highperformanceturtle

{The cold open for this episode is functionally irrelevant - it was asking about the functionality of NRAAS Traveller to make Isla Paradiso a vacation world so that Kenneth could go on his honeymoon there. As things stand, this is just a pretty picture of Kenneth's pool.}

Hi again, folken and unfolken! Can you guess where we are going today?

Morning, Carlotta.

“Mornin’!”

Someone’s perky for six in the morning.

“Well, I haven’t been kicked outta here yet. That’s always a plus.”

Being slightly schadenfreudian, aren’t we?

“Sorry. Just hope she does okay out there, is all. It’s a tough life. For those who’re living, I mean.”

You know what, Carlotta? I think she’ll do fine.

Carlotta has business to attend to in the bathroom, so despite not being immediately-first up, Ellis and Fae are first to make it to the fridge… except Fae doesn’t get that far.

Fae: “…What’s this?”

It’s Summer Dessert Pizza. It’s vegetarian, don’t worry.

Fae: “But what’s Summer Dessert Pizza doing on the floor? Has Kenneth been up yet?”

Leave it there for much longer, Fae, and Mr One-Two-Three-Where’s-Your-Breakfast will be.

Because of the pizza being, in fact, on the floor, breakfast is a far smoother affair.

…Jo, Fae, didn’t you two already have chemistry? Ugh, I’m losing count as to just who is attracted to who around here.

Carlotta: “BLOOGABOOGABOOGA”

Ellis: “Ahh! … Jesus, Carlotta, do you have to start my heart up like that?”

Carlotta: “Can’t be any worse than you catchin’ your heat of sunstroke out here. You’d better head in.”

It’s cool, Carlotta. All of you will need to head outside for the next challenge anyway, just as soon as Mr Lazy gets his wings out of bed.

“Awright awright ’m comin’ fuggs sake.”

No need to get like that, Kenneth. Come on, spit spot. We have lots to do today.

Dwyn? Stop looking at Elisha like that, Dwyn.

“…”

Dwyn, remember what Kenneth said.

“Just try nae to get Elisha’s back up so much?”

“…”

That’s better.

{He’s lucky this chair’s nearby, lemme tell ya.}

Kenneth: “All right. I’m primped, prepped, an’ hankerin’ for a bite. Whit’s on the agenda, voice in the sky?”

Let me just drag myself out of an Error Code 16 to get the others going first…

Attention, all Ewart BC contestants. Can all of you please make your way to the Fae Ray Aboretum? That’s all BC contestants to the Fae Ray Arboretum. All parasols, umbrellas, graves, and other personal protection must be taken with you. Thank you.

Kenneth: “How’d'ya do that echo-y thin’ ya just did?”

Italics.

Kenneth: “What…? Anyway, ya want me to meet ‘em there?”

First, you can head up to the supermarket. You do indeed need a bite on the run, and besides, we need to stock up on actual Plasma Fruit for Ellis at some point.

Kenneth: “Oh aye, of course. …Hi, Ellis.”

Ellis: “Hi!”

Elisha: “Wait for me!” *shuts the door behind him*

…

…

‘Ugh, finally! Now’s my chance to really explore this place a bit. To go wild, y'know?’

Take your time, Dwyn. Be sure to check out the basement too.

'I have a basement?’

I’m sorry, did Kenneth forget to mention the basement where you can be human sometimes without that pesky inconspicuousness getting in the way?

’…Is there a big bed there?’

Biggest you’ll ever see.

'Suh. Weet.’

It doesn’t take long for our intrepid contestants to congregate at the maze garden surrounding the Arboretum. …I wonder if any one of our Animal Lovers is going to make a move towards that cardinal in the corner…

…Ooh! A red-eared slider turtle, Cinder! That’s even better!

…Elisha? Are your eyes okay?

Ellis: “Sorry, sorry! I can’t turn these things off. Nervous.”

Still?

As Carlotta, Fae, and later Jo bond over aforesaid cardinal, Kenneth comes flying in, up to his neck in moist Plasma Fruits. Ready to give the spiel, Kenneth?

“Yup! Okay, folk, can I have yer attentions please? It’s about today’s challenge. Ya might be wonderin’ why we’re all gathered at the Arboretum, ‘sides to fulfill a want that’s been burnin’ a hole in my pocket. Well… to that I ask ya this: Has anyain here heard of The Wild Hunt?”

