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TEEN SURVIVOR - DEFENSIVE SMACKDOWN CHALLENGE - UPDATED JULY 28, 2023 (ON HIATUS UNTIL THE NEW YEAR)
SoulGal7
Posts: 3,630 Member
TEEN SURVIVOR - CASTING CALL & TALIA CULLEN'S STORY
The Simworld - Year 2525
In a dystopian future, sims in the Simworld have become infected by a plague. The plague hit the elders first, then the adults, and then the young adults. The Simworld as we know it is no more and many died. What was left was a Simworld where shortages of food, water, and basic necessities were common, violence was rampant, and towns in the Simworld were now governed by a totalitarian government. Everyone and everything was controlled.
Younger children and teens had not yet been infected, and with the dwindling population, the fate of the Simwold hinged on teens. There were small pockets of sims living in the towns, and the government had spread propaganda of a "mystery" town where the plague had not affected. Where life was good, and there was an abundance of food. This gave the sims of the Simworld hope that they would somehow find this "mystery" town. But the only way to actually get there was to participate in a "party" that was held every 6 months in each town.
Of course, the only ones admissible to the parties were teens. And so, teens from every Simworld were gathered together to attend a "party". These parties were quite lavish, and at these parties, teens were observed and several teens were chosen by "Watchers" to head to the "mystery" world. It was thought that these teens were now saved. They were the hope for them all. But in reality, unbeknownst to the populace, it was all a lie. These teens were chosen to participate in a survival game. Each teen was pitted against another in a series of challenges where only one teen would survive. That survivor was the only sim who would gain entry to this "mystery" world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was dark.
Nalia woke up with a start. Her head throbbed and she could barely see. She put her hand to her head, and realized that her hair was a tangled mess and her clothing seemed to be torn and dirty in places. The last thing she remembered was that she had been at the "party" and was having a good time. One of the "watchers" had told her that she had been chosen to go to the "mystery" town...and then she felt a small jab on her arm and suddenly everything went black. So, what had happened? Where was she now?
She tried to focus on her surroundings and squinted her eyes in the darkness. She struggled to sit up and realized that she was in a room...a very small room with no windows. Dang, it was dark...and what time was it? She looked down and saw that she was sitting on a pallet with a rough cloth draped over it. She noticed that her wrist had a bracelet around it. She tried to remove it, but it would not budge. Nalia realized that it was some type of tracker.
"Where am I?", she thought.
She tried to stand up and the room seemed to be spinning around her. She thought she saw a door, and somehow made her way towards it, half crawling and stumbling against the cold wall. She tried to open the door, but the door was locked.
"Help!", she shouted pounding on the door, "If someone can hear me...help...I'm trapped..." she shouted again. But there was no response. Only silence.
She was breathing heavily, and she cautiously felt her way back to the pallet and laid down again. She tried to quiet her breathing. She listened and thought she heard a noise. Was someone else here?
She heard the lock click on the door, and then the door opened and a figure was standing there bathed in a soft light.
Nalia shielded her eyes with her hand. She couldn't make out the face at all, and she swallowed hard. The figure remained silent and then thrust some type of clothing at Nalia, "Put this on. They are waiting for you..."
Nalia spat out: "Who is waiting for me? And why am I here? I was supposed to go to the...to the "mystery" town...they told me I was chosen..."
And the figure just stood there looking at her.
Nalia rubbed her wrist nervously. Her eyes darted to the outside corridor. Maybe she could somehow run past the figure and escape.
The figure came closer and looked at her shaking their head, "It would not be wise to try to escape," they said, as if reading her mind, "You have a choice. Either you change into this or you don't. But know that if you don't, there will be consequences," the figure said as they turned to leave.
Nalia narrowed her eyes, "What do you want with me? I am nothing..."
The figure stepped towards the door and then turned to answer her, "...and that is why you are here...you are nothing to no-one. I will return shortly. Ensure you are ready."
And with that, the figure walked through the doorway again, and Nalia heard the lock click.
Nalia felt like screaming, and indeed that is just what she did.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There were 7 other rooms, and each room held a sim who had undergone a similar treatment. They were all teens and came from various worlds. They were a varied lot...some had come from broken homes, some were runaways, and some were criminals. But most of them were the only survivors left in their family, the only members of their family who hadn't succumbed to the plague.
Even though they were very different, they had one thing in common, they were all unknown. No-one would miss them. No one would care if they were gone.
The time was approaching and the challenge was about to begin. Will your teen be the sole survivor?
Nalia Cullen is from San Myshuno.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TEEN SURVIVOR SUBMISSION:
1. Create a teen sim straight out of CAS. No skills. No jobs. Do not choose any likes or dislikes for Activities. Choose any traits and aspirations. Dress them in anything you like. (I don't have the vampire pack, so, sorry, no vampires; any other occults are fine).
2. Create a Backstory for your sim.
3. List the in-game Sims 4 world they are from.
4. I play a vanilla game, so no cc or mods please.
5. Submit your sim on the gallery with the hashtag #teensurvivor by Friday, May 12th.
Good luck! SoulGal7
The Simworld - Year 2525
In a dystopian future, sims in the Simworld have become infected by a plague. The plague hit the elders first, then the adults, and then the young adults. The Simworld as we know it is no more and many died. What was left was a Simworld where shortages of food, water, and basic necessities were common, violence was rampant, and towns in the Simworld were now governed by a totalitarian government. Everyone and everything was controlled.
Younger children and teens had not yet been infected, and with the dwindling population, the fate of the Simwold hinged on teens. There were small pockets of sims living in the towns, and the government had spread propaganda of a "mystery" town where the plague had not affected. Where life was good, and there was an abundance of food. This gave the sims of the Simworld hope that they would somehow find this "mystery" town. But the only way to actually get there was to participate in a "party" that was held every 6 months in each town.
Of course, the only ones admissible to the parties were teens. And so, teens from every Simworld were gathered together to attend a "party". These parties were quite lavish, and at these parties, teens were observed and several teens were chosen by "Watchers" to head to the "mystery" world. It was thought that these teens were now saved. They were the hope for them all. But in reality, unbeknownst to the populace, it was all a lie. These teens were chosen to participate in a survival game. Each teen was pitted against another in a series of challenges where only one teen would survive. That survivor was the only sim who would gain entry to this "mystery" world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was dark.
Nalia woke up with a start. Her head throbbed and she could barely see. She put her hand to her head, and realized that her hair was a tangled mess and her clothing seemed to be torn and dirty in places. The last thing she remembered was that she had been at the "party" and was having a good time. One of the "watchers" had told her that she had been chosen to go to the "mystery" town...and then she felt a small jab on her arm and suddenly everything went black. So, what had happened? Where was she now?
She tried to focus on her surroundings and squinted her eyes in the darkness. She struggled to sit up and realized that she was in a room...a very small room with no windows. Dang, it was dark...and what time was it? She looked down and saw that she was sitting on a pallet with a rough cloth draped over it. She noticed that her wrist had a bracelet around it. She tried to remove it, but it would not budge. Nalia realized that it was some type of tracker.
"Where am I?", she thought.
She tried to stand up and the room seemed to be spinning around her. She thought she saw a door, and somehow made her way towards it, half crawling and stumbling against the cold wall. She tried to open the door, but the door was locked.
"Help!", she shouted pounding on the door, "If someone can hear me...help...I'm trapped..." she shouted again. But there was no response. Only silence.
She was breathing heavily, and she cautiously felt her way back to the pallet and laid down again. She tried to quiet her breathing. She listened and thought she heard a noise. Was someone else here?
She heard the lock click on the door, and then the door opened and a figure was standing there bathed in a soft light.
Nalia shielded her eyes with her hand. She couldn't make out the face at all, and she swallowed hard. The figure remained silent and then thrust some type of clothing at Nalia, "Put this on. They are waiting for you..."
Nalia spat out: "Who is waiting for me? And why am I here? I was supposed to go to the...to the "mystery" town...they told me I was chosen..."
And the figure just stood there looking at her.
Nalia rubbed her wrist nervously. Her eyes darted to the outside corridor. Maybe she could somehow run past the figure and escape.
The figure came closer and looked at her shaking their head, "It would not be wise to try to escape," they said, as if reading her mind, "You have a choice. Either you change into this or you don't. But know that if you don't, there will be consequences," the figure said as they turned to leave.
Nalia narrowed her eyes, "What do you want with me? I am nothing..."
The figure stepped towards the door and then turned to answer her, "...and that is why you are here...you are nothing to no-one. I will return shortly. Ensure you are ready."
And with that, the figure walked through the doorway again, and Nalia heard the lock click.
Nalia felt like screaming, and indeed that is just what she did.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There were 7 other rooms, and each room held a sim who had undergone a similar treatment. They were all teens and came from various worlds. They were a varied lot...some had come from broken homes, some were runaways, and some were criminals. But most of them were the only survivors left in their family, the only members of their family who hadn't succumbed to the plague.
Even though they were very different, they had one thing in common, they were all unknown. No-one would miss them. No one would care if they were gone.
