The Incarnations of Immortality- Move to Graveyard please!

[Shewolf13]

The Incarnations of Immortality

The Incarnation Dynasty

Introduction:

This is my second attempt; my first was unfortunately lost because something happened to my saved games.   Just a bit of background for everyone: ‘The Incarnations of Immortality’ by Piers Anthony is one of my favorite book series ever.  When I finally decided to attempt an Immortal Dynasty, I was psyched to use this series as a bit of inspiration, as well as a theme.  For those not familiar with the series, here’s a quick Wiki article: Incarnations of Immortality.  For this attempt, I am also taking a slightly different track with the story.  Following this theme, I decided to go with Hidden Springs, a world that I haven’t seen used often, so I decided to have a bit of fun with that as well.  Without further ado, I present you the Incarnations.  Hope you enjoy ^^

*****

Table of Contents

Part 1: The Price of Failure
Prologue: Arrival in Hidden Springs
Chapter 1: Skilling and Near-death Experiences...
Chapter 2: A Cycle Begins
Chapter 3: Love and Fire
Chapter 4: Looking after the little ones
Chapter 5: A Legacy Left Behind
Chapter 6: Birthdays Galore!
Chapter 7: Beginning of the End
Chapter 8: The Price of Failure

Part 2: Incarnation of Mother Nature
Chapter 9: New Beginnings
Chapter 10: Nooboo Madness, Part 1
Chapter 11: Cute Toddler antics
Chapter 12: Time Moves on and Dreams Mirror Reality
Chapter 13: Family
Chapter 14: Heartache
Chapter 15: Anniversaries and Birthdays
Chapter 16: The Cycle Continues
Chapter 17: Mother Nature

Part 3: Incarnation of Time
Chapter 18: Fate
Chapter 19: Weddings, Newlyweds, and Honeymoons
Chapter 20: A New Arrival
Chapter 21: Center of Attention
Chapter 22: Grief
Chapter 23:Time Moves On
Chapter 24: Clotho is a Big Sister
Chapter 25: A Surprise!
Chapter 26: Snow Days and a Family Vacation
Chapter 27: Birthdays Galore
Chapter 28: Whiling Away the Winter
Chapter 29: Family Photo Album
Chapter 30: Life... and Death
Chapter 31: Moving On
Chapter 32: Time for Daddy to Let Go
Chapter 33: The Time Lord Bears an Hour Glass

Part 4: The Incarnation of Fate
Chapter 34: Nooboos and Drama
Chapter 35: Toddler and Nooboo Madness!
Chapter 36: Hypnos's Turn to Narrate
Chapter 37: The Loss of Hope
Chapter 38: Coping
Chapter 39: Video Games Induce Labor
Chapter 40: Birthdays Everywhere!

*****

[Shewolf13]

Dynasty Stats

Incarnation Family Tree- Beware, SPOILERS!

Immortal 1:  Gaea Incarnation
Traits: Green thumb, born saleswoman, charismatic, gather, loves the outdoors
Likes: Ceviche, Country, Green
Spouse: Nicholas (ne: Riverhawk) Incarnation
[X]Unique LTW: The Perfect Garden
[X]3 Unique LTRs: Super Green Thumb, No Bills Ever, Fireproof Homestead
[X]Career: Gardening
[X]Unique Supermaxed Skill: Gardening
[]Other Skills:
[X]6 Black Ops: Uncommonly Good, Great Greens, Outstandingly Rare, Perfect Produce, Outstanding Tasting Ingredients, The Omnificent Plant
[X]6 Unique Best Friends: Nick Incarnation, Jess Anderson, Ryan Anderson, Chronos Incarnation, Katarina Vanderburg, Andrew Song, Blake Grayson
[X]Owned Building: Mother Nature's Bounty (grocery store)
[X]Owned Property: Falls of Life, level 3
[X]YA Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Adult Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Elder Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
Immortal at: 76

