Strangetown, HWC extras: The Summerdreams

[strangetomato]

I've had these images for a while now, with the intention of writing this little piece, so here it is. I'm also testing out semagic as I post this. I may as well be productive while testing it, right?








"So, what? You've no time for glamour anymore?"

"I feel more comfortable this way. I'm tired of everything being so flamboyant and ridiculous."

"Am I ridiculous to you now? Am I embarrassing?" He reached up and stroked the feather in his hat. "Is it the hat? Is the hat too much? It's my favourite one. Hermia made it for me, you know."

"No, the hat's lovely, Puck. Hermia is a skillful milliner."

"Is it this professor fellow that's coming to visit? Vidcund Curious, you said? Are you trying to appear a certain way to him? You seem like you're trying to hide your heritage from this man."

"Well, I've invited him here, haven't I? He'll see all of you. I told him that we're a unique sort of people. To expect the unexpected."




"So, what have you told him, little sister? That we're merely nonconformists?"

"Something like that."

Puck let out a derisive laugh. "Lies will get you nowhere."

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"You know what's true."




"It's not like we practise it. It doesn't even work here. We do things with herbalism and such, but that doesn't make us any different from anyone else."

"You can't even say it, can you?" He leaned over to her. "Mag-ic. M. A. G. I. C. Magic. It's not a difficult word."

"Do you really believe in that?"

"Of course."

"I've always took those stories like any other fairytale: with a grain of salt."

"Well, maybe they're all true. All I know is that our mother was the Queen of Faerie and our father was her King."

"All I know is that they live in Veronaville, in the here and now, and they're just the same as anyone else."

"Well, have it as you like it, sister," he said, standing up. "I suppose both versions are probably true."




Bottom lifted herself from the chair, and turned to kiss her brother. "It's good to see you again, Puck. How are the wedding plans coming, by the way?"

"Brilliantly. It's going to be a wonderful party."

"Have Titania and Oberon tried to talk you out of marrying so young yet?"

"Only every other day."

"Well they did eventually get married... or sort of. It's not like they changed their ways, and why should they? They've never had any problems before, and I'm sure they'd be bored if it were any less than perfectly open."

"Well, they have rings now."

"Yes. Maybe that's the only difference."

"You don't marry so thing will be different, Bottom. You marry so things will stay the same." He tipped his hat at her.






Verdict: Semagic is pretty easy to use, and convenient too. I'll probably stick with it, I think. Thanks for the suggestion, aledstrange!

Oh, and a tip o' the hat to Neil Gaiman. I'm borrowing pretty heavily from him here. Bottom and Puck have a bit of a Nuala and Cluracan thing going on.

Comments

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

It might just be me, but your pics aren't showing. I'll have a read through once it's been fixed ;)

And, didn't get to comment on your last chapter in good time, but it was awesome :D I giggled most of the way through ^_^

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I didn't see them at first, but they appeared when I refreshed. See if that works. If not, let me know, please. I'll try to fix it.

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

Didn't work for me. All I see are little black bars o_O

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

I right clicked on the pictures, and it said I don't have permission to see the pics in your server. Maybe they are sort of f-locked?

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

I can't see the pictures either, but the drabble is lovely. I don't remember Titania and Oberon's aspirations anymore, but they sure weren't family sims (or at least in the traditional sense), what with having (adopting) kids first and THEN getting married.

Poor Bottom trying to pretend what she's not with Vidcund. If only she knew that his family is everything but ordinary! (the alien thing, that's something they actually have in common)

[ownsimscorner.livejournal.com]

Titania is a Family sim. ;) But she`s no traditional one, yeah.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she is, and that's how I see her too. You can be a family sim and not be traditional.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I love how they the game opens on their wedding, years after the fact. They've lived common law for so long (and in an open marriage, the way I see it - oh those faeries!), it's really touching that they finally decide to get married on their own terms.

