The Bloomer Legacy: 4.1 Taking Over

Peter finished typing the last word and hit the save button. He felt immense satisfaction. The Bloomer chronicles were complete.

They recounted the lives and times of the first three Bloomer generations, including the side branches and references to families related to the Bloomers, such as the Perrins, the Agustins and the Belles. Though a family like the Belles would deserve their own chronicles, he thought.

Peter smiled to himself when he thought of his recent trip to the Belle estate to see the twins in the whole other town called Newcrest. It was amazing to see the lives his little sisters have built for themselves.

Anyone with a set of eyes could clearly see that the two Charlottes adored each other. Peter was not so sure about Gretchen’s home life; he hadn’t met her husband and there seemed to be something slightly fishy about him.

But then again, Gretchen has changed a lot, she was no longer the baby of the family that just follows her sister around, she was a strong and resilient woman now. Peter had no doubts Gretchen could handle anything life throws at her.

But it’s not only Gretchen that’s done a lot of growing up. When Peter returned from the other Newcrest, he suddenly saw his children in a whole new light.

They had managed on their own for few days without burning the house down or doing something crazy (though Yenn did get a tattoo). They grow up so fast…

The book on the first three generations was complete, but Peter was excited to see what generation 4 of the Bloomer clan brings. He himself had managed to achieve a lot more than he had ever thought possible.

For starters, he was now sitting in the brand new Captain Duckhorse Library. The building itself was not new, as this used to be the family home not too long ago, but the inside had been completely revamped.

There was the computer area, where he just finished writing typing his last book ever.

The old hallway had been turned into a reading area full of light.

Of course, as you would expect from a library, there were lots and lots of books. But that was just the upper floor. Captain Duckhorse Library had much more to offer on the ground floor.

As you walk in through the reception area, you are greeted by the friendly librarian, a single mother Lin Uchiro.

On your left is the comic and gaming room, Peter’s favourite. It caters to children, geeks and gamers alike, and is never empty.

And at the back is the café, where you can grab a snack in between books/comics/gaming sessions.

The café extends to the back deck as well, and is attached to the chess section. There is also a small area for painters, to entice Erica to come over.

Peter smiled to himself. His accomplishments have been numerous; Bestselling Author, Creator of Worlds… but the library was the one he was the proudest of.

It had quickly become the preferred hangout of his first born daughter, Chell, as well.

Chell aged up into a young adult not too long after Peter and Lilah got back from the Belles.

A bright lady, she gained the ambitious trait. She also decided that while she gave painting a good shot, she was never going to be as artistically creative as she would have liked and returned to science as an aspiring Nerd Brain.

Chell applied for a position at Aperture Science Future Sims Labs, but while she was waiting to hear back, she was volunteered at the library.

Chell: “Hi everyone, a very warm welcome on the behalf of the Bloomer family! My name is Chell and I’d be happy to help you find any particular books or answer any questions.”

“Actually, I have a question,” said the bearded man. “I’ve been looking for the Captain Duckhorse series section, where can I find that?”

“You have an excellent taste,” Chell marvelled. “I grew up on those books!”

“Me too!”

And that’s how Chell met Knox Hankins, a romantic bookworm and a fellow perfectionist. Yes, Peter was not worried about Chell.

It was his middle child, Yennefer, that troubled Peter the most. She was beautiful, smart and talented at anything she touched. And yet, she couldn’t seem to find inner peace. There was always a bunch of boys around her, but even the one who she seemingly liked the most seemed to irritate her.

Peter hoped that Yenn would become more comfortable with the world and herself on her young adult birthday, which was quickly approaching.

As for his youngest, Booker, his focus has always been crystal clear. Fitness. The young heir hadn’t been able to work towards his Bodybuilder aspiration until Peter completed his generational task, but he had taken an interest in yoga and built up quite a bit of core strength through it.

Now, with the library built, the young heir could finally start working on his athletic skill. With an indoor and outdoor gym to choose from in the new Bloomer house, he was spoiled for choice. No wonder he suddenly got so buff!

As Peter returned to the newly built Bloomer residence, he smiled.

What a home it was! (Author’s note: A proper tour of the generation 4 complex is coming in the next update.)

Perhaps the only thing that didn’t seem quite right was the state of his wife, Lilah. Peter had noticed that since their return from the Belles, she had been restless.

Visiting the twins in the other Newcrest gave Lilah a whole new taste for travelling, and with the kids practically grown up, there wasn’t much to distract her.

But Peter was going to fix that. She had sacrificed a lot for the legacy and now he wanted to repay her.

Peter: “I hope you can take a few days of work, Lilah. I’ve planned a secret getaway for us.”

Lilah raised her eyebrows: “You mean leaving Newcrest? We’re not allowed to do that… Perhaps there was a bit of a loophole with the other Newcrest having the same name as our town, but other than that…”

Peter: “We’ve done our duty to the legacy. It’s the new generations reign now. Surely that should entitle us to bend the rules a little.”

Peter: “Pack your bags, darling, because we’re going on a trip!”

“Venice,” Lilah breathed out excitedly. She could smell the fish in the air, sense the history around her, yet she was still struggling to believe she was truly there. So many years have passed since she had done any real travelling – unless you count her escapes through meditation.

They were running around in excitement all day. The local market, the river boat rides, the taste of coffee and cannoli. It was a dream come true for Lilah.

Towards the end of the afternoon, they got to a particularly breathtaking spot. Peter grabbed her hands. It felt like he was going to propose, but of course that wasn’t the case, they had been married for decades.

Peter: “I’ve been thinking Lilah… I’ve always wanted to give you the world, and now I can. The kids are big enough now, and eager to start their own lives. The library is built. All the books are written.”

Lilah: “What are you saying?”

Peter: “I’m saying that after Yenn’s young adult birthday, we should take a trip around the world. See the Great Wall of Shang Simla, the pyramids of Al Simhara…”

Lilah; “But Peter, do you truly want to see those things?”

Peter: “Of course, who wouldn’t? They’re the world wonders, after all.”

Lilah: “Peter…”

Peter: “I want to see you see them.”

And just like that, it was settled. Time for the new generation to take over.

The Captain Duckhorse Library is available for download here.

As for the beautiful Venice lot, I did not build this myself, it was created by a talented builder called anja_gersti and can be found here.