Chapter 7. Droning on and onArtokI was thinking about Nectar Making. I thought I’d like to try it, but with all the fishing going on, the garden really hadn’t been kept up, so there weren’t enough perfect ingredients to make perfect nectar. So I decided to be a gardener first and then a nectar-maker.
AyaI was really relieved when I didn’t have to tutor the children and teens anymore. But I kind of missed the interaction, and it was fun helping them, so I decided to try my hand at tutoring skills. I was also interested in learning to make potions - especially the Radical Reparum and Young Again ones. I’d learned Bladder Flow so that I could contribute to the potion collection, but that was the only one I knew. I thought I could learn them fast, though, because I was already a level 8 logic. I was really on the fence about career though. I was considering the Mystic Branch of the Fortune Telling career, but I really liked the freedom I had with self-employment careers and professions. So I finally decided to go for Ghost Hunter. Calaylia had so much fun with that, and I thought I might like it too. Raising my logic the rest of the way would help, and honestly, I just didn’t like the idea of there being ghosts in the homes that my drones are moving into.
So I joined the Ghost Hunter profession and then I decided to go check out the Skills and Games Center Dyla built. I thought I’d work on potions there.
The Center was wonderful! So many opportunities to work on skills. I let Artok know I’d be there, and I was hoping he’d come by. He just had to see this place!
ArtokI went out to gather some honeycombs and then joined Aya there at the Skills and Games Center. I have to say, I’m pretty proud of my girl and what she built here!
I wanted to take some time before the droneboos arrived to stock up on a few more Jars of Potent Friendship, Potent Invigorating elixir, and a few others, so I started up a gardening tabcast and got to work at the alchemy station.
I guess listening to a tabcast made me less focused on my brew, because I made an epic mistake almost immediately!
Fortunately, I had a Potent Cure elixir handy.
I got a bagel from the Barista just as Aya singed herself at the Chemistry station.
After her shower, she joined me with a cheese danish. It’s nice to have these simple times together between drone batches.
I thought I’d lay off the elixirs for awhile and went to check out the upstairs. I was happy to see Destin, Deluke and Croloft up in the games area.
I finally got to try out a Brain Enhancing machine! Ours had been either in use or cooling down non-stop with all the kids using it. I like the gardening boost, but I admit I was a little freaked out at first.
AyaThis potion thing wasn’t going quite as easily as I expected. I’d just singed myself at the chemistry station when my pregnancy was confirmed.
I had a wish for a girl, followed immediately with a wish for a massage. I took a shower, went back to the chemistry station and before long I discovered the recipe for Ghost Potion.
As morning dawned, Artok realized I was still at the chem table, and he came out and did this.
What a sweet man he is!
ArtokI also wished for a girl, and I wished to have a child with Aya. Added to the “Have a Child” wish I’d already had, that made 11,750 lifetime happiness points (23,500 with a Wish Enhancing elixir) coming with the next batch of drones!
With about 24 hours left before the droneboos arrived, Aya had discovered 9 of the 10 potions, and had reached level 4 in her career on logic skill advancement alone. So she spent the rest of the waiting period watching kid’s tv, listening to kid’s music, and alternately eating watermelon and apples.
The droneboos arrived right on schedule in the very early hours of the morning. We’d really enjoyed watching Belaria learn, and then master, the guitar, and we thought it would be nice to have musicians in the house. So we chose the virtuoso and genius traits for all three of our droneboos - Elsbeth, Endred, Espri.
As soon as the droneboos arrived, I grabbed a couple of clone vouchers and took off for the science lab. There were six birthday cakes on the day’s schedule, and I wanted to get them out of the way as quickly as possible. By the end of the day we’d have three toddlers and three young adults in the house.
Erdu (front) is family-oriented, workaholic, genius
Ertok (back) is a family-oriented, workaholic, born salesman
Aya got busy with cakes for the droneboos while I took Ertok and Erdu over to the Greenhouse, and pulled out a couple of birthday cakes for them.
I gave them each a few minutes to gobble down some cake, and then I tossed Age of Instant elixirs at the boys. It was just a few hours since they’d arrived, and we’d barely had time to talk, but my heart was filled with love for these two young men standing in front of me.
