napoleonfrost

[napoleonfrost]

Ah, Winterfest! Isidor’s favourite festivity alongside Shanksgiving and Birthday Suit Day!

The reindeer hat was on, the bunker was festively decorated (as far as the budget allowed), and the table was set. Isidor had baked a winter cake* as a holiday menu (the only thing his limited cooking skills allowed). 

Now it was just a matter of waiting for the guests, whom he had invited quite randomly. Above all, he was hoping for Hayden to appear, who was noncommittal even with Winterfest invitations.

(*I hope the evergreens and the pine cone are made of marzipan!)

[napoleonfrost]

“Essence of a Sim” Challenge by @trumpets0ng

EA has made some unfortunate design/fashion choices for their pre-made sims & townies. We’ve all made them over at some point or another, but often they come out looking very, very different from their original conception.

This challenge is to make over pre-made sims with only subtle changes & tweaks, so that they look like a better version of themselves instead of someone else entirely.

The only major rule, is to keep the “essence” of the sim’s being. This means their racial and/or ethnic features, and overall body type. (i.e. don’t make fat sims thin, curvy sims straight bodied, make androgynous sims masc/fem, straighten natural sims hair, westernize/anglicize sims of color, etc.) You can tweak these things and change spacing/proportions, but not erase them outright.

Feel free to change hair their lengths, styles, and fashion ‘til you hearts content! You can change skins, but only to a comparable color. (EA’s skins still suck after all!)

You don’t have to tag me, but I’d love to see what you come up with! This is just for fun, so tag friends if you want.

I was tagged by @thesimsblues and chose Andre DaSilva who is (at least in my opinion) the epitome of a nerdy hipster. He’s also the only premade sim that I kept in my game. I tag everyone (yes I’m lazy).

[napoleonfrost]

Isidor had invited Tiberio to tell him all about the latest developments (with wise omission from George's ghost). Above all, the suspicious behavior of Erwin was the main topic.

“Oh awesome,” Tiberio said, and Isidor couldn't ignore the sarcastic undertone. “Now you’re telling me, that we will fight a giant alien plant together with Santiago who is stoned around the clock AND Erwin who might be a traitor!”

“Yeah that pretty much sums it up,” Isidor replied airily. “But first let’s celebrate Winterfest! I already bought a tree. You are cordially invited for tomorrow evening!“

[napoleonfrost]

“... and then I had found this file with the names of the test subjects on whom these sadists had conducted their terrible experiments. Before I could take a closer look at it, the hard drive went up in smoke. But I'm sure I've read the name 'Erwin Pries'!"

[napoleonfrost]

“Are you completely out of your *#Ω€∑åƒ∆@ mind?” Erwin screamed with a ghastly expression. Isidor had certainly never seen him like this, not even when they had their bad argument and Erwin had broken up with him. Tears sprang to his eyes, then he turned and ran away. Isidor was shocked - he hadn’t expected such an overreaction.

[napoleonfrost]

Erwin watched anxiously as Isidor took a dose of the vaccine out of his trouser pocket. He had even less expected that his friend would immediately splash the contents in his face.

“Aaaargh!,” he screamed in horror.

[napoleonfrost]

There was only one ally in his fight against the Mother Plant who wasn’t vaccinated. But Erwin wasn’t even infected in the first place, Isidor wondered while he went to the curio shack. Nonetheless he wanted to follow George's instructions, even if he considered it a waste of precious inoculant.

“Isidor, you seem so... young,” Erwin marveled when he saw Isidor’s unlined face. “Oh just a new face cream,” his rejuvenated friend fibbed. Under no circumstances did he want to admit that he had discovered a fountain of youth in the Mother Plant. 

“Erwin, are you still with me and ready to put an end to the monster under the laboratory?,” he asked while he hugged the curio vendor.

“Of course I am,” Erwin replied, even if slightly apprehensive.

[napoleonfrost]

For the first time since George's death, Isidor went back to the Mother Plant. He could hardly hide the bottomless hatred for the monstrosity that ate his lover.

As if to mock him, the alien didn't seem to hold a grudge against Isidor for bringing a palatable weed killer with him beforehand. Au contraire, it leaned over him triumphantly and answered his plea for another* extension of life graciously.

(*this was the third and last time that Isidor’s life state was rolled back to day 1 of the young adult stage.  As a self-imposed rule all my Legacy Sims are allowed to drink the Potion Of Youth only one time. I made an exception for Isidor because it takes him so long to defeat this stupid plant.)

[napoleonfrost]

"I have to go back to my urn soon," the ghostly George explained to Isidor hastily, "and I don't know when I'll be able to get out of that gaol again. So I'll be brief. Can you write it down?"

"Unfortunately not, the pencil sharpener is still broken," Isidor stammered.

“Anyway, then you have to make a mental note of it," replied the ghost impatiently. "First of all: Tomorrow is your birthday, and then it will be almost too late to start a family. Remember, this is the Mumpitz Legacy, and it shouldn’t end with generation one. Go to the Mother Plant and ask for life extension!”

The ghostly voice became weaker. “Second, you have to vaccinate anyone you want to fight this bloody plant with, even if you think some of your comrades-in-arms are not infected.”

The George spectre disappeared. 

[napoleonfrost]

"But ... but ... you are dead!"

“Yeah, that’s unfortunate,” George sighed, "however, I am certainly not a hallucination. I am as real as a ghost can be!"

"I have to sit down first," said Isidor, pale as a sheet. In fact, it wasn't just his knees that were trembling.

[napoleonfrost]

Isidor had the familiar hallucination again that night. Out of the blue a George shaped out of red jelly suddenly appeared before him, and he almost suffered a heart attack from the shock. 

Even more frightening was that the translucent George started to speak to him!

"Calm down, my darling!" said the vision in an eerie funereal voice that did not calm down Isidor at all. "And please don't faint again!"

[napoleonfrost]

Experimenting with Leniad’s custom painting sizes.

[napoleonfrost]

“You don't often go to restaurants, aren’t you?,” Isidor asked, wondering how anyone could be this mesmerised by a bloody fork.

"I don't have the money for that," admitted Hayden ashamed, blushing on both cheeks. "I only have one spoon at home."

Now it was Isidor's turn to blush. That explained so much. For example, why Hayden had poked his own cheek twice with the fork.

Out of the blue, Hayden jumped up, startled. "I forgot that my shift in the coffee stall is about to start!" he said and ran out of the café without saying goodbye.

(He really did, I never had a date with two sims that went even worse than this one).

[napoleonfrost]

“They even have FORKS!” Hayden marvelled.

[napoleonfrost]

There was heavy snowfall outside. In the café, however, it was cozy and comfortably warm, warm enough that Hayden didn't get any nephritis in his crop top either.

"Oh!" he said, startled as he studied the menu, "the French roast is priced at 8 § here! Fancy!"

“Do not worry,” Isidor answered, “be my guest today.” Just like Hayden had been at the last gathering, when the gosling disappeared early from the pub and Isidor had to pay the entire bill.

[napoleonfrost]

Isidor made another attempt to beguile Hayden with his charm. In order not to make it too obvious, he chose a mundane coffee shop instead of a romantic restaurant, as he was well aware of Hayden's non-flirty trait. 

Perhaps he could entice him better with the help of freshly brewed coffee and delectable buns.

(I’m still always excited when my sims go to a community lot and the NPCs there are townies I made.)

[napoleonfrost]

Whoa it’s so easy to make easel painting replacements with S4 Studio. Awkward figure drawings, be gone! 

Thanks to Nekomimi for the great tutorial!