the bookacy family alphabet adventures, ch. 23

Dear reader, welcome to The Bookacy Family Alphabet Adventures once again! This time we're headed for chapter 23, which is, after our spare update last time, a regular Bookacy chapter.

So, let's dive right in, it seems that Cyrus there is enjoying the company of his little brother, Charlie.

"Hey Charlie? Are you going to grow up soon? Are you?"

"Cyrus, please, would you calm down? Charlie will grow up when he's ready, and after that I promise you, we'll be going on that vacation."

"Okay Grandpa."

It seems that the family is having some visitors, too.

"Hello, Marsha. Good to see you again. How are you?"

"I'm fine thanks. Me and Bailey are both working on our next promotions, the kids are getting good grades, fooling around, the usual. How about you?"

"Fine and cheesy as always. It's a big fuss around the house, but we like it. Did I see Chip coming with you?"

"Yeah, he came with me. He wanted to play with his cousins, so I bet he's already inside. I think I saw Cyrus waving to him from behind the glass door."

And indeed the kids were already inside, watching some TV together.

"Sure, I'd like to be best friends with all of you guys!" said Bobby, grinning. He was thrilled of the idea to have so many new friends of his own age. Being and only child wasn't bad, but sometimes he wished to have some playmates. Which was of course exactly why Aurora and Andrew had dropped him off at the neighboring house.

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. There were all kinds of fun activities. Chip enjoyed dancing - on the front porch, how else.

Bobby, on the other hand, found the bowling alley on the back yard. The ball was a little bit heavy for him, though.

But he managed to bowl quite successfully all the same.

Cyrus, meanwhile, was enjoying his childhood while it lasted. After tonight, his Daddy wouldn't have the strength to swing him around anymore.

"Faster Daddy, faster!"

"Are you sure you're not feeling sick?"

"Nope! Just go faster!"

"Alright then, hold on, kid!"

And sure enough, the small party ended with Cyrus blowing his candles out while his family was watching and cheering him on.

And so he sparkled and spinned.

"Hey, I'm handsome!"

Yes you are. The outfit's not too bad, but we'll still get it changed. But only tomorrow, today you're too tired.

"No I'm not!"

Yes you are. You'd be a danger in the traffic. What aspiration did you roll, by the way?

"Fortune. I want to be a Business Tycoon."

Thanks a bunch, kid. As if the house wasn't full of fortune sims already. Now eat your cake and go to bed.

Not tired, huh?

*zZzZ*

I said eat the cake and go to bed.

The next morning.

"Can you believe such young sims can have such old children?" asked Baudolino in a half-amused, half-sad tone.

"Not really, honey", replied Marylena, smiling, still a little bit sleepy. "But I'm pretty glad they're starting to look after themselves little by little. Even Charlie will be child soon."

"Yeah. About that, do you think we should have a party or would he prefer..."

Baudolino was interrupted by a long and loud "BROOOOOOM".

"What was that?"

"Oh, that must have been the car. Cyrus was going to go shopping for new clothes today", said Marylena calmly.

"Really? Are you sure he can handle the car, honey?"

"Of course I am. He's a teenager now, remember? He'll manage just fine."

Erm... I'm not sure about that statement Marylena... Cyrus, what on Earth are you doing?!

"Getting back from my shopping trip, what does it look like?"

Oh. Well, I guess then... Well, just remember to be careful when parking, okay?

Like that. Much better, don't you think, Cyrus?

"Yeah, I think I like this. Thanks, C."

"What's this, George, a present for me?"

"Yes, mr Bookacy."

"Well, thank you. Hmm... 48 serving platters of different kinds? Does this mean what I think it means, George?"

"I believe so, mr Bookacy. Also, mr Bookacy senior asked me to summon you, sir."

"Yes, Dad? You wanted to see me?"

"I did. Did George give you the serving platters?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I think you already know what this is about."

"... the business?"

"Yes, the family business. The bakery. Baudolino, I am getting older, and you are the heir in charge. You are also suitably between businesses right now, so I think the time is right. The Bookacy Family Bakery is yours."

