I can't believe this is the last chapter of the story. I actually wrote the last scene of Welcome to Slavestown while I was still writing Sim State University Versus Ripp Grunt. The last scene of this story is the reason why the whole series took a different direction post Trial & Errors, and I really like how the new version turned out. :)
I would like to give a special thank you to my readers from Portugal and Indonesia, who never seemed to miss a chapter. You guys are amazing! I'd also like to thank everyone who took the time to read this story. It really means a lot! Without further ado, here is the final chapter of Welcome to Slavestown!
Welcome to Slavestown
Chapter Fifteen
Later that night, a massive celebration party is in full bloom at the Curious residence as almost everyone in the neighborhood came over to celebrate the return of the city of Strangetown. Music is blaring through the place as hundreds of sims are gathered both inside and out of the rather small residence. Outside, Kea is doing what she does at every party, eating half of the buffet table, as Tank and Isabella get drinks behind her. "Hey Kea-" Isabella calls out from behind the drinks table. "Do you want anything?" she asks.
"Can't talk now…eating!" Kea narrates, shoving a few more mozzarella sticks into her mouth.
Tank turns to Isabella, still watching Kea from the corner of his eye. "That baby is going to be fifteen pounds."
"But you'll still love it, right?" Isabella wonders.
"Of course," Tank assures her, taking a sip of his drink.
"You know, we were in college for four years, and this is the closest we've ever come to going to an actual college party," Ripp comments, appearing beside them. "Isn't that crazy?" he asks, "The only thing in college that even came close to a party were those lame dances!" he shouts over the music.
Isabella nods, feeling herself blush a bit as the memories of her last college dance flow into her mind. "Uh, I have to go to the bathroom," she states, excusing herself from the snack area.
Meanwhile: Inside the House
Vidcund is standing in the kitchen, conversing with one of the many sims who was resurrected earlier that day. "Hey Vid! Bro hug!" Pascal says as he and Lazlo hug him on both sides.
Vidcund tenses up a bit. "Uh, what are you doing?" he asks, barely able to move.
"We're so happy that you're not dead, so we wanted to get a picture!" Pascal explains, holding up his camera in front of the three of them. He takes a photo.
Pascal quickly turns the camera around and gazes at the photo, beaming when he notices that Vidcund is actually smiling in it with them for the first time. "Yes!" Pascal cheers, pumping his fist in celebration, "And it only took twenty-five years!"
Pascal smiles as he continues to scroll through the photos on his camera, stopping when he comes across the photo that he took of the mural painted on one of the communal buildings in downtown Strangetown. "Hey Vid, check out what Lazlo and I saw downtown before we joined the cult!" he says, turning his camera around to show his brother.
Vidcund takes his glasses off and looks at the picture, examining it more closely. "Whoa! That's incredible! The detailing on that painting is so articulate, it's insane!" he comments.
"You really like it?" Jenny says, coming up behind her brothers. "It took me three weeks," she reveals.
Vidcund turns around, his face filled with shock at his sister's confession. "That was you?!" he awes, "But I thought you said the war was childish and stupid?" he recalls.
"I did," Jenny confirms, "But just because I thought your fight was petty, doesn't mean that I wasn't going to help you out. Plus, you know I like painting," she beams.
Vidcund smiles, "Thanks Jenny."
Nearby, Pascal has wandered off and is having a conversation with Isabella in the hallway. They are conversing about cheese, when Pascal walks forward and throws his arms around her, catching the young woman by surprise.
"Thank you," Pascal whispers as Isabella shifts a bit in his arms, struggling to maintain her composure.
"For what?" she asks, as the pair let go of each other.
Pascal smiles. "For saving my brother earlier," Pascal clarifies, "I'm not a very emotionally-attached sim, but honestly, I don't think I could live without Vidcund," the scientist confesses before lowering his voice once more, cupping his mouth partially with his hand. "Of course, I would never tell him that," he playfully continues, "It might get to his head," he states as Isabella gives a small laugh.
"So, what was it like dying?" Pascal asks as his youngest brother approaches them from behind; Lazlo immediately joining in on this conversation due to his rather large interest in the supernatural.