Ertok acquired the unflirty and handy traits, so overall, he fared well. Erdu, on the other hand, added the hot-headed and rebellious traits. No worries, a few minutes in the Brain Enhancer would take care of that. I took them home to meet Aya and the toddlers.
AyaIt was a little odd having Artock come home with young men. I felt a little sad that I never got to see them as children. But, no time to dwell on that. I left Artok with the toddlers and went to retrieve the last drone of the batch. I had about 10 seconds to wonder if she liked those pigtails, and then it was all candles and sparkles.
I was a little too quick with the Age of Instant elixir. I didn’t even get a picture of Eyeler as a teen, and it was so fleeting I don’t even remember what she looked like! That makes me a little sad. She wasn’t too happy about it either.
We went home, and I decided I was ready for a change. I got rid of the maternity clothes, and went for a whole new look. I even included a career ensemble.
Eyeler went to check out the Skills and Game Center and was drawn to the sketching table. Alara and Calaylia were there.
When Eyeler came home and saw my new look, she couldn’t wait to try out the makeover station. She was so excited she forgot she was upset with me about the teen photo thing, and even asked me to help with her makeover.
As soon as she stepped down in her new clothes she rushed off to join the Stylist career. The next day she got a request to make over Linda Rodgers. She went to meet her at the Sylist Center and was surprised to find Craftor there playing the drums! Maybe Eyeler was inspired by the music, because Linda loved her new look!
When I wasn’t tutoring the drones in skills, I was out scanning for spirits.
I ran into Destin at the park but couldn’t visit for long. My scanner had revealed a spirit that needed banishing. But I did notice that Destin was looking very pretty in her dress and I couldn't help but wonder if it was a coincidence that Joe MacDuff was at the park that day also.
I almost lost my concentration when I saw how right I was about Destin and Joe!
But I was determined to get that spirit! I wasn't about to let Destin see me fail at my job! I finally got it banished, and just as I thought, Destin was watching. She and Joe cheered for me, but Davyd Musgrove seemed really scared. Now why would a vampire be frightened of a kind old spirit like that?
I found another one out behind Varg’s tavern later than evening.
I checked inside, but didn’t find anything there. But I took a minute to talk to the magic mirror. I didn’t really think anything would happen, but this face appeared and told me he thinks I’m really hot, so I guess there’s some kind of intelligence there after all.
ArtokDahlia Goodfellow came to visit, and I went out to hilariously greet her.
I immediately discovered that she’s an over-emotional, vegetarian, loser. But she laughed at my jokes so I invited her inside. I introduced her to Eyeler, who was already at level 2 of her career and level 9 of her painting skill. Then I slipped Eyeler a Potent Friendship elixir and went out to the garden. She understood immediately, tossed the elixir at Dahlia, and within minutes, the path to her future home was paved.
ErduI was an ambitious kid right from the start, and I knew as soon as I walked away from that science center what I wanted to do. I was glad to age up fast, because the only thing I could do as a kid was start learning logic. I used the multi-tab, read books, played chess, and sat in that Brain Enhancer every chance I got. I even used it to change my traits. I was good with workaholic and genius, but family-oriented had to go. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to have a family, so what was the point of that? And in the line of work I had planned, hot-headed and rebellious could mean real trouble. So I traded those out for kleptomaniac, athletic and ambitious. I worked out and learned a lot of logic before I registered for the criminal career. I even mastered logic before ever going to work.
I worked from home and munched on some basil before my first shift, and got promoted the first day. Heck, the boss liked me so much he gave me a raise and a promotion same day. Yessir, I’m going far in this job! Before I left work I heard somebody say the old Goth mansion was up for sale and I thought that might be just the place for me. So I stopped by on my way home to have a look around. The old man had talked about soing some work on the grounds here, and I have to admit, he did a pretty decent job out here.
Had myself a look in the window too. It was a little dark; I liked it.
But I certainly wasn’t impressed with that big lemon in the garage!
I had something a lot better than that in mind! And it certainly wasn’t some pink soccer mom van, I can tell you that! No sir, when I left the homestead to move in here, I’d be riding in style!
