Controversy could really be publicity.
It may be of the bad kind but it's still publicity.
Alexander couldn't deny nor refute that.
Whether it be foul language or Chernobyl desecration, maybe he'll double down on it.
After a not-so-nuclear Duke Nukem, perhaps it's imperative to really go for Interplay and EA's Wasteland.
This was the type of computer game that's truly about a nuclear fallout that fits the situation more.
It's all out just an excuse to own Fallout, of course. Obviously, none of that spiritual successor nonsense.
Then again, there's complications and all of it's still far into the future. Something that he didn't want to burden the GameDevs just yet.
They're barely hanging in there.
Though, it's really a wonder how no one wonders how one game development company is able to put out 18 full-on video games.
In any case, Alexander really had to pace himself. Or just expand manpower for them to keep up with him.
Either way, he's consequently preoccupied with other matters.
Pre-occupied, in a manner wherein he's presently occupying some girl's lips.
With the girl he's snogging being Drew Barrymore, all the while Milla Jovovich was very much pissed to the side.
Also very much jealous, she commented. "Just get it over with."
To that, Alexander obliged and shruggingly explained. "It's all I could do to not escalate the already escalating argument that you've been on."
"That's a weird way of doing that." Milla poutingly said. Especially when she remembered all the other times that he had done that to them.
"It's kind of effective." Alexander reasoned.
Accordingly... Drew, fresh from being stunned, grumbingly added. "Besides, didn't you have your turn earlier as well?"
"Ermm... well..." Touching her recently kissed lips, Milla mumbled. "That's true..."
"You always-always just want to butt in on my time with prince charming, if you ask me!" Added Drew with a sneer.
Referencing the times when she wanted to get real freaky and creaky on the bed, only for a certain someone's flat butt scooch right in between.
Which is butting in, indeed.
Milla just smirked at that. Neither denying nor confirming.
"Hmph." Drew harrumphed. "You're just jealous that I'm the inspiration for Nana Little. With my boobs shaping up and my behind leaving yours behind some more, it's no contest!"
"Yes, you're "shaping up" and "leaving my behind behind" but that's not something to be proud of." Milica emphasized. "Because that's just you... getting fatter and fatter. Haha!"
And with that, not holding herself back anymore... Drew straight-up pounced...
While Milla responded in kind... or not kind.
Leading up to the fight that Alexander tried kissing-ly hard to put a stop to.
Why did he even bother?
It was all inevitability, really...
Maybe he deserved it... for serving them up the idea that he made Beach Stars by being inspired during that time they went on the beach.
A beachside fun wherein the two starlets spiked each other hard with an inflatable ball floaty.
From this, trouble sparked when they both wanted claim for the main character though. Perhaps an evidence as to why the main character syndrome is a thing.
Alexander has really got to work on better "inspiration-for-creation" excuses, for the next time.
Keeping in mind the fact that he had the much more reasonable Top Gun beach volleyball scenes that he could have turned to.
Alas, he's still got to stop the two from making more of a ruckus.
If kissing didn't work, then it's time to be mean and macho. Be like Duke Nukem on them, he figured.
--------
Anyways, that was an interesting happenstance of April.
However, for the most part, Alexander had his attention sucked toward something else, someplace else.
This time, he wasn't sucking nor was he being sucked.
It just sucked to be stuck with schoolwork at school.
Since... yes... he still had to attend. Especially with the school year almost coming to a close.
Some assignments he was able to work on, but some were works-in-progress. Albeit something he wasn't keen on doing despite being a workaholic.
Then, there are other projects and obligations to get to as well...
Alexander was swamped with tasks so bad that he finally figured out why Miss Consigliere was stressing out about his own schooling by that much.
Fortunately, he eventually did get it all done. Only mostly, but he was getting there.
Throughout this process, sometimes he really wanted to rethink his whole decision to stay in school...
Even considered home schooling...
And to avoid being counterproductive, he could call on experts who could teach him more advanced learning of advanced topics that he so chooses...
That Eager Scholar with his scholarly connections should know some people, right?
Granted, as he was currently holed up in this private school's library... he spotted certain books that he himself had donated.
With topics ranging from time travel... Sun Wukong and the Journey to the West... animal mutations... fantasy world-building... feasibilities of aliens... cyborgs... car mechanics... the science of love... basic law... the ways of a comic... the Manhattan Project... and so on and so forth...
With his recent contributions being the rulebook of beach volleyball and some novel on nuclear war...
Sufficed to say, some books in the library are pretty sufficient supplements to his creative facade.
With his name already written on the library cards as some easter egg to find.
Not to brag but Alexander figured that this place could be a superfan's dream destination in the future.
In any case, that was the future and as of present... he still has assignments to hand in.
If only he could travel through time and just grab the finished papers from a version of himself that worked on it.
If only...
--------
April 22, 1987. Wednesday. Calvin and Hobbes' Day Nth.