"It was surprisingly soothing," Isabella explains, "Although getting electrocuted is definitely not something I would like to experience again. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I still hear that cracking sound."
"Hey Izzy!" Kea greets, walking over with Kitty on her heels, "I'd like you to meet someone. This is Kitty," she introduces to her best friend as she wraps her arm around the gray-haired woman, "She and I have the exact same interests, isn't that funny? And I can't even tell what she's talking about half the time!"
"Uh, hello," Isabella shyly greets.
"Who wants mini hot dogs?" Kitty cheerfully asks, taking a silver tray out from behind her back and enthusiastically presenting it to the four of them.
"Ooh! Ooh! I do!" Kea choruses, taking and bunch of hot dogs and devouring them on the spot.
Next to her, Pascal is looking sick. "Please tell me those aren't the hot dogs that Vidcund threw out this afternoon," he says as Kitty holds up the tray to him. Pascal shakes his head, waving the food away. "Uh, no thanks, Mom."
"Mom?" Brent repeats, passing by them in the hallway, "That makes so much sense," he states, shaking his head as he walks into the other room.
"Hey Mom, where's Dad?" Lazlo asks.
Kitty shrugs, "I don't know, probably arguing with that cleaning lady. You know she wanted to clean both the upstairs and the downstairs?" she tells them, shaking her head at this atrocity, "I don't know what her problem is!"
"Hi Mom," Vidcund greets, stepping in next to her and casually looking down at the silver tray, "What are you doing with the hot dogs I threw out today?" he completes.
"Viddy!" Kitty chimes, gazing at his classic brown coat, yellow shirt, and white pants outfit, "You dress older than me."
"Ha! I told you!" Pascal speaks up, sticking his finger in Vidcund's face. "Now you can't complain every time I joke that you don't dress your age."
"Oh, I can complain," Vidcund retorts, slowly taking the tray from his mother. "Hey Mom, do you want to talk to Margaret? I'm pretty sure she's upstairs looking for you."
Kitty's face lights up. "Oh, of course! I should do that right now!" she says, walking towards the stairs and giving everyone a wave goodbye, "Goodbye kids! Goodbye blonde girl I wish was my kid! Goodbye other girl whose name I can't remember!" she shouts.
"So, you guys met our mother," Vidcund comments, starting the conversation up again, "Yeah, she's really interesting."
"Yeah," Pascal agrees, "Except she kinda went crazy after she gave birth to Lazlo, which is kinda funny because he's the most normal one of all of us," Pascal continues, "which, if you think about it, is really sad," he completes, shaking his head in pity. Next to him, both of his brothers are glaring at him. "What?" Pascal states.
Vidcund sighs, "Well, I'm going to go and change my clothes because apparently I don't 'look acceptable' to some people's standards," he says, mockingly making air quotes.
"Well, I think you look great," Lazlo tells him, "Right Izzy? Doesn't Vid look great?" he asks.
Isabella eyes widen as she struggles to find the right words to say, all four of her friends awaiting her answer. "Uh, well-" she begins, quickly turning around and taking off into the living room, a soft blush forming on her face. Kea follows her.
"Gee, way to scare her off," Pascal adds, turning to Lazlo.
Kea speeds up, finding herself having to run after Isabella to catch up with her. "Hey, you know what I've been thinking about all day?" she asks, once she has successfully cornered Isabella in the closet-sized chess room.
"No, what?" Isabella asks, the blush slowly disappearing from her face.
"I keep thinking about how accurate that fortune teller was," Kea awes to her friend, "I mean, didn't you tell me that almost all of her predictions came true?" she asks, quickly adding, "You know, after it was over."
Isabella nods, thinking this through. "I guess," she answers, "I mean, she was right about the war and one of us dying. But she mentioned something about staying away from a balcony, which never happened. And she said that there would be new love in the future – at least, that's what I think she meant – and all of us are already attached," she says with a sigh, seemingly disappointed by this news.
"Well, I don't know what to tell you about that one," Kea states, taking a sip of water, "But hey! A 50-50 success rate is pretty impressive for a fortune teller!" Kea clarifies, glancing out the window. "Oh my gosh!" Kea cries as she drops everything and races on to the front lawn. An intrigued and somewhat worried Isabella runs up behind her.
