Welcome back to Familiar Faces ~ Chapter 11 Kiernan's Komeupance

In this chapter I'm taking a brief divergence from the normal legacy, and using a little bit different story telling method. It's a little bit outa sequence as time line it would fit about halfway thru the first chapter of Cary's adulthood, but I felt it deserved it's own place and wanted to tie a few things up separately from the normal legacy.

"Well Sammy it looks like we finally made it! I know how much you hate to have your surroundings changed, but don't worry buddy, we'll settle in here pretty quickly, and this house is a lot larger than that itty bitty apartment we're used to.

Now you just go explore the place and let me alone at the computer for a little while, I've got a real mess to clean up now that we're here."

*I really thought that if I left this alone long enough it'd clear it self up on it's own. But just about every attempt that's made to fix his personality just makes it worse, I gave him one last shot and he still he couldn't behave.*

It was the day of Cher's daughter's toddler toss. Being popularity sims she and Johnny had fought over the right to throw Celeste's party. Cher won out of course, she has the larger contact list. The entire Familiar family was invited along with a good portion of the Unnatural Army, well those members that could come out during the day.

As part of Cher's perversity streak she also invited her father Kiernan. Unfortunately her plan to show everyone that Kiernan had turned over a new leaf and was ready to be a member of an actual family was to be his killing blow.

Too pleased with how Celeste had grown into the perfect alien princess that she'd always envisioned, Cher didn't notice Kiernan's reaction to his newest grandchild, but I did.

*Kids . . Aliens . . Zombies . . how can anyone expect a normal person to take so much perversion being thrown at them all at one time?*

"Oh no he didn't just do that! gah he did, he just rebuffed Celeste exactly the same way that he rebuffed Clint as a toddler! I am not going to go thru watching another one of my kids get their heart broken by this slime-wad! To bad it's too late to quit without saving and revert back to before Betty got pregnant. I'm going to have to do something I haven't done since Arcade and Atom. I'm gonna have to assist in a sim killing." *sigh* "I hate killing sims, I really really hate it."

It was a dark and stormy night, hmm that sounds a bit too cliche doesn't it? Oh well it really was a dark and stormy night so we can't help but be cliche. Kiernan was wandering the streets in the normal way that townies do. As he wandered he was cursing under his breath the way many of the townie persuasion do when confronted with the fact that they, unlike the others, don't have a nice warm house to go to when the weather turns bad. A house like that one.

Suddenly the door slammed open and a bundle of energy came running to the sidewalk.

"Mister! Hey Mister you better come inside, it looks like it's gonna be hailing soon and you shouldn't be out on a night like this."

A kid? gah the bane of his existence, but this kid was right, it was a bad night to be out in a storm. If Kiernan played his cards well he'd get a free meal and besides, kids go to sleep pretty early right? If he was lucky he wouldn't have to listen to any pesky chatter about school or other such nonsense.

After as little polite small talk as possible with the rug rat that's invited him in, Kiernan managed to make his way up to the pool table on the second floor. Pool, Kiernan had learned from experience was one way to get away from children, pool and poker two things kids can't nose their way in on.

Kiernan heard footsteps on the stairs and rightly assumed that the master of the house had decided to come up and make his acquaintance. Now was the time to put on the fake smile and compliment the brat's manners for having invited him in out of the rain.

"What the? For the love of Wright who let you in here?"

Kiernan grimaced, he knew that voice, knew it only too well. The voice belonged to the reason Kiernan had been trying to avoid evening functions around the neighborhood recently. The last time he'd had a run in with Bob hadn't been pretty.

"Ahh hey Bob, I didn't recognize the house, didn't know you lived here. The kid, what's his name umm Caden, well he saw me outside in the rain and invited me in. Nice kid, he your son? Have to say he doesn't look much like you." *mumbles* "never woulda come in if he had"

"Grandson, he's Boris's lad, takes after his mom. You'd know these things if you paid attention to the family newsletters."

