Desert Dreamers VIII
Previously: Gideon and Fátima reached middle age while Ana aced her first acting gig by approaching the role of unnamed pirate selling detergent with expert nuance. Gabriela was adorable, and Rafael was nonexistent.
Ana is hard at work studying for her next audition, which requires her to be a believable repairwoman shilling for a hardware store. Obviously, Ana doesn't have much knowledge in this area. She hopes a quick skim through this guide for dummies will do the trick.
Just look at her, a fashionable aspiring actress grabbing a quick coffee and taking a leisurely morning stroll through the neighborhood before her audition. She may not be in Del Sol Valley yet, but she's certainly nailing the vibe.
Luckily, she nailed the audition, too! She's a touch disappointed it's just another commercial, but anything will be an impressive addition to her reel at this point.
Meanwhile, in a last-ditch effort to make me focus my energies on him for a change, Rafael has decided he's a rebel.
Rafael: I'm sick of these veggie burgers! Why do we all have to eat this disgusting food just because Dad's a vegetarian?
He's still figuring out exactly what he's rebelling against. Turns out he doesn't have much to complain about in his life.
The next day is Harvestfest! Since Ana still harbors a side passion for cooking, she takes it upon herself to prepare the perfect tofurkey dinner.
Ana: Family, I'm pleased to announce that not only am I a brilliant actress, but I'm also a culinary genius!
Rafael: I bet it would taste way better if it was real meat.
Gideon: Honey, did you just hear the words coming out of that boy's mouth? We must punish him!
Fátima: You know, he does have a bit of a point...
Gideon: HOW DARE YOU!
They're also celebrating with popcorn because I realized I'd never used this thing before and wanted to see it in action. Besides, who doesn't love hanging out with the fam and a big bowl of popcorn in front of a cheesy holiday movie?
They're joined for this occasion by Nadia's family, and I figured they may as well touch on all the typical forced holiday gathering activities by throwing in a card game or two.
That's fine with Ana because it leaves her and Gracie (almost) alone to enjoy the movie and popcorn in peace.
Apparently, the film of choice is some sort of gritty gangster noir with tons of gratuitous violence. A real holiday classic!
Gabriela is on a mission to sneak some popcorn for herself, even if it means having to shield her innocent toddler eyes from the gory events unfolding onscreen.
Come on! How could you possibly resist this face? Give her a bite or two, at least.
For reasons unknown, Erika and Simon have decided now is the perfect time to engage in a head-to-head push-up competition. Whoever taps out first loses.
Gideon: It'd be great if your family could not be weird for, like, a single hour. One hour is all I ask!
Erika: Goddamn it! That was hardly a fair fight. I'm in heels and a dress, for crying out loud!
Finally, it's time for the grand feast, even though, as you might have noticed, everyone's been freely sneaking snacks from the fridge throughout the entire party. Erika, Fátima, and Rafael all look like they might burst if they eat another bite, but Ana only cares what Gracie thinks.
The next morning, Ana grumbles and groans her way through an excruciating workout routine, and it looks like she's not the only one working off those excessive holiday calories.
Later that afternoon, it's time for her next big gig. This time she's got a costar, so there's even more pressure to do well. They practice their lines together, hoping it will help improve their onscreen chemistry.
Either Ana really learned a lot from that book she half-read or she's a pro at pretending to be a pro.
Wait, wait, what's happening here? I thought her character was just an ordinary everyday repairwoman. But now she's some sort of enchantress? What is she doing to this other woman? And, most importantly, who in the wardrobe department needs to be fired for that woman's look?
Hold on just a minute. She's a vampire? I know the place is called Vladislaus Hardware, but this seems a little much.
What is the tagline here, anyway? "We'll fix your refrigerator and then suck your blood?" How is any of this supposed to draw in new customers? Unless they're reaching out to a very specific clientele...
At any rate, Ana does amazing, unsurprisingly.
Wow, I didn't know there were rewards for commercials! If I did, I would also say this nomination isn't a surprise.
To celebrate her great success, Ana invites Gracie out for a little one-on-one time at the Spice Festival.
Unfortunately, by the time they got there, everything was closing up, so they grabbed some food, listened to Thorne Bailey play guitar for his adoring fans, then decided to head elsewhere.
Oh, this karaoke machine has no idea what it's in for. Ana is about to kill it with a performance dedicated to her beloved.
Gracie: Hold on, I've gotta get this on video! Imagine how many roles will pour in once you go viral on Simstagram.
I think it's safe to say she loved every second of Ana's serenade.
I'm not going to lie, this is a blatant excuse for me to enjoy some of the city's beautiful scenery now that I no longer have any Sims living there.
