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Welcome to the next volume of my visual blog. You never know what you might find here. We cover homes in development, stories, and documentaries of Sims from the neighborhood. I say "we" because I'm about to turn you over to Haley Philips, my blog keeper and archivist. She will narrate this story/documentary we are calling Operation Nip/Tuck: The Make-over of Malina.
We occupy these "shells" of flesh whose shape, color, and texture influence how people react to us. A small bump on one person's face is a beauty mark, while the same mark on yours is a flaw. A girl is greeted with smiles and lingering glances wherever she goes while another is greeted with disinterest, a frown, or averted eye contact. The "pretty" girl behind the espresso bar gets twice the simoleons in her tips-jar than the girl on the next shift--even though she has the personality of a three-toed sloth.
I can only imagine how people have treated Malina. She won't talk about it. We discussed only the things she wanted to do. Most of these involved being out in public. How do such reactions shape a person? It must take a certain strength of character to deal with negative reactions to your "shell". Malina seems to have that strength. Irregardless of the shell her soul occupies, she has a positive and cheeful attitude.
If you could change your shell, would you? I guess it would depend on the degree of negative reactions you've experienced and your sensitivity to them. In Malina's case, the anwser is a strong yes. The first two surgeries were the most difficult and dramatic for her. The results however were heart warming. She looked like a human being again and she was very pleased and thankful. With her new look, Malina threw herself into losing weight. She looked forward to her third surgery, for which she was sure she would get the face she always wanted. Afterwards, Cireking spent a great amount of time with her discussing all sorts of topics, but at the same time planning the next step in the procedure. Malina, on the other hand, had a different plan. Cireking explained it to me as we sat watching our slim and trim Malina frolic around the pool. "She doesn't want the fourth surgery because she's estatic with the results now, Haley. I think she should undergo the final procedure. She has no idea how stunning she will look," he said. I watched Malina as she padded up to the ShiShi's Frou Frou Fu statue. She looked a bit lonely as she walked on the edge of the pool. This would be logical since she had cut off all contact with her friends and family during her stay here at the mansion. "So what do you think?" asked Cireking.
I wondered to myself if Malina was really interested in being "stunning". Maybe she just wanted to be normal. "Maybe she just needs to get out," I said to Cireking. "She has been cooped up in here for quite awhile. I don't care how nice the mansion is, it must feel like a prison by now. How about I take her out for a shopping spree? She could use some new clothes."
"I think that's a good idea," replied Cireking. "Perhaps she wants to know what it's like to walk out in public without a bunch of rude stares.
At this moment I noticed a woman had entered the property. She seemed to be looking over the mansion, or looking for someone.
"Do you know this person?" I asked.
Cireking grinned and said, "Sabrina Nouveau."
Sabrina waved as she spotted us. "Hi stranger," she said. I watched her as she approached the deck. She had a very graceful walk and although we are the same height, she seemed taller. I then realized this was the woman who was photographed by the pool in the last album blog . Cireking seemed very fond of her, to say the least.
"I haven't seen you in so long," he said. "I saw you in the photos taken for the last blog. Why didn't let me know you were here?"
"I didn't know you were here, but yes it's been a long time and it's your fault. You and Sim-Century haven't given me any work. Are you all getting out of the building business now?" She asked with a smile, but there was an edge to it. "No. I took a break from architecture to pursue writing. I got caught up in a story series that went on for more episodes than I expected, nevertheless I enjoyed it very much and several simmers enjoyed it as well. I do have a sci-fi epic I want to write, but I'm done with stories for now, I think. It will have to wait until I'm finished with some new home designs."
Sabrina seemed to perk up at this news. "Which brings us to this Mansion. I know your work. This is your best so far and how dare you take this on without me," she said jokingly.
Cireking let out a sheepish laugh. "I did think about you Sabrina, but this isn't a Sim-Century project in itself. It's a compilation of everything I'm currently doing that's Sim related: writing, building, and simming. It's a little more personal." At this point my intuition kicked in and I began to feel a little uncomfortable.
