Still Human 12: George and Thomas visit the Witch Doctor
Originally posted at Neighborhood 99 on 10 May 2011
George Selwyn and Thomas Fairchild appear in my Still Human series. They're currently taking a vacation on Twikii Island.
Yesterday, Thomas felt attracted to every vacation NPC he saw. George only had eyes for his friend.
When he wakes up the next morning, Thomas wants to play with George. So instead of making their beds and preparing breakfast, they have a pillow fight and order room service.
George's hair mesh by Rose, re-coloured by Simgaroop; Thom's hair mesh by Newsea, re-coloured by Simgaroop
George also seems to be taking a vacation from being a nice guy. That's a pretty scary look on his face!
Thomas is having a great time on holiday with his friend, and he wants to let him know. He rolls the want to appreciate George.
Bedding Set Curtain 003 by Avenida Sims
That's enough of the meaningful stuff - now Thomas wants to act silly.
He distracts George by telling a joke, then he pounces. Ash has taught him well.
Thomas wants to appreciate George, again. This time, he uses the massage skills he gained, yesterday, to give George a soothing shoulder-rub.
Very Tikki Blue plant by Kate/Parsimonious
That calms them down enough to eat breakfast. As they sit down to a platter of fresh fruit and yoghurt, George can't stop thinking about Thomas.
That doesn't prevent him from talking about work, though. Honestly! The guy is on holiday in paradise with a beautiful blonde. When is he going to lighten up?
A quick peek under the table reassures me. George may be talking about work, but he's also playing footsie with Thom's bare toes.
After their meal digests, George wants to play marco polo. They go jump in the pool.
And that's the last fun thing George wants to do today. Now he wants to study and have a near-death experience (of all things). As I was saying about “lightening up”....
I send them to visit the Witch Doctor 'cause that will be educational, right? They follow the tattered map George found on the tour boat to a native hut perched on a hill. Inside, a curious figure is bent over the microwave.
A bit of exploration restores George's interest in the island.
It also sets Thomas on the right track, too. This is the first time he hasn't thought about Ash since he arrived. I also think it's cute that he wants to learn how to cook a meal he tried on holiday. It seems realistic.
A strange magnetism draws George and Thomas into the hut. It's not the power of the masks that hang on the walls, nor even that of the Witch Doctor, himself.
No, it's the fridge. They can't resist its pull. (Though George does get a bit distracted.)
George approaches the Witch Doctor while Thomas autonomously mops up a puddle.
It's good thinking on Thom's part, what with those sparks flying around. If they hit the water, the vacation will be over -- permanently!
They've arrived at a bad time for the Witch Doctor: all of his appliances are broken. It must be hard to get parts and service, on the island. George only has three mechanical points, but he decides to help out the Witch Doctor. He takes a wrench to the leaky faucets while Thomas continues to mop up.
Next, George tackles the microwave. I was a little concerned about letting him stick a screwdriver in the thing.
While George repairs things, Thomas autonomously makes himself at home. He turns on the stereo and helps himself to a bubblebath in the newly-fixed tub.
Two appliances down, two to go. George now takes the panel off the dishwasher. A shower of sparks falls out.
Once he finishes his bath, Thom jumps into the tub for some autonomous play. Yes, folks, this bathtub is fully functional, again!
The last appliance that George tackles is the television. This is the one I'm most worried about. One slip of the screwdriver, and George will be fried.
Once he tires of the tub, Thomas auto-lounges on the couch. He could watch George work for hours.
Thomas isn't the only one lazing around while George is risking electrocution.
Thom is getting a mite peckish. The fridge is fascinating him, again, but for a different reason.
While he's raiding the fridge, Thomas notices that the Witch Doctor has fresh fruit in the crisper. While George freshens up after completing the repairs, he decides to try his hand at making a fruit tray.
Lunch is served!
Meanwhile, the Witch Doctor wakes up and returns to the hut. He doesn't seem very grateful for George's hard work.
