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).