#and Erwin is the reason I own Strangerville

[pushing500]

You know, that quiet moment just before a thunderstorm starts is like... my favourite thing in the whole world. That stillness when everything seems to be holding its breath ready for the coming chaos? Perfection.

If some fucker with a violin came to interrupt that, I think I'd have to fight them. Even if it was Kwahu.

Y'all don't actually have secrets to share; you do know that, right? You have identical memories up until, like, a year ago and since then, you've lived in close proximity to each other. Don't act like anything is secret between you.

Oh, maybe you were sharing the secret for Acorn's benefit. A stage-whispered scandal to make the goat freak out. I see, I see. Very clever.

Acorn is a very good goat, and Kwahu is a very good goatherd, even if he's annoying to be around when you're trying to enjoy the calm before the storm.

Aww, but he made a Grand Breakfast for Harvestfest... I can't stay annoyed at him for too long. ❤️

Harvestfest ambient music while Mechi does programming.

Mechi did some boxing at the gym...

... And Kwahu did his best not to punch a well-meaning citizen who kept trying to 'mentor' him without asking.

I doubt Kwahu's aroace ass has any "old flames" to cause problems, so this is probably a scam.

Good lord, micro homes are OP in this game. He only took up violin, like... last week.

Well, now that Kwahu is at level 10 in violin skill, it's time to continue the next part of his bucket list: serenading four different Sims with said violin! Of course, we only want the best and prettiest Sims for our boy, so... to the magic realm we go!

Hello Morgyn :3

Come home with us! Our micro home gives us extra relationship gain, and this way, no random people will barge in on our conversation.

Let the seducing/serenading begin!

Saw your sims stuff and now have the ultimate nightmare idea:

Poor Mechi and Kwahu being stuck in The Sims.

Or something like that.

I have actually made Mechi in The Sims 3 before, but that was before Kwahu existed, so...

Voilà! The Jones twins, à la The Sims 4!

The first thing they did once I finished building their house was to rush inside and drink coffee. How very on-brand!

[alltimefail-sims]

I was tagged by @silentsundown! Thank you for tagging me!! ❤ I put my responses under "read more" because you already know I ramble lol

1. What’s your favourite sims death? Gotta go with a classic... the cowplant death. I really like cowplants!

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match? I'm maxis mix, but hair must be maxis match.

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? Nope. I can't think of a reason I would ever need to!

4. Do you use move objects? Yes, but I use the T.O.O.L. mod more (for really accurate placement).

5. Favorite mod? UI Cheats or MCCommand are obviously necessary, but I could not play the game without Lumpinou's mods or custom recipes (Granny's Cookbook is my favorite).

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? Get to Work, luxury party, and camping GP (outdoor retreat I think? It came in a bundle).

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? Honest to God I go back and forth on this. Depending on the context I have used both! (I pondered this question for a few minutes but it hurt my poor little dyslexic brain. I just kept going back and forth until I was too confused lmao.)

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? I really don't have a favorite child. Erwin is probably my favorite townie makeover, but I will always have a special place in my heart for my Carter family OCs.

9. Have you made a simself? Yes, but I don't play my simself in game.

10. What sim traits do you give yourself? High maintenance, creative, family-oriented (+ music lover and moody)

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color? Probably the true black tbh (but I use the last red hair swatch a LOT for some reason lol).

12. Favorite EA hair? I like all the hairs that came with Growing Together and I like the braided updo from Jungle Adventure.

13. Favorite life stage? Teens or YA probably as these stages have the most enjoyable gameplay features.

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? Gameplay - telling stories is the heart of why I play the Sims in the first place. I do love building, but I have to be in the mood.

15. Are you a CC creator? I wish, because I have some very stupid desires lmao. Maybe one day!

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? I wouldn't say I have a simblr squad, but I've met some amazing people on here who I would consider friends!!! ❤ Even if we don't talk often, I really care about my mutuals.

17. What’s your favorite game? Outside of the Sims, I don't play a ton of games. Probably Animal Crossing!

18. Do you have any sims merch? No!

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims? Not yet, but that is a long term goal!

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? Back when TS4 first dropped I used alpha cc, no custom sliders, no skin overlays, and my sims were very ugly tbh lol. Then I shifted to a hyper cartoon look once I discovered simblr. But now I think I have my own distinctive style that I'm really proud of!

21. What’s your Origin ID? alltimefail01 (I think)

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator? I like so many different creators, but I have everything @pralinesims has ever made in my game. I also love @simstrouble, @daylifesims, and @okruee hairs. For build stuff, probably @awingedllama!

23. How long have you had a simblr? A little over a year!

24. How do you edit your pictures? I mostly resize, crop, adjust the exposure and contrast as I see fit, then sharpen the image. I do have a new method for gameplay pics that I learned a few days ago that looks really clean and smooth that I'm excited about too!!! My whole process is pretty low effort as I'm not into that part of the process at all.

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? Strangerville (obviously) and Get Together, the underrated queen!!! The townies are so good and the world is amazing. But really I like any packs that add gameplay (especially family/legacy-centered gameplay).

26. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? Not a whole pack dedicated to horses that's for sure lmao ��. I really want another city world, or at least a world that has apartments. More hobbies and skills would be phenomenal, like a whole skill game pack or EP dedicated to hobbies and personal passions (reminiscent of TS2 Freetime). More diversity of personality and skills in the game, more careers (not all playable ones like GTW, but I wouldn't object to a few). A skills/hobby pack would be a great pack to include bands and additional instruments. I would like more non-American-based worlds as well.

I'm gonna tag @xhannahsimssx, @wrixie, @crsentfairy, @retro-plasma, @acuar-io, @yooniesim, and anyone else who wants to do this 👍

[moonieshinesims]

Generation 2 - Chapter 15

Michiko takes matters into her own hands to gather the last pieces of the puzzle to get into the lab.

Sol texted Kent that they would be at his place shortly. He seemed okay with that, and told them to let themselves in when they arrived.

He looked at Michiko's hat suspiciously, with a smirk, "Have you been talking to that strange boy who runs that stand near the bar?"

"Uh... maybe?" Michiko shrugged, bashfully.

"He's the only reason we've made it as far into the lab as we have! He traded us a key-card for some intel." Phoenix puffed out his chest, but deflated when he remembered what happened to Michiko when she went into the spore-filled walk way.

"But you did say you had something to help us go further... right?"

Kent lead them into a study where he presented Michiko with a hazmat suit.

"It doesn't have a spore filter on it though, so you're going to want to make one. As much of a kook as that kid is, you might want to talk to Erwin about how to procure one. I wasn't able to take mine with me when I left."

The next day the trio returned to Erwin's Curio Shop.

"I heard something about a... spore filter?"

"Yeah, well, that's gonna be a bit of a fetch quest."

"A what?" Sol cocked an eyebrow.

Michiko rolled her eyes, "Ignore him, what's the first thing I need to do?"

"Obtain an infection scanner. I don't have one, so you're going to have to buddy up to one of these military folk in town to get one from them. Flirt, bribe, steal, whatever your method is... They're the only ones that have them. Once you get your hands on one, you'll need to scan a bunch of the spores to collect data on them, then it's up to you find a scientist who can create a filter for your suit. Only then is this thing wearable in an area filled with spores."

"Damn, that's a lot of work!" Phoenix threw his hands into the air.

"Let's make a game out of it!" Michiko slammed her fist into her other palm, "Whoever gets the infection scanner first wins!"

"Wins what?" Phoenix frowned.

"I don't know... I guess we can figure that out."

"Yeah, I don't know how good I'd be at talking to military people." Phoenix shivered. Since his mom Yelena was a politician, he'd met a lot of military officials and they always made him uncomfortable.

"I'm game," Sol smirked, "I love some competition!"

Inside the bar, Sol tried hitting up as many of the female soldiers as he could.

Michiko on the other hand sat outside and watched for any military folks who seemed a bit hesitant to enter the bar. Just because they were soldiers, doesn't mean they didn't suffer from social anxiety!

One such soldier did appear, pacing nervously in front of the bar for a bit before making an attempt to enter.

