1.7 The cat, the witch and the trashcan

     It had come to this. Two old enemies eying eachother, trying to predict the others movements. The two of them had never seen eye to eye, but someone had to make the first move.

      Iva laid her hans on the sticky edge, the foul smell making her eyes water.

      Against the trashcans will, it was turned the right way, the battle finally lost. It had been bested by a woman in her underwear. Staying classy there Iva.

   
     Fatty was as clingy as ever. Her sim wasn't happy, and even worse: Not paying her enough attention.

     What was the point of having a sim if they didn't pay any attention?

      The damn "icecreamtruck" was back

     Iva was a good girl this time around too. Working hard, keeping herself occupied and her thoughts sharp and focused. Fatty had been clingy as hell lately, so Iva showered her with attention.
     She had even started a book called "The winged man", after the bad guy. A handsome, manipulating bastard trying to break the tough heroine. Perhaps he was loosely based on Lukas. Not that it mattered anyway, as he didn't read alot.
     It suited her better to write about hard women, than the type that needed to be rescued. Women that knew what they wanted. Mainly because she wanted to be like that herself.
     In the end it wasn't enought to want to be a good girl. The damn light from the fullmoon gave her a headache, and a restless feel. She decided to head out, as she'd stayed at home a lot lately.

       The club was filled with people she wasn't interested in meeting. Thankfully Valerie didn't notice her entrance at all. But Adela.....

     ...gave her a look. It contained something she'd never seen before. Almost as her sister wanted to say something, other than the usual insults. That couldn't be right, and Iva didn't have more time to think about it, as the witch marched into the crowd.

     Even her mother was there. Iva tried talking about her sister, but was met with the usual silence. Her mother was a proud woman, and utterly refused to discuss her criminal daughters.
     Instead they talked about her mothers job as a musician, but long ears quickly put an end to that conversation.

     When Iva saw the rest of the places clientel, she decided to call it a night. Freaks.

      Perhaps it was the light from the fullmoon, that didn't have any supernatural properties. Maybe it was the sight of her sisters acting like normal sims. Or even the green woman with the strange disorder. But Iva sat down, and wrote a letter.
     Her writing had greatly improved, so it was easier to say what she wanted that way. She adressed it to Lukas, hoping he realised it wasn't as romantic as the envelope suggested. Their friendship was bruised, and she tried becoming a better person.
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     A couple of days passed, but there was no answer from Lukas. She had even tried getting a hold of Valerie and Adela without any success. It had to be a reason why that hag Adela, had seemed like a normal sim for a few minutes. 

     The mailman must have found her terrifying, as he ran off as soon as he saw her.

     Hey, mister! You're dropping the mail! She hollered as loud as she could, but the man just kept running. 

     Just because she forgot to be good sometimes, didn't mean she had to stop trying. Incase she would end up in another fight with a large bouncer, Iva went to the gym. This way she would be fit and strong, and all good people were healthy right? 

     She had been to a gym once, in her youth, with her brother ofcourse. He loved dragging his friends around, training them. He had given up on her though. If it was something a teenage Iva didn't need, was to become skinnier. 

     The place reeked of sweat and well- used apparatus. The last one she'd been to was a lot fancier than this. That had been a place people mostly went to be seen, over actually working out. This place was nothing like that. This was a place of sweat and movement, for those wanting to become strong and fit. Like criminals and bouncer, and her. 

     Looking around for the wardrobe, Iva heard a well- known voice: Come on Jonathan, you call that a workout? 

     Lukas soft, teasing voice made her turn around. He noticed her immideately. For a long while they stared at eachother.

     Then he simply turned her back against her. The shock of meeting him was so overwhelming, she didn't even notice the woman next to her falling on the treadmill. Or the kid looking at her butt, thinking it was worth a million simoleons.

     Iva had already made the first move to save their friendship. The next was up to him. If Lukas wasn't interested in keeping in touch, it wasn't anything she could do about it. It was sad, but she was trying to be an adult. 

