sneak peek: the terrarium

I know this is far too lame to be considered an update, but some people wanted to see my start on the terrarium, so here it is! ;)

extras, little bit of a teaser: the observation deck

This isn't exactly an update - but this was an excerpt I used for my 52 weeks project this week, and it's something you guys haven't actually seen yet, so I guess that makes it a bit of a teaser ;)

A taste of stories to come! Enjoy!

extras, friendship picspam

Friends is the picture theme over at N99 this week, and I spent a bit of time putting this together, so I thought I'd share it here too so that you all could see it. Some of these friendships go back so far, and when you look at it all in sequence, it kind of even tells a story.

If I get around to doing some other groups of friends, I'll share those here too. I'd definitely like to get around to doing my Tyler/Beau/April/Summer/Lucy/Dallas group too, but I know I have many others as well.

come undone, extras

Psst, Lara... that's not your husband...

After what was the longest "chapter" I've ever written for this story (totally got carried away there, lol!), I've decided to start doing these extras by chapter from now on, instead of by year.

Okay, so let's see what other extras, misfits, and outcasts we might have from the spring/summer 2083, "come undone" chapter...

LCU, life in present tense, part 3

LCU, spring semester, 2083 (part 3 of 3). Part 1, part 2, part 2.5.

*soundtrack (for all three parts), "Lifeboats," by Snow Patrol*

She was supposed to have an appointment with a recruiter, but instead it's General Deppiesse who walks into the room. He is confident, casual, and so eased in his stride she wonders if he actually knows she's sitting here. He finally says a simple, "Hello," without even looking her way. She figures he must be talking to her since there's no one else in the room.

This is her mother's doing, isn't it? When Keri wanted to study abroad, her mother wouldn't step in to help, but now that Keri wants to join the military, she's all over it. Keri is convinced her mother is dead-set against everything she ever wanted to do with her life. She's surprised her mother didn't somehow step in to call off her wedding. In fact, for all she knows, her mother probably tried.

LCU, life in present tense, part 1

LCU, spring semester, 2083 (part 1 of 3). Last semester, fall 2082.*soundtrack (for all three parts), "Lifeboats," by Snow Patrol*

Her mother said she wasn't cut out for this, that she was spoiled rotten, that being in the military would hit her like a brick wall. Keri knows that she's been spoiled, and she just couldn't resist throwing back, "Well whose fault is it if I am spoiled!?!"

Her mother didn't speak to her after that.

They had one terrible spat about it, and then her mother went silent. Keri knows this silence doesn't mean acceptance, and it certainly isn't approval, but instead it is coldness and waiting. Waiting to see what will happen, what will she choose to do? After all, Keri Riley-Kim is a full grown woman now, and entitled to make her own decisions, among everything else she's entitled to.

But she only gets her father on the phone these past couple of months, and surely her mother, when she is home, is seeing a name on the caller ID and handing it straight over to Bryson each time. Keri wants what she wants, but it doesn't stop her from feeling icky inside. Keri says, "Maybe you might send mom this time, if she's home?"

"You know she's busy," Bryson says. But she needs him to come watch Lillian so she can go to her yoga class, and then real class, and could he pick up some diapers on the way?

"Daddy, please," she adds, and Bryson comes running.

something she can do

January 2083 - Bryson and Madison Riley are 60 (Mariah and Micah Buchanan are 24, Quinn is five months. Justin Kim is 23, Keri is 22.) Last update, January 2081.

"Ally Schultz," Madison says. "She's running against me this fall. Can you believe it?" Madison can actually believe it. That Ally was always a go-getter, whether it comes to men, or her career. "And if I recall correctly, wasn't she the one who stole my niece's boyfriend?"

"I wouldn't know," Cabe says.

"Anyway, not even thirty-five and she thinks she's going to run for Governor. Apparently she even lost that louse of a boyfriend to help her public image."

Cabe isn't normally the type for mindless gossip, but unfortunately Madison had to unload this bomb on somebody. But Cabe was scheduled to meet her for a military briefing, and they do have serious matters to attend to.

LCU, start a revolution (part 1)

LCU, fall semester, 2082 (part 1 of 2). Last semester, spring 2082. *optional soundtrack, "Volunteers," by Jefferson Airplane.*

Keri Riley-Kim is different from her big sister Mariah in many ways, most notably maybe in that Keri always knows exactly what she wants. She knows what she wants, when she wants it, how she wants it, and even who's going to give it to her. Some people might say this makes her a bitch, but Keri just thinks she's a proud, sure woman. There's nothing wrong with being sure. Keri has been raised to get whatever she wants, and she usually does, one way or another.

But there's one thing Keri knows she doesn't want, and that is to work retail! So when Justin suggests it as a possibility for her senior year internship, she says, "Do you see me putting up with all that 'customer is always right' bullshit?"

these kids

June 2082 - Jeremy Nova is 66, Alice is 60, Jeremiah Day is 25, Stephanie is 22. Last update, February 2080.

"He's barely any more than a stranger," Jeremy says, and he means his daughter's surprise husband. Stephanie called a couple months ago, to say she was pregnant, and that they needed to come back home for a while. They've met Jeremiah about a handful of times before the two of them ran off on spring break and eloped two years ago. But Alice wouldn't care if Stephanie was bringing home big foot, because she just wants to see her daughter again, and meet her soon-to-be very first real grandchild!

