The Flowers waiting for Grim - Completed

[Ausette]

*Blushes* I'll have to post that picture in my Patterns thread, the recolours are lovely and the girls look lovely in them. Iqbal seems to think so, at any rate. 

[Schipperke]

Chapter Twenty-One

On Monday morning the tutoring begins in earnest.  The students who aren't being tutored practice their conversation skills, and it's such a relief to not have to watch them every minute like that last bunch.  Did I mention we actually have a student with the Charismatic trait this time?   Create-a-Sim was very good to us this week.



The tutoring goes very quickly, leaving lots of time for community outings and fun activities.  Sunflower gets the students together for an important announcement.



Sunflower:  We have a special treat planned for you this week:  a treasure hunt.  You'll be given clues and you'll have to go out into the community to find the item the clue is about.  There will be two teams.  The winners will be announced at our Thursday evening dance party.  There will be a prize for first and second place.  [editor's note:  the party has been changed from Friday to Thursday because Sunflower is still working at the Diner and I don't want her to have to take time off every week.]
Sunflower continues:  Remember that you are representing the school when you go out around town.  We expect you to behave like young ladies.  There is to be no stealing.
Edna:  That's for you, Kleptos!  I, of course, am much too superior to ever think of stealing something.
Fanny:  Oh, what a snob!
Sunflower:  Girls, girls!  Any team that breaks the rules will be disqualified.  Now, are we clear?  Decorum and no theft.  You'll get a new clue every day.  Here's the first one: 

"Seek me after dark; I'll light your way
And warm your tummy, so they say."*

While the tutoring has been going on, Leo hasn't been idle.  He's given all the students their first Martial Arts lesson.  He has a bit of spare time and I find him planning a new outfit for himself.



I just had to share that close-up with you so you could see his tie.  It's Gheez's Rabbit Fence Pattern and I love the way it looks on the tie!  We are so lucky to have such talented pattern designers in this forum. 

Of course, the question is, why is Leo trying on a tie?  It's a little different from his usual style.  There must be a reason.  Stay tuned for further developments.

*Apologies for the awful rhyme.  I don't claim to be a poet.  You wouldn't believe how long it took me to come up with that little bit of doggerel.

[TallStar]

Leo isn't trying to..impress somebody, now is he? Hmm, must ponder.

[CarlosLordofTacos]

I'm rather scared of Leo to be honest, he is raising an army of kung fu crooks! I wonder if that'll come back to bite the teachers! *cough cough* plot suggestion *cough*

[CandyHeartedSim]

Ooh! Ooh! -Raises Hand- I know, I know!

[Bde1225]

Me too I would win this treasure hunt for sure.

[Schipperke]

Chapter Twenty-Two

The students have regular outings to the community.  Tuesday afternoon after lessons they go to tour the Science Centre.  As they're on their way into the Science Building, they meet someone they know coming out.



Yes, it appears Leo really did have a reason for getting dressed up.  The question is, what is there at the Science Centre to interest our sculptor/martial arts rebel? 

The students tell Marigold about seeing Leo at the Science Centre.  Marigold wonders what he's been up to.

Marigold, to Leo:  The students were surprised to see you at the Science Centre this afternoon.  [subtext:  What were you doing there?]
Leo:  Yeah, I was surprised to see them too.  [subtext:  If I'd known they were going, I'd have made sure to go some other time.]



