1.01 Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye to Lize.

...Did nobody think to use the camcorder? Why'd they buy it? Oh well (I still love how cookies go on plates in this game).

Loki ages up (I hate waiting he was four days younger so I just forced it. Let's get going). He's not bad looking, although it seems like his face is growing out of that hair cut. It should probably get shorter or longer. Although, a muscle shirt, really? There is a strange buzzing in his ears as one would imagine from the surround sound noisemakers provided by his girlfriend's family.

Meghan is distracted by a book on the bookshelf she wants to page through before they all get going. She's still super excited for him though. Suuuper exited.

Oh wait, there we are.

Being ambitious he marches right upstairs to fill out the requisite college application paperwork, although he's been over the material and knows he will be accepted. Life seems easier for the type A personality, but it's mostly hard work and sacrifice.

Saying goodbye to Eugene.

“That cannot be your actual acceptance letter.” Eugene cringes.

“I... ate my actual one?”

The pause didn't seem to be there for comedic effect. “Wait, did you?” He asks her.

The kid's channel is on because Leon was enjoying Snikolodian before Lize reminded him that parties are no excuse to put off doing homework.

Loki and Drea sit to relax together after a very eventful last few days. They have to pack soon. It seems like things are only going to move faster in the future and like a whirlwind they'll have responsibilities and expectations. Meghan didn't realize how far Loki was planning ahead, but it makes sense that he would because he does nothing spontaneously.

So when he comments during the show she knows to take it seriously, “I think... I'd like to have a lot of kids right out of college. A big family. Everything begins now.” He says it matter-of-fact as if everyone wants those same things. He sounds excited and self-assured.

“But you're just growing up yourself.” She says, trying to imagine immediately settling down. She can't. Her with kids? “Why not travel, see the world or work hard to establish yourself in a career first?”

“Sure those things are nice but kids are awesome, you kind of grow with them if you have them when you're young and you can enjoy being a family longer.” He shrugs, “My parents are getting older and I can't imagine our family without them, it's difficult to imagine them being gone one day.” His grandpa wasn't doing too well since the party yesterday, maybe that's what brought this on.

It's probably a sweet thing to say or at the very least a nice perspective, but Meghan has been a member of two different families and has had two very different experiences with them. It sounds like a 50% chance of happiness or more of a roll of the dice to her. How do you know the family you create is going to be the good one, like what Lize and Eugene have built?

Andrea's face has 'deal-breaker' written all over it, but she doesn't say anything because she had no idea any of the things he's talking about were on the table between them in the first place. She thought they were going off on another adventure of discovery and learning like when she went with Dustin out to Aurora Skies. This was more of that, and she didn't feel grown up yet.

This has been an eye opening conversation.

He continues, “I'll be able to afford a big rock for you after I get my Bachelors of Arts in Communications and start working in radio. I know we haven't discussed it a lot, our future, but I'd like to start.” He offers a wary smile as if he knows her mind might be far away from these things while she's planning to leave for uni and all. But he can't help himself, and he thinks of her that way.

She stares at him, completely lost in a psycho-analysis. Maybe she should be going to uni for communications instead of science, so she can understand people better. What would make someone want to anchor down immediately to the first person they ever dated like that? It sounded weird, but she liked Loki and didn't want to criticize him.

The silence begins to attract his attention. “...what? Why are you looking at me like there's something slimy on my face?”

He finally notices her expression and that he was rambling on about their possible future with no response what so ever from her. “Does it sound that bad? It's just normal right?”

She takes a deep breath of patience. “No there something else bothering me right now...” She lies, searching for things that may potentially bother her also so there's some truth in the next fabrication.

“It was your haircut, that's what was bothering me. You look much better now (objectively). You can't look serious and sound serious at the same time, it's a little too intense.” She grins.

He laughs a short laugh, knowing she'd need more time and this was her way of avoiding the topic for now. But the seed of the idea has been planted and he's content with that. “Alright, well we can talk about it later anyways. Grad ceremony is soon.” And he gets up to put his robes on.

Meghan has a valuable moment of reflection. He was joking about all that, right? Trying to gauge her reactions?

Later that day Loki gets the 'Most likely to have a large family' award from his peers among the graduating class. 

Meghan thinks about visiting the hospital to make sure she's perfectly healthy enough for travel before they get going. Just a precaution of course but she was feeling queasy.

After the ceremony Eugene preps Dustin by teaching him his favorite cheer and getting him pumped for the new journey. He knows the kid doesn't want to go, but the scholarships are covering a good portion of the technology degree he's decided to pursue.

