They are indeed (glad somebody noticed), and they weren't particularly cooperative about it. Most of them wanted to leave and go play on the swing set, except for Mr. Herriman, who wanted to clean the downstairs shower.

Talk nice to me, maybe I'll let y'all see the full-length solo pic of Frankie's Christmas outfit. ;D

In the meantime, have some Cheese...

A brief encounter in Foster's Valley

Hello, doggie:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0125/Uh-oh.jpg

There's no point in me trying to write anything cute here; you know exactly what happened:

http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...current=CS.flv

He was in the shower for quite some time afterwards.

:cheesegrin: :cheesegrin: :cheesegrin:

LMAO! A skunk?

BWT, is Shane grown-up?

Shane is still a baby as of this writing, and Blake Superior has the flu. I haven't played the Wildebrat house, or any of the other lots in Foster's Valley, very much lately, as I've been working with the residents of my other neighborhoods. For those who are curious, I have eight neighborhoods with one or possibly two more on the way. Any wonder the game takes so long to load. :bloocross:

Foster's Valley - A Promise Fulfilled

A great evil has come to Foster's Valley:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E01.jpg

And my attorney is telling me to behave myself. Regardless, it is in this place and no other that everything has been set and the conditions are right, and tonight at Wal-Mart an ancient promise will be fulfilled. Ah, here comes our hero now:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E02.jpg

Eduardo is not crossing the parking lot because he wants to; he's there because I teleported him into the middle of it. For some inexplicable reason, Sims refuse to walk on the parking lot. They get out of the taxi, walk all the way to the north side of the lot, then east and finally south to get to the front door. Don't ask me why; I stopped trying to figure out the weird things they do a long time ago. Anyway, once inside, Eduardo found something that looked familiar:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E03.jpg

Unfortunately, it wasn't pink, so he looked up at the screen and complained about it:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E04.jpg

Sorry, Eduardo, I don't do recolors unless it's clothing or wallpaper. Wait until I figure out how to work the Package Editor program, okay? Well, after that, he wandered around the store for a bit, seeking something that would fulfill the promise made long ago. This wasn't it, but at least it was pink:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E05.jpg

And comfy, too. Yes, he bought it, and no, he didn't have a coupon. I haven't attempted to recreate Bus The Two Of Us or any other Foster's episodes as of yet, although I do have an idea for a sequel to a certain infamous episode. We'll see.

At the other side of Wal-Mart, Eduardo ran into Cheese. The two chatted amiably for some time before both spotted one of our own Forum members:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E07.jpg

You can't see her in the picture, but Our Miss Fomalhaut was also at Wal-Mart on this day, browsing in the clothing section. Eduardo turned back to Cheese and said that he knew her, she's the woman that Terrence guy hangs around with:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E08.jpg

I don't know what he said to Cheese after that, but Cheese reacted rather badly:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E09.jpg

I've never seen an expression quite like that on a Sim before. Again, I don't know what Eduardo said to Cheese, and I've decided that I'm better off that way. (Yes, I did ask Fomalhaut for her OK before posting these.)

After Cheese wandered away in shock, Eduardo stopped to say hello to miss Meadow Thayer:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E10.jpg

Meadow isn't one of mine, she came with the game. She and Eduardo have been friends for some time. Meadow is very nice, kind of innocent, and used to get picked on by some of the Valley's nastier residents. But she's had her revenge; when I needed one more Sim to fill one of the dorms at Sim State University, I picked her and left the rude ones at home. She's currently in her sophmore year, majoring in art, and dating a future doctor.

Back to Eduardo. After chatting with Meadow for a bit, he made another purchase, then I figured as long as he's here, why not buy some groceries and save Frankie a trip? So he did:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E11.jpg

And then he turned to the screen again, and you could almost hear him saying, "Thanks, dude. Can I go back to Foster's now?":

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E12.jpg

And he did.