Baudolino grinned happily. "Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. It's supposed to go from heir to heir, anyway, and it needs to get lifted to level 10, so it's an added bonus that you get one of your five top level businesses out of it. Your mother is going to give her old business to Bill, just to be fair. She's not up for running businesses of her own anymore either. But we'll of course both be happy to help you if you need us", Adrian finished.

"Hey little buddy! How are we doing today?"

*giggle*

"Fine as always. That's my boy! Grandpa will be looking after you for a while now, as Daddy is having some business to take care of."

Literally, business it is that Baudolino has to take care. The bakery business, that is. It's been a long break since anyone has been working on it, but fortunately gained business levels stay. So we're like on level 8 already. Not bad! And the stars keep on falling, at a steady rate.

"So what's in it for me? What do I get if I buy your layer cake?"

"That, young lady, is an excellent question! First of all, you will gain a delicious, home baked layer cake. Second of all, you will support a good cause with your money. And third of all..."

"Good cause?"

"That would, of course, be the well being of our Legacy family. And third..."

"... if you are lucky, I may admire you, miss."

"That makes the deal! Show me to the cake!"

"I am such a wonderful salesman, aren't I, miss Creator?"

It seems that you are, George. Congrats on your gold badge.

"Oh I wonder if there are any serving platters in this bakery... Hmm..."

Baudolino, hurry up, go help your silly uncle! He can't seem to find a serving platter in a bakery.

By the way, one thing about bakeries that I find amusing is that all the items are, well, you guessed it, serving platters. So if I, for example, use the business perk that allows the owner to check what a customer would most want to buy, I get the answer "I think Arthur would be interested in a serving platter". Really? Well, thanks a bunch. Wouldn't have guessed.

Hey look, the reporter! Baudolino, stop hard selling to relatives and get your butt over here!

"Would it help if I admired him, miss Creator?"

NO, George.

"Look, the stars are flying already! Aren't we just the best salesmen ever, C?"

Yes, you're doing fine. I'll say more when you've got the Best of the Best Award.

"Okay, that's a piece of cake for us, isn't it, George?"

"Most certainly, mr Bookacy!"

"Would you mind rewarding us a star, mr reporter? In return for, say, a delicious berry pie?"

Going just fine...

...even better...

Waiting, waiting...

Hey! Didn't you forget something? Like, our award?

"No, I don't think so. You weren't deserving of enough stars. Sorry."

HEY! Get back here!

Sigh. The only business where I'd get points for getting the Best of the Best Award, and the only business where I don't manage to get one – unfortunately those two seem to be the very same business.

Well, I suppose all we can do is continue doing business as usual. Selling pastries to various relatives...

... sending certain, ahem, less than wanted customers away the moment they appear and then rushing to take care of all the others... aaaand...

... gaining the last needed star to make the business level ten! Congrats, Baudolino, that was fast!

"Thanks. Well, it wasn't really all that fast, taking into account that actually taking this business to the tenth level took about... well, maybe a generation or a little bit more. My grandmother was an elder when she founded the bakery."

Shush! I know. But for you it was fast, that's all that matters now. And you've got three in the bag, how does that feel?

"That's great. That I can't deny."

"Thanks for your efforts, Jodie. We have now reached the highest level, so we will not be needing your services for a while. This is, however, the family business, so someone may return, perhaps in a generation or two."

And so Baudolino and Nicole headed back home.

At home it was dinnertime, and it seems Adrian was not the one who'd cooked. The kids enjoyed the meal together, and enjoyed having spaghetti for dinner for a change.

It was also important to head home on time. Not only to free Marylena and Adrian from babysitting, but for another reason.

"Hi there, little buddy. Is Mommy's big boy ready to grow up?"

"Gwow up, Mommy?"

Yes, grow up, Charlie. We'd like that very much.

"Okay! Wook, spwaklies!"

Very nice, Charlie. Let's see how you turn out.

Well, you seem to have turned out just fine.

"Thanks, C!"

You're welcome. Now be a good boy and get to the wardrobe. And then the mirror, if you please.

"Grandpa's little boy is growing up... It feels like yesterday you were just a toddler..."

Well, technically, Adrian, that was yesterday. Besides, it's almost morning, too. No need to tuck him in anymore.

Morning, Cho. How are we doing today?

"Fine, C. Just jumping rope."