I think Bottom will find she has more in common with Vidcund than she suspected. *nods in agreement*

[pnkpnthr334.livejournal.com]

I can't see the pictures either. :( I'll check back later, since I'd love see what they all look like.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

You should be able to see them now. I set them as private like a total noob. :P

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

They're showing now. Puck really does go all out on the attire, huh? ;)

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

Good it worked :)

Jic for the scrapbook you can set each album to private but the pictures to public in the same album, and can also be done with the program. (The only thing is when you want to change the setting after uploading, in that case must be changed one by one, by hand I think)

Great pictures! (but I'm so behind again I don't get much what going on, hope your images are back soon!! :P)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) That's good to know about the private album/public pics. Will that prevent people from being about to see pics before I update? I need that, because I work very visually, and have them uploaded in a private post while I'm working.

Most of this post is new information. The only prerequisite for this would be the scene where Bottom spoke to Vidcund after his lecture. Did you read up that far? If so, then it's just confusing in general. :P

[blissfulrain47.livejournal.com]

Loved the drabble. And is that a cow plant I see?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^_^ And yes, it sure is. Where else but in the home of the Summerdreams?

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

LOVE. I'm amused at all the decorations, ESPECIALLY the Phallic Plant. *giggle* Will everyone be having one of those? ARE THEY TAKING OVER THE WORLD?

I love Bottom. I'm so amused that in your game, Bottom is the serious, "normal" one, and Puck is very faery like, and in mine, it's the opposite. (And that's all I'll mention of my game. ;) )

Also, BOTTOM AND VID. And, PUCK/HERMIA! I die.

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

Puck and Hermia are crushes when you start the game. Interestingly enough, Mercutio also has a crush on her ;) Puck's a better match though, he's an absolute sweetheart <3

Heh, if I remember right, Puck has.. two playful points? So I could picture that :) Can't remember the scores with Bottom though.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Dirty sex plants for everyone. XD No, not everyone will get one, but the sexy exoticness works for the Summerdreams, and they're big into plants. Faery plants. Even cow plants.

Yeah, that's funny. It makes sense that someone in the family would want to just grow up and be "normal", when everything was so odd in their family. The other option would be to embrace it, so there you go.

Bottom is described as a troublesome and attention-seeking little kid, so I've imagined her as being wild and crazy growing up, going all out with the faery thing, but then making a big change when she nears adulthood, and kind of renouncing it all in favour of a more clean-cut approach. She's still that same wild faery child underneath it all, and bits of her old self seep through, but she wants to be taken seriously as a biologist, so she's walking the walk, if that makes sense.

Heheh. I see I get the OTP stamp of approval for these couples. I like Puck and Herma a lot. I think they'll have very cute (red headed!) children.

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

This was so fun! I love Bottom :D And the mini cowplant!!! :D :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) I'm a big fan of the Summerdreams all around, and the mini cow plant is one of the greatest cc objects ever. I'm obsessed with them. If it made more sense, every sim in my game would own one.

[hannahspring.livejournal.com]

"You don't marry so thing will be different, Bottom. You marry so things will stay the same." He tipped his hat at her.

^ That was so beautifully said.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I really believe that. Puck's basically speaking for me there. ^_^

[showercapfrog.livejournal.com]

I liked Bottom better when she was a little more edgy.

Puck is SO over the top though!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

You mean the way she was as a child (the default look in the game)? I haven't really shown her as edgy, have I? She was in a schoolgirl look before, so her outfit is actually a little more hip in this scene. Or are you just referring to the bun? I like her with her hair swept back. You can see her pretty ears that way.

Over the top to you, maybe, but not if you're a Summerdream. ;) They go all out.

Love that line

[(Anonymous)]

I love that line at the end - how true. I think most people don't get that. Just had to comment and say I thought it was beautiful!

- Also, I have spent the last six weeks or so (at work) slowly reading through your archives. I am absolutely in love with Strangetown and its characters. You've inspired me to play Strangetown - a Maxis neighborhood I previously left entirely alone!