Next I checked out the Moonlight Falls Historical Society & Museum. It was just as I expected. The place was nearly empty. Except apparently there was a fairy convention going on. A couple of them were Founders, so I kept my head down and I don’t think they realized who I was. I didn’t want them to catch me casing the joint.
But come to think of it, I wasn’t really casing the joint. I didn’t plan on stealing anything. Quite the contrary. I planned to buy the whole place and add to it. Where better to store my stolen goods? A little recolor here, a little paint job there, and I can hide my loot right in plain site. And I’m betting the town will thank me for improving the place! As I was leaving, anxious to make my idea a reality, I ran into another Founder. This one acted like he didn’t want me to recognize
him.
So I bought the place, and then, just for kicks, I swiped me a sweet ride from out in front of the Van Gould place. It’s not my dream car, but it’ll do for now.
I stopped back by the museum the next day. I didn’t have a lot of swiped loot yet, but the place was mine now, you know? And I wanted people to know the benefactor of the place. So I hung a portrait Dad painted of me right inside the front door. It’s the first thing people will see when they come in. It’s brilliant, but not a masterpiece, so of course it wasn’t good enough for him. He made me pose for another one. But hey, I respect the old man, and to show that, I hung a couple of his sketches right there on either side. The man’s got talent, I gotta give him that.
I’d swiped one of Dad’s Midas Touch elixirs, so I figured I’d upgrade some of the items on display. Once I started really looking at the displays, I thought whoever set this place up either had the good sense of humor trait, or the insane trait. Who puts a box of tissues on display in a classy joint like this?
I was going to turn it to gold, but I guess the touch doesn’t work on tissues. So I replaced it with an all-niter award.
I made it gold. Personally, I think it looked better before. But it’s worth more now so I guess that’s something.
Just as I was touching a little tree, the door opened and the White Coat Patrol came strolling in. Three Founders - Acer, Bactril, and Durst. What is with all that
white? And here I am, dressed in black. Kinda’ fitting I guess. Heh-heh.
I ducked out the back and put the touch on a couple statues in the gardens.
I found myself wondering what would happen if I put the touch on the White Coat Patrol. I wanted to know, but I couldn’t take the risk. They’re family after all. And just then, what do you guess? Alice Fitzgerald showed up. She’s a safecracker at work. And she’s an elder, so if she died, it’s not like she’d lose a lot of years, you know what I’m sayin’? So I touched her. Couldn’t help it. I mean, she was right there, and I was all wondering what would happen. I’m curious that way. And you know what happened?
Yes, indeed. Turned to pure gold, right in front of my face. And you can probably guess what I was thinking. This is
way better than evicting these folks! I’ll just Midas Touch them all and put them on display and we Founders will come visit them. Heh-heh-heh.
Only one problem. I couldn’t move her. It’s not that she was too heavy or anything. It’s just that she couldn’t be moved. So, that plan brewing in my head to go out around town, touch the folks, then bring ‘em back here - that plan had to be revised. I’d have a party here . . . with a buffet table. Free food always brings ‘em out. I’ll just have to be careful and get each one alone in a corner somehow . . . I’ll need to think about that. And while I thought about it, I touched a few more things. And then, lucky man that I am, the White Coat Patrol went out and a cute little fairy girl came in. And how awesome would it be to have a gold fairy in my museum? She started to leave too, but I called to her and she came back.
I introduced myself and then put the touch on her.
And . . . the news is never all good. Those cute little fairy wings were gone. I guess they just weren’t strong enough to hold the gold. She looked like a regular girl. But still cute.
And then, the magic happened. I was walking toward the front door to leave, and I looked back, and I saw it. There was this beautiful gold girl statue, standing in the walkway, turned toward a gold vase, just as if she was a visitor viewing the exhibition. She was viewing the exhibition . . . and she was part of the exhibition . . . all at the same time. And the plan changed again. It wouldn’t be a party. I would go out and meet the townies. Befriend them. Invite them to a private showing. And then, just when they saw something they found really interesting, I’d touch them. And they'd instantly become part of the museum!
