2. Previously on Reality Bites...
Meadow grew into an elder, Birch and Cara took the generation away
to Cara's beach house, where Bella decided what she wanted in life –
twenty woohoos. Logan asked Rhapsody what she wanted from life
and the pair of them talked about travelling the world before meeting
Charlie Vijayaker. Back home, Peter grew up to be quite handsome,
before our heiress aged up. She then agreed that she would travel
with Charlie after Meadow taught him how to slapdance while in her
underwear.
Sound familiar? If not, you might want to look back. Just a suggestion.
3. “Hi there! Hang loose!”
Rhapsody smiled, feeling the slight breeze drift in from the ocean. She
and Charlie had been on Twikkii Island for three hours, and already
they were exploring the boardwalk.
“Hang loose, hey? That's sounds like something I should learn, for
some reason.”
4. Eventually, Rhapsody and Charlie got past the distractions on the
boardwalk, and made their way down to the actual beach...only to find
themselves distracted again.
“Don't let her hurt herself!” Charlie said, urgently, “Her father will kill
me if anything happens to her while we're travelling!”
“Calm down, Charlie, I don't get the fire until after I've learnt the dance.
I won't get hurt, seriously.”
The Fire Dancer nodded, and returned to talking Rhapsody through
the moves, while Charlie waited.
5. Of course, Charlie was the sole member of Rhapsody's cheering
squad whilst she learned.
“You nearly had it that time! Keep going, Rhapsody!”
6. Night fell before Rhapsody had even set fire to the stick she danced
with, and Charlie paced the beach, hungry.
At last, Rhapsody learned the fire dance, and the pair of them could
finally go back to the hotel.
7. “Nice night, isn't it?” Charlie asked, stepping onto the balcony where
Rhapsody was admiring the view.
“Perfect,” Rhapsody grinned, “and so much more beautiful than
home!”
“Yeah...well, home is a never-ending trail for me, so this is sort of
home.”
“Really? You just travel and don't settle?” Rhapsody asked as Charlie
took his seat opposite her.
8. “You sound surprised by that,” Charlie commented, “shocked to learn
that I'm a child of the open road.”
“Well, I've never met anyone without a home before. My family die in the
same place they are born.”
“That,” Charlie replied, “is horribly depressing. There's a bigger world
than your hometown.”
“Guess so.” Rhapsody murmured, turning her attention back to watching
the bay.
9. Their food was soon delivered, and Rhapsody tucked in, disappointed
it was salad and not something exotic. Charlie hesitated to eat.
“Maybe I could show you the fountains, tomorrow,” He smiled,
reluctantly picking up his fork, “and we could taste some pineapple
surprise instead of this rabbit food.”
Rhapsody nodded, “Anything. I want to experience the world!”
10. And experience the world she would. That night, instead of sleeping,
Rhapsody crept out onto the beach in her pyjamas, determined to
enjoy being beside the coast.
12. “OH, OUCH!” Rhapsody screamed, “I JUST WANTED SHELLS TO
TAKE HOME!”
She woke the residents of the hotel. They weren't so happy, but
Charlie was amused, watching the entire scene from the balcony of
their hotel room.
13. Rhapsody and Charlie reached the fountain early, and Charlie
promptly disappeared to eat, whilst Rhapsody went to admire the
fountain.
14. Rhapsody held her coin for a while.
“I wish...” she began, in a dreamy tone, “I wish for love. I want to fall
head over heels into love and then drag him home to meet my family.”
With that, she threw the coin in the fountain, and turned her back on
the gushing waters.
15. After lunch – a meal of pineapple surprise, the surprise being there
was nothing in it except pineapple – Charlie and Rhapsody started
digging.
Because what are heritage sites for, except digging, right?
16. So after the map is found – along with two other maps, a treasure
chest, three bones and a water pipe – Rhapsody and Charlie decided
to take a tour.
“Helicopters are loud!” Charlie complained as they headed over to
their ride for the tour.
“Come on, you wimp!”
17. It doesn't go well. Both Rhapsody and Charlie come back in a swarm
of bees...
“I travel the world frequently, yet this is the first time this has
happened!”
19. After the bees had grown bored and left the travellers alone,
Rhapsody and Charlie travelled to the Mysterious Hut. Where they
found an eccentric man with no electrical skills.
“He should know putting metal in the microwave is bad!” Rhapsody
gasped.
20. Charlie and Rhapsody did the kind thing and fixed up the strange
man's electronics before he got himself killed.
In return, he gave them a doll.
21. By the time Rhapsody and Charlie made it back to their hotel, it was
already past midnight, and their final day on Twikkii Island had begun.
