The People of Simbria: Bewickton: Chapter 6.1 - October 2022 - Part IV

Sofia woke up early this morning, so she walked into the lobby to read a book while waiting for her husband to wake up, and breakfast serving to start..

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Current location of the cruise ship.
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The weather was a little grey as they were heading south across the 20th paralell, and when Palash woke up he was nervous about the thunder and lightning from outside.

They meet at the breakfast table and Sofia talks about her job again and being late or forgetting to use the time stamp machine to clock the hours.. or something like that..

They had hoped to spend this day relaxing on the sun deck, but the weather wasn't on their side, so they went back to their room to watch the shopping channel on tv..

Well, Palash gets restless after a while, and decide to brave it anyway..

The thunder seems to have stopped, but it still wasn't the most enjoyable experience sitting out there all alone and getting soaked...

So he walks inside and one floor down to the 24/7 open bar and disco area to ask this lady if she got any... fish, that is.. to which she replies that yes, sure she's had some luck getting fish on this boat, and it looks like she could be hungry for more, as her next move is to flirt with him...

..but she's not getting this one, he has already swallowed anothers' bait. ;)

If Palash had remained on the top deck, he might have been able to make out the contours of Sunset Valley in the distance there as the ship is approaching to make its last port of call, before they head south on the last leg of their journey to go into international waters and cross the equator...

Palash walks into the dance area to engage in conversation with these two, a couple of young and flirty party animals called Magnar Aksnes and Juliane Haagensen, when the captain announces over the speaker system that they are approaching Sunset Valley.

Sunset Valley doesn't have a harbor large enough for a cruise ship of this size, so for those that want to get some solid ground under their feet there will be a regular shuttle of tender boats going to and fro every 30 minutes. Of course, after having spent three and a half days on board a ship, Palash thinks its time to head for land for a while, so he runs down to get Sofia still watching tv..

They get onboard the tender boat, and they weren't the only ones with this idea as it fills up rather quickly. :P

Of course on their way to land they Sofia once more brings up the topic of children..

It would probably be wiser of her to not do so, if she is serious about not wanting kids, but.. ;)

The tender boat finally comes to a stop, and it is announced that everyone can get off, and that the last tender boat will leave for the ship at 03:00 AM so there should be plenty of time to have a look around, and possibly enjoy some night life..

Welcome to Sunset Valley. ;) Unfortunately, it still rains, like it had been doing all month down here.. but the clouds on the horizon look promising, so maybe it is about to clear up...

The tourists are walking on a temporary boardwalk set up to the road and this bus that will take them into town..

The bus drops them off on this parking lot behind the theatre and the bookstore. Palash immediately asks Sofia to go watch a movie, but she would rather go bowling, so they run off to the "Throwing Ball" bowling alley.

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They get their bowling shoes from the receptionist at the counter and begin bowling when a few locals enter, among them Lisa Bunch, and she immediately takes a liking to Palash...

She walks up to them and watches them as she waits for them to finish, because she wants to ask Palash for a dance.. (I know because he has the action queued up).

She thinks she can see the wedding ring on her finger already... :P But Sofia and Palash both ignore her and eventually she gives up and walks away..

Sofia won the bowling game, and both of them had a great time before they sit down at some of the chairs to rest.

Sofia is happy to have spotted Eirin Motorsen, a local celebrity, especially after she helped solve the kidnapping case, and has some gossip to share about Eirins social media usage... Palash is looking forward to reaching their destination, to relax on the beach in a tropical paradise...

None of them have ever been to Sunset Valley before, so they aren't very well known around here and don't really know where to go and what to see, so Palash suggests they head off to the park to see and hear what the locals are up to.. and it looks like it has finally stopped raining. ;)

Since its October, there is an autumn festival going on and Palash thinks going to the park was a splendid idea, before he heads off to the ghost house.

Sofia joins the locals Erland Sollid and Carlos Opsal for an apple eating contest.

Palash exits the ghost house and has been.. ghostified! So he might as well just go for another round.. being a ghost has the benefit of not needing to care about things like walls and doors, so he just drifts straight through to the entrance..

While Palash exits the ghost house again and goes for a third round, Erland Sollid declares his own victory at the apple eating contest.

Sofia gets hungry and orders a meal from the food stand clerk and sits down to eat it next to another local resident, Jose Gonsales, enjoying an ice cream.

