The room occupied by the Childer family was, though not ideal, sufficient for a young couple and a baby, but it most certainly wouldn't do now that Bjoern was a fully grown child. Before they could even sleep, still on the night of the wedding, something needed to be done, stat.
Draining the family funds down to a meagre $49, they managed to pull together a small, cozy house - a proper house with painted walls and wooden floors...
At least in the common area. The bedrooms still lacked décor, and Astrid intended to decorate them as soon as the family funds allowed. For now, there was a $700 gas bill she had completely forgotten about before building a house that would have to take priority.
After a good night's sleep, Bjoern was ready to face childhood head-on. Starting with eating the last piece of his parents' wedding cake. His parents' lives were relatively boring right now, but he was determined to have fun!
He didn't go to school that first day, but he did promise to do his homework and go to school the next day.
With the hard work done, he headed outside to start introducing himself to anyone and everyone who happened to stop by. Unfortunately, there weren't many people out and about - and this Rylie O'Dell person didn't seem to like him very much. In fact, she made him quite angry.
"Daa-ad, there's nothing to do and no one to meet here. Can you take me into town please? I don't like that Rylie girl."
Mitchell smiled - though he hadn't inherited his outgoing trait per se, his son did aspire to meet new people.
"Sure thing, Squirt."
Mitchell smiled - though he hadn't inherited his outgoing trait per se, his son did aspire to meet new people.
"Sure thing, Squirt."
Bjoern had actually had the park in mind, not the town centre, as there were usually more kids there. But he decided to make the most of it.
Mitchell needed to level a musical skill for his next promotion, anyways, and they couldn't exactly afford to splurge on a guitar just yet.
But when the first few - not quite notes - came forth from the instrument, everyone in the lounge cringed, and Mitchell went rather red in the face. He wasn't quite ready to practice in public, either.
But when the first few - not quite notes - came forth from the instrument, everyone in the lounge cringed, and Mitchell went rather red in the face. He wasn't quite ready to practice in public, either.
"Dad said I didn't have to go. Something about a patch making me stay home? Maybe he needed to patch up my school uniform? That's silly, though, 'cause we don't have uniforms at my school."
"I see," Ana replied, but she didn't get time to say much else before Mitchell emerged from the lounge looking rather embarrassed, and telling Bjoern it was time to go home.
"Bye Ana!" he called out.
"I see," Ana replied, but she didn't get time to say much else before Mitchell emerged from the lounge looking rather embarrassed, and telling Bjoern it was time to go home.
"Bye Ana!" he called out.
This just won't do, Bjoern thought to himself. He wanted, nay, needed to make a friend. And he wanted that friend to be close to his age. The only sims he had met thus far were grown ups. How boring.
So as soon as Astrid got home from work, he didn't even bother asking her about her latest promotion, or if she'd earned enough to pay that $700 gas bill (she had) or buy a sink for the kitchen (she had) and a guitar for his dad (not quite, but another painting should suffice). He demanded to be taken to the park, promising that completing his aspiration would earn the legacy points.
Astrid obliged.
"Hi, I'm Bjoern and I'm a legacy sim! Also, I need to make friends because I'm a social butterfly. I'm also a geek. Want to play on the spaceship with me?"
"Um, sure," Elijah mumbled, curious about the strange tendencies of this young boy.
"Great! I'll even let you be the captain if I can man the gun in the lookout deck."
"Great! I'll even let you be the captain if I can man the gun in the lookout deck."
"See anything, Captain Elijah?"
"Negatory, First Lieutenant Bjoern! Smooth skies ahead, unless - what's that over there?"
"Negatory, First Lieutenant Bjoern! Smooth skies ahead, unless - what's that over there?"
"Do you recognize this strange specimen, first Lieutenant Bjoern?"
"I do," he replied, "It's a Mom-Monster!"
"Oh no, the worst kind! Fire at will, First-Lieutenant Bjoern!"
"Pow!" shouted Bjoern, grabbing the ship's laser gun and aiming it at his mother. "Pow! Pow! Pow!"
"I do," he replied, "It's a Mom-Monster!"
"Oh no, the worst kind! Fire at will, First-Lieutenant Bjoern!"
"Pow!" shouted Bjoern, grabbing the ship's laser gun and aiming it at his mother. "Pow! Pow! Pow!"
Astrid laughed. "Okay, okay, you got me. But it's getting dark now, Bjoern. Time to head home to bed."
"But Mo-om!" Bjoern whinged.
"Told you they were the worst kind," Elijah said, matter-of-factly.
"But Mo-om!" Bjoern whinged.
"Told you they were the worst kind," Elijah said, matter-of-factly.
But truth be told, Bjoern really was tired. He followed Astrid home feeling much better now that he had met Elijah and made a friend his own age, then immediately slumped off to bed.
After seeing to it that her son was asleep so that he could be up bright and early for school tomorrow, Astrid put herself to work at her easel - Mitchell did need a guitar, and maybe violin lessons for Bjoern would be worthwhile, too. Painting helped her think.
It wasn't that she didn't want Bjoern to be heir. She loved her son. But, well, when she had decided on the succession laws, it had been all about strategy. If the youngest was heir, then some of the older siblings could stick around long enough to complete an aspiration or two and maybe max a few skills for the sake of points before moving out. It would allow for more time between the generations to earn points.
If you're going to put time and effort into doing something, you'd darn well better make sure you're going to do it well.
It wasn't that she didn't want Bjoern to be heir. She loved her son. But, well, when she had decided on the succession laws, it had been all about strategy. If the youngest was heir, then some of the older siblings could stick around long enough to complete an aspiration or two and maybe max a few skills for the sake of points before moving out. It would allow for more time between the generations to earn points.
If you're going to put time and effort into doing something, you'd darn well better make sure you're going to do it well.
It wasn't a matter of if, but of when she had another child. She'd been holding for a while, wanting to ensure that they had some sort of financial security, but wealth certainly wasn't close on the horizon.
She herself was a shining example of sibling rivalry gone south - could she avoid that with her own children? How would Bjoern, who took such pride in being a legacy sim, take the news that he wouldn't ever be heir?
She herself was a shining example of sibling rivalry gone south - could she avoid that with her own children? How would Bjoern, who took such pride in being a legacy sim, take the news that he wouldn't ever be heir?