Vincent eventually reached the small, secluded town of Forgotten Hollow in the early afternoon. Travelling on a barely discernable, muddied track through a densely packed pine forest caused him to get lost a number of times along the way. The confusing roads signage did not help matters, either.
Forgotten Hollow creeped him out like most backwater towns did. It was like the town appeared out of nowhere, just ‘poofed’ into existence and there wasn’t a single Sim to be seen anywhere on its cobbled streets. Vincent wondered if the unkempt, cheerless town had really been forgotten about.
There had been a break in and minor property damage at one of the resident’s homes the night before. Apparently, there was no such thing as a local police force in Forgotten Hollow so, being the largest city in SimNation, the case fell into SMPD jurisdiction.
When Vincent arrived on scene, he was alarmed to hear what had actually happened at the property.
“The owner’s prized, antique organ was torched.” Officer Fyres reported to him as he stepped into the living room. Since when was fire considered a ‘minor’ event? Thought a horrified Vincent.
“Oh, do we know why yet?” Asked Vincent, his casual tone belying his thoughts, “where is the owner, anyway? Shouldn’t they be here right now?”
“Unfortunately, the owner is out of town. The neighbours had to call it in. And no, we still don’t know anything about why it happened yet or who could have possibly done it,” she looked down at her shoes, “doubt we ever will, to be honest.”
“I’m sure there’s plenty of clues left here, Officer Fyres. What makes you say that?” Puzzled, he scanned the room as he waited for her answer.
“Just that there’s a lot of things that aren’t quite adding up lately. There are a lot of unanswered questions,” she mused glumly, “my neighbour disappeared last week and he still hasn’t come home.”
“Just because we haven’t solved other cases doesn’t mean that this one won’t be either, Officer,” he gently reassured her, “anyway, I’m pretty sure that the cases aren’t linked. We’ll definitely catch who is responsible for this,” he gestured at the scene in front of them.
She gave him a wistful look which made Vincent battle the impulse to pat her shoulder. At least he wasn’t the only Sim in SimNation that was perturbed by all the disappearances.
“I’d like you to continue looking around here for a bit while I talk to the neighbours,” his deep voice startled her back to the present moment, her despondent expression quickly vanishing.
He shut the cover on his notebook and started towards the exit.
“I can’t help but feel like we’re getting closer to solving those missing Sim cases, though,” he added over his shoulder, lying through his back teeth.
“Vampires. Vampires live in this town?” Vincent couldn’t conceal the disdain from his voice.
“Yeah. I’m certain of it, Detective,” the witness nodded his head vehemently as he spoke, “Forgotten Hollow is like some kind of vampire nexus! They live in this house and that house over there.” He pointed excitedly to various buildings on the opposite side of the street.
“Have you seen them? What do they look like?” Vincent humoured him.
“Honestly, I’m not too sure if I have ever seen one myself but I’m definitely a believer! There are all kinds of conspiracies on the internet, you just have to know where to look. My wife believes they can travel in different ways. Really fast, too. She said that they have red eyes that glow at night,” he chuckled to himself, “I’m not too sure about that one though, I think she might have made that one up. Her imagination can be a bit... colourful sometimes. I’m starting to think she’s watched ‘Night of the Culling’ too many times, you know what I mean?”
“Just to clarify, what do you mean by ‘different ways’ exactly?” This ought to be good, Vincent thought, trying very hard to suppress the grin forming on his face.
“Um... well, they can fly as bats and... and vanish and reappear...” He shifted uncomfortably on the spot as he trailed off.
The neighbour was suddenly embarrassed; it was almost like he just realised Vincent was an actual cop, doing an actual job and not one of his conspiracy nut friends down at the local dive bar.
He considered hitting the witness over the head with his pen but then thought better of it.
“Why would a ‘vampire’ set fire to an antique organ?” Vincent inquired, his voice full of doubt.
The witness responded with a shrug. Vincent gave him a hard, silent stare and waited patiently for him to elaborate.
When he didn’t, Vincent broke the tense silence between them.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me back to San Myshuno for some further questioning, sir.” He flipped the cover of his notebook closed and motioned the Sim to follow him.
***
The next morning Vincent found himself on his feet, looming over the interrogation room’s table at the Sim he questioned in Forgotten Hollow the day before.
“I’m sorry, Detective Valentine. There’s been some strange stuff that’s been going on lately and it’s the only thing that makes sense to me. I can’t help but believe that vampires are behind all these disappearances.”
With his anger rising dangerously, Vincent let out a frustrated groan as he clenched his fists. He started to pace the room when the witness let out an ear-piercing shriek. Vincent stopped his pacing and turned to face the witness once again.
“What now?” He asked, exasperated.
“Well, it’s... your... your -,” he stammered as he pointed at Vincent, eyes widening as he did so.
“My what?” Vincent’s tone was as sharp as the Grim Reaper’s scythe.
“Your - your neck, Detective.” The witness answered falteringly.
“What about my neck?” Vincent’s hand floated up towards his neck and rubbed the back of it, his anger now combining with slight unease.
“Praise the Watcher... you’ve been bitten, Detective!” Awe and terror simultaneously flashed across his face.
Vincent’s fury, once again, reached breaking point and paper was sent flying into the air.
“There’s no such thing as vampires!” Vincent’s roar was loud enough for every Sim in SimNation to hear.
As the papers fluttered gently down around him, he slammed his fists on the table so hard that it shook under the strain.
The witness sat in stony silence as Vincent wearily rubbed his eyes, waiting for his temper to subside.
He took a calm, cleansing breath to steady himself. Just as he opened his mouth to continue the interrogation a sudden, sharp pain pierced through his brain. Eyes watering and vision blurring, Vincent grabbed his head and let out a cry of pain.
Disjointed images flashed through his mind. Nonsensical visions caused Vincent to stagger backwards into the wall. A shadowy figure clawed at his neck and grasped at him from out of the darkness. Flashes of green light burst into his clouded vision.
Excruciating pain tore through his body and he writhed in agony. His body ached all over, he felt battered and bruised as if he’d just fallen down a mountainside.
Breathing heavily and sweating profusely, Vincent slowly pried open an eye. Thankfully, the pain in his body was subsiding as quickly as it had begun and he gradually peeled himself off the cold wall.
Visibly distressed and incredibly confused, he fled from the room.
***
After hearing the news of what happened in the interrogation room the Chief decided to place Vincent on strict desk duty. As mind-numbingly dull as desk duty was, Vincent knew all the recent stress he’d been under was responsible for his unfortunate work situation. Protesting was pointless and, truthfully, he needed to sort the mass of paperwork that had been accumulating on his desk.
However, after a very tedious eight hour shift he completely gave up and knocked on the Chief’s door. He was owed some vacation time so he asked her for some days off. Luckily, she obliged and he was granted a few weeks.
It never crossed Vincent’s mind to spend his vacation time visiting Uptown’s new spa like his co-workers had suggested. Not for one minute.
Vincent had other plans for how he was going to spend his vacation and it certainly didn’t involve relaxing in a sauna. If he couldn’t resolve these cases while at work then he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.
***
When Vincent finally got home, he dug out the ancient tome once again.
His experience in the interrogation room had profoundly affected him. The terrifying ordeal had gradually caused his previous vampire misgivings to waiver slightly. He was starting to regret his persistent stubbornness and his inability to accept what could possibly be the truth. If vampires did indeed walk the streets of SimNation then he could finally save his city from the rot that was destroying it.
Determination creasing his brow, Vincent frantically flicked through the pages searching for a specific paragraph he had flippantly dismissed months earlier. He found it, slammed the book shut and set about gathering the materials he required.
He was going to uncover who, or what, was responsible for all these disappearances once and for all and he knew exactly where to start.
It was getting late when Vincent finally reached Forgotten Hollow. Just like his first visit, the dingy, disorientating woods on the outskirts of town caused him to get lost again. The town was just as eerily quiet and he shuddered at its gloomy, dank atmosphere.
Unlike before, Vincent now had enough time to canvas the cryptic, sleepy town. He wasn’t really sure what to expect in Forgotten Hollow and he didn’t have much evidence to go on either, other than a few flimsy witness statements and a brief, muddled 'flashback'. However, his detective instincts gnawed at him; there was something sinister about this town, something dark. He found it incredibly peculiar that the mid-summer’s evening air was mysteriously chilly and, for some strange reason, the days seemed shorter here. He felt safer knowing that he’d come prepared; whatever was out there, he was ready for it.
His eyes fell on a statue located straight in front of him. He didn’t recognise the statue’s likeness so he tentatively walked toward it, checking over his shoulder as he did so.
Vincent, brimming with curiosity, read the weather-worn inscription aloud, his voice ringing through the deserted town square:
Count Vladislaus Straud I.
Vincent’s brow wrinkled in concentration as his eyes scanned further down the plaque. He caught the date of the statue’s completion; approximately two hundred years ago. Odd, he thought to himself, I’ve barely heard of this town. How has it remained so secretive for almost twenty decades?
He wandered through the narrow, cobbled streets inspecting and taking mental notes of every strange thing he noticed. Distant haunting sounds would flare his paranoia and he would occasionally stop every now and then to check behind him.
The sun was long gone by the time he noticed a dark, menacing mansion that loomed out of the darkness. Obscured by withered trees and twilight, Vincent had to squint in order to make out the building. Framed by the mountains and the rising moon, he caught a glimpse of the roofline and the main tower but not much else.
Interest piqued, Vincent quickened his pace as he headed towards it. The air was frigid and the mist was growing thicker as he made his way up the long, winding path. Slightly breathless, he stopped to take in his surroundings. The chill in the air was biting and his teeth started to chatter uncontrollably as he tried to keep warm.
Surrounded by dense fog and gravestones, he gingerly picked his way through the brambles and dead vegetation littering the ground. Slowly, he made his way towards the old, decrepit mansion. Large, wrought iron gates stood menacingly before him and he shivered again. Could this have been the Count’s mansion? He wondered as his heart thumped loudly in his chest.
Vincent wasn’t entirely sure how old the mansion was but it appeared like it hadn’t received visitors in centuries; it looked completely abandoned. It was possible that it was at least two hundred years old and of a similar age to the statue in town. Nature had consumed the property; the gardens were unkempt and completely overgrown. He observed that the vegetation was as lifeless and decaying as the building itself. How fitting, he thought to himself as an animal howled in the distance.
He inhaled a deep, bracing breath to steady his nerves. Filled with resolve, he took a confident step forward and made his way through the mist towards the mansion’s large, foreboding entrance.
With the small town at his back, he cautiously climbed up the rickety staircase. Heart thumping, he began pounding on the estate’s beautifully ornate, large, wooden door.
