Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise – Elimination Challenge – “10 Things I Know About Rick”

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani. Now that all of the initial Solo Dates have taken place, we are at the moment that the contestants have been dreading – The Elimination Challenge. This is a very important challenge as this will bring the two houses together and the number of contestants down to seven. Yes, seven! These final contestants will be living in one house with the Bachelor.

Now, the producers have informed me that not ALL of the contestants will be participating in the Elimination Challenge. Some of the contestants are SAFE. Who are they, you ask? Well, before we get to that, let’s back up.

Once Rick was done with his date, he headed over to each house and did one friendly and one romantic interaction with each contestant to see if this would improve their relationship. Once that was done, the producers looked at the relationship panels.

House 1: Lara McGowan (Acquaintances), Brianna Hammond (Lovebirds), Naomi Mahina (Romantic Interest), Miriam Epp (Acquaintances), Raven Xang (Lovebirds)

House 2: Nami Chuu (Lovebirds), Coral Reeves (Lovebirds), Cinnamon Apple (Romantic Interest), Octavia Dillon (Acquaintances), Iris Costello (Lovebirds)

The contestants who are “Lovebirds” with our Bachelor are SAFE. This means, unfortunately, that the other contestants will be competing in The Elimination Challenge, and the producers have decided that THREE (3) of these contestants will be heading home. Oh my gosh! Let’s head on over to the Elimination Competition Challenge lot and get started.

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Here are the five lovely contestants who will compete in the challenge. (From left-Naomi Mahina, Lara McGowan, Miriam Epp, Octavia Dillon, and Cinnamon Apple). The Elimination Challenge is based on “10 Things I Know About Rick” and divided into 10 room challenges. Each room has a door on either side of it, which is locked when a contestant is doing the challenge in that room. Individually, each contestant will navigate the course and in each room, they will have to do something and hope that it will “match” what Rick will do to gain a point. Let’s take a look at what they have to do.

1. Challenge room 1 is outdoors and the contestants must “build sand sculpture”. They must match their sculpture to Rick’s to get a point.
2. Challenge room 2 is a quiet reading area and contestants must “read something” to match what Rick has chosen.
3. Challenge room 3 is to “make favorite drink.” Will their favorite drink match what Rick’s is?

4. Challenge room 4 is simply to “mold clay.” Contestants will receive 1 point if their clay creation is the same as Rick’s.

5. Challenge room 5 is “shape” or prune the bonsai bush. A match with Rick gets 1 point.

6. Challenge room 6 will take a bit longer and contestants will “Write a Children’s Book”. Match the title with Rick’s for 1 point. Match the exact value of the book (regardless of title) for another point.

7. Challenge room 7 is a tv room where contestants will sit and “autonomously decide what tv channel or movie they will watch”. More importantly, is it the same channel or movie that Rick watched? Two choices are made, and one choice is 1 point, with two choices being 2 points.

8. Challenge room 8 is a kitchen setting. Four delectable vegetarian dishes have been prepared (tofu hotdogs, grilled fruit, veggie burger, and baked potato). All are the same quality. The contestants will “autonomously choose one meal” and hope that Rick has also chosen the same dish for 1 point.

9. Challenge Room 9 is the fortune-telling room, where contestants will “Ask About Love Life” on the future cube. What will their love forecast be and more importantly, will it be the same as Rick’s? 1 point for a match.

10. Challenge Room 10 is outdoors on the basketball court. Each contestant will “dream big.” Will they “be a winner and dream big or will they sprain their ankle?” A match with Rick’s basketball luck or folly will get 1 point. I understand that Benny has brought a first aid kit for this challenge. Just in case we have a bunch of hobbling contestants with sprained ankles.

Anything can happen here, and everything appears to be totally random.

While each contestant is doing the challenge course, the other contestants are free to use the cabana behind me while they are waiting for their turn. Benny, of course, will be taking photos of the contestants, and I will be keeping tally of the results. In the event of a tie, a final “Pressure Cooker Room” has been added, and Rick will be called upon to help with that final showdown. The final results of the challenge will only be revealed at the Rose Ceremony; however, the producers have allowed us to show one photo op of a *Match* per contestant. So let’s get started!

Cinnamon Apple (House 2)

“I feel really confident going into this challenge. Rick and I talked about a lot of things on our date, so I am hoping to “ace” most of these rooms. I just have to ‘think like Rick” and I’ll be fine.

Room 1 challenge is to build a Sand Sculpture. We had to do this for a Solo Date Competition, and I remember that Rick made a Sharkman. But, will he make one again? No, too predictable. I think he’ll do something different. Something he saw yesterday morning, in fact. That turtle rock. It will be on his mind and that is what I will sculpt. I am sure he will make this, too. Turtles, Turtles, Rah, Rah, Rah…Mmmm, I love Turtles.”*

Is Cinnamon’s sand sculpture a match to Rick’s? Hint: *Match*

Lara McGowan (House 1)

“I can’t believe I am at Acquaintance level with Rick. How did this happen? Well, I’ve been in this spot before and went from Friend to Lovebirds on our Solo Date. I can do it again. I am going to make it through this course and get my relationship up with Rick so I will never have to do another elimination challenge again!

Alright, in Challenge Room 2, we have to “read something”. So many choices, but what would Rick choose? Well, this isn’t really so bad, I just have to think about it. Rick is an absolute romantic, I bet he’ll choose a romantic novel. But there are two…so, which one? Love in The Time of Sandwiches or Reel Her In? Of course. This is too easy. Romance and fishing rolled into one. I absolutely know what type of book Rick would read. Heck, maybe I’ll win this challenge after all.”

Did Lara choose the right book? Reel Her in. Hint *Match*

Naomi Mahina (House 1)

“Breathe, just breathe. Don’t worry…there’s no time limit for this challenge, no rush., no crowds. Just me, thinking about Rick. Remember the card…you know, that ice cream personality card from the Solo Date that Rick and I went on. I kept that card and read it over and over again. It said I was a ‘budding rose.’ And that’s what I am going to be. A budding rose, that will bloom clear and true to win Rick’s love.

Challenge Room 3 is Make Favorite Drink. Well, mine is sparkling water, and I remember reading in Rick’s dossier that it was his, too. I am pretty sure I am right. I can do this. I am the rose.”

Is Naomi right? Is Rick’s favorite drink sparkling water? Hint *Match*

Miriam Epp (House 1)

“If I close my eyes, I can remember the things that Rick does and what he likes. And you know, I think that Rick is an adventurer. Definitely. He wants to explore the sim world, discover everything, and just immerse himself in different cultures. I mean, he did mention that he wanted to visit Selvadorada on his date with Cinnamon. Right?

So, here I am in Challenge Room 4 with a hard lump of clay in my hand trying to figure out what Rick would mold from this. It could be a few things, but I really think it will be based on a travel destination. And what better place for romance and travel than Champs Les Sims? And what better sim to travel with than Rick? Ahhh…mon amour! It would be wonderful to travel somewhere alone with Rick. Have him all to myself. I know exactly what I am going to make. Oh yes! I got this!”

So, is Miriam right? Was Rick thinking about a travel destination when he made his clay sculpture? Hint: *Match*

Octavia Dillon (House 2)

“Well, this is rather unexpected. All this time I have been flirting with Rick to get his attention, and now I am expected to know what his favorite tv channel is. I can tell you that when Rick is with me, watching tv is the furthest thing from his mind. Sheesh! And there are 1…2…7…15 or more different tv choices and I am supposed to just pick one! Come on! And then there are movies. Please!

In Challenge Room 8, I am supposed to choose two channels or movies that Rick might watch. Let me try to narrow them down. Thinking back to that ‘accidental food poisoning’ date with Raven (oh sure, and I believe that one…), Rick mentioned his favorite movie was ‘Sims of the Dead.’ That’s one. And the second…hmm…Action…yes, the Action channel. I only have to get one right for a match. And I KNOW Rick is going to choose one of these. I am so going to win this!”

So, is Rick’s favorite movie Sims of the Dead? Hint *Match* And what about him watching the Action channel? Hint *No Match* = Achieved 1 point *Match*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It’s been a long, hot day, and Benny relaxes after a busy day of photographing the contestants.

Roxanna takes a moment to tally up the final scores. And adds them up again. And a third time to make sure. Oh my plumbobs! The results are still the same. “Well, there’s still a tie, so it looks like we will have to call upon Rick to help with the final challenge. The Pressure Cooker Room Challenge.”

When Rick arrives, he and the five contestants head into an empty room, The “Pressure Cooker Room”. I, Roxanna Llama Llama, of course, am supervising from outside the room. The contestants don’t know how the scoring system is tabulated for this room. The room has a door, and as each contestant autonomously leaves the room, a point will be added to their score, based on when they leave. So, the first contestant out gets one additional point added to their score, the second contestant out gets two points added, and so on, with the last remaining contestant getting five points added to their score. This could really help a contestant prove that they are “in it to win it!” So, which contestant wants to spend the most time with Rick? Will it be Cinnamon, Lara, Naomi, Miriam, or Octavia?

Stay tuned to find out at Rose Ceremony #3 who had the most matches with Rick, who the last remaining contestant in the Pressure Cooker Room was, and which three contestants, sadly will be heading home. Until then, Wikii Wikii Wii from Sulani.

Author’s Notes:

The idea for the title of this challenge “10 Things I Know About Rick” sort of came from the movie title “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999). But, of course, we all love Rick, so I changed that title slightly.

Because there was a lot at stake for this Elimination Challenge, as three contestants will be heading home, I wanted to have a fairly difficult challenge. I came up with the idea of a challenge course that could be done by autonomous or random actions. In this way, it would be fair to all contestants.

The most difficult challenge room was the tv room. I had to lock the contestant in that room and wait patiently while they autonomously chose a movie or tv channel. Once they did, I wrote it down, canceled the choice, and then waited for their second choice. This room and the writing room took the longest. Near the end, I had to add more desks and computers so the contestants could get going on their book. The value of the book was determined by dragging the book in their personal inventory to the sell area, which came up with a total. The books have not been sold and are still in the contestants’ inventory. In all, it took a sim day to have all the contestants go through the challenge course.

“Turtles, Turtles, Rah, Rah, Rah…Turtles, Turtles, Ha, Ha, Ha…Mmmm, I love Turtles” lyrics from the commercial jingle for Turtles chocolates. (PS – I love Turtles!)

Champ Les Sims is a travel destination in Sims 3: World Adventures.

 

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Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise – Pirate Week – Solo Date With Nami

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani! Another gorgeous day in Sulani as we await the last of the Solo Dates before the “kissing ban” is lifted. Pirate Pete’s Pastries will again be the date location. Oh, and as a special treat for Benny and I, Chef Pete sent over some delectable desserts for us. You should have seen the box my dessert came in, all wrapped in gold ribbon, with my name on a little pirate card, with hearts all around it. Of course, I had to open it and see what dessert he sent me. And I couldn’t believe it when I saw it was a slice of SimCity Cheesecake. My absolute favorite dessert! I, Roxanna Llama-Llama, am a devoted cheesecake fanatic. I don’t know how Chef Pete found that out, but I think he might be sweet on me. Who could blame him, really, since I am the hostess EXTRAORDINAIRE of this show. Of course, Benny was drooling over his chocolate lava bundt cake dessert…but I got cheesecake! Need I say more? I am off to brew a pot of tea and savor my divine cheesecake while I “peek in” on Rick’s Solo Date with Nami Chuu of House 2.

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Rick was up early as usual and decided to take a walk along the beach. He loved this time of day, with the sun just coming up, the seagulls crying overhead, and the gentle sound of waves lapping on the shore. It always seemed a perfect time to look around and appreciate everything in nature and in life.

It was also a good time to think about the ten lovely contestants who were vying for this affection, and that somehow, amongst them, he would find “somebody to love”.  He genuinely had feelings for all of them. Yet, some of the contestants stayed on his mind more than others, and his feelings for them were certainly much stronger. Which reminded him that he better head on over to the restaurant for his date with Nami. He most definitely didn’t want to keep her waiting.

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It had clouded over a bit when Rick arrived at the restaurant, but he could still appreciate the svelte figure coming towards him. Nami looked sensational!

“As the last of the Solo Dates before the Elimination Challenge, I REALLY wanted to make an impression on Rick. Red is one of my favorite colors and this off-the-shoulder top and white skorts is a perfect outfit for the date. It is casual, but still has that “wow” factor. And by Rick’s smile, I think he definitely agrees,” thought Nami.

Rick gets two whims for Nami almost immediately. Get to Know and Make-out. The latter, of course is canceled.

After chatting some more, Rick realized that the restaurant was quite busy today. Probably getting more business from promotion on the show. He excused himself and headed to the hostess station to request an outside table.

As they sat down together – and on the same side of the table, too – Rick can’t help but notice how beautiful Nami looked. Rick suddenly gets a whim to “Have Frist Kiss With Nami”. Oh my gosh! Rick is certainly having some hot thoughts for Nami, and by the look of things, I think she feels the same way. I cancel that. He then gets a whim to compliment Nami, which he readily does.

“Nami, I wanted to compliment you on your outfit. It looks…you look…um…you look absolutely beautiful,” Rick said, his eyes never leaving Nami’s face.

Nami could feel herself getting a bit flushed. Well, a lot flushed. She was starting to glow pink and feeling very flirty. “Thank you, Rick. You know you look pretty good yourself. Blue really is your color. I would say that you were an Autumn or a Winter, or a bit of both.” 

“I’m a what?” Rick laughed, a bit confused.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Just a habit of mine. As a fashion stylist, I am always looking at sims and thinking about what color would look best on them. Being a “winter” is a color analysis, based on the four seasons, to determine which colors look best on you based on your skin tone, hair and eye color. So, a “winter” is a sim with medium to dark hair, brown, green or um…deep blue eyes…like you have. So, you’d look best in blues, greens, reds, even some pink. But I also think you’re a bit of an Autumn, because I really think you’d look good in burnt-orange,” Nami explained.

“Burnt-orange? Like on that Group Date we had and we were both on fire? More like flambé red, yellow and orange!” Rick laughed.

“Oh my gosh! That was so horrible! You know since then, I’ve removed all the incense burners from my bedroom hut. That was too close a call for me!” emphasized Nami.

