3.16 His name was Gilbert

     A lovely day to play around in the park, Sekhmet went to find the cathouse all empty. Her sims were gone, and she couldn't have cared less. She was a cat, so they better just be back to feed her. That were the rules for them to be allowed to live in her house. But when they were gone, the cat was free to roam as it wanted.

     Who was this mysterious stranger? Who was this daredevil that withour fear came near the one who makes evil tremble? Who dared go near the one, whos heart gets calmed and happy when death and destruction is around? Who was this one that, with no hesitation, approached one of Ras eyes? Who dared sniff someone that carried the name of a god?

      His name was Gilbert. A stark and strong cat, that snook upon her as she'd conquered the cat castle. Perhaps it was his exotic doglike features. Perhaps it was his cute little tail, or fearlessness? But that lovely autumnday would be a good reminder of why cats should always be spayed and neutered.

     Sekhmet wasn't the only one that was enjoying this lovely day. Since it was beautiful and sunny, Ian had decided to spend it indoors. He'd admit he'd always been a bit artsy, but this was to deep for him. It had seemed like a good idea, since he'd taken up painting as a hobby, now he just had to realize that painting and sculpting was different from art. Not that he got the point when it came to art: It was just a plumbotlike thing, that looked like it was begging. And it was okay, but even he could put that together. Not like some sims said they could do it, he actually could do it at a workbench with some scrapmetal.

     Oh, Ian! I didn't recognize you there. Last time I saw you, you looked like a sticky hobo! Maya started laughing.
     Yeah, I'm over that periode now. Maya was Marcos girlfriend, or had been, more like it. They hadn't met since his funeral, which had been a little event in itself. Turned out that the old geezer had the impressive ammount of five different girlfriends. That had caused some embarassment, and there probably wasn't anyone else than the old man that would've gotten away with it. Litterally, since he had to die for them to find out.

     He didn't offer his condolences, as he'd already done that. And it had been a while since the old man died: So how are things? 
    Same old, she answered. Nothing really changes. The kids are growing up, the job is at a halt, and I keep getting older. How about you?
     Sounds like my own life, to be honest
     I wasn't expecting to see you here. When did you become artsy? Maya had always liked drawing as far as he could remember. Or maybe not, they had just played together as children.
    So Ian had to answer: Uhm, I've just had it as a hobby. I'll admit this is a bit deep for me.

     Ian studied her whilst she talked; she was cute. He hadn't really noticed that before. Not some smashing beauty like Skuld ofcourse, but very cute. 
     Art can be pretty heavy. Sometimes it's the idea that's the real art. Or just the entire size of the project... then she continued: Other times it's just garbage, but don't tell the artists. They're a bit sensitive.
     Ian laughed, he hadn't expected that from someone who atleast knew something about it: You mean like that pile of junk behind me here? Refferring to the scrapmetal behind him: I mean, I know welding can be a bit difficult if you don't know it. But that doesn't make it art. It's still garbage.
 

     She started laughing, he'd never really noticed how sweet her laughter was either. But they weren't exactely close friends anymore, more like aquaintances: You're calling that junk? I read in the papers it cost almost as much as renovating town hall.
    I bet the scrapmetal was worth... three hundred simoleons, tops... It's just junk.. really... And I know my junk...

     Playfully pushing his shoulder, Maya said: Really Ian? Wordgames?! Don't be like that!! Ian jumped when she touched him. It was completetly unexpected, the laughter quickly died in his throat. What was he doing? What was even happening? He hadn't meant it that way: I... I just meant that I fix up junk.. I didn't mean.... He started stuttering, he was such an idiot. He hadn't thought it through, before talking. That was so embarassing. Was he blushing? He hoped he wasn't blushing. She probably thought he was a gross pervert now.

      I know Ian, I was just joking. She looked serious all of a sudden: Are you okay? You seem a bit strange. What was he thinking? Why was he even wondering what she was thinking about him? He was married, and she'd been involved with his father- in- law. How gross was he anyway? He should be ashamed of himself. Looking down on the floor he wondered what the hell was wrong with him.

     Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry, I'm just a bit... He didn't continue the sentence. What was he supposed to say to her anyway: I was just thinking that I'd never noticed how pretty your eyes are? He was a married man.
     She seemed to accept it though, and didn't push it further: How's your wife? 
     And just like that he was back in simnation again: She's fine.... Wait? Was that what she wanted him to answer? He wasn't even sure if he wanted to remind her that he was married: I heard you're allowed to meet her in prison....
     I am... I.. I'm going to meet her in a few days again... 
    ... Okay...