In your pajamas? On the front porch?

"Well it's a nice sunny day to be outside. And I haven't gotten dressed yet. By the way, C?"

Yes, Cho?

"Have you thought about making me the heiress yet?"

Well, I have thought about it, but I haven't gotten to a conclusion yet.

"You know you want to."

Make you the heiress? Why's that?

"Well because I'm a girl. You haven't had a girl heiress in the family since Great Grandmother Author. And I have red hair. You like red hair."

How...

"Cyrus told me. He's my big brother. He knows."

Really? I think I'll need to have a chat with your brother at some point. Now go inside to have breakfast, will you?

The very same day is the day when Cho brings home her very first A+.

"Look, Mom! I got an A+ report card!"

"Hi Cho. What did you say, an A+? That's great, sweetie!"

"Do you think C will make me the heiress now?"

"What?"

"Yeah. Now that I have an A+, too. Do you think I can be the heiress? I'm the top girl at school and everything."

"Well honey, you are really trying hard, but you know, being the best at everything is not really the only thing about being heir or heiress, and..."

Usually, though, the topics of discussions in the family were lighter. Especially when there were guests around.

Sometimes, there was no need for discussion at all. Especially after all the guests had left.

"I will now leave you to your peace, to kiss romantically in front of the trash compactor and to prevent me from using said trash compactor."

Because then it's time for family activities.

"I can so beat you in SSX 3, Charlie!"

"You can so not!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Hooray! I win! I always win!"

"Why does she always win? So unfair."

Speaking of visitors. Sometimes those were family.

Meet Calista Custer, Barry and Laura's daughter and the Legacy kids' second cousin.

And sometimes those came in matched sets.

Meet Chloe Custer, the twin of Calista.

What is it Charlie? You've got some new playmates and all. Why so aggravated?

"Public school is nooooo fun! Arrrggghhh!"

Well I'm sure that as soon as your parents have time and...

"Why do I have to wait anyway? Cyrus and Cho are already in private school."

Well actually, you don't. You can just...

"... make the call myself."

Yes.

"Hello? This is Charlie Bookacy speaking. Could we have one headmaster over for dinner today at 5 pm, please?"

It seems that he could. And Baudolino got to Meet Someone New, +1 000. You know what, Baudolino?

"Yeah, C?"

I think you've earned a popularity secondary aspiration. You do that a lot, you know. And want parties, too.

"Oh. I thought you were supposed to roll for aspirations?"

Not actually, not for secondaries. I happen to be one of the few who play by the old old rules – which don't say anything about secondary aspirations. So I'm choosing those myself in a way that I see fit.

But anyway, on with the headmaster visit!

"Dad, can you please hurry up? My fun meter is in the reeeed!"

"And this is the living room. Please ignore our son, he's in a bad mood and therefore doesn't act as well as he usually always does."

"Hooray! It is such a fine living room!"

"Honey! You called the headmaster, didn't you?"

"Oopsie, Marylena, careful! No, it was actually Charlie who did. He was complaining about his fun meter."

"And such a nice kitchen too! With affectionate parents and children from the neighborhood to eat dinner!"

"Someone's looking handsome today, Cyrus."

And who might that be?

"*cough* C! Don't scare me like that!"

Sorry. You were saying?

"Umm... Nothing. Nothing really."

Okay. By the way, I need to talk to you about something.

"Okay, C. Shoot."

Cyrus, I'd appreciate it if you didn't put ideas into your little sister's head.

"What ideas?"

You know she wants to be the heiress. And you telling her that she'll be the heiress when in reality I'm still undecided, is not a very nice thing to do.

"But she'll be the heiress, right?"

I told you I don't know yet. How would you feel about it if she was the heiress?

"Dunno. I think I'd make a pretty cool heir myself, but you clearly like her best."

Cyrus! You know that's not true!

"Do I? And does my little brother too?"

Cyrus! I don't mean to favor your sister or anyone else, and you know that. Okay?

"Fine."

So it seems we might have some heirship rivalry coming up. Well, we just have to deal with it in due time.

Fortunately, however, the headmaster visit went well. Partially thanks to Calista and Chloe who kept the headmaster entertained during the dinner by asking questions about his school. Baudolino and Marylena of course made sure to mention that they were actually second cousins to their children, such smart little girls.

