The Smole: April 2025

In the previous episode of the Smole, Bert, Mariana, Luis and Maru enjoyed a relaxing morning at the spa only to lose their clothes. Kearney, Virginia and Francisca had to sew full outfits for them in 2 hours. In the end only Bert had a full outfit at the salon, so he earned 20/80 points and an exemption. In addition, Bert and Mariana had 8 bonus points from clothes given to them by locals, making the pot 549/938 points. Virginia also earned herself a clue for hiding a thumbprint in Bert's new clothes without him knowing. Will it help her or does she not need it at all?

Bert: "That was the most humiliating thing I have ever done in my life. To think that's my debut to the Smole. I'm surprised the cops weren't called on us. I demand emotional damages."

Mariana: "I'm so glad we got our clothes back. That was a good prank but let's never do it again."

Virginia: "I had succeeded in pulling the wool over Mr. Alto’s eyes, and my reward was a bingo card: Sit beside the victim at an execution ceremony. What’s more intriguing is that it’s handwritten. I suspect that must be my clue."

Maru: "It's my second time here. I'm so excited."

Maru: "Ooh, looks like two others got bingos too. Three prizes have been claimed. What's left for me?"

Maru: "Mitch would want me to take the 10,000 Simoleons in case I was executed."

Luis: "MARIANA!"

Mariana: "Eep! Oh it's you, Luis. Why did you shout?"

Luis: "I need to put a permanent ban."

Mariana: "That's not enforceable teehee. You don't own this house."

Luis: "You should learn to respect your elders."

Mariana: "I do. Which is why I obeyed your rules for so many days. But you can't monopolise the kitchen forever."

Mariana: "Sharing is caring. You need to open up your heart, Luis. Embrace change. Only then will you truly be happy."

Luis: "I'm happy right now."

Mariana: "Are you truly? I know you hope to have a partner to share weal and woe with."

Luis: "What does this have to do with you breaking my rules?"

Mariana: "Life is like cooking. You can always follow the same formula, but then you can't expect life to be any different. If you change it up a bit then you may find yourself surprised pleasantly. Variety is the spice of life after all."

Mariana: "Better yet, let someone else surprise you with a different flavour."

Luis: "Do you know why I control the kitchen so tightly?"

Mariana: "Because you can't let go of your job despite having retired?"

Luis: "No, it's not that."

Luis: "I have dietary restrictions. I'm vegetarian."

Mariana: "I knew that already. I can accommodate that."

Luis: "There was this contestant in the house. Her name was Kara."

Mariana: "Kearney told me about it. She accidentally cut herself and didn't realise it."

Luis: "She's a professional chef. Do you really think that's what happened?"

Luis: "No, she flagrantly ignored my restrictions knowing that I am vegetarian. She purposely added meat."

Mariana: "She did not!"

Luis: "Who knows what else she put in her dishes?"

Mariana: "No wonder you have trust issues. But just because one cook betrayed your trust doesn't mean the next one will. It's just like life. Are you going to sit alone all day in case a woman breaks your heart?"

Luis: "You have a point there. I've been burned by fire so many times that I'm not afraid of it any more. I learned to let go of my restaurant to Gino and he's doing well."

Mariana: "Exactly. There are more good Sims in this world than there are bad."

Mariana: "So, what have you? Want a try? I promise you it's vegetarian-safe."

Luis: "I'll have a try."

Luis: "It's a little burnt on the sides."

Mariana: "Oh no. I'm so sorry."

Luis: "Let the master show you how it's done."

Virginia: "What happened?"

Maru: "The TV is broken."

Virginia: "Broken? I must know what happens to Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet."

Maru: "Isn't there already a book about it?"

Virginia: "Yes, but this is entirely different and novel!"

Virginia: "I truly hope they get their happy ending."

Maru: "I'm just here for the score."

Virginia: "Are you a musician?"

Maru: "Nope, I just know how to read music."

Maru: "Let me see if I can repair this."

Virginia: "Have you any experience?"

Maru: "This is the first. But it's probably like hacking a computer."

Virginia: "Don't injure yourself."

Maru: "Aww, you care about me!"

Virginia: "Admittedly, each of you has warmed up to me. There must be something in the air."

Maru: "There's oxygen and nitrogen and carbon from the smoke."

Virginia: "Very astute. Do you wish for me to hand you a prize?"

Maru: "What did you think of me when you first saw me?"

