.

    As Sam did just that, Haley watched the show with humorous pleasure. “OMG!” was all she could get out amidst her laugh. He actually has a nice a$$. “Woo!” she catcalled at him.

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    Alex’s weeding now led him into the enclosed garden where all the playing was going on.

    “My turn!” Haley then declared, turning and shaking her tush before the boys in a purposely provocative manner. Sebastian’s mouth dropped and Sam’s eyes widened at the beautiful sight, while in the distance Abigail stuck her tongue out in disgust at the blonde and rolled her eyes as she turned away.

    Sam bravely stepped over and slapped Haley’s butt to which she let out a playfully sexual squeal. That sure got Alex’s attention and he quickly looked behind him to see what happened.

    “Go on, slap it again,” he watched Haley entice Sam. Of course the young and excited man did so, laughing pleasurably at her scream and also at how loud the slap sounded due to the water on her skin. Alex knew that look all too well that Haley was giving Sam and for a moment it pierced his heart, but he pulled the arrow out quickly and turned back to his weeding. She flirts with everyone, he reminded himself, that’s how she’s always been. He certainly didn’t consider Sam to be any kind of threat. Nevertheless, I need to up my game.

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    “Go on Seb, slap that hot a$$,” Sam whispered to his buddy. “What are you waiting for?”
    “Noooo thanks, I’m good,” Sebastian said, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets. Besides I can think of someone who has a better looking one, and a better personality, he thought as he glanced over at Abigail, playing in a sprinkler all by her lonesome. For a few minutes he watched her, the way she jumped around all cutely with such an alluring aura and inadvertently showing off her captivating body curves. Her very presence had become so enticing in the last little while, effortlessly drawing his body, and thoughts, near to her. There really is something special about her, he thought, in more ways than one. He just feared coming on too strongly, as it might put a dent in their friendship, but a big part of him was confident that she shared similar feelings. It was just a matter of time.

    Alex’s weeding led him closer to Sam and Haley. He would admit the cold water definitely felt refreshing on this scorching hot afternoon. I should’ve just played around in the sprinklers with Haley and everyone else. But really...aren’t we a bit too old to be playing in the sprinklers?

    Haley let out another loud squeal as Sam picked her up and twirled her around above his head. When he put her down, after a bit of begging because she was getting dizzy, he went on to flex his muscles before her and then beat on his chest like a gorilla. Haley didn’t particularly care for the gorilla impression, but she threw out a flirt anyway. “You know, you’re a lot stronger of a man than I originally thought. And those chest muscles you just showed off, Rawr!”

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    Sam was honestly dumbfounded at her flirty compliment, but soon a big grin lit up his face as he said, “Oh...well...there’s more where that comes from. If you’re interested?” He winked.
    Haley curled her lower lip and replied, “I might be…”
    Alex, overhearing, just shook his head and pulled harder and faster at the weeds.

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    “I say we call it a day,” Sebastian said to the two, “I'm pretty sure I'm sunburned since we couldn’t find any sunblock.”
    “Usually I just tan,” Haley said, throwing a smirk at Sam.
    “No sh’it,” he acknowledged, smirking back.
    “Woah Sam, your mom would totally be cleaning your mouth out with soap hearing that language,” Sebastian teased.
    Sam still held his gaze upon Haley’s. “Well, what momma don’t know…”
    “Exactly,” she whispered to him.

    It was at that moment that Alex promptly left the garden, without uttering a word, and went inside. Haley noticed and lowered her eyes in remorse for a moment, until Sam suggested grabbing a quick snack together before dinner. Sebastian approached Abigail and asked if she’d like to do the very same thing, to which she said, “Definitely!”

    “However,” she stopped them both as they were about to head inside, “how about we eat at a separate table from them?”
    Sebastian chuckled. “Not a fan of Haley are you?”
    “Is it that obvious?”
    “Not really...only to someone who really knows you like me.” He smirked.
    She blushed. “Well, I’d rather spend time with you than the two of them. Besides we should allow Sam some alone time with the ‘hot babe.’”
    You’re the one that’s the hot babe, Sebastian wanted desperately to say, but it was still too soon. He knew the right time to express his feelings would eventually come. He just had to be patient.

    For a girl like Abigail, she was worth the wait.



    To be continued...

    :blush:

    ----

    I dunno why this song came into my head thinking about Alex and Haley... Kind of applies, kind of doesn't, but I'm sharing it anyway. :p

    Such an underrated 90's band...

