2.5 The prodigal daughter returns

In chapter 2.2 I mentioned briefly that Anne already had a husband when she met Banjo. Well, that wasn’t all she had…

Hello Eudore Darby-Lancaster! This surly teenager fell out with her dad and came to stay with Anne. (And if anyone worried that Anne’s beautiful features would get lost in the stream of time, they are safe for another generation at least, as you can see.)

The timing is so-so, because Anne is pregnant again. (Congratulations!) On the other hand, this is her last chance to bond with Eudore before she leaves school.

Eudore is dating Julian, Banjo’s nephew. He sent her this super inappropriate gift: a baby dress for a 16 year-old girl, really? You want to be a baby daddy before you graduate, Julian? I’ma break them up. No really, I am. I’m fed up with the semi-incestuous relations between these families. There must be SOME other guy she can date.

Another Darby-Lancaster procreated. I think Francis is Anne’s little sister. She was seen staring at Banjo in bed the night Cyril was conceived. Yes, it was weird. I guess she’s the heiress now that Anne is a Cuckoo.

Edit: correction – Francis is Anne’s niece. It’s Anne’s brother Lysander who is the Darby-Lancaster heir.

Eudore is a real brat. The house and the food is never good enough for her.

She never washes her plate after meals, much less anyone else’s.

“So what? Get a maid! I have other stuff to do.”

Like .. your homework?

“LE SIGH. Sure, OK, but can I go to the park after?”

Ask your mum. I can’t really make you to do anything.

“Really!? That’s brilliant.”

“Why can’t I have my own room!?!”

Because the house only has so many rooms.

“I could sleep in the painting studio! It’s not like mum uses it anyway.”

Fair point. But no.

Since your brother never sleeps in his bed you have it to yourself anyway.

-5

“God this family is so LAME! I’m moving back in with my dad.”

No, you’re not. Now go to school please and earn yourself a nice C+.

Julius was taken from Alvine and the rest of the family one evening during dinner.

He was a gentleman with strong work ethic but still had time for family life and was in touch with his emotions. I will remember him as the family member who didn’t fail once. NOT ONCE.

We never saw him in a green cloud of filth. He slept in his bed, showered, brought in extra money by working on his laptop even though he was retired, he loved his wacky wife and never responded to Anne’s constant flirting.

I’m just sad Cyril never got to know Julius better.

Dignified to the very end. Goodbye dear Julius!

That same night, Anne went into labor.

She decided to have the baby at the hospital this time, which I usually try to avoid because home birth makes baby & mother friends, even best friends sometimes, and hospital birth gives no relationship at all. I hate that.

Anyhow, she had a son, and named him Cassius.

He’s not insane, but he could be a yogi.

Alvine managed to go on without Julius – she had a grandson she saw a lot of herself in, and that made her feel less lonely.

Cyril enjoys playing catch, a novelty for this family.

That’s a seriously crazy face, Anne.

It’s nice to see them do something together. I don’t think Alvine ever played with any of her kids – she was terribly busy with fires & her 10 boyfriends.

Cyril does take a lot of naps. No one has used that recliner since the day Alvine moved in.

Speaking of Alvine’s work load:

EVERYONE CALM DOWN, ALVINE IS ON HER WAY!

What? She actually went in?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME, GAME? She reached the top of her career by eating cheese and getting sloshed?

God I want her life.

Autofocus to Anne’s pretty profile, you’re not pregnant again, are you, love?

No it’s just bathroom birthday again.

Let’s see how game fucks your outfit up this time.

Just the hair? That’s easily fixed.

“I have lines around the mouth! What is this aging crap, I don’t approve of it at all.” *goes into midlife crisis*

You’re still the most beautiful woman in Glendalough, I swear. No worries, Anne.

“Hahaaaaa, you’re OLD now!”

Cram it, you little shit.

“Hahaaaaa your tummy looks flabbier!”

It does NOT! Seriously, Eudore is a terrible kid. Why did I ever add her to the family.

Cassius aged up too. Still not sure about his traits, but he’s the cutest baby we’ve had yet.

That’s a mate of Eudore to the left, neglected as usual. Banjo is in a weird state – he’s “working” (as in not “missing work”), but he’s stuck like that and has been for hours.

Anne peed herself for the first time, I almost didn’t notice. -5

“Hey kids, it would be great if you could chip in more around the house now that we have a baby and I’m working full time again.”

Eudore: “Not my problem. You shouldn’t have babies when you’re this old anyway.”

I don’t know where you got your wonderful personality from, Eudore, but it wasn’t from your mother.

This is where Anne works.

And she’s actually cooking! I thought I’d never see the day.

(She doesn’t have the cooking trait.)

Cassius really is a beautiful baby. I wonder how he will grow up.

I gave the house a makeover, now that it’s supposed to be Banjo’s & Anne’s home. I hate that stupid stripe/border thing on the wall though and I don’t know how to get rid of it.

I’m not really sure about the living room. I still wanted to keep it cottage-y, but that painting doesn’t really go with anything in here. It craves a white wall.

NOOOO please no birthdays while cooking!

Here comes the fire brigade…

God, Eudore, you’re annoying. Banjo looks even skinnier now.

No fire brigade but another floor nap for Cyril. We’re approaching some kind of record.

-5

Not you too!  -5

Epitrix photobombing.

I guess breakfast was a bit stale, yes.

Sweet boy! Stop falling asleep on the floor and I’ll give you a cookie.

Here we have our fire chief – talking to herself about why Anne’s new baby was a bad idea and ignoring a huge fire.

“She already had Cyril and he’s perfect – why would she go and have another one?”

You know it’s part of the legacy rules, Alvine, she didn’t have a choice there.

“Bah humbug!”

“Why does it always rain on me? Is it because I lied when I was 17?”

Oh please stop feeling sorry for yourself and PUT THAT FIRE OUT.

She didn’t. Of course she didn’t. She just stood there ranting the whole bloody night!

And Layla got a boyfriend. That Darby-Lancaster tribe does seem to have a certain allure on the Cuckoos.

Next chapter something pretty freaking amazing will happen, I promise you that, so don’t forget about the Cuckoos. 🙂

---

points:

Birth +5

Fails -20

So now we’re at -60

Other things you might wonder about: Even if Cyril is certified crazy, I haven’t decided if he will be heir or not. We will have to wait and see at least until Cassius is a child. I would like a girl to choose from too, but I don’t manipulate gender with fruit, so that’s not a given. Perhaps I will have my first heir vote, now that you are actually more than 6 people, even without binary fission. 🙂