While she is eating and Palash is going into the ghost house for the fourth time... I hear some kid playing king in the park, so I look around and find Morten Kråke-Karlsen, Ingrids younger brother, ruling his kingdom with an iron fist from his iron chair.... Long may he reign! :P

After having visited the ghost house a grand total of 6 times Palash finally decides to head for his wife, but is a little nervous about it of course, since he now has the appearance of a ghost and all.. Sofia wants to head for an ice cream, and appears not to notice his presence.. Palash begins to wonder if he has turned invisible! How awful, maybe she can't see him!

He tries to make contact with her, but it doesn't work.. disappointed and heartbroken he goes back to the ghost house.. "Maybe this is my home now..."

End of marriage and honeymoon....

Then Sofia gets an idea, she wants to head out for a drink.. Being a snob and all, she has noted that there is an exclusive club in town, so she puts on her finest wear and runs over to the Club V.I.P. Exclusif..

Palash notices that his wife is leaving and decides to follow her.. He may be dead now, as far as he knows, but the marriage hasn't officially been broken.. so maybe, maybe.. if he can make her notice him.. maybe she won't be to scared.. maybe..

Sofia enters the club just as Jonathan, Ingrids father, is leaving, and Monica stands there trying to enter with her son Thomas.. before she realizes that of course, toddlers can't enter here, so she calls a babysitter to take him home. ;)

After entering Sofia is happy to spot Monicas husband, Ivar Motor-Notesen, a local musician and apparently also celebrity now, and Monica, being a member of the Motorsen family
(She is the sister of Ranveig, the daugher of Erin and Oliver Freddys aunt – see Motorsen family tree: https://www.theplumtreeapp.com/public/600d7a17f6542d0008498d08) has never been good with understanding dress codes, so she changes into her swim wear..

Palash also makes it to the club, and is happy to find that his ghostly state was only temporary. Phew, not dead after all! That ghost house sure gave him a scare... wow! Best ghost house ever, he thinks! ;)

Monica seems to be aware of his previously ghostly state and walks away from them.. "I don't want to hang around ghosts or people that just returned from the dead" she thinks.

Palash realises he is hungry and goes down to the bottom floor to order a meal. Palash is also sometimes a little confused about dress codes, so he follows Monicas example and changes into his swim wear as well.. the more of them there are, the more confused they get.. :P "I'm going to the top floor to eat" he says to his wife, while she orders a drink.

And as he walks up the stairs to enjoy his meal on the rooftop, I hear someone being slapped... Jared Frio is out on the town, and has some kind of feud with Monika Morris..

Palash finishes his meal and Sofia follows him upstairs with a confession to make. She enjoys watching him as he sleeps..

Palash has the usual reaction of being a little uncomfortable about it, but quickly forgives his wife when he notices how it makes her feel and goes for a romantic hug.

Sofia wants to kiss and woohoo, so she pouts her lips as best as she can and flirts heavily with him.

Palash understands his wife wants a little playtime, but is a little slow at times, so he initiates a water balloon fight with her instead..

If this had been anyone else, she would have yelled at them, but since he is her husband.. and she really wants that woohoo, she only laughs at him, but at the same time rejecting the water balloon fight..

She wants him to take the hint, so she gives him another romantic hug and their outing again becomes a date.

Palash can be a little tricky to get into the mood for lovemaking sometimes. Right now he feels like he wants to entertain, and perhaps inspired by his own recent ghostly experience, he tells a ghost story to Sofia and the bartenders right before they close the bar and send everyone home.

As they leave Sofia quickly orders a taxi. They are getting a little anxious now to not reach the last tender boat back to the ship, but their pulse is lowered a little when they see that it is still docked to the small pier.

They still run for it as fast as they can, hoping that the doors won't close just in the last minute..

Phew! Made it! It's been a good, long and fun day for them now, and they are getting tired, but someone in the background still has energy left for some pillow fun. ;) And maybe this couple does too...

Once back on the cruise ship, things escalate as Palash finally is in the mood, as he drops flirtatious comments to Sofia about all the things he is going to do to her as they reach their destination! ;) And this might just be the right buttons to press, because it makes Sofia think positively about children.

Happy that Palash finally understands, she grabs him for a sudden smooch and they kiss and make out more for a while in front of the elevator before...

..before umm.. before..

..well, ok, so they weren't done yet.. :P

Having learned from previous elevator mishaps, maybe, Sofia calls for Palash to use the stairs and go back to their room where she will wait for him on the bed..