Last round, Sadness was having a hard time adjusting to her grandparents no longer being around. It didn't help that her parents Disgust and Herbert embarked on several redecoration projects along the way, including taking out her grandparents' bedroom to make way for a bigger kitchen. Meanwhile, Hope learned that having a father who ran a parenting blog wasn't all bad when she started to receive gifts from his followers, and Disgust achieved her aspiration of becoming a master chef.
Hi, Hope! What are you up to this morning?
Hope: Oh, just hanging around...
I can see that. Where's everybody else?
Hope: Sadness is upstairs...Mom says she's "having a moment."
Oh, goody...more teenage fun.
What's wrong with you?
Sadness: What? Just because I'm not outside swinging from the monkey bars anymore doesn't mean something is wrong!
Ok, ok...
Disgust: You know, you sure are getting big...maybe it's time to re-decorate in here. Get you some more grown up stuff...
Hope: Really?
Disgust: Yeah...I mean, we've already re-done the kitchen. Let's keep it going.
Sadness: Dad? Can we talk about something?
Herbert: Sure, honey...
Sadness: Do you think that you could...maybe...stop posting so many pictures of me to your blog?
I thought you shifted the focus to your live streams...
Herbert: I did...mostly...but sometimes, when they don't work...I mean, I have to post something...
Sadness: Dad!
Herbert: Ok, Ok, I get it. No more pictures.
Looks like that's not going to be much of an issue for now anyway.
Herbert: Oh, come on...not again!
You know, you'd think you'd have invested in some upgrades for that thing seeing as it's your livelihood...
Again? Didn't we just have a science fair?
Sadness: I guess it went so well that we're having another one.
Well, I guess this will give Herbert something to take his mind off the computer.
Disgust: So...what are we making?
Hope: It's supposed to be a model of the solar system...
Disgust: Oh, that should be fun...
What about you?
Sadness: I have to build a model of a bridge.
Herbert: A model of a bridge, huh...say, that gives me an idea...
Sadness: No! No ideas. Let's just follow the directions, ok? I want to get a good grade on this...
Although I guess it's not going to matter much, is it?
Sadness: Well, I don't want my last grade to be a lousy project...
Hey, very nice...
Hope: Thanks. The purple one is Sixam...that's where the aliens come from!
Disgust: What about the other planets?
Hope: Um...I don't know. They didn't teach us about those yet.
And that's not a bad bridge, either.
Herbert: I still think that if we jazzed it up a bit...
Sadness: It's fine, Dad...
Hope: Don't you want Dad to take a picture of your bridge?
Sadness: What for?
Hope: So everyone can see what a good job you did...
Sadness: Hope, the only person that needs to see what a good job I did is my teacher...
Hope: Well, I made sure I took a picture with my project! Maybe someone else will send me something!
And I see we've completed the redecorating...
Herbert: Shh! Yeah, we just got everything delivered today...
You don't sound thrilled...
Herbert: Oh, no, I'm thrilled for her. She deserves it...but it just looks so...teenager-y....
Getting nervous about having two?
Herbert: I don't know...I don't think I'm doing too well with Sadness...Wait...what was that?
What was what?
Herbert: I think I heard a noise upstairs...
I'll go check it out.
You know Justin...it's nice that you're cleaning the sink, but I think the fact that you broke everything in the bathroom first kind of offsets the gesture....
I would ask who's going to GeekCon but I have a feeling I already know...
Just as I thought...
Herbert: Hey, I'm not just here to play games...this is a work thing.
Uh-huh...
Herbert: It is! I'm here to meet my followers.
And have you actually met any?
Herbert: Well...not exactly...I signed up to late to get a table or anything. And come to think of it, I never post any pictures of me so they might not know what I look like...
Disgust: Well, I'm glad you had a good day...
Herbert: Hey, what's up? You seem stressed...
Disgust: You think? While you were downtown playing video games all afternoon, I was trying to get all the food made for the party tonight, plus clean the house...
Herbert: Party?
Disgust: Yes...party! It's your daughter's birthday, remember?
Herbert: So...when does the fun start? What time is everyone getting here?
Sadness: Just leave me alone, ok?
Herbert: What's up with you? You love parties...
Sadness: It's not fair! Everybody else at school has these massive birthdays with all their family...and I only have like, 2 people to invite!
Herbert: Oh, come on...you have to have more friends than that...you know, everyone always comments saying what a nice young lady you've grown into.
Sadness: Comments aren't friends, Dad! And I thought I told you not to post pictures of me anymore!
Herbert: I know...I mean, I didn't...I think you might have been in the background of one. That's all. Now come on...we have to do something for your birthday.
Sadness: If you promise to leave the camera upstairs...
Herbert: I promise.
...Please just be changing into your party clothes...
(sigh) So close...
Sadness? You in there?
Sadness: Go away!
I'm sorry we missed...
Sadness: I said go away! I don't want to talk to anyone right now!
You know we can still have the party...
Sadness: Yeah, but who ages up before the party starts?
...Well, at least the cake isn't going to go to waste...Happy Birthday, dear Cyrus...
So...anything feel different?
Cyrus: Not really.
