OKay, I skipped out of the forums most of the summer, just been playing catch up the last couple days in several stories (Ironsides included). I must say, "Holy crap!" I can't think of anything eloquent to say, sorry. I'm just amazed. The story, the pics . . . I just don't know what to say!!
I'd be happy to see Cory too. I just hope Andy doesn't make a mistake, there. After what she's been through a friendly face could seem awfully nice. I'm beginning to wonder who the Medruzz really is. I know he's evil because of what he did to Egan and Tamary, but I wonder if he was always a monster ... Your descriptions are amazing. I really feel like I'm there. Great work, as always. (Nice pix, too. )
Thanks, friends. I wanted to let you in on the Medruzz' agenda and decided that he couldn't just meet her in the woods and hold a conversation with her. Not the screeching beast that he is. (I tried that a little, even had them 'hang out' and took a couple of pictures. They just made me laugh. Too funny.) So, instead, he has started to haunt Andy in her dreams. But I also wanted the dreams to look different, so I experimented with turning the Medruzz into a vampire. Yikes! He kept his spots! (Sounds like a joke. ) It's perfect! Poor ugly sim will now be going in and out of vampirehood every time Andy has a bad dream. (I'm wondering if he'll keep his spots every time.) p.s. The Medruzz' plans for a coup d'etat, using Andy, dates back to my ancient story, but it works well here, too, because, as it turns out, the poor creature has three sparks for Andy. I did not plan that. He wants to see Egan's ghost, but he wants to flirt with Andy.
lol... I thought that he was kissing her like a vampire... dumb question... how do you take pictures without thought bubbles?
Yeah, that move is pretty obvious. It's one of the cheats -- showHeadlines off. You can also PlumbBobToggle which turns the plumbbobs on and off. The showHeadlines off doesn't seem to work 100% of the time for me. I think there is a cheat conflict with moveObjects on. The headlines off BTW turns off more than just the thought bubbles. For instance, you won't see the notice that visitors have shown up to welcome you to the neighborhood. It turns off those types of announcements, too. ps: Any thought bubbles in cue already will still display. It takes a moment, even if the cheat works, to go into effect.
Cory was proud of his farmhouse. It had belonged to a relation who had abandoned it, and so, through Cecil, it came into Corys hands. Cecil had brought him over as soon as the twenty-foot snowdrifts had melted down to a mere five feet, and at sight of the snow-covered farm, Cory had decided that he wanted to be a farmer. Its a great life, he told me as we walked over to the house, being a farmer, though its mighty hard work. In the beginning, every muscle I own hurt me to blazes, but Im in good shape now. Feel that, he turned around to flex an arm close to my face. Go ahead. No? Ive got biceps of steel, and the women in town sure like to get close. What do you think of that? Cory the nerd ONeill is attracting the women. Pretty ones, too. All my old feelings of impatience with the man returned in spades. I could not now believe that a few minutes ago I had actually wanted to kiss him. Im happy for you, Cory, but Im tired and hungry. You said something about a sandwich. Sure did, he lowered his arm. I got the bread in town the day before yesterday. Cheese, too. As soon as we were in the door, however, he insisted on showing me the new railing hed built around the hole in the floor that led to the bedroom in the basement. Hed also replaced floorboards and all of the ceiling plaster. It all looks good, I said. Especially the cheese on the table. I grabbed a piece while he talked. It took a few weeks for the snow to melt away enough for me to plant anything. Then I got Cecils help with it. I dont know anything about growing crops. Cecil thinks I just dont remember anything because of a conk on the head. I let him think that. Oh, blast! The bread is moldy. How about some oatmeal? I think thats what this stuff is, anyway. Tastes like it. Ill boil up a batch for you. He worked fast and efficiently, obviously having cooked cereal many times since moving here. I ate hunks of cheese while I waited, and then I ate two bowls of the oatmeal. Cory watched me eat the first bowl and didnt say a word, slowly eating his own. When I started on the second, he said, I thought you were dead.
