Friends in Low Places - Come Share Your Stories!

In my last blog post, I talked about the cool friends I've made through the Gothique Beauty competition; people that have truly inspired me and made me feel like 'one of the dudes'.

That got me thinking about friendships that others have formed.  It doesn't take a long to stroll around the community to discover some of the more well known & infamous bonds, but there must be dozens and dozens of other interesting and wacky friendship stories out there!


So to celebrate all that's actually right & bright with this unique community of ours, let's sit around the campfire (or more like flaming lawn gnome) and recount some of our most awesome memories of friendships and bonds that we've formed within the community. Share as little or as much as you want (this is NOT a novel-free zone) -- maybe you remember a person that helped you through a difficult time or coaxed you out of your shell, or maybe you clicked with another simmer (or simmers) who shared the same quirky interests as you.  Did you get banned with another person and end up bonding in the slammer? (aka 72-Hoursville)

Please feel free share!  No pressure to fit in stories of EVERY person you've connected with, but if you have any particularly funny/crazy/inspiring/fucked up/touching experiences that you'd like to recount, give a shout! (censor & length-restriction-free!)

*  Viva la Sims Community! Like it or lump it, we're one helluva 'hood! ^_^   *

Final picture for Gothique

Gothique Beauty was far and away one of the best simming competitions I've ever been in.  It was a pleasure to compete against such insanely talented people...you have no idea.  Plenty of blood, sweat & tears, and some of the most fascinating gothic sim pictures around.  It was really, really sad to see it end, and although I slugged my way to the end and came out with the win, lol, as my grandmother would say, "I knew I had been in a fight".  

  I got a chance to meet some of the most awesome people in the simming community through Gothique.  I know it sounds corny and mushy, lol, but it's the truth. I've been lucky enough to connect with some of the most talented, down-to-earth, intelligent, funny, open-minded, and amazing people, and I met them (directly and indirectly) through Gothique.  At the risk of sounding corny again, ...well...you have no idea what an impact some of these people have made on my life;  my real life, outside of the game and this blog.

Akasha (aka SuicidalSpiders) is one HELLUVA host.  Some people hobble together some vapid little uninteresting contest and just BAIL, and some people put together fun, unique, inspiring contests and STILL bail (not talking about real life issues & emergencies -- I'm specifically talking about instances where the host just gets bored and bails).  AwesomePhoebe was our other host, and she was upbeat and on time for every single assignment.  Both of them judged fairly and gave helpful comments, and they kept the threads alive and light-hearted.  I can't thank them enough for hosting such a badass competition.


So to anyone that I met through that contest -- thank you so much for inspiring me, and forcing me to work my ASS off to come up with shots (the hits AND the misses).  I'm such an introvert in real life and I don't always make friends easily, so thank you guys for pulling me (kicking and screaming) out of my shell and being real friends & confidants **hugs all around!!!**

This was my final entry for Gothique (the theme was "7 Stages of Grief -- Hope").  I pulled out a win by the skin of my TEETH (Toblie hit it out of the park just about every single time, so this was in no WAY some sort of easy win or blowout).  I'm really going to miss it -- but if anyone is interested, Akasha WILL be starting a Cycle #2 soon!  (I won't be competing, but I will be guest judging!  wootie-wooooo!)

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click to enlarge

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How audacious to dream and want

The wisest among us understand that

vile beast of Hope

Its mouth agape

hungry for another fool

blind and lost in false belief and faith

Old ones speak of the

greatest evil

That which men hold dearest

naked in the dark

and bitten in cold

at the end of the world with

death's whisper seizing a longing heart

This heinous Hope

not more than a torment of will

Prolonging suffering

Brutal in its affliction

And still it rests here

Another fool drunk in the reverie of

a lovely wish

The gateway beckons

An Eden of promise and desire and

every perfection

I long to be there

blissful amongst the radiant trees

Drowned in passion and twilight ecstasy

My angel awaits in that Utopia

I know not what lies beyond the

grey waters

A cold execution..?

A lonely death..?

Torture beyond all knowing..?

Take my hand now in this indigo night

and follow...

I know not what lies beyond the grey waters...

...but Hope rests here still.

*

~~~ hugs & noogies ~~~

My latest Gothique assignment pic

Some of you have seen it already, but I'll go ahead and post my assignment #10 picture (and poem) for Gothique Beauty.  The latest assignments have covered the Stages of Grief, and the topic for this one was Acceptance.  It isn't very good, but thankfully I made it to the finale: