The Jocque Family: Week 3

The Jocques are yet another Maxis-made family who still live in their original house - even though the house has been completely made over inside and out. The family members are ready for their third week in New Maximiliania. Let's see what they are up to!

At the moment, Sophia and Marcel live here on their own. They are both 55 years old. Marcel has obviously suffered at the hands of an incompetent stylist while he visited a community lot and was not playable at the time - look at his face! Sophia's lifetime want is one I have never managed to make come true for any Sim in my game yet: she wants to own 5 top-level businesses. Her husband has a more realistic chance for reaching his lifetime want: he dreams of becoming a World Class Ballet dancer and is already a Flamenco Master.

Marcel has gotten rid of all the horrid make-up, and they have breakfast together on this Monday morning. By the way: Marcel and Sophia only have 1 bolt for each other, whereas Marcel has 3 bolts for Opal Contrary.

When I came to visit this family for their second "week", they had autonomously acquired a dog, Baron. Baron already was a gentle old dog when he came to live with the Jocques and died peacefully of old age the previous week.

Sophia had opened her home business, a toy shop, already during her first week here. At the moment, the shop (named "Jocque's Jouets", jouet being French for toy) has business rank 5, and Sophia has the Golden Sales and the Silver Cash Register Badge. She sells a mixture of her own hand-crafted toys and ready-made ones.

Before lunchtime, she phones their daughter Violet. Violet has just graduated Summa Cum Laude in Political Sciences. She shares her mother's lifetime want of owning 5 top level businesses and immediately agrees to move back in with her parents. That way, not only can she help her mother with the shop, but she can also gain valuable business experience herself. Adding her own 17.366 Simoleons, she boosts the family account to 45.029 Simoleons.

Marcel needs to acquire several more skill points for his next (and last) promotion. Good job he had three days off in a row!

By Tuesday, Violet has settled back into her old room and is ready to help her mother with the toy shop. She makes her Silver Sales Badge serving Stella Terrano. Sophia has made her Silver Restocking Badge a bit earlier.

"You know, Mum, studying was great and I am proud of my university diploma, but being back home is best," she smiles at her mother over breakfast on Wednesday morning.

The lady with the pink trousers standing behind Sophia here is a reporter. She writes a good review about "Jocque's Jouets" which has now reached business rank 6. At the same time, the shop is given the "Best of the Best" award.

On Thursday morning, Marcel is given his membership card to the Platinum Gym.

The shop is teeming with customers; everyone seems to have read the good review and wants to see the place that has earned the Best of the Best award! Violet manages to make her Bronze Cash Register Badge today and also her Golden Sales Badge.

Some customers make themselves useful in other ways, too - Romeo Monty here has been asked by Violet to do a spot of gardening, and he does not refuse a favour to a pretty lady!

By Friday, the shop has reached business rank 7. Sophia is keeping an eye on things while her daughter makes her Silver Cash Register Badge.

Meanwhile, Marcel has diligently been brushing up his Charisma skill...

...as well as his body skill.

His efforts are rewarded when on Saturday night he returns home with a promotion to World Class Ballet Dancer. He has every reason to smile - he is now on Permanent Platinum, at 61 years.

If Sophia is not busy with the shop, she is busily making more toys. The demand is almost impossible to satisfy, and she hopes that her husband can support her better now that he does not need to work towards his own lifetime want any longer.

Sunday morning sees Violet and her dad enjoying a game of chess on the back porch, before the shop opens for the day.

Marcel may have only one chemistry bolt for his wife, but he loves her dearly and wants to help her as much as possible, so he retires from work.

Sophia's business is now on rank 8. Here she is talking to Daisy Jacquet - two elderly ladies with pointed ears :-) (Honestly - I still think Sophia got her pointed ears only when she crossed the threshold to elderhood. Do you remember what her ears were like before?

Another reporter has come to see for herself what the good review was all about, and writes yet another enthusiastic article about "Jocque's Jouets". For the second time in a week, Sophia is given the "Best of the Best" award! Still, she is very far away from reaching her lifetime want. 

What will she do once her home business reaches rank 10? Is Marcel going to act upon his 3-bolt-attraction for Opal Contrary? Will Violet find herself a man to love, or is she too focused on business to have time for a private life?