“SMPD! Open up!” He barked, his voice piercing the deathly quiet night air.
The lights that flanked either side of the door flickered slightly but other than that Vincent was greeted with absolute silence. He pressed his ear hard against the ancient door and listened for any sounds. He heard nothing from within the mansion and he was completely alone.
As he raised his fist to knock once more the doors gradually creaked open. Alarmed at the sudden movement, Vincent stumbled backwards and nearly lost his footing. He straightened himself up and let his vision adjust before peering through the darkness into the mansion’s ominous interior.
Mesmerized by the time-worn entryway, Vincent crossed the threshold and stepped inside.
@GracieO312 Just popping in to say hi! I'm a lurker of your thread (might have seen me post once) but thought I should make myself known and that I super love your story and style and can't wait to read more. Ok hiding again bai
Chapter Four.
“Sul Sul! Hello!” Vincent cried out as the large doors heavily banged shut behind him, trapping him inside.
His resounding voice shattered the building’s sombre calm and reverberated off the crumbling walls. For a moment he wasn’t alone any more and he was comforted by his echo as it filled the gloomy, cavernous hallway.
As he inspected the tattered furnishings he also listened hard for sounds of movement from within the mansion. It was silent apart from the unmistakable sound of a crackling fire. Vincent followed the noise until he reached a large, wooden archway where a vast parlour room stretched out before him.
Curious and cold, Vincent sighed gratefully when he glimpsed the familiar, flickering orange glow and hurriedly strode towards it. He wasted no time in warming himself by the fireplace, its blazing flames drawing him dangerously close.
Distracted by the fire’s satisfying warmth, Vincent was wholly unaware that he was being observed from behind. A mysterious figure lurked in the mansion’s murky shadows, scrutinising his every action. In a balcony, high above the parlour room, the figure sat in an opulent, cardinal red armchair patiently awaiting Vincent’s next move. A sneer crawled across its face as it slowly rose from its seat.
Sufficiently thawed, Vincent gradually withdrew his body from the fireplace and slowly turned his body in the direction of a beautiful, old-fashioned organ. He took a single step towards it when it suddenly disappeared before his eyes.
A cloud of black mist engulfed him which darkened his vision and sent chills down his spine. Startled, he staggered backwards towards the fireplace.
“Do you believe now, Detective?” Inquired an intimidating, disembodied voice.
***
Terrified, Vincent whipped his head around frantically and tried to establish where the voice came from. He squinted hard into the black mist, desperately trying to locate the Sim who spoke to him seconds ago.
The mist dissipated quickly and revealed a menacing creature sneering at Vincent, baring its fangs like a wild animal. Fangs? A panicked Vincent thought, heart leaping out of his chest.
The creature inched closer and closer to Vincent, a hideous hissing noise emanating from its crooked mouth.
“Do you believe in vampires now, Detective?” A sadistic grin creeped across the creature’s face.
“Wh-what?” Vincent stammered.
Broken memories and disjointed images once again flashed through Vincent’s mind as the creature’s hissing intensified. The tome, shadowy figures, the statue... disappearing Sims... Officer Caliente...?
His fearful, frantic thoughts trailed off and they abruptly turned to rage. A part of him still wanted to deny vampires were real but recent events were now beginning to make terrifying sense. Just like a jigsaw puzzle, everything was starting to slot together in Vincent’s mind, creating a macabre image that no Sim in SimNation would have ever thought possible.
Vampires did exist in SimNation.
Plasmathirsty vampires lurked in the shadows of SimNation and preyed upon innocent SimCitizens.
The disturbing reality caused anger to bubble inside Vincent’s chest as the vampire reached for his shoulder. He tried pulling away but its considerable strength outmatched his own, leaving him utterly immobilised.
“Detective Valentine...” the vampire hissed, “I must confess that it was I who made all those poor, dear Sims disappear,” it pouted its plasmastained lips and shook its head in faux regret, mocking Vincent.
“Why?” Fury was making Vincent’s question terse and strained.
The vampire dropped its vivid electric blue gaze to the floor as it carefully thought about its answer.
“Power,” its voice dropped to a low hiss as it tightened its grip on Vincent’s shoulder, its face contorted with madness.
With all his might Vincent tore free from the vampire’s grasp and attempted to run for the exit. Enraged, the vampire launched itself at Vincent, spitting, hissing and clawing at Vincent’s face.
Vincent wrestled fiercely with the vampire, its incredible strength and power almost completely overwhelmed him.
Adopting a defensive stance, Vincent managed to prevent any serious damage caused by the vampire and eventually gained the upper-hand. He dodged the vampire’s fist by millimetres as he plummeted to the floor, roughly grabbed its ankles and launched it towards the ceiling.
With the vampire distracted, Vincent was finally able to reach for his weapon: the garlic braid he’d constructed shortly before leaving San Myshuno. The vampire, in immense pain, hissed violently at the stench and quickly recoiled from Vincent, hissing and spitting as it did so.
“Fine,” the vampire seethed through its monstrous fangs, “you win this time, Detective. I see you’ve been doing some research. Studied the Encyclopedia Vampirica, have we? That kind of initiative and resourcefulness is why I am so drawn to you, my dear.”
Exhausted but triumphant, Vincent wiped the sweat from his brow and interrogated the vampire once again.
“How do you know my name? Why are all those Sims missing? What have you done to them? Where are they?” His shouting was deafening in the vast room.
“So many questions, my dear Detective!” Teased the vampire.
“Answer me! Now!” Screamed Vincent, his plasma pressure rising dangerously.
“I’ve been watching you for a considerable amount of time, my dear, sweet Valentine. Hoping and praying you’d notice me and bring me out of the shadowy depths once and for all! It looks like you just did!” The vampire pranced childishly as it mocked Vincent, a sickly grin twisting its cruel features, “I commend you on your bravery tonight, Detective. It must’ve taken a lot of courage to come alone to Straud Mansion in the dead of night.”
“Shut up, vampire!” Roared Vincent, his tone filled with loathing.
“Vladislaus, my dear,” the vampire corrected sternly, “Count Vladislaus Straud I,” the emphasis on the title caused his voice to hiss again, “although, some human Sims may refer to me as Count Vladislaus Straud IV...”
Vincent glared at Straud, waiting for him to explain his heinous actions. After a moment, Straud gave a dramatic sigh and cleared his throat.
“My reasoning is simple,” Straud began calmly, “I was told a long, long time ago...” he shook his head quickly at his inaccuracy, “no, warned a long, long time ago that...,” he paused briefly, seeking the correct words, “I am to defend myself against something that has the potential to destroy not only myself but the entirety of SimNation.”
A derisive snort escaped from Vincent’s mouth as he shook his head. He was starting to question the vampire’s sanity.
Straud’s grotesque features morphed into a gravely serious, pensive expression as memories from long ago resurfaced from the recesses of his mind.
“It was the night the Saint Bernard sank. It was mere moments before the vessel was consumed by the tumultuous, ferocious waves that I, Count Vladislaus Straud, was approached by a haggard yet strangely beautiful female Sim. The merciless waves obliterated the saloon windows into a thousand tiny shards of glass causing torrents of water to cascade into the ship. The wind and the rain howled perilously outside, unconscious Sims littered the saloon’s floor and yet she still made sure to forewarn me of my impending fate,” he took a deep breath before he continued to speak again.
“She firmly advised me to ‘prepare for evil’,” he gave another dramatic sigh, “alas, dear Valentine, the poor wretch never made it to the shoreline as with all the other passengers and crew but I carried her last words with me like a soul-crushing weight on my shoulders. Two hundred years later I can still hear her desperate, frantic pleading and feel her frail, delicate hands tugging at my coat lapels,” he paused momentarily as he collected his thoughts, “two hundred years later and I am still waiting for that evil to arrive.”
Dumbfounded by his account, Vincent stared blankly at Straud.
“You - you were a... a passenger on the Saint Bernard?” An awestruck Vincent eventually managed, Straud’s story still swirling in his mind, “the ship that sank off the coast of Brindleton Bay two hundred years ago?”
“Yes, I was,” he admitted proudly, “but is that the only thing you take away from my dire recollection?” Straud’s tone exuded annoyance and offence at Vincent’s inability to grasp crucial information quickly, “come on, Detective! I thought you could keep up quicker than that! Surely they trained you properly at the police academy, no?”
“You were there that night? You witnessed everything?” Vincent pressed on, ignoring Straud’s boorish flippancy.
“Yes, I was there. I saw everything that happened to that exquisite galleon and those pitiful, abandoned animals,” Straud answered him, his clipped tone indicated his exasperation at the detective, “also, may I inform you, that the ship met its cruel fate on what is now know as Deadgrass Isle. Nowhere near the Brindleton Bay coastline,” he pedantically corrected Vincent.
His awe and amazement with the vampire rendered Vincent temporarily unable to interrogate correctly and he blushed with embarrassment at his sudden ineptitude. He managed to block out his fascination with Straud’s history and regained his composure.
“You’re creating an army of vampires? You’re under threat? By whom? By what? What is this nonsense about it destroying SimNation? What is evil enough to wipe out the entire planet?”
“Aha! Finally, Detective Valentine has started to grasp how to ask pertinent questions now!” Straud clapped his hands together and cackled with glee. Vincent clenched his jaw in indignation.
“Answer me, Straud!” He demanded, his voice gruff with shouting, “what in SimNation are you talking about?”
Straud’s menacing electric blue eyes bore steadily into Vincent’s as he took a deep breath in.
I had it as 'blood' for ages and I couldn't work out why it sounded so weird to me and then I suddenly thought 'hang on a minute! Sims don't have any blood, it's plasma!' Gotta stick to that lore!
I'm actually really nervous about the last few parts of Part II. I hope I've managed to explain where this story is going. The next parts are where the story definitely starts picking up some speed
Straud crossed over to a plush, olive green love seat and propped himself into a comfortable position.
“You don’t mind, do you, Detective? It’s just what I am about to divulge is rather lengthy and my eternal bones need to rest.”
Vincent shrugged nonchalantly and folded his arms over his chest.
“Sure. Go ahead. You’ll apparently do whatever the Netherworld you want anyway.”
The vampire sighed with contentment as he lounged on the settee. As he cleared his throat he motioned Vincent to join him.
“Please take a seat, Detective Valentine. As I said, this may take some time for me to explain. Vampires are complex, refined creatures, you see. I’m not entirely sure how much a mere human Sim can comprehend but do try to keep up.”
Vincent accepted the invitation reluctantly, he exhaled loudly and crossed over to a nearby chair.
“By all means, Straud, enlighten me,” snapped Vincent.