“Yes, me, too! And I am glad that nothing happened to you, Nami, because I really..I really…um…care about you. I care about you very much!” Rick said sincerely as he looked at Nami and saw her looking at him intensely.

Rick has a flirty vibe and gets multiple whims for Nami. “Kiss”, “Make-out” and “Woohoo with Nami”. Dang Rick! I think Rick more than “cares” about Nami.

“Yes..I care about you very much, too, Rick. I actually…um…I…” Nami paused. She didn’t know if she should reveal her true feelings to Rick now. She wanted so much to tell him how she really felt about him, but, no, this was not the place. She wanted to tell him when they were alone…“I think that we have a lasting connection having survived that fire together.”

“Right! Most definitely, a connection…” replied Rick smiling at Nami. Rick brightened up then and asked, “So tell me more about your career as a style influencer. I seem to remember you telling me that your dog got you into this profession. Maybe you could tell me more about that.”

“Oh my gosh! You remembered that? I told you that the night I, um…”revealed” myself to you. Yes, my dog. Did I tell you his name was Marvin the Martian? Yes, I used to dress him up in little outfits. I bought a few, but then I started sewing them myself. And I got a lot of compliments on them. Even started to get orders for them. It gave me a lot of confidence. And some of my customers said I had an eye for design, and they’d ask me for advice on what to wear and what make-up to use. Pretty soon, I was doing make-overs and I got a part-time job as a personal shopping assistant at a retail store. My services were in high demand, so I decided to open my own business. I have never looked back,” Nami answered, feeling good about herself and her accomplishments.

“You certainly are good at what you do. I have to admit, though, that I didn’t choose these clothes myself. Mele Kahananui actually did a make-over on me before the show,” Rick confessed.

“That is what I see myself doing. To become a big Style Influencer. I love giving sims make-overs, whether it’s a whole wardrobe change or just a slight make-up change. When they look good, it makes me happy. I’d love to give all the contestants a make-over,” Nami replied with a smile.

“Really? So, do you think I need another make-over?” Rick asked winking at Nami.

“You, Rick? Honestly, you would look good in anything,” replied Nami flirting with Rick.

Before Rick had a chance to respond, the server was there to take their order. Nami took a few minutes to look over the menu and saw what she wanted.

“I’ll have these berry macaroons. Do you know how hard it is to make macaroons? I just have to taste them. And, oh a bee tea sounds good,” Nami said as she handed her menu back to the server.

“I’ll order the banana cream pie with an iced tea, please,” said Rick smiling at Nami.

“I heard that you liked banana-anything from the other contestants. So, any other habits or odd talents that you wish to share with me?” asked Nami smirking.

“Odd talent? Now that’s an unusual question. Does being able to say the alphabet backwards without thinking count? Oh wait! A better one. What about soccer juggling? It sounds easy right, but it’s not. Keep that soccer ball off the ground for as long as you can using just your feet. I got a cramp in my leg once from trying to beat the Simness World Record. I think I managed 1/2 an hour. The record is 30 hours. Hey, I wasn’t far off. I could do it again. But this time I should limber up first. Yep, I should start training after I get that piece of banana cream pie,” answered Rick with a smirk on hs face.

Nami was laughing. “I can just picture Rick doing this. He’s such a gem,” thought Nami.

Their order arrived and the heavenly scent of bee tea filled the air. Nami couldn’t resist taking a sip.

Nami then took a bite of macaroon. “These are soooo good. I haven’t tasted macaroons like these since I was home last. My Mom makes delicious macaroons,” said Nami between bites.

“Your Mom makes macaroons? Is she a good baker?” asked Rick.

“Well, actually she is a rather bad baker. But she was determined to perfect macaroons because my Dad had tasted them once and adores them. So, she started watching cooking shows, and even took a baking class with a local chef to learn how to make macaroons. But I have to say that my Mom has now perfected the macaroon. And when she’s making them, my Dad is right there in the kitchen ready to sample them. Of course, I think my Dad would eat them if they were burnt and hard because my Mom made them. He just thinks the world of her. They’re so in love with each other still, even after all these years,” smiled Nami thinking of her parents.

“They sound wonderful. That’s what I would want, too. To still be in love with someone years into the future. To grow old together. For someone to make me a delicious banana cream pie…” Rick winked at Nami. Rick gets a whim to flirt with Nami.

“Oh right. You just want someone for their pie-making skills. Specifically banana pie making skills! I know your secret now!” laughed Nami.

And with that, Rick autonomously blows Nami a kiss. Hubba Hubba! I think Rick might be interested in Nami for more than her possible pie-making skills. Rick also gets a whim to again “Have First Kiss With Nami.”

The bill is delivered and a card is placed beside Nami.

“What’s this?” Nami asks looking at the card.

“It’s your dessert personality based on what dessert you ordered. Why don’t you read it?” encouraged Rick.

“Oh that sounds like fun!” said Nami and she read the card aloud, “As a cookie craver, you’re very versatile and can adapt to changes without a fuss. No surprise, considering how many recipes exist! You’re easy to be around and know how to keep it low-key. Nothing will get in your way of achieving your dreams, no matter how far-fetched or outlandish they may seem. Cookies and classic movies are one of your favorite combos–and you might even enjoy a bit of history. Though you’re a big ol’ softy at heart, your nougaty center can harden if someone pushes you too far.”

“Now that’s interesting. Any truth to that?” asked Rick interested in knowing more about Nami.

“Well, sort of. I think the part about achieving my dreams is true. I think I found my calling as a style influencer and really want to be better at it. When I’m not working, I do like to keep it low-key. I like to wear my favorite faded jeans, and a comfy top and just curl up on the couch and watch classic movies on tv. That really is me. It’s one of my favorite things to do on a rainy afternoon,” replied Nami.

“And what about a big ol’ softy at heart?” asked Rick, moving his chair a little closer to Nami’s.

“Well, I….um…I guess so. I care about others, and even though I am more confident than I was when I was younger, I don’t think I can ever be mean to anyone…” answered Nami.

“And that is what I like about you, Nami. That, and much, much more…” Rick whispered.

“Oh Rick, if you only knew how I felt about you…” thought Nami.

The date had ended and they got up from the table and Rick embraced Nami. She felt warm in his arms, and Rick breathed in the scent of her hair. Jasmine. Nami’s hair smelled like the jasmine that bloomed in the moonlight on his island. Such a heady scent, it took control of his senses. Rick thought how easy it could be to tilt Nami’s head now and kiss her lightly on the lips. It felt right. The whole night had felt right. But, no, this was not the right place nor the right time, so he reluctantly released her.

They stood there and Rick sensed that Nami wanted to tell him something, but all she said was “Thank you for the date, Rick. It was a perfect evening.”

Rick has so many romantic whims right now for Nami, none of which he can do. Oh gosh! Oh gosh! Oh gosh! Rick, you and Nami are smitten with each other.

As they head out together, Rick couldn’t agree with Nami more. Yes, a perfect evening.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*Gold Date Achieved*

Nami’s Date Thoughts:

Is it possible to have a date that is more than perfect? Because if so, this was the date. Of course, everytime I am with Rick, it just seems perfect. Even when things go wrong, it’s perfect. Rick was right when he said we have a connection. I’ve felt it since the night I told him I was half-alien, or maybe before. I already know what a kind, sensitive sim Rick is, who cares about others around him. And how funny he is. He always tries to lighten a bad situation with a joke or a kind word. And the more I find out about him, the more I fall in love with him. Because there is no denying it, I am definitely in love with Rick. And tonight there were so many times that I wanted to tell him that, to take him in my arms and kiss him. I could almost feel that he wanted to do the same, but he resisted because of the rules. I’ve heard the other contestants say that they are “falling in love” with Rick, but I am way past that. I am so in love with Rick that I am thinking of leaning how to make banana cream pie, and quite possibly, anything made with bananas. Is this how my mother felt about my father? Could this be what true love feels like? Because if that’s the case, I am truly in love with Rick and so very determined to make him my own.

Relationship Status: Remains Lovebirds

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Author’s Notes:

The amount of whims that Rick was getting for Nami was incredible. I couldn’t write them all down and they kept coming up the same. All the types of whims he can’t do, Kiss, Make-out and Woohoo. He had the flirty vibe from the moment the date started. Nami had the flirty mood, too. It was very easy to tell, since she is an alien and was glowing “pink.” Mutual attraction? I guess we’ll see what the future holds.

Thanks to this simmer for creating this fantastic build. I just renamed it to Pirate Pete’s Pastries and changed the menu to serve just desserts and beverages.

What Colours Suit Me? An article on what colors look good on you based on what Season you are.

What Your Favorite Dessert Says About You. A fun article on your dessert personality.

What does choosing pie say about Rick? Read about it here:

“As the passionate pie eater, you’re understanding and wise, but still a real goofball. Sometimes people think you’re flaky or too emotional, but you’re as loyal and logical as they come–most of the time. Your smart and savvy nature get you what you want, and your presence alone has the ability to make situations better. Just like that pie recipe from three generations ago, you’re a keeper.”

For sure, Rick is a keeper!

 

Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise – Pirate Week – Solo Date With Brianna

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani. There are only two Solo Dates left before the Elimination Challenge and tensions are mounting in both houses. The contestants seem to think that this will be some kind of skill challenge and it appears they have all been skilling pretty hard lately. Benny and I have no idea what the producers have planned or if it will indeed be a skill challenge or some kind of random challenge. We do, know, however, that a swimming or fishing competition will not be held, as some of the contestants would have a distinct advantage or aversion to this type of competition. I can’t believe that the producers would not tell, moi, about the competition, but it’s all very hush-hush. Well, maybe I can believe it since the producers hadn’t told me much about Rick’s background either and I had to find out myself. Which reminds me, today I am heading to the Sulani Archives to research more background information on Rick. I mean I still don’t know what his real last name is or who his mother and father were.

And while I am at the archives, Benny is going to “peek in” on Rick’s date with Brianna Hammond of House 1. Right, Benny? Umm…Benny…? Benny…where are you? Oh my gosh, there he is, taking a selfie at the beach. Hmmm…and he looks darn good, too, don’t you think? I wonder if I could get a copy of that snapshot? Hmmm…maybe two copies…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rick was up early and decided to do some fishing. He enjoyed fishing. It relaxed him and it gave him lots of time to think about things. But lately, he had been more of a catch-and-release fisherman. It may have something to do with his newfound knowledge of mermaids and how they viewed fish as their friends. Yet, he still liked to fish, just maybe not as enthusiastically as he had before. It was simpler when he was on the island by himself. There, fishing was part of his livelihood, his self-sufficiency, his off-the-grid lifestyle. But being away from the island wasn’t so bad, and being in the company of the lovely contestants was even better. Which reminded him, he had better get ready for his Solo Date with Brianna.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was a good thing that he had left when he did because he arrived just a few minutes before Brianna. And he couldn’t help but notice the admiring stares she was getting from other male patrons as she walked towards him. To put it mildly, Brianna was totally gorgeous.

“I really planned my outfit carefully for this date. I have been so looking forward to this, and I think my choice has hit its mark. Rick can’t seem to take his eyes off of me, and that was the plan. But seriously, he’s pretty good-looking himself, and I can’t quite take my eyes off of him either,” Brianna thought.

Almost immediately, Rick gets his first whim to “Be Funny” with Brianna, so he tells a joke about barnacles and she thinks it’s rather funny, too. He then gets “Get To Know” and “First Kiss.” The latter, of course, is canceled.

Rick had requested a table for two by the water, but it seems that a certain celebrity already had it reserved.

But no matter, he was given an outdoor table in the shade with a water view. And in fact, he liked this table better as Brianna sat down right next to him. He got another whim to “Tell a Dirty Joke” to Brianna. Oh, Rick! So bad! Even though you’re not supposed to look, I took a peek to see what whims Brianna was having, and she had a whim to “Have First Kiss With Rick”. Dang! These two are smitten with each other.

“I’m so glad that we came here. I heard that the desserts are just divine. I can, of course, make desserts, but not like this. My specialties are more in appetizers and main courses. Chef Pete is a true Pastry Chef and has won some major culinary awards. I can’t wait to taste one of his creations,” enthused Brianna.

“Yes, the desserts are pretty sensational here,” agreed Rick as they took a moment to look at the menu choices.

“But you know, too many desserts could ruin my boyish figure,” Rick laughed patting his stomach, “I’m more into freshly grilled foods myself. The smell of bar-b-q makes my mouth water. And my absolute favorite meal is garlic herbed grilled tuna. My own recipe actually. Tuna marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of thyme from my garden. That coupled with freshly grilled pineapple skewers over rice is superb,” nodded Rick.

Brianna wasn’t quite sure if she heard Rick correctly. His favorite meal was grilled tuna? She couldn’t believe it. Meeting Rick had to be kismet.

“I can’t believe I just heard you say that your favorite meal was grilled tuna,” said Brianna, still astonished by his words. “I have a secret recipe for grilled tuna that I have been wanting to make for you. I guess I wanted to wow you with my culinary skills, but you sure surprised me. I didn’t even know you could cook,” exclaimed Brianna.

Rick laughed heartily, “A cook…nah…I just dabble. I wouldn’t even call it cooking, more like grilling simple foods. And most of the time hoping that I don’t burn the place down!” Rick said laughing again.

Rick gets 3 whims in a row for Brianna, “Woohoo”, “Make-out” and “Woohoo” again. All are canceled.

Brianna must have sensed what Rick was having whims about and did an autonomous flirt with him.

“Well, I could certainly give you some pointers in the kitchen,” flirted Brianna.

“And I would be your most attentive student,” Rick said looking at Brianna intensely.

Brianna felt herself blush suddenly. “Oh my gosh! The way Rick looks at me with those blue eyes, it’s like…it’s like he knows what I’m thinking…and right now, I’m having some rather “hot” thoughts about him,” thought Brianna.

The waiter arrived to take their order. Brianna took a moment to compose herself before speaking. “I absolutely must order the Nutella brownie. I just love Nutella!  And a macchiato, please.”

“I’ll have the banana cream pie and a Buffalo Wing Tea,” Rick said and returned the menu to the waiter.

Oh gosh, here we go again with Rick and his “banana-something” orders.

“So, tell me more about this Nutella obsession you have…” smirked Rick.

“Oh, Nutella,” laughed Brianna lightly, “Well, when I was growing up in San Myshuno, I saw a commercial on tv about Nutella, and I had to try it. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I would spread some on toast, waffles, anything and everything.”