"Look! I found Bella Goth!" Kea announces, grabbing the Strangetown townie look-a-like by the hand and showing her to Isabella.
Isabella nervously smiles before turning to the Bella Goth townie. "Sorry about that," she apologizes as Kea lets her go.
"Okay guys, don't look now," Tank warns, walking up to Kea and Isabella, "But there are some strange weirdos over there," he says as Ripp walks up to join them.
"Yeah," he seconds, shifting his voice into a whisper, "There's some Pleasantview people. Quick, here they come! Don't look at them!" he exclaims as Isabella, Tank, Kea, and himself all look off in various random directions as they walk by, purposely ignoring them.
"Ah…Pleasantview," Kea speaks up, turning towards her friends, "That was some five days. Too bad I'm not allowed to go back there anymore."
Isabella tilts her head in confusion. "Why? What'd you do?" she wonders.
Kea sighs and starts anxiously playing with her hands. "Let's just say there was some…unpleasantness the last time I paid them a visit…" she reminisces, trailing off a bit, "You remember reading about all the scandals that have broken out in the city in that magazine that Ripp subscribes to?" she asks.
"Life in Pleasantview?" Ripp assesses, repeating the title. "Yes…?" he answers.
"Well, I kind of caused all of them," Kea confesses, "But I'll have you know that most of them were accidental," she explains further, "And that's why I can never go back," she retells her friends, "Which is a shame because I still have John Burb's coat," she says, taking it out from seemingly nowhere and pushing her nose into it, taking a long, deep exhale. "Ah…" she remembers, "Good times." Kea hugs the jacket as all three of her friends stare at her, concerned and weirded out at the same time.
"Well…that's something," Ripp speaks into the growing silence.
Next to him, Isabella turns to Tank. "Hey, can I talk to you about something?" she asks him.
Tank nods, "Sure, where at?" he asks, Ripp looking puzzled behind him.
"Just…come here," Isabella says, grabbing Tank by the arm and leading him over to the side of the house next to the outside stairs. "Hey, I didn't want to mention anything about this in front of Ripp, so I'm going to just tell you-" she begins.
"-You're dating Vid," Tank completes her sentence, "I knew it! I'm sorry, but I totally called it!"
"What? No!" Isabella corrects him, frantically shaking both her head and her hands. "No," she repeats a little more firmly, trying to keep a blush from forming on her face. "Okay, so, the thing is, when I died, I went to the afterlife, and I talked to your mom," she finishes, finally getting back on topic.
"You did?" Tank replies, sounding rather excited, "What did she say?"
"She said that she watches you two a lot," Isabella articulates, "-Which is normal there, trust me," she adds, addressing the strange look that is on Tank's face, "And she also said that she's really proud of the person that you've become."
Tank scrunches his eyebrow, amazed by this news. "She did?' he repeats, unsure of what to say due to all of the newfound happiness that is rushing through his body, "Wow! That's incredible!" he awes. "Was she happy?"
"Oh yeah," Isabella quickly answers, "She is very happy there," she tells him, as Tank leans forward and gives her a hug.
Meanwhile: Back inside the House
Pascal and Lazlo are sitting on the bar stools in the kitchen when Crystal Vu walks through the front door. She waves to them as she takes off her coat and throws it on the pile next to the bookcase. "Hey Crystal, you made it!" Pascal greets as she readjusts the hem of her shirt.
"Yeah, sorry I'm late. I've been planning how to get rid of the wall outside the city," she tells them, sitting down next to Lazlo, "You know Loki actually etched his name on every single brick? Sometimes I can't believe that guy," she states as Pascal runs off to answer a crying Amelia.
"-He left," Lazlo comments as he makes eye contact with Crystal. In no time at all, the pair is making out with each other.
"Hey Crystal, can we talk to you?" Lola asks, as the Singles, minus Erin, walk over to the stool where the couple is situated.
Crystal looks up at them, still holding on to Lazlo. "Really? Now?" she complains, obviously irritated. She looks up and sighs, noting the pleading expressions that are on their faces. "Alright, fine," she says, getting up and walking into the living room.