“The Wild Hunt goes by a mess'a other names. Gabriel’s Hounds. Ghost Riders. Cŵn Annwn. Devil’s Dandy Dogs. Caccia Morta. But they all basically mean th’ same thing. Creatures like us… or unlike us… all racin’ above the sky or under the ground, tryin’ to chase somethin’ down, usually nothin’ that’s good news. The hunters can be anythin’ from Fae, Seelie or Unseelie or whatever, to, well, dandy dugs. But folk like me arenae usually the hunted.

"That’s where today comes in. For a change, I’d quite like to be found. So I’m gonnae head into the Arboretum, and all of ye have to come look for me. Pretty easy, ya’d think. But there’s nature in that place, and it’s out to get ya as much as help ya. I’ll be projectin’ an Aura of Creativity to help ya think your way out of its traps… and cus I dorn’t have Aura of Body an’ Mind yet. But it’ll be your own wits that’ll get ya to me.”

If I can add something here: whenever the participants hit an obstacle, they will make the decision based on what their Traits most incline them towards. If there is no bias towards one or the other based on that, a flip of the coin will choose it for them.

“Ta, Maker. If anyone ends up finding me - hell, any Fairy would be a start - they’re immune from th’ next elimination. So stakes are high today, folks. Keep yer eyes peeled and wits sharp…

"And I’ll see all of ya on the other side.”

And Kenneth is in!

In order to save time and possibly streamline the process a little, two at a time will be sent inside. Jo and Fae are our first couple. Will their intuition for magic lead them to the right place?

Okay, okay, maybe it wasn’t streamlined. At any rate, here are the results of Jo and Fae’s respective adventures. Jo’s choices are circled in red; Fae’s, in green.

Jo had to toss a coin for this one; it landed tails, hence her heading to the right. Fae, being Vegetarian, was more inclined to approach the plants.
Fae surmised that the cave was less likely to set off her water allergy than being under a goddamn bridge. Jo, meanwhile, checked behind the waterfall - she is Never Nude, ergo wouldn’t appreciate having to change into her costume to head into the water.
The same coin landing heads led Fae to go into the Fairy House; Jo is Handy enough to know how to deconstruct stone piles.

Ultimately, Fabala came out the slightly more victorious of the two. But does it stand her in good stead?

We will find out after this word from our executives.

That word is “Karaneedsfoodorsomethingholyshit[it]issohungryfeed[it]now”.

I have had a warm meal; now back to the good company. Cinder and Carlotta are next to tag team… though if Carlotta could maybe not cheat and make it difficult to picture her by trying to ghost through the Aboretum wall ahead of time, that’d be appreciated.

Carlotta: “Aww man :(”

This run, at least, had some more variance than the first run.

Both Carlotta and Cinder opted to take the second option in the labyrinth - Cinder to make the most of the Outdoors to Love *is hit with a shoe*, Carlotta because she knows her Absent-Mindedness might cause her to forget how many left turns she’s taken.
The coins were tossed for both second choices. Both landed heads, hence they went to the left.
Carlotta’s Party Animal nature led her inside the fairy house; Cinder was torn between her Outdoorsy and Supernatural Fan instincts, but ultimately the former won out.

Carlotta came out very well framed, but only with seeds in pocket…

Cinder’s result was a bit more… what’s a delicate way of putting this? Unexpected. To be honest, I’ll need to reflect on what to do with it, results-wise. Can it be counted as finding a Fairy? If she found seeds as well, does that put her on the same rank as–

“Can I take it?”

Take what?

“The opportunity!”

…But you’re a Genie.

“Yeah! I can be a Genie Fairy! And then I won’t have to go back in the lamp even if whoever let me out for this says I have to! Oh my god this is great!”

Calm down, Cinder. I just don’t… hm… I will have to consult your reference tswwn about this development, as well as see if this is even possible for someone of your Genie-ism.

“That a yes?”

It’s a maybe. Shall we get on?

Our final duo for this challenge are Ellis and Elisha. Rather fetching young men, don’t you agree?

A coin flip guided both Ellis and Elisha to their respective destinations - Ellis down, Elisha up.
Same with both of these. Nothing to write home about.
I… actually kind of made a mistake here - I accidentally used Elisha’s traits to gauge Ellis and Ellis’s to gauge Elisha in this bracket!! You can tell by the swapped circle colours. Fortunately, had I been using the right ones it probably would have come out the same, but eesh. That’s a fuck-up of me.

