Carr Immortal Dynasty (Completed)

[hazelnut]

Unmarked Carr (part 2)

Rolls Royce had a few days to settle into island life before his first shift at The Lair.  Plenty of time for relaxing on the beach, ordering cocktails (shaken, not stirred, naturally) and dining on freshly-caught fish.

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Seriously cool superspies probably shouldn't eat large pink ice creams but hey, he was trying to look like a tourist.

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He wandered around the island in a vague sort of way, trying to meet as many people as possible without looking as though he was making an effort.  He 'accidentally' bumped into the Wahine family at the consignment store.

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Leo was definitely on the 'persons of interest' list.  A policeman who was connected to two senior criminals: was he a bent cop or merely unfortunate in his relatives?

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After a pleasantly innocuous chat, RR still wasn't sure but they'd become good enough friends that Leo invited him round to his home.  They'd only just arrived when the doorbell rang.  It was Leo's sister Alana.  The supervillainess herself!

A startlingly attractive supervillainess.

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She didn't yet know that he was her newest underling – and RR didn't tell her.  Even though she was the biggest local celebrity and he was (as far as anyone in Sunlit Tides knew) a nobody, their shared genius trait meant they fell easily into deep conversation and were soon good friends.

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And, yet again, Rolls fell for a married woman.  A married woman who was his boss, the island's top villain and the wife of the governor.  It would be hard to think of a less suitable object for his affections.

Apparently the attraction was mutual: the following evening, she invited him out on a date.   He ought to refuse – mixing business and pleasure like that was bound to lead to trouble.  This could get even more confusing than being a triple agent.

He said yes, of course.

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The date was sweet but all too short.

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They were about to start watching the stars together, laughing over the sheer nonsense of astrology, when she suddenly spun into work clothes and said she'd have to go.

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She even managed to make that grey uniform look sexy.

Left alone, Rolls realised he was hungry.  Well, he wasn't far from the bistro.  He was just about to sit down at an outside table when he was approached by a stranger.  On second thoughts, not a total stranger.  He recognised this person from the case files.  It was Kai Kahale – and he wasn't happy.  Had he found out about RR and his wife?

Apparently not.  He was just annoyed by someone else claiming his favourite table.  A newcomer to the island – and one who wasn't even famous.

RR was growing used to this whole celebrity thing by now.  The Carrs had always kept themselves to themselves and avoided publicity.  Even Ford had been little known outside Lucky Palms.  As he'd frequently commented, his title might have been Leader of the Free World but it was more like 'Leader of This Bit of the World' in reality.

It was probably just as well, given that RR was undercover, but it was a little irritating not to be able to go "Don't you know who I am?" right back.  Even though he couldn't talk about his (real) job or his family, he'd discovered that talking about his skills was usually enough to break the ice.  In this case, he knew that Kai was also athletic.  This should be easy.

It wasn't.  Kai eventually, and very grudgingly, admitted that Rolls was just about worth his attention but it seemed unlikely that they'd ever be friends.

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Maybe he had heard whispers about RR and Alana.


As Trip guessed ages ago, RR's father was Ajeet Chopra.

I was right about his eye colour being a mutation, although I was wrong about when it happened.  Kia has the same blue-green eyes, although Eva's are brown.

[starlives]

Great update and start to RR's life as a young adult normal sim. I like the irony of him falling for Alana. How is he going to ignore his personal feelings for her and continue to bring about her downfall? Will be interesting to watch.

[CeresIn]

The other immortals' stories are interesting, but RR's really keeps me intrigued with his job as a spy and he falling for the enemy.

[hazelnut]

Great update and start to RR's life as a young adult normal sim. I like the irony of him falling for Alana. How is he going to ignore his personal feelings for her and continue to bring about her downfall? Will be interesting to watch.

The other immortals' stories are interesting, but RR's really keeps me intrigued with his job as a spy and he falling for the enemy.

