The Ruben-Biggs Household: Week 8

For Week 7, simply click on the label "Ruben".

The Ruben-Biggs mansion is one of the houses that were, I think, part of the lots & houses catalogue in the Sims2 game from the very start.
In New Maximiliania, it has stood empty for a long time, until I moved a household in from one of the apartment lots:
       

The Ruben brothers, Joshua (left) and Martin (whose surname is Biggs)...
       

...and Marla Biggs, Martin's college sweetheart, long-term-love and finally wife. They have been three-bolters for "ever", but only expressed the wish to get married when they turned into Elders.
Joshua is now 75, Marla and Martin are 68. All three are on Permanent Platinum which means - as you know - that I only control them on rare occasions, for instance when a neighbour walks by and I want them to greet said neighbour.
      

Ollie is still here, too, and probably the most popular member of this household :-) The three elderly people can nearly always be found in the upstairs room where Ollie's cage is, and play with the bird.
       

On this Monday, the Repo Man (a different from one last week) pays a visit. As before, nobody has been paying the bills.
      

The mirror looks a lot more valuable with its silver frame, but the Repo Man takes away the sink.
       

Of course, the sink is replaced as soon as the Repo Man disappears. Joshua then comes looking at the new acquisition, and is so disgusted by the dirty toilet...
      

...that he decides to do something about it.
      

Marla's wombrat Stanley is still there, too. The household members roll wants for playing with Stanley not quite as often as they want to play with Ollie the bird, but they do take good care of both their pets, making sure the cages are clean and the food dishes filled.
       

Martin and Marla often reminisce their college years.
      

On Tuesday morning, I find Martin fast asleep on the settee - while there is a perfectly comfortable and accessible bed for him and Marla upstairs.
       

When she is not busy with one of the pets or her husband, Marla likes to keep fit with rope-skipping. She used to be a bit overweight as a young woman, but after losing weight managed to keep her good figure until now.
       

All three household members still work; nobody has ever shown the want to retire. Work of course helps with their meals, since they so rarely cook when at home.
       

Every now and then, they do a spot of house work, such as Martin here who puts the old newspapers in the bin.
       

On Wednesday morning, Martin rolls the wish to clean Ollie's cage.
       

Everyone has been having wishes of inviting someone over, and so I have Joshua invite the Summerdreams over. From back to front, Puck Summerdream, Björn Beaker (one of Loki Beaker's half-Alien children and live-in lover of Bottom Summerdream), Bottom and Titania Summerdream are soon there.
       

Titania is pleased to detect Joshua's pointed ears. He had normal ears until he turned into an Elder.
       

On Thursday morning, once more I find Martin not in his marital bed but asleep in the armchair near Ollie's cage.
       

He and Marla enjoy a very good relationship; on top of being husband and wife, they are also best friends.
      

Today, the brothers bring Cedric Cooke home from work with them (background).
       

One of the Davis brothers as well as Dirk Dreamer are here, too. Marriage seems to be on Dirk's mind. Maybe he wonders why Joshua never got married.
       

Friday morning sees Marla filling Stanley's food dish.
       

Looks like marriage is an important topic at this household!
       

Together, the couple clean one of the bathrooms on their own accord.
      

Gunther Goth is greeted by Martin.
       

Kevin O'Feefe (formerly Beare) is next. What is it about marriage that it is so prominently on everybody's minds?
       

One of Gunther's many half-siblings, Wilma Williamson, has come by the house on her jogging round and was invited in. At first, she and her half-brother seem to get along well.
       

But soon, for no apparent reason, their conversation turns into a fight. Antonio Monty tries in vain to calm the half-siblings down. He has raised two children on his own, Beatrice and Benedick, and knows that it isn't always easy to maintain peace between siblings.
       

The animosity between Gunther and Wilma grows to the point of them engaging in a physical fight.
       

Wilma wins, and another one of their half-brothers, Cedric Cooke, can only make sure nobody is seriously hurt.
       

On Saturday morning, Joshua plays with Stanley. He is 80 today. (Joshua, not Stanley!)
      

For a change, Martin and Marla sleep in the same bed at the same time.
       

Again, marriage seems to be THE topic of interest at this household - this time, Marla reminisces their wedding party.
       

Since nobody could be bothered to pay the bills, the Repo Man is back.
       

What, no sink today? Surely the bird house is worth much less!
(See the sorry state of the tomato plants? Last round, the household members all wanted to buy vegetable plots and fruit trees and plant seeds, but once it was all there, they completely lost interest.)
       

Blossom Swain (nee Moonbeam, married to Erik Swain) is one of their guests today.
       

Parvati Patel is next.
       

A weird little graphics bug makes these "food crumbs" (or whatever they are) hover above the old newspaper when Martin picks it up for recycling. Never seen this before!
       

Oh look what Martin and Parvati are talking about :-D
       

With two guests at the house, Joshua decides to make dinner for a change. His brother and sister-in-law will benefit from a nice plate of turkey, too.
       

Marla cleans one of the toilets on her own accord. She may be a very reluctant cook (I have not seen her prepare a meal since before she was on Permanent Platinum!), but she is not too bad at keeping things clean.
      

She even cleans the kitchen counter on her own accord.
       

It is Sunday morning, and Martin and Marla meet for a good-morning-kiss near Ollie's cage. The cage is always open so that Ollie can come and go as he pleases.
       

Joshua clears the dishes from last night's dinner.
       

Sam Thomas walks by and is greeted by Marla. I think they've known each other at uni.
       

Corydal Capp is next to walk by and be greeted.
       

Just as Joshua follows his guest to the house, he finds someone waiting for him in the hall.
       

Suddenly, the place seems rather crowded. Joshua is handed his last cocktail and a suitcase, and leaves this world for ever. He was 82.
       

"Do you think we should plant daisies on my brother's grave?" Martin wonders. He and Marla are now 75, and by the looks of their lifetime bars, won't be living another full week I think. But we'll find out only next round.

So Joshua died without ever having had a proper love - he was never engaged or married, never had a live-in girlfriend, although he was in love with Tiffany Sampson during his college years. He still seemed to have been a rather happy Sim and achieved his lifetime want of becoming Chief of Staff 13 days from Elderhood.