Chapter 6: I know the end is coming soon

GAZ NOTE: As this chapter begins, Willow and Cordelia have just become teens, and Buffy is 12 days away from becoming an elder. The most immediate threat then is a food shortage - teens cannot read books, which means that the only way to get that critical first point of cooking is to use a grill. And we all know the problems with grills, especially paired with my luck.

However, this can possibly be avoided. Buffy is 12 days away from elderhood, and thanks to the Mental Endurance handicap, she'll get 3 more days as an elder. The teen span is only 14 days. Therefore, Buffy will be able to continue to provide meals until the teens are young adults, at which point they'll have another day to grab a point of Cooking. This seems an eminently sensible plan to me - far be it for me to go against the joys of setting Sims on fire, but we want it to happen only when we wish it.

So we conclude that food will be OK for the time being. What other immanent problems do we face? Well, all teens must reach Athletics 10 as teens, otherwise they will be delayed in getting jobs thanks to the Walk to Work handicap. We have only 2 double beds in the entire household; "hot swapping" is already problematic with 4 teens and Buffy. We have few ways to build Fun - only the easel and the chess board (although having lifted Journalism reading books is also an option). We will need a constant supply of new books in order to pay our way out of trouble here.

Fortunately we do also have one bright spot. With teens in the house, it is now possible for Buffy to make sojourns to the Library; here, she might feasibly get her last Logic and Handiness points to fulfil the requirements for an Einstein bonus point.

Problems noted, opportunities identified. Let's go.

The last of my cubs was born on a full moon - an omen? It matters not - as a boy cub, he cannot be relied upon to continue our line. That will fall to Tara, even if it turns out that Oz bears the changing gene as his brothers do.

My mastery of athletics, charisma, handiness, logic, painting, and writing got me an Einstein award. I have seen a picture of this Einstein. With hair like that, I believe he must have carried the changing gene. I approve.

My own time is now limited. Thanks to my werewolf genes I have not fallen prey to the senility plague, yet I know this apocalypse is no place for the elderly. I must provide what value I can while I am still around.

I should probably take stock here, since she has 3 days of controllability left. Buffy has Athletics 10, Charisma 10, Cooking 4, Gardening 6, Handiness 10, Logic 10, Painting 10, Writing 10 - let's hear it for a Uni start, since none of her immediate descendants have any chance of matching that. When she is senile, there can be no more meals made, but as above if I time it just right I can get Willow or Cordelia trained in Cooking to take over (probably Willow, as she is a Bookworm).

Willow and Cordelia are now adults. Sadly, they are unable to become employed until they pass their fitness exam - a house rule, since I do not trust the denizens of Sunset Valley, and these poor twins do not even have the changing gene.

My time is almost upon me; I may live a little while yet, but my mind will not be whole. It is time for Tara to continue our story.

I obviously wasn't pushing Athletic hard enough. Willow is at level 9 (and has mastered Fitness Nut, so she can hit Quick Burst with only short breaks for food and bladder), but poor Cordelia is still only level 7 - her brothers Xander and Giles are both at 8. I have little room to work out in, which is not an excuse but an explanation.

So many teenagers. I remember when they were but infants - it seems only weeks ago. Little Oz is now the only one still of school age.

Who is this young man? Where is my mother and father? Why do the phone not work? Why is the world broken?

I glimpse memories, but I cannot hold them. Is this me? Do I yet live, or did I pass into the summer realm, unknowing?

The summer realm awaits you Buffy. Note that in werewolf form, age transitions are blocked - and dying of old age is such a transition, so I had to wait for her to die of hunger. The good news is that Willow has finally hit Athletics 10 and has enrolled in Education; Cordelia is still not quite there, but Xander and Giles are, with no real issues that Oz, Dawn, and Tara will make it now that I have a partial third basement with a chin up bar.

So I have significant food problems - they are typically always hungry - and my first day as a teacher I am hit with the mourning moodlet. But we'll manage - this is a good spot to end Buffy's contribution to the challenge.