ADHERENCE
-------------------------
<<linkappend "Chains.">>
<<audio chains play>>
<<linkappend "Rope.">>
<<audio rope play>>
And chalk dust adhere you to the cool stone beneath. These three things wrap you in a world of their own, making you momentarily forget the troubles of work, school, and the stress of life. The rope teasingly brushes your skin, the chains clank in a melodious rhythm as you strain against them. And the chalk adheres you to the stone as if the stone surrounding you is all there is.
<<linkappend "Without these three elements…">>
You would plummet hundreds of meters to your dea-
No, wait, Jeff is here, too.
Without these //four// elements you would plummet to your death. You scoff as his heavy breathing takes you out of your daze. The climb can be meditative, perhaps to a fault.
You look up and see that in your daze, you’ve covered more ground than you realized. Jeff climbs over the top of the cliff first, and you hear the rattling of chains and sliding of rope as he makes an anchor at the top of the cliff. As you breach the edge soon after, he offers a hand and a cocky grin.
“Beat ‘ya,” he proudly proclaims.
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s kinda your job,” you grin back, out of breath.
He beams back, accepting the retort as a compliment, and covers his brow with a hand as he takes in the view.
[[You look out as well and give a low whistle.->Adherence Part II]]
<</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>ACCEPTANCE
-------------------------
“That…is a weird question.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, no, it’s fine. It’s just, I hadn’t really thought of it. Like, it hurt, absolutely hurt.”
You tenderly touch the area. It’s still sore and probably will be for a few days. But…
“It feels weird to say it, but while it hurt…it did feel kinda good. Like, when you get the wind knocked out of you playing sports. You know, that adrenaline high or whatever. Why, why do you ask?”
Jeff had worked up the courage to make eye contact while you were speaking, but avoids it even more aggressively now as he mumbles, “’Cause the sound you made was kinda erotic.”
“Ohmigaud Jeff.”
“I told you I didn’t know how to say it without it sounding weird!”
“You’re weird.”
<<linkappend "“Oh yeah, well…Boggle!”">>
<<audio boggle play>>
He picks up the set, shakes the pieces with a hyper energy, and sets the game down. Hand over the plastic lid ready to reveal the letters. He makes eye contact once more, hesitant to remove his hand. Torn between sidestepping the conversation altogether or pressing further.
“You didn’t come here to play Boggle, did you Jeff?”
“I like Boggle…”
“But?”
“But no.”
He sighs, removing his hand but leaving the lid over the game.
“Are you in to, or rather, are you familiar with…bondage?”
“Bondage? Like, slavery?”
“No, no! The other kind of bondage.”
“Like, financial bondage? Jeff are you in trouble?”
“No! No, like, S&M kinda stuff!”
<<linkappend "“Like, the clothing brand?”">>
<<audio jeffbreath play>>
Jeff covers his face with a hand, trying to hide his growing blush. “That’s H&M,” he murmurs.
You drum your fingers on the table…S and M…why does that sound so familiar?
Suddenly your eyes widen.
“Wait, you mean like Fifty Shades shit?”
“Ugh, God that movie. I mean, sorta, but also…God that movie.”
Finally, he musters up the courage to meet your eyes once again.
“Yes, but no. It doesn’t have to be as aggressive as that. It can be fun, and gentle, and, you know, less creepy and predatory.”
<<linkappend "“Are //you// in to H&M, Jeff?” you ask incredulously.">>
<<audio jefflaugh2 play>>
Jeff bursts out laughing before you catch your mistake and blush yourself. “I mean S.”
“Haha, yes. Hahaha, I, oww my sides hurt.” He grips his abdomen as he quells his laughter. “I-I’m sorry, I got the impression you might be too, and hoped I was right, but I didn’t know so…”
He stifles his lingering chuckles, addressing you more seriously.
“I guess I was wrong.”
“I mean, not entirely wrong.”
“Oh?”
“I mean, I’m obviously not in that scene, I can barely tell it apart from designer clothing,” you smirk at him. “But I’m not opposed to learning more about it.”
“Then…do you want to learn more today?” he presses.
You consider this…it does intrigue you. And, it would be good to learn more about it with someone you trust. Jeff, however, interprets your silence as disinterest.
“Nevermind, forget I asked,” he mutters at a half whisper.
“Hold on, dude, I was just thinking. And…I think yes.”
Jeff crosses his arms. “Alright, woman, I’m gonna need enthusiastic consent here or I’m going back to my cabin.”
“What, yes! Yes, I want to learn!” you respond, perhaps a little too eagerly.
Jeff’s nerves dissipate, and his familiar cocky grin curves his lips upward.
“So I was right.”
“Ugh,” you roll your eyes, “Don’t let it get to your head.”
<<linkappend "“I won’t!” He jumps to his feet and pauses at the door. “I’ll be right back!”">> <<audio door play>>
Given the proximity of the cabins (and Jeff’s preparation in the hopes you said yes), it feels like the dust had hardly settled from his departure before he returns again with a small backpack in hand. He plops down on the floor and pats the bag eagerly. “There’s rope in here.”
You join him on the floor. “Yeah, that’s your rope bag,” you respond quizzically. He dumps it out and while one length of rope is obviously for climbing, other lengths are of a softer variety.
You appreciate him not calling you out for your lapse of judgment…you realize he’s brought rope of the bondage-variety as opposed to the climbing-variety. That said, he holds up the climbing rope for you to feel.
“Here, hold this.”
You take it, its weight and texture familiar to you. Strange, that despite constantly being suspended and surrounded by rope for climbing, you’ve never considered its use for other…//recreational// activities.
“You ever have the rope slide a little too fast too close next to you?”
“Oof, yeah, immediate rope burn.”
“Right? It sucks! I mean, if you’re in to that for bondage than you do you, but…”
He procures a softer length and gestures for you to trade. “Cotton is //much// softer and more forgiving on the skin.” You take it and do notice the more pleasant texture. Imagining being wrapped in it makes it obvious why it would be preferable.
He takes it back from you, uncoiling the length so that he holds the bite of the rope before gently taking hold of your wrists. “May I?”
“Uh…”
Remembering his consent comment, you clear your throat and sit straighter.
“Yeah, go ahead.”
He smoothly begins to wrap the bite end of the rope around both wrists a few times before crisscrossing it with the longer tail of the rope.
“Too tight?” he asks.
“Pfft, not tight enough.”
“Okay miss-knock-the-wind-out-of-me.”
He cinches the rope tighter. The suddenness and novelty of the sensation elicits a feeling you weren’t expecting. More than just your face suddenly feels very warm, and your chest feels tight, though not unpleasantly.
“How’s that?”
“That’s…good.”
“Okay, good.”
The bite and the longer length of rope snake between your wrists and cinch them tightly together in a way that feels inescapable. Jeff ties off a knot, leaving a small tail remaining, which he holds like a leash. A small tug, and you find you’re quickly pulled off balance and lean in to him – hands instinctively reaching out to stop your sudden albeit small fall. They plant onto his chest. Something about the flatness and smoothness of it remind you of the stony walls you so often climb together. His eyes twinkle with a mixture of warmth and mischief.
“Wanna learn more?”
[[Abso-hecking-lutely. And who better to learn with than from a friend you trust?->BONDING]]
[[Hell yeah you do. But, you feel a little weird about doing this sort of thing with your climbing buddy. You wonder if there are other places you can learn about this bondage stuff…->Mentorship 2]]
<</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>DENIAL
-------------------------
“Did it feel good? Jeff, it hurt like hell.” You tenderly touch the region. It’s undoubtedly going to be sore for days.
“Sorry, weird question, forget I asked!” he says with a forced high energy. He grabs the Boggle set and shakes it, places it on the table, and rests his hand on the lid. “Ready?”
You take an extra second to get a good look at him. He seems a bit on edge, but a round or two could do you both some good. Pen and notepad in hand, you give him a nod. “Ready.”
A few rounds pass, and things feel back to normal. Though, you can’t help but feel Jeff didn’t come just to play Boggle.
“Hey, um-“
“Uh, so-“
You both speak at the same time, overlapping.
“Sorry, you go first,” he offers.
“It’s fine, go ahead.”
“I insist!”
You scoff. “Jeff, I was literally about to ask if you had something on your mind. What’s up?”
He grumbles and fidgets his fingers, unsure where to begin. With a sigh of determination, he just launches in to it:
“Okay. Maybe I was wrong. But the sounds you made and the way you acted when you got snagged on your way down the rock earlier, I thought it felt good. Like, some people like pain you know? In a masochistic way. I…um,” he nervously places a hand behind his neck, “I’m actually…sorta in to it. And, I dunno, maybe that’s why I like climbing and coding and stuff. The challenge is frustrating, but like, in a good way? And when I get hurt in a, uh, consensual way, it’s…exciting? Does that make sense?” his voice pitches slightly higher towards the end of his explanation.
You stare back at him in silence, trying to find the words to respond. Meanwhile, the poor guy sweats further.
“Honestly…” you reply after a beat. “I…never really thought about it before. <<linkappend "I mean, to each their own but, why would you like getting hurt?”">>
<<audio jeffbreath play>>
Jeff releases a shaky breath, content you’re willing to talk about the subject, though frazzled by the sense that he misjudged the situation. “It’s not so much that I like getting hurt…it’s more like….fuck. This is hard to explain.”
You grab the Boggle set and give it a shake. “Need some time to think on it?”
He nods, and appreciatively engages in a couple more rounds before stopping you from giving the set a new shake. You glance up, and his look suggests a determination to continue his thoughts.
“I still don’t think I can word it very well. But, there’s a sense of control you get from loosing control. Like, if someone hits me or ties me up but I let them, I’m in control of the situation. I can be hurt but know I’m safe. And the pain and the sensations of it all, it’s exciting. And, at least to me, it just feels good. Not everyone likes it but, I thought maybe you did. That maybe I found someone else with the same interest.” He looks at you with a strained grin that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “But honestly, if we just share a love of climbing and Boggle, that’s enough for me.”
While his words obviously ring true, it hurts to see Jeff like this. Something about his expression reminds you of a sad puppy seeking comfort.
“I like climbing and playing Boggle with you, too, Jeff.”
He nods and gets up from his seat.
<<linkappend "“Thanks for the games. It’s late, we should get some sleep.”">>
----------------
<<audio unpackTEMP play>>
Some days after the trip, you settle down to finish unpacking and putting away the lingering gear from your trip. Ropes and bag in the closet, travel utensils in the kitchen. And Boggle…well, Boggle has a special place in the living room shelf with the board games. But, you linger as you hold it in your hands, reminded of the awkward albeit insightful conversation with Jeff the other night. While it didn’t stand out to you so much at the time, you’re reminded of a detail he mentioned in passing. Something about being tied up…it always seemed exciting when you saw it on TV or in books. But, you’d only ever seen it on TV or in books. It felt like a fantasy, not something people did in real life. It never crossed your mind that people did that sort of thing for fun.
<<linkappend "The lack of milk in the fridge somehow feels more pressing when you’re reminded Jeff’s place is on the way to the store.">>
<<audio keys play>>
You place Boggle in its place, grab your coat and keys, and decide it’s worth stopping at Jeff’s place before getting the eggs, or milk, or whatever it was you were supposed to buy (maybe it will come back to you later).
