The Boon OWBC

Chapter Six: Game Changer

“Why are we at Mum’s business?” Oscar demanded. His sisters had dragged him from his studies for the afternoon, and this was their choice of hangout?

“Because,” Bianca replied, “You need to find a wife.”

“What about Eva?”

“She’s a robot. She can’t pop out heirs,” Bianca said, dismissively, “Go meet a simself.”

So Oscar spent his afternoon trying to woo simselves, like Jo here.

“Your last girlfriend was a robot?”

“Current girlfriend, actually.”

“I see…”

---------------Jo writes The Mobacy and Fair Dinkum Flamingos

Despite Jo’s hesitations about getting involved with a man who already had a relationship with a robot, she couldn’t resist Oscar’s cyclops charm.

“You know, I think I might like humans as well as robots!”

“Oh, Oscar!”

They only had a bolt, so Oscar was sent on his way, to try and find someone with more bolts.

“Oh, you’re Oscar! I attend a lot of your family’s parties even though I’m rarely invited!”

“I had no idea! This town is so small!”

-----------------------Ani-Mei writes Altered Fates: An Alternate Universe Legacy and Where Angels Fear to Tread: An Apocalypse

“Eh. Ani-Mei is okay, I guess.”

“I can see your thought bubble, Oscar! How rude! I’m a prize catch!”

“I never said you weren’t.”

“Hmmfph. You’d be lucky to land a simself like me.”

Ani-Mei and Oscar had zero bolts.

“My brother is never going to get married.”

“Well, at least you’ve got me to continue the family line!”

And with that, the Boon kids called it a day and headed back to campus, no closer to finding their brother a wife.

Back at the house, the siblings decided to have some lunch. Of course, grilled cheese was on the menu.

“Hey, I heard one of us is going to become a ghost,” Orca said, suddenly. Her siblings looked up.

“What?” Oscar asked, wide-eyed.

“Did you even read the manual that came with heirship?” Orca rolled her eyes, “A member of the bloodline must die every generation.”

“You can’t be serious!” Oscar exclaimed, “How do we know who’s going?!”

“It said something about the results of some poll,” Orca offered, with a shrug, “Whatever that means.”

“So any of us could die at any time?” Theda raised an eyebrow, “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“And who votes in this poll?” Oscar wondered, aloud, “Who has that much power?”

“I think I have an idea,” Bianca stated, sourly, “I’ll do something about it, believe me.”

* * *

“Well, it has to be this one,” Bianca muttered, “There’s only one other house in the neighbourhood, and that’s ours.”

There was continuous thumping on the front door, and if Sam left it much longer, she would lose her mind.

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Quit knocking so loud!”

“Bianca?” Sam raised a hand to her forehead to block the sun out.

“So it’s true,” Bianca said, sourly. Sam gave her a confused look, and Bianca continued, “There is a simself in charge of this neighbourhood.”

Sam shook her head, smiling, “What are you talking about?”

“Save it,” Bianca replied, “We need to talk.”

With a sigh, Sam asked, “What about?”

“About this business where me or one of my siblings has to die for some stupid challenge,” Bianca said, frowning.

“How do you-”

“It was in the heirship guide that was sent to both Orca and Oscar,” Bianca explained, “No one knew what do about it. That’s why I’m here.”

“Well, it’s not really up to you guys what happens.” Sam replied, cautiously. Bianca stared at her.

“What do you mean it’s not up to us?” Bianca demanded.

“It was decided long before you were born,” Sam said, calmly, “Three sims must die a generation, all in different ways, and one of those must be a member of the bloodline.”

“So that’s why our father died when we were kids.”

“Yes. It was part of the challenge,” Sam nodded, “There needs to be two more deaths before the next heir, or in this case heirs, take over.”

“So you’re just going to kill one of us?” Bianca tried to laugh, but she was nervous, “And we have no idea who it is.”

“I can tell you who, if you’d like.”

“I’d rather you didn’t kill us at all,” Bianca sighed, “What can I do to keep my family safe?”