RR falling for Alana wasn't that big a surprise (after all, he has form).  Alana inviting him out on a date, on the other hand...  Not entirely sure where this is going but it'll be fun finding out.

[Nella]

I've been catching up on this story in the last few days, congrats on completing the challenge! Now to continue reading what the immortals have done after finishing the challenge.

[hazelnut]

Thanks, Nella!


Firing on All Cylinders

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"Your turn next, Portia.  I don't really need to ask what you'll do first, do I?"
"No.  Revive Nio, of course.  I miss him so much and there were so many things he wanted to do that weren't allowed the first time around."

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"Yes, I remember how interested he was in everyone else's skills – and how he really wanted to study Sim Fu in particular.  Austin told me he sneaked off to the academy on one of their Chinese trips.

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"He never got the chance to learn more, but he used to practise martial arts poses now and again, in between sculptures.

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"Yes, I'm sure he'd love a second lifetime to develop his skills."

And so Portia visited the science lab.

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The next morning, Nio sat down to a plate of ambrosia and Portia gave him a flask of Young Again potion.

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She was turning to leave the Ambrosia Room when she realised she'd forgotten something.  But what?  She hated the absent-mindedness of old age.  Old age… oh yes, that was it!  Here she was, still an old lady, with a soon-to-be-young husband.  She hastily pulled out another flask and drank it.  That was better!

Later that day, she found Nio gazing wistfully at Lotus's board breaker.

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"I thought it wouldn't take you long to make your way out here.  This garden belongs to our great-granddaughter.  I'm sure she'd be happy for you to use it.  In fact…"

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"Hi, Lotus.  How are things in China?"

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"Well, it's been fun but I'm starting to run out of things to do.  These tombs are pretty thoroughly explored.  I was wondering about coming back home and doing some research – see if there's anywhere less.. picked-over."

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"Sounds a reasonable plan.  And would you like a Sim Fu student to teach while you're here?"

Nio passed the time before Lotus's return working on other skills.

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He also discovered the computer in Ford's office and fell in love with its possibilities.

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Lotus was happy to have such a keen and talented pupil.  With her expert tutoring, he progressed rapidly…

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…and was soon a worthy sparring partner.

Nio wasn't the only Carr learning skills.  In between tending the garden and cooking, Portia took up a new hobby.

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Portia and Nio moved to the big city – or, to be accurate, to the hills overlooking the city.  The house was unprepossessing from the front but, as the estate agent had promised, had been designed to feature the dramatic views from the back.

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Their new home suited them both.  Portia hobnobbed with the Bridgeport glitterati…

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…while Nio probed beneath the surface, exploring the darker side of the city.

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But, most important, they had plenty of time to be together.

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Credits for Nio's flying screenshot: pose by Blue77, pose player by cmomoney, OMSP by granthes (all from MTS).

[Trip]

Love the flying shot! I'd trust no other sim with that leap though Portia would just bring him back again.

[starlives]

Great Update. Wonderful to see Portia and Nio enjoying themselves together. I always had a soft spot for Nio. And I just love that house they moved in to in Bridgeport. If my memory serves me right it was called the Sugar Cube. I played in it so many times we so many different sims and hosted many sims parties in it. The flying shot is amazing, go for it Nio, enjoy your second chance at life to the full.

[hazelnut]

Love the flying shot!

The flying shot is amazing, go for it Nio, enjoy your second chance at life to the full.

Thanks, both.  That screenshot and the pill-swallowing were quite a lot of effort to get but were so worth it.

I'd trust no other sim with that leap though Portia would just bring him back again.

Yes, she probably would .

I always had a soft spot for Nio.

Me too .

I just love that house they moved in to in Bridgeport. If my memory serves me right it was called the Sugar Cube. I played in it so many times we so many different sims and hosted many sims parties in it.

Yes, it is the Sugar Cube.  I don't think I've ever played there before but really like it.

[CeresIn]

Portia and Nio are right at home in Bridgeport! The flying screenshot is great!