Straud recoiled at Vincent’s tone.
“Mind your manners, Detective,” he admonished him, “I’m going to be gracious towards you and impart everything I know as I believe your... talents could prove useful to me at a later date. I have plans for you, Valentine...”
As Vincent slowly reclined back in his chair he let out another loud sigh.
“I’m all ears, Straud.”
“Well, Detective Valentine,” he began, “like I stated earlier, my ultimate goal is power and control. If I have that then nothing will be able to stop me. Once I have built my army and it is sufficiently strong enough, I will have enough protection to destroy anything the SimUniverse throws my way,” his voiced was filled with maniacal determination and it made the hairs on the back of Vincent’s neck stand on end.
“Also,” Straud continued, “it would be a lot safer for SimNation’s citizens if those newly turned vampires did not return to their families. Trust me, Detective, I was doing you and the planet a huge favour by keeping them here in Forgotten Hollow. Things would have gotten decidedly... turbulent if I were to allow them contact with their previous life. Fledglings can be... unpredictable... at the best of times.”
“OK...” Vincent was trying his hardest to follow Straud’s account but his anxiousness to get a confession out of him was overwhelming, “could you please just cut to the part where you confess to murder? I know you did it, vampire!” Vincent’s churlishness was starting to get the better of him. He couldn’t wait to lock Straud up forever and throw the key into the Myshuno Meadows lake.
“Murder, you say?” Breathed Straud, intrigued and incredulous at Vincent’s accusation, “I never murdered anyone!”
“The SMPD has evidence that proves otherwise,” lied Vincent, “we have physical evidence that proves that the bite marks found on the victim’s neck were caused by two puncture wounds that are identical to your... fangs! You’re looking pretty guilty to me, Straud!”
An indifferent Straud nonchalantly picked at a thread on his long, grey overcoat.
“You killed an innocent officer of the law!” Roared Vincent as his plasma pulsed at his temples.
“That’s quite an allegation, Detective,” replied Straud coolly.
Vincent started to reel off Caliente’s physical descriptors to Straud, inwardly praying it would get a confession out of him.
“Aha! I remember now,” Straud sharply cut him off, “yes, that one was rather delicious. I just couldn’t stop myself but I had no idea that she had died! That is quite curious, I must say! They don’t usually do that, Detective,” his expression turned reflective again as he thought about her death but it abruptly vanished when he shrugged heartlessly and continued with his story.
“I believe she collapsed in a pile of trash after I was finished feeding from her, if I’m not mistaken. Something like that, anyway,” he snickered viciously at the memory, ”how unfortunate she ended up dying in it! Unfortunately, for me though, another Sim entered the room and I had to vanish quickly in case I was spotted.”
Vincent was disgusted by Straud’s blasé attitude and cruel malice. He shifted slightly in his seat as he reached for the handcuffs in his back pocket when Straud stopped him with a chilling, icy blue scowl.
“It was a necessary sacrifice, Detective!” Straud spat at him, “one that will save us all. I need all the plasma I can get my hands on if I am to save SimNation! I need to turn more Sims into vampires to help me defeat whatever that female Sim warned me about two hundred years ago!” He wailed erratically, “’only a Grand Master vampire possesses enough strength to bring about its ultimate destruction’ is what she revealed to me. I believe I am, as the only Grand Master vampire in existence, the only one that has any chance of stopping it!”
Vincent couldn’t believe what he was hearing. None of Straud’s story was making any rational sense. The typical ramblings of an erratic Sim. The continuous merry-go-round of Straud’s explanation and complete lack of Sim empathy was making Vincent incredibly irate. His confused brain found it hard to make sense of anything the vampire told him.
“If you’re the only one that can stop it, why do you need an army? Why do you have to turn innocent Sims into your plasmathirsty minions?” Quizzed an appalled Vincent.
Straud resumed picking at his overcoat’s thread again as he thought about his answer. Vincent waited patiently for him to answer, the roar of the crackling fire the only sound in the vast space between them.
“As I’ve repeatedly told you: power,” he growled dangerously, “I also feel that should anything... frightfully unpleasant happen to me, I at least know my kind will continue after I am gone. Hopefully, one of them is astute and cunning enough to reach the Grand Master rank in time.”
“So, what you’re saying is, you’ll continue to destroy Sim lives by turning Sims into vampires because of some phony ‘prophecy’ about the end of SimNation you heard from a complete stranger on a sinking ship two hundred years ago! A prophecy which, most likely, will probably not even happen! You’re one sick son of a llama, you know that, Straud?”
Vincent seethed with rage and balled his fists in his lap as Straud waved his hands violently in protest.
“Mark my words, my Valentine: this evil will arrive in SimNation, it is undeniable, and my vampire army and I must be ruthless in order to defeat it. I am not doing this for personal, selfish reasons. Although, I would be lying if I said that wasn’t part of it,” the vampire let out another dramatic sigh, “I do not know when this evil will arrive nor what it will look like, it could take any form. All I know is that it will be sooner than you think. It could be here in SimNation as we speak. When I arrived on these shores after the Saint Bernard sank I ensured that I established Forgotten Hollow in a physical locale that was difficult for most human Sims to find,” Vincent grunted in ardent agreement, “it is a safe haven, a sanctuary, if you will, protected by its arduous terrain and my supreme vampiric powers. These unsurpassed powers of mine have protected the town and I for two hundred years and they are the reason why no danger has found me... yet. Human Sims tend to suffer from strange memory lapses here but do not worry, Detective; it is as I intended. It is the reason why most human Sims have hardly ever heard of Forgotten Hollow or struggle to locate it when trying to find it. No Sim is allowed in without my blessing; everything has been orchestrated by yours truly. For example, it was no coincidence that you were called to that organ fire that day.”
“You were behind that, too?” Vincent questioned, mouth agape in horror.
“Yes, my dear, sweet Valentine. I started that fire out of revenge and I also knew it would bring you to my quaint, charming little town,” Straud snarled menacingly, “I believe you’d make an excellent vampire, Vincent. Strong-willed, independent, perceptive Sims like you suit this eternal existence perfectly. However, we’ll have to work on your close-minded stubbornness when it comes to the supernatural...”
It was the first time Straud had called him by his first name. Nauseated, Vincent heaved with disgust upon hearing it.
He was being recruited.
“Alas, it is true,” Straud continued wearily, “I’ve made some... controversial choices in that department, somewhat recently. Desperation leads to foolish decisions, I’ll admit that,” he wrinkled his long, crooked nose in displeasure, “however, I am assured of your ample skills and accomplishments, Detective.”
“Shut up, Straud!” Barked Vincent, repulsion simmering through his body.
“I should never have turned that wretched Vatore Sim! That family has caused me nothing but strife. Their abominable ‘lifestyle’ is threatening the future of vampirism...” Lamented Straud bitterly.
“Enough!” Yelled Vincent as he jumped swiftly to his feet, “enough of your lies!”
“Now, now. Easy, Detective,” Straud tried to placate him but Vincent was already pacing.
“Why did you do it?” Snapped Vincent, “tell me the real reason why you set fire to that organ!”
“I have over two hundred years of knowledge and experience of being a vampire,” Straud stood up from his seat and crossed over to Vincent, “this existence is not easy, Detective. There are hard sacrifices to be made. Without those compromises who knows what could happen. Fledglings and Minors are full of idealistic drivel, futile frivolity that will surely be the end of SimCivilisation! Lessons must be taught and, as the only Grand Master vampire in SimNation, I expect them to be listened to.” By burning instruments? Vincent couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Vampirism aside, Straud was seriously unstable.
“Vladislaus Straud, I’m arresting you for the murder of Officer Nina Caliente, kidnapping, assault, breaking and entering, trespassing, destruction of property, assaulting an officer and arson,” he grabbed Straud by the shoulder and removed the restraints from his back pocket.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do -,” Vincent gasped and choked for air, his next words lost forever as a cloud of black mist appeared before him.
“Catch me if you can, Detective!” A wild, unrestrained cackle escaped Straud as he vanished into thin air leaving Vincent alone once more.
***
Vincent bolted for the exit as fast as legs could carry him. He didn’t want to stay in the mansion for one minute longer. He’d have to deal with Straud at a later date. Catching him was going to need backup. Lots and lots of backup. But how was he going to convince the Chief that an erratic and paranoid vampire was behind all those missing Sim cases? He was going to have to conduct further investigations and do some more detecting if he was going to prove Straud’s guilt in a court of law.
He was running at such speed he slammed his body hard into the front entryway. He tried to wrench the door open with the handles but they remained firmly shut. He let out a cry of frustration. He needed to get away from Forgotten Hollow and the Count immediately.
Desperate, he started to claw at the door with his fingers, hoping they would yield just enough to gain some leverage.
The doors started to creak ever so slightly. Panting heavily, Vincent stepped back and impatiently waited for them to open.
“Come on, come on! Open up!” He begged them desperately.
The mansion’s ancient doors finally succumbed to his pleas and they swung wide open, revealing a fierce thunderstorm outside.
Vincent ran brazenly into the deluge, desperate to put as much distance between himself and Straud Mansion as possible. As he sprinted down the cobbled drive, he was confident that the only ‘evil thing’ in SimNation was the Count himself.
So I've spent my entire Sunday (and probably the whole of next week) learning how to create custom poses in Blender for my story! I love the EA animations but I was finding it so hard trying to get my sims in the exact position I wanted them to be all at the right time (and NOT move) so I've decided to learn a bit about posing.
Many, many thanks goes to the wonderful and brilliant @mercuryfoam for finding me a tutorial and answering all my questions! Thank you so much! You've saved me from quite the headache.
Anyway, here's my first attempt at making a custom pose. It's quite subtle but I was just playing around with some of my favourite in-game animations:
Ooh that looks amazing! Lara looks like she's not one to be messed with How's that subtle? She's downright looking natural! I can't wait to see what you come up with!
I meant the facial expression isn't that different from the original body pose's facial expression. It's just slightly different but I think you can tell I narrowed the eyes a bit more and rotated them a bit from the original. She looks like the sassy Tomb Raider we all know and love now!
Thank you! I tried to do a second pose but I completely messed it up somehow and I'm not entirely sure where I went wrong but I'm going to have another go at it today.
I have SO many ideas for this - thank you again for your help!
So I made this pose in blender and did a quick character edit too! Hope you like!
I really wanted a smiling/flirty/winking salute for Thorne because that's just totally something he would do! I might go in and edit the expression a bit because I really wanted a winking one but couldn't be bothered to find one so I just picked a smiling one instead.