     

     After changing into something more suitable for the gym, she decided to do another adult thing. She phoned her mother.
     Hi mum, how are thing? Can I come over today, or are you working? Her mum wasn't working for a change. Why the woman never retired was a question difficult to answer. 

     Iva decided to make a visit, after her workout. As she hung up, it dawned on her: She had no idea how any of the workout- thingies worked. The trampoline looked tempting though.

     As she climbed up on the trampoline, memories flashed by. She was so clumsy, this couldn't possibly end well. But she was an adult now, not a child. She would use a real machine next time. 

     It felt unsteady for the first few jumps, then it all came back. She just hoped noone else would join her.          Falling on the damn thing was a common part of her childhood. Mostly Valeries fault, she had entertained herself with sending fireball after her. Adela showing up was scary too. Ofcourse she didn't have to do anything. Her sheer presence was enough to terrify the young girl. Atleast Iva wasn't afraid of them anymore. Well, maybe a bit.

     Closing her eyes upon impact, Iva pulled a face when she noticed another person on the trampoline. She couldn't decide what would be worse, a grown up or kids. 

     A low laughter finally made her open her eyes. I like the new look.

     Lukas had joined her on the trampoline.
     Be nice, or I'll push you off. 
     He grinned at her: You'd end up falling over anyway. I can fly, you know. 
     They kept jumping up and down on the trampoline in silence. Neither of them knowing what to say. Last time they'd seen eachother weighted down the mood. It hadn't been one of her proudest moments. And she didn't even have alcohol to blame it on.

     For a long time, the sounds from the gym where the only thing she heard. Together with the fluttering from Lukas' wings. The glasses threatened to fall off several times, but she kept pushing them back up on her nose.
     Why don't you just take them off? His voice made her loose focus a second, but quickly regained her pace.
     Don't see shit without them. And I get dizzy.

 

     So why don't you just fly instead of jumping. Iva desperately tried to keep the conversation going.            Wouldn't be much of a point beeing on a trampoline then, would it? A grin covered his face. He loved giving obvious answeres like that.

     Unfortunately they couldn't jump forever, Iva had promised to visit her parents. She excused herself, and headed for the gyms shower. She usually avoided those things, but there was no time to go home first.

     There wasn't really any real warderobes at the gym, so she braved the stairs to the shower at the top floor. Hopefully it would be vacant.

      Iva. Lukas' voice made her turn around.

     

     It wasn't time to think about anything as he pulled her in for a kiss. A soft, teasing one this time, free of guilt and second thoughts. 

     Lukas... 

     He shook his head. No, don't. Don't talk, don't think. Let's just... 

     Iva wasn't difficult to persuade. 

     They headed for the nearest wardrobe, to find it occupied. A very awkward moment appeared, as the woman using the shower noticed their entrance. Laughing out an appology, they ran outside while the elderly woman shouted something about "kids now a days". 

     Rain fell heavily. getting them all soaked through in a matter of minutes. Determined to stay in the mood, they kissed again. Only to find a kid splashing in a puddle next to them. 

     It's probably for the best, Lukas said softly in her ear. 

     Iva nodded and let him hug her. His cheek was cold and the t-shirt dripping wet, but the hug was still a good one. She didn't agree, but there was no need to tell him that. Iva let out a heavy sigh as he left, and went to visit her parents as promised.

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 Argh, I swear the sims do this to drive me insane! They have max scoring, finally the stupid fairy is persuaded. Then all the showers are occupied! How is there supposed to be a generation 2, when the first one can't even get a guy? Isn't this supposed to bea easy? 

1.6 A tale of leaves and men

     She would get the tipped trashcan later, as today was an important day. The morning was spent fully dressed, and writing, while waiting for the hour to strike. In that time Iva even managed to finish the biography about her brother. It became an instant bestseller. Mainly because one couldn't write about him, without writing about their famous parents. The best part about finishing the book, was that she got a new publisher. Hopefully it wouldn't be to long until she could tell them what she wanted to write, instead of the opposite way.