“You don’t need to worry about them,” Sam said, “Because you’re the sim who’s going to die this generation.”

“Are you kidding me?” Bianca replied, stunned, “You think I’m just going to go along with this?”

“That was also decided before you were born,” Sam answered, “The loser of the first heir poll becomes part of the ghost hunt.”

“What the heck is an heir poll?”

Sam shook her head, “It doesn’t matter.”

Bianca sighed, “Is there any way I can stop this?”

“Only if you figure out another way for me to earn ten points without killing off sims.”

* * *

Back at uni, Bianca, Orca and Oscar are juniors, and I’m desperate to get them graduated.

Also, I re-rolled Oscar’s aspiration, so that he’d have a better chance at landing a simself – and he got Knowledge, which boosts his chemistry with pretty much all of the female simselves. Except Jo. Sorry, Jo!

“Um, Theda? Should you be naked in a hot tub with your siblings?”

I knew Theda was a naked hottubber, but this the first time I’ve seen it.

There’s something incredibly icky about siblings sharing a love tub.

Well. At least Oscar’s dressed for the season. That’s the only positive I can take from this.

“Woo! We’ve got mail!”

“Bianca, that’s the bill you put in there earlier…”

“So I’m thinking about growing a goatee-”

“Oscar, no,” Orca shook her head, “Simselves don’t want goatees!”

“I think it’d look great,” He replied, hurt, “Why do I need to worry about what simselves think, anyway?”

“Bianca figured out we could keep our lives in we married a simself in every generation instead,” Orca explained, “I’m already taken, you have to find a simself.”

“I’m already taken!”

“Eva doesn’t count! She can’t pop out heirs!”

“It’s your choice, Oscar,” Orca said, eventually, “But if you don’t marry a simself, Bianca will die.”

“Oh, plumbbob. FINE. Invite them to our next party.”

“Good choice, Oscar!”

The Boons got a new computer with the money from passing their exams, and it’s become a sim-magnet almost.

“Oscar, stop hogging the computer! Unless you’re on a dating site, in which case, carry on!”

“He’s looking at SPORTS!”

“Oscar! That definitely means it’s my turn!”

Instead of staying inside all evening, the Boons then went out back to use the hot tub. Fresh air and hyperthermia!

“Theda, you can get in the tub, rather than just stand there, you know.”

“No she can’t. She’ll be naked.”

“It’s too cold for that.”

The next day and it’s party time! Apparently, most of the simselves didn’t want to show up, except Jo and Esme.

And it looks like Lucinda’s not happy Jo showed up and started dancing with Rob. Jeez. Can we ever have a normal party?

----------------------------Esme writes Already in Progress and several spin-offs

“I know you from somewhere,” Oscar told Esme, brow furrowed as he tried to remember.

“I’ve been at several parties. Also, your mother’s business, and I was there that time you told Ani-Mei she was unattractive.”

“I did NOT call her unattractive.”

“That’s not the way she tells it.”

“Well, I find you VERY attractive!”

Two bolts, finally! A woman Oscar can move in! You know, providing Esme likes him.

“You’re not bad-looking, yourself.”

Despite the fact she’s not going to be Oscar’s girlfriend, Jo looks delighted.

“Are you kidding me? I get to smustle and get up to crazy antics for at least another generation!”

Rob! Stop stealing the uni gnome, and go find your own gnome!

I’m pretty sure Gnomeo, the main-lot gnome, is never coming back

Meanwhile, in the hot tub, a conversation was taking place. Yes, I know there are better places to have conversations, but this is an OWBC family – never do anything normally!

“So you kids managed to figure out how to save Bianca?”

“Yeah,” Orca smiled, “It’s just a case of marrying Oscar to the right girl.”

“Well, that’s good,” Lucinda remarked, “But that does mean your father didn’t have to die afterall.”

“But if you’d never lost him and married a simself, we’d never have been able to swap out the Ghost Hunt for Simself Mania. Also, Oscar would have married a robot.”

“Also, Theda wouldn’t exist.”

