Strangetown: Chapter Twenty Two - part one

[strangetomato]

 

Warnings: language, sexual situations


Chapter Twenty Two



Jessie Pilferson and Monica Bratford were talking about the party they were having that night.




"So tonight is finally the night of the party. I'm so glad we managed to get the band" Jessie beamed.

"Yeah, I know. The Shifting Paradymes. It should be interesting. I hear that they might be opening for a couple of Llama Dance Party shows. Imagine that! A campus band playing in the big city. And we have them for our party."

"Yeah, that's exciting. They might even get a record deal out of it."

"Even if the party totally sucks, that's at least something that we can brag about."




"The party isn't going to suck. Don't be a bitch about it. We've been planning this for ages. It doesn't say much for your political ambitions if you can't plan a decent party. I know I'll have a good time, anyway. I always do. If nothing else, I can probably get some action out of it." Jessie said. "Ripp Grunt will be here, with the band, and he'll be looking to hook up with someone."




"He knows that he can always rely on me for a good time."




"And he certainly hasn't complained about any of our previous encounters."




"There's going to be dozens of girls here." Monica sneered. "Do you really think that he's going to want to bang you again?"

"Well, do you think it'll be you?" She laughed. "Ripp knows that I'm a sure bet."

"Like I really care."

"Well, you've fucked him, though, haven't you?"




"Who hasn't?"

"Good point. It's like a LFT rite of passage. Everyone gets a piece of Ripp Grunt."

"Yeah. A piece is all you need. He's a good lay. Good for a bit of fun, but not exactly the type of guy you bring home to meet your parents."

"Yeah, really. What a joke that would be."

"My parent's would shit themselves. He's good practice. And a good time. That's about it."

"Exactly."




"God, how can you two talk about sex like that! It's so VULGAR!" Sarah finally protested.

"We're all grownups here, Sarah. It's just sex." Jessie snarled.

"Well, anyone with a bit of class doesn't think of it as "just sex", okay?"

"She sure told you." Monica laughed.




Sarah made a face. "And how can you be pulled in by Ripp Grunt. He's so... ugh."

"He's so uhhh-uhhh, you mean." Jessie grinned.

"Gross!" Sarah hissed.




"I hate how he just hangs around here sometimes, half naked, giving me these suggestive looks. Just nasty."




"Yeah, nice and nasty. Just the way I like it."

"You'd just love for Ripp to screw you too, Sarah. Admit it." Monica piped in.




"Oh god. No way! I have a boyfriend. Remember? I have no need to turn to some big player to get my thrills."

"Yeah, plenty of thrills. Holding hands and all that. Hot and heavy." She laughed.

"That's plenty for me. I like romance. Besides, I'm saving my virginity for marriage."




"Yeah, so am I." Monica smiled. "Technically."

"What do you mean?"

"Nevermind, sweetie." They both laughed, while Sarah failed to get the joke.






Jayne Doe was cleaning her apartment in preparation for her dinner party. She was excited. A party. New people. She'd finally get to meet both of Johnny's friends. Well, she had met Ripp already, with Stella, but now she could meet Ophelia too. This could be a big step for them.

Johnny had been pretty distant, after that first little rush of activity between them. She was wondering if he was having doubts about the whole thing. But no. How could he? It meant something to her, and she didn't even grow up with a famous alien pollinator as her father. Johnny wasn't going to just disregard their struggles. How could he?

The phone rang.




Maybe Stella needed help at the grocery store.




She often confused the instructions and came back with something really weird.




"Hello?" She answered in her sing-song sort of way. "Oh, hi Johnny! Good to hear from you! Everything is still a-go for tonight, right? You're not backing out on me, are you?"




"Oh, okay... yeah, go right ahead... what's on your mind?"




"Oh."




"Oh, really..."




"Well, I have to be completely honest with you, Johnny. I know that already. Yeah, really. You're not as secretive as you seem to think you are. Or well, you are pretty secretive, but any fool could figure that out."




"Okay, well sure. Obviously. I can do that. No, it doesn't bother me, Johnny. Not for now, anyway. I guess not. I mean, I date people sometimes too. Nothing really serious. Not really. But we don't have to really worry about that just yet, Johnny. We can talk it through later. Yeah. Let's do that."

"Yeah, see you soon! Take care, Johnny!"




After Stella returned, Jayne got to work on the preparations for dinner, since her guests were expected to arrive within the hour.

Before too long the doorbell was ringing.




Johnny was the first one through the door. No big surprise there.

"Well, I like your apartment." He said.

"Thanks, Johnny!" Jayne grabbed him for a hug. "It's so good to see you!"