     For some reason all her class had to wait for a long time, before the graduation ceremony. Iva still got her degree without anything fancy. But she was awarded most likely to burn the house down, for some strange reason.

      The time with the old classmates was used well. From gossipping with Torhild, to comforting others

     Some meetings was better than others.
     Hi dad! 
     Lenny turned to face his daughter. Hi sweetheart. 
     Iva proudly presented her award to him. Did you see me beeing most likely voted to burn the house down? 
     He gave her a small smile. That's ...nice... dear. They continued to talk about the weather and shifting seasons. The leaves are still green Iva, but not for long. Soon they will wither and die. Atleast she thought they were talking about the weather. It wasn't always good to know when it came to the old witch.

     She tried turning the conversation to something she could follow: So, I heard Marek's gotten engaged to Elsie. Thankfully he had dropped Ingrid. I predict a baby in the near future, and a proud grandpa. 
     He look past her with a soft smile on his face: There's a grandchild in the near future yes. Iva nearly jumped. He'd knocked her up already?
     That's great dad! She did her best to sound cheerful, hoping it was actually true.

     How about you then sweetheart? Do you have anyone special in your life? Such a typical question from a parent.
     Well, she stuttered a bit. I've been on a date, and have another one today. But no, no one special. I'm quite busy with my writing at the moment.    
     He looked at her. I heard the biography about your brother got great reviews. 
     Yeah they love it! And don't worry dad, there's nothing weird in it. All our imaginary secrets are safe. 
     He gave her a stern look, but she chose to ignore it. She wasn't a complete idiot either. Everything in the book was all nice and cozy. She just changed the subject instead.

     They chatted a bit more, but it had to end. As they hugged, Lenny spoke again. Don't worry, mum isn't mad anymore. She's just to proud to admit it. Come visit us soon. 

     As always, Iva promised. But this time she meant to keep it. 

     She had told her father a small lie. Iva didn't really have a date, but she had been invited to a party at Lukas place. With a wish to meet him again, and curious at his older wife, Iva swallowed her shyness. 

     Standing in front of his small house, she realised something: Either Lukas had played a trick on her. Or he had forgotten about the party or her. Possibly all of them. He was quite an airhead at times.  

     Luckily there was a bar nearby she could wait. Hoping to beat up another bouncer, Iva was dissapointed to see there were none. The place smelled of sour beer and salty peanuts.

     But she did bump into a man she'd talked to online. With a firm handshake and confident gaze, he introduced himself as Jim. He was nice enough and had a fine body, but that damn ugly face..... 

     He didn't seem to impressed by her either, so they had the common polite chatter, and made up an excuse. Then he left without even finishing his drink. 

     Iva stood alone for a while, wondering what to do. Go home, have a drink, yell at the bartender maybe? It had been really long since she'd yelled at a bartender. Lukas soft voice interrupted her instead. 

     Hey Iva. What are you doing in this part of town? It took a while until he continued. Oh crap. I forgot  to tell you about the party. It got cancelled, I had to work overtime. My boss.... He lost the thread in whatever he was going to say...

     Lukas worked in sports, so the shifting seasons affected his work in many ways. Yeah, the trees... leaves make it slippery. We had to.... you know... since I'm a fairy....

     It took a while for Iva to realise that he wasn't trying to make up an excuse. He was trying to focus on his talking. 

     Laughter bubbling up her throat, Iva said: Lukas? Are you looking at my breasts?

     He paused for a short while, his face not even remotely blushing. Yes. Yes I am. But it was something about leaves at work. I forget what though. 

     She giggled at him. Few guys in the world could answer honestly at that, and manage not to be creepy. He was hopeless. The low level of creepiness, probably had something to do with how well they knew eachother. 

     Are you done soon? She asked laughing. 

     He nodded. Almost. His voice as light and natural as always. Nothing strange about that. 

