Family names and related posts

Monday, 6 July 2026

The Cordial Sisters - Week 2

Week 1 with the sisters is here. What happened with Armand DeBateau and Kimberly is here.

No. 218 Bay View Drive in Belladonna Cove is our next stop - the Cordial sisters live here. Things have changed a bit for the sisters since I last played them. 
Here is Kimberly, on her way to work bright and early on Monday morning, just as the paper boy delivers The Cove Chronicles. She currently works as a Lobbyist but is determined to become The Cove's next Mayor. Last round, she got engaged to Armand De Bateau... but he broke up with her when he met and fell in love with his three-bolt-lady Audrey, courtesy of the Matchmaker. Kim was deeply hurt by this and is still furious with Armand, even though she feels sorry for him, since his beloved daughter Tara died in a kitchen fire that the firemen were too late to reach. 
Samantha has been leading a much quieter life than her twin sister. She does not have a job, because her goal in life is to have 20 best friends, and there is enough money coming in for her to be the stay-at-home sister. She has already reached half her lifetime want. Last round, she became engaged to Gabriel Green but has been rolling precious few wants about him, so who knows where that's going to lead - especially since Gabriel now wishes for engagement with Chastity Gere, his best friend since they were kids!

Sam wants to make pancakes for breakfast but turns the gas up too high - the kitchen stove is soon aflame. Thankfully, the Cordials' house is not as difficult to reach as Armand's penthouse flat, and the firefighter is there in an instant. "If you would just step aside, please, Miss Cordial... that would make my job a lot easier and remove you from the danger zone. Thank you!" 
A few hours after this firey start to the week, everything is back in order and cleaned up, including Samantha. Kimberly returns from work with a promotion to Campaign Manager, and the sisters decide to celebrate by shopping for clothes - they don't really have anything suited for winter, anyway.
They walk to Freya's Raiments. 
Samantha greets Isabel Baldwin while Kimberly pays for their choices. 
On the top floor is a small fast food restaurant, and Samantha is delighted to spot Sunny Tsirkunov there - their relationship is only a few points away from friendship, and a few minutes into their conversation, the two ladies become indeed friends. 
All three sit at the counter for a quick bite to eat before the Cordials head for home.
Kim has Tuesday and Wednesday off, and so the sisters can have breakfast together. "Yesterday's leftover burnt pancakes... yum..." 
Kim has all the skills she needs for her next promotion and can do what she wants. She chooses to relax at the piano. 
Meanwhile, Samantha is taking care of some urgent mid-winter gardening.
On Wednesday, Samantha spends much of her time on the phone, as usual. She wants those 20 best friends, after all!
Kim uses her logical thinking on this morning's crossword.
Sam wants to be fit in view of the approaching spring and works out to music from the stereo. 

Her exercising pays off almost immediately, and this gives her a great aspiration boost. 
It also sets her wishes spinning, and she now wants to give her fiancé a backrub and flirt with him. Gabriel is duly invited over, and there seems to be no awkwardness between them. (Samantha is unaware of Gabriel's wish to get engaged to Chastity.)
After her two days off, Kim has an early start and a long day ahead tomorrow, and goes to bed early-ish. 
On Thursday, we find Samantha once more on the phone. Although several of her friends have well over 50 long-term points to their relationship, strangely enough they have not yet reached best friend status.
Chastity Gere walks by and is cordially greeted by Sam. The two have not really gotten to know each other yet, which is strange enough in itself - two people who are engaged should certainly know each others' best friends, shouldn't they?
Kim has finally made it into Belladonna Cove's City Council as a member, and the career reward is now hers.
On Friday, Samantha manages to make her best friends #11, 12 and 13. 
With the onset of spring, it becomes apparent that some of the flower beds at the back of the house have not survived winter, and need removing.
Kimberly is now The Cove's latest State Assembly Person!
She has to work on her Charisma and uses her career reward for the first time.
The sisters can enjoy a leisurely breakfast together on Saturday morning with Kim having the weekend off. Sam has produced a pile of pancakes to celebrate, and talks about her latest best friends.
In between doing the cleaning (Kim) and gardening (Sam), they have a break and sit for a while on the settee. "Do you remember what we were like growing up?" Sam smiles. Kim remembers, and the two are determined never to revert back to their old sibling rivalry. Life is so much nicer when you get along within the family!
Before the day is over, Samantha makes her best friend #14 in Ana Patel, while Kimberly has acquired the two Charisma points needed for her next promotion.
Sunday is almost a repeat of Saturday, apart from Samantha asking Gabriel over and Kimberly doing less cleaning. 
Sam still has not rolled any wishes specificially about Gabe but wishes "to be flirted with". And as soon as Gabriel arrives, he does indeed caress his fiancĂ©es face, and she instantly wishes for a date. They have that date right there on the spot, but nothing really exciting happens, and the date ends on "good". Gabriel stays for dinner, and Kimberly spends more time acquiring Charisma. 

