THIS is why I call Amberle my bad luck elf

Oh dear. Well, I haven't done a good job writing it in because she's actually been rather lucky lately. (Perhaps it's simply been because she's been eating lots of cereal and making lots of sandwiches.)

So for the next season, I'm trying to get some pics (while actually playing them for fun to see what they do).

This was just a test run, not something I have planned really.

Henry likes fireplaces and candle light (for reasons other than he's a romantic at heart).



Right after this shot, I realized that I didn't have free will on. So I turned it on. What's the very first thing they decide to do? Hop onto the couch for a quickie. That's where the issue starts.

I decide to turn my head to give them some privacy, and when I turn back there are flames reaching from the fire place across the floor to the sofa.

OMG PANIC!

THEY CANNOT DIE. But they weren't stopping fast enough. Before I knew it, they were on fire, literally this time.


Then, I start laughing hysterically. I've never ever had this happen before. I've heard it could, but usually when things are too close. The sofa is like two spaces back. What the heck happened?

Amberle's luck. I'm going with that. This is as good as the time she burned her kitchen trying to make crepes suzette and then set herself on fire while trying to flambé the crepes.


Well, I was laughing way too hard by the time they were on fire, and I even turned to my boyfriend and asked him if he remembered my bad luck elf. "Is she on fire again?" He asked before he even turned his head.

Luckily there was an open kitchen that had a fire alarm, so I didn't have to reset.


They're safe for now. But no cooking or fireplaces for a while!

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Butterflies

Amberle lay still in bed with her eyes still closed against the late morning sunlight shining into the room. Despite his gentleness it had hurt her more than she had expected. She wasn't quite sure why sims would return to try again. But then she thought of how gentle his touches had been. The way he had kissed her it was almost like butterflies alighting gently on her cheeks and jaw. He smelled so warm, and his arms were so thick she couldn't help but feel safe between them when he had laid his weight on her so that each breath pressed his chest against hers. In that moment she had trusted him completely. It was a beautiful memory; one of the few she could rank highly. If it meant going through the process again to have such memories, she would.




Amberle halfway sat up so that her elbows sunk into the mattress. She had realized right away that she was alone. The sun was shining through the window. She had slept later than she normally would on a school day. But school was out for the summer. Sleeping in late would have to become her next project.


There was a note left on his side of the bed in a quickly scrawled script. A key ring with two keys rested on top of the note. "Sorry-- had some business to take care of that'll take me out of town. I'll be back later tonight. Please feel free to make yourself at home."

Amberle slipped back into her dress, trying to smooth out the wrinkles it had gained from laying one night crumpled on the floor. (In the back of Amberle's mind, she dreaded the ribbing she would get from Samantha who would undoubtedly be looking for her return.) It was odd to feel so at home in someone else's apartment, and she knew she could easily head back downstairs to her own, but he had said to make herself at home. So she would make herself at home.

She grabbed the key ring and took it with her downstairs to get used to the idea that she now had the key to his apartment. The tight ball of warning that had attacked her the first night she had been with him in his apartment still seemed intent on poking at her every so often.

The fridge was cleaner than any fridge she had ever seen. He had juice and milk, ketchup and mustard. No left overs though. Maybe that was part of why the fridge seemed to clean. The knot in her stomach attacked again.

On top of the fridge, there was an unopened box of cereal. It was as if he had bought it just for her.


The bowls she found were dusty. She had to rinse out one to use it. The knot kicked her. But perhaps he simply ate out? He wouldn't be the first male bachelor to order take out every night. Though she hadn't seen left overs in the fridge. And a peek into his garbage revealed no containers or much of anything.


Amberle sat down with her bowl and a newly rinsed spoon. As she ate, she glanced around. His apartment was beautifully decorated. Her eyes fell on the tapestries again.

She stood, leaving her hardly eaten cereal to turn to mush, and walked into the living room again. It hadn't changed since the first time she saw it, and yet her stomach was twisting horribly.

There was a door she had noticed the other time she had visited, but assuming it was his office, she had simply never bothered to ask. But now she was curious. She turned the handle, but it was locked.



