The conclusion of Rhode's time in college.

2. After a brief stay at home and doing some work on my dream, I had saved up enough
money to pay the tuition for the next term to complete my Fine Arts degree. I missed
Joanie a lot and wanted to see her again. I hope she was keeping busy while I was at
home.

3. I wouldn’t be able to work on my dream while on campus, only if I was a singer. It’s hardly fair
that only singers can work on their careers while still at campus, why not let us magicians and
acrobats work on ours too? I’d petition the dean but that means organizing everything, getting
signatures, and generally working on arrangements for rallies and stuff, I’ll be far too busy in my
second year to get all that done and my school work as well.

4. I guess this is what they mean when they say to suffer for one’s art. I’m freezing my ass
off here trying to get all this done in the cold and the snow. Although I can hardly
complain, this scenery is beautiful and the snow just makes everything look magical.
Don’t you think?

5. I’ve gotten a lot better I think, they still look like characters out of a manga or
something like this chick here I drew. I could give you a whole story about her, like she’s
just the type who doesn’t fit in with her peers and hangs around us mortal types a lot.
She plays pranks on us and loves to get into mischief around the place. I guess I did
give you a story about her anyway. Maybe I should take up writing too.

6. There’s not much to do when it’s cold out, I’m not a big party person and I do feel a little bad
about turning down so many of the invites to keggers and bonfire parties, the price of fame it
seems. Joanie gets them a lot too but she doesn’t like going alone, she always wants me to go with
her. I went to one and it really wasn’t that entertaining so I just never wanted to go back to one.

7. She calls me a bookworm and a nerd all the time. I know she doesn’t mean to be nasty it’s all in
good fun. But really, the Bookworm is her, she’s also Ambitious so she’s always reading or
trying to get ahead of the others in her classes. You would never think that she was an actual nerd
or that she’s part of the nerd crowd. At first glance you’d think oh, she a jock or a rebel because
she’s a vampire. As we all well know, looks can be deceiving.

8. We manage to have our own fun quite well. This photo booth in the Student Union
building is a popular spot. I would hate to be the guy who has to clean this thing or
restock the film…must be gross. But a medical science student would find it
fascinating in here, go in with a black light and stuff…yeah I’m gonna shut up now.

9. We did end the year on another cold Fall evening. I was nervous to see my report card, I passed
again with an A+. But Joanie was quite upset that she only managed a C. It railed against her
Ambitious nature to see that all her hard work didn’t pay off. I knew I would be hearing about it
all the way back home. I felt bad for her, she was working so hard for that A+ too. She could still
get a head start on her career after college, she wants a 5 Star Blog but as for actual work, she
wants a career in the Military.

10. Joanie was still happy she passed, she was singing when the dean presented her with
the diploma, and even after she got it. She treasured it despite it not being as good a
grade as she would have liked it to be. She didn’t even get her robes on for the
presentation. I think she forgot to pick them up before the ceremony. I couldn’t wait to
show her my home and after all, it would be her home too.

11. I tossed my diploma outside in celebration, I even had my robes freshly pressed and
cleaned for it. I was happy that I didn’t get the mouse hat to wear, it’s become sort of a
tradition here, one or two graduates get to wear the mouse hat and have to keep it on
until the end. The reason behind it was that the ones who end up wearing it,
“squeaked” by and just barely graduated. I think it’s a funny prank to play on them.
Clever too.

12. So now that we’ve both graduated, we’ll stick around until 9 pm tonight to make sure we got
everything packed and all the loose ends are tied off before we leave campus. The next time we’ll be
here is when our own kids graduate from college, I know at least one of the three kids we plan on
having will have to graduate, the one who will be my heir. Though we’ll probably send their
siblings with them so they won’t be so lonely here. Don’t tell anyone but I did win the lottery
before I came back, so we won’t be hurting for money that’s for sure. Who says we can’t make use
of that weird portal which appears on our lawns every time we move in…

13. I bought three new flamingoes in Joanie’s favourite colour as a house warming present to her and
added them to the front lawn. Even got them a nice gnome guardian in a bathing suit because Isla
Paradiso has so many beaches to explore and it totally fits the theme of this place. Joanie was
amazed at this place, she had never seen so many colours and the warm breezes made her feel
happy about getting away from the cold snowy campus.

14. Oh this…well let’s just lightning can strike twice. This time I won three million
simoleans. Talk about a hell of a graduation present; why not make use of the resources
I had at my disposal? No one said you can’t use that portal twice to your advantage
right? I just need to build a bigger fence around my place now to keep out the would-be
burglars who would inevitably be trying to get their piece of my lottery pie.

15. Although I have the money, I think I’ll
keep my little house for a bit longer.
Wouldn’t want everyone to feel
jealous about my prosperity and good
fortunes. I plan to get my scuba
diving skills up enough to start
finding map pieces in sunken treasure
chests. There are so many islands
around here just waiting to be
discovered. I want to leave a legacy for
my children and grandchildren. And
having our own islands is a good way
to do that.

16. I feel like a clown in these work clothes and wouldn’t doubt that I look like one too. But
as they say, everyone has to start somewhere and this is where I have to start if I want
to be the world’s greatest magician before I’m old and grey. Performing for tips in the
park at the center of town is good practice and will get my name out there for any
potential proprietors who might be scouting for new talents.

17. Of course fails are part of the learning process, and sometimes I wonder if my wand is
failing on purpose to make me look bad. Or maybe it is me, only bad magicians blame
their tools for their failures so…I’d hate to perpetuate the stereotype. One day I’ll be
famous, this is my dream and my goal. Also this degree in Fine Arts will definitely help
me be creative.

18. I do take breaks every so often. At the summer festival those hot dogs just smelled so
good and I wanted to see if I could win a contest. If my only competition is an old lady I
think I’ve got this in the bag…but looks can be deceiving.

19. Seems I was right, this old lady is much better than she looks. I think I’m going to lose
this contest. I’m glad that no Stalker-Ratzi are around to see me get beaten by an old
lady. I would never hear the end of it if they happened to snap some shots of me like
this. There’s always next time…and I will win eventually. Be sure of it.

20. I’ve accumulated a few magic gnomes already, they actually move around the property
and I trip over them sometimes. I think I have three of the graduation gnomes
somewhere around here I didn’t think I’d be overrun with them already. I haven’t
actually seen them move myself, but when they are in one place and then in another
suddenly…I know I didn’t move them and neither did Joanie.