Jared Starchild: Week 5

One of the few apartment buildings where I still have playables living in New Maximiliania is this one. Maybe you remember that Jimmy Phoenix is renting here; we've already spent a week with him here this round. But he is not the only playable in the house:

Jared Starchild, who came into our games with the "University" expansion pack as the student with the ugly pseudo-afro hairdo and tie-dye t-shirt has one of the ground floor flats.

Jared's lifetime want is to raise 20 puppies and kittens. Here, you can see Strolch, the first dog he raised from when he was a puppy, and who fathered all subsequent puppies Jared has raised since.

Taking care of so many dogs all the time is a full-time job, and Jared has never hold a regular job. He gets by and pays his rent every Monday, but he certainly does not live in luxury. While he was still at uni, he saved as much of his grant money as he could, and that is what he still lives off basically.
When I enter household to play this round, he has 1.401 Simoleons left. He still has things in his inventory I put there to make up his grant money before he left campus for good. I seel all these items plus the ones he bought at community lots while I was playing other households, which gives his account a huge boost to 12.190 Simoleons. An inheritance kicks in moments later, making it 14.800 in total. Not bad, and very suitable for my plan to move him out of the rented apartment and into his own place with his dogs.

But first, his current three puppies Sally, Silkie and Star all grow up, to the image of their mother Suzy. Jared has now raised 16 puppies - that's four to go!

He knows he can not keep them all AND raise four more, so Jared calls the Pet Adoption Service.

The officer assures Jared that all his puppies will be fine in their new families, and Jared knows this to be true. But still... it is always a sad moment when he has to let them go.

A party is always a great way to get one's mood up again, isn't it! Jared turns into an Elder at 6.00 pm that afternoon, and all his friends are there to witness it. Some of them (like Roxie Sharpe here in the foreground) even seem to have anticipated what clothes he'll age-transition into, and have come to the party dressed accordingly :-D

The next morning, I move Jared and his dogs to this Maxis-made house. He can just about afford it with little left for furnishing - I thought it came furnished, to be honest, since I have played a household here before. But it was ages ago, and so I did not remember correctly.
It is Monday again, and so the time spent with Jared will end on Saturday, giving him 7 days as all the others.

Coral Oldie lived (and died) here. It really is years ago that I played here! Maybe you even remember her? She and her husband of many years, Herb Oldie, split up because of Herb's consistent unfaithfulness. They never made up.

Jared's female dog, Suzy, is now too old to have more puppies, and so he adopts Tessa, who was bred by Wanda Tinker.

Christian Love passes by and is invited to share a pizza with Jared.

Carl Capp follows soon afterwards.

At night, Coral Oldie's ghost appears, but does not bother anyone.

Jared's friend Jill Indie rings and invites him for an outing. She and her brother Johnny Smith have recently been joined by Matthew Smith, a long lost relative of theirs, and want to show him places downtown and help him getting to know other New Maximilianians.

The group visit the Lucky Shack together, where Jared wins 80 Simoleons at the poker table. Jill Smith, another relative of the Smith-Indies, joins them at the table.

Early on Tuesday morning, Coral's ghost appears in Jared's bedroom, waking both him and dear old Suzy. That's the decision made - her tombstone is moved to Gamesend Grounds, New Maximiliania's cemetery.

Time to give Strolch a bath.

Freshly bathed, Strolch finally begins to acknowledge Tessa's presence. At the rate these two are getting to know each other, it will take a long time before they are ready to have puppies together.

On Wednesday morning, Jared finds that Tessa has dug a hole in the yard. He digs further, hoping to find something valuable to sell, but hits a water pipe instead.

Then something happens that takes me completely by surprise: Strolch dies!
I honestly didn't expect that - I made the mistake of never checking his age when I began playing this week, and always thought of him as an adult (not elderly) dog.
Well, there goes my plan of him and Tessa having puppies. Bye-bye, Strolch, you were a good companion for Jared and Suzy and a great father to your many puppies.

Jared does not lose any time and adopts Maxx. (He appeared in the pet adoption catalogue; I didn't create him or name him.)

Aaaw :-) Welcome to the family, little Maxx!

Isn't it sweet that, just as some Sims dream of babies, dogs can dream of puppies? Suzy is the mother of 14 dogs altogether and loved each and every one of them.

