Chapter 5: Ghost Notes

When he's not playing for tips, Carey likes to spend time hanging out with Rory McGreggor.

Rory always has great stories to tell, and he's also fond of shocking Carey with  his wild behavior.

This afternoon brings a completely unwanted surprise.

Rory isn't ready to go with the Reaper just yet, and Carey is devastated to lose his friend and bass player.

Grim has no sympathy and takes Rory despite their pleas. And then he eats the last of Rory's ice cream with no consideration for Carey's feelings.

Roslyn meets Carey at the cemetery so they can mourn Rory together.

"I don't think I can go on without Rory," Carey cries, "I don't want another bass player, I want Rory back."

"Maybe we can keep Rory in the band," Roslyn suggests.

"Baby, he's dead," Carey says.

"Well, death isn't necessarily permanent. There are ways to bring him back."

"You mean like a zombie?" Carey asks, wondering how they are even having this conversation.

Roslyn shakes her head. "Not a zombie," she says, "My father was a ghost hunter. He'd catch spirits and poltergeists and stuff, and bring them to the science facility for research. My uncle Pink was a scientist working on paranormal research and he told my father they'd developed a way to revive the dead. He wanted my dad to bring in my grandmother's remains, but Dad refused. He said the dead are better off in peace. But I think Rory would want to keep playing."

"You have an uncle named Pink?" Carey asks, more surprised by that detail than the whole reviving the dead story.

"Yeah, and an uncle named Spider, too. He's a world renowned surgeon. My family was a little nuts," Roslyn laughs, "Well, a lot nuts, maybe. But Pink was a serious scientist, he wouldn't make this stuff up. We can take Rory's remains to the science facility here and see if they can get him back for us."

Though he has serious reservations about the whole thing, Carey promises to think about it. It would be great to have Rory back, but it seemed ridiculous that the local scientist could just bring him back.

That evening, Foster was invited to Sandra Roth's party. A few music industry types like Cleo Shikibu and Pelvis Eastly were packed into her tiny house.

"I'm so glad you came, Foster," Sandra greets him, her voice edged with sadness.

"What's wrong?" Foster asks her, leaning close to her.

"Look at this place! Can you believe I'm living in this tiny hovel? I got into a fight with my father and he kicked me out of the mansion. And I couldn't even crash with Jacob because he's moved in with that bitch Yvonne Malfeasance."

"Who's Yvonne Malfeasance?" Foster asks, surprised he doesn't know every female in town by name by now.

"No, of course you don't know her," Sandra answers, "She's plain, mousy, and totally dull. And Jacob left me for her!"

"So you invited me tonight for revenge sex?" Foster asks.

"Maybe. Maybe I just like you and want to be with you. Does it matter?"

"No, not really," Foster answers.

Sandra leaps into his arms. "Take me into my tiny, squalid bedroom and make me forget everything," she sighs into his ear.

Foster makes her forget everything, including her party guests, for awhile anyway.

"I don't think you'll be able to keep it a secret this time," Foster says as Sandra slides out of bed, "Your guests have know what we were up to in here."

"Let the world know,  I don't care," Sandra replies bitterly, "I'm not ashamed."

"You're trying to make Jacob jealous, then?"

"I don't need Jacob!" Sandra says vehemently.

Sandra doesn't even bother putting on clothes before she sees her party guests out. "Let's do this again sometime," she says to Foster before he goes.

"Sure, baby, anytime," Foster promises.

Pelvis is disappointed he didn't get invited for revenge sex.

While Foster and Sandra were partying, their son Dante had his birthday.

Carey brings Rory's urn to the science facility. As he enters the quiet lobby, he wonders how he's going to frame his request. "So, my girlfriend says you guys can bring back my dead bassist," doesn't sound quite right.

The scientists were thrilled to have the opportunity to try their highly experimental research out, and they were subsequently disappointed by their results. They revived Rory's ghost, not a living man. But Carey is just happy to see his friend again. Rory's ghost smells far fresher than the living Rory ever did, Carey notices as he embraces his ghostly friend.