"I have a proposition for you," said Sabrina. How about inserting house documentaries as part of the visual blog? We could bring back Mike and the crew, the hover-bot cams, the Sim-Droids...I really miss Sentry-10...It would be like old ti..."
"Sabrina," said Cireking, "I really want to do something different this time--not another Tower House documentary" "Haley is the face and the voice of this effort. I want Sim-Century in the background, even myself for that matter. She's really interjecting herself into the blog and I like that. I really want to see more of her personality and candor."
I was stunned by this. I didn't even realize I was doing it. He just told me to write what I like and add his commentary. Ok then, I'm with this.
"I see," said Sabrina. "Well then...how about this? A movie tour. Our last movie was 'Dangerous Rendezvous' and your last home tour was 'Greek Arabesque Mansion'. I think it's time for you to flex those cinematic muscles again."
I could only stare as she worked her charm on Cireking--over the rims of her glasses. Those eyes! This woman has an interesting duality. On one side she is all friendly geekiness, on the other, a smoldering, sultry, intense...I dunno...business professional? I looked up the Tower House documentaries since this photo and yes, she makes for a great Public Relations person. Cireking became quite excited by the mention of his movies. "Oh yeah, Dangerous Rendezvous could have been our greatest movie! Too bad we didn't have the tools to remove the thought bubble and relationship icons. That movie would have been flawless. You looked great as a blonde, you know."
"Yeah, I liked being blonde, but the simmers know Sabrina Nouveau as a brunette. Since you have better tools now, why don't we sit down and discuss a movie tour for this mansion, not all simmers like to read."
"Sure. I'm getting ideas already," said Cireking. "I'll show you some of the mansion's interior and later I'll give you the full tour. Come join us, Haley." And with that, we went inside.
"Ooh, I love it! What a dramatic entry space, and the ceiling is so high," said Sabrina. "It's kinda romantic and cozy. I think some flowering plants would set it off. You were supposed to do a romantic house tour of the Tower House, but you filmed 'Pool Sharks' instead. Goldie and I were disappointed. Why don't you do that idea for this home."
"You're reading my mind, Sabrina. Let's go down into the basement. You can check out the game room." Cireking mixed up some drinks for us. I decided to practice bowling. I was quickly feeling like a third wheel on a bicycle. That would make it a tricycle, I guess. I better work on my similes as well. I could feel Sabrina starring at me and here's the proof. I don't want your job. I'm just a blog keeper and archivist. You guys make your movie and we'll all be happy. How's that for my candor and personality? "I may need to make three versions of this Mansion. I don't think some simmers will have the resources to handle a lot of this size, so this model will be the deluxe, while the standard won't have this game room. It won't have a basement at all. The third version will be a 'mini' on a smaller lot."
"You should make a 'micro' too. I like your micro versions," suggested Sabrina.
"Good Idea. It could be new home series in the spirit of Sim-Century Modern. I'm considering calling it 'Nouvelle', after the style of fencing used in the design." "Hmm....Nouvelle...I like that. Sim-Century Nouvelle, It has a nice ring to it," said Sabrina. "Of course you like it," I thought. "Your last name is Nouveau, isn't it?" Am I being catty? Well hiss, hiss. Sabrina and Cireking took their drinks. I figured that I'd better join them so I wouldn't appear standoffish. "So in this sci-fi epic, do you have a role for a vilainess? I would love to play an evil role for a change," said Sabrina. I'll give her this much; she is definitely an assertive person. It's a quality I wish I had.
