Chris' Senior Year at uni is here (although she hardly features in that post).
We're staying in Veronaville and are here for a week at No. 30 Bard Boulevard.
Chris Cho, former townie teenager who became playable when I discovered her surname and sent her to college, has bought this place from her student grant savings.
Her aspiration is Fortune, but she does not want to get a job in order to satisfy her financial needs and wishes - no, she dreams of having others get the money in, namely six pets who shall reach the top of their careers (or two pets reaching the top of three careers; that works just as well, as I believe I have done that in my game before).
For now, though, Chris has to do something about the house. As you can see, it only contains the most basic furniture and appliances. After she has sold everything plus taken out what she had in her backpack, there is a good balance of 15,000 Simoleons in her bank account - enough to buy what she needs, but until she has those pets earning money for her, she'll be careful.
After she has furnished the bedroom, modernised the shower room and set up a basic kitchen, small dining table and a desk with Mr Humble's computer on it, she still has over 8,000 Simoleons left. More and better stuff will be purchased as her situation becomes more stable, I am sure.
One of her first wishes is not Fortune-related: Chris wants to woohoo in her brand new bed, and since she already has a crush on former fellow student Chaz Whippler, she invites him over. Moments after this picture was taken, she does not only fulfill that wish of hers, but also helps Chaz along with his lifetime want ;-D
Once again, it is Titania Summerdream and Kent Monty who make up the welcome committee, along with a townie (Neil Cameron this time) who is not invited in.
Chris can't cook properly yet and so her guests have to make do with sandwiches. Because there are only three chairs at her small dining table, and Chaz cheekily snatches the third one, Chris herself has to sit at the desk with her plate.
She spots a girl and a dog walking by and rushes out to greet them. The girl is Bottom Summerdream, Titania's daughter, and the dog is not hers - it is called Alegra and apparently a stray.
Chris considers herself lucky and hopes to establish a friendship with the beautiful whippet so that one day soon she can adopt her.
Less lucky is what I witness a bit later: Kent and Titania are falling in love!! Bottom looks on, and I wonder what she thinks; is she going to talk to her Dad about it, ask her big brother what to do, or keep it to herself?
Chris is not involved, and so she easily accepts Tom Freshe's (another former fellow student) invitation to meet up downtown. The group taxi pulls up in front of the Desirable Discourse, the hobby lot for film and literature enthusiasts.
Goneril Capp is there (with her back ot the camera); Chaz comes along, too, and of course there is Tom Freshe as the initiator of the outing. Unfortunately, Marla Biggs - the woman Chaz has been pining after for the entire week I played Marla - is also here...
Now I need to manage things carefully if I don't want a slap fest to start after one of the ladies witnesses the other one interacting romantically with Chaz.
Marla sits next to Chaz, who can't believe his luck, while Chris - who wishes for a drink - heads over to the bar, out of sight. All goes well, and she leaves after she has finished her drink.
A lone breakfast starts Tuesday off for Chris.
No stray animals appear on her lot today, and after she has paid the bills, had a meal and done some house work, she invests some money in a book case and armchair and decides to improve her cooking skill. "I hope it was worth it," she thinks as she is perusing the recipes and methods.
Chaz comes visiting on his own accord, and the distraction is quite welcome.
On Wednesday morning, a small stray dog by the name of Tucker appears in Chris' front garden. They become acquainted, and then Tucker wanders off.
He is back by nightfall, and Chris soon reaches the belly-rubbing stage with him. Several treats, games of razzle and a bath later, Tucker is friends with Chris and lets her adopt him.
She puts a pet bed and bowl full of food for him in her large open plan kitchen-dining-living room. While Tucker dreams of his new human friend, she finds him a job in Show Biz; tomorrow, he'll start as an Extra.
While Tucker is at work, Chris has just been out to pay the bills when Oberon Summerdream walks by and is politely greeted.
The rest of the day goes by with gardening, and when Tucker is dropped off after work, Chris takes care of him and says good-bye to Oberon (of course without having mentioned the incident between his wife and Kent Monty).
It is Friday morning, and Tucker seems to ask Chris: "Is it okay if I sit here?"
No, it isn't, just as it wasn't okay that you just peed on the floor, and twice already have tried to destroy the very armchair you are sitting on! Strangely enough, Tucker is in the middle between "doofus" and "genius", and yet so far he has mostly been ignoring his pet bed indoors and the dog house outdoors, as well as the strategically placed THREE chewing bones dotted around the house and garden.
That day, because he has been neglecting his needs so much (and Chris can't tell him to use the chewing bone, or get comfortable in the pet bed), he doesn't even go to work.
A thunderstorm passes across the neighbourhood in the afternoon, and Tucker gets upset when lightning strikes one of the bamboo plants in the back garden. Fortunately, the rain is still falling, and the flames die off quickly.
Chris is doing her best to look after Tucker, but apart from giving him a bath (he's a pigpen and needs one every day), playing with him and praising him when he eats pet food or pees outdoors, there is not much she can do; she wisely doesn't even attempt to teach him to "speak", which is required for his next promotion.
In contrast, Saturday goes much, much better. Not only does Tucker finally see sense and makes extensive use of his chewing bones and pet beds, he also learns to "speak" incredibly fast - and all that before sunrise! Chris rewards him with a walk.
Later, she invites Carl Cho over, and since Romeo Monty happens to walk by just as she is about to make a batch of hamburgers, he is asked to join them.
Both Carl and Chris have been to uni, and Romeo asks them about art classes; he is soon off to uni, too, and it is good to know a thing or two in advance.
Sunday is a very quiet day at first, with Chris and Tucker mostly relaxing at home.
In the afternoon, she decides to carefully invest in a new wardrobe, since much of what she brought with her from the dorms is either mismatched or unsuitable for the various seasons.
She bumps into Phineaus Furley, another former co-student of hers, and close friend. The two entertain the rest of the customers at H&M with the school cheer.
The shop fills up, and when I have Chris "scope room", she finds Alan Riley "hot". The two have not met before, and the attraction is at only two bolts; therefore, I don't think I'll have her (or him) follow up with it.
Back home, Chris makes sure Tucker gets all the attention, love and care he deserves before she goes to bed.
Phew! I was so relieved when Tucker finally adapted to his new situation, living with Chris, and responded to all that she was doing for him. It was tough going at first, but she persevered and was rewarded with a loyal friend who can now help her to reach her lifetime want.
The dog she first met has not appeared again, but the next stray cat or dog will of course be greeted - she can handle two pets and have them follow their careers.
It'll be interesting to see how much Kent is really interested in Titania, and vice versa - he is married to Bianca Monty, and she has Oberon and the kids...
Etsu Cho's family is next on my list.