[Chubling]

Awwwwww Nio! Now he can finally live that Matrix life he deserves. No longer will he have to deal with the struggle of wearing long leather jackets in the desert!

[hazelnut]

Portia and Nio are right at home in Bridgeport! The flying screenshot is great!

Awwwwww Nio! Now he can finally live that Matrix life he deserves. No longer will he have to deal with the struggle of wearing long leather jackets in the desert!

Thanks, both.  I'd been looking forward to that chapter since he was a baby  .


Breakdown

"Hi, Minnie!  Is it OK with you if I go off to the lab now and bring Riley back?"

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It was, of course.

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But afterwards, VW was worried.  The Carrs were all too familiar with the imperfections of the revival process by now, but even by those standards something seemed not quite right.  Riley looked happy enough – although his neutral expression had always been a half-smile – but he seemed confused, lost.  Instinct told her not to rush him.  She drove them both home and took him down to the Ambrosia Room.  He'd said he was hungry – might as well give him the best possible food.

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Well, at least the ambrosia worked as expected.  A minor victory – but it was a start.  It hadn't helped his state of mind at all, though.  Riley barely seemed to know who he himself was, let alone recognise his wife.

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She tucked him up in the bed they'd once shared, hoping that the familiar furnishings might jog his memory, and went off to sleep in Portia's room.

The next morning, he still seemed quiet and unlike himself but did have a suggestion when she asked what he'd like to do that day.  Fishing?  Really?  That had always been her thing, not his.  Never mind.  It was good that he was showing an interest in something.

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She took him to one of her favourite fishing spots.  She knew it was too advanced for a beginner – but the fish weren't why she'd chosen it.

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As predicted, she hauled in catch after catch, while Riley failed to get a single bite.  Finally, and proudly, he reeled in a very small and very ordinary goldfish.  The excitement, or maybe just the beautiful surroundings, seemed to trigger something.

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"Vee?  I feel I should know this place."
"Yes, you should.  We got married just over there."

She led him to the exact spot but, disappointingly, there were no further breakthroughs.  Then his stomach rumbled, loudly.  Way to spoil the atmosphere, Riley's insides!  Was constant hunger another odd side-effect of his revival?  On the other hand, that at least was easy to treat.

"Come on, the bistro's not far away."

She chose an outside table, hoping that the combination of good food and fresh air might continue the healing process.

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When they'd finished eating, she led him over to the edge of the terrace to admire the view – and he finally asked about the rest of the family.

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At last, the old Riley seemed to be returning, along with hints that he remembered their love.

She drove home and asked him to wait in the hall while she hurried downstairs to the storage chests, then returned carrying two flasks of pink liquid.

"I think you're ready for the next step.  This stuff will make us young again.  Do you want to try it?"
"Yes, I do.  Cheers!" 

And he clinked his flask against hers.

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With his youth restored, Riley seemed even closer to his old self – and VW was delighted to find that he was still a great kisser.

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It had been a long time since they'd spent a romantic evening (and night) together.

[Chubling]

Awwww Riley! Coming back from the dead must be a struggle and he's doing his best! It seems like he's coming back to his old self, though maybe he'll be a new Riley

[hazelnut]

Awwww Riley! Coming back from the dead must be a struggle and he's doing his best! It seems like he's coming back to his old self, though maybe he'll be a new Riley

That chapter was completely unplanned.  It was supposed to go: VW goes to lab, revives Riley, ambrosia and young again, then on with the next bit.

Instead, Riley genuinely did seem confused and their relationship had dropped down to bare acquaintanceship for no obvious reason.  He really did seem to be constantly hungry as well, although I can't think of a game mechanic to account for that.  (I don't think any of the other members of the current household, with the possible exception of Opal, has the Hardly Hungry reward, so they should all have been getting peckish at similar intervals).  Maybe it's just that it took quite a while in-game to repair VW and Riley's relationship and I was concentrating on him most of the time.