Michiko cut her off and began a conversation with her, and the woman, with a sigh of relief, sat down and had a friendly chat with Michiko.

They talked about music, cats, and whatever the woman seemed to steer the conversation to. Michiko eventually brought up the infected and how she wished she knew a way to save them.

After a while, she admitted to having exactly what Michiko was looking for!

The infection scanner could be used to not only create the filter she needed to go further into the lab, but apparently it could help with developing a vaccine as well!

Michiko appealed to the woman's sense of justice and yearning to save the population of Strangerville from the strange sickness going around. She must not have been a higher up, otherwise she would have been wise to Michiko's game.

The woman handed over her infection scanner, however, and Michiko graciously thanked her by bugging her, just in case she could learn anything more from her new friend...!

She waved at the woman as she headed back to the barracks, then entered into the bar to find Sol.

The next day, Michiko took it upon herself to go to the lab and use the infection scanner to gather data on the spores.

While she'd only been to the library once, she'd heard that the scientists liked to spend time there, so that's where she headed next.

She researched as much as she could about the spore filter using the computer and any book she could find on the subject! Suddenly, a grumpy looking scientist came up behind her and asked, "What do you need a spore filter for?"

Michiko had been caught! She didn't have Phoenix or Sol here to back her up, so she wasn't sure what to say...

"If you're trying to figure out what's inside that lab, I may have a solution for you..."

Michiko threw her arms into the air and grinned, "But why would you help me? You work for the military, right?"

"Ugh," the man shook his head, "we may have a contract with them, but after the mishap nearly 20 years ago, and the explosion 6 years ago... I'm done with their shenanigans. I'm assuming you want to put a stop to this infection spreading around town?"

Michiko nodded.

"Then I'm here to help. Like I said, bring me the profile data, and I'll make the filter for you."

The next day Michiko was back at the lab obtaining the profile data the man needed.

The man arrived shortly and got to work. Michiko had brought her hazmat suit with her, so he could install it for her. Things were moving much faster than she expected them to!

After the man left, she argued with herself as to whether she should wait on Sol and Phoenix to accompany her the next day, or if she should go ahead and see what was further in the lab...

Unfortunately, the impulsive side of her brain won that battle and she donned the hazmat suit.

Further down past the spore-filled hallway she found another area full of strange plants!

Towards the back of the room, there was a hallway, covered in vines.

At the back of the hallway there was a door.

Michiko took her key-card and braced herself for what might be behind it.

She wasn't sure what to expect but it wasn't that! She saw the giant plant pulse and sniff the air, then when it began to glow a purple color, Michiko quickly closed the door.

She took off running down the hall as fast as the hazmat suit would allow her to go.

"I've gotta tell the guys about this!"

[simminglytimeladies]

Top 5 Sims Worlds Tag Game

Tagged by @bunnybananasims

This one took me some time to ponder as sometimes I switch faves a lot lol. Anyway here are the 5 worlds that I love:

1. Strangetown

I'm into weird sci-fi and fantasy type of elements and Strangetown got it! It has the bonus of some dude who fights God everyday, scientists with their alien child(ren), an evil mad scientist couple, two ladies who have their own gardens of death and a literal Stepford Wife. Is it such a wonderful neighborhood? Also my fave got in there for some reason? I can't blame him, it's such an interesting place!

2. Miniopolis

This is the place where my favorite spinoff, the Urbz Handheld takes place. I love that this place is inspired by New Orleans, from the music to some places (namely, SimQuarter and Bayou) and the fact it's filled with such interesting characters, my fave included. My favorite districts are Urbania and SimQuarter, mostly for their soundtracks and I stayed there the most. I also love to track down some bits of lore there. I wish this place is explored more but you know EA.

3. San Myshuno

San Myshuno is my place of choice when I first play the Sims 4 on a new PC. I like to do interior designing and San Myshuno is perfect for that. Also, this is the first world I played when I first get Sims 4 (by a sneaky way btw), I have good memories of three households living in one building. Nothing too dramatic, just neighbors being neighbors.

4. Strangerville

Ah, yes, another strange desert place because why not. I think this world is so pretty but there are some interesting characters (Erwin mostly but also The Roswells) and aesthetics (I like the weird plant and cowboy stuff hehe). It's also here because I do have some fun memories figuring out the mystery and once had a family there lol. One thing, I do wish is to make this place have more lore and this place to be a spinoff but you know EA.

5. Secret Magic World in Realm Of Magic

Another place that I have some fond memories of back when I was playing the Sims 4 normally. This one is mostly on memories but it's such a beautiful world minus the horrendous building that the sages stay. Also one of my faves is there lol.

EDIT: I forgot the tags lol, if you want to do this you're tagged :))

[snowbatsims]

Post 20: Strangerville, part 1

So, before I really start, Kvikindi grew up.  

I’m not sure what happened here. Her RNG outfit had short pink hair, so I messed with that aspect a little. The whites in her eyes went fully alien black, while she kept the pink slit pupils (that the game kept removing for some reason. let’s just pretend they stayed pink the whole time). A few alien skin spots may have appeared as well. As it turns out, alien and vampire puberty are happening simultaneously.

And the cake, as beautiful as it is, remains untouched. Nobody is around to eat it anymore.

It’s still winter, so they figured they might as well all take their free trip to Strangerville on the other side of the planet. Sure, why not. They expected to stay at some hotel, Father Winter said so, but…

It’s just a dinky old motel. (built by @legasimmer; it’s on the gallery) RUNE: HE LIED TO US!!! BAT: Duh, it’s Father Winter. What, did you expect an entire hotel complete with swimming pools and that kinda nonsense? Come on. BAT: Working for Santa Claus obviously means you cannot get put on the naughty list, so he gets away with this shit! MORTEN: Well hey, we can still stay here. We’ve come this far. Maybe take a look around.. see how this small town lives up to its name? Like, I do see a couple of glowy plants here and… oh, what’s that over there?

MORTEN: Holy heck, I can’t believe this is still open at these hours! ERWIN: Yup! Staying open until like 3 AM means I have a great excuse to watch all the potential weird activity going on here at night! ERWIN: Hey… Wait a minute… ERWIN: Are you guys vampires? ERWIN: Is that an alien with you??? ERWIN: YOU’RE ALL REAL?????

ERWIN: THAT IS PERFECT. I decided a while ago that any supernatural folks would get a huge discount here, but I never saw any of you until now! ERWIN: Please, have a look around, I’m sure there’s something ya’ll might enjoy. EINARR: Why, thank you.

Mort grabbed some posters, a lava lamp, and a toy, Einarr got a few books, neither Bat nor Kvikindi were particularly interested at the moment, while Rune…

RUNE: Dude, I think this might be a foreign plasma fruit. Look how it’s pulsating. It’s red like blood… MORTEN: Ooh, let me try!

MORTEN: Oof.

RUNE: Yikes… I don’t like this side effect.

MORTEN: Ⱨł. RUNE: H-hi?? MORTEN: ₮ⱧɆ ₥Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ ₴ɆɆ₴ ₳ⱠⱠ. RUNE: Oh no…

EINARR: What just happened here, Rune?? RUNE: O-oh, uh,, they just ate a strange fruit. It looked like blood! EINARR: Blood??? You thought that was a foreign plasma fruit??? RUNE: Y- yeah. I- EINARR: Child, no, foreign plasma fruits are much closer to a crimson shade of red. Not.. veiny and circular like this bizarre alien fruit!! RUNE: I’M SORRY, I DIDN’T KNOW!! EINARR: Okay, FINE! But if they’re stuck this way from now on, that’s entirely on you. RUNE: B-but!! They just grabbed it! I– EINARR: You’re the one who offered it, you infant. RUNE: Okay, true… I didn’t know it would–

MORTEN: ฿Ɇ₵Ø₥Ɇ Ø₦Ɇ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ₮ⱧɆ ₥Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ. RUNE: yAUGH,

EINARR: …Hey, Erwin, do you happen to know if there’s any way to cure this condition? ERWIN: I dunno dude, you might wanna have to ask around. I’ve seen a lot of weirdos in military uniforms and labcoats in the daytime.. which might be a little inconvenient to you nocturnal people. Look in the library, maybe? ERWIN: Also, how did you know my name? Do vampires read minds? EINARR: Well, yes, some of us can, but you just so happened to wear a rather convenient name tag. ERWIN: Oh. Right. ERWIN: Well. Uh, wow, would you look at the time. I should really close up shop. Good night, folks.