The time was approaching and the challenge was about to begin. Will your teen be the sole survivor?
Nalia Cullen is from San Myshuno.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TEEN SURVIVOR SUBMISSION:
1. Create a teen sim straight out of CAS. No skills. No jobs. Do not choose any likes or dislikes for Activities. Choose any traits and aspirations. Dress them in anything you like. (I don't have the vampire pack, so, sorry, no vampires; any other occults are fine).
2. Create a Backstory for your sim.
3. List the in-game Sims 4 world they are from.
4. I play a vanilla game, so no cc or mods please.
5. Submit your sim on the gallery with the hashtag #teensurvivor by Friday, May 12th.
Good luck! SoulGal7
Post edited by SoulGal7 on
4
Comments
1. Jenny Mellark: Oasis Springs, Aspiration: Bodybuilder Traits: Active, Adventurous Bonus: High Metabolism
2 Jodi Clayton (Spellcaster) Glimmerbrook, Aspiration: Freelance Botanist Traits: Genius, Loves Outdoors Bonus: Collector
3. Joey Lyonheart: Moonwood Mill, Aspiration: Super Parent Traits: Freegan, Goofball, Bonus: Domestic
4. Journey Crest: Evergreen Harbor, Aspiration: Soulmate Traits: Creative, Cheerful, Bonus: Alluring
5. Rex Ranger (Alien) Granite Falls,, Aspiration: Teen-Live Fast Traits: Paranoid, Party Animal Bonus: Relatable
6. Nalia Cullen, San Myshuno, Aspiration: The Curator Traits: Kleptomaniac, Goofball Bonus: Collector
Since I didn't have enough submissions, I randomly chose teen townies who didn't have any younger siblings to participate in this challenge. And so, Malcolm Landgraab and the high school version of Bob Pancakes will be part of the challenge.
7. Malcolm Landgraab, Oasis Springs, Aspiration: Public Enemy Traits: Snob, Evil Bonus: Dastardly
8. Bob Pancakes, Copperdale, Aspiration: Master Chef Traits: Slob, Lazy Bonus: Essence of Flavor
1. Introduction: Casting Call & Nalia Cullen's Story
2. The Capture - Rex Ranger's Story
3. The Fates
4. Journey Crest & Joey Lyonheart - Their Stories
5. Jenny Mellark & Jodi Clayton - Their Stories
6. Malcolm Landgraab & Bob Pancakes - Their Stories
7. Rules of Survival
8. Bike Course - The First Challenge
9. Death Rules
10. The Long Day & Lot Tour (Part 1)
11. The Long Day & Lot Tour (Part 2)
12. Night Into Day 2
13. "Starlight, Starbright" Challenge
14. Day 3 - It's Good To Be Alive!
15. Electric Boogie Challenge
16. Bunny To The Rescue
17.Flash Fishing Challenge
18. Unexpected Fire
19. More Wishes Revealed
20. It's My Life Challenge - Part 1
21. It's My Life Challenge - Part 2
22. It's My Life Challenge - Part 3
23. It's My Life Challenge - Finale
24. Jenny's Revelation
Meet Jodi Clayton - Spellcaster
Joey had always been the class clown, the cool guy that everyone liked and he could vibe with anyone. The kind of guy who made playing the acoustic guitar look cool and also was on the swim team and did well. He bugged his teachers with his goofiness and aloof behavior, but over all he was well liked.
Which is why he was still alive. The atrocities he’d seen, the screams he’d heard- they were enough to keep him up at night. All done at the hands of those he’d known to be giggling little kids in kindergarten. How had it gotten this bad? What was going to make it right? Was he a coward for wanting to run away and save himself over everyone in the town?
He lives in Moonwood Mill
Journey Crest can hardly remember a clear sky. When the plague hit and the local foundry demanded that their workers continue to work regardless of conditions or if your coworker fell ill beside you and died, you had to keep working. The machines had to keep working. It’s rumored that one of the last things the executives did was program the machines to run on their own without oversight in the event that there was no staff to man them because the machines still run even after everyone who knew how to run them had died. The more fun word on the street is that the workers have to work them even in death, their souls inhabit the machines to keep them spewing.
In any case, no one in town knows how to turn them off, and the pollution in the air makes it hard to breathe. Going outside is a recipe for coughing all night, but it’s what you have to do to get anywhere. The supply hub is a few blocks away, but even that leaves Journey coughing and pale. Who knows what else the pollution is doing to her body besides just making it hard to breathe.
Journey’s town didn’t break out into chaos the way others did. They kept order and kindness, they organized housing, child care, and stockpiled food and toiletries that would be needed. The only problem is that they were going to be slowly choked to death by the miasma. It was especially hard on the children, their small bodies would shake as they coughed. But how could they risk leaving when the world outside of their town was in mayhem and chaos?
She lives in Evergreen Harbor.
I use cc eyes, otherwise there should be no cc. I used the #survivorteen because apparently I can't read directions
Notes: Thanks to this simmer for creating the build, which has been embellished for the challenge. (Tour of revised lot coming soon).
My father had come to explore this Simworld and was sent here to "blend in" and live among the sims. His mission was to collect things, to find out who lived here, and about their culture. His mission was only supposed to last a year, but when the time came for him to leave, he somehow missed the timewarp-continuum timeframe and was never able to return to his home. He thought all hope was lost, but he met my mother and they fell in love and had me and my brother. My brother Devon is a normal sim, but I am not. I am an alien Just like my father was.
Growing up, my father taught me how to disguise myself, and I lived like any other normal sim. In fact, I was quite popular and loved a good party. But then things changed. A plague hit the Simworld, and it didn't only affect the sims who lived here. It affected everyone...even the occults. Yes, occults, as my father discovered that there were other species living here too...werewolves, mermaids, vampires...and, of course, other aliens, like myself. There was no immunity for anyone, and sadly my parents were lost. It was just my brother and I who were left, and we banded together with other teen survivors, and tried to care for the younger children as best as we could. We had heard about the "party" and being selected to go to a "mystery" world where the plague had not hit. But none of us were interested in participating. At one time, I would have jumped at the chance to attend a party, but now, I had more at stake here helping these children than saving myself and living in a plague-free world. And I know that I would never leave my brother here alone. Plus, we had heard rumors that several teen occults had been "taken" by the Watchers for the purposes of experimentation. We weren't sure why the "Watchers" had such an interest in us, but we never left the compound alone and always traveled in groups.
And so today, I was assigned to lead the scavenging party, which consisted of myself, another teen named Stephen, my brother Devon, and another child named Olive. It was raining when we headed out, which turned into a full-blown thunderstorm. Visibility was poor and the wind had picked up. We stayed together and traveled to the forest looking for any fruit that might be left on trees, or any herbs or vegetables that other scavengers may have missed. I had spied a fallen log and told the group that I was going to look in it for any frogs. Devon had tugged at my arm and wanted to come with me, but I told him to stay with the group. Although my brother ran fast, I felt it would be quicker for me to just go to the log myself.
When I got to the log, I was pleased to find a frog. I think I did an arm-pump and hooted and hollered at my discovery. That may have been a careless move for when I looked up, I saw a "Watcher" coming towards me.
Using some hand signals, I motioned for the others to hide. I saw my brother Devon immediately hide behind some rocks.
And I saw Olive running down the path toward the trees...a look of sheer horror on her face. I don't know if Stephen had made it out or if the "Watchers" had gotten him, too.
Before I had a chance to run, several other "Watchers" had surrounded me and knocked me out cold.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A lot of time must have passed, because I suddenly woke up. I thought I had heard someone scream, and had a panic attack thinking that they had somehow caught my brother, too. Oh gosh! What if they had? But when I listened, there was nothing. No sound. Just an eerie stillness in the darkness. I suddenly heard a lock unclick and steeled myself for what was about to come.
A figure entered the room and thrust some clothing at me, and explained that I had been chosen.
My lip curled in anger, "Chosen for what? For torture...for experimentation? I know all about you...I won't do what you want..."
The figure interrupted me before I could continue, "I would suggest you cooperate, and if you don't do as we say, there will be consequences. After all, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your brother now... would you?"
I was up in an instant ready to throttle the figure, but saw that they had some type of scythe out before them.
I shouted at the figure, "So help me...if you so much as lay a hand on my brother, I will make you wish you were never born..."
But the figure just turned and laughed and then locked the door behind them.
I just stood there with my hands on my head, shaking with rage, "I'll make you pay..." I muttered under my breath, and then slowly undressed. I had to think...I just had to think of some plan to escape...to find my brother and get out of here.
Rex Ranger is from Granite Falls.
Eight figures called The Fates slowly entered the room and sat down before him. They were the rulers of what was left of the Simworld, having been genetically created and modified by Dr. F in his secret lab. Unfortunately, Dr. F's research had been destroyed by marauders, and he was never able to replicate his work. And so, The Fates had survived the plague, but not unscathed, and were said to possess mystical powers. The first Fate spoke.
