Maxis Taste Dare 002: Freestyle make-over: Guess who!?
This is my submission for Dare #2 over at maxis_taste, a new LJ Community!
Meet Laura Biedak, aka an aged down Catherine Viejo from Riverblossom Hills. She was my Poverty Challenge founder and, up until now, her story had only ever been told in a few scattered images over at S2C.
Since everyone seems to be doing these Dares as sort of stories, I thought I'd baa on over and make like a sheep. I'm a sucky writer so please bear with me and my plot holes. Also, before anybody over at MATY wets themselves over finding the perfect entry for this month's (or future) "more awful than you" contest - I admit the story is bad. It is meant to show off Catherine's makeover through pictures, and is not meant to be a showcase for my uber talent as a writer. And *le gasp*! Pictures taken with the in-game camera! So sod off!
Something sinister had happened in Riverblossom Hills. And Catherine Viejo had been the only witness. The only surviving witness. The event was so shocking, it's impact so far reaching, that she had been whisked away in the night into protective custody. Through miracles of science unknown to the rest of SimKind and known only even to those in the know by it's codename of SimPE Sim Surgery, she was given back her youth then unceremoniously dumped in the middle of nowhere. With 100 simoleons to her name and strict instructions not to leave her alloted plot of land unless it was to attend one of two approved local stores staffed by undercover government agents, she took on the name of Laura Biedak and began the struggle to eke out an existence on a parcel of land where she could only dream of living on one of the beach lots she could only observe from across the road. (FYI Laura Biedak is a Polish name, where "biedak" means poor person).
Like every other Sim just starting out in the world (since the advent of Free Time), Laura decided to amuse herself by trying to catch some butterflies. There was nothing else to do. With her 100 simoleons she managed to purchase from a catalogue a telephone and a small table on which to rest it. The rest of the money went on excavation costs for a small fishing pond.
Soon, some people came by and welcomed Laura to the neighborhood. Feeling rather desperate for money, she pulled out a jar she had hidden in her bag and belted out some tunes in the hopes of her visitors taking pity.
As night fell and it became more and more obvious that she was not going to get any money from her visitors, Laura decided to go down the road to one of the approved stores. She was hungry and if she said the code phrase to the waiter, she would get free hot dogs. As she was waiting for her hot dog, she spotted someone get up and leave a plate full of salmon. "Definitely better than a hot dog! Even a free one!" she thought, as she quickly claimed the abandoned seat, assuming an air of calm and apparent indifference.
That afternoon she had scoured the paper for vacant positions. Most of her 100 simoleons were gone and her freestyling skills were not exactly the sort to attract even a pity dollar from passersby. After some negotiations on her brand new telephone, she scored herself a position on the bottom rung of the medical career track.
When she came back to her plot of land she spotted a man walking by. She rushed over to greet him.
"Hi! I'm Ca... Laura!"
"Calaura. That's an unusual name."
"Oh, no. It's just plain Laura. I stutter sometimes when I meet new people."
"Nice to meet you Laura. I'm Amin."
Amin was outgoing and witty and Laura had enough money to buy a couch. Several weeks later she was assaulted with waves of nausea and wondered whether it was due to that seafood salad she had eaten in the hospital cafeteria or if it was a sign of something else.
It soon became apparent that there was no salmonella in the seafood salad. As her waist expanded, Laura wondered at the miracle that SimPE Sim Surgery had wrought. Not only had she been aged back in looks, she had been somehow restored to being of child bearing age. Having been a spinster and childless in her former life in Riverblossom Hills, she thanked her lucky stars for being given a second chance at life. Even if it had to come at such a cost to both herself and others.
She continued to save her pay and managed to buy some essentials. Towards the end of autumn she still had no roof over her head and was reduced to warming herself over a fire.
Contractions caught her unawares in the middle of one night. Scared but still obeying the order to remain on her plot of land regardless what happened (the two approved stores would be closed for the night and what would a waiter know about birthing babies, anyway?), Laura gave birth beside the makeshift shelter she had made for herself.
It was a girl! She named her Celina.
Despite her joy at finally bearing a child at long last, Laura felt extremely apprehensive about the future. Winter was fast approaching. She had just enough money to erect a small room and place a cot (crib) inside it. She would have to spend the nights outside. She was living a second lifetime, attempting to escape from her past. She had nothing. No money. Bare makeshift shelter. And a miracle daughter to look after. What would happen to the two of them? And would the author ever figure out what the heck had happened in Riverblossom Hills? Or was she just making this $hit up as she went along?
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And that's all folks! My apologies for making you suffer through that :) I mean well but write badly.
CC/credit list as per Dare rules
Skintone: Maxis
Eyes: Sarhra of Sims by Sarhra
Makeup: Lois debrowed blush by some kind soul at the now defunct SFV; the rest by Bruno from MTS2
Hair: Raon
Outfit 1: HP at MTS2
Outfit 2: the person who did the pregnancy overalls set at MTS2
Outfit 3: the person who did the Maxis prego morphs at MTS2
Props: fire and shelter extracted Castaway Stories items from MATY
(who I really do love despite my initial comment telling their "more awful than you" content hunters to sod off)
Major kudos to SimPE and Quaxi. Without you, Catherine would have remained old and decrepit and living in Riverblossom Hills
10 pictures under the cut. One swear word with a $ in it.