August - Day 17:"I can't do everything, but I'd do anything for you!"
Notes
(I don't know why I keep looking at that mirror, I can't see myself.)
(Maybe I cut it too short? At least when it was long, I could hold it in front of my eyes to see it.)
(I hope the contacts are working and I put them in right. It makes me sad that I have to hide the real me, again.)
(Will he know it's me when we see each other again?)
(He will right? We 'know' each other. I'd know it was him just by looking in his eyes, just by his smell, his touch, his...love.)
(At least SHE won't know it's me. Even if she did see me, I don't look like that anymore. That wasn't the real me anyway.)
(Sometimes I wonder, who is the real me? All I know is that the real me, the one I know in my heart loves him more than anything.)
Essa left the bathroom to continue studying the Ultimate Vampire Encyclopedia. She'd read it over and over again to make sure she didn't miss anything. She wanted to memorize every word.
It was hard concentrating though, she kept thinking about Josh and how close he was, just a few hundred yards away. It seemed so unreal that he was so close, yet...still so far away.
(I have to go there, just close enough to 'talk' to him again. Let him know I know he's there and I'm coming for him. Even if she or someone else, maybe Vlad sees me, they won't know it's me. He will though. He'll remember...)
Essa put away the book and spun into her new dark mode. She'd thought long and hard how to disguise herself in such a way she could become one with the darkness, but...still recognizable to Josh. Yes, he would know. She was sure of it. Even without the clue she made a part of her cloak. His heart will tell him that love, his TRUE love, was near.
Essa took what Nik said to heart and changed her appearance again. The red hair is gone, she cut it very short and colored it black, her eyebrows too. Contacts make her eyes look light brown now instead of her signature teal color. Her eyes are the most recognizable feature, so it was important she change those somehow more than anything. She has much lighter make-up now too. Essa's everyday and hot weather outfits are exactly the same. Everything else about her normal appearance stayed the same.
However, her dark mode is extremely different! Essa wanted something very dark so she could melt into the shadows if need be. It's Summer now, but she's a vampire so it doesn't matter this outfit would make anyone else extremely hot, she can't feel heat or cold. This is her everyday and hot weather outfit in dark mode. All other outfits are the same as before with minor differences, such as earrings, and she took off her engagement ring. It was too shiny and could be easily seen in the dark.
The outfit is her old Batuu disguise from StrangerVille, minus the sunglasses, and she's wearing different pants and boots. When Essa was trying to decide what to wear, she remembered this outfit and how much Josh loves video games. He bought it for her when they went to GeekCon. She believes he will know it's her anyway, but it never hurts to 'buy' extra insurance! What do y'all think? Do you like her new looks?
*Updated my August 17th post above including the daily post pic! I need to feed my cats, but I'll be back to get started on comments afterward. Hopefully, I'll finish and post them before I have to get some rest. Have a great day/night everyone!
So Caleb and Lydia have pretty much figured out how to make a cure for vampirism, so they've started a garden to grow all the ingredients they'll need to make it in excess.
After hearing about Dell's panicked call to Jules, Lydia was pretty sure it is was Miss He.ll and her crew who had kidnapped her, so Lydia, Caleb, and Lilith decided it was time to pay them a visit to see exactly what was going on...
Markus saw them approaching, and quickly alerted the others.
Caleb dueled with Markus, and came out victorious.
Lilith took on Miss He.ll and was not so lucky.
Meanwhile, Lydia fought Kat.
As they fell back to the ground, Lydia looked at Kat with a pleading look on her face. "Kat, you don't have to do this. I remember the person you used to be...when did it all go so wrong?"
"Shut up," Kat hissed. "That was a long time ago. Things have changed. Maybe if you hadn't left..." she trailed off. "These are my people now..." she concluded, and with that, she stomped back into the house.
After defeating Markus, Caleb was able to take a quick look inside the house to see just how many people the rebellious vampires had turned, and it was looking bleak. Here are the latest victims - Kristine and Wolfgang. It was definitely time for them all to begin formulating a plan before more innocent people were unwillingly turned and held hostage.
---
And what was Lydia referring to? Well, suddenly, she was overcome with memories of her youth, of a sweet and charming vampire who had once stolen her heart...
I don't have a full back story formulated for these two yet, but at some point in time, they were in love when they were teenagers, but something drove them apart and Kat obviously chose the route of being an evil vampire over being a good one. I don't know how important the details of this all will be yet. But there is a history there...and only time will tell if it becomes important again (Really, I do apologize that my story telling is very scattered and abrupt and not fleshed out these days. So much is happening in my head that I don't get to show or write about, but hopefully it's all still making sense )
I have some down time at school this morning so I’ll get started on comments but probably won’t finish until this afternoon
Oh man, bummer about having to start over because of that Mod. It all worked out in the end though. At least Bob was still a cameraman. I love how he's the only one doing a fist pump when she arrived at the studio! He's a good stan! hehe Don looks SO bored in that first screenshot of him. hehe I wonder why her hair and make-up didn't change. Weird! Love her Detective outfit though, it looks good on her! Poor Bob, he looks so upset they don't believe he can run the camera.
And Melody looks like, "Ho Hum, just another day at the office" when fighting that alien. hehe DON! What the heck man!? You of all Sims should've loved that scene, not be totally bored! Hilarious how he's just looking at his fingernails. And then his comment? Um, who are you and what did you do with the real Don? Can't believe Bob had the gall to yell at Melody for kissing Judith, as if he has ANY say in the matter. I think it's time to tell dear 'ol Bob to hit the road. He's taking things WAY too seriously now. She's not yours Dude! What a fun update! Loved it!
Nice garden! Don't you just love the Sixam Mosquito traps? Hilarious to watch them 'SNAP' up flies. hehe Great job defeating Markus Caleb. Bummer Lilith didn't have the same luck though. Great job Lydia too. Oh well, well, so these two had a romance years ago. I wonder what made Kat change from being a good vampire to an evil one. Very interesting... Oh no! Kristine and Wolfgang are the latest victims. Well dang, that's a shame. Yes, they need to get a plan implemented ASAP! o.O Fun update! I love the sparring, always fun to see that, and your Lilith is so pretty!
Hibernation - I had to laugh about all the things that happened to Jules while she was in hibernation. lol Knitting lol Sing in the Shower lol And love all the times and Emmett called her...he loves her...she is rather unforgettable for sure. And she became best friends with a cat...well, maybe there are some in that basement. hehe And that nightmare one about the reality tv show, I got that one the other day in a separate save, and laughed when I saw it.
The Past - Perhaps Lydia fell in love with someone else and Miss He-- never forgave her. As she said...before you went away...and so now, she vows to be the evil vampire that she has become because she was betrayed {?} by Lydia. Maybe it was that stint with Jules....!!! Anyway, so glad that Caleb is working on a cure because there are a lot of vamps who need to be turned into sim humans again. And oh no! Not Kristine...and...*sob* Wolfgang.
As an aside, I was playing a new save and testing out a lot, and I saw Wolfgang in his Scout uniform as a teen with eyeliner on and everything, walk by. And I was like...ahhh...Wolfgang....:) lol As I said before, Wolfgang was never one of my favorite sims because of the mean trait, but now that I've played him, the guy is a softie with all his autonomous romantic gestures. Maybe it's just with Sakura, but, yeah, sim love for sure.
Ahhh...Willow is next, someone from Windenburg DJ Club. Cool. And she always wanted to be a vamp, so that works for Essa. Seth is a good looking teen (?) of Molly and Damon's.
The conversation with Nik was wonderful, and she is very fortunate to have him there looking out for her. Yes, even though Essa doesn't think Kat saw her, she may have. So, yes, good thing that Essa is going to change her form. But now we know where Kat is holding Josh, in Vlad's manor. And great work on Brooks' make-over, too. Yes, I would have kept those purple eyes, too
That is quite a transformation for Essa. I don't think that Kat will recognize her. And I love her dark form outfit. Did Essa and Josh go to GeekCon? I can't remember. But, yeah Strangerville outfit. lol It looks really good. We have seen Tessa, Vanessa and Essa go through many transformations, so this is just one more. Great work!
Great day at the studio once you got your mod fixed. lol Don Lothario as your director. hehe He actually looks the part, though. And Hugo as your stylist...that is kind of funny, but it is better than having him in wardrobe, I guess. Oh gosh! Bob on camera. Well, one thing, he will be focusing the camera on Melody for sure. It looks like Yuki did a good job. And, congrats for a successful alien capture! lol And then that hot and steamy scene with Judith, and Don is looking at his nails. Probably thinks he needs a manicure. hehehe And then Bob yelling at her for kissing Judith...in a scene...um...Bob...I think Malcolm may have to have a chat with you. Great job!
