@bekkasan How frusrating to start the project with the car every year just to have it get rusty again .
It's good news Mary has been studying science... Perhaps she'sll find a way to return back to life. Sounds promising!
Hmm, a mysterious stranger . Will he be the special man is Mary's life... Wait, that Emorrill's Damien .
Since he's a man who likes to see justice happening, he should have sympathy for poor Mary...
Oh, he already knows about her and wants to know all about her mystery! Even better .
Sounds like Mary already got her revenge on the girls even though all of that can't be directly her doing.
I feel almost bad for Kerry, but I probably shouldn't since she is the one to blame for Mary's murder .
Ha, Mary already likes him having seen him for the fist time. She's going to enjoy him being around even if she doesn't know it yet .
I like the picture of Mary behind the door - scary!
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for the comments!
hehe, all good romances, err ghost stories have to have a heroine and a hero.
The Fates have not allowed Mary to go to the light or stay in the netherworld. They have other plans for her. All will be revealed...eventually. @emorrill created him, he's not hairy!
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments.
The lodge is part of Hidden Springs. I had not seen it until I was looking for a place for Damien to stay and realized I used the same log texture on Mary's places as that lodge had.
Once I got the idea it started flowing. I wanted to have Damien to tell the story that even Mary doesn't know since she is tied to HS.
It is cc. It is woven jute rug
Yep, I'd say the girls got what the deserved. They certainly didn't have a happy life. Karma.
Hidden Springs is so beautiful and the winter just adds so much to the pictures. I'm so happy to have seasons back in and behaving so far.
@meerkattime Thanks so much for the comments.
yep...that is @emorrill's Damien
Yes, Damien wants to solve the mystery of Mary.
She does think he is cute.
Turning away from the frost-covered window after observing the cute but unwelcome visitor leave, Mary almost runs into her skeleton that she saved from her uni days. She was surprised to find her trunk in the attic the first year she returned to this world. It contained her things from the university. She remembers bringing the trunk with her to the lodge as she was planning on going straight to her new job after her vacation. After she was murdered, someone must have hauled the trunk up to the attic and there it stayed. Mary is a genius and studies to keep learning. She is able to update all her equipment with the tablet. She updates the brain enhancing machine on her return and is able to receive new technology fast. Her science station was bought on S-Bay, and she keeps her mind engaged by experimenting with it. She is astonished at how much the world has changed in technology in the years since she was slain. Sadly, the science station does not possess any information about restoring a life that she discovered on the radio. She will have to go to the science center and find the information there.
Mary soaks in a hot bubble bath trying to warm herself before going out on the cold winter night.
The manager recommends that Damien try the local diner. He finds the food delicious and likes the atmosphere of the diner. He enjoys well-cooked fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, lima beans, and homemade biscuits that melt in his mouth. He goes back to his room at the lodge stuffed and satisfied. Despite his excitement about purchasing his new home, he falls asleep quickly and sleeps through the night.
After midnight, Mary floats through the peaceful town and enters the dark science building. It looks like all the workers have gone home. She floats through the hallways until she finds the computer room. She recognized the way very well from previous excursions in the science lab. She uses her tablet and connects to a terminal. She sets her software to hack into the computer hoping they have not changed passwords since her previous visit. They have not, and she searches all archives for the information she wants on resurrections. She eventually discovers the files and downloads them into her tablet. She spends some time searching for other advances in technology and adds to her downloaded files. She is caught up in her search and almost does not hear the sounds of a door opening. It must be the night security on their rounds. She promptly shuts her mobile tablet down after carefully saving the selected files and tucks it back in her handy bag. She floats through the cement wall in the back hallway of the facility just as the door handles jiggle as keys are put into the lock. She silently glides through another wall and finds herself outside on the loading dock. "Phew, that was close. I hope I extracted all the information, but I can always come back another night."
Mary hurries home anxious to read the reports. She plugs her tablet into the science station and uploads the data. Mary's bird Sherlock distracts her wanting to play as it zooms around the room. She was lonely and when she found the bird in the cold snow one evening she brought him home and ordered a tree for him. She has enjoyed the company of Sherlock and has taught him a few words. She plays with him and tries to teach him a new word. She makes certain he has food and water and watches him play with his toy before going back to work. He squawks as he pecks at the toy and the bell rings. Mary wonders if she should free him, but the weather is so cold and she is afraid he will freeze.
Mary picks up her tablet and opens the report she downloaded. Physical Manifestations of Non-Dimensional Souls Chief Researcher on Project Revive: Liam O'Dourke
Assistant Maya Abbot
The untimely death of humans can result in a non-dimensional soul being unable to cross over the veil to the final destination. In most cases, souls make the journey and are never seen again. The ones that are unable to cross are left to struggle between our plane of existence and the netherworld. They are not alive but not human either. They are generally tied to their urns or gravesites. Occasionally some are tied to strange ghastly gnomes that appear randomly in the world. Others can be tied to a memory or physical location that seems to prevent them from moving on. Research suggests some will cross if the tie can be broken. The longer a soul is present in the world the harder it is to send them over to the other side. Some become playful, mischievous spirits, others become evil manifestations. Our goal was to find a way to assist them to move on before becoming spirits or evil. Shockingly, we discovered that most don't want to move on. Some want resolution for their untimely death and once that is resolved, they are able to move on without our help. Others desire nothing more than another attempt at life without being constantly pulled into the netherworld. They don't even mind their form if they don't go back into the netherworld.
Of course, a non-dimensional soul otherwise known as a ghost wandering around town is not fully accepted by many humans at this time.
Thus, our goals became:
1) Find a way to stop the pull to the netherworld.
2) Find a way for the ghost to become corporeal.
With the help of many ghosts, we have been able to successfully prevent them from returning to the netherworld. We must have or identify the object they are tied to be it urn, grave, memory, or building. A spell is performed releasing the tie to the netherworld. Once released a few ghosts will choose to remain in their ghostly forms. They are encouraged to move to towns more accepting of occult souls. Others want to become human again and we can help them with that dream.
My considerable research over the years on plants and animal toxins and the effects on humans contributed enormously to our success. A Master Witch who specialized in potions that prolong life helped immensely. A Master Chef assisted in combining the ingredients so the effects of the ingredients are not inactivated during preparation. We tested extensively and eventually devised a recipe that will bring a ghost back to human life. It has been successful in 100% of the trials. The ghost must not be tied to the netherworld, or the risk is they will be sent back to the netherworld permanently. It is complicated to prepare, and the ingredients are rare and hard to find and they don't last long, and preserving is useless. It must be produced specially for each ghost.
This report is released to all affiliated science facilities and world leaders. A member of our facility will gladly travel and instruct local scientists on how to help any non-dimensional souls who would like assistance in moving on or resurrection and eventual transformation to human. A fee schedule is attached in appendix A.
The technique for releasing a ghost from the netherworld and the formula is encrypted and stored separately and will not be released as part of this report. The following data describe the trials and protocols we followed.
Mary stops reading the report not interested in statistical data. "My word, what a dry and dusty report. He is a scientist and not a novelist. I do know a non-dimensional soul is in fact a ghost. I have some hope for a future of not being a ghost tied to the whims of Fate. I will look up this Liam scientist. It sounds as if he has an affinity for helping others."
Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
Things That Go Bump In The Night
It's a beautiful morning in Hidden Springs and Damien is up early and on his way to town to finalize his purchase and collect the deed and keys to his new home. The papers are signed quickly and soon the realtor hands him the keys. He owns Spring Manor free and clear. He rushes back to the parking lot and hurries to his home. The snow completely covers the pathway to the house. He is careful walking on the porch because of the holes in the foundation. He has a contractor coming later to go through the house with him to help with the renovations. Some things he can do himself from working summers with a contractor while he was in school.
Inside the house, Damien can see the potential. He is not worried about the plants and holes in the foundation. He had seen the pictures and knew to expect those things. He does not notice Mary hurrying into the tower and out of the room. Instead, he is looking at the far wall at what appears to be two ghosts chatting with each other. They notice him staring at them and they float through the wall and outside. Damien is surprised by what he just saw with his very own eyes.
He blinks a few times and hurries out the back door and tries to find them. His best friend, Jamison believes in the occult and ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Damien believes there is another explanation for what he saw. A trick wall, images from a projector, or hologram machine, or some type of special effects. He calls out "wait" when he notices three 'ghosts' out in the snow. Only one waits, the others disappear. She answers some of his questions and others seem to offend her. She has her story down pat and tells him about drowning off the coast in a horrible boating accident and being collected by Death. Her husband survived the accident and did nothing to save her. He is now a very wealthy man inheriting her fortune. "I think he killed me!" she cries out and is why she can't move forward. "I'm doomed to be a haunt for the rest of my existence." She takes him over to two other ghosts and introduces him and then enters her gnome to rest. The other ghosts tell similar stories of death by accident and being tied to the gnomes in the yard and unable to leave the area. "We can rest in gnomes, but we cannot leave the property the gnomes are on." Damien has much to think about and now has a massive headache. His dream home is haunted. It is a good thing his best friend is a ghost hunter.
While he was out chasing and talking with the ghosts the delivery van arrived. His furniture and belongings were placed haphazardly in the living area because of the holes in the foundation. They did get his bed set up in the upstairs room. He will have to move some things around once the foundation is repaired. His desk is currently in the small kitchen. He calls his friend Jamison. "I cannot believe my dream home is haunted and that I am stuck with these ghosts. I'll just get rid of the gnomes and that should take care of the problem. Jamison told him he could try it, but it might not work. "I can finish up my work here and be in Hidden Springs in a few days to help you out."
"That would be fantastic. Kinda sorry I doubted you about your ghost hunting gigs. So what else is real? Vampires? Werewolves? Witches? Fairy's?"
Jamison snickered, said "yep" and hung up on a very flustered Damien.
Mary was studying anatomy when Betty the drowning victim came up to let her know the house indeed had a new owner. "He is very cute!", Betty exclaims.
