Frances J. Worthington: Week 1

This young man has just finished college - you remember him, don't you? Frances J. Worthington started out in a private residence on his own and then moved in with a fraternity. He later started to dapple with Dark Magic and became a Warlock (he is pretty harmless, though). He now has graduated Magna Cum Laude in Economics and wants to start working on his lifetime want of having six pets reach the top of their career.

This modest house (a Maxis-built one, of course) is his. With his grant money saved up, Frances (isn't that a lady's name? Shouldn't it be Francis for a man?) has more than 28.000 Simoleons to play with. After the house is furnished, he still has almost 16.000 Simoleons left.

He knows just what to do with part of the money: he calls the Pet Adoption Service...

...and spends 4.220 Simoleons on Abbey, a dog that has learnt each and every command possible. She will help Frances towards his lifetime want.

By now, the welcome committee is here: Buck Grunt, Lavender Greenman and Sofia Baldwin. Kim, the stray cat, is not strictly speaking part of the committee but is also invited in.

Still on Monday, Frances adopts Kim.

He finds jobs for his pets: Abbey starts as a Vermin Chaser and Kim as an Extra.

Kim shares the bed with Frances - since there is no-one else in his life he wants to have so close.

On Tuesday is the first working day for Frances' pets. He starts the day off by setting the kitchen stove on fire... but wisely, he bought a fire alarm when he furnished the house, and so the flames are quickly put out by a fire fighter. "How could this happen?!" he seems to wonder. Indeed, how could this happen! Frances has, after all, five cooking points.

He makes a point of greeting every New Maximilianian who walks by. Of course he is particularly pleased when he meets Kimberly Cordial, the Atrociously Evil Witch.

On Wednesday, Samantha Ottomas is his guest, but she does nothing but browse the web. Yes, that's a magic lamp underneath the desk. Frances received it while he was still at university, and I have not yet decided whether he will ever use it. For now, this is where he stores it.

Kim returns from her first day at work, and Frances hugs and cuddles her as a reward.

The poor thing is exhausted and falls asleep almost on the spot, dreaming of fish :-) Meanwhile, Frances greets Mary Gavigan.

On Thursday, Abbey is promoted to Therapy Pet.

Kim needs to learn to "speak" for her next promotion, and Frances teaches her.

Abbey has gone back to work on the same day and comes home with yet another promotion: she is now a Seeing Eye Pet.

This afternoon, first Trisha Traveller and then her daughter Tina walk by and are asked in by Frances. Do you remember them? Trisha moved out of the marital home and in with Carlos Contender; he died and she inherited all his money and his house. I still don't know yet whether Tina and her Dad will move in with Trisha, or she'll move out, or find a new love, or her husband will find someone new. Anyway, it's been a while since Tina has seen her Mom and the situation seems a little awkward. 
[Note: this was played and written a long time before the events last recorded at the Traveller household took place. By now we know that Trisha and Trent will never get back together again, because he died in a fire in his yard.]

There is something odd about Abbey: she NEVER sleeps in the dog house, no matter which one I place in the yard! She never sleeps in the basket in the living room, either, but always rests and sleeps outside on the floor. I have tried different positions for the house and the basket, as well as different models, but to no avail.

It is Friday, and Kim is promoted to Understudy.

It is the first time this week that Frances actually behaves like the Warlock he is, making reagents.

On Saturday, Kent Capp joins him for a dinner of pork chops.

Kim now needs to learn to Roll Over, and Frances takes real pleasure in teaching his cat.

On Sunday, it starts to snow, and not even then does Abbey go into her house to sleep.

The week ends with another kitchen fire "thanks" to Frances - but his guests Kent Capp and Phineaus Furley remain as unharmed as himself; everyone just really needs a bath after that. 

Will Frances ever met a lady he would like to share his life with, or are his pets going to stay his only permanent company? Is Abbey ever going to sleep anywhere else but out on the ground? How long until the first of six pets (presumably Abbey) will have reached the top of the career level?