“I loved Nutella so much, that I created a chicken and Nutella recipe. On World Nutella Day, (February 5th for those who don’t know), the company had a cooking contest, and the sim with the best recipe using Nutella would win a trip to Sulani. There were so many entries, but the judges were impressed with my recipe and I won the contest. I couldn’t believe it myself! And that’s how I ended up here. And after that, I fell in love with the place, got a job as a chef, and decided to stay,” smiled Brianna.

“Wow! I didn’t know I was on a date with a Nutella celebrity chef!” smirked Rick, “Do you serve that dish at the restaurant where you work?”

“Unfortunately not. But if I open my own restaurant one day, it will certainly be on the menu,” replied Brianna.

“So, is that your dream? To someday open your own restaurant?” asked Rick.

“Well, that and a few other things…” replied Brianna vaguely.

Their order arrived and the smell of warm chocolate wafted over them. Brianna closed her eyes as she took a bite of brownie.

“Heavenly….” she said, “Yum! This is THE best brownie I have ever had. This is so good!”

“So, you were saying that there were a few other things that you had dreams about. Care to share?” asked Rick.

Rick gets whims to “Get to Know” and “Tell Joke” to Brianna.

“Well, if I ever find the right guy…” Brianna paused and looked at Rick, “…I would like to have a family with him,” answered Brianna.

“Yes, I have always wanted to have a family of my own, but not just my own kids, also adopting some kids. Like the Kealoha family. They have their own child, cute little Nani, and their adopted teen son, Duane Talla. That is what I see as my future family. Of course, I need to find someone who wanted this type of family, too,” Rick smiled winking at Brianna.

Rick gets two more whims for Brianna, “Make-Out” and “Kiss”. Both are canceled.

“Oh, of course. Makes perfect sense. A shared vision. So, just a hypothetical question for you, what would a normal, typical day with your family and your lovely…um… wife look like? You know..sometime in the future,” asked Brianna.

Rick gets several whims to “Ask To Be Girlfriend” and “Woohoo” with Brianna. Tsk Tsk, Rick. All are canceled.

“Oh that’s a good question. Never really dwelled too much on that one, but since you asked…hypothetically…I see myself living here in Sulani, back on my island, but I think I would have to make some improvements. There’s not really a house there now, so that would be my first priority. But I’d want to keep everything natural, still living off-the-grid, so to speak, and perhaps using some eco-friendly technology, like solar panels. And, as for my…um…wife…she would have a love for the outdoors, like me. Together we would teach our children about Sulani and how they can protect it. The outdoors and the environment are rather important to me, so I would like to pass that same wisdom to them. I’m not really sure what a typical day would look like, some swimming or snorkeling, perhaps some fishing, or sailing to one of the many islands of Sulani and doing a beach clean-up. Maybe head to town to ride some bicycles and visit with some friends, or help at some of the festivals. Community and helping one another is very important in Sulani, and I’d want to share that with my…er…wife…and family,” Rick responded thoughtfully.

“That sounds..so…that sounds wonderful. A very relaxing lifestyle, but filled with a sense of purpose” Brianna replied thinking of the possibilities.

“And, of course, I’d have to teach everyone my famous garlic herb grilled tuna recipe. Family secret you know…” he joked and Brianna laughed with him.

Rick gets a whim to “Flirt With” Brianna, and I have no trouble convincing him to do so.

The waiter came with their bill and placed a card beside Brianna’s plate. Brianna looked at it questioningly.

“It’s a personality card, based on the dessert you ordered. It will reveal your innermost thoughts,” smirked Rick, “Go ahead and read it!”

Brianna laughed and certainly hoped that the card wouldn’t reveal the smoldering thoughts she was having about Rick right now. “Sure,” Brianna replied brightly and started to read the card, “As the brownie believer, you might be low maintenance, independent, and easy-going. People love being around you, but you also value your alone time. You’re a great companion with a comforting shoulder to cry on–or a brownie to offer as comfort food. Once someone gets to know you, they might discover the slightly nutty nature beneath the surface–and it’s just as fun as the nuts in your favorite brownie recipe. People believe in you as much as you believe in the brownies.”

“So, any of that true?” Rick asked.

“Well, I think most of it is. I’m pretty low maintenance, and prefer to spend time at the beach, scuba diving or surfing. I would say I was pretty easy-going, well, except when it comes to my work. I’m pretty intense about that. I do need some alone time, now and again, and enjoy strumming tunes on my guitar. And a nutty nature? Well, that must be my love for Nutella!” laughed Brianna.

“But you forgot one thing…” replied Rick.

“I did?” Brianna asked wondering what Rick was going to add.

“Yes! That sims love being around you!” said Rick staring at Brianna, “And I SO love being around you, Brianna…”

Oh, Rick! I can almost see Brianna blush after that compliment!

The date was over, and as they got up from the table, they faced each other and just stood there staring at each other. Neither one moved. Neither one wanted to leave. Rick thought that this would be the perfect moment to end a perfect date. The whim didn’t go away — “Have First Kiss With Brianna”. Rick had to admit that he was genuinely attracted to Brianna. She was beautiful, they got along very well and shared many interests. He so wanted to…oh how he wanted to…but he couldn’t. And, it’s as if Brianna knew the moment had passed and was the first to move. Brianna thanked Rick for the date and they bid each other good night as they headed out of the restaurant together.

*Gold Date Achieved*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brianna’s Date Thoughts:

“I am floating on a cloud after that date. At the end, I could almost sense that Rick wanted to kiss me. I know I certainly wanted to kiss him. But he probably is sticking to the “no kissing rule” until after the Solo Dates are done. But after that, my lips will be ready, because Rick is very kissable, and one kiss just wouldn’t be enough. Besides, Rick is a keeper. When he was describing a typical day with his..er…wife and family, I could imagine that happening. I was lulled by his voice and drifted off to that not-so-distant future, and, yes, I saw myself there with him. It’s a dream that I would like to see become a reality. Everything he said about teaching his children to love the outdoors is exactly how I feel. His values are my values. His likes are my likes. I believe that things happen for a reason. Me being in this contest and Rick being the Bachelor. We’re meant to be together. But with his easy-going nature, I am sure most of the contestants feel that way, too…that he is the one for them. So, I will have to work harder to win his love. Because, the problem is, I am falling in love with Rick and really do feel he is the one for me. And his talk of an off-the-grid lifestyle and plans for a family, I could handle a life like that. And with Rick, life could be a dream.”

Relationship Status: Remains Lovebirds

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s Notes:

Rick kept having the same “Have First Kiss With Brianna” whim, even though I kept canceling it. Over and over and over, it kept showing up. And at the end when they got up from the table, they just stood there looking at each other, not moving. I am not sure if it was a glitch in my game, or perhaps something else. Only time will tell.

There is an actual recipe for chicken and Nutella. Read all about it here. Nutella and Chicken? Strange Food Combos That Really Work.

“Life Could Be A Dream”, song lyrics from the song “Sh Boom Sh Boom, by The Chords, 1954.

 

Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise Challenge – Pirate Week – Solo Date with Cinnamon

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani. After an exciting day yesterday at Admiral’s Wreckage where, I, Roxanna Llama-Llama, actually found the fabled Heart of Sulani necklace, we are back! Now, don’t you worry about that necklace because Benny has headed over to Keala Hoapili’s house to have her hold it for safe keeping. Benny figured that the island spirits would add an extra layer of protection to guard that necklace, and I couldn’t agree more. So, with the necklace taken care of, and Rick now fully recovered from his bout of food poisoning, do you know what this means? Yes! Rick is ready to head off on Solo dates with the lovely contestants again! I can hardly contain my excitement. And the producers of the show have come through with a new date venue, located right here in Sulani, called Pirate Pete’s Pastries. A restaurant serving just pastries and beverages. And it’s even rumored that the owner, Pete, is a real live descendant of the pirates who inhabited Sulani. Can you believe it? Well, whether he is a pirate or not, he is the best pastry chef on the island, and just looking at some of these delectable desserts has me wanting to go there with Benny.

Oh right! About Benny and yesterday. Well, you know, being out in the hot sun most of the day and then finding a treasure that no-one has found for centuries does something to you. I guess you could say we were feeling euphoric, and that gorgeous sunset certainly created a romantic mood….but I can tell you that there is nothing between Benny and I, and this morning everything was business as usual. Yes, indeed, business as usual. And so, without further delay, let’s head on over to peek in on Rick’s date with Cinnamon Apple of House 2.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rick arrived early for his date with Cinnamon and decided to wander down to the dock. He noticed how busy the marina was with boats arriving from surrounding islands to compete in the Sulani regatta that was part of the Pirate Week celebrations. Since coming to Sulani he had always marvelled at the beauty of the various sailboats. One day, maybe, when he had enough simoleons, he would purchase a sailboat and sail the ocean for a few months. And just maybe he would have someone to sail with him. He thought about all the contestants and wondered if this “someone” was among them.

He was deep in thought as he gazed out to sea when suddenly his cell phone rang. It was Octavia asking him to go on a date. He kindly declined and hung up. Plus, he already had a date. He walked quickly towards the restaurant in case Cinnamon was waiting for him.

It was only a few minutes after Rick walked there that Cinnamon arrived. And what an entrance she made! Rick had a sharp in-take of breath and thought that she looked incredibly gorgeous.

“While Rick was out with food poisoning, I thought I would spruce up my wardrobe a bit and headed to the Sulani marketplace and bought this outfit. I think it was a wise choice, as I could swear I saw Rick’s mouth drop when I arrived,” thought Cinnamon.

Almost immediately, Rick gets several whims for Cinnamon. “Be friendly”, “Tell joke”, and “First Kiss.” Rick does the first two whims and the third is cancelled. Their conversation continues to flow very smoothly.

And then all of a sudden, they both burst into song autonomously after which Cinnamon does an autonomous flirt with Rick. Cinnamon is not wasting any time on this date! The heat is on!

“It certainly is getting hot out here,” Rick says as he wipes the sweat from his brow,  “I think I’ll go and get us a table. Oh, and I hope you like desserts, because this restaurant serves the best in Sulani…” said Rick as he walked towards the restaurant entrance.

“Hmmmm….” thought Cinnamon smiling, “…maybe by the end of this date, I’ll be Rick’s favorite dessert…”

Rick gets another “First Kiss” whim, followed by “Woohoo” for Cinnamon, while he is waiting for their table.

“Geez, it must be this heatwave we’re having or maybe I haven’t fully recovered from that food poisoning, but being around Cinnamon is sure making me have strange thoughts!” thought Rick.

They are seated at an outdoor table under shade by the water. And they both sit down on the same side of the table. How cute is that?

“I hope this table is alright. I thought a view of the water would be nice,” said Rick as they sat down.

“Oh yes. It is perfect. Since I arrived here, I have been fascinated by the ocean. I like to get up early at the house before anyone else, and just sit on the deck with my tea and stare out at the water. The ocean is so mesmerizing with its clear and turquoise water. I know this sounds crazy…but it’s like it beckons you to it…” Cinnamon almost whispered.

Rick looked at Cinnamon quizzically for a moment before commenting. “Yes, that is exactly how I feel. I have often thought about sailing the ocean for a few months. Well, if I had a sailboat that is, which I don’t,” replied Rick.

“So, is that like a secret wish that you have? To own your own sailboat and sail the ocean?” asked Cinnamon.

“Yes, I guess you could call it that. A secret wish,” said Rick, “Ah, but it’s not a secret anymore now that you know…” Rick smiled and winked at her.

“You’re secret is safe with me,” replied Cinnamon quickly.

“And so, you must have some secrets, too, don’t you Cinnamon? Care to share any?” Rick said as he looked intensely at Cinnamon.

Cinnamon felt herself melt a bit at the intensity of Rick’s stare.  “I….um…where I live….um…” Cinnamon uttered.

But, before she could continue, the waitress arrived at their table to take their order.

Cinnamon hadn’t even had time to look at the menu so she quickly scanned the menu and then saw something familiar.

“Rick, I can’t believe they have this dessert here! It is my most favorite dessert from Selvadorada, Buñuelos! They are basically fried dough coated in cinnamon and absolutely delicious. I’ll order that and a glass of fruit punch.”

“Oh, that sounds good, but I really can’t resist a good piece of banana cream pie. I’ll order that with a Fizzy Fruity Drink,” finished Rick.

With the order in, Rick looked at Cinnamon again

“So…now I’m all ears…you were just about to tell me one of your secrets…” Rick prompted winking wickedly at her.

Cinnamon was in shock and her face felt flushed. “I thought he would forget about “my secret” when the waitress came. What had just happened? I was going to tell him the secret of the Omiscan ruins. Just like that. Under his spell. But I feel in my heart that I could trust him. I could tell him anything, and I so want to, but I can’t. What am I going to do?” thought Cinnamon and she remained silent.

Rick spoke up then, “From your silence, you must have some BIG secret that you are keeping and are debating whether or not to tell me. It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything and perhaps this isn’t the best place to tell me anyway. Maybe one day you’ll tell me, but for now, why don’t you tell me more about Selvadorada,” Rick smiled warmly at her.

Cinnamon couldn’t believe what he had just said to her. She remembered how he had handled Nami’s secret that she was an alien, and Coral, Isla, Merinda and Naomi’s secret of being mermaids. He was so understanding and non-judgemental. She decided right then and there that if she was one of the seven contestants left, that she would tell him in private then. She didn’t want to keep any secrets from him, especially with how she was starting to feel aboout him.

The waitress came with their order then and promptly dropped it. Oh gosh! The waitress was very apologetic and quickly cleaned up the area and headed back to the kitchen to put their order in again. Let’s hope their order comes before the date ends.

Cinnamon felt rather confident now talking to Rick and even flirted with him as the waitress left. In no time at all, their ordered appeared again in front of them.

After oohing and ahhing about their desserts, Cinnamon told Rick a bit about where she was from. Rick gets several more whims of “Be Friendly” and “Cloudgaze.”

Cinnamon started to talk about Selvadorada, “I live in the Belomisia Jungle region in Selvadorada with my parents. My mother is an archaeologist and my father is a linguist. We have travelled extensively throughout Selvadorada and often visit the marketplace of Puerto Llamante. It is a great place and there are food stands, local crafts to buy and a cantina. Every sim dances the rumbasim, and every sim knows you by name. I have had a lot of fun there!”

