Chapter 70: Newcomers

After exploring a little bit, I realized that the next closest house was going to be miles away on foot. I decided I wasn't curious enough about Kasey to walk that far. The weather was nice though, so I didn't feel like going back to my house yet since there really wasn't much to do there. I was just about to sit down next to a small clearing and grab some water from the pond when I heard a loud noise. I darted behind a tree and peeked out to see what was happening. There were three men in what looked to be medieval looking garb setting up camp next to the pond.

One was blonde, the other dark haired, and the third, who caught my eye, was a redhead. Although they were all wearing medieval clothes, the redhead looked like he was in charge because his clothing was more decorated and glamorous than the other two men. I decided to stay and eavesdrop.

"Joshua, gather some firewood for this fire pit. Ramon, help me fish. We can celebrate our arrival to the New World with a good meal."

The New World? I must be in the era of time when America was first being discovered. Why on earth was I sent so far back in time? Just to disorient me or something? I had to admit it was quite an adventure, considering most people just read about this kind of stuff in history books, while I get to experience it firsthand. I continued spying on the three men and eventually Joshua came back with some firewood, so they could eat.

"Where do you think is a good spot for starting our new civilization, Lord Cristoff?"

"Well, wherever there are a lot of trees, and water nearby would be good also. That way we have all our resources close. People like towns with a good selection of things available to them. Have you seen any of the people rumored to live in the trees yet?"

"No, my Lord, but I've been warned that they are dangerous. We should watch out for them. Do you think they really live in trees?"

"Of course not, Ramon, no one can live in a tree. Trees can be used to build houses, but to live amongst the branches seems quite ridiculous."

All three men started laughing. I found their conversation silly. They really thought that tribes of people here were tree dwellers? Wait? Am I one of these supposed tree dwellers? I did wake up on this land already, while they had to travel to it. My father and I lived in a log cabin, probably the same kind that they were thinking of building themselves. I found my role reversal quite wierd since in modern days, I would have been on the same level as these guys, probably meeting them at various places around Ravenview. I somehow felt lower class, however, when they were talking about the people who already lived here.

CRACK... Someone had stepped on a branch behind me. I froze, unsure of what was going to happen. I hoped the men across the pond didn't hear it because I didn't know if they were going to be hostile or kind. I was also hoping the person behind me was not hostile.

"Sicily. Why are you always outside wandering around?"

When I heard a man's voice, and that he knew who I was, I guessed that it was Kasey who was talking to me.

"Kasey, be quiet. There are strange men over there across the pond. I don't know if they're dangerous or not. It would be good not to talk so loudly."

"What do they want?"

"I don't know. They said something about building a new civilization here."

Kasey looked towards the men at the firepit and I saw anger in his eyes. It freaked me out a little especially since I was supposedly being paired with Kasey for the good of my tribe.

"What? That is unacceptable. This is our land. We are the only ones who should be building things here. I'll go tell my father, he will know what to do to make them leave."

"Can't we share with them? There's a lot of land."

"No! If we let them take a little, they'll become greedy and want more. Then they'll kill us so they can take the parts of it that we live on."

"Are you speaking from experience? Is that how you act when people share with you?"

I felt my face sting as Kasey's hand came in contact with my face. I felt rage build up inside me as I realized he had just hit me. I'd never been hit by a man before. Suddenly the men across the pond were no longer of any concern to me. I glared at Kasey and punched him in the jaw. It hurt my hand a little, but he deserved it.

He reeled back, in complete shock that I had hit him back. He raised his hand to hit me again and I stepped back to avoid the force of his slap. Suddenly I heard a voice close to me. It was the voice of Lord Cristoff from across the pond. Apparently he had heard the scuffle between Kasey and I. Seeing him up close, my cheeks flushed red at how handsome he was. Lord Cristoff stood in between me and Kasey and raised his arm in front of me as a barrier so Kasey couldn't get to me.

"It's disrespectful to strike a woman."

"You can't tell me how to treat my woman. She's betrothed to me. You are nothing, just a foreign invader of MY land! Just you wait, my father will make sure you either leave or die."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm promising you get what you deserve."

Kasey glared at Lord Cristoff and ran away into the bushes. I was irritated that I was engaged to such a jackass.

"Are you okay, milady? Your face. It's red."

"Yes, thank you for stopping him."

I looked into Lord Cristoff's eyes, and they were filled with genuine concern. He had red flecks in his brown eyes, a strong jawline, and a prominent nose. I was definitely attracted to him and not Kasey.

