Chapter 4.6 - May 2023: Wildfire, part II..

My name was grown from stones. The grey stones of the mountains.



It's exam day for all the students in town, and fire is the first thing on Oliver Freddys mind as he wakes up this morning... He has been a good student, and is pretty confident his exam will go well. He is still young, so maybe tonight he will set something on fire. Not the entire world, perhaps, but something a little more localized.. no, not the kitchen either... a bonfire in the backyard should do. ;)



He was the first one of everyone on the dorm to wake up, so he got to eat his breakfast in peace.. until Cody showed up. I'm trying to tell a story here, but even I don't know everything that happens behind the scenes.. It became one of the themes of this day, that whenever Cody was nearby, everyone showed disapproval of him, but I don't know what he has done to get this reaction from people...



Inge didn't mind him though. She thought it was nice to have a moment of togetherness eating breakfast, before she had to run off to her exam. At the end of her second year at university, the people she shares a dorm had in a way become her family away from family...



If the weather held up, maybe she could go fishing with Samantha later. She still thought about her since their meeting last month, and hoped she was doing alright. She had a feeling Samantha wasn't telling her everything. Well, it wasn't just a feeling. It was pretty obvious there was something Samantha hadn't told her. She was hoping to earn her trust and that she would eventually open up about whatever it was...



Oliver Freddys exam wasn't until after lunch, so he had plenty of time to relax and actually go fishing.. He hadn't fished around here before, so he didn't know where the best fishing spot was, but as Senior Lake was the biggest lake he knew (apart from the lake that gave the place it's name...), he thought it should be a good spot with plenty of fish.



He managed to catch a couple of ray-finned-fish before he ran out of bait and decided to call it quits. He wasn't happy about either catch and it looked like he considered throwing them out again as he held them up to gauge their weight and quality. They were only average quality fish, and of course he was hoping for something better. Not because he wanted to cook them, but because he wanted to gather the best possible scientific data. One day he would show those professors that always rejected his findings.. one day... He still kept the fish though, maybe something good could come out of them, and if not, atleast he would gain experience before the big find...



With plenty more time to kill he went over to the Coffee Shop (passing by a house known as "The Grey Junior house" on the way) 'to relax a little more reading a book about a day in the life of a plantsim...



Plantsims? The book was written as if plantsims was something that existed, and the foreword even suggested that with a high enough skill in science or by planting a certain special seed one could possibly even grow or create a plantsim.. Oliver Freddy dismissed the idea as fictional. It sounded like something his aunt Monica would come up with in one of her ramblings... It wasn't even pseudoscience, but he found it an entertaining read nonetheless. There's plenty of people around, sure, but they're not growing on trees...

In the foreground is Vuolle Onébegajávrre (Karoliinás father) talking to Ashley Corono about the legend of the three wildfires that is said to one day consume and end the town.. The legend is one that has been passed down through generations. It's origin is unclear, but archeologists and historians has so far concluded that it might stem from a forest fire that almost decimated the entire town somewhere between 800 and 900 CE.



Vuolle is then backed up by his wife Márjánna sharing the same legend, but Ashley (who is not a local) dismisses the entire thing as nonsense and doesn't want to hear more about it..



Flowers are much more effective than old legends steeped in dubious lore... I can only assume he's not to serious about this, given that his wife is also present...



Over by the art institute, Inge just passed her exam with flying colours. Hooray. ;) Inge is on her way over the entrance on the other side of the building to meet up with Samantha (who also passed her exam). It was clear to everyone that took part in the exam this morning that there was something different about Samantha today. It wasn't excactly what Inge had expected... Maybe Oliver Freddy was on to something when he would say that he could hear wolves howling whenever there was a full moon... Could it really be that Samantha was a.... ? How was that even possible? This was a level of being different that Inge hadn't seen before....
    Samantha was already seated by a desk in the back of the room when Inge entered. Inge tried to get eye contact, but Samantha was seemingly busy carefully laying out her pencils on the desk while waiting for the cue to open the exam papers...



Samanthas new appearance didn't make Inge any less curious and she still wanted to become better friends with her. Well, that and after they had connected so well just the other day, she couldn't just begin to ignore her.. Inge knew very well what it meant to be ignored, so she couldn't do that to anyone almost no matter how different they were.. So there was only one thing to do, to brave it and approach Samantha...

