1.30 The Beginnings of the Truth

Element the Suspicious can finally front line anything. This is the best show in town, and it's his. People travel to see his show, then they pay hundreds to learn at his workshops. Magic hasn't been this popular in years.

He's also a big hit on career day at his kid's school.

“I saw your dad's show last weekend- it was good- I thought he was a goner more than once!”

Jet shrugs. “He's invincible I guess.”

“I bet he shows you how to to do tricks too.” Chance Elson, Jet's friend with the inky black hair, spends his study hall time talking loudly and folding line paper into origami dinosaurs. He'd probably much rather be a friend of Jet's dad than a friend of Jet. At least, that's what he makes it sound like sometimes. But he's earnest and easy to get along with, so Jet tries not to mind. “Can you show me how he flies? I bet he uses wires, that's probably all it is.”

Jet smiles a little at the irony. He doesn't know and he doesn't care. Mostly at home his dad is cooking, sleeping, doing the laundry or some chores. “Then how do you explain the metal hoops they pass around his body before he flies?”

“Well that's obvious, there's some kind of latch on the hoops...”

“Yeah, you sure about that? What about how he turns and moves all over the stage? Wouldn't the wires get twisted up?”

“We-ll...”

And basically this is what class is like for Jet and Jyoti for the next several weeks (novel at first, annoying afterwards). Thankfully this is Starlight Shores, and they aren't at all the only kids around here with noteworthy or famous parents. Eventually Dustin's death defying stunts become the expectation, and the kids can take it in stride.

Meghan hasn't seen one of his shows in years, though. She's sure they're more spectacular than ever. In reality, she has no interest in watching her husband chain himself in a straight jacket in some kind of watery tomb. That's not her idea of a good time, so she just focuses on making money while he is and doing her part. The contribution she puts into the family funds is nowhere near what he brings in, but the work is incredibly satisfying so she tries not to mind it. Also, she has no interest on performing herself, ever (even if science were involved), so the two jobs can't really be compared the same way.

She's started collecting stones too, but there's already such a huge body of scientific research on these that she doubts there will be any related break through, it's more because when she's out looking for insects she can't ignore the potential held by gems and minerals either.

The larger venues are insane, there is too much rigging over Dustin's head for his eyes to find the ceiling. Not that they could compete with so many bright lights regardless.

Still, he performs even the death defying stunts flawlessly every night, despite the amount of distraction he faces. His resolve is unwavering, his dedication to his craft is awe-inspiring,

His pockets are overflowing.

Thank you, kind patrons!

There's always a moment of surreal silence after a huge show. The lights die down, the music fades, and the moments before the house lights come back and the groupies run off to pack up the props and equipment, he gets a serene and disarming few minutes to himself.

Dustin's not the type to wonder about life and his place in it, not really, so after a show like this where his blood is pumping and his adrenaline is surging to sheer overdosing levels in his brain, why does he feel so vulnerable, so mortal? So grateful to be alive?

It's not because he's alone, there are people here with him in the darkness. They race about with purpose and feeling, their feet never faltering, while he stands to wait. They were watchers during his show, so now it's his turn to stare blankly at them as they slowly fade into the blackness of space.

The crowd has to disperse before he can come out of hiding, that's how this works. But there's a part of him that wants to take this moment and stretch it on into forever. The sense of having done well, no that's not it either.

He'll figure it out one of these days. Or more likely, he will never need to.

Some moments just need to be left to the beauty of themselves.

But in the end Dustin has to wonder, how long can this kind of feeling last? Until he's old and gray? Is he doing it for the fame, for the fortune, is he still happy enough making people 'smile', like he claimed so many years ago?

Eventually, staring into the darkness, he has to admit that it was for moments like these, where in quiet contemplation, he can be satisfied knowing that he put everything he had into his life, worked to make an impact, and to support his amazing wife and family. The Sparrows were a household name now because of him, he hoped that wouldn't warp the children's development.

He never really wanted to be famous exactly, he just didn't want to suck at his craft and happened to be showy enough in personality to get people's attention. But there's a part of him that doesn't care for the fame. He sort of misses being able to blend in, travel where ever he wanted to without being noticed.

