January 1, 1178
Lettie had spent the past half an hour having the inner lining of her womb beaten like a drum and she didn't know how she felt about it. At three months little kicks sent a lot of women over the moon, but even with her first two--the two she'd known for sure she'd get to keep and raise and love--their motions would have been more aggravating than anything else if they hadn't been a sign of life. She wasn't sure if she ought to care so much about this one. Caring was suspiciously close to love and the whole thing was complicated enough without dragging all that into it.
So much for being clever. She'd done everything right. She'd gone to Laveria for herbs the day after Searle had pitched this crazy idea and had taken them diligently since. She'd temporarily given up on the struggle of weaning Arkon and she'd taken to skipping midday meals. When the time had come, she had decided to humor Searle and go through with it--partially to avoid the sad-puppy looks, partially because not many women got the opportunity to sleep with other men without their husbands divorcing them for it and the scientist in her was a little curious--but she'd thought her preparations would prevent the worst from happening. She'd even taken a few precautions after the fact, just in case: a couple potions, daily rides, no breakfast.
Fucking lot of help that had all been.
A set of knuckled rapped against the door. She doubted she would have noticed if the rhythm of the knock hadn't offset the kicking. "Who's there?"
"It's Sparron."
So much for being clever. She'd done everything right. She'd gone to Laveria for herbs the day after Searle had pitched this crazy idea and had taken them diligently since. She'd temporarily given up on the struggle of weaning Arkon and she'd taken to skipping midday meals. When the time had come, she had decided to humor Searle and go through with it--partially to avoid the sad-puppy looks, partially because not many women got the opportunity to sleep with other men without their husbands divorcing them for it and the scientist in her was a little curious--but she'd thought her preparations would prevent the worst from happening. She'd even taken a few precautions after the fact, just in case: a couple potions, daily rides, no breakfast.
Fucking lot of help that had all been.
A set of knuckled rapped against the door. She doubted she would have noticed if the rhythm of the knock hadn't offset the kicking. "Who's there?"
"It's Sparron."
Wouldn't have been her first guess. "Searle's not here."
"Good." He slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. "There are two perfectly good couches right by you, you realize."
"I like the floor--not that you didn't already know that, Champ."
Sparron edged in through the gap between the sofas and stared at her, one brow arched. "So I'm getting your ridiculous nicknames now?"
"One for every minute you've spent with your face between my breasts," she replied with a wink. "Do the math, Scout."
"I don't recall that being part of the deal."
"Figured it was a given." Lettie smirked as Sparron's eyes narrowed to unamused slits. Grouches really were more fun than people gave them credit for. "Mind tending the fire for a bit, Sailor? I'd do it myself, but I'm kind of busy growing you a kid here."
"Good." He slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. "There are two perfectly good couches right by you, you realize."
"I like the floor--not that you didn't already know that, Champ."
Sparron edged in through the gap between the sofas and stared at her, one brow arched. "So I'm getting your ridiculous nicknames now?"
"One for every minute you've spent with your face between my breasts," she replied with a wink. "Do the math, Scout."
"I don't recall that being part of the deal."
"Figured it was a given." Lettie smirked as Sparron's eyes narrowed to unamused slits. Grouches really were more fun than people gave them credit for. "Mind tending the fire for a bit, Sailor? I'd do it myself, but I'm kind of busy growing you a kid here."
She thought he might protest, but he just stepped over her ankles and picked up the discarded poker like she'd asked. One of the few advantages to being pregnant, perhaps--even her self-declared arch-nemesis did as she said. Of course, maybe the fact that he was also the one who'd gotten her that way had something to do with it. "You're sure there isn't any chance it's Searle's?"
"Positive. Searle hasn't gone anywhere near that area since he came up with the whole scheme."
He had the tact not to ask why that hadn't changed since she'd known for sure, and for that she was grateful.
"Positive. Searle hasn't gone anywhere near that area since he came up with the whole scheme."
He had the tact not to ask why that hadn't changed since she'd known for sure, and for that she was grateful.
Still didn't answer why he was here, though. "What do you want, anyway?"
He turned one of the logs over and sighed. "Just figured it was about time I apologized for this whole thing. I knew it was a bad idea. I should've just told Searle to shove it and dealt with the puppy dog eyes."