Mary nods in agreement. "I saw him briefly when he came by yesterday. I heard the movers bumping around bringing in the furniture earlier. I was invisible and gave one of them a chilling hug and he ran out the door so fast he left his boots behind."
Mary and Betty laugh together.
Damien decided a run was needed. He jogged the neighborhood until he couldn't deal with the bitter cold anymore. He makes a mental note to definitely go shopping for some long johns and warmer clothes for the climate in Hidden Springs. Damien brings in some wood and makes a fire. He hauls one of his chairs in front of the fire and makes notes on what he needs to purchase and what needs to be done in the house. The contractor came by before his run and will be back tomorrow to start work. Damien is still quite cold and decides to turn in and get an early start in the morning. He dampens the fire downstairs and lights one in his room upstairs and hopes it will not be too cold in the morning when he gets up. With all the broken windows though he is sure it will be very cold. He has not seen nor heard the ghosts this evening and hopes they will not rattle any chains or whatever ghosts get up to during the night.
Mary was aware that the owner was asleep so she hurried downstairs and fixed some yogurt and berries for her supper. She decides she will bide her time and imagines he will give up on this house just like all the others did in the past.
@bekkasan : hehehe, Mary is a very progressive ghost! That she has so much skills gained to even understand the scientific papers and data she got in the science lab and that she learned to load the data on her tablet: respect! For a woman who might be in her 90s this is a lot of modern science and technology she is able to use!
Damien seems to be very confident with his ability to ride a motorbike under such weather conditions!
And the jogging part in short trousers and a T-Shirt let me giggle a lot! Here in Germany we have a saying: "nur die Harten kommen in den Garten" every time I see someone in such clothes in the deepest winter I say that to me. (means: just the very hard [working] people are successful, so here: just train in snowy weather in summer clothes and you´ll be much stronger afterwards! buuut: you must be very dumb and crazy to invest your health to do that! )
Finally we see his face completely! He is a very handsome young man, I´m curios about his background story and why he wants to own especially this house!
Let´s see how fast he discovers the parrot in his house!
Ohoh, don´t let his friend hunt for the ghosts! Won´t they vanish completely when he hunts them?
I love the snowy pictures of Hidden Springs (especially since we have a heatwave here, since 2 weeks the temperatures are ~35° to 39°C with awfully high humidity, I live in an attic apartmentwith south orientation, so the winter pictures give some sort of refreshness! )
Doesn´t Hidden Springs have lovely rainbows???
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for your comments. I enjoyed reading them.
Mary loves learning and it is a good thing that ghosts don't age.
I love watching him ride his motorcycle around town on those snowy mountain roads. He's got style!
I laughed when he switched to his athletic gear for the jog. I live in Florida and folks around her wear tanks and shorts and flip flops all year long, even when it drops to freezing those few times a year when it does. I've been here 21 years now and never seen it snow, but it does get very cold for a few weeks in winter. I'm not one who will wear shorts and flip flops. I got cozy fleece pants and jackets to wear for the cold stuff.
I expect there will be at least one ghost he is going to want to keep. I hope so anyway.
Hidden Springs is beautiful in the winter and oh my the rainbows are so gorgeous. I keep posting rainbow pics in the other thread. They said they are not bored with the rainbows yet 'cause I asked them.
@bekkasan : how cold is cold for you?
(I just imagined you, wearing fleece clothes and bibber in the cold and look at your thermometer which says 10°C! )
Your winter pics are soooo welcome!
Yes, I have seen your rainbow pictures in the other thread. Watch out for 4 or 5 rainbows at once! They aren´t logically placed but if you´re lucky you could get 4 or 5 of them once!
@bekkasan These two new posts were absolutely GREAT and I am just hungry for more whenever they end!
I shared a few bits of my thoughts on "Project Revive" to you via text, but let me see if I missed anything.
Like I said, "S-Bay" made me chuckle and I love it! You and I like to take real life things and simmify them if possible.
He enjoys well-cooked fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, lima beans, and homemade biscuits that melt in his mouth.
^Mmm! Sounds like a righteous Southern dinner. Me want!
Sneaky Mary. (But that's pretty easy for a ghost. Sometimes I wish I were invisible so I could snoop around! )
Aww, she has a pet bird named Sherlock. I miss having a pet bird... I had a Zebra Finch growing up (from 5th grade on to my first year of college. Yup. That small bird did indeed live to be 11 years old. He had my heart fully.) and I loved watching him play with his bell and sing his unique song. I miss him...
I said this also but I LOVE that you had Liam O'Dourke as the Chief Researcher on the Project. (It was nice to see Maya thrown in there too. It's so fun that I KNOW all these townies! You're making me want to revisit Sam's story. )
The way you wrote that report was pure perfection and sounded very professional. Great job.
I look forward to Mary meeting Liam.
----
Okay, not only is that a gorgeous shot of a rainbow, but that is one righteous motorcycle Damien has! Kinda sexy seeing him on it. Is that CC because the single one I have in my game...I don't like how it looks. It's too...mean looking and not very motorcycle-ish looking imo.
Yay the house is his! But will he like what he finds in there?
Woah! You didn't waste any time there. He sees two ghosts the moment he walks in! See, that's when I would've flipped and ran out the door screaming.
Betty's death is another very sad story.
I loved this dialogue between his friend Jamison so much.
He calls his friend Jamison. "I cannot believe my dream home is haunted and that I am stuck with these ghosts. I'll just get rid of the gnomes and that should take care of the problem. Jamison told him he could try it, but it might not work. "I can finish up my work here and be in Hidden Springs in a few days to help you out."
"That would be fantastic. Kinda sorry I doubted you about your ghost hunting gigs. So what else is real? Vampires? Werewolves? Witches? Fairy's?"
Jamison snickered, said "yep" and hung up on a very flustered Damien.
Yes Betty, Mary is very much aware of how handsome Damien is.
He's BRAVE running out in the cold like that! People here in Northeastern Utah sure wouldn't run in shorts and a tank top in the winter. Brrrrr! I'm glad he's planning on getting some warmer workout attire. (Me - with my warm clothing - I'd be all like, "Yeah. It's too snowy and cold. I ain't even going for a walk. Nope!" )
I like the quilt on his bed.
She decides she will bide her time and imagines he will give up on this house just like all the others did in the past.
^Yeah, I don't think he'll be leaving any time soon sweetie. Especially after meeting you.
Hee hee! Couldn't help saying it!
LOVED it all! More soon please?
@AlexaKry We go by Fahrenheit over here. 32 is considered freezing. I can deal with temps in the low '50s, but when it starts dropping lower I don't like it. I actually never turned on the central heat this past winter. We only had a few weeks of temps in the '30-'40s and my room heater kept things toasty.
I would love to see that many rainbows. Most I've seen is a double one so far.
@CravenLestat I'd much rather quit working...lol, I love sleeping.
@emorrill Thanks so much for the comments. I loved them! I sure wish I could fry up some chicken. I've never been good at that particular dish.
I didn't know you had a bird. That's cool. I've never had a pet bird. Just cats and a dog once. I've had to start shaking out my shoes in the mornings again 'cause the baby lizards are getting under the door. I capture them and put them back outside. They are not pets and I really don't want them in the house! I'm not particularly scared of them but I don't like sharing my space with them.
I like using some of the characters in the town when I can. There are some interesting folks in this town that's for sure. I gave Raynaud a makeover the other day. He still looks like himself, just has a bit more hair.
The motorcycle is an EA one. The Jamboree is the name of it. It came with Fast Lane. His friend has one also called The Beast. It came with Ambitions. That is the one with the tire way out front. I only have the two in-game so not sure which one you are talking about. The only other one is the silly one that came with the movie set.
Since I have no control over the ghosts it was perfect for the story that they were in that far corner and he didn't see Mary slipping out of the room.
Yea, Damien has been a bit of a supernatural skeptic. He's gonna learn a thing or two.
Folks in FL wear shorts year round even when we have our really cold spells. So I let him do it, but he was quite cold when he got back in the house. I got him some warmer athletic stuff for his next jog. I don't want him freezing to death too!
I love putting Quilts on beds in-game.
Yep, Damien is not going to give up easily.
@bekkasan Thanks for the reply comments.
Yeah the Beast (couldn't remember the name) is the single motorcycle I have and I don't like it... cause like you said the tire goes WAY out and it's unappealing to me.
I don't have the Fast Lane SP, but maybe I should.
Yeah in the winter we often get into the single digits at nightfall, and the negatives throughout the night, so yeah, no shorts and tanks here. I know y'all don't get that cold in FL.
I love that Mary is a brilliant scientist and capable of gathering all the necessary information about reviving ghosts herself! And Damien is very brave to go to sleep in a house he knows is full of ghosts!
I love the rainbow picture, and the ghost gnomes in the snow!
@bekkasan Teehee @ S-Bay. I'm glad Mary has managed to stay up to date with all the things that have changed in the world since her living days. It takes a lot of studying, but being a genius helps I guess.
Poor Mary lying in the hottub. It sure ain't fun to be a ghost who froze to death .
Smart girl, knowing how to hack herself in the computer of the science center.
I don't know what the security could have done to a ghost even if they caught her, but at least she would have frightened them .
How sweet that Mary is taking care of Sherlock. I hope Sherlock enjoys her care and company as much as she enjoys his.
That's an interesting scientific research - sounds like Mary might need some help though.
Damien is not easy to scare - he ran into ghosts immediately and doesn't seem scared of them at all... Oh, I see - he doesn't really believe they are ghosts . He's going to get a huge surprise .
Poor lady who was killed by her husband - no wonder she's haunting.
Nooo, no ghost hunter! What would happen to Mary and the other ghosts if he asked for help from a ghost hunter ? Sounds like he's convinced he wants to get rid of them . I hope they don't mind being released to the netherworld . Except for Mary, that is. I'm sure he will have other plans for her .
Lol @ the chilling hug. Poor mover, but I guess ghosts have to have their fun too .
Yikes, running in the snow with bare legs . I'm freezing just thinking about it. I recommend the long johns full-heartidly. I'd need them when sleeping in the house with broken windows too.