"I am Lord Cristoff Westing from England. My men and I are here to survey the land to see if it's suitable for a new civilization."

"My name is Sicily Zenteri. I live in a log cabin a few miles from here. Are you really going to take all the land away and kick people out who already live here?"

"No of course not. We can live together on the land. It's a big place, we can both have parts of it, don't you think?"

"I do. That's what I was telling Kasey before he hit me the first time."

As I talked more to Lord Cristoff, he seemed like a respectable man with lots of honor. He was definitely chivalrous, saving me from Kasey's wrath. I had no idea if my father knew how much of a jerk Kasey was, so I decided that the next time I went home, I would tell him about it.

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Chapter 69: Lost

Sicily's back!
I realized I was having a hard time with the story line because it was getting too "normal," thereby causing it to become repetitive for me to write. For this story, I really need to tap into the fantastical realm of my mind. I hope you enjoy it.

~ Late Knight Simmer ~

What the fuck? Why am in a field? The last thing I remember was Max graduating. This certainly doesn't look like Ravenview either. I'm also wearing a strange dress and no shoes. I don't feel weird or hurt, so that's a plus, at least. I sit up, checking my arms and legs for anything that may give me a clue as to what's going on, but I don't see anything except the dress and a weird blue necklace.

"Sicily! Sicily!"

Imagine my surprise when I hear someone calling my name. I didn't recognize the voice, which was even worse. Is this one of Eleanor's tricks? Am I in some weird parallel universe? What the hell is going on? Well, here goes nothing. I pick myself up off the ground, and brush off my strange dress that feels like it's made of animal hide. The grass feels soft on my feet, and I realize it's been a while since I've walked barefoot in the grass. I'm not quite sure where I'm going except for walking in the direction of the voice I heard earlier.

I come to a small house made of logs, and I'm sure it is where the voice originated. I pull open the door, and walk inside. There is a fur rug on the floor, which is also made of logs. Everything looks so primitive, and I'm not sure why. I feel like I stepped back in time.

"Sicily, there you are. Are you hungry?"

A man wearing pants that look like they are also made of animal hide stands in front of me, handing me a bowl of soup. I smile at him, wanting to be polite even though I don't really have a clue what is going on. I immediately notice that I don't have that strong urge to seduce the man, even though he's not bad looking at all. I decide that if I just talk to him, then maybe I can figure out what the hell is going on. The man sits in front of me, also eating a bowl of soup.

"So, Sicily, what have you been doing all day?"

Considering I didn't really know what I had been doing today, let alone what time or day it even was, I decided to answer as honestly as I could while still playing along.

"I was napping out in the field."

"Again? Sicily, you spend a lot of time just staring at the grass and up at the sky. Maybe you should be getting to know Kasey better. After all, you two are meant to be paired up when the summer is over."

"Kasey? Why?"

"It's a peace offering, Sicily. Come on, darling, you know that. As the chief's daughter, the pairing of you and Kasey will bring peace to our tribes."

Apparently I'm in some sort of tribe, and this man is my pretend father, but I still have no idea how I got here. I also know I'm not supposed to be paired with anyone since it always ends badly for both of us. I'm a peace offering, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. After the soup, I thank the man and tell him I'm going out to see Kasey. He seems pleased with my decision. Before I leave, he comes over and gives me a hug.

"I am proud of you, my daughter."

I hug him back, but know that he's not really my father. He might be my father in this weird universe I'm in, but I know my father was murdered when I was a toddler. From what "Dad" said, I'm not sure Kasey will give me the answers I need either, but I feel like it wouldn't hurt to go see for myself who he is.

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Want to See More of Max?

Sorry I haven't been updating this story as fast as I usually have in the past. I have been getting Maximus all settled in his own story, which you can start reading if you so choose, at the link below, or at the links on the left side under the "Also By Me" section. Plus, I can't seem to stop playing with his sexy ass, but I will get back to Sicily eventually.

Echoes of Eternity

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Chapter 68: Graduation

"Maximus, are you ready yet? Jeez, it always takes ages for you to get ready. You're worse than most girls."

Even though no one is there to see me, I roll my eyes far back into my head as I hear Helena once again annoying the crap out of me. It's my graduation day, and she's come back to congratulate... or annoy me? I can't really tell the difference. I think she's back for the summer anyway. I hope she brought Soleil with her.

"Yeah, Helena, I'm almost done! Don't get PMS!!"