Anyway, both of them came out Fairyless and seedful. If it’s any consolation, boys: I’ve never found a Fairy in any of my expeditions here. Ever.

Elisha: “Only one question remains at this juncture. Where, exactly, is Kenneth, if he is not, as we were told, in the Arboretum?”

…Kenneeeeeth? How long have you been in there?

“Abit… two hours, aul told?”

That is cheating, young man. I’m very disappointed.

“At least ya found me!”

-

… Gah. I can’t keep the girls waiting much longer. Looks like I’ll have to do this solo.

Fae?

Fae: “Yes?”

You did not find a Fairy itself, did you? But you did find Fairy dust, and the rules do in fact state that if no one else found one, its dust would be the next best thing.

Fae: “So I’m immune?”

Yes, you are.

Fae: “Brilliant! Thank you.”

Cinder?

Cinder: “Uh-huh? Did tis-win get back to you?”

No, not yet. But I have been in deep consultation with my Sims Assistance Council regarding your unexpected situation and what it means for the challenge.

Cinder: “Sims Assistance Council?”

My girlfriend and my Simspiration. I was going to ask someone else, but time runs short. Technically you did not find Fairy dust, but nor can the opportunity be discounted as a personal victory. So, in lieu of any concrete answers, I leave your fate to what led you to the chance in the first place. A coin. Heads for immune, tails for prone.

*toss*

…Tails. Sorry, Cinder; but gravity calls.

Cinder: “Grah.”

Don’t think I’m doing this as an act of charity to Rose, everybody. I’m merely going by panic, instinct, and being new to this whole business.

Ugh. let’s just get our voting poll up before i change my mind again.

As before, the tally is positive, not negative. The Sim that receives the least votes will be going home at this juncture. Voting will remain open until 12pm on Sunday the 13th of July, due to the larger voting pool.

Jo: “Say, if Cinder’s here, don’t you think Fae should be here to–”

SHUT UP, shut up. dont make me all confused, dont make me…

im going to lie down.

------
Five RL days later...
------

I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known…

Dwyn. Dwyn, you down th–

“You yelped?”

…What? Why are you in a suit? Why do you have two wands? Have you literally just been playing with magic all day?

“Nah. I’ve been playing darts as well. Pretty sweet scratching board if I do say so myself.”

What?! Look, never mind. Kenneth and company will be back from the Arboretum any minute. You’d better phase back and head up before they get suspicious.

“Awesome. It’s actually been gettin’ pretty lonely down here. The mirror’s great, but it can’t really scratch ya behind the ears the way a human can.”

Talk of the devil himself; here they come now. Since it’s getting pretty late in the night, the elimination itself won’t take place until tomorrow, which will give the others plenty of time to–

“Hey! Hey, big blurty voice!”

Oh, hi, Cinder.

“Heard from Tis-win yet?”

…Ah, right. The whole Genie Fairy opportunity thing. Well, I have heard from her, we’ve hashed things out, and we’ve decided that once we get some core data in place, we are, in fact, going to give you a chance for the opportunity–

“Yes! Oh my gosh thank you this is gonna be–”

–but not until you either win or have to leave the bachelor challenge. It wouldn’t be fair on anyone to have you gallivanting around as a hybrid while everyone is still competing. They might see you as having an unfair advantage.

“Aww… Still, I get to be a Fairy, a bit! Can’t look that in the mouth, can I?”

There’s leftover dessert pizza for dinner, and when that runs out, the cobbler is there to back it up. Ellis has already had a plasma fruit, so he goes off to dance; Kenneth, being full of pollen punch, catches up with Dwyn, who has found his way back upstairs and become Adventurous for his trouble.

“Ugh. Tomorrow is nae gonna be fun, Dwyn. How am I gonna tell ‘em?”

{Same way you told 'em before, I guess.}

“Dornt get smart.”

Kenneth: “Hey, Cinder. Ta for helpin’ with the dishes to… uh… Sorry, whit was I sayin’?”

Kenneth, you all right?