He gives his cousin some final advice. “If it's not what you're looking for, don't feel like you have to stay there. I know you'll be great as a magician. What was the name you trademarked for the stage?”

The guy with the pink frosted hair grins cheekily. “Element the Suspicious. And, I plan on making a lot of my own props,” Dustin shrugs. “Maybe I can use the degree after all.”

Dustin sneaks out back to have a drink and ironically celebrate whatever the future was holding over them all. This was either going to be the time of his life or a year worthy of a decade of regret. Too many variables to tell right now.

Also, maybe he should just drink water if this is what beer tasted like. It was probably Lize's cooking that had made him such a food snob though. He decided he should be in charge of meals when they get to uni either way. Meghan had a bad habit of throwing whatever she liked into food. Not all sprouting weeds were actual herbs.

The group arrives in the early hours of the next morning and prepares to settle in.

They move into this slum, which already has the theme of 'you're here to make mistakes' written all over it.

Loki loves the new place AND the new makeover I gave him. Poor thing, I'm not taking anything seriously at this point. Maybe if he hadn't chosen to 'shaka brah' Dustin in the middle of a serious conversation earlier than I wouldn't be dressing him up like some degenerate now.

He should have considered the ramifications of his earlier behavior.

Loki receives a call that his grandfather has passed away shortly after arriving, and is distracted from the excitement of being in a new place. Not that it was ever an adventure to him, more like something that made sense for him to do if he wanted to succeed in his chosen field.

He'll have to work through his sorrow, there is no way he's turning to go back home for the funeral, even though his family is important to him. His mom would just send him right back anyways, he got the ambitious trait from her.

While it's true Meghan won accolades for work involving biology, she's not sure how useful it's going to be learning the names of the different parts of the body. What if her new classes are morbid? She wanted to study outer space, maybe bugs, not experiment on people! But it's day one, who knows what it'll all be like?

More importantly, should her study skeleton have an awkward name? Bonesy-Jonesy? No? Maybe she should start by reading the books instead. This thing looked like it was going to start talking to her any minute.

Loki plans on making a name for himself, and he likes people. Radio should be alright. He gets caught up thinking about how when the radio was made it changed the world and who invented it though. Sometimes he thought that's the kind of guy he needs to be: there might be more recognition in creating devices that entire careers spring up from later. What if you could send radio waves out with a hi output device like a tesla coil? That would look awesome. But this low frequency stuff would have to do for now.

Still upset about grandpa (who seemed fine during the birthday party a few days ago), he resolutely powers through the owners manual and tunes up the equipment, hearing a satisfying hum.

Dustin feels like this contraption is more about showiness than technology, maybe his chosen field is more similar to his career than he first thought. He doubts it would help him in an actual performance though.

Dustin gives up on the idea of not flirting with Meghan and immediately begins flirting with her. Her eyes are like an oil painting, they have depth.

She's just glad he's here at all, and she's glad he's not moping around. Last week was scary in a way she hadn't considered before. Understanding the implications of that conclusion was going to take some time, but she was sure it said something about her and how she was afraid to be alone. For the second time in two days she considers the possibility of going into psychology instead of science.

Loki calls for her from outside though, cutting her inner monologue short. 

Dustin decides to distract himself by playing a little soccer before the orientation. Eugene had been right about sports making a good activity and he was getting more toned because of it, so it was helping to improve his moods overall.

Loki tests out his new broadcasting equipment by interviewing his girlfriend. “And what is it you most wish to accomplish in this exciting new time of your life?”

“Well I'm looking for my piece of the world.”

“I think you mean world peace.”

“I know what I said.”

Dustin's orientation is in another building than his friends', and he is excited they still manage to keep in touch. It's been less than an hour since he saw Meghan. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

More important than meeting new people for Meghan is getting her hands on some expensive equipment. This thing can actually irradiate sample materials! Think of all the questionable fruit she could import now!

Jock stuff. He just gets caught up in the energy of other people. He won't remember this girl's name later, but he'll remember her horribly clownish makeup.

Meghan and Dustin hang out after orientation, Loki went off somewhere to start cracking the books early.

He comes out of the restroom to find that Meghan is in another place entirely. How long has she been conversing with this pillar?

He gives her a hug because he can.

“Come out with me after class, just the two of us? There's a new place I wanted to check out that you'll love.” His voice is low, a murmur. She has to lean in to hear him.

“I think Loki wanted to study at home where there's no distractions. Maybe some other time?” She lets him down easy. He's different lately around her she thinks, a bit bolder and more confident than he was in high school. Reluctantly she eases away and gives him a small smile. “On the weekend?” she asks.