This wouldn't be the first time Stephanie didn't think things through. Moving back home with her army-deserting husband, and where did she think they would live? How would they work? Of course, the answer being that her parents would take her back home, and that who knows how they would contribute to the household. Who knows how Jeremy would explain to his brother-in-law, Captain of Police, Micah Phoenix, that they were hiding an army-deserter in their home?

Stephanie broke her poor mother's heart, you know. Alice prides herself on education, and Stephanie dropped out of college after just one year. And then she goes on spring break, gets married, and never comes back? But still, what do you do when she calls and asks to come back home, with her delinquent husband and soon-to-be baby, but say "welcome back?"

happy mother's day!

I know there are a lot of mommies who read this blog, so in honor of Mother's Day...

LCU, a lesson in biology

LCU, spring semester, 2082 (last semester, fall 2081)

Keri just HAS to see this house, all the way out in the freaking suburbs! She's still not over it all, and says, "I can't believe you got married. You, got married! Not even a year ago, you didn't even want to live with him, so you married him?"

"He grew on me," Mariah says. "What can I say?"

Keri says, "And I can't believe you got yourself knocked up, haven't you ever heard of birth control???"

LCU, "spring" break 2082

2082, LCU, "spring" break

The newlywed Mrs. Keri Riley-Kim says, "Check out the wedding ring, Blondie. This one's taken!"

LCU, reining bridezilla

LCU, fall semester, 2081

***Very long, but picture-heavy, mostly - it's a wedding, you know ;)

Justin gulps hard and says, "You hired a housekeeper for this tiny apartment?"

Keri says, "Well, yeah! You didn't think I was going to clean it myself!"

"You hired that housekeeper?"

Keri says, "Well, you don't have to stare." But Keri can't help staring either. And it's not that she even likes girls like that, but she has to admit, that's one hell of a bosom!

Justin says, "Can we get you an outfit like that?"

LCU, normal, simple, happy, part 2

LCU, spring semester, 2081 (part 2 of 3)

On the morning of their final exams, Micah comes upon a startling scene, his girlfriend sitting and having a conversation with Blossom, his ex-girlfriend from freshman year. "What are you doing here?" he says.

"Oh, you know, I was just spilling all your dirty secrets," Blossom says. "Just kidding! Dude, don't freak out or anything!"

Good thing Micah doesn't have any dirty secrets, he doesn't think. Or none that Mariah doesn't already know.

LCU, normal, simple, happy, part 1

LCU, spring semester, 2081 (part 1 of 3)

May starts out chilly this year, so with thoughts of warm apple cider in her head, Keri is inclined to plant an apple tree. Of course, Keri didn't actually plant the tree. She hired gardeners to do that. She just likes to lounge underneath it. And Mariah has some sun-ripened tomatoes in mind for a nice juicy salad, but she does plant those herself. Keri doesn't lift a finger. We really shouldn't be surprised at that.

LCU, a very dear friend

LCU, fall semester, 2080

*Long, as these LCU updates tend to be...*

Justin is exiled this semester, in what was supposed to be an exciting year of study abroad, instead he'll spend the year at Takemizu Academy without Keri. And it looks like he's going to spend the whole year beating off girls with a stick. He's never considered himself a dream-boat or anything. Not that he thinks he's ugly, and sure, he supposes he's kind of funny, but this desperate girl is just insatiable! She won't take no for an answer. But NO is the answer, since this man is very happily engaged - even if Keri is a world away. He's even thinking about hiring a hit-man.

LCU, packing up, moving on

LCU, spring semester, 2080

It's early one spring morning when Keri's sister calls, and this phone call is a warning. Mariah says, "Bella's coming over to see you. Just so you know."

Though Bella Bradshaw graduated last year, it hasn't been exactly unusual to see her finding her way back onto campus. What what is unusual about this is that she wants to see Keri. Keri's older cousins hardly ever give her the time of day, unless they want something. And Keri is sick of the way Bella thinks she's the center of the entire universe!

LCU, spring break 2080

2080, LCU, spring break

Stephanie comes home from spending a weekend with her family, and she is so excited, she can't even contain herself! "The cabin is mine! It's really mine! We should totally go see it!"

Keri agrees, not that Stephanie had given her any real choice, and they inform the guys of their plan. They order their tickets, and pack up some bags, and Justin and Jeremiah say they have a few things to tie up before they go.

LCU, everybody needs a soul buddy

LCU, fall semester, 2079

*** Sorry, again SO LONG! LCU proves to be anything but boring, even if Bella Bradshaw has grown up. ***

Mariah and James have been dating for two years now, and though they adore each other, they're still experiencing technical difficulties. The huge problem in their relationship is that his chosen line of work is not any kind of work her family could approve of - and there's no budging on either side. "It's not valid work," she says. "I can't tell my parents you do that. What am I supposed to tell them?"

may, in bloom

May 2078 - Jeremy Nova is 62, Alice is 56, Patrick is 26, Lara is 24, Stephanie is 18. Keri Riley is 17. Tyler Jackson is 14.

Patrick Nova squeezes in a few last shows for some extra money, because his wife, Lara, is expecting in August.