Charlie himself joined the dinner to make a good impression, and Nicole came to introduce herself and politely listen to what the headmaster had to say.

"Thanks! That should do the trick."

"No problem, Charlie. It was nice meeting you and your family. Now I think it's time for me and my sister to go home, as soon as she empties her plate."

"Okay. Nice meeting you both, too."

And yes, that did the trick. Charlie got into private school just fine.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program for a picture of a Captain Hero in the dance sphere. Except Marsha, you're not a Captain Hero yet.

"I know. But sometimes you get the chance to make a shift for an older someone in the career – and that's not a chance to pass by lightly!"

Oh how do I enjoy having a teenager in the house!

"Thanks, I guess."

Well, actually, you're not as badly needed as your grandfather was in teenage, with his five younger siblings. Not nearly as badly.

"Well thanks a lot!"

Hey Cyrus, I didn't mean it that way! Geez, someone's got some hormones going on! Cyrus, you're supposed to be a nice sim, remember?

"Hey you two, could you please stop arguing? I need help with this equation!"

And soon we'll have not one but two teenagers in the house. Keep studying, Cho - the more you do now, the less you need to do later.

"Like, as a teenager?"

Well... Not really. Teenage is still for earning scholarships and getting ready for college. But in college and adult life you get to be much more relaxed if you do the work now!

"For real or do you just say so to get me to study?"

Hey Adrian. Do you remember being difficult in teenage? Or is it just the kids of today?

"We never caused any trouble, of course! Are you having problems, C?"

Not any real ones I guess. But it seems there is a little sibling rivalry going on. Cho wants to be the heiress and...

"Well we all certainly know that."

I guess you do. But recently I'm suspecting Cyrus might be a bit jealous because of this heir matter. He seems to think it's clear that Cho is going to be the heiress, and that it's unfair.

"Oh. I've heard him tell Cho that she'll be the heiress, but I didn't think much of it. Except maybe that he shouldn't put thoughts into her head."

I agree. But what should I do about it?

"You asking me?"

Well, you're an elder. You're supposed to have some elderly wisdom, you know.

"I think Nicole is better at that stuff, C. But maybe you should start making decisions. Cho is almost a teenager, and maybe that would cut down the rivalry. And don't worry so much. Cyrus is just a teenager. It'll pass.”

It seems that it has, already. Hey Cyrus, who's the young lady?

"She's Opal, a friend from school. We're working on the billiards prize."

Ah. Always so hardworking, aren't you?

"Fortune sim."

True, true.

Not so hardworking anymore, are you?

"Well, Opal and I decided we needed a break from all the hard work. She needed to use the bathroom, so I could just as well join the kids for the movie."

But luckily Opal didn't take too long to get back to Cyrus. The two of them seemed to hit it off pretty well.

"... and it was pretty cool. The weather was all sunny, well, there's really no weather in Alphabetia so it kind of always is, but anyway..."

Hey you two.

"Yeah, C?"

You're missing your little sister's birthday.

"Oh, are we? We'd better go, Opal!"

Happy birthday, Cho. Finally you'll be a teenager like your brother. Do you have a wish thought up?

... wait, don't answer that.

"We made it. And we're not even late!"

"Yep. Stop congratulating yourself for being on time and break out the noisemakers, Cyrus!"

"Well, C, now that you mention it, there's this one thing I'd kind of want and you could make it come true..."

I know. Let's talk about that after you grow up. Now think up a proper wish and do the twirl, okay?

And after pondering for a while, Cho smiled, nodded and blew out the candles. Then it was time to take the twirl.

And her family was right there to support her on her big day, along with some family friends around Alphabetia.

"I turned out pretty well, didn't I?"

Yes, yes you did, Cho. I have to admit that. So what did you pick for your aspiration?

"I think I'm going to be into love. Lots and lots of it. I want to love as many sims as possible. At least twenty of them, all at once."

Oh hey. Some variation, wow!

"So how's that affect my chances of being the heiress?"

Umm... You rolled romance and still want to be the heiress? You know there are some downsides for romance heirs and heiresses.

"I do. But I think I could make it work."