     Hey, I have an idea! Maybe you could wear leaves on them? That would be a nice fashion, don't you agree? I'll suggest it as the official mascotwear. He paused, proud of his own idea. 

     Iva pretended to be in awe of this amazing idea. Yeah! He probably has a nice pair of manboobs going on under that mascotsuit. 

     You better believe it. Lukas showed with his hands how big the guys manboobs was. He's got shelves. I don't understand how a man can end up looking like that.

     So, this big? Really? Obviously Iva had to jump into the discussion. Why could she never be serious around him? Damn feys having such a light view on life. It spread to her too. How was she supposed to impress him, when they talked about manboobs, and found it funny.  Wasn't she to old for that? 

     Iva found herself wanting to be deep and mysterious. Instead she acted all childish and immature. Maybe feyness was contagious? 

     Lukas served her a big smile, grabbed her and pulled her body close. She liked dancing. In their teen years, the two of them and the rest of the lot, had been out dancing nearly every day. 

     They smiled at eachother, and Iva forgot all about beeing mysterious. She found herself enthralled by his green eyes, and terrible sense of humour. They were still giggling over the poor mascots manboobs.  

     Eventually the silence was broken. By Lukas ofcourse, he talked a lot. 

     Helga thinks I'm childish when I pull jokes like that. 

     She's a smart woman, Iva told him. 

     You think it's funny. His answer as quick as always. 

     I have a terrible sense of humour. Haven't you read anything of what I've written? 

     He had a pleasant scent of warm soil, grass and sun. The wings usually had an irritating sound to them, but the music drowned it. The way they danced, wasn't at all appropriate. 

   

     He shook his head with a smile: I don't really read a lot. 

     Iva felt herself beeing bent backwards. Spending most of the day infront of a computer hadn't made her flexible. She did her best to pretend it didn't hurt. Lukas used the opportunity to look at her breasts again. 

     She did her very best to keep a distance between them. This was quickly getting to fun. 

 

      Iva pulled away from her friend with a quiet sigh, it was getting late. They both needed to head home. For a small eternity they kept holding hands. He had warm hands, the palms a bit dry. All that time, the two of them looked into eachothers eyes. 

     Eventually it was Ivas turn to talk. You've never visited me. How about we go back to my place and get a coffe. For old times sake. She "forgot" to mention she didn't own a coffemachine. An author without coffe, how strange wasn't that.

     They hadn't touched eachother once during the ride to her place. It was easier that way. After all, it was just a visit from an old friend.
     So, here it is. Iva tried to sound innocently cheerful, but the silence that followed was deafening. It's close to the polluted river, so I can take a morning bath whenever I want. 

     It's nice here. It felt strange hearing a mans voice in her home. It was usually so silent, only her own voice and the cats movement.

     She wasn't sure who started, but the taste of him was more than real. A hard kiss, tasting of guilt and honey. Not her guilt ofcourse, she was single after all. 

     Iva hoped the kiss wouldn't end- she had a pretty good idea of what would happen. As he let her go, it became clear her feelings were correct. He didn't have the satisfied look she'd expect from a cheater. 

     A long silence followed, until Lukas said with a low voice: I can't do this. 

     

     Without another word he simply left, leaving Iva staring at the wall for the longest of times. Unsatisfied and feeling sorry for herself, she headed for bed while muttering about supernaturals. 

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What's with all the talking about leaves? Everyone keeps talking about leaves all the time.
Ivas dad is Astraea Nevermores Lenny Dane from MTS.
It was never supposed to happen anything between Iva and old friends, but with the bad dates and lack of interests, it was worth a shot.
The flirting went well, but Lukas flat out rejected poor Iva when she tried kissing him. I wasn't fast enough to get a screenshot of it. So I tried recreating it in another save, but then he accepted every single time. So, even if they kissed in the story, it actually hasn't happened in the save. Even if they have top attraction scoring.
Poor lonely Iva, rejected by three guys in a few days, and that's just the official ones.
Lukas also likes to change his clothes all the time, so pretend that you don't notice it.