"Look Crystal, we just wanted to apologize for the way we acted during the war," Chloe begins, rubbing her arm, "If we weren't going to join you, then we at least should've been more supportive."
"Yeah," Lola speaks up, standing next to her twin sister, "Especially since we later found out that Kristen was hiding Amar in her bedroom," she adds. The twins look back and stare at Kristen, who casually shrugs her shoulders.
"Hey, I heard that's what you're supposed to do with stowaways," Kristen replies, noticing the puzzled look on Crystal's face. "Amar is my boyfriend," she clarifies.
"Oh," Crystal responds, "Well anyway, I appreciate the apology," she sincerely tells them, "It does mean a lot," she adds, shuffling her feet a bit to change the subject. "So…uh, are we still going to Veronaville?" she wonders.
Lola nods, "As soon as Erin gets back from her spiritual journey," she explains.
"And when will that be?" Crystal asks, tilting her head to the side.
Lola shrugs, "I have no idea," she answers, "She left five months ago with a giant ceramic crystal ball, and she never came back."
"Yeah, that's Erin for you," Crystal responds, shaking her head.
Meanwhile: In Pascal's Room
Pascal is running around the room looking for Amelia's stuffed animal. "Damn it! Where did Lazlo put that thing?" Pascal questions, Amelia crying behind him until she suddenly stops. Pascal turns around, only to find Nervous bouncing her up and down.
"Hey, you weirdo! Get away from my kid!" Pascal jokingly states, smiling.
Nervous laughs. "Well, you got me there," he states, handing Amelia over to Pascal. "You know, to tell you the truth, I am kind of sad that I didn't get to see the birth of your baby."
"Man, that was a mess!" Pascal exclaims, his thoughts racing back to that day, "There was so much blood that Vidcund almost wrecked his pants," he tells Nervous, laughing. "So, how have you been? I haven't talked to you in a while," Pascal states, "I would've called or texted or something but we were – you know, forced to go under the radar cause of Loki," he explains.
Nervous smiles, "Well, I've been pretty good. After I got kicked out of their house, I joined the police force, and I focused all of my time and energy on work," he answers, "which of course, did wonders for my love life."
Pascal nods, "Yeah, I've been there, man. Currently there, and believe it or not I am actually enjoying it," he says, "I think all those years of watching Vidcund's train-wreck with Circe made me realize that there are more important things in life – like pop tarts, and my daughter, and you know, all the rest," Pascal completes, waving his hand in a circle, "So, no more dating scene for me."
"Really?" Nervous speaks up, "Cause I was thinking about going back on the dating scene, and I think you should, too," Nervous confesses, taking a step towards his friend. Nervous leans towards Pascal, lowering his voice to a whisper, "After all, we wouldn't want all of those potential suitors to miss out on someone great," he states, blushing slightly.
Pascal tilts his forehead, clearly confused by this whole situation. "Oh, uh, thanks," he states.
Outside of Pascal's room, Ripp and Tank are standing near the drinks table, watching as their younger brother tries to chug from a giant pineapple. Tank nudges Ripp in the side, "Remind me not to drink from that," he murmurs; Ripp nods, crushing the red cup that is in his hands.
"Well, I'm going to find where Izzy is," Ripp tells his brothers, "I think tonight might be our night," he tells Tank, sighing lovingly as he looks up at the stars.
"Uh, Ripp?" Tank speaks up, "I'd hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think Isabella is your girl anymore."
Ripp turns around and faces his brother, clearly bewildered, "Why would you say that?" he asks.
"Because – er," Tank begins, nervously rubbing the back of his head as he tries to find the best way to break this to his brother, "Why don't you just talk to her?" he says finally. Tank exits into the house, leaving a confused Ripp behind.
Ripp turns towards the back window and looks into the house, a bad feeling forming in his stomach. Ripp sighs, knowing that only one thing could relieve his troubles. "Izzy!" calls out, "Isabella!" he repeats, stepping into the Curious residence.
Upstairs, Isabella is leaning up against the white railing that is aligning the roof, gazing out at the stars, though based on the perplexed expression that is on her face as she rests her head up with her right fist, it is safe to say that her mind is wandering elsewhere.