EDIT:
I finally finished my first custom pose: A concerned wave! I'm pretty excited to use this one in my story
Yes I've been having a similar problem too, actually! It's really frustrating, especially if you're in the middle of a conversation!
Yeah it's been really addicting and has given me quite a few ideas that I want to try like MERMAIDS! Omg am I going to have fun with that! I was playing around with object meshes - is it normal for S4S to create a custom content clone of the objects in game or am I doing something wrong? If that's the case then that's really annoying. I don't want CC versions of paid items clogging up my already laggy BB catalogue!
The rain was coming down hard as Vincent sprinted down the winding, cobbled path. The storm was making the stones slippery underfoot and he occasionally stumbled as he headed back towards the town square.
The torrential rain blurred his vision and he could barely see where he going but he pressed on, determined to make it back home in one piece. He was halfway down the path when he spotted unusual water droplets rising from the path travelling in the direction of Straud Mansion.
Distracted, Vincent slipped on the slick, mossy paving. He stumbled and eventually lost his footing, flying backwards and landing painfully on his back.
He laid there motionless for a while; dazed, in agony and covered in dirt. He closed his eyes, recounting the evening’s events in his mind. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. Vampires were real. They were real and turning innocent Sims into more of them, murdering and feeding of their plasma for ‘protection against evil’. He’d never felt so utterly helpless.
His breathing grew fainter and his body heavier as the cold sleet stung his face. Constant thunderous booms and intense lightning flashes surrounded him, lighting up the eerie Forgotten Hollow sky like some dark, twisted version of the firework displays in San Myshuno.
“Sul Sul! Hello, can you hear me? Are you alright?” An unfamiliar voice yelled to Vincent through the torrential rain.
Vincent yanked open his eyes and let out a long, loud groan of pain. The cold, hard cobbles dug into his back as his bleary eyes tried hard to focus on the shadowy figure looming over him.
“Do you need help?” It shouted over the rain again.
“No, I’ve got it!” Vincent hollered back, “just give me a minute, would you?”
He gingerly rose from the floor and managed a squat position before turning to the stranger again.
“Who’re you?” He asked, voice dazed and head pounding from the fall.
“Caleb. And... uh... you are?”
“Vincent. Vincent Valentine,” Vincent replied as he cautiously rose to his full height.
“Nice to... uh...” Caleb’s eyes darted away from Vincent’s for a second before reconnecting again, “meet you, Vincent Valentine. Now, come on, let’s get you out of this storm.”
Caleb gestured at Vincent to follow him. Clothed in nothing but his soaked, thin, white shirt and his dirtied trousers, Vincent gave a grateful nod and trailed closely after him.
***
They arrived at a disturbingly familiar house. Vincent couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been to the property not so long ago but couldn’t quite place when. He was exhausted and freezing cold with a possible concussion. He just wanted to be safe inside his apartment once again and not stuck in some backwater town with an unhinged, paranoid, erratic vampire raving endlessly about the end of SimNation.
“Get out of the rain, you big llama!” Caleb called out to him over the deafening thunder claps, “get inside, now!”
He had definitely been here before. He climbed the steps, pushed through the doors and entered the hallway. It was a warm, inviting space; a stark contrast to the one at Straud Mansion. The lamps glowed brightly and it oozed quaint, old world charm. A case brought me here. Vincent’s memories were starting to become clearer. Which one, though? There’s been so many recently.
His throbbing headache was starting to intensify at the back of his head and he started to worry more about a potential concussion. It was a rather nasty fall...
“Please, follow me into the lounge, Vincent. Would you like something to drink, perhaps?” Caleb’s question jolted him back into the room.
“Um.. I’m OK, thanks,” he said, declining his offer, “I just want to clean up and head home, if that’s alright?”
“That’s fine but first I’d like to show you something,” excitement glistened in his ghostly grey eyes, “follow me, Vincent!”
Vincent nodded warily and followed him into the lounge.
“What do you think, huh? Pretty sweet, ain’t she? The repairman did a great job on her, didn’t he?” Caleb exclaimed boastfully.
Before Vincent could answer him excruciating pain burst into his skull, doubling him over. Green flashes of light danced in his darkening vision. A shadowy Sim emerged out of the darkness and advanced slowly towards him. Its face was distorted and blurred and Vincent struggled to identify any unique features.
“Vincent? Uh, SimNation to Vincent. Do you read me? Come in, Vincent.”
Caleb’s jarring voice shattered the foggy image in Vincent’s mind.
What laid before him was an antique organ. Its polished pipes gleamed in the brightly lit lounge and Vincent marvelled at its exquisite, ornate carvings.
He was almost certain that he recognised the room and the organ. His memory was still a little hazy but it was getting there, slowly but surely.
“Is my brother bothering you with his pathetic toys?” A gravelly voice asked behind Vincent.
He spun around in the direction of the sound and was faced with a female Sim casually sipping nectar from a large, round nectar glass.
“Ahem...” Caleb cleared his throat, “don’t be rude in front of my guest, please,” he replied with a biting tone.
She turned her head towards Caleb and shot him a withering look.
“Vincent. I’d like you to meet my darling sister, Lilith.”
“Nice to meet you, Vincent,” she batted her long lashes and smiled coyly at him.
Lilith’s vivid purple eyes dazzled Vincent and their luminescence almost blinded him. She continued to sip her nectar while she waited for his response and stared at him intently, her eyes never leaving his.
“Li-likewise,” he stammered, as he headed towards the hallway, hastily pushing past Lilith and nearly spilling her nectar, “listen, Caleb, I really have to go now. It’s getting late,” he really needed to leave Forgotten Hollow and its strange inhabitants far, far behind.
“Oh? But you haven’t heard me play yet!” He said, with great disappointment in his voice, “can’t you just stay for one song, hm?”
“Err... I really should be -” Vincent’s answer was abruptly cut short. Moving at an unnatural, breakneck speed Lilith appeared before him.
“Not scared are we, Vincent?” She hissed at him, her fangs glistening in the soft lighting.
“Lilith!” Caleb snapped at his sister disapprovingly, “Vincent, please excuse my sister. She gets... incredibly bored sometimes,” in warning, Caleb narrowed his cold, grey eyes at his sister.
“Fine. Whatever you say, brother,” Lilith sighed petulantly.
Vincent recoiled from Lilith and inched himself closer towards the hallway.
“The bathroom is just through there, Vincent. You can wash up in there,” Caleb pointed towards a door in the hallway, “it’s the first on your rig- .”
Vincent vanished into the bathroom before Caleb could finish his sentence. He slammed the door shut and locked it behind him. He turned the tap and began washing himself clean. The hot water and soapy lather felt pleasant against his icy, cold skin and the aroma of wolfsbane filled the air.
Washed and somewhat dried, Vincent stood back and studied his reflection in the mirror. His unnerved expression peered back at him through the glass.
It seemed as though Straud wasn’t the only supernatural being in this town; Lilith was most definitely one of his kind. Her mesmerising purple glowing eyes, sharp, pointed fangs and her extraordinary speed led Vincent to conclude that she, too, was a vampire. Caleb was more of a enigma, though, but there was definitely something peculiar about him that didn’t sit well with Vincent. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was just being overly friendly with him or in need of something else. He wasn’t sure if he could trust either of them.
He yearned to escape the property and leave Forgotten Hollow as soon as possible. He crossed to the small window and tested the handle. Locked. He searched for keys to no avail.
He was trapped inside a building with at least one plasmathirsty vampire for the second time that evening. I wonder if Lilith wants my plasma to build an army and save SimNation, too? He thought dejectedly as he sadly turned away from the window.
A gentle knock at the door and Caleb’s concerned voice pulled Vincent from his dark thoughts.
“Sul Sul? Are you still in there, Vincent?”
“Pfft! What do we need some lowly human cop Sim for anyway, Caleb?” Lilith gave a derisive snort, “he probably escaped out the window and is miles away by now. He’s been in there at least a half hour!”
“Shh, Lilith,” urged Caleb in a hushed whisper, “he’ll hear you!”
“This plan of yours will never work, Caleb. He’ll never go for it! We’ll just have to figure it out on our own like we have been doing.”
“It will work. He’s... different. I can just tell that he’ll listen to us,” he snapped back at her, “I refuse to let our sacrifices be for nothing!”
Vexed by his sister’s lack of confidence, Caleb resumed his urgent knocking.
“Vincent? Please, open the door when you’ve finished. We...,” Caleb shot Lilith a scathing look, “would like to speak to you about something.”
“You’re wasting your time...” Lilith scoffed.
“We’ll see about that!” Caleb retorted, with a dangerous look in his eyes.
“Fine,” Lilith threw up her hands in surrender, “have it your way, Caleb!” She rolled her eyes behind her brother’s back.
On the other side of the door, Vincent stood listening intently to their conversation. Unanswered questions raced through his mind. What does Caleb need me for? What does he have to say to me? Why is he having to make sacrifices?
His hand reached for the door’s lock when pain suddenly burst into his eyes and skull. He braced against the door, shaking and panting while he waited for the image in his mind to focus.
Sharp, piercing grey eyes loomed at him from out of gloom. A sharp nose culminated in even sharper fangs. Clawed hands appeared out of the shadows and the figured lunged itself at Vincent.
The vision revealed Caleb to be the shadowy figure. Caleb was just about sink his teeth into Vincent’s neck when Vincent’s eyes flew open. He hadn’t been having stress-induced hallucinations at all; the strange visions he’d been having were... memories. Memories that Caleb had tried to erase with his vampiric powers.
Caleb, the nice Sim who’d helped him when he’d fallen and sheltered him from the rain had been his late night visitor. Caleb thirsted for and feasted on his plasma without his consent. Caleb was a vampire, too; the same as Straud, his sister and Watcher knows how many others out there. Were the siblings also turning human Sims into vampires against their will like Straud was? Was Caleb obsessed with the end of SimNation, too? Was he also a power hungry control freak with delusional fantasies and the need for a vampire army? Were they going to try to recruit him, too?
“Vincent?” Caleb wheezed through the door, “I know you’re still in there! I can hear your breathing. Is everything alright?”
Furious and disgusted by the revelation, Vincent reached for the door’s lock and forcefully yanked open the door. Startled by his irate sneer and flaring nostrils, Caleb immediately adjusted his features into a neutral expression to avoid antagonising him any further.
“We’d like to talk to you, if that’s alright?” He asked Vincent matter-of-factly.
“What do you want, vampires?” Vincent spat the last word at Caleb, his voice filled with hateful ire and he scowled at Caleb’s somewhat guilty face, “do you think something evil will destroy the planet, too?”
An astonished Lilith flicked her eyes from Vincent’s incensed expression to her brother’s confident smirk.