     Thankfully she changed the subject before it got even more embarassing: Listen Ian, I have to go to work soon, so since I've got you here.... Could I ask you a favour? 
    Sure...  
    I seem to remember you were kind of handy, and I have a dripping faucet. I've called the plumber, but you know how they are. Damned bastards never show up if it's not something they can bleed you dry for. She looked at him with a smile that almost seemed like she was embarassed: So... could you look at it for me? 
     Yeah, sure. A leak? He could fix that without any problems.
     How about tomorrow? I'm off the entire day then.
    Nodding, he said: Sure. How about around eleven? 
    I'll be there.

      Ian was met with a big change from the other times, when the first thing his wife said was: You look different. It was sweet that she noticed, but it was still a bit strange: You almost don't notice how big your stomach is when the shirt is so wide. And Ian didn't notice how his hand went over his abdomen out of old habit.
     Well, you still look beautiful. If she was going off script, maybe he could to? It might just be that they've changed the medication.
     You are seeing someone new, aren't you?
     What? No, you're the only one for me. You know that. She'd made her own daughter hide a corpse with her. A dead body, a man that she'd bludgeoned to death. And she'd made Aino help her.

     Then why did you change your appearance?

     There's no specific reason. She'd made her eat spoiled food. Who did that to a little girl? His little baby had been eating rotten meals that made her vomit. So she wouldn't gain weight.
     So you are seeing someone. Why do you keep lying to me? Don't you love me anymore?
     Ofcourse I love you. You've always been the only one for me, and you still are. She'd pulled her lovely red hair, grabbed it with those pink claws she'd had and pulled at it. They had scraped against her little scalp, pulling her head around by her hair.
     But you called off an engagement to be with me. I can't trust that you don't break our marriage if you meet someone new.

     You can trust me Skuld. I don't have any hidden agendas. He felt terrible. He deserved her scorn for drooling over Maya. Even if he'd really just fixed a leak. But he had enjoyed her company a bit more than he should, a lot more than he should. He'd almost forgotten all beeing married.
     Skuld just leaned away from him, the more he talked: Please, Skuld. Don't do this. We barely get to meet. Please, let's not argue. She was a grown woman, and Aino had just been a little girl. She had to have been terrified of her.The woman had beaten up a grown- arse prisonguard, for fucks sake, she'd even taken him down without any bigger problems. She was a physically strong woman, and Aino had just been a little girl. She'd been an odd little girl, with short red hair and a strange obsession with cats.

     He leaned back in the sofa: I just got tired of Aino constantly pointing out how sticky I looked. I'm sorry, I didn't think...
     ...oh.. so she put you up to it?
     Ian barely heard what she said: What? No, she just kept pointing out that I looked dirty. And I did, so I got a haircut. He should probably let it grow back out, together with the beard
     It makes your nose look big....
     That's not the hairs fault..... He had a huge nose anyway, the only way to make it smaller was to cut if off.

      Aino never comes to see me. She doesn't care about me. 
     She cares, Skuld. Maybe she was scared of her? He hadn't thought about that? How couldn't he have thought about that? How sorry had he been feeling for himself anyway?
     Then where is she?

     Aino was very busy, reading heavy litterature for semi- grownups: Baby Barbra likes bananas. Baby Barbra likes beans. This was really well written.... Who knew that babies liked all that stuff? Maybe she liked it to? She liked bananas atleast, but she wasn't to sure about beans. She'd never really had beans. Which was odd, because dad made a lot of strange food. And she liked strange food. And normal food. Maybe all food was normal, it was just strange for her.

     As interesting as the adventures of Baby Barbra was, the book was a bit short. And she was really just killing some time, waiting for dad to finish visiting mum. They were back in Bridgeport again, and Aino still thought dad should divorce her. Maybe she should visit her? Dad kept saying that she wanted to meet her.
     She kind of wanted to meet mum. She loved mum, and was angry with her, and was scared of her at the same time. It was strange to feel like that. Sometimes she wasn't sure what she felt. Pulling out a pretty green book, aino read the cover: Where is Bella at? It looked old and worn, the type that the library had wanted to get rid of, but for some reason they never got around to throwing it out.