“Things have a funny way of working out,” Orca smiled, “I’m just glad we get to keep Bianca.”

Elsewhere – actually let’s give these two some privacy. Let’s go visit the main lot.

As you can see, things are far from cheerful with Lucinda and Rob. He’s still sort of involved with Eva, the robot, and Lucinda’s not happy about it.

On the plus side, there’s Keegan, and he’s adorable.

First order of business, moving Eva out.

I’m fed up with the fights and Eva sneaking around with both Rob and Oscar.

Second order of business, try and restore some form of normality. I used one of Rob’s eight commands to make him apologise to Lucinda. We’ll see what happens from here.

“Lucinda, can you put Keegan back down? It’s still story time.”

“No, it’s bed time!”

…there’s still a few issues here and there, with Rob and Lucinda. Like parenting.

“Eugh, he threw up on me! I should have just let Rob take care of you!”

“Awwh. You’re cute, though. I forgive you for being sick on me.”

It’s not possible to dislike Keegan.

I mean, look at him. He’s adorable.

It’s now a requirement to love Keegan.

And in case you’re wondering, this is what the house looks like now. I’m still trying to work out how I raised generation one here.

Dual heirship and twice the normal amount of kids is making me worry – no way is there enough space!

I’m so tempted to give up the Middle of Nowhere handicap…but I don’t want to!

Anyway, a ‘small’ get-together was thrown. Because I was bored.

And all the usual suspects are there, including Lucinda’s four children.

“So, Bianca, tell me when you’re going to meet someone.”

“Just because Orcomei are making out everywhere doesn’t mean the rest of us have to.”

--------------“Orcomei” is the couple-name Keika came up with.

The party wasn’t very interesting, and yet it ended on a roof raiser. Even though the hosts were outside.

“See, Luce, that’s Orion’s belt.”

“Why does Orion need a belt if he doesn’t have any trousers?”

Since Rob’s apology and Eva’s leaving, things have been going much smoother for my founding couple.

Thank goodness. I don’t think Lucinda’s got much longer left, and I didn’t want them to end on a bad note.

And now for the whole reason why I was playing the main lot – to keep Keegan sort of synced up with everyone else.

Anyone else excited to see what mayhem he can cause as a child?

Look at him! He’s adorable! Even with cheekbones like he’s constantly sucking on sour sweets!

And he grew up in pink pyjamas, what more could you want!

Right, let’s go back to university…

Where it’s party time! Again! Pretty sure this is the spring party for the uni lot.

And yes, Keegan was invited to a college party. That’ll impress his classmates! Turns out Oscar doesn’t have many friends he isn’t related to.

Theda, meanwhile, was catching up with an old friend. This is Gavin Newson, a guy she was friends with as a teen. I aged him up just for her.

You see, I was feeling bad that Theda has no one, especially when she’d been quite popular with the boys as a teen.

Theda’s going to be moved into an apartment and played in rotation with the main line, as per the apartment life bonus rules, so she needs a family!

Everything went according to plan. And you know what? Gavin cleans up pretty good.

FINALLY. The moment we’ve all been waiting for – graduation!

We’ll see if I feel like playing uni in a generation’s time. But for now, I am sick of it, and couldn’t be happier to see it end.

So they age up and move on, one by one.

Bianca didn’t fair too badly in the Transition Lottery. It’s not very Bianca-like, but it’s not awful.

Orca decided she was going to spend adulthood in her swimwear. This is only because she grew up in her swimwear, I’m sure she’s picked some sensible everyday clothes…maybe…

And Oscar’s moving to Twikkii Island, from the looks of his shirt.

So my dual heirs are back home! God knows how I’m going to fit them all into the tiny shack!

Curse this middle of nowhere handicap!

Komei was the one who stole Gnomeo…but I didn’t find him in Komei’s inventory. Instead, I found a different gnome. He’s manning the flamingos now (all 21 of them!)

Do you think this counts as the gnome bonus, or have I lost it? Let me know what you think!

See you next time for BABIES!