I glanced up at his face and put my spoon down because he looked so grim. I said, So did I, more than once. Do you know where we are? Have you thought about it? That crystal we saw in the underground temple, the one that the creep in the hive showed us, must be a time machine, or part of one. In fact, the entire room with the crystal in it could be the time machine. Its the only explanation. Were still on the planet where we landed, but in an earlier age, before the ice. Hes a telepath, Cory. This is all an illusion. All of it. This whole world is Amathaons creation in our heads. Cory looked surprised, then annoyed. Impossible. Theres too much detail, too much substance to it. You havent worked in the dirt the way I have, planting the seed, digging up the weeds, eating the vegetables Ive grown myself. Theyre as real as the dirt under my fingernails. Do you see it? He held up his hand. That freak wouldnt know anything about that. How could he, living in an underground hive the way he does? Ive even got some problems with a few bugs. REAL bugs. Not imaginary bugs. They dont spray chemicals on their plants here, either. Dont have them. The closest they get to it is by burning certain types of wood when the wind is blowing in the right direction, across the crops Cory, listen to me. To what? I am not going to listen to any stupid speculation about illusionists. Can you prove it? Of course not, so forget it. Were stuck here, so lets get used to the life. I leaned toward him, Look at my face! My skin! Your imaginary brother and his wife called me a sorceress. They wanted to throw me back out into the snowstorm to die. The priest at the temple was going to have me executed as a sorceress. The devils own nightmare has been stalking me from the beginning and has probably followed me here to your farm. And you think this life is a good one? You think we should just get used to it? I jumped up from the table and looked under it for my sack. It was safe. Then I glanced out the window at the bright blue sky, and wondered if the beast was out there, even now, creeping through the stalks of grain.
Hey! Calm down, Andy. Breathe deep, count to ten, whatever it takes. Cecil isnt going to give you any trouble because hes a good guy. Were pals. And take it in context. You showed up in the middle of a fierce storm looking as horrible as anybody can possibly look, with torn clothes, stringy hair, and eyes like a wild animal. Ill be honest, you scared me at first, too, until I realized who you were. Even then, I was a little concerned. My skin is still grey, and that is enough to get me killed. So lie around in the sun for a couple of days until you turn brown. Youve already got some color in your cheeks, just from a hot meal. Its not the oatmeal. Its my blood pressure. You always do this to me. Do what? Cook you a meal? Hold on! Dont get mad and start up again. Why dont you tell me whats happened, starting with what that witch did with you. You two were standing there one minute, then poof! You were gone. Chaos, I mumbled. Cory, can you really get used to life in a world where people disappear like that, right in front of your eyes? Just tell me what happened. He stood up and patted my arm. So I did, from beginning to end, with all the detail that he believed made up the substance of reality.
... and the magic of your story. I love your attention to detail. Wish I could be more like that! I always want to cut to the chase. Glad she's not completely gaga about Cory. He's a good guy but far from her perfect match, IMHO. But perhaps therein lies the attraction?
Thank you. What I'm really trying to do is put into words what I imagine about their personalities. And since we can only see Cory through Andy's impatient eyes, everything he says and does is colored by that point of view. It's funny, but I like Cory more than Andy. She's kind of stuffy and self-absorbed. Also, I see Cory as feeling awkward and clumsy around women, but not like a teenager, since he's a grown man, so we're not really seeing him at his best. If I were writing this as a novel I'd be working a whole lot harder on how he behaves and what he says. As for cutting right to the good stuff, I know exactly how you feel. However, I've got so many twists and turns in this story I keep thinking I've got to slow down and sort through the puzzle pieces or everyone will be scratching their heads, wondering what happened. They may be doing that even so.
Cory asked a few questions, made a few comments, and wore all his feelings on his face as I told him of my adventures. He had started out with his arms folded and polite interest in his gaze. By the time I had finished I was sitting down again at the table and he was standing with his back to me, his hand stroking the pale wood of the railing hed built. Neither one of us said anything for a few minutes. I looked out the window. It was late afternoon, and the egg-laying hens that had been clucking noisily in the yard when I first arrived had all disappeared into their roost and were quiet. A light wind moved through the trees, stirring the leaves, pulling a few loose. Cory left his railing and walked over to a large map nailed to the wall. I can show you the temple on the map. Here it is, where the Brydia road meets the Gyurka Road, so named because it leads to the Gyurka, which is a river. The river empties into the Vencel. The Vencel is a bay. Id noticed the map when I first came in but the need for food had taken all my attention. I got up and joined him, This looks like the map of an island. Are we on an island? When the ice melts, yes. For most of the winter, however, its possible to walk across the straits to the mainland. The locals insist that the ice goes clear down to the muddy bottom. But how could they know? Certainly they dont even risk visiting their neighbors, much less traveling up that far. And those are the mountains? Yup. Were up against them here, he put his finger on the map, on a plateau, which is why all that snow melt doesnt drown the farms and villages. I suspect there are underground rivers, big ones. And that means caves. Hmmm. He rubbed at his whiskers, the farmer momentarily giving way to the geologist. And this, he said, moving his finger over just a little, is the pass into the mountains. The people of Brydia are afraid to talk about the mountain sorcerers, but when theyve had a few drinks at Onkars tavern, Ive heard them say this much at least: the Medruzz youve met is benign compared to what waits for fools who go into that pass.