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  • KevinL5275KevinL5275 Posts: 2,489 Member
    Finally got to read and leave feedback. I'm not sure who's having more fun here, your sims, your readers, or YOU! :D

    I can't wait to read more. You almost have me convinced to buy the game. :P


    I'm a 48 year old married man, with a beautiful wife, a cat, and a simverted personality.My Sims 3 Pictures
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    KevinL5275 wrote: »
    Finally got to read and leave feedback. I'm not sure who's having more fun here, your sims, your readers, or YOU! :D

    I can't wait to read more. You almost have me convinced to buy the game. :P


    @KevinL5275 All the above! :lol:

    Writing the part where Sam was spying on Shane through his window and Shane punching the glass near his face cracked me up SO hard as I was writing it!! :joy: I was near crying! I hope it got others to chuckle at least. ;)

    I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. :blush: Stardew Valley really is a fun game, but it's quite time consuming. :p The personality of the characters and mystery among the town residents are certainly intriguing and that's what got my imagination to go wild with these characters. ;)
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  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    New Stardew Valley Story post is here! :mrgreen:

    This is the scene just before the grand finale of Chapter 7. Enjoy my friends. :blush:

    ******************************

    Pelican Town to Sims Town
    Continuation of Chapter 7...


    That evening, a little before 5 PM, Harvey stood in the foyer of the guy’s house, adjusting his shirt cuffs and asked Sebastian to fetch Elliott for him.

    He tried not to feel nervous. It’d been years since he’d last been on a date; pretty much since before he moved to Pelican Town. He hoped he hadn’t forgotten how to properly court a woman, but he implored himself to not be afraid of being himself. There wasn't time for that anymore and there were some deep insecurities that always seemed to get the better of him, but not tonight, he thought. With Penny, he didn’t feel insecure at all, and he couldn’t ever remember feeling that with any girl he pursued or dated in the past. He hoped this would be the start to a bright and lovely future; the kind of future he’d been longing for for a decade.

    “Hey Harvey, what’s up?” Elliott addressed, coming from his bedroom. He came to a halt before the Doctor and studied him a moment. It was strange to see him dressed in something completely different than usual. “Woah...what’s with the getup?”
    “I have a date tonight,” Harvey smiled, adjusting his shirt collar now.
    A smirky grin lit up Elliott’s face. “Alriiight Harvey!” he playfully cheered with a pat on the back. “With whom?”
    “Penny.”

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    The man’s eyebrows suddenly went crooked. “Penny?” he asked, not expecting that, but quickly shrugged it off. “Sweet! So...you asked for me?”
    “Yeah,” Harvey replied. “I wanted to remind you to keep checking up on Shane while I’m gone alright? I know you and Leah are pretty...uh...distracted these days, but--”
    “Don’t worry Harvey, I won’t forget,” he assured. “Besides, Sebastian and Sam are checking on him too.”
    “Yeah well,” Harvey stopped to inch in closer and speak softer, “I don’t exactly put as much trust in those two as I do you so…”
    Elliott nodded. “Gotcha.” There was a brief bit of silence before he asked, “So how long do you plan on being out with Penny?”
    “Oh,” he blew out a breath, “at least a couple of hours. We’ll have dinner and then I’ll see where we go from there.”
    “Uh huh,” he smirked.
    Harvey just playfully shook his head at him.

    “Now remember, if Shane sounds worse, or says anything strange, like he’s hallucinating, call me immediately,” Harvey instructed with a hint of worry in his voice. “And if he doesn’t respond to you, kick that door down and give me a call as well, alright!”

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    “I will Harvey, don’t worry,” Elliott assured again with a gesture of his hands and then shook his head. “Man, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you actually care about your biggest enemy.”
    He’s not MY enemy, Harvey thought with his mouth forming into a hard line. “He needs medical attention, and is most likely suicidal,” he said, “so naturally as a Doctor I begin to care.” Truthfully he had always felt concern about the newest, heaviest drinker in town next to Penny’s mother. Only Pam would actually visit with him, Shane he could never get to set foot inside his clinic even his life depended on it.

    The not knowing a single thing about Shane was what worried him the most. And it seemed no one else in town did either, except for Marnie, obviously, who was usually pretty quiet about her nephew.