“The cop has met Straud?” Her jaw hung open in bewilderment.
Caleb flashed his sister a self-assured grin, “I told you he was different.”
This is so well done - WOW
I've read through the thread these past few days and the story is so intriguing! It's also been fun to see you figure out gimp, blender and posing, it seems really complicated haha.
I look forward for more, keep doing what you're doing!
Comments
You don't need a 'pandemic' to be creative.
Good excuse though.
These are amazing!
Forgotten Hollow. A few hours later.
Vincent eventually reached the small, secluded town of Forgotten Hollow in the early afternoon. Travelling on a barely discernable, muddied track through a densely packed pine forest caused him to get lost a number of times along the way. The confusing roads signage did not help matters, either.
Forgotten Hollow creeped him out like most backwater towns did. It was like the town appeared out of nowhere, just ‘poofed’ into existence and there wasn’t a single Sim to be seen anywhere on its cobbled streets. Vincent wondered if the unkempt, cheerless town had really been forgotten about.
There had been a break in and minor property damage at one of the resident’s homes the night before. Apparently, there was no such thing as a local police force in Forgotten Hollow so, being the largest city in SimNation, the case fell into SMPD jurisdiction.
When Vincent arrived on scene, he was alarmed to hear what had actually happened at the property.
“The owner’s prized, antique organ was torched.” Officer Fyres reported to him as he stepped into the living room.
Since when was fire considered a ‘minor’ event? Thought a horrified Vincent.
“Oh, do we know why yet?” Asked Vincent, his casual tone belying his thoughts, “where is the owner, anyway? Shouldn’t they be here right now?”
“Unfortunately, the owner is out of town. The neighbours had to call it in. And no, we still don’t know anything about why it happened yet or who could have possibly done it,” she looked down at her shoes, “doubt we ever will, to be honest.”
“I’m sure there’s plenty of clues left here, Officer Fyres. What makes you say that?” Puzzled, he scanned the room as he waited for her answer.
“Just that there’s a lot of things that aren’t quite adding up lately. There are a lot of unanswered questions,” she mused glumly, “my neighbour disappeared last week and he still hasn’t come home.”
“Just because we haven’t solved other cases doesn’t mean that this one won’t be either, Officer,” he gently reassured her, “anyway, I’m pretty sure that the cases aren’t linked. We’ll definitely catch who is responsible for this,” he gestured at the scene in front of them.
She gave him a wistful look which made Vincent battle the impulse to pat her shoulder. At least he wasn’t the only Sim in SimNation that was perturbed by all the disappearances.
“I’d like you to continue looking around here for a bit while I talk to the neighbours,” his deep voice startled her back to the present moment, her despondent expression quickly vanishing.
He shut the cover on his notebook and started towards the exit.
“I can’t help but feel like we’re getting closer to solving those missing Sim cases, though,” he added over his shoulder, lying through his back teeth.
“Vampires. Vampires live in this town?” Vincent couldn’t conceal the disdain from his voice.
“Yeah. I’m certain of it, Detective,” the witness nodded his head vehemently as he spoke, “Forgotten Hollow is like some kind of vampire nexus! They live in this house and that house over there.” He pointed excitedly to various buildings on the opposite side of the street.
“Have you seen them? What do they look like?” Vincent humoured him.
“Honestly, I’m not too sure if I have ever seen one myself but I’m definitely a believer! There are all kinds of conspiracies on the internet, you just have to know where to look. My wife believes they can travel in different ways. Really fast, too. She said that they have red eyes that glow at night,” he chuckled to himself, “I’m not too sure about that one though, I think she might have made that one up. Her imagination can be a bit... colourful sometimes. I’m starting to think she’s watched ‘Night of the Culling’ too many times, you know what I mean?”
“Just to clarify, what do you mean by ‘different ways’ exactly?” This ought to be good, Vincent thought, trying very hard to suppress the grin forming on his face.
“Um... well, they can fly as bats and... and vanish and reappear...” He shifted uncomfortably on the spot as he trailed off.
The neighbour was suddenly embarrassed; it was almost like he just realised Vincent was an actual cop, doing an actual job and not one of his conspiracy nut friends down at the local dive bar.
He considered hitting the witness over the head with his pen but then thought better of it.
“Why would a ‘vampire’ set fire to an antique organ?” Vincent inquired, his voice full of doubt.
The witness responded with a shrug. Vincent gave him a hard, silent stare and waited patiently for him to elaborate.
When he didn’t, Vincent broke the tense silence between them.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me back to San Myshuno for some further questioning, sir.” He flipped the cover of his notebook closed and motioned the Sim to follow him.
The next morning Vincent found himself on his feet, looming over the interrogation room’s table at the Sim he questioned in Forgotten Hollow the day before.
“I’m sorry, Detective Valentine. There’s been some strange stuff that’s been going on lately and it’s the only thing that makes sense to me. I can’t help but believe that vampires are behind all these disappearances.”
With his anger rising dangerously, Vincent let out a frustrated groan as he clenched his fists. He started to pace the room when the witness let out an ear-piercing shriek. Vincent stopped his pacing and turned to face the witness once again.
“What now?” He asked, exasperated.
“Well, it’s... your... your -,” he stammered as he pointed at Vincent, eyes widening as he did so.
“My what?” Vincent’s tone was as sharp as the Grim Reaper’s scythe.
“Your - your neck, Detective.” The witness answered falteringly.
“What about my neck?” Vincent’s hand floated up towards his neck and rubbed the back of it, his anger now combining with slight unease.
“Praise the Watcher... you’ve been bitten, Detective!” Awe and terror simultaneously flashed across his face.
Vincent’s fury, once again, reached breaking point and paper was sent flying into the air.
“There’s no such thing as vampires!” Vincent’s roar was loud enough for every Sim in SimNation to hear.
As the papers fluttered gently down around him, he slammed his fists on the table so hard that it shook under the strain.
The witness sat in stony silence as Vincent wearily rubbed his eyes, waiting for his temper to subside.
He took a calm, cleansing breath to steady himself. Just as he opened his mouth to continue the interrogation a sudden, sharp pain pierced through his brain. Eyes watering and vision blurring, Vincent grabbed his head and let out a cry of pain.
Disjointed images flashed through his mind. Nonsensical visions caused Vincent to stagger backwards into the wall. A shadowy figure clawed at his neck and grasped at him from out of the darkness. Flashes of green light burst into his clouded vision.
Excruciating pain tore through his body and he writhed in agony. His body ached all over, he felt battered and bruised as if he’d just fallen down a mountainside.
Breathing heavily and sweating profusely, Vincent slowly pried open an eye. Thankfully, the pain in his body was subsiding as quickly as it had begun and he gradually peeled himself off the cold wall.
Visibly distressed and incredibly confused, he fled from the room.
After hearing the news of what happened in the interrogation room the Chief decided to place Vincent on strict desk duty. As mind-numbingly dull as desk duty was, Vincent knew all the recent stress he’d been under was responsible for his unfortunate work situation. Protesting was pointless and, truthfully, he needed to sort the mass of paperwork that had been accumulating on his desk.
However, after a very tedious eight hour shift he completely gave up and knocked on the Chief’s door. He was owed some vacation time so he asked her for some days off. Luckily, she obliged and he was granted a few weeks.
It never crossed Vincent’s mind to spend his vacation time visiting Uptown’s new spa like his co-workers had suggested. Not for one minute.
Vincent had other plans for how he was going to spend his vacation and it certainly didn’t involve relaxing in a sauna. If he couldn’t resolve these cases while at work then he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.
When Vincent finally got home, he dug out the ancient tome once again.
His experience in the interrogation room had profoundly affected him. The terrifying ordeal had gradually caused his previous vampire misgivings to waiver slightly. He was starting to regret his persistent stubbornness and his inability to accept what could possibly be the truth. If vampires did indeed walk the streets of SimNation then he could finally save his city from the rot that was destroying it.
Determination creasing his brow, Vincent frantically flicked through the pages searching for a specific paragraph he had flippantly dismissed months earlier. He found it, slammed the book shut and set about gathering the materials he required.
He was going to uncover who, or what, was responsible for all these disappearances once and for all and he knew exactly where to start.
It was getting late when Vincent finally reached Forgotten Hollow. Just like his first visit, the dingy, disorientating woods on the outskirts of town caused him to get lost again. The town was just as eerily quiet and he shuddered at its gloomy, dank atmosphere.
Unlike before, Vincent now had enough time to canvas the cryptic, sleepy town. He wasn’t really sure what to expect in Forgotten Hollow and he didn’t have much evidence to go on either, other than a few flimsy witness statements and a brief, muddled 'flashback'. However, his detective instincts gnawed at him; there was something sinister about this town, something dark. He found it incredibly peculiar that the mid-summer’s evening air was mysteriously chilly and, for some strange reason, the days seemed shorter here. He felt safer knowing that he’d come prepared; whatever was out there, he was ready for it.
His eyes fell on a statue located straight in front of him. He didn’t recognise the statue’s likeness so he tentatively walked toward it, checking over his shoulder as he did so.
Vincent, brimming with curiosity, read the weather-worn inscription aloud, his voice ringing through the deserted town square:
Count Vladislaus Straud I.
Vincent’s brow wrinkled in concentration as his eyes scanned further down the plaque. He caught the date of the statue’s completion; approximately two hundred years ago.
Odd, he thought to himself, I’ve barely heard of this town. How has it remained so secretive for almost twenty decades?
He wandered through the narrow, cobbled streets inspecting and taking mental notes of every strange thing he noticed. Distant haunting sounds would flare his paranoia and he would occasionally stop every now and then to check behind him.
The sun was long gone by the time he noticed a dark, menacing mansion that loomed out of the darkness. Obscured by withered trees and twilight, Vincent had to squint in order to make out the building. Framed by the mountains and the rising moon, he caught a glimpse of the roofline and the main tower but not much else.
Interest piqued, Vincent quickened his pace as he headed towards it. The air was frigid and the mist was growing thicker as he made his way up the long, winding path. Slightly breathless, he stopped to take in his surroundings. The chill in the air was biting and his teeth started to chatter uncontrollably as he tried to keep warm.
Surrounded by dense fog and gravestones, he gingerly picked his way through the brambles and dead vegetation littering the ground. Slowly, he made his way towards the old, decrepit mansion. Large, wrought iron gates stood menacingly before him and he shivered again.
Could this have been the Count’s mansion? He wondered as his heart thumped loudly in his chest.
Vincent wasn’t entirely sure how old the mansion was but it appeared like it hadn’t received visitors in centuries; it looked completely abandoned. It was possible that it was at least two hundred years old and of a similar age to the statue in town. Nature had consumed the property; the gardens were unkempt and completely overgrown. He observed that the vegetation was as lifeless and decaying as the building itself.