Then again, he asked for this.

He wished it, and made it happen. That's a damn cool feeling. A little extra attention is a part of the package after all.

Eugene meets him after the show tonight, but it's business before jock stuff for once.

He was able to confirm some of Loki's story, Meghan's dad had gambling debt, and had been found dead at the side of the road by an early morning patrolman a very long time ago. “The cause of death was never really specified, so whether the two issues were connected it's hard to actually say. Supposedly the house was torn down due to it's depreciating condition and the fact that squatters got in and-'

“Okay.” Dustin holds up a hand. “Okay, I've heard enough. Before you continue let me ask you your opinion, because you know Meghan's real personality, just as much as I do. “Do you think she would benefit from knowing this as closure, or would it just reopen the wounds about the fact that her mother was never found?”

Contemplating, Eugene weighs imaginary weights on each hand. “That's hard to say. But I think she would want to know... can you try to tell her on a day that you don't have a show, so you can be there if she needs you? I'd ask Lize to keep an eye on her but the way she's been forgetting things lately I think it would have to be the other way around, which defeats the purpose of having her visit.”

Dustin busts out the soccer ball. Indoors at a club or not, Element can do what he wants.“I guess I'll have to think about it some more, look for the right time or mood, or something.”

“Maybe you would wait until you go on the next vacation, aren't you both planning one?”

Dustin mulls this over. “True... I'm overdue for a visit back to Twinbrrok myself, I promised my brother out there that I would finally visit this spring. That just doesn't seem like a good setting, you know?”

“No, that might be perfect. That way she can leave any lingering feelings behind at the place where it all started for her. And you can plan something more relaxing next time.”

Meghan, oblivious to any of this 'news', is still at home just making money.

It's hard work but it pays off big time.

She just sold two plasma bugs to the research center, who pay in advance and send a courier later in the week. Simoleans in the bank!

And she's got more than enough to deal with right now honestly.

(Notice I got fed up and took away the door. This takes up too much time!)

Dustin brings home a souvenir of his evening catching up with Gene and says nothing of the conversations to his wife. He's going to wait for a while.

Meghan, despite her distracting setback where she ended up in the foyer for no reason staring at a blank wall for several minutes, is determined to get back to work when the house is quiet. But her son surprises her on her way back to the lab.

What is Jet still doing up?

Sharing a theory about hail with his mother. Apparently if someone was smart, they'd build their snowmen with hail or ice balls and then they'd stay cold longer and they'd be the only kid with a ready pile of ammo, ready for a snowball fight at any given moment.

Meghan forbids hail and icecube snowmen, someone could really get hurt. It's bad enough the kids run around in the cold half the time (she has no idea how often this really is).

“I didn't SAY I was going to do it, I just SAID it was a good idea!” He protests as she shoes him off to bed.

The kids do their homework before school the next day but refuse to sit anywhere near each other.

Yaaaay sibling bonding time...

And bus riding time...

And for the parents, spring is still all about indoor activities like boxing in a ghi (try not to judge)-

And ousting yourself from a game or two of chess.

I can't tell if the board is leaning more than Meghan is...

Dustin's been taking mornings off for a while now. They work out together a little bit, or have a simple breakfast, or play a game, then normally go their separate ways.

A lot of time passes before the moment arrives. In a way, she brings it up first. “What life was like for me before, I didn't think that the things I'm able to do now would ever be possible for anyone, I mean, how could I change the world? But maybe I'm the only one who can do what I'm doing, you know?” She rambles contentedly one morning.

He holds her in place by the hand for a second. “I think what you've accomplished is amazing, you've managed to discover something that will put your name in the history books, which must feel amazing. Me, I'm just following in the footsteps of the people who've already invented things, you know?”

She shakes her head a little. “Not really I think what you're doing suits you really well.”

“What I'm trying to say is, we've been true to ourselves and I'm so grateful for my amazing, supportive wife. Meghan, you know you're my family, and I'm your family. But if you want to know what happened to your father, Eugene was able to get some information about it, or rather... uhm, Loki called me.”

