Cornwall Capp's Family: Week 1

Opposite Veronaville Market are two houses, a larger and a smaller one. The smaller one is where we'll stay this week, with the last of the three Capp households currently residing in Veronaville.

The house is nearly empty, with the ground floor only having the most basic toilet and sink. The kitchen has not even a fridge, and the stove is the cheapest one available.

Upstairs does look no better. A shower, toilet and sink is all - no lamps, nothing. But Cornwall, Regan and Kent can hardly afford the most important items; between them, they only have 3,076 Simoleons left after moving in. 

Their family bio reads: "Regan and her husband Cornwall are preoccupied with their careers, but Bianca Monty's affections for Regan's brother Kent have the household on alert. Will Kent have the courage to break the vendetta?" 

About Regan, who is one of Consort Capp's four children, sister to Goneril, Kent and the late Cordelia, Maxis says that she is "determined to make it in business—and on her own steam instead of just her parents' money. Can she succeed without alienating her family?". 

Her lifetime want matches this: She wants to be a Business Tycoon, fittingly for a Fortune Sim. Her husband Cornwall shares her aspiration, but seeing himself as a future Criminal Mastermind, he wants to employ other means for making a fortune. According to his bio, he "isn't thrilled that his brother-in-law Kent is living with him while he gets back on his feet after losing his job. Can he make room for his wife's family in their home?". 

Last but not least, Kent is a Knowledge Sim with the typical lifetime want of maxing out all seven skills. According to Maxis, he is also "the black sheep of the Capp family—far more enamoured of learning than of accumulating wealth or fighting with the Montys. Will he pursue his friendship with Bianca Monty despite his family's misgivings about it?"

Neither Regan nor Cornwall find jobs in their coveted careers, but they really need money if they don't want to sleep on the floor tonight. Therefore, I have them both digging for treasure, and while Cornwall only finds a rock, a bone and an old map... 

...his wife literally strikes gold: a treasure chest worth 5,000 Simoleons was right under the hibiscus tree. This allowes them at least to buy a dining table and chairs as well as a double bed for the couple and a single one for Kent.

I have them all study cooking when the phone rings and family friend Oberon Summerdream invites everyone to meet downtown.

A taxi takes our three Capps to the Londoste - a place in downtown where I have not played in for a very long time. It was one of those Maxis-made community lots which kept disappearing mysteriously from downtown New Maximiliania.

A large assortment of Capps, Montys and Summerdreams gathers - I see trouble brewing, since many of those present are enemies with each other. 

At first, things seem to go rather smoothly, with most of the group civilly sitting down together for a meal, and only Cornwall and Kent refusing to join the large table.

But as soon as everyone has finished eating and Regan has gone to the ladies', Isabella slaps Consort (Regan's Dad) right in the face, with a speechless Albany looking on. "Our Bianca is not good enough for your precious Kent, is she?" Isabella hisses. Things go downhill from there (in reality, everyone was really tired), and I have Regan dissolve the group and call a taxi home.

Neither Cornwall nor Regan are successful with their job hunting on Tuesday, but not yet working gives them both a chance to spruce up their very low skill profiles, and spend time as a family. With the ongoing tension between Kent and Cornwall, breakfast is a somewhat subdued affair.

Kent has done enough rope skipping to be able to go jogging now, and I send the two men on a run together. Will it make any difference?

At least they talk over their tea (leftover omelettes from breakfast), and Kent expresses his wish that his sister and brother-in-law might become his best friends for life.

No luck on the job front on Wednesday, either. But it is autumn, when skilling comes easiest, and I know that Regan will need plenty of charisma if she wants to succeed in the business world. The cheapest available mirror is hung in the downstairs toilet, and Regan practices away.

Who should walk by that afternoon but Bianca Monty? She has had one phone call with Kent so far, but he has not rolled any romantic wishes.

That changees as soon as they set eyes on each other today! From friends to crush, from crush to in love is a matter of minutes.

But Cornwall is not at all happy to witness a Capp and a Monty exchanging hugs and kisses, and shows his disapproval by slapping poor Kent. The rest of the day goes by with skilling, making phone calls and having meals.

A little before sunrise on Thursday morning, a thunderstorm brings rain, thunder (duh!) and lightning. One of the hibiscus trees is hit and catches fire, but the rain puts it out quickly.

Still no jobs in Regan's and Cornwall's preferred career paths, and so I have brother and sister spend a bit of time together. Over a game of kicky bag in Kent's room, the siblings become friends again.

Thunder and lightning return in the afternoon, and Cornwall happens to be outside when the same tree catches fire for the second time today. Good job it is still raining hard enough, and Cornwall comes to no harm - he only needs a shower.

The only thing worth mentioning on Friday is Kent getting fit after yet another round of jogging.

Over breakfast, Regan sighs: "That perfect job for me must be out there! I so wish something in the business career would turn up on the simternet..." So do I, Regan, so do I.

