Maxis - Taste Dare #33: Alien vs. Actress
My given prompts:
Sims: Lola Singles | Daniel Bell | Cynthia Kim
Words: Cake | pond | dishes
Special thanks goes to olivethegreat for checking the story for mistakes :)
The story is placed a few years earlier, when Cynthia was still playing in her sci-fi series.
**********************************************************
Don't be stupid, Cynthia thought.
The woman was already waiting for her. She chose the best table - next to the bay window, with a view of themed sculptures and pink trees in the café’s yard. The owners cared enough about café’s image of being an intellectual and family-friendly place that they had thrown some random, second - handed books around. The woman was reading one of them. The pink cover was a stark contrast from woman’s green skin.
It can't be that difficult Cynthia reminded herself while she was closing the café shop’s door. You deal with it every day, right? Spaceships, outer space, communication with extraterrestrial civilizations. Your work requires doing somersaults on the alien planets made of cardboard and plastic. Your own husband wears fake fins on his cheeks and shots laser gun. You’re the Gamboa star. It doesn’t matter that you started playing there five months ago. You could handle meeting a real alien in person.
The alien noticed Cynthia, closed the book and subtly waved to her. Cynthia took a deep breath and went on to meet her date.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Curious” she greeted the alien woman. “Thank you for agreeing to meet”.
“My pleasure, Ms. Kim” replied Lola with a reserved smile. I’m on time and she’s already drunk half of her coffee, Cynthia noticed. How much earlier did she arrive? Before Before she was even able to sit, a waiter passed by her and put pastries on the table.
“Have you already made an order?” Cynthia was unable to quell the question. Lola smiled politely. For the Watcher’s sake, is she always smiling?
“I’ve read the last issue of Beyond Relief and, excuse me, I’m a bit pressed for time“, she explained. The last issue of Beyond Relief included the interview with the Kims with a question about their favourite food. And here it was, a nice slice of a tree cake with a chocolate custard. Not bad, after all.
“I won’t take a lot of you time, Miss Curious. “
Oh, and I don’t want to spent too much time with you either, she thought as she sat by the table and unrolled the cutlery from a napkin.
For a few minutes they talked about unimportant things. Weather, travels, recent breakage into the Simcity’s zoo. First impression was strong - Cynthia would never want to be a friend of a sim who judged everything so easily.
“Maybe now you can tell me about your problem? Lola asked politely, when they were done with discussing the café’s fairytale interior style and already started eating cakes..
Be calm, Cynthia. You already made a first step: you overcome your pride and asked a stranger for an advice.
“Despite the settings of Gamboa, we, the actors, had no real knowledge about the extraterriestal cultures. Of course, now, when they are met on The SimEarth more often than they used to be in the Sim Trek times, it is, you know, less fair”. As Lola was finishing her coffee, Cynthia explained in detail, what kind of problems she faces in her role and finally she mentioned the plot twist.
“What is that plot twist?” asked Lola.
“You shall not repeat any of it to any Gamboa fan, okay?” stated Cynthia seriously, putting on her best conspiracy face. Lola laughed. “The only Gamboa fan I know is my sister. I won’t tell her a word, I swear.” - she promised. Cythia smiled and glanced outside the window. At this hour they were the only customers, nobody (beside the stuff) could overhear the spoilers.
“For now, Gamboa’s plot is a bit Doctor Who - alike. The Doctor and Amy Pond of 24th century. A girl kidnapped by a cool reptilian alien with his own spaceship, adventures on the different planet every week… And that’s it for the first season. It changes in the second one. The plot twist is that my character is half alien”. Cynthia made a break for a piece of a tree cake, trying to remember the name of Lola’s specie, but she had no idea as they were always simply called aliens. “I mean - she’s of your kind”, she added. “I learned about it right before I sent you a message.”
Lola nodded. “So you want to know more about Balzabian - human hybrids, don’t you? For the act’s sake?”.
“Exactly.”
“That’s simple” Lola asserted and finished her coffee with a one, long, loud sip. “Eat only high protein dishes, drink only liquids over 9pH, avoid body waters with cyanobacteria cultures in it, mad scientists, blooming cactuses and black swans”.
Cynthia considered Lola’s statement.
“...What dishes, exactly?,” she inquired.
“Oh, raw meat is the best.“
Raw meat and drinking strong bases. No matter how special the hybrids are, it made no sense even to her, a girl who hadn’t failed college only because she changed mayors from biology to acting after the first semester. “Are you making fun of me right now?”
“Yes.” Lola admitted at once. That smile, again! “Excuse me, but it’s a bit... lame for a plot twist.”
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">“Well, it’s my job to play it, not to think it up. I want to make it... believable even for half...” Cynthia looked away; those black eyes were too similar to a void to look into them longer than three minutes. ”…For half - Balzabians. There are enough stereotypes going around so at least one TV series should get it right“. As well as I don’t want to get hate mails from fans for being fake alien, she completed the sentence for herself.
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">“I see”. Lola finished her muffins and brushed her hair absently - “Wouldn’t it be easier to send me an e-mail with a request?”
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">“Oh, of course it would be!” It was not true, not quite. Was Cynthia up to send an e - mail, she would postpone it until it was too late. “But my knowledge of subject” she giggled, “would be far poorer, as well as my performance, wouldn’t it?”. Oh, that and I haven’t met an alien in person before, she thought to herself.
“Meeting people is the most important part of acting.” - agreed Lola and pulled out her mobile phone to check the hour. She hissed. “I’m out of time, sorry. I’ll write a list of important differences between hybrids and sims and send it to you.”
“Can you do it this week? The shooting starts in 2 weeks and I want to be prepared.”
“No problem. I’ll also give you a number to my sister, Chloe, she’s a hybrid as well and a fan of your series. I think she would be far more... willing to help. And she has a lot of free time”. Something dark swam through her coal black eyes. Oh, was it a sibling reluctance? Lola picked up her things and rushed to leave the cafe.
“Goodbay and thank you for your help!” - Cythia exclaimed too cheerfully to trick anyone.
“Bye”, replied Lola and waved to her. “The cyanobacteria part is true, by the way”
When Lola left, Cynthia took her notebook and noted, with her favourite maroon pen:
Observations: Hybrids are so damn AROGANT. The terrible PR is understandable.
Then an uncomfortable thought flashed through her mind. She hesitated. After a few seconds, Cynthia added, with another colour:
Note - verify it with Chloe C.
**************
I hope screen shot's aren't too tiny, I resized them to width 500 before I realised it's lj what screeches them to 900 :/