"You know young child, I knew this would happen," an elderly woman's voice rings behind her. Margaret Collins paces over to Isabella, standing between the graduate and one of the telescopes. "It was written in the stars!" Margaret announces, her eyes sparkling as she says this.
Intrigued, Isabella turns to the Gypsy Matchmaker. "What do you mean?" she wonders.
"Many years ago, the stars foretold of a woman who would rebuild the temple that was broken," Margaret says, gesturing her hands up to the sky.
"But I didn't singlehandedly rebuild the city," Isabella tells her, the young graduate's face striken with confusion, "it was a team effort!"
Margaret gazes forward, shaking her face lightly at Isabella's confused state, "My dear, you are thinking too literally," she says, "Perhaps the temple is not something, but rather, someone," she reveals, these words striking Isabella hard as she turns to face the Gypsy Matchmaker. "Isabella," Margaret continues, seemingly speaking to the young girl's soul, "You have rebuilt many temples in your life. But soon, you must learn to rebuild your own," Margaret reveals, still staring out at the sky, "Only then will you be truly satisfied."
Isabella turns away as the elderly woman departs from her, leaving her alone with her thoughts. The young woman sighs as she begins to ponder everything that has happened that day. She groans as she lifts her hands up to her face, her head starting to hurt. Isabella quickly swerves around, almost knocking into someone in the process. "Izzy!" Ripp beams, instantly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug, catching her by surprise, "I'm so glad you're okay," he states, pushing her closer into his frame, "Do you forgive me?" he asks.
"Yeah, sure," Isabella's voice muffles, her face squished up against his chest as she attempts to move herself slightly away from him, "For what?"
"You know," Ripp replies, gazing down at her, "For breaking up with you last week," he clarifies, smiling as he shakes his head, "I gotta tell you, that was the worst week of my life. But now it's all better, because you and I can get back together again!" Ripp beams, "Just like it was meant to be!" he choruses.
Isabella nods, her stomach sinking slightly at this news. "Uh, yeah," Isabella says, wondering why the words that she has waited to hear for so long aren't making her feel ecstatic.
"Come here!" Ripp states, pulling her into a kiss. Isabella freezes in place; something doesn't feel right. For the first time in five years, Isabella eXtreme isn't kissing back. The butterflies in her stomach are silenced.
Ripp smiles as he pulls away from his girlfriend, holding her at arms length. "Uh, I have to go," Isabella says, racing down the stairs and into the living room. She rushes into the bathroom, closing the door behind her as she plops down in front of it, covering her face with her hands.
She breaths in and out, trying to control her emotions. "I just don't understand it," Isabella speaks into the empty room, "If this was everything I wanted, then why do I feel so sick?" she says, laying herself down on the tile.
A few minutes later, Isabella exits the bathroom. She rounds the corner and stops, finding Pascal, Vidcund, and Lazlo conversing with each other in the hallway. Isabella pulls back a bit. For some reason she doesn't want them to see her.
"I don't know guys, the whole thing was weird," Vidcund says a few feet in front of her, his back turned. "But when Circe was kissing me all those times today, I didn't feel anything."
"I understand," Pascal speaks up, giving a nod, "I get that same feeling every time La Fiesta Tech gives me another grant," he explains, looking up at his brother, "Face it Vid, you've outgrown her," Pascal replies, smiling at this realization.
Vidcund steps back, somewhat surprised by this news. "Huh," he expresses. Isabella slowly moves away from them, Pascal's words soaking into her brain, hitting her hard.
"Huh indeed," she says to herself, moving further into the living room.
"What's wrong, Vid?" Pascal speaks up, continuing their conversation, "You seem disappointed."
"It's not that," Vidcund states, moving in closer to his brothers and lowering his voice a tad, "It's just, you know, after everything that happened between me and Circe, I kinda wonder if I'm ever going to experience that feeling again," he wonders.
"Who knows?" Pascal shrugs, "I would say that life works in mysterious ways, but as man of science, you know I don't believe in that nonsense," he states, gazing down at the ground. Pascal looks up for a moment, noticing something rather off about his brother's appearance. "You're still wearing that?" Pascal asks Vidcund, pointing down to Isabella's torn off sleeves that are still wrapped around Vidcund's waist.
