Chapter 19

Writer Notes: I announced awhile back that Chapter 19 would be about Lola and Strangetown sims, but after shooting several scenes, I decided Lola’s chapter would be pushed back. I have some plotty stuff lined up below. Comments also should be enabled. Let me know if there are any problems.

Warnings: cheesiness is cheesy, sexual innuendo, inner thoughts and fears, red hair clashing with red walls, awkwardness, arguing, science stuff, siblings, suggestive content, references, and general plottiness.

“That man commands me!” Olive Specter laughed. “He has no respect or shame.”

“He does not understand either.” Grim Reaper added. “None of the Landgraab tree ever has. They only understand money and taking things they wish for themselves.”

 

“He vastly underestimates you because he sees you only as a tool.”

“What if I don’t want to be a tool anymore, Grimmie?” she inquired.

“For too long I have helped Malcolm Landgraab in his endeavors with no thanks, no recognition. I am expected to be a silent partner and act when given orders.”

“What do you plan to do, my love? Nothing too dangerous I hope.”

It made her chuckle. “Should I be afraid of Death?”

“I heed caution when it comes to the Landgraabs.” Grim replied. “They are notorious for their ruthlessness, especially when their control is at stake.”

“And what is Malcolm without the Mistress of Death, the Black Widow?” Olive asked. “The only ones he would use against me are the Beakers.”

“They have Nervous.” Death reminded.

“Not for long.” Olive purred. “I have arranged for our son and his bride-to-be a new home. They will be safe.”

“And you will be free to do as you please.”

“I always get what I want too, my love.”

***

“For the love of SimGod! What is it?!” Sharon groaned. “I can hear you thinking.”

“It’s…it’s…nothing.” John Mole sighed. “It’s Natasha. I don’t understand why you asked for this luncheon. You’ve met before…You know she doesn’t really like you. You don’t know how she gets. She’s impossible.”

“Don’t be silly.” Sharon laughed. “She’s your best friend. I want to get to know her. I want us to be the best of friends.”

“You’d do that?” John asked. “For me?”

“I would do anything for you.”

***

“Early morning run before practice?” Mary-Sue inquired.

“We’re doing extra drills today.” Daniel replied. “I want to be limber if I’m going to be running with those young kids.”

“Big days for us both I suppose.” she said. “Our mayor-to-be called me in early today. It can only mean one thing. I’m going to get that promotion.”

“Well, it’s because of you that he’s going to be mayor.” Daniel replied. “You, more than you else, deserve that promotion.”

He stopped stretching and turned to her.  His eyes softened like they always had when he looked at her.  It made her feel guilty for how terrible she treated him as late.  She planned to make it up to him.  There just wasn’t time at the moment with their busy schedules.  Daniel would have games on the road soon enough.  It would give her plenty of time to figure out the next step to getting their marriage back on track.

“Look at my beautiful wife.” he said, somewhat startling her.

She suddenly felt like that teenager, too shy to even speak to the star athlete.

“If we both weren’t in a hurry, I’d scoop you up and make good use of that sofa.”

“Daniel Pleasant!”

Maybe he didn’t think their marriage was in trouble.  Maybe that was just on Mary-Sue.  Or maybe she was just being paranoid again.

She’d won the star athlete.

But had he won her?

With their daughters away at college, she could see the weak seams of their marriage.

It was a matter of time before those seams broke.  Mary-Sue Pleasant was scared she would be the one to rip the first.

***

“C.A.M. this is my step-mother.” Nina said. “Katrina, meet C.A.M.”

“You weren’t kidding,” Katrina Caliente said. “He is the most adorable robot I’ve ever seen!”

“And what about the rest of him?” she teased. “Do all the nuts and bolts work?”

“He was just born a week ago!” Nina hissed.

“So I take it no test spins then?”

“How is our Dina?” Katrina changed the subject.

“Not good.” Nina confessed. “She’s locked in her room. She won’t see me. I’ve only managed to learn from Mortimer that dinner with Donna Cove went terribly astray.”

“I have to go to the lab so Mortimer can check out C.A.M.” Nina continued. “Maybe he can tell me more.”

“No, focus on C.A.M.” Katrina answered. “Let me worry about Dina.”

***

“Hey, goldie.” Katrina softly said as she entered Dina’s room. “I just got back from Twikki Island. Paisley and Randy say hello and they miss you. They wish you’d come visit them in Casa Caliente.”

She groaned something incoherent, clutching the urn closer to her body. She was worser than Katrina predicted. It was much like her state after Michael had died.

“Oh, Dina.” Katrina sighed. “What are we going to do with you?”

“You need to get up, dear.” she continued. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself. Michael wouldn’t want it. He would want you out there, living life to its fullest. He’d want you to have fun, eat chocolate to your heart’s content, and fall in love again.”

“I know.” Dina sniffled. “I tried. I really did and I screwed up everything. Mortimer told me he was ready to move on and he…he wanted to be with me…and I said no.”