“The rumbasim? Do you know that dance, too?” asked Rick.

“Why yes. It is part of my culture. Every Selvadoradian knows that dance. The word “rumba” itself means party,” explained Cinnamon.

“Maybe you could teach me the rumbasim?” said Rick.

“Yes, I could, but I warn you, it’s a very energetic dance. Are you sure you can keep up?” Cinnamon said laughing a little.

“Ouch! Are you saying I’m not in shape?” laughed Rick faking a wounded look.

They both laughed and continued joking with each other. Rick also got some more whims for Cinnamon, another “First Kiss”, and “Flirt With”. Things were going rather well on the date except for their first dessert order being dropped.

Rick ate a piece of his pie and exclaimed that it was the best banana cream pie he’s ever had.

“My mother prepares a wonderful dish called plantanos fritos, which translates to fried plantain. You’d like it, since you love bananas so much. And it tastes so much better when you hand pick the fruit yourself.” Cinnamon smiled warmly.

“Oh that sounds yummy and Selvadorada sounds like a wonderful place. I would like to visit one day,” said Rick sincerely.

“Yes, we could stay at the Belomisia Field Station, which is a jungle hostel for budding archaeologists, and then hike to the National Park trailhead. From there, I would be your personal guide and reveal all of the mysteries of the jungle to you,” replied Cinnamon coyly.

“And would we have to stay in the deep jungle overnight while we hike this trail?” asked Rick as he raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Why, of course. But you don’t mind sleeping in a tent for two, do you?” answered Cinnamon playing along with him.

“No, not at all. But I do have one question for you…do you SNORE?” laughed Rick.

Cinnamon burst out laughing herself.

While Cinnamon and Rick were laughing at the joke, someone familiar entered the restaurant and headed to the bar. Even with those dark sunglasses on, it looked like one of the contestants. Oh my gosh, it was! Coral, is that you?

The bill was delivered and a card was placed beside Cinnamon’s plate.

“What’s this?” Cinnamon said as she looked at the card.

“I would say it’s a personality card based on the dessert you ordered. Why don’t you read it?” Rick said.

Cinnamon smiled as she read her card out loud, “If you’re a donuts nut, people are often jealous of your awesomeness. You’re great in all situations with all types of people–which makes sense because donuts are a dessert that is appropriate for multiple situations. You’ll get fancy every once in a while, but you’re typically a no frills kind of person. If others don’t like you, it doesn’t matter ’cause you know your self-worth.”

“And, any truth to that?” asked Rick smiling

“Yes, it is eerily true. I do have an inner-strength. I guess some sims might be jealous of that. But it’s how I grew up. In the jungle, you need to be self-sufficient, and my parents did instill a great sense of confidence in me. I always felt I could do anything. And although I do like to dress up, I am happier in shorts and a t-shirt, camping, fishing and being in the outdoors.”

“Ah, so true. But you forgot one thing,” said Rick.

“Oh, what’s that?” asked Cinnamon, wanting to know what Rick thought of her.

“The awesomeness part,” whispered Rick, “Because I think you’re pretty awesome myself.”

Hubba! Hubba! Rick! You most definitely have made Cinnamon’s night with that compliment.

The date was over, but Rick really didn’t want it to end. He could spend all night talking to Cinnamon. She was intelligent, loved the outdoors and was an adventurer. They had a lot in common. Rick glanced over his shoulder one last time as she headed down the path. And besides that, Cinnamon was “smokin’ hot”!

*Gold Date Achieved*

Cinnamon’s Date Thoughts:

“Rick is really the kind of guy I could settle down with. He’s so “hot” and he doesn’t even know it. And kind. I can understand why the sims in Sulani all like him so much. The sims in Selvadorada would all like him, too. He could go anywhere and sims would like him. And funny. Rick has the most amazing sense of humor. I bet he could even make a grueling trek into the jungle fun. I kind of wish we were in Selvadorada now. Together. Alone. And after putting out the fire and heading into that tent, I know that we would have …um… much…um…more “fun” together. *Fans self* Rick needs someone like me. Some of the other contestants don’t even like fishing or the outdoors. That is Rick’s life, his passion. How can he be with a sim who doesn’t share his interests? He wouldn’t be happy. And telling him the “secret” of the Omiscan ruins would only bring us closer together. I am sure of it. I am now, more determined than ever to be “the one” for Rick. Because I know, in my heart, that I am his one, true passion.”

Relationship Status: Remains Romantic Interest

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s Notes:

I found a website on what ordering your favorite dessert says about you, and although buñuelos aren’t mentioned, they are close to donuts. I thought that it suited Cinnamon’s personality quite well.

With all the autonomous flirting that was going on, I really thought that their relationship at the end of the date would be much higher.

Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise ~ Pirate Week -Travel to Admiral’s Wreckage

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani! It’s another gorgeous day, but filming for The Bachelor in Paradise Show has been postponed due to Rick’s unfortunate bout of food poisoning on his date with Raven. And let me tell you — it is nasty! Of course, the producers have decided that a change of venue is needed for Rick’s next dates, and they are investigating several possibilities in Sulani while Rick is recovering.

Poor Rick! Look at that sad puppy face. Thank goodness Afu is there to help Rick recover. But never fear, the show will go on. And that’s where Benny and I come in. Yes! You get to see us in action again. Benny was keen on heading to that shipwreck, Admiral’s Wreckage, and begin the search for the Heart of Sulani necklace. I, myself, Roxanna Llama-Llama, was not too thrilled to head to that lava-spewing Mua Pel’am island, but Benny convinced me that it would be a beach day with a little treasure hunting thrown in. After thinking it over and buying a divine new swimsuit, of which I, Roxanna Llama-Llama, look utterly fabulous in, having a bit of a beach day sounded like a good idea. Plus, if finding this Heart of Sulani necklace would somehow save Rick from this mysterious sea witch, we should give it a go and try to find it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Benny and Roxanna arrived at Admiral’s Wreckage, Mua Pel’am, Sulani. 

After unloading the gear, Roxanna and Benny took a look around. Well, Keala had been right, there was a shipwreck here, and although Roxanna was not a historian, this wreckage didn’t quite look like a pirate ship. But maybe it was.

The wreckage was designated a national park on Mua Pel’am and there was an old oil drum set up as a bar-b-q with a rustic table and chairs nearby. On the other side, there was a bonfire set-up.

Benny had laid out a tarp under a palm tree and was busy unpacking. He had purchased some treasure hunting equipment and had packed several backpacks laden with metal detectors, sand scoops, a probe, some pails, a sieve, and shovels. He looked like he was going on a SimSahara expedition.

Of course, Roxanna had also packed essentials such as beach loungers, picnic items, water bottles and, of course, suntan lotion. But this time, she was going to apply the suntan lotion herself, as we all remember what happened the last time Benny applied suntan lotion on Roxanna.

When everything was set-up, Benny suggested they explore the ship first. Maybe something had been overlooked inside. Roxanna really didn’t think that anything would be there, but she went along with Benny’s plan.

They descended the stairs and came to a large area with a table and some chairs set up. A door was to the left and they headed towards that area.

Opening the door revealed the ship’s galley. They looked behind and under cabinets. Nothing.

It looked like most of the floorboards had been replaced. Probably the original ones had rotted in places.

Next, they headed into the ships’ sleeping quarters. Benny noticed some bolts on the wall and thought that maybe other beds had been above the ones on the floor. For some reason, they had been removed. Perhaps they were deemed unsafe if perhaps some tourists wanted to climb up on them. There were some swords on the wall, and there was a night table with a plaque on it.

The plaque read: 

So, was this Rodrigo De Pablo’s ship? Was this the pirate ship that sank? For some reason, Roxanna thought it was another pirate ship that had sunk. They continued exploring and entered another room.

This room was the restroom or the “head” in pirate slang.

The last room they entered seemed to have a lot of sunken crates in it. Probably the old cargo hold. Was Benny planning on digging these up and seeing what was inside?

While Benny carefully pried a board off of one of the crates, Roxanna went over to the bookcase.

Roxanna spied a book called The Adventures of Pink Ruffles and was curious to see what type of book this was in amongst all the ancient maps and logbooks. She went to pull the book from the shelf, and suddenly the bookshelf swung open. Oh my gosh! She had discovered a secret room! She called to Benny to come and have a look, too.

The room was small, dark and musty. It didn’t appear that anyone had entered this room. Were they the first ones to discover it? As they held their lanterns high, Roxanna spied some type of chest. Could it be….could it be a treasure chest? Locked away in secret, perhaps with the mythical Heart of Sulani necklace inside? There was only one way to find out, they had to try to open the chest.

But no matter how hard Roxanna and Benny tried, they could not open the chest. Benny tried to drag the chest through the doorway, but it wouldn’t fit. He then ran his hand around the chest and realized it had been welded shut. They realized they had been duped. It was a fake treasure chest, probably placed here by the Maxis Historical Society for the tourists to show where pirates might hide their treasure.

Roxanna shook her head. The whole ship was a gimmick. There wasn’t any treasure in here. The Heart of Sulani must be elsewhere.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coming up from the ship, Benny suggested they start beachcombing with the metal detectors in a grid pattern. He would start near the ship’s area and work towards the beach.

Roxanna headed over near the rock edge and started there.

They searched…

And searched…

They found some shells…and other things…

 

And some seagull “pooped” on Roxanna. This was not her idea of a fun beach day! She went back to her supplies and got out a disinfectant wipe and wiped the offensive “poop” off her shoulder. Ugh!

After wiping herself off, Roxanna decided to have a break and grab a bite to eat. She emptied the contents of her collection bag, and she had certainly found some nice shells.

But these weren’t what they needed to find. The Heart of Sulani necklace could be anywhere. If it was lost centuries ago, it could be under tons of sand, or even have washed out to sea. Or maybe it was somewhere that they hadn’t even looked yet.

Although Roxanna seriously had doubts that she and Benny were chosen to find this necklace after centuries of it being hidden. It really seemed like an impossible task.

The search seemed hopeless, but for Rick’s sake, Roxanna continued to beach comb. She was searching near some rocks near the water when suddenly something stung her.

“Benny! Something stung me! Help!” cried Roxanna.

Benny came running over.

“My foot…I stepped on something…it stings so bad…” cried Roxanna hobbling over to Benny.

Benny looked at the affected area and said that probably Roxanna had stepped on a sea urchin near the rocks.

“Yeah, they told us about this in dive school. There doesn’t appear to be any spikes, so the sea urchin just bit you. I packed a first aid kit and some apple cider vinegar just in case this happened.”

While Roxanna sat down on a nearby rock waiting for Benny to return with the first aid kit, she thought she saw something behind her.

Was that some type of cave? A hidden sea cave? Oh gosh!

Forgetting about the pain in her foot, she walked over to the cave opening. It was really dark in there. Roxanna also spied some type of mural on the wall next to the cave, although it seemed incomplete. Was it a clue? Roxanna had a sudden feeling that what they had been searching for was in this cave.

When Benny returned with the first aid kit, Roxanna showed him her discovery and also the wall mural.

“This could be it, Roxanna! I’ll grab a flashlight and head in!” exclaimed Benny, almost running to get his gear.

“Be careful in there!” shouted Roxanna, but Benny had already entered the cave.

The day was hot, and as Roxanna’s foot was feeling a bit better, she decided to go down to the water’s edge. On heading there, she spied some garbage on the beach.

She decided to clean it up and saw Benny come out of the cave heading toward his supplies tarp. After grabbing a towel and drying himself off, Benny gave her a wave and then headed back into the cave.

Oh gosh! Now Roxanna cut her finger on the debris. While applying several bandages to her finger, Roxanna just felt sad about all the garbage on the beach. Sulani is such a beautiful island with a frail eco-system, and sims don’t realize how they are impacting the environment. Roxanna thought about organizing a beach clean-up, but perhaps everyone should wear gloves when they help out.

“That would be a wonderful community project for the contestants. Maybe I’ll talk to the producers about that idea. I’m sure Rick would think that was a wonderful idea, too,” smiled Roxanna.

Meanwhile, in the cave…

Roxanna saw Benny exit the cave again and plunk something down on the supply tarp. “There’s some underground pools in there…” Benny shouted to Roxanna as he headed back in the cave.

Benny went in and out of the cave several times. There were underground waterways and lava tubes, but he hadn’t found anything. He would give it another attempt as he thought he saw something at the end of one of the tubes.

Benny exited the cave. What he had thought had been the silhouette of a ship had actually been something else. He hadn’t found the Heart of Sulani necklace. Maybe it wasn’t even in there. Maybe it was somewhere off-shore. Of course! He should have been searching the water all along. The ship sunk off-shore, and it was probably hidden underwater somewhere!

With renewed hope, Benny put on his scuba gear and headed off to explore the bottom of the ocean near the island.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While Benny headed off to treasure hunt, Roxanna went for a refreshing swim. She stayed close to the shoreline, so she could find her way back again.

Roxanna came upon a sandy beach outcrop and decided to beach comb there. 

She found another shell and saw a baby turtle. Wasn’t seeing a turtle a sign of good luck? Roxanna recalled reading somewhere that turtles symbolized luck and longevity. Suddenly, Roxanna had a very good feeling about today as she swam back to Admiral’s Wreckage.

With Benny searching underwater, Roxanna wondered if she might have luck finding something in that cave. She really had no desire to enter this big dark cavern, but something was pulling her towards it. She hastily wrote a note to Benny, and brandishing a flashlight, a rope and a collection bag, Roxanna tentatively entered the cave.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Benny had laid some gridwork for his search underwater and with a hand-held magnetometer (an underwater metal detector), searched the grid area. This had taken a few hours, but he had found nothing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roxanna came across some cave graffiti.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Benny had been underwater for quite a long time and suddenly saw a golden glint in the sand. He plucked it up. It wasn’t a necklace, but some sort of coin. It looked old. He sensed he was getting close.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roxanna continued to explore the cave and went deeper still. She came across an amazing sight.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Benny realized he had to dive deeper, so wearing his rebreather, Benny continued to dive all afternoon. He had unearthed another treasure, some type of wicker comb that was surprisingly intact. But still, not the necklace he was looking for.