"And at the end of the pass there's a woman who wants me dead." "Or at least according to the priest guy, Hugo. He might have been lying about that." "Doesn't matter. I'm not going into those mountains to look for her." I stared intently at the roads he'd pointed out, at the mountains, at the whole map, noticing that the ink outlines were faded in some places, particularly in the creases where the map had once been folded. Everything was clearly hand-drawn, but carefully done. "Where did you get this, Cory?" "From Onkar, himself. Won it in a game of darts. He's tried several times to win it back, but his hand isn't steady. He drinks too much of his own inventory." "Is it to scale?" "Not bad for the area immediately around Brydia. I think the accuracy falls off pretty fast the further you move out from here. Obviously there's been some input from travelers, especially those who come by sea, but you can't really trust any of that." "Any travelers from the mountains?" He answered that question more slowly, "That part of the map is actually the oldest. You see, it's been added to over many years, possibly many generations. I can tell the difference in the handwriting, in the way the lines are drawn. Very interesting, really. Wish I had my equipment here to study it more carefully." I had an idea. I'd had it for some time, but only now allowed myself to believe in it. "Show me where you think the time machine is." He grinned. "You said there isn't any. But if you've changed your mind, I've concluded that it's about here." He put his finger down firmly, in the middle of the mountain range, not far from the end of the pass. "Now wait a minute! We're a long way from there. What do you think he did? Throw us over his shoulder and carry us out, in a fierce snowstorm?" "I haven't figured that part out yet, but based on what I remember of the scans of the planet, we landed in that long valley. I bet we'd find the abandoned city there. So now you think I'm right? About the time machine?" "No. Why build a machine when you can wave a magic wand, or make doors and walls disappear by just thinking it? That's what Amathaon did, if you recall." "Smoke and mirrors, Andy. He just tricked us." "Whatever he did, it happened in that city, and I believe that our only way home is in there, too."
But why would you want to go home? This world is so much fun. Love the map! I'm glad Cory's back. He seems to have a down-to-earth practical side that Andy lacks.
Cory started to say something but stopped. He looked over his shoulder toward the door. Someones coming up the steps. He turned back to me and put a hand on my shoulder. Go take a look downstairs. A friend of mine left some clothes in the cellar, on the bed. Dont roll your eyes at me! Mearas a good friend who helped me with planting and had to spend a couple of nights when it got too late to go back to her fathers place. This could be her now, so do me a favor, and stay out of sight. He pushed me toward the ladder. The last thing I wanted to do was cause trouble, although I was really curious about what Meara looked like. Andy! I told myself. What on earth does it matter what she looks like? I went down the ladder to check out the clothes on the bed. Nice dress, I thought, fingering the material, but was all this stuff really necessary for just a couple of nights? The nightgown looked a little flimsy for sleeping in a damp cellar. And what were the pants, boots and jacket here for? Must be hers because they were definitely too small for Cory. Shed certainly been prepared for anything. Running away from Daddy, perhaps? I hoped she wasnt planning to stay tonight because there were only two beds down here, each of them a little too narrow for more than one person. At least, if said person was actually planning to get some sleep. I couldnt stop myself from sneaking upstairs to see what she looked like.
