Francis J. Worthington: Week 4

Yes, you're reading correctly - I have finally corrected the spelling error in this Sim's first name which has been bugging me from Day One! Up until now, this Maxis-made Sim went by the name of Frances, in spite of him being male. I don't like typos generally, and especially not in people's and place names, and so I finally used the Tombstone of L and D to give "Frances" his proper name - he is now Francis.

It's been a long time since I last played his household; December 2014, to be precise. Back then, I was still experiencing strange graphics bugs in New Maximiliania. Maybe you remember how half of Francis' house was overlayed by another lot; if not, you can have a look at the pictures of that strange phenomenon here. xxx 

Now his house looks bug-free, and I am ready to play Francis through his fourth week after graduation. But wait... something has changed: his Lifetime want!
He used to dream of having six pets reach the top of their careers, but upon entering the lot now, I find that he has given up that idea and wants to become Space Pirate instead.

Here he is, getting up on that Monday morning to a new chapter in his life. He had been doing well so far; his two pets had already reached three tops of careers, so he was halfway there already. But what can you do when a Sim changes his mind?

Here is Kim, the Kat. She had reached the top of the Entertainment career last round and had already started to work in her next career.       

Abbey here had already two career tops under her belt: Rescue Pet and Star. But Francis rings both his pets' work places and quits their jobs for them. They have worked so hard - now they can just be pets, nothing more, and enjoy life at home.

On Tuesday, Francis finds a job in the Adventurer career first thing in the morning. He is now a "Multiregional Sim of some question", whatever that means! Before he starts work, though, he greets Nervous Singles, recently widowed husband of Erin Singles.       

His first day on the job is not very successful, though: Due to the wrong decision with a chance card, he is demoted to Spelunker.
That chance card is, by the way, one of several I have never seen before in my game (at least I can not remember them) that appear during this round with Francis.        

Good job he can fly back to work on his broomstick straight afterwards - and gets his former position back as if by magic :-) (Francis inherited Herb Goodie's book of spells and cauldron when his fatherly friend felt the day of his departure from this world was not far.)

Wednesday morning, the bathtub breaks. Because Abbey is in desperate need of a bath, Francis does not bother calling the repair service but does the job himself and then gives Abbey a thorough bath.

Cornwall Capp walks by and is politely greeted by Francis.     

He's been wanting to throw a party for a while now and does not have to go to work today, so I have him invite his 8 best friends over. Do you know who is who?
       

That's eight altogether, if I have counted correctly.
       

For a change, Francis does not have to eat his meal all alone.
       

Sirius Swain walks by on Thursday morning, just as the mail carrier leaves after having placed the usual bills in Francis' mail box.
       

Frances is promoted to Deep Sea Excavator.
       

This calls for an increased level of fitness, and he diligently works out in front of the TV. It being autumn plus the use of the Thinking Cap help :-)       

It is still dark when on this Friday morning, Charlie the wolf visits his old friend Abbey again.

Not a good day for Francis - he is not only demoted, but fired, after yet another (hitherto unkwown) chance card. Friend Mickey Pilferson (former Dosser) appears just in time to encourage his old college chum.       

Next on today's guest list is Gabriella Newson.
       

Francis' situation is precarious: He only has two days before aging up, and desperately needs to get back into the Adventurer career if he ever wants to reach his LTW. So far, he's not been lucky. On Saturday, he carefully checks his book of spells for something helpful when it comes to work and careers. But the book does not say anything about work, and Francis can't do anything but hope and keep looking on the Simternet.       

Orlando Ottomas passes by and is greeted.
       

He was followd by Christopher Capp a little later, and the two lads don't seem to mind Francis' burnt pork chops too much. School seems to be the most interesting subject to all three, believe it or not!       

While the two boys are still there, Francis attempts to repair the trash compactor. You can see the result! He sends his guests home and goes to bed, hoping for a better day tomorrow.
      

And Sunday is indeed a better day! First thing in the morning, Francis manages to get back his job as Multiregional Sim of some question. This calls for another party, and the same guests as earlier this week reappear.      

No burnt pork chops this time!       

It's a great party, and Francis can end his week on a happy note.

He'll turn into an Elder at the start of his next week, but it'll be a while before I'll get round to play him again. In the meantime, I hope his LTW won't change again! Also, I wonder whether there will be more unknown chance cards; hopefully, he won't get fired again. And what about love - will he remain on his own forever?

