New Orleans Instrumental No. 1

Wake up.

Huh? Where am I? Oh... I'm in the limo. The ceiling is shaking? Hmmm... we seem to be traveling down a highway. Wait... where is my uniform? Hang on... someone's lying on my chest... and there's a blanket covering us..?

Oh, it's Deanna. Oh wait, I remember now... we've left that hellhole. I lift the edge of the blanket and peek under it briefly. Oh yeah, I remember that, too. Cool.

HEY! We've gotten this far without getting hit with an adult rating!

You again? What is it now?

Shh.... don't wake her, she's been through a lot.

Heh... well, that's certainly true enough...

Don't MAKE me come down there!

Almost as if in response, Deanna stirred slightly in her sleep. My right arm was wrapped around her, so I rubbed her back lightly, and listened to her breathing slow down as she slept a little deeper. What is it this time?

"What is it this time?" You sound somewhat ungrateful for someone whose just left an insane asylum challenge with a fully-healed love of your life.

Well, to be fair, it did seem like you were toying with us for a moment there. Like turning Free Will off. Why was that necessary?

Because I get tired of people wandering off to play the electric guitar or clean the shower when I'm trying to talk to them. It made for good drama, too.

Well, glad to be of service... anyway, why are You here?

I figured you would have some more questions... even though you left with Me still standing there in the middle of the asylum.

It didn't occur to me that the Creator would have needed a ride. Anyway, yes, I do have some questions.... the big one being... who am I? Who was I?

Who you are, is Brian Patience. You are the head of the Simprano crime syndicate, and you're currently on your way... somewhere with the woman who loves you asleep on your chest, who looks very comfortable, even though certain articles of clothing somehow left via the sunroof. You're on your way to whatever life the two of you choose for yourselves. What more do you need to know?

Well, regarding this challenge... I just found it curious that my Lifetime Want was to become a Criminal Mastermind, instead of something like a Business tycoon, or chief of staff.

What's your point? The exit condition was chosen more or less randomly.

I find it odd that the want I had to fulfill to escape that place, was to become the head of the crime family that has a hit out on a woman who is now my girlfriend... I became the one person; the ONLY person, who can save Deanna from her fate.

Do you remember, what it says for a caption, on those "Weird paintings of the Creator"?

Um, yes, actually... "I determine when you are born. I determine how you live. I determine how you die. I determine *if* you die."

Yes. All I will say is, you're not the only one I watch over. That's partially why I gave you such a hard time back at the asylum.... I had to make sure of her recovery.... and of yours.

My recovery? But... I don't remember anything before the asylum...

Let me fill in the blanks. You were a man, a Sim adrift. You felt like the world didn't need you. You didn't have many friends, and you didn't have a lot of ambition. You had a family, but they were well enough established that they really didn't "Need" you... no situations came up that couldn't be handled by someone else before it got to the point were they "needed' you. You once thought to yourself, in your depression, that perhaps you needed to be responsible for someone else. You needed someone to need you.

The asylum served both purposes - Deanna gained her savior, and you gained the purpose in life you were seeking. You moved heaven and earth to keep seven women alive, and I know you will do what ever it takes to keep one in particular happy and safe. You and she; you are each other's reward.

I'm speechless. As if on cue, Deanna stirred again, and I unconsciously ran my fingers lightly through her hair. You.... You'd planned this all from the start, haven't you?

I don't know if planned was the right word, because there was a very real risk you would not survive the challenge. That's why it was called a challenge. But yes, these are the results I had hoped for.

Wow... one question.... if I am her reward, and she is my reward... what was in it for You?

To see yours and Deanna's life together, that will be My reward. She's about to wake up, so I have to leave now. There are others I need to check on.

Wait! Wait! Will we ever see You again? Will we ever speak again?

I don't know exactly what the future will bring for the two of you, and I do not interfere where I do not need to. But I will tell you, before I go, what I told you once before....

I am everywhere. I am watching.

And with that, I felt the Creator's presence leave. I didn't have time to think about it, for Deanna stirred, and lifted her head sleepily, looking around while she remembered where she was. Seeing me, she gave a smile.

"Were you talking to someone?" she asked.

"Just... just saying goodbye to a friend, my love."

Hope

The Creator smiled slightly, and nodded. "Very well, then," and snapped his fingers.

I could move again, suddenly! I almost fell over, having become accustomed to the Creator's powers holding me upright. Deanna's knees buckled... she must have been released too! Wait, she's slumping! No! I will NOT hear that sound again!
I rushed forward, far faster than I would have thought possible, and caught Deanna before she made it halfway to the ground. The two women at the table, along with Rocco and Snakes, were locked in the same position they had been in; unmoving, but they were unimportant compared to keeping Deanna from ending up on that stone floor again.

She reflexively wrapped her arms around me for support, but she recovered quickly, to stand on her own again, but she didn't let go of me. She looked at me, a mixture of hope and fear fighting for control of her face.

"Can you, Brian?" she asked, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the others. "Can you protect me from.. your associates?"
I smiled and kissed her reassuringly. "I can, my love. I am Leader. I am the Don now. Don Simprano himself endorsed my taking over. I performed the rituals, and I have passed the tests. None challenge me. If I tell my people to lift a contract it *will* be lifted. I promise you, my love, that you will be safe from them. You will not live in fear any more."