Virginia: "My first impression of you was, I confess, that of a boor—your grotesque muscles seemed a declaration of brutish pursuits, a badge of some primal, unrefined nature. And yet, how often we err when we judge a book by its cover, mistaking its gilded edges or worn spine for the soul of its contents. It is a rare sight indeed to encounter a man who does not revel in aggression, who carries strength without a penchant for violence. Still, your desire to enlist in the military baffles me. Why would a mind such as yours, capable of reason and restraint, willingly march into the domain of destruction?"

Maru: "It's like a vacation home. It's what Mitch wanted for me too."

Virginia: "What is it that you truly want for yourself?"

Maru: "...I don't know."

Virginia: "You are the author of your own narrative. Never let someone else hold the pen that writes your life. And honestly, who is Mitch, anyway?"

Maru: "Mitch is my first and best friend. He's been there for me through everything. Have you met him?"

Virginia: "How could I have?"

Maru: "Ouch!"

Virginia: "I bear no responsibility."

Virginia: "I once feared this technology—it seemed so strange, so utterly bizarre. Take this camera before me, for instance. Talking into a black box feels so unnatural, so contrary to human instinct. Yet, slowly but surely, I’ve grown more at ease with it and come to appreciate the benefits it bestows upon society. Oh, how I wish we’d had such marvels back in Roaring Heights."

Mariana: "And this is the attic. If you get a bingo you can come up here and claim a prize."

Bert: "Yes yes, they've explained this to me already. Have you received a prize?"

Mariana: "I have, just a few days ago."

Bert: "What a waste of real estate up here."

Mariana: "So you're a criminal now?"

Bert: "Don't put it that way. These are just labels. I used to be an accountant."

Mariana: "What changed?"

Bert: "It was never my passion. But I made enough money to stop working for a living and can finally enjoy life in Hidden Springs."

Mariana: "How did you meet Trenton?"

Bert: "He showed up in Hidden Springs one day and claimed to be looking for his ancestors. Not many Sims have the Alto name, you know, so I answered the ad. And the rest as they say is history."

Mariana: "Fate brought is together."

Bert: "You're a lovely lady but I'm not interested."

Mariana: "Oh I don't mean that you silly goose. We paired up in your first mission and now I'm showing you around. I think we can go far if we work together."

Bert: "Hmm..."

Mariana: "Can you bear to let this woman down?"

Bert: "Certainly not. It's a deal."

Bert: "I didn't really want to work with Mariana but I'm at a disadvantage here and she's the only one who seems to be interested in sharing information with me. Once I extract all value from her I'll just break the contract."

Kearney: "Has he laid a finger on you today?"

Francisca: "No, not with you standing guard."

Francisca: "You don't have to follow me all day."

Kearney: "It's my duty to protect you."

Maru: "Francisca!"

Kearney: "Stop right there, beast. I will not let you come closer and hurt this poor maiden."

Maru: "Francisca, can we talk?"

Kearney: "You can talk to me."

Francisca: "Kearney, it's fine."

Kearney: "...I'll be right here watching you."

Francisca: "Wh..what is it?"

Maru: "Did I scare you?"

Maru: "I saw what Mitch wrote in my journal. I'm so sorry he did that to you."

Kearney: "What are you talking about? It was you who terrorised her!"

Maru: "It was my body, but it wasn't me."

Maru: "Mitch lives with me. He lives in me."

Kearney: "Like a parasite?"

Maru: "He's not a parasite."

Maru: "He's not always like that, I promise. He just wants to protect me. Since young I was bullied. Everyone looked at me funny. It was Mitch who came to protect me. He's been so helpful to me and helped me become the man I am today. He taught me how to survive on my own. He got me a job and a place to stay. He was my companion and confidant. He was there when nobody else was. Without him, I don't think I would be standing here today."

Kearney: "Then why did this Mitch lad want to hurt Francisca?"

Maru: "He doesn't want to hurt Francisca. He just wants her money."

Maru: "Mitch is very ambitious. He wants to dominate the military and Sunlit Tides. He wants the Mango name to be known far and wide so that nobody dares to mess with me again or look at us funny any more. But that needs funding."

Kearney: "Extortion and blackmail is not the way to go."

Maru: "I know and I scolded him for it."

Maru: "I'm sorry Francisca. Can you forgive me?"

Maru: "Do I scare you?"

Francisca: "I...I need time."

Kearney: "You heard the maiden."