It was getting late, and his muscles were sore and he was getting quite hungry. He hopped on his aqua-zip and headed back to Admiral’s Wreckage. He was feeling disappointed that he had to tell Roxanna he had been unsuccessful in his search. Perhaps they would be able to come back another day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roxanna wasn’t sure what time it was, and she knew she should get back, but something kept pushing her on. She knew she was on the right track. And then ever so carefully rounding a bend, she saw it! It was an ancient ship…more like a pirate ship. This could be it! After searching the ship, she saw something caught on the tip of a sword in one of the crew’s quarters. Although from what was left, it looked like this was the Captain’s quarters. She snatched her prize and headed back to the outside of the cave.

Roxanna exited the cave and held up the necklace to the light. Oh my, how it sparkled. Was this really the Heart of Sulani necklace that had been hidden for centuries? Had the island spirits really been right that Benny and she would be the ones to find it? It certainly looked like the picture that Keala had shown her.

She heard Benny come up from the beach. He didn’t look too happy, but she had exciting news to tell him.

“Benny, I think I found the necklace!” she shouted as Benny came towards her.

As Benny ran towards her, and saw the glittering necklace Roxanna held in her hand, he noticed that the wall mural had changed.

“I think you’re right, Roxanna. Look at the mural. It’s changed. It’s complete now. Oh my gosh, you did find it! You found it, Roxanna, just like the island spirits predicted!” Benny was almost jumping up and down from the excitement, but instead, gave Roxanna a big hug.

As they ate some grilled fruit that Roxanna had prepared, Benny told Roxanna about what he had found.

As they were packing up the gear, Benny came over to Roxanna and noticed the bandages on her finger. Roxanna explained what had happened when she was cleaning up the beach trash. Benny looked at her for a moment and took her hands in his, “I always knew you were special, Roxanna, and today just proves it. Even if we hadn’t found that necklace, you are truly a one-of-a-kind sim.”

Maybe it was the setting sun, or perhaps the exhilaration of finding the Heart of Sulani, or Benny giving her that unexpected compliment, but Roxanna thought that Benny looked so good all of a sudden. Why hadn’t she noticed this before? He gave her another hug and parted, but still held her in his arms…like he didn’t want to let her go. He looked at her as if he wanted to say something, but instead just looked deeper into her eyes. Was he going to…oh, gosh, look at those muscles! He leaned closer to her…she could feel his breath on her face…feel her cheeks getting flushed…could feel his grip tighten slightly on her waist pulling her ever so closer…oh my…her lips parted for what she felt was sure to take place…

And then Roxanna’s cell phone rang…

It was Rick. He was fully recovered and he wanted her to be the first to know. Roxanna smiled as she took the call, but the moment with Benny was broken as he released her from his arms and went back to packing up the gear.

“Super fabulous, Rick! The producers will be thrilled to know that you’re ready to go on more dates,” enthused Roxanna.

“Oh, and just so you know, Raven made a personal visit to check up on me,” replied Rick happily.

“Oh really? Raven did…did she?” smiled Roxanna thinking that Raven was taking every opportunity to get close to Rick. Raven was one determined contestant, that was for sure.

Roxanna hung up the phone and her mind was suddenly a whirlwind of thoughts. So much to do now that Rick was better. Lining up more dates, getting the Rose Ceremony location planned, and making sure she put the Heart of Sulani necklace in a safe place. Roxanna’s mind was filled with so many thoughts that she didn’t see Benny giving her an appreciative look. Wikki Wikki Wii from Sulani.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s Notes:

I  hope you enjoyed this. I had no idea that there was an Ancient Wreck when exploring the cave. It just added to the story.

And for all the beachcombing that Benny and Roxanna did, I completed the Seashells Collection. I think this is the first collection I’ve ever completed.

 

 

A few changes were made to the Maxis build of Admiral’s Wreckage, and one was placing a “bookshelf” door to the hidden treasure. In the actual build, there isn’t one. I chose this book title, which is an actual sims book, because it fit the pirate theme.

The Adventures of Pink Ruffles by Ace Montegue is a children’s fantasy book. It is listed as a sims book found on this website. Shamed by the pirate community solely for his name, Pink Ruffles sailed the seas with his trusty crew. Vitamin C infused cotton candy kept the crew free of scurvy and teeth. Follow Pink Ruffles and crew as they search for treasure and ultimately… redemption.

I have no idea if that secret treasure chest can be opened. I read that you had to be at the top of the diving career to open it, but Benny is at the top of the Diving Career and couldn’t open it either. I think it is just an unopenable truck. However, if anyone knows how to open this trunk, let me know.

And what luck that Roxanna found the Heart of Sulani necklace! And she even found the rare one worth $1,200 simoleons! Woot!

And what is developing between Benny and Roxanna? Do you think that Benny is falling for Roxanna? Things seemed to be heating up before Rick’s phone call. But, nah, it must just be my imagination. Right?

Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise ~ Pirate Week – Solo Date with Raven

The same day, later that evening…

Rick and Raven arrive at Ye Olde Pirate Restaurant for their dinner Solo Date. Rick gets his first whim “to get to know” Raven. They chat a bit and then Rick heads inside to request a table.

For some reason, Raven decided that she wanted to take a swim before dinner.

After a quick dip, Raven joins Rick at the bottom of the stairs. She fully approves of the restaurant choice, and Rick fully approves of Raven’s new dinner outfit!

Raven takes a moment to change (did she change behind the sign?), and then does an autonomous flirt with Rick.

Raven sure knows how to strut her stuff.

And it looks like Rick noticed too, as he compliments Raven on her outfit. And then she gets this moodlet. Nice start to the date!

Rick was going to ask Raven if she wanted to play some cards, but their table was ready, so they headed inside.

There are only two tables inside at the bar area, and they are seated at a table for two near the dance floor. Rick gets a whim to “be friendly” with Raven and they continue to chat. They are getting along very well and don’t need any prompts to keep the conversation flowing. Rick gets a whim to “flirt” with Raven, which he does.

Rick and Raven exchange numbers and Raven is super pleased to get Rick’s private number on her phone.

Rick must be, too, because he gets a flirty vibe and a whim to “woohoo” with Raven. Uh, no. He also gets a whim to stargaze with Raven and I tag that for later.

Rick wants to find out more about Raven and asks her to tell him about a favorite thing she likes to do. Raven looks at Rick almost as if she is debating on whether to tell him something. She decides to go ahead.

“You know, Rick, I am not like normal sim gals. I mean, my likes and hobbies are different. Maybe you’ve noticed I like the color black. I’m a goth and like to dress like one. I like strange and spooky. I like horror movies…” Raven stopped to see how he would react to this.

“Well, we all have different likes and dislikes. And that’s what’s so interesting about you. You’re NOT like the others, and I find that refreshing. And who doesn’t like a good horror movie once in awhile? ‘Sims of the Dead’ is my all-time favorite classic horror film. Who doesn’t like a good zombie movie? Right?”

Raven was surprised at his response. Rick liked her because she was different. Wow, no-one had ever said that to her before. She decided to trust him and proceeded to tell him about how her mother had died giving birth to her and how her father was found dead in a forest and how she was sent to an orphanage where kids made fun of her.

Rick couldn’t believe what he had just heard. How horrible for Raven to have gone through that at such a young age. And kids can be cruel. He wished he had been there to help her through all that. Rick told Raven how sorry he was to hear that, but before he could say anything more, their server came to take their orders.

Rick hadn’t even looked at the menu but saw that they had a dish called “Stranger Tides.” Mysterious waters and stranger tides bring you this fantastic dish. Fried “catch of the day”, marinated in buttered shallots with a hint of dijon mustard, served with fresh asparagus spears, potato rounds, and a lemon wedge. Rick thought that sounded good and not spicy like the lunch dish he had. He also ordered a Tang & Zing.

“Oh, I’m going to order this!” exclaimed Raven. Raven was more adventurous and ordered an experimental dish called “Artisan Fish Trio”. An explosion of flavor featuring dragon roll sushi, herb baked salmon and purple potato chips with creme fraiche and caviar. Served atop a bed of shredded beetroot salad and drizzled lightly with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. Lemon wedge, soy sauce, and wasabi on the side. It certainly was different. Raven also ordered a Dim & Gusty drink.

The server took their orders and complimented Raven on her bold choice of entree. While they were waiting for their dinner, Rick asked Raven if she wanted to dance.

Rick realized that Raven was a really good dancer. He decided to step it up a bit.

Rick had some moves of his own and Raven stopped dancing not quite sure what he was doing. Rick, is that the “funky chicken”?

He’s doing the “Dougie” now. Rick, you certainly have Raven’s attention. But she’s not dancing…isn’t that what you wanted to do…dance with Raven?

Well, thankfully, they see the server heading to their table, so they sit down again before Rick embarrasses himself further. Rick gets a whim to “make-out” with Raven. Um, no loveseats around, so that’s a no.

Their dinner arrives and Raven can’t get over how beautiful her dish looks.

Rick was already eating his meal, but Raven wanted to get a picture of her dish before she started. “If I told anyone, they wouldn’t believe I ate this!”

“Um, Rick, do you mind if I ask you a question?” asked Raven taking a sip of her drink.

“Sure, ask away,” Rick replied not sure what Raven’s question was going to be.

“If you could come back from the dead to haunt anyone, who would it be?” Raven asked quietly.

Rick almost choked on his food. He never expected a question like that!

“Well, to be honest, I have never really thought about that. I don’t think there is anyone I would want to haunt. But maybe I’d like to “possess” a fridge. That way, I’d never be hungry in the afterlife,” laughed Rick as he took another mouthful of his fried fish. Raven thought Rick was quite funny and laughed at his answer.

Rick continued, “But maybe if I had found a special sim in my life, I would want to come back to them. Not in a scary way. As a loving partner to look out for them. Afterall, they say love has no boundaries…”

Raven looked at Rick then. “That is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” replied Raven feeling very emotional at the moment.

And with that, Rick blows Raven an autonomous kiss. Oh my gosh! They are both star-struck with each other.

“Dang!” thought Raven, “I’m in love with the guy! How did this happen?”

“Maybe it’s this food that I ate. Were these aphrodisiac foods or something? Why am I so overwhelmed by these feelings of love and desire for Rick? I’ve never felt this way before,” Raven was very confused.

And suddenly, on her perfect date with Rick, Raven spies a familiar sim. It’s Coral! What is she doing here?

And before Raven can suggest they head outside, Coral comes over and starts to chat with Rick.

 

 

 

“I can’t believe this is happening! On my date! And just when Rick and I were getting cozy. I should just tell Coral a piece of my mind. Hmmm…but that wouldn’t look good in front of Rick…” thought Raven.

“And is she flirting with him now? Unbelievable!” Raven was at odds as to what to do. Should she play it cool and just chat with Coral as if nothing had happened? Or, should she shout forbidden words at Coral? The latter was tempting, but Raven decided to play it cool.

“Oh Coral, so nice to see you again. Rick and I were just going to do some stargazing outside together. Weren’t we Rick?” laughed Raven casually. Smooth, Raven, very smooth.

That got Rick’s notice! Coral said she had to leave anyway and just wanted to say hi to Rick.

“That’s right! Move along there, Coral. Rick is on a date with ME! And you’re ruining the mood. I have plans…oh yes, plans…” thought Raven to herself.

As they headed outside together, Rick suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. Oh my plumbobs, now what? Rick quickly excused himself and told Raven he had to use the facilities. I have never seen a sim run so fast to the restroom!

Rick makes it just in time and…well…let’s just say that it was really NASTY!

Even afterwards, Rick’s stomach is still rumbling and churning. He feels soooo ill. It must have been something he ate. As he comes out of the restroom, he sees the server that served them and told him that he thought he had food poisoning. The server was appalled and apologized profusely and then headed to the kitchen and Rick heard him yelling at the chef.

Rick felt weak and shaky as he slowly climbed the stairs. His face was hot and clammy and he was still feeling nauseous. Rick didn’t think he could stargaze with Raven tonight. He would have to give her a rain check. Raven was understanding and thanked him for the date. She said they could stargaze another night, and that she hoped he was feeling better soon.

And even though Rick got sick during the date, *Gold Date Achieved*.

Despite the queasy sensation in his stomach, Rick embraced Raven and said goodbye. He then quickly fled in the direction he had just come from. And just in time!

Egads! This is definitely NOT how Rick had envisioned the ending of his date with Raven. Ah, poor Rick.

Author’s Note: Food poisoning takes 24 hours to overcome, so Rick will be out of commission for awhile.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Raven’s Date Thoughts: “From the first moment I met Rick, we had a connection. Call it karma, call it chance, call it destiny…call it whatever you want. But all I know is that for some reason I am drawn to Rick. I have never known another sim who was so accepting of just…well…everyone. But more so, a sim who likes me for just being me. Rick is definitely a keeper, and I know a lot of the other contestants think so, too. Like Coral. What was up with that? I can’t believe Coral showed up on our date and tried to flirt with Rick! She was actually using my own strategy against me! Sheesh! Well, it didn’t work, did it Coral? Because Rick was more interested in doing some stargazing with me…umm…well, he was, until that bizarro food poisoning incident. You don’t think that Coral had anything to do with that, do you? I mean, maybe I underestimated her. It would be rather clever to add something to the food and cause some stomach ailment to cut the date short. Hmmm….could it be that the poison was meant for me instead of Rick? Nahhh….I’m overthinking this. Well, even though we didn’t get to stargaze together, Rick did give me a rather luscious goodbye embrace before he ran down to the bathroom again. Believe me, he will definitely remember this date! I will be more on his mind now that I ever was before! And that’s how I want it, because he’s on my mind, too! Get better soon, Rick, so my plan of having a first kiss with you will come true.”

Relationship Status After Date: Romantic Interest to Lovebirds

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s Notes:

The “Funky Chicken” is a dance inspired by Rufus Thomas (1969) and the “Dougie” is a dance inspired in part by Rapper Doug E. Fresh (1980s).

Other contestants showing up on dates continues. As this was the same day as Octavia’s date, Coral was already on the lot outside singing. I guess her throat was parched from all that singing and she decided she needed a drink at the bar and came inside. What I hadn’t anticipated was that Coral would come over and start chatting with Rick. She did leave once Raven joined them. Coral was doing a “Raven”, which I thought was amusing. I thought I would put that in the story since Raven was always appearing everywhere on other group dates.