Fortunately the fireplace didn't cause a fire that night when he's sleeping there.
Yoghurt and berries - yummy. That's going to be my breakfast tomorrow.
I have a feeling Mary is very wrong thinking that Damien would leave the haunted house any time soon.
I recently started reading, and I love your story. I’ve actually never explored playable ghosts or done anything with the ghost gnomes, but this makes me want to!
Craven has created a lovely Sim for you, but I feel so bad for Mary. Not just because of her tragic death and seeing her grieve in her half-life ghostly state (as if that wasn’t enough!), but awakening only sporadically during the bitter months of winter that caused her death and unable to feel truly warm for long. I am not a fan of the cold myself, particularly when I have to be out in it for hours at a time. I don't even want to imagine an afterlife of it.
I suppose there is nothing wrong with ice cream for breakfast—it’s ice cream in winter that’s the problem! Unless you’re curled up on the sofa and huddled under blankets. Or are an already frozen ghost, I guess.
That is also an awesome rundown old house with the broken and boarded up windows. Love the cobwebs everywhere and the holes in the foundation with plants growing inside—great details! I also love the name—Spring Manor. It's a simple name that makes sense for a home in Hidden Springs. But I like to think it also holds a hidden meaning and is meant to reaffirm the idea of spring itself. Although Mary has always been pulled away at that time, the name serves as a subtle reminder of the hope and new life that spring represents, and seems to foreshadow what she may experience again someday. Hope springs eternal—it’s a wonderful message/theme.
I had to chuckle at Mary’s penchant for destroying snowmen and kicking gnomes. Her life is otherwise utterly bleak and repetitive—even the car she’s working on needs to be repaired again and again. The Fates are cruel indeed! But at least they were also harsh with Mary’s murderers. Although I can’t help but wonder if the Fates had some help from a ghostly hand...
I am glad that Mary retains the knowledge she gains each time she comes back though. That new PI owner who knows some of her backstory seems promising too. And the possibility of resurrection via the science lab—I love that things may be looking up for her!
Liam O’Dourke! I enjoyed reading his research report and am glad Mary intends to look him up. Hopefully he has some answers/options for her.
And here’s poor logical Damien, trying to explain away the ghosts in his house. His skepticism didn’t last long, and his friend sure didn’t mince words with him regarding the occult!
Oh Mary, this owner will not be leaving as readily as the others always have, and you’re the reason why! But I am concerned about her and the other ghosts, considering Jamison is a ghost hunter. While he may be the type to convince the ghosts to move on of their own volition (assuming they are even able to do that), capturing or banishing/exorcising spirits is a worrisome possibility.
And also, now that Damien knows ghosts are real, I wonder if he believes that Mary may be a vengeful ghost who is behind all the strange occurrences and caused the fire at the lodge that injured Kerry and the other girls. Not only could that be an obstacle in any future relationship between them, but if Kerry really was pushed by a ghost, that seems to indicate a malicious spirit at the lodge who could pose a threat to either one or both of them...
So many possibilities! Looking forward to reading more and seeing where you take this!
@starguru Wow! Such wonderful and insightful comments, things I didn't even think about. It gets me all excited thinking exactly where @bekkasan might go with the story. You may very well have predicted some of her thoughts and that gets a writer excited.
Thanks, @emorrill. Those are some plot points that stood out to me and seemed like they could fit, given what we know so far. OFC, sometimes what an author doesn’t say can be just as important as what they do. But that just makes it even more exciting to think about as a reader because you never know what twists may be revealed in time. That’s what I find so irresistible about stories—all the intriguing possibilities they hold!
I love that feeling of anticipation and pondering the potential direction of a storyline. And there are so many places @bekkasan could take Mary—and us—with this one. I’m definitely looking forward to watching it all unfold.
@emorrill The Beast is not my favorite but it does suit certain sims.
@PalmArrow Thanks so much for commenting! Damien is brave! I don't think I could have slept at all. I probably would have run out the door and fled the building, to begin with.
@meerkattime Hi! Thanks so much for all your fun comments.
hehe, yep, ghost hunter will be coming. Should be fun though. Plus, he's a cutie pie!
I've noticed Mary has a hard time controlling her emotions as a ghost so she just lets loose and does what she wants without thinking things through like she did as a person.
@starguru Thanks so much for your awesome comments and for reading the story! I'm happy you took the time to comment on the story. @CravenLestat gave me an awesome start for this story. I've played one other ghost and that was due to him as well. I had Christopher Steel get involved with Anabelle Oinkslopes. They had several adorable babies, two were ghosts, and two were human babies. It was fun.
I actually made a list of names for the lodge and that one stayed at the top because it seemed to have more meaning to Mary's story. The others were a bit too dark for the story I wanted to tell. I saved the list of names though. You never know when they might work for another story.
I love building run down places and renovating them. Damien has his work cut out for him and it will take a while to get it done.
Mary is certainly having issues with having to repeat so many winters over and over. It is harder for her to control her emotions each year. I'm having fun watching her and then writing what she seems to be telling me. Last weekend while playing Mary totally surprised me by doing something that had me going NO! NO! and then OMG...that is so much better than what I was planning! I'm looking forward to writing it and hope I have time this weekend for that part. I did get lots of pictures. I'm a slow writer and am a bit ahead in gameplay vs writing. Work has been really busy for the last several weeks too.
Damien is up early the next morning and as he predicted things got very cold overnight. He puts on warm clothing and has hot oatmeal with peaches and sprinkles cinnamon over it all. His stomach grumbles in anticipation. While eating, he looks at his notes and decides to start downstairs. First step cleaning. He scrubs and scrubs to get the soot from the fireplace off the floors and the cobwebs off the walls. He makes a mental note that he needs to go to town and talk with the police chief about registering as a private detective. The house is draining his savings, and he hopes to replenish his funds with a few cases. He can also register to work with the police considering his years of experience back home. The contractor arrives with his crew, and they move the old furniture to store in the rooms above the garage until he decides what to do with the furniture. Damien finishes cleaning the floor as the foundation is repaired by the crew.
By the end of the day, the foundation of the front porch and in the house is repaired. The contractor patches the floor with matching patterns, but with fresh stain. Damien is not quite certain he wants the entire room with that flooring. "I'll think about it and let you know. At least I won't have to worry about falling in the holes walking around at night."
The new windows and the special stained glass windows he ordered are installed, except for the attic rooms and the garage. The garage will have to wait until funds improve. The contractor and crew refuse to install the windows in the attic.
"Look, dude," the supervisor explains, "I know you just bought this place, but I have lived here my whole life. This place is haunted and no way are we going up in that attic. You are fortunate we agreed to come out here and work at all. I could tell you some stories that would have you leaving before I finish."
Damien shakes his head in disgust. He has the contractor leave the windows in the garage. He will deal with the attic with Jamison's help after he arrives. He does need to figure out where the devil the entrance is in the attic. There is no door in the tower to the attic, and Damien is thinking he may have to take a sledgehammer to one of the walls to open it up.
Damien likes the large vase that was in the room, and he cleans it. Once the sooty grime is removed, the vase is perfect for the room. He plants new cuttings in it and is happy with how things are coming together. The crew helps him move his desk and office equipment to the corner of the room. The decorator for the company brought several window treatments and Damien picks out his favorite and they hang them in the room.
He steps outside and admires the look of the new windows. He will have to do the garage and work on renovating the outside and fences when his funds increase.
Damien starts searching the property for the gnomes and finds several ghosts hanging around the yard. I guess I will have to collect them later when they are resting.
While waiting he climbs the tower steps to the third floor. He pushes on the walls and tries his best to discover a hidden entrance to the room. Everything seems pretty solid. He really hates the idea of taking a sledgehammer to the wall, but that might be what is necessary to get into the attic. Mary is on the other side of the wall as he searches for the opening. She closes her eyes tightly, balls her fists, and recites continuously until Damien goes away. "Please, please, please don't let the spell break! Don't let the spell break!"
Mary breathes a sigh of relief as she hears his steps leading him back downstairs. "Should I visit the witch and acquire another potion to reinforce the spell that conceals the entrance to my room?"
Damien goes back into the yard and collects all the gnomes that he can find. While collecting them he finds a memorial hidden among the rocks and brush at the back of the property. He cannot find a plaque on it and wonders who put it here.
On his way to town, Damien takes the gnomes with him and places them deep in the woods. He enjoys the Wednesday chef special at the diner. It turns out to be salmon stuffed with crab meat, sweet potato fritters, and grilled vegetables. When he leaves the diner, there is a colorful rainbow over the town. He stops by the police department and registers his PI license with the deputy and enjoys chatting with the deputy until the deputy notices his address. The deputy looks shocked and apprehensive when he notices the address on his application. "Did you know the history of the house before you bought it? I think the realtors have to be honest about the history of homes and this one is haunted. Many unusual things have happened over the years in that house."
Damien grimaces. It seems as if the townspeople really have a problem with Spring Manor. "Yes, I know the history of the house and no, I am not bothered about the rumors of hauntings and yes, I'm looking forward to renovating the house and turning it into my home."
Mary waits until Damien is gone. She hopes he will be out long enough to put her plan into motion. Apparently he made off with all the gnomes so she will have to do this herself. She works getting things prepared and then goes back to the attic and waits by the window watching for the motorcycle that will bring him back to her house. Hearing the motorcycle and seeing it pull into the yard she hurries down to the back entrance.
He arrives home with plans to light a fire and make a few more notes for renovating the house and perhaps enjoy watching a sports game on the tv.
Mary is waiting outside the back door. She is trembling and not with the cold this time. She is trembling in anticipation.
Damien's face echo's the dismay and anger he feels as he surveys the room.
Mary watches as the new owner looks around the room in dismay. "Surely he will understand he is not wanted."
