On returning home, the adults carried the luggage indoors, Melissa and Nerissa stopped to chat with a lady who was hanging around the gate.
"No, we didn't, so if you want to interview us about our holiday in France, it's Simlish or sign language, and I only know the alphabet so far, no words, so it could take a while to have a conversation.", stated Nerissa, who actually had learned enough French to understand the reporter.
"Nice camera, did your employer provide it, or do you have to buy your own?", Melissa asked as the first question of many as she prepared to bombard the paparazzi. Melissa had decided that for every question the snoop asked her, that she was going to ask at least three in return.
Charlotte Fink left the interview with very little to write about 'Celebrity Holidays'. Melissa, and Nerissa who had also joined in on the paparazzi harassment left the interview knowing almost everything there was to know about commercial journalism. Charlotte's boss left the interview story in the waste paper basket.
Jess lingered by the mail box keeping an eye on the reporter, she nearly felt sorry enough for her that she thought about coming to the paparazzi's rescue. Nearly.
Jess wandered inside the play room garage to check the paper.
She clipped all of the coupons, even though she might not need 'Rainbow striped toe sox' or
'Free curtain rings when buying a room full of not free curtain's this week only.
As Jess was jumping onto the treadmill for her workout, she spotted some boxes tucked around the corner, not quite hidden, but not quite not hidden. "Who would buy two hundred packets of 'Fuzzy Brand' instant noodles?", she asked. Nobody replied, so Jess carried the boxes into the kitchen, before returning to start her exercise routine.
Jess exercised for four hours, this increase in fitness would her not only help her for on stage performances, but also be of great benefit the next time her P.R.Manager suggested that she was putting on weight.
Jess had been back to her pre-babies pixel size for some time. If he said it again, she was going to chase him down and slap him.
The first week at school there was a bus strike, the twins went to school on
Monday in a taxi, and rode bicycles to and from for the rest of the week.
While the sun never shone in Midnight Hollow, it stop raining occasionally.
The summer fair was coming up.
Jess assumed less rain meant more people at the upcoming fair.
This meant more donations for charities around town.
She practiced every trick she could think of.
Until the rain started again.
Melissa - "Mum, can you sign these excursion forms for us."
Nerissa - "The school trip is to Fascinating Facts Observatory."
Melissa -"It's also a Science Laboratory, how cool is that?"
Jess suspected that her daughters could speak under water with a mouth full of marbles, and rather than risk an ongoing bombardment such as a recent reporter had received, Jess simply signed both forms, It was a school excursion after all, how much trouble could her angels get it in to.
One of Delilah's many hobbies was street art, and although she had done a few legit commissions, the bulk of her work was out of sight on the back wall of the play room garage. She had nearly worked her way along the entire length of the wall, and was contemplated decorating the parking garage as well. Someone as well known in the art world as herself couldn't be caught doing graffiti on public property, no matter how good the art.
On Friday the back yard was finally ready for the workers to remove the excess fencing and barricades.
The girls surveyed the new play area from an upstairs window. By the time the workmen had left it was too dark to play outside.
Kim and Edward dropped by to see everybody for a short visit before they drove off to the airport to fly out to Shang Sim La. Edward talked about fish, and fishing, and Kim talked about John Doe and the recently arrived Alaric McKracken. Jess tuned out the politics. Kim had been going to run for mayor for a few years now, but that meant giving up being Chief Of Police.
Jess and Cindy had made up some Dim Sum for dinner, but it turned out there was a lot left over. Cindy stored some in the replicator as bit Melissa and Nerissa agreed it was the best thing they had ever tasted.
After school the next day, Jess got a lecture on the benefits of a science career.
Eve also got a lecture on the benefits of a science career.
Eve stared at the science souvenir thingy that the kids had brought home from their excursion.
She was university educated, how was it the children knew exactly how this
thing worked and what it was for, when she had absolutely no idea?
Delilah and Eve had decided it was time the twins learned to roller skate. The twins decided that rollerskating was for daredevils, adrenaline junkies, and people with a death wish. After a few wobbly laps holding the rail, Melissa and Nerissa decided watching their mother perform magic tricks was most likely more entertaining.
Jess was delighted when her daughters decided to stay and watch her perform. "You know, if we got an allowance, we could donate a small portion of it to your charity tip jar", suggested Nerissa, "You know, if you did chores around the house and got grades that resembled your intelligence, you may one day get an allowance?", Jess shot back with a smile. Melissa, who didn't want to go in to details about why they were not 'A' students, despite being the most intelligent people in the class, (including the teacher) decided not to push the subject.
Charlotte 'Pinky' Fink filed this little titbit of information away for later as she crept closer with her camera at the ready. After her last attempt at a celebrity article she needed to come up with something good, or boss was going to put her on traffic reports. In a town the size of Midnight Hollow, traffic reporting would be a snake for her career, rather than a ladder.
Delilah spiced up the magic show a little by fiddling with the pyrotechnics.
And again and again until Jess' finale
"I thought you just replaced your magician outfit?", Cindy asked. "I did, the original one is exactly the same as the one worn by 'The Astonishing Amy', so when it started to wear it out, I got the same thing made in pink and black, but apparently that is exactly the same as the outfit worn by 'The Awesome Tina.", explained Jess before she ducked into her bedroom.
"So.. I designed a completely new outfit!"
"Tadaa!"
"I like the black fabric, and uh, It's good to see you kept the card in the hat?", responded Cindy
Authors Note:
My twins both returned from France with extra IF dolls.. I murdered them.. The spare dolls, not the twins.
I don't know how many times, or how many hours I spent changing her hair and old outfit only to have the game crash and have to do it all over again. This time this new outfit is saved (it's also a new style from a new career level.) I really like the look of this in CAS, but the pink and orange really clash in game. probably going to find an excuse to change it soon.
The reporter first appeared in game wearing the same corset top and skirt as she has now, but with a horse riding helmet. That was also switched out several times before a crash beat me to saving it. Fixed now :)
The kids caught a taxi (teleported) to school because the bus no longer stops at my house for them?
Jess still had Edwards old 'raptor' truck, I use it to pretend Kim and Edward are visiting because I'm too impatient and lazy to try recover both of them from the sim bin, add them to the family, and kill them off again for one screenshot. It sounds simple, but it is very time consuming, even more so if the game crashes.
As always, comments welcome, even if it's about my apparent color blindness with Jess' new outfit :P