I would not have done that if theyd come inside but Cory had not invited them into the house. I heard voices on the porch. I walked carefully over to the door and listened through the cracks. A woman said, Do you know where she went? Toward the pass into the mountains. Thats what she said she was going to do. She just wanted a few supplies to take with her. I knew it! the woman said. Shes one of them, and going back to her kind. You be careful out here, Valen, all by yourself. Meara! Come away now. Your father will be worried. I heard them go down off the porch. I went over to the window and watched the two women walk toward the road. All I saw of the younger woman was the long dark hair and the provocative swing of her hips. She knew, and I knew, that Cory was watching her. When they were out of sight he came back into the house. His face was a little flushed. Find the clothes? he said. Yes, I did, thank you. What did those two want? Nothing at all. Just friends stopping by to chat. I let the lie go, for now. Do you have a tub so that I can take a bath? Of course I do. Brydia is a civilized place. I apologize. Really. Wheres the tub? It was in a small room Id thought was a closet, near the door to the porch. We filled the tub with buckets of water from the rain barrel, and Cory even boiled some of it for me so that the bath wasnt ice cold, only nearly so. But I didnt care. It was a bath, and Id wanted one very badly. I soaked for a long time, and then put on a pair of loose pants and a shirt left behind by Corys girlfriend. A few minutes later I was under the covers and sound asleep. The last thing I heard was the sound of Cory walking around on the floor overhead. I didnt hear the screech of the Medruzz. But Cory did.
I swear I posted in here earlier today. I don't know if I didn't hit the button and roamed elsewhere or what, but whatever! Here's what I **think** I said . . . Absoultely amazing!!
I thought everyone except me was playing with PETS. I haven't bought it yet. And thank you, too, Duzzygirl. I have a little more update now.
The following morning I awoke feeling warm and rested. For a moment I even forgot that I wasnt on the lander. That moment lasted until I rolled over on the straw mattress and it crackled, and poked me in the hip. The cellar was L-shaped and it wasnt until I went around to the ladder that I noticed Cory wasnt in his bed. I found him in the kitchen, sitting at the table with his face on it, snoring loudly, and still wearing the clothes hed been wearing the night before. I left him alone, grabbed the bucket and the big kitchen knife, and went out to the rain barrel on the porch. I washed my face and cut off my hair as short as I dared without benefit of a mirror. The long hair had been getting in my eyes every time the wind blew, and Id wanted to cut off the nuisance ever since I woke up in this haunted world. I cleaned the knife and went back into the kitchen. Cory was sitting up, scratching at the growth on his jaw with the fingers of both hands. He said, What happened to your hair? I got rid of it. Did you spend the night up here? I heard something prowling around outside last night, making an awful noise, like a big wounded cat. I was worried about the hens but they seemed to be safe enough in their roost, so I decided to just sit here in case the animal, whatever it was, tried to get into the house. After a minute I found my voice, You went outside? Only for a moment, to check on the hens. Dont look so worried. I took the knife with me, the one youve got in your hand. He yawned huge, cracking his jaw. Let me have the knife now. Im going to scrape off some of these whiskers. If you hear me yell, pay no attention. The whiskers dont come off easy, which is why I dont do this very often. He went out to the porch. I was left alone with my memories of Egan attacked by the Beast, shaken by how close Cory had come to suffering the same fate.
I shook off the horror of what Cory had escaped, and searched the barrels, sacks and rough cupboards for breakfast. I found a bowl with a culture of sourdough and used it to mix up something equivalent to pancakes. Cory showed up in his undershirt, looking cleaner than I ever remember seeing him. Hey, Andy. Didnt know you could cook? I cant. Eat it anyway. He took a bite and made a face. Funny taste. What is it? What? The sourdough? Or the preserves? You dont have sugar so I mixed in some of the fruit preserves. Looked like applesauce. I wasnt sure. He cleared his throat. Its great. Good job. Im going to run out and check on Meara, because of that animal prowling around, just to make sure everyones OK. It was the Medruzz, Cory. It was the beast I told you about! You shouldnt have gone outside last night. Maybe. No harm done. Im also going to drop in on Cecil to let him know Im going to be away for awhile. I dont understand. Were you planning to look for that abandoned city by yourself? You can if you want to, but I think youd get lost in the mountains. Trekking through canyons of stone is a lot different than just looking at that map over there. Perspective, you know. Can we get there without going through the pass? I dont know. I was thinking that all the stories about the pass were just superstition. Ghost stories. I shook my head, I dont want to find out.