"Waitaminute, Cassini," I can hear you saying, "what about the promise? I didn't see Eduardo fulfill any promise!" That's true, you didn't. Eduardo didn't fulfill any promises, nor did he ever make one. But I did. Nearly two years ago when I first saw the show, I was hooked immediately. Yeah, by Frankie, but Eduardo was there, too, and I took an instant liking to him as well. The episode I saw was Who Let The Dogs In?, and I promised him that if I ever found a way to do it, I'd get him a dog, and after talking to Meadow and before buying the groceries, that promise was finally fulfilled:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...i90125/E13.jpg

My thanks to EA Games for the Pets Expansion Pack. I love a happy ending. :)

*applause* I have no time to play anymore :sadbendy: (that's why I haven't picked up the Seasons pack). I have no idea how you put signs on the stores...But I might be able to make Baby Paco pink if you want. It's been a while since I've done a recolor but I've done many. What's the dog's name?

The dog is named, uh, Woof. It was 4:30 in the morning. I was tired. :bloocross:

Woof, incidentally, is a hyperactive doofus. As soon as he was he inside Foster's he started chewing up the furniture, and a new icon appeared in Mr. Herriman's Wants panel; he can gain 250 Aspiration points for scolding Woof. :herriman:

Aw yay! Eduardo got the big adorable St. Bernard that graced us with his presence. Congratulations on the addition to the Fosters house. ^_^

I wonder why Herriman didn't get afraid of Woof. XD

Infamous episodes.... I wonder what ones... especally with Cass. :frankiesmile:

Woof's adorable!

ROFL! These pics are so funny! Love that look on Cheese's face.

Heh, heh, heh... :bendy:

That was my favorite, too. He kept that expression as he left Wal-Mart and headed home. I haven't played his house since that time; I hope it isn't frozen on his face. :cheesegrin:

Foster's Valley: Rhymes with rich

Down the hill from Foster's there is a house:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess0.jpg

At first glance it looks like any other ordinary house. In fact, it's the same design being used by the Cassimans and the Westlanes, albeit a little larger. But there's something wrong here. If you listen closely, you hear only silence. There are no birds chirping on this lot, no skittering sounds of squirrels or chipmunks. Even the insects are strangely quiet. There are no children playing on this street, no signs of anyone nearby. As we watch, a car full of teens drives slowly by and pauses in front of the house, the passengers each daring the others to ring the bell. A glimmer of movement appears in the tower window; the car full of teens speeds away. The legends say that there is evil here, an ancient horror that would rule us all. What is this unspeakable evil? What could it be? As we watch, the front door to the house opens and a lone figure appears:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess1.jpg

Hello. Duchess. >:(

OH MY STARS. This has got to be one of the crankiest Sims I have ever dealt with. She argues with everyone, steals the other Sims newspapers, and generally make life more difficult for everyone she meets. But unlike the way things were in the Pacific Northwest, here in the Valley the other Sims won't put up with her crap. Henri Vsolhr doesn't want to hear it:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess2.jpg

The lady vampire who haunts the downtown area doesn't want to hear it:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess3.jpg

Even Fomalhaut's dad doesn't want to hear it:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess4.jpg

I'll give him credit, he was more polite about it than anyone else.

Frustrated by the Valley's residents inability to appreciate her for the work of art that she is (yeah, Duchess, whatever you say ::) ), Duchess wandered off to Van Dyke Park, where she did finally meet someone who can put up with her:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess5.jpg

Huh, Duchess and Mac's mom, having lunch together in the park. Bet we never see that on the show. After lunch, Duchess went home and decided to amuse herself with a little mean-spirited spying:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess6.jpg

Yep, that's Checo Ramirez she's spying on. Again! Everybody in the Valley who has a telescope watches this guy! The New Guy does it; so does Bloo. Even Mac did it once. Guys, I've looked in Checo's house; it's not that interesting! Give him a break! (sighs) Well, anyway, Duchess watched him for awhile then went to the back tower of her house to indulge in a little painting; the Work of Art creating a work of art. This is when she discovered that spying on the neighbors has consequenses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK3fQDlISsI

I believe the icon over Checo's head at the end means he's threatening legal action. Of course, Duchess isn't going to tolerate a commoner making threats or entering her house uninvited; the fact that she provoked it is, of course, an unimportant detail. So she's off to Checo's house later that day, intent on seeking revenge in the classic Sim tradition, which is to kick over Checo's garbage can. She succeeded, but again there were consequenses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnmrqSifTig

Infuriated, she left Checo's house and went downtown to the Crypt-O-Night Club where, much to her exaspiration, she was informed that the Club was out of vermouth:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess7.jpg

"I don't want to hear it, pion! Find me a glass of vermouth! Do it now! Do it now!" Eventually, she got her vermouth. Finally, after that, there was a quick stop in the park again to unwind, to plot, to plan, and to let the day's events fester in her mind:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...5/Duchess8.jpg

"I hate this town", says Duchess. At least she doesn't have ringworm. >:( :cheesegrin:

LMAO.

