“Good morning! Or should I say ‘good afternoon’ – we’re a bit behind schedule here at KSUN, but we’re rockin’ and rollin’ with your requests all day long! Who cares if we only have seven songs in our library? YOU request what YOU want to hear. Just call us up at 555-KSUN and we’ll spin your pick. I’m DJ Smooth and you’re listening to KSUN, Pleasantview’s best station for pure rock.â€
“Coming up after the weather report, we have three in a row from The Flarns…that’s right, their new song is so great, we’re going to play it three times in a row! Maybe four, if you’re lucky…â€
CLICK.
Kaylynn Langerak paused a moment, her hand still on the keys, the keys still in the ignition. She’d had a busy day cleaning homes all over Pleasantview, and the muscles in her back throbbed. After twisting her shoulders and leaning into a stretch, she released the keys from her grasp. Time to get on with it.
Ahh. Last client of the day. Thank goodness he’s at work, so I can get out of here quickly. Not that I like leaving…but I ache all over. It’s that Daniel Pleasant’s fault.
I feel like I’m wearing concrete shoes. Maybe I’ll sneak a soak in the hot tub before I take off. Don won’t mind…half the neighborhood has been in his hot tub.
Although it won’t be the same without one of his patented Lothario backrubs…and if one of those Caliente chicks sees me out there, I’ll never hear the end of it…
Kaylynn entered the house and glanced around the living room. As usual, it was a dump.
Ah, the life of a bachelor. A bachelor with a maid, even. Must be nice to be able to trash your house and have someone else clean it up every day. Must be nice to have a house, period. Hey, when did Don start drinking DIET Floob?
Poor guy must think he’s getting paunchy already — WAIT —
— WAIT! —
WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?
It had come from upstairs. The wind knocking against the house, maybe. Or a tiny whimper from a floorboard. Nothing that would alarm most people, but Kaylynn wasn’t most people. She had a terrible dread of strangeness, of odd noises…of being alone.
Warily, she climbed the stairs to Don’s bedroom. “Hello?†she called out as she went.
But no one was there.
(continued on Page 2)
… Ooo. I like it. I like it a *lot*! Very very eerie, what a nice way to begin! Pure Twilight Zone spook factor. :D
Cool! I love the angle of this story Jen. Your pictures are perfect and the way Don was “inside” the wardrobe was amazing! Can’t wait for the next update.
Groovy, gripping and exciting! ;)
AKA: Me like, me like!
After all the stories about Pleasantview (not to mention its residents) I’ve read, I thought I’d get a little bored with the usual boring love-triangles and characters. Heck, I got rid of my own Pleasantview ages ago! But this is really interesting; I like the way you’ve used Kaylynn’s point of view, as the maid in that particular situation, instead of say Don’s or Nina’s – it’s a neat approach.
Can’t wait to find out more!
Ooooh! This is VERY cool, Jen. I like it a lot. I haven’t seen many, if any, stories that follow this storyline. I can’t wait to see more and figure out why I get the feeling something is about to happen.
Great pictures, as well. I liked the ones that only somewhat focused on Kaylynn while still giving you a view of what was going on behind her.
woah!!!! this is definetly a good story here. I actually got kaylynn and don married…
ooh i like it a lot jen! It’s very interesting and I’m dying to find out what happens next.
Wow! How creepy and mysterious, I’m fascinated! I really do want to know what NPC’s think happen to them all the time…
This story is great, Jen!
Oh I love it! I really thought there was a burglar in the house and that Kaylynn was going to get murdered! But I guess I just have an overactive imagination! It did seem a little spooky and a tad bit intense for a while there! I wonder what Kaylynn’s gonna do about getting a life of her own?! Great story Jen, I can’t wait for more!
It was great but i wanna see more ravelo stories…your leaving me suspicious where exactly do all the NPC’s go at night to sleep? The world may never know……..
