Washed Up: Midnight Sun Challenge - 1.1

[beanstalk_sims]

Ooh, look, another sims challenge! If you've been following my tumblr, you'll already have seen some pic spam from this challenge. I've got eight chapters already written up, so it's probably about time to start sharing!

If you’re not familiar with the Midnight Sun Challenge, basically my sim has washed up on an island and has to live in isolation for five generations!

Um, I’m making a couple of changes to the rules. I’m pretty sure they said no mermaids, but I freaking love mermaids so I’m allowing it. Also, as I don’t have WA, I’m going to be using Oasis Landing as it were a holiday destination. So like, they can only go for three days or so, can only go three times a generation, and not at all if university has been chosen for that generation.

You’ll find the rules here if you’re interested, though. Additionally, I’m using an island someone else created for the challenge, rather than the ‘official’ islands. Man, do I suck at following the rules or what?

Well. I stick to the important parts.

Enough babble, let’s meet the castaway.




This is Cristina Thurman, a sim I originally made a few years ago to explore the University expansion with. She got a makeover and jumped on a cruise ship, which struck a reef and capsized.

As far as she knows, Cristina is the only one from the boat to have made it to the island.




But you know what? There are worse places to end up stranded.

Cristina’s lucky to have survived at all, if you think about it. Might be that Lucky trait she has, in addition to the Perfectionist, Night Owl, Eccentric and Artistic traits.




Funnily enough, Cristina took to life as a castaway pretty quickly. The peace and quiet was nice, as were the views, and despite being raised in a city, Cristina was able to work out how to feed herself.




Fish were a little gross, but she made the best of it.

“This tiny thing is supposed to keep me fed for the day?”

Okay, so not everything was perfect, but it was still pretty good.




How many people have the ocean just a few steps from where they sleep, after all?

I camped on a beach last year, you wouldn’t want to sleep next to the sea – so freaking noisy!




It wasn’t long before Cristina found a little boat, which she used to explore the island. There wasn’t much hope of pushing out to sea and finding civilisation, as rowing was a lot of work.

Still, the island was nice enough, and Cristina was finding she actually liked it here.




She even got to try one of the activities advertised by her capsized cruise, snorkelling.

It probably wouldn’t be long before she could go diving properly.






Life was good.

It was just a shame the anchovies weren't.




Being a night owl, Cristina didn’t really like to waste time sleeping. The stars were out, the sky was gorgeous, and there were plenty of things around to explore.

So Cristina rowed into the night to the nearby diving spot.






She headed under water for the first time, and immediately met a territorial cephalopod hiding in one of the caves.

Guess Cristina’s lucky trait didn’t feel like being helpful at this point in time.




Another day passed, and another fish ended up speared and roasting over the fire. While it was still an anchovy, it somehow tasted different to the horrible one she’d eaten the day before.

And so, Cristina’s life settled into a routine.




A routine only upset by odd glitches, like a member of the paparazzi hanging out on the seabed.

She didn’t drown; she just stood there, smiling. And occasionally clapping.




Despite the simple lifestyle she led, Cristina found she was getting lonely. She daren’t talk to the underwater paparazzi, as she seemed like a strange lady, and instead had nothing but fish for company.




And then she met a fish she’d never seen before.

“He’s part man, but part fish? I’ll call him a manfish!”




“I object to being called a fish.”

“Blub but fish are blub neat, blub!”

“I’m sorry, what did you say? Maybe we should just talk on land…”




Back on the beach, Cristina started preparing for the manfish’s arrival, by gathering more food.

“I don’t know what this is, but maybe he can eat it.”

She also found some seeds; although she wasn’t confident she had the skills to keep them alive, which pretty much means no gardening for the rest of time.




“So, Mr Fish, I assume you don’t eat fish?”

“Um. I’m a mermaid, not a fish.”

“Oh. So do you eat fish then? Because I have plenty of anchovies.”




“No thanks, I’d rather eat roasted kelp.”

“That’s gross, but okay.”

I just thought it was a bit odd to feed mermaids fish.




With hopes of the mermaid coming to visit more often, Cristina got to work planting one of the seeds in an attempt to grow him some non-fish food.

A zombie would later destroy it on the full moon, because that makes perfect sense *sigh*




“Oi! Mermaid! Don’t get caught on my line!”




Night fell, at yet the mermaid still hadn’t gone back to the reef.

 “So do you have a name?”

“Derek.”

“That’s not very nautical. Why isn’t your name Poseidon or something?”

“Because that’s a stereotype and my name is Derek.”

“Fine.”




“Oh, it’s raining.”

“You’re a mermaid.”

“So?”

“So why do you need an umbrella?”




The rain later calmed down enough for Derek to put his umbrella away. As he was the only person she could talk to, Cristina decided to get to know him better, by presenting him with a gift.

“Some purple wildflowers I found on the far side of the island.”

“They’re beautiful!”




The pair of them sat on the sand to talk and watch the waves.

“So are there other mermaids?”

“I think I’m the only one.”

“You think?”

“Well, I’ve never seen any others.”




“Hey, look! I can see a shape in the stars!”

“I don’t see it, point it out to me.”

“See? A fish!”

“If it’s an anchovy, I’m pushing you into the sea.”




The next day, Derek stumbled across something unusual in the reef.

There was a second mermaid.




He immediately swam back to the beach where Cristina lived to tell her about it.

“So if there’s more of you…surely you’d rather hang out with him than me?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think it matters. I think we’re quite good friends, Cristina.”




As night fell, Derek still hadn’t decided whether he was going to return to the sea to be with his own kind, or continue spending time with Cristina.

“Whatever you decide, Derek, it’s okay with me.”

“Oh, Cristina.”




It was then that Cristina took a chance, and attempted to steal a kiss.




“What was that for? We barely know each other!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Dammit, Cristina!”




“I’m sorry! I’ve just been here awhile, and you’re the only person I have to talk to…I don’t want to upset you, Derek.”

“It’s fine, just…don’t do it again.”

“Okay.”




Derek was gone all of the next day, and Cristina found herself going a little crazy with loneliness.

“Sand! Sand everywhere! I love sand!”




He returned at sunset, when Cristina’s marbles had been found, and cooked kelp over her fire pit.

The atmosphere between them was a little awkward after the previous night, with neither of them saying much.




Derek spent that night on the beach, and by the next morning, was completely back to himself.

“I think I’d rather spend time with you than the other mermaid, Cristina.”

“Really?”




“Really.”

And to prove he meant it, this time he kissed her.




And continued kissing her, because when you’re washed up on a tropical island, what else is there to do?




What else indeed.

*  *  *

That's all I have for this time! I've played quite far ahead, and have seven other chapters written up, so expect more soon!