He likes Thomas, though. Everybody likes Thomas.
After George exits the bathroom, the Witch Doctor crouches beside the door and presses his ear to the knob. George thinks he's nuts.
Maybe that's why the Witch Doctor doesn't reward him. Or perhaps it's because I acccidentally made it drop out of the cue. Either way, George and Thomas head back to the hotel without a word of thanks from their host.
Night has fallen by the time they return to the hotel. On the way in, Thomas passes Zeeshan Sims and discovers that his taste also runs to blondes. Thomas is still George's favourite blonde, though.
It's been a tough day fixing someone else's appliances. No wonder George wants to relax by learning a massage.
Meanwhile, Thomas tries calling Ash, again, with the same results. His shoulders slump with disappointment.
He doesn't stay blue for long, though. Thomas has a really great joke that he's dying to tell, so he follows Sims around until one finally listens to him. Darren Johnson is up for a good joke, but he doesn't give Thom much space in which to tell it: Thom is backed up into a palm tree.
After his massage, George doesn't just feel rested. He feels invigorated! It gives him a competitive edge: he wants to challenge Thomas to a game and win!
Normally, I would expect to see the corresponding fear of losing a game to Thomas. In this instance, though, George seems to think that Amelia is a more daunting opponent. He must assume that Thom will be easy to beat!
Meanwhile, a strange woman initiates Thomas into a local custom by pinning him to the counter. Darren looks the other way as he walks past them. This is also customary.
Thomas finds her advances distressing.
He thanks her for the compliment, but tells her that he's simply not interested.
George rescues Thomas and they head off to the chess table on the Boardwalk. As they leave the lot, George presses his shoulder against Thomas and looks at him kindly. Thom doesn't appreciate the attention, though.
“Why is everybody crowding me, tonight?” he wonders.
On the Boardwalk, they sit down at the chess table and the game begins!
George's gambit is to remind Thomas that he's been invited to join the local gaming club, and Thomas has not.
Thomas wishes that George would remember they're on holiday and just relax, for a change.
Needless to say, they're not playing footsie anymore.
To ease the tension, George reassures Thomas that they'll still be best friends, no matter who wins. Thomas finds this so hard to believe that the game crashes.
The crash was a pain, but it gave me a chance to install some more lighting, not that it makes much difference. I also installed Pescado's “skill on community lots” hack (FFS Director's Cut). Now George can be as nerdy as he likes on vacation, and still meet his wants.
Soon, they're back in business. George takes an early lead by gaining the ability to blog about games.
Thomas is close behind, however. He gains the remaining skill point he needs to get a promotion.
It's a tough match, and I really think they're going to finish it. George's stomach betrays him, however.
He's forced to call it a night. George grits his teeth in frustration while he clears the board.
He calls upon the Unsavoury Charlatan to witness, however, that he did not lose! Some people take games far too seriously.
George may be a poor sport, but he looks at Thomas with a new admiration. For his stamina, if nothing else.
“Next round, let's put money on it!” George suggests. “To keep things interesting, you know?”
Thom isn't so keen on that idea. He knows what sort of a gambler George is: merciless.
After George has eaten his fill, they stagger sleepily home to the hotel.
Bonus Photo: Autonomous bikini gardening
Bonus Photos: Cute boys on the boardwalk
Ever wonder what happens right after the camera snaps a shot? Let me show you. I took the picture directly above. It was still night, and Thom and George had posed themselves so nicely.
The next instant, the sun popped up, George belched mightily, and Thomas giggled like a kid. Thanks for keeping it classy, guys.
Bonus Photo: Thom is going for the record number of attractions to vacation NPCs.
Coming up -- I play a clean game, I swear I do! But the island is heating up in ways I never expected.
Watch this blog for -- 3 NPC Crushes, 2 Dirty Jokes, and 1 Sleazy Come-on!
Thanks for reading!