"Family! See it's things like that I just don't get, were not family. Your sister and me, we had some fun times together. Yeah, Clint and Cher are my kids, I'm not gonna try to deny that but the rest of you? No man we ain't family."

"Kiernan, Kiernan how many times do we gotta explain this to you? If you can't keep it zipped you take the consequences and along with Clint and Cher those consequences number half this town. We're all part of a package deal."

"All you ever had to do was show up, smile a few times and play nice; but you never did. It's not like anyone expected us all to be buddies, pfft I'm barely friends with my siblings these days. Vampire hours can play heck on relationship scores, but when there's a nighttime party I'm always there.

And when the phone rings at 3am and my second cousin twice removed needs a social boost in the middle of the night I talk to them. Not cause I like them or even cause I really care, but cause that's part of my job as the family vampire and cause I'm 100% outgoing so I'll talk to anyone!"

"Well I just can't be like you Bob, I wasn't given the same advantages that you were. There wasn't a meal on the table of a nice warm house every day of my life or a private school education or a trust fund for college. So go ahead and kill me cause I don't feel the urge to play nice with your snooty little family that's looked down on me from day one."

"Kill you! Nah Kiernan I'm not getting my hands dirty in that manner. I actually like your daughter, and for some reason she likes you, I'm not gonna hurt her that way. Your death will be an accident, an unavoidable walk by tragedy if you will. Your rebirth now, hehehe yeah, I'm gonna enjoy being a party to that but not your death.

Ahh to heck with it! It sounds like Sierra's finally awake, and from the smells coming up from the kitchen you're lucky, it's lobster night. Sierra has a way with lobster, spaghetti now that's another story, but lobster she's does real well. Why don't you take a walk out in the garden for a bit we'll give you a yell when dinner's ready."

A walk in the garden hmm? Well okay, might as well do that, anything to get away from listening to Bob prattle on and on about family and commitment, two of the banes of a romance sims life. The rain had finally let up and the garden did sound inviting.

Kiernan took his time wandering around outside, it was nice enough but nothing spectacular. Just some fruit trees which were still blooming even now, in late fall. Behind the fruit trees there were some stairs leading up to a small terraced area. Kiernan saw a light shining up there, but he couldn't make out what it was coming from. Strangely he felt drawn into the light.

Finally arriving on the second terrace Kiernan found the source of the light. One small candle atop a piece of birthday cake. A cake, it seemed made just for him. As any townie will tell you, birthday cake has a pungent draw that none of them can resist. Since townies never age they have a strange fascination for cake and a feeling that it's some type of a clue to the magic that separates them from the others.

That cake was taunting Kiernan, just daring him to grab hold and steal a bit of the magic for his own. If he had that magic maybe he'd understand about family and about what Bob had been talking about, maybe.

The cake however, as all know is just a ploy. Some would say that it is a part of the magic of the others, the playable. For unlike townies, death is a fact of life to many a playable sim.

This was not the cake you were looking for Kiernan. Better luck next time.

"Dinner's ready everyone! Bob why don't you call your friend in and *sighs* Bob! I thought I told you to lock that gate. Vlad's gone and chomped a townie now frammit!"

"Okay Cary, it's done, he's dead. You'll have to think of a way to keep this from Cher until we can make proper arrangements. You know what will happen if she gets to a bone phone before we do.

"No you can't just take care of it yourself. I know you have a phone, but wait didn't you read your email from Jenn? Well then go read it, I've got some other calls to make."

Cary,

While I well understand your commitment to your family, I can not condone anyone in the family being the one responsible for Kiernan's death or for his rebirth as a zombie. As you know your sister is somewhat high strung, and has never been able to see her father the way he truly is. She has never understood your need to bring retribution to Kiernan. As you had your grandfather to look up to and to fill any of the gaps left by not having a constant father figure in your life so too did Clint and Cher have you. For all their lives you have been their protector and the one that they look to for security.

