Corona 1.12: Spirited away
Learn Takemizu's secrets with the Coronas!
The Coronas hit the road, again! This time, they head to Takemizu Village.
I want my founders to collect Bon Voyage memories, hence all this travel. Plus, I like family vacations. Bonus days to spend together!
Alma shops for souvenirs.
Skysims 242 RC by Poppet | TS3 Conversion: Oval & Half Rim Glasses by Tamo/MTS | Lipstick by Genensims
Basilio grooms a zen garden.
Clay pours tea at Lucky Shrine Park.
Refreshed, Clay makes an offering at the shrine.
A spirit appears! Red is supposed to be a lucky colour, right?
Not for Clay! The shrine's fortune makes him itch all over.
Alma sympathises.
While his parents offend the local spirits, Basilio plays mah jong with a cute redhead.
It's hard to chat up a girl when your parents are making out *right there*.
Now Baz tries his luck at the shrine.
That's better! The shrine reveals that Baz will discover a long-lost secret.
The ninja appears! Maybe the shrine means the secret of teleportation.
I hope so. Alma wants to learn how to teleport.
Nobody wants to sit at the Unsavoury Charlatan's table.
Alma learns acupressure massage...
... and Clay goes antiquing! :)
In the evening, the Coronas board the river boat tour. I picture them floating along serenely, admiring the lights on the water.
The game has other ideas: the boat runs aground in the swift current. They don't know the terrain, so I decide it's better to stay in the boat and paddle.
What are they paddling through, rapids?! The boat rocks so roughly, they get seasick.
So, wait. If Alma and Clay got bored and stiff from bailing the glass-bottomed boat, then that means --
Oh, no! My poor little Sims. I didn't mean to make you nauseous.
Let's stay on dry land. Today, the Coronas visit the Immortal Zen Garden.
The ninja appears!
Alma asks him to teach her the secret of teleportation.
The ninja seems rather blasé about his special ability, don't you think?
First, Alma must pass a skill-testing question: which came first? The ninja or the sword?
The ninja, of course. The sword isn't much use without one.
Alma is worthy! The ninja imparts to her the secret of teleportation.
And we know it's a secret because he whispers it in her ear.
Transmission received and understood.
It makes Alma's week.
I'm a glutton for punishment, so I send the Coronas off, again. This time, they go on a historic walking tour.
I lose track of Basilio.
I glimpse arms fluttering and find him 'checking himself out' in the loo.
Do that later! It's time to board the Electric Mayhem bus.
Better not leave things to chance. Let's seek out the tour guide. We're supposed to be walking, after all.
Pickpockets! They find the guide, but lose their wallets.
So, glass-half-full scenario.
And of course, this 'really happens'. They lose §300 as a penalty.
Do the Coronas have the worst luck with vacation chance cards? Be honest.
Their brush with petty crime makes Alma frisky.
This romantic moment photo-bombed by Alan King.
Time out! Basilio has a question: 'Can everyone see my Dad's tummy?'
Next day, the family returns to Lucky Shrine Park.
Omigosh! The ninja just appeared.
Omigosh! Clay is asking him about teleporting.
(I didn't know the ninja could startle Sims by materializing.)
The ninja asks Clay a different question. Clever! Sims can't cheat and compare answers. ;)
Clay is a Knowledge Sim, so he picks wisdom.
Spss-spss-spss!
Ninja hand jive.
Clay tries out his new ability right away.
Meanwhile, Baz keeps wanting to be best friends with Sophie Miguel.
He selects a souvenir to take home for her.
Third tour's the charm, right? I send them off by helicopter to visit a bamboo forest.
I love pandas. :) I didn't record the action or result, but I prolly directed them to pet the panda. I did note down that this tour netted the Coronas §645, which more than recovers their losses from the previous one.
Remember the mah jong cutie? Baz becomes friends with her. Wouldn't it be nice if they have a little vacation romance?
I think so, too, but the game disagrees. She doesn't even try to sound plausible when she turns him down.
Oh, well. Tomorrow is a new day.
In fact, tomorrow is the day we visit the Pagoda in the Shadows!
The Wise Old Man greets the Coronas with cryptic words.
We're here to learn the Dragon Legend, but Clay and Baz aren't taking this seriously, at all.
As she flings herself into a teleport, Alma says sternly, 'You boys smarten up. I mean it!'
PacMan nail polish by SleepyTabby/MTS
Alma makes a dramatic entrance by teleport, to show that she is no stranger to ancient lore.
She greets the sage respectfully. He's not impressed.
'Perhaps I have misjudged you,' the Wise Old Man says.
'Perhaps I--whut? Wa-ha-ha!' Clay and Basilio guffaw.
Ignoring them, Alma tries a different tack. She makes tea and pours it out gracefully.
Clay and Basilio play rock-paper-scissors to see who has to sit with the old man.
Lol, they have no choice in the matter. Everyone sips tea together.
Alma builds her relationship with the sage while Clay looks about for fresh mischief.
I send them off to do something constructive.
Once the scoffers depart, the Wise Old Man sees Alma in a better light.
Alma learns the legend at the feet of the sage.
(Mary at Tranquility Bay does a great narration of the legend! Scroll down to Wise Old Man.)
After entrusting the secret to her, the old man vanishes!
One last offering to the shrine. It's Alma's turn. She tosses her coin and -- nothing happens.
Nothing happens?
Of course, something happens! Clay learns the third and final massage technique.
Coming up: Baz stars in a teenage rom-com
Thank you for reading this long update!