The Flowers waiting for Grim - Completed

[Schipperke]

Oops, I assumed the fancy bike was the gift from Mr Payne to Leo. My bad I guess.

No, no, you're quite right, Lilygirl.  The motorcycle was Mr Payne's gift to Leo. 

I was thinking of the gifts Marigold and Sunflower have received or about to receive.  Although whether or not Leo is a gift - that remains to be seen. 

[Chopsticks]

Wow, I completely missed the motorcycle picture.

[Seabody]

I love how you incorporated the thought bubbles into the story! And I love the update Schip!

[Pam]

It's great to be reading one of your stories again, Schipperke.  Nicely done, as always.  Any chance this could develop into a new Project?

[Schipperke]

Thanks for the comments, Chopsticks, Seabody and Pam.

Any chance this could develop into a new Project?

I'm not sure if there's really enough to this one to be worthy of being a Project.  However, it's still a work in progress so I guess we'll have to wait and see.  At this point all I know is that I'm having fun with it.   

[Schipperke]

Chapter Eleven

When it comes to finishing schools, Marigold and Sunflower's ignorance is exceeded only by my own.  So the three of us go online to see what we can learn.  From TheFreeDictionary we learn that a finishing school is "a private girls' school that stresses training in cultural subjects and social activities."  Further exploration tells us that the emphasis is on teaching the social graces and accomplishments needed in order to fulfill successfully a woman's traditional role in polite society.  Apparently Princess Diana and other prominent ladies attended a particular finishing school in Switzerland.

Some of the topics we found listed by an online finishing school:  gracious living, hospitality, organizing & cleaning, gardening, sewing, art appreciation, music appreciation, personal presentation, how to be an interesting conversationalist and how to choose clothing.

The girls start thinking about activities that will help them meet as many of these objectives as possible.  They're also busy furnishing the school.  Sunflower's idea of a cozy reading nook:



Ok, maybe the bookcases are a little more suited to a daycare than a young ladies' finishing school.  But Sunflower and I think they're fun.  The television area:



With the two of them and an assistant, they figure they can accept 4 students at a time.  The students' rooms:



They are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the nice middle-aged teacher lady who will be their assistant.  A knock comes at the door.  "She's here!"  Sunflower runs out to greet the assistant.

[Gogowars329]

It's not the middle-ages woman you were expecting Sunflower!

[TheChronicR]

Haha, what a beautiful middle-aged lady!

I really like the school building, especially the outdoor rabbits - reminds me of someone.

Awesome update, Schip!

[Chopsticks]

Go bright pink rabbits! Good update as usual.

[Schipperke]

Chapter Twelve

Sunflower asks the stranger what he wants. 
He replies:  Name's Leo.  I'm your new assistant.
Sunflower:  You??  But we were expecting -
Leo:  Someone ordinary, right?  And you just can't believe your luck to find Leo instead - chauffeur, gardener extraordinaire, master sculptor, and 3rd dan in Sim Fu.  Don't worry, Supergirl, Leo will protect you from the nasty burglars.



Marigold joins them just in time to hear Leo's self-praise.  She remarks drily:  And highly modest as well!
Leo:   That's me, Red.
Marigold:  Are you really an expert in martial arts?  (to Sunflower) We could offer our students lessons in self-defense.
Leo:  Oh, sure.

Sunflower is hilarious.  While Marigold and Leo were talking, she did this:



And then, of her own free will, she did this: 



I get the feeling she's not too impressed with Leo.  He gets the message  and says:  The old man told me I could have the bedsit above the garage.  I'll just take my stuff over and get settled in.  Is it true one of you dames knows how to cook?
Sunflower:  I am a 5-star chef.
Leo:  Oooh - a chef, no less!  As long as you don't make hotdogs.  I've had enough hotdogs to last me a lifetime.  My favourite meal is lobster thermidor.  Are you any good at that?
Sunflower:  I make perfect lobster thermidor.
Marigold:  I hope you're not expecting lobster thermidor on a regular basis!  We have a strict budget.
Leo:  Ah.  Well, I'll just have to get busy and sell a few sculptures.  That'll bring the simoleons rolling in.

He walks off to the garage.  Sunflower and Marigold stand looking at each other in dismay.  They've been counting on their assistant being an experienced teacher.  What on earth could Mr Payne have been thinking of to send them ... Leo?

Later that evening, much later ...

It seems that Leo had exaggerated his martial arts skill a wee bit.  Maybe he's a little less than a 3rd dan.  Would you believe level zero?  He stays up late into the night practicing:



By the time fatigue and exhaustion send him to bed, he's gained a new belt and is quite pleased with himself.  But he has a lot of work ahead of him if he's going to be ready to teach self-defense to the students that will start arriving in a few days.

[Audren]

Completely unrelated to the story, but you have showed me that my 2nd favorite hairstyle goes great with my 2nd favorite facial hair! Thank you! 

[Schipperke]

Completely unrelated to the story, but you have showed me that my 2nd favorite hairstyle goes great with my 2nd favorite facial hair! Thank you! 

Glad to be of service.   

[Schipperke]

Chapter Thirteen

notice in the Sunset Valley StarPhoenix:

"We are pleased to announce the grand opening of The Flowers Finishing School in Sunset Valley.  The school offers training in a variety of cultural subjects and useful skills.  Our experienced instructors include a 5-star chef, a graduate of the prestigious Lefromage Art School, and an experienced martial arts expert.  Students will also learn to do basic household repairs, gardening, and playing chess.  The program includes cultural activities and community outings.  Music lessons will be offered.  Students will also learn how to give successful parties and how to select appropriate clothing and grooming.  The term will be from Sunday afternoon till the following Saturday morning.  Interested young ladies should apply to The Flowers Finishing School."




Note to readers:  My goal is to have the faculty teach all the skills.  But in my test run, my Sims were unable to tutor other Sims in Charisma.  I didn't realize that Charisma wasn't a tutor-able skill.  So I guess for that one, the students will have to either go to the library or take a class.  The students will be randomly generated as to appearance, clothes, and traits.  I'd like to allow the students to be as autonomous as possible, keeping in mind that they are in school to learn and that a lot of their time will be taken up with assigned activities.

[Audren]

Congratulations on the grand opening, girls! (and Leo) I'm sure it'll be just splendid! 

[TheChronicR]

Congratulations on the opening, Sunny and Goldie! On another note, I just love their outfits, they are amazing.

In fact, this is a fascinating story. Schip, I am completely speechless. But, certainly, the idea behind is priceless, indeed.