Alright then. Let's say we'll discuss the heirship matter after the party. Now go have some cake, okay?

"Deal, C. I'd love to be the heiress, but for now I can settle for cake."

The party went along the usual lines. There were games of red hands, some of the latest gossip for the interested, and some dancing. Baudolino was quite taken by the fact that his little niece Claire insisted on taking her uncle to dance. And there was cake. Charlie was very much into the cake.

At some point the guests also found the pool table, and George politely kept company for the ladies as they kept sinking balls into pockets.

Alright then, Cho, I think we're kicking the guests out now, and I see you're done picking a new outfit. Now we can talk. I hope you enjoyed the party.

"Oh it was cool. Especially Claire was a lot of fun. Her birthday party is next week, can I go?"

But of course, Cho! I'm really glad you cousins hit it off well.

"Okay, thanks. Anyway, have you thought about the heirship thing?"

I have. You really want to be the heiress?

"Yeah. Ever since I was a little girl."

And you do realize that being heiress is more than being "important"? You're a romancer, after all.

"I know. But I've always wanted to be the heiress and my aspiration doesn't change that. I know it kind of conflicts, but there must be a way. Right, C?"

Well, if you are willing to compromise. Your aspiration is an asset for me, as I haven't had a romance heir yet. And I've now had two male heirs in a row.

"And I'm a pretty girl with red hair."

Not to mention modest. But if you're sure, you can be the heiress.

"Thanks, C, you're the best!"

Claire's birthday was indeed right around the corner, and as the girls had gotten along nicely, it wasn't long after that when she invited her cousin over again.

"It's so cool now that you've had your birthday, too. How's grown up life?"

Claire laughed. "Well not that I've had much time to explore it yet, really. School's the same as always, maybe even more boring. But well, on the plus side, there are some pretty cute guys."

"Oooh, guys! I like that part."

"I know. And it's so totally awesome we're the same aspiration, too!"

"Uh-huh. That's so cool. Anyone you like in particular, yet?"

It really didn't take long for these two to get into their favorite subject.

But their discussions weren't all boys boys boys, either. The girls sat down for a movie and discussed classical music. Or maybe it did have something to do with a cute boy who plays violin. Who knows.

The evening went on went on with games and fun. And dinner, of course.

"Hey girls, when you're ready, we could have some dinner. Bill told me to say that he's almost finished making the spaghetti."

"Okay, thanks Uncle Ira! We'll be right there."

"Okay. You'd better eat some, to keep your strength up. Then you can go back to hanging out and talking about cute boys."

Back at home, George is puzzled.

"A coat rack, miss Creator? I do not remember us needing any coats before."

That's true, George. You see, there's finally been a change around in Alphabetia. For the longest of times you've been talking about weather, without really having any idea what it is you're actually talking about. So I thought I'd fix that.

"We actually have weather, miss Creator?"

Yes, George. You have all four seasons now.

"Splendid, miss Creator."

Thank you, George.

That's not the only thing that's changed, either. Go on, Adrian, open it!

"A computer, C? We got a computer as a present."

Yes, that was a guy called mr Humble who dropped it at your doorstep. It's so that you can better play games, as a hobby.

"So hobbies, that's what's new too?"

Yep, and animals too. I was close to completing my expansion set anyway and thought why not. I put all the rest in at once, to only do the full backup hulabaloo once.

"Ah, so that's why Marylena said over breakfast that she'd like to have a bird cage in the house."

Yep. I think I might oblige, too.

Anyway, the same goes as it always does: I stick to the old rules, no new bonuses but all new features can be used to gain the old ones. I'm currently thinking that I might include the master points from the new rules at some point, though, possibly after the first downgrade point. I'd adapt them so that I'd have to regain them after each downgrade in order to be able to pick aspirations. We'll see.

But back onto regular life. Which seems to include a shirtless Baudolino on the phone.

"Alphabetia Real Estate Office? This is Baudolino Bookacy speaking."

...

"You have another one all lined up for me? 'Baudolino's spa'?"

...

"Well that does sound perfect. Yes please, I'd like to purchase the community lot. +5 000 aspiration, here we come!"

