The Baldwin Family: Week 6

 The Baldwins still live in the same house where they started.

But since their father's death, the siblings are on their own. Marcus wants to become World Class Ballet Dancer and uses all his spare time towards this goal.

His older sister Sofia once dreamt of being the Hand of Poseidon, but changed her mind and now sees herself as future Head of SCIA.

Monday morning of their sixth week starts with a broken computer. No problem for Sofia.

Marcus had fallen in love with Pauline Aspir while they were both studying at university. Their one-bolt-attraction apparently has not survived beyond campus boundaires; neither of the two rolls any wants for the other one all week. Instead, Tina Traveller appears, and there seems to be more than just friendship between these two.

Being a good host, Marcus prepares drinks for everyone.

Meanwhile, Tina amuses herself - and her host - at the piano.

After a while, Sofia takes her place, and Tina suddenly finds herself standing rather close to Marcus, while his sister plays a slow, seductively romantic tune. The fire is crackling away in the fireplace, warming Tina's bare legs and exposed left shoulder.

Tina can't help herself - overcome with the urge to kiss Marcus, she does just that. Sofia just keeps playing; she seems to be unaware of the goings-on behind her back.

On Tuesday, Marcus wakes up wanting to study physiology.

Downstairs, Sofia finishes off yesterday's remaining drinks.

It has been snowing heavily all night.

That does not stop Marcus from flying the kite that has been around for a long time.

The siblings spend the rest of the day indoors, having meals, skilling and talking. Also, I make sure they ring three friends every day to maintain the friendships they have already made.

On Wednesday, Marcus works on improving his charisma.

Sofia greets Carla Reamon.

Marcus finishes a snowman his sister has started to build.

When Sofia returns from work that night, it is with a demotion to Double Agent, "thanks" to a wrong decision with a chance card. She heads straight back to work again, and indeed is reinstated in her position as Elite Operative the same night.

While all this was happening at Sofia's work place, Glenda Greenman joined Carla Reamon and Marcus for chili con carne.

It is Thursday, and brother and sister enjoy a game of chess.

It is also spring now, and Sofia changes out of her warm clothes into an outfit more suitable for the season.

I can not remember who of the two caused the shower to break, but they both are off to work before I can tell someone to repair it. The clean bot (a present from Angela Pleasant, I think) starts mopping up, but then unfortunately breaks, too, and starts spitting out trash all over the top floor. Nobody is home to switch it off.

Late in the evening, Marcus returns from his last performance as a Flamenco Master: He is now a World Class Ballet Dancer and has reached his lifetime want 18 days from Elderhood. Well done, Marcus! Of course this means I am not controlling him anymore - which in turn means he will neither repair the shower nor the clean bot.

I still halfway expect him to start picking up the trash, but he prefers to stay downstairs where he rests on the settee, looking rather pleased with himself.

Actually, I don't blame him for not wanting to go upstairs...! Hopefully Sofia will come home soon, and I'll tell her to fix the shower and the bot.

Well... it was not to be. Sofia does come home, yes, but now she, too, has reached her LTW and is not controlled by me anymore. 11 days before Elderhood, she is made Head of SCIA. And what does she do? Go upstairs to do some ballet exercises, of all things!

Both siblings go to work on Friday. At least for a few hours, they will escape the chaos.

And chaos it is!

The broken clean bot is still active. Nobody has switched it off yet, and Sofia even sleeps amidst the noise and dirt and smell.

Marcus does not like the piles of smelly rubbish, either, but does he do anything about it? No, he simply goes to work.

Beau Broke returns home with him that night, but although sometimes visiting Sims do some gardening for their hosts on their own initiative, Beau does not go near the top floor where chaos reigns.

Saturday sees the situation unchanged. By now, the siblings have abandoned the use of their assigned own beds and just sleep where they happen to be closest when they are tired.

My hopes are up again when I catch Sofia spraying the bugs that have started to appear. Less intelligent Sims merely stamp on them, but Sofia sprays them.

Her brother passes out on the pavement after the limousine has dropped him off after work.

Sunday morning sees Sofia close to starvation. All that complaining about smelly rubbish and crying because of the bugs has lead to her not taking care of her needs anymore.

Somehow, she manages to go downstairs to have a drink...

...and a sponge bath.

After being cleaned up and dressed, she even has a bag of cookies (there is still enough food in the fridge for a proper meal, of course).

It is now Marcus' turn to spray the bugs.

And he even sweeps up the dead ones. But that's all he does - no further cleaning is done that day, and of course still nobody has switched off the bot.

How long can the two of them survive like this? Is someone going to save them - for instance, Sofia's three-bolt-love Brent Broke, or Marcus' new girlfriend Tina Traveller? Stay tuned :-)