IT . . . WAS . . . PURE . . . GENIUS!ArtokThat Historical Museum didn’t come cheap. Erdu hadn’t even upgraded it yet, and our funds were below half a mil, and then Eyeler went out and bought the Playful Playground. So I whipped up a batch of Midas Touch elixirs and gave one to her. She got the idea that gold statues would be great for the playground, so while she was working on the statues she’ sell for us, she added a few others to the mix and then placed them in the playground. It helped her boost the value of the place without cluttering it up too much.
Personally, I think the kids will like that giant Pancake Bill more than they’ll care about a bunch of gold statues, but, hey, what do I know?
Ertok mastered guitar, and then got started on his singing career. He sang at Performance Park with the band backing him up.
And then he got a singing telegram gig to cheer up Hailey Samurai out at the Musician’s Park Belaria built.
And another one for Mara Nix.
Apparently, he’s pretty good. Mara was sure cheered up.
He even took a few minutes to deliver a congratulations telegram on his own to his sister Eyeler for completing all her requirements.
One night after dark, he got a call for a singing telegram. It was a celebration for a high school girl for finishing her homework. I guess some families celebrate more than others. This particular customer was a little frightening.
But Ertok followed through like a pro, and the Wolff girl thanked him and went inside. Ertok didn’t even run to the car. But he did walk at a pretty good clip, pretending he had to hurry to his next gig.
And now, a note from the WatcherSo this is where we were just before two new arrivals - the lesser of the two was Sims 4. Not that I wasn’t excited about receiving it, but in comparison with my first grandbaby, it just wasn’t quite as captivating. I’ve been a little busy with Sims 4 and much more busy with my new granddaughter, and haven’t really had much time for the Founders.
And now the first Sims 4 Dynasty has been published. I really want to start it, but I'm determined to finish this one first. So I'll finish the Dynasty, but not the story. Writing it just doesn’t come easily to me, and therefore it takes a lot of time, and since I'm working full-time, and spending as much time as I can with a certain little munchkin, I'm giving up the story-telling.
But I have played past what I've written, so a very quick synopsis:Erdu's plan to gold-plate the townies was, of course, foiled by the fact that the effect is temporary when used on sims. The band - Espri on piano, Endred on drums, Elsbeth on bass, and Ertok on guitar, got pretty good by the time the skills were mastered, and I enjoyed listening to them.
The “E” generation has completed their requirements, kicked out their besties, and moved into their homes. Erdu did move into the Goth mansion, but I forgot to drive him to the property before moving him out, so he did indeed make his departure in that Big Lemon that came with the house.
It's quiet in the house again, and might be for awhile. Aya is only a Level 8 Ghostbuster. She was pretty far along in logic when she started the career, so most of her career performance has had to come from actual Ghostbusting, which of course is only available at night, and not in enough supply to even keep her busy all night. She “scans for spirits” constantly, but rarely finds any when not on a specific ghostbusting job. Artok is a Level 8 Gardener, but he’s managed to replant the money trees that for some reason disappeared. He’ll probably top his career before Aya tops hers.
When Aya and Artok complete their Reproduction Day requirements, I'll post their stats, as well as those from the "E" generation.
EDIT:
Sixth Reproductive Day:Aya and ArtokRequirements complete Week 13, Day 1:13am
| Artok | Aya |
Max Career: | Gardener | Ghost Hunter |
Skill Challenge 1: | Botanical Boss | Skill Professor |
Skill Challenge 2: | Master Farmer | Master Chemist |
Unique Best Friend: | Liang Yat Sen | Beatrice Crumplebottom |
Unique Happiness Reward: | Prepared Traveler | Artisan Crafter |
Collection: | 2 Elixirs | 3 Elixirs |
Travel time: | none | none |
DronesDrone | Unique Career | Max Skill | Business or Property |
Elsbeth | Band | Bass | Nick's Master Karaoke |
Endred | Alchemist | Drums | Aleister's Elixirs |
Espri | Magician | Piano | Varg's Tavern |
Ertok | Singer | Guitar | Eerie Park |
Erdu | Criminal | Logic | Historical Society & Museum |
Eyeler | Stylist | Painting | Playful Playground |