She smiled again, and broke out into a grin. "I believe you. I trust you. I love you," and kissed me back. I pulled her closer even as she did the same to me. We kissed long and hard, and when we finally broke, she threw her head back and laughed, with love and joy in her voice, combined with relief.
She rested her head against my chest as we turned to face the Creator, who was smiling. "So, what now?" I asked.

"There are decisions to be made," the Creator said. "All simple matters, yet not so simple. First of all, Deanna, do you wish to recover your previous name, even if not even I can recover your memory?"

In response, Deanna took the file from the Creator's hand, and opened it. Silently, she read the same FBI data sheet I had looked at, and flipped through the file without a word. She then snapped it shut, and handed it back to the Creator. "I don't know this woman," she said simply. "All I know is Deanna, and it's the name I survived this... trial with. I will keep it."

"Very well, then," the Creator said. He waved his hand, and suddenly a large bottle of green liquid appeared. It looked like a fancy water cooler, but the liquid inside was most certainly not water. He took a cup from the machine, and filled it. He then held it out to Deanna. "Drink this, and it will remove all effects of the medication you've been on, permanently. You'll get your strength and stamina back. You'll need it, when you leave here with Brian."
Deanna looked at the green liquid suspiciously for about two seconds, then smiled and drank it down in one gulp. The effect was immediate, and startling. When she came down (literally), she rushed over to me and gave me a strong squeeze... much stronger than she'd even been able to before. All I could do was laugh as she put her head on my shoulder.
Between laughs, I asked the Creator, "You'll let me take her out of here after all? Why did you say I could not have her?"

The Creator shook his head with a smile. "I said you could not arbitrarily 'take' her. She, however, now that she is fit and ready to leave, may choose to do as she wishes. She has chosen to be with you."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carrie, and Leslie sitting motionless at the table. "Wait, I hope you've got enough of this stuff for the others.... I promised I'd save them too!"

The Creator looked at them and shook his head, slightly sadly. He snapped his fingers, and the three women came alive again, and they all turned to us. Anne actually walked out of the rec room... apparently she'd been just out of sight. "I know this, but they really aren't ready to leave yet. Carrie hasn't recovered fully from the shock of being swindled out of her inheritance. Leslie needs to stay until she is functional enough to recover her children, and Anne...."

At the sound of her name, Anne perked up. "What's the frequency, Kenneth?"
The Creator sighed. "....and Anne needs to stay here until she has both oars in the water."

"What happened to Tammy, Jen and Sandy?" Deanna asked. "They were here literally a minute before Brian showed up."

The Creator turned to face her. "You already know Jen's story. I assume, Brian, you'll be using your connections to take over the running of this facility?"

I nodded. "Yes. I want them all to get better.... I'll tear this place to the ground and have it built new if it comes to that. But, what happened to Jen?"

"Jen has been removed to another location, until your organization can consolidate its control over here. I trust you'll be trying to come to an agreement with Lord Thomas' cult, to get her off their radar?"

"Oh, certainly," I responded. "Where are Tammy and Sandy?"

The Creator smiled somewhat enigmatically. "They have served their purpose, and are awaiting their next.. assignments."

"Assignments?" Deanna asked. "Do you mean they were working for... You?"

He turned to her and nodded. "That's one way of putting it. Even though here I am the Creator, when it comes to various challenges, I am merely One among Many. Part of the rules for this challenge is that there are to be eight inmates, no less."

"You mean," she said with a gasp, "they weren't actually patients?"

"Oh yes," He answered. "They were as loopy as the lot of you. They helped make the challenge, challenging for our hero here. Now that their work is done, they wait... somewhere safe, until they are needed again."

"They were here just to make my job more difficult?" I asked, not believing it completely.

"One does not get dirty laundry clean without agitation," He replied with a smile.

I turned to the three women. "But... I don't want to leave Carrie, Anne, and Leslie here. This place is still a dump even after what I've been able to do so far. It's going to take more than a few hours to rebuild this place."

Leslie, at the table, spoke up for the first time. "It's okay, Brian. We've managed this long, even during the times you were at work. We can handle ourselves for a time while you get things settled."

Carrie nodded in agreement. "Right... it's not like you won't be keeping watch over us, right? So we get the doctors and help we need?"

Deanna smiled and walked over to the table. I lifted an eyebrow, purely by reflex... Carrie had indirectly almost caused Deanna's death once... She reached to her and put her hands on Carrie's shoulders.

"Even if he doesn't, I will. You are all my friends, too, despite all that's happened. " She pulled Carrie to her for a friendly hug. "We'll both make sure you're taken care of."
She then said to her, "I don't think I'll be needing the doctor that Brian brought... maybe he could stay here for the time being? I'll assume he's a competent doctor," she asked, looking back at me. I nodded, and caught Snake's eye. He nodded, then headed out the door to the limo.

"It's settled then," Deanna said with a smile as the doctor walked in. She then turned to me, a wordless question on her face.

I glanced to the Creator, who smiled and waved his arm towards Deanna in a theatrical manner.

"Come on, my love," I said with a smile. In an instant she was back in my arms. I kissed her and pointed to the door. Rocco reached over and opened the door. I turned one more time to Carrie, Leslie, Anne and the others. "Rocco, you and Snakes will stay here with the Doc to handle things for the time being. You will be in charge of their welfare, understood?"