Looking around in disgust, Damien shuts the windows and lights a fire in the fireplace to get some warmth back in the house. It is freezing from the windows being opened. Snow has piled up on the floors underneath the windows and back door that had been left open. His desk was trashed and files have been thrown about the room. Someone tossed the contents of his trash can about the room, and broken dishes are on the floor. Plates litter the coffee table with spoiled food. The offensive odor from the rotting permeates the room. He is stunned beyond belief. How could anyone do this to another person? What kind of hate and anger and rage are they feeling? Why are they so enraged? He got rid of the ghosts earlier or so he thought. Could ghosts cause this damage?
He climbs the stairs to his room to change his clothes and once again he is shocked at what he finds. He closes his eyes and counts to 10 and then 20 and then 30. Realizing counting is not doing any good or changing the situation he opens his eyes, looks around the room, shrugs his shoulders, and starts cleaning up the mess. Once the floor in front of the fireplace is clean he lights a fire to warm the room. He tosses the piles of soaked clothing in the hamper that his intruder dumped in front of the wide-open windows and became wet with snow. He must have interrupted the trashing as some of his clothes were still in the drawers. He changes and starts mopping up the melting snow.
Mary watches Damien as he looks at the destruction in the bedroom. She observes the expressions on his face change from anger, disgust, and shock to resignation. Instead of running out into the night, he starts cleaning up the mess. She watches thoughtfully as he mops up the snow so patiently. He starts to whistle while he is working. What kind of human is this one? He doesn't seem frightened at all. He just looks tired. He worked all day cleaning and moving furniture and now he is working cleaning another mess. He stops and rubs his eyes and massages his forehead and then resumes his cleaning. She begins feeling a little bit guilty about the mess she made. She floats downstairs and starts to clean up some of the mess, gathering the dripping clothes she dumped in front of the door she left open. She hears him coming down the stairs, so she floats upstairs and puts the wet stuff in the hamper.
Finishing upstairs he descends the staircase to start in the main living area. He looks at the melting snow in front of the back door and would have sworn a pile of clothes was in the snow earlier. "I know I'm tired, but not tired enough to imagine things." He shrugs his shoulders and gets to work. Before long the floor where the snow has melted is scrubbed and dry. He gets rid of the spoiled food, crushed papers, and broken dishes from the floor. He hopes the odor from the rotting food will be gone by morning.
Everything seems to be clean and dry. It is the wee hours of the morning, and he is exhausted from the extremely long day. His normal optimism is pretty low at this point. But, he will not allow anyone or any ghost to drive him from his home. "If any ghost is still in my house be warned. You are not scaring me away. I've waited a long time to solve the mystery of Mary Kendall and Spring Manor. I'm not leaving! Deal with it!"
Damien jumps in surprise as he hears a ghostly voice utter a surprised sound. "What!"
He turns around trying to find the source of the voice, but Mary blinks out and returns to her attic. "I'm definitely losing it when I start hearing ghostly voices! Bad enough I was warning ghosts I wasn't leaving. It's time to get some sleep and stop talking to myself and ghosts! I sure hope Jamie arrives tomorrow."
"Sherlock, what do you suppose he meant by solving the mystery of me? I'm not sure I like the sound of that. I don't know what is coming over me helping him clean up the mess I made. He's cute, but some of the others were cute too and I still managed to chase them away. I'm going to find that Liam guy and stop being distracted by this guy who thinks he owns my house!"
@bekkasan Lots of cleaning up to do - I don't envy Damien.
Interesting that the contractor knows the attic is dangerous. Makes sense it's hard to get there. I know he's planning to get rid of the ghosts but the coward in me thinks no one should try to get in .
The house looks gorgeous in the snowfall .
Quite a few ghosts around. Even Damien can't be a supernatural skeptic in the middle of that. He definitely shouldn't touch the gnomes while the ghosts are out and about .
I wonder what would happen if Damien got in the attic and found Mary's bird .
A hidden memorial... Is that the angry ghost in the house?
He's so brave... Nothing would keep me in a house with such grim history.
I love the pictures of Damien walking through the town and the rainbow.
Wait... Is Mary the only ghost left now that the gnomes are gone? She must be scared he'll try to get rid of her too. I wonder if she misses any of the other ghosts.
Oh what a mess Mary made! Poor Damien. He's a persistent man, cleaning and cleaning . I know she wants to get rid of him and she's definitely doing her best. Aww, now she feels bad about what she's done. That was nice of her to help cleaning after all. Is that what she did autonomously?
I wonder if Damien is even tiny bit worried about having destroyed Mary Kendall's ghost when getting rid of the gomes, but I guess he knows she can't have a gnome.
Looking forward to seeing the ghost hunter at work. I hope Mary is safe.
@bekkasan This is my face when I see a new story post from you:
I can only imagine how cold it got that first night in the house for Damien (I kinda can knowing how cold it gets here at night in the winter!), but his warm oatmeal breakfast I'm sure hit the spot and it sounded delicious! Makes me want some!
Yes! Get rid of those cobwebs!
Seeing those pics of him scrubbing the floor makes me cringe. That would be such a pain!!
I don't doubt it would cost a TON to renovate this place so I'm glad he's getting back to being the best PI ever.
By the end of the day, the foundation of the front porch and in the house is repaired. The contractor patches the floor with matching patterns, but with fresh stain.
^I love how you illustrated that little detail in your pictures. I can't wait to see the whole floor looking like that. It's gonna be gorgeous! (Or wait, Damien is not sure if he would prefer that. Well, whatever he chooses, I'm sure it will look just as pretty. ) And yes, not falling into those holes in the night is a plus!!
Can't say I blame the Supervisor for not wanting to do things in the attic ONE bit! Damien be like, "Whatevs! I'll get to it later." *Grumble - these silly people and their fear of ghosts - grumble - making me do all the dirty work - grumble.*
The house is looking good already! 👍 New windows are always a plus and those stained glass ones are SO pretty!
What?? Mary has a spell in place to avoid being discovered!? (If I missed that somehow earlier, forgive me. ) Interesting...
Pretty little memorial statue...even if it looks a little creepy among the brambles.
Yay Damien ditched the gnomes! I hope that keeps the other ghosts away...
Gosh I'm melting over his adorable smile in this picture:
Rainbow among the falling snow!
Mary is waiting outside the back door. She is trembling and not with the cold this time. She is trembling in anticipation.
^Love how you wrote that!
He is not wanted, she says? Hmmmmm.....
----
I'm so excited to read this next part!
What!? She trashed his place! Wow... I thought she found him cute. I wasn't expecting this.
Dang! Clever chica she is...throwing his clothes under the open windows so they get snowed on and wet. Naughty!
(How'd you get a snow pile in the house like that? )
Sorry to disappoint Mary, but Damien bought this house and intends to restore it - he paid so much to do that already - and he's not leaving...
I like that you illustrated him as a hard worker. The kind of man every woman wants.
It was sweet of Mary to feel a little remorse to the point that she went downstairs to clean up a bit.
"If any ghost is still in my house be warned. You are not scaring me away. I've waited a long time to solve the mystery of Mary Kendall and Spring Manor. I'm not leaving! Deal with it!"
^Oooooh! I hope Mary heard his thought - if Ghosts can in this story. Cause then maybe her heart would go out to him because he wants to solve her case!
Poor sad sexy Damien face.
Oh yay she DID hear what he thought!!! Awesome!
Sherlock! I love it!
Oh wow...so she still doesn't want him around...or even solving her mystery? This is surprising indeed lady and I LOVE it! MORE please!!!
This story reminds me of one of my favorite books, only the genders are reversed, and the story is similar. It's titled "Haunts Haven," by Joan Sowards if you feel like looking it up. I'm not sure if it's out of print or if she's still selling them...I am friends with her daughter.
I can't wait to see where you go with this!
@meerkattime Thanks so much for your comments! I love reading them.
The house definitely has a rep with the townspeople.
Damien is very brave and very stubborn and is learning to accept that ghosts are real even if he does not want them in his house.
He thought he got rid of them all.
hehe, Mary is full of contradictions. Her emotions are all over the place.
No, cleaning wasn't the autonomous thing...I made her help clean up. He was getting really tired and I wanted him to get some rest. The autonomous thing was a really big plot change, but I think I liked what she did, better than what I had planned. I'll make sure I let y'all know when I get to that place. I'm still not caught up with writing vs playtime.
@emorrill Thanks so much for all the comments. I get a big smile on my face reading them.
It is quite a project to renovate such a rundown place especially when he can't figure out how to get into the third-floor attic space.
When I was doing the floor in build mode I decided to just repair the busted ones. The tile is pretty, but wow the whole floor done like that is just a bit too busy for my taste, so I have to think about it for a while. Good thing he was running out of money.
I love those stained glass windows and use them when I can. The other windows will eventually get a paint job.
You didn't miss the spell earlier. I just wrote it this update.
hehe, Mary was very naughty. The snow piles were done using the WA sand piles and changing the color to white. Worked perfectly. I used debug on the floor to make the water puddles for the melting effect.
Yes, we want our men to be hard workers and Damien has great character.
I think Mary was surprised he didn't run away. She's going to learn he is persistent and just a little stubborn and cannot be pushed.
Wasn't that the saddest face! I felt sorry for him and had to send him to sleep after that.
I just looked up Haunts Haven and it sounds like a great story. I can get it on my kindle when I can get another gift card to buy a few more books. I've been downloading freebies lately. I put it on my wish list
@bekkasan : Poor Damien, after the renovation he had to clean up again!
But he changed into some more warmer sports wear, it seems! The renovation keeps the warmth in the house at least, but the rag rug looks a bit strange. I don´t know if one can paint wood floor but the floor needs a more consistent look!
I really like the turquoise patterns which match the windows! Damien has a very nice taste!
Must have been hard work for you to first renovate the house, then to make it dirty and after that to clean it up again!
The cold must have Mary make a bit crazy that she trashed the house, good that she now knows that Damien wants to find out about her! But it seems as if she thinks that he wants to destroy her. I hope she realizes that he can help her, maybe she should reveal herself to him? And I hope he comes to the conclusion that his friend is not needed for her!
I wander what the memorial is about and what´s its story?