How fitting, he thought to himself as an animal howled in the distance.
He inhaled a deep, bracing breath to steady his nerves. Filled with resolve, he took a confident step forward and made his way through the mist towards the mansion’s large, foreboding entrance.
With the small town at his back, he cautiously climbed up the rickety staircase. Heart thumping, he began pounding on the estate’s beautifully ornate, large, wooden door.
“SMPD! Open up!” He barked, his voice piercing the deathly quiet night air.
The lights that flanked either side of the door flickered slightly but other than that Vincent was greeted with absolute silence. He pressed his ear hard against the ancient door and listened for any sounds. He heard nothing from within the mansion and he was completely alone.
As he raised his fist to knock once more the doors gradually creaked open. Alarmed at the sudden movement, Vincent stumbled backwards and nearly lost his footing. He straightened himself up and let his vision adjust before peering through the darkness into the mansion’s ominous interior.
Mesmerized by the time-worn entryway, Vincent crossed the threshold and stepped inside.
My eternal gratitude goes to the modders, of course
Antagonists!
“Sul Sul! Hello!” Vincent cried out as the large doors heavily banged shut behind him, trapping him inside.
His resounding voice shattered the building’s sombre calm and reverberated off the crumbling walls. For a moment he wasn’t alone any more and he was comforted by his echo as it filled the gloomy, cavernous hallway.
As he inspected the tattered furnishings he also listened hard for sounds of movement from within the mansion. It was silent apart from the unmistakable sound of a crackling fire. Vincent followed the noise until he reached a large, wooden archway where a vast parlour room stretched out before him.
Curious and cold, Vincent sighed gratefully when he glimpsed the familiar, flickering orange glow and hurriedly strode towards it. He wasted no time in warming himself by the fireplace, its blazing flames drawing him dangerously close.
Distracted by the fire’s satisfying warmth, Vincent was wholly unaware that he was being observed from behind. A mysterious figure lurked in the mansion’s murky shadows, scrutinising his every action. In a balcony, high above the parlour room, the figure sat in an opulent, cardinal red armchair patiently awaiting Vincent’s next move. A sneer crawled across its face as it slowly rose from its seat.
Sufficiently thawed, Vincent gradually withdrew his body from the fireplace and slowly turned his body in the direction of a beautiful, old-fashioned organ. He took a single step towards it when it suddenly disappeared before his eyes.
A cloud of black mist engulfed him which darkened his vision and sent chills down his spine. Startled, he staggered backwards towards the fireplace.
“Do you believe now, Detective?” Inquired an intimidating, disembodied voice.
Terrified, Vincent whipped his head around frantically and tried to establish where the voice came from. He squinted hard into the black mist, desperately trying to locate the Sim who spoke to him seconds ago.
The mist dissipated quickly and revealed a menacing creature sneering at Vincent, baring its fangs like a wild animal.
Fangs? A panicked Vincent thought, heart leaping out of his chest.
The creature inched closer and closer to Vincent, a hideous hissing noise emanating from its crooked mouth.
“Do you believe in vampires now, Detective?” A sadistic grin creeped across the creature’s face.
“Wh-what?” Vincent stammered.
Broken memories and disjointed images once again flashed through Vincent’s mind as the creature’s hissing intensified.
The tome, shadowy figures, the statue... disappearing Sims... Officer Caliente...?
His fearful, frantic thoughts trailed off and they abruptly turned to rage. A part of him still wanted to deny vampires were real but recent events were now beginning to make terrifying sense. Just like a jigsaw puzzle, everything was starting to slot together in Vincent’s mind, creating a macabre image that no Sim in SimNation would have ever thought possible.
Vampires did exist in SimNation.
Plasmathirsty vampires lurked in the shadows of SimNation and preyed upon innocent SimCitizens.
The disturbing reality caused anger to bubble inside Vincent’s chest as the vampire reached for his shoulder. He tried pulling away but its considerable strength outmatched his own, leaving him utterly immobilised.
“Detective Valentine...” the vampire hissed, “I must confess that it was I who made all those poor, dear Sims disappear,” it pouted its plasmastained lips and shook its head in faux regret, mocking Vincent.
“Why?” Fury was making Vincent’s question terse and strained.
The vampire dropped its vivid electric blue gaze to the floor as it carefully thought about its answer.
“Power,” its voice dropped to a low hiss as it tightened its grip on Vincent’s shoulder, its face contorted with madness.
With all his might Vincent tore free from the vampire’s grasp and attempted to run for the exit. Enraged, the vampire launched itself at Vincent, spitting, hissing and clawing at Vincent’s face.
Vincent wrestled fiercely with the vampire, its incredible strength and power almost completely overwhelmed him.
Adopting a defensive stance, Vincent managed to prevent any serious damage caused by the vampire and eventually gained the upper-hand. He dodged the vampire’s fist by millimetres as he plummeted to the floor, roughly grabbed its ankles and launched it towards the ceiling.
With the vampire distracted, Vincent was finally able to reach for his weapon: the garlic braid he’d constructed shortly before leaving San Myshuno. The vampire, in immense pain, hissed violently at the stench and quickly recoiled from Vincent, hissing and spitting as it did so.
“Fine,” the vampire seethed through its monstrous fangs, “you win this time, Detective. I see you’ve been doing some research. Studied the Encyclopedia Vampirica, have we? That kind of initiative and resourcefulness is why I am so drawn to you, my dear.”
Exhausted but triumphant, Vincent wiped the sweat from his brow and interrogated the vampire once again.
“How do you know my name? Why are all those Sims missing? What have you done to them? Where are they?” His shouting was deafening in the vast room.
“So many questions, my dear Detective!” Teased the vampire.
“Answer me! Now!” Screamed Vincent, his plasma pressure rising dangerously.
“I’ve been watching you for a considerable amount of time, my dear, sweet Valentine. Hoping and praying you’d notice me and bring me out of the shadowy depths once and for all! It looks like you just did!” The vampire pranced childishly as it mocked Vincent, a sickly grin twisting its cruel features, “I commend you on your bravery tonight, Detective. It must’ve taken a lot of courage to come alone to Straud Mansion in the dead of night.”
“Shut up, vampire!” Roared Vincent, his tone filled with loathing.
“Vladislaus, my dear,” the vampire corrected sternly, “Count Vladislaus Straud I,” the emphasis on the title caused his voice to hiss again, “although, some human Sims may refer to me as Count Vladislaus Straud IV...”
Vincent glared at Straud, waiting for him to explain his heinous actions. After a moment, Straud gave a dramatic sigh and cleared his throat.
“My reasoning is simple,” Straud began calmly, “I was told a long, long time ago...” he shook his head quickly at his inaccuracy, “no, warned a long, long time ago that...,” he paused briefly, seeking the correct words, “I am to defend myself against something that has the potential to destroy not only myself but the entirety of SimNation.”
A derisive snort escaped from Vincent’s mouth as he shook his head. He was starting to question the vampire’s sanity.
Straud’s grotesque features morphed into a gravely serious, pensive expression as memories from long ago resurfaced from the recesses of his mind.
“It was the night the Saint Bernard sank. It was mere moments before the vessel was consumed by the tumultuous, ferocious waves that I, Count Vladislaus Straud, was approached by a haggard yet strangely beautiful female Sim. The merciless waves obliterated the saloon windows into a thousand tiny shards of glass causing torrents of water to cascade into the ship. The wind and the rain howled perilously outside, unconscious Sims littered the saloon’s floor and yet she still made sure to forewarn me of my impending fate,” he took a deep breath before he continued to speak again.
“She firmly advised me to ‘prepare for evil’,” he gave another dramatic sigh, “alas, dear Valentine, the poor wretch never made it to the shoreline as with all the other passengers and crew but I carried her last words with me like a soul-crushing weight on my shoulders. Two hundred years later I can still hear her desperate, frantic pleading and feel her frail, delicate hands tugging at my coat lapels,” he paused momentarily as he collected his thoughts, “two hundred years later and I am still waiting for that evil to arrive.”
Dumbfounded by his account, Vincent stared blankly at Straud.
“You - you were a... a passenger on the Saint Bernard?” An awestruck Vincent eventually managed, Straud’s story still swirling in his mind, “the ship that sank off the coast of Brindleton Bay two hundred years ago?”
“Yes, I was,” he admitted proudly, “but is that the only thing you take away from my dire recollection?” Straud’s tone exuded annoyance and offence at Vincent’s inability to grasp crucial information quickly, “come on, Detective! I thought you could keep up quicker than that! Surely they trained you properly at the police academy, no?”
“You were there that night? You witnessed everything?” Vincent pressed on, ignoring Straud’s boorish flippancy.
“Yes, I was there. I saw everything that happened to that exquisite galleon and those pitiful, abandoned animals,” Straud answered him, his clipped tone indicated his exasperation at the detective, “also, may I inform you, that the ship met its cruel fate on what is now know as Deadgrass Isle. Nowhere near the Brindleton Bay coastline,” he pedantically corrected Vincent.
His awe and amazement with the vampire rendered Vincent temporarily unable to interrogate correctly and he blushed with embarrassment at his sudden ineptitude. He managed to block out his fascination with Straud’s history and regained his composure.
“You’re creating an army of vampires? You’re under threat? By whom? By what? What is this nonsense about it destroying SimNation? What is evil enough to wipe out the entire planet?”
“Aha! Finally, Detective Valentine has started to grasp how to ask pertinent questions now!” Straud clapped his hands together and cackled with glee. Vincent clenched his jaw in indignation.
“Answer me, Straud!” He demanded, his voice gruff with shouting, “what in SimNation are you talking about?”
Straud’s menacing electric blue eyes bore steadily into Vincent’s as he took a deep breath in.
I love your writing. And that description made me laugh too much! You only just updated and I want the next chapter already!
Glad your enjoying
Meet the 'PLASMAPACKERS'
From left to right: Wallace, Caleb, Lilith, Tifa and 'Wiggs'
Straud crossed over to a plush, olive green love seat and propped himself into a comfortable position.
“You don’t mind, do you, Detective? It’s just what I am about to divulge is rather lengthy and my eternal bones need to rest.”
Vincent shrugged nonchalantly and folded his arms over his chest.
“Sure. Go ahead. You’ll apparently do whatever the Netherworld you want anyway.”
The vampire sighed with contentment as he lounged on the settee. As he cleared his throat he motioned Vincent to join him.
“Please take a seat, Detective Valentine. As I said, this may take some time for me to explain. Vampires are complex, refined creatures, you see. I’m not entirely sure how much a mere human Sim can comprehend but do try to keep up.”