"Yes, Leader," Rocco replied.

Turning to the side, I slipped my arm around Deanna's waist, and headed towards the open door. She wrapped her arm around me and was walking fast enough to drag me forward slightly with her.

"Now we're leaving."

As we stood in the afternoon sun, Deanna looked over the stretch limo that was waiting for us, the back door being held open by Snakes. "I hope you brought a driver," she murmured to me.
"Why?" I asked, somewhat puzzled. She whispered in my ear and told me, then asked a question. I grinned and ran my hand over my Mastermind outfit.
"Yes, it comes off."

All The Right Friends

I didn't work my way to my current position to let anyone tell me that someone I cared about wasn't safe. Even if he was the Creator. Deanna's epiphany seemed to have faded from her face, slowly being replaced by doubt.
"What do you mean?" I asked, anger in my voice. "What do you have planned for her now? What more does she have to go through?!!"

The Creator turned back to me, and stepped closer. "I have nothing planned for her, specifically. Her fate, her future, is in one place. Your hands."
I smiled in relief. "Than she has nothing to worry about. I run the Simprano crime syndicate. No one will harm her, ever. I will make sure of that."

The Creator wasn't impressed. "Can you?" He asked, quite simply.

I was puzzled... "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be able to?"

With a hand gesture, suddenly a manila folder appeared in the Creator's hand. I could barely make out a FBI logo on it. "Deanna knows none of the specifics of her past life. It is time to fill in the details, for both your sakes."

He reached into the file and pulled out a single page. In the top left corner was a picture of a woman with long red hair. He held it out to me. "Brian, you've learned much in your rise through the Simprano family ranks. Do you know anything about this woman?"

I looked at the page presented. Seen close up, the young woman in the picture had long red hair... and bright blue eyes.... Bright blue... no... I glanced over to Deanna, then back to the picture... and back to her. Aside from the hair... it was her. She saw the look on my face, and looked startled, but she said nothing.
I read more of the information on the page... it was a summary sheet from a Witness Protection File... and I looked at her name. The name... was familiar. I racked my brain... and my brain offered up the details of one of my indoctrination meetings.... oh, no. This... can't be. I glanced at the Creator, who took the page away, and turned half towards Deanna.

"Here is what you need to know. Seven years ago, this woman, now known as Deanna Patience, was a teenager, on her way to study at Sim State University. She never made it to campus, though.

"Her taxi to University broke down on the way there, stopping in a small town. While waiting for a replacement taxi, she took a walk... and managed to stumble across a crime in progress."
It was two men tossing an unconscious man into a swimming pool, then walking off, carrying the pool's ladder with them."
"Needless to say, the man drowned before Deanna could get help. It was only dumb luck the killers didn't see her as they left."
"She gave her statement to the police, but was soon placed in protective custody once the identities of the murderers were known. She was basically locked up, under heavy guard, until the trial. She was brave, though. She stood up in court, and identified the murderers. Both were found guilty of Tampering With A Pool Ladder in the first degree, which drew the maximum penalty of life in prison without possibility of Build or Buy mode."

"Needless to say, after the trial, Deanna was placed in witness protection for her safety... but safe she was not, even with the FBI watching her. The crime syndicate the murderers belonged to, put out a contract on her. She had several close calls over the years, and after each attempt on her life she was given a new identity, and a new face. The security around her was tightened each time. But, these criminals were determined. No matter where she moved, they always seemed to find her. It turns out they had an informant in the Witness Protection program.

"The FBI eventually found the source of the leak, but all the years of running and hiding had taken their toll on her sanity. This last time they tried to kill her, she was trapped in a cage with a cow plant that hadn't been fed in weeks. There was no cake involved; it went right for her, sniffed her just before she was going to be eaten, when the FBI burst in and rescued her. The shock of this latest near death, pushed the young woman over the edge. Her mind... snapped, and when she recovered in the hospital six months later, she remembered nothing of her past life. She didn't even know her own name... and it was decided, for her own safety, to give her a new identity, and the name of Deanna, without telling her of her past.

The Creator stopped, and turned to look at her, a look of sadness on His face. Deanna's eyes were as big as dinner plates. I still couldn't move, but tried to send as comforting a look as I could to her. She seemed to be holding up though... but where she was getting the strength; I wish I knew.

"Even this was not enough. Deanna's troubles were not over. She remembered nothing, but years of living under constant paranoia had left marks on her mind that not even amnesia could erase. The details of the incident in the SimCity mall are not important here. For all we know, she may have overheard a simple phrase, seen something unrelated... but it may never be known. When she was removed from there, she was catatonic once again, and the best medicines given could only restore basic functionality. She had no memory markers the doctors could find. It was decided, that the best place for her, is, or was, here."

He turned to me, and glanced at Rocco and Snakes. "The reason she is not safe, is that the murderers her testimony put away, belonged to the Simprano crime family."

I gasped as loudly as I could given the circumstances. Before I could say anything, the Creator strode over to me and looked deep into my eyes. "So, answer Me, 'Leader', can you save her?"

I thought for a second, a half-second more than I needed, then summoned all the confidence that I felt, all the confidence that I knew, and looked my Creator back in the eye.
"Yes, I can."