Mary´s parrot must be a very quiet bird that Damien hasn´t heard him, or does the spell protect noise, too? The witch couldn´t help Mary and resurrect her? That´s sad!
I like how you desribed what Damien ate, now I´m hungry, shortly before going to bed! Isn´t it tautological if salmon is stuffed with crab meat? Is this a special receipt from a certain area of the US?
Waiting for more about Mary and her fortune!
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for reading and commenting. I do enjoy reading comments.
Poor Damien is running out of money. I hope he will be able to fix the floors soon though.
I love any shade of blue so my poor sims have to learn to love it too!
It is kinda fun sometimes thinking up ways to dirty a house for my sims to clean up.
Mary's parrot is up in the attic and so far he hasn't heard it.
The ghosthunter is on the way soon.
I'm not sure where the Salmon and crabmeat originated but they sell it here. It's yummy but pricey!
Your playthrough with Christopher and Anabelle does sound fun! I have always meant to do more with ghosts, but you know how it is with TS3—it has such scope that even after years of playing there are still so many aspects to explore.
Oh, yes! I’ve saved so many Sim-related lists over the years—names for future characters, for builds, for bands, lists of potential book titles in various genres—you “name” it! I may have an obsession with names and finding the perfect one. I definitely think you have that with the name of Mary’s home.
I am rather fond of grungy and distressed-looking builds, although I like to keep mine that way. I’m glad you like renovating though, because you have certainly given Damien quite the daunting task!
I love that Mary was able to surprise and offer you an even better direction than you had originally planned. That sort of serendipity is an awesome gift to a writer!
RL/work must always come first, and the creative process has its own timeline, so no worries about writing more slowly or having obligations. We all want you to have the space you need to tell us this tale in the best way you can, and you’re doing a great job!
But here I am babbling when I see you have more chapters posted!
BRB... Must read! xD
***
Oh, wow! Damien is a house-cleaning fiend! I could use such a man!
I love how you have replaced only the broken sections of the floor. The contrast with the old floor is startling and gives a good indication of how the old place could look once all the renovations are done. I agree with Damien's assessment of the flooring though; better to have something solid so as not to detract from the patterns in those beautiful stained glass windows! And I like that you’re using items from the Club Vaindenburger set as his chosen living/office furniture. It really seems to suit the home, as well as Damien’s personality and his PI profession. Still a lot of work left for him to do though, especially since the contractor and his crew refused to finish the job.
There’s a spell in the attic to hide Mary’s door?? How intriguing! Now I wonder if that local witch might have a counterspell/potion to reveal what has been hidden...
I wonder who put that memorial there too! And I wonder about the ghost gnomes... or rather, the ghosts they contain. I understand Damien not wanting to be surrounded by spirits, but I hope they are okay. And I do wonder if Damien did get all of them... I suspect not, but at least having fewer of them around means he might catch a break and get some things accomplished. For now, it’s the woods that shall be haunted instead! Beware possessed pine trees!
Damien, you have mail, lol. I also like that front door; I just chose that same one for my current build, so it stood out. xD And such a beautiful rainbow shining through the falling snow—a snow-bow!
Uh-oh. What did you do, Mary??
***
I... I did not expect Mary to do that! I suppose it’s because she has been quite direct with scaring the other living people away, and this is passive aggressive by comparison. It’s almost as if she’s not sure if she wants to go that route with Damien... How interesting!
But what a mess you have made, Mary! Poor Damien. He is just so expressive; those are some great emotions you've captured in these images. But there he goes, right back to cleaning again. Gotta love a practical man who just does what needs to be done. Those recolored WA sand piles were a wonderful idea. I used to use those plus the fog emitter snowfall codes for wintry pictures before the Seasons EP was released. And nice touch combining them with the puddles too. I really enjoyed how you documented all these little details!
Aww! Mary feels bad and is helping him clean up the mess! But man, did she ever trash that house. If ever a tornado and a blizzard combine, it should be named Mary!
OH! Now she knows Damien is there because of her! She seems curious, but still undeterred from her plans. And Sherlock is a great name for that bird.
So, she’s going to focus on finding Liam instead of more scare attempts, is she? Hmm. And Jamie is coming soon, but will Mary be there when he shows up? It might be kind of hard to hunt a ghost if she isn’t at home. OFC, there is always the potential for things like ghost-binding...
These two both come across as very determined and set in their ways. So, what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Looking forward to seeing what surprises Mary may have up her ghostly sleeves, and how Damien deals with them all!
Comments
It's good news Mary has been studying science... Perhaps she'sll find a way to return back to life. Sounds promising!
Hmm, a mysterious stranger
Since he's a man who likes to see justice happening, he should have sympathy for poor Mary...
Oh, he already knows about her and wants to know all about her mystery! Even better
Sounds like Mary already got her revenge on the girls even though all of that can't be directly her doing.
I feel almost bad for Kerry, but I probably shouldn't since she is the one to blame for Mary's murder
Ha, Mary already likes him having seen him for the fist time. She's going to enjoy him being around even if she doesn't know it yet
I like the picture of Mary behind the door - scary!
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for the comments!
hehe, all good romances, err ghost stories have to have a heroine and a hero.
The Fates have not allowed Mary to go to the light or stay in the netherworld. They have other plans for her. All will be revealed...eventually.
@emorrill created him, he's not hairy!
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments.
The lodge is part of Hidden Springs. I had not seen it until I was looking for a place for Damien to stay and realized I used the same log texture on Mary's places as that lodge had.
Once I got the idea it started flowing. I wanted to have Damien to tell the story that even Mary doesn't know since she is tied to HS.
It is cc. It is woven jute rug
Yep, I'd say the girls got what the deserved. They certainly didn't have a happy life. Karma.
Hidden Springs is so beautiful and the winter just adds so much to the pictures. I'm so happy to have seasons back in and behaving so far.
@meerkattime Thanks so much for the comments.
yep...that is @emorrill's Damien
Yes, Damien wants to solve the mystery of Mary.
She does think he is cute.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Project Revive
Turning away from the frost-covered window after observing the cute but unwelcome visitor leave, Mary almost runs into her skeleton that she saved from her uni days. She was surprised to find her trunk in the attic the first year she returned to this world. It contained her things from the university. She remembers bringing the trunk with her to the lodge as she was planning on going straight to her new job after her vacation. After she was murdered, someone must have hauled the trunk up to the attic and there it stayed. Mary is a genius and studies to keep learning. She is able to update all her equipment with the tablet. She updates the brain enhancing machine on her return and is able to receive new technology fast. Her science station was bought on S-Bay, and she keeps her mind engaged by experimenting with it. She is astonished at how much the world has changed in technology in the years since she was slain. Sadly, the science station does not possess any information about restoring a life that she discovered on the radio. She will have to go to the science center and find the information there.
Mary soaks in a hot bubble bath trying to warm herself before going out on the cold winter night.
The manager recommends that Damien try the local diner. He finds the food delicious and likes the atmosphere of the diner. He enjoys well-cooked fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, lima beans, and homemade biscuits that melt in his mouth. He goes back to his room at the lodge stuffed and satisfied. Despite his excitement about purchasing his new home, he falls asleep quickly and sleeps through the night.
After midnight, Mary floats through the peaceful town and enters the dark science building. It looks like all the workers have gone home. She floats through the hallways until she finds the computer room. She recognized the way very well from previous excursions in the science lab. She uses her tablet and connects to a terminal. She sets her software to hack into the computer hoping they have not changed passwords since her previous visit. They have not, and she searches all archives for the information she wants on resurrections. She eventually discovers the files and downloads them into her tablet. She spends some time searching for other advances in technology and adds to her downloaded files. She is caught up in her search and almost does not hear the sounds of a door opening. It must be the night security on their rounds. She promptly shuts her mobile tablet down after carefully saving the selected files and tucks it back in her handy bag. She floats through the cement wall in the back hallway of the facility just as the door handles jiggle as keys are put into the lock. She silently glides through another wall and finds herself outside on the loading dock. "Phew, that was close. I hope I extracted all the information, but I can always come back another night."
Mary hurries home anxious to read the reports. She plugs her tablet into the science station and uploads the data. Mary's bird Sherlock distracts her wanting to play as it zooms around the room. She was lonely and when she found the bird in the cold snow one evening she brought him home and ordered a tree for him. She has enjoyed the company of Sherlock and has taught him a few words. She plays with him and tries to teach him a new word. She makes certain he has food and water and watches him play with his toy before going back to work. He squawks as he pecks at the toy and the bell rings. Mary wonders if she should free him, but the weather is so cold and she is afraid he will freeze.
Mary picks up her tablet and opens the report she downloaded.
Physical Manifestations of Non-Dimensional Souls
Chief Researcher on Project Revive: Liam O'Dourke
Assistant Maya Abbot
The untimely death of humans can result in a non-dimensional soul being unable to cross over the veil to the final destination. In most cases, souls make the journey and are never seen again. The ones that are unable to cross are left to struggle between our plane of existence and the netherworld. They are not alive but not human either. They are generally tied to their urns or gravesites. Occasionally some are tied to strange ghastly gnomes that appear randomly in the world. Others can be tied to a memory or physical location that seems to prevent them from moving on. Research suggests some will cross if the tie can be broken. The longer a soul is present in the world the harder it is to send them over to the other side. Some become playful, mischievous spirits, others become evil manifestations. Our goal was to find a way to assist them to move on before becoming spirits or evil. Shockingly, we discovered that most don't want to move on. Some want resolution for their untimely death and once that is resolved, they are able to move on without our help. Others desire nothing more than another attempt at life without being constantly pulled into the netherworld. They don't even mind their form if they don't go back into the netherworld.
Of course, a non-dimensional soul otherwise known as a ghost wandering around town is not fully accepted by many humans at this time.
Thus, our goals became:
1) Find a way to stop the pull to the netherworld.
2) Find a way for the ghost to become corporeal.
With the help of many ghosts, we have been able to successfully prevent them from returning to the netherworld. We must have or identify the object they are tied to be it urn, grave, memory, or building. A spell is performed releasing the tie to the netherworld. Once released a few ghosts will choose to remain in their ghostly forms. They are encouraged to move to towns more accepting of occult souls. Others want to become human again and we can help them with that dream.
