Sims 4 Playthrough: Strangerville Part 3

EMERGENCY PEE.

Bladder was super low so the first thing I did was use the bathroom when Cassidy woke up.  The second thing was eat.

After eating the vegetable dumplings, I read a book to boost the fun motive.  After that... my motives were full, and I had more secrets to uncover.

I go ahead and call the bartender from before and invite her to my house.

...However, it was 3 AM and she was asleep.  Oops.  I take the moment to buy a mirror so I can change outfits, and... my motives are pretty much entirely full.

I take the opportunity to practice programming until work.

After work, I try getting the bartender to my house again.  This time, it's a success.

I can immediately request evidence.  Yes!

I try inviting over another known conspiracy theorist to get all buddy-buddy with her and acquire even more evidence.

Evidence: Acquired.

I make food then head to the bathroom and shower.  I also play guitar.

While playing guitar, I get a random text from one of the conspiracy theorists.  "I can't believe you've been drinking people's blood without their permission!"

Uh... I haven't... not a vampire... but okay?  Is that a conspiracy theorist thing?

Once I level in my guitar skill (level two), I go to bed to fill up my energy.  At 4:30 in the afternoon.

I wake up at 2:30 AM and make some food before work.  I use the bathroom and it's 4:38 AM with 22 hours for my job.  Really not enough time to do anything (at least in the Sims), but I also discover a task when seeing if I can go in early: I need to reach level 2 mixology skill.  Well, looks like it's time to save for a bar.

I throw my guitar in my inventory; might as well, right?  Glancing over at my garden, I notice my garlic is ready.  I make sure to harvest it, but only have time to do that before work.  When I get home, I'll water everything.

When I get home, I can harvest MORE GARLIC (gasp) and then I begin watering.  I can't make anything with the garlic to hang up around the house... so looks like it might be time to research vampires.  Maybe I'll see if keeping it in my inventory, for now, will work.

I'm sore from work, but I go ahead and meander over to the library.  If I can find another scientist, I'm sure I can persuade them to give me more clues to Strangerville.

For some reason, I head over in my barista outfit.

Okay, then.

I find a scientist and start chatting away, just waiting to unlock the option to ask for evidence.  We whisper about a celebrity there (because when celebrities show up, might as well use the stuff with Get Famous, right?) and I do lots of 'get to know him' actions (including 'get to know' and 'ask about career')

After learning about minnows by 'discussing fishing spots', I finally can use the option.  Except then he immediately walks off and... is gone.  The frick-frack.

Well, there's a military personnel sim here.  Let's see if she will not walk off in the middle of  the conversation.  I'm plenty high with my needs, so...

My scientist pal from earlier shows up just as I ask her for evidence, so I get his evidence too.

That leaves just one more piece of evidence, which judging from my success and how things are going so far... My fun need is getting a little low, but I should be able to chat with one more person and get what I need!

I'm currently in a group conversation with a strange scientist and my military+scientist "buddies", so I start trying to buddy up with her so I can get her evidence.

She walks off just when I open the option, so then it's time to head home I guess.  The fun part of this is I can just call her over to my house when I get there :P

She doesn't come up in my invites, so I invite a 'Madison Gamble' who appears to be military.  I get and eat some leftovers, and while I'm eating I start chatting with her (yay for Sims 4 multitasking).

While chatting, I get to charisma level 2.  Nice and unexpected :D  I get a call from Lilliana Read, and go ahead and let her come over since I'm already at home and already with a guest.  Whatever, they can entertain each other once I get to the part where I need to up my fun, right?

AT LAST... I get the final piece of evidence I need to create the dossier.  Cassidy finishes eating, and then it's time to boot Madison off the computer and play some games.

...After I use the bathroom :I

I get invited by someone to a talent showcase.  Apparently Cassidy is REALLY popular.

Both of my guests leave while I play Blicblock.  I compile the dossier, and then when I'm done I go say hey to Erwin and show him the dossier.

I get the keycard for the dossier and 250 simoleons.  Tomorrow's Saturday, so once I wake up and meet my needs, it's off to the secret lab.

Look how peaceful she looks!

I eat, use the bathroom, shower, and then it's off to the lab for me.

Part Four

Sims 4 Playthrough: Strangerville Part 2

She's tired, she's tense, and she desperately wants to socialize.  My fingers are currently crossed she doesn't die of stress at her job.

