A Neo-Cult Sims story by EC - part 2

A romance and a condition from the High Priestess



Neo-Cult Associates Dana Padilla and Tim Bravo run into each other one night while walking through the Temple grounds.

A casual conversation turns into a friendship. Something strange and powerful is happening, however. Dana and Tim feel drawn to each other.

Tim and Dana begin spending many nights together talking about their lives, their pasts, and their experiences. Their conversation eventually turns to love.

After just a few months, their souls feel connected. It is becoming harder for either to be away from the other.

This is the first real romance for either Tim or Dana.

A quick kiss settles all doubts. As the High Priestess foresaw several months ago, Tim and Dana will get married shortly and fulfill that responsibility of being a Neo-Cult Associate.

The emotion between Dana and Tim is love, pure and simple. Their backgrounds are totally different, but their souls will be linked for the rest of their lives.

Dana and Tim tell the High Priestess what she already knows. She will fully approve of the marriage request, but there is a condition.

Tim describes his feelings toward Dana and his hopes for the future. The High Priestess patiently listens.

Dana also nervously talks to the High Priestess, asking for permission for something that the High Priestess has every intention of granting...



...under one condition. Both Tim and Dana must face their greatest fears. They must go back to the homes of their childhoods and confront their memories.

They will be severely tested. Assuming that both of them pass the tests that will be inflicted on their souls, Tim and Dana will come back stronger and ready to marry. They must enter marriage with their souls free from the burdens of their pasts.

With that both Dana and Tim depart. They go in separate directions, to face and conquer separate torments.


Two Journeys



Dana's journey takes her back to her parents' house.

Dana's heart is pounding as she stands at the front door.

She goes into the kitchen, where she had so many fights with her parents.

Dana's father knew that she had joined the Neo-Cult, but seeing her like this is still a shock to him.

The shock for her father is not only that Dana is naked. What is ironic is that now that she lives naked, Dana is much more modest, and yet much more confident, than she was when she was wearing normal clothes. Dana has found her identity.

Dana explains to her father why she is naked, and why she can never touch any clothing for the rest of her life. She explains about the Cult, Tim and the High Priestess, and her own transformation

Dana sits down for a quiet dinner with her father. She can tell that he still disapproves, but what can he say? Dana is quiet and self-confident. Most importantly, she is at peace with herself.

Dana's father has no choice but to accept his daughter for what she is. Her calming presence overpowers his own anger. What he realizes is that since Dana came home, he has not felt the need for a drink. Maybe he can get past his own problems.



Dana leaves her family's house for the last time. She has made peace with them and with herself.

Dana now has a better understanding of life than she ever imagined possible. During this journey she confronted her inner fears and overcame them. She has found peace and now understands what it truly means to be a Neo-Cult Associate.



Tim's journey takes him home to his parents' old house. He finds the house abandoned and the property over-grown with weeds.

Tim's heart pounds as he steps through the grass.

After more than a decade, Tim has a chance to mourn for what happened that terrible day.

He sits at the old picnic table, where he used to eat with his parents. He wonders about his mother. What has become of her?

Tim confronts his most unpleasant memory, those damn drums. At first they look like they are in good shape, but Tim discovers they are rotted on the inside. He can throw them out. Good.

Tim spends the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening cleaning up. He plans to sell the house so he can build a place for Dana.

The lot is now clean. Tim will sell the house, bury his father, and return to his life with Dana.



He sleeps in the old bed one last time. Tomorrow he will sell it.

After just a few hours sleep, Tim is up again. He hears a strange noise.

His father's ghost comes back to haunt him.

Yes, Tim had seen this many times in his nightmares. Now he is seeing it for real. Tim is being tested.

Tim realizes that the ghost cannot do anything to him. The ghost realizes the same thing and leaves. Tomorrow Tim will bury his father and that will be that.

Tim has repaired the property, and in doing so repaired his soul. He hopes that the new owners can find happiness here.

Tim's journey is complete. He has overcome his memories and his fears. Now he can return to building a future with Dana.


A married life



Tim and Dana hug each other as they arrive home for the first time.

The newlyweds, of course, have a hard time keeping their hands off each other.

This is only the second kiss, but it is a long one.

Tim carries Dana indoors, in keeping with tradition.

The house is simple, but sturdy. Tim designed it and did much of the work, with help from the Attendants and his study-group companions. Dana asked for only one thing, lots of windows and light.

The house has what the Bravos need to live comfortably. There are no electronics other than a phone. Tim and Dana want peace in their household, and agreed that a TV or radio would disturb that peace. For music, Dana plays the piano.

Dana, in particular is grateful not to have the expensive clutter in her house. She always felt that her parents had too much stuff.

The couple enjoys something unheard of for either of them in their childhoods, a peaceful dinner.

It is hard to over-emphasize the importance of eating in peace with a loved one for this couple. Dana usually ate alone in her family's kitchen. Tim always ate at the military school cafeteria.



Dana and Tim now read together. Tim's knowledge of reading is rather limited, so at the beginning he relies on Dana to find worthwhile books.

The house includes a hot tub.

The hot tub offers another fun activity for Dana and Tim that does not involve a bunch of noise.

Another important feature for Tim and Dana is the pond that is on the property.

The pond offers another chance for the couple to enjoy something in peace.

Tim and Dana will spend many hours in these chairs quietly observing the nature in their back yard.

This is what they both wanted. A peaceful place to live and a loving partner to share it with.

As the cool late afternoon air blows across their bodies, Tim and Dana hug. It does not take long for the feel of each other's skin to arouse this couple.

No need to go indoors. Tim and Dana have sex right next to the pond. Could anyone ask for anything more? This is as good as life gets.


Epilogue: Dana's solitude



Dana stayed married to Tim for 31 years. Their marriage was peaceful and prosperous. They had three children who went to college and eventually started families of their own.

Tim died at the relatively young age of 53. His family tended to die young from heart attacks, and Tim was no exception. Dana was as devastated as a person could be. She was only 50, but already a widow.

Following Tim's death, Dana sat by the pond where she and Tim had spent so much of their time together. What now? With her husband dead and her children grown up, what was the future for Dana?

Dana had thought that her life was that of her husband. He was dead and she was not. As horrifying a thought as it may be to Dana, there would have to be a life after Tim.

The High Priestess always had told Dana she was an excellent speaker. Dana knows the Old Prophets by heart and even knows how to read the Old Language. She has traveled to the Sacred Place and has met with many of the current Elders and Prophets.

Increasingly Dana is giving sermons. The High Priestess trusts Dana enough to ask her to speak to the Cult members on a regular basis. Having been married and widowed, Dana can bring a different perspective into the Temple.



When Dana turned 70, the High Priestess and Attendant One died the same day. Their graves were modest, as required by Neo-Cult tradition, but they were honored by the entire city.

Dana now has outlived the High Priestess, who was her mentor and friend. As the crowds of mourners leave, Dana contemplates the future of the Temple and her own life. Who will take the place of the High Priestess?

Dana is highly respected by the Neo-Cult clergy, much more than she realizes. She does not realize that a huge surprise, a huge honor, and a huge responsibility await her.

Although she has not taken vows as a priestess, Dana is more experienced and knows more than most Neo-Cult clergy members. The Neo-Cult recognizes Dana's qualities by placing her in charge of the Temple. This is a very rare honor for an Associate.

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