“I said no.” she repeated, her voice shaky. “And now Bella is back.”

“Goldie…you know, as well as I do, she is not Bella Goth.”

“Bella would never sell herself. She would never hurt Mortimer or her children this way.” Katrina claimed. “I know she and you were at odds, but all that seemed in the past by the time Alexander was born. I know seeing this lookalike hurts you and Mortimer both, and I’m sure the kids too.”

“It doesn’t matter if she’s Bella or not!” Dina cried. “Mortimer is already in-love with her!”

“No, no, my dear, he’s just confused. He’s looking for closure and thinks this actress can help him. Oh, honey, we need to help him get past this. Just as I’m going to help you back on your feet.  I know how hard it is. After your father died…it took me so long to find myself again. But you will, I promise.”

“I’m always here if you need me.” Katrina said.

***

Perhaps Sharon Wirth was out of her mind.

Not everyone chose to dance with the devil.

But she had to.  She couldn’t lose John Mole.  She needed him.

“I hope you like grilled cheeses.” Natasha Una said.

John had warned her of this. Natasha was a grilled cheese sim.  It was the number one thing she loved the most.  That and John, Sharon predicted.

“I love grilled cheese!” Sharon exclaimed.

Small talk was awkward.

Natasha was known for a bubbly and bizarre personality. She was neither it seemed.  Her walls would be harder to crack than Sharon predicted.  But they would eventually crack. She just needed to find a weak spot.

“So John asked me to move in with him. I know it’s too soon. We’ve only been dating a couple of months, but he really wants it to happen. I like his confidence in us and I really want out of my sister’s house, but…”

“Then don’t do it!” Natasha snapped. “If it’s too soon, it’s too soon.”

There was the weak spot.

“John isn’t like most people.” Natasha continued. “He’s like a child sometimes. You have to steer him the right way.”

Right away from you. Sharon mused.

***

“I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Mortimer said once more.

“Him.” Nina corrected.

“Apologies.” Mortimer smiled. “This is a vast achievement for an under-appreciated scientist. I’m surprised that Shiny Things Lab hasn’t hired this Christopher Bui. I would very much like to meet him.”

“He’s a little bit of a quack,” Nina confessed. “I had my hand in C.A.M.’s creation too, by accident, but without me, he wouldn’t exist.”

“Well, then you were there at the right time.” Mortimer nodded. “This is quite exciting! And I thought Servos and Simbots were the future…but Androids…who would have thought?”

“He wants to make more of me too?” C.A.M. asked.

“I was afraid of this.” Nina sighed.

“Not of you, C.A.M.” Mortimer said. “You are unique and always will be special. I would like to run tests on you, though, to make sure you are…healthy.”

“Tests.” C.A.M. frowned. “He wants to pick me apart too.”

“No, no, Mortimer would never hurt you.” Nina said. “He’s a friend.”

“That’s right.” Mortimer added. “I just want to make sure you are OK. And that, diagnostically, your system is in working order. I promise it will be painless. I aim just to learn things for the sake of science, but never to hurt anyone.”

 

“OK.” the sound of defeat in C.A.M.’s metallic voice made Nina’s bones ache.

Why did she feel so guilty?

***

“Another uniform?” Parker Langerak chuckled.

“Too many clients complained that our previous outfits looked too unprofessional. This is the last one, they say.” his sister, Kaylynn, claimed. “We now have hats too.”

“Well, as long as you aren’t wearing that skimpy thing, I’m happy.”

“Brigit made sure that won’t happen again.” Kaylynn sighed. “Her employer’s wife is still looking to sue for their couple’s counseling, not to mention ‘pain and suffering’ and ’emotional stress’ caused by the affair.”

“Which reminds me…” Parker mischievously smiled. “How are the Pleasants?”

“Don’t start that again.” Kay frowned. “It’s none of your business.”

“Oh come on, how am I going to know the juicy gossip if you won’t tell me?”

“I should have never said anything in the first place.”

“My clients will be so disappointed.”

“For your information, Mary-Sue and I are supposed to have lunch sometime this week.”

“Like a date?” Parker inquired. “I’ve heard about Mrs. Pleasant’s past. She had quite the train of girlfriends before Daniel swept her off her lesbian feet.”

“Why did I even say anything!”

“And she’s not a lesbian.” Kaylynn scowled.

“So she’s one of those sims that swings both ways? Hmm, who else do I know that does that?”

“Parker, please!”

“Oh, come on, sister.” He chuckled. “I know you have a thing for strong, intimidating, independent women. I mean, how else do you explain Nina Caliente?”

“No, brother, I mean, she’s here.” Kaylynn cringed. “Mary-Sue Pleasant is here!”

“Really?!?”

“Hi, Mrs. Pleasant, welcome to Londoste!”

She looks terrible. Kaylynn thought.