Jeff responds promptly to his buzzer. “Bank’s residents, how can I help you?” his voice sounds, filtered through the apartment’s old intercom system.
“Ohmigaud, I always forget that’s your last name.”
“Buzzing you in,” he replies upon recognizing your voice, <<linkappend "and the sound of electronic buzzing lets you know the building’s front doors are temporarily unlocked.">> <<audio buzzer play>> You enter the foyer and hear Jeffrey’s door open a floor above you. You walk up to his place and remove your shoes at the door. He grabs your coat and asks what tea you want.
“If you’re here because of emotional turmoil, might I suggest the lavender? Though if it’s to watch another episode of Elementary I would suggest something a bit warmer like chai.”
“Surprise me,” you reply.
Miffed that he didn’t get an explanation from you, he gives you a tight grin back. “But of course, m’lady.”
Standing beside the coatrack, he hands you your coat back, gives a mock bow, and recedes to the kitchen. You glance between him and the coat rack a couple times before scoffing and throwing the coat on it. <<linkappend "“Ass.”">>
<<audio couch play>>
You settle on the couch in the living room, playing with the texture of the fluffy rug between your toes, excited but nervous for the reason of your visit. Jeff enters and delivers your mug on a coaster. Lavender with honey. You look up at him as he settles on a chair across from you.
“Was I wrong?”
“Pfft, no.” You pick it up and blow over the surface to cool it. “Though turmoil’s a bit of a strong word.”
“How about distress?”
<<linkappend "“Ugh, being a damsel in distress sounds worse.”">>
<<audio tea play>>
An awkward pause punctuated by blowing over tea mugs and cautious sipping ensues.
You suddenly realize that’s the perfect jumping point.
“You know how damsels in distress are always tied over train tracks or over a vat of toxic sludge? Or something crazy like that.”
“Mmm. So they are.”
“It’s ridiculous! And so inconvenient and silly and…!” you grumble and take another sip of tea. “I didn’t think people did that in real life.”
“Tying damsels to train tracks?”
“No, like, tying each other up. For fun. Like you mentioned last weekend during the trip.”
“Ah. So I did…”
Another awkward beat.
“It sounded kind of interesting when I thought about it. I wondered if I could talk to you more about it.”
Jeff nearly spits out his tea and hacks a series of coughs as he settles his mug on the table.
“Shit, you okay?” you ask, rising from your seat. He motions for you to sit back down as he stills his coughing and clears his throat.
“Mmm! I, ugh. I wasn’t expecting that.”
You resume your seat as the strain in Jeff’s voice abates, and he continues.
“So, uh…do you want to learn more today?” he inquires.
“I, suppose that’s why I came.”
He nods. “Well then. We can talk more about it. Or, I can always show you.”
Tea aside, your face grows warm at the thought. “That…would be nice.”
“Which – the talking or the showing.”
<<linkappend "“Both, but, I think, especially the showing?”">>
<<audio jefflaugh play>>
Jeff breaks into an eager grin. “Okay! Uh, one sec!”
He goes to the nearby closet in the corner of the room and grabs his climbing bag. Bringing it to the sofa, he sits on the opposite end as you and drops its contents on the middle of the couch. It has familiar rope of the climbing-variety, but also other softer looking rope that you assume must be of the bondage-variety. He holds up the climbing rope for you to feel.
“Here, hold this.”
You take it, its weight and texture familiar to you. Strange, that despite constantly being suspended and surrounded by rope for climbing, you’ve never considered its use for other…//recreational// activities.
“You ever have the rope slide a little too fast too close next to you?”
“Oof, yeah, immediate rope burn.”
“Right? It sucks! I mean, if you’re in to that for bondage than you do you, but…”
He procures a softer length and gestures for you to trade. “Cotton is //much// softer and more forgiving on the skin.” You take it and do notice the more pleasant texture. Imagining being wrapped in it makes it obvious why it would be preferable.
He takes it back from you, uncoiling the length so that he holds the bite of the rope before gently taking hold of your wrists. “May I?”
“Uh…”
He immediately releases and sits back, hands in the air. “Hey if you change you’re mind, that’s no problem!”
“No. I mean, yes! Yes you may. Go ahead.”
“Alright then,” he cautiously takes your wrists again. For some reason, it isn’t until this moment you realize how rough the palms of his hands are. It makes sense, it matches the roughness of yours given the only barrier between you and the rocks you climb is a layer of chalk. All the same, somehow the sensation of rough palm and the gentleness with which they grasp you is stimulating yet calming.
He smoothly begins to wrap the bite end of the rope around both wrists a few times before crisscrossing it with the longer tail of the rope.
“To tight?” he asks.
“Pfft, not tight enough.”
“Well, excuuuuuse me, m’lady, I thought you would need easing in to this.”
He cinches the rope tighter. The suddenness and novelty of the sensation elicits a feeling you weren’t expecting. More than just your face suddenly feels very warm, and your chest feels tight, though not unpleasantly.
“How’s that?”
“That’s…good.”
“Okay, good.”
The bite and the longer length of rope snakes between your wrists and cinches them tightly together in a way that feels inescapable. Jeff ties off a knot, leaving a small tail remaining, which he holds like a leash. A small tug, and you find you’re quickly pulled off balance and lean in to him – hands instinctively reaching out to stop your sudden albeit small fall. They plant onto his chest. Something about the flatness and smoothness of it reminds you of the stony walls you so often climb together. His eyes twinkle with a mixture of warmth and mischief.
“Wanna learn more?”
[[Abso-hecking-lutely. And who better to learn with than from a friend you trust?->BONDING]]
[[Hell yeah you do. But, you feel a little weird about doing this sort of thing with your climbing buddy. You wonder if there are other places you can learn about this bondage stuff…->Mentorship 1]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>MENTORSHIP
-------------------------
You push back against Jeff to regain your balance and sit back to face him.
“I do, but…”
“…but?” Jeff prods, loosening the slack on the leash extending from your wrists.
“But…I don’t know about doing it with you. It just, feels really intimate. And I trust you! I mean, I wouldn’t have gone this far if I didn’t,” you explain, holding up your bound wrists as evidence.
“It’s just. I dunno. I don’t mind huddling for warmth together on top of a cold cliff. I don’t mind playing Boggle into the dead of night one-on-one. Hell, we kissed playing spin the bottle last trip.”
“Ohmigaud I’d nearly forgotten about that…” Jeff’s eyes seem to look far off in to the distance. “Sake really fucks me up,” he half whispers to himself.
“I’m sorry I brought it up,” you reply with a sheepish smile.
“Nah, don’t be. You were making a point. Weren’t you?” he prods.
“I was…trying to. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Jeff. I just, don’t think I want to do something as intimate as this with you. I really like what we have and, I don’t want to make things weird but-“
“Say no more,” he assures you as he slowly begins to undo the knot of the rope and unwind the coils from around your wrists. After a long moment of silence he looks up. “I mean, say no more about //this//,” he gestures to the rope as he finishes unwinding it and removes it from you. “But was there more?”
A contemplative sigh preempts your follow-up. “I //do// want to learn more about this. And I want to learn about it in a place I feel safe. And I //do// feel safe around you! I’m sorry, that sounds contradictory.”
“Hey, don’t apologize, that makes total sense! And I know you may not be as familiar with H&M as I am,” he flashes a wicked smile at your amused look. “But you know, there are classes for this sort of thing.”
<<linkappend "“Wait, seriously?”">> <<audio city play>>
---------
Some weeks later, you find yourself at the address Jeff had given you. This is the time and the place but, you weren’t expecting a kinky-rope-studio to be in a downtown apartment building. After triple checking the address, though, this is definitely the place. You enter the lobby, and the building directory posted by the elevators confirms there are offices and suites on the third floor, where the studio is said to be.
The assurance from the directory that the studio is just above you suddenly brings on nerves.
<<linkappend "//Oh man, I’m actually here.//">> <<audio elevator play>>
The elevator dings, and a couple with a small dog on a leash walk out, the pitter patter of their feet echoing slightly in the empty lobby. A rather nice lobby, you realize, with tiled flooring and pleasant wallpaper. Nothing ridiculously fancy. By the mundane normalcy of the building and its inhabitants somehow alleviates your nerves. Slightly.
With a deep breath for confidence, you enter the elevator and take the short ride to the third floor. A small hall with offices on either side awaits you. And as you walk down to the suite number in question, you enter a space that feels more akin to a yoga studio. The offices that would have been on this side of the hall have been combined. Such that a receptionist desk and cubbies are in the entrance area, a wing to the left shows poles and scaffolding – presumably for rigging off of. And the class space to the right, slightly partitioned by curtains, has scattered mats rolled out. Such that at first glance, one would expect a yoga class was about to start.
<<linkappend "Sensing your nerves, the receptionist greets you.">> <<audio receptionist1 play>> “Don’t worry, we don’t bite, and we don’t do yoga. At least, not here.”
“Hah.” A dry laugh escapes you as you approach the desk. “I, uh, signed up for the afternoon session?”
“Okay, hun. E-mail?”
You share the email you signed up under, and the receptionist quickly finds your confirmation and checks you off the list. After leaving your belongings in a provided cubby, you take a seat on a mat in the class space. A couple other students are present, stretching or meditating on their mats…almost as if they were in fact waiting for a yoga class to start.
Though as others filter in, bits and pieces of conversation you overhear assure you you’re in the right place. It’s jarring somehow, seeing others dressed and behaving so…normally. When the teacher takes her seat at the head of class in full yoga gear and introduces herself as a professional dominatrix, you begin to suspect why Jeff’s response to Fifty Shades was “Oh God, that movie.” She looks nothing like your impression of what a dominatrix should be. Rather, she resembles a friendly aunt who’d bake you cookies at her house and tell you to bring some home for mom and dad.
Upon laying down ground rules for safety and consent, she asks who among the class would like to tie or be tied. You realize you hadn’t considered this before. While something about being tied felt nice when Jeff showed you his rope, it was fascinating watching him do the tying. It looked fun…and besides, the class was short on riggers so…
<<linkappend "You find yourself being matched with another lady, slightly taller than you, though on the mats the height difference hardly made a difference.">> <<audio candace1 volume 0.6 play>>
“Candace,” she says, stretching out a hand for a shake.
You stumble over your own name as you accept the handshake, prompting a small chuckle from her.
“I take it this is your first time?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Well, either you’re new and nervous, or you’re smitten by my beauty.”
Her jesting energy dispels some of your nerves as you quip back, “Can’t it be both?”
She breaks in to laughter. “I like you, new girl.”
The teacher works on a model of her own and guides you through the stages of rigging a chest harness. Candace and yourself make small talk, and despite having to repeat a few steps, the harness comes along nicely.
“Damn, girl, and this is your first time doing rope?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re good! Not to brag, but, I’ve been tied up by a lot of people,” she says with a comical sense of smugness. “I’m serious, most people aren’t this good this early on.”
“I see…do you go to a lot of studios like this?”
“Nah, honestly I don’t even know of any other studios like this one. It’s not a particularly...mainstream hobby.”
You nod in agreement. Despite being new to this scene, that much is obvious.
“But our community does have a party once a month.”
“Oh, I love parties!”
Candace twists around and gives you a bemused look. “Not that kinda party. Like, a play party.”
“So…there are games? I mean, you’re just selling this party thing even more.”