Regular life also now includes trying out some hobbies. It seems George very much enjoys mr Humble's gift there. He says it has this interesting new game where you can make your own little people, give them houses, stuff, clothes, personality and then control them, make them happy or miserable. A lot of fun, I hear.

And I'm all teary eyed listening to the TS1 songs that the game in the game plays. The same goes for the shopping songs that come from the speakers sometimes on business lots. I only recently discovered them when playing Bill.

Cho has, especially now that she is the heiress, been working hard on the scholarships. I think she wants to show me what a responsible young lady she can be.

Charlie, on the other hand, is still Mommy and Daddy's little sweetheart. And he's the only one of the kids who hasn't shown interest in heirship.

He just likes being a kid like any other, enjoying fun everyday things.

"Yeah, it's not like you want me to gain body skill points or anything."

Well that is a plus, of course. Don't try to tell me you don't like swimming!

"Nah, it's fun. Just teasing. By the way, have you told Cyrus yet?"

Told Cyrus what?

"That he's not the heir."

No, not really. I haven't gotten round to telling him. But he knows, right? He's the one who told Cho she's sure to be heiress.

"I guess so. But it'd still be better if you told him."

Don't worry, kid, I'll do it.

But first I have other things to deal with. Welcome to Baudolino's spa! Let's have a little tour at Baudolino's fourth business, shall we? I'm pretty proud of it, you know.

Here's the main room, with exercise equipment and the inside jacuzzi. And some snacks, just because I'd never used the vending machines before.

Here's the salon. Nicole will be giving some makeovers to work on the badges – how long can it take to get that thing? And Baudolino or whoever can sell massages, too.

And here we have a bathroom with also a changing booth.

So off we go with the business. And of course the first thing that happens is that it starts to rain. Good that we remembered to cover the outside jacuzzi, don't you think, Nicole?

Oh, and as you can see here, we also have a hot spring. And we have a small swimming pool, which is behind the spa and can't therefore be seen in these pictures.

Running a business is hard work, as you can see. Don't let the sitting in the tub and discussing the ladies with customers wear you out Baudolino! I don't want the readers to think I'm a slave driver, you may take a break if you need one!

Nicole still has it when it comes to sales. She Dazzles and energizes, and Baudolino keeps the customers company to keep the stars streaming in.

And occasionally he sells a massage too. I think the mood lifting effect of massaging must be good for the business.

Sometimes Nicole, too, has to help with the tough job of keeping the clients company.

And because nobody can take the endless hours of soaking in tubs and receiving massages without a nutritious meal in between, the snack automata in the spa are put to good use.

Whenever there's a good chance, Nicole becomes the stylist, of course.

"Oooh, now my eyebrows are actually the same color as my hair! Thanks, Nicole!"

"Don't mention it, Gilbert. Glad you're happy."

In addition to the bad witch who visited the business in the beginning and gave us bad weather, also Lydia the good witch came over. In fact, these two pop by quite regularly. Whenever there's a sudden lag at a business, you can guess it's one of the witches coming over to cast a spell, stand idly by the phone for a while, and then get off the lot. Well, whatever rocks you boat, Lydia.

It was quite easy to persuade Lydia to buy a ticket, and she was happy to join the crowd in the hot tub. She did not appreciate television or other modern humbug, though. She's an old fashioned witch at heart.

However, she was quite happy to tell Nicole the story of how she originally became a witch. It was a fascinating one.

She also summoned a Familiar for herself. This kitty was pretty much the first pet I'd ever seen in game, so of course both Nicole and Baudolino had to play with the Familiar before closing the business and heading home.

Back at home, life goes on as usual. Marylena keeps working on her creativity, the only skill she was somewhat weaker on when she joined the family. And Baudolino still thinks his wife is hot. Especially when working on her creativity.

There is also a new addition to the family, because Marylena wanted to buy a cage, and I wanted to put something in it. Meet Chunni the bird. She's named after Chhunni Shakil from Shame by Salman Rushdie – seems I have misspelled the name when naming the bird. Oops. Oh well, I guess I like the name Chunni better anyway.

Anyway, Chhunni was one of three sisters who were incredibly close after spending their youth together practically locked in their own home. In their youth, the three girls made a deal to share everything. Everything, including their children. That is how they, in time, became the three mothers of Omar Khaijam Shakil, who is the main character of the book. Chhunni and her sisters stay in their solitude even in adulthood, mother together another son, and altogether play a small but integral part to the story.