Kenneth: “Sorry. This. This light. Never noticed how allurin’ it was befair… lemme jist…”

…Kenneth? Kenneth, don’t get too close to that. Kenneth, I wouldn’t–

*KAZAP*

…go touching that. …Yeesh. You look like you lost a fight with a barbeque grill.

Kenneth: “Thank ya, Captain Obvious. I’m goin’ to bed.”

Elisha is already in bed, sleeping peacefully, as everyone else heads off to…

Um. Elisha, you’re still green. …Elisha, wake up.

“Mm?”

You’re still green. You’d better go jiggle the lamp about to get you blue again.

…Whoops, never mind, it fixed itself. You can go back to sleep.

“Well, that was a spectacular waste of time.”

The next day arises full of frozen rain. In the summer. How very… foreboding? Maybe?

No one can sleep very well in the night. Ellis, on his part, is first up, taking the opportunity to have a quick rinse off of all the previous day’s fairy scouting…

…I’m stalling, aren’t I?

As night and the hail dissipate, the contestants up for vote drift into the Red Room, fully aware of what’s coming. It might take a while for Kenneth to catch up to them, though.

“Ya want me to get th’ results and pass ‘em on lookin’ like a trash sack or somethin’?”

Aww, Fae… Have you come along to sit with them as a show of solidarity?

“Yes. Well, yes and no. I originally just came to find Elisha, but that does sound like a good idea now you bring it up.”

Okay, big guy. Let’s get this over with.

…

Kenneth: “Hi. Hi everyone. Ya all sleep well? …Silly question, o'course ya didn’t, I can see it in yer… Look, I’ve gotten the results of the last elimination in. Much as I dornt wanna think abit it, one of ye has to go home, so. I’m just gonnae get this done quick, so it doesnae come off as bad. Like takin’ off a plaster.”

Kenneth: “Okay. Carlotta, can ya stand up please?”

Carlotta: “Standin’.”

Kenneth: “Ya actually proved pretty popular that time! Ya got seven votes outta twenty-four. So you’re definitely stayin’.”

She looks like she approves of this newly-acquired fanbase.

Elisha: “Carlotta? Carlotta, you left behind your–”

Kenneth: “Ah, Elisha! Great timin’! I was gonnae call ya next. Ya were only one vote behind Carlotta, at six. You’re stayin’ as well. …Startin’ to believe people like ya yet?”

Elisha: “…I’m working on it.”

Kenneth: “Last ‘hing, as far as easy things to say goes… Cinder? Jo? You two tied at four votes each. *deep breath* And that means the two of ya are also safe. You two should go get breakfast.”

Kenneth: “…So. Ellis. It loo–”

Ellis: “No, it, it’s all right. I know what this means. I got three, right?”

Kenneth: “Yeah. I’m sorry. I was honestly really getting to know ya for a while there, I really thought you’d stay a bit longer ‘an… and dornt I feel like a waste of Plasma Fruit.”

Ellis: “It’s okay, I can take them with. Thanks for even getting them for me! It means a lot.”

Kenneth: “You’re welcome. Sorry ye had to go out like this.”

Thank you so much for sending in Ellis, nicholaplaysthesims! Once again, I’m sorry he had to go so soon. You wrote him as a real sweetie, and his actions in the game did nothing to go against that image. Looks like that Lunar horoscope didn’t have him as on point as we thought…

…God. If I’m all apologetic like this in the early stages, how bad am I gonna be in future ones?!

Goodbye, Ellis. I hope you find a way to spread your music to the people without burning up.

------
Dev Commentary:

You can tell by my panic midway through, my technical mishaps, and the stream-of-consciousness narration that I was playing very off-the-cuff and dirty in these early days. I was literally composing photosets while the game was still loaded and posting everything as it happened - an approach that I still don't understand how I managed to maintain for two (three counting the Wilkerson legacy) projects.
I would later try this challenge again in the UTAU MMBC to much better effect. I used three coin tosses for all contestants, so I didn't rely so much on spur of the moment thinking; and I knew enough of the Fairy opportunity's scarcity to make that the definitive immunity factor. (Not that anyone got it.)
You can also tell I hadn't discovered moviemakercheatsenabled on, and wouldn't for some time. Hence the seemingly unnecessary podium from which Kenneth reads the poll results.
The title card for the elimination says "plus breather episode", but for the sake of keeping step with the original TOC I'll be posting that part separately tomorrow.