Chapter 2: Enter the Avatar

When last we saw our happy heroes, Marius (2.1) was still a little baby, dozing off in his father's arms.

It is hard, hard being a baby. So Marius (2.1) is quite happy to become a toddler. Or perhaps he just likes people throwing lots of small paper bits up in the air, a hobby that most toddlers will enjoy spontaneously.

Margaret is very fond of her first AND ONLY son. And at least he is only half as ugly as his father was at that age, being diluted with half and half normal genes. If they can keep this up for a few generations, our happy household may eventually produce cute toddlers like those you see on the Internet.

Before we get that far, however, there are relations with the neighbors to consider. The M&M household practice an "open door policy" where all neighbors are welcome to stop by 6 days a week (Sunday is family day). Food and musical instruments are freely available. Despite this, Ivy Copur thinks it more amusing to play pranks on the host.

As punishment, she has to hunt for her own dessert.

Margaret says: "Read my shirt!". Evidently this is one she has saved from back when she was known as "the college roomie from Hell".
[If that doesn't make sense at all, you are probably unfamiliar with the crazy online comic "College Roomies From Hell".]

In contrast, Opal Mazza (whom we remember from the University) knows where a woman's place is. No sooner is she invited in than she makes a beeline for the kitchen and makes food for everyone in the house and then some. Why Opal, you don't look a day older! And no wiser, either.
[I invited some of the dormies over on a Sunday, when the All-in-1 NPC has her day off. For some reason Opal was now convinced that SHE was the All-in-1 NPC, and promptly made food and started to clean the toilets. I did nothing to stop her.]

Marius becomes a school child, complete with the tragic haircut that all newbies are required to have when they start school, to make it easy for the older kids to identify them and pick on them.

What is he doing with the computer? Could it be that little Marius is going to become a knowledge Sim like his father? Probably not, since his first wants when he became a child were "make a friend", "new family member" and "play with father". Clearly he is destined to be a family Sim. And thus inflict the horror of pregnancy and childbirth on yet another naive woman, despite his mother's repeated warnings. Luckily this is still some time off, though he may already be chatting with his future victim on "doodle chat" or something.

Magnus, on the other hand, is definitely looking for knowledge. His lifetime want was to max out 7 skills, and he is going about it with single-minded dedication. That, and of course his precious cow plant research. "Soon, the secrets of the universe shall be mine!" Or at least the secrets of Ubuntu Linux 5.10, whichever may be hardest to crack.

While nobody was looking, Marius has become a teen. Thanks to his tasteful choice in clothing he now looks slightly like a red-haired version of Clark Kent. Or at least Jimmy Olsen. Perhaps he will become a mild-mannered journalist one day.

Uh oh. It has already happened. First love! And when a family Sim first latches on to someone, you can't get them to drop off unless you hold a burning lighter under them. Wait, that was leeches. But you get the point. Marius + Tosha Go = True!! <3 <3 <3

Magnus has reached his goal in life, mastering all skills known to man. But he has not found the satisfaction he expected. There must be something more! He takes up meditation, searching for knowledge within with the same earnest devotion with which he pursued knowledge without. Days and nights are spent in meditation on the great mysteries.

Until one day he reaches ENLIGHTENMENT! The secrets of the Cosmic Consciousness are unlocked...

"Hear me, Sims! I am no longer the man you knew! I am fire, and life incarnate! Now and forever I am ... The Avatar!"
"Uhm, wasn't that Phoenix?"
"Well, yeah, but Marvel are pretty crazy about their copyrights."
"Come on, Phoenix is a CITY! How can you copyright a whole city??"
"Well, if it is a city of heroes..."
"I really don't think you need to worry about that when it comes to Phoenix."

(Actually, Magnus is the avatar. I created him in my image. Well, roughly. I suppose the laws of similarity and contagion would make it kinda iffy to off him by now... kinda like those woodoo dolls, you know.)

"The Cosmic Consciousness says: Love is all you need!"
"Oh Magnus..."
"Mom? Dad? I'm leaving for college now. Aren't you gonna, you know, say goodbye or something?"
"Goodbye, son!"
"Bye bye honey!"
*sigh*

"Finally he's gone!"
"Just the two of us here alone for 4 years!"
"Yay!"

"Marius? Nah, he's not here anymore. No, he's moved out. Something about a college, I think. Yeah, pretty sure that was it. Try the college directory. Bye!"
"Sweetheart? Are you coming back to bed soon?"

Epilogue...

Meanwhile, at STFU...
Wait! That's not our boy! What's happening here? Where is Marius (2.1)? And will Magnus and Margaret ever leave the bedroom again? The answers will have to wait till our next chapter...