As it was raining pretty heavily by the time their exam ended, Inge thought it best to invite her home to do Inges favore thing, to watch tv sitting on the couch, instead of going fishing. That was atleast one of the reasons Inge told herself to justify not going fishing alone with Samantha..



While Inge and Samantha is fast on their way to the De Anda Hall, its time for Oliver Freddy to put away the book about plantsims and head for his exam in the science building just across the road.. and maybe on the way he will get an answer to the question of whether it is most fruitful to run or walk through the rain.. what keeps you most dry? :P



Samantha would no doubt win that competion. Not only is she using an umbrella, she is also a much faster runner.. Inge has to struggle to keep up. Such power! Inge is impressed, but also a little intimidated by her new friend.



When they arrive at the dorm Samantha announces that she is hungry like a .. well, you know. Inge doesn't want to upset Samantha, so she immediately goes to prepare the best lunch meal she can make, a fine omelette with mushrooms..



All those hours spent watching the cooking channel on tv has paid off. Samantha really enjoys the meal in umm... her own way, and Inge gets her wish and Samantha accepts her as one of her best and most trusted friends.

I'll admit I'm not entirely comfortable with how Samanthas eating is portrayed here. If I were just writing without using screenshots, I wouldn't have described it as this animalistic, but then again, if this wasn't based on the sims universe I probably wouldn't even have werewolves in the first place...

After they are now both well fed, they can do what Inge wants to do. Watch tv and talk about homes and family...



While they are watching tv, Oliver Freddy returns home from his exam after having passed with flying colours as well (like he knew he would), and now finally is the time for him to arrange a bonfire party.. Rain or shine, though he hopes the rain will let up soon...



He's not going all out with the extravagant coloured lights and decorations like his girlfriend Inge did, but the juice keg is still there, along with a buffet table and the mandatory plastic cups.. now placed on a shelf instead of a table, so that people won't complain about the table being unaccessible when they want to eat because a plastic cup was in the way....



Samantha was of course also invited to the party, since she was already in the building and since she had made such good friends with Inge. After they had finished watching tv she decided to tell a joke at her own expense. She can do that, not sure if anyone else should. :P



Inge appreciates that Samantha is able to laugh at herself for being different, as well as appreciating that Samantha has enough trust in Inge to tell such a joke, and decides to give her a warm and friendly hug.



Guests should be arriving soon, so it's time for Oliver Freddy to light the fire and serve the food, hoping that the fire won't be put out by the rain...


It took a while for the rain to let up, and I think Oliver Freddy must have been worried about his party guests being hungry, because he had decided to order a pizza while everyone was still inside filling the hallway with random university slogan cheers.. :P



Inge had been in the dining room conversing and joking with Samantha when Debbie Richards joined the conversation.



Meanwhile the rain had come to an end, and Oliver Freddy had gotten a pretty decent bonfire going. Now the party could begin as intended.. ;)



Inge had gone outside to check out the bonfire, which left Samantha alone with Debbie. Samantha then wanted to say hi to Debbie in her own way, but Debbie wasn't to appreciative of this and now it was Samanthas turn to be put in her place...



This proved to be a pretty big wedge in the relationship between Samantha and Debbie, and Samantha would take to dislike Debbie for atleast the rest of the evening... Time to head outside and join the others watching the fire...



Now that Inge had become good friends with Samantha, she walked inside to greet Nicole and give her a second chance after she ditched them before the last time they tried to hang out..



Inges talking to Nicole was interrupted by Oliver Freddy finally deciding to serve the pizza and have everyone sit down to eat..



There was an empty seat next to Debbie, but Samantha sure as hell wasn't going to use that one!



Sitting next to Nicole, though she had her quirks, was much better...