There were two keys on the key ring he had left for her. Could it really be that simple? But Amberle remembered that his note had said to make herself at home. Amberle grabbed the key ring and tried out one of the keys in the door knob. The first key fit perfectly. The door swung open easily. Her stomach pain disappeared.

Heavy curtains blocked out most of the light from the window, but what little came in was enough.

Amberle gasped at the sight of the large, open coffin.



Quickly, Amberle shut the room, hung the keys back up, threw on her clothes and fled from the apartment.

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This marks the end of Spring 2. Whew. A sim year has passed since I started this blog.

Also, I am moving! I got a new job, and it comes with an apartment, so my boyfriend and I are moving. (Okay, so it's really just down the street from where we are now, but still I hate moving.) So I think I'm going to take a week (possibly two!) off from updating (though hopefully not reading).

Next season, the things I have planned are probably going to be weird, but we'll get some back story on the land and on one of the characters, possibly two of the characters.

Here is a sneak peek.

For those of you who can't see it, sorry! But it will literally be illuminated in a few weeks.

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New blog to share

She just started her own blog, and I'd like to show her some support. Lady Timedramon has been a very prolific writer over at the TSR story forums.

I especially suggest you get an intro to her writing here. There is more of the story here. If you aren't a member of the forums, you should still be able to read and look at the pictures.

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Samantha's Threat

"Henry? What are you doing here?" Amberle's heart leaped at the same time her stomach started doing its flips.

He smiled so calmly and spoke so smoothly. "I saw the lights on and wondered if you would like an escort home."

Amberle stood still in disbelief. How did he know where to find her? Was he stalking her or something?




Samantha broke the silence from the back of the room. "I swear to god, Amberle," she seemed to shout in the little room, "If you don't go out with him, I WILL."