“Hmm, how should I describe it…” Candace muses. “Play as in, kinky play. Not Mario Party play.”
“Oh….Ohhhhhhh.”
“Haha, now you get it! Are you interested? I’ll go with you, it can be intimidating going alone. But everyone’s super chill, and you don’t even have to participate. You can just come and hang out.”
“Wait, really? Isn’t the point to ‘play’ at a play party?”
“Hmm, I guess it is a bit confusing calling it a play party…but honestly like, half the people that show up just come to watch and hangout.”
You consider this…you’re not sure about the thought of a bunch of random people watching you play with others…especially if it’s arousing to them and they start to…
“Oh, but no sex allowed. I always think that much is obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people show up without realizing until they sign the waiver. Ugh.” <<linkappend "She huffily blows a strand of hair out of her face. “Fucking degenerates.” ">> <<audio viperlaugh play>>
You try and stifle a chuckle at her comment, and she shoots you a sidelong glare.
“What?”
“It’s just…most people would call //us// degenerates for liking this sort of thing,” you say as you resume your rigging.
“Touché. But there’s gotta be standards when you do this sorta thing in public, you know.”
You nod. While this type of party was something you were unaware of until today, the concept intrigues you. And knowing randos won’t be jerking off if you were to play, and going with someone with big-sister energy like Candace…well, your weekend is free.
[[Let's Party.->Contact 1]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>CONTACT
-------------------------
The following weekend, you return to the studio with Candace. She’d assured you wearing anything was fine. Emphasis on anything. Under her sheik brown winter coat, you know she’s only wearing lingerie. That said, a first play party didn’t feel like the right time to get adventurous, especially if you’d yet to decide if you would engage or simply watch. So you opted for a middle ground: Wearing equestrian pants from your early riding days (they still fit!) and a form fitting black top. <<linkappend "Candace greets you in the first floor lobby, rising from a bench and embracing you.">> <<audio candace2 volume 0.6 play>>
“There’s my girl! You bring your crop?”
“Hah! I should have,” you respond, muffled by the fluff of her coat.
“Alright, before we go, what do you do if a guy creeps on you?”
“Find a dungeon master.”
“What are the dungeon masters wearing?”
“Blue polos.”
“Trick question: What do you do if a //lady// creeps on you?”
You look at her quizzically. “Uh, find a dungeon master?”
“Smart girl!” she slaps you on the back. “Ugh, we weed them out eventually, but it takes so much longer kicking out the ladies ‘cause no one reports them!”
<<linkappend "The two of you ride to the third floor and enter the studio.">>
<<audio lofi1 volume 1,5 play>> <<audio "partyfull2" volume 0.25 fadeoverto 30 0.75>>
It’s familiar yet novel from how it looked during the class a week prior. Instead of fluorescents, the studio is lit by a mixture of warm red and cool purple lighting. The leftmost wing seems to be where most of the rope rigging occurs – between the split in the curtain partition you see people utilizing mats on the floor in addition to the wooden beams and poles. Whereas the right wing now has additional equipment being utilized for a variety of, activities. Including small benches that seem specifically designed for spanking, and X-shaped structures for adhering a person’s ankles and wrists to. Between both wings, people are dressed in an assortment of outfits. Surprisingly, most of them are tamely dressed, even dressed up as if going to a fancy party. <<linkappend "That said, Candace will blend in well enough to the crowd that choose to expose more skin.">> <<audio receptionist2 play>>
You approach the reception table up front. The man gives a familiar nods to Candace and is eager to welcome you to your first party. He indicates which cubbies are empty and provides a liability form prohibiting phones, banning sex, and making a few other reasonable requests. Upon signing off, you’re presented with an option of three wrist bands:
Green for Open Play – You’re here to play with anyone! Others interested can approach to solicit play with you.
Red for No Play – You just came to watch and mingle.
Yellow for Potential Play – You came with the person you intend to play with, but others can approach you to inquire if you’re open to playing with them. (The ‘maybe, but don’t get your hopes up’ band, as Candace put it)
Candace immediately picks up a green band. Upon deliberation, you pick up a yellow. Candace said she’d introduce you to the rope crowd, but you hadn’t decided if you wanted to engage any further than that tonight.
After depositing things in the cubbies, Candace serves as your tour guide in her classy black laced lingerie. You observe the different scenes in what was the class area, and Candace explains what different tools and contraptions being used are. As she’d mentioned during class, most people really were just mingling and watching while a slightly smaller number are either engaged in scenes, or tending to one another after them.
<<linkappend "You consider this wing may cater more to Jeff’s interests, yet ironically upon entering the other wing of riggers, you hear a familiar voice.">> <<audio jeffgreeting play>>
“Hey, I know that lady!”
You almost don’t recognize him. You’ve seen Jeff in a variety of settings. In casual clothing when you were still in college together. In athletic gear for rock climbing. Even in pajamas for the occasional movie night. But you’d never seen him so…regal. So elegant. His hair is slicked back, his dress pants impeccably straight. And a coat to match that looks like something a celebrity would wear to an awards show, its whiteness ethereal in the studio’s lighting.
He softly holds your right hand to his lips and kisses the back of it, exposing your yellow wristband while displaying his own green one. “Would the lady like to play?”
You blush, grateful that the studio’s low light helps hide it.
“S-sure.”
Candace holds her hands in the air and backs away slowly.
“Forget I’m even here.”
“Wait, I didn’t mean, Candace I – ah, this is my friend Jeff, Jeff this is Candace! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to brush you off like that!”
Candace and Jeff share in their amusement at your reaction. He drops your hand to pick up Candace’s. “A pleasure.”
“Oho, you didn’t tell me you were friends with The Stud. The pleasure’s mine.”
She removes her hand and continues to back away. “Girl don’t even worry about it, I have a green band too, there are plenty of people to pass the time with.”
With that, she leaves you two.
“Wait a minute, //The// Stud? That sounds like a title. Are you popular here or something?”
“Well, I’m a green-bander and apparently the ladies love a man in a suit. Some of the men too, actually.” He gives a mock sigh. "I've broken so many hearts."
“Well, aren’t I lucky I caught your eye.”
He flashes a devilish smile and takes hold of your hand again. “Aren’t you.”
He leads you to an empty mat surrounded by familiar rope. You recognize it from when he’d shown you his stash before. He kneels on the mat with you. “So, any requests?” he asks. You hadn’t thought this far ahead but…looking around your eyes linger on a couple groups.
“Uh, no suspension, please,” Jeff requests nervously as he sees you stare an extra few seconds at a couple working with some overhead beams.
“Alright then, what about a chest thingy with the legs tied closed but separate?”
“So…a chest harness and frogtie.”
“Sure.”
Jess tilts his head. “Did you ditch class?”
“Hey, we only learned about the chest thingy, you think I learned all these moves in one class?”
He scoffs and picks up a length of rope. “The ‘thingy’ is usually called a harness. And not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at them.” He scoots closer so that your knees are touching. Despite such a small touch, the close proximity it highlights makes it feel oddly intimate. “Alright. If I ask for a color, green means go, yellow means slow down, and red means stop. And if you don’t say anything, we stop.”
You nod. “Sounds reasonable.”
“Alright. Pop quiz, give me a color!”
“Green.”
[[“Good answer!”->Scene1]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>BONDING
-------------------------
“Yeah…yeah that would be nice.”
Jeff grins wider. “Watch this.” He gently pushes you back upright, grabs another length of rope, and loops the bite of it around the leach before cinching. Suddenly, the small tail end trailing from your wrists is much longer. He shuffles behind you and wraps a length around your torso, pinning your hands to your chest. <<linkappend "\“Neat trick, huh?\” he prods, sounding rather proud of himself.">><<audio viperA2 volume 0.6 play>>
“Mhhmm,” you hum in agreement, feeling particularly relaxed in the double embrace of the rope wrapped around you and Jeff spotting you at your back. He wraps the rope around you a couple more times before cinching it off behind. The rope stays in place, gently but firm. When you try to move your bound wrists from your chest, they hardly manage to shift in place. Your eyes widen, impressed.
“How’d you do that?”
“I can show you.”
Over the course of the next few weeks, you learn more and more from Jeff.
Switching roles, taking turns tying with one another. Noting the interesting difference that when you’re tied, you fall in to what can best be described as a stupor. Yet when Jeff gets tied, he enjoys wearing himself out struggling against the bonds. Regardless, there’s a shared consensus on aftercare: tea and cuddles. After one such session in which you’d done the tying, Jeff seems less relaxed than usual. You rest on his chest on the couch, though his usual soft embrace feels stiff.
<<linkappend "“Something wrong?” you ask, worried the session didn’t go well.">> <<audio jeffsigh play>>
He releases a nervous exhale. “I sorta, thrust a lot when I was struggling today.”
“Yeah, but you do that all the time…why, did you hurt yourself?”
“No, it’s just, I thrust a //lot// and I mean, are you okay with that?”
“I mean, yeah? And you do that all the time?”
“No, but it was different this time!” He rubs his face with his hands, as if trying to coax the words out. “Hrrm…so, okay. The crotch rope today it felt, especially nice. So like, when I was thrusting today it was because of that! It wasn’t regular thrusting and struggling against the rope, it was thrusting specifically in to the crotchrope because…I was…turned on.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah…”
<<linkappend "You shift around to look at him more clearly. “Wait, is bondage like, sexual for you?” ">> <<audio jeffgroan play>>
“Ahaaaa I was right!” he groans and throws his head back to the ceiling.
“Right about what?”
“It is for me! So, I assumed it was for you, too! But I started suspecting these last few sessions that maybe it wasn’t and…now I feel real guilty. For the thrusting today.”
The room is filled with a heavy silence as Jeff drowns in embarrassment and you contemplate the matter. Bondage with Jeff never felt sexual, and seeing characters tied up on TV never made you immediately think of getting down and dirty. But it was arousing sometimes…though you got the impression Jeff was talking about more than just the occasional bout of arousal. It made sense, though, that bondage could be used in the bedroom. And even if you were just tying him up on the living room carpet, it felt satisfying to know that you could have that much of an affect on someone through your ropework alone. The sense of satisfaction lay somewhere between flattery and empowerment.
“Maybe we should play with different people,” he murmurs.
You stiffen and look up, “What, why?”
He raises an eyebrow, “Well, doesn’t it make you uncomfortable to keep doing this with me, knowing that?”
“No! I mean, maybe a little, but…the fact alone that we’re able to talk about it like this makes me realize how lucky I am to have a rope buddy like you. And it’s exciting to realize actually…” you trail off at the end.
“What was that?”
“I said it’s kind of exciting! Knowing that’s how you feel when I tie you up…”
“Oh.”
Another awkward silence.
“Besides, how would I even find other people to play with?”
“Easy, you can just go to a play party.”
“A play what?”
Jess sits up, still red from embarrassment, but starting to cool down. “So I told you about dungeons, right? Or, studios. There’s one downtown and they have a party every month where you can meet others in the scene. Or you can just go with someone you know to do rope or other stuff.”
“Or other stuff?” you stop him, wondering if you feel comfortable seeing whatever the ‘other’ category entails.
“Yeah, you know like, spanking and stuff.”