Classic. Just...classic. I cracked up so hard at the second video.

Oh, no! Something eviler then Wal-Mart!

That second video....xD LOL, this made my day.8D Funny pics too. :D

I'll watch the videos at home, but my God. Duchess! That is one evil lady. But I love the fact she's laid out on a park bench like some commoner. XD

This whole thing is magnificent, nice work you did on the Sims! I have no idea how to play that game but someday I hope to own it and try it out. ^^
It looks like so much fun!

Well I must say, this Duchess is much easier on the eyes 8D

Great job!

I have it and I'm still completely incompetent at maintaining more than two at a time. They can't do anything on their own. No one helps me eat or buy furniture or get the newspaper!

I love how sulky and petulant Duchess looks in that last shot. And also how the guy in the background looks like he's pointing and laughing at her.

8D Good stuff there, dude.

Man, you've really pushed the boat out with this. These shots are just classic, priceless, especially the Duchess pics:D

My thanks to all who commented. Always nice to know that one's work is appreciated. :)

Foster's Valley: Sunday Afternoon, Part One

Here's a scene I'll bet we never see in the show:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS01.jpg

Mr. Herriman in the backyard, playing fetch with Woof. Who'd've thought it possible? After what happened in Who Let The Dogs In? you'd think he'd rather spend time having tea with Duchess, but apparently Woof won him over. It's not too surprising, really; Woof is a very friendly, eager-to-please dog who loves spending time with people. He is also a very messy animal that rolls around in whatever filth he can find, fouls every room he enters, and hides at the merest mention of the word "bath". Fine for Mr. Herriman, who enjoys cleaning; for the lady who does most of the housework, not so good. :frankiemad:

Coco and Wilt in the living room:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS02.jpg

Here Wilt is telling Coco a dirty joke of some sort. Not exactly in character for him, but then again the game can only replicate their personalities to a certain extent. Coco enjoyed it, by the way. The two of them get along surprisingly well, considering how little they seem to have in common. They certainly get along better than Eduardo and Bendy:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS03.jpg

I'm not exactly sure what happened here. Within the game system, it's a failed social interaction; I'm taking it to mean that Eduardo reminded Bendy that important company was dropping by that evening so he ought to pitch in and make the house look respectable, and Bendy responded with an obscene gesture and said "Respect this, dorkface!", or something equally rude. They parted in a huff, Eduardo going upstairs to call some girl with blue hair he's very fond of, while Bendy went outside and did something with the bushes that he'd seen Woof do. In the meantime, Madam Foster read Little Red Riding Hood to Berry:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS04.jpg

At this point in the story, Berry turned to Mr. Herriman and said, "I don't think wolves really eat children, otherwise Bendy'd be in real trouble right now!" Confused, Mr. Herriman looked out the back window, and this is what he saw:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS05.jpg

Yep, that's a wolf, staring at Bendy as he splashes in a puddle of his own making. The wolf circled around, astonished by this behaviour, and was soon joined by a second wolf:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS06.jpg

Both wolves looked at each other, and you could almost hear them saying, "What's wrong with this kid?" They shook their heads and wandered around to the front yard. According to the game book, wolves are filthy beasts, and naturally Mr. Herriman won't stand for them being on the property, particularly not on a day when important company is dropping by later, so he confronts them:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS07.jpg

And he manages to find a new form of life to irritate. Berry finds all this excitement to be tiring, so she opts for an afternoon nap:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS08.jpg

And this is where I have to pause, because vBulletin limits the number of images and the amount of text that I can put in one post. More to come shortly...

Oh, how much more disturbing that image would have been if you had the yellow pee puddle hack I use... :P

The wolves are cooliosis!

I loved the timing of your captions, especially with Bendy and the wolves. You're right, you can almost hear them muttering about this weird kid to each other.