Fate: "Head Watcher, we understand that 8 teens have now been secured for the challenge; however, we understand that one of the teens has a younger sibling. Is this true?"
The "Head Watcher" nodded that yes, it was true.
Fate: "Head Watcher, you know that this is against the rules. Only those teens whose caregivers have perished and have no other siblings are meant to be here. Has the teen already been tagged?"
Head Watcher: "Yes, when he was brought in, it is customary to do a database search and then tag them when they arrive. However, the database search had not been completed and the teen was tagged too soon. We then discovered that the teen had a surviving sibling."
Fate: "Had this teen attended one of the parties in their home world?"
The Head Watcher swallowed hard, "No, the teen did not attend a party. We discovered that there were several teens living in Granite Falls who would not participate in the parties. They lived in a compound and were caring for younger children, some as young as nooboos. These children were not their siblings but had lost their caregivers or had been abandoned in the street. These teens had rescued them, and it seemed that these teens valued the children's lives over their own and were teaching these children how to survive. It was unusual teen behavior. We were sent on a mission to find the compound and capture one of the teens. On our mission, we came across a group of two teens and two children scavenging in the forest. We captured one of the teens, but we did not realize that the teen who was "taken" had a sibling. The other teen and the two children escaped and we were unable to track them in the forest, nor were we able to find the compound."
Fate: "You know we do not approve of any teens being "taken" for this challenge. They are to attend the parties of their own free will. Dr. F has done extensive research on this and found that the "will to live" is very strong in these teens. If there was more room, we would be able to send all teens to the "mystery" world, but we aren't able to do that. The "mystery" world is a fragile eco-system with limited resources, and so only the strongest and fittest teens can be sent there."
Head Watcher: "Yes, I understand, but "taking" a teen for this challenge was not the objective here. It was Dr. F, himself, who instructed us to capture one of these teens so that the teen could be studied further. But during the transfer, the teen was put on the wrong truck and came here instead of being sent to the lab. If it is any consolation, the teen who was taken is an occult. One of the Watchers discovered that he is an alien. The teen's sibling is a human sim."
The Fates conferred quietly with one another. After much discussion, one of the Fates left the room, but then quickly reappeared and nodded their head, "It is done" is all they said.
Fate: "It is unfortunate, but this teen, although here by accident, must now partake in this challenge. As we all know, the tagging cannot be undone. It will be interesting to observe how an occult teen behaves, as most of the occults are sent to the lab for observation by Dr. F. This teen is indeed a rare find; however, tagging a teen before the final database search is completed is still a grave error that cannot be overlooked. We have therefore ordered that a day's worth of food and water rations be withheld for all Watchers commencing immediately. We trust that this penalty will ensure that all procedures are adhered to. We will not tolerate any future errors or there will be further consequences. Understood?"
The "Head Watcher" just nodded.
Fate: "You are excused. We must now determine the fates of these teens." The "Head Watcher" stood up and promptly left the room. And with that, the eight figures started knitting. When they were finished, they handed their knitted items to a Fate who was sitting in the last chair. They examined each one, and paused at one in particular.
Fate: "This one...this teen...their lifeline is very strong. This one will be the sole survivor...." they said and passed the eight knitted items to one of the Fates.
One of the Fates held the one knitted item in their hands and looked troubled, "This teen will have a most unusual request for us. We will need to confer if and when that should happen." The last Fate gathered the knitted items and placed them in a sealed box.
Fate: "The fates of these eight teens now rests with the teens themselves. But, as we all know, the fate of these teens is not set at this moment in time. There are circumstances that can change their fate."
Fate: "Yes, some of these teens will meet with ill fate with no choice open to them, and they will leave the Simworld."
Fate: "True, we have seen this before...in fact, it happened a month ago when a teen decided to play in the rain and perished due to a lightning strike."
Fate: "Of course, you could also say that this teen chose their own fate. They could have gone to the shelter, but instead chose to play in the rain. So, some teens will have a choice in their own fate, and some will not choose wisely and they, too, will leave the Simworld."
Fate: "Ah...but you are forgetting something important. Other teens will have a choice to decide the fate of another teen, and whether their choice is to alter the fate of that other teen or not is up to them."
Fate: "Agreed. There were several teens who could have pleaded with Grim for the life of that teen who was struck by lightning but chose not to. But if they had, perhaps that teen would have out-survived them. But it was not meant to be."
Fate: "All of this is true, but the fact remains that only one of these teens will reach the end and survive."
Fate: "Yes, and it is now time. The teens must be prepared and transported to the site. Let the challenge begin..."
All eight Fates stood up and then quietly filed out of the room.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
"Tagging" a teen means that the teen has received a special chip-embedded tattoo that cannot be removed. The tattoo serves as a tracking device, and only those teens who have been "chosen" to head to the "mystery" world have this tattoo. No teen who has this tattoo can ever return to their world, because if they do, they would be able to inform everyone that the government lied to everyone. And, of course, the government would never allow that.
Dr. F is one of the My Sims Trophies collectibles. "Dr. F is the indomitable mad scientist with PhDs is robotology AND robotonomy. There are many, many conflicting reports as to what the "F" actually stands for."
The eight figures represent the number eight, which is the number associated with paradise. This is exactly what these teens are here for. To survive and venture into the "mystery" world which is plague-free, or "paradise."
The eight figures also represent The Fates (in Greek Mythology), although The Fates are normally represented by 3 sisters. The first sister spins the "fate" of human life, the second sister dispenses it, and the third sister ends it. They use a spinning wheel to do this, and the last sister uses scissors to cut the thread and end a life. And so, I decided to have the figures "knit" the fates of the 8 teen challenge sims.
"Journey Crest can hardly remember a clear sky. When the plague hit and the local foundry demanded that their workers continue to work regardless of conditions or if your coworker fell ill beside you and died, you had to keep working. The machines had to keep working. It’s rumored that one of the last things the executives did was program the machines to run on their own without oversight in the event that there was no staff to man them because the machines still run even after everyone who knew how to run them had died. The more fun word on the street is that the workers have to work them even in death, their souls inhabit the machines to keep them spewing.
In any case, no one in town knows how to turn them off, and the pollution in the air makes it hard to breathe. Going outside is a recipe for coughing all night, but it’s what you have to do to get anywhere. The supply hub is a few blocks away, but even that leaves Journey coughing and pale. Who knows what else the pollution is doing to her body besides just making it hard to breathe?
Journey’s town didn’t break out into chaos the way others did. They kept order and kindness, they organized housing, child care, and stockpiled food and toiletries that would be needed. The only problem is that they were going to be slowly choked to death by the miasma. It was especially hard on the children, their small bodies would shake as they coughed. But how could they risk leaving when the world outside of their town was in mayhem and chaos?" (submitted by IrishSong)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Journey woke up again. A guard had already been there and threw some clothes at her. They were coming back soon to take her...somewhere. She didn't know where. She thought back to how she had gotten there in the first place.
Journey had never attended a "party". Even though many of the residents had encouraged her to attend, so that she would have a chance at a new life, she had never participated. Journey felt that it would be better to stay and help her community than leave. Her town needed her.
But last night everything had changed. She had been going on an errand to the supply hub when the town had been stormed by the "Watchers". They had come in full force and no one knew why they were there. The answer was simple. They were relocating the residents to another town, as the air had become too toxic. Well, not all the residents, just the teens, and younger children. It was a horrible night, and sims were heard crying and screaming in the streets. Every teen was yanked from their homes and forcibly placed on trucks. Those teens who had younger siblings were placed on one truck with their siblings. Others, like herself, were placed on another truck. No one knew what was going on and no one knew where they were being taken.
But that wasn't the end of it. It was also the night of a "party". Under guard, she and other teens, some of whom lived in other neighborhoods in Evergreen Harbor, were "forced" to participate in a "party". Yes, forced. When Journey entered the venue, she was awestruck, having never been to one of these "parties" before. There was music and dancing and free food and drinks. She didn't know what to do and just stood there looking at everything. She saw several of her friends, but they were too busy dancing and drinking to notice her. She decided to head to the bar for the free food. While she was there, she looked around to see if anyone was watching her and stuffed some food into her pockets.
At that precise moment, one of the Watchers came up behind her and asked her what she was doing. Oh gosh! He had seen her putting the food in her pockets. But it was free, right? Journey looked the Watcher squarely in the eye and answered that since the food was free, she was taking some extra to eat later. The Watcher had looked her over, and Journey wasn't sure if she would be arrested for some crime she didn't know about. But what happened next surprised her. The Watcher had said that she had good survival instincts in choosing to take food over all the glitter and fun around her. He told her that she had been "chosen". She then felt a jab in her arm and the world went dark.
Journey heard the lock unclick and a guard came into the room.
Guard: "You, Journey Crest. Get up. They are ready for you now. Do not try to escape or there will be consequences."
