| Cold fog has settled over a nondescript port town nestled into the Baltic seaside. This is where Amber Barimen can be found, doing what she does best. |
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| Blending invisibly into the general population can be difficult and tricky under any circumstances. Attempting to do so in a foreign country, where the surreptitious sim does not look, act, or speak like the locals, is nearly impossible. With the notable exception, perhaps, of a sim whose ability far exceeds normal sims. Amber Barimen would be one of these uncanny few. |
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| Though she does not realize it, hers is not a learned skill; but an ability or gift. It has manifested itself among her ancestors in many different ways and has been passed along for many generations. And, if Amber survives this latest adventure, she too will pass it along to her first-born child. Surviving, however, may become more of a challenge than anticipated. |
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| The zesty aromas of Slavic cooking swirl around Amber in the discreet markets and store fronts where she has found she can watch without being noticed. She learns quickly to perfectly mimic the other young women who bustle about the busy warehouse district. Being a port town, there are visitors and goods always coming and going and moving from one spot to the next. But Amber keeps her focus carefully attuned to one particular sim. |
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| She moves from shop to shop to follow him as he makes his rounds. He is given a wide berth by most sims who encounter him. Other sims, who likely work for the local “business”, exchange sly smiles in greeting. There is no mistaking that he is a feared authority figure in this place. And considering the fact that this town is the ancestral home of Corwin Barimen; it leaves little doubt that it has been like this for a very, very long time. |
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| It also leaves little doubt that Amber has been played for a fool. |
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| The job Brand sent her to do is complete. But there are no photos to take, and no observations to record. Surely, Brand must have known she was going spot him here. Was it some kind of test to see if she would keep up her end of the bargain? Or is there some other plot brewing? |
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| Once again, Amber has been having trouble processing all of her conflicting emotions. It seems to happen any time romance enters the equation. Wendell’s botched confession of love that night, ranks among the classic blunders (most famous of which, is Never get involved in a land war in Asia). But thanks to Amber’s ability to read body language, she understood what he was trying to tell her. Nevertheless, she had left, confused and angry, and without speaking to him. She has not been able to think clearly since then. Does she love him? Honestly, she’s not even sure what it feels like, to be in love, romantically. |
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| She thought she was in love with Billy. He forced her to stay sharp and was always a source of fascinating new information. And now, admittedly, she has been feeling something similar for Brand. For her, solving he unsolvable is far better than woo-hoo. Brand has provided her with more intrigue than anybody, and Amber finds she simply cannot resist the tantalizing promise of more. But is it love? |
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| A squabble between two panhandling musicians provides the distraction she needs to catch Brand by surprise. |
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| The plan works better than expected, summoning a pair of thugs from among the shadows to protect their “boss”. Preparing to take the pair of them down alone, Amber strikes a fighting stance. But Brand quickly intercedes and tells his bodyguards to relax. |
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| They finally back off, but only after Brand srugs and tells them to go ahead and take their chances with Amber; adding that he will not be paying their medical bills or reimbursing them for lost wages due to the grievous bodily harm they are about to incur. |
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| Brand turns to Amber and compliments her for remaining completely invisible despite the considerable number of sims looking out for her. The creepy smile he wears while commenting that her ability seems almost supernatural, sends needles of ice down her spine. Not knowing how to react, Amber says nothing. Thankfully, Brand continues with a less creepy demeanor, and invites her to come see his home. |
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| But the creepiness only intensifies when a new realization hits Amber with blunt force trauma. She stares at Brand in complete dumbfounded shock as the bits of information begin to align in her head. Brand’s home is Corwin Barimen’s home, which means that he is a Barimen too. |
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| Seeing that Amber has figured out his surprise, Brand tsks and calls her a spoilsport. Then, with a dramatic bow, he re-introduces himself as her very distant relation (fifth cousin once removed); with Corwin Barimen being their common ancestor. Appearing to enjoy the look of deep concern on her face, Brand offers his hand in an exaggerated gesture of friendship. |
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| His cunning eyes sparkle when he implores her to lighten up and enjoy the long overdue family reunion. |
Stories by Zoxell 
Love the family reunion but I have a feeling there’s something ‘off’ about Brand. Guess I’ll have to keep reading to find out. By the way, I love how much time you seem to spend on your chapter and playing. I cant ell you put lots of hard-work into this, and it truly pays off. It’s all really amazing, great job!
Auburn.
ps. I know it’s been a while since I last updated, but there’s a chapter up on my blog now. Can you please read and comment on it? Thanks.! 😀
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