#Tycho & Kriemhild

[brokenstrangetown]

Anticipating moving into a residence with Tycho ASAP, Kriemhild has packed up everything but her bed and some childish knickknacks. Tycho helps her haul it all downstairs.

"And off you go! Have a great time at University, Kriemhild!" Have a better time than me, thinks Matthew. Have a better life than me. Grab onto Tycho and don't let go and don't get distracted, because once you lose focus you might never get him back.

"Krimmild!?" Mark feels suddenly bereft.

"I will not miss this place!" Kriemhild speaks bravely, and she means it. She won't miss being crowded or surrounded by children or expected to be a princess instead of a girl. Being looked up to and uncritically adored, maybe.

"S'okay, Mark! Kriemhild'll come back and you still have me, and Brave, and Edgar, and Hagen, and Celestia, and Mr. and Mrs. Beaker! And very soon, you'll be a big boy!" A big boy who can go to school and then, maybe, finally, Matthew can focus on getting a mother for him.

"All full? Let's work on that walking business some more."

[brokenstrangetown]

"Lloyd? You okay?" "No, I'm really not. I'm on academic probation." "Oh! Oh, like Sharla? Is - this is, was your last semester, wasn't it?" "Yeah. I'm supposed to be graduated right now!"

As if academic probation and self-questioning weren't enough, Isaiah's flaunting his relationship with Sharla in the front room! Why does Lloyd's life suck so hard? (Couldn’t have anything to do with your choices, could it, Lloyd? Naw, how likely is that?)

"Yeah, sharing space with Jill sounds like a great idea! Way better than living at home!" "My little sisters will certainly agree with that."

"Lloyd? What the hell?" "You are never marrying that jackass and you know it, so why do you go around -" "It's none of your dadgum business how I go around!"

"We'll never have drama like that. Our relationship is the gold standard!"

Lloyd takes himself off for a bubble bath, to the great relief of everyone.

[brokenstrangetown]

Curious/Beaker

The very first thing Kriemhild does, on moving into the same dorm as Tycho, is make sure he knows she wants to pick up exactly where they left off.

"Your going away party was awesome, not least because we  made out at it." "It was, wasn't it? I"m so glad you're here. How're your finances?" "As in, can we afford to move into a residence right away? Eh. They're okay. But if we want a really nice place we should probably endure the dorm for a semester and both make dean's list." "Sounds like a plan."

Tycho knows people think Kriemhild is weird and goth and can be mean. But none of that matters. It's not as if he has a nose to cave in.

He was raised by grouchy people. He understands them. And he understands that when they love, they do so truly, deeply, and passionately.

"Excuse me, do you -" "Nope. Go away. We're busy."

Kriemhild is wonderful and his and that's flat.

"What are you doing?" "It's called cleaning. You might want to look into it?"

[brokenstrangetown]

Teaching to walk soon falls by the wayside, though, because it is party time! "Shouldn't your boyfriend be the one tickling you?" "It's illegal for him because he's technically a grownup now. He can tickle me after I get to college." "Meantime, I'm his proxy!"

This is Hagen's big chance! There's so many people here to look at him! He'd better not screw up this cartwheel or he'll never live it down.

"Welcome home, Daddy! Kriemhild's having her party." "That's great but I am too tired to deal with it."

"Petroleum rules!" "Petroleum makes the county a colonial economy."

Tina is the prettiest lady Hagen's ever seen! He trips over himself trying to make an impression.

"What're you doing here, cousin Johnny?" "My finely-honed party senses drew me here." "Help yourself, Mr. Smith. Matthew made plenty." Tycho's grown up so handsome...Kriemhild's suddenly all shy about it, which is weird and she doesn't like it.

[brokenstrangetown]

"I think we should tell people we're dating. I want bragging rights." "Really? You'd brag about me?" "Nobody else has gotten you to look twice. Hell, yes, I'm bragging about landing the Impervious Kriemhild Beaker." "Nobody calls me that! Do people call me that?"

"I, um, don't really know how to dance." "Neither do I. We'll look dorky together."

Kriemhild feels like she could dance all night, oblivious to everything but the music and Tycho.