Nik is a good mentor for Essa, and you did a great job with their conversation and the screenshots for that. Of course Essa is furious to learn that Kat has been living here all along, but it was good that Nik has kept that information from her for the time being, since Essa has needed to become as strong as she can before having a confrontation with Kat. It's something she's needed to build up to instead of rushing into it. Ooh, I'm excited to see Essa's makeover! Good idea to have her cloak her identity. Nice makeover for Brooks too - you're so dedicated, giving them outfits in all their categories. I've just been doing one outfit in my makeovers these days since I just don't have the time, even though it just bother me slightly knowing they have atrocious outfits in other categories haha. Samuel is really cute too. Great name for him too, it goes really nicely with Seth!
Essa looks cute with her new short hair! It's definitely fun to have reasons to give our sims makeovers that we typically wouldn't give them. I love all the transformations Essa has been through during this challenge so far - she really has sported so many cool looks. Her dark form is really cool and intense too! I love it. She really will blend in with the night.
That is a really cool shot of the sad lady statue in the water. I haven't mentioned it in my updates, but in my head for this Jules' universe, that little lonely gravestone on the island is Lydia's mother's grave, and perhaps the statue is even a statue of her. I haven't fleshed out that idea fully, but it's a thought I've had in my head.
I did cancel the welcome wagon, I just meant to say that I was confused why it wasn't initially letting me speed through time, but then I saw the welcome wagon event and cancelled it and all was good And I did realize after I played through the 20 days that I probably should have turned autonomy off - I've been leaving it on since I've been playing such a big household with Vlad, Lydia, and the kids, and since I really only care what I'm doing with Jules these days, I like them to all choose things to do rather than just standing around. But it would have been smart to turn it off for the hibernation, I just didn't think of it soon enough. Also I didn't even think to silence her phone. But forgetting to do both things made the hibernation time a bit entertaining, so I can't be too mad
Oh man, that was a fantastic update! I was chuckling the whole time, you really have a way of capturing great screenshots and adding entertaining dialogue to go with them. It definitely did seem like everyone was on strike before you sorted things out with your mod - great idea to use that as your story haha. Definitely something that would happen in the real Hollywood. I had to laugh at Bob being the camera man and how he took a 15 minute internet course to prepare himself Oh Bob, he's so in love with Melody. It makes me laugh. He's the perfect stan. That's a really cool shot of Melody getting her hair and makeup done by Hugo - that mirror angle was a cool idea. Love seeing so many familiar sims in the background roles in your game. Love Don and Geoffrey as the director and producer especially haha. What a fun gig too with fighting the alien, and oohlala, steamy kiss with Judith and Melody lol. Judith really does look young and hot in your save. Of course Bob was jealous
I did cancel the welcome wagon, I just meant to say that I was confused why it wasn't initially letting me speed through time, but then I saw the welcome wagon event and cancelled it and all was good
August 13 - Sulani - Day 5 - Thursday - Kava Party
As soon as Wolfgang headed off to work and Ren and Ken went to school, Sakura made some breakfast for the toddlers.
Kyra was the only one up so far and Nanny Darsh was talking to her.
And the sleepyheads Riki and Hana are finally up and are both "hangry".
Sakura chose her gig.
And chatted to the client first.
And in no time at all, she is finished.
And the client is impressed with her work. Yes!
And Congratulations, Sakura completed the Master Maker Aspiration.
And also receives the Muser of the Maker trait.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang gets a pop-up at work and chooses to do a side project.
This really helps him get a large performance gain.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang comes home from work and Sakura goes out to greet him and gives him an autonomous kiss on cheek. Ahhh...
Wolfgang: "It's always nice to come home. Sakura, I was wondering if you were up to having a few friends over tonight. I was thinking that maybe a kava party would be great and I can invite over some work friends and get to know them better."
Sakura: "Oh, that sounds like fun. I'll invite a few other sims and then start making the kava. Luckily one of the islanders gave me the recipe last night. I hope it turns out alright."
Wolfgang: "My love...everything you make turns out wonderful, and I am sure that the kava will be the same," he said smiling as he quickly made a few calls.
He heads over to chat with Ren and Ken, who are fishing, and sees another sim on the lot and spreads conservation awareness.
Wolfgang gets a feast going in the fire pit.
And the first guests to arrive are Bryon and Leila.
Sakura has the first batch of kava made and offers some to Bryon and Leila, who agree that it's pretty good.
Kyra, Riki and Hana headed inside to eat and had their own kava party.
Wolfgang chatting with Jenny, Essa and Astrid. Essa looks to be in a bad mood. I do hope she gets happier soon. What? No kava! Who drank all the kava! Time to make more kava already.
And more guests arrive. There's Makoa Kealoha, who Wolfgang works with. And Leila Illes chatting with Astrid and Ren.
And there are some late arrivals, Mele Kahananui and Malcolm Landgraab.
Wolfgang calls Malcolm over and Malcolm has this scared expression. Not sure what he is scared of. It can't be Wolfgang, right?
In no time at all, Wolfgang and Malcolm are enjoying some kava together and Malcolm seems to relax.
Sakura made some roast chicken for everyone. Just one of many dinners she makes during the night.
Sakura chats with Bryon and then makes a wonderful kava toast.
After a few more kavas, Malcolm is feeling no pain.
Wolfgang gives a kava toast, while Makoa looks on and Bryon is about to fall asleep. Bryon needs to build up his party stamina.
Wolfgang grills some chicken.
Yep, and it looks like Jenny had a bit of kava, too, because she decided to do a table dance.
Although I don't think Wolfgang minds. He seems to be enjoying the view.
The guests must have discovered more food in the kitchen.
And look at Nanny Darsh. Isn't he great just cleaning up.
And they partied all night long...and soon...it's morning! Gosh! How the time just flew by. And yes, Jenny is still dancing on the table. That girl is a party animal and must really like island music. And it looks like Malcolm is enjoying the view this time.
The party is winding down and Wolfgang is having a great chat with Makoa.
But it's just not a party until someone pees themselves. Okay then...party over!
What a great party! And Sakura gets a Gold Kava Party! Yes!
She received the fingers of Sulani as a reward.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Sakura also invited Melody and Jules, but for some reason, they didn't show up
And Essa got this Sentiment for Wolfgang. She was impressed by...um...something he did during the party. lol
Yep, I figured since all Willow's outfits are a bit gothic in nature, minus the pink, perhaps she'd be a vampire 'wannabe' and be acceptable to being turned by Essa. Seth is a teen yes! I think he turned out very handsome. I love Nik, Essa is very fortunate to have him in her life. He cares about her so much, I'm glad Essa listens to his wisdom and takes every word to heart.
Thanks about Brooks' dark mode makeover. As you know, I love purple, so I just had to keep those purple eyes for him. I tried to make it as dark as possible and with as much skin covered as I could. The Batuu outfit was a lightbulb moment, I think it works perfectly and she looks so spooky and a bit terrifying now. No, Essa and Josh have not really been to GeekCon. That's just part of my head canon for their story to explain the outfit and it's meaning to them.
Essa has been through many, many transformation over the months, so yes, this is just another of I'm sure a few more she'll go through in the coming months. At least one more anyway. Perhaps she'll finally be able to be 'herself' starting next month without anymore radical changes. I hope so anyway. Thanks!
Congrats to Sakura for completing the Master Maker aspiration! Yay! Go Sakura! \o/ What a great Kava party! Looks like everyone had a blast, especially Jenny! Did she ever get down? I've seen other Simmers showing pics of their Sims stuck on tables like that. What a fun glitch eh? I wonder what Essa was so annoyed about. How can you be annoyed at a party? Hopefully once she got a few drinks in her she lightened up. Whoa! Poor Malcom looks terrified of Wolfgang and Wolfgang has a P.O'ed look on his face. Weird! A little Kava though goes a long way to smooth things over, whatever the problem may have been.
Aww man, poor Leila. Sims are so silly how they'd rather party and/or do anything at all rather than take care of their needs. Congrats on getting gold for the party, it was a whiz bang of a blow out! Okay Miss tease, you can't just post that and not say what Wolfgang did for Essa to get that sentiment for him! What happened!? Telllll meeeeee! hehe (please?)
Yes, exactly why he didn't tell her. I can understand why she'd be upset, but she calmed down eventually once he shared some of his reasons. She needs an experienced and wise mentor in her life right now. In my mind, while Damon is her true master, Nik has stepped up to take on the role himself believing that Damon needs to focus on his biological family right now. She and Damon have interacted still, of course, but Nik has been the main influence and her champion for her training.