Walk Unafraid

The look of astonishment on the Creator's face faded after a moment, and a look of clinical detachment assumed itself. He stepped towards Deanna, and looked deep into her blue eyes,

"Well, you speaking wasn't something I expected. Why do you say you're ready to leave this place?

Deanna was able to turn her head slightly to match the Creator's gaze. She looked understandably nervous and confused, but... I swore there was something more... a slight glimpse of... confidence.

"Because... because I'm not afraid any more."

The Creator cocked his head slightly to one side. "Explain, please. As fully as you can, Deanna. Tell us... tell him, what you mean."

Deanna took a deep breath. "I don't remember much... though some things have come back to me recently. I recall... an incident. It was in a shopping mall or something. I felt... pursued. I felt unsafe. I was scared. Something bad... had almost happened to me...

"I couldn't trust any one... I couldn't trust anything... I only felt 'safe' when I woke up here... in this place. This hell. I felt safe in these walls. In the middle of this desert. Stone walls, and only one door. Not enough beds, and not enough chairs. No privacy whatsoever. Nothing to see out the windows but sand and mountains. But yet... no one could get to me here.

"Then... this madness started. Seven more people showed up. Most of them as messed up as I was. Six other women I could bond with and commiserate with, even as we tried to keep ourselves alive in this... underfunded facility." She smiled, and turned her head towards me. "And then, he showed up."

I couldn't speak, I was too enraptured by what she was saying. My rage was replaced by an aching longing to hear what she would say next.
"The other women were in bad shape, like me. We couldn't do much to help ourselves besides the necessities of life, aside from what meager entertainment we had available to us. But Brian... he wasn't medicated. He didn't know who he was any better than we did. but he had a plan. He took care of us. He fed us until we could cook ourselves. He took care of us when there were fires. He got to know us, he made sure we knew he was going to get us out of here. He got jobs to get money to keep us fed, and he repaired what broke or got clogged.

"We didn't make it easy for him. There were fights... there were fires... there were nights none of us could sleep. We all had our breakdowns due to the lack of professional care here. Bad decisions were made at times, by all of us, but he kept going, and did everything he could. He put our welfare above his own at times. And we survived."

She smiled, warmly. "And he loved me. He showed me how to laugh. He showed me how to trust. He showed me that though the world is still dangerous, it has its good points too. He showed me, that even if you live in Hell, you don't have to live in constant fear. He danced with me on this crusted-over stone floor next to a candle that passed for a lamp, and it felt like a grand ballroom, just him and I. And now... I feel like I can handle anything."

My knees would have buckled, were they not locked in place. The Creator's eyebrows rose slightly, then he turned to look at me, and then back to Deanna.

"Like what?" He asked.

"Well," she replied, involuntarily looking towards the ceiling. "I feel like I could walk down the street. I feel like I could say 'Hello' to new people. I feel like I could get a job. I feel like I could be a wife, and even a mother. I feel like I can make friends. I feel... safe."
The Creator nodded, even as I fought like a demon to break free of whatever was keeping our free will turned off. Nothing worked, however, and I stayed absolutely still. I threw a longing gaze at Deanna trying to get across that I'd want nothing more to throw my arms around her. I saw her look back at me and wink.

"Very impressive, Deanna," the Creator replied. "So, you feel like you can make your own choices in life, if I understand correctly."

"Yes, I do," she replied, with as much of a nod as she could manage. He turned to her, then back to me.

"We already know what others present would choose. I ask you Deanna, what is the first thing you would choose if given release from this place?"

To my surprise, Deanna gritted her teeth and made a slight growl under her breath. To mine, and the Creator's astonishment, her body started shaking slightly. Somehow, impossibly, despite the powers of the Creator, she managed to lift her arm, and point at.... me. She was pointing at me.
"My first choice," she said with a smile through her clenched teeth, "would be him. Brian. I love him, and would want to be his wife. I would be his reward, for he would be mine." She relaxed her jaw, and her arm fell as the enchantment grasped her again.

The Creator's eyebrows lifted slightly. "That was very touching, and very convincing, Deanna. I believe you. It seems you are mentally, and emotionally fit to leave this center. There's just one thing you need to know...."
As a dead silence loomed over the room, the Creator glanced at me, and at the looming yet inert forms of Rocco and Snakes. It was His turn to say three words to stun us all...

"You aren't safe."

Monty Got a Raw Deal

No... this isn't fair. IT ISN'T FAIR. I've done it. I've become head of the Simprano syndicate. I have lifetime Platinum mood. I kept them alive. I kept her alive. I will NOT fail. I'm so angry... the power... the power... I will use it. I will not be thwarted! I have run the gauntlet, and I WILL HAVE MY VICTORY!
"SHOW YOURSELF!!" I screamed as loudly as I could, despite not being able to move from this spot. "I'm through being pushed around by You! Show yourself, Creator!"

Show Myself? Do you know what you are asking?

"I'm not asking you! I'm telling you! Show yourself!" I'm sure if I had the muscle control, I'd be shaking right now. Deanna's eyes had stopped darting back and forth, and were fixed on me. At least I know she can still hear and see.

Very well. Prepare yourself. This is not the normal destiny of Mortals, to face Me, their Creator. I hope you find My appearance.... acceptable.

What the.... the Creator....
"You are surprised? You were expecting a more imposing image?"
"I was expecting to be able to move! What have You done to us? Why can't we move?"