Journey stood up and the guard motioned for her to walk down the corridor. She saw other guards leading out other teens. None of them looked happy. Journey suddenly had this awful feeling that the guard wasn't taking her to the "mystery" world at all.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Joey Lyonheart has had it hard. When the adults died off, things turned riotous. Teens started to act like they had no consequences to deal with, and gangs quickly formed and went to war. All the pettiness that floated in high school exploded into the rest of life as cliques became families and fear and timidness was seen as a weakness exploited by the strong and cruel.
Joey had always been the class clown, the cool guy that everyone liked and he could vibe with anyone. The kind of guy who made playing the acoustic guitar look cool, who was also on the swim team and did well. He bugged his teachers with his goofiness and aloof behavior, but overall he was well-liked.
Which is why he was still alive. The atrocities he’d seen, the screams he’d heard- they were enough to keep him up at night. All done at the hands of those he’d known to be giggling little kids in kindergarten. How had it gotten this bad? What was going to make it right? Was he a coward for wanting to run away and save himself over everyone in the town?" (submitted by Irishsong)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Joey sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was still in that cold, dark room. The figure had said they would return. Maybe this was some sort of holding cell and from here he would be taken to the "mystery" world. He thought back to the night it had all happened.
Joey had attended the "party" in Moonwood Mill. It wasn't his first time. He had been to many "parties" before, hoping that each time maybe he would be "chosen". He wasn't sure what the Watchers were looking for in a candidate for the "mystery" world, but he was desperate to find out and get out of this town.
He had made his way to the bar and got his first drink of the night. At least that was one good thing about the parties, you could drink all you wanted, and for a while, you could forget about the real world. As he was leaving the bar, he bumped into a rough-looking teen and spilled some of his drink on them. The other teen immediately grabbed Joey by his jacket and was going to start a fight. But Joey quickly apologized and said that in the "olden" days, muscles like the other teen had would have gotten that teen on the high school football team.
Joey suddenly felt the other teen loosen his grip. Bingo! Joey knew that he had hit on something. Joey kept talking about the high school football team, and the other teen then admitted that he had tried out for the team before the plague had hit, but had never had a chance to play. They continued to talk about football, and after the other teen had finished his drink, he smiled at Joey and said that he was alright. Then the other teen headed off.
After the incident, Joey was approached by a Watcher who told Joey that he had good survival instincts, and could remain calm and think on his feet. The Watcher then told Joey that he had been "chosen". Joey's last thought before he felt the jab in his arm was that he was going to that "mystery" world, far away from here. That paradise world where everything would be great again.
The lock unclicked and a guard came in.
Guard: "Joey Lyonheart, come with me. They are waiting for you. Do not resist or there will be consequences."
Joey thought that was an odd statement, but shrugged it off, "Why would I resist? I am heading to the "mystery" world, right?"
But the guard didn't answer and just followed Joey wielding a giant scythe like some type of weapon. Joey suddenly had this strange feeling that something wasn't quite right.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Journey Crest is from Evergreen Harbour. Her Aspiration is Soulmate and her Traits are Creative and Cheerful, Bonus Trait: Alluring.
Joey Lyonheart is from Moonwood Mill. His Aspiration is Super Parent and his Traits are Freegan and Goofball, Bonus Trait: Domestic.
@Irishsong created these teens and submitted their backstories. The section on "why" they were "chosen" was created by me.
At each party, the Watchers are looking for teens who have survival skills. Journey was chosen because she was not distracted by all the fun at the "party", and chose to eat and hoard food for later. This was a wise move on her part, as food is a basic requirement for survival. Joey was chosen because he could remain calm and think on his feet. Instead of getting into a fight, Joey played it cool and tried to figure out what he could tell the other teen to placate him. Being calm and able to assess the situation is something that can help you survive.
Jenny Mellark was from Oasis Springs and had lost her entire family to the plague. For several years, she had lived on the streets, finding food and shelter where she could. One night, she had found a cave to sleep in, but unbeknownst to Jenny, the cave was the hideout of a notorious group of teens called the Desert Rats. As she entered the cave, she overheard some voices talking about the crystals in the cave and how they were valuable commodities. Apparently, the crystals exuded hallucinogenic properties and were in high demand in Oasis Springs. One of the members of the Desert Rats called "Sly", who seemed to be the leader of the group, told the others that he had made a sweet deal with one of the Watchers. Apparently, the Watcher was rather fond of the crystals himself, and so was the Watcher's cousin, who lived in Willow Creek. So, "Sly" had done a deal. In exchange for some crystals and protection services for "Sly" and his gang, the Watcher would expand the Desert Rats' crystal distribution to Willow Creek. Protection services were a must, because if the Desert Rats were caught, it would mean immediate torture and arrest. So, they needed someone on the "inside" to pull some strings for their release. "Sly" was laughing loudly at the deal, and told the other members that they would recruit more teens to their gang, and become one of the strongest gangs in the Simworld.
Jenny had heard that some of the Watchers were corrupt, and actually knew the Watcher they had spoken of. She realized that this was not a safe place to be. As quietly as she could, she tried to exit the way she came, but her foot slipped on some debris, and one of the gang members saw her and yelled for her to stop. Jenny panicked and started running from the cave with several of the gang members in hot pursuit. Thankfully, Jenny was in good shape and quickly ran to the downtown area. She saw a well-lit club with music coming from inside and realized that tonight was the night of a "party". She ducked inside thinking that she could hide amongst the crowd of teens.
Pulling her hoodie over her head, Jenny hunkered down in a dark corner. Her heart was pounding. She thought that she had eluded them, but then she saw a gang member coming in through the door and making his way to where she was hiding. She had to think of another place to hide. As she stealthily moved towards the restrooms, she was grabbed from behind by another Desert Rats gang member.
It was the one who had seen her in the cave. As he was about to shout to the others that he had found her, Jenny elbowed him in the ribs, stomped on his foot, back-punched him in the nose, and elbowed him where the sun don't shine. Hey, she had watched that movie Miss Congeniality, and that "SING" safety move just stuck. The gang member let out a cry of surprise, which alerted one of the Watchers to come to where he was. Jenny saw her chance to escape and headed towards an unguarded door she had seen near the bar area. As she was making her way over, a Watcher stepped in front of her barring her way. Behind her, she saw that the Desert Rats' gang member who had tried to accost her, was being escorted out of the front door by two Watchers.
The Watcher in front of her looked at Jenny and told her that she was a brave little thing going against a Desert Rats' gang member. She had good survival skills and could defend herself, and he told her that she had been "chosen". And as she felt the jab in her arm, all she could think of was that she had been saved. That she was going to the "mystery" world and that "Sly" and the Desert Rats' gang members would never find her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jenny heard the lock unclick and in stepped the same guard who had come in before.
Guard: "Jenny Mellark, Get up! And keep your hands where I can see them. Don't try to resist, or there will be consequences."
Jenny glared at him. For a guard who was taking her to the "mystery" world, he was rather mean. Jenny suddenly had this nagging thought in the back of her mind that something wasn't quite right.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jodi Clayton lived in Glimmerbrook and her parents were both Spellcasters. She had just celebrated her birthday and was about to embark on a journey to The Realm to undergo the test to become an Apprentice Spellcaster. It was the holidays, and a lot of teens who had left to attend Hogwarts School were home again. There was much rejoicing and there were so many sims in town. Jodi's older brother, Merlin, had gone ahead of her to The Realm to talk with the Sages about her arrival. But unbeknownst to Jodi, it would be the last time that she would see him.
The first wave of the plague had happened so suddenly. Jodi and her parents were preparing to head to The Realm when it hit. An elder, who looked like they were choking, had just collapsed at the Elixirs and Brews Bar. The elder's skin had suddenly turned white and there were round markings on their body. The barkeep had gone to see what had happened and gasped when they realized that the elder was dead. Murmurs of the plague began, and pandemonium hit. Some of the townspeople decided to flee to The Realm. "Escape to The Realm", they all shouted, thinking that they would be safe there. And then suddenly, hundreds of townspeople were running towards the portal. There were too many of them, and with the onslaught of sims, the portal toppled over and the only entrance to The Realm was destroyed. The portal was gone, and whoever was left in The Realm was now stuck there... forever. Or perhaps they, too, had died from the plague.
The Watchers had come to the town after that, looking for "occults". There had been rumors that Spellcasters still existed in Glimmerbrook. The residents of Glimmerbrook had heard what happened to occults if they were caught. They would be brought to Dr F's lab and experimented on. But the residents had been forewarned, and hid their spell books, cauldrons, and other spellcaster items in an old root cellar, and covered it with garden pots and shrubs. So, when the Watchers raided the houses, they never found anything and concluded that any Spellcasters who had lived in Glimmerbrook had either fled or died. The Watchers left, and a few months later, the second wave hit, and Jodi's parents contracted the plague and died. Jodi had lost her whole family and was now alone.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jodi paced back and forth in the small room where she was contained. She guesstimated that about 4 hours had passed since she had been brought here, or maybe it was longer. It was hard to tell, as the room had no window and her cell phone had been taken away. She had no idea what was going on and how much longer she had to wait. She slumped down in a corner and thought about what had happened and how she had come here.
