(For some previous SSU-related Neighborhood One stories, see for instance Gina Raptor's College Years, Unsticking Jennifer, The Bright Household, Sleeping Through College, Taylor and Candice, Randy and Regina, etc, etc.)
As we saw previously, George McCarthy (long-time Neighborhood One cashier) arrived at SSU with Sophie Miguel; but she hated the dorm and moved out first chance she got, going to live with her teenhood boyfriend Zachary Langerak.
George found dorm life much more bearable than Sophie had.
Working on another thesis.
I don't know if it's just because, as a service Sim, he had lots more skills than Sophie; but I had much less trouble keeping his aspiration up in the dorm than I did with her.
He kept up with his studies and still had plenty of time to meet people.
Discussing travel with a comely co-ed.
This is Sheila Wilsonoff; she's from another dorm, but wanders by quite often.
George turns out to be quite the gallant gentleman.
Ha ha ha ha!
I forget the pranker's name here; she looks good in a swimsuit, but isn't the nicest person in the dorm.
"That was a funny prank; let me congratulate you!"
Turnabout is fair play.
Gallantry is rewarded.
Just a friendly hug. For now!
George also found himself missing the old neighborhood. On a whim one afternoon he called up some friends and acquaintances to chat. One of them was very friendly, and he found himself inviting her to visit the dorm.
Eleanor comes to call, and George is nostalgic about his infanthood.
And at the same time having a curvy older woman come around makes him feel very grown up. He knew her only very casually, from conversations at the cash register and maybe one party at Gina's after he went off to college. But they got along quite well.
It was a very pleasant visit. She invited him to come and see her place sometime.
Careful, George!
On the couch of an afternoon.
George, being a Fortune Sim, was quite impressed with the opulence of the Cox-Raptor place (although here he seems to be talking about the weather).
When it was time to go, Eleanor bade him an exceptionally fond farewell.
"Come back anytime."
"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me... aren't you?"
At the same time, Sheila continued to hang around the dorm, and sometimes George would call and invite her over. One romantic twilight, up in the little game room on the roof of the dorm...
Awww...
Immediately followed, as I recall, by a rousing pillow fight.
But Eleanor was also a frequent visitor. She was so urbane, so much more polished than Sheila.
George admired her greatly.
And he couldn't forget that so-warm goodbye.
Before long, it happened.
Love.
Good thing they have eyes only for each other; that guy's scary! Of course, it is his desk...
She even did an assignment for him.
"What the heck is an amygdala?"
I don't remember how this happened; maybe he had a Want to influence someone to do his assignment, and I just wanted to see what would happen. Eleanor's never been to college, but she's had an eventful life; this may or may not help with assignments.
One bright SimSeason day, George invited Sheila out to a local park.
Best friends.
With kissing-like benefits.
"She's really into me."
"But am I ready for a commitment? And what about Eleanor?"
Because Eleanor was very much still around, and still excitingly aggressive.
"Gotcha!"
She's just looking for bedmate number sixteen, boy; has she not mentioned that?
George ponders.
Being torn between two attractive women isn't one of life's more awful problems, really.
Eleanor persued George relentlessly. One day she invited him to her place, and as soon as he was inside she ripped off her clothes and threw him onto the bed.
Overwhelmed.
Not that he was actually resisting.
"Ahhh..."
"Ahhh, sixteen!" "What was that?" "Nothing, nothing."
Hanging around there had a lot going for it: Eleanor, wealth, constant parties, Eleanor...
"My kind of place. Isn't it?"
Note the thought bubble.
After that first time between the sheets, though, George thought he sensed a change in her. She was still tender and amorous...
Sweet nothings in the twilight
But her eyes would slide past him, and even when they were kissing she sometimes seemed far away.
In his other life, George also continued courting Sheila (and, impressively, keeping up his grades). One night on a friendly outing...
...he lost his heart.
A nice romantic setting, too.
Full throttle.
Clothes shopping can wait.
It got serious enough that he phoned quickly back to the dorm for an emergency double-bed installation.
The talk drifted naturally in Certain Directions.
With the common (but always unique) result.
Awww...
I think they actually fooled around in the changing booth back at the shop first; but the narrative flows better this way.
What to do? George isn't really a two-gal guy (that sounds expensive, if nothing else), but...
As it turned out, no hard decision was required of George. A lack of new invitations to her place, and stories filtering back to him from the neighborhood, made it clear that Eleanor had Moved On.
Eleanor and the Gypsy
Nothing more ever came of this particular romance, as it turned out. But still.
George just shook his head. It made things easier, really.
Just this girl.
I like it when they twirl when slow-dancing; some couples seem to do it more than others.
And although there are things about Sheila that remind him (disturbingly or delightfully) of Eleanor (in fact she's Romance, too; poor George!) on the whole he's very happy.
Paradise
Well, more or less.
And just as things were settling down perhaps a bit too much, a new face appeared in the dorm.
It's Gabriel Raptor!
And apparently on the way to college he was mugged and forced to change clothes with a renegade rodeo clown, narf narf!
Will Sheila's aspiration come between her and George? Will Gabriel enjoy the dorm more than Sophie did? Will George have time to show him the ropes, while still keeping up his grades and keeping Sheila sated? Will he find some decent clothes before being permanently traumatized? Many more pictures no doubt to come in later weeks!