Marigold:  I didn't know you were interested in science.  [subtext:  I'm dying to find out what this is all about.  Tell me!]
Leo:  Oh, I'm interested in all sorts of things, Red.  [subtext:  Forget it.  I've dodged questions from wilier people than you, Marigold.]
Leo continues:  Tell me something.  This is your story, yours and Supergirl's, right?  I'm just "the assistant."  So, Red, why is your story called "waiting for Grim"?  I mean, it makes it sound like you two are just sitting around waiting to die! 
Marigold:  Well, when we first came to SV, that's how it seemed.  We were all alone, poor, and no use to anyone.  Then Mr Payne got us these jobs here ...
Leo:  And now?  How do you feel about it now?  Are you still waiting for Grim?
Marigold, thoughtfully:  ... now I wish Grim wasn't going to come for us soon.  We had no kind of life at all with our family, and now that we're finally enjoying life, it's all going to end soon.
Leo:  Is there something you'd really like to do if you had more time?
Marigold:  I've always wanted to travel.  See the world.  I have a picture of the pyramids on my bedroom wall, and every night I go to sleep thinking about how wonderful it would be to go and see them.  And all the other things I'll never have time to do.



Marigold's room:



Marigold sighs and says:  But there's no use dwelling on what might have been.  I need to give the students the next clue for the Treasure Hunt.

"Scourge of vampires they call me.
To find me, you must truly outstanding be."

[Schipperke]

To Bde1225 and CandyHeartedSim and anyone else who knows the answer to the clues - I appreciate your restraint in not sharing the answers!   

[Schipperke]

Chapter Twenty-Three

Since the school opened, prominent SV residents have taken to dropping in.  They tend to arrive just before meal time, so maybe some of them are coming to sample the students' cooking.  I don't want to delve too deeply into Iqbal Alvi's motivation for coming by to jump on the trampoline that took him right past the girls' bedroom windows.  Our next visitor is Judy Bunch, who also stays for dinner with the students.



I can't tell you what a relief it is to have a group of students that don't have to be watched every second to keep them from insulting and fighting with everyone in sight.  Judy seems to enjoy her meal and stays to visit with the students until they go to bed.  Then, while Marigold and Sunflower are enjoying their meal in peace, Judy slips out the back door and makes her way over to the garage.  She hands something to Leo and stays to give him a bit of instruction.



Judy leaves, and Leo continues working late into the night.



I don't want to leave you with the impression that it's a piece of cake having 3 kleptos in the house.  None of them are employed yet, so I don't have to worry about them autonomously stealing things from work.  But they are definitely criminals-in-training.  Late one night, Edna decides to practice her second storey work:



The house doesn't normally have lights on the side like that.  I put them up to make it easier to see that Edna is standing on - nothing.  I suppose being able to scale walls is an advantage for someone who might want to break into the upper storey of a house. 

Here's the third and final clue in the Treasure Hunt:

"Water cascading from the rock brings -
A bell that never rings?"

[Bde1225]

LOL. Is she stuck like that? And this clue I am a little lost...I will let it marinate in my brain for a few.

[Schipperke]

LOL. Is she stuck like that?

She was.  I had to use ResetSim to get her back where she was supposed to be. 

I'm glad to hear this clue is a little more challenging than the first two!  But I think anyone who plays in Sunset Valley shouldn't have too much trouble with it.  Good luck, and thanks for the comment.

[Natsuko]

So I tried thinking about that last clue very hard, but then after I thought about it...it makes sense! *shuts mouth*

Great story Schip, I'm enjoying it alot!

[CandyHeartedSim]

I got this clue straight away as well, but I don't want to be a "Frivolous Poster"

[Schipperke]

Thanks for the comments.  I'm glad you're enjoying the story, Natsuko.  As for all the clever folks who know the answers to the clues - well, I always knew we had a bunch of smart people here in the forum, and you've just proved it.  Of course, there's a possibility you might be wrong ... 

I'm having fun with the treasure hunt and would like to continue it for another week.  Be warned - the next set of clues will be more difficult! 

[Saltypaws]

I started reading this story before my move and just picked it back up again.  I had to start on page 6 or 7, lol.  It just keeps getting better and better.  Love the girls clothing and the way this story is going. 

A thought on the aging part.  If you are using the testingcheats to change the sims appearance, that might be the culprit.  My sister said after she used it, it put her sim at the beginning of YA again.  I am getting ready to check to see if it happens in mine, might be a random thing, just like the tatoo parlor.