The Sharpe Siblings: Sophomore and Junior Year

Edwin's Freshman and Roxie's Sophomore Year is here.

Veronaville's Académie Le Tour is where we find the next Sim to play on the alphabetical list: 

Edwin Sharpe. His sister, Roxie, is also called Sharpe, and this chapter is for both of them. 

To remind you of their background story, here is what Maxis have written about this student household in a rented house on campus: "Nothing is worse than having a dorky brother, except maybe having a dorky brother live with you at school! Can Roxie and Edwin create some house rules and get along, or will Roxie have to choose between her boyfriend and her brother to keep the peace?" 

Last time, Edwin kept pretty much to himself, and the three only spent meal times together, which worked well enough. How are things going to develop now, for Edwin's Sophomore and Roxie's and Jonah's Junior Year? 

Skills are to be acquired, and since both Roxie and Jonah need creativity, they climb the stairs to the attic and engage in a session of Rock music. Meanwhile, Edwin, who last year discovered his love of running, has gone jogging and will no doubt fall straight into bed after his return.

Jonah surprises me the next day when he autonomously makes a big bowl of spaghetti for everyone to share. He has become the best cook of the three (not that it means much - the siblings have one cooking point each). 

However, Edwin is fast asleep after yet another round of jogging, and Roxie begins to wonder about her little brother and his life happening so completely separate from theirs, in spite of being in the same house.

This semester, she is ahead of her little brother, handing in her Term Paper before he even has the necessary set of skills. Roxie somehow manages to stay entirely focused in spite of distractions in the same room - like her boyfriend bragging about the meal he served earlier :-D 

But Edwin isn't far behind and completes his Term Paper, as per his wish, only a few hours after his big sister. Like during their previous year, I leave Jonah once more pretty much to his own devices, as long as he has the skills needed to pass the year and goes to class regularly. 

It's winter, and the house looks quite picturesque with its thick blanket of pristine snow.

Roxie and Jonah engage in a nightly snowball fight after class. 

The next day, Edwin is given a membership card for Platinum Gym - his efforts in running have not gone unnoticed!

The siblings talk about hoping to see their names on the Dean's List again - something they have in common, unlike Jonah, who rather busies himself at the sink than with academical matters. 

While he is at class, Roxie finally manages to make a wish come true she's been having since last year: To kiss Mercutio Monty! He becomes the 2nd name on her list of 20 lovers (as per her lifetime want), the first of course being Jonah.

Jonah gets a kiss, too - from his favourite professor! Remember her? She came by several times on her own accord last year, and Jonah wanted to befriend her, which he quite obviously has done.

The semester ends well for all three students. Now it's time to start the round of skilling and writing Term Papers (or not) all over again.

Edwin needs creativity for this semester's course, and finds the easel that was bought as per Jonah's wish a while ago. The light up here in the attic is not ideal for painting, though! Maybe the house mates should invest some of their grants in a few home improvements - they have accumulated well over 6,000 Simoleons, after all. 

Sometimes it's good to have a "nerdy" brother - Edwin makes sure his sister's computer is up and running for her to write her Term Paper. 

The friendly professor turns up again, but nobody opens when she rings the doorbell - Jonah and Roxie are busy talking and playing chess (yes, believe it or not), and Edwin is on the phone.

Edwin smiles as he is getting the mail this morning - is it a letter from a friend, perhaps? No, just the usual bills. 

Maybe Edwin is just happy that he and his big sister are now best friends. It has taken them long enough! 

Roxie adds the third name to her list of 20 lovers after inviting Max Flexor over when Jonah is at class - all it takes is a romantic hug, not even a kiss is necessary to have Max look dumbfounded at this beautiful girl wanting him for a lover (sorry, Max, this is as far as it'll get). 

Love is in the air for Edwin as well: He woke up with the wish to be flirted with, and since he's been having a crush on Delilah O'Feefe for a long time, he invites her over. Moments later, the two of them are in love. 