“Hi…Do I know you?”

“I’m Parker Langerak.” He smiled. “You may know my little sister, Kay. She’s a maid…pretty mediocre, I’d say.”

“Don’t pretend like I’m not sitting here or anything, brother.” Kaylynn hissed.

Mary-Sue blinked at the bartender then at his sister.

“Hello, Mrs. Pleasant.” the maid said.

“Kaylynn, can I borrow you?”

“After everything you did for that man, he fired you!” Kaylynn shrieked. “I can’t believe.”

“Neither can I.”

“I don’t know what to do.” Mary-Sue confessed. “I mean, I know Daniel and I aren’t hurting for money or anything, but I can’t just sit at home and do nothing! How could Daniel even look at me? I’m not a gold-digger. I make my own way.”

“Well, you know what?” Kaylynn said. “I have a job for you in the maid service.”

“No offense, dear, but I can’t go from making politicians to scrubbing toilets.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Kaylynn smiled despite the insult. “We need a manager. Ours was fired because of that scandal.”

“It’ll be great!” the maid claimed. “And easy, I promise. Remington, Lucy, and I have been at it for a long time. We’re really good at our jobs. All you would have to do is keep our schedule in line and manage payroll.”

“It sounds like a great idea.” Mary-Sue beamed. “I would be happy to be your manager.”

“But I hope this doesn’t affect our relationship, though.” Mary-Sue continued. “I mean, I don’t think you could ethically clean my house anymore, although, it’s very unneeded since the girls are at college.”

“Not at all.” Kaylynn said. “I’m just happy to help you out. You deserve a break.”

“Oh thank you, Kaylynn!”

“Let me call Lucy and Remington! We should meet with them and tell them the good news.”

***

“Every day he slips away even further from me.”

“I feel the anxiety tearing through my heart.” Jennicor Tricou’s lips trembled. “Soon he will be lost to me. What will I do without him, is my first thought. He’s been with me longer than anyone, except for Kvornan, but Jon has always been mine.”

“Your children and grandchildren will be here for you.” Rainelle Neegnia claimed. “And me, as long as Malcolm doesn’t do away with me.”

“Malcolm Landgraab,” Jennicor shook her head. “We will ruin him and dispose of the empty shell he is.”

“But my dear, Rainelle, you mustn’t fear that man.” the grand vampire purred. “You are mine. He cannot hurt you.”

“I still feel his presence lurking over my shoulder everywhere I go.” Rainelle confessed. “Even at Crypt O’Nightclub, I don’t feel safe.”

“I will have to work harder to gain your confidence, it seems.” Jennicor kissed her hand.

“You are important to me.” she began. “Not many I trust in my bed, and, especially not in my heart. You are in both, Rainelle. Jon gave his approval first. He had been looking for his replacement for such a long time. When he saw you…he knew. Then it was time for me to meet you. How fate brought you to me. I gave you a choice: Malcolm or us.”

“I will always choose you, Jennicor.”

“I need you.” Rainelle breathed. “And you need me.”

“Titania, Oberon, how nice of you to visit?”

“It seems you caught us at an awkward time.”

“Not to worry.” Titania said. “We’re just stopping by to let you know the video has been placed and ready to upload.”

“I knew I trusted it to the right person.” Jennicor smiled. “So when will Puck deliver it?”

“We’re just waiting on your OK.”

“Soon.” the vampire claimed. “Very soon.”

“When Malcolm’s empire falls, we shall move in strong and take everything for ourselves.”

“And we will be unstoppable.”

“Now, we must talk about Puck and Fricorith.”

“NO!”

“After what happened with Gvaudoin, really, Mother?!”

“I think we must go, dear.” Oberon said.

“It was great seeing you again, my friend!” Titania said.

“In the near future, we won’t have to hide anymore.”

***

On the eve of their ploy, Titania couldn’t shake the cold from her skin.  She felt sick to her stomach. Her head throbbed.  She felt compelled to search out the reason for her anxiety.

“Good-evening, Ms. Summerdream.”

“What do you want? Why are you here? How did you get in here?”

“It’s not like this is SCIA headquarters. You have archways with no doors.”

“What does Malcolm Landgraab’s Black Widow want with me?”

“Naturally to kill you.”

“WHAT! You have no proof that I’ve done anything to that man!”

“Why would I need proof?”

“But don’t worry, darling, I haven’t come here to kill you.” Olive said. “Instead, I’m rebelling against the spoiled brat and sparing your life. Death’s Mistress is no one’s tool.”

Titania felt dizzy. “You aren’t going to kill me?”

“No, but I do want one thing.”

“What? Anything?”

“The Tricous.”

*********

Additional: In each chapter, I will try to feature a career that Pat Newbie is working on to keep with the Bustin’ Out theme. Fortunately for Pat, today was her day off.  You can find information about Bustin’ Out and the main story’s careers HERE.