Amberle lifted her hand to her warm cheek and laughed nervously with Henry's calm chuckle.

~~~~~~~~~



"We're done here. Just remember to lock up." Samantha hugged Amberle tightly. "Kate and her sister are giving me a ride home. Don't worry. But don't be out too late." The last part she whispered in Amberle's ear and then she was gone and Amberle and Henry were alone, standing in the rain.

Henry seemed oddly unfazed by the rain. "Would you like to dance?"

Amberle couldn't help her look of amazement. "In the rain?"

"Why not? Everyone should dance in the rain at least once." He swooped in the way he had last time. His warm hands held hers tightly. "I must admit that you don't strike me as the sort of sim who would worry about such things."

"I'm not. I'm more worried for you." For Amberle, the outdoors was only natural. But she was working hard to fit in with the other sims in society, and it didn't seem like standing in a rain puddle at night with water pouring down was fitting in.


"Don't be." His back faced the open doors of the small room so that a shadow covered his face.

"You certainly like dancing."

He shrugged casually as fat rain drop soaked into the shoulders of his expensive looking suit. "I think it can be a good way to get to know someone. Don't you think?" He pulled in close so that his lips were near hers and she had to resist that old urge to close the gap between them. "We should head home. It's getting late. And I have a feeling Ms. Kerr might be waiting up for us."



The doors to the small building were shut and locked. Then Amberle and Henry were on their way walking through the rain.

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"Done with what we've lost"

"Awesome!" Kate smiled from behind her sister, Ily. "Alberta, you look beautiful."

"And I barely did anything." Ily smiled with pride at her own non-work. "But we have to talk about these glasses." There was a small black object in Ily's hand which she waved about as she spoke. "They're fine for everyday, but they cover half your face."

"But I can't see without my glasses!" Alberta tried to keep the panic from her voice. She could tell it wasn't working.

"I'll lead you," Kate said a laugh.

Ily slipped the black blur into her purse. "I'll give them back after the dance."




***********

~*The Dance*~

(^Link is above. If you have tabbed Browsing, you'll want to right click and open the link in a new tab so you can continue hearing the music. n_n)

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If anyone has trouble viewing the slide show, let me know and I will link the pictures.

I don't know if anyone noticed, but for this season's entries, I used the song lyrics from "Existentialism on Prom Night" as all the titles. Of course I switched most everything up because I thought it was more important the lines made some sense with the entry.

This song has been playing in my head whenever I think about Gabe and Alberta dancing. I thought it was appropriate. This is sort of their prom. They are a little school right now.

*Also, once again, those first few pictures of the slideshow, I didn't set that up. I really couldn't have. I simply had Gabe standing out front and had the two girls walk up, and that was the face he made. Alberta was the one he looked at. Doesn't he look shocked? I'm sure he always finds her beautiful, but it has to be surprising to see her without glasses and with her hair pulled back like that.

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"The World Revolves around us"

The word "surreal" ran through Alberta's head as she sat between Gabe and Kate in nothing but Gabe's shirt and her own underwear. She should have felt embarrassed. Instead she felt the most comfortable she had ever felt in her life.

"What're you thinking about?" Gabe asked gently without turning his head from the far away horizon.




Alberta hesitated. She felt she could tell them anything right now even as exposed as she was in Gabe's shirt. "Well, I guess I have something to tell you two. I mean, you'll find out anyway when you take me home." Alberta could feel Kate's eyes dart to her face. Gabe kept looking out over the ocean. She wasn't sure just how brave she felt anymore now that she had their attention. "I live in the slums."

Kate responded quickly. "So? Is that the secret you've been hiding?"

"What?"

"You're a horrible liar, you know." Kate said. "I could tell since forever that you were keeping something to yourself. I hope you weren't worried we'd, like, snub you or something stupid like that."


Alberta felt ashamed at herself. "Well, you see my grandmother was always saying that I shouldn't let anyone know. That we're just like any other Service sim."

Gabe leaned back as he said in a low voice. "That's bullshit."

Kate rolled her eyes. "You are such a silly girl, 'Berta. What are we going to do with you?"

"Throw her back in the ocean." Gabe laughed even as he slipped his hand under hers in the sand and gently gave her hand a squeeze.


"Hey," Kate said softly, "the spring dance is coming up soon. We should all go. Did you already have a date for the dance, Gabe? Or are you going to be cool and skip it completely?"

The warmth from Gabe's hand almost stung as he gently ran his thumb across the flat top of her hand. "No," He said softly, "I wasn't bringing anyone."