     It had to be a book for bigger kids, because it was a bit much writing in it, and fewer illustrations. She liked illustrations, it was something about pictures that made her happy. She loved looking at them and try to find out what they could mean.
     She'd never read it before, but it was really interesting. It was about a girl; Bella, that lived in a big house with her mother, father and brother. He brother and her didn't get along well, and she didn't have any friends. Bella got very ill, but one day she got a doll in the mail. And her and the doll were best friends. Just like she had her best doll- friend, that now was gone. The doll was made of wood, and had a strange thing growing out of it's head, with a light in it. Just like her doll had had!!
     Bella was very lonely, and only had the doll to play with. And one day, it was almost alive. But she was the only one that could see it. Like Aino had believed to see her own imaginary friends when she was small. But the illustrations of Bellas imaginary friend was a lot cuter than hers...

     Then one day, the doll was gone and Bella was alone again and then went to look for it. But she couldn't find it, and went to live with some fairies. Eventually she went home, to see if the doll was there. A boy lived in her house now, and he to know Bella very well, he knew things about her that no one else knew!! Wow... Aino bet it was her imaginary friend that had turned into a real sim!!! Quickly she flipped through the book, devouring the story. She felt close to Bella as she read it. A lonely girl that had no friends, just a doll that went missing. And then the book said that there was a secret about the boy!

     Ofcourse the last chapters were missing... That was so typical. She kept looking through the childrens shelf but couldn't find another copy. Now she'd never know what the boys secret was. She'd bet that it was that he was really her imaginary friend gone real. Aino wished her old doll had become real. Maybe they could become real. Wondered how it would've looked like? Maybe it would be a squirrel like it was named after. Or it would've been a girl.

     She went to the woman who stood behind the counter and asked if she knew anything about it. But she just answered: Oh... that's a really old version. We've been meaning to get rid of it. They never became popular, so... Sorry. I doubt you'll find another one. But we do have the rewritten and modernized version! It's a very popular book, and frankly a lot better. Turned out that no one liked the story, but loved the childrens characters. So they'd just kept that and left the rest of it. It was a whole different story now. What a bummer: Do you know where I can find the ending? Is it online or something?
     Sorry. It's to old, local and badselling for anyone to care. And here she'd thought you could find everything online.

     She told dad about it, when he came to pick her up: Dad. I just read a story about a girl that had a doll that looked just like mine! And it became a real sim! Well, it hadn't exactely said that, but she was sure that it's what it was supposed to be. What other secret could the new boy have!? How else did he know so much about Bella, that no one else knew?
     That's nice dear. Maybe he should encourage her to read books for more grown ups. He was pretty sure that was a childrens book.
     Maybe that's what happened to my doll? Maybe it became a real sim, or a squirrel, and walked out of the policedepartments evidenceroom?

      Oh wow... what was he supposed to say to that? Uhm... who knows? Maybe it did become real- he could barely look at her when saying it. What was the matter with him? Why couldn't he just tell her straight out that dolls were doll, and didn't become real? He had to be the worst father ever.
     Do you think so dad? Because there's fairies and werewolves, so why not dolls? Aino hoped he would agree.
    Sure.... It's time to go home now. He didn't say anything about mum asking for her this time, maybe she just didn't care anymore?

     He quickly picked up the phone, when he saw Mayas name on the display: Hi. Yeah, no. Everything's the same really. Yeah, we're fine. Why did he all of a sudden feel a bit lighter? It was probably just because he got something else to think about.
    Aino started moving her hands around, like they were mouths talking: Oh Ian. She made her voice light: You have the reddest hair of them all! 
     Then she made her voice a lot darker: Oh Maya! With my red hair, and your orange, well conquer simnation!! She made it light again, "talking" with the other hand: Reds will rule simplanet! The red revolution is at hand!! Then she laughed at her own joke.

      He talked into the phone: What that sound is? Nothing, nothing. It's just a bit crowded here..... He shot a look at his daughter, who went with the light voice again: Kiss me Ian!! Before I'll pretend I need something else fixed! Continued by a lot of kissing noises....
     Well, that was embrassing. What was his problem anyway? He was married.
     Maya and daddy sitting in a tree...
     Aino... He warned her
     K-i-s-s-i-n-g.......She'd never chanted anything so quickly before.
     I'm married. 
     You should divorce.

     I wuve you! Yes I do! You're so purrrrty, such a purrty girl. Purring, Sekhmet enjoyed herself. Few things were as enjoyable as leaving a sim full of hair, whilst getting scratched in the process. Aino enjoyed having the cat on her lap to; she was warm and soft, and was so easy to be around. Cats were the best, because they liked you if you just fed them. Other than that, they didn't take a lot of care. But that didn't mean she didn't brush her, and played with her.
    Aino was in anyway convinced that her doll had somewhat become alive. And now it was just to wait for it to find her, or her to find it; and they'd become bestfriends.