While Clint may appear to have a placid attitude towards his father's abrasion you know too well the depth to which those old wounds go, for weren't you the one that wiped his tears and calmed his nightmares? You can still see it in the way he holds so tightly to his own son Christopher, never wanting Chris to experience the same pain of parental neglect that he himself felt. If you were to be the one to carry the memory of making their father a zombie they would know this in the way that only sims can know things. And I believe that it would hurt them much more than either of us might imagine.

The family means the world to them, just as it does to you. I don't want their image of the family or their image of you sullied by any of this. When the time comes arrangements will be made and you will be a part of the retribution against Kiernan, you can't however be the key.

~Jenn

"Maybe she's right Davey, maybe I can't be the one responsible for his rebirth. What do you think young man?"

"Goo"

"Hehe yeah Goo that's right son, family relationships sure can be gooey. We don't wanna mess with them too much."

*A cow plant? how did that sneaky little vampire get a hold of a cow plant? Oh yeah right he's a college educated little vampire. Just one more reason to dislike playable and their advantages over us townies. There's not a townie around that wouldn't give his eyeteeth to be a dormie, keg parties and loose sorority girls. Man that is the life*

*Well here's one little playable that won't have a perfect field of green memories to grow up on*

"Boogabooga boo! You shouldn't invite strangers into your home kid, they'll come back to haunt you!"

"Okay it's a go tomorrow night at the safe house we arranged. Yeah it has to be tomorrow, Sierra and Ellen will stake me if Caden gets spooked again. I wanted a little more time to make the arrangements but I'm pretty sure they'll agree. We'll do a wire transfer to the main UA account so that they'll have the funds for his room and board, plus a little extra for services rendered."

On the other side of town there's a nondescript box of a house, and this is the safe house that's been arranged for Kiernan's rebirth. It's a bit quiet now but as soon as it gets dark the house will come to life and a gathering will begin.

"Okay Jenn, you can do this. Other simmers do this all the time, it's not like it's any big deal. Just be authoritative and persuasive and they'll do what you want them to do. You're their 'god' after all right? they have to do what you say. Oh yeah and please please please remember to ignore the fact that you have two bolt attraction for 75% of the men that will be here, we don't want you heart farting your heir or anything silly like that now do we?"

"Alrighty so I'm best friends with just about everyone here, I don't really think we need any introductions do we? Can we just get down to business?"

"You might not need any introductions but others might like some, we can get those taken care of while Bud goes and changes, he really shouldn't be in a suit for this meeting."

"Okay so like I said I'm best friends with just about everyone here, but I don't know you. Since you're so big on introductions why don't you start? Who are you and why are you here?"

"Of course, how silly of me you've never actually met me have you? But don't worry you all know me, I'm Jenn!"

*gasps*

"You're Jenn? You're that voice that's been talking to me since I was a kid and telling me what to do all the time?"

"Well yeah, but I don't tell you what to do ALL the time. I think I manage to let each of you have quite a bit of free will. I just kinda help you make decisions, especially the important decisions."

"Like how I couldn't have Amelia."

"Yeah, *cringe* like those types of decisions. But that all worked out for the best in the end didn't it? I mean you love Cass right? And don't try to lie to me cause I can see your want panel young man, I can always see your want panel. *mumbles* Even when I'd rather not see it."

"Of course I love Cass! But before you told me to stick my head in that orb thing repeatedly I loved Amelia too. Now that she's got that Grey hair though for some reason she turns me off quite a bit."

"Good it's working then, and don't worry Cary, once it's Cass's turn to go Grey you'll think Grey hair is the next best thing to the energizer."

"Can we get back to the business at hand? Sorry to interrupt your need to rain your emotional torrents upon us once again Cary, but I don't have all night. So lets get the introductions finished."

"Of course Boris sorry about that, Cary if you want I'll talk to you later. But for now lets remind everyone who's who and introduce the new people.

Representing the Familiar family is of course heir Cary, Bob is here acting as a liaison between the family and the UA and Boris as the primary UA recruiter is here to make sure that Kiernan's transition goes smoothly."

"Representing the alliance of university zombies is DJ Verse, she currently holds the position of president of the university branch of the UA along with the cushy job of being the placeholder for Familiar Greek"

"Cushy?"