  Objectively she knows Garden of Eatin' is kind of lame; but now, tonight, with Tycho Curious looking at her like that? It's a seriously romantic place!

"I've got to head off up the hill. But I had a great time." "So did I. And yeah, if you want to be, you're my boyfriend." "Cool beans."

Feeling that the occasion should be marked in some way, Kriemhild gives herself a makeover. After all, a lot of her goth girl vibe has really been about being Daddy's Viking Princess, and she's a little big for that now. She's not ready to ditch everything about the aesthetic she grew up with, but she's ready to streamline it.

[brokenstrangetown]

Kriemhild kissed Tycho - or Tycho kissed her - six of one, half a dozen of the other - at Georgia's off-to-college party, and they agree they'd better follow up on that, so he comes home with her from graduation. "So. Are we dating?" "I don't think so, since we've never been on a date." "Should we fix that?" "Do you want to?" "Yeah. Let's try it on for size."

"Oh, where'd I go? Can you find me?"

"Daddy! My grades are great!" "Just like they always should've been! I knew you could get with the program if you had some space of your own."

"So you want to go grab some lunch at Garden of Eatin' and see how it goes?" "That sounds like an intelligent approach to the problem."

[brokenstrangetown]

"You ever feel like, hanging out with the old gang, there's too many guys to keep track of who you can flirt with?" "All the time."

"Um, wow." "It's the outfit I wound up with. You all packed and ready to go?" "Yeah, let me go freshen up and then we can grab my stuff."

"Tycho! Tycho!" "Wow, you know my name, little brother? I'm impressed!"

"You know what big brothers are for? Tickling little brothers!"

A good party. She has thrown one. Take that, teachers who called her antisocial!

[brokenstrangetown]

Tri-Fruhm

"Hi, Tycho! It's so nice you and Kriemhild got into the same dorm." "It'll be even nicer when we move into our own residence next semester." Gabriella takes a proprietary interest in Tycho and Kriemhild's relationship. After all, after an entire school career without any evidence of interest in dating, it was at Georgia's party that they suddenly started flirting and became joined at the hip.

"You going to go easy on my inexperience here?" "Heck no! That would be against the Code of the Sisterhood!"

"Help yourself to our amenities." "Thanks! Don't mind if I do!"

[brokenstrangetown]

"So, Kriemhild -" "Yes?" "I was thinking..." "Yes?"

"What if we went steady? Would that be too silly at our age?" "I don't think so. I think it'd be, it'd be really nice!"

"Oh, good! Consider it my statement of intent to keep dating you in college, too." "You are so sweet!" "AHEM! If y'all would back up a bit I'd have room to move the bow!"

"So what I wonder is, why do we call them birds instead of dinosaurs?" "Oh, that's easy! See when they first dug up dinosaur bones they thought they were lizards!"

"So you're going steady with Tycho? How cute!"

"Cute? Cute! We are not cute! We're practically grownups and grownups aren't cute." "Sure thing, dear, I'll remember that."

[brokenstrangetown]

"Whoa, really hanging loose there in your pajamas!" "Yeah, class is real informal. Are you the friend of Gallagher's that just arrived, or a random passerby?" "Well, Gall's actually friends with Kriemhild, so more like - boyfriend of friend of Gallagher's. But not random, no."

And once again, Gallagher's friends are both hot and attached! Kriemhild is highly musical, which is very sexy of her.

"There's a reason harps are supposed to be angelic instruments!"

"Hi, Buck! You're still here?" "Yeah, I told you I'd be hanging out between lectures. If I'm in the way just kick me out." "Naw, once a brother always a brother. You can crash here anytime. But next time bring Fluffball."

[brokenstrangetown]

With nothing to do but wait for an apartment to open up, Kelly tries to take it easy during her final days at LFT.

Carole is not interested in how hot Tycho is. No sirree. Not even a little bit. (More triple boltage.)

"Dang! Where'd you learn that trick?" "I've known the Newson girls for awhile."

"Oh, wow, you have a shot at getting onto the high score board!" "She won't do it. No freshman has ever done it."