Regan's heartfelt wish is granted when she lands a job as Field Sales Representative on Saturday morning.

She is excited to finally start the career she has been dreaming of for so long!

And even better: She returns home with a promotion to Junior Executive, right on her very first day! (She does not want to think about the possibility that it has something to do with her family name, and her father being a Business Tycoon himself.)

Finally, the couple does not need to fear spending money anymore, and the bedroom is vastly improved.

Downstairs, the kitchen boasts a shiny new fridge, MUCH better stove and even a dishwasher - before, all dishes had to be washed in the downstairs toilet's sink. 

Early Sunday morning, Cornwall finally finds a job in the criminal career. He will start today as a Pickpocket.

Regan writes: "Dear Diary, I did lots and lots of skilling this week. All that reading was good for my career."

Cornwall writes: "Dear Diary, I think the first thing I want to nick in my new career is going to be a garden gnome."

Before dawn, the couple spend an hour or so cuddling under the stars (on their own accord, very sweet!).

Over breakfast, a civil conversation ensues when Cornwall asks Kent if he thinks it will snow today. (He does, and it does.)

With Cornwall gone to work, Regan invites her father over. She can now show Consort that she can indeed make it on her own... she hopes.

Consort plays a game of kicky bag with his only son, and he and Kent become friends. 

Like his wife, Cornwall has been promoted on his very first day and returns from work as a Bagman. 

Phew! I thought those jobs were never going to appear - money was not yet running really low after the find of the treasure at the start of the week, but the Capps had to be really careful when it came to spending. Kent and Bianca... we'll see how that plays out when I visit Bianca later this round.

By the way, there never appeared a welcome committee, but at least Mr. Humble delivered the badly needed computer (for better job hunting than with the newspaper).

Consort Capp's Family: Week 1

The Capp Mansion in Veronaville - who does not know this huge place? The house itself isn't all that big, but the park-like garden is massive, making for long walks from the front door to the school bus, car pool, mail box etc. We'll see who lives here in a minute, but first let's have a look at the three Maxis-made pictures for this household.

I can only assume that the man on the left is a younger Consort Capp, current owner of Capp Manor and head of the Capp clan. The lady must be his wife, Contessa Capp - but who is kissing her so passionately? Most likely, the dark-haired man is supposed to be Patrizio Monty, which would answer the first of the two questions asked in Consort's Maxis-written biography: "Consort Capp was once associates with Patrizio Monty. What led to the end of their relationship, and can it now be salvaged?"

We see the next generaion of Capps here, (I guess) with Tybalt as a little boy and Juliette and Hermia as toddlers in their cribs. The parents are Cordelia, Consort and Contessa's daughter, and her husband Caliban, both deceased by the time we meet the family for the first time.

With the girls grown to school age, we find Hermia dreaming of a barbeque while her sister Juliette is quietly playing with a little boy who is probably Romeo Monty. This means that Tybalt is having it out with Mercutio, Romeo's older brother. There - the Capp/Monty story in a nutshell, with Tybalt being stupid enough to carry on the family feud started by his grandfather. 

The ground floor of Capp Manor has a generous kitchen and dining area plus a toilet to the right. The master bedroom - obviously Consort's - is on the left side and has an en-suite bathroom. A comfortably furnished hall with a fire place completes the ground floor. 

Upstairs are three single bedrooms for Consort's three grandchildren. The one to the far left is probably meant to be Tybalt's. A bathroom separates it from a bedroom I have decided to give to Hermia, while Juliette is going to have the room at the far end of the top floor. Money is no problem for this branch of the Capps - there are more than 81,000 Simoleons on Consort's account.

And here is the man himself. He looks much older than the 56 his age bar shows, but then he has not exactly had an easy time: His wife dead, one of his four children Cordelia dead (Cordelia; the others are Goneril, Regan and Kent), and trying to raise three of his many grandchildren on his own while working as CEO of the family business and being head of the family at the same time. His lifetime want is to earn 100,000 Simoleons, fitting for a Fortune Sim. By the way, he is not a Capp by blood - only by marriage. Nonetheless, he feels the weight of responsibility for the clan on his shoulders. The family bio says: "Juliette Capp has fallen for Romeo, golden child of the rival Monty clan. Can the Capps set aside their grudge and put Juliette's happiness first?"

Tybalt is the oldest of the three orphaned kids living with their granddad - he will be an adult in five days. His aspiration is Popularity, though you wouldn't guess it from his grumpy face. But, quite fittingly, his lifetime want is to own 5 Top Level Businesses - i.e. to take over the Capp family business and enlarge it. His bio reads: "Outspoken but surly, Tybalt is proud to carry the Capp name. Will his pride and hatred of the Montys ruin his sister Juliette's chance for happiness with Romeo?" Hermia is the youngest, still 12 days from adulthood. She is a Family Sim who dreams of becoming Captain Hero. Interestingly, she has a crush on both Mercutio Monty and Puck Summerdream. Maxis say about her: "Hermia is smart, but on the shy side. She often wonders what rock her brother Tybalt crawled out from under." 