Immortal 2 : Chronos Incarnation
Traits: Loner, artist, photographer's eye, brooding
Likes: Pop, mushroom omelette, pink
Spouse: Hope (ne: Anderson) Incarnation
[X]Unique LTW: Visionary
[X]3 Unique LTRs: Food Replicator, Extra Creative, Prepared Traveler
[X]Career: painter
[X]Unique Supermaxed Skill: Painting
[]Other Skills: photography
[X]6 Black Ops: Scavenger Hunt: Precious Metals, The Boiler Room, The Business of Decor, Deliver a Painting to Egypt, Deliver a Painting to France, Interior Decor
[X]6 Unique Best Friends: Gaea Incarnation, Hope Incarnation, Clotho Incarnation, Carly Ruiz, Emmet Preston, Jake Preston
[X]Owned Building: The Hour Glass Community Theater (theater)
[X]Owned Property: Times's Retreat (level 3)
[X]Toddler Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Child Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Teen Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]YA Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Adult Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Elder Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
Immortal at: 75

Immortal 3 : Clotho Incarnation
Traits: Friendly, good, neat, flirty, natural cook
Likes: Chinese, cheese tofu steak, black
Spouse: Eros Incarnation
[]Unique LTW: Celebrated 5-Star Chef
[]3 Unique LTRs: Born to Cook
[]Career: Culinary
[]Unique Supermaxed Skill: Cooking
[]Other Skills:
[X]6 Black Ops: Scavenger Hunt: Rare Elements, Outside Reading, Best Food in Town, Fresh Cookies for Sale, Burgers for Sims in Uniform, From One Chef to Another
[]6 Unique Best Friends: Eros Incarnation, Hypnos Incarnation, Nox Incarnation, Star Shue
[X]Owned Building: Fate's Loom Tavern (level 3)
[X]Owned Property: Skein of Fate Bistro
[X]Toddler Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Child Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Teen Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]YA Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Adult Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[]Elder Museum Pieces:
Immortal at:

Immortal 4 : Nox Incarnation
Traits: Neurotic, artistic, ambitious
Likes: French, porcini risotto, pink
Spouse:
[]Unique LTW:
[]3 Unique LTRs:
[]Career:
[]Unique Supermaxed Skill: Sculpting
[]Other Skills:
[]6 Black Ops: Stinky Bugs, Pile of Permission Slips, Work/school Learning Project
[]6 Unique Best Friends:
[]Owned Building:
[]Owned Property:
[]Toddler Museum Pieces:
[X]Child Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[X]Teen Museum Pieces: portrait, photo, sculpture
[]YA Museum Pieces:
[]Adult Museum Pieces:
[]Elder Museum Pieces:
Immortal at:

*****

[Shewolf13]

Prologue: Arrival in Hidden Springs

My name is Gaea Incarnation.  I am an Incarnation.  Not only is it my family name, but it is my calling.  But something has gone wrong.  The balance of the world has been upset.  Those I had known before are no more.  I have been sent to this world to bring that balance back… and to see to it that those who keep that balance are born.  I am Gaea Incarnation and I am the Incarnation of Mother Nature.


Hidden Springs… the place seems so familiar.  It’s a beautiful area.  The earth calls to me.  It begs to be nurtured.  This place is where it will all begin.  I pray I have the strength for this.  I only have enough money for right now to afford the bare necessities, though I think this suits me, at least for now.  Being so close to the earth is comforting.  I know that this will not last though; the weather will force me to seek shelter eventually.



After getting a little sleep, I decided to explore the town a little.  I was drawn to a house down the road.  It seemed I was being pulled there.  Taking a deep breath I knocked. 


My breath caught when the door opened.  I must have looked a bit lost because the man had to reach out and touch my shoulder, asking me if I was ok.  I blushed a little and shook my head.

“I’m fine, thank you.  I’m sorry to disturb you.  I’m new in town and I’m just out and about exploring.”

“Oh really?  Well, why don’t you come on in for a little while?”

