Church for Wayward NPCs

"Psst! Marylena!"

Marylena turned. "Joseph?" She had met him at the Sunday service. At the time he had appeared very quiet and rather anxious. Tristin had asked her to speak to him, as Tristin's relationship with him was rather awkward, but clever Tristin didn't want to lose any possible parishioners. Even if Joseph happened to be the partner to Tristin's troubled older sister, Sofia Stratton.



"Why are you in a bush?"



Joseph waved his hands like it was not a big deal and not worth explaining. "Hey, listen, can you help me out? I need to hide away for a few days is all."

Marylena was a rather innocent sim, but even she knew that Joseph and Sofia were trouble. Tristin had warned her if they showed up, he should be notified as soon as possible. Now Joseph hid in a bush asking to "hide out" for a few days.

"Well, sure. We can help you out. I'll go get Tristin."



"Hey hey... no need for all that! I don't really wanna join your cult or nothin'. I just need a place."

Luckily, Tristin came out of the building right then, so Marylena wouldn't be forced to argue or lie.

"Joseph, why are you in a bush?"



Marylena rolled her shoulders in an exasperated sigh. "I already tried asking him that," she mumbled.

Joseph looked around as he quietly said, "Listen, man, I just need to talk with you privately for a bit, if we could."

Marylena followed them into the church and closed the large double doors behind them. She took everyone's coats and lay them on a near by pew before standing between Joseph and Tristin in case she was needed.



Tristin waited for Joseph to speak while watching him with those piercing eyes of his.

"Well, you see, it's like this," Joseph said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Sofia's been actin' kinda weird lately. I don't know how to explain weird when we're talking about Sofia. But she left this morning, like, in the morning. And well, I think something's up. Now, I'm not trying to say that Sofia's some homicidal maniac or nothin', but uh, I wouldn't really trust her if you know what I mean."

Tristin seemed to ponder for a moment before he spoke again. Marylena knew he had his own suspicions about Sofia. "If you stay here, you'll have to live as we do. We need help with planting the crops this spring. Jan is expecting."



Marylena could almost see Joseph cursing mentally. Tristin could probably sense it as well. But Joseph held himself well. "Sure, sure. I'll do anything. I just need a place for a few days is all."

"There are also a few rules we'll have to go over with you."

"Sure, man. Anything. Whatever. Just don't tell Sofia I'm here."

***************

The cult/ church is actually rather a fun lot to play, and I can't wait to see how much more fun I might have with Joseph there.

The rules for living on the lot:

1. No electronics such as TV or phone. (Tristin has a cell phone, but he's the only one since he's the one who looks for new members.)

2. No buying groceries. They grow their own food.

3. No modern clothing. Tristin wants to harken back to a simpler time when life was much more fulfilling than it is now.

4. No use of birth control devices. Tristin wants lots of little sims! (In ACR- I have high autonomy and high chance of getting pregnant, plus sims can try for baby out of wedlock. I’ve also turned off lot jealousy.)


On the side of the building there is a church which is run as a home business with an electrono ticket machine. I have Tristin stand at the front and give sermons and sims will usually sit down to watch. Then afterwards, I have him chat up the sims there.

This story was mostly inspired by Joseph showing up at the church the last time I played. He's not really a church man, so I figured he must have simply been worried that Sofia was up to something.

And boy, should he be! Next week, we find out where Sofia is!