Chronicles of the Secret Fire: Bedtime Story (55)

[ArtisticFantasy]

I know who it is!!  I think. Unless you decide to throw in another twist.

[Audren]

Quite a Headache

Champs les Sims. The #1 visited site in France. (The only visited site in France, as it would happen) Tourists from all over the world flocked to this French town is admire the magnificent nectary or explore one of the many tombs. The most daring of adventurers would brave the Chateau du Landgraab, home and final resting place of Admiral Landgraab. Few of these adventurers came back, and even fewer with any rewards.



Truth be told, Thor didn't quite understand what all of the hoopla was about. Giant nectaries are kind of cool, but he could see those anywhere, from Moonlight Falls to Nameless' house.* And Thor wasn't fond of tombs. He wasn't afraid of the traps or the dark or anything like that, but the dead spooked him.



Gillian didn't seem to have these same issues, however.



Gillian: I can't believe we're in France! Do you want to go see the Nectary?
Thor: We have business here, remember?
Gillian: You're right. Nectar's disgusting.
Thor: Should we head to the Chateau, then?



Thor was confused, needless to say. Did I say something funny, he momentarily wondered, but he concluded that Gillian was just going on one of her insane moments. Gillian, however, had a semi-plausible reason to laugh this time.



Gillian: No, you silly bird! We can't go to the big party without visiting the little party first!
Thor: Say again?
Gillian: You're not experienced enough to go into the Chateau yet. Whatever traps the Admiral has in there will tear you apart, not to mention anything the Elders have in there.
Thor: Elders?
Gillian: You know, our mutual friends.
Gillian: Listen, I need to do some things in town. Talk to some ladybugs. There's a burial ground outside of town. That should be a good start.



Gillian always wondered why the Frenchpeople would simply ride their bicycles when they had these amazing Kempsas lying around. It's a valid point.



And although Gillian wasn't actually talking to ladybugs, (this time) she did have important business to take care of. Mainly, waiting for Thor to get to the tomb.



She was infinitely pleased to see that the children of Champs les Sims were more playful than in Starlight Shores. Nobody ever wanted to play tag there. Everyone was too busy swooning over the new hit singer, Conrad Anderson. Here, they were much more receptive to her games.



Thor himself had borrowed a Kempsa to get to the tomb. He didn't think that the Chateau would be all that dangerous, but then he had never tried to visit the aliens on their own turf, and he had no intention of doing so. How Gillian became so knowledgable on aliens, he wasn't sure.



Thor could see a mansion over the hills thgat he assumed could only be the Chateau. Again, he wasn't sure what the big deal was. It would take a while to get through all of the rooms, but it shouldn't be that hard to find an alien artifact, especially with Gillian with him.



Gillian: Show me your pencils!
Frenchwoman: Pencils?
Gillian: Dogs! I said dogs!
Frenchwoman: I'm sorry, we don't sell dogs here.
Gillian: Why on Earth would I want dogs? Fleas everywhere, ugh!
Frenchwoman: Then what do you want?
Gillian: Dogs! How many times do I have to say it?



Thor arrived at the tomb a short while later. He was about to go down the stairs, but on a whim, he felt like exploring the top. There he found a pile of treasures. Might as well dig through this first, Thor figured, and so he began to dig.



Other Frenchwoman: *muah*
Gillian: *muah* You are a very pretty ladybug, you know.
Other Frenchwoman: Pardon me?



Gillian: I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful ladybug in my time.
Other Frenchwoman: Thank you?
Gillian: Well, except the Doctor, but he doesn't like being called a ladybug. Must be a British thing.
Other Frenchwoman: I suppose.
Gillian: Not all of the Doctors cared about being a ladybug, though. Then again, the ones that didn't care weren't ladybugs anyway.
Other Frenchwoman: That's good to know.



Gillian: And then there's Thor.
Other Frenchwoman: Is he a ladybug?
Gillian: No, he hates ladybugs. He probably eats them.
Other Frenchwoman: How awful!
Gillian: Not at all! It's so cute. *imitates Thor* "Oh, oh! I'm too busy, I'm protecting people. Hey, look, a ladybug! nom nom nom!"
Other Frenchwoman: 
Gillian: Just between you and me, I think Thor's hungry. You might wanna stay away from him.