I hesitated, but I felt that nudge again, so I smiled at him and went inside.  His name is Nicholas Riverhawk.  He has two roommates, Jess Willows and Cassidy Windsong.  I chatted with all of them.  When they found out that   I had no house, they insisted I spend the night there, at least until I could get something a bit better than what I had.  Nick seemed to have appointed himself as host and he kept me company.  We talked about all manner of things.  It was an odd feeling for me.  But I grew more attracted to him the longer I was around him.  I mean, he was a handsome young man, it was true.  But it was more than that.  There was a true connection between us. 

The next morning, the three all had to go to work and I didn’t feel right in staying there without them, so I returned to my… property.  I realized that I couldn’t call it home, not yet.  It would be… one day, though.  This I swore.


That night, I invited Nick over to see the property.  I have to be honest with myself though… I just wanted to see him.  When he got there, we both just looked at one another for a long moment.  Slowly, we got closer and closer… then it happened.  Our lips met in sweet, tender kiss.  I let out a soft breath.

“I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did,” he murmured.  I could only nod.  “There’s something here between us, Gaea.  You can feel it too.”  I nodded, a shiver running through me.  “Good.  Because I’ve decided something.  I’m moving in.  And so isn’t Jess.  We both feel that there’s something special going on and we want to be a part of it.”  I was too flabbergasted and shocked… and elated, to say anything, let alone argue.


Things moved quickly; Jess and Nick helped get the money together in order to start to be able to build a house.  It’s a work in progress.  We weren’t able to afford beds yet, but we still have our sleeping bags.  It’s a bit of an adventure and Nick and Jess seem enamored with it.



After we had gotten some more money together from odd jobs, we were able to afford beds and I also began a garden so we could save money on food.  There was something… spiritual for me in being able to work in the earth like this.  But I could feel that things were still off-balance.  I swore I would fix it.  Things were already beginning to take shape.





Jess, I found out, is an avid fisherwoman.  I encouraged her.  She wasn’t happy with her job in the military.  So after both Nick and I insisted, she quit her job and registered with City Hall as a self-employed fisherwoman.  While it might not bring in the money we need all at once, I think it important to do something she enjoys. 


We couldn’t pay our electrical bill, so we are without lights, but we get along well enough without them for a little while.


I am livid!  I understand that there is a cycle on this world.  After all I am Mother Nature… or I will be again, one day.  But tonight, zombies have destroyed my garden!  Our source of food!  I immediately chased them off, too upset to be afraid.  They must have sensed something about me because they ran off.  I repaired the damage, distraught at the devastation.  But such is the cycle of life.  Death comes to make room for more life.





With the money from Jess’s catches, and some of the surplus from the garden, we were able to add onto the house.  It still isn’t much, but we’re slowly improving it.  Nick likes to joke that it’s an ever-evolving piece of art.


I used my share of the money to go into town and buy a little something.  I’d been waiting to do it for a while now.  Though neither of us had really talked about it, both of us thinking that our love, our connection to one another was enough.  But I wanted it official.  I wanted everyone to know what Nicholas Riverhawk meant to me.  So I got down on one knee and asked him to be mine.  This time, he was the one that was speechless and could only hug me while nodding vigorously.  We are going to wait for the wedding, until we can afford to have the kind of wedding we both want.


I wanted to be the one to tell Jess.  She and Nick had been very close since they were children; they were as close as brother and sister.  She and I were friendly, but I wanted her to know that I loved Nick and I would do my best by him.  After a very serious, “You better,” she congratulated me heartily and gave her blessing.




Jess has been painting, commenting that someone needs to document this venture.  I have been honest with her and Nick.  Nick only smiled knowingly and Jess seemed even more excited.  But painting isn’t Jess’s first love.  However, she did meet an artist in town.  His current job interfered with his painting.  Jess invited him over and I told him I was looking for a painter.  It took a little convincing, but finally he agreed.



Things are slowly falling into place.  These people, Nick, Jess, and Ryan… they give me the strength to continue and to know that eventually, the balance will be restored.

*****

[Tiamet]

Great start, Shewolf.  I loved the Incarnations series, and think you've got a great premise here.  Gaea is beautiful and I can believe she's Mother Nature.  Good luck!