The others followed just behind him. "Hello there." Stella greeted Ophelia. "Are you Ophelia?"

"Yes, that's me." She said. "Stella, right?"

"Yes. That is correct."

Ripp came through the door and his face blossomed into a ridiculously large smile when he saw Stella. Ophelia noticed the hug between Jayne and Johnny, and began to wonder about it. They seemed pretty familiar with each other, but it might just be the alien thing. And Johnny was usually pretty friendly, so it didn't really surprise her all that much. Even so, it was weird to see him hugging another girl.




Johnny was a little surprised that Jayne had hugged him, especially after he had told her about him and Ophelia, but it was just a hug. There was no real harm in that, right? He hugged plenty of people. He didn't usually feel so flush afterwards, but it's not like that even really showed up on his green skin, so he should be okay.

He had forgotten how attractive Jayne was. It had been ages since he'd seen her. There really was something to the whole alien thing too. He always felt instantly comfortable around Jayne. Almost comfortable enough to forget that he was green. He suddenly clued in to the fact that, as an alien, he wasn't in the minority at this party for once. It wasn't very often he was in a room that had more green skin in it than any other shade.




Ophelia continued to watch them for a moment. There was something else. She could tell. She wouldn't say anything about it, though. Not here, anyway.

"Oh, well I should introduce everyone." Johnny said, a little flustered. "Jayne, Stella... this is Ripp and Ophelia."

"Well, nice to meet you, Ripp." Jayne giggled. "Actually, we've met Ripp before, Johnny." This didn't really surprise Johnny. Ripp knew basically every girl at LFT, one way or another. He thought about that for a second, but decided that he wouldn't allow himself to wonder too much about which way it might be. Surely, Ripp would have mentioned that.

"But I don't believe I've ever seen Ophelia around."




Ophelia extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Jayne."




Johnny concentrated on breathing normally. There they were, interacting with each other, and nothing bad had happened. The world hadn't come to an end. He'd live through this. It would be okay.

"You too, Ophelia." Jayne smiled. She seemed really nice, Ophelia thought. She did continue to wonder about her, though, and why she seemed to be quite so familiar with Johnny.




Ripp seemed to be even more familiar with Stella, and his face was plastered with a stupid grin whenever he looked at her. There was really no doubt in Ophelia's mind that he had slept with her.

Then Ophelia also noticed one of the paintings on the wall.




Yes, there was exhibit B. No doubt about it at all.




"Is this Ripp?!" She asked. There really wasn't anyone else it could be, even from just the back of his head, but it seemed rather odd for him to be in a painting on their wall.

Johnny thought so too, and he instantly thought back to his conversation with Ripp about Stella, and the look on his face. He just knew it. He knew something had happened between them. And Ripp had clearly found it necessary to keep from mentioning it, but why? Was he trying to hide the fact that he'd slept with an alien? That didn't seem like Ripp. It had never bothered him that Johnny was an alien, or half alien. Or had it? Johnny tried not to fixate on that thought, or he'd make himself paranoid.

"Yeah, I just did that one recently!" Jayne smiled. "It's still wet, even. Ripp and Stella posed for me. I took some reference shots."




Ripp had, in fact, been by their place on a number of occasions in the past week, and she had been able to draw from life a little too.




Ophelia continued to examine the painting. It was expertly painted. Jayne was very talented. Every strand of Ripp's hair was exactly as it should be. Also, his posture. Everything was spot on. And Ophelia would know if those details weren't accurate. It was so odd to see Ripp in this context. So close to this person she hadn't even met. It was weird. And it seemed so intimate. Romantic, even.

"I usually just do portraits, but I wanted to try something with a bit of a narrative, ya know? It makes you wonder what might be going on." It certainly did, she thought. Not that there was that much to really wonder.




"It's really nice."

"Thank you."

"Will you be working on the upcoming production, Jayne?" Ripp asked. "Painting sets and all that?"

"Well, if rumours are to be believed, I might get to do a couple of portraits for it."

"How is that?"

"They're thinking of doing The Picture of Dorian Grey." Johnny said.

"Isn't that a novel, not a play?" Ophelia asked.




"Yes." Johnny sighed. "But that's typical. The man wrote tonnes of plays, so they decide to put the one novel he wrote on stage. Some 'lucky' student gets to help translate it into a script."

"That would be you, right?" Ripp said.

"Well..." Johnny sighed. "Yeah, It's me. I'm just a glutton for punishment."

"You're a fucking teacher's pet." Ripp laughed. "That's what you are."