Which also marks its 2nd year anniversary as well.
So... this day's publication is sure to be special. And it sort of is.
With Calvin grumbling. "THIS IS THE WORST ASSIGNMENT EVER!"
"I'm supposed to think up a story, write it, and illustrate it by tomorrow!" His vexation was palpable as he added. "Do I look like a novelist?! This is impossible! I can't tell stories!"
To that, Hobbes jested. "What about your explanation of the noodle incident?"
"THAT WASN'T A STORY! THAT WAS UNWARRANTED TRUTH" Calvin vehemently defended.
"Oh don't be so modest. You deserved a Pulitzer." Hobbes calmly insinuated.
Chuckles aplenty. Yet it led readers to speculate on what this noodle incident was.
They surely can't have missed this detail despite their daily read, right?
Though, that's not the only surprise to come
As there's actually continuity... on the next day!
---------
April 23, 1987. Thursday. Calvin and Hobbes' Day Nth.
"Do you have an idea for your story yet?" Hobbes asked as oversaw Calvin fiddling in the sandbox.
"No, I'm waiting for inspiration." The boy answered and explained. "You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood."
"What mood is that?" The tiger sure was curious only for the boy to bluntly answer. "Last-minute panic."
Relatable. Relatable, indeed.
But this saga's just begun... as on the very next day...
----------
April 24, 1987. Friday. Calvin and Hobbes' Day Nth.
Looking into the blankness of his pape, Calvin said. "If you ask ME, these assignments don't teach you how to write. They teach you how to hate to write."
"Deadlines, rules, how to do it, grades... how can you be creative when someone's breathing down your neck?"
Hobbes could only advice. "I guess you should try not to think about the end result too much and just have fun with the process of creating."
"Every time I do that, I end up in the school psychologist's office." The boy confessed and the tiger eye-rollingly countered. "Well, maybe not that much fun."
Who has not been in Calvin's plight? Though being psyched up seems a bit much.
Then again, things actually escalated, on the very next day!
-------
April 25, 1987. Saturday. Calvin and Hobbes' Day Nth.
"Say, I've got an idea!" Calvin eureka'd!
"For your story?" Assumed Hobbes
"No, I thought of a way I won't have to write one!" Claimed the boy, while pulling up a box. With 'TIME MACHINE' obviously scribbled on it.
At the sight of it, Hobbes denied with an. "Oh no!"
Undeterred, Calvin just hopped in and reasoned. "Hop in the time machine, Hobbes! We're going a few hours into the future! I'll have finished my story by then, so we'll just pick it up and bring it back to the present! That way, I won't have to write it!"
"Something doesn't make sense here, and I think it's me sitting in this box." Hobbes really contemplated his life choices with this one.
Only for his companion to say... "Relax! We'll be back as soon as we go."
And onwards... to the very next day...
---------
April 26, 1987. Sunday. Calvin and Hobbes' Day Nth.
In their cardboard box of a time machine, Calvin piloted and said. "Vortex goggles on? Here we go!"
Strangely enough, their surroundings actually blurred with their figures stretched.
Not caring that they're bending time and space with ease... Calvin explained. "We'll jump ahead to my bedtime and pick up my completed homework from my own future!"
"Then we'll return to the present and goof off the rest of the evening!" He added.
And before the readers knew it, they'd arrived at their destination.
In a panel with two Calvins and two Hobbes.
"Here we are! You must be the 8:30 Calvin." The Calvin in the box wondered, while the other Calvin simply replied. "Did you have a good trip?"
"No." The box tiger answered while the outside-the-box tiger whispered. "Pst! Why do you always go on these things?"
It sure was a trip! A lot of readers figured... and the absurdity really took to full gear.
Only for it to continue... on the very next day...
---------
April 26, 1987. Monday. Calvin and Hobbes' Day Nth.
"Greetings, 8:30 Calvin and Hobbes! I'm 6:30 Calvin and this is 6:30 Hobbes!" Calvin from 6:30 introduced.
And the rest just shook each other's hands... and altogether uttered. """Charmed."""
"Well, since we're you from the past, I suppose you know why we're here. Did you do the homework?" 6:30 Calvin jumped straight to the point.
Only for 8:30 Calvin to reply with a. "Me?? No."
"NO?! Why not??" 6:30 Calvin found that hard to believe.
Reasonably, the other Calvin just said. "Because two hours ago, I went to the future to get it."
"Yeah, and here I am! Where is it?!" The boy while the other boy simply said. "That's what I said two hours ago!"
While they back-and-forthed... the tigers just gossiped.
With one tiger whispering. "I knew this would never work."
While the other tiger agreed with a... "Right as always, Hobbes."
All in all, this culminated in a paradoxical twist... catching the eye and stirring the minds of readers far and wide...
Making them curious as to what's next!
Regardless... none could have expected that this was all brought up because Alexander himself was caught up in his own Calvin-esque project as well.
With both on their own saga of assignments and time...