Wilma Williamson's Freshman Year

Pinenut Plaza Dorms is still the only place on campus currently inhabited by students from New Maximiliania - with the town's population getting lower each round, there simply aren't many young people eligible for going to college at the same time.

Wilma Williamson has just arrived for her Freshman Year. Her outfit is pretty, but her hairdo - a bridal veil?! Not quite what I'd advise as the proper thing to wear at college!

Since she seems to be into pink and flowers, pink and flowers is what she gets for her new hairdo.

The students who already live here are Nellie Nelson and her twin brother Nelson (not pictured), both Seniors; Perseida Powers, a Junior...

...and Sophomores Stephen and Meike Riley.

At the start of the semester, the campus coach is paying a visit. Stephen, always polite and kind, complies with the coach's wishes.

The coach is happy to find a new target, and Wilma works out until she maxes out her body skill.

While two of the students are busily tapping away at the keyboards, writing their term paper, a streaker appears. But as usual, nobody takes notice.

Outside, Nelson has been raking the leaves, and burning them. Not only them, I'm afraid!

Some piles of leaves are left... and so is a small pile of Nelson's ashes.

The students are shocked - but having been born and raised in New Maximiliania, they are only too familiar with this cause of death as one of the most common ones in their world.

With only 5 playable students, three of the slots at this dorm are filled with NPC students. I do not stop my playables from interacting with them, but I do not encourage them, either. Here, Wilma apparently seeks this NPC student's help with learning the Hula, a dance no student can go through college without.

One fine morning early on in the semester, she wakes up with the wish to declare her Major in Physics, and that is exactly what she does.

Oh! I didn't see that coming - Stephen Riley autonomously leaps into Wilma's arms, and the two of them are on full red-hearts love mode from that moment on!

Wilma has discovered the exercise bike upstairs and works out for so long...

...she does not even manage to get to her own room on the ground floor, but faints with exhaustion on the floor of one of the nearest bedrooms.

Nellie, now without her twin brother, is the first one to finish the semester.

The very next morning, the other four follow suit.

This semester, Stephen is first to finish his term paper.

It's skilling and term-paper-writing time until everyone has met the requirements to complete the semester. After that, as you know, I leave the students pretty much to their own devices.
As you can see, winter has set in.

Meike makes omelettes for everyone very early one morning - too early for the dorm cook to start work, but not too early for her to be hungry.

Meanwhile, Stephen decides to give the boys' shower room a good scrub.

Meike rarely leaves her room without making the bed first.

Like Wilma before her, Perseida has been working out on the exercise bike for so long she falls asleep on the spot - for her, that means standing in front of one of the toilet stalls. She nearly misses class that day!

Nellie returns from class, delighted to find it has snowed enough for her to build a snowman.

She is very cold by the time the snowman is finished, but there is a fireplace in the upstairs common room, and she puts it to good use.

Four out of the five playables roll the wish to go ice skating, so I have Wilma call a taxi that takes them to The Hill Community Centre, a Maxis-made community lot I play very rarely.

Skating is new to the girls, and Wilma is not the only one to land on her rear today!

Still, they all have fun and soon get the hang of it.

To warm up, they retreat to the log cabin, where mugs of hot chocolate and a cozy fireplace await them.

Back at the dorm, Stephen congratulates Wilma to how her first year at college has been going so far.

Nellie has just graduated Summa Cum Laude . "I wish Nelson was here with me now," she muses.

She will never see Nelson again, but her mother Ginger, aunt Gabriella, older brother Nigel and uncle Gavin all come to her graduation party.

[Aunt Georgia is here, too. She and the others quickly line up for a round of Hula dancing :-)

Ginger has been grieving the loss of her younger son, but she is happy to see her daughter so grown-up, and is very proud of her.

Stephen, Wilma, Perseida and Meike have finished the semester, too.

Wilma's first year went well, apart from the shock at Nelson's death. She has made friends and found a boyfriend. Nellie has graduated, and we'll see where she has moved and how she's getting on during the next round.
There has been no fight between Llama and Cow this year - and surprisingly few visits from these two mascots and the cheerleaders anyway.

Who will join the four students left here? Nobody this round, that's for sure, but next round I think several teenagers will be old enough to move to college.