The Cho / Capp / Riley Family: Update 3.10.2012

At the Cho / Riley / Capp household, we find Sally still trying to spend as much time as possible close to Hal. Where is this going to lead?

Etsu has no idea of what's going on; sure, she knows that Sally and Hal were going steady for a little while as teenagers, but that's all long in the past... isn't it? She gets along very well with her stepsister.

Vivian and Timothy are often on about one of their favourite subjects, food.

It is Monday morning, and the Gypsy Lady has once again dipped into her bottomless fund of magic lamps and placed one at the front door.

Etsu is leaving for work. See who's in the background, in the bedroom?

Etsu's car pool has hardly left, when Hal and Sally have a wild kissing session in the bedroom.

Little Charlie is the only eye witness, and he is too small to understand what's happening with his Dad and Auntie Sally.

I know that Vivian won't live long enough to see six grandchildren, so I have her ask the genie for peace of mind, which is of course granted.

Etsu comes home from work with a promotion to Sports Columnist.

Sally and Hal have been talking about their relationship. "You know I don't intend to tie you down or anything, Hal," Sally says. She is not interested in having children or getting married - at least not now, and she does not really want to hurt Etsu; it is just that she can't help that 3-bolt-attraction she has for him.

Etsu's joy about the promotion is shortlived when, at 6.00 pm on this Monday afternoon, her mother Vivian dies at the age of 74. She is the 30th death to occur in New Maximiliania since its foundation.

Hal tries to console Etsu in his own way. He, too, does not want to hurt her, but can't help his feelings for Sally.

Timothy is devastated by Vivian's death. Becoming a widower when Sally was still a little girl was hard enough; having to go through this twice in his life is too much. (Something unexpected happens after Vivian's death: Now that Timothy is not related to Etsu any longer - she is not his daughter, but only Vivian's -, all of a sudden he shows three bolts for her!)

On Tuesday, Sally accompanies her father to the cemetery, where they place a beautiful flower bouquet on Vivian's grave of white marble.

Timothy doesn't know what to do with himself and sometimes just sits on the settee, staring into space.

Etsu finds solace in focusing on her lifetime want; she is promoted to Investigatory Journalist.

Later that same day, Charlie turns into a toddler, helped along by his Dad (whose shape of eyebrows he obviously has inherited).

Every day, Hal checks the Simternet for jobs in the culinary career (his lifetime want is to become Celebrity Chef), but he has not been lucky yet.

Instead, he takes care of little Charlie while Etsu is out at work.

And every now and then, he and Sally "incidentally" meet on the balcony or in some other quiet corner of the house.

On Wednesday, Etsu is promoted to Magazine Editor.

Hal's greatest achievement of that day is to potty-train his son.

"Look, Sally, we need to stop this. I am a Dad and have responsibilities..." he tries to convince himself just as much as Sally.

And indeed he spends time with Etsu and Charlie, and enjoys that time very much.

Timothy is longingly looking at the portraits he painted of Vivian and himself. (He really did that, I had nothing to do with it.)

Hal's resolve crumbles on the very next day when he is already kissing Sally again.

On Friday, Etsu reaches her lifetime want: she is now, at 20 days from Elderhood, a Media Magnate, while Hal has not even found a job in the culinary career yet.

Finally, on Saturday morning, when he is 19 days from Elderhood, Hal finds a job as Prep Cook.

This certainly calls for a celebratory kissing-session with Sally!

He is so thrilled about finally working properly on his dream and wants to tell all his folks.

He invites his parents and siblings over. His father Albany (green coat) and sister Miranda are there, the latter bringing along the man she lives with, Rick Contrary. Hal's other sister, Desdemona, is already inside, while his mother Goneril never turned up.

The family have more than just Hal's new job to celebrate: It is Charlie's birthday today, too!

Sally sits with Hal, Desdemona and Albany. Note how Hal tries not to sit too close to her.

Miranda is not hungry and chooses to watch TV instead.

You know that Sally counts 20 of New Maximilianian's inhabitants as her lovers - Rick Contrary is on that list, too; something that could not go unnoticed.

Hal is upset and tells Sally to take her hands off his sister's boyfriend. "You of all people...!" she shouts at him (and she's right).

Desdemona, who has never liked Rick in the first place, blames him for the kiss with Sally, and shouts at him for cheating on her big sister.

A fight ensues, won by Desdemona. Some family reunion! Miranda, by the way, was totally unfazed by all of this. We'll see what things between her and Rick will be like when we'll visit the Contrary household.

By Sunday, several new plaques have been added to the Cho / Capp / Riley family's collection.

Hal has been diligently working at his career, and today, he is first promoted to Sous Chef...

...and then, after having gone back to work instantly, a second time to Executive Chef. 

How are things going to develop between Sally, Hal and Etsu? 
Is Charlie going to suffer from his parents being part of such a triangle? 
How long is Timothy going to live, and is he going to approach Etsu? 
(I am not interfering - although I am not at all happy about this.)
Will Hal keep getting promoted so fast?