Vincent accepted the invitation reluctantly, he exhaled loudly and crossed over to a nearby chair.
“By all means, Straud, enlighten me,” snapped Vincent.
Straud recoiled at Vincent’s tone.
“Mind your manners, Detective,” he admonished him, “I’m going to be gracious towards you and impart everything I know as I believe your... talents could prove useful to me at a later date. I have plans for you, Valentine...”
As Vincent slowly reclined back in his chair he let out another loud sigh.
“I’m all ears, Straud.”
“Well, Detective Valentine,” he began, “like I stated earlier, my ultimate goal is power and control. If I have that then nothing will be able to stop me. Once I have built my army and it is sufficiently strong enough, I will have enough protection to destroy anything the SimUniverse throws my way,” his voiced was filled with maniacal determination and it made the hairs on the back of Vincent’s neck stand on end.
“Also,” Straud continued, “it would be a lot safer for SimNation’s citizens if those newly turned vampires did not return to their families. Trust me, Detective, I was doing you and the planet a huge favour by keeping them here in Forgotten Hollow. Things would have gotten decidedly... turbulent if I were to allow them contact with their previous life. Fledglings can be... unpredictable... at the best of times.”
“OK...” Vincent was trying his hardest to follow Straud’s account but his anxiousness to get a confession out of him was overwhelming, “could you please just cut to the part where you confess to murder? I know you did it, vampire!” Vincent’s churlishness was starting to get the better of him. He couldn’t wait to lock Straud up forever and throw the key into the Myshuno Meadows lake.
“Murder, you say?” Breathed Straud, intrigued and incredulous at Vincent’s accusation, “I never murdered anyone!”
“The SMPD has evidence that proves otherwise,” lied Vincent, “we have physical evidence that proves that the bite marks found on the victim’s neck were caused by two puncture wounds that are identical to your... fangs! You’re looking pretty guilty to me, Straud!”
An indifferent Straud nonchalantly picked at a thread on his long, grey overcoat.
“You killed an innocent officer of the law!” Roared Vincent as his plasma pulsed at his temples.
“That’s quite an allegation, Detective,” replied Straud coolly.
Vincent started to reel off Caliente’s physical descriptors to Straud, inwardly praying it would get a confession out of him.
“Aha! I remember now,” Straud sharply cut him off, “yes, that one was rather delicious. I just couldn’t stop myself but I had no idea that she had died! That is quite curious, I must say! They don’t usually do that, Detective,” his expression turned reflective again as he thought about her death but it abruptly vanished when he shrugged heartlessly and continued with his story.
“I believe she collapsed in a pile of trash after I was finished feeding from her, if I’m not mistaken. Something like that, anyway,” he snickered viciously at the memory, ”how unfortunate she ended up dying in it! Unfortunately, for me though, another Sim entered the room and I had to vanish quickly in case I was spotted.”
Vincent was disgusted by Straud’s blasé attitude and cruel malice. He shifted slightly in his seat as he reached for the handcuffs in his back pocket when Straud stopped him with a chilling, icy blue scowl.
“It was a necessary sacrifice, Detective!” Straud spat at him, “one that will save us all. I need all the plasma I can get my hands on if I am to save SimNation! I need to turn more Sims into vampires to help me defeat whatever that female Sim warned me about two hundred years ago!” He wailed erratically, “’only a Grand Master vampire possesses enough strength to bring about its ultimate destruction’ is what she revealed to me. I believe I am, as the only Grand Master vampire in existence, the only one that has any chance of stopping it!”
Vincent couldn’t believe what he was hearing. None of Straud’s story was making any rational sense. The typical ramblings of an erratic Sim. The continuous merry-go-round of Straud’s explanation and complete lack of Sim empathy was making Vincent incredibly irate. His confused brain found it hard to make sense of anything the vampire told him.
“If you’re the only one that can stop it, why do you need an army? Why do you have to turn innocent Sims into your plasmathirsty minions?” Quizzed an appalled Vincent.
Straud resumed picking at his overcoat’s thread again as he thought about his answer. Vincent waited patiently for him to answer, the roar of the crackling fire the only sound in the vast space between them.
“As I’ve repeatedly told you: power,” he growled dangerously, “I also feel that should anything... frightfully unpleasant happen to me, I at least know my kind will continue after I am gone. Hopefully, one of them is astute and cunning enough to reach the Grand Master rank in time.”
“So, what you’re saying is, you’ll continue to destroy Sim lives by turning Sims into vampires because of some phony ‘prophecy’ about the end of SimNation you heard from a complete stranger on a sinking ship two hundred years ago! A prophecy which, most likely, will probably not even happen! You’re one sick son of a llama, you know that, Straud?”
Vincent seethed with rage and balled his fists in his lap as Straud waved his hands violently in protest.
“Mark my words, my Valentine: this evil will arrive in SimNation, it is undeniable, and my vampire army and I must be ruthless in order to defeat it. I am not doing this for personal, selfish reasons. Although, I would be lying if I said that wasn’t part of it,” the vampire let out another dramatic sigh, “I do not know when this evil will arrive nor what it will look like, it could take any form. All I know is that it will be sooner than you think. It could be here in SimNation as we speak. When I arrived on these shores after the Saint Bernard sank I ensured that I established Forgotten Hollow in a physical locale that was difficult for most human Sims to find,” Vincent grunted in ardent agreement, “it is a safe haven, a sanctuary, if you will, protected by its arduous terrain and my supreme vampiric powers. These unsurpassed powers of mine have protected the town and I for two hundred years and they are the reason why no danger has found me... yet. Human Sims tend to suffer from strange memory lapses here but do not worry, Detective; it is as I intended. It is the reason why most human Sims have hardly ever heard of Forgotten Hollow or struggle to locate it when trying to find it. No Sim is allowed in without my blessing; everything has been orchestrated by yours truly. For example, it was no coincidence that you were called to that organ fire that day.”
“You were behind that, too?” Vincent questioned, mouth agape in horror.
“Yes, my dear, sweet Valentine. I started that fire out of revenge and I also knew it would bring you to my quaint, charming little town,” Straud snarled menacingly, “I believe you’d make an excellent vampire, Vincent. Strong-willed, independent, perceptive Sims like you suit this eternal existence perfectly. However, we’ll have to work on your close-minded stubbornness when it comes to the supernatural...”
It was the first time Straud had called him by his first name. Nauseated, Vincent heaved with disgust upon hearing it.
He was being recruited.
“Alas, it is true,” Straud continued wearily, “I’ve made some... controversial choices in that department, somewhat recently. Desperation leads to foolish decisions, I’ll admit that,” he wrinkled his long, crooked nose in displeasure, “however, I am assured of your ample skills and accomplishments, Detective.”
“Shut up, Straud!” Barked Vincent, repulsion simmering through his body.
“I should never have turned that wretched Vatore Sim! That family has caused me nothing but strife. Their abominable ‘lifestyle’ is threatening the future of vampirism...” Lamented Straud bitterly.
“Enough!” Yelled Vincent as he jumped swiftly to his feet, “enough of your lies!”
“Now, now. Easy, Detective,” Straud tried to placate him but Vincent was already pacing.
“Why did you do it?” Snapped Vincent, “tell me the real reason why you set fire to that organ!”
“I have over two hundred years of knowledge and experience of being a vampire,” Straud stood up from his seat and crossed over to Vincent, “this existence is not easy, Detective. There are hard sacrifices to be made. Without those compromises who knows what could happen. Fledglings and Minors are full of idealistic drivel, futile frivolity that will surely be the end of SimCivilisation! Lessons must be taught and, as the only Grand Master vampire in SimNation, I expect them to be listened to.”
By burning instruments? Vincent couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Vampirism aside, Straud was seriously unstable.
“Vladislaus Straud, I’m arresting you for the murder of Officer Nina Caliente, kidnapping, assault, breaking and entering, trespassing, destruction of property, assaulting an officer and arson,” he grabbed Straud by the shoulder and removed the restraints from his back pocket.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do -,” Vincent gasped and choked for air, his next words lost forever as a cloud of black mist appeared before him.
“Catch me if you can, Detective!” A wild, unrestrained cackle escaped Straud as he vanished into thin air leaving Vincent alone once more.
Vincent bolted for the exit as fast as legs could carry him. He didn’t want to stay in the mansion for one minute longer. He’d have to deal with Straud at a later date. Catching him was going to need backup. Lots and lots of backup. But how was he going to convince the Chief that an erratic and paranoid vampire was behind all those missing Sim cases? He was going to have to conduct further investigations and do some more detecting if he was going to prove Straud’s guilt in a court of law.
He was running at such speed he slammed his body hard into the front entryway. He tried to wrench the door open with the handles but they remained firmly shut. He let out a cry of frustration. He needed to get away from Forgotten Hollow and the Count immediately.
Desperate, he started to claw at the door with his fingers, hoping they would yield just enough to gain some leverage.
The doors started to creak ever so slightly. Panting heavily, Vincent stepped back and impatiently waited for them to open.
“Come on, come on! Open up!” He begged them desperately.
The mansion’s ancient doors finally succumbed to his pleas and they swung wide open, revealing a fierce thunderstorm outside.
Vincent ran brazenly into the deluge, desperate to put as much distance between himself and Straud Mansion as possible. As he sprinted down the cobbled drive, he was confident that the only ‘evil thing’ in SimNation was the Count himself.
I'm not sure if I like them yet but it's kinda cool, I guess...
Many, many thanks goes to the wonderful and brilliant @mercuryfoam for finding me a tutorial and answering all my questions! Thank you so much! You've saved me from quite the headache.
Anyway, here's my first attempt at making a custom pose. It's quite subtle but I was just playing around with some of my favourite in-game animations:
This is gonna be a literal game changer for me!
Thank you! I tried to do a second pose but I completely messed it up somehow and I'm not entirely sure where I went wrong but I'm going to have another go at it today.
I have SO many ideas for this - thank you again for your help!
I really wanted a smiling/flirty/winking salute for Thorne because that's just totally something he would do! I might go in and edit the expression a bit because I really wanted a winking one but couldn't be bothered to find one so I just picked a smiling one instead.
EDIT:
I finally finished my first custom pose: A concerned wave! I'm pretty excited to use this one in my story
It looks like you got the entire pose in the bag but all you want to do is make a wink. Go pinch the eyelids together and locrot it then.
No problem at all! You did all the legwork. I'm glad its paying off.
Yeah it's been really addicting and has given me quite a few ideas that I want to try like MERMAIDS! Omg am I going to have fun with that! I was playing around with object meshes - is it normal for S4S to create a custom content clone of the objects in game or am I doing something wrong? If that's the case then that's really annoying. I don't want CC versions of paid items clogging up my already laggy BB catalogue!