Rick getting food poisoning at the restaurant was rather unexpected. I was planning on using this build for all of the Solo Dates, but I really don’t think that Rick will want to come back here again. Poor Rick. I tried to have him phone the restaurant to put in a complaint about food poisoning, but it wasn’t giving me that option. So, when I saw their server cleaning the green toilet after Rick…um… “used” it, I had Rick just tell the server to deliver an “insult to the chef.”

I had added the lot trait of “Chef’s Kitchen” to this build, but I guess getting food poisoning is a random occurrence at a restaurant. I also added “Haunted”, but no ghosts ever showed up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise ~ Pirate Week – Solo Date with Octavia

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani. Over the next two days, our bachelor will be taking out the contestants who haven’t been on a Solo Date as yet. They are Cinnamon, Octavia, Brianna, Nami and Raven. And, do you know what this will mean once the last of the Solo Dates are done? The no kissing rule will be removed! Yes! Pucker Up, ladies!

But first, where are they heading today? Well, this week is a special week in Sulani. It’s Pirate week to celebrate the pirate legends and history of Sulani. Did you know that Rodrigo de Pablo, one of Princess Cordelia’s pirate boyfriend’s had engaged in a sea battle for Sulani? It’s true! And so it seems fitting that they are heading to ‘Ye Olde Pirate Restaurant.’ The restaurant is rumored to be an actual pirate ship. Of course, now, it’s been converted to a seafood restaurant, but there are still many vestiges of the original ship and there are historical markers throughout. Some even say it’s haunted. Ghostly!

Now let’s go and peek in on the date and see if anyone dares to walk the plank.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First up for a Solo Date with Rick is Octavia Dillon from House 2. When Octavia heard that there were five contestants going on a Solo Date, she was determined to be the first to go out with Rick. So, to be fair, they all chose straws, and Octavia was lucky enough to draw the longest straw.

“I have to set the bar high so that Rick will think of only me,” Octavia stated firmly, “And I can guarantee that this date will be sizzling!”

As Octavia’s relationship had dropped to Acquaintances, Rick chatted with Octavia first. Rick got his first whim to “get to know” Octavia and after that, Rick asked her on a date and Octavia accepted.

At the restaurant, they headed up the stairs and Rick went into the bar area. He spoke to the host and since it was a nice day, requested a table outside. The restaurant was busy, and it would be a little bit of a wait.

Rick came back outside and saw that there were some card tables set up on deck. Rick thought that this was a good place to wait and asked Octavia if she wanted to play some cards.

“Do you know how to play Gin Rummy?” asked Rick.

“Oh most definitely. My favorite game. You seem to be a gaming sim, Rick. Care to wager a little bet on who might win?” Octavia asked giving Rick a wink.

“Ok, sure. What shall we bet on?” replied Rick.

“Well, the Winner will choose what the Loser will have for dinner,” laughed Octavia.

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” Rick answered.

“You do know that I like HOT and SPICY food don’t you? Are you up for a few shakes of Tobasco on your food?” winked Octavia.

“No problem! You’re on!” said Rick as he shuffled the cards. After some tense concentration, Rick chose a card from the deck. Nothing. It was now Octavia’s turn.

Octavia moved her cards around in her hand and then placed them on the table with a flourish. “Gin” said Octavia grinning, “I guess we’ll see if you can stand a little heat!”

“Does that mean I should order a glass of water with my meal?” asked Rick playing along with Octavia.

“Maybe a few glasses of water,” said Octavia laughing. The host came over to them to let them know their table was ready.

“Oh, so nice. What a terrific view of the water! And what is that over there?” Octavia said, pleased with the table location.

Octavia got up from the table and read the sign behind Rick and then walked out on a wooden plank.

“Rick, would you save me if I had to walk the plank?” asked Octavia, doing a little turn on the walkway. Rick thought that Octavia looked, um…rather enticing standing there.

“I would think that the pirates would need saving from YOU!” laughed Rick, “But, arr…matey, I would arrange a parlay with the scurvy bunch. A lovely lady in exchange for a few barrels of rum” answered Rick trying hard not to laugh.

“Oh, a good trade. I think they would much prefer the rum,” laughed Octavia softly.

“Then they would definitely be foolish pirates,” added Rick giving Octavia an appreciative look. Octavia returned to the table and seemed rather pleased with Rick’s response.

As they sat chatting, Rick suddenly got a flirty vibe and had two whims for Octavia. The first was to flirt with Octavia and the second was to make out with Octavia. Rick did a little flirt with Octavia, and she definitely loved the attention.

Rick took a look at the menu and tried to figure out what Octavia was going to order for him. Everything looked pretty good as far as he was concerned.

The server came over to take their orders, and Octavia ordered for both of them.

“Oh, this sounds like the dish for you, Rick. “Fire on the River” Cajun-spiced Haddock Sandwich. Haddock lightly crusted with paprika, green chilies, cumin, coriander, cayenne, crushed red peppers and a dash of hot pepper sauce. Served on a hoagie roll with tartar sauce and topped with homemade slaw. And it comes with a Warning! Order at your own risk, No returns. Now, THAT is my kind of food!” said Octavia to the server, “And maybe a Salty Llama to drink, and you better get this landlubber a few glasses of water with that, too!”

“Um, yeah, that does sound kind of spicy. So, what spicy dish are you ordering today, Octavia?” Rick inquired.

“Oh, this sounds good…Calypso’s Salt and Pepper Shrimp Cocktail. Jumbo shrimp as big as Calypso’s love for the sea lord Davy Jones,” Octavia paused and batted her eyes at Rick, “Sauteed with ginger, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and served with cocktail sauce and a wedge of lemon,” read Octavia out loud, “And, um…a simsmopolitan to drink, and if you could also bring a bottle of hot sauce to the table. I always add some more spice to my dish,” Octavia added handing the menu back to the server.

“You really do like hot and spicy food,” Rick observed.

“Oh, yes! The hotter the better!” replied Octavia as she did an autonomous flirt. Ooh la la! Things are really heating up on this date!

“Aside from your love of hot and spicy foods, what else do you like?” asked Rick, wanting to get to know Octavia a bit better.

“Well, being from Oasis Springs, I do prefer warm climates, although I’ve never seen snow. I am not sure I want to be cold and chilled. I much prefer sunny weather. Like Sulani. This place is paradise. I could be convinced to move here…um…with the right person,” answered Octavia giving Rick a meaningful look.

Rick returned her gaze, “Yes, I have certainly made Sulani my home now. But snow is nice, too, especially if you are bundled up.”

“Well, I don’t know. Maybe if I had a simArctic parka on, woolen mittens and a toque, it would be different,” answered Octavia, still looking uncertain.

“‘And snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes’ would make you look so adorable…” teased Rick.

“It would? Well, in that case, maybe I’ll have to go somewhere with snow one day…”

“Most definitely! When I was a kid, I would love to go outside in the snow and build all kinds of snow sculptures. Especially snow forts! In fact, all the neighborhood kids would build snow forts and we would have snowball fights. We would run from one snow fort to the next for cover trying to dodge the snowballs. It was a lot of fun. It’s something I’d like to share with my own children someday,” Rick said looking off in the distance.

“Oh, so you like kids?” asked Octavia, “It was something that I was meaning to ask you, but I wasn’t sure how to get around to that question. You know, when I babysit for my friends, I kind of…now this sounds silly…but I often find myself fantasizing about a little family of my own. I mean, when I was young, we were kind of…um…well, less fortunate than others, but my Dad always made things fun for us. That’s what I remember the most. I always felt like we could do anything as a family. So, yes, I think I’d like to have a family, too, with the right sim,” Octavia replied with a wistful smile.

Rick gave Octavia a heartfelt smile and agreed that good times with family were important. And then Rick gets this whim for Octavia. Wowzers! Rick certainly has some hot and spicy thoughts about Octavia after that conversation!

Luckily, the server arrives with their lunch and I squelch those “woohoo” thoughts.

Rick is feeling very flirty. It must be because he was near Octavia’s smoldering beauty.

Octavia thinks her dish looks absolutely perfect and waits for Rick to take a bite of his sandwich.

And as soon as Rick takes a bite, his mouth is on fire! Yikes!

Octavia, of course, is laughing at Rick and thinks he is so amusing.

“I think I may need a few more glasses of water! Just…you know…rather thirsty. Whoa! But I’ll be fine. Yes, I will finish this. No problem. Not spicy at all!” Rick squeaks out a response.

Octavia has a good chuckle and takes a sip of her drink while Rick takes another mouthful of sandwich. He was determined to finish this even though his mouth was burning. Gah! And how much hot sauce did Octavia just dump on those shrimp? And she just ate them like it was nothing.

Octavia saw how Rick was struggling to eat such a spicy dish but how determined he was to finish it. “Okay, so Rick can’t eat really spicy food like I can. But that’s not a problem. I can always add more hot sauce to a dish. But I must admit, Rick is still a very HOT dish, and that’s one dish that I wouldn’t mind having!”

Oh my plumbobs! Octavia looks very determined to make Rick hers. The other contestants had better watch out!

Rick has a flurry of whims for Octavia as he tries to finish his lunch. Another “get to know”, “ask to be girlfriend”, and “have first kiss.” Rick and Octavia are autonomously talking and things are definitely going well on this date. The meal ends and Rick pays for the lunch.

There is still a bit of time on the date, and Rick asks Octavia if she would like to have another drink at the bar. I mean, she looks so HOT and he doesn’t want her to leave. That, and his mouth is still burning, and he can’t seem to get enough to drink to quell that burning sensation.

So they head to the bar and Octavia orders her favorite drink, Wutaheftabir, and Rick orders some type of flaming drink, Flaming Zesty Salt, I believe. Rick, didn’t you have enough spicy, hot food for lunch? He’s obviously trying to impress Octavia. His mouth is still on fire, so what’s a little more heat, right?

The date ends and Rick embraces Octavia. He would have loved for this date to continue, but he has another dinner date lined up. *Gold Date Achieved*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Octavia’s Date Thoughts: “Rick is a “hottie” and even before this date, I knew he was a keeper. Okay, so my romantic life hasn’t been the best and I tended to drift from one guy to the next. Well, I have a theory on that…maybe they all bored me. But with Rick, he is just full of surprises. I just never know what he is going to do or say. And I just think that might be the thing I need. He is witty, and a natural conversationalist. And he is good looking, so very, very good looking. He probably looks really good in his skivvies, too! Oops! Sorry…I just can’t keep these hot thoughts I have of him on the back burner for much longer. I soooo want to kiss him…badly…in a good way. *wink* I can see us together. Having a family together. Oh, we’d make beautiful children. And I might even want to go on a vacation with Rick to a ski lodge or something. I’ve thought about it…snuggling before a fire, sharing some cocoa after a brisk walk in the snow, and I mean, I’ve heard they have hot tubs outside at some lodges…now that would really heat things up! Oh yes, Rick is the one that I want, and the one that I will have.”

Relationship Status Changed: Acquaintances to Romantic Interest

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s Notes:

‘Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,” song lyrics from “My Favorite Things”,  Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music movie (1965).

Did any other contestant show up on the lot during Rick’s date with Octavia? Yes, they did! Here is Coral singing in front of the restaurant. Maybe she was singing for tips?

Thanks to JOL1990YT for creating this great pirate ship restaurant. I added the card tables and a dance floor to the bar area. There is a below-deck dining area as well, but I wanted some shots of the water, to kind of pretend it was in Sulani. I placed the build on the Tail’s End lot on Whiskerman’s Wharf in Brindleton Bay.

Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise ~ Bowling Group Date – House 2

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani.  Oh, I look different? I am so glad you noticed because along with all my nostalgia momentos, I dug out a copy of the movie Grease. And yes, there are those who loved Sandy and of course, Danny *swoon*, but my favorite was always Frenchy. And so here I am decked out as a “Pink Lady”. I just need some pink bubblegum to complete the look.

Now wasn’t that a fun time with House 1 yesterday? And some of those contestants can really bowl. Today, the fun continues as House 2 heads on a Group Bowling Date with Rick. Maybe Rick will even surprise us and bowl the “Perfect Llama.” Let’s head on over and peek in.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And here they are! House 2 has arrived at the Llama Bowl-A-Rama bowling alley. And Rick has changed his outfit. He looks like a sim right out of Riddell High from Grease. And I bet a lot of these contestants would want a school ring from him! Can we say “I wanna be your girlfriend, Rick?”

They all head inside and Rick orders a round of drinks for everyone. This time he orders cream cola. None of the contestants have bowled before, and Rick has a bit of an advantage as he already has Bowling level 3. They all discuss possible teams and Octavia takes up the challenge to bowl against Rick. They grab their drinks and head to the lanes.

Rick is now a Notable Newcomer celebrity. Oh my goodness! Must be from all the fame points he got from always ordering drinks for everyone.

Team 1: Rick vs Octavia

Team 2: Iris vs Nami.

Team 3: Cinnamon vs Coral.

And the first balls are thrown and they all look really good on their first shot.

Rick seems to be doing a “slam dunk” on the bowling lane. You would never know that Rick had any bowling skills with this shot.

And Rick hits the floor with a thud. That’s gotta hurt. Maybe he was just making Octavia feel better choosing to bowl against him. In the background, Octavia is trying to stifle her laughter seeing Rick’s bowling attempt. Ah, poor Rick.

*muffled sounds* “I’m just checking out the flooring. Yep, just admiring the woodgrain. Don’t mind me. I’ll be able to crawl outta your way in a moment.” *grunts*

Whoops! Iris’ delivery looked better at the start. Oh no! Iris senses she’s in trouble with this shot.

But maybe not. Some pins up and some pins down.

Not a strike, but not a gutterball either. “Go me! I got some pins down!”

Rick gives Iris an appreciative glance, “Come here often, good looking?” “he says half-jokingly. Iris just smiles and bats her eyes at him in response and thinks that Rick looks so dreamy.

Meanwhile, Cinnamon is up. Not only does Cinnamon look good in that dress, but her delivery also looks terrific.

Oops! Not as good as Cinnamon had hoped. One pin at a time.

“I have to get better if Rick is going to notice me. I mean, I wore yellow to stand out. How hard can it be to get a strike in this game?”

After helping Rick up, and trying to compose herself from laughing, it’s Octavia’s turn to bowl.

And, oh my gosh, Octavia gets a strike on her very first shot! Unbelievable!