It was the night of the "party", and Jodi's friends Gemma Charm and Sabrina Spellman had convinced Jodi to come with them. Her friends figured that they might as well have a little fun for one night, and maybe one of them would be "chosen" to go to the "mystery" world. Plus, they had heard that Harry Potter would be coming to the party tonight, and Sabrina and Gemma were making bets on which one of them he would dance with first. Jodi wasn't really interested in dancing and would have preferred to scour the woods for some of the rare mushrooms she had read about. Jodi was quite a gardener and herbalist, and was always brewing up some natural remedies.
When Jodi and Gemma arrived at the party, Sabrina was already there. Sabrina wondered if Jodi could come and see a new teen in town, named Kyle Kyleson, who wasn't feeling well. Gemma looked concerned and quietly asked Sabrina if the other teen's skin had gone white. Sabrina shook her head, but knew that Gemma had been thinking of plague symptoms.
Jodi came over and noticed that Kyle had quite a rash on his face. She asked him a few questions, and then took a vial from her purse and applied a lotion to his skin. Almost as soon as she did this, the rash seemed to appear less red. A Watcher had been observing the teens and when Jodi was heading to the restroom to wash her hands, he came over and asked Jodi what she had done to the other teen. Jodi explained that Kyle had an allergic reaction, probably to something he had brushed against in the forest, and she had applied a soothing aloe cream to the rash. The Watcher was quiet and Jodi could almost read his thoughts. Before he accused her of being a Spellcaster, she quickly told him that she had learned about the healing properties of aloe when she had been in Scouts. The Watcher slowly nodded his head, and said that Scouts had good survival skills. Jodi then felt a jab in her arm and heard the Watcher utter the words, "You've been chosen", before she lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jodi heard the lock unclick and scrambled to her feet.
Guard: "Jodi Clayton, follow me. Do not resist or there will be consequences."
Jodi was puzzled by what the guard had said. And suddenly she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Had they somehow found out that she was from a family of Spellcasters, and were bringing her to the lab instead? Something just didn't feel right.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Jenny Mellark is from Oasis Springs. Her Aspiration is Bodybuilder and her Traits are Active and Adventurous. Bonus trait: High metabolism
Jodi Clayton is from Glimmerbrook. She is a Spellcaster. Her Aspiration is Freelance Botanist and her Traits are Genius and Loves the Outdoors. Bonus trait: Collector.
At each party, the Watchers are looking for teens who have survival skills. Jenny was chosen because she could defend herself. Being in good physical condition, and skilled in a few self-defense moves can render an attacker useless. This is necessary in survival situations. Jodi was chosen because she knew first aid, which is an excellent survival skill to have. She also had some herbalism knowledge, which meant that she knew which plants she could use in the wild in order to survive.
Kyle Kyleson is a young adult from San Sequoia. I just aged him down to teen and gave him a "birthmark" for story purposes.
"SING" clip from the movie, Miss Congeniality, 2000.
And then the plague hit. His father had been the first to go, and then he learned that his mother was part of a crime syndicate called Mob Wives. His mother told Malcolm that his father had never known about her involvement in a criminal career. But now her criminal connections were going to pay off because they needed to have all the members of Mob Wives protect the house. To protect them. But it wasn't long after, that his mother contracted the plague. On her deathbed, his mother told Malcolm the name of a "Watcher", with Mob Wives' connections, who would help him get to the "mystery" world. It was important that Malcolm leave here.
"You need heirs, Malcolm....the Landgraab name must carry on...", were the last words that his mother spoke to Malcolm.
And so, it had been arranged, with a lot of simoleons, jewelry, and supply rations. Malcolm was to attend one of the "parties", and was told to wear a top hat with a shamrock on it so that the "Watcher" knew who he was. At the party, a "Watcher" would come over and tell him he had been "chosen", and then he would be brought to the "mystery" world. It sounded so simple. Ah, the things that simoleons could buy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Malcolm woke up and looked around the room he was in. This didn't look like any "mystery" world to him. He thought about it for a moment and figured that it must be some type of waiting area. Yeah, that was it. The "Watchers" were probably treating him like everyone else, so no-one would know he was a "special" guest. He would get it all sorted out and ensure that the "Watchers" knew who he was. He got up and tried to find a way out. He then heard the door unclick and a guard entered.
Guard:"Malcolm Landgraab, you are to follow me. If you refuse or resist, there will be consequences."
Malcolm eyed the guard, "Hey, I paid for this journey. I expect to be treated a bit better than this. And, I'll be glad to get out of here. How long will it take to travel to the "mystery" world?"
But the guard didn't speak.
Malcolm: "Oh, I get it. You want me to sweeten the pot a bit. Well, I can do that," he said taking out a large wad of cash from his pocket, "How much will it cost to have the best house and an excellent meal waiting for me when I get to the "mystery" world? And, um...I'll need the names of all the good-looking babes, too. My mother wanted me to get married as soon as possible, and um...start a family. So, yeah...how much do you need?"
The guard sneered at him, "Your simoleons are no good here. Only your wits and skills will help you now..."
Malcolm shook his head and put his wad of simoleons away. This guard was weird. Every sim had a price. But wits and skills? What the heck was the guard talking about? As Malcolm was herded down the hallway with a bunch of other teens, he mulled over what the guard had said.
Suddenly a door opened in front of him and a teen was led out. The teen then started shouting loudly that he had been "taken". That he shouldn't be there. He had a younger sibling and his being there was all a mistake.
The guard came forward and tasered the teen. An electric shock emanated from the scythe the guard was carrying and the teen fell to the ground. Several of the teens in the hallway cried out in disbelief.
The guard turned to all of them, "If you resist, this is just a taste of what can happen to you. Now move along and be silent!" The guard then yanked the teen up and holding the scythe to the teen's back, marched the teen down the hall.
Malcolm furrowed his brow and thought that there was something rather strange about this whole situation.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bob Pancakes lived in Copperdale. His parents, Bob, Sr. and Mags lived in a place called Riverview, which was one of the first towns hit with the plague. He hadn't heard from his parents in so long and feared that they might have died.
Bob was a high school student. Well, he used to be a high school student, until the plague hit Copperdale and all the teachers died and the schools were closed. Wasn't that what every high school student dreamt of? That their teacher would just...disappear. Well, someone got their wish. But that hadn't been Bob's wish. He had been going through trade school to become a Master Chef. That was his wish. Unfortunately, he wasn't the most stellar student and slacked off a lot. In fact, another student had written in his yearbook that he was "the most least interesting sim in the world."
Well, he might have been uninteresting, but he could cook, and that was why he was at the "party" tonight. Oh, he didn't care much for dancing and could barely stay up past midnight. No, he was there because he liked to cook. Plain and simple. The "Watchers" needed sims who could cook all the food for the parties that they held and he had been commandeered. The other cooks were young adults and adults who had somehow survived the plague. He was the only teen cook. In exchange for cooking at the parties, Bob received a few sundry items every month. Sometimes it was soap, other times it was candles and matches. And once, he even got a new pair of skivvies...with hearts on them! Just stuff that was really hard to get now. And as long as Bob showed up and cooked for the "party", he would get these little extras. It seemed like a cool deal to Bob.
And it wasn't so bad. It was like he was in a world before the plague had hit. He could have any ingredient he needed and cook anything he liked. But he knew from experience that teens liked basic food. And so, he became quite famous for his pancakes. He made all sorts of pancakes, mini pancakes stuffed with whipped cream and strawberries, banana pancake dippers with chocolate sauce, and mini pancake and sausage stackers. He even made s'mores pancakes once, which were very popular. He made every type of pancake and switched up the menu at every party. Bob's pancakes were the reason why almost every teen in Copperdale came to the "parties". Even the "Watchers" enjoyed Bob's pancakes.
Bob had just finished putting out some chocolate chip pancake bites, when one of the "Watchers" came over to speak with him.
Watcher: "Bob, we have been observing you. We all know you can cook. And the other Watchers and I have been chatting. You have survival skills, Bob. Sims need to be able to cook to survive and you have that. And even though you haven't been "out there" at the actual party, you have still attended every one of them. Therefore, Bob, you have been "chosen" to head to the "mystery" world."
Bob suddenly felt a jab in his arm and heard the Watcher say that they would really miss Bob's pancakes. And then everything went dark.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bob's eyelids fluttered awake. How long had it been since that guard had shown up and thrown some clothes at him? Bob didn't know. Bob looked around the room. There was filth on the floor, cracks on the wall, and he spied a cobweb in the corner. Sheesh, and his teachers had thought that his workspace was messy...they should see this place!
Bob heard a lock unclick and a guard entered the room.
Guard: "Bob Pancakes, you are to come with me. If you refuse there will be consequences."
Bob got up and yawned, "Oh hey, you won't get any trouble from me. Just one question though. This place you're taking me to, is it far? I'm not too big on long walks. I'm more into lounging in front of a tv sort of guy. Sure hope there's a nice comfy couch where we're going 'cause I sure could use another nap..."
