Reality Bites: An OWBC

Chapter Seven: The Great Adventure

Previously on Reality Bites...

Meadow grew into an elder, Birch and Cara took the generation away to Cara's beach house, where Bella decided what she wanted in life – twenty woohoos. Logan asked Rhapsody what she wanted from life and the pair of them talked about travelling the world before meeting Charlie Vijayaker. Back home, Peter grew up to be quite handsome, before our heiress aged up. She then agreed that she would travel with Charlie after Meadow taught him how to slapdance while in her underwear.

Sound familiar? If not, you might want to look back. Just a suggestion.

“Hi there! Hang loose!”

Rhapsody smiled, feeling the slight breeze drift in from the ocean. She and Charlie had been on Twikkii Island for three hours, and already they were exploring the boardwalk.

“Hang loose, hey? That's sounds like something I should learn, for some reason.”

Eventually, Rhapsody and Charlie got past the distractions on the boardwalk, and made their way down to the actual beach...only to find themselves distracted again.

“Don't let her hurt herself!” Charlie said, urgently, “Her father will kill me if anything happens to her while we're travelling!”

“Calm down, Charlie, I don't get the fire until after I've learnt the dance. I won't get hurt, seriously.”

The Fire Dancer nodded, and returned to talking Rhapsody through the moves, while Charlie waited.

Of course, Charlie was the sole member of Rhapsody's cheering squad whilst she learned.

“You nearly had it that time! Keep going, Rhapsody!”

Night fell before Rhapsody had even set fire to the stick she danced with, and Charlie paced the beach, hungry.

At last, Rhapsody learned the fire dance, and the pair of them could finally go back to the hotel.

“Nice night, isn't it?” Charlie asked, stepping onto the balcony where Rhapsody was admiring the view.

“Perfect,” Rhapsody grinned, “and so much more beautiful than home!”

“Yeah...well, home is a never-ending trail for me, so this is sort of home.”

“Really? You just travel and don't settle?” Rhapsody asked as Charlie took his seat opposite her.

“You sound surprised by that,” Charlie commented, “shocked to learn that I'm a child of the open road.”

“Well, I've never met anyone without a home before. My family die in the same place they are born.”

“That,” Charlie replied, “is horribly depressing. There's a bigger world than your hometown.”

“Guess so.” Rhapsody murmured, turning her attention back to watching the bay.

Their food was soon delivered, and Rhapsody tucked in, disappointed it was salad and not something exotic. Charlie hesitated to eat.

“Maybe I could show you the fountains, tomorrow,” He smiled, reluctantly picking up his fork, “and we could taste some pineapple surprise instead of this rabbit food.”

Rhapsody nodded, “Anything. I want to experience the world!”

And experience the world she would. That night, instead of sleeping, Rhapsody crept out onto the beach in her pyjamas, determined to enjoy being beside the coast.

That's when Rhapsody's first encounter with a crab took place...

“OH, OUCH!” Rhapsody screamed, “I JUST WANTED SHELLS TO TAKE HOME!”

She woke the residents of the hotel. They weren't so happy, but Charlie was amused, watching the entire scene from the balcony of their hotel room.

Rhapsody and Charlie reached the fountain early, and Charlie promptly disappeared to eat, whilst Rhapsody went to admire the fountain.

Rhapsody held her coin for a while.

“I wish...” she began, in a dreamy tone, “I wish for love. I want to fall head over heels into love and then drag him home to meet my family.”

With that, she threw the coin in the fountain, and turned her back on the gushing waters.

After lunch – a meal of pineapple surprise, the surprise being there was nothing in it except pineapple – Charlie and Rhapsody started digging.

Because what are heritage sites for, except digging, right?

So after the map is found – along with two other maps, a treasure chest, three bones and a water pipe – Rhapsody and Charlie decided to take a tour.

“Helicopters are loud!” Charlie complained as they headed over to their ride for the tour.

“Come on, you wimp!”

It doesn't go well. Both Rhapsody and Charlie come back in a swarm of bees...

“I travel the world frequently, yet this is the first time this has happened!”

Oddly enough, Rhapsody seem to enjoy it...

“Stung by a swarm of bees! Plus 500!”

After the bees had grown bored and left the travellers alone, Rhapsody and Charlie travelled to the Mysterious Hut. Where they found an eccentric man with no electrical skills.

“He should know putting metal in the microwave is bad!” Rhapsody gasped.

Charlie and Rhapsody did the kind thing and fixed up the strange man's electronics before he got himself killed.

In return, he gave them a doll.