MORTEN: ɎɆ₴. ₳₦Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ ฿₳฿Ɏ ₣ØⱤ ₥Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ. MORTEN: ₲ⱤØ₩ ₴₮ⱤØ₦₲, Ⱡł₮₮ⱠɆ Ø₦Ɇ.

EINARR: Such strange plants.. is that where these noises are coming from? EINARR: Hm. I see Erwin is heading this direction. We need to talk.

EINARR: One more thing, mortal. ERWIN: Wha-

EINARR: Tell me, why were you selling those weird fruits in the first place when you didn’t even know the effects? ERWIN: I.. I dunno?? EINARR: That is so incredibly irresponsible of you, child!!! ERWIN: I– I just found a couple of them scattered around! I just thought, since they were so peculiar, they would fit the theme of my Curio Shop very nicely- EINARR: And you needed money? Is that it? Is money on your mind??? Those weirdo fruits made my grand-offspring act all possessed!! And your excuse is money? ERWIN: I’m, I’m just trying to make a living! Is that wrong??

EINARR: A living, huh??? Better be careful, or else I might just have to make you unlive instead! ERWIN: Wh– Okay, I’m going! Please don’t eat me, mr. vampire man. I really didn’t mean to get on your bad side… EINARR: Alright, human. You do seem like a good person, so I’ll let you go, but please use better judgement and get rid of those fruits until next time. ERWIN: Y-yeah, alright. I’m really sorry for this inconvenience.

Looks like someone is back to normal.

MORTEN: …What just happened? MORTEN: Where am I? Where is everyone? MORTEN: Last thing I remember was.. Rune gave me a blood fruit? MORTEN: …that wasn’t really blood at all, was it. MORTEN: Hm.. come think of it, I… actually don’t feel blood hungry right now at all. Weird. Is it a blood fruit or not???

MORTEN: Huh. Another one of those glowy thingamabobs.

MORTEN: Might as well snap a picture of it for the memories. I’ve never seen any of these at home… MORTEN: I’d better head back to that motel.

———–

…

EINARR: Are you aware of what happened to you last night? MORT: …not really. All I know is I woke up in a desert. And I stopped being thirsty. EINARR: Well, I am fairly sure you got possessed by that fruit you ate. MORT: O-oh. Possessed?? EINARR: Yup. MORT: But it’s all okay now, right? The possession is over…right? EINARR: It has been less than a full day since it happened. For all we know, this might just happen every night. MORT: D: EINARR: And actually… I think I do hear some odd whispers here and there when I look into your mind now… Those really do not seem like your own thoughts. MORT: Wh– what… ₵Ø₥Ɇ ₮Ø ₥Ɇ, ₵ⱧłⱠĐ MORT: Oh my god. I hear them too now…. EINARR: Honestly, you should go ask Rune, he got you into this mess in the first place. It wouldn’t seem right to leave before we’ve found a cure for this condition of yours. ₮ⱧɆⱤɆ ł₴ ₦Ø ₦ɆɆĐ ₣ØⱤ ₳ ₵ɄⱤɆ MORT: SHUT UP, YES THERE IS. GET OUT OF ME. ₦Ø EINARR: So, it has started talking to you now. I’m really sorry I brought that to your attention. MORT: Ugh.

Meanwhile, it’s actually overcast outdoors. How handy. RUNE: Hello? Anyone in there..?

Something is obviously very off about this place. LESLIE: ₩₳₮ɆⱤ ł₴ ⱠØVɆ. RUNE: NOPE.

RUNE: Hrm.. this is useless. I should really ask around.

SCIENTIST 1: Yeah, we just recently had to evacuate the secret lab in the crater! SCIENTIST 2: You know that’s supposed to be a secret, right. SCIENTIST 1: Who cares! It’s not really safe to go there anyway anymore. Best to stay away, am I right? RUNE: Any idea what this has to do with the weird plant pod things around town? SCIENTIST 2: That is classified information. Sorry. RUNE: Dangit.

MORT: Well, hello Rune, I think might need a cure for whatever the hell just happened to me last night. RUNE: I’m… working on it. MORT: I heard something about a secret lab? SCIENTIST 1: Yeah!! We left in such a hurry! I think there’s something really nasty going on there now. MORT: Wow, okay. ₵Ø₥Ɇ ₮Ø ₥Ɇ, ₵ⱧłⱠĐ. ł ⱤɆ₴łĐɆ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₵Ɽ₳₮ɆⱤ. MORT: …

RUNE: Man, I don’t know… is it really that urgent? MORT: I dunno, I just think it would be great to get rid of the strange plant whispers in my head. They’re starting to bother me. A lot. RUNE: ….

RUNE: Do we even know where that crater is? ⱧɆ₳Đ ₦ØⱤ₮Ⱨ. MORT: Augh, it’s that freaky voice again… RUNE: Wait, voice?? MORT: Einarr pointed it out to me this morning and now it won’t shut up. RUNE: Is it from that whole possession thing? Did it tell you anything?

MORT: It wants us to head north??? RUNE: Is that where the crater is?

ɎɆ₴ MORT: Y-yes.

RUNE: Well. Alright. RUNE: I got you into this mess, I’m gonna get you out of it. Go find the others. I think we should try going there. Maybe there’s a cure. MORT: But the warnings??? RUNE: Screw those warnings, we can probably handle it anyway! What’s the worst that can happen? Death? We can’t die. We’re vampires, remember? MORT: I literally got possessed by a fruit last night. We’re not that immune to otherworldly nonsense. RUNE: Well, you still want to get rid of those whispers, right? We’ve got to find you a cure. ₦Ø!!! MORT: Yeah…. RUNE: Let’s find the others, alright? MORT: Alright.

They let the others know, and headed for the lab…

BAT: Wait, why am I here again? She was right, this place is super boring.

BAT: Bye, losers.

MORT: Huh. Something about a meteor impact? No wonder we’re in a crater. ⱧɆⱠⱠØ, ₵ⱧłⱠĐ. ł ₴ɆɆ ɎØɄ'VɆ ₵Ø₥Ɇ ₮Ø ₥Ɇ. MORT: Argh, shut up!

Back at home, Kvikindi decided to help out a little too. There are so many of these plants…

Einarr went to the motel as well, and managed to break into a certain locked room at the motel. Vampiric entrance and all that, you know.

RUNE: …we gotta figure out what’s behind this door.

[victorluvsalice]

Surprise surprise, Wheatley’s officially infected! What, did you honestly believe I WASN’T going to do that? XD Hell, it even fits in with his role in the story -- he can observe his symptoms in himself and help Chell find the cure! ...Look, I just find Wheatley with the POSSESSED facial expression super-amusing, okay? XD

Fortunately, Chell is the competent one in this relationship, and immediately set to work getting the necessary components to her hazmat suit. Erwin had the body portion sitting in his secret inventory, which he parted with for $1,000; and Chell quickly befriended a scientist and handed over the Infection Profile to get a Spore Filter in her mailbox once they went home. A quick assemble later, and she was the proud owner of a working hazmat suit! Now she can plumb the deepest parts of the lab and see what’s lurking down there once and for all! And not a moment too soon, as Wheatley is talking to plants and freaking out normal Sims with his hilarious “infected” run. XD

However, the rest of StrangerVille is actually going to have to wait until their next go-round. Reason being, tomorrow is Harvestfest for this group, and -- well, I think they’ve earned a break. I mean, they already worked through Spookfest. . . So yeah, next time, just some easy old Thanksgiving-themed fun from our favorite trio. Though it’s POSSIBLE they’ll have a special guest or two over. . .

[katedoesfics]

StrangerVille | Chapter 6

Twenty-four hours ago, it was just another ordinary night, and Jayson was on an ordinary date, and to any outsider, he lived an ordinary life, just as he always had, and up until now, he thought he would live and die an ordinary man and nothing more.