<<linkappend "\“Oh God, I thought you meant like orgies. Okay continue.\” ">><<audio jefflaugh play>>
Jeff bursts out laughing. “Haha! Oh man, that would be a very different party. Nah, no orgies. In fact you’re not allowed to have sex at the parties. That would be….yeah, no, don’t worry about that.”
You think about it. It does sound intriguing. You’d love to meet others in the community, but…
“You’re not trying to hand me off to someone else because you feel guilty, are you?”
“What, no! No not at all! I just thought you might like meeting more people who enjoy bondage the same way you do. But if you’re okay playing with me despite everything I’d love that! Heck we can go the party together and see where the night takes us.”
You nod. Sounds interesting, you’d love to see what a so-called dungeon looks like, and your weekends are free this month.
[[Let’s party.->Contact 2]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>CONTACT
-------------------------
You wait outside Jeff’s apartment building the night of the party. Jeff warned you that the dress code was: Wear whatever you want. Anything from an actual suit to your birthday suit with a pair of boxers. You figured you’d match the vibe in a tamer way. Opting for a pair of equestrian pants from your riding days (they still fit!) with a form fitting black top.
Jeff exits and trots down the few stairs to the sidewalk, dressed up as if he were going to a gala. His hair is slicked back, his dress pants impeccably straight. And he wears a coat to match that looks like something a celebrity would wear to an awards show. Even his posh white slingbag for the evening compliments the look. You almost don’t recognize him. You’ve seen Jeff in a variety of settings. In casual clothing when you were still in college together. In athletic gear for rock climbing. Even in pajamas for the occasional movie night. But you’d never seen him so…regal. So elegant.
You give a low whistle. “IT Man by day, Sexy Stud at night.”
“It’s a secret, you can’t tell anyone about my alter ego.”
You roll your eyes and start walking down the sidewalk.
“This way,” you hear him call after you.
<<linkappend "Of course.">> <<audio city play>>
------------
When you arrive at the location, you almost question if it’s the right place. It just looks like a nice downtown apartment complex. But, Jeff’s been here before, so you trust it must be the place. You enter the lobby, and the building directory posted by the elevators confirms there are offices and suites on the third floor, where the studio is located.
You admire the architecture while waiting for the elevator. A rather nice lobby, you realize, with tiled flooring and pleasant wallpaper. Nothing ridiculously fancy. By the mundane normalcy of the building and its inhabitants somehow alleviates your nerves. <<linkappend "Slightly.">> <<audio elevator play>>
You jump as the elevator dings and Jeff laughs. “Clam down, dude. Honestly, the dungeon looks like a renovated yoga studio and the crowd is nice, it’ll be fine.” He tilts his head in thought.
<<linkappend "“Heck…it probably //was// a yoga studio.”">>
<<audio lofi1 volume 0.6,5 play>> <<audio "partyfull2" volume 0.25 fadeoverto 30 0.75>>
When you exit on the third floor, you hear the soft filtered sound of chatter and Lofi music. A hall greets you, with offices on either side. As you walk down to the suite number in question, you enter a space that truly does feel more akin to a yoga studio. The offices that would have been on this side of the hall have been combined. Such that a receptionist desk and cubbies are in the entrance area, a wing to the left shows poles and scaffolding for rigging off of. And a space to the right looks like a yoga class space. It’s slightly partitioned by curtains, but you can just catch a glimpse of equipment being utilized for a variety of, activities. Including small benches that seem specifically designed for spanking, and X-shaped structures for adhering a person’s ankles and wrists to. Between both wings, people are dressed in an assortment of outfits. To your surprise, //most// of the party is tamely dressed, even dressed up as if going to a fancy party. <<linkappend "That said, there’re a good handful of guests that choose to expose a generous amount of skin.">> <<audio receptionist2 play>>
You approach the reception table up front. The man gives a familiar nods to Jeff and is eager to welcome you to your first party. He indicates which cubbies are empty and provides a liability form prohibiting phones, banning sex, and making a few other reasonable requests. Upon signing off, you’re presented with an option of three wrist bands:
Green for Open Play – You’re here to play with anyone! Others interested can approach to solicit play with you.
Red for No Play – You just came to watch and mingle.
Yellow for Potential Play – You came with the person you intend to play with, but others can approach you to inquire if you’re open to playing with them. (The ‘maybe, but don’t get your hopes up’ band, as Jeff put it)
Jeff immediately picks up a green band. Upon deliberation, you pick up a yellow. You may only want to stick with him this evening, but it doesn’t hurt to keep one’s options open.
After depositing things in the cubbies, Jeff motions you over to the left wing, which seems to be predominantly occupied by riggers. “Ah, good, I know plenty of folk here tonight,” he comments. “I’ll introduce you to them. Only if you want, though.”
<<linkappend "“Sure, I’ll think about it-“ you begin before being cut off by an eager feminine voice.">> <<audio candace2 play>>
“Hey, I know that stud!”
A lady in black lingerie (//expensive// black lingerie, you can’t help but notice) approaches and Jeff takes her hand, kissing the backside of it. “Candace darling, I must bid you a brief hello and adieu, for I have the company of a precious lady tonight.”
Candace holds her hands in the air and backs away slowly.
“Forget I’m even here.”
The two laugh warmly and Jeff introduces you, explaining Candace is part of the crew he’d like to later have you meet. Candace shows eagerness to talk later, especially so knowing you rig. Several ladies would love to have another women rig for them, she explains.
With that, she leaves you with the parting words, “Have a nice evening with The Stud.”
You turn to Jeff. “Wait a minute, //The// Stud? That sounds like a title. Are you popular here or something?”
“Well, I’m a green-bander and apparently the ladies love a man in a suit. Some of the men too, actually.” He gives a mock sigh. "I've broken so many hearts."
“Well, aren’t I lucky to be friends with the heartbreaker. I’m sorry, I mean ‘The Stud’.”
He meets your smirk with a devilish smile and takes hold of your hand. “Aren’t you.”
He leads you to an empty mat and empties his bag of familiar rope. He kneels on the mat with you. “So, any requests?” he asks. You hadn’t given it much thought before coming but…looking around your eyes linger on a couple groups.
“Uh, no suspension, please,” Jeff requests nervously as he sees you stare an extra few seconds at a couple working with some overhead beams.
“Alright then, what about a chest thingy with the legs tied closed but separate?”
“So…a chest harness and frogtie.”
“Sure.”
Jess shakes his head. “Have I taught you nothing?”
“Okay to be fair, you haven’t taught me how to do the frogtie yet.”
He scoffs and picks up a length of rope. “Well as I’m sure you know, the ‘thingy’ is called a harness. And not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at them.” He scoots closer so that your knees are touching. Despite such a small touch, the close proximity it highlights makes it feel oddly intimate. “Alright. Same house rules: green means go, yellow means slow down, and red means stop. And if you don’t say anything, we stop.”
You nod.
“Pop quiz, give me a color!”
“Green.”
[[“Good answer!”->Scene2]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>MENTORSHIP
-------------------------
You push back against Jeff to regain your balance and sit back to face him.
“I do, but…”
“…but?” Jeff prods, loosening the slack on the leash extending from your wrists.
“But…I don’t know about doing it with you. It just, feels really intimate. And I trust you! I mean, I wouldn’t have gone this far if I didn’t,” you explain, holding up your bound wrists as evidence.
“It’s just. I dunno. I don’t mind huddling for warmth together on top of a cold cliff. I don’t mind playing Boggle into the dead of night one-on-one. Hell, we kissed playing spin the bottle last trip.”
“Ohmigaud I’d nearly forgotten about that…” Jeff’s eyes seem to look far off in to the distance. “Sake really fucks me up,” he half whispers to himself.
“I’m sorry I brought it up,” you reply with a sheepish smile.
“Nah, don’t be. You were making a point. Weren’t you?” he prods.
“I was…trying to. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Jeff. I just, don’t think I want to do something as intimate as this with you. I really like what we have and, I don’t want to make things weird but-“
“Say no more,” he assures you as he slowly begins to undo the knot of the rope and unwind the coils from around your wrists. After a long moment of silence he looks up. “I mean, say no more about //this//,” he gestures to the rope as he finishes unwinding it and removes it from you. “But was there more?”
A contemplative sigh preempts your follow-up. “I //do// want to learn more about this. And I want to learn about it in a place I feel safe. And I //do// feel safe around you! I’m sorry, that sounds contradictory.”
“Hey, don’t apologize, that makes total sense! Besides, you know there are classes for this sort of thing.”
<<linkappend "“Wait, seriously?”">> <<audio city play>>
---------
Some weeks later, you find yourself at the address Jeff had given you. This is the time and the place but, you weren’t expecting a kinky-rope-studio to be in a downtown apartment building. After triple checking the address, though, this is definitely the place. You enter the lobby, and the building directory posted by the elevators confirms there are offices and suites on the third floor, where the studio is said to be.
The assurance from the directory that the studio is just above you suddenly brings on nerves.
<<linkappend "//Oh man, I’m actually here.//">> <<audio elevator play>>
The elevator dings, and a couple with a small dog on a leash walk out, the pitter patter of their feet echoing slightly in the empty lobby. A rather nice lobby, you realize, with tiled flooring and pleasant wallpaper. Nothing ridiculously fancy. By the mundane normalcy of the building and its inhabitants somehow alleviates your nerves. Slightly.
With a deep breath for confidence, you enter the elevator and take the short ride to the third floor. A small hall with offices on either side awaits you. And as you walk down to the suite number in question, you enter a space that feels more akin to a yoga studio. The offices that would have been on this side of the hall have been combined. Such that a receptionist desk and cubbies are in the entrance area, a wing to the left shows poles and scaffolding – presumably for rigging off of. And the class space to the right, slightly partitioned by curtains, has scattered mats rolled out. Such that at first glance, one would expect a yoga class was about to start.
<<linkappend "Sensing your nerves, the receptionist greets you.">> <<audio receptionist1 play>> “Don’t worry, we don’t bite, and we don’t do yoga. At least, not here.”
“Hah.” A dry laugh escapes you as you approach the desk. “I, uh, signed up for the afternoon session?”
“Okay, hun. E-mail?”
You share the email you signed up under, and the receptionist quickly finds your confirmation and checks you off the list. After leaving your belongings in a provided cubby, you take a seat on a mat in the class space. A couple other students are present, stretching or meditating on their mats…almost as if they were in fact waiting for a yoga class to start.
Though as others filter in, bits and pieces of conversation you overhear assure you you’re in the right place. It’s jarring somehow, seeing others dressed and behaving so…normally. The teacher takes her seat at the head of class in full yoga gear and - much to your surprise - introduces herself as a professional dominatrix. You find yourself blinking in disbelief, wonderinf if you misheard her. She looks nothing like your impression of what a dominatrix should be. Rather, she resembles a friendly aunt who’d bake you cookies at her house and tell you to bring some home for mom and dad.
Upon laying down ground rules for safety and consent, she asks who among the class would like to tie or be tied. You realize you hadn’t considered this before. While something about being tied felt nice when Jeff showed you his rope, it was fascinating watching him do the tying. It looked fun…and besides, the class was short on riggers so…
<<linkappend "You find yourself being matched with another lady, slightly taller than you, though on the mats the height difference hardly made a difference.">> <<audio candace1 volume 0.6 play>>
“Candace,” she says, stretching out a hand for a shake.
You stumble over your own name as you accept the handshake, prompting a small chuckle from her.
