Welcome back to the Stranger household! If you're curious as to what's been keeping me up late at night, it's this question:
Why can't we get points for autonomous homework?
If you're wondering what's keeping Serafina up at night, it's a slightly more serious matter:
Her parents' divorce.
Serafina: This is ridiculous! We live in squalor! This toddler hasn't been bathed since four days ago! There are half-eaten sandwiches everywhere! Why couldn't we have been a normal legacy?
Starting off strong, aren't we Penny? -5.
…as you can see, my ISBI skills have clearly progressed since the last installment. -5
Theo! You're IN the bathroom! -5
Theo: Mom, this whole thing seems weird. I don't get why we're here.
Penny: Look, it's good for you guys to spend time with your dad.
Theo: …He lives in a bunker.
Penny hovered in front of the bunker door for a moment. In all honesty, she had no idea what to expect. Was Arie really remarried? Before her? She could hardly fathom what kind of woman would agree to live in a bunker.
She knocked on the door.
No reply.
"Well," she muttered to herself, opening the unlocked door. "Here goes nothing."
After winding through a narrow, dimly-lit hallway, she finally enters a very unappealing box room, with little else beyond the bare necessities. And…a pregnant woman. Was this his new wife?
"Arie?"
Arie doesn't even look away from Luna.
Arie: Oh, hi Penny. We weren't expecting you.
Luna: Yeah, you should have called first.
Penny: I did. No one answered.
Arie: We don't get reception down here in the bunker.
Penny: Serafina's been taking the divorce pretty rough recently, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring her and Theo over to spend some time with you.
Arie: Well, where are they?
Penny: I had them wait upstairs. I didn't know what to expect, so…
Arie: *Grumbles* Uh-huh. I'll go let them know it's safe to enter.
Penny: So, you must be Luna.
Luna: And you must be the ex-wife.
There was a brief moment of silence.
Penny: Do you, uh, think you could put some more clothes on before the kids come downstairs?
Luna: No! I'm proud of my pregnant body. Unlike some women who drape themselves with jackets so you can hardly tell.
Penny: How old even are you?
Luna: Hey, I've been a young adult for…a few days.
Penny: Oh, good.
Poor, poor Theo. I think he's been repressing his feelings about the divorce, and all of the sadness is suddenly breaking through.
That, or he's just really disappointed that his dad literally lives in a bunker.
Theo: Why are both sides of my family insane and have weird living habits?
Ah, the magic of ISBI.
Serafina: Where ARE we?
The seedy underbelly of StrangerVille. Clearly.
Luna: It was about time you brought the kids by.
Penny: Yeah, well, things haven't exactly been easy around the house since the divorce.
Luna: And whose fault is that?
Penny: Excuse me?
Arie: *Seethes*
Theo: I hate my life.
Arie turned around when he heard what Luna said. He didn't want to have this conversation with Penny. At least, not yet. Not now.
Luna: I mean, at least you have that hipster kid helping you.
Penny: That hipster kid is a grown-ass man with his own child. You have no idea what you're talking about.
Arie: No, no freaking idea!
Theo: Dad…are you okay?
Arie: Oh, Theo. Sorry, I forgot you were still here.
Theo: *Sighs* I'm just going to hang out outside and collect some rocks.
Serafina: Dad, this place is weird. Why don't you live in a normal house?
Arie: We're happy here. You know, you could live with us if you really wanted to. I miss seeing you everyday.
Serafina: I––I think I'm good at Mom's.
Akira: Hey, kid. How was the bunker?
Serafina: I don't want to talk about it.
It appears as though the bunker visit may have made things worse. We'll have to remember that for the future…
However, Serafina seems to recover pretty quickly and gets to work cleaning up the house with Porter. I love these two.
Meanwhile, the Romance Festival is back in town! A very, very pregnant Penny and Akira decide that it's probably time to get out on the town one last time before the next baby comes and takes over their lives, so it's an evening out for the two of them.
Akira: Okay, don't look now, but there's a couple dressed in matching outfits behind you.
Penny: I swear this festival is an alternate universe.
Despite all of the strangeness that is the Romance Festival, Penny and Akira seem to have a pretty good time. In fact…
Akira: Penny, I have been madly in love with you for too long. I know we've gotten distracted by marriages, children, and legacy expectations, but will you finally make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?
Yes, I decided to use Akira's single free action on a proposal. I thought Penny deserved it after all of those rejections, you know?
Penny: Uh, well…
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
What if I just played a legacy where no one EVER proposed?
Penny: Akira, I hate this place. The first time I ever proposed to Arie, I was rejected here. And then my marriage, quite frankly, ended here because I realized I was in love with you. My children have divorced parents because I fell in love with you here.
Akira: Yeah, I thought…I thought you would associate it with our love. Because of that time with the Guru.
Penny: I associate this place with my failed marriage. My failed family. Look, let's go get some coffee before it gets too late. I want to show you something.
And so, our adventure takes us back here, at the Windenburg Pier.
Penny: Beautiful, isn't it?
Akira: Mmm.
He still wasn't over what happened at the festival. Can't say I blame him.
Penny: A long time ago, I hit on you for the first time at this pier.
Akira: I thought you would never be friends with me again after that night.
Penny: It's funny. So did I. Except then I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even after meeting Arie.
Akira: I'm glad we were able to still be friends after that night.
Penny: Our whole relationship has been a disaster for everyone around us.
Akira: …Where are you going with this?
Penny: But once I realized I was in love with you, I knew there was no turning back. The only regret I will ever have was taking so long to realize that we should have been together the entire time.
Penny bent down on one knee. "Akira, I can't go back and fix things from our beginning, but I can control where our future goes. Will you marry me?"
And everyone breathes a sigh of relief.
Akira shook his head, putting his fingers to his temple. "I thought you were about to break up with me."
Penny: Never. I just knew where our proposal needed to happen. And the festival wasn't right.
I HATE YOU BOTH SO MUCH RIGHT NOW.
I swear I should get +10 points every time one of my insane sims decides to reject a proposal. Until next time, folks. I need a glass of wine. Or five.
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