     In the meantime, she could be best friends with Sekhmet: Aw... why do you like having your tummy rubbed all of a sudden? You've never liked that before... Trying to get eyecontact with the cat, it was having none of that. She was to busy purring and stretching, nearly falling off her lap. Sekhmet had gotten a bit fat... Maybe she needed to go on diet catfood. Stroking Sekhmet again, she couldn't help to notice that she didn't have a soft bag under her stomach. It was a bit firm. Aino put her hand on it, feeling the small movements in there: Oh. That's not fat. That's kittens. Are you going to be a mommy?

      She'd completely forgotten to take her to the vet, and spade her: Daaad! She called for him, even if he was closeby: Daad! I have some good news for you!

      The mother- to- be didn't seem to want to be present to share the good news: Daaad! You're gonna be a grandfather!
 

      Wow, she'd never seen dad limp so fast in his life before: What did you say? He'd even been able to become short of breath on that little lap he just did.
     You're going to be a grandfather. I forgot to neuter Sekhmet, so she's having kittens.
     A shivering exhale escaped him. She'd meant the cat, it was the cat; not her. Thankfully: You gave me a scare there. I thought you meant yourself.
     Why would she be pregnant? Dads were strange: Can we keep them?

     What? No Aino, we don't have room for kittens. Cats don't have one kitten, they come in litters.
     Please dad...
     How about we maybe keep one, and we'll give the others away? That was a good idea, a lot of sims liked cats.
     Don't take them away from their mommy! Damn it, he hadn't thought that she might be a bit sensitive in that area: You know what Aino. We'll keep them. And then we'll see how it goes, okay? He was so weak

     Sekhmet was so thrilled keeping the kittens, that she decided to be gross about it.

     Ian wasn't really used to the phone ringing this often, but strangely enough he picked it up pretty quickly when the display showed Maya phoning again. Maybe he should have let it ring a few times first? He just couldn't wait to hear her voice again: Hey Maya. What's going on? 
     ....daddy has a girlfriend..... He tried ignoring his daughter, did she have to do this every time he was on the phone?
      No, no. It's just Aino... So has the tap stopped leaking? 
     ...sure dad, because a tapwash is soooo difficult to change.... He gave her a look that was probably some attempt at getting her to be quiet. Not that it worked ofcourse. Dads "scary- effect" was about -10^10

      You think there's something wrong with the leg of your table? Uhm... sure I can look at it.
      He heard Aino clapping her hands in the background: Go dad! Ian kept ignoring her, whilst talking to Maya. What was up with the kid anyway, she couldn't actually be rooting for him to cheat on her mother? Bet Maya just barely touched tools. She wouldn't have to with his father-in- law around the house. He'd been a racer at  fixing stuff, oddly enough. Would think he'd been to worried about ruining his manicure: Yeah, sure I'll be over in a little while.

      Great, now she started talking with her hands again: Oh Ian... You're like a ginger knight, saving a damsell in distress. Because using a hexkey is even more difficult than fixing a sink! Making her voice darker, the other hand answered: Yes Maya, the tools of this trade is very difficult. It takes no talent to use one... The other hand answered: Oh Ian! Kiss me, before I run out of lame excuse to have you over!
     He tried walking away, all the time having his daughter following him around. Didn' she have anything better to do? Like going to school for instance?! Ian had forgotten that it was spookyday already.

     Aino was beeing silly, Maya just needed help with some stuff around her place. And he didn't mind helping. Though, the table had been in pretty good shape, but one of her kids had probably fixed it: You've got at a great view from this place.
     It's okay. I'd rather see the other side of the river though. It wasn't the nicest part of town to look at.
     So was your wife doing okay?
     He didn't really think it was anything odd about the question, even if it was unomfortable: Yeah, she seemed like normal.... Or... well, she thought I was seeing someone new since I'd got a haircut. Which I'm not! He hurried to say, Like it would matter to Maya since he was already married.

     Why not?    
     Really? Her to? No, no. I'm married....
     Yeah, but she's in jail and probably won't be out again. You do know that, right? She didn't want to sound harsh, but maybe he was hoping she'd actually be released again.
      I know! I'm not delusional. Even my daughter says I should stop, but Skuld made me promise. And I have plans to honour that promise.
     She looked at him: That's a shame.