Billy Jean Sparks was sitting on a table all alone as she confessed her interest in Jonathan Dirk.. and I don't know where the sandwich came from.. :P I didn't see Billy Jean try to make a move on him, though, nor did she cause a scene.. Maybe she is just a girl who thinks he is the one.... or maybe she just followed some strong advice, and remembered to always think twice... :P



After everyone had eaten it was time to gather around the and enjoy the warmth from the fire outside again. The rest of the party went by relatively peacefully, noone passed out on the lawn, the police didn't arrive to do a lousy job and contrary to what I had expected there wasn't a single streaker in sight... Almost a stark contrast to the party Inge threw earlier, but as long as everyone had a good time, that is what matters the most. ;)



Oliver Freddy wasn't done sciencing, and wanted to perform some tests on Debbie, which included testing her reflexes. Good catch! :P



..and then he went inside to study on the computer! Come on, man.. what are you doing? You're done for the semester, this has no purpose! ;)
"I'm just trying to get a head start for the next semester..."

Right, well, as you wish...



People outside were still enjoying the bonfire, and Inge was thinking about the fishing trip with Samantha.. Now that it didn't rain, however, it was probably a little late for that now..



Even though Inge got out of bed after her boyfriend, she felt like she had been up since early morning, and decided to call it a night...



Oliver Freddy was also getting tired, but now that Inge had gone to bed he thought he could take his turn to bond with Samantha as well.



Or so I thought, because the next thing he does is pretty bold as he asks her for a DNA sample.. It appears that everything he does one way or another revolves around science.. I'm also surprised that Samantha actually lets him do it.. I would have imagined that she wouldn't just let her DNA get sampled like that, like she was some kind of object to be performed research upon...
I suppose Oliver Freddy being Inges boyfriend would automatically give him a few trust points...



Well, congratulations Oliver Freddy.. with this sample, maybe you can learn something about a Grey's anatomy.... He is a medical student after all, and if he can figure out something useful, it might be of benefit to the Greys too...



The party was coming to an end soon, and people were just about to leave when Samantha went inside to give Ruby Parks a last helping hand with juice keg.. and being very vocal about what she thought about Debbie..



That was pretty much the last of it. There were a few that didn't enjoy the party as much, but Ruby, Samantha and Debbie could all agree that atleast they had a good time. ;)






It was now only Jeffrey Dean and Che Justice still wanted to keep the fire going, but as Oliver Freddy has also joined his girlfriend in bed, I think its time this one ends here and we'll see them again tomorrow when they go back to Sunset Valley for summer...



Good night. ;)

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I can take all the blame, for the sake of my name Our blood on your hands, running hot in the veins They say: "Do yourself well and stay away from your family" - what!? Wildfire, part II: One with the mountain – Sonata Arctica

Chapter 4.5 - April 2023: Wildfire.

It's a fine spring morning by the lake between the mountains as Oliver Freddy gets up early for to hurry up and eat his breakfast, before running off for the last activity in medicine before the semester ends... Winter has been banished completely (for now), but the exam period has just begun to walk in circles around the town, waiting to sink its teeth and claws in the mass of students walking around campus to inject its venom of stress and anxiety into their bodies....



Oliver Freddy didn't even have time to finish his breakfast properly before he had to run, which left Inge to eat hers all alone. It wasn't to bad though, because Inge woke up in a good mood today. Pieces were falling into place for her socially finally, and today she felt could be her lucky day.



Oliver Freddy was already out in the morning sun rehearsing the bones of the skeleton with his other fellow students. Hmm, and it looks like Jeffrey Dean have signed up for medicine classes too now. :P



Inge had gone back up to their room to continue her painting. It was certainly an ambitious project to start such a large painting. She was beginning to doubt whether she would be able to finish it before the semester ends, because there were so many things to do.. studying, partying and making friends...



After the activity was over, Oliver Freddy was hungry after not having eaten a proper breakfast, so he went over to talk to Jeffrey. A new restaurant had just opened in town, and he wanted to go check it out.. Jeffrey was probably even more hungry than Oliver Freddy, so asking him to join was not a big issue...
Lizzie Mund stands to the left watching them. Lizzie Mund was Inges fist acquaintance on their first semester as students, and one she wanted to make friends with back then. However, as she was still very new and unfamiliar with both student life and the who, what and wheres of the campus area, she never ran across Lizzie again and so never got to make friends with her. Oliver tried to ask Lizzie to go check out the new restaurant too, but apparently she was on her way to go somewhere and couldn't join them.