And Juliette? The middle child (9 days from adulthood), we find her on this Saturday early evening with no other than Romeo in front of the house. She shares both her aspiration and her lifetime want with her sister. According to Maxis, she loves her family and wants to please them, but her feelings for Romeo are undeniable. Can she make her family proud and make herself happy as well?. 

A closer look at Consort's bedroom reveals that he has been keeping the ashes of both his deceased wife Contessa and his daughter Cordelia here. Maybe it's time to move the urns out to the small family cemetery outside.

Doesn't Tybalt look positively relieved when I remove his weird make-up?

Next, I have him try to end the enmity with Romeo. At first, Romeo does not seem convinced, but I have the two boys talk for a while, and the "enemy" icon disappears. 

They even sit down for a serious conversation in Tybalt's room! "You can't really know what it's like, Rom, but seriously - it's not nice seeing someone kissing your younger sister," Tybalt explains.

In the end, the siblings and their granddad have Mac & Cheese together, and Romeo is asked to stay for dinner. A start!

On Sunday, Regan and Kent (Consort's children, and aunt and uncle to the three teenagers) are invited over - and of course Regan's husband Cornwall comes along.

Regan happily joins her niece for a dancing session in her bedroom while Cornwall and Kent are at one of their poking matches again (still don't know what the story is there). 

Hermia has spotted this lady walking by and greets her - it is Vyn Scott, a townie I made playable by moving her in when I was still playing New Max, because of her surname being the same as a playable Sim's in TS4. Much to my delight, she and Consort show two bolts for each other. 

The school bus and Consort's limousine pull up in front of the manor at the same time on Monday morning. I make everybody run instead of walk to cover the distance, so that they won't be late.

The children (all three of them attend Private School) come home with homework in hand, but before they never place it anywhere - it just disappears. Hopefully, this bug won't affect their grades. Consort has earned more than 2,000 Simoleons today - at this rate, it would still take him around 48 working days to achieve his lifetime want. Hermia makes Hamburgers, and the family enjoy a quiet dinner.

Juliette and her granddad end the evening on a game of chess. (I put the chess table at the previously empty end of the long upstairs hallway, since Consort wanted a logic point, and it won't harm the teenagers to learn to play chess, either.) 

That night, for the first time some of the Capps' ancestors make a ghostly appearance. Octavius and Antony remain in the grounds, though, not waking anybody up.

I need not have worried about the disappearing homework affecting their grades - on Tuesday, all three of them return from school with an A+ (and the homework disappears again). The afternoon is spent skilling (it is autumn, after all!), cleaning, eating and making phonecalls to maintain or establish friendships. 

The gardener works nearly all day on Wednesday, but the grounds are simply too large for him to finish everything. Also, as most of you will know from your own games, the hedges around the house can not be clipped - they are placed on slopes or otherwise inaccessible. 

It is Consort's day off, and after some housework in the morning, he deserves a nap.

The children return from school with - once again - no homework, but they have obviously worked hard enough at school, what with all three of them now firmly at A+ level. Consort rewards them by taking them to Sims Gone Wired. Typically, they all wanted mobile phones or mobile game consoles, but as soon as they step off the taxi, they wish for entirely different things.

No Sims of interest appear on the lot while they are there, with one exception: Isabella Monty. Tybalt has already been making an effort with Romeo, and now he walks up to Isabella to greet her. They shake hands, but before a conversation is possible, she walks off the lot. 

Back home, the teenagers' parents appear for the first time (well, their ghosts, obviously). Cordelia and Caliban are in the house and grounds nearly all night but never approach their children.

The girls say good-bye to their big brother on Thursday morning: Tybalt leaves for college (he would have turned into an adult that same afternoon).

Consort returns from work with his last promotion ever: He is now Veronaville's first (and so far only) Business Tycoon. With the money he has earned today plus the promotion bonus, he is somewhat nearer his lifetime want, but I still doubt he will make it. Strangely enough, the friend he brings home from work is a paper girl - maybe he thinks his two granddaughters could do with some company after their brother has left for college.

The paper girl is sent home, and it's only Juliette, Hermia and Consort at the dinner table that evening. 

There is a definite winter chill in the air on Friday morning, and Juliette lights the fire in the dining room. (Warmer clothes would be a good idea, too.)

Consort does not work today, and I leave him to his own devices for a while. He starts on disposing of the dead flower beds - the gardener really has not been doing a very good job, has he. 

After school, Hermia joins her granddad on her own initiave. You can see the state of the grounds - something has to be done, but not this round - it ends today, since the week at this household started on a Saturday. 

How is Tybalt doing in college? Will Juliette roll wishes about Romeo? (She has not done so all week.) Is Hermia going to decide on either Puck Summerdream or Mercutio Monty - or neither of the two? What about Consort - is a late romance in the air for him with Vyn Scott? (He did receive a late night phone call from her, but they are not even friends yet.)