    “Wow,” Elliott whispered, glancing down at the floor for a second before looking back up. “I don’t think I could ever do that Harvey...show this kind of compassion and patience towards someone who treats me the way Shane treats you. You certainly have a gift.”
    Harvey cracked a smile at the compliment. Oh if only you knew just how difficult it is Elliott…

    Just then something appeared outside out of the corner of Harvey’s eye and it was the car Penny and Maru had been driving, returning from their errands. He watched through the glass door as Penny stepped out, wearing something different as well for their date, and thinking she looked beautiful felt like an understatement. He turned to Elliott and said, “Well that’s my cue,” and smiled.
    Elliott patted him on the back again. “Have a great date Harvey and seriously...don’t worry about things here. Just enjoy the evening alright?”
    Harvey nodded in appreciation. “Thanks.”

    The girls found some very helpful supplies from the general store and also gathered up all the ingredients for the three medications Harvey was hoping to successfully compound. Maru assured him she was on it and raced up the stairs to get to work right away, after wishing them well on their date. Harvey and Penny then turned and gazed deeply into each other’s eyes, exchanging blushed smiles, and complimenting each other on their attire. Harvey once again opened the door for her as they stepped outside to head out on their date.

    A familiar roaring sound, from a great distance, rang in Harvey’s ear and he stopped on the porch to look up towards the sky, shading his eyes. When he saw it, just barely through the thick clouds, his mouth dropped with excitement. “Oh wow! They have them in this world too!”
    “What?” Penny asked, coming back to join him on the porch.
    “Airplanes!” he replied. “Gosh she’s a beaut! And oh how much sharper they look, even at 30,000 feet.”

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    Penny looked up into the sky as well and it took her a moment to find it, but once she did she agreed, “Wow...they do look sharper.” Then she lowered her head and watched Harvey’s admiration with a smile. “Maru mentioned to me once how much you like planes and I’d forgotten until now. I think she said you were a Pilot once?”
    “No, I wish!” Harvey exclaimed, finally releasing his gaze from the majestic vehicle and taking her hand with an embarrassed grin, leading her to the truck. “It’d always been a childhood dream of mine to become a Pilot, but,” he despondently sighed, “it wasn’t to be.”
    Penny frowned, tenderly asking, “Why not?”

    Harvey stopped them, hesitating for a moment to say. “Well, aside from my poor eyesight, it’s my crippling fear of heights,” he answered. “And no matter how hard I tried...gosh how I tried...I couldn’t conquer my fear.” He lowered his head.

    Penny placed a caring hand upon his back. “I’m sorry…,” she said, just above a whisper. “That’s not an easy fear to overcome. I can’t imagine how heartbreaking that’s been for you.”
    “It’s alright,” he shrugged, not wishing to drag her into his pain, which was all coming back to him now. “When I couldn’t do it that’s when my parents continued to push Medical School on me. They stressed that being a Doctor would give my life purpose and that I’d never have to worry about money like they did. My mom even joked that women are always attracted to Doctors to further encourage me.”
    Penny smiled at that. She certainly was. That’s why she was always nervous around them, particularly Harvey.
    “And yet here I am,” he went on, opening the truck door for Penny and she stepped in, “still thousands of dollars in student loan debt that seems like it’ll take my entire lifetime to pay off and no woman in my life.” He paused to meet her gaze. “Until now,” he blushed. She returned a blushed smile as he gently closed the door and made his way around to the driver’s side.

    As they headed down the road in silence, Penny couldn’t help breaking it by asking him, “So despite not being able to fulfill your childhood dream, you do enjoy being a Doctor right?”
    “Yeah...definitely,” he responded, glancing at her with a half grin before returning his eyes to the road. “More so now than when I was in Medical School.”
    “Good. Because you’re a great one,” she truthfully expressed. “No one would’ve ever suspected it wasn’t your childhood dream to become one. I sure didn’t.”

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    “Thanks,” he expressed, then sighed. “You know it’s silly, but I’ve kinda found a way to live my childhood dream vicariously through this ham radio I have in my bedroom…”
    “Really!?” she asked with a bright, surprised smile.
    “Yeah…,” he shyly admitted, unable to meet her gaze to which Penny found adorable. “I know a bit of aviation lingo so I was talking into it one day and...an actual Pilot responded to me! He asked if I had anything to report. I flipped out!” He chuckled. “I quickly threw out a standard ground report - wind speed, outside temperature, humidity percent, that kind of thing - and then told him I was out and threw off the headphones! My pulse was racing with nervousness, but at the same time I was squealing like a little girl with excitement in my head.”
    Penny laughed.