Vidcund looks down at them, picking up the fabric between his fingers. "Huh, I guess so," he states, still looking down at it.
Pascal crosses his arms, a knowing stare spreading across his face. "Geez, you got it bad for her," he remarks as Vidcund's eyes trail to the floor, slightly embarrassed. "Look Vid, it's okay if you like her. You can tell us, we already know."
Lazlo nods, "Yeah, we've known for a while," he adds, hanging on to his drink, "You were always following her around and talking ten times more than usual," he notes, glancing down at his brother, "Not to mention the fact that you did everything she told you to do," he annunciates.
Vidcund sighs, still fiddling with the piece of material, a mix of both tension and anxiety running through his stomach. "Alright…so I like her," Vidcund confesses, barely looking at them, "What do I do now?" he asks.
"Well, you gotta tell her," Pascal responds, taking a sip of his drink.
Vidcund scrunches his eyebrows, "Do you really think it's a good idea to tell her when we're living in the same house?" he wonders.
"What? So you guys are just supposed to awkwardly hit on each other until someone finally cracks and torches the house?" Pascal questions, noticing the bizarre and slightly weirded out looks that have appeared on his brother's faces, "-What? Too much?" he adds.
Lazlo shakes his head, hoping to erase the thought. "But seriously Vid, you gotta tell her," he states, redirecting the topic, "I mean, what's the harm? She obviously likes you."
"Really?" Vidcund says, his voice filled with doubt, "And what is the basis for your argument?" he asks.
"Oh, I don't know," Lazlo responds matter-of-factly, "Maybe because she saved your life? Also, didn't you guys almost kiss like twice?" he recalls.
"Yeah, but she was going through the break-up then, so she could've been rebounding," Vidcund tells him.
Pascal nods, "That's true. It could be like that time Sheryl broke up with me, and I almost kissed that cactus," he reminisces, noticing Vidcund's glare, "Hey, you like plants. You shouldn't be insulted!" Pascal crosses his arms.
Lazlo's face softens. "But in all seriousness Vid, you gotta tell her how you feel. Because trust me, in this neighborhood, if you don't, someone else will. And as one of the few somewhat normal girls in Strangetown, she's not going to be on the market for long." Pascal nods in agreement.
Vidcund sighs, nervousness filling his body. Pascal walks over, placing a gentle hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Listen Vid, I know you're scared, but all we're saying is, don't be afraid to risk something great to go after the one thing that makes you feel alive."
"Yeah, okay, thanks," Vidcund stutters, his arms shaking a bit as he backs away from them, "I think I'm going to get some fresh air," he announces as his body fills with panic. Pascal and Lazlo watch as Vidcund races up the stairs and on to the roof, passing by Kea who is coming out of the bathroom.
"I guess that was a lot for him to take in," Lazlo comments, hoping to relieve the awkwardness of the situation. Pascal nods uneasily next to him, clearly worried.
A Few Minutes Later – On the Roof of the Curious Residence
Vidcund is leaning over the closed off balcony, breathing in and out, attempting to calm himself down. After a few moments, he sighs as his shaking diminishes, the coldness of the air surprisingly soothing him as he stands alone looking out at the stars. "They don't know what they're talking about! She would never go for me," Vidcund's mind wanders, "She's clearly out of my-"
"Hey! There you are!" Isabella's sweet voice chimes behind him, "I've been looking all over for you," she says, sounding surprisingly cheery.
"You have?" Vidcund states, somewhat surprised as he sits up from the banister. He turns towards her, his panic vanishing when he sees her smiling face.
"Yeah," Isabella says, moving up closer, "I feel like we haven't really gotten a chance to talk since, you know," she begins, giving a small smile.
Vidcund nods, knowing what she is getting at. "Oh…yeah," he remembers, as he looks down at the ground. "Hey, are you mad at me?" he speaks suddenly, causing Isabella to tilt her head, confused.
"Why would I be mad at you?" she asks, clearly puzzled.
Vidcund continues to gaze at the floor, letting out a deep sigh, "Because, I let Circe go and-" Isabella quickly moves forward, placing her hand on his arm before he can continue, seeing the anguish that is forming on his face.