The guard looked at Bob and rolled his eyes, "Teens!," he muttered under his breath, and led Bob down the corridor.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Malcolm Landgraab is a pre-made Maxis teen who lives in Oasis Springs. His Aspiration is Public Enemy and his Traits are Snob and Evil. Bonus Trait: Dastardly. The game starts with Malcolm having 3 points in both charisma and mischief. Using a cheat code, these have been removed.
This version of Bob Pancakes is a pre-made Maxis teen that was created for the High School pack. His Aspiration is Master Chef and his Traits are Slob and Lazy. Bonus Trait: Essence of Flavor. The game starts with Bob having no skills. Bob's story was developed with the help of the "Stay Weirder" poster and trailer. Bob Sr. & Mags are actually the parents of Bob Newbie of Sims fame, and Riverview is a town in the Sims 3. It has been alluded to in Sims lore, that Bob Pancakes was thought to be the newer version of the original Bob Newbie from the original Sims.
For your viewing pleasure, the Stay Weirder Sims 4 trailer.
When the teens left the room, the Head Watcher took all the boxes, looked inside each one, and read the wishes. He had quite a few chuckles reading the teen's wishes, especially Rex's. That kid had been a pain in his backside since he arrived, and it was payback time. The Head Watcher then closed the boxes and sealed them. After handing all the boxes to the Head Guard, he went outside and ensured that the teens were on the trucks. With everyone secure, they headed off to the survival lot.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They traveled through the night and when the teens arrived, the Head Watcher and two guards stood near the entrance. The teens looked around and seemed confused.
Head Watcher: "Welcome to the halfway point between this world and the next. You have all been "chosen" because you have been identified by Watchers as having skills necessary for survival. And here, you will get to prove those skills."
Journey: "What do you mean we get to prove those skills? What's going on here? I thought we were all "chosen" and were going to the "mystery" world together."
One of the guards whispered to the Head Watcher.
Head Watcher: "You must be Journey, the one from Evergreen Harbor."
Journey nodded, "Yes, that's right."
Head Watcher: "Well, Journey, I understand that you came from a world where there was cooperation and everyone helped each other...which sounds so sweet...but welcome to the real world! If you want to get to the "mystery" world, you will have to be the last one standing. You will have to use your wits and skills to be the sole survivor."
Jenny: "Sole survivor? Is this some type of arena? Are you pitting us against each other?"
The Head Watcher smiled and knew who she was, "No, Jenny, you are not really being pitted against each other. More like you are being pitted against the elements and the unknown. A word of advice for you Jenny, because I admire you for fighting a Desert Rats' gang member...you might want to bundle up tonight since it does get deathly cold here."
Joey: "So, what are you saying exactly...that we all might not survive to leave here?"
The Head Watcher consulted his list, "Now this is a bright teen. Yes, Joey, that is right. I want to assure everyone that there is indeed a "mystery" world, but because there are only limited resources in that world, only one of you will be leaving here and heading there. I guess you could call it, natural selection, only the fittest and brightest one among you will survive."
Malcolm interrupted, "Hey look, I don't know what's going on here, but I paid good simoleons to be brought to the "mystery" world. I am not supposed to be here with these... with these other teens. No-one ever said anything about a halfway point. I was supposed to head directly to the "mystery" world. My mother arranged everything. I need to talk to someone in charge to straighten this out."
The other guard whispered to the Head Watcher.
Head Watcher: "Oh right, the rich kid. Well, I hate to break the news to you, Landgraab, but you are in this like everyone else. No amount of simoleons is going to change that. Once you are "chosen" you come here. And frankly, looking at you and knowing your background, you'll probably be the first to go..."
Bob spoke up shaking his head: "They lied to us. The Watchers lied to us. Those teens...those teens that were "chosen" at the party...they didn't make it to the "mystery" world, did they? They all died, didn't they?
And they're dead because of me. I know it. The Watchers told me that Copperdale had the best attendance at the parties, and it was because of the good food. Everyone loved my pancakes and that's why they came. I thought I was doing a good thing. I thought the Watchers were trying to help the teens...but they lied..."
Head Watcher: "Bob, don't be so gloomy...You should be happy. The Watchers in Copperdale thought that you were the best suited to be the sole survivor and make it to the "mystery" world. In fact, all of you should be happy to be here. The Watchers chose you out of all the possible teens who attended the party in your world because you proved to them that you could survive. Those Watchers are all betting on you to win. They don't take their selection lightly you know, because if their "chosen" teen wins, they also win. They get some perks for having chosen the right teen. Oh yes, it's turned into a real competition amongst the Watchers..."
Jodi: "What if we just refuse to go along with...with all this?"
The Head Watcher looked at her closely, "Well, Jodi, that would be unwise. You see, there is no food here. No fridge or cooler to grab a quick meal, no fruit or vegetables in the garden to harvest and eat, and no campfire to roast hot dogs. So, if you refuse to participate, in 3 days, you will be dead. Yes, you will die from starvation. Those are the consequences. But, if you decide to take the challenge, then there will be rewards..."
Suddenly the gate swung open, and two guards entered with a struggling teen and threw him on the ground. The teens realized that this was the teen who had been tasered in the hallway.
Head Watcher: "Ah, Rex, so nice of you to join us. We were just about to start our first challenge, and the winner of that challenge will get a reward. Maybe it'll be you..."
The Head Watcher continued speaking and spread his arms wide, "For those of you who don't know Rex, he is probably the most dangerous teen here. You see Rex has a younger brother. Yes, I know what you're thinking, it's against the rules to be "chosen" if you have a sibling. Well, he was brought here in error...mistakes do happen. And now...this is the best part...according to the wish he made, he doesn't want to go to the "mystery" world at all. Oh no, he wants to trade his life for his little brother's and have his little brother be sent to the "mystery" world instead of him. Touching, isn't it? And so knowing that only one of you will be going to the "mystery" world, I would say that Rex here will do anything to win. So, a word of caution...you might want to watch your back and maybe not trust him. Because Rex is a dangerous teen with a lot at stake and you just never know what he might do."
Rex wiped a trickle of blood from the side of his mouth and gave the Head Watcher a hateful look, "You read my wish? That was meant for The Fates..." he spat out.
The Head Watcher laughed, "Oh they'll get it, but I just read them first. It's always good to know what each teen's life goals are. Don't you think?"
Everyone was silent and just stared at the Head Watcher.
Head Watcher: "Alright then, onto the first challenge. We want to see what kind of shape you are in. So, everyone will ride a bicycle course, and whoever finishes the bicycle course first and returns here, will receive a reward. Sounds good, right? Now, we will be watching you, so those who don't complete the bike course and just come back will be disqualified."
Nalia: "So, what's preventing us from leaving? I mean you are giving us bicycles, we can just ride off somewhere..."
Head Watcher: "Nalia, I am glad you asked that question. You might have noticed that each of you has a new tattoo on your arm. You have all been "tagged", and that is your tracker.
So, as far as leaving, if you don't come back here after the bike course, your tracker will be activated. And let's just say that you WILL be coming back. Oh, you'll probably be "dead tired" from all that exertion you expended from trying to leave, and you'll need your rest. Which is exactly what you'll get...lots of rest...in the graveyard at the back of the lot."
Some of the teens let out a gasp and they all looked at the tattoo on their arm.
Head Watcher: "So, if there are no further questions, please, choose a bike and enjoy your ride. Possibly the last bit of freedom you will have."
And with that, several guards brought in a bike for each teen challenge sim. The challenge was about to begin...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
1. The teen challenge sims will not be controlled and will be on full autonomy. The exception to this rule is that the teen sims will only be controlled when they start a challenge. Teen sims sometimes make poor choices. They start fires, they don't wear proper clothing for the temperature, they don't eat, or they swim when they are tired. So, unfortunately, because I am not controlling them, all of these choices could result in a teen sim's unexpected death. Plus, some challenges are based on luck or randomness and may also result in a teen's unexpected death. (Rules for saving a sim from death will be covered in the next chapter.)
2. All teen sims will drop out of school at the beginning of the challenge. All sims will start with 0 skills. Using a cheat code, all teens will be "greened" up so that their needs are fully charged at the start.
3. All lot traits (except wild foxes and simple living) will be enabled. A cheat code will be used to make the world they are in "industrial".
4. The challenge will start in Spring and each season will last 7 days. All environmental traits will be enabled (snow, rain, etc.)
5. If there is a tie, the tied sims will challenge each other, and the winner of this tied challenge will be declared the winner.
6. A graveyard will be on-site, and all teen graves will be placed there. So, we might see the departed sim in ghost form from time to time.
7. Only 1 teen challenge sim will be declared the sole survivor and head to the "mystery" world.
TEEN SURVIVOR - BIKE COURSE - THE FIRST CHALLENGE
Bob surprises everyone and is the first one to ride off. For a teen with the lazy trait, he sure is a keener. He takes the pathway straight in front of the lot.