Gillian: Well, I must be going.
Other Frenchwoman: Yes, you should.
Gillian: Do you think Thor's ready, yet?
Other Frenchwoman: I don't really care, anymore.
Gillian: I think he is. Time to try out this new toy of mine!



Suddenly, as Thor was digging through the pile, he felt an undefineable urge. All of a sudden, he felt... sleepy. He fought to stay awake for a few moments, but it was not long before he was stone cold. He remembered nothing after that, save that it seemed like his mind was being invaded by another voice.



*Nameless was the protagonist of Schipperke's Mission Highly Unlikely, and had a tendency (at first) of drinking entirely too much nectar.

[Louise56]

Gillian is so funny lol! What happened to Thor?

[yruvian]

It seems to me Gillian has some kind of control over Thor? But... I may be seriously wrong, of course.

[Blayzen]

I could read Gillian's interactions all day long...She makes me laugh so much, I love it! Audren, my friend, I can't wait to see what you have in store for Thor next!

P.S. As much as I love her, I'm not sure that Thor should be trusting Gillian!

[Audren]

Max

Thor wasn't sure how long he was unconscious. Minutes, hours, maybe even days. Slowly he came back to reality, only to find himself alone in a tomb, likely the very tomb he had only just found. He would've looked around, but he suddenly felt a pain raidiating from his skull, and then a voice.

Voice: Awaken.



Thor: Eh?
Voice: Ooooooh.... spoooooky! I'm a GHOST!
Thor: Great. Just one more problem. I'm trapped in a tomb, I have a splitting headache, and now ghosts are talking to me!
Voice: Hahahah!!!! You actually fell for that!



Thor: Gillian?
Gillian: Drat! I thought you'd never recognize me. *humph*
Thor: What are you doing inside my head!?
Gillian: Alien technology. I think they refer to it as a "Xxruyawluk," but I call it Max. It lets me invade your brain, send you telepathic communication, knock you unconscious, stuff like that. Pretty cool, right?
Thor: NO! Get out of my head!
Gillian: But how are you going to get out of here?
Thor: Easy. I'll just leave through the-



Thor: -door.
Gillian: Yeah, not that simple. It won't be in the Chateau, either. See, I'm training you. Who knows what we'll find in the Chateau! I'm exposuring you to tomb-exploring and alien tech right now so it won't be so overwhelming! I'll be your guide out of here. Fun!
Thor: Very. Now how do I get out?
Gillian: I can't do all of the work for you, now! Silly Thor!



Gillian: Use those eyes of yours, Drakey-boy! Find an exit!
Thor: *sigh* Fine, I'll play along.
Gillian: You don't have to sound so upset about it! I'm just trying to help you!
Thor: Is that an air duct over there?
Gillian: Very good thinking, Thor! Want to climb through there?
Thor: It's the only way out, isn't it?
Gillian: Unless you've got a spoon. Or a leafblower.



Thor: If I never have to climb through an air duct again....
Gillian: I love air ducts! What are you talking about?
Thor: Of course you do.



Thor: Do I really have to dig through all of this?
Gillian: Gosh, you're so whiny, Thor! If you want to survive the Chateau, you need to be familiar with tombs. I started you with an easy one.
Thor: There's nothing behind this rubble, though!
Gillian: Nothing at all?



Thor: Hold on. This wall doesn't look right.
Gillian: Are you sure? It looks like any other door to little old me. And little young me, too, for that matter.
Thor: I think this is a fake wall! Let me just push and... done!
Gillian: Now I wonder what little middle-aged me thinks? Or big old me? Like Santa Claus? I wonder what Santa Claus thinks about this?
Thor: Are you even paying attention, Gillian?
Gillian: Shh!! I'm contemplating!
Thor: *sigh*



Thor: I bet this plate here does something.
Gillian: Hey, look! You're learning!
Thor: Haha. Look, the door's opening!
Gillian: *yawn* That's great. Hey, go put your arm in that hole over there.