“I take it this is your first time?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Well, either you’re new and nervous, or you’re smitten by my beauty.”
Her jesting energy dispels some of your nerves as you quip back, “Can’t it be both?”
She breaks in to laughter. “I like you, new girl.”
The teacher works on a model of her own and guides you through the stages of rigging a chest harness. Candace and yourself make small talk, and despite having to repeat a few steps, the harness comes along nicely.
“Damn, girl, and this is your first time doing rope?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re good! Not to brag, but, I’ve been tied up by a lot of people,” she says with a comical sense of smugness. “I’m serious, most people aren’t this good this early on.”
“I see…do you go to a lot of studios like this?”
“Nah, honestly I don’t even know of any other studios like this one. It’s not a particularly...mainstream hobby.”
You nod in agreement. Despite being new to this scene, that much is obvious.
“But our community does have a party once a month.”
“Oh, I love parties!”
Candace twists around and gives you a bemused look. “Not that kinda party. Like, a play party.”
“So…there are games? I mean, you’re just selling this party thing even more.”
“Hmm, how should I describe it…” Candace muses. “Play as in, kinky play. Not Mario Party play.”
“Oh….Ohhhhhhh.”
“Haha, now you get it! Are you interested? I’ll go with you, it can be intimidating going alone. But everyone’s super chill, and you don’t even have to participate. You can just come and hang out.”
“Wait, really? Isn’t the point to ‘play’ at a play party?”
“Hmm, I guess it is a bit confusing calling it a play party…but honestly like, half the people that show up just come to watch and hangout.”
You consider this. You’re not sure about the thought of a bunch of random people watching you play with others, especially if it’s arousing to them and they start to…
“Oh, but no sex allowed. I always think that much is obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people show up without realizing until they sign the waiver. Ugh.” <<linkappend "She huffily blows a strand of hair out of her face. “Fucking degenerates.” ">> <<audio viperlaugh play>>
You try and stifle a chuckle at her comment, and she shoots you a sidelong glare.
“What?”
“It’s just…most people would call //us// degenerates for liking this sort of thing,” you say as you resume your rigging.
“Touché. But there’s gotta be standards when you do this sorta thing in public, you know.”
You nod. While this type of party was something you were unaware of until today, the concept intrigues you. And knowing randos won’t be jerking off if you were to play, and going with someone with big-sister energy like Candace…well, your weekend is free.
[[Let's Party.->Contact 1]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><<audio "lofi2" fadeoverto 5 0>><<audio "partysimple" fadeoverto 5 0>><<audio buzzer2 play>>
The apartment's door buzzer sounds at the expected time. A brief peak at the intercom's camera shows your guest patiently waiting outside, and you buzz him in.
"Nice place," he comments upon entering. "Ah! No you don't. I couldn't expect a lady to wait on me," he lightly scolds you as you attempt to take his coat. "Allow me."
With that, he hangs his coat and takes a better look at the place. "Lovely space," he notes of the living room just off the entrance of the unit as he takes a few steps in to it.
"Uh," you start, slightly thrown off, "welcome. And...hey, can you leave your shoes by the door?"
"Oh! But of course." With a warm grin to you, he returns to the entryway, leaves his shoes by the door alongside yours, and resumes his perusal of the living room.
"Cool. So...you want something to drink or snack on?" you offer, returning to your senses and resuming your role as hostess.
"Oh no, thank you. I just ate." He wanders further in to the room, admiring the decore on the mantle and wall. A scoff escapes him as he skims the titles on the bookshelf. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were vanilla."
"Pfft, why, what does your apartment look like?"
"Oh wouldn't you like to know," he says, a bit more flirtatiously than expected...but no, you must be imagining it. He's not the kind of guy who'd mean anything by it.
"Uh, yeah," you answer as you plop on to the couch. "I guess I //am// curious."
The couch jostles slightly as he joins you. "What else are you curious about?"
"Wow, that's an openended question. <<linkappend "Uh, I guess I've always wanted to visit Spain and see- ">>" <<audio aegislaugh play>>
His abrupt laughter startles you and cuts you off. "No no, I mean about kink."
"Oh! I didn't realize. Um..." you trail off, not prepared with an answer. Despite his specificity...it's still a really openended question!
"I for one like a bit of skinship," he says after a beat. "And I have a thing for handgags." He stares at you with prodding eyes.
"Uh, yeah. I guess I've been curious about that, too. They just, have never happened when I've done rope before."
He nods at this with a grin, as if satisfied by your answer...or lack of, you think to yourself. All you did was approve his answers to his own question.
He gets up and paces the room, observing the attached dining area and kitchen and peaking down the hall. "I presume we'll be using the bedroom?"
"Oh, I usually use the rug or couch, actually."
He gives a slight winced expression and looks at you apologetically. "Oh, I wish I could, but unfortunately my back..."
"Oh, of course! Yeah the bed would be better." Seeing his grin widen, you feel compelled to clarify with him, "Hey, uh, just confirming. You know we're only doing rope, right?"
"Oh, of course! Yes I realize there are...implications when play is in the bedroom."
You nod, and feel silly for feeling the need to clarify. You've done rope with him before, you're on the same page when it comes to play. But, better safe than sorry. The last thing you want to do is make him think you're leading him on.
<<linkappend "You lead him to your room, grabbing your bag of rope from the hallway closet along the way.">> <<audio door play>> Upon entering the room, he softly closes the door and looks around. "Hmm, yes, this will do." He grins at you again. A grin that looks identical to each grin he's given you since coming. Something about the lack of variety puts you on edge but...
//That's ridiculous, why should I be bothered by the way someone smiles!// you reprimand yourself.
You sit on a corner of the bed, and he joins you. "Same color system as before? And any requests?" you clarify as you lay out a few lengths of rope.
"Yes, and, how about we start with hands in front."
"Oh, that's new! Sure, let's."
<<linkappend "You wrap a few coils of rope around both his wrists and crisscross the length of the rope with its bit, knowing the degree of tightness he prefers.">><<audio aegispleased play>> He makes a pleased sound as you weave the rope between the wrists a couple times, forming cuffs with a small divide between them. As you cinch it off, you beam up at him. "Alright, what next?"
[["Hmm, I have a few ideas," he purrs as he leans in to you.->Isolation2Scene]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><<audio "lofi2" fadeoverto 5 0>><<audio "partysimple" fadeoverto 5 0>>
Despite his generous insistence to pick you up from your place, you ask to meet at the bus stop at the edge of town. Besides, you had to run an errand in that area. He picks you up in a nondiscript car - probably a hybrid, you think, admiring the soft hum of the engine. You can't help but envy the natural landscape he gets to drive through when he commutes. His home feels like it's practically nestled in the woods just outside the city.
Following the pleasant car ride you enter his abode, notice he leaves his shoes by the door, and follow suit. As you look around for where to leave your bag and coat, he eagerly takes them from you, tucking them in the closet by the foyer. "Mi casa is su casa," he says in a painful Anglo-accent, but you apprecaite the gesture.
You gravitate towards the living room to the left of the foyer and take a seat on the couch, appreciating the quaint island dividing the room from the kitchen. Curiously, while this side of the home has a more open-floor plan, the other half of the foyer leads in to a hall. From a glance, you assume there must be a study, a bedroom, and at least a full bathroom.
Your host goes to one of the many bookshelves lining the walls of the living room and grabs a couple books from them. "I bet as a rigger you have good reference material at home."
"Not really, actually. Everything I know is either from class or Jeff."
He gives a sympathetic look as he sits beside you.
"I know you and Jeff get along but, I don't think you should spend so much time learning from him."
"What, why?"
"Take it from me, he's a bit of an amateur. I'd hate for you to get in trouble learning makeshift rigging from him and something going wrong."
"Oh...well, he's always very careful. I guess I figured he's been doing this for a while."
"But you never see him at classes, do you?"
"No...no I don't."
He humms thoughtfully. "Well, if you ever need study material, you can always come to me." He displays the books he brought on the coffee table infront of you. Grateful for the material, you open one up and are surprised by how...pornographic the content is. "Oh, uh, I thought this was like a manual or something..." you admit as you politely close the book.
Disregarding the comment, he smiles as he opens the other book and shifts it over to display the page he landed on. "I bet doing something like this would be easy for you. And isn't it titalating, the way it contorts the model?"
"Uh, sure, I guess I'm just not as into this side of things as you are."
The couch jostles slightly as he turns to face you, a mix of curiosity and eagerness on his face. "What are you in to, then?"
"Wow, that's an openended question. <<linkappend "Uh, I guess I've always wanted to visit Spain and see- ">>" <<audio aegislaugh play>>
His abrupt laughter startles you and cuts you off. "No no, I mean about kink."
"Oh! Of course. Um..." you trail off, not prepared with an answer. Despite his specificity...it's still a really openended question!
"I for one like a bit of skinship," he says after a beat. "And I have a thing for handgags." He stares at you with prodding eyes.
"Uh, yeah. I guess I've been curious about that, too. They just, have never happened when I've done rope before."
He nods at this with a grin, as if satisfied by your answer...or lack of, you think to yourself. All you did was approve his answers to his own question.
He gets up and paces the room, thoughtfully. "I presume we'll be using the bedroom?"
"Oh, right! Well, you see, I usually use the rug or couch actually."
He gives a slight winced expression and looks at you apologetically. "Oh, I wish I could, but unfortunately my back..."
"Oh, of course! Yeah then the bed would be better." Seeing his grin widen, you feel compelled to clarify with him, "Hey, just confirming. You know we're only doing rope, right?"
"Oh, of course! Yes I realize there are...implications when play is in the bedroom."
You nod, and feel silly for feeling the need to clarify. You've done rope with him before, you're on the same page when it comes to play. But, better safe than sorry. The last thing you want to do is make him think you're leading him on.
<<linkappend "He leads you to the bedroom down the hall, grabbing his bag of rope from the hallway closet along the way.">> <<audio door play>> Upon you two entering the room, he softly closes the door. "Oh, I assume you don't mind? I know it's just us, I just find it comforting having the door closed." He grins at you again. A grin that looks identical to each grin he's given you since coming. Something about the lack of variety puts you on edge but...
//That's ridiculous, why should I be bothered by the way someone smiles!// you reprimand yourself.
"Yeah, no, I agree. It makes the space feel cozier." You sit on a corner of the bed, and he joins you. "So, play-wise, same color system as before? And any requests?" you clarify as you lay out a few lengths of rope from his stash.
"Yes, and, how about we start with hands in front."
"Oh, that's new! Sure, let's."
<<linkappend "You wrap a few coils of rope around both his wrists and crisscross the length of the rope with its bit, knowing the degree of tightness he prefers.">><<audio aegispleased play>> He makes a pleased sound as you weave the rope between the wrists a couple times, forming cuffs with a small divide between them. As you cinch it off, you beam up at him. "Alright, what next?"
[["Hmm, I have a few ideas," he purrs as he leans in to you.->Isolation1Scene]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><<cacheaudio "chains" "music/chains.mp3">>
<<cacheaudio "rope" "music/rope.mp3">>
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<<cacheaudio "aegisannoyed" "music/aegisannoyed.mp3">>
Note to self: Aegis grunts in viperandaegis are actually Stone's (had right register)<<audio "lofi1" fadeoverto 15 0>> <<audio "partyfull2" fadeoverto 11 0>> <<audio jeffshuffle play>>
He shuffles behind you and twists your arms behind your back, leaning in to seductively whisper in your ear: “By the way, any color’s a good answer.”