The sisters have had a good week in terms of their lifetime wants, but it was all rather routine with no love interest for Kimberly, and Samantha's engagement seemingly not leading to any wishes for a wedding.

Next, we'll see what the Curious family in Strangetown are up to.

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Julien Cooke - Week 2

Julien's first week is here.

We're staying in Desiderata Valley, but I am glad to say NOT for yet another "year" at Sim State Uni :-) This is Julien Cooke's house. The first week with him was so long ago (autumn 2023!) that I had to re-read that chapter to remind me of what he's been up to. 
Still a Popularity Sim, Julien made a u-turn in his career and went from culinary to athletic: His lifetime want is to become Hall of Famer. He ended his first week on the position of All Star, and that's how we find him on this Monday morning. 
So far, he has made a few friends but will need more for his career and to satisfy his typical Popularity-related wishes. No lady or gentleman has as yet captured his interest in a romantic way. 
With over 7,100 Simoleons on his bank account, he can afford to buy the exercise machine he's been wishing for, and he uses it in the hope of gaining another body skill point required for his next promotion. He also adds bedside tables and a nice wardrobe to his sparse bedroom. 
Nothing worth mentioning happens on Tuesday; it's a day off for Julien, and he spends it working out, cleaning, calling a friend, doing the crossword and even enjoying an afternoon nap. 
He also has Wednesday off, and he walks to Gustav's Grocery - a community lot I rarely play but should really have my Sims visit more often; it has everything from groceries to clothes to jewellery.
Julien grabs any chance he gets to meet more residents of The Valley. Here, he greets Toby Scott. 
He buys groceries, too. 
Then he meets and greets Ashley Pitts. 
He wants to go swimming, and what better place than the nearby "Sparks! Sports Park".
At first it seems it's Men Only Day at Sparks!, but eventually a few women appear, and several neighbours make use of the various sports facilities here.
There are Jimmy Phoenix, John Mole, Nathan Gavigan among others. 
Swimming makes hungry, and everybody flocks to the rooftop terrace when they catch the scent of Julien's hot dogs.
Back home, he has a nap before engaging in a good work-out in his private gym room. 
Cynthia Kim and Isaac Bell have been walking past and were invited in, and because Julien loves nothing more than to have a meal with friends, he asks the Aspirs over as well. Only the ladies seem to be hungry at first... 
...but eventually, the men leave the (more or less) comfortable settee and join them at the table.
Julien's smile says it all when he gets off the team bus on Thursday: He is now his team's MVP!
After he has had a shower, he greets passers-by Marcel Jocque. But instead of eating with him, Marcel is glued to the computer and browses the Simternet. Eventually, Julien politely says good-bye to his disinterested guest and sits down to study the Mechanical skill he needs in view of his next promotion.
On Friday, I expect Julien to be promoted, but in spite of him having all the required skills, number of friends and Platinum mood, he gets off the team bus with only his daily salary and nothing else. 
He wants to be friends with Cynthia Kim, and so he invites her over for a meal of Mac & Cheese. As always, his food goes down a treat, and the two become friends, with Julien hoping they'll eventually be best friends. 
The expected promotion follows on Saturday: Julien is now a happy, smiling Superstar! 
Of course, each promotion means more skills are required for the next step up the career ladder. But Julien is prepared to do what it takes to become a Hall of Famer, and he acquires the two Mechanical points in one long sitting, helped by the Thinking Cap.
He then invites Jimmy Phoenix over. The two of them have only met a few days ago when Julien visited Sparks! Sports Park, but they quickly become friends over a game of kicky bag.
Julien works on Sunday, too, and returns with a promotion to Assistant Coach. That's two steps away from reaching his lifetime want, I think! But he needs FIVE skill points now, and that'll take more than just one day. 
After he's had a shower and changed into a smart-casual outfit, he spots Kevin Beare walk by and greets him. "So this is the new Assistant Coach", Kevin thinks. 
If a promotion does not call for a party, I don't know what does! Julien invites all his friends: Elizabeth Aspir, Cynthia Kim, Cyd Roseland, Jimmy Phoenix and the Gavigans. Kevin is included in the party, and he'll be pleased to see his old from uni, Jimmy. 
Who says champagne doesn't go with Hamburgers? It does, when the burgers were made by Julien! 

This was a quick week with only a single Sim to manage. Julien was really focused on his career but at the same time did not neglect making and maintaining friends. 
He never showed any romantic interest in anyone, in spite of it being spring. Who knows - once he's achieved his lifetime want, he might want to share his life with that special someone. 
Also, he now has plenty of money and could upgrade his modest house, or move to a more luxurious place.