She frowns. “What? When did this happen?”

And his voice comes out, sounding sort of far away. “A couple of weeks ago, there hasn't been a great time to bring it up. Do you- want to know what happened to him, your father?”

She takes a deep, calming breath.

Things around her come back into focus and she can ask him, “You're sure it's true?”

“That's why I had Eugene follow up on it. He found a bunch of articles in the local papers, in the Twinbrook Reader and on one of the neighborhood watch sites. It's true, but we don't know about your mother. Do you want me to ...tell you more about it?”

There's a note of apprehension and tenderness in his voice that for some reason does the opposite of calming Meghan down.

She stares at him for a second. Then a minute. Then several. Dustin reaches out for her hand. When she speaks again her voice has a tense edge in it. She shakes his hand out of hers and clenches her teeth together. “We're going to verify it with Eugene, let's go.”

“Hey-”

“Not now.” She says impatiently, already walking towards the street. “We can play 'guess who is it' when we get back.”

“Malcolm, that's right.” Dustin follows, vaguely remembering the boy that used to manifest, mostly in Meghan's younger days. “Yeah, let's go.” He agrees.

It's been years since Malcolm's been out, possibly since before they were married. The drive to Eugene's is short but quiet.

Dustin still has plenty of time to overthink Meghan's words before she changed. There's not much to go on that would explain it. Is... Malcolm someone who protects her from her father? Can he hear the truth that she can't?

Her calm silence betrays no stress or emotion, so it's not as if there will be any satisfying, immediate answers.

Which is too bad because he has an irrational sense that he's failed her in some way. It's possible that there was a better way to tell her the beginnings of the truth, but it's also possible that any mention of her parent's fates would have brought the invading personality on.

He knows how she feels about their presence in her life; the fears of not knowing when she'll be able to return to herself, or of what she was doing as one of her others. This applies to not only the loss of control but the lack of closure, that could be just as harmful on her psyche as the things she becomes the others to avoid. Dustin has nothing to say to Malcolm, who exists to protect her. But he wouldn't exist if long ago when it mattered, anybody else had. As a method of defense after the fact, Malcolm was born. When it was too late. He became the shell that kept the truth away.

Dustin knows all of this. So it's out of his control. He shouldn't be taking this so hard right now, but he can't shake the feeling that he's not good enough. He's going to guide her to Eugene, step back and give her and Malcolm some space. It's possible that Malcolm will go on his own, or stay for a long time. He's not someone that Dustin's been able to find the key to.

This is classified as a date. (I just wanted to show this picture as I like the spray off the back tires because I'm sort of simple like that).

At least it works out that Eugene's home, even if they do already have company.

Leon returns Meghan's impressively firm handshake, not noticing the change in her when Malcolm asks him, “where's the old man hiding at?”

“He said he was going to write a report but he got distracted playing Skate, or something. Should be a minute.”

Dustin is worried about Eugene too in all honesty, so he breaks down this new change in not-always-working with Leon to see if it's a good change or a bad one.

Leon thinks it's healthy enough, so he doesn't press the matter. If anyone's earned the right to be a lazy gamer, it's Eugene after all.

'Meghan' spends some time getting to know the houseguest because Eugene's not done with his game yet.

And Dustin decides to practice like he always does and watch Meghan's interactions quietly from the sidelines for a while.

Ouch.

He probably should have been paying more attention to what he was doing instead.

The dizziness nearly makes him pass out, but the pain of his shallow, gurgled breathing wakes him right back up.

He gets a 'nearly drowned' moodlet after this one.

No more... party tricks... for a while, he promises no one in particular, as no one happened to be watching.

Eventually Eugene notices that he has new company, and one of them is 'Meghan' with a question.

“Can we play a LAN game on one of those? It's one of the best games to come out this year, I'd like to see if I can still knock everyone else's scores out on multiplayer mode.”

“That's what you wanted to ask me.” Eugene states with an eyebrow in the air.

“Yes or no, old man? It's a simple question.”

Eugene walks off suavely to make himself a snack. “That depends on who's asking.”

