Jane Stacks: Senior Year

We met Jane first here.

After what felt like a long time spent in Strangetown, we're now in Desiderata Valley. To be precise, we're at Sim State Uni and will be spending a year at this rented house, No. 20 Peanut Street.

Jane Stacks and Allegra Gorey live here; Martin Ruben, who originally shared the house with them, has since moved to the fraternity house on invitation of his older brother Joshua Ruben. 

We're here for Jane, whose Senior Year has just begun. Allegra is younger and only a Sophomore. Jane is a Family Sim who dreams of raising 20 puppies or kittens. She's in love with Martin and right now wants nothing more than to get engaged to him, but she has always been the sensible type and understands that they can better focus on their studies not living together until they have graduated. 

Allegra's boyfriend is Castor Nova, and she, too, wants to get engaged. A typical Knowledge Sim, she fancies herself as a future Media Magnate. 

When she returns from class on the first day of her Senior Year, Jane is met by the Cow Mascot. NOT FUNNY!! She instantly asks the cow to leave.

She wouldn't have time to entertain guests right now anyway, what with three creativity skill points needed for this semester. With the benefit of the Thinking Cap plus it being autumn, it only takes her one afternoon. 

She proceeds to write her Term Paper right away and finishes late that same evening. Well done, Jane! (Allegra only had one skill point to acquire and wrote her paper several hours earlier.) 

Jane may not be a good cook yet at just one cooking point, but she knows how to make vegetable soup, and with the colder season fast approaching, it is the best type of food. Also, making a big batch means the ladies save time they can invest in other things. 

Jane and Allegra wake up at 6:00 the next morning, as (nearly) always. A chest of drawers, bedside tables and lamps have been bought with part of their grants. 

But the ladies want outfits better suited for the wintry weather, and after class walk to the University Way Shops. 

Apart from Ty Bubbler, no other playables appear, and no unknown Sim with a playable surname. Therefore, once the outfits have been chose and bought, Jane and Allegra head back home. Their combined bank account now shows a balance of 2,342 Simoleons - nothing to worry about, but not enough to throw caution to the wind and start spending unnecessarily (although a better fridge and stove would be nice).

Once the friends have changed into their new winter clothes, they enjoy a meal of spaghetti, prepared by Allegra on her own initiative. 

In fact, both Allegra and Jane are rather good at taking care of the house without me having to tell them.

The next day, just as the girls return from class, Martin appears for a surprise visit. Jane shows him just how much she loves surprises - especially Martin-shaped ones ;-)

The house is full that afternoon, with the cheerleader, the Llama mascot and Martin all having turned up on their own accord. 

Jane smiles - she has something in mind to distract Martin from his research, and moments after this picture was taken, she is successful and gets his full attention.

Later, the cow mascot turns up, and the cheerleader shows the cow how unwelcome a guest he or she is.

In spite of all that's going on, Allegra and Jane have to leave for their end-of-term exams. Upon their return at 11:00 pm, the house is empty, and the girls are happy to have recieved not only an A+ each but also the full grants, which increases their bank balance to over 4,700 Simoleons. 

This semester, Jane needs only one skill point, and that is mechanical. It is almost convenient, therefore, that the upstairs toilet clogs up and Jane has the privilege to sort it out instead of calling the repair service ;-P 

The bills arrive, but at a mere 89 Simoleons to pay there is nothing to worry about.

In fact, the girls invest a little bit of their grants in a matching settee and armchair as well as a floor lamp. They have not gone over the top with those new acquisitions; it's a rented place, after all, and Jane will move out after graduation, which will be happening this coming spring.

This semester, Allegra's class is in the evening while Jane's is in the morning. But in between, the friends have enough time to play chess or do other things together, such as going to the shops. 

Today, they're not looking for new outfits, but need to stock up on groceries. 

The only playable Sim they meet is Heather Huffington, and so they head home well in time for Allegra to go to class. 

Allegra's grades are already the best possible, but she still wishes to do an assignment almost every day. That's Knowledge Sims for you, I guess. 

Jane is so NOT looking at the streaker when he surprises her just as she comes out of the bathroom! :-D

The girls' hard work and wholesome lifestyle pays off: Jane graduates well enough with a GP of 3.6 (stragely enough, it doesn't say anything like "summa cum laude" or "cum laude" etc.), while Allegra's name is on the Dean's List once again. For her, the Junior Year is about to start. 

Since the girls return from their exams very late at night, Jane throws her Graduation party the next day. Of course top of the guest list is Martin, and he gives his sweetheart a long and delicious congratulation kiss.

The party ends a roof raiser, and Jane feels quite ready now to tackle the next chapter in her life - it will be a lot of work to raise all those pets, but she knows she'll have Martin by her side once he's graduated, too. 

Without it being boring, the two ladies were easy to manage and to keep happy. They were even able to fit in a community lot visit each term!

For now, Jane resides in the Bluewater Village part of Desiderata Valley, waiting for Martin to join her. Allegra has the house to herself now, and I am not sure yet whether she'll move to the Tri Var Sorority house for the second half of her time at uni or finds one or two housemates to move in with her here.