All Jared's days follow more or less the same pattern: He cleans dog beds, washes the adult dogs, refills the pet dish, plays with his dogs, trains Maxx, mops up puddles, talks to one of his friends on the phone and takes care of his own meals and other needs whenever he can.
Greeting a neighbour is always a welcome interruption, and on Friday, Christian Love comes visiting again.

Jared still has very little money but could definitely do with some home improvements. He is lucky and digs up an old bowl, selling it for 375 Simoleons.

On Saturday morning, he finds a tattered old map worth 400 Simoleons.

He can finally afford a proper kitchen - still not luxurious, but all the basics are there. (The Little Miss Wendalin statue was in Jared's inventory. It probably was a gift from Matthew Hart.)

More cleaning is in order.

The week ends with Cherry Capp walking by and being cordially greeted by Jared.

How long before he'll have raised the last four puppies to fulfill hiw LTW? And what will he do then?

The Stacks-Hart Family: Week 8

The Hart-Stacks family are one of the nicest families of New Maximiliania, I think: no scandals or fights, just a bunch of very kind-hearted, good-natured folks.
When we arrive at their house for the second time this round, we find it cosily covered in a thick, soft blanket of snow.

Jane (nee Stacks) and Matthew have been together since their college years. Matthew is now 75 and Jane 74. They share the lifetime want of having six grandchildren and are currently at four: Stephanie, Stacy and Stella Stacks - all from their daughter Helena - and Harry Hart, son of Matthew's half-Alien daugther Hailey. But that is not all: a long time ago, this generous couple decided to take in an orphaned little girl, Fenya Furley (daughter of Fineaus Furley), whose entire family perished in a house fire caused by a Christmas tree, leaving her the sole survivor.

Later, Matthew learned the special knowledge of a good Warlock from his good old friend (Mr. Goodie), who left his cauldron, book of spells and broomstick to him. Not once in his entire life has Matthew abused his special knowledge.
I wonder if his being a Warlock makes him more susceptible to certain events: This Monday, he seems to feel the nearness of Death.

Jane and Matthew's firstborn (actually, Jane's only biological child) is Helena. She is on Permanent Platinum, and for a long time, the money she made as a Rock Goddess was the family's only income.
She was born before her Mum and Dad tied the knot, and therefore her surname is Stacks, like her mother's maiden name.

Another example for Matthew and Jane's kindness and generosity is this young woman: Frances Hart was found to be a distant cousin of Matthew's, and moved in with the family a while ago as one of the few townies I allow to join New Maximiliania's residents for good.
Her LTW is to become Chief of Staff; her current job is that of a GP.
The house is not quite as generous as the Harts' hearts, which is why Frances sleeps in the teenage girls' bedroom.

Here are two of Helena's three daughters: Stacy Stacks, holding little Stella.

Stacy's twin sister is Stephanie Stacks. The girls don't look alike, due to the very different DNA of their parents.

But they get along very well, as you can see.
This Monday is Snow Day, and they are delighted to have another day to the weekend.

Here is a glimpse of Matthew's special corner in the downstairs bedroom he shares with Jane. The kids are allowed to look at everything but never touch their Granddad's magic things.

Stephanie spends good part of her unexpected day off upstairs, reading on her bed.

Matthew feels the presence of Death come ever closer.

He invites over his daughters Hailey (left) and Fenya (right), knowing this will be the last chance for them all to be together.

And just as he is about to say good-bye to Hailey...

...the clock turns six, and Mr. Reaper appears to meet Matthew.

Frances has arrived from work just in time to see her good cousin leave for the Otherworld.

Helena never saw it happening - she turned into an Elder at the same moment.

The family are distressed. Matthew was the best husband, father, grandfather, cousin and friend a Sim could wish for.

Dinner is a subdued affair, with Hailey only eating because she has to (for the baby), and niece Stacy and sister Fenya keeping her company.

Everyone is too sad to really think of anything else, and so it is Frances who helps little Stella to grow up into a toddler.

Tuesday morning, Jane can't think of breakfast - she thinks of Matthew all the time.

Helena makes every effort to be there for her children, especially for little Stella, who needs to learn her skills.

The older girls like to play with their little sister. She is like a ray of sunshine for the family right now.

The twins come home from school with Odell Ottomas.