So it's only the boys then, and off they run towards the new restaurant. Oliver Freddy thinks Jeffrey is almost acting a little to clingy as they run towards the new restaurant... It's not very far though, as it is just across the street.



The restaurant is called Skogskåtan (The Forest Cot) and focuses on local cuisine which means that deer and mulberries is guaranteed to be on the menu. ;) The restaurant is built to resemble the shape of a local goahti, a type of traditional tent or sometimes wooden construction that has been in use by the deer herders of the area for centuries...



While Jeffrey and Oliver Freddy walked inside the restaurant, Inge was running fast for her activity in art. She was anxious that she was late, as she saw the other students had already started, but it turns out they had just decided to start early...



Jeffrey and Oliver Freddy had ordered each their meal and chosen their seats on the opposite ends of the restaurant.. not to close buddies yet. The restaurant has a cosy atmosphere with a crackling fire place in the middle – perfect to keep warm during the winter months and to create a warm and pleasant atmosphere all year around.



The people of the town are slowly coming over to check out this new, but very traditional, restaurant. While the boys are inside eating, a deep voice is heard from outside. There stands two local gentlemen in a discussion among themselves on whether they should go inside or not. The oldest of them is a little skeptical, but eventually the young one convinces the elder and they walk up the stairs to go inside..



The elder thinks about dining, which is natural, since it is a restaurant, but I don't think they came there to eat. They seem to be more attracted to the fire in the centre of the room, as that is the first thing they apporach. The elder decided to throw something from a test tube into the fire, creating a mystical blue smoke. I don't know what he threw in there if I'm to be perfectly honest. It didn't appear to have much of an effect apart from the visuals.. so far...?



Oliver Freddy and Jeffrey has eventually finished their meal. Oliver Freddy needed to use the bathroom, and the elder of the gentlemen walked up to Jeffrey and introduced himself as Amarok Grey, before Jeffrey contiuned to talk about another movie he had just watched...



Oliver Freddy was finished with his bathroom break and walked over to hang out with Jeffrey. The elder Grey appeared to have a strong fascination for fire as he rooted around in it and added more logs to it to make it grow larger.



What I assume to be the elders son did the same thing, as the elder decided to throw another mysterious test tube into the fire. He clapped with joy as it created a small explosion followed by green smoke and an intense and awful smell filled the room and ingrained itself in every surface and every piece of clothing. Vile!



Oliver Freddy finds it absolutely appaling, and decides to leave the restaurant to run to the gym to take a shower (as he is just a little bit closer to the gym than he is to his dorm). Who are these people and why are they acting in such a foul way to spread this filthy smell inside a newly opened restaurant? Oliver Freddy didn't know and couldn't make sense of their actions, all he knew right now was that he was in dire need of a shower, and quickly.. He felt absolutely filthy, almost to he bone...



At the art students drawing activity Inge was now left drawing alone, as Samantha had taken charge of the rest of the group and relocated them all to make a sketch of the fountain. The sound of water is a soothing sound, just like the small meltwater streams from the mountain glaciers during spring...



Oliver Freddy had been hard at work to improve his skills in science recently, so after showering off the filthy smell of dirt, he sat down on a couch in the gyms locker room to entertain himself with some light reading for a change...



On the grass by the art institute the group that started early was already finished with their drawing exercise, and Samantha begin to tip toe in a circle around the group. She wanted in part to amuse herself and in part show the group that she was their leader and wouldn't be afraid to discipline anyone there by the method of humiliation if it should be necessary..



Debbie Richards hadn't really done anything to deserve being disciplined, but she was the oldest of them, and so Samantha felt it necessary to challenge her position and put her in her place...



Samantha wasn't done using the megaphone. She wanted her voice to be heard as she went on to deliver another rant about hierarchy... the main message being that if you want to rise in rank here, you have to prove your worth!



Inge had heard all the commontion from afar and became curious. Who was this Samantha, and why was she loud? Inge wasn't looking to challenge anyones authority or whatever position they thought they had in the group, she was just curious about this loudmouth and wanted to get to know her better.. what makes this one tick the way she does?