Cyrus: Hey, there you are...I've been looking for you. How do I look?
Sadness: Not bad...sorry I missed it.
Cyrus: Sorry I missed yours too. At least we have that in common.
Riley: So now that you're graduated, what are you going to do?
Sadness: I don't know...I never really thought about that part.
Cindy: Well, you'd better figure it out soon. I couldn't believe how fast the money went when Luke and I first moved in...
Bahama: Tell me about it...
Nice going, Hope...
Didn't you get enough BlickBlock the other day?
Herbert: Hey, people like the simple stuff...
Did you actually end up meeting anyone?
Herbert: Um...not exactly. But it did give me an idea.
Uh-huh...
What disease are you fighting against?
Herbert: Um...I'm not sure, exactly. I guess we'll find out when we get there.
You taking everybody?
Herbert: No, just Hope. Sadness is still...not herself.
I see. A cranky adult daughter's bad for your image?
Herbert: No, not that...just...ok, exactly that.
I don't think this is supposed to be a race...let's ignore.
Well, it went better than the Hannon's volunteer outing.
Hope: It wasn't stupid! It was so much fun. You should have come. There were like a million people there, and so many of them knew Dad, and were coming up to talk to us...
Sadness: And you thought that was a good thing?
Hope: Sure. It felt like being famous.
Another one of these...did the school just get a phone?
Disgust: Hello...yes, I'm Hope's mom...well, what did she draw? What?
What? What did she draw?
Disgust: Oh, of course you should take it away from her. I'm so sorry-we don't teach her that stuff at home, I promise...
Huh? What does making a silly drawing have to do with empathy?
Herbert: You told the school to punish her for a drawing? Did you even see the drawing?
Disgust: Well, no...but the school obviously thought it was inappropriate if they took the time to call.
Herbert: But what about her creativity? Don't you want her to...
Disgust: Creativity is fine, Herbert. But she also has to learn that what she does impacts other people.
Herbert: With a drawing?
Disgust: Hey, at least I'm trying here...
Herbert: What's that supposed to mean?
Disgust: You really haven't noticed the way she's been acting?
Herbert: Um...
Disgust: Herbert, she's checking the mailbox every day to see if anyone else sent her free stuff...
Herbert: I thought she was just excited to see the mailman....
Maybe she was checking for birthday presents?
Disgust: (sigh) You're not helping, you know.
Sadness: Hey, Cyrus, it's me. Yeah, listen...I feel a little bad about what happened at the party...you think we could go out tonight? You know, now that neither of us have to worry about school nights anymore?
Sadness: Hi...table for two, please?
Host: Hey...don't I know you from...
Sadness: No! No...um...I get mistaken for her all the time, though...it's ok.
Cyrus: So, how have you been?
Sadness: Oh, fine..you know how it is when strangers at a restaurant recognize you from the internet...
Cyrus: Who...
Sadness: The host. I convinced him it wasn't me, but man...that was awkward.
Sadness: Maybe I should think about dying my hair or something...
Cyrus: Is it really still that bad? I thought your dad stopped posting stuff about you...
Sadness: He says he did, but still...everything he posted before is still there. (sigh) I just hope it gets easier when I move out...
Cyrus: Any thoughts about when that will be?
Sadness: Well...there's still one thing I have to do first...
Sadness: Will you marry me?
Looks like he said yes!
First things first, though. We still have Hope's birthday party to get through.
And it looks like Sadness isn't having a great time...maybe next time skip the "experimental" food?
Happy birthday, dear Hope...
Another non-mixology aspiration! The streak continues!
Although a new outfit is in order...
Much better...
Hope: Thanks for coming, Erica...
Erica: Of course! Great party!
Hope: Well, it's no private bowling alley...
Aww, you two look just like your grandmothers...
How are you feeling, Sadness?
Sadness: A bit nervous...oh, you mean the food poisoning? I think that's all gone now.
Herbert: Well, that's good...I'd hate for you to spend your whole wedding in the bathroom.
Sadness: Dad...
Hope: Dad, that's gross...
All right, enough bathroom humor...it's wedding time.
Aww...you guys are so grown up!
Disgust: (laughs) Thanks...
You know what I mean...
All right, time to get this show on the road...
Riley: Congratulations!
Sadness: Thanks...is Candy here too?
Riley: Oh, yeah...she's over checking out the DJ booth...hey, we should get a picture of all 4 of us together!
Sadness: (sigh) Riley...
Riley: Oh, come on...I promise I won't post it anywhere...
Unfortunately I can make no such promise...
Sadness: Wait...who are you posting stuff for?
Um...you know, I'd love to stay and answer that, but it's just about time for me to be moving on. Congratulations, guys! I'll see you next round!
A Message From the Mysterious Voice: (sigh) Another missed birthday...I swear, I'm not intentionally trying to do this. Sadness actually came home from her last day of school with an embarrassed mood swing. I knew that once she aged up to YA, she'd be vulnerable to emotional death, so I tried to wait it out...and failed. (Hence why she was hiding immediately afterward too-I had to bring that moodlet down fast.) Cyrus is starting to grow on me...I actually like that he's Cindy's sister. It's nice when the townie spouse actually has people on his side of the family.