Our Chunni is nothing so dramatic, but she plays a small though important part in the life of the family: she soon becomes the new family obsession.

Speaking of obsessions, George, you do not plan on making that a habit? Please? I've heard the stories of lobsters, you know.

"Stories, miss Creator?"

Yes, stories. Those stories always begin with sims autonomously making Lobster Thermidor, and they always end with the house being on fire.

Besides Chunni and lobster, there's another thing that is keeping the family quite interested: Don't Wake the Llama.

It's played by the old and the young alike – and some even take it quite seriously. You're not playing for money or anything, you two?

"Of course not, C. But I want to show my mother-in-law that I've got talent, and that doesn't work if I lose!"

She's a tough one to beat, you know, Marylena.

"At Don't Wake the Llama?"

At almost anything.

"It is quite criminal to play one's relatives into a situation like this, is it not, Creator? How can I possibly place stick there?"

"Hooray, it didn't fall!"

Cyrus takes up the task of teaching Chunni to talk. He, too, is a true fortune sim at heart.

"Cho honey," said Baudolino over a cheesy breakfast one morning, "don't tell your brother yet, but I think your grandparents are planning on to finally taking you to Twikkii soon."

"Oh, cool! And yeah, I won't be saying anything before the very last moment, or we'll all be going nuts from listening to him go on and on about it."

"Exactly", said Baudolino with a grin. "I was saying just so that you can start packing. And you might get started on Cyrus' packing, too, so you'll be able to go on a shorter notice."

"Sure thing, Dad!"

"So Cho knows now, right?", asked Adrian, aiming his shot.

"That is what Baudolino said. She has started packing for the lot of them. And I have started packing for us."

"Good, it'll be fun, and it's good for the kids to see the world a bit."

"Not to mention ourselves", said Nicole with a content smile.

As I said, Chunni is the new popular attraction of the house. Especially George and Adrian are constantly at the cage.

She also attracts visitors, like Bobby here. He is a fan of animals apparently. He both played with Chunni, making me melt at the little bouncing they both did, and played fetch with a stray dog on the porch.

"Hey Cho, have you seen my acne cream lately? I can't find it anywhere and this zit on my forehead is driving me crazy."

"I've already p... I mean, you can use mine, it's in the bathroom cupboard."

"Hey sis, what's going on? Are you having a conspiracy to kill me with acne or something? I don't think there's a death by acne you know."

"Nah, nothing like that. Don't be so curious, it's a surprise."

"A surprise that has to do with my missing acne cream? I can hardly wait."

"Hey George, hang loose!"

"I beg you pardon, mr Bookacy? Hang loose?"

"Yeah, that's what we'll soon be doing with Nicole and the kids. But shhh, don't tell Cyrus yet, okay? Oh and would you mind distracting Bobby here for a moment? I'd want to chat with Chunni."

"But mr Bookacy, I was planning on talking..."

"You can admire him if you like."

"Well, in that case!"

"Hey! Don't I have a say in this?"

If it was almost any other sim than you, Adrian, I think I'd be pretty worried right now.

"Hello, Alphabetia Travel Agency? I'd like to have a shuttle to The Boookacy Family Legacy Main please."

...

"Our destination? Twikkii Island, please."

"Hello there, Chunni. This is me, George. Mr Bookacy done talking to you yet?"

"Shouldn't you be packing the last of your stuff, Grandpa?"

"Nah, your Grandmother is taking care of that. I've got time for one last Don't Wake the Llama."

There's always time for one last Don't Wake the Llama.

One game later.

"We're... we're finally going? For real? I can't believe you guys didn't tell me!"

"There's a reason for that, Cyrus. Now chop chop, you don't wanna miss the shuttle, right?"

"Yeah, Cyrus, come on! You can be shocked later!"

And as the grandparents and grandchildren head for their common holiday on Twikkii Island, I think it's a good time to end the chapter here. So thanks for joining us on another episode of The Bookacy Family Alphabet Adventures, and welcome back next time for chapter 24! Until then, happy simming to all!