Octavia can hardly believe it herself! Rick might have seriously underestimated Octavia. Beginner’s luck is in her favor.

“Holy guacamole! Did you see that? I got a strike!”

“I’m just a natural at bowling. I just love this game!”

A townie noticed Octavia’s superb bowling skill and has become her number one fan. She sits down and watches the tournament cheering Octavia on.

Nami notices that Octavia just got a strike and has more points than even Rick. Nami lifts one of the bowling balls. “Gosh! They’re heavy!”

She needs both hands just to lift the ball and does a two-handed throw. Will it work to her advantage?

Nami has a powerful throw, but maybe too powerful as it just takes out the middle pins. It’s the “Big 4” split.

“What does this mean? I need a bowling ball in each hand to make that shot!”

Next up is Coral. What a delivery! So smooth, so confident. Coral looks good and Cinnamon is bemoaning the fact in the background. Will it be a strike?

But something has gone wrong.

And the sad clown makes an appearance for Coral. What looked good going in turned out to be a gutterball.

“I thought clowns were supposed to be happy. I don’t think I like this sad clown.”

Rick is up and he has chosen a new bowling ball. A gold bowling ball. So fancy! Octavia is looking confident in the background after her strike. Will this new bowling ball help Rick’s game?

And there it goes!

And yes, it’s a strike for Rick! He is back in the game!

And what’s this? Some random townie is making a move on Coral. Hmmm…the guy looks familiar. He looks like the same sim who was hitting on Lara from House 1. I am certain of it now. It’s the polka dots, I tell you, attracting all the “Lane Lizards”.

Iris is concentrating really hard on her game. She can feel it. This is the strike she’s been waiting for.

Oh no! What’s this?  Something is coming. It’s like a bowling horror flick, like The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

“Did you see that? There was some ninja creeping into my game. So scary!”

Nami and Coral sneek a glance at Rick as he prepares to bowl. And Rick has chosen another new ball, a blue marbled bowling ball this time. Rick is taking no chances in this tournament.

It’s Coral’s turn and it looks like she’s talking to herself. Maybe she’s giving herself a pep talk. She has to keep bowling. It’s only a few more frames.

Her arms are so sore, she can barely lift the bowling ball. And when she does, she trips and the ball goes flying.

“Oh, I feel dizzy. That was close, I almost fell.”

But, miraculously, she got a ringer. Yes!

Despite her sore arms, Coral is feeling confident. “I can do this! A few more of these and I could win this!”

“Great Balls of Fire!” Octavia’s lucky streak continues.

Octavia is on fire as she rolls another strike. No other contestant is even close to her score.

Octavia catches Rick’s eye and she knows that no-one else exists for him tonight, except her. Octavia is on top of the world…and then IT happens.

Raven shows up in a team shirt with her bowling league. Say what?

And just happens to choose the lane right beside Octavia and Rick to bowl. And is that Afu behind her? Did Raven convince him to come bowling?

Rick sees Raven and immediately gets two whims for her. Embrace Raven and Make-out with Raven. It’s like Rick has forgotten all about the Group Date with House 2 and only has thoughts of Raven.

“♫ You are here / And so am I / And I only have eyes for you….♫”

Look at him, he’s in a daze. I tell him to concentrate on the game and the House 2 contestants. But does he listen to me? No!

In fact, Rick can’t seem to take his eyes off of her. Raven, was this planned? OMG! Now, instead of Rick having whims for any ladies in House 2, he only has whims for Raven. What a disaster!

And then Octavia sees Raven, too, and she doesn’t look happy. “What is SHE doing here? I had all of Rick’s attention, and now SHE shows up!”

And it’s like the appearance of Raven has jinxed Octavia’s perfect game. Suddenly, she was a slippin’ and a slidin’…

Right onto her back. “I lied. I hate bowling.”

“Ow, my back!”

And on the next frame, she trips.

And then, she got a gutterball! Unheard of! Well, thankfully Raven has now left. It’s a good thing because Octavia’s game has really suffered.

But who is that? Sitting there on the couch beside Iris? Oh, my word! First Raven and now Tabitha. What is going on?

Why is an eliminated contestant even here? Was Octavia really seeing this? Tabitha (formerly of House 3) – where did she come from?

[Author’s Note: Maybe this explains it. Rick had received this pop-up earlier and I guess Tabitha decided to just show up.]

Suddenly, Octavia’s head hurt. “Why is this happening to me? I was doing so well. And then those two show up! Oh, my head! I need a moment.”

Nami is up and she’s hoping to get a good score for this frame. Maybe this time she’ll bowl a strike. She holds her breath as she releases the ball.

And the bowling gods favor Nami with a strike.

And it looks like she got Rick’s attention, too! Ooh la la, Nami!

And Cinnamon is next. Look at that stance. This has got to be it!

And although not a strike, she gets the “goalpost” and is pretty pleased with herself.

“I feel like a winner!”

And the games are over and the final scores are in.

Team 3: Coral wins the game over Cinnamon, but Cinnamon doesn’t feel too bad about it. That last frame really made Cinnamon’s day.

Team 2: Nami wins over Iris and Iris is a good sport about it. They had a good game together.

Team 1: Rick wins and Octavia is having a meltdown about it. Oh, Octavia is in a real tizzy!

Rick gets the Bowling King, and Coral and Nami get the Bowling Queen titles.

Rick heads over to congratulate Coral on her win and follows her into the restroom to do so.

They all head back to the lobby area and get some more drinks.

They also grab some food that the caterer has put out.

Rick takes a moment to congratulate Nami on her victory and gets his first whim for someone in House 2. He wants to embrace Nami, which he does.

Oops! It looks like Iris saw that interaction between Nami and Rick and is rather sad about it.

Since Nami is the only one that Rick had a whim for in House 2, he asks her to play an arcade game with him. He then gets two more whims for Nami. One is to ask her to be his girlfriend.

And the other…ahem…to woohoo with Nami. Both are canceled.

Rick is having a great time playing video games with Nami and Dustin Broke joins them.

The night ends as Rick does the pee-pee dance to the restroom.

Until tomorrow, Wikki-Wikki Wii from Sulani.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bonus Pic

Rick has now maxed bowling and is level 5. He can now choose the clear skull ball. Pretty spooky!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s Notes:

And here are the relationship bars after the Group Date for House 2. Nami and Iris are Lovebirds, Coral and Cinnamon are Romantic Interests, and unfortunately, Octavia, even though she has a bit of pink in her relationship, has dropped down to Acquaintances.

Depending on what level you are at, you can choose different colored bowling balls. Each bowling ball has its own specific perks:

From Sims VIP – Read More HERE.

Fun Stuff:

Grease, (1978) starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta was a box office smash and the highest-grossing musical at that time. It was a movie set in the 50s.

“Lane Lizard” a play on words, meaning “Lounge Lizard,” – a ladies-man that frequents nightspots where drinks are served.

The Creature From The Black Lagoon, horror movie (1954)

“Great Balls of Fire”, Jerry Lee Lewis, (1957)

I Only Have Eyes For You, cover by The Flamingos (1959)

Slippin’ and a Slidin’, Little Richard, (1956)

Somebody To Love: Bachelor in Paradise ~ Bowling Group Date – House 1

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani. Today, our bachelor is heading out on a Group Date with House 1. And what a fun date this will be! We’re talking back to the ’50s, sock hops, rockabilly, malt shops, drive-in movies, juekboxes, and Elvis! *screams* I had to dust off some of my retro items just to show you how cool it really was. Of course, I, Roxanna Llama-Llama look like the winner of a dance contest on “American Bandstand” in this fab poodle skirt.

And just think, we don’t even have to use a time machine to get back to the 50s because we’re heading to the Llama Bowl-A-Rama bowling alley in Oasis Springs. And fitting with the 50s theme, the producers have delivered some “striking” fashions for the contestants to wear on their Group Date. I can hardly wait to see everyone in their 50s style.

But, before we head off, let’s do a recap of who’s left. We now have five contestants in each house. House 1: Miriam Epp, Brianna Hammond, Naomi Mahina, Lara McGowan, and Raven Xang. House 2: Cinnamon Apple, Nami Chuu, Iris Costello, Octavia Dillon, and Coral Reeves.

The four eliminated contestants have been whisked away to Newcrest. They will be living in a house beside the first eliminated contestants. And, oh my gosh, it’s raining in Newcrest again? Quick! Let’s leave before they shout forbidden words at us. Sorry ladies.

And now that we know who’s who and what’s what, let’s Rock Around The Clock with House 1 on their Group Date. Can you dig it?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And here they are in front of the Llama Bowl-A-Rama bowling area. And Rick is that you? Is that an Elvis pompadour hairstyle that you have? And do you have sideburns? Rick jokes that they are stick-on sideburns that came with the outfit.

In the lobby area, Rick orders a round of Rootbeer Floats for everyone. [Oh Benny would love this. It’s his favorite drink.] None of the contestants nor Rick have bowled before. The bartender tells them that it’s an automated scoring system, so they don’t have to worry about keeping score themselves. They opt for a game of 10 pin bowling and decide to have three teams of two players. Team 1: Rick vs Brianna; Team 2: Miriam vs Naomi; Team 3: Raven vs Lara.

[Author’s Note: Four players can bowl on one bowling lane and I was going to have two teams of 3 players; however, Lara and Raven timed out waiting to bowl, so I just had them be on a team together.]

Rick picks up a bowling ball and is the first one to bowl.

[Author’s Note: For some reason, all their bowling shoes changed from what I had them in. They may not be dressed alike, but their shoes match.]

Or rather, attempts to bowl. “Man, that ball is heavy!” Rick says as he drops the ball and it lands in the gutter.

Well, he may not know how to bowl, but at least Rick looks good. Right?

Meanwhile, a townie male sim comes over and chats with Lara. His name is Gavin. Is he hitting on her? She’s on a Group Date there Gavin…move along now…

Meanwhile, everyone else starts to bowl. Naomi is starting the bowler’s approach and is lining up her shot.

Oh no! She seems to slip and loses her balance.

But she gets some pins down! Yeah, it’s not a gutterball. She did better than Rick! You go, Naomi! Woot!

“I should slip more often,” Naomi says clapping her hands.

And Raven…OOOF! She throws the ball a bit too high. This is bowling girl, not basketball!

And the ball comes down with a thud and just sits there. And Raven has fallen facedown flat on the floor. Oh, the embarrassment! Obviously no points there.

“I’m just going to lay here for awhile, just don’t mind me,” mumbles Raven into the floor.

Next up…Brianna is looking good! Look at that form! Look at that concentration!

Look at where the ball ended up! Oops! How did it get there?

“No one saw that, right? Let’s just forget about that one,” said Brianna as she nervously looked around to see if anyone noticed her ball mishap.

Well, so far the score is Rick-0; Brianna-0. They’re tied! But not in a good way.

Miriam bowls next and it looks like she’s caught Rick’s eye. Ooh, la la!

Miriam, are you sure you haven’t bowled before? Because you look really good taking that shot.

Oh yes! It’s ring my bell time! All but one pin knocked down!

“I guess that’s good!” said Miriam, “♫ …Well, you know you make me wanna SHOUT! Kick my heels up and SHOUT! Throw my hands up and SHOUT! ♫” Miriam starts singing as she dances off the lane.

And Lara now has a new admirer, J Huntington III who just went straight over to her after the last guy left. Excuse me, Lara, your teammate Raven needs help getting up off the floor. Yeah, Raven, you know, the flattened pancake that is lying prone on the floor over there…and I believe it’s your turn to bowl… *hint* *hint* Okay, well, I guess she’s missing her turn…

Brianna is up next and it looks like she’s willing that ball to head in the right direction this time. Go! Ball Go!

“Oh no! Not that!” shouts Brianna.

It’s the horror of horror shots. The shot that’s the most impossible shot for bowlers.

Yes, you guessed it. It’s the Ninja “split” shot.

“Darn, darn and double darn. I will never make that shot!” Brianna shouts, “Go Nunchuk somewhere else, Ninja. Not in my lane!”

Hmmm…guess J Huntington III has lost interest with Lara and has now moved on to Miriam. Maybe he’s recruiting for his bowling league?

It sure looks like J Huntington III is checking out the competition. Little does Miriam know that she has a secret admirer behind her.

Well, it didn’t seem to affect her bowling, as she knocked down some pins. Oh, she is good!

“Oh look, I got something,  and that’s a good thing. It’s like charades. It’s spikes in the grass, it’s a fence, it’s a bedpost, it’s a goal post, it’s a…heck I don’t know what it is, but I got it!” Miriam exclaimed as she strutted her stuff off the lane.

Finally, Lara decides to join the bowling fun. What? No more random male sims want to talk to you? And she’s looking good, lining up her shot.

But it’s a gutterball. And the sad clown laments her total miss of the pins.

“I hate that clown!” Lara says out loud. Lara, will, unfortunately, see that clown a LOT tonight.

Well, J Huntington III is sure making his rounds. Now he’s noticed Raven. I don’t think she’s too impressed with him. Move along, J….move along…

Naomi bowls her first strike! Yes!

And Raven in the next lane isn’t doing very well. It looks like she’s picking off one pin at a time.

Rick is having a good time and manages to glance at some of the contestants.

Lara isn’t the only one who seems to have some admirers. After watching Naomi get a strike, Gunther Munch comes over and chats with her. But Naomi tenses up as he approaches and gets a whim to vent at someone. Poor Naomi has the Loner trait which puts a real damper on large social gatherings.

A regular bowler, Tanvi, has been watching Raven bowl and gives her some tips. Raven needs all the help she can get.

Raven decides to try out one of the tricks. What a wild move! Is she going to throw the next bowling ball over her shoulder?

Whoa! Great Balls of Fire! It’s a fireball down the lane.

And Raven blasts those pins into a strike! Yes! Kapow!

“Bowling is really fun when you’re winning! Oh, yeah! I’m so HOT right now!” Raven says as she smiles and walks confidently off the lane.

This is unbelievable as yet another townie, named Parker, makes a beeline right towards Lara. Personally, I think it’s the polka dots. It’s like they are sending out a homing signal to attract all these single guys. I mean he is seriously mesmerized by the …um…polka dots. Don’t you agree?

Well, duty calls as just in the middle of his introduction, Raven signals to Lara that it’s her turn to bowl. Lara almost looks relieved as she heads over to her lane.