Great work as usual, Cassini. :)

Believe me, there are far worse things in the Valley than Bendy's puddle. Once I work out all the details (sometime next year at the rate I'm going), you'll be getting a PM titled, "Uh, can I do this?" 8D

Foster's Valley: Sunday Afternoon, Part Two

As some of you know, the new Seasons Expansion Pack has caused me no end of headaches. Fortunately, it now seems to be running fine. My Sims, however, are probably wishing I'd get rid of it, as it now rains in the Valley quite frequently, as Frankie finds out as she looks out the window:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS09.jpg

Not just rain really; it's a thunderstorm, and it's the worst I've seen since installing Seasons. I got Bendy and Mr. Herriman back in the house the moment it started; I've seen what lightning can do to a Sim, and it isn't pretty. Storm or no storm, however, a very important guest is arriving momentarily, so Frankie has to get dinner ready, and tonight it's going to be a turkey:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS10.jpg

The important guest is a man known as the Headmaster. If they can impress him enough, Wilt, Bendy, and all the other IF's in the house can put the horrors of the public school system behind them and go to private school... where they'll face the same dang horrors, actually, but they'll get spiffy uniforms to wear. Impressing the Headmaster involves three things, all equally important:

He must be well fed.
He must be given a tour of the house.
He must be schmoozed.

Frankie is handling the first part. So far, so good:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS11.jpg

I'll bet that smells pretty good. When late autumn hits the Valley, maybe I'll try to dream up a Thanksgiving story. In the meantime, the concern I have is with the schmoozing part. As you know, Mr. Herriman has a habit of fracking off everyone he meets, and he's the one doing the schmoozing. If he annoys the Headmaster, then the entire scenario will depend on Frankie's cooking skill and the cleanliness of the house. It is very difficult to win the Headmaster Scenario without points in all three. At that point the turkey was done:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS12.jpg

I knew she could do it. In the background you can see Mr. Herriman schmoozing the Headmaster, trying desperately to make a good impression for a change. At this point, and I wish I had pics or a video of it, a bolt of lightning slammed into one of the trees in the backyard, setting it on fire. Madam Foster was out of bed in an instant, on the phone and calling the fire department, but fortunately the rain was hard enough to extinguish the blaze without them needing to come by. It was a very bad storm, the worst I've seen since installing Seasons, and it picked the worst lot and worst possible time to occur. I don't have pics because I was distracted by another event entirely; by the stars, it was a busy night at the house. Anyway, dinner was served:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS13.jpg

The Headmaster is the gentleman sitting across from Wilt. Dinner was the final event of the evening. Frankie and Mr. Herriman have to score at least 90 points total to win the Headmaster Scenario. They've done everything they can to get a better education for the Imaginary Friends. Did they succeed? Was the Headmaster sufficiently impressed with the house, with Frankie's cooking, with Mr. Herriman's schmoozing?

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS14.jpg

They got the highest scores I've ever seen in all three areas. Frankie looks pretty happy as she cleans up:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS15.jpg

As well she should, for tonight all her cooking and cleaning have secured the future for the people she takes care of. And in playing the Headmaster Scenario, Mr. Herriman finally found someone who genuinely likes him, in the form of the cranky old Headmaster of the Foster's Valley Private school. Looks like a win for everybody to me.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...90125/HS16.jpg

"There, you see, Miss Francis? We can work together when we need to."
"Your fly's undone."

:)

Many congratulations to the new private school bound imaginaries. Don't fall into the wrong crowds now!

And much sniggering at the last comment.

But I must say I like the red aligator-like skin skirt Frankie has on. Fetching!

I rather liked that outfit, too. The Sims can't tell the difference between that and a barrel, but for the story I thought something a little fancier than her usual classic outfit would be appropriate. There's more stuff from her closet in the Frankie thread, too, in case you haven't seen it yet. :frankiesmile:

Congratulations on the promotion and Happy Birthday, by the way. :) ;)

I'm glad you got Seasons working. I can't extoll the virtues of a well-placed lightning rod on the roof enough, by the way. Also you should put a smoke alarm on the *outside* of the house, it doesn't matter where, to catch those fires that the rain doesn't extinguish.