He smiles at her. “Sure.”

After class workout. Day 1 was pretty good.

Meghan frowns during the lecture. “Forget everything you've ever learned before you came to this class.” The professor had said snobbishly. That would be so funny if she took it literally. How could she take notes if she forgot how to read, for example?

This place was kind of weird.

Then again, the girl next to her just hit herself in the face with her own notebook when she flipped it open. She knew there was an accelerated version of most classes for smarter people, what if she'd accidentally signed up for the class that was for the extra dumb people?

That evening Loki and 'Drea' study so Dustin checks out a costume-friendly bon fire party he'd been invited to by that jock girl from earlier. Nobody at all shows up outside for it, but he kicks up a raging inferno all by himself, so he doesn't really mind.

Loki suggests they all study three times in a row.

Dustin is down for that. Meghan... isn't?

((Uhm Meghan I'm not sure what you think you're doing but I'm sure it's inappropriate for most audiences. What the hell is the rating for this blog anyways?))

At the end of week one, Meghan makes good on her promise and meets up with Dustin at a little diner. There's a bit of a chill in the air and she wears a jacket for once.

“You look cute.” He starts off by saying. She smiles. He loves seeing it so much. He clears his throat and offers to pay. “We've been working hard and I want to treat this time.”

After they eat he asks a simple question. “I was wondering if you'd be willing to indulge me for a second.”

“Sure!” She says easily without asking what it is.

“Well then bare with me for a moment.”

“We've been everywhere together.”

She nods. “A lot of places.”

What about... after college? Are your plans set in stone?”

“I don't... I don't think so.”

“You still want new experiences, to see new things.”

She nods.

“See them with me.” He says softly, his eyes searching her face.

She opens her mouth to respond but he closes it with his lips. She is shocked into silence for a few moments as he steps away again, a very vulnerable expression on his face.

Her face flushes, but she doesn't speak so he makes his case. “We both don't want to be apart from each other. We both value the same sense of adventure in life.”

He continues, ”I tried to give up on you Meghan but I can't, I want to be with you. I want more than friendship, and I think that may be more than you can give me.” He runs the back of his fingertips across her cheek idly. “But I have to ask you if you had to chose who you can part with, is it Loki or is it me?'

"I-"

“We belong together, at least it feels right when we are. Maybe you're aware of it too? I'm never going to look at another girl the same way I look at you.” He laughs with embarrassment. “I've actually tried, and there's just nothing I want with them."

He clears his throat.

"But with you I want everything.”

“Everything?” She asks uneasily.

“Everything.” He repeats. There was no use pretending otherwise, not anymore. “Break up with Loki, Meghan, and be with me. I love you.”

“I... uhm can I ask you something first?” She sounds worried, cautious.

He nods grimly as if to brace himself. Expecting rejection. It wouldn't be the first time she'd blown him off, but he couldn't hold back anymore and was glad he had told her. No regrets.

But she reaches for him and kisses him fervently. He returns it with everything in him, this was her question and he answers it, trying to tell her everything all at once.

They break apart but stay in contact, falling back into more comfortable habits. “I... I think I don't want to be away from you either. I used to feel childish, having to rely on you all the time and I want to be my own person. To prove myself, you know? So you would see how well I was doing and not have to worry any more.”

“I don't think I can help doing that.” He says, smiling a little. Then, nervously he asks, “Was my answer okay?”

She nods, her face still redder than he's ever seen it. “I'll... break up with Loki. I want to find out what this is between us.”

He can't stop the smile that that takes over his features completely. "I won't let you regret it." He promises, and she believes him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The post in which I can take only so much seriousness.

Dustin and Meghan were adults when I started the challenge and I cheated them down to be kids and started really playing them as teens. I didn't realize that because they had high school diplomas in their inventory the whole time that meant they weren't going to HS graduation. I didn't get plaques for them and I want to know what they would have gotten! 

Element the Suspicious as a name has just the perfect amount of danger with a splash of 'I don't want my kids to be anywhere near that guy'. I had a name picked out but clicked through game suggestions and found that little gem to be way more appealing.

I know it breaks the continuity a bit to have CC without simlish in it in places but I don't mind as much and I like some of the items, so sorry if you're a purest (I could name names but we're all adults here).

Also finally! Sheesh you guys. They predictably fell asleep in their sleeping bags at the diner right after their date. Keeping it classy. 

The goodbye pictures at the beginning got to me. :/