I can't stand the game generated outfits most of the time, they're SO bad! I just can't let them keep them, it would bug me not changing them so I take the time to give them something else. I love CAS anyway and can spend hours on just one Sim, so it's all good. I've enjoyed all the makeovers Essa has gone through over the months too. Even if it wasn't for story reasons, I probably would have changed her looks around anyway since it's natural to explore and experiment with different looks at a young age in real life too. It's a part of growing up and figuring out who you are, and, well, it's just fun!
Thanks about her new dark mode look. I had a lot of fun with it! It took awhile figuring out what to do, but I did discover something cool about that darkest of the vampire skintones and one of the gowns from Get Famous. It's categorized as 'black' but it's actually very close to the color of that skin tone so it looks almost like it's painted on her. I didn't show it in the update, but here's a screenshot. I love it! She'll probably never get a chance to wear it anywhere, but oh well. *shrugs*
It's ironic you say that about the 'lady in the lake' statue because in my mind I was thinking the same thing. The statue has always been a replica of Vlad's former wife, the one true love of his life, to me and I imagine it's her grave on that little island. I imagine he put the statue there as a tribute to her, to look over and guard her or something and over the years, it fell over from neglect due to he being too sad to go out there, and it fell into the water. I posted my daily post pic in the last screenshot thread with a quote of what I felt Vlad might feel. The part about 'no one can steal' relates to no one can steal his memory of love yes, but also no one can steal the statue/grave, etc. because they can't get to that island. Well, without a boat or being a vampire bat. Even then, they'd be quickly seen, or he'd just 'know' someone was there. I have a wild (or weird?) imagination sometimes.
Ah well, at least you were entertained by Jules getting up all the time instead of annoyed, that's a good thing! You'll know for next time if you do this aspiration again anyway. I'll have Essa hibernate twice more; for the current aspiration, and for the last one she'll be hibernating side-by-side with Josh.
I deleted Bob, as I still want her t have a stan! So new stan just arrived
The one with new stan...
Melody: "WAY MUCH BETTER!!
Gladly this one did not try anything romantic like Bob We can live with him
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
YAY! JOSH! Oh that is so cool, and so funny too! I LOVE it and I'm so SO glad you got rid of Bob. Happy to read he didn't try to flirt with her or anything too. Obviously he loves Sandra too much to do anything like that, he just totally and completely admires Melody for who she is as a person and her fame too, of course. Great update! Looking forward to seeing more of Josh 'stalking' Melody now. hehe I hope he doesn't become obnoxious like Bob. o.O Guessing he won't, he's too much of a sweetheart, but who knows!
August - Day 18:"When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back!"
Notes
(What is she doing out there, just standing by the pathway?)
(She won't know it's me if I go out there, I should just go, right?)
(Okay, she's walking away. Good, finally!)
(But that sassy vampire is at my gate looking all smug. What's he doing here? Go away!)
(At least he's not trying to break in.)
(Probably doesn't want to get his butt kicked again.)
(Wait... I have a back gate. Duh! How could I forget that?)
(Why am I running down this lighted pathway? Use your head Essa, go through the woods for God's sake.)
(I hope he can hear me this time. It has to work. He needs to know I'm here.)
(Why wouldn't he hear you?)
(Because he didn't hear the first time?)
(I have to try.)
It was Essa's lucky night, though she didn't know it yet. Kat had become a bit bored with the dungeon accommodations for her playtime with Josh and brought him upstairs to her bedroom for a change of scenery. After several very satisfying hours with him, Kat locked him in the bedroom and left to go...somewhere. He didn't know where and didn't care as long as she was gone.
Josh stood by the window thinking about Essa and trying to figure out a way to get out of this prison and go back home to her.
(She's too powerful, you'll never get away.)
(Stop thinking that! Never say never, there's always a way. I just need to find it.)
(She'll get bored of you and kill you before that happens.)
(She hasn't yet.)
Essa stared at the house while gathering her thoughts, trying to decide what was the most important thing to tell Josh. And then, movement in one of the second floor windows caught her eye.
It was Josh! There he was in all his glory! Essa's heart started pounding wildly and jumped to her throat at the sight of him. Reading someone's mind and sending her thoughts to others was always easier when she could actually SEE them.
(JOSH! I see you! I'm here, outside by the trees. I'm renting a house in Forgotten Hollow and training with the help of others. I'll come for you soon. I just need time to become stronger and wiser so I can defeat Kat! She's too powerful for me yet, but I'm getting there. Whatever you do, DON'T let her know I'm here! She'll kill you and then kill me if she knows before I'm ready. Oh Babe, it's so, SO good to see you again. I miss you so much. I love you, always and forever! Is that the room where she's been hiding you?)
(BEAUTIFUL! Oh my God! You're here! Kat's gone...somewhere, come up here and get me!. She locked me in here. Hurry, before she comes back! Vlad's playing that blasted pipe organ again, he'll never know. This is Kat's bedroom. She's bored with the, with the...stuff in the basement where she keeps me locked up. I miss you so much it hurts. I wish I could see you too, but it's too dark. I love you too, always, I promise! Hurry Beautiful, come and get me NOW, RUN!)
(I can't Josh, I'm not ready yet, she'll kill us both if she see's me, she's too powerful. She's very old and very evil. I can't take that chance, yet, and lose you again. What if she takes you somewhere I can never find you again!? You don't even know where she is, she could be right there in the house. But soon, soon, I promise you! Trust me Babe, please! I just wanted to give you hope, let you know I'm here trying my best to get you out of there.)
(I can't wait any longer. I'm tired of being her sex toy. I'm done! I'm sorry Beautiful, I knew you'd try to find me, you're a very determined woman, strong and courageous. But...I have to try to do this myself. I hope you understand, Beautiful. If she catches me? So be it. But I'll never stop, never quit trying to come back to you. If I don't make it, always remember that I love you, tell the girls I love them too!)
(NO JOSH! DON'T DO IT! Please, listen to me! PLEASE wait for me. She could kill you! I don't want to live without you!)
But, Josh would not answer her back no matter how much she pled with him to be patient. She heard a muffled succession of crashing noises, which she guessed was Josh trying to bust through the bedroom door. He was a very strong man without vampiric strength, so it wouldn't surprise her if he did break it open now that he had that too.
And then... she saw him! Racing down the front walkway at top speed.
(Oh My God, she made you a vampire and taught you super speed!)
(GO JOSH! GO! RUN! RUN! RUN!) (I did it! I'm coming Beautiful! Where are you?)
Before Essa could tell him to just keep running she'd find him, she saw Kat come running out of the house in hot pursuit.
(OH NO!) (Oh No! She's behind me!)
"ESSSAAAAA! WHERE ARE YOU BEAUTIFUL? I LOVE Y--"
Kat stopped Josh in his tracks and mid-sentence, shooting the power of mesmerize at him.
(Oh no, oh dear GOD NO! NO! NO! Josh....)
Essa watched, feeling helpless and useless as Kat walked slowly toward Josh. She had a smirk on her face as she sashayed to stop in front of him. He was rooted to the spot, her prisoner, dazed and swaying back and forth.
"Oooo you're a naughty one aren't you? Did you really think you'd get away from me so easily? Essa isn't here and she's not coming for you either. Forget about her, she's nothing. I'm your everything now. I'm the only one that loves you. You want to kiss me and *beep* me don't you, lover!" Kat cooed to Essa's disgust.
"Mmm, oh yeah, you're so beautiful, I love you, only you, always and forever!" Essa painfully heard Josh say in that sexy seductive voice he had.
(NO! You don't, it's a lie! You love ME! I know you do...Oh Josh, why didn't you listen to me? WHY!?)
She watched Josh eagerly accept Kat's kiss before it was just too much for her to handle anymore.
After giving Josh yet another more passionate kiss, Kat took his hand and led him toward the house. Probably back to her bed judging by the hooded look Josh was giving her.
(Enough, that's enough. NO MORE *beep*in' crying! Gawd! Just STOP IT! You're pathetic! Stop feeling sorry for yourself all the time and get tougher! Josh needs you to be strong!)
(I'll be back Kat, count on it! He's mine! MINE! DO YOU HEAR ME KAT!? MINE!)
(Gawd! That was stupid! What if she can read minds too and heard me?) *BEEP*
Jules decided it was no longer safe for her kids to stay in the Forgotten Hollow with her, considering the circumstances. Emmett's parents had agreed to take Rowan to keep him away from the danger, and Jules had contacted Mario to ask if he could keep Ruby for a while.
But Ruby had other ideas. "I told Dad I'm not going with him! I don't want to leave, Mom! I want to help - my best friend is being held captive, and I can't just sit here while she's in danger!"