It's also a blatant excuse to enjoy this beautiful couple. I can't help it, my heart is all in on these two right now.
Ana is hard at work studying for her next audition, which requires her to be a believable repairwoman shilling for a hardware store. Obviously, Ana doesn't have much knowledge in this area. She hopes a quick skim through this guide for dummies will do the trick.
Just look at her, a fashionable aspiring actress grabbing a quick coffee and taking a leisurely morning stroll through the neighborhood before her audition. She may not be in Del Sol Valley yet, but she's certainly nailing the vibe.
Luckily, she nailed the audition, too! She's a touch disappointed it's just another commercial, but anything will be an impressive addition to her reel at this point.
Meanwhile, in a last-ditch effort to make me focus my energies on him for a change, Rafael has decided he's a rebel.
Rafael: I'm sick of these veggie burgers! Why do we all have to eat this disgusting food just because Dad's a vegetarian?
He's still figuring out exactly what he's rebelling against. Turns out he doesn't have much to complain about in his life.
The next day is Harvestfest! Since Ana still harbors a side passion for cooking, she takes it upon herself to prepare the perfect tofurkey dinner.
Ana: Family, I'm pleased to announce that not only am I a brilliant actress, but I'm also a culinary genius!
Rafael: I bet it would taste way better if it was real meat.
Gideon: Honey, did you just hear the words coming out of that boy's mouth? We must punish him!
Fátima: You know, he does have a bit of a point...
Gideon: HOW DARE YOU!
They're also celebrating with popcorn because I realized I'd never used this thing before and wanted to see it in action. Besides, who doesn't love hanging out with the fam and a big bowl of popcorn in front of a cheesy holiday movie?
They're joined for this occasion by Nadia's family, and I figured they may as well touch on all the typical forced holiday gathering activities by throwing in a card game or two.
That's fine with Ana because it leaves her and Gracie (almost) alone to enjoy the movie and popcorn in peace.
Apparently, the film of choice is some sort of gritty gangster noir with tons of gratuitous violence. A real holiday classic!
Gabriela is on a mission to sneak some popcorn for herself, even if it means having to shield her innocent toddler eyes from the gory events unfolding onscreen.
Come on! How could you possibly resist this face? Give her a bite or two, at least.
For reasons unknown, Erika and Simon have decided now is the perfect time to engage in a head-to-head push-up competition. Whoever taps out first loses.
Gideon: It'd be great if your family could not be weird for, like, a single hour. One hour is all I ask!
Erika: Goddamn it! That was hardly a fair fight. I'm in heels and a dress, for crying out loud!
Finally, it's time for the grand feast, even though, as you might have noticed, everyone's been freely sneaking snacks from the fridge throughout the entire party. Erika, Fátima, and Rafael all look like they might burst if they eat another bite, but Ana only cares what Gracie thinks.
The next morning, Ana grumbles and groans her way through an excruciating workout routine, and it looks like she's not the only one working off those excessive holiday calories.
Later that afternoon, it's time for her next big gig. This time she's got a costar, so there's even more pressure to do well. They practice their lines together, hoping it will help improve their onscreen chemistry.
Either Ana really learned a lot from that book she half-read or she's a pro at pretending to be a pro.
Wait, wait, what's happening here? I thought her character was just an ordinary everyday repairwoman. But now she's some sort of enchantress? What is she doing to this other woman? And, most importantly, who in the wardrobe department needs to be fired for that woman's look?
Hold on just a minute. She's a vampire? I know the place is called Vladislaus Hardware, but this seems a little much.
What is the tagline here, anyway? "We'll fix your refrigerator and then suck your blood?" How is any of this supposed to draw in new customers? Unless they're reaching out to a very specific clientele...
At any rate, Ana does amazing, unsurprisingly.
Wow, I didn't know there were rewards for commercials! If I did, I would also say this nomination isn't a surprise.
To celebrate her great success, Ana invites Gracie out for a little one-on-one time at the Spice Festival.
Unfortunately, by the time they got there, everything was closing up, so they grabbed some food, listened to Thorne Bailey play guitar for his adoring fans, then decided to head elsewhere.
Oh, this karaoke machine has no idea what it's in for. Ana is about to kill it with a performance dedicated to her beloved.
Gracie: Hold on, I've gotta get this on video! Imagine how many roles will pour in once you go viral on Simstagram.
I think it's safe to say she loved every second of Ana's serenade.
I'm not going to lie, this is a blatant excuse for me to enjoy some of the city's beautiful scenery now that I no longer have any Sims living there.
It's also a blatant excuse to enjoy this beautiful couple. I can't help it, my heart is all in on these two right now.