Upstairs, Stephanie, the more serious of the twins, immediately sits down to do her homework.

Stacy seems to be rather pleased of having Odell keeping them company - and it looks as if Odell is rather smitten with his young hostess, too.

On his own accord, he offers her a backrub :-) No pink hearts yet, but who knows what spring will bring!

It is Wednesday morning, and Jane is up first. She makes use of the quiet morning hours to teach her granddaughter to talk.

Helena rings Cedric Cooke (half-Alien son of Julien Cooke), her lover and father of her three girls. He comes over and does his best to distract Helena from grieving for her father by talking about her new album.

He loves his daughters dearly, and is delighted to find Stella turned into such a sweet little girl.

Carl Capp gets off the bus after school with the older girls.

And Frances comes home with a promotion to Specialist. She will now have to work hard to acquire several more skill points for her next promotion.

Jane sits down for a meal with the young people. If I am not mistaken, Stacy is as interested in Carl as she was yesterday in Odell. But Carl seems to be all focused on Stephanie.

On Thursday morning, Helena reads a story to her youngest daughter.

Stacy writes something about Carl in her diary. I'd love to read that entry!

It is spring now, and the Christmas decoration has been replaced with flowers and garden gnomes.

Cedric is invited over again, and Stacy wonders where her Mum and Dad are going. Actually, they are not going anywhere - just sit in the car for a while, where they can have some privacy - something that is impossible with the house full of kids ;-)

Today, Orlando Ottomas, Odell's twin brother, is the girls' guest.

Guess what - the... ahem... "conversation" in the car between Helena and Cedric resulted into her rolling the wish to marry him, and marry him she did, right on the spot, with no ceremony! Finally, the girls' Dad moves in with the family! He is younger than his wife and has not yet reached his LTW. It is the same as Frances', to become Chief of Staff.
One of the first things he does upon moving in is to cook his own welcome meal :-)

Here is a picture of the moment when Cedric Cooke became Cedric Stacks :-) No big wedding for this couple; not so soon after Helena's father's death.

"Daddeeeee!" - "Little Stella, Daddy will nearly always be around now!"

On Friday morning, Jane feels very weak and can't stop coughing.

She does not make a fuss, though, just wishes Matthew would still be here and cure her instantly with one of his spells.
The girls never realize how ill their grandma is. Giselle Goth, the only surviving member of the Goth family, comes home with them from school today. They are all related: Giselle's Alien father is the same Pollination Technician as the girls' grandfather. Does that make Giselle their aunt... somehow?

Frances has worked diligently and is promoted to Surgeon that day.

Grandma Jane sits down for a meal with the twins. "You know, your Granddad and I left it rather long before we married, but we knew we wanted to spend our whole lives together even before we graduated," she tells them.

Unnoticed by all, Stella turns into a child.

Early on Saturday morning, instead of going to bed after her latest concert, ageing Rock Goddess Helena has an espresso. (Now that Stella is not a toddler anymore, I leave Helena pretty much to her own devices most of the time, since she is on PP.)

Cedric invites the rest of his former family - the Cooke-Dreamer household - over; there aren't that many left! Dirk Dreamer is the first to arrive.

Stella wished for a lemonade stand, and happily mixes her first jug of lemonade.

Her Dad buys a cup, as do the other adults. Even a townie stopped for some lemonade!

Cedric and Dirk have some family fun with Dirk's daughters Deirdre (left) and Dora (right) Drearmer. Again, the girls have the same Alien father as Cedric, although there is a generation between them.

Jane enjoys a meal with Frances, Deirdre and Stella.

It was her very last one...

...and she is very ready to go with Mr. Reaper, even though she didn't live long enough to welcome grandchildren # 5 and 6.

Helena breaks into tears when she returns home from work to the sad news.

Sunday morning, Stella is first to get up. She misses her Grandma Jane.

Hailey and Fenya come over for the day.

Together, the family drive to the cemetery.

Helena has had rose bushes and white daisies planted on her parents' graves. It suits them - the red roses are for love, and the daisies for the modesty and down-to-earth kindness this wonderful couple showed everyone they met.

Back home, the family spend the rest of Sunday doing whatever they fancy.

Are Stephanie and Stacy going to go to college? Will Frances find a love interest and move elsewhere, or stay with her relatives forever? How long before she and Cedric will have reached their LTW?