OH.  BARISTA IS PART TIME JOB THAT'S PERFECT.  She's back home and we're doing emergency fun tasks.  First thing: read.  We're gonna read the book we bought, then play some video games...

And probably sleep and then socialize unless something happens.

While we're having her read, we hang up the poster.

Perfect.

We finish the book and have a medium fun need, but we're exhausted.  Cassidy has to sleep before she can socialize.  But, once we get to socializing, hopefully we can boost that need quickly.  Whew... I'm so used to playing with mods and cheats that this feels super hectic!

While we sleep, George Cahill calls about the Humor and Hijinks festival.

Nope.  Only Strangerville Mysteries here.

When I wake up, only my sleep and fun aren't in the yellow.  Hunger's in the red.  I go to the bathroom and shower first, then make some breaak... dinner.  It's late.

More garden salad for Cassidy, woo.

By the time I'm done with the shower, both my fun and social needs are low.  We gotta get the heck out of dodge.  The library is the obvious place, but I think I'll stop by the curio shop first to do some chatting with Erwin (and maybe pick up another poster or two).

I ask him about a keycard.  He says it's in his secret inventory, but I need a Strangerville dossier.  Cool, okay, I need more evidence for that.

I buy the remaining posters ('Cowplant Dissected', 'Simmanatti', 'Emily', and 'Lone Road') and then just chat for a bit after he closes his stall.

...He also appears to be beeping for some unfathomable reason.

I also question him further about the Strangerville Mystery, but... he appears uninterested in sharing with me.  Perhaps I should befriend him... he seems fun and quirky.

(His traits are 'Geek' and 'Erratic'; I haven't discovered the third one yet.)

My fun trait is getting dangerously low, so... it's time for some books and video games it sounds like!

While reading, I get Vlad's text message.  Thanks, Vlad.  Bugger off.

If you look closely, you might be able to see a blurry Sim-like figure right next to the red brick building behind us (it's black).  No, it's not Lucky Luciano or slenderman photoshopped; it's a Sim being controlled by 'Mother' as I'm going to call the force possessing Sims.  I'm too lazy to photoshop these screenshots.

...I'm going to buy some garlic.  Or, like, a lot of garlic.

I ignore Vlad until he goes away, then plant some garlic and some vegetables in the planters around the side of my house.

The moment I finish planting, it's off to work while hungry.  Growing food will allow me to earn more Simoleons that way... because I'm very low right now.  I also have writing and guitar, as long as I practice those skills... So I'm sure I'll figure it out :P

I eat some leftover vegetables when I get home and get a buff from it, along with filling up most of my hunger bar.

I practice programming for a little bit, then use the bathroom and... promptly get sick.  Yaay.  I don't know why, considering the longest I was outside has been at night time...  I order some medicine and it works!  Heck yes!

I head off to the bar in Strangerville to pester strangers (ha) about what's going on in this crazy town.

The first person I talk to says 'move along, nothing to see here'.  Since he's not gonna give me anything... well, I bet the bartender will.

And: she's a conspiracy theorist!  Perfect!

I need a higher relationship with her to request evidence, so let's get to it and start chatting her up.

Aaanndd two other sims immediately join the conversation so there's four of us chatting. WELP.

She leaves in the middle of the conversation, so... that route was a failure.  Sigh.

There's a few military personnel around me (quite a few) and my needs are getting low, so I'm going to head home.

I have garden salad for lunch (which boosts me to cooking level 2, so now I can use the stove), read a book, and then go to bed.

While I'm asleep, Erwin invites me to 'aliens' night at the bar.  I'd love to, but my sim needs sleep, so I decline. Alas.

Vlad interrupts my sleep instead.  I wish I could stake him.

The real Strangerville conspiracy may be keeping my Sim sleep-deprived at all times.

After a brief bout of being unconscious on the floor, I go to the bathroom and make food to eat.  I choose grilled cheese, because grilled cheese is delicious.

After I eat, I take a shower, and then it's time for work.  Sigh.

I get promoted to Bean Blender with a 193 simoleon bonus (yay).  I'm tired, but I decide it's better to go hunt down some conspiracy theorists and bother them about Strangerville.  I want to complete that dossier, dangit!

I attempt to talk to another conspiracy theorist... but like the bartender before, she leaves in the middle of our conversation.   What the heck!

Maybe a scientist will be more helpful...?

I chat with him for a while, and can actually request evidence from the secret lab from him!

Success!  Now it's time to go home and sleep.

