Alicekai'd 1.2: Weirdness

 

 

      Before going to sleep, I get on a new laptop I acquired and apply for a scholarship. I live in Britechester, so that should be easy to get.

      Then, I go to sleep. Maybe when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be back at home in my real bed.

 

      Nope. The second I open my eyes, I find myself still in this strange new house. And I have to get ready to go to a job I know nothing about. Conservationist: how hard could it be? 

     I'd quit my job, but I need the money. It doesn't pay much, which is why I think I'll attend one of the universities--to get a better job.

     It's like I'm already settling in and preparing for a life here. A new thought occurs to me: Crap! Will I only have thirty days as a young adult? This sucks.

     Work is weird. I vanish and then come back with memories of having worked the day. It reminds me of the idea behind Total Recall, the movie. I did, however, get a promotion.

      I notice my mailbox shows I have mail.

 

     Even though I'd just done it last night, my application for the scholarship was declined.

     I apply for the other two just because. Then, after looking around my house, I decide I can't stand not talking to anyone, so I head out. Being hungry, I choose one of the university commons lot to visit. They sell food, and I'm in the mood for more than just something in the 'quick meal' category.

      I have a surprise waiting for me when I approach the cafeteria bar.

      No. Way. I want to crack up laughing. That's Don Lothario. Another townie brought over from Sims 2. I'd played with his household A LOT. I loved his free-spirited approach, and it was fun to play the love-em-and-leave-em type.

      My expression must be too easy to read.

      "Hello, beautiful." He smiles. "See something you want?"

      My stupid stomach flutters as I walk up to the counter. "Sure do," I reply, sounding braver than I actually am. "Herb-crusted salmon, please."

      He winks. "Coming right up." Poof. It appears.

      With a lopsided smile, I take it and go to have a seat. The entire time I'm eating, he doesn't do anything but stand there.

      Calm down! So it's Don Lothario! Big deal! It's all I can do not to go fan-girl.

      As it is, I manage to control myself. However, it is very nice to know that the sim Don Lothario noticed me--in a good way.

     I don't do anything of significance for the rest of the day, and the following morning, I'm still here.

     I have a crap day at work, though.

 

       That's what I get for choosing to tell the truth. Stupid boss.

       I go check my laptop to see if I'd gotten the scholarships, but there's been no response. I suppose I could just go to university anyway, but now that I've put in the application for the extra money, I should wait. ...even though my "job" is driving me crazy.

      The next day, I get a promotion. It makes no sense. Whatever.

      I spend my time largely fulfilling my basic needs. If I'm hungry, I eat. Bored, I play on my computer. Tired, I sleep. To be productive, I manage to write a few simple books. I self-publish. They don't pay much, but it's just a side thing anyway.

     On my day off, I get a call from Angela Pleasant.

     FROM HER GHOST? Wait, she died? When did that happen? I'm so shocked about this that I start reading the online newspaper. There's a piece a few days ago about the Landgraabs (ugh, more townies) adopting a child. Then, Nancy also up and dies.

     "This isn't right!" I yell out to my empty house, knowing "they" can hear me. "What is all this chaos? Is anyone safe?"

     All of a sudden, an amazing sense of calm fills me. It's as if something has been "fixed." I turn off my computer, having had enough weirdness for one day.

     The next morning, I check my scholarship status again.

      I got something! I received the scholarship for someone working and a kind of low-income one. I immediately take the day off, pack up my computer, and leave the house. In fact, I sell it.

      I move into one of the dorms at Britechester.

     I later find out the reason my application status took so long: I've been accepted into one of the "distinguished" degrees. I'm going for literature. I guess got I accepted into that since I'm a "published" author.

     Moving into the dorms and having the scholarships means I have a full-ride. I get all the dough from selling the house plopped right into my bank account (that I don't remember opening, but it just adds to the weirdness). With that plus the bit of cash coming in every day from my books, I should have a nice nest egg when I finish university.

     Again, it's like I'm starting to accept that I'm stuck here and may as well make the best of it. I scowl at the thought. Then, shrugging, I figure I'm too tired to think much about it today.

     I wonder if Don Lothario is still working at the commons area...

Alicekai'd 1.1: What?

 

 

 

     Ugh. The day of my presentation at work. I don't want to wake up. In fact, I would rather do anything but.

     Anything. I'll do anything to get out of it. I sigh, knowing it's impossible.

     I open my eyes to an unfamiliar site.

     What? Blue walls greet me. Boring, unadorned, blue walls. I close my eyes, guessing I'm still dreaming.

     Nope. Still there, I think after opening them again. Where am I? 

     I look to my right and see a reflection of little Z's as they float away from my head.

     This isn't real. I blink hard, trying to wake up.

     What is going on? I look at my hands. They look almost cartoon-ish. I don't recognize anything, and I can't figure out how I got here.

 

      It's as if I'm in some kind of fantasy world. Is it VR? I reach up and try to grab the headset off my head. Nothing.

     "What's going on?" I ask to the empty room. Then, I pull back the covers, stand up, and immediately make the bed. After that, I stare at my hands like they belong to a stranger. Well, they do.

     I look like me--only not me. I look like...

     ...a sim.

     "Wake up, Alice," I tell myself. "You've been playing too many games lately." Wincing, I realize pinching my arm didn't work.

     "Shit."

     I look around, still trying to get my bearings. Yeah. It's Sims 4. 

     "Hello? Who's doing this? This isn't funny! What the fuck is going on?"

    No answer. Big surprise.

     I've been... what's the word? It's mostly an anime thing. Is-kaid? Although some of my favorite storylines revolve around this concept, that's all it's supposed to be. A CONCEPT.

     I'm on some psychotropic drugs or something. I stomp my feet and feel the hardness of the floor beneath them. 

