Leafe OWBC
Chapter 1

Nice place they have here, Randy Couderc said and regretted it right away. Here they were, on a date and that was the only thing he could think of. But luckily it wasn't their first date he thought.

Yep, Eleonore Leafe replied and continued, I thought we could leave the campus and eat something nice as it is our last evening before the final exam.

I quite agree. I just hope that they would be bit faster cleaning the plates but it seems to be busy evening, apparently other students have had the same idea as you, Randy said.

Sorry about the old dishes, it is a busy evening, the waiter confirmed Randy's thoughts, are you ready to order?

Yes, Eleonore said after taking a quick sip of water, her mouth was unusually dry, I have heard that salmon here is excellent, that for both of us, thank you.

So... last evening, huh?, Randy said, some nice years it has been.

Eleonore smiled a bit, quite, but I'm also eager to graduate and start own life without having a bunch of loud people around me all the time in a dormitory were walls are as thick as paper.

That bad?

Well, no, not really, it was also fun sometimes. I just think that it is time to move forward, enough is enough.

On the first evening I was more lonely than I thought I would ever be. I was surrounded by people but I didn't know anyone. My family was far away, I wouldn't probably never meet them again, all my friends were gone too.

But you left because you wanted to, right?, Randy asked.

Well, yes I did. I couldn't stand my parents any longer, there were too many unsolved things between us. I was so fed up with everything but back then I didn't realise what moving out would mean. I was just too angry with everyone. And now they are too angry with me to ever contact me again, Eleonore let out a sigh.

Randy just listened. He had heard this before of course but Eleonore seemed eager to talk, not something she often did.

Their food arrived and Randy took Eleonore's hand.

But it all turned out to be ok after that, he smiled reassuringly.

Eleonore smiled too, yes, it did.

I started making friends with the people I lived with. That's the good thing with a dormitory like this, you are never alone.

For better or worse, Randy replied and winked, something that made Eleonore look him surprised, some closer than others...

Eleonore coughed a bit and blushed slightly, not that close... if I sometimes had fun in the parties...

But not as much as you seem to think. Some of the boys wouldn't have been interested about me like that anyway...

For me it was just a little kiss or friendly hug here and there, nothing more than that, Eleonore looked at laughing Randy, seriously!

Not everyone understood that though and I once got slapped by one of the guys when he saw me hugging someone else. After he had calmed down I tried to make him see reason, I had never given him any hopes anyway, I thought he knew that. He was angry with me several days but we are friends again.

For a while they both ate in silence, then Eleonore continued.

There was plenty of drama with relationships but it wasn't all just that. I also studied, quite hard actually and started practising painting too, maybe someday I will be famous city planner. But that's just a dream.

The first paintings I did were just lousy. Someone told me that I could sell them but how I could sell drawings that look like a kid draw them? I will sell one when I finally make something I'm proud of.

We had plenty parties there. What else can you do in a dorm apart from studying? Once we were even interrupted by the police. I don't understand it, that time we weren't even that noisy, we had worse sometimes. Maybe someone walked by and noticed the party inside and was jealous because they weren't invited, don't know.

Then one night, this guy in a weird uniform just came in, handcuffed me and walked out to a limo. I think I called him names I didn't know I knew but he was very cool about it all. It turned out that the limo took me to a secret society of some kind.

Here Randy interrupted Eleonore.

So they actually exist. I have only heard vague rumours about those secret societys and wondered if the people wearing llama suits are part of them but I have never been in one myself. Is it also just a rumour or do they have a cow plant?

Oh they do and not only that, there are many things that normal people would never even think about.

How many of those you took with you? Randy asked.

Took? I didn't even think about it, I just wanted to get back home, it was late night and I had a lesson on the morning, Eleonore now regretted her stupidity, there had been some very useful things.

After a short silence Eleonore continued.

I can't say that I would be sad to move somewhere where someone isn't all the time doing the school cheer and where cow mascot isn't picking up a fight with just about everyone.

They can be annoying, and apparently there is nothing anyone can really do for them. The uni either doesn't care or they think that they belong there, else they would have forbidden the whole mascot thing.

I sometimes escaped the noises of the dorm and went to the library instead. At least I could finish my essays there in peace.

Randy grinned for this, luckily you did. When I first saw you there I kept coming there more or less every evening to see if you were there again. Sometimes I got lucky too and saw a glimpse about you.

I couldn't help but notice you, it seemed that whenever I was there, you were too, Eleonore told him.

And now you know why, Randy smiled.

But how come it took you so long to come and talk to me? You don't look that shy to me, actually quite the opposite, Eleonore asked.

Well... it is quite different to talk to people who you consider as friends than to someone you know you just might lo... like a lot, Randy blushed.