[Shewolf13]

Great start, Shewolf.  I loved the Incarnations series, and think you've got a great premise here.  Gaea is beautiful and I can believe she's Mother Nature.  Good luck!

Thanks Tia!  I'm glad you think so ^^

There will be an update incoming at some point tonight.

EDIT:  Sorry for the delay.  Started over due to same glitch with the rain.  Almost to a point where I can continue though.

[Shewolf13]

Chapter 1: Skilling and Near-death Experiences…

Winter is fast approaching, and while I am not a fan, I understand that it is all a part of the cycle.  Jess is fishing more than ever in order to make sure we have a ready supply for when winter does hit and the water freezes over.  She went to the cemetery and caught a deathfish, which will be a very important component in the coming months.



Nick surprised me; he and Ryan built me a greenhouse around the garden so that I can garden all year round.  They’re so thoughtful!  And each of them are bound and determined to help in my endeavors.  It is touching and warms my heart.  I cannot bring myself to think about… later.  But I know better than anyone that time moves forward and life and death are part of a never-ending cycle.


For now, though, I enjoy the time I have, particularly with Nick.  He already feels like such a part of me.  He has such a joy for life.  He never fails to bring a smile to my face.  When I am deep in thought, he often will put a finger under my chin and gently lift my head until I am looking him in the eye.  Then he will say, “Such a beautiful creature shouldn’t look so sad.  It’s a crime against Mother Nature.  Then again, I suppose when one IS Mother Nature…”  Then he would kiss me until I was smiling again.







We could wait no longer; we both realized that a big wedding was not important, only that we become one.  So we held a private ceremony in the garden, surrounded by life as two lives became one.


After the ceremony, Nick insisted I remain in my dress so that he could sculpt me.  He’s ridiculously talent and the sculpture is beautiful!  He claims I am his favorite subject.  “Then again, nothing can compare to the real thing,” he always adds.



Recently, I have walked in on something interesting.  It seems that there is something going on between Ryan and Jess.  I am thrilled.  It feels very right.  I know that Ryan is a bit hesitant, because of the age difference, but life is too short.  I hope he comes to his senses.  Something tells me that he will.



My hand shakes terribly as I write in my journal.  Ryan was attempting to repair our computer when there was a short and it caught fire!  Nick’s clothes caught as well!  Luckily, he was smart enough to get to the shower and put himself out.  We tried to battle the blaze and got most of it out by the time the fire department got there.  Needless to say… I am thanking the Watcher above for sparing him.  My heart is still heavy though, like a spectre that is constantly hovering over us…  I will endure though.  Nick will not let me do differently.



We have had four birthdays in as many days.  One right after the other.  Ryan is now an elder.  Nick, Jess, and I are all adults.





Winter is here now; Jess met it with enthusiasm… in fact, she did a face first dive into the snow and made a snow angel.  She was a bit cold for a while afterwards, but she seemed to enjoy it.


We have had a surprise wedding!  Ryan finally came to his senses.  He realized that though they were so far apart in age, love didn’t always take that into consideration.  He reasoned that if Jess would have him, they should spend the remaining time they had together as husband and wife.  So he proposed and then they had a private ceremony.  In between painting and household chores, they spend as much time as possible together, as much as any newlyweds.




Jess has been ill.  She thinks it’s from her foray out in the snow, but I have a different theory.  I can already feel the bloom of new life and all I can do is smile softly.  We will see what tomorrow brings.

*****

[Lunarpixels]

I love this. I will most definitely be reading!

[Tiamet]

Great update, Shewolf!  I'm glad you were able to get caught back up so quickly!  Here's to no more glitches!

[azokka361]

I love it! Is it too early to be shipping Jess and Gaea's nooboos? 

[Shewolf13]

I love this. I will most definitely be reading!

Thanks so much ^^  Glad you are enjoying it.

Great update, Shewolf!  I'm glad you were able to get caught back up so quickly!  Here's to no more glitches!