Part Three

Sims 4 Playthrough: Strangerville Part 1

I want to create a Sims 4 story.  So... my first step in that?

Well, I figure it can't hurt to play modless and (mostly) cheatless and practice taking screenshots and the like.  And Sims 4 now has the Strangerville mystery as well as Sulani...

So let's make a Sim.

This is Cassidy Moribus.  She's Creative, Outgoing, and a Genius.  Her current aspiration?  To solve the Strangerville mystery.  Once that's complete, we'll be moving on to Sulani.

I stick her into the furnished version of Slip 42, and promptly get her a job as a barista.  It's social and will very much get her into the thick of things here in Strangerville.  I mean, storywise.  Gameplaywise, it's all up to me.

I figure I have enough Simoleons to upgrade everything, so I do.  I can't make huge upgrades, but I get rid of the gnomes and listening station and...

Voila.  An acceptable home.  While I'm waiting for the welcome wagon to arrive, I have her practice writing - you know, feed that creativity part of her.  The welcome wagon comes pretty quickly, but something seems, uh... off.

Trying to talk to anyone leads to comments involving fruit, peace, and mother.  Okay, that's... not creepy at all?  When the welcome wagon finally ends... 'COME TO CRATER' is their final message.

During the welcome wagon, I have a piece of fruitcake, which my sim immediately and strongly regrets.  Sorry, Cassidy.  It was a gift!  I hope you're not infected... I mean, the fruitcake seems normal. Either way, we want to pursue this mystery.

An animation gets stuck and eventually, a sim is blipped off of my lot.  I can't enter build/buy mode... oh, look, I'm being investigated.  Might as well do some programming while these secret agents make a mess of things.

They come in and steal my brand-new just-upgraded fridge :(

Better pick up that note for later.

While I'm replacing my fridge (at least they paid me for it), I add some lot traits.  'Science Lair' sounds good, and... I'll leave it at that for now.  I also pick up a cheap guitar, just to have some music.

I program for a little longer, then get rid of the fruitcake.  We don't need that giving me uncomfortable buffs every time I eat it.  I mean, I could keep it around as decor... but why would I?

When my fun need gets low, I stop programming.  I need to pick up an item from the curio shop according to my ambition... so why not?  Work on ambition, find five sims to chat to, and hopefully, up my fun need all at once.  Now to find where the curio shop is...

Turns out, it's really close to home!  I just jog on over there, hoping to buy a little curio... and, you know, start chatting to people... Of course, since I'm on my home lot, nobody's going to show up.  I had an idea, it was not well-thought-out.  Ah well.

I buy a 'Bizarre Fruit', the 'Untold Mysteries of Strangerville' book, and a 'Where Did It Go' poster, and then get down to brass tacks.

I ask about Strangerville and the clerk guy (Erwin Pries, conspiracy theorist) mentions bizarre plants... probably where the bizarre fruit comes on.  He says the scientists have been doing tests on them.  Well, food goes in my fridge... did one of the weirdos from the welcome wagon put something in there?

It looks like someone lives in the plane nearby, so I decide to head over there so I can talk to them.  After that, I think it's going to be TO THE LIBRARY to find some more people to talk to... and, last of all, we're gonna hit that secret door.

I knock on the door in the plane, and...

Oh, that's not ominous at all.  No sirree.  Well, hey, we're an ADVENTURER, let's go ahead and traipse on down to that creepy basement.

George Cahill is the resident of this place, and he doesn't look too bad.  I introduce myself with a 'friendly introduction' and then promptly talk about Strangerville.  Small talk?  Pfft, that's for losers, we're BIG ADVENTURERS in this business.

At this time, my uncomfortable moodlet goes away, bringing my genius focused moodlet to the front.  Yaaay.

I steal his chair, but he mentions the secret lab in the crater.  And then... "I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the weird storm that made my plane crash."

Ooohh.  That's something!

I need fun motive and I have a wish to read a book, along with a book in my inventory, so I go ahead and start reading at Mr. Cahill's house.  Ahh, Sims.  Gotta love it; just steal a guy's chair and then start reading a book in a stranger's house...

Better than the weirdos that shower in mine, at least.

While George is making food... he lights things on fire.

Well, after the initial panic... we're gonna try and extinguish him.  Because I do not want this guy to die, man!

After running upstairs and then back down, I finally extinguish him... and it looks like just in time, too.

Okay, George.  Looks like it's time for me to go.  A library awaits!