By the time Rhapsody and Charlie made it back to their hotel, it was already past midnight, and their final day on Twikkii Island had begun.

“Four hours sleep, then up to see the ship.”

The next morning brought with it a final flurry of activities. Such as playing on the pirate ship.

“Be careful, won't you?” Charlie smiled, as Rhapsody climbed to the crow's nest.

“Nope,” Rhapsody grinned, “no pirate is careful!”

Charlie rolled his eyes, but carried on towards the ship's wheel.

“Whoa. Check out the bad texture on this wheel...”

I blame my temperamental graphics card. Sometimes it will load everything in high detail, sometimes it'll just choose things to load in detail. I guess the pirate wheel is just unlucky this time, maybe?

“I think I can see my house from here!”

The exploration of the ship continued, and whilst Charlie was pretending he was a pirate captain, Rhapsody explored the cabin...

...only to run out screaming.

A ghost exited from the cabin.

“I look like Rhapsody's travelling partner! Only a pirate version!”

Indeed he does – that's pretty cool!

“Drink up me hearties, yo ho!”

Doesn't Charlie look like he's trying to distance himself from Rhapsody and the Ghost Pirate and their singing? It's like his uncomfortable with a little bit of strangeness.

“If I don't see it, it's not there.”

Rhapsody certainly enjoyed this little bit of her journey, though.

I think the ghost would have been happy with any company, though. He strikes me as a lonely ghost. Speaking of ghosts, I've yet to see Edith or Elijah haunting the home-lot...

Later that evening, Charlie and Rhapsody sat on the same beach, smiling and watching the waves fall into land.

“Why didn't we think to change out of our backpacking gear sooner?” Rhapsody asked, shifting a little.

“Because we've been too busy exploring Twikkii to worry about what we were wearing?”

“True. Clothes always were more of a Bella thing,” Rhapsody commented, offhand, “it's such a beautiful night.”

“I don't want to ruin the peacefulness, but I have to ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” Rhapsody smiled, “nothing can ruin this night.”

“What if, hypothetically speaking, during our time on this island I realised I liked you more than a friend?”

“Hypothetically speaking, I think I would be kind of surprised.”

“What if I wasn't speaking hypothetically?” Charlie questioned, quietly. Rhapsody got to her feet, and worriedly, Charlie followed her.

Rhapsody faced him, and smiled a little, “You were never talking hypothetically were you?”

Charlie shook his head, “If you want, forget I ever said anything.”

“No way!” Rhapsody laughed, shakily, “I think...well...I think that. Let's just give things a go. Right?”

Strictly speaking, Charlie never gave her his answer. But she kind of could tell what it would have been, if he had of said anything.

With that all dealt with, Rhapsody and Charlie spent their final hours on Twikkii Island just gazing at the stars.

With their time on Twikkii Island over, it was time to move on. Within hours, Rhapsody and Charlie found themselves in a small hotel in Takemizu Village, a tiny place in the Far East.

“How can I help make your stay more comfortable?”

Rhapsody smiled, “Yeah, where can we buy a couple of kimonos?”

Unfortunately, it was autumn in Takemizu Village, which meant Rhapsody and Charlie would ruin any artsy pictures by wearing coats instead of kimonos.

I have no idea how Charlie ended up with a bright blue coat.

Once tea is dealt with, Rhapsody introduces herself to the teleporting ninja. Let it be known that I hate this ninja.

“Courage or wisdom, young heiress?”

“Wisdom!”

“Unfortunately not. Sorry, but you go home with nothing.”

“This isn't a game show!”

“Er...so long!”

I think Rhapsody's frustration matches my own. I can never seem to get the ninja's question right.

Rhapsody then decides to make another wish. New place, new shrine/fountain to wish on, right?

“I wish I could learn ninja powers.”

Another part of travelling is learning new customs, of course.

“Check out my bow, strange man!”

“Bit sloppy, but I'll bow back anyway.”

Night falls, and Charlie ends up playing mahjong with the Unsavoury Charlatan. I didn't know the U.C could even play mahjong.

Out of all the vacation destinations, the Takemizu Island was the least fun to play. I don't know why that is.

Pretty soon, it's time to visit the Pagoda in the Shadows. Takemizu Village had lots to do but not enough to take pictures of.

But the visit to the Pagoda was decent enough to take pictures of.

“Tea, Mr Meditator?” Rhapsody asked, tipping up the kettle.

The old man just continued with his breathing.

