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 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)

[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?

[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.

[ownsimscorner.livejournal.com]

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

[sadieg79.livejournal.com]

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /strange_tomato/pic/0001gw7r on this server.

That's what I get on "view image" - you might have a point there. I know I did that by accident on one pic hosting account.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

How about now?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I think I may have made them private, because the journal entry was private at first. Maybe I went all out and made the photo private for some reason too.

[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*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

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

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

It's fixed now. I tested it by logging out, and I'm sure it works now. Silly me setting it as private. Heheh.

[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)

[blissfulrain47.livejournal.com]

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

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

They work now! :)

Awww, I love all the little magical plants in the scene. I see you, mini cowplant! And the phallic one too! XD

That's a huge contrast between Puck's attire and Bottom! It suits him a lot too. Gotta love the hat!

This was a cute drabble, both with and without pictures.

[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

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

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

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Good. ^_^

Damn straight. Puck is a dandy. (I love how the Summerdreams actually make those Sims 2 Store outfits useable. Who else but a faery would wear that?)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm glad. :) I'll figure this out yet.

Thanks. I love that mini cowplant and that crazy hat from Pet Stories (it's from the villain, I think - too cool). I'm glad the Summerdreams give me an excuse to use them. Puck also keeps the Summerdream black lipstick tradition alive (but I switched to that Zombie Jill lipstick, which seems a little more flattering for males, to my eye).

Thank you. ^_^

[pnkpnthr334.livejournal.com]

Yep, working now! I love Puck's look! And Bottom shouldn't be so worried about her fairiness, especially with Vidcund! :)

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think so. When you make a private album it prevents people from being able to see it directly on your scrapbook, so they can't access any of the pictures, unless they are on a public entry for everyone to see.

The only trick, like I said, is setting the album to private with public picts, when you just create it (whatever is using the program or on the scrapbook), because if you switch public to private after uploading, then all the images inside the album will change as well. Also each picture can be set to private/public individually when uploading and after.

It took me a while to get used to all that, but turns out to be very practical once you get the hang of it. Besides, personally I rather being able to do everything from my computer, even checking images from my drive and all that, without even worrying about internet until the post is completely done. :)

and ufff, I'm so lost I think I've missed like 5 updates so far, but honestly rather wait and read them calmly. (good thing, I'm having a few days off next week :P I'll have a huge to-read list to catch up then lol)

[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.