Allegra Gorey - Freshman Year

We've not left Desiderata Valley; our next stop is at No. 20 Peanut Street, part of Sim Sate, the valley's university.

Inside, we find Martin Ruben, Allegra Gorey (she's why we're here) and Jane Stacks. According to their household bio, they "wanted to escape the craziness of campus life and decided to find their own place. Can they still have the "college experience" or will they just get lonely?"

 

Allegra is a Knowledge Sim and aspiring Media Magnate. Her major in Art could come in handy there. She "is a bleeding heart romantic but you wouldn't know that from looking at her. She dislikes the entire sorority as a matter of principle and sticks to her own small circle of friends instead.", says Maxis. 

Martin is of course Joshua Ruben's brother, but unlike him, he "can hardly believe he's really related to a frat member. Rather than dwelling on it though, he keeps his nose to the grindstone, hangs out with his roommates and tries to avoid the sorority girls." Martin's aspiration is also Knowledge, and I can imagine him doing well as the valley's future Education Minister. He is majoring in Mathematics. 

Jane wants to raise 20 puppies or kittens - not unusual for a Family Sim like her. For now, she will focus on her major in Physics. Allegra and Martin are Freshmen, while Jane is a Junior and " has been spending a lot of time with the irresistible Castor lately, could something besides friendship be in the air?"

Their house is modest but functional, with a living room and open-plan kitchen/dining area as well as a toilet downstairs.

Upstairs, the girls share a bedroom, while Martin has his own room with the only desk and computer in the house. A bathroom and a relatively spacious landing complete this floor. Together, the three housemates have 1,365 Simoleons. The house could do with some improvements, but they will wait until their end-of-term grants come in. 

During the day, all three go to class at different times and manage to acquire their necessary skills, with the exception of Jane, who needs a logic point but can only do the crossword for now. In the evening, Ashley Pitts rings Martin and suggests they all meet downtown. The group taxi pulls up in front of Lulu Lounge. 

Ashley has brought along his fraternity brothers, which means Martin's brother is also there, as well as Castor Nova, who Allegra has a crush on when the game begins.

But it is Jane who becomes best friends with Castor almost as soon as they arrive.

Still, Allegra needn't worry - on his own initiative, Martin sweet-talks to Jane, and now these two have a crush :-)

The next morning, the girls get up at the same time. With three students and just one computer and one bathroom, some organising is necessary so that everyone can have a bath, breakfast, goes to class and manages to write their term papers. 

Martin is first to write his.

The purchase of a chess table really can't wait until the grant money comes in, as Jane needs it now before the end of term.

Bills want to be paid, too. But the joint account still shows 626 Simoleons afterwards.

Jane completes her term paper next. 

And finally, Allegra sends hers in, too. 

It is just gone 7 in the morning when the three return from their end-of-term exams. Who schedules them at such ungodly hours, I wonder? Anyway, all three have made it, and their reward is immediately obvious on their bank account which now shows over 4,200 Simoleons. Allegra was the only one to catch a few hours of sleep before her exam - you can tell Jane now regrets that she stayed up all night, and Martin is nowhere near as well rested as he looks.

The new term starts off with Martin and Jane fast asleep and Allegra having leftover spaghetti on her own while reflecting about last term and what lies ahead - plenty of skilling, that's for sure.

When Jane has finally caught up with some badly needed sleep, it is nose to the grindstone for her: She needs not one or two, but FOUR mechanical skill points! Fortunately, she seems to enjoy studying. 

She enjoys her meal with Martin even more, though.

Although they have not shown any more romantic wishes about each other, Martin and Jane seem to really enjoy doing things together. 

pMartin is again first to finish his Term Paper.

pAllegra follows suit, and last but not least, Jane has acquired all her skill points and writes hers, too.p

Now I can lean back and watch what the three house mates are up to. Allegra returns from class and decides to make spaghetti for everyone.

"I am sorry... my sauce bolognese might be just a tad darker than usual..." she apologises, but Martin is hungry enough to eat just about anything when he, too, returns from class. 

Later, the girls play chess until they go to bed. 

The next morning, it is discovered that the fridge is almost empty. What to do? Since they have not yet been to a community lot this term, I send the three to 452-498 University Way instead of having their groceries delivered. 

Jane takes care of their food shopping while the other two roam the lot. 

Jack Kim, who has been spotted before but not yet befriended, seems to find Allegra very attractive when he comes across her upstairs.

She joins him for a game of pool but nothing further happens between them. 

Downstairs, Martin is having a drink at the bar while Allegra meets - and instantly dislikes - Brittany Upsnott. 

Martin is pleased to see his brother, it seems.

Back home, Martin is off to class while the girls get a visit from the Campus Coach and work out for several hours (!). 

Finally, with only two hours to spare before their end-of-term exams, the three sit down together for spaghetti - this time, not burnt. 

They all fly through their exams and end the term successfully. 

I quite liked this set-up; not as busy as a dorm, but not as quiet as a single household, either. Everyone did rather well, and ended up being best friends. What will become of Martin's and Jane's budding romance remains to be seen, and whether Allegra will act on her crush on Castor Nova or become interested in Jack Kim (or someone else), I don't know any more than you at this point.