Sheldon and Leonard's Building Staircase
Howard: "Raj, you can't seriously think Superman could lift Mjolnir! It makes no sense!"
Raj, shaking his head: "Howard, think about it! Superman is pure of heart. He's the 'Blue Boy Scout,' the prototype of a hero. If anyone could be worthy, it would be him."
Howard, almost tripping on a step: "Scout or not, the hammer is about Asgard's code of honor, not about how many hot girls you save from burning buildings. And honestly, Clark Kent wears his underwear over his pants. That should disqualify him right there."
Raj, huffing: "Oh, right. Because Thor, with his shampoo-commercial hair, is the pinnacle of dignity!"
"At least Thor can maintain a relationship! Superman only knows how to play shy with Lois Lane. He's a walking disaster when it comes to romance."
Raj, offended: "Oh, and you, Howard, are a love master? The last time you had a date without being interrupted was because your mom was busy with her Zumba class!"
Howard stops and puts his hand on his chest dramatically: "Watch what you say, Raj. Messing with my love life is one thing, but mentioning Zumba crosses a dangerous line."
Raj: "Relax, man. I still think Superman would lift the hammer, strike a pose, and win everyone over. He's a god among men!"
Howard: "Yeah… a god among men who can't even order a pizza without giving a moral speech. If I were Asgardian, I'd never let him near Mjolnir." Howard pauses for a moment and knocks on the apartment door.
The door opens, and Leonard appears, visibly anxious. He sees Howard and Raj and forces a smile.
Howard entering with enthusiasm and a smug grin: "Greetings, my friend! How's the single life treating you?"
Leonard looking nervously inside the apartment: "Uh… now's not a good time, Howard. I'm… busy."
Before Leonard can explain, Sheldon suddenly appears in the background, seemingly oblivious to the situation.
Sheldon: "It's not a good time because Leonard is trying to impress our new neighbor, Penny. He thinks discussing theoretical physics will make her interested in him. I tried to explain that the probability of success is statistically insignificant, but he persists."
Howard raising his eyebrows, interested: "A new neighbor? And what's she like?"
Leonard, irritated with Sheldon: "Sheldon!"
Sheldon continuing, completely unconcerned: "She's blonde, physically attractive, clearly out of Leonard's league, and works as a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard has already offered to help her assemble her IKEA furniture, which I found curious, considering he can barely assemble his own shelves without crying."
Raj looking at Leonard, confused: "Wait, you're trying to win her over by helping with… IKEA furniture?"
Howard laughing: "That's a new one. The 'Romantic Assembler' strategy. What's next, Leonard? Teaching her about the difference between Phillips and flathead screws?"
Leonard sighing, with a forced smile: "No, I'm just being friendly, okay? I just want to get to know her."
Sheldon interrupting again: "Actually, what Leonard wants is to establish a romantic relationship, but since he has severe socialization problems with attractive women, the probability of success, as I mentioned, is practically nil."
Howard smiling mischievously: "Well, Leonard, you've got Raj and me here. Together, we can offer our vast experience. I mean, between us three, we've watched more romantic comedies than any man should admit."
Leonard, frustrated: "You're not helping!"
Sheldon: "If it's help you want, Leonard, I can list detailed statistics on human male and female interactions in social situations."
Howard: "Leonard, the secret is charm. And, when charm doesn't work, well… at least you're already assembling her shelves. Maybe she'll need more help when things come crashing down."
Raj, with a dreamy look, says: "Leonard, get ready for a path full of adventures. First, you'll make all sorts of grand gestures and even some desperate moves to impress her, like trying to do a big demonstration of your skills… and occasionally failing miserably. There will be times when you'll think things are going well, only to realize she's not as interested as you thought. And, of course, you'll have various arguments over silly things and misunderstandings. But, eventually, you'll win her heart with your persistence, and then you'll have a relationship filled with ups and downs, unexpected surprises, and even some moments where you'll wonder how you got here. In the end, you'll go through it all together and, with a little luck, find the perfect balance between love and friendship."
Everyone: "…"
Leonard, perplexed and stammering, asks: "Do you really think all that will happen?"
"Pffff… Oh, no, Leonard! I was just trying to mimic a romantic travel guide."
Howard: "Pfff… well done, Raj."
Everyone laughs, while Leonard smiles nervously. Suddenly, Penny emerges from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, her appearance naturally attractive. Her blonde hair is wet and falls messily over her shoulders.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt… I can't get the shower to work. Leonard, can you take a look?"
Howard immediately straightens up, his smile wide and his eyes sparkling at the sight of Penny.
Howard, trying to sound charming: "Well, hello! I didn't realize the welcome package included a visit from you in formal attire."
"Oh… hi? I'm Penny, the new neighbor."
Leonard quickly interjects: "Yes, of course, Penny… I'll check it out for you. Sorry about the mess. These are my friends, Howard and Raj."
Penny smiling politely at the two, "Hi, Howard, hi, Raj."
Howard: "If you need help with the shower, I'm kind of a specialist in… plumbing."
Penny laughs awkwardly, not noticing the tone.
Leonard quickly: "He's not."
Penny: "Anyway, thanks, Leonard. Can you come now?"
"Sure! I'll be right there."
Leonard leaves the bathroom after helping Penny with the shower. He looks a bit excited and anxious, heading straight to the kitchen where he grabs the car keys.
Howard and Raj watch with curiosity, realizing something is happening.
Raj: "Hey, Leonard, where are you going?"
Leonard, trying to sound casual: "Oh, just… doing a favor for Penny. She needs help picking up a TV from her ex-boyfriend's place."