Tonight, however, he was crouching behind some thorny bushes with a guy he never in a million years thought he’d be friends with - a guy who couldn’t look more conspicuous in a black ski mask - and planning their way to break into a heavily guarded secret lab.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Jayson muttered under his breath, refusing to look at Erwin as he fidgeted with his black gloves.

“Hey,” Erwin snapped. “You wanted my help, right? I told you to wear gloves! We can’t be leaving our fingerprints everywhere. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right and not get our asses thrown in jail!”

“Ladies do love a bad boy.”

Erwin rolled his eyes. “Is that what Siobhan said on your hot date?” He made a crude gesture with his hips and Jayson slapped the back of his head. Erwin rubbed the back of his head, then pointed through the bushes to a hole in the fence.

“That’s our in. I had a friend cut the fence between shifts. But they’ll be coming up this way soon, so we need to hurry. Once they realize it’s been cut, security will swarm this place and we’ll be done for.”

They hurried through the hole in the fence, then kept to the wall of the building, avoiding the sweeping lights that scanned the premises for potential intruders. They kept in the shadows, away from the cameras as they hurried around and into the busted door in the back of the building.

Except for a few emergency lights, the lab was dim. The air was warm and stuffy, dust already settling on the untouched counters and furniture. Jayson guessed they were in a kitchen of sorts. Chairs and tables were tipped over and scattered throughout the room, and they picked their way carefully across and through the door on the other side.

They made their way down the hall. Most of the doors to other rooms were blown in, and as they passed, they found bathrooms and closets. At the end, the hall opened up into a much larger room where several chambers stood in neat rows, their glasses blown in and shattered. More tables, desks, and chairs were tipped over or broken completely, and books and pages were scattered all across the room.

“This place is creepy,” Erwin said. “Way creepier than I thought.”

Jayson looked around them, then made his way to a desk. Pages were scattered across the wood top and her perused through them. Among the pages were various journal entries, data and formulas, even photographs. He picked up the overturned chair to look at the pages more closely.

He found a list of all the names of people with keycards and specific levels of clearance. He pocketed the page along with some images that seemed noteworthy. Some contained specific lab members working on various experiments. A couple pictures seemed to be of a strange plant in chambers somewhere deep in the lab. Jayson recognized the same plant in a picture that seemed to be taken outside of the lab.

He studied the image for a moment more; something about it seemed familiar. Erwin peered over his shoulder, then jammed a finger into the picture.

“I’ve seen a couple of those plants,” he said. “There’s a bunch near the trailer park.”

Jayson folded the picture and pocketed with the other bits of evidence he gathered. Erwin was right; he had seen the plants near the trailer park, too. Could that explain the way the people there were acting?

With nothing more at the desk to look at, Jayson and Erwin continued to wander the first floor of the lab. They came across a large, steel door that was securely locked. A panel to the right indicated that it could only be opened by a keycard.

“We’re gonna need that keycard,” Erwin said. “Do you know anyone with the right access?”

“I know a couple of the military guys,” Jayson said. “Casual drinking buddies.”

“Do you think they’d give you a card?”

“Unlikely,” Jayson said. “But, I can at least talk to them. See what kind of info I can get from them.” He shrugged. “It’s a start.”

Erwin nodded. “Maybe if we find something real good, you can use it as blackmail.”

Jayson hesitated. “Sure. I’ll ruin someone’s life after I’ve exhausted all my other options.”

“What do you care if you’re ruining their life when innocent people are being fucked over?”

“We don’t know for sure what’s going on yet,” Jayson pointed out. “No sense jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts.”

Erwin sighed. “Fine. Not like there’s anything I can do about it, anyway.” He turned and walked away from the sealed door. “See? You’re already proving to be more useful than I am.”

They continued to make their way through the lab, checking every room they could get into. Most of the rooms had various equipment that lay broken or abandoned. Jayson snapped a few pictures with his phone, hoping at the very least one of the scientists could identify them and explain what they were used for.

It started to seem like they wouldn’t find much else in the lab - not without going deeper, and they couldn’t do that without the keycard - but Erwin’s wary voice pulled Jayson to him, and he peered over Erwin’s shoulder at some photographs in his hands.

Ted Roswell, StrangerVille Mayor, standing outside of the newly constructed lab some years ago. He was a younger man in the photo, and he was grinning, shaking the hand of someone who could have only been the lead scientist at the lab and the head of the military group tasked with guarding the lab from curious onlookers.

Erwin flipped through the images he had picked up. There were a few more images of Ted in the lab, in places that seemed to be beyond the sealed door. Jayson studied the images carefully, looking for any clues in the background of the photos, but found nothing more than the smiling mayor.

Behind these images, they found various newspaper clippings. Jayson examined them, reading them out loud.

“The military arrives in StrangerVille! Residents rejoice as a new base opens near the crater. The City Council welcomes the opportunity of new jobs for the struggling town.”

“New Era for Strangerville! A high-tech super-science facility is being constructed in the crater. While residents are eager to modernize the town, the amount of secrecy surrounding the project has some people on edge.”

“A local resident claims that after he found his lost cat outside the crater, it became unreasonably afraid of his houseplants and wouldn’t stop hidding until they were all removed from his property.”

“After the incident, there have been reports of bizarre plants growing around town. No one has been able to figure out why they are spreading so quickly. Efforts to eradicate them have been fruitless; for each sprout removed, three grow back it its place.”

Behind the clippings were more photographs, and Erwin flipped to these, revealing a lab in ruins. It looked just about as it did now, with a few noteworthy exceptions. For one, and the most obvious, was the sealed door. In the images, it was clearly destroyed. Someone had come in - perhaps shortly after the lab was condemned - and fixed the door, making it functional again.

“Just to keep out annoying conspiracy theorists,” Jayson said.

“Or keep something else locked in,” Erwin said.

Jayson bit his lip. Erwin flipped to the final picture. It was dark and blurry, but they could easily make out the same plants they saw in other images. Only this one appeared to be much bigger. Huge. And… alive?

Jayson took the photo out of Erwin’s hand and peered at it, then glanced at the sealed door. Perhaps they were keeping something locked in after all.

Erwin looked up at Jayson nervously. “What the fuck is that?”

“I don’t know,” Jayson said. “But we need to get that keycard and find out.”

“Are you crazy?” Erwin hissed. “Whatever that thing is, its down there, and it’ll fucking make a midnight snack out of us!”

“Roswell’s involved in this,” Jayson said. “He must have created this… thing. This experiment. And it went terribly wrong. And either he won’t destroy it… or he can’t. So instead they’re covering it up. But how long do you think they can keep this up? How long until this thing destroys the entire town?”

“Even more reason to keep that damn door closed,” Erwin muttered.

“We need to confirm that there is something down there that they’re trying to hide,” Jayson said. “Once we have proof of that, we can expose Roswell and put a stop to all of this.”

“Assuming it doesn’t eat us.”

“Are you really backing out now?”

“This is suicide,” Erwin hissed. “We’d literally be walking into our own graves.”

“That’s why you got a bodyguard, right?”

Erwin rolled his eyes, but a shout from outside the lab brought them out of their argument. They moved quickly through the lab, checking the perimeter before stepping through the broken door and darting between the security lights and crawling through the hole in the fence once more. They crept low in the bushes until they were down the hill and out of sight, then darted through the dark streets until they reached the center of town.

At the bar, a few of the military personnel must have been alerted to a disturbance at the lab, and they hurried out quickly. Erwin instinctively stepped behind Jayson in an attempt to keep out of sight, and Jayson watched as Kenny brought up the rear in a disinterested manner. He caught Jayson’s gaze for a moment, his eyes narrowing on him, before he turned his back on them and slid into one of the vehicles as it took off down the street toward the lab.

With the soldiers gone, Erwin stepped out from behind Jayson, and Jayson looked down on him with a disapproving shake of his head.

“Hey,” Erwin barked. “That’s why I hired you as my bodyguard!”