“Ohmigaud, Jeff,” you respond, surprised by how breathy your voice sounds. You feel the rope wrap around the circumference of both arms, then gently cinch as Jeff tightens the rope to form a snug sling for your arms, binding them stacked atop each other behind your back. He leans forward, stretching a length across your torso and below your breasts. When the length wraps around to your backside you feel it loop, snag, and snake back the way it came. One more length is brought across your torso below your breasts to yet again be snagged behind your back. “How’s that?”
“Green.”
He nods at this. “Not very informative, but good to know.”
He repeats bringing rope twice across your torso above your breasts. Upon cinching the rope behind your back, it snakes its way over one shoulder and weaves between the layers on your chest, caging your breasts in what could best be described as a harness. The name for the chest ‘thingy’ suddenly makes much more sense now that you’re wearing it yourself.
The rope finds its way back over the other shoulder and is tied off behind you. Despite being completely unable to see yet alone reach the knots behind you, the constriction of the harness feels comforting. It’s hard to say whether your shortness of breath comes from the harness of from the feeling it illicits. Though when you take a deep breath in to your core, the harness doesn’t seem to offset the flow of air. Doing so makes the rope dig in deeper, causing a pleasant sensation.
<<linkappend "Jeff grips your arms and shifts you ever so slightly to the left as he inspects his handiwork.">><<audio viperA3 volume 0.6 play>> You sway in that direction, feeling like the smallest gust could knock you over right now. “Woa, somebody gets rubbery in the rope.” He shifts you back upright…to the best of his ability. “Ready for the legs?” You nod, and he slides to your side without fully breaking contact with you. A new length of rope wraps around the ankle nearest him a few times before being cinched off, forming a cuff. The tail end of the rope then winds around the circumference of your folded leg thrice. In your growing daze, you admire how he weaves the rope between the three tiers he’s formed around your limb. After finishing one leg, he shifts to the other, still maintaining some form of touch the whole time. Upon finishing both legs, he shifts in front of you so that your knees are touching once more. He ducks his head slightly to try and catch your eyes.
“Alright pretty lady, what color are you right now?”
“Hmmmmm,” you give a prolonged hum and slur, “green.”
<<linkappend "\“Okay, good.\” He gestures forward with his hands. \“Come here and I’ll hold you for a bit.\” ">><<audio vipergrunt play>>
Despite having just felt and watched the ritualistic process of Jeff’s ropework, you instinctively flex your legs to rise up and shuffle over. Only to find that doing so barely raises your butt off the ground as your legs are firmly affixed closed. The motion merely causes the rope to dig in to your thighs. You hiss in surprise and plant heavily back on to your bottom again. Jeff chuckles and makes his way behind you, nestling his face into your shoulder as he hugs you from behind. “I’m sorry, that was mean.”
“Yeah, well…//you’re// mean,” you murmur, barely registering how nonsensical the retort is. You lean in to him, your head lulling back and nestling in to the nook of Jeff’s shoulder behind you. His body warmth is reminiscent of times you’ve huddled for warmth on cold rocky cliffs on long climbs. While needing to do so is rare, it’s always much appreciated to have a trustworthy climbing buddy you feel comfortable doing so with. You soon find yourself lying down as Jeff leans back and rolls you on your side. He leans over you and grabs a handful of the rope wrapped around the front of your harness, prompting a gasp at the sudden pleasant tension.
“How you feeling?”
“Dizzy,” you manage to respond, breathlessly. You feel the tension of the harness slacken.
“Oh shit, too tight? You having trouble breathing?”
“No…just dizzy.”
“Alright, note to self, you get rubbery //and// dizzy in rope.”
He places his fingers in your hands, and you grab them possessively, in a futile attempt to drag him closer. He murmurs something satisfactory about your grip and folds himself over you, resting draped across you for a while. Though whether it was a few longs seconds or a few minutes, it’s hard to say. Finally he mutters something about untying you soon, and you respond with an absentminded ‘okay.’ A few minutes later, and you’re nestled on his chest, the ropes gone. And with their absence comes an onset of cold. Shivers hit you suddenly, prompting a startled sound from Jeff. Some shifting and rustling later, his fancy white coat is draped over you, and the shivering weakens and subsides. [[Though it’s still a few more minutes until you find the head fog clearing.->Contact1.0]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><<audio "lofi1" fadeoverto 15 0>> <<audio "partyfull2" fadeoverto 11 0>> <<audio jeffshuffle play>>
He shuffles behind you and twists your arms behind your back, leaning in to seductively whisper in your ear: “By the way, any color’s a good answer.”
“Ohmigaud, Jeff,” you respond, surprised by how breathy your voice sounds. You feel the rope wrap around the circumference of both arms, then gently cinch as Jeff tightens the rope to form a snug sling for your arms, binding them stacked atop each other behind your back. He leans forward, stretching a length across your torso and below your breasts. When the length wraps around to your backside you feel it loop, snag, and snake back the way it came. One more length is brought across your torso below your breasts to yet again be snagged behind your back. “How’s that?”
“Green.”
He nods at this. “A woman of few words.”
He repeats bringing rope twice across your torso above your breasts. Upon cinching the rope behind your back, it snakes its way over one shoulder and weaves between the layers on your chest, caging your breasts.
The rope finds its way back over the other shoulder and is tied off behind you. Despite being completely unable to see yet alone reach the knots behind you, the constriction of the harness feels comforting. You breathe in deep to your core. The harness scarcely offsets the flow of air, and the large breath makes the rope dig in to your skin pleasantly.
<<linkappend "Jeff grips your arms and shifts you ever so slightly to the left as he inspects his handiwork.">><<audio viperA3 volume 0.6 play>> You sway in that direction, feeling like the smallest gust could knock you over right now. “Woa, somebody’s extra rubbery tonight.” He shifts you back upright…to the best of his ability. “Ready for the legs?” You nod, and he slides to your side without fully breaking contact with you. A new length of rope wraps around the ankle nearest him a few times before being cinched off, forming a cuff. The tail end of the
rope then winds around the circumference of your folded leg thrice. In your growing daze, you admire how he weaves the rope between the three tiers he’s formed around your limb. Maybe you should ask him how to do this frogtie thing next time…
After finishing one leg, he shifts to the other, still maintaining some form of touch the whole time. Upon finishing both legs, he shifts in front of you so that your knees are touching once more. He ducks his head slightly to try and catch your eyes.
“Alright pretty lady, what color are you right now?”
“Hmmmmm,” you give a prolonged hum and slur, “green.”
<<linkappend "\“Okay, good.\” He gestures forward with his hands. \“Come here and I’ll hold you for a bit.\” ">><<audio vipergrunt play>>
Despite having just felt and watched the ritualistic process of Jeff’s ropework, you instinctively flex your legs to rise up and shuffle over. Only to find that doing so barely raises your butt off the ground as your legs are firmly affixed closed. The motion merely causes the rope to dig in to your thighs. You hiss in surprise and plant heavily back on to your bottom again. Jeff chuckles and makes his way behind you, nestling his face into your shoulder as he hugs you from behind. “I’m sorry, that was mean.”
“Yeah, well…//you’re// mean,” you murmur, barely registering how nonsensical the retort is. You lean in to him, head lulling back and nestling in to the nook of Jeff’s shoulder behind you. His body warmth is reminiscent of times you’ve huddled for warmth on cold rocky cliffs on long climbs. While needing to do so is rare, it’s always much appreciated to have a trustworthy climbing buddy you feel comfortable doing so with. You soon find yourself lying down as Jeff leans back and rolls you on your side. He leans over you and grabs a handful of the rope wrapped around the front of your harness, prompting a gasp at the sudden pleasant tension.
“How you feeling?”
“Dizzy,” you manage to respond, breathless. You feel the tension of the harness slacken.
“Too tight?”
“No…just dizzy.”
“Alright, good.”
He places his fingers in your hands, and you grab them possessively, in a futile attempt to drag him closer. He murmurs something satisfactory about your grip and folds himself over you, resting draped across you for a while. Though whether it was a few longs seconds or a few minutes, it’s hard to say. Finally he mutters something about untying you soon, and you respond with an absentminded ‘okay.’ A few minutes later, and you’re nestled on his chest, the ropes gone. And with their absence comes an onset of cold. Shivers hit you suddenly, prompting a startled sound from Jeff. Some shifting and rustling later, his fancy white coat is draped over you, and the shivering weakens and subsides. [[Though it’s still a few more minutes until you find the head fog clearing.->Contact2.0]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>>His hands grasp at your abdomen. Though the grasp is light, the possessivenes with which they grab you feels aggressive.
"Woa hey! Slow down tiger," you josh, assuming he's just kidding around. He growls as his hands begin to slide under your shirt. "H-hey, stop," you gasp, suddenly questioning the innocense of his actions.
"There's no need to act coy" he taunts you. "I know you get around, there's no way I'm the first person you've had in bed with you."
"Wh-what?"
<<linkappend "“Please, you expect me to believe you've played with so many people and not gone further with any of them?” ">> <<audio vipergasp play>>
"Of course I do," you respond shakily, "That's what I told- red!" you gasp as his hands reach your breasts.
Surprisingly, he stops crawling his hands any higher. With a shake of his head and a scowl, he pulls his hands out from under your shirt. Hesitantly, you sit up. Despite him listening, you feel apprehensive about approaching him to untie the ropework around his wrists. But all the same, you know you can't just sit in silence and leave your rope partner bound after stopping the scene. Nervously, you reach out to untie it while explaining, "I'm sorry, this was all going too fast. We should take a break before-"
No sooner had you finished loosening the rope and he shoves his weight in to you suddenly, knocking you on to your back. <<linkappend "Your nerves and trepidation are briefly replaced by shock and anger.">> <<audio viperhand volume 0.8 play>>
"What the hell, dude! If I hurt you all you had to do was say-urmph!"
A hand clamps over your mouth. He shakes his free hand, unfurling the loose coil of rope still on it. "Tsk tsk. I must say I'm dissapointed," he says, in a voice that sounds unlike him. "We've known each other for how many months now? As my friend, I thought I could trust you to be more honest with me." He removes the hand clamped over your mouth and grabs your wrists, pinning them together infront of you. Then, with lightning speed, wraps the legnth of rope he'd just been wearing around them.
You find yourself thinking you should speak, taking a shaky breath with the intention to do so, yet words fail to come. And a hand is promptly brought back to your mouth as his weight shifts further on top of you, no longer leaving an option for speech even if the words did come. You wince and squeall as his other hand snakes its way under the waistband of your pants.
"Oho, you like this, don't you?" he chuckles. "At least your body's honest.""
<<linkappend "//Honest about what!?// you find yourself thinking, despite the heavy brainfog settling in. //My body's freaking out right now!//">><<audio viperandaegis volume 0.8 play>>
There's a tension from head to toe, as if you could jump to your feet and sprint a mile right now. And yet you feel as weak as if you have a bad fever. You shove your bound wrists in to his chest (or at least intend to) and are discouraged with what little impact they have. In part due to the bad leverage, and in part due to the uncontrollable shaking of your hands.