"No," she states warmly, "Of course not."
"Oh," Vidcund replies, the silence growing around them as neither one of them knows what to say to each other. "Hey Izzy, I just realized-" he speaks up, "- I never got to thank you for saving me," he says, feeling the intensity growing around them as he pauses to look at her. "So…thanks," he states.
Isabella smiles as she leans up against the banister next to him, placing her hand gently on top of his. "You're welcome," she says.
Vidcund turns back towards the banister, the pair standing in silence for a bit as they gaze out at the night sky.
"I don't get it," Vidcund says suddenly, "You knew it was either me or you. So why did you save me?" he asks, feeling as though the question is burning in his very soul.
Isabella looks out at the sand, seriousness filling her eyes. "Because…these people need you, Vidcund," she answers. Isabella looks up at the stars and sighs, before continuing on with her explanation as Vidcund stares at her intently, listening to her every word, "When we were out there fighting, I realized something: Strangetown could survive without me, but it couldn't survive without you," Isabella confesses, "Think about it: This whole thing started as a result of you leaving, the city went into total chaos without you!" Isabella exclaims, a smile on her face. "Now think about what would've happened if you never came back, if you were really gone for good," she states, "You may not realize it, Vid, but this city needs you a whole lot more than you ever needed it. And that's why I had to step in front of you," Isabella explains, her eyes shining as she turns towards him, "Because if I didn't, there would be no Strangetown."
Isabella turns back towards the stars once more and gives a happy breath, before turning back to Vidcund who is now staring out into the distance, soaking in all that she has said; his face unreadable. Next to him, Isabella beams, "But of course I would be lying if I said that was the only reason why I saved you," she confesses, rubbing the back of her head a bit in nervousness, "I also saved you cause – well, I care about you, Vidcund. You're my friend," she says, feeling rather cheery about this news.
After a few moments of continuous silence from Vidcund, Isabella leans up from the banister and stands straight. "Well, I should probably be getting back to the party-" she begins, slowly walking backwards towards the stairs, completely unaware that Kea has just walked up the stairs behind her.
"Isabella, wait!" Vidcund sits up, her sudden departure lighting a spark inside him.
She turns back, "Yeah?" she states.
Isabella watches as Vidcund walks towards her, the tension around them only rising. Vidcund holds his hand out. Intrigued, Isabella moves forward, gently taking it as he twirls her around into a hug. Isabella sighs at the warmth of his body, finding the sound of his heartbeat quite comforting. Isabella looks delicately up at him, noticing that his heart is racing. "Oh," she awes, feeling the butterflies return to her stomach.
Vidcund looks down at Isabella, passion forming in his eyes. "You may think that Strangetown doesn't need you, but I do."
Isabella locks eyes with him, shocked, as she lets out a short breath. "Vid-" she begins.
All of a sudden, Vidcund leans forward and kisses her. Isabella tenses up a bit, clearly shocked, before wrapping her arms around him and passionately melting into the kiss, letting herself go. Isabella looks up as the pair pulls away, a deep blush apparent on her face as she feels her head starts to rush. "Uh…?"
They slowly separate, good feelings washing over them as their stomachs fill up with butterflies. Vidcund and Isabella quickly lean up against the banister, both smiling to themselves as they hear someone coming up the stairs. Pascal walks up and leans on the banister between them. "Phew! That party just keeps going!" he states, "So, what's up with you two?" he asks.
Vidcund and Isabella gaze at each other briefly, before looking back down at the ground, both of them unable to say a word, their faces flushed. Isabella grips the side of the white banister, a sudden realization hitting her square in the chest: I'm on a balcony.
But at that moment, she doesn't care.
To Be Continued.
Author's Note: Whoo! Welcome to Slavestown is complete! Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted, or favorited this story over the years! There are two more stories left in the Strangetown Saga after this one, but I am taking a short break from this series, so I am unsure when the fourth story will be coming out. (Currently, the planning sheet for it is three hundred pages, so it's definitely going to give Sim State a run for its money in length!) Feel free to leave a review telling me what you thought about Welcome to Slavestown. I would really appreciate it!
~ SClownzZzZz