"You're the one who flirts with them nonstop, so you can shut it!"




"Guys." Ophelia said, and looked at them. She didn't need to say that they should quit it, because they already knew what she meant.

"Ripp has been helping me with my studies." Stella said, somewhat out of nowhere. She was very quiet and soft spoken, but would randomly say things that were often only slightly related to the topic of conversation.

"Oh, some group research?" Johnny said, slightly puzzled by what they would study together, but he figured that anything was an improvement over Ripp's usual study habits. "Well, good for you, Ripp. You must be a good influence, Stella."




"Well, we haven't moved on to group research just yet." She said. "It's more of a one on one thing for now."

Johnny was slightly confused. "Well, it's still good to have a study partner."

"Yes, it is." They exchanged a dirty grin.

"I just love Ripp." She said, playfully engaging in a game of "red hands" with him. "He makes just the greatest noises when you..."










"... tickle him."

Ripp illustrated her point with an outburst of hyena-like laughter.

"Well, everything is ready to eat, so we should get to it!" Jayne chirped.

"What are we having?" Johnny asked.

"Sushi!"




"You mean, like raw fish?" Ripp did not seem impressed.

"Ripp, don't be an ignoramus." Johnny laughed. "Only idiots think that sushi is just raw fish."

"Well, sorry if I'm being a big ignorant fucking Grunt about it, Johnny... but then what the fuck is it?"




"It's vinegared rice, wrapped in seaweed, with little bits of vegetables and stuff inside!" Jayne said. "And well, you're partly right. The "stuff" is sometimes raw fish, but it doesn't have to be! I made the vegetarian kind."

"Seaweed?!" Ripp did not look convinced. He gave Johnny a quick glare, but Johnny just smiled. Ripp had been assured that he wouldn't be eating anything weird, and that was clearly not the case. He would definitely classify eating seaweed as being fucking weird.

"You'll love it!" Jayne smiled. "I promise."

Ripp reluctantly resigned to his fate, and they settled down to eat.




"So how do you fucking plan to turn a book into a play, Johnny?" Ripp asked. "I mean, I'm no expert on the matter, but it sounds pretty fucking hard."

"I'm getting help from some kids in the literature program. It isn't going to be easy, but I'm sure we can do it."

"Are you going to audition, Ripp?" Jayne asked. "Dorian Grey is supposed to be this really pretty guy, so you'd be great for the role." Johnny's face fell, revealing just how little he appreciated this observation.




"Yeah." Johnny huffed. "Because the actual acting is definitely secondary to how he looks." Johnny would vying for the lead role, and he considered himself a hell of a better actor than Ripp was. He should be. He worked for it, whereas Ripp clearly did not.

"That would be a fucking hoot." Ripp grinned. "Didn't you say that he like devotes his entire fucking life to the persuit of pleasure, Johnny?"

"Hey, you'd barely need to act at all, Ripp." Ophelia laughed.

"Yeah, and he PAYS for it." Johnny said. "Big time."

"Oh." Ripp said. "Well, that's less fun. I'll bet it's a pretty fucking sweet ride while it lasts though..." Johnny let out a long sigh.




"They'd make you cut your hair, you know."

"What?"

"If you got the lead. You'd have to cut it. They'd want him to have short hair."

"Oh." Ripp stopped and stared off into the distance. Johnny smiled, satisfied that he had sufficiently deterred Ripp from the role.

"I'm sure they could work around it, Johnny." Ophelia said. "Like tie it back, or something."

"I could fucking do that."

"Well, yeah. That's why I said it." She smiled.

"No, I mean cut it. I could cut it."




"What?!" Johnny exclaimed, in disbelief.




"I could cut it. It's just hair. It's not my entire fucking life." Johnny and Ophelia were both staring at him, dumbfounded, since this was news to them. It often did seem like Ripp's hair was his whole life. So much of his whole persona seemed dependent on that hair.

Ripp thought about it. He really could do it. It was just hair. Hair could be cut. All you needed was a pair of scissors. Something sharp. Scissors could cut through a lot of things, and hair was probably the easiest of them all. He wondered how it would fell to have short hair again. It had been a long time. Would his head feel lighter? More exposed? And why not cut it? What was he growing it for? What reason did he have for fucking growing his hair out now? The reason that he used to have was gone. A familiar pain rushed over his body.

"But enough fucking theatre talk." He said. "Let's change the subject."




"So where are you from, Jayne?" Ophelia asked.

"Strangetown."

"Really?" Ophelia paused. "Then why don't we know you? From school, I mean."

"I went to private school." She said. "Dad insisted on it."