"ARGH, Max! Why are you still using that line? You know any girl you meet later on in your life is never going to stay with you if you keep saying that!?"

I laugh to myself. I only use that line on Helena because it annoys her so much. I finish putting on my aftershave and have barely come down the stairs, before Helena rails into me again with more fussing over my appearance.

"Jeez, Max, it took you that long to get ready and you still look like you just rolled out of bed? Really? Those are the shoes you're wearing?"

"What? I got rid of those sneakers I had with the holes in them. What the hell's wrong with these shoes? I like them."

"What's wrong with them is they make you look like a hobo."

"Oh yeah, well, your hair is still as huge as this house."

Helena rolls her eyes and I laugh. Luckily, Mom is also at the bottom of the stairs and she changes the subject.

"Maximus! You look so handsome! Oh, I'm so proud of my baby boy, all grown up!"

Mom pulls me into a hug, and I'm a little embarrassed she called me her baby boy, but I guess it's true. No matter how big I get, Mom's always going to think of me that way. I do secretly like it, anyway. I turn around when I hear Helena's hot friend Soleil call my name. Soleil's voice resides at a lower register than most girls I know, and I find it pretty sexy.

"Congratulations, Maximus!"

Soleil is different than most of the girls I have run into in the past. Helena brings Soleil home with her during break because Soleil doesn't like to go to her home, something about a bad family life. Soleil's the first girl I've ever enjoyed talking to even though I think she's smoking hot and I definitely wouldn't mind getting with her. She's just so easygoing and she always returns my flirtatious behavior, but she never gets clingy. Soleil hugs me tightly, and I can't help myself when I breathe in some of her perfume. She always smells tropical, I think it's citrus.

"By the way, don't listen to Helena, I think you look hot. She may be my best friend, but I don't always have to agree with her."

I give Soleil a quick peck on the cheek and turn to Dad who also gives me a hug. I'm happy that everyone important in my life is here to celebrate with me.

We all pile in the car and I drive. Soleil sits in the front with me, while Mom, Dad, and Helena get comfy in the back seat. I catch Soleil in my peripheral vision occasionally glancing over at me like she's checking me out. She's got on a short dress with several cutouts that don't leave much to the imagination.

I got Class Valedictorian and Most Likely to Save the World. Helena stopped being annoying for two seconds and actually hugged me.

"Good job, baby brother. Maybe there is some hope for you after all."

"Haha, Helena. But thanks."

When we get back to the house, Helena rolls her eyes as I flirt with Soleil.

"Hey, Soleil, you are smokin,' just like the sun."

"Haha, Max, you're so cheesy, but it's hilarious."

"I'm only cheesy with you because you like it."

"Yeah, you know I do."

Soleil returns my advances with her seductive smile, and a giggle. Helena pulls her away from me, ruining my fun.

"Soleil? Why on earth do you flirt with Max? You know he's not serious about anyone."

"I flirt because it's fun. Besides, who says I am serious about anyone either?"

I'm in the living room, laughing to myself, watching as Helena complains, and Soleil rolls her eyes and yawns. Helena always gets on Soleil's case, just like she gets on mine. I find it funny that Soleil always brushes off Helena's obnoxious comments with great ease, similar to how I behave.

"Ugh, you guys are ridiculous."

Soleil laughs and sits with me on the couch.

She looks at me and asks if I want to go in the hot tub. I think she's the coolest girl in the universe. We hear Helena yell Soleil's name in a disapproving tone as we head out the back door. Soleil giggles again and I smile at her. Helena's probably jealous that her best friend would rather hang out with her brother than her.



We get in the hot tub, and Soleil laughs as I lift my foot up the same time she does. I touch her foot with mine and she giggles.

"Maximus, that tickles!"

"How long are you staying, Soleil?"

"Well, university just got out, so I don't have to go back until September."

Last year when Soleil came home with Helena, she bunked with her, but now that I'm eighteen, I want to usurp that privilege from Helena. Soleil's not that much older than me. She's nineteen. I think I should casually throw the idea out to her. My eyes wander down to her chest, but I don't think she cares. I'm fairly certain she would have told me already if she did care. Besides, I've seen her looking at parts of me today that are not PG-13, if you know what I mean.

"Soleil, want to bunk with me this summer?"

"Hmm... you are more fun to look at than Helena. Sure. She's most likely going to give us crap about it, but yeah, I'd love to bunk with you, Maximus."

My life is so awesome right now. I suddenly feel like I'm too far away from Soleil, so I go over and sit next to her. Soleil's eyes get big as she looks at my arm.