[alltimefail-sims]

I have NEVER in my life seen someone go to war over strangerville, if you don’t like the content tumblr has a block button for a reason. if you can’t handle other people playing a game their own way then you shouldn’t be on the internet point blank period.

stan trans erwin fr

Lmao right?!?! I remember the Strangerville GP getting a lot of hate when it first came out (and I still see it get a lot of hate). But I had no idea that there are people who feel so strongly about it that they enforce strict rules about the premades there...But apparently some people have stronger opinions than you'd think 🥴.

They definitely could have just blocked me, but they don't have to worry because I have the anon ask still in my inbox and I plan to block them ❤ (I wanted to give them enough time to see my response). They won't have to worry about seeing my posts any more.

Thank you!!! YES we stan trans Erwin here!!! That anon can stay mad that he's trans but I know Erwin personally and he told me that he's trans so 🤷‍♀️ idk what to tell them!

[alltimefail-sims]

what made u give Erwin a sister? jw

Ooooooo okay this is a good question!

So Erwin as we know him is pretty one-dimensional. I thought maybe this was a "Johnny Zest" situation where they give him lore but it just isn't reflected in the game (not via traits, family tree, or etc.) and you have to go looking for it. But after I did some research and even searched his tag here on Tumblr, I realized there really wasn't much more to him than what we were given. This is kind of unfortunate because in my mind he's got so much potential - he's this big open canvas with unconventional traits and behaviors that are somehow paired with a "heroic" disposition through trailers with 0 explanation as to why this is. Basically, it leaves you with more questions than answers: what is his motivation? Why and how did he come to Strangerville? Why does he care about this mystery? Being a textbook overthinker when it comes to people, I figured the only way to answer these questions was to create the "before" Erwin - the Erwin pre-Strangerville. Thus, his family was born!

His sister was actually the first thing I thought of when asking "Why is he the way he is." You'll see it a lot in my story, but Maggie is really complex - she's impulsive, explosive, reclusive, and unstable. However, Maggie is also compassionate and loves her little brother - she wants Erwin to be happy even if she thinks she can't be. She has a lot of mixed feelings toward her family, but not with Erwin. His love and admiration for her kind of makes him defensive and protective of her, because she has always shown him compassion and supported him openly. She's the first person he confided in about being trans, even before he knew what being "trans" was, and although her instability scared Erwin he always tried to see past that and focus on the best of her instead. That's just the tip of the iceburg really... but needless to say, once she goes missing he feels like he owes it to her to bring her home, and unlike everyone else who is willing to believe she might have taken her own life, Erwin just feels like that's not realistic because she was doing better, she was trying to be happy, and above all she'd never leave him without saying goodbye... not willingly at least. Despite the discouragement from his well meaning parents who don't want to lose another child, he decides to take matters into his own hands anyway and move to Strangerville** after high school - now there's a motive and a reason for the motive, if that makes sense.

**On a slightly related note, I want to clarify that in my story I depict "Strangerville" as a real place in the American southwest desert. Any "sim world" that I utilize in the story will actually be a community within a bigger place as opposed to being an independent "world." For example, Erwin grew up in Brindleton Bay, which I see as a small fishing town on the American northeastern coast - it resides within a state like Maine. Different places of origin will influence each character's upbringing and serve as an additional motivator for certain "quirks" they have - in Erwin's case, this serves the purpose of explaining one reason why he "sticks out" so much in Strangerville!

TLDR; I figured that Erwin needed a compelling reason for being involved in the Strangerville mystery, along with a reason why he was considered to be such an outcast to the locals because I wasn't satisfied with the near nonexistent reasoning EA provided (people don't just get involved in a life or death circumstance because of curiosity, but that's just how I see it lol). Plus, I believe everyone has a story, and I thought giving Erwin a more "complex" family dynamic would satiate my need for a motive AND give context to who he is and why!

Thank you for this ask! I hope everything makes sense; I wanted to avoid spoilers but also give you a clear and satisfying answer because this is a great question (and I love talking about my OCs as you all know 😉).

[alltimefail-sims]

83% For any of your StrangerVille sims (esp. Erwin <3)

83%. When was the last time they were crushed with disappointment? How did that impact them? Did it have a lifelong effect on them?

Oh boy, this is a loaded question lmao. 😂 But it's a really good question, too!

I'll start with Erwin because you wanted him specifically! I'm not gonna sugarcoat it: Erwin has actually dealt with a lot of disappointment over the course of his life. That being said, his most recent "crushing" disappointment was when his sister's case went cold and the police ruled her missing person's case as "Likely a suicide." More than that, he was doubly disappointed by his parents who seemed willing to accept this due to their desire to have closure and move on. Impact-wise, this rerouted Erwin's entire life and is the "origin story" for why he found himself in Strangerville in the first place. I also see it as the reason why he has the "Paranoid" trait. This choice will have lifelong effects in both bad and surprisingly good ways, too (he just doesn't know about the good yet). I really do think if things would have been different and he wasn't faced with such a life-changing disappointment in his teen years, he would have probably went to college and been a "traditional" student; he would have made friends and had a fresh start in a new place, but he also would probably be more careless and free-spirited... so a very different person than he is when the story takes off.

I'll also answer this for Zoe:

Zoe's crushing disappointment has to do with her mom, Diana, who passed away the summer before the story starts. She had cancer and they caught it later than they would have liked to, but there was a moment where it looked like she was making a recovery and was doing better overall but unfortunately, that's not what happened. Zoe never thought she'd lose her mom at such a young age, and her mom was the only family she had. She imagined her mom being there for all of her special moments and milestones (college graduation, marriage, first home, kids) so now she can't help but feel like the universe robbed her of that future (and robbed Diana of that happy life, too). Zoe has been more task-oriented and methodical ever since, just trying to keep busy and ignore her feelings. She doesn't want to admit it, but she feels like she has to carry on and be successful for her mom, like she owes perfection and a good legacy to her since Diana lost her life while still having so much to give, so Zoe's not focused on making choices for herself or for her own happiness. Obviously it goes without saying that losing someone you love is going to have lifelong effects on you, and the grief Zoe feels comes in waves so she's still dealing with the fallout of this particular loss.

Prompt here - ask me about my OCs!

[alltimefail-sims]

I woke up this morning to more asks than I have ever gotten in one sitting, and it was such a cool surprise so thank you guys!!! This was literally so much fun! All asks & answers are below the cut because I didn’t want to spam the dashboard with my long responses haha.

@mangosimoothie these are all some great questions and thank you for that!!

5. Do they have any tattoos? If so what are they and do they have any special meaning?

Zoe doesn’t have any tattoos yet, but she has always wanted one! She just doesn’t know what she’d get and would be like “It’s got to be perfect if it’s going to be on my body forever!” But Erwin has one very minimalist medium-sized sunset tattoo on his right shoulder blade (kind of like this). He got it on his 18th birthday, it was something he and his sister always wanted to get together!

7. Do they have any unusual fears?

I wouldn’t say they’re unusual fears, but Erwin is very scared of small spaces and Zoe is scared of geese because of a bad run-in she had with a goose on the Kindergarten playground lol.

11. Do they have any addictions?

Zoe doesn’t have any addictions! She’s a meticulous person who is very health-conscious and her mom was a great example who showed her how to set healthy boundaries and limits. Erwin on the other hand is a different story! Erwin smokes cigarettes (something he picked up from his older sister Maggie, it really started as a way to feel closer to her after she went missing and has turned into a stress coping mechanism). Plus, he has an unhealthy dependence on caffeine. The man has been known to go through a pot of coffee all on his own, he doesn’t even care about taste. He’s poured energy drinks in coffee before (gross, I know). He just... doesn’t sleep well.

Even though it was definitely a challenge to choose between my pixel children, I think the Top 5 sims I’ve made are:

The whole Carter family, but especially Caleb. He is truly cathartic for me to play and write.

My version of Alexander Goth (really he’s my son, EA can take Alexander Goth from my cold dead hands, they have never done that boy justice!!)

All my Strangerville sims, but Tashia and Junia would be tied for third because I have no other sims like them. They challenge me!