"Putting yourself in danger isn't going to help anyone!" Jules countered.
But the more they argued, the more Ruby wore Jules down, and at last Jules conceded and decided she could stay for now.
Ruby did indeed win the argument
And then Jules nearly drank uncontrollably from Ruby O.o I reset them though before the action could actually happen though since there's no way that Jules would do that to Ruby...
Feeling frustrated from their fight and exceptionally thirsty, Jules decided to drain the next innocent by stander who passed by, who happened to be Ulrike Faust. Lydia walked out, shocked to see Jules drinking greedily from a person rather than a plasma pack.
"It's not like I'm permanently hurting them!" Jules huffed as soon as Lydia expressed her displeasure. "It's so much better than those dumb plasma packs anyway."
"You should at least ask them for permission," Lydia told her gently as they sat down on the bench by the door. "Not everyone will agree, but if you feel the need to drink from others, you should at least do it with their consent."
Jules looked up, feeling much calmer and a little bit guilty. "I suppose you're right. I've just been feeling stressed out over my fight with Ruby and all the uncertainty with the rebellious vampires. And I sent Emmett a letter a few days ago, explaining all that has happened to him...but I haven't heard back. It's not like I'm expecting a quick response. I'm not even sure if it will reach him...but it's just hard dealing with all this right now."
"It will all be okay," Lydia assured her. "You're doing all you can - don't worry too much about the rebellious vampires either. Lilith, Caleb, and I are working on a plan. You focus on your family, okay? Everything will sort itself out in due time."
Ruby's always been a stubborn one! I guess I don't blame her for wanting to stay and help. Is she still a teen or a YA? I don't remember. If she's still a teen, Jules shouldn't have given in and made her go! I know, I know, she'd probably just sneak out and come back, but, worth a try? Ah well... I just hope she doesn't get turned too! o.O I can see the writing on the wall though, and that's probably exactly what's going to happen.
Uh oh! Opps, let her thirst get too low eh? Tsk, tsk, tsk! Still, I can't believe the game tried to make her drink from Ruby! Sheesh! Glad she had a talk with Lydia who set her straight about how she should ask permission. Honestly though, I bet Jules is right. I imagine straight from the source tastes way better than a 'Capri Sim' pack. Fun update, can't wait to see what happens next, oh and the family group shot for your daily post pic is great!
@Karababy52 , @permanentrose and @SoulGal7 , Thank you all for your kind words about that studio update It was sure fun to play Don really was not like real Don should be
Saying this for all of you, as no need to copy paste this to everyone
I will be posting my update(s) tomorrow.
I did catch a small cold today, raining and not so warm day, also overwhelmed about work and mostly changing schedules. So I take today off from making update or playing. I need to rest a bit.
I like Essa's makeover, but indeed hope she will get her long hair back after helping Josh She just is not the same without her long hair and her real eyes Next update, I love that outfit, yes I remember it from SV pictures She looks so good blending in into the dark forest!! Josh, I know you want to get out, but you are not even near strong enough, you just have to trust that Essa will get you out!
And haha, yes I was like "No *censored* way!" When I saw the new stan
Ewwwww mustard haired skinny Malcolm No wonder Melody did not showed up in that party (kidding ) Great job for completing the aspiration, Sakura!!!! And haha at standing on the table, too much kava!
Lovely family pic Oh Jules drinks from people on her own? I have that perk , almost all with my vampires that they do not do it, no matter how thirsty they are Hmm.. good that she did not drank from Ruby! Anyway, good decicion to move at least Rowan to safer place. Jules, listen to Lydia , now
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Okay, browsing my pictures and I saw I forgot this one from the yesterday's update, and it does not fit to what happens next. So this shall be my update for today
Mx8
August, day 19
The one with not so sure about new stan...
Malcolm is not so sure if the change of the stan is a good thing, after all , Melody never ran after Bob!!!
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
I am missing her long hair and real eye color too and wonder if I made a mistake in having her cut it and wear those contacts. I have an idea on how to fix that though. Glad you remember and love the outfit though, I do too! Josh should've known better. He's tried to escape numerous times now and she always stops him. I think he was just extremely tired of all of it and overwhelmed thinking about Essa right outside and made a rash decision. The same way Essa did when she saw Kat for the first time. Our strong emotions have a way of making us do things without thinking them through properly.
It was a wonderful surprise seeing who Melody's new stan turned out to be! I'm happy for both of them! Doesn't look like Malcom is so hot about the idea though. She chased after Josh? That is hilarious! Maybe she's HIS stan too! Is he still a celebrity? Just kidding, of course, but that would be funny eh? Anyway, don't worry Malcom, Melody loves only you and Josh loves Sandra, chill out Dude!
You've been working so hard lately, you deserve some time to just rest and take care of yourself. Hope your cold gets better soon! *Hugs*
Hey all! I won't be doing an up-date until the weekend. Had my 2nd COVID shot and am feeling a bit poorly and my arm is sore. Am reading all your wonderful stories, though
What a fun kava party! It's always fun to see so many of the challenge sims in your game, especially ones who aren't active anymore since we don't really get to see them much anymore. You have a nice mix of Sulani residents there too! I do always like how you use the pre-mades in your story so well. Really funny how Jenny got stuck on the table too Also a classic moment that someone peed their pants during a party, it's always bound to happen haha. Good job earning gold!
I hope you feel better soon! I remember how icky I felt after my second shot too - get some rest
Oh no, I'll miss Bob a little, not gonna lie. He's always such good comic relief. Gotta love that guy But Josh of course is a good replacement stan, though Malcolm is looking a little jealous haha.
What perk makes sims not drink controllably? I really haven't explored the perks that much yet so I honestly don't know what all the perks/weaknesses really do.
Cool daily shot! And very nice visuals for this post in general, I like how her outfit really does blend in with the night - night time in the Forgotten Hollow really is a neat time of day to explore the scenery. It really adds to the ambiance of the shots. Great look on Essa's face when she sees Josh! So great that they had a moment where they could communicate. Sorry if I missed this somewhere, but is Josh being held in Vlad's house? I recognize the bedroom they're in - that's the one that Ruby and Rowan were sharing haha. And how awful for Essa to have to watch Kat manipulate and kiss him So heart breaking. I'm excited to see how you end up concluding this month. You're really building up to a great climax
That is a cool extra outfit you have for Essa. You really have done a great job with all of her looks. I used to spend more time in CAS when I actually had time. Maybe one day I'll have more free time again haha. That's cool that you have that same head canon for that grave being Vlad's wife's. I feel like there has to be some kind of story/lore there. Even though I feel like Forgotten Hollow is a bit disappointingly small and lacking in things to actually interact with, the scenery and foggy environment really is cool.
My lips are sealed about what will happen with Ruby, but you will find out soon enough
After Essa went home, she had a couple plasma packs and then immediately went back outside to look for more people to turn into vampires. Nik told her she would gain more power this way. She saw several candidates for her mission. Mrs. Crumplebottom was back and looked grumpier than ever. I wasn't sure if turning her would be a good idea. Would it mess up her default role in Cottage Living? Pass. Next was Kent Rockwell, one of Essa's old dance club members who had a big crush on her. She didn't want to give him any ideas considering what happens with the turning process. Pass.
There's Bryce Canyon! Or, Agent Stone as some of you may remember him. He worked for the Witness Protection program in charge of Essa's case. However, he's also always the gym trainer in my worlds. I'd rather he kept doing that during the day. Pass. No way was I going to have Essa turn Adam Lambert, my Global Superstar. He looks way too happy anyway. Pass. Lastly, we have Leanne Summers, my Collector. Look how happy she is too. I can't do that to her. Pass.
Essa was looking around for more to spawn in the neighborhood when suddenly my camera zoomed over to Malcom turning!
I didn't think it was necessary to show him turning, but here's what the game thought was a good default vampire outfit. LOL! Um, yeah, that's a big fat NO! However, it does kind of suit him eh? I almost kept it.
After he changed back to normal mode, Essa offered to give him some training which he agreed to, of course. Immediately afterward, THIS happened...
Yay! Essa completed the Vampire Family aspiration! Just one more to go! Thank you so much Malcom! He looks proud I think.
I went into CAS then and gave him a dark mode makeover. Here's a close-up of his every day wear. Obviously I changed his hair color. I think he looks great with black hair and I hope you do too @Ellupelluellu. I also changed his skin color, gave him some cracks on his face and a few other skin details. I kept his original eye color because I didn't like how he looked with any of the vampire eyes. Besides, his gorgeous green eyes just pop with the dark hair.