"Alright, so it's settled then. We'll meet there."


Gabe didn't say anything; he only nodded in agreement. Alberta worried that he only agreed to go along because Kate was almost threatening him. "We better head back. It's getting dark." Gabe stood as he brushed the sand from the back of his legs. He winked at Alberta as Kate stood up on her other side. "We'll turn around while you put your pants on."

The way he said it, it sounded like he had forgotten she still had his shirt. "Oh, but your shirt..."

He threw his pants on over his board shorts. "I don't need it. Give it to me at school tomorrow."

Kate and Gabe turned their backs to Alberta as she pulled on her pants. "You just wanna make Glenda jealous," Kate snickered as she threw on her own clothes. Gabe shrugged as he pulled his shirt down. "Perhaps," he said with the hint of a smile sounding in his voice.

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All I have to say is thank goodness for CatofEvilGenius at MTS2 who made this entry possible.

Gabe usually wears one of her oxford shirts, so I had him "give" it to Alberta by using the teen ladies' oxford shirt also by CatofEvilGenius. The same creator also has an alpha editable skirt, which I fixed up to leave Alberta bare legged for this entry.

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"When I know it and"

"I wanna take one last swim before we go back," Kate said. She looked at Alberta, "Hey, you didn't swim at all today."

Alberta shrugged. "I don't have a suit."

Gabe and Kate looked at each other quickly. A mischievous smile crossed Gabe's face. "Hey, there's a way around that, y'know."



Alberta felt both of their eyes fall on her. "Oh dear."



Gabe's smile widened. "I'm just sayin'. Heck, I'll even go first--"

Kate threw her hands up. "We don't wanna see none of that!"

Gabe shrugged, but he turned his smile on Alberta.

Alberta had to act quickly and rashly before the fleeting feeling of daring completely left her. "All right," Alberta said softly. "But you have to both turn around!"

Kate and Gabe looked at each other again. Gabe put his hands in the air helplessly as he started to say, "But that takes away the whole point--" Kate jabbed him with her elbow and pushed him so he was turned around.


As Alberta took off her shirt, she saw Gabe reach over and pull one of the strings in the knot of Kate's swim top. Kate smacked him and Alberta had to try not to laugh out loud nervously.

Alberta pulled off her pants and the salty sea air hit her legs making goose bumps rise. When she looked back up, she saw Gabe had already taken off his swim suit. The sight of the back of him made her entire head feel as if it were on fire despite the cool sea air that slapped her cheeks.


Kate had a hand over her eyes and Gabe was teasing her. "You know you wanna look." "Just stay away, pervert!" "Are you going to run to the water with your hands over your eyes?" "Screw you, buddy! Alberta," Kate almost whined. "Are you ready yet?"


Alberta covered herself with her hands even though there was no one around but Kate who had her hands over her eyes, and Gabe who was still turned away. "Hey, you still have your suit on!"

Gabe almost turned his head at the sound of her voice coming from behind him, but Kate shoved him with one hand while the other stayed over her eyes. "Pervert, keep your eyes to yoursel!"

Gabe shoved her back. "All right then. Alberta and me on three." "What about me?" "You still have your suit on, chicken." "Because I don't want you to peek."

Alberta laughed and yelled, "Three then!" She ran for the water. Somehow Kate was ahead of her, throwing off her top as she dived.


Kate glared at Gabe as he swam near Alberta. "Don't you try no funny business, buddy! I'm watching you."

The two of them splashed water at each other, but stopped when they noticed Alberta deep in thought.


"Hey, what's the matter?" Kate asked.

"I didn't think this all the way through..." Alberta turned towards the shore where their clothes lay. "How will we dry off?"

Gabe snickered while muttering something about having to wait to dry, then quickly swam away from the violent and vengeful Kate.

"Just so long as neither of you take my clothes!" Alberta shouted after them. "That would SO not be funny!"

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Those first few pictures, I just had to say that I didn't set those up. I simply had Kate and Alberta talking, and Gabe had that cute smile on his face while watching Alberta.

I love her "Oh dear" expression; especially since Gabe's in the background with that smile.

Also, Gabe butt! He is not an outgoing sim, so he would never think to do this on his own. Oddly unhairly, isn't he? But I now have the male body hair overlay object. Unfortunately, it was a bit too late for these shots, but slowly he's becoming a grown man.

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"There are moments when"

Ily

(Note: Ily rhymes with smiley. My niece named her. I+L+Y= I love you)



Kate has been driving me batty. She's been doing nothing but talking about Alberta this and Alberta that for weeks in a way that makes it absolutely clear how she must feel-- though she denies it completely despite it being so obvious. So I finally meet the girl, and I just don't see what the big hub bub is about. I mean, she's cute, sure. But she seemed rather quiet when I saw her. I don't know. Maybe you have to get to know her or something.