Meghan frowns. “I'm asking, you know who it is, so quit playing around. It's been forever, at least indulge me with a worthless game before you tell us a bunch of stuff that nobody in here really wants to know!”

“Don't raise your voice at me, young man.” Eugene corrects her. “If she let you take over then that means she's trusting you to hear it for her. She relies on you. The least thing you can do is listen, and be her ears, isn't it?”

Eventually however (and after a good bit more nonsense) Malcolm is told the truth, from what Dustin and Eugene both understand.

Dustin asks the kid if he's able to tell Meghan about it, or if she doesn't want to know, and receives the callous answer that if she were here, they could ask her.

It's not ideal, but at least the words have been said. What matters most now is whether they will be received by the intended recipient.

Dustin can't stay any longer, so he leaves Eugene to handle Malcolm for the time being. The old man doesn't seem to mind.

He decides not to perform anything too death defying tonight, he's had it with being half drowned and not being able to call his wife back. He'll probably extend the show and involve the audience more instead, make the show more 'fun'. He could use a bit more fun in his life anyways.

Jyoti visits the Swift household after school. They're the only family weirder than hers, after all.

“But do you have these?”

She also reminds Kevin what he could have achieved in scouts by now had he joined, but in his calm way he reminds her back that he was able to have a nice hot shower after school and she... didn't get to.

Being a straightforward person it's lost on her that he's telling her she smells. Either that, or she ignores the comment.

Non-magicals.

Malcolm was too excited about Dustin's show to be left behind at Eugene's after all. He heard there were death-defying stunts in it!

So of course, Dustin breaks his promise to himself and hopes for the best.

It was a mere few hours ago that he nearly drowned.

But he makes it and finished the show with a heady sense of excitement. It's good to know he can perform so well when he's not feeling up to it. Meghan would have screamed at him about this, or at least avoided talking to him for the night, so he's kind of appreciating Malcolm at the moment.

Not that Malcolm is in any way superior to Meghan, just sayin'.

And good friends don't really stay mad at each other.

Besides, Kevin has skills of his own to show off. Not that Jyoti believes him at first...

So he tosses her some fairy dust, and immediately she asks if it's something she can eat. Typical human question.

So he goes to great lengths to explain that the gift he gave her is rare, and if she used it she could have a show far better than one of her father's for the feat she could perform.

“Yeah but I'm not going to be a magician, they don't really do anything.”

Kevin's more serious nature won't allow him to see someone successful in a bad light, so he doesn't understand her comment. “Doesn't your dad make a lot of money?”

“He makes money, but...” How can she say this? “He doesn't really help anyone, he's always off on his own, even when we go out as a family, he and my mom just go their own way. It's nice I guess that so many people like him, but I'd like for him to be just my dad sometimes.”

Dustin is practically a workaholic these days. Even exhausted, even after so much practice and work and a successful show, he's not willing to give up on his ancient promise to old man Cupp. 'I'll be on every billboard, at street corner, outside of every building playing for tips, you won't be able to avoid me...'

He knows he owes his success to his work ethic and his family will be much better off this way. He didn't run away with Meghan to live in fear of the repo-man, after all. Now is the height of his popularity, he has to double down and not lose the advantage he has with fans and city establishments.

He messes up after that and decides to finally quit for the night (early morning)

Probably should have quit while he was ahead.

Jyoti loves being out late, loves that she can basically do whatever she wants, but some nights an annoyed phone call to come home would be nice too.

When Dustin wakes up his wife she's his wife again. He doesn't tell her that she really scared him this time, she can tell by the tightness of his embrace.

~~~~~~~~~

They went on a 'date' to the park afterwards, but the festival grounds weren't open. Uh-huh.

Now that I know it only costs 11,700 simoleans for a sim to risk his life on stage it makes me think of Lucy from charlie brown, with her wooden self help stand, only the words would say something like "Ask Me to Risk My Life,

$11,700."

Tammy's new room is HUGE.

I wanted to cover this place with silly photographs, I wonder why the photo booths are so finicky, has anyone figured out why they go corrupt sometimes? (I really got to keep this picture for a long time though, even as I was sad to have lost it. <3)