Luckily you were finally brave enough. I was starting to think that there was something wrong with me, Eleonore confessed, it was so weird seeing you talking and smiling to anyone else but you seemed to avoid me.

It was stupid of me, I know but couldn't help it, Randy grinned widely, but I came to sit next to you and finally managed to talk to you.

Eleonore was grinning too, the memory made her feel nice and warm inside, if it wasn't that moment when I realised that there might be something between us, it was the moment at the cafe.

Now Randy was laughing out loud.

You mean when I kissed your arm? I could have banged my head into the wall after that, what a stupid, old fashioned thing to do!

Sometimes the old fashioned things are the most romantic ones, Eleonore smiled at him and then laughed as well, you remember the face of the girl who happened to stand outside at the same time?

How could I forget, she looked so disapproving.

You know almost everyone here, do you know who she is? I wonder what's her story, why she looked so sour.

I have seen her around, but don't know her at all, she must be one of the townies anyway.

Eleonore frowned, townie?

I shouldn't have probably said that, didn't think that you don't know.

Know what?

Randy sighed deeply and started explaining, there are roughly speaking two sorts of sims, non-playables and playables, Randy looked at Eleonore whose eyes had gone very wide and continued us non-playables just live here minding our own business without anyone controlling us. You playables are almost the opposite. You have someone somewhere deciding about your life.

Eleonore was full of questions and didn't know where to begin, how... what... how do you know that I'm a playable?

I'm almost certain of it, you are the first one to really graduate in this neighbourhood, you have had a major and you look different. You have different hair style, nice clothes, there is someone who has created you from nothing.

From nothing? I don't have a past?

You do have a past sort of. You have the past that was given to you. And you will certainly have a future, unlike us townies. We never die but we don't really have a future either, our life just... goes on, unless someone starts playing us too.

But... would it be better to be a townie? Eternal life, no one deciding about your life?

Well, yes and no. It gets boring after a while, Randy smiled, you are best that has ever happened to me.

How someone can start playing you then?, Eleonore asked and then realised something, if you for example move in with someone playable, will you be playable too?

Yes.

Eleonore swallowed, this is scary. There is someone somewhere who knows everything I do, decides about my life, it feels like I don't have own free will at all.

Actually, you do have a free will, it just depends about that someone how much you are given free reign.

I don't like this at all... What if that someone decides to do horrible things for me? How do I know who they are?

You only know who they are unless they reveal themselves to you, until then I would advice you to enjoy your life. As for doing horrible things, how has your life been this far?

Eleonore thought, it has been ok... lonely at first but ok.

Randy smiled, see, whoever they are, they must not be very bad.

What about if I just go... and disappear or... something?

I don't think they will let you do that, you are here probably for a reason.

Reason?

Yes, you are probably part of some challenge, there are many different ones.

How do I know what I'm supposed to do then? How do I know what's waiting for me?

You don't... You just wait and see what happens. As to what's waiting for you... do you ever know?, Randy said reasonably.

Eleonore swallowed hard, I was going to ask you this anyway... but I understand... in current circumstances... if you don't want to... I know I want to... if there is someone deciding my life... they can... they can screw it... I don't care what they say, what they want me to do... I want...

Eleonore swallowed again, I want to give you this and I hope you will take it... I would like to continue my life with you, get married to you, have a family with you, live with you until the end of my life. Would you like to..., Eleonore sighed, I had completely different speech in my mind when we came here. Would you like to give up your eternal life as a townie and change it to one with me?

Randy took the ring out of its box and put it in his finger, of course I want to.

But then... you will also agree that you will... well, die.

Randy grinned, life as a townie is rather boring and I will change boring life of immortal to the interesting life of mortal with you.

I love you, Eleonore said, no matter what.

Randy took her hand to his own, I love you too, no matter what.

Next day after the final exam Eleonore took her mobile phone and said to no one particular, four years of hard studying, I think it means a party.

Her dorm mate snorted, yeah, how nice it is, I will just continue eating this nice bowl of cereals.

Thanks for inviting me and giving me chance to graduate as well, Randy said while hugging Eleonore, and congrats for your magna cum laude.

Eleonore kissed him fondly, any time.

Then it was time to say good byes to everyone and with promises to call and meet as often as possible...

get in the taxi and head to Belladonna Cove.

Welcome to read my new OWBC!

Some stats:

Eleonore Leafe (founder)
Fortune/popularity
4/6/4/7/4
Predestined hobby games

Randy Couderc
Popularity
4/10/4/4/3
Predestined hobby music & dance

List of chapters (when there are some) at the boolprop forum: http://forums.boolprop.com/viewtopic.php?f=157&t=54732