"It's just you and your father?" Ophelia asked.




"Yeah. I was an abduction." Jayne said. "It's funny. If I had been born just a little bit sooner, I could have been your sister, Johnny. Your father pollinated quite a number of people in his day, I hear."

"He is one of the most well regarded pollinators to ever have pollinated." Stella said. "Did you know that, Johnny?"

"No, I didn't." How would he have known? His father might have mentioned it, maybe, but he never boasted about his achievements like that. Johnny felt a little unsettled by the fact that Stella seemed to know more about his father than he did.

Ripp drifted off into thoughts about aliens again. Alternating his gaze between the flowers in the vase next to him and the three aliens sitting in the room around him. Were Jayne and Johnny really more like sims, or more like Stella? He tried to snap out of it before Johnny noticed him staring at him again.




But he found himself unable to. Luckily, Johnny wasn't paying much attention anyway.

"Well, I assumed that he would have told you that, but I guess not." Jayne said. "I figured you would have learned all about it with all the other alien stuff."

"What's the other alien stuff?" Ripp asked, suddenly paying full attention.

"Oh, you know. The differences."

"Oh, really... such as?"

"Ripp, you know this shit already." Johnny said. "Stop bugging her. It's just stuff like diet and all that. Boring, boring stuff."




"I'm just curious, Johnny! And it's not fucking boring. I want to know. It must be different to be an alien."

"Half alien." Stella corrected.

"You know what I mean. You're green and you have those pretty black eyes sometimes, and pointy ears. I was just wondering if there was anything... else."

"Like WHAT?!" Johnny snapped. "An antennae that pops out of my head sometimes, when I know that you're not around? God, you're an idiot sometimes, Ripp." Ripp decided to shut up, since he was obviously offending Johnny. It's not like he could ask what he really wanted to anyway.




"How did your father feel about being pollinated?" Ophelia asked, surprising them all somewhat. She noticed their faces, and realized that this might have been a bit forward. "I mean, if you don't mind my asking..."

"No, that's okay! I don't mind telling you." Jayne said.

"Okay." She felt relieved. She thought she might have offended Jayne with her question.

"Actually... that's a bit of an issue right now." She said. "My father was just pollinated for a second time."

"He was?!" Johnny asked.

"Yes. And he's nearing his elder transition too. It doesn't seem very fair."

"Is that normal Stella?"




"No, it isn't." She said, noticeably irritated. She nearly tipped her sushi rolls onto the floor, but the sticky rice lived up to its name.




"That is not a very thoughtful pollination. But, to be honest, fairness is not always the first priority of some pollinators." Stella was not fond of that sort of behaviour, and she knew that when she was in the driver's seat, it wouldn't be like that. There had to be a better way.

"If they wanted to pollinate your father again, the proper thing would have been to do it as soon as possible after your birth." She continued. "This abduction just seems somewhat reckless to me. Not well thought out at all. It's never a good idea to risk pregnancy that late in life."




The abduction had been an unusual affair all around, and completely unexpected.




Jayne's father had been happy enough to have her, after the initial shock of his first abduction, but he had expected that to be it. One alien abduction in a lifetime seemed like more than enough.




From the account that Jayne had relayed to Stella, it had sounded like a very sloppy operation all around. Very poorly carried out. The spaceship had even dropped Mr. Doe back to his home in broad daylight.




It had been witnessed by the paperboy.




"That little shit even laughed at him." Jayne had told Stella. "If I was there, I would have socked him one. Poor Dad."




Stella was shocked. It was expected that they would sometimes be witnessed, but that's why they were so careful about their timing, and why it was always under cover of darkness. Who had been in charge of this abduction? Given the current rise in suspicion against alien activity, this seemed particularly risky.




"I think he's more embarrassed than anything." Jayne said. "An old man, with a baby. It doesn't seem very fair."

"Yes, that does seem like it would be difficult." Ophelia said.

Jayne knew that this wasn't the worst part of it, but she wasn't going to get into details about her father's work and how he'd been looking forward to having all the rest of his life free from interruptions, completely alone. He wasn't going to have time to make much progress now, with a baby to look after. He'd never be able to complete his latest work now.

"It's okay. He'll manage. He always does." Jayne smiled. "So how was dinner?"




"I'm surprised. This was actually really fucking good." Ripp's clean plate spoke for itself.

"Thanks, Ripp!" Jayne beamed.

"That's the worst compliment I've ever heard, Ripp." Johnny groaned.

"No, I mean it. I don't usually like this kind of thing, but it's fucking awesome."

"You usually don't try it, Ripp." Phi said.

