prom 2083, revisited

With four different scenes, and travel time to community lots, that prom update took forever to shoot and produced a lot of fun outtakes. And I was also feeling very particular about the mood of my narrative, so I didn't want to throw a bunch of funny outtakes at the end.

And besides all that, it was plenty long enough on its own.

So to start things off, this is what Melissa thought of my first idea for her prom dress! She says, "My cleavage is showing, I feel so naked!"

the things that make you panic

May 2083 (prom) - Dallas Deppiesse (18) and Lucy Harris (16) // Elijah Roberts (17) and Melissa Fortney (15) // Vicky Garth (18) // Summer Phoenix (18) and Tyler Jackson (19).

*** Sorry, I just realized three of my four girls have long dark hair, so I hope that doesn't get too confusing - none of them are wearing the same style. The first section kind of banks on you already knowing who these characters are, so new readers might want to read the linked posts above first. Before you think you're going crazy, yes, the first half is written in a wandering second person POV - and I intend it that way ;)

Box of tissues warning, and maybe NSFW?...

Soundtrack, "Details in the Fabric," by Jason Mraz/James Morrison. ***

You're young. You're growing up by the very minute, but inside, you're not much different from one minute to the next. Not deep down, where it counts, where you still feel the same things you've always felt. You're still the same girl you've been all along.

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 2.5

LCU, spring semester, 2083 (part 2.5 of 3). Where we left off... part 1, part 2.

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

April reports to Lucky's Card Bar for her first shift as a bartender. It's a Tuesday night, and there's a reason they train the new girl on Tuesday nights. They're long and slow, middle of the week and barely a trickle of customers through the front doors. Underneath the bar is a sort of "beverage recipe manual," thick as a novel, and April gets it out for nearly every drink she makes.

Except bottled beer. Bottled beer appears to be common sense.

ugh, bandwidth... (and further chatter)

Wow, well I guess 10 GB of bandwidth on photobucket doesn't go very far at all! Pictures in the archives are down already for this month, and won't be back up again until the 13th.

Let's all say it, folks, "Photobucket blows!"

Sorry if anyone was in the middle of reading something. I'm back home again now, and I'll try to work on something new for you to read this week - something small at least...

And maybe if my brain is too soggy to do much writing, I might work on relinking some of those archive pictures - I've gotten as far back as May so far, lol! Only 2500 more pictures to relink!

(OMG, Photobucket sucks for blowing so hard, lol!)

LCU, life in present tense, part 2

LCU, spring semester, 2083 (part 2 of 3). Last semester, fall 2082.

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

They find themselves in a new bar one Thursday night - or new to them, rather. Lucky's Card Bar in the Old West End has been around for decades, longer than the three of them put together. There was a help wanted sign on the door for bartenders. April needs a job, seriously, she doesn't have rich entrepreneur parents funding her education like her friends.

April says, "I'm broke as a joke, guys. Which one of you are buying my drinks tonight?"

Beau says, "Eh, maybe, if you don't tell Evie."

April says, "Tyler? I'll put out."

Tyler says, "Eww."

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.

oops, bandwidth...

For anybody who happens to be reading the archives...

Bandwidth has been exceeded for the month on my photobucket account :(

The pics will be back up when the account rolls over on the 13th. And this won't affect any of the more recent posts (April 2009 and forward).

Sorry if anyone was in the middle of reading something!

taken seriously

April 2083 - (2082/83 school year update)

*** as usual, I can't feasibly link to the family updates of each kid, so use the database and school enrollment if you need to ***
Bluewater Township: where Fiona McCullough shall rule the world!

As the school day begins in Bluewater Township, Robbie greets his best friend Liza with warm and questionably friendly hug. She looked a little cold, and she probably would be since it's only early April still. You know how these teenagers refuse to be bothered with jackets when they should.

But that's okay, Robbie insists, his arms will warm her just fine.

Fiona is thinking, Well isn't he a charming little booger?

His mother is thinking, Oh hell, already? At twelve?

while we're on the topic of chemistry...

Aurora says, "Did you ever realize how insanely hot I am?"

Adrian says, "Yes, dear, I think I noticed."

one day, when she might be able to cheer...

March 2083 (mini-update) - Stephanie Day is 23, Tyler Jackson is 19, Jeremiah Day is 26.

One day, while Stephanie was out walking, she picked up a sad and lost little puppy dog. His name was Tyler Jackson. He saw her first actually, walking past his house. She's still working off that last ten pounds of baby weight, which her mother has informed her might not ever go away. She was always such a tall and slender girl. She's become a woman now. It can't be taken back.

She and Tyler just missed each other last summer, when she moved back to Lakeside Heights, and he moved out to the city for college. But he saw her walking down the street past his parents' house, pushing Willow in a stroller, and he ran out to them. Since he's trying not to smother Summer too much these days, he's happy to reacquaint with an old friend.

He couldn't have come along at a better time. She should have figured a college student might be available to hang out when most grown people are working. She begs him to grant her a game, but she doesn't have to beg. He helps her carry out Willow's bouncy swing.

here on dirt

March 2083 - Jeremy Nova is 67, Alice is 61, Jeremiah Day is 26, Stephanie is 23, Willow is 7 months. (Justin Kim is 23.) Last update, June 2082.

He's at Fort Bluewater, and he has an appointment with General Deppiesse. Of course, he didn't give his real name. This is where they had him wait, a library of sorts, not a typical waiting room. Outside there are soldiers playing basketball, but that isn't even the interesting thing. Jeremiah doesn't wonder why he isn't waiting in the perfectly good waiting room. He doesn't worry about the fact that he is an army deserter waiting to speak with a top military general. What's killing Jeremiah, more than anything is, what is that thing on the table?

one day, when there isn't much time left...

March 2083 (mini-update) - Dallas Deppiesse is 18, Lucy Harris is 16.

One day, when there isn't much time left, Dallas and Lucy have a study date. The house is empty and quiet, but he locks the door anyway. He puts on some music, softly, her favorites. He figures they should have music. It seems like something people would do for this occasion, though they don't normally play music when they're together. He prefers to hear her sounds instead.

spring/summer 2083: come undone

To shamelessly steal a fantastic idea from Lunar Fox, I'd like to start grouping and naming mini-segments of these rounds more prominently, like chapters of a book, or seasons of a TV show. I blame it on being a Virgo, that I'm so obsessed with naming and sorting and categorizing everything, lol! But really, it gives us structure and direction. And besides all that, it's just plain creative and fun :)

so lucky

February 2083 - Paul Gallagher is 32, Charlotte is 28. (Leila Watts is 27. Roland Ellis is 32, Marisa (Wilson) Ellis is 28.) Last update, September 2080.

They've been married two and a half years now, but they're still newlyweds in any way that counts. They can still spend long mornings, cozy and cuddly in bed. Their life is full of sleep because it can be, burrowed warm under the covers on these chilly February mornings, his face buried in her hair, still smelling of the pastries she made at work the night before.

They're enjoying this while they can because she's pregnant. Her parents will be elated when they find out, but they still haven't told anyone yet. It's only just starting to feel real now at eight weeks, and little baby Gallagher is due in September.