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Gen 3, Part 19 - Curious
Back to: Gen 3 Part 18 - Beaker Next: Gen 3 Part 20 - College Households Nigmos, Grunt


With all three children in school, I suddenly had a lot of time to myself. Too much time, to be honest. Pascal and Vidcund helped the children with their homework, because it soon went past anything I’d ever learned.



Although, Vidcund getting the twins started on astrophysics shortly after they were able to spell it may have had something to do with that as well. Andromeda would wander off to play with her dolls as soon as she saw her father take out his book, while Orion would attempt to make sense of it, but fall asleep soon.



Eventually, Pascal’s birthday party came up and we started our preparations. It was going to be the biggest family party in all of Strangetown, mainly because the extended Curious family was probably the biggest in Strangetown.



Extended family in this case not only involved the Smith and Newson families, but also the Neengias. I, well, tend to stay away from them for the most part for obvious reasons, but since Gabriel only brought one dead person with him, I figured it’d be alright.

Also, he’s kind of family. For an even weirder definition of family than usual. In a better world he’d be my cousin or something.



Anyway, disregarding all the dead people talk, the party was great fun. Originally we had planned to cook for everybody, but with the number of guests a buffet seemed like a more reasonable choice.



We had prepared some party games, but people mostly enjoyed talking to relatives they hadn’t seen in a while. Especially the children were busy trying to make sense of how they were related to each other.



And of course, there was one person invited who wasn’t related to anybody present, or so she thought.

I had been prepared to meet Ophelia here, as Jonny’s fiancée she’d obviously been invited. So obviously I was prepared to meet my cousin again.

I wasn’t prepared to meet a full-fledged witch.



“Nervous Boy?”

Ophelia couldn’t believe her eyes as she recognized her old playmate from the orphanage. He seemed to be a lot more at ease now, no longer trying to hide himself in the shadows. So he was the guy Jonny’s uncles had taken in to help them with their abduction children.

As Ophelia looked at him, she suddenly realized that there was something else about him. Something very familiar.

“…You noticed, huh?” her cousin said, looking concerned.

“You’re Olive’s son.”

“We should probably talk.”



“The Tricou kids told me everything about her. So many people…”

“She has a fascination with death. I am the living proof of it.”

“To the point where she had a child with him. Wow. That’s… something alright…”



“Are you… angry with me?”

“With you? Why would I be?”

“If I’d been the child Olive wanted, your parents would still be alive.”

“That’s not your fault! She’s the twisted one!”

Ophelia sighed.

“I just… I really don’t know how to face her, knowing what I know now. She killed my parents, she killed my grandparents, she killed my best friend’s mother… all for her own twisted plans. And she abandoned you.”



“Olive’s time is almost up. I can tell, and I think she can too. That’s why she agreed to revive the Tricous.”

“Oh, right, for her breeding program!” Ophelia glared in the direction of her aunt’s house.

“Well, part of the reason, yes. She never explained the rule of balance to you, I take it?”

“Fricorith mentioned it. She had to save ten lives to make up for the ten she’d taken. It doesn’t matter to me, anyway. I won’t be a murderess like Olive.”

“The nicest woman I ever met almost died with a negative balance. You can never tell what life will have in store for you.”



“Besides, it works the other way around too. If you or I ever wanted to use our magic to save someone from death, extend their lives, anything, we’d have to take a life or lower someone’s lifespan to achieve this.”

“So I can’t even use this accursed power for good without having to murder someone?”

“There’s always a prize to be paid. It’s just a question of how much you’re willing to pay.”



“Ah, we were wondering where you’d gone.” Pascal said as I walked into the house after my long talk with Ophelia. “P.T. had an idea that I think you’ll like.”



Curious family parties are rough on my computer. I like to summon all relatives for a party, but there's just too many of them.

Has anybody guessed Gabriel's father yet? I've left a few clues scattered around, but not sure if people picked up on them.

I recently noticed that I'd miscalculated Olive's balance. She actually killed eleven people, I forgot Nervous' caretaker from the orphanage. Just something to keep in mind for the future.


Coming up next: More of Ripp's college life!

Click Next: Gen 3 Part 20 - College Households Nigmos, Grunt to continue...

 
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