Long Road Ahead: Grunt, Round 1

[simstationdance]

NOTE: The first three posts for Long Road Ahead will read less like an actual story and more like gameplay because I didn't intend for it to turn into a story, but I truly can't help myself. This part also kinda falls apart towards the end because I didn't take enough pictures and my brain short circuited and didn't know what to write smh

[ archived from the #lra: grunt tag and heavily edited for readability ]

The unmistakable sound of a harsh whistle pierced the air, as General Chip Grunt proceeded to use the most commanding voice he could muster on his ‘newest recruit’ - his own son. Chip would honestly rather be doing anything else right now, but Buzz had always insisted on running the obstacle course at least once every week, even if he wasn’t exactly… built for it.

Chip: You okay, son? That looked like it hurt–
Buzz: I’m FINE. Let’s keep going!
Chip: Are you sure? Didn’t break your face or anything?
Buzz: So what if I did, huh? What’s a little face-breaking between father and son? It builds character!
Chip: …Please don’t ever say something like that again.

Chip didn’t know what to make of his son’s aspiration to follow in his footsteps sometimes. The boy grew up on glamorized stories told by his grandfather, but as far as Chip was concerned, he personally wouldn’t refer to their line of work as ‘glamorous.’

Nonetheless, Buzz is adamant and determined to one day become just like his father and his grandfather - or perhaps he aspires to eventually outdo their performances as the previous generals of Strangetown…

Chip: I think we should take a break–
Buzz: NO. No breaks!
Chip: We’ve been at this for three hours from the minute you got up today, kiddo. You look like you’re struggling.
Buzz: I told you earlier, I’m fi–

Immediately after those words left Buzz’s lips, his grip loosened and he came tumbling to the ground. The shame on his face was visible, and he looked up at Chip like he was waiting for his father to say something. But Chip didn’t say what Buzz expected to hear.

Chip: I think that’s as good a time as any to stop for the day. Right, son?
Buzz: Aren’t you going to tell me I’m a weakling? That’s how they train you in the army, isn’t it?
Chip: …Son, this isn’t boot camp. This is our backyard, where it’s perfectly fine to make mistakes and take breaks when you need ‘em.
Buzz: Ugh. Whatever… I’ll do better next time.

Chip didn’t understand that boy sometimes, such as why exactly he wanted his father to treat him like a lowly recruit instead of his son. He didn’t think too much of it - it might just be one of those phases kids his age go through - but it still made him a little concerned.

---

The General’s wife, Missy Grunt, is a fairly serious but gentle soul, to whom life has not been overly kind. She loves and works hard for her family, most of all for her son. But sometimes it feels like he barely appreciates it, let alone cares.

Recently, as Buzz’s adulthood has been drawing nearer, they’ve been getting into arguments left and right. All the while, Chip barely manages to keep the peace.

Chip: Listen, I love you both, but it’s really hard to concentrate on this movie I’m watching with you yelling like this…

Buzz and Missy’s brief argument was successfully(?) halted by Chip, leading Missy to quietly storm off to make lunch, and Buzz to sit beside his father to watch TV in silence.

That is, until loud screams erupted from the kitchen. I wonder how Missy’s doing in there–

oh.

Buzz comes bolting into the room, fire extinguisher at the ready, as the fire practically scorches his eyebrows clean off. His mother, on the other hand, is having a total breakdown.

Buzz: DON’T WORRY, MA, I’VE GOT IT–
Missy: OH MY GOD BUZZ NO!! NO NO NOOOOOOOOOO-

Once Chip ran in and the firemen arrived, the fire was successfully put out without more than a little bit of damage to the kitchen. Nonetheless, Missy was so shaken by the ordeal that she broke down in tears.

Missy: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I- I don’t know what I did wrong. It happened so fast, I couldn’t stop it–
Chip: It’s alright, honey. Everything’s fine.
Buzz, from across the room: At least nobody died!
Missy, sobbing: OH GOD WE COULD HAVE DIED–

Buzz: But we didn’t though!
Chip: Y-… Yeah. Yeah, what he said. It’s okay, Missy, really. Everything’s okay now. You go sit down, I’ll make lunch instead, okay?

In the immediate aftermath of the fire that nearly destroyed the entire kitchen, the family mostly ate their lunch meat sandwiches in silence, with Chip and Buzz talking amongst themselves about inane topics such as ‘the weather’ and ‘how was school’ and Missy staring a thousand yards into the distance.

She mostly tuned their conversation out, thinking a bit too much about the worrying hypothetical scenario in which one or more of her family members died in that fire.

---

Late into the evening, Missy still seems shaken from the fire. Chip, however, reminds her that everything is fine.

Chip and Missy head to bed, feeling content.


Until a nightmare wakes Missy up :(

---

The next day, Buzz brings home a friend from school, Hoot Howell. He looks a bit… rough around the edges. But he seems nice!

Or he did, until he walked into the dining room, saw Missy passed out from exhaustion, and started eating her pancakes.

Buzz also invited over his lovely girlfriend, Lyla Vandermorgan.

Buzz: So, babe, I was thinking…
Lyla: Yeah? About what?
Buzz: Would you wanna… take our relationship to ‘the next level’?
Lyla: ‘The next level’? Like… going steady, or…?
Buzz: Uh, yeah, I was thinking ‘going steady.’
Lyla: Oh, uhh… sure! That sounds great!
Buzz: Somehow I knew you’d say yes.

Meanwhile, Lyla, not too long ago:


(can’t say i blame her tho. i mean, have you SEEN hoot howell??)

---

Missy was recently promoted to be a Nurse at the local hospital, and she’s very nervous about it. She’s been spending a lot of time making sure she’s ‘wearing the uniform right.’

Chip, on the other hand, just wants her to come back to bed.

---

Buzz prepares for a great date with Lyla…

It’s mostly just a lot of kissing. She doesn’t seem to be complaining though.

Lyla leaves her boyfriend a little souvenir.

---

Buzz is a very hard-working young man. Although he’s often told that his parents are proud of him, he feels like he ought to be doing more. He’s been pushing himself to his limits every day in order to reach the top of his teen career in the military…

That same night, he got his wish. He proceeded to shave and shape his hair into the exact same style as his father, his grandfather, and his fellow recruits.

Very normal stuff!!!