"Well, maybe I will from now on."

"Well, I think the compliment was just fine, Ripp!" Jayne smiled. "You seemed like you really meant it, and you did eat it all."




"Let me just smash these dishes up, and then we can relax." Jayne said. "I hate doing them, but I can't stand coming home to a mess." She went ahead and washed them, then returned to the living room.




"So, we get to see your band play, Ripp." Jayne said. "Stella says you're great."

"Well, that's nice of her to say. We're doing pretty well - we're going to be doing some shows with Llama Dance Party as an opening act."

"Get out! Really?! That's awesome!"

"You didn't mention that to us yet." Johnny said.




"Oh, I just found out yesterday." Ripp said. "I've barely even seen you since then."

"I love Llama Dance Party! I have their new album. Want to listen to it?"

Jayne put it on.




"This is a really nice painting too, Jayne." Ophelia observed. Jayne proceeded to show Ophelia her newest work, while Johnny watched them both.

"Ripp, I want to show you something upstairs." Stella said.

"Okay." Ripp smiled, and followed behind her.






"I really hope that you're going to show me what I think you're going to show me." Ripp grinned.

"Well, I just wanted to talk to you privately."

"Oh."






"I want to find a girl to have sex with at the sorority party. Can you help me?"

"Man, I should start charging a fucking fee for this sort of thing."




"How much do you want?"

"I'm joking."

"Oh, okay. I don't get the joke."

"Yeah, I could do that, Stella. Let me think it over, though. Has to be the right girl, obviously."

"Thanks, Ripp."




"Now, can you show me something, like you said you would?" He purred.

"Sure, Ripp. We can even have sex if you like."

If he would like. It was like asking him if he wanted to breathe. How could he turn down a chance to be with Stella? Nobody ever refused a bouquet of beautiful flowers, did they? Everyone likes flowers. And Stella was all that, wrapped in a beautiful woman, with soft lips, round curves, and beautiful skin. So pretty, and clear, and so green.

He pulled her close.




"I would like." He smiled. "But we'd better be quick about it... and not make too much noise."

"I can do that."






So they did, as quickly and quietly as possible.




When they returned downstairs, everyone was still looking at the painting, and talking about the band. Ophelia looked over and noticed that Ripp was messing with his hair, and Stella's helmet had shifted its location since she last saw her. She couldn't help but laugh a little to herself.




Exhibit C.




Soon, they realized that it was time to get moving to the other party. "So you're both coming to the sorority party too, right?" Johnny asked.

"Well, why not, silly?" Jayne laughed. "It's the biggest party of the year. Everyone will be there. I'll call a cab." Jayne made the call, and after a couple of minutes, Johnny volunteered to go outside and wait for it.

"I'll go watch for the cab." He said. "I need some air."




Johnny stepped outside into the cooling night air. He had finally done it. Ophelia and Jayne had met. Now everything was out in the open. Well, almost.

He sighed.




He had hoped that the answer to his dilemma would occur to him, miraculously, once they were both in the same room. That somehow it would be perfectly easy to solve.

This had not happened.

He thought about Ophelia. She was perfect. He loved her. It should be an easy choice for him to make, but it wasn’t. He couldn't forget his father's words, and talking about the abductions, about his father's dedication to his work, only made it more painfully clear that this was something that was very important to them. He couldn't just pretend that it wasn't.




He looked up at the sky. Somewhere out there, the aliens were dying, one by one. His father's species was dying out. Though he lived here on this planet, as a sim, he was a part of that too. He would always be a part of that. He only needed to look in a mirror to be reminded of this fact.

A meteorite entered the atmosphere of the planet, and burned until nothing remained. Johnny watched it leave a trail across the sky. Some people would call it a shooting star and make a wish. That was a nice thought.

Johnny took a deep breath, and made his wish.








 

Comments

[muslemura.livejournal.com]

Another good one!

Loved the shots of Johnny at the end - his expressions and the pics were very fitting for his troubles these days ;) And the series of reaction shots of Johnny, Ripp and Ophelia when Stella talked about Ripp making noises cracked me up! Very...um...authentic and believable *lol*

Also looking forward to see what the 'sloppy abduction' might signify... *ponders*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I got lucky with some of those shots at the end. It was just the pose Johnny assumed himself, and it happened to work exactly the way I want it to. I had to find the right expressions for the reaction to Stella's comment about noises, though. *snicker* There was a huge sigh of relief after she said tickle, I'm sure.

I haven't worked all those details out myself yet, so it will be interesting to develop it. It does signal an increase in urgency on the part of the pollinators, though. That much I do know.