Sha West (I’ll be posting her later, she is from one of my private saves where I’m doing the globetrotter challenge for fun and I loveeee her).

Rin and Lazlo Fite (twins so they count as one lmao. They were originally just submissions for another simblr, but I fell in love with them and their backstory!)

This was even harder!! I follow a LOT of simblrs. But my current top 5 sims from other simblrs are:

The entirety of Gen 3 (Asa, Finn, Casper, Stevie, Elaine, Jada) from Frozen Pines by @softpine. I cannot pick between these babies, they all have my heart equally.

The entire Halabi family, but especially Gus (and Lena) by @sojutrait

Lucas Munch by @gunthermunch

Izara Ali by @acuar-io​

Pheebs by @softerhaze​

Honorable mention to River and Ro from Inheritance by @cyberth0t​! My old ass was around when this was a sims story, but now it’s an awesome webtoon here!!

Lol I love that. Crush away, anon.

2. Do they wear perfume/cologne? If so what scents do they prefer?

Erwin doesn’t wear a cologne really unless he’s going out! But Erwin always smells fresh - like a light, clean ivory soap smell mixed with his laundry detergent and a warm mix of light bergamot, jasmine and lemon. Fresh and pleasantly light is literally the only way I can think to describe it ajajksdjkasjgs sorry hope that makes sense! Although he does smoke cigarettes, he never smells overwhelmingly like smoke (it’s just barely present!).

6. If they were badly injured, and for whatever reason couldn't go to a hospital, who would they go to for help?

Erwin is stubborn and kind of a loner, he would probably patch himself up in most circumstance. But he’d have to have a deep bond with someone to let them see him in pain/vulnerable like that!

16. Do they have or want kids?

He does not have kids! As for wanting kids, he’d say no. But really he just doesn’t think he’ll ever have the opportunity to have kids. He doesn’t dislike the idea at all, but definitely isn’t in a place for kids right now! In the future though? He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about that...

29. If they were real would you be friends with them?

Hmmmmm I can’t say for sure. Current Erwin? Probably not, we live very different lives! But future Erwin and I would probably get along very well!

19. How easy is it to become their friend?

It is not easy to gain Junia’s trust in any way lmao. Friend, romantic partner, work associate... doesn’t matter to her. She keeps things pretty distant and professional across the board. But if you break through? Dear God, she will love you and protect you fiercely.

@missjinglecoco​ thank you for these questions! <3

1. Do they have any crafting hobbies?

Erwin likes to take polaroid photos just for personal enjoyment! I wouldn’t say he scrapbooks, but he likes to do a *version* of that by journaling with polaroids...so scrapbooking without the stickers and fun paper lol. He also runs a podcast about spooky stuff like unsolved mysteries, paranormal stories, and conspiracy theories!

12. Do they have any sense of style? Regardless of the answer do they believe they have a sense of style?

He absolutely has a very quirky sense of style, although he would say he just likes to wear stuff that he likes and isn’t intentionally curating a look. His style is vintage casual with an alternative touch - quirky patters, ripped loose jeans, lots of 70s-80s dad tees you’d find in a Goodwill.

33. Do they play ttrpgs? If so what kind of characters do they play? Or are they more likely to GM?

Yes! He hasn’t played since high school, but he loves Dungeons and Dragons. He typically plays as an elf wizard! He would love to be a DM/GM, but he’s never had the time to come up with and execute a campaign of his own creation.

@chelseasanidiot​ Oh that’s my baby!!! My favorite!! Thank you for asking about him <3

3. Do they enjoy cooking?

YES! He loves cooking with his mom and his abuela! Cooking is a love language to him, and it’s a way he connects to his culture too. He’s the kind of person that is always offering food and to his friends and loved ones and sees it as a basic act of service - “We’re hanging out at my house, so I should give you a snack - just makes sense!”

4. Do they enjoy baking?

Not as much as cooking, but he does enjoy baking if it’s with Cheryl!

28. Are they a #gamer?

He loves lots of different games, but he would not call himself a #gamer lol. He doesn’t take games so seriously! His sister is much more competitive that him!

Of course! <3

8. Do they collect anything? If so what and why?

She collects snow globes! Whenever she and her mom would go on vacation, she’d get a snow globe from that location as a souvenir.

9. When they're sick what do they do to feel better?

She is very productive, so she just doesn’t have time to lay around sick. She takes healing very serious - strict regiment of herbal teas, vitamin C supplements, rest, vapor rub (still using the same big pot of Vicks that probably is from the 90s), humidifier, soups, keeps a notepad with her medication rotation schedule...the works!

10. Do they have any regrets?

Nope!

42. Can they speak multiple languages? If yes which all do they speak and why?

She isn’t fluent in any languages outside of English. She only remembers a few words/phrases from high school French. She also would recognize a few words or phrases in Arabic from knowing Anwar and his family for so long.

43. Can they handle stressful situations?

Yes, she operates very efficiently under stress (and grief). She needs people to remind her that it’s okay to slow down and just... feel. 

44. Who, if anyone, would they trust with their deepest secrets?

Anwar! He’s her closest friend since childhood and she’d trust him with her life. Eventually you guys will see her open up to more than just him though <3

45. Do they plan in advance or just wing it?

Plan in advance always. Just thinking of “winging it” makes her skin break out in hives lmao

[katedoesfics]

StrangerVille | Chapter 5

Though Kenny didn’t necessarily reveal anything Jayson didn’t already suspect, it was confirmation enough that something was going on in that secret lab, and somehow, Mayor Roswell was involved with it all.

“It’s been a while,” Erwin said when Jayson approached him the next morning. “I thought maybe you got scared off.”

“No,” Jayson admitted. “The opposite. I’m afraid I’m in too deep now.”

Erwin smiled. “What can I do for you?”

“I figured a guy like you could help me break into that lab.”

Erwin hesitated. “Maybe I could. Why?”

“There’s a bunch of newspaper articles missing from the library.”

Erwin nodded. “Ah, yes. The… community… has had a hard time keeping tabs on those. There were a few blogs around, but they got deleted, and no one has heard from them in a while.” He paused. “You think there’s information in that lab?”

Jayson shrugged. “It’s worth a look.”

“Did you get a keycard?”

“Not yet.”

Erwin frowned. “We won’t be able to get very far. But I do know of a way in, assuming we can sneak past the guards.”

“I knew I could count on you.”

Erwin held his hands up defensively. “Woah, wait a minute. You’re on your own. I’ll tell you how to get in, but I ain’t going with ya.”

Jayson frowned. “Why not?”

“Uh, hello?” He gestured to himself. “I’ll get my ass thrown in jail if they catch me up there.”

“Then they won’t catch us.”

“You don’t need my help.”

“You don’t know that. What if I need to hack a computer or something?”

Erwin raised a skeptical brow. “What makes you think I can hack into a computer?”

“Can you?”

Erwin hesitated, then groaned. “Ugh. Fine! Fine. I’ll go with you. But you’re the one doing all the fighting, alright?”

“There won’t be fighting.”

“You better hope not,” Erwin muttered. “There’s an area at the back of the lab,” Erwin explained. “There’s a hole that’s boarded up, but it looks like it can easily be broken through. We can cut through the barbed wire fence there and, assuming we can steer clear of the security lights and cameras, get into the lab that way. We’ll just need to time it between guard shifts when no one is patrolling the back area.”

It was a plan. Jayson was in deep, and there would be no turning back once they put their plan into action. But as excited as Erwin was with their plan, he was level headed, and he told Jayson that it would be some time before they could get into the lab. Erwin went on about how he was going to study the schedule of the guards, memorize their routes and their shifts, and it all sounded very Hollywood to Jayson. But Jayson was a first timer at this sort of thing. Erwin had clearly seen enough movies to know what he was doing. Not that that made him qualified for this sort of illicit activity, but hey, it was more than Jayson had going for him.

And besides, Jayson had other plans. Plans that involved asking a certain damsel in distress out on a date.

“Well if it isn’t the conspiracy theorist,” Siobhan’s voice said when she answered his call. “I’m guessing you’re looking for my sister?”

Jayson smiled. “No, that would be weird.”

