The Jacquet Family: Week 1

Here are the Jacquets, Gilbert and his mother Denise. According to Maxis, they "left everything they had behind and tried to build a new life in Bluewater Village. Will they go from rags to riches and create a healthy franchise system that goes public? Or will they fail and watch their dreams crumble like a week old croissant?"

The man we see in this Maxis-made picture is, I assume, Yves Jacquet - Denise's husband and Gilbert's father, who founded the J'Adore Bakery. The deed for the bakery is still in Gilbert's inventory, but Yves is no more.

Another of the pre-made pictures shows Gilbert focusing hard on stirring something in a bowl and his mother looking rather stern. This ties in with her biography, which says: "With a strong sense of order, Denise likes to know what is going on. Especially in her son's life." It also fits the idea that she is intent on keeping the bakery going with the help of her son after her husband died. 

Gilbert looks a bit lost in an empty bakery, wondering where the money is going to come from without any baked goods to sell and customers to sell them to. Interestingly, when the game begins, Gilbert has not a single skill point, while his mother at least has a handful of cooking points. About him, Maxis say: "A charming fellow, who enjoys life, a bon vivant, one might say."

In the here and now, we are at 223 Idlewild Street in Bluewater Village, a suburb of Pleasantview in my game. The house looks nice and has a large colourful flowerbed at the side. 

Most of the ground floor is taken up by an open plan kitchen, dining and living area, with a piano and a TV set. In the upper right corner is Denise's bedroom with a shower room next door. 

Upstairs, we find another double bed and a desk with a computer, obviously meant for Gilbert. He also has a tiny en-suit shower room and toilet, and out on the balcony is a cheap telescope. The house is alright for now, but with well over 7,000 Simoleons at their disposition, the Jacquets can make a few improvements such as buying better beds and a wardrobe in Denise's bedroom. 

On this Monday, I have Gilbert look for a job in the Athletic career. He is a Romance Sim whose lifetime want has nothing to do with his parents' bakery - he dreams of being Hall of Famer. Nothing is available for him today, though.

Denise does not seem to be interested in the bakery, either - her lifetime want is to become Criminal Mastermind. Not unusual for a Fortune Sim like her, but too late now as she is already an elderly lady and won't be able to reach that goal. Instead, I will try to fulfill as many daily wishes for her as possible, and first thing she wants to gain a creativity point, so at the piano she sits. 

Meanwhile, the welcome committee turns up in the shape of Jodie Larson, Wanda Tinker and Malcolm Landgraab.

Denise makes Chili Con Carne, and mother and daughter sit down with two of their visitors, while Jodie can't bring herself from leaving the piano. Malcolm's table manners aren't the best, as Gilbert notices. Denise even moves her chair away from him a little. 

After everyone has left, Denise watches the cooking channel before she goes to bed (a better one than the cheap thing Maxis put in the house for her) and Gilbert starts working on his body skill - it will be what he'll need most if he wants to achieve his big dream

By the way, this large teddybear sculpture is in Denise's bedroom... why?!

Not much happens on Tuesday. Denise and Gilbert get up... 

...have meals... 

...pay the bills and generally do either what fulfills daily wishes or, in Gilbert's case, will be helpful towards his lifetime want. Phonecalls are also made.

Denise has (understandably) wished for new clothes, and so on Wednesday, a taxi takes mother and son to Amelia's closet.

While Denise takes her time to choose outfits, try them on and finally make her purchase... 

...Gilbert greets Jennifer Burb...

...grills hot dogs while Lilith Pleasant and a townie play darts... 

...sits and chats with his good friend Darren Dreamer...

...and makes the acquaintance of Dina Caliente (whom he has two bolts for).

Back home, Denise heads straight for the piano while Gilbert continues to work on his body skill. At this rate, he'll be climbing up that career ladder in no time once he's found a job in the athletics career!

It is already Thursday, and Gilbert has not yet found a position in Athletics. His mother gets the newspaper and busily circles job ads for her son, thinking that if SHE doesn't do anything about it, nothing is going to be done!

Then she tackles the garden, and with the large flowerbed to water and many shrubs to trim, spends several hours at it.

Gilbert suggests they go for a run together, and before he's even finished warming up, Denise is already on her way - she clearly wants to show him today that she's still up to the task, and still his mother who always knows (and does) best. 

Denise may be a bit over-interested in her son's life, but he is all she has left since the death of her husband, and she is genuinely happy for him when he finally lands a job as Minor Leaguer on Friday. To her credit, she has never asked him to take on another job while he was waiting for an opening in the Athletics career.

While he's out, she invites her friends Herb and Coral Oldie over.

They eagerly await Gilbert's return and his report about his first day at work. And much to everybody's delight, he can report his first promotion: He is now a Rookie.

Denise makes hamburgers to celebrate, and Coral enthuses about the importance of at least three best friends in everybody's lives, no matter how old they are and what career they have chosen. 

On Saturday, Denise sees Angela Pleasant walk by and greets her.

"What a nice young lady", she thinks as the two of them watch a movie together. "If only her dress wasn't quite so flimsy and would cover her knees..." She wonders whether she should drop a hint to Coral Oldie; maybe she can have a discreet word with her granddaughter.

For Gilbert, the day is just as successful as yesterday: He is promoted to Starter.

This calls for another batch of celebratory hamburgers (for Gilbert, nobody makes them quite like his mother) and glasses of champagne, while Angela has the burger but no bubbly. 

On Sunday, Denise bakes a Layer Cake.

Gilbert is dropped off after work by the team bus, with a promotion to Starter. The punching bag is now available to him and installed in his bedroom.

In the lounge, party balloons have been put up, and indoor fireworks prepared.

Denise has turned 60 today, and she invites her good friends the Oldies as well as Darren Dreamer, more for Gilbert's company than for herself. In honour of his mother, Gilbert changes into a suit. He is always glad to see his friend Darren, but he invites another guest: Florence Delarosa. If you remember, when I played her, they struck up a friendship with the potential for "more". Florence compliments Gilbert on looking so smart. 

After the cake, Denise lights the fireworks. The guests keep a sensible distance... 

...but they all love it. 

I keep watching Gilbert and Florence, but leave them to their own devices. No romantic interactions, although they spend most of the party together.

As is the case with most birthdays, Denise gets phone calls from acquaintances, too. The party ends a roof raiser, and a very happy Denise and almost equally happy Gilbert go to bed.

This was a good week, and I enjoyed the change to "normal" household gameplay as opposed to college. 

The bakery did not feature; the Jacquets did not roll any wishes about it, and so for now, "J'Adore" remains closed. But who knows what Gilbert will be up to once he's reached his lifetime want! Also, the situation with Florence still has the potential to develop further from their current close friendship.

I have not changed much about the house apart from better beds, a wardrobe and installing bath/shower tubs instead of the cheap showers already in place.

The NPC phone hack was not tested yet, since neither Gilbert nor Denise met any NPC they found interesting enough to want to call them.