My considerable research over the years on plants and animal toxins and the effects on humans contributed enormously to our success. A Master Witch who specialized in potions that prolong life helped immensely. A Master Chef assisted in combining the ingredients so the effects of the ingredients are not inactivated during preparation. We tested extensively and eventually devised a recipe that will bring a ghost back to human life. It has been successful in 100% of the trials. The ghost must not be tied to the netherworld, or the risk is they will be sent back to the netherworld permanently. It is complicated to prepare, and the ingredients are rare and hard to find and they don't last long, and preserving is useless. It must be produced specially for each ghost.
This report is released to all affiliated science facilities and world leaders. A member of our facility will gladly travel and instruct local scientists on how to help any non-dimensional souls who would like assistance in moving on or resurrection and eventual transformation to human. A fee schedule is attached in appendix A.
The technique for releasing a ghost from the netherworld and the formula is encrypted and stored separately and will not be released as part of this report. The following data describe the trials and protocols we followed.
Mary stops reading the report not interested in statistical data. "My word, what a dry and dusty report. He is a scientist and not a novelist. I do know a non-dimensional soul is in fact a ghost. I have some hope for a future of not being a ghost tied to the whims of Fate. I will look up this Liam scientist. It sounds as if he has an affinity for helping others."
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Things That Go Bump In The Night
It's a beautiful morning in Hidden Springs and Damien is up early and on his way to town to finalize his purchase and collect the deed and keys to his new home. The papers are signed quickly and soon the realtor hands him the keys. He owns Spring Manor free and clear. He rushes back to the parking lot and hurries to his home. The snow completely covers the pathway to the house. He is careful walking on the porch because of the holes in the foundation. He has a contractor coming later to go through the house with him to help with the renovations. Some things he can do himself from working summers with a contractor while he was in school.
Inside the house, Damien can see the potential. He is not worried about the plants and holes in the foundation. He had seen the pictures and knew to expect those things. He does not notice Mary hurrying into the tower and out of the room. Instead, he is looking at the far wall at what appears to be two ghosts chatting with each other. They notice him staring at them and they float through the wall and outside. Damien is surprised by what he just saw with his very own eyes.
He blinks a few times and hurries out the back door and tries to find them. His best friend, Jamison believes in the occult and ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Damien believes there is another explanation for what he saw. A trick wall, images from a projector, or hologram machine, or some type of special effects. He calls out "wait" when he notices three 'ghosts' out in the snow. Only one waits, the others disappear. She answers some of his questions and others seem to offend her. She has her story down pat and tells him about drowning off the coast in a horrible boating accident and being collected by Death. Her husband survived the accident and did nothing to save her. He is now a very wealthy man inheriting her fortune. "I think he killed me!" she cries out and is why she can't move forward. "I'm doomed to be a haunt for the rest of my existence." She takes him over to two other ghosts and introduces him and then enters her gnome to rest. The other ghosts tell similar stories of death by accident and being tied to the gnomes in the yard and unable to leave the area. "We can rest in gnomes, but we cannot leave the property the gnomes are on." Damien has much to think about and now has a massive headache. His dream home is haunted. It is a good thing his best friend is a ghost hunter.
While he was out chasing and talking with the ghosts the delivery van arrived. His furniture and belongings were placed haphazardly in the living area because of the holes in the foundation. They did get his bed set up in the upstairs room. He will have to move some things around once the foundation is repaired. His desk is currently in the small kitchen. He calls his friend Jamison. "I cannot believe my dream home is haunted and that I am stuck with these ghosts. I'll just get rid of the gnomes and that should take care of the problem. Jamison told him he could try it, but it might not work. "I can finish up my work here and be in Hidden Springs in a few days to help you out."
"That would be fantastic. Kinda sorry I doubted you about your ghost hunting gigs. So what else is real? Vampires? Werewolves? Witches? Fairy's?"
Jamison snickered, said "yep" and hung up on a very flustered Damien.
Mary was studying anatomy when Betty the drowning victim came up to let her know the house indeed had a new owner. "He is very cute!", Betty exclaims.
Mary nods in agreement. "I saw him briefly when he came by yesterday. I heard the movers bumping around bringing in the furniture earlier. I was invisible and gave one of them a chilling hug and he ran out the door so fast he left his boots behind."
Mary and Betty laugh together.
Damien decided a run was needed. He jogged the neighborhood until he couldn't deal with the bitter cold anymore. He makes a mental note to definitely go shopping for some long johns and warmer clothes for the climate in Hidden Springs. Damien brings in some wood and makes a fire. He hauls one of his chairs in front of the fire and makes notes on what he needs to purchase and what needs to be done in the house. The contractor came by before his run and will be back tomorrow to start work. Damien is still quite cold and decides to turn in and get an early start in the morning. He dampens the fire downstairs and lights one in his room upstairs and hopes it will not be too cold in the morning when he gets up. With all the broken windows though he is sure it will be very cold. He has not seen nor heard the ghosts this evening and hopes they will not rattle any chains or whatever ghosts get up to during the night.
Mary was aware that the owner was asleep so she hurried downstairs and fixed some yogurt and berries for her supper. She decides she will bide her time and imagines he will give up on this house just like all the others did in the past.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
And the jogging part in short trousers and a T-Shirt let me giggle a lot! Here in Germany we have a saying: "nur die Harten kommen in den Garten" every time I see someone in such clothes in the deepest winter I say that to me.
Finally we see his face completely! He is a very handsome young man, I´m curios about his background story and why he wants to own especially this house!
Let´s see how fast he discovers the parrot in his house!
Ohoh, don´t let his friend hunt for the ghosts! Won´t they vanish completely when he hunts them?
I love the snowy pictures of Hidden Springs (especially since we have a heatwave here, since 2 weeks the temperatures are ~35° to 39°C with awfully high humidity, I live in an attic apartmentwith south orientation, so the winter pictures give some sort of refreshness!
Doesn´t Hidden Springs have lovely rainbows???
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for your comments.
Mary loves learning and it is a good thing that ghosts don't age.
I love watching him ride his motorcycle around town on those snowy mountain roads. He's got style!
I laughed when he switched to his athletic gear for the jog.
I expect there will be at least one ghost he is going to want to keep. I hope so anyway.
Hidden Springs is beautiful in the winter and oh my the rainbows are so gorgeous. I keep posting rainbow pics in the other thread. They said they are not bored with the rainbows yet 'cause I asked them.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
(I just imagined you, wearing fleece clothes and bibber in the cold and look at your thermometer which says 10°C!
Your winter pics are soooo welcome!
Yes, I have seen your rainbow pictures in the other thread. Watch out for 4 or 5 rainbows at once! They aren´t logically placed but if you´re lucky you could get 4 or 5 of them once!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
I shared a few bits of my thoughts on "Project Revive" to you via text,
Like I said, "S-Bay" made me chuckle and I love it!
Sneaky Mary.
Aww, she has a pet bird named Sherlock.
I said this also but I LOVE that you had Liam O'Dourke as the Chief Researcher on the Project. (It was nice to see Maya thrown in there too.
The way you wrote that report was pure perfection and sounded very professional. Great job.
I look forward to Mary meeting Liam.
----
Okay, not only is that a gorgeous shot of a rainbow, but that is one righteous motorcycle Damien has!
Yay the house is his!
Woah! You didn't waste any time there.
Betty's death is another very sad story.
I loved this dialogue between his friend Jamison so much.
He's BRAVE running out in the cold like that!
I like the quilt on his bed.
Hee hee! Couldn't help saying it!
LOVED it all! More soon please?
@AlexaKry We go by Fahrenheit over here. 32 is considered freezing. I can deal with temps in the low '50s, but when it starts dropping lower I don't like it.
I would love to see that many rainbows. Most I've seen is a double one so far.
@CravenLestat I'd much rather quit working...lol, I love sleeping.
@emorrill Thanks so much for the comments.
I didn't know you had a bird. That's cool. I've never had a pet bird. Just cats and a dog once. I've had to start shaking out my shoes in the mornings again 'cause the baby lizards are getting under the door. I capture them and put them back outside. They are not pets and I really don't want them in the house! I'm not particularly scared of them but I don't like sharing my space with them.
I like using some of the characters in the town when I can. There are some interesting folks in this town that's for sure. I gave Raynaud a makeover the other day. He still looks like himself, just has a bit more hair.
The motorcycle is an EA one. The Jamboree is the name of it. It came with Fast Lane. His friend has one also called The Beast. It came with Ambitions. That is the one with the tire way out front. I only have the two in-game so not sure which one you are talking about. The only other one is the silly one that came with the movie set.
Since I have no control over the ghosts it was perfect for the story that they were in that far corner and he didn't see Mary slipping out of the room.
Yea, Damien has been a bit of a supernatural skeptic. He's gonna learn a thing or two.
Folks in FL wear shorts year round even when we have our really cold spells. So I let him do it, but he was quite cold when he got back in the house. I got him some warmer athletic stuff for his next jog. I don't want him freezing to death too!
I love putting Quilts on beds in-game.
Yep, Damien is not going to give up easily.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Yeah the Beast (couldn't remember the name) is the single motorcycle I have and I don't like it... cause like you said the tire goes WAY out and it's unappealing to me.
I don't have the Fast Lane SP, but maybe I should.
Yeah in the winter we often get into the single digits at nightfall, and the negatives throughout the night, so yeah, no shorts and tanks here. I know y'all don't get that cold in FL.
I love the rainbow picture, and the ghost gnomes in the snow!
Poor Mary lying in the hottub. It sure ain't fun to be a ghost who froze to death
Smart girl, knowing how to hack herself in the computer of the science center.
I don't know what the security could have done to a ghost even if they caught her, but at least she would have frightened them
How sweet that Mary is taking care of Sherlock. I hope Sherlock enjoys her care and company as much as she enjoys his.
That's an interesting scientific research - sounds like Mary might need some help though.