As the fog sets in, you loose track of where his hands are. Maybe his hand is still blocking your speech, maybe your brain merely refuses to make speech possible. All the same, it feels impossible to resist. It's as if a thousand sensations are coursing through your body at once, and yet...it also feels like you can't sense anything at all, not even the mattress beneath you. A click-like sound echoes in the room, and after some time has passed, you realize it was the sound of the door closing on the room, now only occupied by yourself. [[After an immesaruable amount of time (was it only a few minutes, or an hour?) you realize he's no longer ontop of you, and that your wrists are free again..->Reconnection 2]] <</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>You stare at the closed door, dazed. You don't know how much time has passed. But enough, you hope, that he might have left the apartment. And enough time has passed that you find yourself parched.
With trepidation, you enter the hallway only to hear the TV playing in the living room. As you anxiously approach in the hopes of quietly slipping past into the dining and kitchen area, <<linkappend "he greets you from the sofa with a cordial smile.">> <<audio aegislost play>>
You give an awkward nod and scuttle to the kitchen, filling a glass with water, and downing it. Surprising yourself, you fill a second glass and chug most of it before feeling satisfied.
You grip it hard as you put it down, determined but nervous to enter the living room again. You return, disoriented by how mundane it all feels. He's acting like nothing happened, but that all just happened...right? There's no way it was a dream, otherwise why would he be in your apartment?
<<linkreplace "\"H-hey,\" you test saying, feeling as if you're using every fiber of your being to steady your voice. You clear your throat. \"Can we, uh, do aftercare? After all that...\" ">>
<<linkappend "The warmth in his face fades instantly as he sighs. \"You seriously need more? I already gave you some.\" ">>
<<include "Reconnection 2 Continued">>
<</linkappend>>
<</linkreplace>>
<</linkappend>>His hands grasp at your abdomen. Though the grasp is light, the possessivenes with which they grab you feels aggressive.
"Woa hey! Slow down tiger," you josh, assuming he's just kidding around. He growls as his hands begin to slide under your shirt. "H-hey, stop," you gasp, suddenly questioning the innocense of his actions.
"There's no need to act coy" he taunts you. "I know you get around, there's no way I'm the first person you've had in bed with you."
"Wh-what?"
<<linkappend "“Please, you expect me to believe you've played with so many people and not gone further with any of them?” ">> <<audio vipergasp play>>
"Of course I do," you respond shakily, "That's what I told- red!" you gasp as his hands reach your breasts.
Surprisingly, he stops crawling his hands any higher. With a shake of his head and a scowl, he pulls his hands out from under your shirt. Hesitantly, you sit up. Despite him listening, you feel apprehensive about approaching him to untie the ropework around his wrists. But all the same, you know you can't just sit in silence and leave your rope partner bound after stopping the scene. Nervously, you reach out to untie it while explaining, "I'm sorry, this was all going too fast. We should take a break before-"
No sooner had you finished loosening the rope and he shoves his weight in to you suddenly, knocking you on to your back. <<linkappend "Your nerves and trepidation are briefly replaced by shock and anger.">> <<audio viperhand volume 0.8 play>>
"What the hell, dude! If I hurt you all you had to do was say-urmph!"
A hand clamps over your mouth. He shakes his free hand, unfurling the loose coil of rope still on it. "Tsk tsk. I must say I'm dissapointed," he says, in a voice that sounds unlike him. "We've known each other for how many months now? As my friend, I thought I could trust you to be more honest with me." He removes the hand clamped over your mouth and grabs your wrists, pinning them together infront of you. Then, with lightning speed, wraps the legnth of rope he'd just been wearing around them.
You find yourself thinking you should speak, taking a shaky breath with the intention to do so, yet words fail to come. And a hand is promptly brought back to your mouth as his weight shifts further on top of you, no longer leaving an option for speech even if the words did come. You wince and squeall as his other hand snakes its way under the waistband of your pants.
"Oho, you like this, don't you?" he chuckles. "At least your body's honest.""
<<linkappend "//Honest about what!?// you find yourself thinking, despite the heavy brainfog settling in. //My body's freaking out right now!//">><<audio viperandaegis volume 0.8 play>>
There's a tension from head to toe, as if you could jump to your feet and sprint a mile right now. And yet you feel as weak as if you have a bad fever. You shove your bound wrists in to his chest (or at least intend to) and are discouraged with what little impact they have. In part due to the bad leverage, and in part due to the uncontrollable shaking of your hands.
As the fog sets in, you loose track of where his hands are. Maybe his hand is still blocking your speech, maybe your brain merely refuses to make speech possible. All the same, it feels impossible to resist. It's as if a thousand sensations are coursing through your body at once, and yet...it also feels like you can't sense anything at all, not even the mattress beneath you. A click-like sound echoes in the room, and after some time has passed, you realize it was the sound of the door closing on the room, now only occupied by yourself. [[After an immesaruable amount of time (was it only a few minutes, or an hour?) you register he's no longer ontop of you, and that your wrists are free again..->Reconnection 1]]<</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><<audio lofi2 play>><<audio partysimple play>>
The soft sound of the music playing becomes more noticeable again (how did you forget it was there all this time?). The voices and movement of others around you become more apparent. While moments ago it felt like the world consisted entirely of you, Jeff, the rope, and the floor…you suddenly remember where you are and how many people are around you. Warmth flushes your body from head to toe, and you lift your head to look at Jeff anxiously.
“He-hey, don’t freak out.”
“Were people watching?” you find yourself whispering from the cocoon of his coat.
“Well if you wanted them to, sorry to disappoint, but there are far spicier scenes going on right now.” He looks down at you, and you drop your face on to his chest again, continuing to hide under the coat for comfort. He slowly sits up, looking you square in the face with a gentle smile. “Did you have fun?”
You take a moment to think about it, give an embarrassed nod, and nuzzle his chest again.
“Good. Well, not to kill the mood but, I think I should warn you about negotiation. If you ever play with someone else, you should do a //lot// more negotiating boundaries before play.”
You look at him, mildly confused. “What do you mean? That was a good, scene, that’s what it’s called, right? Was there something wrong?”
“No, you’re right! It was a great scene! Because we’ve known each other for years and understand eachother’s comfort level and all. But would you have done all that with a stranger?”
Your eyes widen. “Aw //hell// no.”
“Haha, see!”
After some time, you feel back to normal again, and notice Candace has returned. She puts her hands in the air defensively, “Just say the word and it’s like I’m not even here. Buuuut…”
She explains how eager other ladies at the party are to meet a woman rigger, and you quickly find yourself introduced to a cluster of mutuals at the party.
Time passes, and between parties and other social events, you become closer to several of them. Either rigging for them at parties or - on occasion - at one another’s homes. Sometimes a man enters the rope-social-pool, though. One in particular has been to many parties and events at the studio. He has a memorable soft smile and warm laugh. When watching you at parties, he always keeps a respectful distance. And on the rare occasion he asks to be tied by you, he always emphasizes you doing only what you’re comfortable with.
You grow closer when he says that he also shares the sentiment of bondage not being sexual. So when he invites you to get to know one another more over the occasional lunch or dinner, you’re happy to oblige. One day, it comes up in conversation that you occasionally do rope with others at home, and he asks if you’ll do him the honor of letting him do bondage for you.
“Oh, uh, when I do rope at home with others I always do the rigging. Sorry, I’m not okay with others tying me outside of parties,” you explain.
“Ah, I should have worded myself better. That’s no problem! I actually prefer when the lady’s in charge,” he responds with an eager grin. “So what do you say - my place or yours?”
[[Well, sounds like a good match! You prefer the comfort of your own place - Invite him over for the following weekend.->Isolation 2]]
[[Sounds like a good match, then! But you don’t feel comfortable having a man other than Jeff over at your apartment yet. You propose going to his place the following weekend.->Isolation 1]]<<audio lofi2 play>><<audio partysimple play>>
The soft sound of the music playing becomes more noticeable again (how did you forget it was there all this time?). The voices and movement of others around you become more apparent. While moments ago it felt like the world consisted entirely of you, Jeff, the rope, and the floor…you suddenly remember where you are and how many people are around you. Warmth flushes your body from head to toe, and you lift your head to look at Jeff anxiously.
“He-hey, don’t freak out.”
“Were people watching?” you find yourself whispering from the cocoon of his coat.
“Well if you wanted them to, sorry to disappoint, but there are far spicier scenes going on right now.” He looks down at you, and you drop your face on to his chest again, continuing to hide under the coat for comfort. He slowly sits up, looking you square in the face with a gentle smile. “Did you have fun?”
You take a moment to think about it, give an embarrassed nod, and nuzzle his chest again.
“Good. Well, not to kill the mood but, some words of advice. If you start playing with other people, you should do a //lot// more negotiating boundaries before play.”
You look at him, mildly confused. “What do you mean? That was a good, scene, that’s what it’s called, right? Was there something wrong?”
“No, you’re right! It was a great scene! Because we’ve known each other for years and have played before. And we understand eachother’s comfort level and all. But would you have done all that with a stranger?”
Your eyes widen. “Aw //hell// no.”
“Haha, see!”
After some time, you feel back to normal again, and notice Candace has returned. She puts her hands in the air defensively, “Just say the word and it’s like I’m not even here. Buuuut…”
She explains how eager other ladies at the party are to meet a woman rigger, you agree to have her and Jeff introduce them, and you soon find yourself shaking hands with others at the party (and exchanging hugs to the extra friendly types).
Time passes, and between parties and other social events, you become closer to several of them. Either rigging for them at parties or - on occasion - at one another’s homes. Sometimes a man enters the rope-social-pool, though. One in particular has been to many parties and events at the studio. He has a memorable soft smile and warm laugh. When watching you at parties, he always keeps a respectful distance. And on the rare occasion he asks to be tied by you, he always emphasizes you doing only what you’re comfortable with.
You grow closer when he says that he also shares the sentiment of bondage not being sexual. So when he invites you to get to know one another more over the occasional lunch or dinner, you’re happy to oblige. One day, it comes up in conversation that you occasionally do rope with others at home, and he asks if you’ll do him the honor of letting him do bondage for you.
“Oh, uh, when I do rope at home with others I always do the rigging. Sorry, I’m not okay with others tying me outside of parties,” you explain.
“Ah, I should have worded myself better. That’s no problem! I actually prefer when the lady’s in charge,” he responds with an eager grin. “So what do you say - my place or yours?”
[[Well, sounds like a good match! You prefer the comfort of your own place - Invite him over for the following weekend.->Isolation 2]]
[[Sounds like a good match, then! But you don’t feel comfortable having a man other than Jeff over at your apartment yet. You propose going to his place the following weekend.->Isolation 1]]CORRESPONDENCE:
-------------------------
I hope folk read the description for this piece before playing D:
Regardless, if you made it to the end, here's hoping it was an okay read for you.
Last year I submitted a silly interactive-literature piece for this game jam.
Inspired by a joke prompt of BONDAGE TETRIS.
I was like....that's so silly and stupid I'm gonna do it.
If you haven't see it, that's on my itch page. Frankly I didn't realize games were going to get 'graded' so to speak, so I was surprised when I got feedback. One being that the game felt very linear, as choices didn't affect the ending.
With that in mind, I initially thought to make an interactive-fiction piece this year in which actions would have a more significant affect on the ending. Conceptualizing a format in which decisions - or lack of - would add or subtract points to culminate in one of multiple endings.