"Bud Weiser is the owner of this err bunker, he resettled in Familiarity as part of the TSR challenge immigration act of 2007. Bud is the lead character of the Supernatural Challenge. Previously he was a vampire, then he became a vampire-plantsim but since the two conflicted with each other and he tended to wilt in his coffin he was cured for vampirism."

"I'm still bitter over the devamping, but in my current state I need the sun too much to run from it."

"Misty Cupp is the second member of the household, her goal in the challenge household is to get them their very own cow plant then to eat the cake, be drunk by Bud and possibly experience life as a zombie. She's also Bud's lover and mother of his son Coffee. Get it Coffee Cupp?"

"Yeah we got it and thanks to you and your naming fun my son's decided to forgo all dealings with knowledge and be a romance sim."

"That's cause every bodies addicted to Coffee Ma, they just can't get enough of me!"

"The last member of the household is Dan Druff. I've never quite figured out his role in the household other than to be Bud's sidekick and get bitten by Bud and turned into a Vampire, which he's done already. He hopes to be a werewolf someday and has befriended several of the neighborhood wolves including the families adopted wolf Cymmi."

"I'm also the UA representative for the gay minority in Familiarity and I hope that you very soon let me marry Cyd so that the two of us can go about putting all your homosexual equal rights hacks to good usage."

"Err yeah, as a vampire you are immortal I'm hoping that you get abducted and spawn me an alien or two before I move you into your own home, but we'll talk about that next time I play this house."

"That's Coffee and Cymmi over there."

*Woof*

""The family here also has a resident ghost, their college buddy Luke Warm. Luke as part of the financial arrangements made between the Familiar family, and this household for usage of their home as a halfway house for Unnatural Orphans, so to speak, will get to be ressed and therefore fulfill the second half of his challenge obligation. The first part having been to repeatedly scare Bud."

"Err do we have to res him? We're mostly knowledge sims you know we kinda enjoy having ghosts around."

"Well once Coffee is off to college and you get that cow plant you can get yourself some additional ghosts if you wish."

"Did I hear you right? This is gonna be some kinda halfway house for Unnaturals? I'm guessing that means that when you finally let me graduate I'm gonna be trucked over here for all time? Man I sure hope they get an interior decorator in before that happens. All this green clashes with my grey."

"It's only a halfway house for unnatural orphans DJ, you don't necessarily qualify as such since you've already become a playable and therefore will most likely be moved to your own home upon graduation. Unless of course you choose to move in here which you'll be more than welcome to do so. We're agreed on that correct? The UA will continue to support any member who chooses to have the security of group living."

"Of course! The more the merrier, since I'm going to most likely be spending time as a zombie myself I'd love to have fellow sister around to hang with. And once Bud starts popping off some spore babies we're gonna need all the extra hands we can get around here."

"Spore babies?"

"You think that leafy green color is just for flavor hon, you know she's gotta be thinking spore babies, otherwise you woulda been cured of plantsimism rather than vampirism."

"Actually I haven't yet made a decision on spore babies. I don't really like them all that much, seeing how they go immediately from toddler to adult with no chance at Uni. But again, we can talk about that next time I play this house. We're getting off track here."

"Guys it's getting late we need to get this done, does anyone have any questions or objections to what we've got planned?"

...

"Okay then Misty, since you have Kiernan in your panel why don't you do the honors."

"Bud should be doing this he needs to make a zombie for the challenge still and if he did so I could be ressed the normal way. Did you take a good wiff of DJ in there? Not like Mr. Neat Freak in there's gonna look at me twice if I start being stinky like that."

Sorry Misty, you're the only one in the household that knows Kiernan, and besides given the odds of my cow planting abilities you won't be the only one eaten.

"Alright then what's Grim's number again? Oh never mind it's right here on the speed dial"

"Thank you for calling Grim's Travel Service. If you'd like to resurrect a loved one please press one and answer the questions that follow. If you'd like to make arrangements to expedite the death of a not so loved one please press zero and a hula zombie will assist you in making arrangements. If you'd like to speak to Grim personally please go pet a reindeer and he'll be with you shortly. Thank you and have a nice death!"