Here's a few of his other new dark mode outfits. Every day and hot weather are exactly the same. Wanted to show the red design on the back of that vest. The next in succession is; formal, party and I had to show some beefcake with his swimwear. I couldn't decide if I wanted him to be a Goth/Victorian vampire or more modern, so I went with a mix and match of both.
Malcom and Essa shared a hug (though I didn't show it or any others, everyone Essa interacted with today got a warm hug, just so you know.) and then she was going to go back to looking for more to turn. But then, she saw someone walking toward her.
Yay! Finally! Sakura made an appearance! Obviously don't need to turn her for the aspiration now, but I promised you @SoulGal7 Essa would turn her if she showed up in FH.
Essa and Sakura are good friends so she agreed without hesitation to become a vampire when Essa offered to turn her.
Here we go...
I got a chuckle out of how she clutched that umbrella for dear life through the entire process.
Wait...who's this trying to barge in and stop what's going on? How dare you!?
Surprise! It's Jules! It's her first time showing up in FH too! I promised you too @permanentrose that Essa would turn her if she showed up. Looks like she's leaving though. NO! Come back here!
She didn't leave though once she realized what was going on. Jules turned around and gasped her surprise to see such a thing happening in front of her.
She totally freaked out! LOL! Sorry Jules, you should've kept walking away, then you wouldn't have had to witness it.
"Ooooooo, it hurts so, SO bad! Ugh! Owie Owie Owie!"
(I think I'm going to be sick.)
I was so amazed to see this. Sakura bowed to Essa. She bowed as if thanking her for turning her into a vampire! Incredible! Sakura is such a gracious and proper Sim eh?
"Okay, I've seen enough, goodbye now!"
Not so fast Jules! I had Essa stop her by asking to see her every day outfit. The two had a chat and I searched and searched for the 'Offer to Turn' option but it wasn't there! I don't know why, Essa and Jules are good friends too. Sooo, I'm sorry to say, Essa had to turn her without permission. o.O
Poor Jules, she looks shocked again.
I didn't think it was necessary to show the entire process since Jules has been through this already in your save permanent. But I included these two shots just so you know she's been turned. I'll of course show both Sims dark mode default looks and makeovers once they completely turn.
Essa and Jules had a little bit of a chat and then they both went their separate ways. This is where I was going to go into Manage Worlds and give Malcom his makeover. However, the game wouldn't let me save because, 'You can't do this while a Sim is turning into a vampire.' WHERE!? Oh man, it had to be Melody, but the camera never zoomed to where she was! o.O I searched around frantically and finally found her just as she was starting to spin! *Whew*
Here's her default vampire look. Oh dear God, uh, what the heck game? LOL! Sheesh! Of course she got a dark mode makeover ASAP!
MUCH better if I do say so myself. At least I think so anyway! The same as Malcom, I went with a red/black theme and a mix and match of Goth/Victorian and Modern vampire looks. Showed a side view so you can see her cool eyeliner. I've never used that one before. I always thought it was weird because it was pink. I never bothered to see what other colors it might have. To my delight, it had a black swatch! I think it looks gorgeous on her and I hope you do too Ellu!
Here's few of her new dark mode outfits. The first is every day and hot weather is exactly the same. Next is; formal, party and lastly, cold weather. I had a lot of fun with that cold weather outfit. I tried something different, just for fun and I think it turned out really cute! I love that hat!
Really Grim visiting was not even the main point of this update, but he made a good daily shot. More on that later though.
Jules wanted to do as much as she could to continue to strengthen her powers so she could help fight the rebellious vampires when the time came, so she and Lydia continued her training.
Jules grumbled in frustration, looking down at her hand. "Why isn't it working??"
"Try again," Lydia encouraged. "You'll get stronger the more you practice."
So Jules tried again.
But her powers were no match for Lydia's. Her powers seemed to slide right off of Lydia, no matter how hard she concentrated.
It was time for a break after that. Jules needed some time to recover.
Suddenly my camera panned over to Vlad, and my update took a little detour for a minute...
Oh no...
"Father!" Lydia shrieked, arriving just in time.
Luckily, she had the perfect offering.
And thankfully we averted that crisis. Vlad will now live to see another day.
Later that evening, Sofia showed up with Abel, so that Jules could fully update her on the situation with Dell now that they knew the details of where she was being held.
Jules told Ruby to talk Abel upstairs and show him around the house, but of course the two of them hovered close by to eavesdrop...
Jules updated Sofia on Dell's whereabouts and told her they were working on a plan to rescue all those who had been captured.
"I want to help," Sofia told her as Jules finished explaining. "Turn me into a vampire too so I can help fight and save my wife."
Jules was not so keen on that idea at first, but Lydia entered the room shortly after and told Jules it might actually not be a bad idea to have more people to help, and that since her and Caleb's cure was almost ready, they would need people to test it on as well, so if Sofia was willing, she would be a great candidate to turn into a vampire.
So under Lydia's careful supervision, Jules turned her.
It was a painful process for both Jules and Sofia, but Lydia assured her that she had done well.
So now all there was to do was wait. Jules gave Sofia one of the vampire tomes to read in the meantime.
Suddenly, Ruby and Abel appeared. Ruby looked straight at Jules as she spoke, a note of determination in her voice. "Abel and I want to help. Turn us into vampires too. And before you argue, we won't take no for an answer. If you don't help us, we'll find someone else who will."
*Updated my August 19th post above! I'll be posting my daily post pic for today next, but will update it later tonight. When I get up later after a couple hours rest, I'll be going to my Son's house to help my youngest daughter take care of our Grandkids while their parents attend a wedding. Hopefully I'll be back before Midnight, but I might not, hence the reason for the early post pic for today. I'll be doing comments later as well.
Not much 'story' this time, there was just too else going on and I was trying to get this posted and still have time to get some sleep. Today's update will be back to 'story mode' as usual though. I hope y'all understand and have a great day/night too!
Comments
Notes
(I don't know why I keep looking at that mirror, I can't see myself.)
(Maybe I cut it too short? At least when it was long, I could hold it in front of my eyes to see it.)
(I hope the contacts are working and I put them in right. It makes me sad that I have to hide the real me, again.)
(Will he know it's me when we see each other again?)
(He will right? We 'know' each other. I'd know it was him just by looking in his eyes, just by his smell, his touch, his...love.)
(At least SHE won't know it's me. Even if she did see me, I don't look like that anymore. That wasn't the real me anyway.)
(Sometimes I wonder, who is the real me? All I know is that the real me, the one I know in my heart loves him more than anything.)
Essa left the bathroom to continue studying the Ultimate Vampire Encyclopedia. She'd read it over and over again to make sure she didn't miss anything. She wanted to memorize every word.
It was hard concentrating though, she kept thinking about Josh and how close he was, just a few hundred yards away. It seemed so unreal that he was so close, yet...still so far away.
(I have to go there, just close enough to 'talk' to him again. Let him know I know he's there and I'm coming for him. Even if she or someone else, maybe Vlad sees me, they won't know it's me. He will though. He'll remember...)
Essa put away the book and spun into her new dark mode. She'd thought long and hard how to disguise herself in such a way she could become one with the darkness, but...still recognizable to Josh. Yes, he would know. She was sure of it. Even without the clue she made a part of her cloak. His heart will tell him that love, his TRUE love, was near.
Essa took what Nik said to heart and changed her appearance again. The red hair is gone, she cut it very short and colored it black, her eyebrows too. Contacts make her eyes look light brown now instead of her signature teal color. Her eyes are the most recognizable feature, so it was important she change those somehow more than anything. She has much lighter make-up now too. Essa's everyday and hot weather outfits are exactly the same. Everything else about her normal appearance stayed the same.
However, her dark mode is extremely different! Essa wanted something very dark so she could melt into the shadows if need be. It's Summer now, but she's a vampire so it doesn't matter this outfit would make anyone else extremely hot, she can't feel heat or cold. This is her everyday and hot weather outfit in dark mode. All other outfits are the same as before with minor differences, such as earrings, and she took off her engagement ring. It was too shiny and could be easily seen in the dark.
The outfit is her old Batuu disguise from StrangerVille, minus the sunglasses, and she's wearing different pants and boots. When Essa was trying to decide what to wear, she remembered this outfit and how much Josh loves video games. He bought it for her when they went to GeekCon. She believes he will know it's her anyway, but it never hurts to 'buy' extra insurance! What do y'all think? Do you like her new looks?
After hearing about Dell's panicked call to Jules, Lydia was pretty sure it is was Miss He.ll and her crew who had kidnapped her, so Lydia, Caleb, and Lilith decided it was time to pay them a visit to see exactly what was going on...