Gabe and Rich showed up in their casually late way. Listen, Gabe acts cool and laid back, but you want to know his secret? He's actually really shy. I knew him when he was a little kid, and he used to wait for Rich to go up and talk to new people before he would. He's not fooling me with his new act.



Other girls seem to fall for it though. Like Maura Taung. As Gabe and Rich and I stand around conversing, Maura stands behind us staring. If she doesn't back off, I may have to do something about it that won't be very lady-like which might even be considered very Kate-like.

"Did Kate talk to you?" I ask Gabe.

"About what?"

"I don't know. She said she needed to talk to you though." I look around and spot Kate in the water. Is she expecting me to do everything for her? "There she is. You should go talk to her." I can see him hesitating, and I'm ready to shove him in the water, clothes and all. But he takes off his clothes and strips down to his swimming trunks like a good boy.

Then there's me and Rich.

"So, we've gotta be outta here by sunset, right?" Rich asks. "Did you maybe want to do something later?"



I stand in front of him making as big a deal as possible about my having to think about it. "Hmmmmmmm... I dunno, Rich."

Remember to leave them wanting more.


It's almost 6pm. The official curfew is 7pm. After that, we can't be outside. It's sort of a weird rule. It's called a curfew, but we don't have to go home. We just can't be outside. So I start to clean up, and Rich helps me. He catches me up on the hill by the garbage can.



"So did you think about it?"

I just smile as I try not to let on that I have been thinking about it. Down by the ocean side, I can see Gabe and Kate and Alberta playing nice. "Sure. But I get to drive."

Rich grins, then pulls his keys out of his pocket and heads down to the beach to leave them with Gabe.

I also head down to the beach to start getting people to leave and to warn Kate not to stay too late.

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New issue of Living sims!

Just thought I would throw this link out there. The newest issue is out. It's a sim decorating magazine that gives some really good ideas for decorating.

I always want to do some decorating after reading through a new issue.




(Also, ignore the "read more" link.)

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"Glad for what we've got"

Alberta seemed hesitant when Kate put the guitar in her hands and the strap over her shoulders. "What're we doing?"

Kate smiled at her. "I'm gonna teach you how to play." Alberta had been back a week, but things were different between the two of them. Alberta was hesitant as if she feared saying too much or much of anything at all. Kate had dragged her to the music room with the hopes of sorting things out under the comfort of the some-what sound proofed walls.



The guitar whined under Alberta's inexperienced fingers as Kate manipulated her hands to explain the idea of chords.

Gabe, as usual, was tied up finishing his work. (Kate was starting to think that Ms. Kerr actually gave him extra work to keep him in his seat longer.) It was the perfect time to be alone with Alberta and hopefully set whatever was broken between them straight.

Kate stood close enough to Alberta to smell the soft scent of roses which lingered in her brown curls. It was faint, but it reminded Kate of the sweet smell of the rose water Kate's mother had once used in a recipe of baklava. The entire kitchen had smelled of honey and other sweet things with the odd scent of roses mixed into the stove warmed air.

Alberta looked up from the guitar strings, an embarrassed smile on her face. "I don't think I'm going to be as good at this as you are."


Alberta's face was so close, Kate could see the pink beneath the soft skin of her cheeks. It was closer than they had been in weeks. Almost subconsciously, Alberta had been pulling away and staying away for the entire week she had been back. But now she was near with her warm scent and soft cheeks and even a sweet smile. Kate reached over and gently caressed Alberta's soft pink cheek. The heat that suddenly rose from Alberta's cheeks burned the backs of Kate's fingertips and she drew her hand away.


Kate felt herself blushing at her own folly. "Sorry! I just... I mean..."

With one of her small hands on her cheek, Alberta looked at Kate in such surprise, Kate wanted to kick herself. "But, but Gabe..."

Kate turned away as Alberta put the guitar down. Now she felt really foolish. The first thought on Alberta's mind after a gentle touch from Kate was Gabe.

Alberta's voice was soft and meek. "You two are going out, aren't you?"

"WHAT?" Kate turned on Alberta. "Where'd you get that idea? Did Glenda tell you that?"

Alberta's cheeks would have glowed in the dark. After another hesitation, she nodded silently.


Kate could not control the roll of laughter. The idea was absurd! Kate's heart had broken that first day back when Alberta had refused to sit or even stand near her. And it had broken each day since Alberta had returned as a sad shell of her former self with a huge invisible wedge stuck between the two girls. But now, after finally finding the missing piece, all she could do was laugh.