"I haven't plotted out much of the story yet. I do have a vilain and I do like the idea of him having a female counterpart," answered Cireking. I swore I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Stop starring at me! "Welcome back into the fold Sabrina; to creativity, great design, and fun projects," said Cireking. We all said "cheers" and took a drink. Yep, I really needed this, and I thought I would need another. I was so glad to see Malina come down the stairs. "Malina, how would you like to get out of here for a trip to the spa and then shopping?" I asked. "Need you ask? A spa would be wonderful and I miss shopping soooo much!"
"Then let's get you out of here," I said. Malina was thrilled and I was glad to see her so happy. I didn't mind getting out of the Mansion myself. So we left, and Sabrina wasted no time in discussing grand plans with Cireking. We arrived at Maple Springs Pool and Spa prepared for some serious relaxation. Malina was cheerful as could be about the drive over. No one stared at her the entire trip. She confessed that she hated car rides because she felt like a freak show on display. People in other cars or on the street would point and stare since she was in a moving vehicle and couldn't respond back. There was a cute guy sitting in the spa's clothing shop. I noted him, but when Malina spied him she came to a full stop. We perused the swim wear and work-out clothes at the clothing rack. "Did you see that guy?" She asked.
"Yep. He's real purty," I replied. She turned around and looked at him again. "I would never considered doing this a month ago, but I'm going over there to talk to him," she said. This surprised me, but if she was feeling that confident, good for her. "You get him, tigress," I said. I watched as Malina approached him. He had an expression of curiosity on his face. I took that as a positive sign. The guy was definitely striking, perhaps a bit too polished for my liking. I pretended to be interested in the art-man thingy on the counter while I watched them introduce themselves. He and Malina struck up a friendly conversation, talking about the Maple Springs spa, their jobs, etc. He then excused himself, saying he had to find out what was keeping his friend so long. It was short and I wasn't sure what to make of their brief conversation. But then he openly flirted with Malina. That surprised me. Bringing a little heat to my ears, I'm sure I was grinning. Malina was on cloud nine. "That was so exciting! I've never done anything like that before," she said. "His name is Tyler and he asked for my phone number."
"You go girly girl! I'm gonna have to keep my eye on you because you're going to take all the men," I said. Malina turned and headed toward the door. "I smell coffee, Haley. They must have an espresso bar here. Let me treat you to a cup."
"Sure," I said. "I want to pick up a new mobile phone first. They have a dispenser in the court yard." "I think we should go to Cold Issue clothing store next after we are done here," I said when we reached the phone dispenser. I got my phone. I'll try not to lose this one. These things are forever getting smaller, which means someday they will make them into body implants. Then we went to get our coffee. I noticed Malina's walk had changed. She was brimming with confidence. I felt so happy for her. I didn't see Tyler sitting there at first. Intuition told me to call out Malina's name or cough or something, but it was too late. "I enjoy the chase, really, but I wouldn't mind the good looking ones being as aggressive. I don't know what it is. I'm like a magnet for homely townies. These women pop up like gophers from some subterranean nether world. I mean, I don't want to hurt their feelings or anything, but bleh!"
Tyler's buddy, not knowing who Malina was, asked, "So why did you take her number?"
"To give her some hope, man. Self confidence can go a long way. See? I'm not cruel." Malina seem to collaspe inward like a derelict building imploding. "Let's go, Malina," I said.
"But what about your espresso?" She was determined to carry on like nothing happed.
"I no longer have a taste for it," I replied. I tried to make Malina feel better, telling her things like how handsome men are spoiled and fickle and are probably not worth the heartache that they are sure to bring. I could sense the anger and frustration growing in her. "I didn't go through all this pain to be called a 'homely townie' by some metrosexual. Take me back to the mansion, please," she said.
(Special note: A "metrosexual", as defined by the Wikipedia, is an urban male who has a strong aesthetic sense and spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle.) It was a very quiet drive. We arrived back at "Nouvelle" mansion to see Cireking and Sabrina out front near the water. Cireking was starring intently at the new fountain and asked me if I thought it was too bland.
"Well...less is more," I said.
