Jared Starchild - Week 8

Week 7 with Jared is here.

Just round the corner from Perseida Powers' place is another Maxis-made house that looks much spacier than it is - there really is no upper floor, just the ground floor with a rather impractical layout. But it is sufficient for the man who calls it home:

Jared Starchild, now 66 years old. He was one of the original playable students introduced to our games with the Campus expansion pack - a long time ago!

In the past, every time it was Jared's turn to be played, I found his lifetime want changed. And can you believe it - it has changed once more! Now he wishes to become General - impossible at his age, I'm afraid. What IS the matter with the man?!

Never mind, I'll make sure he is as happy as possible.

One of his lifetime wants was to raise 20 puppies or kittens, and two canine companions are still with him from that time. Here is Max, fast asleep...

...and Tessa, equally fast asleep and in dire need of a bath.

But since last round, Jared also has a human housemate: Nery Turner, a townie who became eligible to move in because I know people in real life with that surname.

Nery is a Romance Sim and wants to become Professional Party Guest; shouldn't be a problem.
He also brings a few good items in his inventory, good to be sold - the household can do with a few improvements. Afterwards, the joint bank account still shows 16,414 Simoleons.

The week at this house starts on Sunday, and for Jared, his customary round of dog bathing is in order.

Nery was lucky in finding a position as Gas Station Attendant and can start that same evening. "I thought this was the Slacker Career," he muses as he goes out to the car pool in the pouring rain. "Working nights and having to leave the house in this weather does not exactly feel slackish!"

On Monday, not for the first time this round I catch Tessa challenging Maxx in an aggressive manner. Was she like that last round? I can't remember. Maxx has done nothing to deserve that!

The skunk is visiting, and just like before, the dogs don't take notice. But Jared does! On his own accord, he goes out and tries to pet it - with the usual result.

Later that morning, Tessa shows her age; she is now an elderly dog.

Somehow, I either forgot to take a picture or it has disappeared; anyway, Nery is promoted to Convenience Store Clerk on Monday. He has now two days off; good to work on his skills, and also to visit a community lot with Jared and the dogs.

Here the two men are fast asleep on Tuesday morning. As I said before, the house is much less spacious than it looks, and two bedrooms are not possible - unless I would ban the dogs from the house, which Jared would never want.

It is a fine summer morning, and the men occupy themselves with dog-related cleaning jobs first.

The taxi then takes them all to Pettina's Pet Retreat, already bustling with visitors.

Stephanie Stacks is here, as is Gallagher Newson and an assortment of townies, cats and dogs.

Jason Lewis happily eats one of the hot dogs Jared has grilled for everyone.

Nery and Stephanie strike up conversation around the swings, but there is not enough attraction between them for me to further pursue the acquaintance.

The day is made perfect when Opal Traver, the Infallibly Good Witch, sheds golden light on the place.

During the early hours of Wednesday morning, Nery's stargazing is interrupted when he is invited aboard the Alien spaceship. It was his very first time ever at the telescope!

Upon his return, he is utterly exhausted and not at all happy, but he still has to be up and dressed in time for the car pool - after two days off, his job at the store starts today.

Hardly surprising, after the kind of mood he was in this morning, he comes home without a promotion - but with a sudden urge to run to the toilet. "Am I expecting?" he wonders.

"You ARE," Plesant Servo Capp tells him later of a dinner of grilled cheese, made by Jared and eaten in the company of their guests for the evening, Servo (remember, I made him look human some time ago) and Carmelo Capp.

Thursday means dog-related cleaning jobs for Jared...

...even before sunrise.
The skunk is a frequent visitor, but although it seems here as if Maxx were straight looking it in the face, he actually takes no notice at all.

Nery has been wishing for a date all week, and since the only two three-bolt ladies he knows are Jill Smith and Gabriella Newson, the latter is asked over.

Their date goes along well enough, but Gabrielle cautions Nery that he is not the only man she's been kissing recently - she is, after all, a Romance Sim with the wish to have 20 lovers, and last time I looked, she had 13 or 14.

Not much happens on Friday.
Jared repairs the bathroom sink...

...and later discovers that young Chandler Cho is happy to talk about Grilled Cheese - something Jared never takes for granted.
Nery is asleep most of the day, and it is dark by the time he finally gets up. Being in the last stages of pregnancy makes him tire quickly.

By Saturday, Nery finds sitting down much more comfortable than standing or walking. He settles on the settee to do the crosswords...

...when he suddenly drops the paper and goes into labour.

Just before 10:00 am, little Tina is born! (You know I had to name her Tina, with that surname!)

Jared happily welcomes this latest addition to the household.
Nery is off to work, knowing his baby daughter will be in very good hands with Jared.

Jared has been trying to ring his old friend Gerlinde Gavigan many times this week, but she was always out working. How nice of her, then, that she comes visiting on her own accord today! George Scott has been passing and is also invited to share the platter of grilled cheese sandwiches.

Nery is promoted to Record Store Clerk, and this is where the week here ends.

It was never boring, what with the two men looking after the dogs and Nery making sure he had enough skills for his job. Also, there were daily phone calls to friends, and the visit to the community lot provided a welcome change.
The highlight was of course Tina's birth, and I am already looking forward to playing this household again.