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.