Chapter 7: I fear rivers overflowing

Mumsy kicked the bucket, and it was sad. My sisters were especially badly impacted by it, but anyway we all got over it. So many lycans in the house now, there is fur everywhere. Despite Mumsy's notes, I reckon we have to get technology back for some sort of robotic vacuum cleaner as a high priority.

But there is no telling my big sisters - Willow is all, "No no we have to get the schools back up" and Cordie - I mean seriously girl, who cares about symphonies in an apocalypse?

GAZ NOTE: It is week 8, day 7, and things are not going that great for the Badmoons. What with the mourning moodlet, I got no positive progress at all in Education for Willow's first two days, only finally managing to get about 1/3 of a bar on the Friday. Cordelia only just now got Athletics 10 (the chin up bar is so much more effective it's virtually cheating, even with the multiple workouts taken into account). Her options were Journalism, Law Enforcement, and Music. Journalism was obviously out, Law Enforcement is not that great when I have Walk to Work as a handicap, so it was either Entertainment or Symphonic, and Symphonic is a lot better.

On the bright side, it is also Giles and Xander's birthdays, and they both already have Athletics 10. In fact, let's take stock of the family:

• Cordelia is a Bookworm, Can't Stand Art, Good, Heavy Sleeper, Hot Headed, with a LTW of Heartbreaker (that she has not yet started on). She's going to be my Symphonic lift; she just got the job and has 2 days off before she has to start.
• Willow is Absent-Minded, Artistics, Athletic, Disciplined, Neurotic, with a LTW of Perfect Mind/Perfect Body (she has Athletics 10 and Logic 6 at present). She's in the Education track, though she's not doing very well at it; right now I have her off to the library initially with the idea of picking up Cooking (to give Cordelia a switch off) but in fact I am using it to make friends and boost Charisma, as she'll need that.
• Xander (a werewolf) is going to age up today; he is Artistic, Brace, Disciplined, Frugal.
• Giles (a werewolf) is going to age up today; he is Frugal, Heavy Sleeper, Loner, Loves the Outdoors.
• Tara (werewolf, heir) has 7 more days as a teen, but has already mastered Athletics. She is Couch Potato, Genius, Loves the Outdoors, Supernatural Fan.
• Dawn has 7 more days as a teen, with Athletics 7 as I write this but pumping chin ups as we speak. She is Friendly, No Sense of Humour, Savvy Sculptor, Virtuoso.
• Oz (werewolf) has 10 more days as a teen, already with Athletics 8. He is Absent-Minded, Disciplined, Easily Impressed, Unflirty.

A basic list of mediocre to bad traits, not a single Ambitious/Inappropriate/Slob amongst them (though I guess I might get lucky when Xander and Giles age up). As far as the house goes, it has two complete basements and about 1/3 of the next one, but it's a Saturday and Sunday is my build day (as it is when all the royalties rock up). I have 4 double beds, and the household are sufficiently friendly with at least their twin (save for Oz) to manage to find a bed every night. But I have very few skilling objects, of course (just a single easel, a single chess board, and a typewriter) - although the guitar will at least give Cordelia something to keep her occupied. Everyone is hungry a lot, though that will ease a tad with the 2 new YAs.

On the bright side no fires (since with my luck I'd have burned the place down by now), Buffy's tombstone is tucked away at the edge of the lot, and I haven't broken any rules yet (to my knowledge). Cold comfort, but comfort nonetheless.

So I'm Tara anyway. The Event happened, yada yada yada, we're the only good lycans that survived, so Mumsy said we'd have to do the rebuilding. There's a bunch of right bastards in the local gangs, and frankly I don't see any way to permanently take them down; we get robbed by two different criminal organisations every year, and frankly even if we took one out, I bet the other would just fill the vacuum. But we're tough and awesome, and the local military is totes on board with us, so we get to flaunt curfew a bit.

So I thought, my sisters suck at making good choices, but my bros? They're all lycans like me. They have their heads on straight. And Giles didn't let me down - a soldier boy will be really handy. But Xander... a fortune teller? Really?

The paper gave me a choice of Fortune Teller, Military or Retired. Oh yes, luck be a Gazza tonight, amiright? I mean, sure, Military is never a bad choice, but Fortune Teller? I took it, of course, and I'll go for the Paranormal (Mystic) track. Xander's going to have to do a lot of reading in the library to get Alchemy; I hope they have the books there.

Giles has the LTW of Super Popular, while Xander got Illustrious Author. Xander was kind of a mistake to be honest; since they both aged on the same day I already knew what was in the paper, so I could have put Xander on a career based LTW, but I didn't, so chalk that up to an oversight; I'll remember when Tara and Dawn come of age.

So I grew up - major drag. My twin decided to go the boardroom and murders/executions route of big business. I am thoroughly disgusted with my siblings choices - if they're all going to slack off (Giles excepted, I guess) I don't see why I should carry the load. So I signed up for the local Sports Ball team, where we doing sporty things with ball like objects. It's apparently all some secret scam to figure out how to reduce muscular atrophy or some nonsense, but who cares? I get to chuck balls at hoops. Or goals. Or maybe I hit the balls towards some sort of boundary. I'm sure they'll explain the rules at some point.

So Dawn aged first. This was not unexpected because I was keeping Tara in werewolf form to suppress her change (I reverted her as soon as Dawn transitioned). Dawn just managed to grab the paper in time for Tara's transition: Business, Music, Professional Sports. Honestly if it wasn't for Military this generation would be very near the worst possible selections, but I'll manage.

Dawn is Friendly, No Sense of Humour, Savvy Sculptor, Schmoozer, Virtuoso - she'll actually do OK in Business though obviously Ambitious would be just lovely. I gave her The Tinkerer as a LTW (she already has Logic 8, so that should be fine). Since I knew what the paper had, I knew Tara was going into Professional Sports; she has Couch Potato, Easily Impressed, Genius, Loces the Outdoors, Supernatural Fan (and her LTW is to Become A Superstar Athlete). Her traits are basically useless for that career, but she already has Athletics 10 - it won't be difficult to lift it, especially since I only need level 8 for the lift.

It is Week 9, Day 7. Willow is at Education 4 (with the bar about 95% full), Cordelia is Music 4 (about 50% of the bar), Xander is Fortune Teller 3 (just promoted), Giles is Military 3 (about 80% of the bar). Xander, Giles, and Willow are spending a fair bit of time at the library to learn Alchemy, Handiness, and Charisma respectively. Willow is essentially just chilling with the guitar and making PB&J.

Oz has 3 days to transition; he is Absent-Minded, Disciplined, Easily Impressed, Unflirty. He has Athletics 10, Logic 8, Painting 4, Writing 6.

Next time, we'll see how Tara and Dawn get on at their respective careers. You'll laugh. I'll cry. It's all in a day's work for an Apocalypse Challenge.