Sam is glad to be meeting new people, though the assumption these two make that the Greek system has nothing to offer them is a little off-putting.

They really do only have eyes for each other, though.

Kriemhild is also a cheater, which cannot be tolerated.

[brokenstrangetown]

"So, now we're here, anything you want to do before we eat?" "I'm actually kind of dying to hug you. You're the most huggable girl in a skull dress in town."

"Okay, we can - wow, you smell good!" "Good. My dad has, like, a dozen kinds of cologne. It took me nearly an hour to pick one."

"I know you've been working too hard. Look at the tension in your shoulders!" "You're a good boyfriend!" "Oh, am I your boyfriend?" "I dunno, are you?"

"So apparently the new advances in pressure suits will have benefits in other fields. Like oceanography. I understand they're collaborating with the Inland Sea Institute to work out the kinks." "Ooh, maybe by the time I go to work for the Institute we'll be able to do the really deep dives."

"I want to kiss you but I don't want to touch your mouth when you have lettuce in your teeth so here." "Okay, thanks!"

[brokenstrangetown]

"Hi, Kriemhild! Got all your stuff unpacked?" "Hell, no. We'd just have to pack it all up at the end of the semester when we move into our own place. I'm not wasting my college years in a dorm."

"Moving in together after one semester sounds kind of hasty." "Why waste time? We've known each other our whole lives. And Tycho misses his cat."

"Hi, Georgia. Nice of you to drop by." "Yeah. Figured I might as well beguile the hours between your last class and your final."

"You sure kicky bag is a good idea this close to the computer?" "What's the worst that could happen? We break it and they bring us a new one?" "...Point."

"...and then her dad and their nanny both got abducted, so she's been living with his half-brothers. It's fairly messy." "Very Strangetown. Gotta dash - I'm late for my final." So. Per Georgia - hot and taken. But how serious can Tycho really be about that pretentious little emo girl?

Left to entertain Tom's guests while Tom and Alison take their final, Samuel learns that Tycho is Tom's best friend. Better cool it with Georgia in front of him, then.

Still...no harm in telling her a dirty joke or two. Got to take care of all the guests, after all!

[brokenstrangetown]

Once home, she gets on declaring her major. Mathematics, the language of the universe!

"Nice outfit. It looks warm." "It's not bad."

With an economics major declared and a goal, Tycho is willing to relax and get to know their dormmates. Although they won't be here long!

[brokenstrangetown]

Their first priority is turning out term papers that will wow the professors and get them into the upper grade ranks. "Okay, I know you get tense, but this is going to be some marathon typing and book hauling, so let's loosen you up."

They stake out adjacent spots in the library and assist each other with looking things up and proofreading.

"Ha! Teamwork! You about done?" "Yeah, just got to fix the pagination. I hate this program. Why won't they let us use a  proper word processor?" "I think maybe Microsim gives them kickbacks?"

The library and the Wasteland are right next to each other, so that's a logical next stop.

After all that typing, though, Kriemhild feels like fresh air and working the kinks out of her throwing arm. "C'mon! You have to stand up to the ball or it'll hit you in the face every time!" "My head knows that but my body keeps flinching!"

[brokenstrangetown]

Half teens and half college students, the turnout is a good one. Gabriella and Garret spend the entire party at the chess board, but there's plenty going on with everyone else.

"You call that serving refreshments?" "We forgot to go get groceries. Sue us."

"We're both parents! I can't wait to see little Gary!" "Newsflash, Ginger - we've been parents since Gloria died. But I grant you, Gary does feel a little different than the twins did back in the day."

Kriemhild and Tycho don't seem to feel as bad about being left behind by all their friends as you might expect.

"I wish we could smuggle you in with us! Your life is so hard right now!" "Yeah, I'll survive. After all, your big brother and sister survived y'all, and they didn't even have a live-in." "Hey, did we ever tell you about this thing Garret used to do -?"

"This place looks so great I can hardly grasp it." "We still have the bathrooms to completely redo upstairs, and then we can start on landscaping and so on. I'm thinking we should have a swingset." "Ooh, your kids are getting raised in the lap of luxury! Why should they have it so easy?" "Because we never did and I want better for them."