Four teens head off in a different direction toward an abandoned playground.
Journey is next, and takes the path Bob did.
Rex mounts his bike and follows the other group of four.
And the last to leave the lot is Malcolm, who decides to follow Bob and Journey.
So, on the one pathway, Bob is in the lead, followed by Journey, and trailing behind is Malcolm.
On the pathway towards the playground, 5 sims have decided to head that way. Jodi seems to be in the lead in this group.
Bob! Why are you turning around? It's not time to go back. Keep pedalling!
And Journey has now taken the lead in that group.
And Nalia seems to have split from the other group.
Jodi is still leading in the other group...
...followed by Joey, Jenny and Rex.
Malcolm seems to have turned around. Does he actually know where he is going?
Joey, this is not the time for a washroom break. Keep going!
At the halfway mark, they are all over the place, turning this way and that way. Now Jenny has split from the group. Who knows who is in the lead anymore?
Oh gosh! And Malcolm and Jodi nearly have a head-on collision! Yikes!
Three-quarters of the way done, and there is Rex pedaling strong...
And they are coming back...it's a race to the finish line...Joey takes a turn on the path and suddenly is out in front, with Rex close behind...
Oh but wait, Joey hasn't finished the bike course, and turns around...
...and Rex is the first to head through the gate! Rex wins the Bike Course Race!
Next in is Jenny...
...then 3rd is Journey...
...and look at Bob...coming in 4th...
Jodi and Nalia seem to have collided at the gate...which makes it easy for Joey to just breeze right past them, coming in 5th...
Nalia and Jodi somehow get themselves free, and Nalia heads in for 6th place...followed by Jodi in 7th...
Time ticks on...but where is Malcolm? He didn't decide to escape, did he?
Malcolm is spotted on one of the pathways getting off his bike. Malcolm! Why? What the heck are you doing? Get back to the lot before your tracker is activated! He apparently was adjusting his helmet or something and promptly gets back on...
....and finally, Malcolm arrives back at the lot in last place and runs over a lantern in the process. Sheesh!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Head Watcher comes over and narrows his eyes at Rex, "So, Rex has won the first challenge. But as I told everyone, he is determined to win, and this just proves it. His prize includes some vegetables. At least one teen will be eating tonight..." [spring seasonal & vegetable starter seeds]
The Head Watcher:"And as the winner of the challenge, Rex gets to spin a wheel to determine what the next challenge will be."
Rex spins the wheel and the arrow points to "Starlight, Starbright."
Head Watcher: "Well, it figures that you, Rex, would spin this choice," he said laughing. The Head Watcher then turned to everyone, "The next challenge will commence at 9 pm tomorrow night. You'll have time to explore the lot and get to know each other better. But just know that there are surveillance cameras on the lot, so we will be watching you. Until then..." he said and then closed and locked the gate behind him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
I have created a random spinner with the challenges on it, and whoever wins the challenge, spins for the next one. I used the sundial to represent the "spinner". "Starlight, Starbright" will be the next challenge and it is a stargazing challenge.
Rex: "Look, I am not the sim who you all think I am. What the Head Watcher said about me wanting to do anything to win...it's not true. I'm not like that. I am just trying to get through this like everyone else. It was just luck that I finished the Bike Course first. But the part about my wish...about what I would do if I won...yes, that is true...I would trade my life for my little brother's life so that he could go to the "mystery" world instead of me."
Rex was silent for a moment and then continued, "This prize that I won...it's rather significant. The Head Watcher told us that there was no food on the lot. If I really wanted to do ANYTHING to win, I would keep these for myself. But this prize can help. It can help us all. When I lived in Granite Falls, we grew our own vegetables. I saw some planters over there, and I am going to plant some of these seeds so that we will have some food. It's not much, but when they grow, you are all welcome to harvest and eat the crops."
Everyone just stared at Rex and then Journey spoke:"Thank you Rex for sharing your food prize with us. You're right you know. In Evergreen Harbor, unlike the chaos and violence that erupted in some of the other towns, our town worked together and helped each other. Maybe we should try to do that here. I want to go to the "mystery" world, but not if it means giving up my principles and letting someone die if I could have helped to save them..."
Nalia: "As much as I want to be the teen going to the "mystery" world, I am totally in favor of messing up their plans for us in this survival challenge. They lied to us. And I don't trust that Head Watcher! Maybe there is food around here, but it is hidden. Perhaps we should all look around and see if we can find anything..."
Jodi:"Agreed. And if anyone finds any sort of plants, I have knowledge of plants and can tell if they are edible or not. Some plants are poisonous, and you don't want to ingest those by mistake..."
Everyone was nodding.
Joey: "Good idea and I...I can look in those dumpsters because sometimes sims throw out stuff and it's still edible..."
Malcolm looked at Joey in disgust: "You want us to eat garbage? Out of the dumpsters? Ewww..."
Jenny: "Well, Malcolm, if it means you won't starve, you may have to eat whatever remnants of food you can find..."
Bob: "Yeah, and if you find some of those little ketchup packets, just smother it with that, and it will taste just great..." he said and then saw everyone looking at him, "Um...so I've heard...so, um...look for those little ketchup and mustard packs. Condiments are the key to good eating..."
Malcolm raised his eyebrows and then everyone decided to explore the lot in search of "hidden" food.
Rex headed over to the garden area, and planted 2 green peppers and 4 carrots, keeping 1 green pepper and 2 carrots in his personal satchel in case he needed some food later. He wasn't sure what to do with the snapdragons because they couldn't eat them, and decided to keep them for now.
Joey was right, and there was food in the dumpsters! Although the dragonfruit he found was not in season, so he couldn't plant it, he decided to hold onto it in case he got hungry later. [Joey autonomously dumpster dove and found this.]
Nalia saw a shelter and headed inside. She noticed something growing in the planters and shouted for Jodi to come and have a look.
Everyone came running and they all gathered inside to look at the plants that Nalia had found.
Jodi let out a gasp.
Nalia: "What are they, Jodi? Can we eat them?"
Jodi: "No...no, they're not edible. They're called death flowers. They are flowers you give to the Grim Reaper to plead for someone's life when they are...um...dead...to bring someone back to life."
Nalia looked at Jodi and she suddenly felt rather cold in that shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Challenge Rules - Death Of A Teen:
So, right now there is a known bug in the game involving the Grim Reaper. When a sim dies and you give the Grim Reaper a death flower, you get the notification that the sim was saved; however, Grim will still reap the sim's soul and the sim still dies. The other thing that happens is, if for instance, 2 sims die on the lot, the option to plead for the second sim is greyed out, so no option to do this.
In playtesting this challenge, this happened to the teen sims. So, this puts a curveball in this challenge.
Death Rules:
1. Each teen challenge sim will have a death flower in their personal inventory.
2. If a teen challenge sim dies, the teen who will be able to give Grim a death flower must be a friend, a good friend, a crush, or a teen sim who has a romantic relationship with the deceased sim. If the friend (etc.) no longer has a death flower in their inventory, they may plead for the teen sim's life. As we all know, there is no guarantee that when a teen pleads for a sim's life that the sim who is dead will be saved.
3. If there are no longer any sims who are friends (etc.), a randomizer will be used to have another random teen challenge sim be able to plead for that teen challenge sim's life.
4. A teen challenge sim may plead to save several teen sims over the course of the challenge, depending on their relationship with that sim. (In other words, if a teen has 3 friends, they could potentially save those 3 sims).
5. A teen challenge sim may only be saved once.
6. Gravestones will be placed in the graveyard on the lot, so we might see these deceased sims from time to time.
Edit: After "playing with death" again last night, the death flower now works; but if multiples die on the lot, you can't give a death flower or plead for the second sim, as it is still greyed out. I am going to repair my game before I play any further in the "real" save. We shall see how this goes.
TEEN SURVIVOR - THE LONG DAY & LOT TOUR (PART 1)
There was a main area, which held a fireplace, the dumpsters, and on one side, a pumpkin carving station. Near the entrance, an old, cracked mirror was nailed to a wall, and there were photos of each teen. The winning bicycle had also been placed there.
At the garden area, there was a flower arranging bench and some bonsai trees. In the back near the shelter was a Skellie bear. There were also some walled areas with gates that were empty.
On the other side, there was a fishing pond, a horseshoe pit, a cheerleading mat, and a Don't Wake The Llama game. There was a pool with a diving platform in the far corner.
Along one wall, was an easel, a violin, and a guitar.
At the back of the lot, there was a yoga mat, a laundry area with clotheslines, and a wash basin. There were also some open-air showers, and...of course the graveyard.