He smiled and said, "That's true...if this was a modern home, but for this mansion, I'm going for ostentatious. I think more-is-more is what I'm looking for. This fountain needs more ornament. Malina approched him. "Cireking, I'm ready for the final surgery--the sooner, the better." No one said anything as she walked away. "What happened?" asked Cireking.
"The worst possible thing," I replied. "I think you should prepare your equipment." Malina strode into the converted living room. I was glad that she was opting for the final surgery, but it didn't seem like it was for the right reason anymore. I wondered if she would be truly happy with the results.
For that, we will have to wait for the next chapter of this documentary. This is Haley Philips, blog keeper and archivist for cireking213. Check back with us soon.
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39 Comment(s) posted so far
On Nov 10, 2006 greeksim wrote:
Great story
On Nov 10, 2006 newmansfan12 wrote:
good story
On Nov 10, 2006 ranisha17 wrote:
nice story
On Nov 10, 2006 blueyedlady87 wrote:
On Nov 11, 2006 Tenderhrt wrote:
good story
On Nov 11, 2006 MoriaG wrote:
So far so good, i am wondering was is going to happen to her!!
On Nov 11, 2006 wrote:
On Nov 11, 2006 Linvero123 wrote:
Your stories are so interesting. I love your perspective.
On Nov 11, 2006 GFitz wrote:
I loved your 4 penny curse series and can't wait for the rest of this one. You are a very clever and talented a writer and simmer!
On Nov 11, 2006 wrote:
I wanted to see what would happen but then it ended! Can't wait for Part 3!!!
5 Points!
On Nov 12, 2006 BBKZ wrote:
great work
On Nov 12, 2006 Kismyname wrote:
That was great! I'm looking forward to the next episode!
On Nov 13, 2006 TheaDidia wrote:
Great story again! Keep up the good work, I am really enjoying reading these!
On Nov 13, 2006 oldmember_aa2002 wrote:
Your stories are so interesting
On Nov 13, 2006 rchris_ness wrote:
On Nov 13, 2006 cireking213 wrote:
On Nov 14, 2006 DarkMoon689 wrote:
Interesting
On Nov 15, 2006 voulazarra wrote:
I really likes that. It reminded me of me a little. I have a small ploblem with my weight and people seem to make it a big deal. Good work.
On Nov 15, 2006 newmansfan12 wrote:
great story
On Nov 17, 2006 theheatmiserette wrote:
Once again, awesome.
On Nov 17, 2006 kaytaa wrote:
completely LOVE this!
On Nov 17, 2006 *louise* wrote:
Great story. Am really looking forward to the next chapter!
On Nov 17, 2006 amiej330 wrote:
On Nov 18, 2006 panila wrote:
nice story
On Nov 18, 2006 wrote:
Great!
On Nov 19, 2006 Justjoel06 wrote:
Great
On Nov 19, 2006 wrote:
i cant wait to see the part3!!!
On Nov 20, 2006 cireking213 wrote:
I now have two new episodes posted, but neither made it in this new group of stories.
I hope it's not another week before they get approved.
On Nov 22, 2006 xkikkokry wrote:
On Nov 22, 2006 vkd wrote:
Cool idea. I hope the woman is not annoyed that she went through all this in the end! Rather a sad story really. Great work. Thanks
On Nov 24, 2006 tonnie16 wrote:
Can't wait to get to Part 2
On Nov 25, 2006 Tempty wrote:
great story.
On Nov 27, 2006 Tiko wrote:
Terrific, graceful writing and super pics!
On Dec 1, 2006 Lidia wrote:
On Dec 2, 2006 Olga2102 wrote:
Cooooooool
On Dec 8, 2006 wrote:
On Dec 30, 2006 manuela55 wrote:
On Jan 26, 2007 civetinja wrote:
Good story ! Thanks !
On Jun 22, 2007 daydream5212 wrote:
it's sad, but not sad at the same time. I love it!