Markus saw them approaching, and quickly alerted the others.
Caleb dueled with Markus, and came out victorious.
Lilith took on Miss He.ll and was not so lucky.
Meanwhile, Lydia fought Kat.
As they fell back to the ground, Lydia looked at Kat with a pleading look on her face. "Kat, you don't have to do this. I remember the person you used to be...when did it all go so wrong?"
"Shut up," Kat hissed. "That was a long time ago. Things have changed. Maybe if you hadn't left..." she trailed off. "These are my people now..." she concluded, and with that, she stomped back into the house.
After defeating Markus, Caleb was able to take a quick look inside the house to see just how many people the rebellious vampires had turned, and it was looking bleak. Here are the latest victims - Kristine and Wolfgang. It was definitely time for them all to begin formulating a plan before more innocent people were unwillingly turned and held hostage.
---
And what was Lydia referring to? Well, suddenly, she was overcome with memories of her youth, of a sweet and charming vampire who had once stolen her heart...
I don't have a full back story formulated for these two yet, but at some point in time, they were in love when they were teenagers, but something drove them apart and Kat obviously chose the route of being an evil vampire over being a good one. I don't know how important the details of this all will be yet. But there is a history there...and only time will tell if it becomes important again
I have some down time at school this morning so I’ll get started on comments but probably won’t finish until this afternoon
And Melody looks like, "Ho Hum, just another day at the office" when fighting that alien. hehe DON! What the heck man!? You of all Sims should've loved that scene, not be totally bored!
@permanentrose
The Past - Perhaps Lydia fell in love with someone else and Miss He-- never forgave her. As she said...before you went away...and so now, she vows to be the evil vampire that she has become because she was betrayed {?} by Lydia. Maybe it was that stint with Jules....!!! Anyway, so glad that Caleb is working on a cure because there are a lot of vamps who need to be turned into sim humans again. And oh no! Not Kristine...and...*sob* Wolfgang.
As an aside, I was playing a new save and testing out a lot, and I saw Wolfgang in his Scout uniform as a teen with eyeliner on and everything, walk by. And I was like...ahhh...Wolfgang....:) lol As I said before, Wolfgang was never one of my favorite sims because of the mean trait, but now that I've played him, the guy is a softie with all his autonomous romantic gestures. Maybe it's just with Sakura, but, yeah, sim love for sure.
@Karababy52 -
The conversation with Nik was wonderful, and she is very fortunate to have him there looking out for her. Yes, even though Essa doesn't think Kat saw her, she may have. So, yes, good thing that Essa is going to change her form. But now we know where Kat is holding Josh, in Vlad's manor. And great work on Brooks' make-over, too. Yes, I would have kept those purple eyes, too
That is quite a transformation for Essa. I don't think that Kat will recognize her. And I love her dark form outfit. Did Essa and Josh go to GeekCon? I can't remember. But, yeah Strangerville outfit. lol It looks really good. We have seen Tessa, Vanessa and Essa go through many transformations, so this is just one more. Great work!
@Ellupelluellu -
@Karababy52
Essa looks cute with her new short hair! It's definitely fun to have reasons to give our sims makeovers that we typically wouldn't give them. I love all the transformations Essa has been through during this challenge so far - she really has sported so many cool looks. Her dark form is really cool and intense too! I love it. She really will blend in with the night.
That is a really cool shot of the sad lady statue in the water. I haven't mentioned it in my updates, but in my head for this Jules' universe, that little lonely gravestone on the island is Lydia's mother's grave, and perhaps the statue is even a statue of her. I haven't fleshed out that idea fully, but it's a thought I've had in my head.
I did cancel the welcome wagon, I just meant to say that I was confused why it wasn't initially letting me speed through time, but then I saw the welcome wagon event and cancelled it and all was good
@Ellupelluellu
I did cancel the welcome wagon, I just meant to say that I was confused why it wasn't initially letting me speed through time, but then I saw the welcome wagon event and cancelled it and all was good
@SoulGal7
Kyra was the only one up so far and Nanny Darsh was talking to her.
And the sleepyheads Riki and Hana are finally up and are both "hangry".
Sakura chose her gig.
And chatted to the client first.
And in no time at all, she is finished.
And the client is impressed with her work. Yes!
And Congratulations, Sakura completed the Master Maker Aspiration.
And also receives the Muser of the Maker trait.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang gets a pop-up at work and chooses to do a side project.
This really helps him get a large performance gain.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wolfgang comes home from work and Sakura goes out to greet him and gives him an autonomous kiss on cheek. Ahhh...
Wolfgang: "It's always nice to come home. Sakura, I was wondering if you were up to having a few friends over tonight. I was thinking that maybe a kava party would be great and I can invite over some work friends and get to know them better."
Sakura: "Oh, that sounds like fun. I'll invite a few other sims and then start making the kava. Luckily one of the islanders gave me the recipe last night. I hope it turns out alright."
Wolfgang: "My love...everything you make turns out wonderful, and I am sure that the kava will be the same," he said smiling as he quickly made a few calls.
He heads over to chat with Ren and Ken, who are fishing, and sees another sim on the lot and spreads conservation awareness.
Wolfgang gets a feast going in the fire pit.
And the first guests to arrive are Bryon and Leila.
Sakura has the first batch of kava made and offers some to Bryon and Leila, who agree that it's pretty good.
Kyra, Riki and Hana headed inside to eat and had their own kava party.
Wolfgang chatting with Jenny, Essa and Astrid. Essa looks to be in a bad mood. I do hope she gets happier soon. What? No kava! Who drank all the kava! Time to make more kava already.
And more guests arrive. There's Makoa Kealoha, who Wolfgang works with. And Leila Illes chatting with Astrid and Ren.
And there are some late arrivals, Mele Kahananui and Malcolm Landgraab.
Wolfgang calls Malcolm over and Malcolm has this scared expression. Not sure what he is scared of. It can't be Wolfgang, right?
In no time at all, Wolfgang and Malcolm are enjoying some kava together and Malcolm seems to relax.
Sakura made some roast chicken for everyone. Just one of many dinners she makes during the night.
Sakura chats with Bryon and then makes a wonderful kava toast.
After a few more kavas, Malcolm is feeling no pain.
Wolfgang gives a kava toast, while Makoa looks on and Bryon is about to fall asleep. Bryon needs to build up his party stamina.
Wolfgang grills some chicken.
Yep, and it looks like Jenny had a bit of kava, too, because she decided to do a table dance.
Although I don't think Wolfgang minds. He seems to be enjoying the view.
The guests must have discovered more food in the kitchen.
And look at Nanny Darsh. Isn't he great just cleaning up.
And they partied all night long...and soon...it's morning! Gosh! How the time just flew by. And yes, Jenny is still dancing on the table. That girl is a party animal and must really like island music. And it looks like Malcolm is enjoying the view this time.
The party is winding down and Wolfgang is having a great chat with Makoa.
But it's just not a party until someone pees themselves. Okay then...party over!
What a great party! And Sakura gets a Gold Kava Party! Yes!
She received the fingers of Sulani as a reward.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Sakura also invited Melody and Jules, but for some reason, they didn't show up
And Essa got this Sentiment for Wolfgang. She was impressed by...um...something he did during the party. lol
Thanks about Brooks' dark mode makeover. As you know, I love purple, so I just had to keep those purple eyes for him.
Essa has been through many, many transformation over the months, so yes, this is just another of I'm sure a few more she'll go through in the coming months. At least one more anyway. Perhaps she'll finally be able to be 'herself' starting next month without anymore radical changes. I hope so anyway. Thanks!
Congrats to Sakura for completing the Master Maker aspiration! Yay! Go Sakura! \o/ What a great Kava party! Looks like everyone had a blast, especially Jenny!
Aww man, poor Leila. Sims are so silly how they'd rather party and/or do anything at all rather than take care of their needs.
@permanentrose
I can't stand the game generated outfits most of the time, they're SO bad! I just can't let them keep them, it would bug me not changing them so I take the time to give them something else. I love CAS anyway and can spend hours on just one Sim, so it's all good.