Inge starts the conversation by talking about her favorite music, hoping to learn something about Samantha that way. Eyes are the windows to the soul they say, but figuring out someones taste in music is probably a whole lot more informative – or atleast more tangible, as music often conveys both meaning and mood... Inge learns that Samantha is a big fan of music, in particular that of indie pop and rock – a type of music said to value independence, but that still has a certain group mentality associated with it, as do most cultures and sub-cultures anyway. :P
Inge picks up from Samantha that she kind of feels a little bit like an outsider among most people of the town, a feeling which Inge can understand and relate to. Having a group of friends – something that gives one a sense of belonging somewhere – seems to be important to both of them, though perhaps for somewhat different reasons.



Samantha seems to take a liking to Inge, and thinks they should go fishing one day, after they have finished their exams of course. To be one with nature and to catch their own food... Inge prefers to sit on the couch and watch tv, or atleast doing some kind of indoor activity, but she also wants to make friends, so why not? Maybe one day they'll do that..



Another important thing for Inge is family, so she leads on by talking about her own, her mom and dad and her two younger sisters from back in Sunset Valley. She has hopes that this will make Samantha inclined to share something about her own family, but Samantha seems very secretive there. She mentions that she has a family, but she speaks very vaguely about it, and doesn't say who they are or how many of them there are.



Inge isn't just curious about Samantha. She still wants to make friends with Nicole, so she calls her over to hang out and make a crowd of them.



She is excited that Nicole would come over and runs over to the front entrance to meet her.



Meanwhile Oliver Freddy has finished reading the book and wants to take another course in gardening. As he runs by their dorm he notices a group of horses standing by.. It's definately spring time and with milder weather the animals appear to have emerged from their winter lairs and head into town....
Interesting that Inge and Oliver Freddy are choosing such different parts and have almost switched roles. Oliver Freddy was the most popular one in the beginning, now its Inge doing all the socializing.. Oliver Freddy seems to be here mostly to learn as much as possible.. but then again, he was initially the driving force of them going to university in the first place, so.. I guess it's not to surprising. :P



Inge is now the leader of her group as she stakes out the path for them and runs towards the Grotto to hang out. However, there is trouble as suddenly Nicole declares she finds it boring already and leaves the group...



So then there were two.. Inge concludes after this that she will ditch Nicole completely in favor of Samantha. It turns out they had a little more than just their interest in art in common, and Nicole..? She was just to different from them, with her random impulses and spoiled rich girl background...


So they enter the grotto to discuss art and painting for a while, and right next to them Karoliiná sits on the floor, now working to finish her last programming assignment for the semester. She has to think pretty hard, because this is a big one where she has to combine everything she has learnt so far...



Inge thinks she has found a new friend in her fellow art student Samantha, and asks if they can study together, you know, since she can almost feel the exam staring at them from around the nearest corner... but Samantha declines. Reading books isn't her preferred way of gaining knowledge..
    Samanthas approach is much more practical, it's learning by doing she says. Just like her family has done it through multiple generations.. the old teaches the young by showing how its done, and the young goes out to practice.. That's the most effective way to learn, that's how knowledge sticks according to Samantha.
    "How strange... doesn't she read books? How can you be a university student without reading books?" Inge ponders about it, and it makes her more curious about this Samantha.. She wants to learn more about her, to become good friends with her..



Of course, Samantha isn't entirely wrong, practice is a good way to learn. And practice, that is just what Oliver Freddy has gone to do after his gardening course. Back at their dorm, he now wants to do gardening, so he goes to plant his failed-experiment kona bean as well as the improved herb into the ground to see what will become of them...



Oliver Freddy has now decided his brain can't take in any more knowledge, and goes to watch something pointless for the rest of his time to relax and put him at ease in time for the exam...



Samantha then wants them to play a game of pool. She wants to feel Inge out, to know how she fares in the game to establish the rank inbetween them. Does she have what it takes to guide them, or is she better fit to be a subordinate? And for the record, she really meant it when she said they should go fishing one day....