Nowhere on the lot did any of the teens see any beds or toilets; however, there were several bushes. Perhaps they were meant to use those. They had also noticed a rotting log near the pool area.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Malcolm had gone over to take his frustration out on Skellie. He was still rather upset that he was on this lot and had to battle it out with these other teens when he had paid to go to the "mystery" world. And now that Joey kid was suggesting that he eat garbage. A Landgraab eating garbage! Unheard of! He was on this lot with some strange-minded teens. He thought back to what Rex had done with his food prize and Malcolm wasn't so sure he would have done the same. He might have just kept it all for himself. And because of what Rex had done, Malcolm was now starting to question some of his own values.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bob must have had a hunger pang, and dove in the dumpster for a meal. He found some beef wellington and decided to eat his find behind a bush near the pool. Was he hiding? He doesn't look happy. Maybe it's because he didn't find any of those ketchup packets to put over the meat. Or, maybe it was because he was feeling guilty eating the food and not sharing it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Joey had wandered over towards the graveyard. He looked at the area and shook his head. This is where it would all end. He looked up and thought he spied something moving. Yes, something was moving! It was a bunny! He smiled and tried to pet it, but the bunny jumped in surprise. He spoke to the bunny in soothing tones.
Joey: "It's okay little bunny, you're not the only one who is afraid here. But if I was you...I would probably stay in my little bunny hole and be safe. There are some hungry teens around here, and well, you might start looking like a tasty treat to them..." and with that, the little bunny hopped away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nalia walked over to the pond area and looked around. Was that a horseshoe pit? Oh gosh, it was! And, suddenly it's as if Nalia was transported back in time to the day when everything changed...
After the plague hit, a lot of the festivals in San Myshuno had been canceled. But last fall, a few local merchants had banded together and put on a makeshift festival. Of course, Nalia had gone. She always went to the festivals to pilfer items that she could later sell on the Black Market. It was how she survived. On that particular day, she was admiring a hand-painted horseshoe at one of the stalls, and looking around, quickly put it in her pocket. As she was walking away, one of the Watchers stopped her. She later learned that his name was Bryan. He was her age...a teen...and she had to admit that he was good-looking. Nalia knew that he would arrest her for shoplifting, but as he looked into her eyes, all he said was "You don't want to do that," and asked for the item. Even though Nalia started to deny that she had anything, he just shook his head. Busted! She reached into her pocket and gave it to him. He then took her by the hand and went back to the stall, and told the vendor that this "young lady" had found a horseshoe tucked in a crevice, and figured that someone had stolen it and wanted to return it. The vendor thanked him, but as the Watcher was handing it back, he looked at Nalia and said that he actually wanted to buy it. After his purchase, he handed the horseshoe to Nalia and said that he hoped it would bring her luck. They stood there for a moment, and when Nalia gazed into his eyes, it was as if she felt her heart beat a bit faster. It was crazy, but she had never felt like that before. Another Watcher called to him and Bryan said he had to go, but he hoped he would see Nalia again. And as he turned to leave, Bryan smiled and blew Nalia a kiss. It had been the start of something very special between them.
Nalia: "Oh Bryan...we had such dreams...you and I...to start a new life together. Why didn't you come to the "party" that night? Did you change your mind? Or did they find out about your plan and had stopped you...?"
Nalia picked up one of the horseshoes and held it in her hands and then forcefully threw it. Maybe all she needed was some luck, and she would make it to the "mystery" world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jenny saw a cheer mat at the side of the lot. It had been a long time since she had used one. She remembered how her friend, Kaori, had actually convinced her to try out for Cheerleading at Copperdale high school. Jenny had never pictured herself as a cheerleader, but she was one of the best on the Squad and was known for her flawless back handsprings and double flips. Would she even remember any of the cheers? But somehow when she started, they all came back to her.
We're gonna win, not lose, not tie the score
We're on the top, not bottom, not in between
We're the Womp Womps on the winning team!"
When she finished, Jenny smiled. She just had to have faith that she could get through this and somehow get to the "mystery" world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Journey walked around the lot and spied a guitar. She went over to it and fingered it lovingly. She remembered all the guitar lessons she had taken and how her mother had encouraged her. At one time, she had wanted to follow her dreams and head to Del Sol Valley to become a famous celebrity. That seemed like a long time ago. How things had changed. Now her mother was gone, and she was here. Journey picked up the guitar and had a determined look on her face. She started to sing and suddenly the other teens came over and listened to her.
Think you've had the last laugh
Bet you think that everything good is gone
Think you left me broken down
Think that I'll come running back
Baby, you don't know me, 'cause you're dead wrong
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller..."
And Journey felt stronger just singing that song like she was chanting a mantra for all of them to hear.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rex stood in the garden area deep in thought. Jodi had been watching Rex and felt there was something different about him. She had wanted to chat with him in private and now she had her chance. (...to be continued...)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
The original build is by Dundola "Apocalypse Shelter" and is available for download in the gallery. I added a few items and areas for this challenge.
Womp Womp is the mascot for Copperdale high school. I got the cheer from a website on cheerleading cheers and changed the last line to reflect The Sims.
Lyrics from the song, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", by Kelly Clarkson, 2011.
TEEN SURVIVOR - THE LONG DAY & LOT TOUR (PART 2)
Rex: "Sure..."
Jodi: "You didn't attend a "party", did you?"
Rex shook his head, "No, I didn't."
Jodi: "So, what happened? How did you get here?"
Rex: "Well, it's kind of complicated, but I was part of a group that was foraging for food, and, well, I got captured. Not sure why they wanted to capture one of us, but they did. I don't know if the other teen got away, but he's not here...but maybe he's at the lab. I think my brother and the other child, Olive escaped."
Jodi: "They were going to bring you to the lab?"
Rex: "Yeah, they were...but there was a mix-up...and I ended up here..."
Jodi: "Rex, if you were going to the lab, does that mean you are an..."
Rex whispered: "Jodi, I think you already know the answer to what you were going to ask me. We are similar, you and I. Aren't we?"
Jodi swallowed hard, "No one else knows what I am...how did you know?"
Rex: "I kind of have these powers, Jodi...I can read your mind...to an extent. So, yes I know. But I won't tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me."
Jodi nodded her head, "And I won't tell anyone about you either, Rex..."
Rex: "Well, I think it's harder for me to hide it. My emotions show too much. And, what does it matter now anyway? We're all stuck here. Unless, of course, you know of a spell or something to get us out..."
Jodi: "No, I don't. I was just about to start my training when the plague hit...and...and the portal to The Realm was destroyed. I never learned any spells..." Jodi said, "My brother...he went ahead...to The Realm...and he's stuck there now..."
Rex: "Oh Jodi, I'm sorry..."
Jodi: "It's because of me that he went there...and I...oh gosh..." she said and turned her face away.
Rex put his arms around her and held her, "Jodi, I get it. I'm so sorry that happened. I know how you're feeling...I miss my little bro so much and just the thought of never seeing him again...well, it's unbearable..."
Rex and Jodi pulled apart and gazed at each other, both noticing how sad the other looked.
Jodi: "Well, we can be here for each other. You know talk about stuff. The others really can't relate to how it is to be an...to be an occult. Especially since the Watchers spread all those rumors that the occults started the plague. We didn't...my parents died of the plague..."
Rex: "My parents died, too. My father was like me. No one had any immunity to it..."
They were both quiet thinking about their past.
Rex: "Look, Jodi, I'm not going to give up. I'm going to do everything I can to survive, and you should, too. So, what do you say about being Friends?"
Jodi: "I like that, Rex...and just know that anytime you need me, I'll be here."
Rex:"But listen...if I don't make it, and you do...I know I am asking a lot, but could you...could you find my little bro and somehow get him to the "mystery" world...to make sure he's safe?"
Jodi: "Rex...nothing's going to happen to you. We're going to beat them...and all of us will make it out of here..."
Rex:"It sounds good, Jodi, but we both know that won't happen. And that Head Watcher is really out to get me...I think my chances are a lot worse than anyone else's..."
Jodi looked at Rex and said quietly, "I promise, Rex...I'll try to find your lil bro..."
Rex: "And what about you, Jodi...what was your wish?"
Jodi: "I wanted to speak with the Fates and ask if they could restore the portal to The Realm...and I wanted to go there to see if my brother was...if he was still alive..."
Rex: "Wasn't that a rather dangerous wish? Then they would know that you were an occult..."
Jodi: "They probably already know, Rex. It's said that The Fates have mystical powers. They probably know about you, too..."
Rex: "Yeah, you're probably right. But yes, I promise, I'll do that for you, Jodi...if anything should happen...I'll carry out your wish..."
Jodi: "Thank you, Rex..."
And with that, they both hugged and didn't say another word.
From the other side of the lot, they heard Journey singing...the words echoing in their head...their anthem to get through this...
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone..."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Jodi is the first one to find out that Rex is an Alien. It's too bad that this "detection" doesn't happen with the other occults, and a notice could have come up that Rex discovered that Jodi was a Spellcaster. But, Aliens have the "analyze personality" interaction, which can reveal all sim's traits, so let's just say that because of this, Rex knows that Jodi is a Spellcaster. I am not controlling these sims, so Jodi and Rex became Friends on their own just by chatting with each other. Maybe they were drawn to each other because they were both occults. Who knows?
Lyrics from the song, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", by Kelly Clarkson, 2011.