     Why is this happening to me? Why to ME? My stomach gurgles. I can feel everything, very unlike the VR stuff I've played. Guess there's a kitchen on the ground floor. 

     Testing a theory, I decide I want a bowl of cereal. When I open the fridge, there it sits, waiting for me. I'd laugh if I weren't freaking out.

     Later, I pick out an outfit and fix myself up while standing at the mirror.

 

     THAT was weird. It was like I was standing outside myself as I picked out what to wear, etc.

     Maybe I've lost my mind.

     I decide to go outside, still hoping I'll wake up.

     Is that... Angela Pleasant? I squint.

 

     It is her, standing and tapping away at her phone.

     I mutter under my breath, "You didn't delete the townies. That's not very creative of you." Someone has to be controlling this, and I know they can hear me.

     I remember Angela Pleasant from Sims 2. I didn't play that house much because the sisterly fighting kind of got on my nerves. They brought her back, along with others, for nostalgia and stuff.

     I'm in that university neighborhood.

     Angela looks up and waves at me, and I'm inexplicably compelled to go over and talk to her.

 

     "Hi, my name's Angela Pleasant. You must be new. Welcome to the neighborhood!"

     Okay, fine. I'll play along. For now. 

     I startle her with my sudden change in expression.

 

     "Hi, I'm Alice Dyer," I say in a cheery voice. Then, I decide to go for it. Why not? "Um, perhaps you could help me with something. I have no idea how I got here." What's the worst that could happen?

      She could result in some strange error code, causing the entire game (or whatever) to break down into nothing but a bunch of ones and zeros, leaving me either deleted or stranded in a zone of nothingness. 

 

      "Not to worry. That happens a lot." 

      "It... does?" I'd never before pondered just how 'alive' the AI of sims actually is.

      She smiles. "Sure. It's not surprising, actually. That's the neighborhood's 'starter house' after all. Have you gotten a job yet?"

      I answer in an automatic way, like someone else is controlling my mouth as I speak, "Yes. I'm a land surveyor in the conservationist career path." What? Since when am I 'gung ho' for the environment? Not that I'm against it or anything.

     "Wow. Already at level three. You must've been created using the stories method."

     "The what?" My mood takes a nosedive.
 

     "No. You don't get it. I wasn't just 'created' today. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be getting ready for my presentation at work today." I take a breath. "In the real world." Why hold back? If it helps me, I'll try it.

      She puts her hand over her heart.

     She looks like she's trying to figure out what to say. "Oh dear." She brings her lips together then lets them out. "I... don't know what to make of that. I know some people may feel a little disoriented, and my sister and I have strange dreams at times, but..."

     She's going to think I'm insane. "Maybe that's it. I'm just disoriented. Sorry. Look, I'll go and... get my bearings, okay? Nice to meet you." I dash away, remembering there's a library somewhere.

     She waves, and I wave back. Crap. Now what? 

     With the limited resources at my disposal, I do some research, looking for anything and anyone who may have had a similar experience to mine. I'm surprised I find anything at all. I guess the 'sim internet' is more vast than I'd previously thought, not that I'd thought much about it.

     I find an interesting conspiracy theorist site. Normally, I'd laugh at these things, using them just for my own entertainment, but not today.

     There's a whole page talking about people being isekai'd. Apparently, this is a thing, and the more I read, the more sick to my stomach I become. No one mentions a way they've found to get out. But if they had, would they get a chance to or even bother mentioning it? I turn off the machine. I'm hungry again, so I go 'home.'

 

     What's going to happen to me? There was contact information, a kind of generic email, for the site talking about people in my situation, but I'm a little leery of reaching out just yet. I suppose I don't have a choice, at least for now, so I may as well make the best of it until I can figure something else out. 

 

----------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Sorry to break the fourth wall, first of all. I merely wanted to put in a little note here talking about the story. 

 

I write in first person because it's the most comfortable to me. I enjoy it, but I also understand it has its drawbacks. For example, what we see and are told are people and places as Alice sees them. She could be wrong. In fact, I'll go ahead and tell you that she IS wrong quite often. Strange to write this, but... don't believe everything you read. :) lol

Boredom Buster 3k 6: Bucky

 

Nicholas: Shh! Don't tell anyone. I snuck her over to the wedding arch!

Nick, you don't talk to the reader. I do.

Nicholas: Who's reading this?

/sigh

Thought I'd leave this screenshot as-is. Yes, a beautiful ceremony... as the groom yawns and the bride complains of having low fun. Oh, and how nice they got married on neighborhood brawl day.

Note to self: They're married.

Nicholas: Wedding sushi is my favorite.

Serena: Junk! Get your junk here! C'mon, you know you want this crap! I even found a blob of mud, I mean clay! Come buy my junk!

Nicholas: I love your junk, babe.

*dies*

Final exam time! No idea how she did, but here are her classes for the next semester:

And Nick gets another promotion! I guess he's not good enough to be a sergeant major. >.>

And here's the promised baby-->toddler pic! She gets a makeover. I'm happy she got the red hair.

Shame about that overbite, though.

Maybe I'll call her Bucky.

Here's a not-so-great pic of her after the makeover.

Christina: Moon!

I guess that's her first word.

Nicholas: No, kiddo. Let's keep our diaper on, okay?

Wow, Nick is really flying up the ladder!

Medals. Duh.

WHAT? What the plum was I thinking? Hopefully this is just me checking to make sure she isn't. She's never going to finish her degree at this point.

Serena: I win because I'm the one in the debate jacket. Ha!

I think it's more that your argument was stronger.

Serena: Nope. It's all about the fashion.

Speaking of fashion, check out Father Winter back there.

Nicholas: It's because he's jealous of my name.

GASP! I'm caught up on my screenshots! This means I get to play!

Next time: I haven't a clue.