KAZAP

As red smoke fills the room a shadow of a man appears beside Misty, and slowly starts to take form.

As the smoke leaves the room Kiernan Tricou's rebirth is completed. Unfortunately for all involved his odor makes a strong first impression. Followed closely to the moans and groans emitted as he attempts to clear his mind and gather his wits about him. Wits were never Kiernan's strong point to begin with and in his current form they take quite awhile to gather.

"Dear Wright that odor is just way too much to handle *gags* I'm gonna have to let somebody else explain the situation to him. I'm gonna need a bath just from the peripheral effects. Jenn you handle this I'm gonna go get ill."

Used to being swooned over by all females of his former acquaintance, having the first one he's met in this form gag over him is too much and Kiernan breaks down and begins to weep.

"Death I could handle, scaring little kids for eternity woulda been fun. But this? how am I gonna get my groove on if all I can do is stumble?"

"Kiernan, Kiernan you're gonna have to calm yourself down. I warned you repeatedly what was going to happen if you didn't change you ways and start behaving yourself. I couldn't just kill you, Cher's in the paranormal track; if you were dead she'd just roll the want to res you and if she did that you'd never learn from it.

All you'd learn is that no matter how nasty you are to your children they'd still for some odd reason want you around. If Cher had ressed you, you would be a part of her household and be spreading your loathing all over Celeste and then I'd have another child with emotional problems due to you."

"Emotions emotions emotions, what is it with you and these kids and their emotions crap, don't you care about my emotions?"

"I would if you showed any good ones, so far the only things I've seen from you disgust me completely. My hope is that by making you a playable in this form you'll see what you missed out on. If you can learn from your mistakes and prove that you can be a responsible member of this society, well then we'll see what we can do about fulfilling your own wants and ambitions."

"Look lady I'm a romance sim, err zombie, my wants and ambitions are very simple I want babes lots and lots of babes. Oh and to be a professional party guest of course, but mostly babes. I don't see how you figure to help me fulfill those wants in this form with this funk surrounding me all the time."

"Ever hear of Don? Now there's a zombie that's got babes following him everywhere! Do some reading and study up on the Cult of Don maybe if we're all lucky you'll pick up some tips from him. And if we're really lucky the secret to his chili is somehow hardwired into zombies."

"Oh just hush up! The last thing any romance sim wants to hear about is how successful some other guy is with the ladies. And chili? please chili just gives you gas. I'm sure a zombie with a gas problem on top of it's normal body odor is just thrilling to be near."

"Yeah but that chili is some awesome stuff, I could just eat it by the kettle full. Yumm, dang I haven't had any of Don's chili since I shut down Super Valley. If I'm gonna be living here now I need to import some of that stuff so I can get my fix. Hmm I'd better go download Don and Samara and get them to open up a little shop. Talk to you later Kiernan and remember I'm always watching!"

"Not only am I a zombie but I'm now being controlled by an idiot, with a chili fetish. Dear Wright why did I ever want to become a playable?"

"An idiot huh? We'll just see about that, wait till he tastes Don's chili then he'll have to eat his words won't he Sam? Gee I sure hope that Don can get his secret ingredients here, hmm I also hope Gage was lying when he said he was needed in order to make the chili extra special. I really don't want Gage running around if I'm the only simself in the hood. If I have to download Gage, I'll probably want to add more simselves, I dunno if my computer can handle all those extra files. What do you think I should do Sam? Sam?"

*It's obvious that the secret to Don's Chili is catnip. But she'd never understand if I tried to explain it to her, so I'll just pretend I'm not listening and let her go about her downloading.

While she does that I'll do the polite thing and say we'll be back with your regularly scheduled; no real plot or storyline legacy shortly. You'll soon be able to catch up on all the happenings of the Familiar family and the mega baby boom that's hit the hood.

Until then, Thanks for reading and Happy Simming*

"Meww"