"Oh, Berta." Kate took Alberta's hands even as Alberta blushed bashfully. "He's been hanging around 'cause he's worried about you-- not to hang out with me. I'm probably the last person he'd hang out with if he had a choice."

"He was?"

Kate's own heart hit her in the chest as if it were shouting for her to shut her trap. Don't tell her, it yelled. But Kate loved her too much. "And he still is, you silly girl. Listen, school's almost over and the dunce is still working on his school work. There's going to be a get together at the beach over the weekend. Can you come? We'll sort things out with him then."

Alberta still looked hesitant. "I don't know. Maybe." Suddenly, Alberta looked at Kate with her large eyes and lifted eyebrows as if a thought just occurred to her. "But Kate..."

Kate waved her hand. "We'd better go get our stuff. It's almost time to go home."

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"Sprawled across the bed"

Alberta

It's been two weeks since I was last at school. It feels weird to be back, but I promised my grandmother. I hope she's finally proud of me.






I swipe at my eyes while trying to will away the puffiness.

In the classroom, I'm alone. No one else has arrived yet. So I take my old seat in the back corner.

The past two weeks-- I don't know how to describe it or explain it all. And I'd rather not right now. I will say that it's reminded me an awful lot of when I was little, and I would stand staring at my shadow as the sun began to sink and the sky started darkening. My shadow would slowly grow tall and thin right before it started to fade with the approaching darkness. And during that hour of day, despite the orange light from the setting sun which so facinated me, I would feel so alone. The lonliness would simply settle over my shoulders like a shawl as if to protect me from the cold.

The two weeks passed in that same way. Each day seemed to sprawl out longer and longer, and I had this feeling that night time was coming. As bad as I felt, it would only get worse. I didn't want to be alone.

"Berta!" Kate suddenly runs through the door, wrapping her arms around me so tightly that the only thing I can do is squeeze her back or start to cry.



"You know I hate when you call me that," I say while trying not to sniffle.

"Where have you been? We were so worried!" She whispers in my ear. "Don't do that again without calling me or something." When she finally lets go and takes her seat, I have to turn my head away so she won't see my eyes starting to fill with tears. "I missed you so much!"



I can hear the other students chatting in the hall as they wait for Ms. Kerr to start class. One person doesn't wait though, and at the sight of him, my stomach jumps. Gabe stands near my desk for a second smiling down at me. "It's good to see you back. We thought you might have transferred schools."

His voice is so soft when he talks to me. It was that way when I ran into him after Glenda told me that he and Kate...

"I was taking care of my grandmother. She got sick." My own voice sounds like a robot's in comparison to Kate's worry filled voice and Gabe's sweet sounding one.



Gabe takes his seat next to Kate as she says, "Oh geeze! That's probably my fault. I shouldn't've come to school, but I couldn't stay away any more." Gabe says something under his breath that I don't catch, but he smiles even as Kate hits his arm.

My stomach twists again like it wants to turn inside out. I don't want to see them together being playful or anything else together. So I look away to study the blank wall like there's something there worth looking at.

Ms. Kerr enters and the other students follow. There's the ruffling of note books being opened and pens being prepped as the lecture begins.

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"And we were dreaming"

The alarm clocked hissed.

Amberle reached for it, but it suddenly grew a gaping hole for a mouth which started to mew dangerously and continuously. The mouth grew sharp teeth and the clock hands became hairy eyebrows that pointed just above the 10 and the 2. It looked as if it were angry enough to chase her into her bed and bite her.






Slowly, the dream faded away. As Amberle's mind awoke, she realized it was her fat orange cat, CJ, hissing and mewing loudly from the other room. She had never heard such sounds from him before.

"Oh CJ," she thought as she turned over in her bed, pulling the blanket over her shoulder.



The sounds continued, but Amberle could not rouse her half awake mind. She could only listen to the strange sound coming from her cat even as she thought over and over that she should get up and see what was wrong.



It took an eternity in dream time before Amberle roused herself. She hopped out of bed and headed to the living room to see what was wrong.

CJ had stopped his strange noises, but he still ran to her as if seeking comfort.



"What was all that about, CJ?" Amberle lifted him up and hugged him close. "Did I leave the door closed so you couldn't get to bed? I'm sorry."

In her arms, CJ actually began to purr and nuzzle. It was strange behavior for her usually distant cat. Amberle brought him into the room with her this time, mentally making a note to call a vet in the morning just in case.

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