"You cannot move, because I have removed your Free Will. It is only because you have helped Me finish this challenge that you can speak at all. I am not ungrateful."

I collect myself.... I still can't move, but I hope I manage to put an angry enough look on my face. "It doesn't matter what you look like, even if you've chosen to look like me. It doesn't matter how 'grateful' you are. I did it. I survived your challenge, and now you tell me I can't take Deanna out of here?
"I never promised you that you would be able to simply 'take' her. You chose her to fulfill your own wants, and to help fulfill hers, in order to keep her alive, as allowed for this challenge. You have done very well. She has not progressed as far as you, to be sure, but she is in remarkable shape for what she's been subjected to. I never said she was to be yours to do with as you see fit."

The smug, self-assured look on his face was beginning to annoy me. "Tell me why I can't rescue her from here. Tell me why she has to stay here!"

The Creator turned to look at Deanna. Her gaze was alternating between Him and I. The Creator paused for a moment, studying her like she was a piece of art. After several silent seconds, while I felt my rage building again, He turned to face me again.

"You cannot take her, because she is not ready to leave yet." He held up a hand, and I felt a retort die in my throat. "You have built a far stronger relationship with her than either you or I thought you would. I remember calling you a slimy opportunist. I now see I was wrong about you, and the two of you feel genuine love for each other, so I do not expect you to view her situation and recovery with full objectivity. Please believe Me when I say she is not ready to leave this place."

While I struggled to form a response to that, three words, spoken by another, were heard, and they caused the Creator to suddenly spin around, obvious surprise on His face.

He had turned His attention to Deanna, who had spoken the three words, despite not having the Free Will to do much else.
"Yes, I am."

Endgame

"All right, does everyone understand what our mission is?"

"Yes, Leader."

"Remember, * no one * is to be harmed without cause. It is only their medications that keep these women here; there are no armed guards or orderlies of any kind. Be prepared for anything though."

These boys, Snakes and Rocco, were 'good' boys. Well, not necessarily good, but trustworthy and competent operatives. As we piled into the limo, I did all I could to keep the excitement off my face. Finally, after all these months in that hell, this was the day. This is the day I've worked, studied, stolen, cheated and lied for.

I am going to rescue my Deanna, and find a better facility for the others. I'm going to save them all. I have the skills, the money, the muscle, and the will.
If the boys notice me tapping my foot anxiously as we drove down the highway, they're keeping it to themselves. Finally! We're here! I check to make sure my new Mastermind uniform is in place, but I left the hood off. The women know I'm coming, but no point scaring them.

I'd brought two soldiers with me, just in case someone decides to physically get in my way. Waiting in the limo, if needed, I brought a doctor we have on "staff". He should be able to counter the meds these women are on, once I get them away from this place.

The place looks the same it did this afternoon, but this time, I don't feel the crushing despair I usually feel, even after the renovations I had done. I'll never live here again. Neither will any of these seven women I've come to know. It's liberation day!

There is no need to break down the door. It's still unlocked, because it smugly knows no one leaving this place will get far on their own in this desert on the meds they inflict on patients.

I walk in to see Carrie and Leslie in the kitchen, and bowls of chili on the table. Deanna... my Deanna, is just stepping sway from our new dishwasher. She turns to see me. She knew that today is "the day", so her face has a mixture of emotions on it - anticipation, joy, plus an understandable amount of uncertainty, especially given the look of my new duds and the two ... associates with me.
"All right, ladies," I say, not bothering to hide the pleasure from my face, and the triumph from my voice. "Gather your things; we're leaving. It's over. The nightmare is over!"

Deanna's grin threatens to split her face, but the two at the table look oddly... distant. Their arms fall to their sides and their eyes suddenly look unfocused? Wait... where are the other four? Where are Anne, Sandy, Tammy and Jen?

I look to the right, through the archway to the rec room... I don't hear any guitar music or the TV on... I quickly check the "new" bedrooms... they're both empty.

"Deanna?" I ask. "Where are the others?" Deanna looks even more startled than I, and dashes into the rec room. When she returns, the confusion on her face is overriding all her other emotions.

"I... I don't know," she admits. "They... were here a second ago... Jen was playing the guitar just now... I didn't realize it had stopped. The guitar's on the floor like it was dropped..." Her gaze swung to the bedroom, and back to me.

"We'll find them. Let's go, we have a limo and a doctor ready. He'll take care of your meds. Carrie, Leslie, that includes you. Let's go!"

The two at the table didn't move. Deanna got her grin back and rushed for the door. Well, specifically she took two steps before suddenly stopping and standing up straight. To my shock, her face gained the blank look that the two at the table shared. Not quite the same, for her eyes were darting back in forth, like she was startled. Before I could say anything, I caught a sudden movement out of the corner of my eye. Rocco and Snakes had assumed the same pose Deanna had, but they had the glazed look on their faces. I tried to head for Deanna...

....but I couldn't move either, any more... What's happening? Why can't I...

No. Not yet.

How The West Was Won and Where It Got Us

Creator here. If you couldn't tell from Deanna's diary entry, I've finished this asylum challenge, and it's time to take a look at the ubiquitous females that I share the asylum with. Here are their details:

Anne - 100/100 with Brian, Carrie, and Tammy, 98/98 with Jen, 96/96
with Leslie, 94/94 with Deanna, and 92/92 with Sandy. Best friends
with all of them. 6 Cooking points, 2 Logic points, 10 creativity,
and 4 Cleaning. 22 points, 7250 aspiration points.