    Harvey’s grin soon faded, fearing he shared too much, but that didn’t stop him from continuing in a somber, more serious tone. “I guess it’s pathetic of me isn’t it? Mourning that badly over what could have been…”

    Penny looked upon him with pity in her eyes. “No,” she hushly replied. “Not at all. It’s normal.” Then she took his hand and gently squeezed it. “As long as you don’t let it consume you.”
    Hearing that provided the assurance that Harvey’s soul needed and he met her gaze with a grateful smile. Many times he’d counsel himself in the same way, but it took hearing it from another person for it to finally stick and he loved that it came from her.
    “I’d say you’re doing pretty well for yourself regardless Harvey,” she went on. “Becoming a Doctor isn’t easy and you should be proud of yourself. God had a reason for leading you in a different direction...I hope someday you’ll fully be able to see why.”
    Harvey smiled at her again, squeezing her hand now. “Thank you,” he said.

    They finally made it to the Steakhouse and found a pretty close parking spot to the entrance in the back.

    Hand in hand they stepped inside, chose an outside table for two, and placed their order with the waitress. They surprised each other with their meal choices, being at a Steakhouse and all, but it didn’t negatively affect the way they feel about each other. If anything, it showed them just how like-minded they are which was definitely a plus and...appealing.

    When their food arrived, they both delved right into it. It’d been a long day and they were famished.

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    Penny found herself chuckling mid chew at her thoughts and swallowed before asking, “So what could’ve possibly prompted you to order two grilled-cheese sandwiches at a Steakhouse? Because most men go straight for the meat!” She was pretty sure he wasn’t a vegetarian.

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    Harvey threw out a closed smile as he finished chewing. “Well,” he started, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin, “my mom always made the BEST grilled-cheese sandwiches growing up. I don’t know how she did it, if she’d thrown in a special seasoning or what, she’d never tell, but since leaving home I’ve always made it a point to order grilled-cheese at a new restaurant if they offer it, just to see if she truly does make the best in the world.”
    How cute! “And?”
    “And so far...she does.”
    “Really!?”
    “Yup! No place has ever been able to top hers. Not even this one...in a whole different world even!”
    They laughed.
    “Maybe it’s because you’re secretly biased,” Penny said with a playfully raised brow, “because it’s a taste you grew up with so nothing else compares.”

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    “Nope,” he said, mid chew, then swallowed. “I’ve made myself be very open-minded. I just really can’t explain it...hers are the legit best; in taste, in texture, the cheese was always perfectly melted and the bread had just the right crunch to it. Oh and she never burned them. Ever!”
    “Oh I believe it!”

    Penny couldn’t believe this outgoing side of herself coming out when she was normally so shy and reserved. It would seem that being with Harvey brought out the best in her and she loved it.

    “Now,” Harvey smirked, “what prompted you to order pancakes at a Steakhouse?”
    Penny thought she’d completely swallowed her bite when she replied, “They looked fluffy and delicious in the menu picture so it got me all in the mood for breakfast for din--” and she began coughing.
    Harvey stared at her for a moment in concern. “You alright?”
    “Yeah,” she said, giving a dismissive wave and then coughing again. “Yes, I’m fine. Something decided to go down the wrong pipe I guess.” She lightly coughed again before picking up her glass and taking a big drink.
    “I hate it when that happens…”
    “Whew!” she whispered, putting down her glass. “I guess that’s what I get for ordering pancakes at a Steakhouse!”
    Harvey lightly snorted, suppressing a laugh. “Well, I wasn’t going to say anything but…”
    “Oh like you’re one to talk Mister grilled-cheese!”
    They both burst out laughing.

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    When they finished their food, they went on to talk about each other's lives; where they grew up (Penny’s story wasn’t as interesting since she did in Pelican Town), their families, what they did in school, what their interests are, home, and what they hoped for the future as the sun gradually set into the mountains. It was such fun and pleasurable conversation. They hadn’t had that with another person of the opposite sex in a long while and it felt really nice.

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    After leaving the Steakhouse Harvey asked Penny what she’d like to do next. She thought for a moment until her eyes fixated on a small park just down the street and they lit up. “That park looks adorable!” she expressed. “Let’s go hang out there...if you don’t mind?” Her chin sinking into her shoulders as her shy side resurfaced.
    Her cute and innocent smile always got the best of him. “No, I don’t mind. Anywhere you want to go, we’ll go.”