"When did you get these tattoos, Max?"

"Um, I think it was last fall after you left for university."

"I like this one. It's colorful."

I pout a little and ask, "What? You don't like the one that has words? That has meaning?"

"I didn't say that, silly. What do your tattoos mean to you?"

Soleil puts her arm around me and plays with my ponytail.

"Easy. My favorite animal is a wolf, and the quote is from the movie Gladiator because I was named after the main character. The quote is 'The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor.' It reminds me that even though life has its ups and downs, there is always a way out of every situation."

"That's so deep, Maximus. I admire your intelligence. Your tattoos are super sexy. I love them."

"Thanks. Do you have any tattoos?"

"No, my mother was really strict, and I didn't get to do anything like that. I barely even got to dye my hair. I kind of thought I'd want a tattoo of a tiger growling on my upper arm because tigers are my favorite animal, but I'm too chicken to do it. I think I'd want it to be medium sized, but I feel like it'd be painful to get one that size."

"Well, it did hurt at first, but then it was just a dull sensation, when I got mine."

Soleil pulls me towards her and kisses me once on the lips.

"I think it's bed time, Maximus. I'm getting sleepy."

Oh, she smells so good. I want her right now in the hot tub. She'd certainly be better than Jade, who actually called me today to go on a date. Stupid girl. I check out Soleil's ass as she gets out of the hot tub, and then get out myself. We go to my room and I help her unpack because she never got a chance to at all today. I put her clothes in the top drawer of my dresser.

When I'm done, Soleil hugs me close to her and smiles. I touch her cheek. Her face is so soft. Soleil grabs my butt, and I'm a little surprised.

"I thought you were tired, Soleil."

"I am, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun before we fall asleep."

Did I mention Soleil is awesome?

---

Guest Starring: Alexander Hunt by mrsoogieboogie

Credit: Mypalsim's Poses for Sims 3

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Chapter 67: Responsibility

"Waaaah!!!"

The sounds of a baby crying jar me awake from the peaceful sleep I was having. I swear I just fed and changed the baby five minutes ago. The sheets of my bed rustle as I get up to see what Nikolai wants.

RATTLE! RATTLE!

The crib threatens to fall apart into a million pieces with how hard the baby is shaking the rails. How did he get so big already? I feel like it was just yesterday when he came home from the hospital, all wrapped up in his little blue blanket.

"Hey little guy. What's the matter?"

Nikolai can't talk yet, so he just rubs his eyes and stomps his feet more. He's stopped crying at least, looking up at me with his pretty eyes. I pick him up and give him a hug, rocking him back and forth. Nikolai smiles at me and lays his head on my shoulder. I still don't know what was making him cry in the first place, although I'm starting to think maybe it was lack of human contact. He rubs his eyes again and yawns. I don't know why he doesn't just go to sleep, he's showing all the signs of being tired. As soon as I have him in my arms, he cries again.

I'm getting tired of standing in my room so I go out to the living room and watch some tv. Maybe the sounds of something soothing will help Nikolai sleep. This early in the morning, there's nothing on but infomercials. I start thinking about my dad, wondering where he is and what he might be doing. Mom said she met him on an airplane, so maybe he has a cool job where he gets to go on trips to exotic destinations like France. Mom has no bitter feelings towards him, so he must have been nice to her during their short time together. I contemplate whether my dad would be easygoing like Mom, and I decide that he probably is based on what Mom has told me. I wonder what my dad would think about me. From what Mom told me, he's just as promiscuous as me.

I feel Nikolai get really relaxed, and I look at him, watching his little face on my shoulder. His eyelids are droopy and he might actually be trying to fall asleep. I look at the time on the television and it says 3am. I put Nikolai back in his crib and then crawl into bed myself. It was so sneaky of Mom to leave my old crib in my room, so that I'd be forced to share the room with my baby brother. I chuckle to myself as I think of her reasoning for it, probably to make me know what it's like to be a parent so I don't become one before I'm ready.

I signed up for karate at the local gym because it sounded like fun. Today was my first day, and I have to say I wasn't expecting to see what I saw when I walked in the door. There was a guy with hair the same color as mine. His had more black in it, but there really wasn't any hiding that the other part of his hair was hot pink. It looked like he was doing yoga, or meditating, or something, I don't really know what, but I felt like I wanted to talk to him. I felt weird about it since he was technically a stranger, which made me stop from going any closer to him. I don't even know why I cared.