Lettie pursed her lips. "He does pull those puppy eyes out quite a bit, doesn't he?"
"You'd think he was a kid in the market for sweets." The fire roaring again, Sparron put down the stick and joined her on the floor, his back to the base of her thighs. She didn't mind much. He probably hadn't been touched in a while. Lord knew she hadn't. "How are you feeling, anyway? Nothing too troubling?"
He turned one of the logs over and sighed. "Just figured it was about time I apologized for this whole thing. I knew it was a bad idea. I should've just told Searle to shove it and dealt with the puppy dog eyes."
Lettie pursed her lips. "He does pull those puppy eyes out quite a bit, doesn't he?"
"You'd think he was a kid in the market for sweets." The fire roaring again, Sparron put down the stick and joined her on the floor, his back to the base of her thighs. She didn't mind much. He probably hadn't been touched in a while. Lord knew she hadn't. "How are you feeling, anyway? Nothing too troubling?"
Lettie lifted one shoulder and dropped it again. For all she was trying to be apathetic, she had to admit that Searle's two had been a bit more finicky. "Not really. Keeps kicking me, though. Want to feel?"
"No." His voice was resolute, final--a little too resolute, a little too final. "For what it's worth, I hope you get your girl."
So he didn't want to get attached either. They had a lot in common, she figured, more than he'd ever give credit for. Maybe in some other life they could have been friends. "Thanks Tiger, but I don't want to get my hopes up."
"Fair enough."
"No." His voice was resolute, final--a little too resolute, a little too final. "For what it's worth, I hope you get your girl."
So he didn't want to get attached either. They had a lot in common, she figured, more than he'd ever give credit for. Maybe in some other life they could have been friends. "Thanks Tiger, but I don't want to get my hopes up."
"Fair enough."
He might have made a good father, she decided then and there, if only life would let him divorce all of his problems. Then again, maybe a child could have set them to the side, at least while they were together. If she'd had any hope to spare, she might have wished him his boy. "If it is a girl... you know, you could come see her if you like. I'd name you godfather."
"Likewise, if it's a boy, you can visit all you want. If it weren't for Camaline I'd have you keep him yourself." Sparron sighed again, tossing his head back. He wasn't handsome, but there was something majestic about his firelit profile; she didn't know if she'd ever figure out just what. "Whatever it is, I just hope it doesn't turn out like my mother and grandmother. Like me."
Not sure what else she could do, Lettie reached for a lock of his hair and brushed it back over his shoulder. "I think you're coping better than you think you are."
"Likewise, if it's a boy, you can visit all you want. If it weren't for Camaline I'd have you keep him yourself." Sparron sighed again, tossing his head back. He wasn't handsome, but there was something majestic about his firelit profile; she didn't know if she'd ever figure out just what. "Whatever it is, I just hope it doesn't turn out like my mother and grandmother. Like me."
Not sure what else she could do, Lettie reached for a lock of his hair and brushed it back over his shoulder. "I think you're coping better than you think you are."
NEXT CHAPTER:
14 comments:
Sounds like the guests have finally left...
I really wish the roommates would have warned me that our place was going to become the party house :(
This is a sweet chapter, kind of softens everything, if you know what I mean. Frankly, I hope its a boy and Sparron gets the chance to be a father, then Camaline will be at peace and things will settle down... At least until the kid gets older. OMG I just came up with a horrible (yet interesting) plot you could do, but you've probably already thought ahead on everything and it might be a little too scandalous... I hate when people are invited over without me knowing, once I had to put up with a woman with the most ANNOYING laugh ever, for an entire month. I actually enjoyed going to work all the time.
I won't say much about the sex of the baby, other than if there's a hack for intersexed Sim babies out there, I have yet to find it.
(Oh my God, wouldn't it be awesome if there was a hack for intersexed Sim babies? I mean, you can sort of fake it with CC, but...)
Horrible-yet-interesting plot? Those are the best kind :D
I kind of have a weird aversion to giggling XD But yeah, unexpected "guests" are a pain. In my roommates' defence, they do give notice for what they consider parties parties... but apparently I have a much more inclusive definition of the term? XD (There are six of us in this place--three highly social types, two who are never home, and me.)