     Ian wasn't sure who had started it, but that didn't really matter. It wasn't like it was going to go to far. It was just a little kissing, and they were grown ups. Not hormonal teenagers that didn't have any thoughts about consequenses, or morale compass or... 

     ...or common sense! He on the other hand was more than capable of acting like a grown up, of having controle of himself. Ian wasn't an animal, but a sim. And he was married, and she wasn't going to come back out, and even if he did, he wouldn't want her anywhere near him again.

     Besides, everyone knew that redheads were the best at everything. And since they had red hair, they were probably a better match. Not that Ian wasn't capable of having some selfcontrole, he'd definitely planned on having this happening! But it wasn't going to go any further. No way, he was sure he had a good reason not to, if he could just remember it.

     To busy washing her hair, Alexia couldn't care about stupid sims. Even if she was to stare at them halfnaked all day long. No wonder she had her eyes closed.

     Aino couldn't have cared if she stared at the moment, because she'd adopted parts of her pose. Even when there were no hairwashing involved. Instead she leaned back enjoying the warm water, and the air that was a bit to humid. To bad they couldn't have those gross fish that ate up your dead skin, because that would've been gross. And kind of funny.
  

     You think dolls can come alive? It was spookyday, and they had time off from school. For some reason. Aino wasn't a big fan of spooky day, it was something about celebrating dead things that was  bit offputting.
     Like Chucky? Defenitly. Some of these dolls that kids play with are creepy as hell. Stein and her usually was on the same page, but he clearly misunderstood her.
     I mean, do you think they can turn into sims?

     Well, Chucky was a serial- killer that had possessed a doll, so I hope not. He didn't even appologize to her for it. And she was glad, because sims that was rude, was almost as bad as those thinking she couldn't hear anything. Ofcourse, if she hadn't known Stein this well, it would've felt differently..

     No, I mean do you think a doll can become a real sim, but not because they were posessed?

     Stein thoughtfully stared into the air: No. Why do you ask?

     I read a story in a book whilst in Bridgeport, about a doll that became a real sim. And then it was bestfriend with the girl that had owned the doll. I wouldn't have thought about it, but it was described exactely like the one I had as a kid, that disappeared after mum was injured. She paused for a while, studying her own foot: I want a bestfriend to. Her voice echoed against the marble walls.

      I thought we were bestfriends. Stein gave her a long stare that she ignored.

     Was he hurt? Probably not, Stein never got hurt: We are. But I'd like one that hasn't seen me naked, and I'd like a girlbestfriend. 

     Well, what can a girlbestfriend do that I cant? No, he was insulted. He sounded insulted atleast.

     She leaned back again: I don't know. But all the other girls have girlbestfriends. And girlbestfriends doesn't have lovers that gets jealouse because I spend time with them. Hinting at the fact that Steins girlfriend didn't like them spending time together. 

    Oh yeah. That might be a bit easier.... He knew to ofcourse, because his girlfried yelled at him for it..

     If Stein had been cranky, it was already forgotten: I bet that having another boybestfriend would be better if you're a girl... He sounded all- knowing and wise

     Boys always thought they were better than girls at everything: Why's that?

     Because a boybestfriend goes down on you, and a girlbestfriend doesn't. 

     That was so typical: She could to! Not only boys do that, you know. But I kind of want one that doesn't want to see me naked 

     Stein kept up the tone of a wise- man: Then how are you going to go skinny- dipping together? All girlbestfriends do that.

     No they don't.

      You don't have a girlbestfriend, so how do you know? Stein made a good point, but that didn't mean Aino was backing down: Movies just do that because they like sexualizing young girls, and try to make everything girls do together about sex. Everyone knew that didn't they? 

     Skinnydipping isn't really sexy

     How do you know? Did you skinnydip with your boybestfriends?

     For once he actually hesitated before answering: Yes. Is that weird?    

     Not really. He seemed pretty happy with the answer.

     Without a break, he turned towards her: Do you want to have sex?

     Is it because you got turned on thinking about your guyfriends naked? She'd admit that thinking about a bunch of naked boys bathing together was a bit hot. Maybe they'd made out to.

    No....

    Aw, that's a shame....It probably was okay saying that

    What? Why?

      No reason.... Aino quickly fixed her potential mistake. If Stein thought you were strange, than you really were strange: What if someone sees us? It was a large window behind them. 

 To bad for them? Stein slid his arm around her, pulling himself closer. Just got to find out how to do this without drowning... This is the time they should've been meresims..

 

      And an adorable little surprise waited at home; Nefertum

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