“Why would that be weird? I’m sure you have lots to talk about.”

“Because I’m calling to ask you out.”

The line was quiet for a moment.

“Or not,” Jayson started slowly.

Siobhan laughed. “What? No. Sorry. I mean. You just… surprised me.”

“Did you really think I was calling for your sister?”

“I dunno,” Siobhan said sheepishly. “I mean, it’s just funny, you know? You meet two random chicks who drag you around StrangerVille on some weird conspiracy theory mission and after three days they leave and one would figure that’s the end of that, especially after I give you my number and then don’t hear from you for a week and -”

“You’re rambling,” Jayson said. 

“I’m just saying!”

“I know, I’m sorry. I got… distracted with some things.”

“Conspiracy theory things?”

“Are you interested?”

“No,” Siobhan said quickly. “So, you were asking me out, right?”

“Yes,” Jayson said. “Uh. Yeah. If you want.”

“Well, I have to bring Morgan to a conspiracy theory addict meeting tonight, but I could cancel.”

“I dunno,” Jayson started playfully. “That sounds important.”

“Yeah, but we might need a bodyguard, so you might as well pick me up tonight at eight.”

“I think I can pencil you into my schedule,” Jayson said. “But I might have to be a bodyguard for someone else later tonight, so we can’t take too long.”

“Wow,” Siobhan started. “I didn’t take you for a player.”

“Just business,” Jayson teased.

“Alright then, Mr. Bodyguard. I’ll see you at eight.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

*****

It was precisely eight when Jayson pulled up in front of the house, and Siobhan was eagerly waiting outside. He didn’t have much experience with dating, but he knew a typical first date involved going out to eat. Siobhan, it seemed, had other ideas of their first date, and gave him a look of disapproval when he named off a few restaurants.

“I had pizza for lunch,” Siobhan said, dismissing yet another suggestion.

“Well, you’re just impossible,” Jayson said in defeat.

“Chinese food?”

“I had that last night.”

Siobhan sighed. “We did it,” she said. “We’re already at the point in the relationship where we can’t agree on what to eat.”

“It’s all downhill from here.”

Siobhan grinned. “How about burgers? I could go for a burger.”

“You’re a cheap date. Can’t argue with that.”

“I’ll have you know I have very fine tastes,” Siobhan said. “I won’t eat just any burger.”

Within fifteen minutes, Jayson had paid the stoned teen at the window for two burgers, two fries, and two large drinks, and parked in an empty lot that boasted a scenic outlook over the city. They sat together on the roof of the car, and Siobhan made a pleased sound as she bit into the burger.

“Fine tastes my ass,” Jayson said.

Siobhan shrugged. “And what did you have for dinner last night?”

“Cup-o-Noodles,” Jayson said sheepishly, and Siobhan laughed.

“This is fine dining for you, isn’t it?”

“It’s certainly cheaper than my original plan of trying to wine and dine you.”

Siobhan scoffed. “Please,” she said. “I’m beyond that point in my life. I don’t get impressed by fancy dinners.” She stretched her legs out. “This is much more my speed.”

“So, next time, how about noodles at the park?”

Siobhan laughed. “Planning date number two already? What if this doesn’t go well?”

Jayson shrugged. “You’re still here.”

Siobhan nodded thoughtfully. “So, how’s the conspiracy chasing going?” She grinned. “That’s really why I’m sticking around. Gotta get the scoop on the latest rumors.”

“Morgan hasn’t been keeping you in the loop?”

“She’s moved on to something else.”

“That’s disappointing,” Jayson said. “Because, you know, she was probably onto something.”

Siobhan glanced at him. “Oh, no,” she started. “You, too?”

“Of course not,” Jayson said. “I’m just the bodyguard, remember?”

“Did that Erwin kid hire you?”

“I think he has a crush on me.”

Siobhan laughed. “He has good taste in men.” She finished her burger. “So, fill me in. What’s that group of weirdos up to?”

Jayson hesitated, then shrugged. “Got some plans to break into that lab.”

“Think they’ll find anything good?”

“Maybe,” Jayson started. “Why else would they be keeping it all locked up and guarded?”

“And what are you gonna do? Kick some military butt?”

“Unlikely.”

“Well, you’re a useless bodyguard, then.”

“I told him that when he hired me.”

Siobhan laughed. “Well, don’t get beat up too much,” she said. “You owe me a second date. Noodles at the park, right?”

They chatted as the night went on, covering all the basic topics that would be talked about on a first date. They discussed their favorite movies and shows, their childhood dreams and aspirations, and even debated the existence of aliens and vampires. Of course, there wasn’t much to debate when neither of them believed in the existence of either, though Jayson couldn’t help but to speculate on the possibility of aliens and how it connected to the weird things happening in StrangerVille. Though, he merely speculated, unwilling for Siobhan to know just how interested he was in it all.

Their evening together quickly came to a close, and Jayson found himself walking Siobhan to her front door to bid her a good night.

“I’d offer to let you come in,” Siobhan started, “but due to financial reasons -” She didn’t have a chance to finish, however, as the door was flung open, revealing Morgan.

“Back so soon?” she said with a grin.

Siobhan reached behind her and pulled the door closed with a slam. “I still live at home.” she offered him a sheepish and apologetic smile.

“If I had known that, I would have offered to take you to my place.”

“Right to the chase, huh?” she said with a grin. “That’s more like third date talk.”

Jayson considered this thoughtfully for a moment. “So, does that mean, like, the night of the third date, or does it have to be three full dates, and then the night after the fourth?”

Siobhan laughed. She stood on her tiptoes, her lips meeting his for a warm, soft moment before pulling away. “You think too much.” She turned and opened the door, slipping inside and wishing him goodnight before the door closed.

[katedoesfics]

StrangerVille | Chapter 4

It wasn’t hard to find Erwin. In one of her babbling moments, Morgan had explained to Jayson how she met Erwin at a little, run down shed where all the conspiracy theorists seemed to hang out, like a club of some sort. Siobhan had murmured something about it being more like a cult, so Jayson shouldn’t have been surprised when he saw a few of them gathered together with strainers on their heads. He had to choke back a laugh, turning it into a cough and cleared his throat as Erwin met his gaze.

“Oh, it’s the bodyguard.” He turned away from Jayson. “Here to mock me like everyone else?”

“No,” Jayson started. He frowned, feeling bad for the guy. “No, actually, I wanted to ask you something.”

Erwin glanced at him over his shoulder, then looked him up and down, determining whether Jayson was being genuine or not. “What?”

“Only an idiot wouldn’t see all the weird vans and shit around town,” he said. “What do you make of it?”

Erwin’s gaze narrowed. “Why do you ask?”

Jayson hesitated. “Because I saw one at the trailer park by my house,” he said.

“When?”

“Last night.”

“What happened?” Erwin pressed.

“They took someone and drove off.” He shrugged. “Didn’t look like they were going out for fucking tea.”

“Just random sims?”

Jayson’s gaze narrowed. “What do you know?”

Erwin walked down the street and Jayson turned to follow him.. “What did you see?”

Jayson hesitated. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “The other day… he was acting… weird.”

Erwin nodded, as if he understood.

“What’s wrong with him?” Jayson asked. “Where are they taking him?”

“I don’t know,” Erwin admitted. “No one knows. Well, not us townies, anyway. I’m sure some of those scientists that worked in the lab know.” He shrugged.

“You think it has to do with why the lab was shut down?” Jayson asked.

Erwin nodded. “If you want any information, you’d have to get it from them. Or one of the military personnel.”

“I don’t exactly want to get involved in anything,” Jayson said warily.

“Then don’t,” Erwin replied in a disinterested tone.

“Don’t you think someone should? Like, maybe the police?”

Erwin snorted. “You think we haven’t tried that?” he said. He rolled his eyes. “They blew us off. This whole thing reeks of some kinda cover up. Something’s going on, and they don’t want us to know.”

“What would they have to gain from that?”

Erwin shrugged. “World domination? It could literally be anything. And those answers are kept inside that lab.”

“So, why don’t you do something about it?”

