Another Bachelor's Degree (Completed, April 28)

[RainBeau]

Ooh, first chickens I've seen in a story! They look really fun, I'm envious of Bella and Morty

[MarianT]

SENIOR SLUMP

   It’s funny – one day University was terribly exciting, and then all of a sudden, it wasn’t. All I wanted to do was to have a baby with Mortimer, but I had to wait until I finished my degree. I don’t like waiting.

   The most interesting thing that happened was that Mortimer found out he had a clone in his Technology class.



Morty tried to make friends with him, but the guy just shied away. Maybe he was a little freaked out, too.



   Another interesting thing was that we threw a masquerade party after our junior year finals. I dressed up as a lady-in-waiting.



   I guess the masquerade party started our talks about the future. “Let’s move to Dragon Valley after we graduate,” I said. “Wouldn’t that be cool?”

   “What would I work on,” said Mortimer, “games about hobbits?”

   “Or baby dragons,” I said. “Cute baby dragons.”

   I can’t print Mortimer’s response in a family-friendly forum.



   The next idea I had was that we could go to Isla Paradisa and run a resort. He didn’t think much of that idea, either.



   Over the rest of the term, I kept having one idea after another – living on a houseboat in Sunlit Tides, meeting fairies in Moonlight Falls, making pizza in Monte Vista, finding aliens in Area 51 in Lucky Palms. One day Mortimer got exasperated.



   “You’ve mentioned every place except Lunar Lakes, which is where I said I was interested in living, in case you’ve forgotten. Honestly, Bella, what have you got against the place?”

   “It’s very far away,” I said.

   “Which would be a consideration if you’d ever suggested we stay in Sunset Valley. But since you don’t seem to mind leaving your family, what difference does it make? I want you to be happy, but I don’t want us to move all over the Simiverse trying to find a place to settle down. We can either stay in Sunset Valley or head out to Lunar Lakes – your pick. And incidentally, if you’re interested in aliens, we’re more likely to find them in Lunar Lakes.”

   I didn’t speculate much about where we would live after that. I couldn’t explain why I was resistant to the idea of living in (or on) Lunar Lakes. I tried to persuade myself that it would be an adventure – and ordinarily I loved adventures. But still I felt some dismay at the idea. Then it was time for finals, and I didn’t have any room in my cerebral cortex for anything but my classes.

   Sooner than I realized, finals were over, and it was time to say good-bye to University for good. I wouldn’t miss the drab furniture in the living room, I told myself.



I wouldn’t miss our death-trap of a bed or the shower hooked up to a non-functioning water heater.



   At that point I opened the door and looked at the foliage across the street. Even Sunset Valley didn’t look as good in autumn as the campus did. I would miss the trees, especially in Lunar Lakes.



   Mortimer suggested we do something fun and go down to the beach. We hadn’t been to the beach the whole time we’d been in college, he said. As we stepped out of the door, a rainbow appeared. It seemed to end where the beach was.



   It’s impossible to feel dismal when looking at a rainbow. My spirits lifted, and I hurried out the door.

   When we arrived at the beach, Mortimer stopped and picked something from a bush.



   “It’s a deathflower,” he said. “It’ll protect you from the Grim Reaper. Here, take it.”

   “No way,” I said. “The person who should have it is the one who pokes around computers with a screwdriver. You keep it.”



   And in that moment, I realized that I definitely wanted to live wherever Mortimer did, and that Lunar Lakes might actually be pretty interesting. “Hey, I’ve got an idea!” I said. “Why don’t we go to Lunar Lakes after graduation?”



   “You’re serious?” he said. “You’re not just saying that to please me?”

   There was only one way to answer him.



   After that we graduated.



Mortimer didn’t wear a gown (I think his clone took it), but we both received our diplomas, and an extra trait. Mortimer is now a workaholic, and I’m family-oriented.



   While we waited for the van, I fussed at the mirror, trying to pick out a new look for myself – something that says professional but stylish, something that will make a positive impression in job interviews. This is what I chose.



   I tried to get Mortimer to pick a new look, but he says he’ll probably be wearing t-shirts to work. He did get rid of the knit cap, though, which was beginning to look kind of grungy.

   And then the van came, and we left.

   “Hail to thee, our alma mater
         By the Simsim Sea.
        Through the years we’ll oft remember,
        days we spent with thee…”

Sniff, sniff sob. Let’s try something else – “Gerbits, gerbits, vo-o-o-o Gerbits!”

[Eldridge]

That was really nice! I love how you put the next what will coming out in your story (Dragon Valley & Island Paradise) :3
I think that I know that man, but I didn't remember who the name is...

Morty and Bella make a cute couple here. Oh, how I love to see them there, especially in a good hand like you XD
I just hope that I can found out more about Michael, even it's just an interlude or some scene. I'm really curious what is he doing :3

[RainBeau]

Wow, Morty was not looking to compromise there! I think he was kind of being a jerk. 'Either we do what I want or we stay where we are.' Nice. Anyway, I'm glad it worked out all right.

The clone was freaky. It's always weird to see clones like that!

Did you just get the new castle clothes? The lady in waiting dress is what Bella's wearing, yes?

[MarianT]

I could have made Bella more tiresome, I guess. I thought of having him suggest that if she could come up with one place she wanted to live and stick to it for a week, they'd consider it, but that seemed too long-winded.

Yes, Bella's dress is from the new set. (And actually some of her dithering is mine -- ooh, I want to play them in Dragon Valley, or Isla Paradisa, or ....).