    When they both stepped foot onto the park grounds, Penny’s playful side came out and she immediately took Harvey’s hand, leading him toward the swing set.

    Harvey somewhat hesitated, lightly dragging his feet. “Gosh I haven’t been on a swing in a LONG time…”
    “Me neither,” Penny beamed, “but it’ll be fun. C’mon!” She tugged at his arm.

    After only a couple of minutes of swinging, Harvey began to moan, “Oh boy...I think I’m finally at that age where swinging begins to create a sick, tickling feeling in the stomach.” He held back a light burp. “I’m getting too old for this.”
    “You aren’t old,” Penny kindly countered, “it tickles my stomach a little bit too, but that’s part of the fun! If we keep on swinging, it should ease up.”
    “Okay…”

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    To Harvey’s relief it did and it felt really wonderful swinging again while conversing with the sweetest and most beautiful girl on the planet.

    The sun’s final moments of setting illuminated the land with a bright, orange glow. To Penny, it made the date feel all the more heavenly.

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    After swinging, they gave their stomachs a rest for a bit by taking a light stroll around the park with their arms wrapped around each other.
    Penny gazed up at the adorable, little treehouse nested high up in the tallest tree. “It’s a shame we’re both too big to fit in there. That’d be fun.”
    Based on her tone, Harvey knew she wasn’t implying anything sexual; maybe a little kiss or two. And he was okay with that. He had too much respect for her to jump right into that act on the first date. “Yeah,” he simply said.

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    They continued on strolling, talking about random little things, while blissfully lost in each other’s affections.

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    No man had ever been such a pure gentleman to Penny, not even her own father, and she felt like a Princess being escorted by the finest and most handsome Knight in the Kingdom.

    They soon found themselves sitting on a bench before the fountain, snuggled close together, heads touching. No words were spoken...they just savored simply being together.

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    Harvey could feel her pulse beating rapidly once he wove his fingers together with hers and it made him crack a smile. He was glad to know that her heart was fluttering wildly at being with him now and not because of nervousness. At least, that’s what he hoped.

    “This is nice,” he whispered toward her ear.
    Penny drew in a breath and then released it as she said, “Yeah...it really is. This has been such a wonderful evening with you Harvey. I wish it would never end…”
    He blushed. “You took the words right out of my mind.”
    Penny giggled within herself.

    Another thought that crossed Harvey’s mind was whether to kiss Penny in this lovely moment or wait. He sure wanted to, but he felt it better to not rush into anything. Take it slow. He wanted to show her that he was just as interested in getting to know her as a person as he was in becoming intimate with her.

    “We still have plenty of time to do something else if you’d like,” he spoke. “Perhaps check out the Art Gallery? I was crazy curious to see how art looks in this world when Alex, Shane and I were exploring the town, but...they were getting a little impatient, particularly Shane.”
    “Sure,” Penny said with a little chuckle, scooting in closer to him, “but let’s just stay like this for a few more minutes okay?”
    Harvey didn’t mind that at all and now his heart fluttered wildly for her. He wondered if she could feel it too through her fingers. “Okay.”

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    Once the sun had completely set and it was getting darker, Harvey took Penny’s hand and lifted her up from the bench. They gazed into each other’s eyes affectionately, wondering if the other was going to initiate a kiss and yet still feeling a little nervous about it.
    “Well,” Harvey sighed, “guess we should see if the Art Gallery is still open huh?”
    “Yeah,” she happily agreed.
    “I’ll race you over there,” he challenged her and instantly took off.
    “Wha? Hey!” she cried, sprinting as fast as she could to catch up. Thankfully the building was only one block over.
    Harvey laughed as he glanced over his shoulder often to see how close she was getting.

    She was unable to catch up to him, but he took that as an opportunity to stop before the Gallery doors and turn, with his arms wide open, to catch her. She happily jumped right into them. They giggled as he twirled her around a couple of times before placing her down. Their cheeks were beet red.
    “Oh look, there’s someone still at the counter,” Harvey noticed through the glass window in the door, “looks like we’re gonna get to check out some art after all.” He winked.
    Penny nodded. She’d be lying if she wasn’t hoping for a long, insanely romantic smooch behind a grand masterpiece now.