I wandered around for a little while, looking at the decorations on the walls. There were two other people in my class, Gregory, and Sandra. They both looked like they were pretty good at karate already.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around. It was the pink haired man I saw sitting on the rug when I came in earlier, except he now had on a karate uniform. If I wasn't prepared for how similar his hair color was to mine, I was definitely not ready to see that his eyes were the exact same shade of green as mine. Looking at his face, he probably had the same thought I did when he saw me.

"Hi. Are you the new student for my karate class?"

"Yes. My name is-"

"Maximus. Zenteri-Hunt. I have your name on the sign up sheet. I'm Alexander Hunt."

I think my mind has just been blown. He just said his name was Alex Hunt, that's what Mom told me Dad's name was. I mean, I already knew from seeing his eyes and hair color too, that he had to be my dad, but for whatever reason, him saying his name just added to the shock. I felt like time froze for a little while, and it must have for him too because we both just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Finally... Dad... broke the silence.

"Well, Maximus, do you want to get started with the basics?"

I nod politely through my shock and Dad... that still sounds so weird to me, um, Alex, or Mr. Hunt, leads me over to a training dummy. I have no idea what I'm doing, but Mr. Hunt seems to think I'm doing fine. He likes my first attempt at kicking the dummy.

Mr. Hunt teaches me a few techniques for blocking and better form for kicking. I'm getting the hang of this really fast and it is just as fun as I thought it would be. He tests out my skills at blocking by taking the training dummy and spinning it, challenging me to stop the rotation with one of the blocks he just taught me. It's a little intimidating at first because the dummy spins pretty fast, but I concentrate like he says and put my hand up real quick. To my delight, the dummy stops.

"That was really good, Maximus. You learn really fast."

"Thank you."

"Um, well, class is over for now, but I'll see you next Saturday? I can teach you how to break boards."

"Yeah."

I head over to the showers in the back of the gym. I don't know how I feel right now. I feel weird, but kind of happy. I'm pretty sure I just met my father. Maybe that was why I wanted to talk to him when I saw him. I was excited for karate class when I first came in, but now I'm even more excited because I get to hang out with... Dad? I still feel weird thinking of him that way since I don't really know him at all. On my way out of the building, Mr. Hunt stops me.

"Uh, Maximus? Can I talk to you?"

Everyone else has left class, and I think I have an idea of what Dad... wants to tell me.

"I don't mean to be all awkward, but I feel like maybe we should talk about... well, the fact that we're probably related. There's no real good way to ease into it, so I'm just going to jump right in, I'm probably your father."

I feel a little relieved that he addressed the elephant in the room.

"Yeah, I don't really know what to call you. Mr. Hunt?"

"Ah, yeah, when I saw your last name, I didn't think anything of it, but when I saw you, I was pretty shocked. It would be okay with me if you wanted to call me Dad, but not unless you want to, otherwise you can call me Alex."

"Really? You'd be okay with me calling you Dad? It's kind of abrupt? I guess... I mean, I don't want to impose on your life or make you feel like you owe me stuff."

"Yeah, this whole thing has been pretty abrupt, but with how old you are, I probably missed out on a bunch of stuff, so why not start now instead of waiting longer? I don't feel like you're imposing at all. Um, I don't want to make you feel like you have to accept me either... I guess since I haven't been much of a father. I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt your mother, I've just never been one for relationships."

I feel like I'm talking to myself in the mirror, since he just said 'I've never been one for relationships,' I don't know how many times I've said those words, or a variation of those words to Helena and Mom. I do think it's cool that Dad... and I seem to have lots in common upon first glance.

"No, it's okay, just recently I was wondering who you were and what you were like. Mom told me your name, I think in case I ever... I don't know, ran into you? Maybe she just wanted me to know that even if my dad wasn't in my life that he did exist out there somewhere. I'm pretty sure that is why she hyphenated my last name. Mom's okay, by the way, she's not really looking for anything serious either."

That's sort of a half truth, since Mom has Austin that she's hanging on to, she's not looking for anything with anyone else, so I didn't want to make Dad... hm, it's growing on me since he brought it up, feel like he had to try to get to know her or anything like that.

"Okay, Dad, I guess I'll see you at my next lesson."

Dad smiles and I leave the gym, debating whether or not to tell Mom that I met Dad today. She might think it was cool, after all, I don't think that she would have told me his name if she didn't want me to know him.

---

Guest Starring: Alexander Hunt by mrsoogieboogie

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