The Old Man then began practising tai chi. Charlie and Rhapsody picked it up in now time, but I didn't realise tai chi would be such a nuisance

They're the first sims I've ever had learn tai chi, and they enjoy jumping into random bouts of tai chi.

Night fell quickly after that, but the Old Man did not stop practising tai chi.

“Do you think it's pretty cool how he can get his leg that high?” Rhapsody asked.

The Old Man interrupted, “Story time!”

“Yay!” Charlie cheered, earning an amused look from Rhapsody.

“This story has everything,” Charlie whispered to Rhapsody, “dragons, ninjas, a battle to the death!”

“It needs pirates.” Rhapsody responded, as the Old Man continued his story, unaware of their whispers.

That's another memory accomplished.

Walking back through Takemizu Village on their way to their hotel, Charlie and Rhapsody decided to spend some time as a couple.

Which is nice, of course.

Rhapsody sank to the floor, smiling, “Charlie, I didn't like you when I first met you-”

“You're telling me.”

“-and I didn't want to travel with you. But after...well, after everything, I can't imagine going home without you,” Rhapsody smiled, “marry me, Charlie?”

“Rhapsody, I will!”

Did you expect any less?

On their final day in Takemizu Village, Rhapsody and Charlie tied the knot. Because neither of them could wait until they got back to Oddity.

As they waited for their taxi to the airport so they could go to their final destination, Three Lakes, Charlie asked something that surprised Rhapsody.

“Do you mind if I dye my hair blue before we go?”

“Not if you make it quick. Why would I?”

“I don't know, I thought I'd ask first...in case you didn't like the idea.”

“You forget I descend from a rather large and insane family. Nothing is unusual, right?”

In the early morning, the taxi containing Rhapsody and Charlie pulled up at the campground. Rhapsody pulled open the door, and stared grumpily at the sky.

“Three Lakes in winter. Not quite what I had hoped for.”

“Come on, it could be worse,” Charlie grinned, running a hand through his vibrant hair, “it could be snowing!”

“True,” Rhapsody smiled at him, “did I mention I really like your new hair?”

“You did, yes,” Charlie grinned, “come on, let's put on some lumberjack gear.”

Once changed, the couple immediately began with the collecting of vacation memories.

“Gosh, it's chilly.” Charlie noted.

“Don't be such a baby,” Rhapsody grinned, “I have an idea.”

“You want to log roll in winter, sweetheart?” Charlie asked, surprised a little.

“Of course. My father defended his honour on this very log when he was younger. I want to defend my own.”

“You're going down.”

Within minutes, Rhapsody had been thrown from the log, and Charlie stood waiting, triumphant.

“You're lucky I like you,” Rhapsody laughed, “best two out of three.”

“You're on.”

This time, Rhapsody rolled Charlie right off the log and into the freezing waters.

“Don't want to give up yet?” Rhapsody asked, cheerfully. Charlie bobbed back to the surface.

“It's all down to this one.”

“I'm so ready to win this.” Charlie grinned.

“You wish, sweetie. I'm going to take home the glory.”

“Can't we share the glory like a good man and wife?”

“Nope! Get back on the log and stop making excuses!”

Things got tense for a moment, as both Rhapsody and Charlie turned out to be competitive.

Rhapsody grinned, flicked water, tried to distract her husband, while he focused and tried to distract her. In the end, it came down to who lost their footing – and Charlie fell into the water.

“Yes! I am the winner!” Rhapsody cheered. Just like her Aunt Beatrice was before her.

Once they had dried off and warmed up again, Rhapsody found some more things to make memories with.

“Look at this, Charlie! All the couples who have carved their initials in the wood...” Rhapsody examined a collection of initials that contained a lot of “D.L.”s.

“I think it would look better if our initials were on there.” Charlie smiled, and quickly carved “R.M + C.V” into the wood.

“But you're C.M now, not C.V...”

“Now I am, but I wasn't when we met.” Charlie shrugged.

There isn't as much to do in Three Lakes as the other two destinations, and the last day of the vacation came around slowly. Charlie and Rhapsody visited the Hidden Burrow.

There they met Trent.

“I don't think we should invite him home, Rhapsody. Garrett might get jealous...”

“He wouldn't get jealous, but I know what you mean.”

Rhapsody and Charlie then began behaving inappropriately in front of the bigfoot.

“Trent does not know what to make of the tourists and their behaviour.”

Neither do I, Trent. Neither do I.

And here is where I leave you, just before the couple disappear home again.

I think this chapter may have been a bit ramblyor dull, but hopefully it was okay.

Join me next time as we bring in the final babies of the challenge!

Thanks for reading!