    The man at the counter greeted them with a robotic expression as he said, “Welcome to the Appaloosa Art Gallery.”
    “Good evening sir,” Harvey addressed in return, “is it free admission or do you have a charge?”
    “I’m sorry,” the man said rather abruptly, “the Gallery is now closed. Please exit the building. We will reopen tomorrow morning at 7 o’clock.”
    Harvey glanced down at his watch and sure enough they were at the top of the hour of 7 o’clock PM. “Oh uh...forgive me,” he uttered, “I was thinking it was much later than that.”

    Just then, the man’s body instantly disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and billions of light particles, like glitter, falling towards the ground. Penny screamed, cupping her hand to her mouth as Harvey’s eyes widened at the sight.

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    The two stood frozen in silence.

    Frightened, Penny cried out, “Those aren’t Androids!”
    Still staring ahead while deep in thought, Harvey uttered, “No...they are. They’re just enchanted with magic like other stuff here and…,” he glanced around, “they disappear when the businesses close and...reappear when they open.” He then stroked his mustache. “I guess that makes sense when they don’t have any homes or families to go back to.”

    Penny could feel her anxiety returning, causing her chest to gradually rise and fall at a faster rate. “This is freaky,” she shook, “why all these creepy magical Androids instead of real people!? This isn’t making me feel any better about being stuck here!”
    “It’s alright,” Harvey soothed, “come ‘ere.” He enveloped her in his arms and shh’d her lightly while rubbing at her back to calm her. “It’s okay, don’t worry.”

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    “I thought I had most of this experience figured out,” she said with a choke, “but what if the twelve of us all get sick of each other because there’s no one else to talk to and...we begin to hate each other instead of coming together?”
    “I won’t let that happen.”
    “But Harvey, how can you, or we, when there’s some strange magical forces at work here that could be working against what we think this whole quest is all about? It feels like we’re all trapped in the deepest pit of the unknown and I hate it. I can’t help feeling scared…” She pressed her forehead into the nape of his neck with tears escaping her eyes.
    “Hey,” he whispered, stepping back a hair to wipe the tears from her eyes. Then he gently pressed his forehead upon hers. “You don’t have to be scared. I’m almost positive this quest was meant to do us good, not harm. And if any harm should come...I’ll protect you. I’ll protect all of you.”

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    I promise…

    I’ll bring us all back home safely. No matter what it takes.




    :)

    To be continued...
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  • meerkattimemeerkattime Posts: 261 Member
    @emorrill Hehe, cute that Harvey is nervous about the date :blush: . He looks fine in his date outfit.
    Elliott is right: Harvey is a very good doctor and one who genuinely cares about his patients.
    I almost didn't see the plane in the picture and wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't known there must be one ;) . I might need to wear my glasses at times :smiley: .
    Their date is going well - glad to see them so comfortable and relaxed talking to each other :blush: .
    Lol @ their meal choices and Harvey's childhood memories.
    Oh no, why is Penny coughing... I hope she didn't catch the unknown virus that had been going around the town.
    I love the pictures of them swinging - that's fun! :smiley:
    That was weird at the art gallery... What on earth is going on in that town? Poor Penny :| .
    Aww, he promised to protect her <3 . I love sims doing that.
  • emorrillemorrill Posts: 8,110 Member
    @meerkattime Thank you for the sweet comments. I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. :kissing_heart:
    Yes Harvey does look very fine in his date outfit. :smirk::love:
    Yeah that plane was a toughie to pick out, even for me. I was just taking a scenery picture and when my eyes found it I was like OMGosh! :smiley: There are airplanes in this game! Then I realized just how perfect that was for the story. ;) I love moments in the game like that.
    Oh no, why is Penny coughing... I hope she didn't catch the unknown virus that had been going around the town.
    ^No, she hasn't caught anything serious, don't worry. :relieved: It was just some food going down the wrong pipe.
    Yup, Harvey feels like the "father" of the group (and he's always been used to caring for them all anyway in a medical sense) so he's determined to make sure they all make it back home safely. <3
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  • KevinL5275KevinL5275 Posts: 2,489 Member
    Ooh new update, I missed this. What a great date with Harvey and Penny. How shocking that the NPC just "poofed" away. Pancakes and grilled cheese are hilarious and a great addition to their story. :)
    I'm a 48 year old married man, with a beautiful wife, a cat, and a simverted personality.My Sims 3 Pictures

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