Carrie - 100/100 with Anne, 38/38 with Brian, 86/86 with Deanna, 98/98
with Jen, 98/98 with Leslie, 100/99 with Sandy, and 79/74 with Tammy.
Best Friends with everyone but Deanna. 6 cooking points, 2 logic, 10
creativity, and 5 cleaning. 23 points, 2250 aspiration points.

Deanna - 98/98 with Anne, 100/100 with Brian, 44/44 with Carrie, 98/98
with Jen, 92/92 with Leslie, 97/97 with Sandy, 100/100 with Tammy. 6
cooking, 4 logic, 8 creativity, 6 cleaning. 24 points, 11250
aspiration points.

Jen - 98/98 with Anne, 89/89 with Brian, 98/98 with Carrie, 98/98 with
Deanna, 96/96 with Leslie, 100/100 with Sandy, 100/100 with Tammy. 6
cooking, 8 logic, 10 creativity, 4 cleaning, 28 points 34750!
aspiration points (She fulfilled a few big Wants for Best friends)

Leslie - 94/94 with Anne, 86/86 with Brian, 98/98 with Carrie, 91/91
with Deanna, 96/96 with Jen, 100/100 with Sandy, 100/96 with Tammy. 5
Cooking points. 6 Logic points, 10 creativity, 4 cleaning points. 25
points, 7350 aspiration points.

Sandy - 92/92 with Anne, 98/98 with Brian, 95/93 with Carrie, 100/100
with Deanna, 100/100 with Jen, 100/100 with Leslie, 70/70 with Tammy.
6 cooking, 9 creativity, 6 cleaning. 21 points, 3250 aspiration points

Tammy - 100/100 with Anne, 98/98 with Brian, 81/76 with Carrie,
100/100 with Deanna, 97/97 with Jen, 100/96 with Leslie, 59/59 with
Sandy. 6 cooking, 5 logic, 10 creativity, 1 cleaning. 22 points,
21250 aspiration points. (Another popularity sim)

So....

Skill Points earned by inmates: 165
Aspiration Points earned by inmates: 87350 (87)
7 house friends

$98,438 household funds (55,000 of it from chance cards)
Household value, $129,292.
This is day 44.

So figure... 100 points - 44 points, plus 259 = 315 points.
I didn't figure in the no influence bonus because:

1. I misread the rules and took Deanna on a date... or two. On the
lot, mind you.
2. It wasn't clear if the rules on Fun points applied only to the
TV/Stereo, or to skill objects as well.

So, feel free to point out any flaws in my scoring. I have a big ol' finale planned; I just need the appropriate screenshots. And a fish. I did spend some dosh on the asylum once Brian hit his Lifetime Want, to make it easier to manage the now-controllable inmates.

Oh yeah, one of the things I learned once I could control them, was that each woman actually possessed pajamas; they just all preferred to sleep in their underwear. Honest.
Our hero looks happy, doesn't he? There's a lot he needs to learn still... His greatest challenge awaits him. I hope he's up to it.

Electrolite

Dear Diary;

I think Brian is up to something. Something good. He told me, just before he left for work last night, that I should expect some surprises today. Now, a "surprise" in this place usually involves either fire, or another "Coconuts are tropical! This is a temperate zone!" argument with Anne, but today had REALLY big surprises compared to that.

About three hours ago, we were all startled to hear a flatbed truck pull to a stop outside. We looked out the window to see four workmen come out of the truck and start unloading building supplies; mainly bricks matching the walls here. They were very polite and deferential to us, but they wasted no time getting right to work. We barely had time to blink before they'd hauled our beds out of here! Naturally, this caused us to become concerned, but the man in charge reassured us that new ones were on their way; they had to do some changes to this building first.And they did. They put two new walls in, one separating the kitchen making a bedroom, and another wall separating the bedroom into two rooms, one of them being where the bed I'm currently on resides. The new walls were barely up when another truck pulled up.... it had some kind of furniture store logo on it, and more workmen came out. They put together a new double bed for this room, and SIX, yes six, brand new single beds for the other room. They looked much more comfortable than those metal monstrosities we were using... and there were six of them, not three! No more sleeping on the couch!

I'm pretty sure that now this room has some privacy, Brian's going to expect me to sleep here with him all the time, and to toss off my clothes and dive under the covers with him first chance we get.

He's probably right, for whatever's going on, it didn't stop with the sleeping arrangements.
They made changes to the kitchen, too! They actually installed a dishwasher, and left a food processor, plus a fourth chair for the table! There should be much less of a traffic jam in the kitchen now! And a smoke alarm! No more sprints to the phone for Brian when the stove catches fire! Although to be fair, even Anne doesn't cause a fire much lately.
Even if she does, getting cleaned up afterwards will be somewhat less of a hassle. They actually installed another shower unit and toilet to the bathroom! The workers apologized for only installing one of each; but apparently the pipes in this place couldn't handle any more. It looks like the old one will need a good cleaning when Brian gets back, but still, this will make a great difference.