Virginia: "Good day Ms. Vanderburg. Are you working on your novel?"

Francisca: "Good day. I'm writing in my journal."

Virginia: "You have written plenty."

Francisca: "I keep rewriting events until I can commit them to memory."

Francisca: "...May I help you Ms. Supine?"

Virginia: "Please, call me Virginia."

Virginia: "Do you have your drafts with you? I would like to help you with your book."

Francisca: "I thought you said I would never be an author."

Virginia: "Forgive my impudence. I don't know what had come over me."

Francisca: "I do have some of it clipped to my journal. Here."

Virginia: "Thank you. Hmm, this shows promise."

Francisca: "Really?"

Virginia: "But there are improvements to be made. Take, for instance, this line: 'my heart stopped.' You can afford to linger, to draw it out, for this is the narrator’s moment of revelation. What exactly did she hear? Was it silence—a deafening, consuming void—or the thunderous chaos of a thousand horses charging toward her? And what did she see? Was it mirrored in what she heard, or was it entirely incongruous, jarring her even further? And how did she feel, from the tingling in her fingertips to the trembling in her toes? Linger there, let the reader breathe in the depth of the moment."

Virginia: "I want you to delve deeper into the innermost thoughts—immerse yourself fully, live and breathe the character until their truth becomes your own. Strip away the veil of clichés and give me something raw, something utterly human. What are they hiding even from themselves? What desires, fears, or contradictions claw at the edges of their consciousness? Bring those to the surface, for that is where the story truly lives."

Francisca: "Thank you. Those are some really useful notes. I feel inspired to work on it now."

Virginia: "Go on."

Bert: "What's up with you?"

Francisca: "Ms. Supine...I mean Virginia, she's finally helping me with my book. I'm so happy right now."

Bert: "Why are you suddenly treating Francisca better?"

Virginia: "I have always treated her well."

Bert: "I saw footage before I joined."

Virginia: "Oh yes, those cameras. It never ceases to astound me how entire scenes, brimming with life and detail, can be captured and transported through the mere lens of a box. It feels like sorcery masquerading as science."

Bert: "Don't detract."

Virginia: "Shall I let you in on a secret?"

Bert: "My lips are as tight as superglue."

Virginia: "Ms. Vanderburg is of royal descent."

Bert: "Her? Are you sure?"

Virginia: "Affirmative. I heard it myself, clear as day, with my very own ears."

Bert: "I thought she was using an alias to make herself seem more important. She's an idiot for using her real name."

Bert: "My descendant is an idiot for not realising it sooner. He could have capitalised on it. His loss, my gain."

Virginia: "Women are not the object of your exploitation."

Bert: "Don't lie to yourself. You know full well why your attitude towards her changed. You're trying to do the same as me."

Virginia: "That's simply not true."

Bert: "Hey, convince yourself, not me."

Kearney: "Attention. I have gathered all of you here because we have a serious crisis. We are in grave danger. Someone is causing the danger and we must remove him at once."

Kearney: "Maru Mango is the vermin."

Mariana: "Maru? What do you mean?"

Kearney: "He knows what I mean. He thinks he can escape by pretending he was possessed by an evil spirit, but I see through your lies, Mango."

Kearney: "I fought valiantly with the showrunners to have him removed but they refuse on the grounds of 'insufficient reason'. Bah! We must take things into our own hands. We revolt!"

Bert: "What did he do?"

Kearney: "This monster pounced on poor Francisca like a lion ready to devour its prey. I shudder to think what could have happened had I not stepped in. He made her feel unsafe. He made this house feel unsafe and it is my duty to warn all of you."

Luis: "Francisca, is this true?"

Francisca: "He...he tried to blackmail me and threatened to hurt me."

Virginia: "Oh my goodness! And you kept all of this to yourself?"

Luis: "You bastard!"

Kearney: "Look at how quiet he is. He's guilty as charged!"

Maru: "I told you it wasn't me!"

Kearney: "I saw you with my own eyes! Don't think you can squirm out of this."

Luis: "I will kill you."

Virginia: "Violence is not the answer."

Mariana: "She's right. Francisca is the victim here. She has the final say. Francisca, did he hurt you?"

Francisca: "Thankfully not."

Mariana: "Do you want him to stay or do you want him to be forcibly removed?"

Francisca: "He did apologise to me...I don't want to cause him to be forcibly removed."

Maru: "Thank you so much Francisca."

Kearney: "What? You can't let him off because of an apology!"