“Four hours sleep, then up to see the ship.”
22. The next morning brought with it a final flurry of activities. Such as
playing on the pirate ship.
“Be careful, won't you?” Charlie smiled, as Rhapsody climbed to the
crow's nest.
“Nope,” Rhapsody grinned, “no pirate is careful!”
Charlie rolled his eyes, but carried on towards the ship's wheel.
23. “Whoa. Check out the bad texture on this wheel...”
I blame my temperamental graphics card. Sometimes it will load
everything in high detail, sometimes it'll just choose things to load in
detail. I guess the pirate wheel is just unlucky this time, maybe?
25. The exploration of the ship continued, and whilst Charlie was
pretending he was a pirate captain, Rhapsody explored the cabin...
...only to run out screaming.
26. A ghost exited from the cabin.
“I look like Rhapsody's travelling partner! Only a pirate version!”
Indeed he does – that's pretty cool!
27. “Drink up me hearties, yo ho!”
Doesn't Charlie look like he's trying to distance himself from Rhapsody
and the Ghost Pirate and their singing? It's like his uncomfortable with
a little bit of strangeness.
“If I don't see it, it's not there.”
28. Rhapsody certainly enjoyed this little bit of her journey, though.
I think the ghost would have been happy with any company, though.
He strikes me as a lonely ghost. Speaking of ghosts, I've yet to see
Edith or Elijah haunting the home-lot...
29. Later that evening, Charlie and Rhapsody sat on the same beach,
smiling and watching the waves fall into land.
“Why didn't we think to change out of our backpacking gear sooner?”
Rhapsody asked, shifting a little.
“Because we've been too busy exploring Twikkii to worry about what
we were wearing?”
“True. Clothes always were more of a Bella thing,” Rhapsody
commented, offhand, “it's such a beautiful night.”
30. “I don't want to ruin the peacefulness, but I have to ask you
something.”
“Go ahead,” Rhapsody smiled, “nothing can ruin this night.”
“What if, hypothetically speaking, during our time on this island I
realised I liked you more than a friend?”
“Hypothetically speaking, I think I would be kind of surprised.”
“What if I wasn't speaking hypothetically?” Charlie questioned, quietly.
Rhapsody got to her feet, and worriedly, Charlie followed her.
31. Rhapsody faced him, and smiled a little, “You were never talking
hypothetically were you?”
Charlie shook his head, “If you want, forget I ever said anything.”
“No way!” Rhapsody laughed, shakily, “I think...well...I think that. Let's
just give things a go. Right?”
32. Strictly speaking, Charlie never gave her his answer. But she kind of
could tell what it would have been, if he had of said anything.
33. With that all dealt with, Rhapsody and Charlie spent their final hours
on Twikkii Island just gazing at the stars.
34. With their time on Twikkii Island over, it was time to move on. Within
hours, Rhapsody and Charlie found themselves in a small hotel in
Takemizu Village, a tiny place in the Far East.
“How can I help make your stay more comfortable?”
Rhapsody smiled, “Yeah, where can we buy a couple of kimonos?”
35. Unfortunately, it was autumn in Takemizu Village, which meant
Rhapsody and Charlie would ruin any artsy pictures by wearing coats
instead of kimonos.
I have no idea how Charlie ended up with a bright blue coat.
36. Once tea is dealt with, Rhapsody introduces herself to the teleporting
ninja. Let it be known that I hate this ninja.
“Courage or wisdom, young heiress?”
“Wisdom!”
“Unfortunately not. Sorry, but you go home with nothing.”
“This isn't a game show!”
“Er...so long!”
37. I think Rhapsody's frustration matches my own. I can never seem to
get the ninja's question right.
38. Rhapsody then decides to make another wish. New place, new
shrine/fountain to wish on, right?
“I wish I could learn ninja powers.”
39. Another part of travelling is learning new customs, of course.
“Check out my bow, strange man!”
“Bit sloppy, but I'll bow back anyway.”
40. Night falls, and Charlie ends up playing mahjong with the Unsavoury
Charlatan. I didn't know the U.C could even play mahjong.
Out of all the vacation destinations, the Takemizu Island was the least
fun to play. I don't know why that is.
41. Pretty soon, it's time to visit the Pagoda in the Shadows. Takemizu
Village had lots to do but not enough to take pictures of.
But the visit to the Pagoda was decent enough to take pictures of.
42. “Tea, Mr Meditator?” Rhapsody asked, tipping up the kettle.
The old man just continued with his breathing.
43. The Old Man then began practising tai chi. Charlie and Rhapsody
picked it up in now time, but I didn't realise tai chi would be such a
nuisance
They're the first sims I've ever had learn tai chi, and they enjoy
jumping into random bouts of tai chi.