"So, you can still play right? We have a gig this Saturday."

Rory can still play, and promises to show up for the gig.

Foster moves up from Sandra's lyricist to her lead guitarist, and gets a rockin' new outfit for the stage.

Parker becomes a teen. He's set on being everything his father isn't. He's into sports, not music, and he dreams of finding his soul mate and settling down to marriage and lots of kids, as early as possible.

Gibson becomes a teen as well. He doesn't have any real plans or goals yet.

Gibson goes next door to visit his mother. Pelvis Eastly is camped out front, stalking Roslyn's roommate Kate, who he dated briefly.

Gibson won't ask his mother the one question he needs answered, why she won't live with him and his father, so he just makes small talk.

"You look so much like my father," she says wistfully, not listening to him.

"Who's your father?" Gibson asks, hoping to learn more about himself and her. "Can I meet him?"

"His name is Shadow McDermott," she says, her voice quavering, "I haven't seen him since shortly after I graduated high school. He and my mother just disappeared, with my sister."

Pelvis just isn't very good with the ladies.

Rory's ghost shows up to the gig as promised, and plays just as well as he did when he was alive.

Philip freaks out at the thought of playing with a dead guy, but quickly gets over it and returns to his drums.

Warm Gun has attracted a record crowd tonight. Maybe it's the novelty of a ghostly bass player.

Foster finds it wildly unfair that the hot chick parading around his house in her underwear all the time is off limits.

Sandra said she wanted to drop by and talk about their songs, so Foster obliges.

"I'm not here to talk shop," she admits, and grabs him for a kiss. She's also not here to interact with her son, who she completely ignores, still maintaining the pretense that he's not hers, even though it no longer matters if Jacob Martin knows about her fling with Foster and the child that resulted.

Foster gives Sandra what she came for.

"Do you think you'll ever get married?" Foster asks.

"I'm surprised you can even say that word, as commitment phobic as you are," Sandra jokes.

"I'm not proposing or anything," Foster says, "I'm just asking."

"Well, no. Certainly not before I'm a big star. You know how it is in this business, you aren't selling music, you're selling a fantasy. And that fantasy works best if you appear available. Your fans all dream that they might have a chance with you. If you get married, it crashes that fantasy in a big way. Why are you even asking?"

"I don't usually sleep with the same girl more than once. I've been with you three times now. It's like a relationship or something."

Sandra laughs, "This is your idea of a relationship? Getting together to get laid every now and then?"

"It's just, we're kind of good together, Sandra," Foster says as she climbs out of bed, "Maybe we should make it a relationship."

"I have to get to the studio, Foster," Sandra says, avoiding an answer, "I'll see you later."


Challenge Notes:
I was really depressed when I got the notice saying Rory was going to die. I've grow very fond of Rory since I started this legacy. So, I told my husband how bummed I was about my old bassist dying. So, after going on for a bit about some guitarist named Rory Gallagher, my husband says 'Can he still play bass as a ghost?'
That question lead me me to reviving Rory's ghost to keep him in the band. I did have to use master controller to get Carey the opportunity. Though, Carey did actually get that opportunity a few days before Rory died and I turned it down, not thinking I'd want to actually use it. Once I got Rory's ghost and asked him to join the band again, I moved him back into his house, so he's not part of the household.
The chapter title 'Ghost Notes' also comes from my husband. When I got Rory to the jam (not really a gig) I showed my husband his idea was a success. He asked me "Is he playing ghost notes?"
So I said, '"No, it's the same notes as the other Sims," and pointed at the animated notes on the screen.
So he laughs and says "Ghost notes are real. It's a music term." Apparently, ghost notes are notes played so softly they are almost silent. Neat. And I knew then I had a chapter title.

About Foster's last conversation with Sandra, when I had them chat on bed after woohoo, I was floored to see Foster actually choose to talk about marriage. I mean, really, jaw dropping floored. I didn't think he had it in him.