Did my favourite Simpsons ships, Kumiko X Comic Book Guy (Jeff), Moe X Maya, Lenny x Carl and Charlotte (my oc) x Dr. Nick as part of Valentine’s Day.💕😍💘
More rambles about the episode concept under the cut!
Disaster after Disaster - Synopsis
The episode would involve an A and B plot: one with Claryce and Comic Book Guy's unlikely friendship, and the second with Claryce and Bob's first date. Lisa and Bart would be involved in both stories, and there would be a short scene with Fat Tony.
Plot A
Following a first, bad encounter with Comic Book Guy when she finds a rare comic edition of her favorite series, Claryce talks about her new acquisition in her personal blog, "Calypso's lair". It turns out it's one of Comic Book Guy's favorite fan websites, and he connects the dots when she makes a subtle comment regarding how rude the seller was and dared to overprice the comic behind her back.
He's full set to make amends with her, and, when he sees Bart and Lisa talking to her, he'd ask for the kids' help to get to know her better. It's awkward at first, since Claryce believes the guy is stalking her or simply trying to make fun of her, so she avoids him whenever she can.
Eventually, he learns the voice actor of the Baron Disaster games will be at a game event near Springfield, and he offers her his VIP pass to meet him. Since he's secretly aware of her online identity, he knows she's the one fan who HAS to meet the person behind the character, mysteriously kept under NDA. Claryce is incredibly surprised with the gesture - although she doesn't entirely understand his motives. It looks SUPER fishy to her, and it feels like he's only doing this to try and get her attention. But since he did make her pay way too much for that comic, she feels like she can take advantage of this. Then he'll leave her alone, yes? she'd think.
Plot B - Bob and Claryce's first date
And as she meets with Bob (the mysterious "actor" behind Baron Disaster's voice), she... kind of forgets about Jeff, completely entranced with Bob the closer they get during the summer holidays. And gosh, it feels like a dream when he asks her out for a date! There's the thrill of her finally catching up on lost time and getting closer to someone who's so dear to her. For Bob, their meeting also feels like fate and the opportunity for him to turn over a new leaf. Bart and Lisa aren't as overjoyed about Claryce's new relationship, and when they bring it up to Jeff, he only shrugs it off, admitting he only asked for their help because he acted like a jerk with her to begin with and that women always preferred sophisticated men - even if they turn out to be jerks as well. So the kids decide to investigate and see whether Bob is plotting to kill their school librarian or not!
It turns out he wasn't planning such ordeal - but the kids misunderstand his intentions as they spy on him, and they end up ruining their very last date, which sends Bob in his classic vendetta rage. Claryce witnesses the scene as he was cornering Bart to kill him, which stops him in his tracks. Claryce is both shocked for the confirmation of his past antics - as it turns out she had learnt about his ways from other people since they first started to hang out. But she had been in denial since then, deciding instead, as her uncle suggests her, to "follow her heart". There was also the slight hope that, if those rumors (and actual newspapers) were true, Bob would eventually tell her about it.
Buuut he didn't. And it looks like he wasn't about to tell her anytime soon... 😔Not because he planned to harm her, but because he didn't want to lose her.
So now her dream bubble is burst, and she's left with nothing else but a panic rush. Bob has to choose between going after her or going after Bart; and he drops the knife, going after Claryce so he can properly explain the situation. He manages to reassure her, and following a heartfelt discussion, Claryce prefers to put an end to their relationship, although she wants to remain good friends. It's worth noting Bob could have escaped the police instead of looking for her, but he'd rather be behind bars again than let her without answers. As soon as they make amends, the police arrest Bob, and, after a last embrace, Claryce watches as her beloved friend - who she know was seeing for who he was, a man driven by revenge, and not the shy kid he used to be years ago - is taken away from her.
Epilogue - return to plot A
Jeff is seen closing his store and going for a quick errand before going back home. He finds Claryce near the arcade, feeling miserable after she decided to end her relationship with Bob. She had tried to find joy with her beloved franchise, but she now links it too much to her former love and she breaks in tears. Jeff tries to cheer her up and suggests her to play an arcade version of Baron Disaster together - a metaphor for accepting to move forward and have more experiences with the media she enjoys.
She accepts and her mood improves as they play. Jeff takes the opportunity to properly apologize for his past behavior and, wanting to show full honesty, admits he knows that she's Calypso. He then reveals he's the owner of the "Ain't I fat critique website", and she, in turns, remarks how she loves to read his articles. Claryce also apologizes for acting so wary around him and solely judging him based on their first meeting - and properly thanks him for the VIP pass. The episode would end as they decide to start another game - symbolizing the birth of a new, genuine friendship.
Episode themes
It'd be an episode that tackles diverse subjects - the image of women in fandom spaces, how not to judge someone based on appearance and first encounters, how people you used to know can change (especially how nostalgia can affect your better judgement), and, last but not least, the importance of honesty and the weight secrets can bear in any kind of relationship; be it platonic or romantic.
In the end, Jeff wasn't as "bad" as Claryce pictured him, just as Bob wasn't as "perfect" as she idealized and remembered him.
Likewise, Bart and Lisa discover a softer side to Claryce - as until then, they had seen Claryce as the mean looking librarian; while in fact, she's just so stressed at work that she looks awfully grumpy! :c