Thanks!  Yeah, it was easy to catch up mainly because as everyone pointed out, I already knew a lot of the stuff, so it was easy for me to catch up to the point I was at a lot quicker ^^  And, great news!  With no rain, I am able to build up onto the second floor and it saves fine!  We shall see how it progresses later, but so far, so good ^^

I love it! Is it too early to be shipping Jess and Gaea's nooboos? 

LOL!  Not at all!  Hehehehe, wait till ya see them!

[Shewolf13]

Chapter 2: A Cycle Begins

*soft smile*  I was right.  Jess’s illness was an illness.  It was only heralding the arrival of a new life.  She is indeed pregnant.  She glows with happiness.  When she told Ryan, he cried and then couldn’t let her go for a while.



Jess and Ryan both diligently read as many books on pregnancy as they can.  Though they don’t say it, they are both nervous.  Family-oriented he may be, but that doesn’t stop Ryan from being incredibly nervous, especially considering his age.  It’s something we try not to talk about.


I often come upon this scene or one like it.  Ryan is enamored with his wife’s tummy.  He’s constantly giving advice to his nooboo, listening to it answer- at least, that’s what he says- or just feeling the nooboo move inside.  We all pretend to not see the tears at the corners of his eyes.


I write this with incredible joy!  I had been feeling queasy for the past few days, though I was more fortunate than Jess and was not actually sick.  I thought I could feel the life forming inside me, but I wasn’t sure until just today.  I am with child!  Hope is a darling and I will always love her, but knowing that the next generation is on its way, one step closer to restoring the balance…  I find I do not have the words to describe the joy I am feeling.  When I told Nick, he held me close, looking into my eyes for a long moment before kissing me heartily.  There were no words exchanged; we didn’t need them.



Though I am confident in my abilities as a mother, Nick and I both peruse the same books, just in case.  I also find myself a bit nervous as well.  I believe this is a normal reaction, no matter what you might have been once upon a time.
They also read the pregnancy books



Jess had gone to lay down after being in pain most of today.  She fell asleep, but then was woken up suddenly by a sharp pain.  Her water then broke.  Nick and I didn’t know anything until we heard her cry out… and then heard Ryan panicking.  Apparently, age has nothing to do with keeping your head in a difficult situation.  Jess was too far along to risk moving her to the hospital.  So she gave birth to her daughter in her bedroom.


Welcome to the world, Hope Anderson


Mother and baby are perfectly healthy and everyone is very happy.  No one more so than Ryan.  Hope is definitely a daddy’s girl.  He’s always the first to her crib when she cries.  He’s actually taken to catching naps in the rocking chair in her room and using the bathroom we had put upstairs.  He only comes downstairs now in order to grab something quick to eat.





I also find myself drawn to the little girl, especially as I get further along with my pregnancy.  On the few occasions that Ryan isn’t there, I like to sit in the rocker and watch her and when she cries, I immediately lift her up to snuggle the little bundle.




No matter how prepared one thinks they are, one is never prepared enough for the hormonal changes.  I stare at that little girl and her father, then find myself bursting, inexplicably, into tears.  Nick comes in, pulls me close and just holds me.  “When an angel cries, the sky weeps,” he whispers to me softly.  He holds me until I stop, then, just because he can, he gives me a massage.  I love this man so very much.  He is my rock, always at my side.



Jess and I are two of the luckiest women in the world.  Our men cherish us like no others.  Heedless of who saw them, Ryan pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her, thanking her with a tremulous voice, thanking her for being his wife and for giving him that precious little girl.


Nick had just made some of his famous renoit grapes pancakes and we had just sat down to eat some when I felt something release inside me.  Our child was on the way…  It was an incredible pain, but at the same time I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  However… my husband quite lost his head.  Even more surprising, since he had survived the birth of his daughter and should be an old hand at it, Ryan also panicked!  Jess kept a cool head, however, and soon enough, Nick and I welcomed our son into the family.