Damien is not easy to scare - he ran into ghosts immediately and doesn't seem scared of them at all... Oh, I see - he doesn't really believe they are ghosts
Poor lady who was killed by her husband - no wonder she's haunting.
Nooo, no ghost hunter! What would happen to Mary and the other ghosts if he asked for help from a ghost hunter
Lol @ the chilling hug. Poor mover, but I guess ghosts have to have their fun too
Yikes, running in the snow with bare legs
Fortunately the fireplace didn't cause a fire that night when he's sleeping there.
Yoghurt and berries - yummy. That's going to be my breakfast tomorrow.
I have a feeling Mary is very wrong thinking that Damien would leave the haunted house any time soon.
Craven has created a lovely Sim for you, but I feel so bad for Mary. Not just because of her tragic death and seeing her grieve in her half-life ghostly state (as if that wasn’t enough!), but awakening only sporadically during the bitter months of winter that caused her death and unable to feel truly warm for long.
I suppose there is nothing wrong with ice cream for breakfast—it’s ice cream in winter that’s the problem! Unless you’re curled up on the sofa and huddled under blankets.
That is also an awesome rundown old house with the broken and boarded up windows. Love the cobwebs everywhere and the holes in the foundation with plants growing inside—great details!
I had to chuckle at Mary’s penchant for destroying snowmen and kicking gnomes.
I am glad that Mary retains the knowledge she gains each time she comes back though. That new PI owner who knows some of her backstory seems promising too. And the possibility of resurrection via the science lab—I love that things may be looking up for her!
Liam O’Dourke!
And here’s poor logical Damien, trying to explain away the ghosts in his house.
Oh Mary, this owner will not be leaving as readily as the others always have, and you’re the reason why! But I am concerned about her and the other ghosts, considering Jamison is a ghost hunter. While he may be the type to convince the ghosts to move on of their own volition (assuming they are even able to do that), capturing or banishing/exorcising spirits is a worrisome possibility.
And also, now that Damien knows ghosts are real, I wonder if he believes that Mary may be a vengeful ghost who is behind all the strange occurrences and caused the fire at the lodge that injured Kerry and the other girls. Not only could that be an obstacle in any future relationship between them, but if Kerry really was pushed by a ghost, that seems to indicate a malicious spirit at the lodge who could pose a threat to either one or both of them...
So many possibilities! Looking forward to reading more and seeing where you take this!
I love that feeling of anticipation and pondering the potential direction of a storyline. And there are so many places @bekkasan could take Mary—and us—with this one. I’m definitely looking forward to watching it all unfold.
@emorrill The Beast is not my favorite but it does suit certain sims.
@PalmArrow Thanks so much for commenting! Damien is brave! I don't think I could have slept at all. I probably would have run out the door and fled the building, to begin with.
@meerkattime Hi! Thanks so much for all your fun comments.
hehe, yep, ghost hunter will be coming. Should be fun though. Plus, he's a cutie pie!
I've noticed Mary has a hard time controlling her emotions as a ghost so she just lets loose and does what she wants without thinking things through like she did as a person.
@starguru Thanks so much for your awesome comments and for reading the story!
I actually made a list of names for the lodge and that one stayed at the top because it seemed to have more meaning to Mary's story. The others were a bit too dark for the story I wanted to tell. I saved the list of names though. You never know when they might work for another story.
I love building run down places and renovating them. Damien has his work cut out for him and it will take a while to get it done.
Mary is certainly having issues with having to repeat so many winters over and over. It is harder for her to control her emotions each year. I'm having fun watching her and then writing what she seems to be telling me. Last weekend while playing Mary totally surprised me by doing something that had me going NO! NO! and then OMG...that is so much better than what I was planning! I'm looking forward to writing it and hope I have time this weekend for that part. I did get lots of pictures. I'm a slow writer and am a bit ahead in gameplay vs writing. Work has been really busy for the last several weeks too.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Renovations
Damien is up early the next morning and as he predicted things got very cold overnight. He puts on warm clothing and has hot oatmeal with peaches and sprinkles cinnamon over it all. His stomach grumbles in anticipation. While eating, he looks at his notes and decides to start downstairs. First step cleaning. He scrubs and scrubs to get the soot from the fireplace off the floors and the cobwebs off the walls. He makes a mental note that he needs to go to town and talk with the police chief about registering as a private detective. The house is draining his savings, and he hopes to replenish his funds with a few cases. He can also register to work with the police considering his years of experience back home. The contractor arrives with his crew, and they move the old furniture to store in the rooms above the garage until he decides what to do with the furniture. Damien finishes cleaning the floor as the foundation is repaired by the crew.
By the end of the day, the foundation of the front porch and in the house is repaired. The contractor patches the floor with matching patterns, but with fresh stain. Damien is not quite certain he wants the entire room with that flooring. "I'll think about it and let you know. At least I won't have to worry about falling in the holes walking around at night."
The new windows and the special stained glass windows he ordered are installed, except for the attic rooms and the garage. The garage will have to wait until funds improve. The contractor and crew refuse to install the windows in the attic.
"Look, dude," the supervisor explains, "I know you just bought this place, but I have lived here my whole life. This place is haunted and no way are we going up in that attic. You are fortunate we agreed to come out here and work at all. I could tell you some stories that would have you leaving before I finish."
Damien shakes his head in disgust. He has the contractor leave the windows in the garage. He will deal with the attic with Jamison's help after he arrives. He does need to figure out where the devil the entrance is in the attic. There is no door in the tower to the attic, and Damien is thinking he may have to take a sledgehammer to one of the walls to open it up.
Damien likes the large vase that was in the room, and he cleans it. Once the sooty grime is removed, the vase is perfect for the room. He plants new cuttings in it and is happy with how things are coming together. The crew helps him move his desk and office equipment to the corner of the room. The decorator for the company brought several window treatments and Damien picks out his favorite and they hang them in the room.
He steps outside and admires the look of the new windows. He will have to do the garage and work on renovating the outside and fences when his funds increase.
Damien starts searching the property for the gnomes and finds several ghosts hanging around the yard. I guess I will have to collect them later when they are resting.
While waiting he climbs the tower steps to the third floor. He pushes on the walls and tries his best to discover a hidden entrance to the room. Everything seems pretty solid. He really hates the idea of taking a sledgehammer to the wall, but that might be what is necessary to get into the attic. Mary is on the other side of the wall as he searches for the opening. She closes her eyes tightly, balls her fists, and recites continuously until Damien goes away. "Please, please, please don't let the spell break! Don't let the spell break!"
Mary breathes a sigh of relief as she hears his steps leading him back downstairs. "Should I visit the witch and acquire another potion to reinforce the spell that conceals the entrance to my room?"
Damien goes back into the yard and collects all the gnomes that he can find. While collecting them he finds a memorial hidden among the rocks and brush at the back of the property. He cannot find a plaque on it and wonders who put it here.
On his way to town, Damien takes the gnomes with him and places them deep in the woods. He enjoys the Wednesday chef special at the diner. It turns out to be salmon stuffed with crab meat, sweet potato fritters, and grilled vegetables. When he leaves the diner, there is a colorful rainbow over the town. He stops by the police department and registers his PI license with the deputy and enjoys chatting with the deputy until the deputy notices his address. The deputy looks shocked and apprehensive when he notices the address on his application. "Did you know the history of the house before you bought it? I think the realtors have to be honest about the history of homes and this one is haunted. Many unusual things have happened over the years in that house."
Damien grimaces. It seems as if the townspeople really have a problem with Spring Manor. "Yes, I know the history of the house and no, I am not bothered about the rumors of hauntings and yes, I'm looking forward to renovating the house and turning it into my home."
Mary waits until Damien is gone. She hopes he will be out long enough to put her plan into motion. Apparently he made off with all the gnomes so she will have to do this herself. She works getting things prepared and then goes back to the attic and waits by the window watching for the motorcycle that will bring him back to her house. Hearing the motorcycle and seeing it pull into the yard she hurries down to the back entrance.
He arrives home with plans to light a fire and make a few more notes for renovating the house and perhaps enjoy watching a sports game on the tv.
Mary is waiting outside the back door. She is trembling and not with the cold this time. She is trembling in anticipation.
Damien's face echo's the dismay and anger he feels as he surveys the room.
Mary watches as the new owner looks around the room in dismay. "Surely he will understand he is not wanted."
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Ghost Games
Looking around in disgust, Damien shuts the windows and lights a fire in the fireplace to get some warmth back in the house. It is freezing from the windows being opened. Snow has piled up on the floors underneath the windows and back door that had been left open. His desk was trashed and files have been thrown about the room. Someone tossed the contents of his trash can about the room, and broken dishes are on the floor. Plates litter the coffee table with spoiled food. The offensive odor from the rotting permeates the room. He is stunned beyond belief. How could anyone do this to another person? What kind of hate and anger and rage are they feeling? Why are they so enraged? He got rid of the ghosts earlier or so he thought. Could ghosts cause this damage?
He climbs the stairs to his room to change his clothes and once again he is shocked at what he finds. He closes his eyes and counts to 10 and then 20 and then 30. Realizing counting is not doing any good or changing the situation he opens his eyes, looks around the room, shrugs his shoulders, and starts cleaning up the mess. Once the floor in front of the fireplace is clean he lights a fire to warm the room. He tosses the piles of soaked clothing in the hamper that his intruder dumped in front of the wide-open windows and became wet with snow. He must have interrupted the trashing as some of his clothes were still in the drawers. He changes and starts mopping up the melting snow.
Mary watches Damien as he looks at the destruction in the bedroom. She observes the expressions on his face change from anger, disgust, and shock to resignation. Instead of running out into the night, he starts cleaning up the mess. She watches thoughtfully as he mops up the snow so patiently. He starts to whistle while he is working. What kind of human is this one? He doesn't seem frightened at all. He just looks tired. He worked all day cleaning and moving furniture and now he is working cleaning another mess. He stops and rubs his eyes and massages his forehead and then resumes his cleaning. She begins feeling a little bit guilty about the mess she made. She floats downstairs and starts to clean up some of the mess, gathering the dripping clothes she dumped in front of the door she left open. She hears him coming down the stairs, so she floats upstairs and puts the wet stuff in the hamper.
