Pages

Friday, May 17, 2013

Woods Random Legacy: Chapter 47 - A Life of Her Own

Dearest Epsilon,
I know you prefer traditional, handwritten letters, so I've taken time out of my busy schedule to write you one.  I know it's been a few weeks already, and I'm sorry about the delay.  It's been hard adjusting to life here, especially the roommate situation.  I'm staying in Malan Hall.
While the housing is included in the price of tuition, it means that I have to share the building with seven other people.  I wasn't even lucky enough to have my room to myself.  Luckily the girl I'm sharing with is hardly ever there, so I can get a few precious moments to myself.
When I feel the need to get out of the dormitory, to be properly alone, there's plenty of spots to hide away around the campus.  Nobody ever comes poking around the roofs.
As a technology major, I'm required to maintain and experiment with some equipment that was leased to me by the school.  It's been quite a challenge, but rewarding when I finally get it right.
Classes are interesting, you would like them.  Sometimes things can be frustratingly ridiculous, though, like when the stupid mascot shows up.  All of the other students laugh like it's hilarious, but it's really just disruptive.
When the lectures are serious, though, I do learn a lot.  Definitely more than I learned back at the high school in Sunset Valley.
Anyway, write back soon!  I want to know how things are going back home.  Is Omicron still having trouble with the kids at school?  How's work been?
Yours,
Alpha

Dear Epsilon,
I know, I know, I kept trying to visit but I was so busy over term break!  I tried to stop by, but Dad was there, and I didn't want to deal with him again, so I just went back to Valerie's.  Thanks so much for spotting me the extra cash to rent my own place, this time.  It couldn't have been avoided last term, as all underclassmen have to stay in dormitories, but I'm definitely enjoying the peace of having my own place.
Of course, as an upperclassman, I have a lot more work to do, especially since I signed up for the maximum amount of credits.  I had to give a presentation about database organization yesterday.  I was pretty nervous, having to get up in front of my entire class, but I think it turned out well.
There's lots of social groups on campus.  Even though I don't really hang out with them too much, the science nerds let me try out the contraption they've been building on campus.
I have no idea what it actually does, but it spins around when you turn it on, and the air inside it starts changing color.  It's almost like the spinning is causing some sort of a field that changes the physical properties of the air.  You'd understand it better than I would, Epsi.
It's going to be a challenge to get a 4.0 GPA again, but I know I can do it.  I just have to keep working hard.
Yours,
Alpha

Soon enough, it was time for Alpha to graduate.  She'd managed to achieve a 4.0 GPA for her second term, sealing her position on the Dean's List.  As she left the ceremony, she watched all of the other students mingling with their loved ones and regretted that there was nobody here for her.  With a sigh, she set off towards her rented home to get some sleep before she had to move back to Sunset Valley tomorrow.
Epsilon: "Hey!  Al!"
Alpha turned at the sound of her sister's voice.
Alpha: "Epsi!  What are you doing here?"
Epsilon: "I caught the bus up.  I didn't want you to graduate all by yourself, after all."
Alpha: "You didn't have to do that."
Epsilon: "Of course I did, don't be stupid.  So, what's next?"
Alpha: "For me?  Well, I have a job offer from the military.  They'd be starting me as a Squad Leader."
Epsilon wrinkled her nose a bit at that.
Epsilon: "The military?  I don't know, Al."
Alpha: "They pay well, and as a Squad Leader I wouldn't be under contract.  I could leave if I didn't like it.  It's apparently a much more technical position than what you'd get just enlisting at the military base back home, and it's not uncommon for technology graduates to work there."
Epsilon: "I guess it wouldn't be so bad.  It's not like we're at war, and it doesn't look like anything's heating up in the world.
Alpha: "Exactly.  I promise I'll write home when I can, and visit when I get leave."
The sisters said their goodbyes at Alpha's ceremony, but Omicron had to wait until Alpha had returned to Sunset Valley.  Alpha made sure that her brother knew that she was only an e-mail away, before packing her things yet again to catch her military transport.
As it had been on the night Alpha left for university, it was snowing as she made her way to the waiting taxi.  On the other side of town, another traveler was also making its own way through the deepening snow.  It had traveled a long way, and its journey was almost over.

~ * ~

Correspondence redux!  Epsilon does like her old-fashioned letters, she gets that from her mother.