All this has contributed to their overall mood in a positive way - Jonah, Roxie and Edwin all pass their end of year exams, get their grants and can get ready for Jonah and Roxie's final year, while Edwin is now a Junior. 

But it will take quite a while before we'll see these three again, unless we bump into them at community lots or other households in Veronaville. 

Edwin didn't explicitly roll any wishes around Delilah, but he did want to be flirted with, and she was his best option - it worked, and now the two are an item.

Roxie is slowly but steadily working on her lifetime want, so far without any danger to her three-bolt relationship with Jonah.

Jonah, on the other hand, now wants to fall in love with his professor...!

There certainly is potential for some further interesting developments with this household.

Jonah Powers: Sophomore Year

Back for another "year" at uni, this time at Veronaville's Académie Le Tour, at the Powers-Sharpe household. This Maxis-made picture shows Jonah Powers playing the drums while his girlfriend Roxie Sharpe is picking the base. Her younger brother Edwin is seen playing a video game. 

According to the household bio, "Nothing is worse than having a dorky brother, except maybe having a dorky brother live with you at school! Can Roxie and Edwin create some house rules and get along, or will Roxie have to choose between her boyfriend and her brother to keep the peace?"

The house the three of them are renting together is at No. 58 Focaccia Place. It looks alright from the outside, neat and not too small. What is it like inside?

Very cheaply and somewhat sparsely furnished, but functional. 

Through the front door is the hall with staircase, to the left leading through to the kitchen with dining table and chairs and door to the back garden. To the right of the staircase is a small bedroom with one single bed, desk and computer as well as a TV set, comfy chair and video game - that's of course Edwin's room. A small bathroom is next, and the largest room on the ground floor holds two beds and another desk with a computer. Two singles instead of a double bed? That seems not like something Jonah and Roxie would want, does it! 

Upstairs is the attic, filled with the drumkit and base we've seen in the first picture, a worn settee and another TV set. That's all, and with only just a bit more than 1,500 Simoleons in their joint account, the three students won't be able to afford better things just yet.

Here is Jonah, just sat down at the computer when I enter the lot. He is a Romance Sim who fancies himself as a future Rock God - he already sports the tattoos to go with it. The Sophomore Year has begun not long ago; he is Majoring in Philosophy. Maxis have written about him that "Everyone seems to want to be with Jonah, the bad boy on campus but his main concern is getting his girlfriend's annoying brother out of the house as soon as possible."

Roxie is a Sophomore, too, and shares Jonah's aspiration. But unlike him, she wants to have 20 lovers - we'll see how that pans out. A Major in Psychology might come in useful there! According to Maxis, "Roxie is doing fairly well at school and is highly tolerant of her brother Edwin -- or so she says. She likes to shop." 

And there is Edwin, Roxie's younger brother. He is a Freshman focusing on Mathematics. That suits his Knowledge aspiration and maybe also his lifetime want of becoming Head of SCIA. Maxis has him down as a nerd, saying that he "hates living with his sister and her boyfriend but can't find anyone else to move in with. Life would probably be better back in the dorms."

One of the skills Jonah needs for his course is creativity, and what better way to get it than from his drum kit!

Later, all three housemates manage to sit peacefully at the kitchen table and eat sandwiches (none of them can cook).

Max Flexor, a friend of Roxie's, asks the group over to "Midnight Flows", a "hip and trendy" place Downtown. 

It's busy, but they manage to find seats and have a proper meal. 

Then, Jonah and Roxie sing karaoke together - the others don't know whether to laugh or cry :-D 

Unfortunately, when I try to send them home, they all board the taxi... and then the taxi just stays there, well into the next afternoon, for no apparent reason. I have no choice but to go back to the neighbourhood with no way of saving, losing the entire day I have already played :-( 

Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I thought - the taxi pulled up in front of the house, and the day up until they had boarded the taxi was not lost.