The changes have made a big effect on all of us, Carrie and Anne especially. Well, it's either that or their... shock therapy they experienced while jumping in puddles during the rainstorm last night...
They still keep us on the meds, though... but even so, we feel... hope. At least that's what I think it feels like. Leslie, for one, even got off the couch to try out Brian's treadmill. No one else had ever been able to use it, with the effect of our medications. Even so, she only lasted a half hour, falling over a lot. She seemed to feel better though, when she finally called it quits.
Brian said he'd be home at a different time tonight. You'd have to be a crazy woman to not think this was all his doing. Well.... a different crazy woman. I hate it when pens don't have erasers... I hope he has good news for us.

Pilgrimage

"So, you believe me?"

"I'm not sure yet. I believe you when you say you hear it, but I'm a crazy woman on industrial-grade medication."

"Well, if I could prove it to you, I certainly would. Now, where were we?"

"Well, we were dancing by the guitar, but now we're dancing where Tammy's trying to sleep. Or did you mean..."

"I meant, what we were talking about, not that I object to where your hand is."

"Ah, okay. The Jen story, or at least what I could get from her. Well, I learned what I could after that time we were watching TV..."

"Hold on a sec, my love. Hey, Anne! Can we get some flashback music, please? As long as you've got the guitar?"

"I likes a spot o' honey in me mornin' tea."

I'd take that as a firm "no".

"Me too."

"You too what?"

"Uh, never mind.... just tell the story."
"Okay, remember when that Lord Thomas commercial came on when you, Leslie, and Carrie were watching TV?"

Begin flashback!

"Oh, come on, Carrie. You can't tell me you believe in this Lord Thomas guy?"

"What do you mean? You can't prove the world isn't going to end if people stop sending the Cult of Lord Thomas money! He's the only obstacle between us and oblivion!"

"Bull. What kind of name is Lord Thomas for a 'earth-serving god'? It's dumb."

"Lord Thomas says he uses that astral moniker so that he can better deal with us on our level. His True Name would drive us all mad!"

"He's a fraud! It's all an act! He bet he doesn't even live in a bare chamber in his compound, with no modern conveniences at all, meditating on how to use our donations to save us! How could he? The rest of his compound is filled with electronics, luxury, catering, the whole works!"

"Lord Thomas doesn't expect all his followers to follow his austere calling!"

"He's got a friggin' helicopter on the back lawn! And that Hwang 711 with the license plate 'TOM' in the private parking lot.... who do you think owns that?"

"It probably only says that for tax purposes."

"Tax purposes? Do you even listen to yourself?"

"Ask Jen about it, Leslie! She showed up in a Lord Thomas Cult Member T-shirt, before it was confiscated."

End flashback, for now!

"So, after hearing that exchange, I decided to ask Jen about it when I got the chance. It may have been a bit of a mistake, because she started crying."

Uh, begin flashback, again!
"Oh, Deanna, it's true. What I saw in that place.... * sniff *... Lord Thomas' compound.... "

"What did you see Jen? It must have been pretty bad to land you here."

"Well, I wasn't familiar with the place. I was assigned to go to room 231 to pick up some incense and candles for that evening's worship session.... and I got the room number wrong - I went into room 213 by accident. It wasn't a supply room, it was someone's office suite. I was about to leave, when I saw.... it."

"It?"

"I saw.... Lord Thomas' robe. That dark blue one... the one with a hood so big so you can't see his face... the sleeve design was the same... it had to be his! There was a desk with a two pictures on it.... before I could see them, I heard a television. Through a doorway, I could see a television... it was on, and whomever was in there was watching Iron Chef Pleasantview."

"The one starring Chef Angela?"

"Yes. Not only that, one of the pictures on the desk was of her! The other was of two teenage girls - one with red hair, the other with blonde hair! Then, I heard... the voice."

"The voice? What did it say?"

"It was his voice. Lord Thomas'. But without the whole ominous note... it sounded like a normal voice... he said 'Oh, you're here early. I'm just watching tonight's taping...' That's when he came out and saw me. He... he looked like a normal guy. The lights were low in the office, but I think he had blonde hair... like one of the girls in the picture. He was wearing a solid gray jumpsuit of some sort. I'd walked into his office suite! I obviously wasn't who he was expecting, and he called for guards.... next thing I know, there's a bag thrown over my head, and they must have drugged me or something, for I woke up here.... on the meds."

End flashback... sigh. I can't believe I have to play AV tech for this...

"So that's Jen's story, Brian. She was locked up here and sedated to keep her from spilling the beans about Lord Thomas. I guess donations would go way down if the truth got out that Lord Thomas doesn't exactly live a monastic, divine, austere existence. He's just a guy in a robe who's learned to milk money from people."

"Wow.... that's pretty rough. That's one big operation, Lord Thomas' cult. In my own work.... I've made certain... deliveries for them."

"That reminds me... how's the new job? You left pretty late last night."
"It's a lot of work, shuffling stuff between the seaport, airport and back. Even though I have plenty of underlings, I still have to personally make sure shipments get where we need to go. I will say, Don Simprano himself is impressed with my efficiency. I think, if I can pull off some bigger and better smuggling scores, he might designate me his successor... he's getting ready to retire soon."

"Let's hope.... oh, I hate to ask this, but I need to know this Brian... but, in your job... you haven't killed anyone, have you?"

"Me? No. No, my love. Not even indirectly. I may have shot out a cop car's tires and a few security cameras on a bank job, but to my knowledge, I've never hurt anyone."

