April 21, 2010

In Which Falidor Hears Bad News Put to Ill Use... Again

August 8, 1166

"I know he was a horrible person and nobody liked him and we're all probably much better off," choked Ailede between sobs as Falidor rubbed her shoulder with the tips of his fingers, "but he was still my father! I just can't believe he's really gone!"

Uneasy, Falidor placed a hasty, awkward kiss upon his wife's brow. While he knew firsthand the pain of losing one's father, this reaction was not one he might have expected of the almost unnaturally cold Ailede--even if he had been led to believe that her feelings for her cruel father were anything less than hatred. "There, there..."

Ailede wiped a tear away from her eye. Gentlemanly conduct might have dictated that Falidor do that for her, but he found he could not move his hand any nearer to her face; some insensitive, perhaps paranoid part of his mind couldn't help but notice more than a few similarities between this instance and the last time a family member of Ailede's had passed. Her brother had died. She'd cried about it, and he'd comforted her.

Then, she'd taken the chance to tell him that she was pregnant with another man's child. It was so typical of her--manipulative, opportunistic, and selfish beyond belief.

"You know, I blame him and my mother for this," she moaned. "When she came over here with the news, she said he'd been having some troubles with his heart for a few months now, but they decided to just keep it between themselves. Didn't want us to worry, she said--well, maybe if my idiot sister had known, then she wouldn't have sat down at the dinner table and blurted out that she'd missed her monthly!"

Well, that explained why he had come home to find Neleine in the guest bedroom, unloading a small bundle into the dresser drawers. Ridiculous. His pregnant sister was a bad influence on the girls, but hers was a young woman in need of a home? And how old was Neleine anyway? Thirteen? And did Ailede even like her all that much? "So, she's... staying with us, then?"

Shaking, Ailede nodded. "Mother blames her for what happened to Father, so she threw her out, and Eblor won't take her."

"What about the father?"

She shrugged, brushing him aside as her tears slowed and she began to make her way toward the door. "It's a moot point. He's married, and too old for her anyway; she said she had to tell him she was sixteen."

What on God's good earth had he married into? He doubted he could find a less functional family if he tried. On a more positive note, perhaps his worries had been needless--what were the odds of two sisters announcing their pregnancies a day apart?

"Anyway, I'd better talk to my sister. I'm thinking that we can just keep her inside once she starts showing, then pass off our babies as twins."

Just high enough, apparently. "You're pregnant too?"

She didn't even bother answering; she simply left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Shaking his head, Falidor made his way to the bench and collapsed upon it--muddy boots and all. If she didn't mind Lord knew how many men who'd had Lord knew how many women defiling her nether regions, then he saw no reason why she would have problem with her husband defiling her furniture.

He should have expected this--in fact, he had expected this. He wasn't surprised; he wondered whether or not that was a good thing.

NEXT CHAPTER:

14 comments:

Van said...

Sorry if this was a little rushed in places. Another instance of my not having enough pictures here :(

Anyway, for anyone who reads THIV, I doubt the next chapter will be up tomorrow. I have an exam the day after, so most of my day will probably be spent studying (that is, if I can actually figure out how to study--I never had to in grade school). Sorry :(

Anonymous said...

*smacks forehead* D'OH!

Falidor should just start a charity orphanage. That way he gets all the babies he wants to raise, without the embarrassment of knowing that his wife has been with half the town.

I have a quick question: how do you get that comfort interaction shown in the first couple of pictures? Do the Sims need to be at a certain aspiration level, or do you use a posebox or ...?

Anyway, good luck with your exam! :)

Phoenix said...

Wow...just WOW!!!! I am speechless! That ANYONE could be that cold is a sad thing indeed...especially when their spouse is as sweet as Falidor(FYI I first typed his name as FAILdor! Whoops!). But I guess it just makes it easier because she knows he won't do anything! Blah!

Good luck on the exam...and studying!!O_o

Van said...

Morgaine: Falidor should start an orphanage... but I wonder if that would stop his wife from sleeping around. Collecting bedpost notches seems to be a hobby of hers.

For the crying/comfort interaction, all you need is Paul's reaction tester (there's a buyable version for download somewhere, but you can also spawn it using the boolprop cheat) and two Sims who are at least friends. There's an option on the reaction tester labeled "Do Consolable Cry". Once one Sim is doing that, make the other Sim the active Sim and click on the crying Sim--"Console" will be an option if they are at least friends.

Thanks :)

Phoenix: Teeheehee FAILdor.

Yeah, that's the thing about Falidor and Ailede. She uses his sweetness to her advantage. She knows he's never going to beat her or even yell at her. She feels free to do whatever (and whoever) she wants.

Aaaaaaand Falidor does nothing about it.

Thanks Phoenix :) I imagine just forcing myself to study will be more difficult than the actual exam. I should probably get tested for adult ADD :S

Anonymous said...

Thank you, thank you, Van! :D I've been wanting that interaction for a while, with no way to go about getting it! :)

Van said...

No worries. Glad I could help :)

Penelope said...

Oh for crying out loud. He has every right to send that woman packing. But I guess if he hasn't done it by now, then he never will. Oh FAILdor. Grow a pair, dude!

Van said...

He really does. But alas, he just doesn't have the balls to go through with it :(

S.B. said...

Never worry about the number of shots! I was astonished with this one. I might not be an eternal fan of Falidor, but yeah, he needs to kick that woman OUT and slam and door and lock it. Poor guy....

Van said...

This is a couple in sore need of a divorce, that's for sure :S

Thanks Beth :)

Verity said...

Haha! I knew it. I was just waiting for the "I'm pregnant". And wow... his evil wife wouldn't bend the rules for Alsina but when her skanky sister gets knocked up no problemo.

Van said...

Heheheh... Ailede is nothing if not a hypocrite :S

Anonymous said...

I actually think AILEDE is the worse influence on the girls at this point. Definitely the worse influence on her sister.

By the way, your directory link for this chapter takes me to "In which Falidor learns the extent of his mistake." I got all the way down to the bottom before I realized that it wasn't a flashback... :lol:
- Scribal Goddess

Van said...

Heheh... probably XD

D'oh! Thanks for the heads up. I'll fix that right away :)