He barked out a short laugh. “Right. Look at me. Look at us.” He sighed. “What are we gonna be able to do about it? We’re just… weird people with weird ideas and no one takes us seriously. We have no other skills that could get us anywhere.” He glanced at Jayson. “We’re not all the bodyguard type like you.”

“You say that as if I have some skill you don’t.”

“Look,” Erwin started. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but if I were female, I’d do you.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“You’re tall, dark, handsome.” He poked Jayson’s biceps. “Muscular. But not overkill, you know? Enough where you could definitely kick someone’s ass, but not too much where you look like a dick. You probably don’t really work out, except that drinking arm, lifting beers and kegs and whatever you attractive guys do. You’re charismatic. Way more than I am, anyway. Can talk to the ladies no problem. Hell, I bet you could make friends like it was nothing. Charm. You got charm. You could get what you want, when you want, for nothing more than that pearly white grin.”

“Do you want my number or something?”

Erwin rolled his eyes and turned away. “I got sidetracked,” he said quickly. “I’m just saying. We’re losers. You’re not.”

“What… No… But… what does that have to do with anything?”

Erwin shrugged. “If you wanted to do something about what’s going on here, you’d have way more success than we would.”

“Because you think I’m hot?”

“I don’t think you're hot!” Erwin stammered. “I have a girlfriend, you know!”

Jayson sighed. “Alright. Look. You think way too highly of me. I’m basically a nobody, too.”

“Thanks,” Erwin muttered.

“No, I mean.” Jayson hesitated. “Look. You have way more going for you. At least you have something you believe in, you know? All I’m saying is that I don’t think I’d have any more luck. You don’t know me.”

Erwin shrugged. “I don’t care what you do. But don’t bother me with your stupid questions if you don’t care.”

Jayson bit his lip. “I kinda care.”

“I know.”

Jayson regarded him with an unamused glance. “You’re a pain in the ass. I mean, how do you see something like that and not care? What the fuck is wrong with those people?”

Erwin met his gaze, but his eyes were fearful. “And how long is it going to take until it happens to us?”

Jayson hesitated. “I don’t know how much help I can be,” he started. “But I’ll see what kind of info I can dig up. I’ll try to get that keycard back. After that, it’s up to you.”

Erwin turned away from him. “Careful,” he said. “Or you’ll get hooked like the rest of us.”

“I’m not a conspiracy theorist!”

*****

Sleep didn’t come to Jayson that night, his mind buzzing erratically with all he had witnessed and learned the last two days. Something was definitely going on, that much he was sure of. He didn’t think it would be easy to get any information from any of the military personnel or the scientists in town, and most of the information he had gathered from the residents were more or less the same stories sprinkled with wild exaggerations. The newspapers were useless, and he found even less information online with the exception of conspiracy theory blogs. And from what he could gather, even those were monitored closely. It seemed posts that contained valuable information - in one instance, images of the missing newspaper articles - were deleted completely. And even though more blogs were made quickly in an attempt to keep this information public, whoever was behind keeping the mystery a secret was quick to shut those down, too. All he could do was trust in the knowledge of the residents. And if he wanted to get any further, he would need to break into the lab.

Jayson spent the next morning brainstorming ways to get a keycard. He couldn’t be sure who had the keycard he needed: the one with the black dot on it. That was his first step in his new mission. One thing he was certain of: he couldn’t just go around pick-pocketing lab members and military personnel, or he would quickly find himself like Erwin, and he couldn’t afford to raise any suspicions from them. He basically had one shot at this, and he had to get it right. It seemed Erwin was right - he would have to work his charm and casually attempt to befriend them enough to get them to spill.

He spent the afternoon at the bar in his usual corner, drinking quietly and paying close attention to the patrons that wandered in and out. He opted to study them for the next several days, looking for patterns in their routines. After two days of this, he started casual conversation with them as they came to the bar to order rounds. And within a week, a few of them had taken to joining him at the bar to chat. It seemed they had grown tired of interacting with their colleagues day in and day out and they eagerly grasped at the opportunity to chat with someone new.

One particular sim was an older, gruff military man named Kenny. Jayson found him relatively easy to talk to, and it wasn’t long before he started to open up to Jayson.

“You’re a good kid, Jayson,” Kenny said one night after finishing his beer in one large gulp. “But if I were you, I’d be careful who you hang out with.”

“Why’s that?”

Kenny used his empty beer bottle to point at Jayson. “This is a small town,” he went on. “It’s not easy to hide, yanno. Everyone knows everyone, and word gets around quick.”

Jayson drank, waiting for Kenny to continue.

“That Erwin kid has caused a lot of problems around here.”

“Has he?”

“Those conspiracy theorists are all the same,” Kenny said in an annoyed tone. “They all have these wild ass imaginations and they think they can save the world.”

“So, you think the world needs saving?”

Kenny met his gaze briefly, then pulled away.

“Course not,” he said. “But for some reason, they think it does.”

Jayson paused to drink. “They probably wouldn’t think that way if things were normal around here.” He glanced at Kenny, checking his expression. “I mean, you’d have to be pretty oblivious not to see the weird shit going on.”

Kenny shrugged one shoulder. “What Roswell does is of no concern to anyone in this

town.” Jayson raised a brow and Kenny quickly cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with how much he had revealed.

“People need to learn to mind their own damn business,” he muttered.

“Sounds to me that maybe you’re working too hard to keep them quiet,” Jayson said pointedly. “You seem awfully afraid of a couple of conspiracy theorists.”

“We have enough on our plate,” Kenny said defensively. “We don’t need to be wasting our time cleaning up after their dumb rumors.”

“Like covering up Roswell’s shit?”

Kenny glared at Jayson. “So, you’re one of them after all?”

Jayson let a sly smile pull at his lips. “No,” he said. “But you haven’t exactly denied any of it, either.”

Kenny held his gaze on Jayson for a long moment, and Jayson shifted uneasily in his seat.

“C’mon, man,” he muttered. “I’m just fucking around with you. Don’t be such a tightass.”

Kenny turned to the bartender and motioned for another drink. With a full bottle in hand, he spoke. “I’ve been in the military for a long time,” he said in a tired tone. “I’ve seen things I wish I never had. I’ve disagreed with how things were done around here, but I always kept quiet, because it wasn’t my job to argue.” He paused to drink. “Between you and me, those conspiracy theorists are far stronger and braver than I could ever be. They’re an odd bunch, sure, but I have respect for them. At least they stand up for what they believe in.” He frowned down at the counter. “That’s more than I could say for myself.” 

“What are you saying?”

Kenny shrugged. “Not everything is as it seems. And it's about time someone does something about it before Roswell kills us all.”

[pushing500]

Alright, that's one down and three more to go!

Thanks for the help, Morgyn. I love you, but you can return to the magic realm now. Proooobably don't contact Kwahu again. As soon as he's serenaded three more people, we're turning off his ability to flirt again, and he can go back to being aroace like he is in RimWorld.

Now... who to seduce next?

For now, we'll continue with Sims who *I* think are pretty.

Diego is my favourite Sim in San Myshuno and one of the few Sims 4 premades that I come back and play every few months. He's a delight.

Kwahu is weirdly good at flirting for someone who is usually so uninterested in it.

Alrighty, check that one off the list. Two down, two to—

KWAHU!!! 😱

I swear on my life, he initiated that on his own!!!! His first kiss... I can't believe it was a cheesy mistletoe kiss on Christmas Day with the most hot-headed, eccentric art critic the world has ever known.

You do you, Kwahu.

After Morgyn and Diego, I didn't know who else to pick for the final two, so I decided to let Cupid's Corner do the hard work and...

... well, well, well! That's awfully convenient!! It's my boy!!! The sole reason I own the Strangerville pack!! Hello, Erwin ❤️❤️

He's so freakin' cute 🥰

Saw your sims stuff and now have the ultimate nightmare idea:

Poor Mechi and Kwahu being stuck in The Sims.

Or something like that.

I have actually made Mechi in The Sims 3 before, but that was before Kwahu existed, so...

Voilà! The Jones twins, à la The Sims 4!

The first thing they did once I finished building their house was to rush inside and drink coffee. How very on-brand!