The rain was coming down hard as Vincent sprinted down the winding, cobbled path. The storm was making the stones slippery underfoot and he occasionally stumbled as he headed back towards the town square.
The torrential rain blurred his vision and he could barely see where he going but he pressed on, determined to make it back home in one piece. He was halfway down the path when he spotted unusual water droplets rising from the path travelling in the direction of Straud Mansion.
Distracted, Vincent slipped on the slick, mossy paving. He stumbled and eventually lost his footing, flying backwards and landing painfully on his back.
He laid there motionless for a while; dazed, in agony and covered in dirt. He closed his eyes, recounting the evening’s events in his mind. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. Vampires were real. They were real and turning innocent Sims into more of them, murdering and feeding of their plasma for ‘protection against evil’. He’d never felt so utterly helpless.
His breathing grew fainter and his body heavier as the cold sleet stung his face. Constant thunderous booms and intense lightning flashes surrounded him, lighting up the eerie Forgotten Hollow sky like some dark, twisted version of the firework displays in San Myshuno.
“Sul Sul! Hello, can you hear me? Are you alright?” An unfamiliar voice yelled to Vincent through the torrential rain.
Vincent yanked open his eyes and let out a long, loud groan of pain. The cold, hard cobbles dug into his back as his bleary eyes tried hard to focus on the shadowy figure looming over him.
“Do you need help?” It shouted over the rain again.
“No, I’ve got it!” Vincent hollered back, “just give me a minute, would you?”
He gingerly rose from the floor and managed a squat position before turning to the stranger again.
“Who’re you?” He asked, voice dazed and head pounding from the fall.
“Caleb. And... uh... you are?”
“Vincent. Vincent Valentine,” Vincent replied as he cautiously rose to his full height.
“Nice to... uh...” Caleb’s eyes darted away from Vincent’s for a second before reconnecting again, “meet you, Vincent Valentine. Now, come on, let’s get you out of this storm.”
Caleb gestured at Vincent to follow him. Clothed in nothing but his soaked, thin, white shirt and his dirtied trousers, Vincent gave a grateful nod and trailed closely after him.
They arrived at a disturbingly familiar house. Vincent couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been to the property not so long ago but couldn’t quite place when. He was exhausted and freezing cold with a possible concussion. He just wanted to be safe inside his apartment once again and not stuck in some backwater town with an unhinged, paranoid, erratic vampire raving endlessly about the end of SimNation.
“Get out of the rain, you big llama!” Caleb called out to him over the deafening thunder claps, “get inside, now!”
He had definitely been here before. He climbed the steps, pushed through the doors and entered the hallway. It was a warm, inviting space; a stark contrast to the one at Straud Mansion. The lamps glowed brightly and it oozed quaint, old world charm.
A case brought me here. Vincent’s memories were starting to become clearer. Which one, though? There’s been so many recently.
His throbbing headache was starting to intensify at the back of his head and he started to worry more about a potential concussion. It was a rather nasty fall...
“Please, follow me into the lounge, Vincent. Would you like something to drink, perhaps?” Caleb’s question jolted him back into the room.
“Um.. I’m OK, thanks,” he said, declining his offer, “I just want to clean up and head home, if that’s alright?”
“That’s fine but first I’d like to show you something,” excitement glistened in his ghostly grey eyes, “follow me, Vincent!”
Vincent nodded warily and followed him into the lounge.
“What do you think, huh? Pretty sweet, ain’t she? The repairman did a great job on her, didn’t he?” Caleb exclaimed boastfully.
Before Vincent could answer him excruciating pain burst into his skull, doubling him over. Green flashes of light danced in his darkening vision. A shadowy Sim emerged out of the darkness and advanced slowly towards him. Its face was distorted and blurred and Vincent struggled to identify any unique features.
“Vincent? Uh, SimNation to Vincent. Do you read me? Come in, Vincent.”
Caleb’s jarring voice shattered the foggy image in Vincent’s mind.
What laid before him was an antique organ. Its polished pipes gleamed in the brightly lit lounge and Vincent marvelled at its exquisite, ornate carvings.
He was almost certain that he recognised the room and the organ. His memory was still a little hazy but it was getting there, slowly but surely.
“Is my brother bothering you with his pathetic toys?” A gravelly voice asked behind Vincent.
He spun around in the direction of the sound and was faced with a female Sim casually sipping nectar from a large, round nectar glass.
“Ahem...” Caleb cleared his throat, “don’t be rude in front of my guest, please,” he replied with a biting tone.
She turned her head towards Caleb and shot him a withering look.
“Vincent. I’d like you to meet my darling sister, Lilith.”
“Nice to meet you, Vincent,” she batted her long lashes and smiled coyly at him.
Lilith’s vivid purple eyes dazzled Vincent and their luminescence almost blinded him. She continued to sip her nectar while she waited for his response and stared at him intently, her eyes never leaving his.
“Li-likewise,” he stammered, as he headed towards the hallway, hastily pushing past Lilith and nearly spilling her nectar, “listen, Caleb, I really have to go now. It’s getting late,” he really needed to leave Forgotten Hollow and its strange inhabitants far, far behind.
“Oh? But you haven’t heard me play yet!” He said, with great disappointment in his voice, “can’t you just stay for one song, hm?”
“Err... I really should be -” Vincent’s answer was abruptly cut short. Moving at an unnatural, breakneck speed Lilith appeared before him.
“Not scared are we, Vincent?” She hissed at him, her fangs glistening in the soft lighting.
“Lilith!” Caleb snapped at his sister disapprovingly, “Vincent, please excuse my sister. She gets... incredibly bored sometimes,” in warning, Caleb narrowed his cold, grey eyes at his sister.
“Fine. Whatever you say, brother,” Lilith sighed petulantly.
Vincent recoiled from Lilith and inched himself closer towards the hallway.
“The bathroom is just through there, Vincent. You can wash up in there,” Caleb pointed towards a door in the hallway, “it’s the first on your rig- .”
Vincent vanished into the bathroom before Caleb could finish his sentence. He slammed the door shut and locked it behind him. He turned the tap and began washing himself clean. The hot water and soapy lather felt pleasant against his icy, cold skin and the aroma of wolfsbane filled the air.
Washed and somewhat dried, Vincent stood back and studied his reflection in the mirror. His unnerved expression peered back at him through the glass.
It seemed as though Straud wasn’t the only supernatural being in this town; Lilith was most definitely one of his kind. Her mesmerising purple glowing eyes, sharp, pointed fangs and her extraordinary speed led Vincent to conclude that she, too, was a vampire. Caleb was more of a enigma, though, but there was definitely something peculiar about him that didn’t sit well with Vincent. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was just being overly friendly with him or in need of something else. He wasn’t sure if he could trust either of them.
He yearned to escape the property and leave Forgotten Hollow as soon as possible. He crossed to the small window and tested the handle. Locked. He searched for keys to no avail.
He was trapped inside a building with at least one plasmathirsty vampire for the second time that evening.
I wonder if Lilith wants my plasma to build an army and save SimNation, too? He thought dejectedly as he sadly turned away from the window.
A gentle knock at the door and Caleb’s concerned voice pulled Vincent from his dark thoughts.
“Sul Sul? Are you still in there, Vincent?”
“Pfft! What do we need some lowly human cop Sim for anyway, Caleb?” Lilith gave a derisive snort, “he probably escaped out the window and is miles away by now. He’s been in there at least a half hour!”
“Shh, Lilith,” urged Caleb in a hushed whisper, “he’ll hear you!”
“This plan of yours will never work, Caleb. He’ll never go for it! We’ll just have to figure it out on our own like we have been doing.”
“It will work. He’s... different. I can just tell that he’ll listen to us,” he snapped back at her, “I refuse to let our sacrifices be for nothing!”
Vexed by his sister’s lack of confidence, Caleb resumed his urgent knocking.
“Vincent? Please, open the door when you’ve finished. We...,” Caleb shot Lilith a scathing look, “would like to speak to you about something.”
“You’re wasting your time...” Lilith scoffed.
“We’ll see about that!” Caleb retorted, with a dangerous look in his eyes.
“Fine,” Lilith threw up her hands in surrender, “have it your way, Caleb!” She rolled her eyes behind her brother’s back.
On the other side of the door, Vincent stood listening intently to their conversation. Unanswered questions raced through his mind.
What does Caleb need me for? What does he have to say to me? Why is he having to make sacrifices?
His hand reached for the door’s lock when pain suddenly burst into his eyes and skull. He braced against the door, shaking and panting while he waited for the image in his mind to focus.
Sharp, piercing grey eyes loomed at him from out of gloom. A sharp nose culminated in even sharper fangs. Clawed hands appeared out of the shadows and the figured lunged itself at Vincent.
The vision revealed Caleb to be the shadowy figure. Caleb was just about sink his teeth into Vincent’s neck when Vincent’s eyes flew open. He hadn’t been having stress-induced hallucinations at all; the strange visions he’d been having were... memories. Memories that Caleb had tried to erase with his vampiric powers.
Caleb, the nice Sim who’d helped him when he’d fallen and sheltered him from the rain had been his late night visitor. Caleb thirsted for and feasted on his plasma without his consent. Caleb was a vampire, too; the same as Straud, his sister and Watcher knows how many others out there. Were the siblings also turning human Sims into vampires against their will like Straud was? Was Caleb obsessed with the end of SimNation, too? Was he also a power hungry control freak with delusional fantasies and the need for a vampire army? Were they going to try to recruit him, too?
“Vincent?” Caleb wheezed through the door, “I know you’re still in there! I can hear your breathing. Is everything alright?”
Furious and disgusted by the revelation, Vincent reached for the door’s lock and forcefully yanked open the door. Startled by his irate sneer and flaring nostrils, Caleb immediately adjusted his features into a neutral expression to avoid antagonising him any further.
“We’d like to talk to you, if that’s alright?” He asked Vincent matter-of-factly.
“What do you want, vampires?” Vincent spat the last word at Caleb, his voice filled with hateful ire and he scowled at Caleb’s somewhat guilty face, “do you think something evil will destroy the planet, too?”
An astonished Lilith flicked her eyes from Vincent’s incensed expression to her brother’s confident smirk.
“The cop has met Straud?” Her jaw hung open in bewilderment.
Caleb flashed his sister a self-assured grin, “I told you he was different.”
I've read through the thread these past few days and the story is so intriguing! It's also been fun to see you figure out gimp, blender and posing, it seems really complicated haha.
I look forward for more, keep doing what you're doing!