Howard, surprised: "Wait, you're going to her ex's place? Doesn't that sound a bit… dangerous?"
Sheldon, sitting on the couch working on his laptop, looks up with a disdainful expression.
Sheldon: "Oh, sure, Leonard. Because nothing attracts a woman more than someone who voluntarily offers to transport a heavy object while she relives painful memories of a failed relationship."
Leonard: "I'm just being a good neighbor, Sheldon. It's no big deal."
Sheldon: "Yes, a good neighbor… who conveniently offers to do something and, in return, expects emotional recognition. Fascinating."
Howard, laughing: "Leonard, just make sure you don't end up being the guy who only does 'little favors' while the ex-boyfriend enjoys the real perks."
Leonard ignores the comment and focuses on Sheldon: "Anyway, I'm going. Anyone want to come with me?"
Sheldon: "Well, considering you'll probably mess up the TV alignment during transport and position it at a suboptimal angle relative to ambient light, I really should go to ensure it's done correctly."
Leonard, sighing: "Great, Sheldon. You can come."
Raj, confused: "Wait, you're doing this now? Picking up a TV? Isn't it a bit… early?"
Howard, joking: "Yeah, Raj, it looks like Leonard is already moving on to the 'heavy furniture' phase of the relationship."
Leonard, somewhat frustrated: "I'm not 'moving on to any phase'! I'm just being… helpful."
Sheldon, getting up from the couch: "Let's go, Leonard. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get back to my productive research night."
Leonard grabs the keys, shakes his head resignedly, and the two head out the door.
Howard, turning to Raj: "I bet this isn't going to end well."
Raj shrugs: "Probably not. But who am I to judge?"
"How about a round of Chrono-Quest: Battle of the Galaxies?"
Raj, excited: "Absolutely! You know I can't resist a good galactic mission."
The two start playing, focused on the screen. Time passes until Penny comes out of the bathroom, now dressed casually, still drying her hair with a towel. She looks at the two with curiosity.
"Hey, what are you guys playing?"
Raj pauses the game, looks up with a smile: "Oh, it's a sci-fi game. We're basically saving the universe… simple stuff."
Penny laughs: "You and your universes. Sounds complicated."
Howard, proudly: "Complicated? This is basic for us. Like programming a microwave."
Penny, without missing a beat, looks at Raj more closely and comments, "You definitely don't have the typical nerd look."
Raj shrugs, "Yeah, maybe I have a different style. But I'm still the same guy who loves talking about the universe."
She smiles, impressed by Raj's ease. "So, what else do you do, besides saving galaxies in video games?"
"I'm an astrophysicist. I work with stars, black holes, that sort of thing. Studying the universe has always been my passion."
Penny: "Wow, that's impressive! You must have some amazing stories."
"Yeah, it has its perks. Every day you discover something new… even about yourself," Raj responds with a smile.
Howard: "Don't be fooled, Penny. He might try to be cool, but deep down he's still the guy who spends hours talking about gravity and galaxies."
Raj laughs and responds, "Maybe, but who says you can't be a nerd and cool at the same time?"
Raj, noticing that Penny is interested in the game, turns to her, "Hey, want to try playing with us? I promise it's easy to learn."
Penny, a bit hesitant, shrugs with a smile, "Oh, why not? But I'll warn you, I'm terrible with technology."
Raj hands her a controller, "No pressure. I'll teach you the basics. All you need to do is move your character with this joystick and use these buttons to attack. Easy, right?"
Penny laughs, a bit nervously, but accepts, "Alright then… where do I start?"
Raj points to the screen, "Your character is this warrior with the golden armor. She's practically invincible if you learn to use her special powers."
Howard, in a playful tone, "Of course, Raj picks the invincible warrior for Penny. He's clearly trying to impress her."
Penny, smiling at Raj, "I think it's working."
The game starts, and Penny tries to control her character, still a bit clumsy. She laughs as she tries to hit the enemies, and Raj patiently guides her.
Penny: "Okay, I have no idea what I'm doing, but it's fun!"
Raj: "You're doing great. You're almost defeating that giant monster over there!"
Penny laughs and starts to feel more confident, "Maybe I have a hidden talent for this, who knows."
After a few minutes of playing, Penny finally defeats the enemy, and Raj raises his hand for a high-five.
"You did it! First monster defeated!"
Penny gives him a high-five excitedly, "Okay, that was cooler than I expected."
Suddenly, the front door opens, and Leonard and Sheldon enter, both without pants. Penny looks surprised, while Raj and Howard try to hold back their laughter.
Leonard, embarrassed, "Hey, guys… we had a little… problem."
Sheldon, indifferent to the situation, adds, "To be clear, the problem was caused by Leonard's ill-advised decision to do a favor for someone he just met."
Penny: "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault, I didn't think he'd be so… awkward."
Leonard, trying not to look uncomfortable, smiles and shakes his head, "No, seriously, don't worry. It… it just reminds me of my school days."
Penny, surprised: "Really?"
Leonard, with a slightly embarrassed smile, "Yeah… strange things always happened to me. It wasn't that different. So, no problem."
Penny, still feeling bad, "Anyway, I'm really sorry! I promise I'll find a way to make it up to you guys."
Penny: "How about dinner at a nice restaurant? My treat."
Leonard: "That sounds great. Don't worry, it really wasn't a problem."
Penny approaches Leonard and Sheldon and gives each of them a hug, surprising them both.
Penny: "It was nice meeting you. See you around!"
Leonard, as Penny exits the apartment, murmurs to himself, "Totally worth it."