Lara picks up the ball and oh no! This doesn’t look good. Will this mean there will be another appearance by the sad clown?

But wait a minute, look at that ball! Could it be? Could it be?

Yes! Finally, Lara gets a strike! Woot!

Lara looks enthusiastic!

“Woot! Woot! Look at me! I got a strike! Yesiree! Uh-huh! Call me Lara Twinkletoes,” laughed Lara.

And the bowling tournament continues. Who knew that a 10 frame game could take so long. But after a few frames, they start to look like pros. Well, sort of.

And what’s this? A new strategy? Rick is now Level 2 in bowling and selects a new bowling ball. Ooh! A red swirl bowling ball. Let’s see if this helps his bowling.

Looking good. Come on, Rick. It’s the last frame!

Whoopee! A strike!

And another fireball strike!

And yet another strike! Holy Llamas! Three strikes in a row! Gobble! Gobble! Three strikes in a row is called a “turkey” in bowling lingo.

“♫ Well, it’s one for the money, two for the show / Three to get ready, now go, cat, go / But don’t you step on my blue suede shoes /♫ Well, you can do anything, but stay off of my blue suede shoes…♫ ” Rick shouts as he does a little dance. I think he’s doing his Elvis impersonation here. Look at him swing those hips! Rick’s one cool cat! Woot!

 

 

You see? What did I tell you? Rick really is “The King”!

Rick wins against Brianna, and Brianna is either bowing to the new “King” or having a temper tantrum because she lost.  Poor Brianna.

And Miriam wins against Naomi. But I am sure that it was close, as Naomi was doing pretty good as well.

And believe it or not, Raven won against Lara. Must have been all those tips Raven got from that pro bowler. Or maybe just luck since Lara missed a few turns because of her…ahem…”admirers”.

Miriam and Raven both get the Bowling Queen title.

And it looks like Raven even beat Rick! Way to go Raven! It’s too bad it doesn’t show the score of the other players.

Rick congratulates Raven on having the highest score. Little does he know about those secret tips she got from Tanvi. Rick wants to bowl another game, but most of the contestants are kind of sore.

So, they head out to the lobby again and Rick orders a celebratory round of drinks. Fizzy Fruity drinks this time.

And it was also chili night, so they all grabbed a bowl. Raven was famished. She had really worked up an appetite bowling.

Rick gets a whim to flirt with Raven, which he does. It’s the only whim he’s had all night for any of the contestants.

Rick sees some arcade games and challenges Raven to a game. I guess it’s also Bear Night because a bear joins them in playing.

There actually is no score when they’re done, but they do get a moodlet called “Playing for Keeps” meaning they passed a level in the game. I guess their bear opponent wandered off somewhere.

Miriam, Brianna, Naomi and Raven all enjoy some more chili and drinks while chatting together.

Rick sits down and joins them at the bar and enjoys a bowl of chili, too. Lara, however, has passed out on the floor behind him. I guess everyone is pretty tired. Time to call it a night.

And while they were heading out, they did see Roxanna. She was wearing a team bowling shirt and had bowling shoes on. Maybe she had joined a bowling league. Or maybe she just wanted to check to see how the Group Date was going.

Until tomorrow, Wikki-Wikki Wii from Sulani.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author’s Notes:

I hadn’t really played groups in the bowling pack before, and so didn’t know about the lack of scoring for everyone. Also, I didn’t have Rick do much socializing during the game as I was worried it might drop the bowling sequence. So, for a family night of fun, I would recommend bowling. For a date or group date, not too good. But, we will have to do the same venue with House 2 to make it fair.

House 1 Relationships after Group Date. Brianna, Lara, Naomi, and Raven are Lovebirds. And even though there is pink in the relationship bar, Miriam has dropped down to Acquaintances again. It is so hard to keep those relationships up.

This is actually a bowling alley that I built for a story @MunterBaconSims (Munterbacon in the forums) was doing called Strike!

Fun Stuff:

 

 

1950s Slang

Rock Around The Clock, Bill Haley & His Comets (1955).

“Shout”, The Isley Brothers (1959)

Blue Suede Shoes, (written by Carl Perkins) cover by Elvis Presley (1956)

Somebody to Love: Bachelor in Paradise ~ Rose Ceremony # 2

Sul Sul! This is Roxanna Llama-Llama reporting to you LIVE from Sulani. Well, today, is Rose Ceremony #2, and at least we are getting closer to finding out who Rick’s somebody to love really is. The poor guy is so confused and is having whims for practically all the contestants. And that’s where we had to ask for YOUR help. A vote was conducted, and unfortunately, four lovely contestants will be heading home today.

The producers have chosen a wonderful location for Rose Ceremony #2 and with no incense burners this time I might add. Benny, Rick and I have already arrived and if you’ll excuse me, Benny and I have some prep work to do before the actual ceremony.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rick had wandered down to the shore to look out at the ocean and think about the contestants. He did truly like them all, but, he knew, in the end, there had to be just one. He just didn’t know which one just yet.

Benny and Roxanna were helping out the caterer before the contestants arrived. The lot was in a unique location, set amongst some ruins. Benny had just carried out plates laden with scrumptious food. Roxanna saw a lot of meat dishes and wanted to remind the caterer that there were vegetarians amongst the contestants.

Well, she didn’t have to worry because the caterer was making some type of vegetarian gourmet dish that smelled absolutely heavenly.

Rick had walked back just in time as some of the guests were starting to arrive. Benny was quick to greet Lara at the front. The bartender had arrived and was busy preparing some drinks for the early birds. There was also a dance area to the left, which would probably be popular later this evening. The center area held dining tables, and the floor was scattered with rose petals leading up to the presentation area.

Benny had done a great job of taking Rick’s photo, and as before, there were roses on display. Fourteen roses in all, four of which were yellow.

The pianist had arrived and was taking requests from some of the guests.

It looked like everyone had arrived and they were all looking gorgeous. They had certainly outdone themselves tonight. Roxanna and Benny ordered a round of drinks for everyone.

Raven helped herself to some of the appetizers that the caterer had put out. No matter what the event, Raven always looked very classy in her black outfits. Raven passed Cinnamon and gave her a sideways glance. Perhaps she was admiring Cinnamon’s unique dress. Cinnamon was waiting for her drink and looked radiant. Her outfit choice was a one-of-a-kind Asian-inspired gown, which she was sure would get Rick’s attention.

Miriam and Octavia had sat down at one of the tables together. Octavia looked sensational in a short, gold-colored dress, which accentuated her red hair. Anyone who chose a gold dress wanted to stand out, and that is exactly what Octavia was aiming for. Meanwhile, Miriam had opted for a flowing island dress in soft shades of green which complimented her carefree, easy-going personality. Miriam looked very attractive. Octavia seemed to be watching someone at the bar. Maybe she was wondering what Cinnamon was doing so close to Rick. Meanwhile, Miriam was looking a bit awkward trying to get Octavia’s attention to chat with her.

Brianna and Nami decided to sit down and join them. Brianna had chosen an island outfit, and even wore flowers in her hair to complement her outfit. Brianna looked spectacular. Nami had chosen a long red lace gown and looked bewitching. Red really was Nami’s best color. Let’s hope this one doesn’t get burned like the last red dress she had on. Brianna doesn’t look too happy about something, while Nami is beaming. Was it something Nami said?

Naomi and Charlotte have become fast friends. Perhaps the green color of their dresses drew them together. Charlotte opted for a formal green and white ball gown, and she really looks enchanting in it. Naomi had chosen a modern, short green dress with a slanted hemline, accented with gold geometric designs. It was young and fresh and suited Naomi’s sparkling personality. They were both having a great time chatting with one another. Naomi seemed a lot more relaxed than she did at the last Rose Ceremony.

The bartender was busy, first serving Coral her drink and then finishing up on Merinda’s drink. Merinda looked absolutely stunning in an all-white gown and almost looked like a Greek goddess standing there. Coral was enjoying her drink and looked especially alluring in the blue island outfit she had chosen. How the bartender was still working with these two beauties flanking him was just amazing.

Kyra and Isla were sitting together at the end of the bar and sharing tales of the island. Kyra looked exquisite in her green one-shouldered gown. The gown had flecks of gold sparkle throughout and it’s no wonder that Rick glanced her way now and again. Isla had chosen a sea blue gown, and she certainly looked beautiful tonight. Isla was enthralled by the pirate stories that Kyra was telling.

Iris took a seat beside Rick and looked absolutely gorgeous. Her 3/4 length cream dress with a gold accent chain belt was simple, yet elegant. And, it looked like Rick liked the dress choice, too!

Iris vacated the seat beside Rick and Lara saw her chance and sat next to Rick quickly. Lara had chosen a shimmery periwinkle beaded chiffon gown with cut-out waist panels emphasizing her slender physique. In the glow of the sunset, Lara certainly looked mesmerizing.

The sun had set and Roxanna signaled to Rick that the ceremony was about to start. The contestants grabbed another drink and a dessert from the buffet and found their seats. The chatter soon died down as Roxanna headed to the presentation area and picked up the microphone.

“Sul Sul! I, Roxanna Llama-Llama, welcome you to the Rose Ceremony. Tonight marks another milestone for the Bachelor in Paradise show, as we get closer to finding somebody to love for our bachelor. But before we begin, I just wanted to tell you all how gorgeous everyone looks tonight, and what a pleasure it has been to chat with each and every one of you. You are ALL fabulous! But therein lies the problem. All of the contestants are just TOO fabulous and our poor bachelor is having difficulty choosing just one. And so, the producers decided to hire an outside consulting agency to determine which of the contestants would be heading home tonight. And sadly, for four contestants, this will be your last night on the show. But for the others, you will have yet another chance to win the heart of our bachelor…Rick Goengeter.”

*Applause from the audience*

Roxanna motioned for Rick to come to the presentation area and handed him the microphone.

“Good evening ladies…and Benny. I just wanted to say that I wholeheartedly agree with what Roxanna just said. Indeed, you are ALL fabulous! On our group dates, I have had the pleasure of getting to know more about each of you. And, for some of you, on our Solo Dates, I have gotten to know a more….um…romantic side of you. It is certainly true that I have strong feelings for several contestants, which doesn’t make my choice any easier.  And so, as before, each of you will receive a rose. The color is the only difference. Yellow to those who will always be my friend, and red, for a friendship which has blossomed into something more.”

Roxanna stood listening to Rick and realized that whoever he chose would be one lucky lady indeed. What a suave bachelor he was.

Rick continued, “May I ask the contestants of House 1 to please come forward…”

“Three of the contestants in this house and one contestant in House 2 were in a tie-vote. The results of that tie-vote will be revealed towards the end of the ceremony. So, for now, I ask that Miriam, Raven, and Kyra please be seated again. Thank you, ladies.”

There were now four contestants left from House 1. Did that mean they were all staying? Rick selected a red rose and yellow rose from the roses on the table behind him. Er…maybe not.

Rick walked over to Naomi and handed her the first red rose. Naomi was safe. The look on her face said it all. She inhaled the rose’s fragrance and just couldn’t believe that she was still part of the Bachelor in Paradise show. “Oh Rick, I….oh, thank you, Rick!” Naomi said excitedly.

Picking another red rose from the table, Rick walked towards Lara…and handed it to her. Lara was safe. “Oh, this is so wonderful!” she gushed.

Rick again went to the table and chose another red rose. He still had the yellow rose in his other hand. He stopped before Brianna but didn’t say a word. Brianna looked a bit startled. “No, I can’t be going home, right? Not after what we shared at the Group Date. It can’t be possible,” she thought, looking a bit worried.

Rick smiled and held out the red rose to Brianna and she sighed in relief. Brianna was safe. She was so happy to be staying that she did an autonomous hug with Rick.

There was only one contestant left from House 1. Isla. And with a yellow rose in his hand, this could only mean one thing. Rick handed the yellow rose to Isla. “This is really hard for me to do, Isla, but know that we will always be friends,” Rick said sincerely.

“I’m going home? Off the show? I…I…” said Isla in a quiet voice.

“…Oh, I just don’t think I can face anyone right now. I knew it could happen, but I was just hoping…just hoping…” Isla gulped for air, “…that I would be staying.”

Rick looked at Isla and couldn’t bear to see her look so sad. He went over to her and gave her a hug. That seemed to cheer her up, somewhat.

As Isla left the presentation area and sat down, Rick went up to the microphone again. “May I ask the contestants of House 2 to please come forward…”

Almost as soon as Rick spoke, there was a strange light that suddenly appeared, and all the contestants rushed to see what was happening. There, for all to see was Charlotte, bathed in a strange light. She didn’t look too happy.

And suddenly she was lifted off the ground and seemed to float in the air. Up, up, up she went.  “Help! Throw me a rope or something!” shouted Charlotte.

But before anyone could even think of what to do, she was gone. Abducted by aliens!

Iris was a bit shaken by the incident as Charlotte had been standing right beside her.

“Oh my gosh! That could have been me!” she thought. In fact, all of the contestants were a bit rattled by the occurrence. Well, everyone except Raven.

“Well, that’s one way of eliminating a contestant!” Raven said laughing.

Roxanna wasn’t sure what to do as this had never happened before, so Benny headed up to the microphone and said that there would be a short break.

After discussing the situation with Benny and Rick, Roxanna decided to ask Nami for her opinion. Afterall, she was half-alien. Maybe she would know if Charlotte was returning anytime soon or if they would have to reschedule the Rose Ceremony.

“Oh, Charlotte will be back in a few hours. She’s fine,” explained Nami, “Nothing to worry about. They probably thought she looked really…um…interesting…and wanted to get a closer look at her.”

And so after discussing the situation with Rick and Benny again, they decided to continue with the Rose Ceremony.

And so the contestants of House 2 headed up to the presentation area. Well, everyone except Charlotte, of course, who had been whisked away by the aliens. Rick also asked Merinda to have a seat again, as she was one of the contestants in the tie-vote.

Rick selected a red rose from the table behind him and walked up to Nami. As he handed Nami the rose he thought of some song lyrics and before he realized it, he said out loud, “Lovely….that’s the way you look tonight, Nami.”

Nami was speechless. “I hadn’t expected Rick to say anything like that!” thought Nami. She felt herself blush from the compliment. Nami was safe.

[Author’s Note: As he handed Nami the rose, Rick had a whim to woohoo with her. The first whim he’s had for a contestant all night.]