Finishing upstairs he descends the staircase to start in the main living area. He looks at the melting snow in front of the back door and would have sworn a pile of clothes was in the snow earlier. "I know I'm tired, but not tired enough to imagine things." He shrugs his shoulders and gets to work. Before long the floor where the snow has melted is scrubbed and dry. He gets rid of the spoiled food, crushed papers, and broken dishes from the floor. He hopes the odor from the rotting food will be gone by morning.
Everything seems to be clean and dry. It is the wee hours of the morning, and he is exhausted from the extremely long day. His normal optimism is pretty low at this point. But, he will not allow anyone or any ghost to drive him from his home. "If any ghost is still in my house be warned. You are not scaring me away. I've waited a long time to solve the mystery of Mary Kendall and Spring Manor. I'm not leaving! Deal with it!"
Damien jumps in surprise as he hears a ghostly voice utter a surprised sound. "What!"
He turns around trying to find the source of the voice, but Mary blinks out and returns to her attic.
"I'm definitely losing it when I start hearing ghostly voices! Bad enough I was warning ghosts I wasn't leaving. It's time to get some sleep and stop talking to myself and ghosts! I sure hope Jamie arrives tomorrow."
"Sherlock, what do you suppose he meant by solving the mystery of me? I'm not sure I like the sound of that. I don't know what is coming over me helping him clean up the mess I made. He's cute, but some of the others were cute too and I still managed to chase them away. I'm going to find that Liam guy and stop being distracted by this guy who thinks he owns my house!"
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Interesting that the contractor knows the attic is dangerous. Makes sense it's hard to get there. I know he's planning to get rid of the ghosts but the coward in me thinks no one should try to get in
The house looks gorgeous in the snowfall
Quite a few ghosts around. Even Damien can't be a supernatural skeptic in the middle of that. He definitely shouldn't touch the gnomes while the ghosts are out and about
I wonder what would happen if Damien got in the attic and found Mary's bird
A hidden memorial... Is that the angry ghost in the house?
He's so brave... Nothing would keep me in a house with such grim history.
I love the pictures of Damien walking through the town and the rainbow.
Wait... Is Mary the only ghost left now that the gnomes are gone? She must be scared he'll try to get rid of her too. I wonder if she misses any of the other ghosts.
Oh what a mess Mary made! Poor Damien. He's a persistent man, cleaning and cleaning
I wonder if Damien is even tiny bit worried about having destroyed Mary Kendall's ghost when getting rid of the gomes, but I guess he knows she can't have a gnome.
Looking forward to seeing the ghost hunter at work. I hope Mary is safe.
I can only imagine how cold it got that first night in the house for Damien (I kinda can knowing how cold it gets here at night in the winter!), but his warm oatmeal breakfast I'm sure hit the spot and it sounded delicious!
Yes! Get rid of those cobwebs!
Seeing those pics of him scrubbing the floor makes me cringe.
I don't doubt it would cost a TON to renovate this place so I'm glad he's getting back to being the best PI ever.
Can't say I blame the Supervisor for not wanting to do things in the attic ONE bit! Damien be like, "Whatevs! I'll get to it later." *Grumble - these silly people and their fear of ghosts - grumble - making me do all the dirty work - grumble.*
The house is looking good already! 👍 New windows are always a plus and those stained glass ones are SO pretty!
What?? Mary has a spell in place to avoid being discovered!?
Pretty little memorial statue...even if it looks a little creepy among the brambles.
Yay Damien ditched the gnomes!
Gosh I'm melting over his adorable smile in this picture:
Rainbow among the falling snow!
He is not wanted, she says? Hmmmmm.....
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I'm so excited to read this next part!
What!? She trashed his place!
Dang! Clever chica she is...throwing his clothes under the open windows so they get snowed on and wet. Naughty!
(How'd you get a snow pile in the house like that? )
Sorry to disappoint Mary, but Damien bought this house and intends to restore it - he paid so much to do that already - and he's not leaving...
I like that you illustrated him as a hard worker.
It was sweet of Mary to feel a little remorse to the point that she went downstairs to clean up a bit.
Poor sad sexy Damien face.
Oh yay she DID hear what he thought!!!
Sherlock!
Oh wow...so she still doesn't want him around...or even solving her mystery? This is surprising indeed lady and I LOVE it!
This story reminds me of one of my favorite books, only the genders are reversed, and the story is similar. It's titled "Haunts Haven," by Joan Sowards if you feel like looking it up. I'm not sure if it's out of print or if she's still selling them...I am friends with her daughter.
I can't wait to see where you go with this!
@meerkattime Thanks so much for your comments!
The house definitely has a rep with the townspeople.
Damien is very brave and very stubborn and is learning to accept that ghosts are real even if he does not want them in his house.
He thought he got rid of them all.
hehe, Mary is full of contradictions. Her emotions are all over the place.
No, cleaning wasn't the autonomous thing...I made her help clean up. He was getting really tired and I wanted him to get some rest. The autonomous thing was a really big plot change, but I think I liked what she did, better than what I had planned. I'll make sure I let y'all know when I get to that place. I'm still not caught up with writing vs playtime.
@emorrill Thanks so much for all the comments.
It is quite a project to renovate such a rundown place especially when he can't figure out how to get into the third-floor attic space.
When I was doing the floor in build mode I decided to just repair the busted ones. The tile is pretty, but wow the whole floor done like that is just a bit too busy for my taste, so I have to think about it for a while. Good thing he was running out of money.
I love those stained glass windows and use them when I can. The other windows will eventually get a paint job.
You didn't miss the spell earlier. I just wrote it this update.
hehe, Mary was very naughty. The snow piles were done using the WA sand piles and changing the color to white. Worked perfectly. I used debug on the floor to make the water puddles for the melting effect.
Yes, we want our men to be hard workers and Damien has great character.
I think Mary was surprised he didn't run away. She's going to learn he is persistent and just a little stubborn and cannot be pushed.
Wasn't that the saddest face! I felt sorry for him and had to send him to sleep after that.
I just looked up Haunts Haven and it sounds like a great story. I can get it on my kindle when I can get another gift card to buy a few more books. I've been downloading freebies lately. I put it on my wish list
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
But he changed into some more warmer sports wear, it seems!
I really like the turquoise patterns which match the windows! Damien has a very nice taste!
Must have been hard work for you to first renovate the house, then to make it dirty and after that to clean it up again!
The cold must have Mary make a bit crazy that she trashed the house, good that she now knows that Damien wants to find out about her! But it seems as if she thinks that he wants to destroy her. I hope she realizes that he can help her, maybe she should reveal herself to him? And I hope he comes to the conclusion that his friend is not needed for her!
I wander what the memorial is about and what´s its story?
Mary´s parrot must be a very quiet bird that Damien hasn´t heard him, or does the spell protect noise, too? The witch couldn´t help Mary and resurrect her? That´s sad!
I like how you desribed what Damien ate, now I´m hungry, shortly before going to bed!
Waiting for more about Mary and her fortune!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Poor Damien is running out of money. I hope he will be able to fix the floors soon though.
I love any shade of blue so my poor sims have to learn to love it too!
It is kinda fun sometimes thinking up ways to dirty a house for my sims to clean up.
Mary's parrot is up in the attic and so far he hasn't heard it.
The ghosthunter is on the way soon.
I'm not sure where the Salmon and crabmeat originated but they sell it here. It's yummy but pricey!
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Your playthrough with Christopher and Anabelle does sound fun! I have always meant to do more with ghosts, but you know how it is with TS3—it has such scope that even after years of playing there are still so many aspects to explore.
Oh, yes! I’ve saved so many Sim-related lists over the years—names for future characters, for builds, for bands, lists of potential book titles in various genres—you “name” it!
I am rather fond of grungy and distressed-looking builds, although I like to keep mine that way. I’m glad you like renovating though, because you have certainly given Damien quite the daunting task!
I love that Mary was able to surprise and offer you an even better direction than you had originally planned. That sort of serendipity is an awesome gift to a writer!
RL/work must always come first, and the creative process has its own timeline, so no worries about writing more slowly or having obligations. We all want you to have the space you need to tell us this tale in the best way you can, and you’re doing a great job!
But here I am babbling when I see you have more chapters posted!
BRB... Must read! xD
***
Oh, wow! Damien is a house-cleaning fiend! I could use such a man!
I love how you have replaced only the broken sections of the floor. The contrast with the old floor is startling and gives a good indication of how the old place could look once all the renovations are done. I agree with Damien's assessment of the flooring though; better to have something solid so as not to detract from the patterns in those beautiful stained glass windows! And I like that you’re using items from the Club Vaindenburger set as his chosen living/office furniture. It really seems to suit the home, as well as Damien’s personality and his PI profession. Still a lot of work left for him to do though, especially since the contractor and his crew refused to finish the job.
There’s a spell in the attic to hide Mary’s door??
I wonder who put that memorial there too! And I wonder about the ghost gnomes... or rather, the ghosts they contain. I understand Damien not wanting to be surrounded by spirits, but I hope they are okay. And I do wonder if Damien did get all of them... I suspect not, but at least having fewer of them around means he might catch a break and get some things accomplished. For now, it’s the woods that shall be haunted instead!
Damien, you have mail, lol. I also like that front door; I just chose that same one for my current build, so it stood out. xD And such a beautiful rainbow shining through the falling snow—a snow-bow!
Uh-oh. What did you do, Mary??
***
I... I did not expect Mary to do that!
But what a mess you have made, Mary!
Aww! Mary feels bad and is helping him clean up the mess!
OH! Now she knows Damien is there because of her! She seems curious, but still undeterred from her plans. And Sherlock is a great name for that bird.
So, she’s going to focus on finding Liam instead of more scare attempts, is she? Hmm.
These two both come across as very determined and set in their ways. So, what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?