Thor: What!? I'm not putting my arm in there!
Gillian: *soothing voice* Are you sure?
Thor: You know, I think I'm putting my arm in there.
Gillian: Yet another use of that alien tech I was talking about. Good old Max. Or is it good new-
Thor: Don't start, Gillian.



Thor: AHH! BUGS!!! Get them off me! Get them off me!
Gillian: *busts out laughing*
Thor: This isn't funny! Bugs are terrifying! What do they need all those legs for, anyway?
Gillian: Making you scream like a schoolboy, obviously.



Thor: That's a dead body down there.
Gillian: Yes it is.
Thor: I know that. Who is it? What poor Sim did this used to be?
Gillian: Oh, it's not a Sim. It's an alien. Part of the scare factor, I guess.
Thor: Let's just move on, then.
Gillian: Fine by me. I've seen enough alien corpses to last me three minutes.



Gillian: Go, Thor! Put your legs into it!
Thor: This is heavier than it looks!
Gillian: It looks like a heart, so it can't be that heavy to begin with. Besides, you're almost done.



Gillian: And you're done! Just head out the door and climb up the stairs. Just meet me at the Chateau once you get out. We don't have that much time left. I'll get out of your head for a while, okay?



Thor was just glad to be out of that tomb. He was glad that it was still night, because hopefully that meant that he hadn't been done their more than a few hours. Unless it meant that a whole day had passed, but he didn't think so. Even from the tomb, it was a hike to the Chateau, and it was well past midnight when he arrived.



Gillian: There you are, silly! The Admiral and I have been waiting for you!
Thor: There's no Admiral here, Gillian.
Gillian: What a spoilsport. Ready to head in?
Thor: After you.
Gillian: Nah, I think you should go first.
Thor: ... Okay.



Gillian: You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?

[Louise56]

Poor Thor! That is a big fire lol. He has a big adventure ahead, that mansion is full of traps. Love the update!

[Blayzen]

Again, Gillian is just AWESOME! Still not sure that Thor should be trusting her but that's neither here nor there....More, please. And Thank You. =)

[RainBeau]

There--all caught up! What a brilliant mystery! I love how Insane Sims always sound different based on who writes them. This one sounds like she has ADD, among other things. She also talks kind of like me. Hmmm....

[Audren]

Thor, God of Lightning

Thor: Well, now what? We can't exactly walk through fire, us Sims.
Gillian: Speak for yourself! I know plenty of fire-Sims, and so do you!
Thor: Ronin doesn't count.
Gillian: Who? That's not the point. Use that brain of yours, Thor! Find another way in!



Thor: Well, there's a shed in the back. I bet there's something in there.
Gillian: There you go, Thor! For a second there, I thought you were about to give up. That wouldn't do at all.
Thor: Not a chance, Gillian. Let's go in.



Thor: Did we really need to stop for a jam break.
Gillian: YES! You wouldn't like me when I get hungry!
Thor: I don't think that's how that quote goes...
Gillian: What quote?
Thor: *sigh* Well, what are our plans about the Chateau? We didn't find anything in here.
*silence*



Thor: Are you even listening to me?
Gillian: NOPE! I'm eating! Shh!



Gillian: Well, I'm leaving. See ya!
Thor: What? What happened to "never giving up?" We need to get that artifact!
Gillian: Well, yeah. But you're just not cut out for it, Thor. I'll hire someone to break in. Come on, let's go!
Thor: I just want to double check the shed again.
Gillian: All right. I'll see you back at camp.



Thor had noticed something wrong with the room the very instant he walked in, but he couldn't place it. He had searched every nook and cranny, but came up with nothing but some dust and a few cranberries. Still, something with this room was setting off all of his alarms. Maybe if he just checked out this wall...



Yes! The hidden door housed stairs leading down to the shed's secret basement. Thor was certain that heartstone would come in handy for tackling the Chateau. Gillian may have left, but Thor could still find the artifact himself. And so he will.



Thor could easily find the door that the heartstone stood for, but in the light of day he could spot the same type of trap that had stymied them the previous night. Had it really been that long, Thor thought. He hadn't slept for several days, not counting his time unconscious thanks to Gillian, of course. Still, Thor was determined to get inside, and that meant disarming this trap. Thor found it easier than he imagined. Soon he saw that this wasn't a fire trap, but a lightning trap. No wonder this was easy. Thor wasn't much for mythology, but he always liked the idea of being named after the god of lightning. The trap fell apart in front of him, and he entered.



