Murky 1.8: Foray to the North

Week 2/Friday

Today’s just one of those days when not much happens.
Well, unless you count my making the rounds of various gardens into the afternoon.
It’s been so great to have the Freegans living next door!
I pop over here whenever I feel like chatting, dancing, or sharing a meal.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my solitary life…
Recently, I’ve found myself checking out all the single men…
As if I were part of a spouse hunt in some legacy challenge.
All my friends around me are falling in love and committing to romantic relationships!
Pretty soon, there won’t be a single Murkland bachelor left, I fear!

But you know what? I’m not ready to get serious and settle down yet!
I mean, that’s like going to a supermarket and buying food without tasting all the samples first!
Hmmm, that somehow doesn’t sound like the right simile.

Anyway, I’ve decided there’s still time for all that…later!

After I’m done gardening for the day, I visit Francesca to meet the new roomie.
Meet Whiff Godot, recently hailing from Willow Creek.

Whiff: My name is not Whiff! It’s WF.
oshizu: Girl, how anyone ‘sposed to pronounce that? Whiff or Woof, your choice! Oh and…arf?!  By the way, tell me your family name again?
WF: It’s Godot. And Whiff is okay, I guess. Hmmph!

In celebration of Whiff’s move to Nukecrest, I invite some friends along to party.
We even perform the sacred Welcome to Murkland ritual.

This particular dance, the Armpit, is a well-guarded secret tradition among all Murklanders.
It resembles your basic gangsta two-step with occasional armpit sniffing.
Yo, take a whiff, Whiff!

Saturday

Today marks the last day of my second week in Murkland!
After my usual morning routine, I phone Whiff to see if she’s up for some exploring.
Huh, she’s not at home! We tried!

You may remember that I’ve been planning to visit the Turbo Pumpkins.
Alice TP has turned into one of my yard-sale frequent flyers lately.

I want to cook for them, so I acquire the Always Welcome trait then head out.
The Turbo Pumpkins live in the Forgotten Gas Station.

They live across from Mad Mud and kitty-corner from the Mad Mudders.
I’ve only heard rumors about how everyone’s ended up working for Mad Mud.

The Mad Mudders seems to be both Mad Mud’s minions and warriors, rolled into one.

Apparently, Mad Mud rescued the TPs years ago from an evil scientist’s genetic experiments.
Ever since, they’ve been showing their gratitude by handling Mad Mud’s dirty work.

I’m just paraphrasing the Turbo Pumpkins’ backstory provided by their creator Brennachan here.

And speaking of gratitude, I go behind the gas station to find a grill and start cooking.
I’m surprised to find two pumpkin carving stations but I guess they make sense.

Can’t smash pumpkins all year-round without pumpkin carving stations! Doh!

Armed with a plate of veggie burgers, I finally locate the gas station’s front door!
This room looks like the gas station’s former office and store areas.
Great counters but no seats!  And that’s Alice on the computer! Wait, they have a computer, too!?

It’s a two-room gas station with living accommodations out back.
I see the woodworking table in this room and wonder why they don’t do more with this room.

I swear I get a really affectionate vibe from Rex every now and then.
Like, when he’s not yelling at me.
I’m still uncertain why he cleaned my grill. Izzat some kind of metaphor?

For now, I’m not making any commitments, but I’m not burning any bridges, either.

The whole gang finally comes inside to eat.
You know, I don’t mind mean, unflirty kleptomaniacs at all.
As long as they’re not being mean and we’re not at my place, hehe.

Thanking Alice for being a loyal customer, I urge the others to stop by my yard sales as well.
Yeah, I’m shameless. So, what’s new?

Evolving the gas station’s plants boosts my Gardening to Level 7!!!
Saying my good-byes to the Turbo Pumpkins, I leave for my next destination.

But, first, I tend another underground garden I recently found.
I’m only allowed to grow trash plants but this garden is already planted.

As a favor to its owners, I tend this garden quickly before I’m on my way.

By the time I reach Acquisition Butte in northern Murkland, its almost evening!

Fort Murkland occupies the lot where the Landgraabs used to live.
Now, the wealthy Salamanders live here.

Facing Fort Murkland is Cliff City, home to the Cliff Dwellers.
Lemme give a shout-out to Lisa Bee!
Girl, I wouldn’t dare visit Cliff City without you!

That’s right, today, I’m here to visit Fort Murkland.

Fort Murkland consists of three buildings raised above the ground.
The ground floor consists of a large miasmic pond with  mysterious ghostly shadows.

Not all of the fishing spots allow me to actually fish.
Unless a fishing sign has two empty adjoining blocks, I end up just paddling in the water.

I couldn’t fish at any of the rear fishing spots, but the ones next to the road work fine.
In fact, I catch my first vampire squid!

How creative that the single staircase leading to the fort’s entrance can only be reached by swimming!

I’m fairly certain that my two weeks in Murkland have fine-tuned my trashdar sensitivity!
As soon as I begin looking around the fort, I immediately find the trash plants!

I can’t find the entrance to the center building.
But it’s getting a little late so I check out the western building first.

I pass through a kitchen/dining area first.
In the office above that, I see Mayor Epoch, his teen daughter Millenia, and one of the clone drones.

Their store must be making serious bank, cuz I count two computers!

Next, I run into Chiliad in the eastern building.
You may remember Chiliad was the first sim to visit my home lot as well as my first good friend.
At first, I don’t recognize him at all. I guess the hat threw me off.

Hmmm….to short list or not to short list? Nevertheless, Chiliad is a really nice guy.

His mother, Aeon, is there, too, mixing drinks.
They spend a lot of time in their swimwear, I guess, because of the pond below.

This is an incriminating shot, but things aren’t what they seem.
I’m definitely not thinking about following Chiliad into the bathroom.

In fact, I’m on the way upstairs to…yep, you guessed it!

Their garden has the most trash plants I’ve seen in one place so far.
They have at least 24 plants, though only seven sims live here.
And, I wonder, do the two clone drones need to eat?

The incense burners on the rooftop are a genius idea for entering the Focused zone!
That observatory is another sign that the Salamanders have muito moolah!

Cliff City offers a breathtaking spectacle at night!
(…I successfully resist counting Cliff City’s visible trash plants.)
Although I can’t see inside the rooms from my vantage point, it looks like Hippie Heaven!

But tonight, I must rush home to seek out my pee bush.
No toilet facilities for visitors to the north, yo!

I’m so jealous of the Salamander’s garden with its perfect-quality trash plants!
My garden? At the end of Week 2, I have 1 Good trash plant and 15 Very Nice ones.

Seems like I need to spend more time in my own neighborhood!
Still, I’m eager to visit the many places I’ve yet to explore.

Murky 1.9  Climbing the Cliff