This is it for Alpha, as far as her being a playable legacy spare is concerned.  What happens to her from here on out is largely to be determined by story progression.  The Magician hasn't forgotten about her, but he's patient in a way that only a vampire of over a thousand years can be.  I'm still waiting myself to see if anything comes of his run-in with Alpha, or if he gets distracted by more pressing matters.  Time will tell.

Please ignore the fact that it's winter in the legacy hood and summer/fall in the university hood.  I don't know how to fix this, and it really irritates me.

12 comments:

  1. "It's not like we're at war"...famous last words?

    I liked the letter-writing as a story device. I remember the old correspondence. So this is pretty much all we get of Alpha, then? That's a little sad, but, on with the legacy! The bit about the thousand year old vampire randomly reminded me of Eric from True Blood :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, politics are pretty stable in my world at the moment. It would take something huge to turn nations against each other. Could be famous last words, or could just be an off-hand comment that you're reading too much into. ^^

      Yeah, this is pretty much it for Alpha. I'm sure she'll recur in much the same way that Lane did, but as a spare she needed to head out sometime.

      Mmm, Eric. The Magician is much less sexy, and I think he's probably older than Eric as well. He dates from the Roman empire, and Eric's Norse I think? So even though dates in my universe are a bit fuzzy, the Magician probably still has a few centuries on Eric. Now you've got me all impatient for the next season of True Blood to come out!

      Delete
    2. Yep, Eric "Northman", mmm indeed. His sire was bonafide Roman. I've been reading through the books and love them! So then I got curious about the tv serious and bought the first two seasons. Not bad, but I like the books better. Season 2 finale pissed me off because the cliffhanger was something that doesn't happen in the book so I have no idea what's going to happen next, lol.

      Delete
    3. The show is deliciously trashy, if occasionally disturbing. I didn't like Eric at first(I was firmly Team Bill), but then Bill put his stupid pants on and I decided Eric was much more interesting(and attractive). I've been told that the series pretty much diverged from the books after the first season or so, apart from the general theme of the seasons. I've only read the first book, but I didn't like it much. I really hated how a few of the characters were written(Lafayette mostly, and I think there was someone else who bugged me too, but I can't remember who it was now), compared to how they'd been portrayed in the show, and the narrative voice was a bit odd.

      Delete
    4. Stupid pants! That is awesome! Yeah, I hate Bill now. Well, not quite so much now that I'm further in the series, but I'm glad she's "married" to Eric (in the books at least, I've only watched the first 2 seasons of the show). And gosh yes they diverge from the books majorly. They made almost all of season 2 about the maenad, and really blew it up. I generally like the books better, but I agree about Lafayette. He didn't bother me in the book--but his character in the show is pretty freakin' awesome.

      Delete
  2. Yeah, that drives me nuts that seasons aren't synchronized between uni and homeworld. Not cool. Did you get to pull the "Lever of doom" On the science project thingy? That's kinda interesting for about 3 seconds. It relieves the monotony of Uni a little at least.

    Farewell Alpha! I'm sure she'll do well.

    Hmmm. Where is the cat traveling from?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, I didn't! Alpha didn't level her science skill at Uni, I'm guessing that action is linked to that skill?

      I'm sure she will, too. She's got a good head on her shoulders, and can react to a lot of situations well.

      I actually don't know, I never thought of that, haha.

      Delete
  3. What the hell? Who/what is that panther?!
    Well, after reading your above comment, you just chucked it in there for fun, so... *ignores giant cat*

    Love the letter writing, gave me flashbacks to the Faye and Crystal (which I assume that link went to, I'm too lazy to click it right now, need to get my chapter shot so I can post it before you murder me...)

    I hope James took Alphas words from the last chapter to heart, and actually interacts with Omi and Epsi, but we'll have to wait and see, won't we.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not a panther. I didn't realize that there was almost no frame of reference in that shot, lol. It's significantly smaller than a panther. And it's not just a throw-away, all I meant by that comment was that I genuinely hadn't considered where it was coming from. Only where it was going to.

      Yeah, that's where the link went to.

      Yes. Yes we will.

      Delete
  4. You know I'm going to be really disappointed if that picture at the end is just random...

    I loved the letters from Alpha to Epsilon, they were cool, and I'm sad to see Alpha go

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not, I promise. You'll find out next chapter.

      I am too, Alpha is awesome. But Epsilon does have her moments, too. She might be able to shine a little more now that her big sister isn't around, haha.

      Delete
  5. The letter writing is nice.
    Goodbye Alpha, I hope SP does well by you.

    ReplyDelete