Welcome to the world, Chronos Incarnation


With two infants in the house, everyone is running a bit ragged, but we do our best to take turns taking care of each of them.  For the first few days, we tend to gravitate toward our own children, of course, getting to know them, letting them get to know us.  But it’s impossible not to be swayed by the sharp cry of a tiny voice, no matter which one it is.  We all love them both so much.  And as much as I dread it, I also look forward to watching them grow and prosper.

****

[azokka361]

Welcome Hope and Chronos! With your parents, you can't help but be cute and make adorable babies.

[Shewolf13]

Welcome Hope and Chronos! With your parents, you can't help but be cute and make adorable babies.

Oh yes, they are adorable. *grins*  Also... Dynasty + two toddlers + slightly neurotic Watcher = allot of hilarious noises.  It's not that I find it difficult per se but things happen and I start having a panic attack or think I've forgotten something so my husbands gets a huge kick out of it.

[Shewolf13]

Chapter 3: Love and Fire

Author’s Note:  This chapter is just to show some adorable nooboo pictures ^^

Though Nick and I are often busy, we spend as much time as we can with our little boy.  We both love him so.  Nick keeps saying how much he looks like me, though I think he looks like Nick.  It’s the eyes.  Then again, it’s hard to tell at this age.  We’ll see as he gets older.



We’re still on a rotation for child care.  While the rest sleep, eat, shower, or perform chores or skills, one looks after the little ones.  Then we switch off so that person can do what they need to do.  It’s working fairly well so far, though Ryan still takes quite a bit more time than the rest of us.  He confided in me that he wants to get as much time with them as he can- before…  I couldn’t let him finish the thought, but it’s been heavily on my mind since then.





Hope’s birthday came around; we were all very excited and decided to have a private birthday party, just the family.  Well, it didn’t start out well.  The dishwasher broke just as we brought her down to her cake and flooded the floor.  Well, we got that cleaned up and then commenced.  But it only got worse when the candles fell off and caught the counter on fire!  Jess, who had insisted upon carrying her daughter to the cake, turned away, curling around her child to protect her.  As we all scrambled to put it out, Jess’s clothing caught on fire!  By this time, the fire department had arrived and Jess wasn’t too badly hurt.  But it was a stark, horrible reminder to all of us how fleeting life is.





I ran upstairs to my son, needing to see him.  The terror I had felt when the flames had begun, the terror of losing the house, but worse of possibly losing my boy…  I held him for a long time.


That night, Hope did age up.  We daren’t try the cake again, all too paranoid and afraid to risk another fire.  Though I have taken steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.  But the dear child is adorable.  She is a wonderful mix of both her parents and is quite a lady-like little girl.



Jess is so proud of her little girl and begins teaching how to walk almost immediately.  Hope learns quickly and is adorable doing it.  I can’t wait till my little boy is this age.  He will be soon.





Ryan is never far away; he watches his girl with her mother, smiling softly.  “My girls,” he murmurs.  And you can tell that Hope has him wrapped around her little finger, giving him a simple adorable look.



Now with a toddler and an infant, we’re all feeling it a bit.  Nick is rapidly moving up in his career; he’s always at the sculpting station, turning out ice sculpture after ice sculpture.  But he spends what time with Chronos he can.  But even he runs out of energy and ends up taking a quick nap in the rocking chair next to Chronos’s crib.



In order to make more time for the kids, I finally broke down and had sprinklers installed in the garden.  It’s flourishing and I’m very close to my lifetime wish of having a perfect garden.  Also, I believe I have finally tracked down a life fruit seed, but I’m not 100% sure.  We’ll see as the plant matures.


Ryan has volunteered to take care of Hope’s potty training, as well as teaching her how to talk.  I distinctly heard him talking about Jess and telling his daughter what a woman she was and how she loved to fish.  Hope knows just how to get around her Dad, just by the looks she gives him.

*****

[azokka361]

Awww, Hope is so cute! I love the picture at the very end of her sampling the baby food.

Bad luck with the kitchen fire! Pick up Fireproof Homestead as soon as possible to avoid that. At least no one was hurt!