I've never done the private school thing. Since my Sims don't age, it isn't that vital. But I may try it with Dib and Gaz, Professor Membrane is a great chef. :terrsmile:

Aw, thank you Cass. That means a lot.

I'll do lightning rods at some point, I suppose, but it'll be quite a chore; we're talking about around 300 lots in nine neighborhoods. :P

Private school has several advantages; aside from possible skill points, teens can start new careers at level 2 instead of level 1, and their needs aren't as depleted when they get back from class. Getting in is often worth a lot of Aspiration points, too, though that wasn't the case at Foster's for some reason; probably because none of them have the Knowledge Aspiration.

My pleasure. :)

(I'll be sending you a list of names and a large check.) 8D

I wish they'd at least make them react appropriately to people walking around in their underwear or something. Sims clearly don't have the tact necessary to politely ignore people in their underwear, so it can't be that.

As always, awesome shots and story, even if Bendy playing in his own excrement is incredibly disturbing and Lord of the Flies-ish. Even the wolves (which are really cute) are freaked out. Something tells me he won't be happy about his new uniform.

Some of them react to nudity, but I've never seen one say anything about underwear or swimwear, although I know that hag Mrs. Crumplebottom surely would. 8D

He didn't. There may be a story in there somewhere; I'll see what happens.

In the meantime, everyone take a deep breath and prepare to say "Awwwwwww!!!":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ag8fNK7TBw

;D ;D ;D

Porkrind=love

Who's he belong to?

Porkrind belongs to the four residents of Dorm #4 at Sim State University, the school that Mac is now attending. None of the residents of that dorm are part of the show, although one of them is a member here.

Porkrind is a womrat, which the book describes as being part guinea pig, part hamster. He eats an astounding amount of food every day, and unlike Larry the parrot at Foster's he's never bitten anyone.

Yay for Porkrind!

Oh yeah, and I just looked through all the chapters of Foster's Valley, and I gotta admit, I WANNA PLAY SIMS MORE THAN EVER! :D

The base game runs around $40.00 or so, as I recall. Best $40.00 I ever spent. Of course, I had to have all the expansions, stuff packs, and game guides, too; you don't want to know the total cost thus far. My accountant thinks I've lost my mind. He's probably right.

For those interested, the next Expansion Pack will be titled Bon Voyage, and it will allow Sims to take a vacation and get away from the daily grind of life for a few days. The vacation destinations include a camping trip, so at some point in the future there may be pics of Mr. Herriman annoying a bear. 8D

Speaking of Mr. Herriman...

Foster's Valley: Genius At Work

Mr. Herriman continues work on his autobiography:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M1.jpg

He finished the book about an hour later, titled it I Work For Carrots, and sold it for a rather nice sum. Note the gold star floating over his head; when that appears in the game, it means the Sim has reached level 10 in whatever skill he happens to be using at the time, and in Mr. Herriman's case the skill was Creativity. He was immensely pleased with himself about that, and with the fact that his book was selling very well, and at lunch he made sure that everybody knew about it:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M2.jpg

Lunch was chili, courtesy of Frankie, who is approaching level 10 in Cooking skill. That's Sailor Mars sitting across from Frankie; she came home with Eduardo from school that day. He's taken quite a liking to her, which is kind of weird, as Eduardo is shy and very nice, while Sailor Mars is a major... well, she's not shy. Anyway, Mr. Herriman informed everyone that since he had conquered the literary world, he would now turn his attention to his easel and paints and produce a masterpiece on canvas as well. The general consensus at the table was, "Yeah, Mr. Herriman, whatever you say." Undaunted, while Eduardo and Sailor Mars played pool, Mr. Herriman set out to paint a masterpiece:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M3.jpg

And, as the rest of the photos show, he succeeded:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M4.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M5.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M6.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M7.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ni90125/M8.jpg

The finished painting now hangs on the wall of the upstairs living room.

A special thanks to Kageri, who created the original classic, viewable elsewhere on the Forum and at DeviantART. :)

Oh my god!

Mr. Herriman's got good taste in his art! 8D

Brought her home ey? Eduardo's a playa...

And El Oh El at the picture. Very... strange of Mr. Herriman to draw her in such a way. Mmm~!

WTF? Herriman's good at painting. :)