Thanks about her new dark mode look. I had a lot of fun with it! It took awhile figuring out what to do, but I did discover something cool about that darkest of the vampire skintones and one of the gowns from Get Famous. It's categorized as 'black' but it's actually very close to the color of that skin tone so it looks almost like it's painted on her. I didn't show it in the update, but here's a screenshot. I love it! She'll probably never get a chance to wear it anywhere, but oh well. *shrugs*
It's ironic you say that about the 'lady in the lake' statue because in my mind I was thinking the same thing. The statue has always been a replica of Vlad's former wife, the one true love of his life, to me and I imagine it's her grave on that little island. I imagine he put the statue there as a tribute to her, to look over and guard her or something and over the years, it fell over from neglect due to he being too sad to go out there, and it fell into the water. I posted my daily post pic in the last screenshot thread with a quote of what I felt Vlad might feel. The part about 'no one can steal' relates to no one can steal his memory of love yes, but also no one can steal the statue/grave, etc. because they can't get to that island. Well, without a boat or being a vampire bat. Even then, they'd be quickly seen, or he'd just 'know' someone was there. I have a wild (or weird?) imagination sometimes.
Ah well, at least you were entertained by Jules getting up all the time instead of annoyed, that's a good thing! You'll know for next time if you do this aspiration again anyway. I'll have Essa hibernate twice more; for the current aspiration, and for the last one she'll be hibernating side-by-side with Josh.
August, day 18
I deleted Bob, as I still want her t have a stan! So new stan just arrived
The one with new stan...
Melody: "WAY MUCH BETTER!!
Gladly this one did not try anything romantic like Bob
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Notes
(What is she doing out there, just standing by the pathway?)
(She won't know it's me if I go out there, I should just go, right?)
(Okay, she's walking away. Good, finally!)
(But that sassy vampire is at my gate looking all smug. What's he doing here? Go away!)
(At least he's not trying to break in.)
(Probably doesn't want to get his butt kicked again.)
(Wait... I have a back gate. Duh! How could I forget that?)
(Why am I running down this lighted pathway? Use your head Essa, go through the woods for God's sake.)
(I hope he can hear me this time. It has to work. He needs to know I'm here.)
(Why wouldn't he hear you?)
(Because he didn't hear the first time?)
(I have to try.)
It was Essa's lucky night, though she didn't know it yet. Kat had become a bit bored with the dungeon accommodations for her playtime with Josh and brought him upstairs to her bedroom for a change of scenery. After several very satisfying hours with him, Kat locked him in the bedroom and left to go...somewhere. He didn't know where and didn't care as long as she was gone.
Josh stood by the window thinking about Essa and trying to figure out a way to get out of this prison and go back home to her.
(She's too powerful, you'll never get away.)
(Stop thinking that! Never say never, there's always a way. I just need to find it.)
(She'll get bored of you and kill you before that happens.)
(She hasn't yet.)
Essa stared at the house while gathering her thoughts, trying to decide what was the most important thing to tell Josh. And then, movement in one of the second floor windows caught her eye.
It was Josh! There he was in all his glory! Essa's heart started pounding wildly and jumped to her throat at the sight of him. Reading someone's mind and sending her thoughts to others was always easier when she could actually SEE them.
(JOSH! I see you! I'm here, outside by the trees. I'm renting a house in Forgotten Hollow and training with the help of others. I'll come for you soon. I just need time to become stronger and wiser so I can defeat Kat! She's too powerful for me yet, but I'm getting there. Whatever you do, DON'T let her know I'm here! She'll kill you and then kill me if she knows before I'm ready. Oh Babe, it's so, SO good to see you again. I miss you so much. I love you, always and forever! Is that the room where she's been hiding you?)
(BEAUTIFUL! Oh my God! You're here! Kat's gone...somewhere, come up here and get me!. She locked me in here. Hurry, before she comes back! Vlad's playing that blasted pipe organ again, he'll never know. This is Kat's bedroom. She's bored with the, with the...stuff in the basement where she keeps me locked up. I miss you so much it hurts. I wish I could see you too, but it's too dark. I love you too, always, I promise! Hurry Beautiful, come and get me NOW, RUN!)
(I can't Josh, I'm not ready yet, she'll kill us both if she see's me, she's too powerful. She's very old and very evil. I can't take that chance, yet, and lose you again. What if she takes you somewhere I can never find you again!? You don't even know where she is, she could be right there in the house. But soon, soon, I promise you! Trust me Babe, please! I just wanted to give you hope, let you know I'm here trying my best to get you out of there.)
(I can't wait any longer. I'm tired of being her sex toy. I'm done! I'm sorry Beautiful, I knew you'd try to find me, you're a very determined woman, strong and courageous. But...I have to try to do this myself. I hope you understand, Beautiful. If she catches me? So be it. But I'll never stop, never quit trying to come back to you. If I don't make it, always remember that I love you, tell the girls I love them too!)
(NO JOSH! DON'T DO IT! Please, listen to me! PLEASE wait for me. She could kill you! I don't want to live without you!)
But, Josh would not answer her back no matter how much she pled with him to be patient. She heard a muffled succession of crashing noises, which she guessed was Josh trying to bust through the bedroom door. He was a very strong man without vampiric strength, so it wouldn't surprise her if he did break it open now that he had that too.
And then... she saw him! Racing down the front walkway at top speed.
(Oh My God, she made you a vampire and taught you super speed!)
(GO JOSH! GO! RUN! RUN! RUN!)
(I did it! I'm coming Beautiful! Where are you?)
Before Essa could tell him to just keep running she'd find him, she saw Kat come running out of the house in hot pursuit.
(OH NO!)
(Oh No! She's behind me!)
"ESSSAAAAA! WHERE ARE YOU BEAUTIFUL? I LOVE Y--"
Kat stopped Josh in his tracks and mid-sentence, shooting the power of mesmerize at him.
(Oh no, oh dear GOD NO! NO! NO! Josh....)
Essa watched, feeling helpless and useless as Kat walked slowly toward Josh. She had a smirk on her face as she sashayed to stop in front of him. He was rooted to the spot, her prisoner, dazed and swaying back and forth.
"Oooo you're a naughty one aren't you? Did you really think you'd get away from me so easily? Essa isn't here and she's not coming for you either. Forget about her, she's nothing. I'm your everything now. I'm the only one that loves you. You want to kiss me and *beep* me don't you, lover!" Kat cooed to Essa's disgust.
"Mmm, oh yeah, you're so beautiful, I love you, only you, always and forever!" Essa painfully heard Josh say in that sexy seductive voice he had.
(NO! You don't, it's a lie! You love ME! I know you do...Oh Josh, why didn't you listen to me? WHY!?)
She watched Josh eagerly accept Kat's kiss before it was just too much for her to handle anymore.
After giving Josh yet another more passionate kiss, Kat took his hand and led him toward the house. Probably back to her bed judging by the hooded look Josh was giving her.
(Enough, that's enough. NO MORE *beep*in' crying! Gawd! Just STOP IT! You're pathetic! Stop feeling sorry for yourself all the time and get tougher! Josh needs you to be strong!)
(I'll be back Kat, count on it! He's mine! MINE! DO YOU HEAR ME KAT!? MINE!)
(Gawd! That was stupid! What if she can read minds too and heard me?) *BEEP*
But Ruby had other ideas. "I told Dad I'm not going with him! I don't want to leave, Mom! I want to help - my best friend is being held captive, and I can't just sit here while she's in danger!"
"Putting yourself in danger isn't going to help anyone!" Jules countered.
But the more they argued, the more Ruby wore Jules down, and at last Jules conceded and decided she could stay for now.
Ruby did indeed win the argument
And then Jules nearly drank uncontrollably from Ruby O.o I reset them though before the action could actually happen though since there's no way that Jules would do that to Ruby...
Feeling frustrated from their fight and exceptionally thirsty, Jules decided to drain the next innocent by stander who passed by, who happened to be Ulrike Faust. Lydia walked out, shocked to see Jules drinking greedily from a person rather than a plasma pack.
"It's not like I'm permanently hurting them!" Jules huffed as soon as Lydia expressed her displeasure. "It's so much better than those dumb plasma packs anyway."
"You should at least ask them for permission," Lydia told her gently as they sat down on the bench by the door. "Not everyone will agree, but if you feel the need to drink from others, you should at least do it with their consent."
Jules looked up, feeling much calmer and a little bit guilty. "I suppose you're right. I've just been feeling stressed out over my fight with Ruby and all the uncertainty with the rebellious vampires. And I sent Emmett a letter a few days ago, explaining all that has happened to him...but I haven't heard back. It's not like I'm expecting a quick response. I'm not even sure if it will reach him...but it's just hard dealing with all this right now."
"It will all be okay," Lydia assured her. "You're doing all you can - don't worry too much about the rebellious vampires either. Lilith, Caleb, and I are working on a plan. You focus on your family, okay? Everything will sort itself out in due time."
Uh oh! Opps, let her thirst get too low eh? Tsk, tsk, tsk!
@Karababy52 , @permanentrose and @SoulGal7 , Thank you all for your kind words about that studio update
Saying this for all of you, as no need to copy paste this to everyone
I will be posting my update(s) tomorrow.