While the girls are still playing their game, Oliver Freddy has already gone to bed early, before the sun has set. Of course, in the darkest of winter this might not have looked so early, as the sun stays in the sky longer and longer for each day as summer approaches. ;) I'm still with Oliver Freddy on this one, it's important to rest and get enough sleep before your exam, so.. good night to you. :P



As the match between the girls draw closer to its end and it looks like Inge is about to win this one, Samantha gets increasingly adamant about them going fishing. Inge tries to get a word or two in about the things that are most important to her, such as art and family, but Samantha is not letting go of them going fishing.. "So you know how to play pool, but can you catch your own food and then cook it?" Samantha wants to know.. Something tells me Inge will continuously be put to the test here..



The game ends as it must, and Inge ends up winning, though it was a close match as Samantha wasn't to far behind. Inge gets hungry and walks over to the bar to eat, when Karoliiná (who just finished eating by the same bar) walks over to Samantha to lecture her about cleaning, which is kind of.. odd...



It looks like Karoliiná wants to play a game of her own. She changes the topic from cleaning (which made it sound a little bit like she was trying to imply Samanthat doesn't know how to keep things clean...) to garlic.. not as an ingredient in food, but as something to keep in ones home to ward off evil... Samantha is not happy about the way this conversation is going, and wants to talk about something else.



While Inge is over at the bar eating, Samantha wants to talk about the joys of exercise, in particular that of jogging or running outside. "Wouldn't it be a good idea if we could start a runners club or something to go run together? How about every thursday evening at 18?" Samantha suggests, but Karoliiná isn't very interested...



"I prefer to do my exercise alone" she says "I wasn't made to run in packs..."



"Why not?" Samantha asks "Me and my brothers have done that since we were just cu.. umm, since we were just small children.."

"I knew it.. you're one of them, aren't you? You're a greybone!" Karoliinás voice was spiteful as she uttered the last word...




"That's hurtful...". Samantha immediately slouches when she hears what Karoliiná is saying..

"I'm sorry, but I just can't be seen hanging out with greybones..."

"Please don't call us that.. don't call me that.. My name is Samantha...Samantha Grey..."

Greybone... the word felt like a punch in the stomach for Samantha and her usually loud and boisterous voice wasn't much more than a restrained whimper...



"We all do what we've been taught by our own elders..." Samanthas feeling of hurt turned to anger as she went over to the counter to order food.. This wasn't a new thing, her parents have heard just the same, and their parents again. There's always been a feud for as far back as anyone can remember between the people of the town and the Greys of the mountains, with the people being animal herders and the Greys being hunters...



Samantha sat down to eat next to Inge. She seemed friendly and wasn't from around here, and so she probably didn't have a side in this. Samantha was still a little tense and didn't feel much like talking, but sitting next to someone whom she perceived as friendly (atleast for now) made her feel a little bit at ease. Samantha didn't want to fight a war, she just wanted acceptance for herself and her family to live their life on their terms, though in case something should arise she hoped that she had found a new ally in Inge...



Inge didn't know excactly what was going on, but she could tell Samantha wasn't feeling her best for some reason. She didn't like the silence and wanted to lift the mood so she tried to start a conversation about children and family. It made Samantha feel a little better, as she enjoyed this topic too. Family, friendship and cooperation were important values for Samantha and pretty much anyone from the Grey family.
Just like Inge, Samantha also dreamt of raising her own one day, watching them learn and grow...
Hopefully in a world that could be a little more understanding...



It was getting late and Inge felt the need to go home and get some sleep before exam day, but she wanted to hang out with Samantha again at a later time, so as an ending note she suggested they should meet up and have a cup of coffee one day.



Coffee and cake, perhaps. ;) Samantha would agree to this on the condition that they also would go fishing together one day...



Then it was time to finally say goodnight, and it looks like the girls have bonded pretty well, because they say goodbye with a hug, when I was expecting just a wave and a good night. ;)



Well, this is cute, they both look happy to have made a new friend, and so this day ends on a happy note for both of them. ;)



Not so much for everyone though, because in the background while Inge and Samantha were bonding, someone else were fighting.. The aforementioned Paul Biden* had a prolonged and pretty serious argument with Manisha Kapoor where he accused her of cheating on him.. and now he calls her a vegetable... that relationship is probably on a countdown, but atleast Samantha is happy now..



Good night.. hopefully everyones exam will go well. ;)

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