The term “Diet Floobaholic” is a win! That totally had me giggling. As for the story itself.. you’ve got my interest hooked! I’ve never really been fond of stories involving the Maxis characters – they’ve been done so much that sometimes it’s just like, “Is it over yet?” – but you’ve got an interesting start and I’ll definitely be back to read the next installment. Wonderful use of pictures too!
Yeah, I agree with Mandie…
I thought a robber was going to murder or kidnap Kaylynn and then kill every maid that came by, it might even have been Don…but I also have a big imagination. I really like how we are gettting an NPCs side of the story, that almost never happens. Can’t wait to read more…..
By the way, I like how all of pictures fit in perfectly with the story! Great Job!
This is really, really promising. It’s so original and brilliantly done. I love it! I am officially hooked. It’s a genius point of view. I love how you subtly and realistically incorporate what is really just an aspect of the game: that Kalynn is an NPC and can’t have her own life and can’t do anything at night. Perfection! Can’t wait to hear more!!
Oh Jen! You are a true Simming Master! First off – you got some really great pictures – your pictures are always awesome – but you really kicked it up a notch here – some extremely creative shots and I totally love it. I LOVE seeing this story from Kaylynn’s perspective, it’s unique and very interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about NPC’s in that way – ok – maybe I have – but at least not about the maid going to other people’s houses. I’ve never thought of them as a good source of gossip – but I imagine they actually are. I’m sure maids see a lot! I love KSUN – roflmao – and I loved Diet Floob. I feel a T shirt coming on…. I love it, but I’m a shameless fan, and I love everything you write.
I need to add, I also really like the way you’ve photoshopped the pictures. The black frame for some reason makes my brain think of the old silent films even though these are in color. I also really like how you caught the ‘sheen’ on the windshield in the first picture and hooked that in with the photoshopped daydream blur of the second. Very cool effect! It also helps this story stand out even more from everything else you’ve made so far.
You’ve totally hooked me with the first part of your new story, Jen! This is way different than the other Sim stories you’ve written and, while I adore reading about your legacy families, I’m so intrigued with what you’ve written here. You have a writing style that is very easy to read and it draws me into the world you’ve created. The pictures also look amazing. I can’t wait to read the next part. :D
Intriguing! Will poor Kaylynn break free from her life of drudgery in Pleasantview? Can’t wait to see!
wait a minute…. don’t I remember Kaylynn being happily married and having 5 (or three *lol*) kids and her last name being Shanley? Or do I get something mixed up here :D
pleeeeease keep going, Shady Bluff is so promising!!
Ahh, but that was a Kaylynn of a different dimension, Eva! Alternate reality, not the Pleasantview one. :D
Wow that was great, usually people ignore Katelyn in Pleasantview stories. I hope you keep going with this I think it will be interesting! I’m still trying to figure out why its called Shady Bluff…
Those are really beautiful pictures.
Now why would it be called Shady Bluff?
Thanks so much for the comments, you guys! I’m glad you enjoyed the first episode. And as for why it’s called “Shady Bluff”, all will be made clear in the next episode. :-) Well, maybe not ALL…but, you know.
Ah, Kaylynn. Poor, dear Kaylynn. I’ve always thought that she was treated badly by Don and Daniel. And I like this new element of mystery.
OK. So, I’ve been living under a rock for the last few years and I’ve never read a Pleasantview story EVER. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever played Pleasantview more than once. (So sad, I know.)I guess what I’m saying is that I really have nothing to compare Shady Bluff to, so this is an entirely new experience for me. Kaylynn has always been one of my favorite NPCs so I’m happy that I finally get to see a story coming from her point of view. And a story by JEN, none the less. Amazing!! I really can’t wait to see what else you have in store for Kaylynn and Don. I loved the use of the radio commentary. And the black frame around the pictures looks really great. I knew there was something different about these pics and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it! I have absolutely no preference on what the next update will be. All of your stories are winners in my book. :-)
Oh, I loved this prelude! It is interesting to see things from Kaylynn’s point of view. I can’t wait to read more and see where this story goes! :D
I love your blogs! they always make me check up on the websiet every 2 days.Please update soon! This shady bluff sounds promising!