Soon Thor was spotting all sorts of traps inside the Chateau, but he was meeting mixed results. Some traps were disabled as easily as the front door, but others were beyond even his skill. They looked like the same trap, but under the surface, they were quite different. Some were fairly basic, obviously crafted by one of the Admiral's servants, but others were much more advanced, almost, dare Thor say it, alien. Regardless, soon Thor found his paths growing ever narrower as more of these impassable traps surrounded him.



Thor could find his way across some of them, of course. The Admiral's gargoyles could be pushed across some of the traps, giving Thor a few moments to sprint across before the electricity burned through the gargoyle and into him. Thor had been fairly proud to come up with that idea. Occasionally, his only way through was to simply dash through and hope for the best, which obviously wasn't the best idea for his health. The stairs seemed like a much safer path. In his confidence, however, Thor became careless. In his bravado, Thor failed to notice the lightning trap at the peak of the staircase.



Gillian was long gone by this point, of course. She had arrived at the base camp hours ago, but decided to explore France some more. Thor would call once he got back. Only he never did. Gillian was content to believe that he was simply lost, but something in her gut told her otherwise. Or maybe it was Max. Alien technology could do stuff like that. Compelled by her increasing state of worry, Gillian turned around and rode back to the Chateau. She was too late to save him, of course.



Sims have the most curious thoughts right before they died. Some reflected back on their lives, all of the things they had (not) accomplished. Others worried about those they left behind, those who loved them. A few were disappointed that they would never eat a grilled cheese sandwich again. Thor didn't think any of this. Thor was quite aware of what he had (not) achieved, had no loved ones left to worry about, and found the idea of cooking bread and cheese repulsive. He responded to his death much like he responded to his life: with snark.

Thor's last thought before he died was, Some god of lightning I made.

[RaiaDraconis]

Thor being zapped by lightning. Now there is an irony.

Gillian is...interesting. I'm still not sure what to think of her. Great chapter! I do hope that Thor's death will be very temporary.

[RainBeau]

Um, no. Thor doesn't get to die. Fix it, Audren!

By the way, I love that picture with the gargoyle in the background where he's standing all heroic.

[Schipperke]

I love Thor and Gillian!  They're such an unlikely pair of heroes. 

[Audren]

Thor being zapped by lightning. Now there is an irony.

Gillian is...interesting. I'm still not sure what to think of her. Great chapter! I do hope that Thor's death will be very temporary.

Interesting is about the best word for Gillian I could come up with. I don't even quite know what to think of her! 

Um, no. Thor doesn't get to die. Fix it, Audren!

By the way, I love that picture with the gargoyle in the background where he's standing all heroic.

That was one of my favourites, too. He did that pose at least two other times in screenshots that I didn't use. Might have something to do with his Loser trait. They usually seem extra excited when good things happened.

I love Thor and Gillian!  They're such an unlikely pair of heroes. 

Thor and Gillian truly are a great pair, one that I didn't quite anticipate. (though quite frankly, the past four or five updates are pretty much based on random events, so I haven't anticipated much of anything recently)

[Audren]

Crossing the Veil

Being dead sucked.



Oh sure, if you were ready to die, if was all fine and dandy. There was this nice lady he met here who almost immediately passed on to a greater place. But Thor, along with some others, were a special case. They weren't supposed to die yet, so space had to be made for them. In the meantime, Thor was stuck here, and that's what upset him. Floating around in the big empty was never fun, and he had no reason to believe he was leaving anytime soon.



Most of Thor's companions came and went, and that always bothered him. He only had one constant companion here in the void, and that was, if anything, even worse.



Thor: Any news from the other side?
Grim Reaper: Not yet. We're awfully busy, you know. People are dropping like flies these days.
Thor: Flies?
Grim Reaper: And then there's the zombies. Oh, you have no idea how much work I go through to round those fools up again. Every time one of those crazy witches throw those potions around, I lose a soul that's rightfully mine!
Thor: I don't really care anymore.
Grim Reaper: Being sarcastic with me isn't going to get you out of here any sooner.