44. Night fell quickly after that, but the Old Man did not stop practising tai
chi.
“Do you think it's pretty cool how he can get his leg that high?” Rhapsody
asked.
The Old Man interrupted, “Story time!”
“Yay!” Charlie cheered, earning an amused look from Rhapsody.
45. “This story has everything,” Charlie whispered to Rhapsody, “dragons,
ninjas, a battle to the death!”
“It needs pirates.” Rhapsody responded, as the Old Man continued his
story, unaware of their whispers.
That's another memory accomplished.
46. Walking back through Takemizu Village on their way to their hotel,
Charlie and Rhapsody decided to spend some time as a couple.
Which is nice, of course.
47. Rhapsody sank to the floor, smiling, “Charlie, I didn't like you when I
first met you-”
“You're telling me.”
“-and I didn't want to travel with you. But after...well, after everything, I
can't imagine going home without you,” Rhapsody smiled, “marry me,
Charlie?”
49. On their final day in Takemizu Village, Rhapsody and Charlie tied the
knot. Because neither of them could wait until they got back to Oddity.
50. As they waited for their taxi to the airport so they could go to their final
destination, Three Lakes, Charlie asked something that surprised
Rhapsody.
“Do you mind if I dye my hair blue before we go?”
“Not if you make it quick. Why would I?”
“I don't know, I thought I'd ask first...in case you didn't like the idea.”
“You forget I descend from a rather large and insane family. Nothing is
unusual, right?”
51. In the early morning, the taxi containing Rhapsody and Charlie pulled
up at the campground. Rhapsody pulled open the door, and stared
grumpily at the sky.
“Three Lakes in winter. Not quite what I had hoped for.”
52. “Come on, it could be worse,” Charlie grinned, running a hand through
his vibrant hair, “it could be snowing!”
“True,” Rhapsody smiled at him, “did I mention I really like your new
hair?”
“You did, yes,” Charlie grinned, “come on, let's put on some lumberjack
gear.”
53. Once changed, the couple immediately began with the collecting of
vacation memories.
“Gosh, it's chilly.” Charlie noted.
“Don't be such a baby,” Rhapsody grinned, “I have an idea.”
54. “You want to log roll in winter, sweetheart?” Charlie asked, surprised a
little.
“Of course. My father defended his honour on this very log when he was
younger. I want to defend my own.”
“You're going down.”
55. Within minutes, Rhapsody had been thrown from the log, and Charlie
stood waiting, triumphant.
“You're lucky I like you,” Rhapsody laughed, “best two out of three.”
“You're on.”
56. This time, Rhapsody rolled Charlie right off the log and into the freezing
waters.
“Don't want to give up yet?” Rhapsody asked, cheerfully. Charlie bobbed
back to the surface.
“It's all down to this one.”
57. “I'm so ready to win this.” Charlie grinned.
“You wish, sweetie. I'm going to take home the glory.”
“Can't we share the glory like a good man and wife?”
“Nope! Get back on the log and stop making excuses!”
58. Things got tense for a moment, as both Rhapsody and Charlie turned
out to be competitive.
Rhapsody grinned, flicked water, tried to distract her husband, while
he focused and tried to distract her. In the end, it came down to who
lost their footing – and Charlie fell into the water.
59. “Yes! I am the winner!” Rhapsody cheered. Just like her Aunt Beatrice
was before her.
60. Once they had dried off and warmed up again, Rhapsody found some
more things to make memories with.
“Look at this, Charlie! All the couples who have carved their initials in
the wood...” Rhapsody examined a collection of initials that contained
a lot of “D.L.”s.
“I think it would look better if our initials were on there.” Charlie smiled,
and quickly carved “R.M + C.V” into the wood.
“But you're C.M now, not C.V...”
“Now I am, but I wasn't when we met.” Charlie shrugged.
61. There isn't as much to do in Three Lakes as the other two
destinations, and the last day of the vacation came around slowly.
Charlie and Rhapsody visited the Hidden Burrow.
There they met Trent.
“I don't think we should invite him home, Rhapsody. Garrett might get
jealous...”
“He wouldn't get jealous, but I know what you mean.”
62. Rhapsody and Charlie then began behaving inappropriately in front of
the bigfoot.
“Trent does not know what to make of the tourists and their
behaviour.”
Neither do I, Trent. Neither do I.
63. And here is where I leave you, just before the couple disappear home
again.
I think this chapter may have been a bit ramblyor dull, but hopefully it
was okay.
Join me next time as we bring in the final babies of the challenge!
Thanks for reading!