The library has the exact number of people I need to finish my current quest. Suh-weet.  I go ahead and start chatting.  I don't really bother with introductions; I just want to get this finished, done and dusted.

The woman mentions that Strangerville has always been a military town, but that there seems to be "a lot more of them lately".  This fits with what we know so far.

Another conspiracy theorist, Gary Camacho, mentions that the Secret Lab will have answers... and I should be able to sneak in through the back gate.  Sweet.

The librarian gives me the final bit of information I need... a repeat of the first bit of information about the plants I got.

Well, that's this step done.  Time to head to the secret lab and check out that door!

You know.  The crater.  Where 'the mother' wants me.  Hoo boy.

Ignoring all the strange plants around me, I go straight to the secret door and examine it.  It appears to require a keycard, which we can find from someone in town (maybe).  The game suggests we find some clues in the area of the lab, so... why not look around some?

The game very helpfully makes the clues flash in red.  I go through all of them and get 8 out of 15 pieces of evidence I need for my aspiration.

I also need to complete a Strangerville secret dossier (possibly from all my clues; that would make the most sense) and open the Strangerville door.

All my needs are low, so... let's head home for now.

...after I take a picture of a strange plant.  Which bumps my evidence count to nine.  Sweet!

At home, I make a quick garden salad for dinner, then chat on the computer in hopes to boost my social need.  I boost it a little, but my fun is super low, as is my energy... and I have work.  Crap.

I go to the bathroom then to bed, and hope that my sim can manage work on... 2 hours of sleep.

That is very relatable and a Mood.

Part Two

I Swear I'm Not Dead

WELL I DISAPPEARED HOO BOY.

I never finished NaNoWriMo.  Just... my uncle died in the middle of November and that kinda kills muse so... y'know.

I'm still working on the sequel.

I have a Patreon set up now!  That's a thing.

I played Wizard101 straight through for a month cuz someone gifted me a month-long membership so that was very nice of them.  A Good Christmas Gift.

I'm... getting back into roleplaying more.

Most recently I was at the mental hospital.  How lovely. /sarcasm

 Anyway.

Shit's been happening.

I'm still alive.

Oh!  Also I've started up Habitica, so hopefully good things will come from that! (:

NaNoWriMo

It's NaNoWriMo yet again, and for me that means writing the sequel to the Unicorn Valley.  It wasn't like I was active here before, but I'm probably going to be tired from hyperfocus on writing my novel.

Word Count calendar counter is over there.  Need more widgets :P

Last year I had a Pokemon, which is cool.

Here she is, in all of her glory declaring that I did, in fact, complete the NaNoWriMo word count:



Isn't she purdy?

This year, I have another Pokemon, although I tried looking for a different widget.  Alolan Vulpix hoy!



Anyway...

Happy Noveling!

Best Foot Forward

Here I am, walking the tightrope again;
It's one foot forward (best foot forward)
And hoping like a nightmare, fingers crossed
That I don't fall like I have before.

I can almost reach the sun
I can almost open my wings to fly -
I'm no Icarus, there's no 'too close'
I just have the need to be free.

I am twelve steps away from the edge
And a deep breath from coming back down
I'll write my words on my skin
If only to remember who I am.

There is a puzzle I know I'll never solve
And sometimes life is being okay with that.
In some ways, I am so infinitely small
But then, infinity never began.

I am a flower not yet bloomed,
I am a pearl still hiding in the clam;
Don't forget me, don't regret this -
Tomorrow the sun will rise again.

Here I am, at the end of the tightrope.
Best foot forward and despair behind me.
Hope was a nightmare but I made it here
Though I've fallen before.

I've opened my wings to fly
And danced in starlight and sunlight alike -
There's no need to be afraid of day or night
When the universe is on your side.

I am twelve steps away from triumph
And a deep breath away from fear
I've written my words on my skin
And I do remember who I am.

Somehow the puzzle, impossible, I've solved it;
But I'm still okay with the ones I haven't.
In some ways, I am so infinitely big.
But then, infinity never ends.

I am a rose the likes of which you've never seen,
I am a string of pearls that are stories;
Don't regret this, I won't forget this -
And today the sun rose again.

You have words to speak and to write,
You have a voice, small and bright.

Please come to understand the world is wrong,
Life is worth singing, a living breathing song.

I found this in my drafts.  I have nothing to finish it with.  So, here.  Enjoy something short and sweet.