Luis: "You don't have to be scared. We'll protect you."

Francisca: "I don't want to think about this right now. Can we talk about this another time?"

Mariana: "She made her choice. We should respect it. Maybe if we're lucky he'll be executed next anyway so we don't need to do anything."

Kearney: "Don't say I didn't warn any of you."

It is time for the quiz. 10 questions about the actions and identity of the Mole. The lowest scorer may be executed.

Q1: Is the Mole male or female?

A: Male

B: Female

Q2: What is the product of the ages of the Mole and the Mole's shadow / main?

A: 576

B: 600

C: 930

D: 1029

E: 1600

F: 2132

G: 2940

Q3: Does the Mole and the Mole's shadow / main live in the same house outside of the Smole?

A: Yes

B: No

Q4: What is the latest bingo square stamped by the Mole?

A: Fill in the blank bingo square

B: Be a shadow

C: Lose your clothes in a mission

D: Eat in a mission despite being full

E: Cause someone to be executed

F: Earn the most in a mission

G: Take part in 6 missions

Q5: In Mission 9, was the Mole in a duo or trio primarily?

A: Duo

B: Trio

Q6: In Mission 9, what did the Mole do?

A: Walk around nude

B: Sew

Q7: In Mission 9, which sewing machine did the Mole use?

A: Black

B: White

C: Pink

D: The Mole did not sew

Q8: In Mission 9, which yoga mat did the Mole use?

A: Blue

B: Yellow

C: Green

D: Pink

E: The Mole did not meditate

Q9: In Mission 9, what was the first thing the Mole wore?

A: Overalls

B: Leggings

C: Underwear

D: Shoes

E: The Mole was fully clothed throughout

Q10: Who is the Mole?

A: Francisca Vanderburg

B: Bert Alto

C: Mariana Matlapin

D: Maru Mango

E: Luis Toledo

F: Kearney O'Shea

G: Virginia Supine

"Welcome to your nth execution ceremony for all but Bert. Tonight, Bert is exempt so he will not be executed. Who will be executed instead?"

"Mariana Matlapin."

Mariana: "Gulp."

Virginia: "Mrs. Matlapin and Mr. Alto arrived adorned with accessories. The complete ensemble comprised a top, a bottom, and footwear. Yet, they frittered away their time in a futile search for gloves and other clothing, as if they were the missing crown to their attire."

Mariana: "Oh what a relief!"

"Kearney O'Shea."

Kearney: "I cannot go home now."

Francisca: "Kearney didn't sew anything to wear. He also focused only on pants which was shown to be unnecessary. Everyone would find pants first before coming to the salon."

Kearney: "Good."

"Francisca Vanderburg."

Kearney: "Francisca was sewing shirts when Virginia was already doing that. When we needed slippers, she failed to make them in time."

Francisca: "Phew."

"Maru Mango."

Luis: "Maru kept making detours. He may have had a full outfit but that meant nothing as we didn't arrive in time."

Maru: "Yes! Wow I'm sweating buckets."

Kearney: "No! That is unfair! He must be executed tonight for our safety."

"It is what it is. Only two contestants have their fates unknown. One of them will be executed tonight. Who will it be?"

"Luis Toledo."

Maru: "Luis only wore boxers. That was the first thing on his mind. That ain't making sense to me. Underwear is the least important thing as it can't be seen. You can always just put on pants directly."

Luis: "Damn it."

"Unfortunately, Luis Toledo, you have been executed. Please pack your bags and leave."

Mariana: "Luis was the oldest here but he didn't let that stop him from participating fully in the missions. He even won a tennis tournament against all of us!"

Luis: "I won! Benedici gli dei."

Luis: "I went for it. I was so sure of my Mole and I lost. I'm proud of myself for making it so far and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. At least I can say I made it further than Gino."

Virginia: "Mr. Toledo possessed a commanding presence, his leadership qualities shining brilliantly throughout the season. A practical man to his core, he had an innate instinct for determining the best course of action to accomplish any task."

Luis: "I just need to pass this detour to get 5 points."

Luis: "My favourite moment of the season was getting to dine out with Virginia. The company felt nice and although my stomach hurt after that, I had the pleasure of enjoying a meal not cooked by me with another Sim. That felt really nice."

Maru: "Luis was truly fearless. He walked around naked in Riverview like he owned the place and wasn't worried how others looked at him. For two hours he was only in underwear! That man has my respect."