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?