"Really? How'd you get so high in the syndicate if you haven't killed anyone?"

"Killing someone is frowned upon. It implied you lost control of the situation; and weren't creative enough to handle things cleanly. Besides.... even if someone gets offed, they show up the next day fresh as a daisy. Or as a zombie. It's not worth the trouble most times to make sure someone stays dead. Usually a brush with death gets the point across. Unless it's someone who testified in court or something. They don't stop for anything if someone's testimony gets someone locked up. I haven't had to deal with that. Only the Don can order someone's death."

Hey Anne! Can we get some ominous music here?

"I want a Pony Princess doll, mumsie...."

I'll take that as a no....

Good Advices

Greetings, all. It's the Creator again. Our protagonist is taking a few hours rest before I send him back to the skill-building grind.

Even though I've been playing this asylum for only a few days, I think I have a few pointers to share with people who may be thinking about playing an asylum challenge.

Lesson Learned #1: When trying to make new household friends, don't send the (really) crazy lady.Lesson #2: If there's a kitchen fire, all Sims that were near it, will want a shower afterwards. This can end up looking pretty ridiculous depending on how big the shower stall is.
Lesson #3: If you find your inmates are... um.... weighing heavily on your mind, as long as your controllable Sim can Do Yoga, he or she can Ask others to Join Yoga. This does not get Body points for the joinees, but it will (slowly) gain them Fitness.
Lesson #4: If the inmates have no Body skill, the screenshots won't get much less ridiculous than this. However, the payoff can be worth it.
While pleased with the results, Deanna has um.... requested shorter workout sessions in the future. Well.. okay, she didn't so much "request" as "threaten our protagonist." I have no idea where she procured the sock full of quarters. Brian has reasonably agreed to shorten the sessions in order to avoid the discomfort that can result from a sudden assault of great change.

Oddfellows Local 151

"So, Deanna, While we've somehow managed to find some time alone, I've been doing some thinking..."

"Me too, but I'm not sure we could get the mailman to wear the costume."

"Wait.... what?"

"I'm teasing, sweetheart. Okay, okay. what were you thinking about?"

"Well, now that the chaos has died down for a bit, I was wondering why you're all here. Starting with you, obviously. Is there anything more you can tell me? You seem pretty lucid and rational a lot of the time. As long as there isn't a fire going on."
"Well, I know this may sound like a cliche, but I don't remember much before the day you showed up. All I 'know' is I'm supposed to be here... it hasn't bothered me much, because strangely enough, even locked up here, on these meds that keep us from getting too far from the building... I feel... safe, within these stone walls in the middle of the desert."

"We're not technically in the middle of the desert, my love. We're in the middle of this strange town. Perhaps you've noticed that the fire department gets here pretty quickly? Still, the other day, you seemed happy to just jump in that puddle."

"I couldn't help it... don't ask me to explain, but I actually felt safe and strong enough to go outside.... I think it started after.... you know."

"I still don't understand totally.... I mean, I caused that fire trying to make you food. I failed, and you almost died... I only made the situation worse."

"Brian, I'm going to say this again. When Tammy and Leslie told me how frantic you were, concerned about me despite the fact you yourself had fainted... it... well, I already knew you loved me... but that night made me realize... just how important I am to you. I don't remember my past life, but... I do know it felt... very, very new and very welcome."

*smooch* *slobber* *grasp* *giggles* *murmur*

Get on with it!!!

"All right, all right; you don't have to shout!"

"Uh, Brian? I didn't say anything... who were you talking to?"

"Um.... it's nothing..."

"Oooookay. Don't go crazy on us... you won't like how they administer the medicine."

"Speaking of the medicine... I think Anne is reacting badly to her medication lately. Or the smoke inhalation."

"Yeah, that was weird... one second she's jabbing me in the chest saying how I should watch my back..."
"... and not three seconds later, she's talking about the tennis player she used to date. I said 'Well... I'd like to try tennis, it sounds like good exercise.' She smiled at that.
"I was cleaning the books off the rec room floor, and her diary was one of them. it wasn't marked on the outside, so I opened it to see what it was, and who it belonged to..."
"And? Anything interesting in there?"

"Well... I don't wish to reveal all the rantings of a crazy woman..."

"Boy, do I understand that."

"Very funny. Anyway, needless to say, she had a list of some of her previous lovers... you won't believe who she has on the list... with numeric rankings."

"Like who?"

"Well, for one, Daniel Pleasant, the Hall-of-Famer."

"When was this? He's a grandfather now, if I recall. His daughter Angela is Iron Chef Pleasantview, and his other daughter, Lilith, is running for Mayor of SimCity."

"Exactly. Imagine the scandal. She doesn't give dates, but it seems he's a solid eight point three. Apparently he lost points on the dismount. Odd, considering his line of workout videos."

"Speaking of which, I wish the meds you girls are on would let you exercise. We've got a growing problem around here, with all the institutional food they provide us."
"Growing problem? Exercise? What do you mean?"

I wouldn't have gone there at gunpoint. How will our hero answer this one? Let's listen.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here!!"

"You know, Brian, I think I liked it better when I was the one talking to the ceiling, and you were the sane one."

"I'll... explain later. It's.... complicated and very strange. Uh... what were we talking about?"

"Um... I've forgotten. I think our Chat interaction expired."

Ooh.... saved by the buzzer!