Jonah and Roxie both need logic skill for their course, and so they play chess together - by the looks on their faces, clearly not their favourite passtime!

Meanwhile, Edwin is hard at work on his Term Paper, a big wish of his. 

The next morning, Mitch Indie appears uninvited and follows Roxie around for a bit - she does not seem to mind. He could be a potential candidate for the 20 future lovers on her list. 

Later, she grills hotdogs, and again the three housemates have a trouble-free meal together, even if conversation is less than animated. 

Funnily enough, when checking on Jonah's wishes, he wanted to make friends with Delilah O'Feefe and even flirt with her - just to spite Edwin? 

And Roxie seems to have set her eyes on Mercutio Monty; she wants to be best friends with and also flirt with him. Maybe these two aren't destined to remain together, after all, in spite of being a three-bolt-couple? 

Edwin, by the way, wants to go jogging, which surprises me.

The next morning, Edwin has prepared toaster pastry. They turned out well, since he had been watching the cooking channel on TV to make sure he got it right. "I know you two would really like for me to pack my case and move out," he remarks. Roxie unconvincingly exclaims "No, of course not!", while Joshua directs his full attention to breakfast.

A mere couple of hourse before their end of semester exams are due, one of the professors turns up. I have Jonah greet her, because he actually (and surprisingly) wishes to be friends with her. "You have of course been revising, Jonah, haven't you..." she says. - "Yes of course, Professor!" 

He had all the skills he needed and never missed class, so Jonah did pass his exam. The siblings, on the other hand, put in more effort, and Edwin congratulates his big sister for having her name on the Dean's List. Their grants now amount to a total of over 5,100 Simoleons - time for a few improvements, I think.

With comfortable beds for everyone (a double one for Jonah and Roxie), some lamps and a much better kitchen stove, the household account is down to 1,200 Simoleons, but the money was invested wisely. 

Edwin can finally go jogging and returns totally exhausted - and totally happy.

Meanwhile, Jonah and Roxie have successfully... erm... tested their new double bed ;-D 

The professor who seems to be taking a personal interest in Jonah's academic wellbeing appears on their doorstep again the next morning, even before Jonah is dressed. He doesn't mind talking to her in only his undies, though, and neither does she seem to notice. 

When he and Edwin are at class, Roxie has the house to herself for a couple of hours. She can't get Mercutio out of her head, constantly rolling wishes about him, and so she invites him over. A hug, flirting and a kiss later, he is on his way, and Roxie's secret is safe with me.

In the evening, Edwin types away busily at his Term Paper. 

Jonah, too, is at the computer... but you can tell from the image on the screen that it's nothing to do with uni! (Unless he wishes to write his Term Paper or an assignment, I won't make him do either.) 

Edwin is a little socially inept, it seems - over breakfast the next morning, the topic he choses for conversation is clearly embarrassing for Roxie, who does not look up from her plate. 

The campus coach appears. Who is going to be her target?

"You, young man... you have done well recently, but you can always do better," she tries to motivate Edwin. "And with you, Mr Powers, a bit of workout won't go amiss, either!" 

"Only a few more days, and the first half of our college years will be over," Roxie says to Jonah. Of course Edwin is a year behind them, but she wasn't talking about (or to) him. 

And indeed, soon afterwards our three housemates return from their exams, all having done well enough to earn their grants. It will be a while before our next visit with this household, but not very long - S as in Sharpe is not too far from P as in Powers.

It was an interesting "year", with undercurrents adding to the general setup of this household clearly meant by Maxis to be conflict-ridden. However, there were no fights or arguments between Edwin and either Roxie or Jonah; apart from meals which were mostly taken together, he simply kept out of everybody's way and focused on his studies.

Jonah surprised me several times by wishing for skills or going to class, but he never once wanted to write his Term Paper :-D

Whether he and Roxie will build on their three-bolt-relationship or go their separate ways in the future remains to be seen.