I always like to go along with the way the game plays out when telling the story.  Unexpected twists make it more fun.


Family Carr

Within a few days, Riley was almost back to normal – or maybe he'd reached a new normal.  It wouldn't be surprising if being dead for several generations had had an effect on his personality.  Of course, as a scientist, VW was aware that memory isn't absolute and unchanging.  After so long, the image of Riley in her head could well have drifted away from the real thing.

Whatever the truth was, his recovery was almost complete.  VW had been holding back on her own plans and dreams while she'd been nursing him back to health but now she felt she could raise the subject.

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"I've always been so proud of Portia.  She grew up to be a great person – and probably my closest friend after I lost you.  But now she's living her own life in Bridgeport.  I'd like to have her back, Riley!  And I could do just that: I sampled her DNA."

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"You'd like to clone her from that sample?  Well, why not?  I'm a clone myself, after all.  I'd hardly be likely to disapprove."
"Um, well… it's not just one sample."
"OK.  Only children can get lonely.  Why not have more than one?"
"Yes, but…"
"What?"
"It's actually nine.  Nine DNA samples."
"Nine?! "
"Er, yes."
"Nine identical daughters might be a bit much.  Or ten, if you count Portia.  But why not choose, say, two of the samples and clone them?  Twins might be fun."

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They hurried down to the lab together. VW sorted through her samples of Portia's DNA and found the most recent.  That one ought to have the best chance of success.

Riley watched as the science station whirred, lights flashed and VW stared into the screens.    A surprisingly short time later, she pronounced herself pleased with the result and lifted their new daughter from the input/output drawer.  They named her Clio.

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Riley cuddled the baby while VW picked a second sample (at random?  Was that a childhood choosing rhyme he heard her singing under her breath?)  This time, there seemed to be rather more frowning and muttering involved.  Or maybe VW was distracted by the crying.  Hastily, Riley produced a bottle from somewhere (he was surprised he still remembered that trick) and fed Clio.

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The drawer opened again and there was their third daughter, Mégane.  Riley wondered why VW looked less than besotted.  And had she really said that the newborn baby had a strange glint in her eye?


The not-exactly-twins had their first birthday.

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Clio, unsurprisingly, looked exactly like Portia at the same age, although her personality was all her own, or rather, a mixture of her parents: artistic and friendly.  Mégane had identical features but was a blue-eyed blonde.  Her angelic looks were deceptive: she was evil and clumsy.  Riley adored her anyway and constantly tried to make up for VW's obvious preference for Clio.  After all, Mégane was hardly to blame for whatever had gone wrong with her cloning.

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VW and Riley stayed in the family home for a while longer, so that Minnie, who was all too happy to be a great-grandma to little ones again, could help out with the toddler training.  Then the little family moved to Appaloosa Plains.

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(I love that screenshot.  The synchronised tossing-in-the-air was entirely spontaneous.)

Riley and VW wanted to give the girls time to settle into their new home before they had their next birthdays…

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…and started school.

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Then the family expanded again, with the adoption of a couple of four-legged friends.  Rover, who was a notably friendly dog, became BFFs with Clio within a day of joining the household.

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Jaguar was more reserved and took longer to pick her person but eventually settled on Mégane.

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And then they discovered that there was going to be another addition to the family.

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After three daughters, both parents wanted a boy for a change.  VW was careful to eat plenty of apples during her pregnancy and they got their wish.

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With the arrival of baby Lincoln, their family was complete – at least for now .

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Lincoln as a toddler:

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He has Riley's eye and nose shape and Grandpa Austin's eye colour but is otherwise a male version of VW.  That Nita jaw is remarkably persistent – all of Mercedes's descendants except Rolls inherited it.

Credits: cmomoney for pose player, jessesue for the poses.

[Trip]

I didn't notice everyone having the Nita jaw until you said it. With or without it I am glad that one lil throwaway wish (or several) of VW's didn't go to waste. And that she didn't go the way of Morgan and Opal, just one disappointment is enough.