I did catch a small cold today, raining and not so warm day, also overwhelmed about work and mostly changing schedules. So I take today off from making update or playing. I need to rest a bit.
so why now just very tiny comments .
@Karababy52 ,
And haha, yes I was like "No *censored* way!" When I saw the new stan
@SoulGal7 ,
@permanentrose ,
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Mx8
August, day 19
The one with not so sure about new stan...
Malcolm is not so sure if the change of the stan is a good thing, after all , Melody never ran after Bob!!!
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
It was a wonderful surprise seeing who Melody's new stan turned out to be! I'm happy for both of them!
You've been working so hard lately, you deserve some time to just rest and take care of yourself. Hope your cold gets better soon! *Hugs*
I hope you feel better soon! I remember how icky I felt after my second shot too - get some rest
@Ellupelluellu
What perk makes sims not drink controllably? I really haven't explored the perks that much yet so I honestly don't know what all the perks/weaknesses really do.
@Karababy52
That is a cool extra outfit you have for Essa. You really have done a great job with all of her looks. I used to spend more time in CAS when I actually had time. Maybe one day I'll have more free time again haha. That's cool that you have that same head canon for that grave being Vlad's wife's. I feel like there has to be some kind of story/lore there. Even though I feel like Forgotten Hollow is a bit disappointingly small and lacking in things to actually interact with, the scenery and foggy environment really is cool.
My lips are sealed about what will happen with Ruby, but you will find out soon enough
Notes
After Essa went home, she had a couple plasma packs and then immediately went back outside to look for more people to turn into vampires. Nik told her she would gain more power this way. She saw several candidates for her mission. Mrs. Crumplebottom was back and looked grumpier than ever. I wasn't sure if turning her would be a good idea. Would it mess up her default role in Cottage Living? Pass. Next was Kent Rockwell, one of Essa's old dance club members who had a big crush on her. She didn't want to give him any ideas considering what happens with the turning process. Pass.
There's Bryce Canyon! Or, Agent Stone as some of you may remember him. He worked for the Witness Protection program in charge of Essa's case. However, he's also always the gym trainer in my worlds. I'd rather he kept doing that during the day. Pass. No way was I going to have Essa turn Adam Lambert, my Global Superstar. He looks way too happy anyway. Pass. Lastly, we have Leanne Summers, my Collector. Look how happy she is too. I can't do that to her. Pass.
Essa was looking around for more to spawn in the neighborhood when suddenly my camera zoomed over to Malcom turning!
I didn't think it was necessary to show him turning, but here's what the game thought was a good default vampire outfit. LOL! Um, yeah, that's a big fat NO! However, it does kind of suit him eh? I almost kept it.
After he changed back to normal mode, Essa offered to give him some training which he agreed to, of course. Immediately afterward, THIS happened...
Yay! Essa completed the Vampire Family aspiration! Just one more to go! Thank you so much Malcom! He looks proud I think.
I went into CAS then and gave him a dark mode makeover. Here's a close-up of his every day wear. Obviously I changed his hair color. I think he looks great with black hair and I hope you do too @Ellupelluellu. I also changed his skin color, gave him some cracks on his face and a few other skin details. I kept his original eye color because I didn't like how he looked with any of the vampire eyes. Besides, his gorgeous green eyes just pop with the dark hair.
Here's a few of his other new dark mode outfits. Every day and hot weather are exactly the same. Wanted to show the red design on the back of that vest. The next in succession is; formal, party and I had to show some beefcake with his swimwear.
Malcom and Essa shared a hug (though I didn't show it or any others, everyone Essa interacted with today got a warm hug, just so you know.) and then she was going to go back to looking for more to turn. But then, she saw someone walking toward her.
Yay! Finally! Sakura made an appearance! Obviously don't need to turn her for the aspiration now, but I promised you @SoulGal7 Essa would turn her if she showed up in FH.
Essa and Sakura are good friends so she agreed without hesitation to become a vampire when Essa offered to turn her.
Here we go...
I got a chuckle out of how she clutched that umbrella for dear life through the entire process.
Wait...who's this trying to barge in and stop what's going on? How dare you!?
Surprise! It's Jules! It's her first time showing up in FH too! I promised you too @permanentrose that Essa would turn her if she showed up. Looks like she's leaving though. NO! Come back here!
She didn't leave though once she realized what was going on. Jules turned around and gasped her surprise to see such a thing happening in front of her.
She totally freaked out! LOL! Sorry Jules, you should've kept walking away, then you wouldn't have had to witness it.
"Ooooooo, it hurts so, SO bad! Ugh! Owie Owie Owie!"
(I think I'm going to be sick.)
I was so amazed to see this. Sakura bowed to Essa. She bowed as if thanking her for turning her into a vampire! Incredible! Sakura is such a gracious and proper Sim eh?
"Okay, I've seen enough, goodbye now!"
Not so fast Jules! I had Essa stop her by asking to see her every day outfit. The two had a chat and I searched and searched for the 'Offer to Turn' option but it wasn't there! I don't know why, Essa and Jules are good friends too. Sooo, I'm sorry to say, Essa had to turn her without permission. o.O
Poor Jules, she looks shocked again.
I didn't think it was necessary to show the entire process since Jules has been through this already in your save permanent. But I included these two shots just so you know she's been turned. I'll of course show both Sims dark mode default looks and makeovers once they completely turn.
Essa and Jules had a little bit of a chat and then they both went their separate ways. This is where I was going to go into Manage Worlds and give Malcom his makeover. However, the game wouldn't let me save because, 'You can't do this while a Sim is turning into a vampire.' WHERE!? Oh man, it had to be Melody, but the camera never zoomed to where she was! o.O I searched around frantically and finally found her just as she was starting to spin! *Whew*
Here's her default vampire look. Oh dear God, uh, what the heck game? LOL! Sheesh!
MUCH better if I do say so myself. At least I think so anyway! The same as Malcom, I went with a red/black theme and a mix and match of Goth/Victorian and Modern vampire looks. Showed a side view so you can see her cool eyeliner. I've never used that one before. I always thought it was weird because it was pink. I never bothered to see what other colors it might have. To my delight, it had a black swatch! I think it looks gorgeous on her and I hope you do too Ellu!
Here's few of her new dark mode outfits. The first is every day and hot weather is exactly the same. Next is; formal, party and lastly, cold weather. I had a lot of fun with that cold weather outfit. I tried something different, just for fun and I think it turned out really cute! I love that hat!
That's all for this update!
Jules wanted to do as much as she could to continue to strengthen her powers so she could help fight the rebellious vampires when the time came, so she and Lydia continued her training.
Jules grumbled in frustration, looking down at her hand. "Why isn't it working??"
"Try again," Lydia encouraged. "You'll get stronger the more you practice."
So Jules tried again.
But her powers were no match for Lydia's. Her powers seemed to slide right off of Lydia, no matter how hard she concentrated.
It was time for a break after that. Jules needed some time to recover.
Suddenly my camera panned over to Vlad, and my update took a little detour for a minute...
Oh no...
"Father!" Lydia shrieked, arriving just in time.
Luckily, she had the perfect offering.
And thankfully we averted that crisis. Vlad will now live to see another day.
Later that evening, Sofia showed up with Abel, so that Jules could fully update her on the situation with Dell now that they knew the details of where she was being held.
Jules told Ruby to talk Abel upstairs and show him around the house, but of course the two of them hovered close by to eavesdrop...
Jules updated Sofia on Dell's whereabouts and told her they were working on a plan to rescue all those who had been captured.
"I want to help," Sofia told her as Jules finished explaining. "Turn me into a vampire too so I can help fight and save my wife."
Jules was not so keen on that idea at first, but Lydia entered the room shortly after and told Jules it might actually not be a bad idea to have more people to help, and that since her and Caleb's cure was almost ready, they would need people to test it on as well, so if Sofia was willing, she would be a great candidate to turn into a vampire.
So under Lydia's careful supervision, Jules turned her.
It was a painful process for both Jules and Sofia, but Lydia assured her that she had done well.
So now all there was to do was wait. Jules gave Sofia one of the vampire tomes to read in the meantime.
Suddenly, Ruby and Abel appeared. Ruby looked straight at Jules as she spoke, a note of determination in her voice. "Abel and I want to help. Turn us into vampires too. And before you argue, we won't take no for an answer. If you don't help us, we'll find someone else who will."
Oh frick.
Not much 'story' this time, there was just too else going on and I was trying to get this posted and still have time to get some sleep. Today's update will be back to 'story mode' as usual though. I hope y'all understand and have a great day/night too!