Grim Reaper: That doesn't even talk about those scientists! When someone dies, they're supposed to stay dead! They didn't have those Oh My Ghost opportunities when I started this gig! Ah, good ol' 900s.
Thor: Don't suppose I could borrow one of those Oh My Ghosts?
Grim Reaper: And don't get me started on the Lifetime Rewards!
Thor: Guess not.
Grim Reaper: Age Freeze! Youth Again! Ambrosia! The very game is trying to take me out of business! Maybe I won't even be in The Sims 4!
Thor: See, why couldn't I be in that game?



Perhaps the worse part of being in the dark is that everyone seemed to be wearing black. It makes spotting people quite difficult for Thor, especially when he didn't even have eyes anymore. It didn't help that this was the last person he expected to find here.



The Riddlemaster: BOO!
Thor: *scream* Woah!?!
The Riddlemaster: HA! You should've seen your face!



Thor: You must be The Riddlemaster.
The Riddlemaster: And what makes you think that, Drake?
Thor: The fact that you're covering your face like a coward.
The Riddlemaster: You're not worthy of seeing our face.
Thor: I would've expected more of you! That was very rude and in poor taste!
The Riddlemaster: We thought it was amusing.



Grim Reaper: I'm gonna have to agree with him here. That was hilarious!
Thor: You're not helping!
Grim Reaper: Forgive me for laughing at the one ghost who's been rude to me since he floated in.
Thor: Humph.



Thor: What are you doing here? Tripped over a pair of scissors and cut your throat?
The Riddlemaster: Fortunately, we have not yet died. If only you could say the same.
Thor: So, why are you here?
The Riddlemaster: Do we need a reason besides mocking you?
Thor: I swear, when I get out of here-



The Riddlemaster: What will you do, Drake? Come after us? We are infinite. You will never find us.
Thor: I think you'll find I'm a lot more resourceful than you think.
The Riddlemaster: We find that unlikely.
Thor: I will find you once I get back home.
The Riddlemaster: How? You are dead, Drake, and we have no reason to think you're leaving anytime soon.
Grim Reaper: Not with that attitude.
The Riddlemaster: You're stuck here! You had your chance to stop us. Now you're dead, just as we've predicted.



All of this ruccus stirred one of the ghosts to life, so to speak. Thor was quite fortunate that it was this soul who came to investigate.



Loki: I don't know who you are, pal, but you better be leaving.
The Riddlemaster: Who do you think you are to tell us what to do?
Loki: I'm Thor's guardian, and you're not welcome here anymore. Now get out, or I'll ask Grimmy over here to keep you here permanently! Right, Grim?
Grim Reaper: Eh, I guess. Nothing better to do.



The Riddlemaster: Fine. We'll be leaving, now. Remember, Thor. You might be dead, but we're still influencing your friends.



Loki: Hello, brother.
Thor: Loki! It's so good to see you! How have you been?
Loki: You know, dead. You?
Thor: Same, apparently.



Loki: Wow, I haven't seen you since, you know.
Thor: Yeah. Did you stay here as long as I have?
Loki: No, that's pretty weird. Even us "accidentals" usually cross the Veil by the time of our funeral. You? It's been a while.
Thor: How long?
Loki: You don't want to know, brother. Trust me.



Loki: But, I was talking to Darcy a few minutes ago, and it looks like you're ready to go.
Thor: Really?
Loki: Yup, all you have to do know is cross the Veil. It's pretty easy. Let's go.
Thor: How? There's no doors around here.
Loki: Doors?



Loki: Where we're going-
Thor: We don't need doors. You know I hate that movie, Loki!
Loki: How do you know you're a good guy? Maybe this is your eternal punishment, listening to me quote Back to the Future for infinity.
Thor: I'd rather be back with the alien.



Loki: But seriously. Just imagine that you're crossing the street, and you're good. See you on the other side!



Good old Loki, Thor sighed as he concentrated on crossing the street. It had been so long since he had seen Loki. As painful as the memory was, he was happy to be with his brother again. He found himself slowly disappearing, and crossing on to the other side of the Veil.