Thanks EkhoGirl :)
Wow. Sneaky Lettie! I really have to hand it to her (although I'm not sure how skipping meals keeps you from getting pregnant, but I digress), trying to keep Searle happy and not get pregnant. Of course, the plot wouldn't let that happen, but she's still a very clever lady.
Now I just have to hope that, one way or another, this baby won't be the death of her. :(
... OMG, what if it was twins? Boy and girl? (Hey, they run in Sparron's family.) THAT would be awesome. And Lettie was feeling a lot of kicking!
... Or maybe I'm just reading too much into that.
Lastly, I have one CC-related thing to say: You remixed Sparron's tunic for the alpha tunic?? WANT! ;)
I don't know. I'm still not sure that I'm convinced of everyone's motives here. I'm not even sure that I buy Sparron wanting to have anything to do with boobs, particularly the ones attached to Lettie's chest. Even this tiny moment here-- What if someone had walked in and overheard any part of that conversation, or simply seen Sparron propped up against Lettie that way? Actually, when I think about it, I believe this of Sparron the least of all. Cautious, paranoid Sparron.
Morgaine: I think Lettie's reasoning with the meals was that if she wasn't as well-fed, she'd be less likely to sustain a pregnancy. I actually got the idea from one of Hat's comments on Albion (I think it was the post where Tommy finally tore Bors a new one?). It made sense to me, plus it seemed like the sort of thing someone in the twelfth century might have been able to figure out or at least speculate.
For all I know, Lettie could be pregnant with twins. With all I put my Sims through, I let them actually WooHoo to conceive, and Sparron and Lettie are both twins in-game (Lettie is a triplet in story, but in the game either her brother was born first as a single and then she and her sister followed via InSim or she and her brother were twins and then their sister was InSimmed--can't remember, but I know she's one of the twins because she's the middle one). I actually considered twins but dismissed it on account of it being too convenient; however, if the game decides to throw me some...
To be honest, I'm kind of hoping someone comes up with a better version of Sparron's tunic XD I wouldn't dare put it on a Sim with shorter hair because the neck doesn't line up at all, and that belt was hastily stolen from another zoej tunic instead of made to match (that mesh kind of calls for a belt). I also only made the one color. If you want it, though, send me a message and I'll send you the file.
Pen: I wrote Lettie's breast line with the idea that she was joking--she does have kind of a weird sense of humor. Sparron went along with it because he's still not about to verbally admit that he's not all that into boobies. Unless maybe he actually did spend some time playing with them just to piss off Searle, but I don't think he's that vindictive.
I think we need a Sparron POV. As annoying as he might find Searle and Camaline these days, I doubt he went along with what he thought was a horrible idea just to shut them up.
LOL! Sparron needs to give up the booby ghost.
Funny you should mention ghosts, actually...
But yeah, I think Sparron still has this vague hope that he might one day meet a woman he finds attractive :S
Ach, he's never going to be happy.
That seems like a reasonable guess :S
The whole situation is so strange, but they do seem to be trying to make it less strange. Sparron always seems to kick back against attempt to make light of anything, and I mean ANYTHING. He seems determined to be terminally unhappy.
That said, I understand that dark grief. He can't see out of it.
And I love Lettie. I don't know how she keeps on going but somebody should bottle that and sell it.
If nothing else, they both recognize the situation as bizarre, which gives them some common ground.
As far as Sparron's concerned, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I think any light he might see gets dismissed as false hope. I guess he's operating under the idea that if he keeps himself at rock bottom, at least things can't get worse :(
I love Lettie too, and she's certainly resilient. For all I love Searle, it can't be easy being married to him :S
I'm a bit behind in my Naroni reading, but I wanted to let you know that I guess the 12th century ladies have it all wrong. The thinner/healthier you are the easier it is to get pregnant. Ofcourse Sims tend to ovulate and breed like rabbits..soo...I don't think you could have done anything to prevent Lettie's getting prego...plus it's good for the story.
Also, I felt the babies first kicks today...woo woo! I think I've got a soccer player in there for how much he/she is kicking my stinkin bladder.
No worries. Real life happens, and Naroni can always wait :)
Ah, that makes sense. I have heard that being too overweight can mess with sex hormones, so that would impact fertility. There's probably a certain BMI range that's ideal for getting pregnant.
Baby kicks! Yay! :D Hope the discomfort subsides, though.
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