But when I saw the theme was 'Connections', I was immediately inspired to write something more grounded. Something to highlight the good and the bad connections one can make in the kink community. I feel I have met some of the most generous people in this community, alongside the absolute skum of the earth.
In addition, online I have come to meet many people who are interested in kink but hesitant to engage in it in real life. In part, I wonder to what extent that comes from a lack of understanding of what the community is like in real life. No thanks to Hollywood, play parties probably sound like giant orgies. While they (parties) are not exactly my cup of tea, I've attended a couple with friends. At least in my expererience, they're super chill. I wanted to highlight the fact that you can often just go to hangout, too. I can imagine some guests enjoy kink as a patron, akin to someone going to the theater and being like: "Wow, that thing they're doing on the stage is really neat! Oh, that was really skilled and beautiful!" Yet if you were to invite them to the spotlight they'd be like...me? On stage? Why would you think that? (Hence the red bands!)
So anyhow, the theme and inspiration ironically led me to //lean in// to a more linear piece this year. I wanted to play with the concept of the illusion of choice. In which different actions can lead to slightly different outcomes, but ultimately lead to a similar and unavaoidable ending. There have been incidents in which I sometimes torment myself thinking: Maybe if I'd done this, than that wouldn't have happened. Or maybe if I hadn't done //that//, than //this// wouldn't have happened.
There's a small comfort in thinking, maybe there's nothing I could have done. This person was intent on getting what they wanted and did everything within their power to get it. And the best I can do is learn from the experience to better recognize red flags in future and protect myself alongside others if I can. Here's hoping besides being entertainment, maybe this story can be educational and even helpful to others.
A couple little Easter Eggs, if you can call them that:
- I recruited some buddies and volunteers to voice for projects in this jam. While it may be hard to tell, I managed to get everyone in the walla background for the party chapter. Be it via a laughter soundbit or greetings.
- While lines from one actor (Aegis Knight) are used for the unnamed assailant, his grunts are actually from the actor whose lines are used for Jeff (Stonewolf). Given Stonewolf's effort sounds matched the register I was going for. I found it interesting when that ended up happening, given how much Jeff and the assailant are complete foils of one another.
- Regarding the assailant: My thoughts were, eff that guy, he doesn't deserve the power a name would give him. However, on a completely different note regarding the protagonist: I kept her unnamed as I recall in some interview or talk, it was mentioned that in the Zelda franchise Link is mute so as to not create too much disconnect between the player and him. As making him speak too much could risk fostering a feeling as if the player is just watching another character do his thing. As opposed to the player feeling as if they //are// Link. I realize this game couldn't quite achieve that given it's so text based. But it was my hope by not naming or overdescribing her physical features, that might make it easier for the reader to feel they could be in the protagonist's shoes.
- As for why Jeff is named Jeff...well, if anyone's spoken to me more than a few times, you'll soon realize I am quite partial to Mass Effect. The friend who introduced me to it was likewise fond of Jeff - your pilot in game - given him being such a strong supporting role. And given he shows such strength whilst also having an invisible disability (something my buddy could relate to). So, I'm partial to thinking it's a nice name.
- I was pleasantly surprised to see the story ends with the characters wishing each other a good night. While this was not a conscious decision, it felt very appropriate as I fondly recall that's how the namesake of my college dorm & her presumed lover would end their letters to one another. I shall refrain from listing their names at this point in time as I do not wish to dox myself nor my alma mater. But the lady of my dorm's namesake (let's call her SB) was a professor and headmistress of a lady's dorm back in the day. And it's believed she had relations with the Dean of Women's Studies at the time (we'll call her MT). Back then, the university segregated men and women, and MT spearheaded allowing men and women to have classes in the same building, let alone the same classroom. (If I recall, when the university finally allowed men and women to take classes together, women still had to use the back entrance, which of course MT critized. Unsurprisingly, she was a big proponent of ending racial segregation as well).
Anyhow, forgive me for waxing poetic, I happen to think SB and MT were pretty cool. And I had the pleasure of reading the actual letters they would write to one another, as the university's library houses them. They would always end their letters with, "Dear Love, dear love, goodnight."
I intentionally wanted to leave it to interpretation if the protagonist and Jeff end up together, or simply have a special albeit intimate friendship. Regardless, there is certainly a strong love for one another. So, it feels especially appropriate that the story ends with them wishing one another a good night.
Anyhow, I shall leave you with the webtree for the story should you want to read alternative scenes.
<img src="images/storyweb.png" width="50%">
And, I shall leave you with what is one of my favorite letters from SB to MT.
//"Please excuse this spot - I don't know what happened. Dear Love - dear Love - goodnight"//
<img src="images/SpilledCoffee.png" width="75%">
Yours truly,
Kero
2025You stare at the closed door, dazed. You don't know how much time has passed. But enough time has passed that you find yourself parched.
With trepidation, you enter the hallway and hear the TV playing in the living room. As you anxiously approach in the hopes of quietly slipping past into the dining and kitchen area, <<linkappend "he greets you from the sofa with a cordial smile.">> <<audio aegislost play>>
You give an awkward nod and scuttle to the kitchen, filling a glass with water, and downing it. Surprising yourself, you fill a second glass and chug most of it before feeling satisfied.
You grip it hard as you put it down, determined but nervous to enter the living room again. You return, disoriented by how mundane it all feels. He's acting like nothing happened, but that all just happened...right? There's no way it was a dream, otherwise why would he be in your apartment?
<<linkreplace "\"H-hey,\" you test saying, feeling as if you're using every fiber of your being to steady your voice. You clear your throat. \"Can we, uh, do aftercare? After all that...\" ">>
<<linkappend "The warmth in his face fades instantly as he sighs. \"You seriously need more? I already gave you some.\" ">>
<<include "Reconnection 1 Continued">>
<</linkappend>>
<</linkreplace>>
<</linkappend>><<audio whistle play>>
<span style="background-color:grey;">
The forest below looks like a miniature model of what you know to be the valley floor. Waterfalls stream over distant stone cliffs, and a river lazily snakes its way through the valley like a shining ribbon.
“It’s beautiful up here.”
“Thank you.”
“Omigaud, Jeff.”
You take a break, finding a relatively flat surface shaded by some boulders and indulging on the ration of food and water carried from the valley floor. Given you only planned on a day’s climb, it wasn’t much to carry. But all the same, it will be nice descending with a lighter load. After resting your stomachs and stretching your limbs, you begin the descent under the heat of the afternoon sun. Leaving any later risks the descent being in low evening light. Besides, you’re used to it, and the valley’s cliffs filter the afternoon light to make the sun’s heat bearable.
It’s smooth sailing going down, until mere feet from touching ground your rope snags on a jutting edge of the stony wall. You jostle on your attempt to descend, and as the rope resists, the motion causes the wrappings around your thighs to tighten and rise slightly.</span> <span style="background-color:black;">
[[Into a…sensitive area.->Adherence Part III]]
</span><<audio viperA volume 0.8 play>>
Jeff, meanwhile, seems to be in favor with the stone gods today and smoothly descends to his feet.
“Hah, beat you again.”
“Y-yep,” you reply breathily, not recognizing your own voice.
“Hey, uh, you need help?”
“I got it,” you reply, unconvincingly.
“Dude, I can literally pick you up from here and…”
Warm albeit chalky hands reach up and wrap around your buttocks. Under normal circumstances, the gesture might have felt more risqué. But right now, it’s a welcome feeling, prompting a sigh of relief as the pressure between your legs abates. The rope snagged on the jutting rock slackens, and with a soft shake, it slides smoothly down the rock face. Jeff lowers you gently until you stumble on your feet and in to his arms.
He holds you in an embrace until you steady yourself. You stand straight. Or, try to. Then groan and tenderly place your hands over your thighs. “That’s definitely going to bruise.”
---
You enjoy a well needed break in the mess hall before returning to your cabin at the base camp. Despite the day’s climb, you’re not quite tired enough to turn in for the night. <<linkappend "Just as thoughts of what to do for the evening surface, a knock is heard at the door.">> <<audio knock play>> Answering it reveals Jeff with his classic impish grin. It’s warm but also…bashful? Is that…bashfulness? From Jeff?
“Hey, uh, I was sorta bored and, uh, thought I’d…you know, knock incase-“
“Ugh, get in here.”
“Okay!” Jeff eagerly skips in at the invitation. He politely closes the door behind him. <<linkappend "Not sure where his awkward energy is stemming from, you ruffle around in your bags and bring out something you know will settle him down.">>
<img src="images/boggle.png">
He looks at the plastic container and notepads with glee, his nervous energy immediately dissipating.
“Oh yeah, Boggle me baby!”
With that, he joins you at the table and immediately picks up the provided pencil.
After a few rounds (in which…not to toot your own horn, you won by a landslide), Jeff pauses reflectively.
//Oh no…maybe I went too hard on him.//
But, fortunately, his crippling losses in the last few rounds of Boggle don’t seem to be what’s getting at him.
“Man, I don’t know how to phrase this without it sounding weird.”
“What is it?”
“Mmmm, it’s going to sound weird!”
“You’re already making it weird by calling it weird! Just say it, man.”
“Okay, fine, fine.” He looks around, as if unsure where to focus his eyes to avoid eye contact. Finally, he just looks down at his hands. “Earlier today, when your ropes snagged. The way you acted made me wonder if it…well, did it feel...good?”
[[What an odd question, of course not! It hurt!->Denial]]
[[What an odd question! But…when you think about…->Acceptance]]<</linkappend>><</linkappend>>
This is news to you. But...maybe he's right? After all, you were in a daze. But regardless, that doesn't change the fact that you could use some extra comfort right now, and he is still here so...
<<linkreplace "\"Can't we, have a little more?\" ">>
<<include "Reconnection 2 Finale">>
<</linkreplace>>
This is news to you. But...maybe he's right? After all, you were in a daze. But regardless, that doesn't change the fact that you could use some extra comfort right now, and he is still here so...
<<linkreplace "\"Can't we, have a little more?\" ">>
<<include "Reconnection 1 Finale">>
<</linkreplace>><<audio remotesmack play>>
A loud smack sounds in the room. You jump, taking a moment to realize it's the sound of the remote hitting the far wall. "Do you hear how selfish you're being right now?!" he yells back.
You take a step back. "What?" you respond, halfway between indignation and fear. You glance at the remote on the floor. The impact of which had somehow signalled the TV to turn off, and the silence feels defeaning. "What the hell was that?" you ask, failing to stop your voice from quivering this time.
He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, as if the question is a nusiance. "I just get like this when too much is demanded of me. Don't worry about it."
The way he says it is reassuring...and yet the words he uses can't help but make you worry about it. Almost on instinct, you find yourself approaching the mantle where your key dish is, and he's suddenly infront of you, blocking your path.
"What do you think you're doing?"
You look up at him, noting a wild look in his eyes. Has he always had those eyes? Why did you never notice until now?
"I'm, uh, out of chicken broth. I thought I'd go get some, I can't make dinner without it," you say. <<linkappend "It's only a half lie. You //are// out of broth.">> <<audio aegisannoyed play>>
"Ugh, why didn't you just say so. I'll get it," he says with exaperation as he grabs your keys and dons his shoes at the door. "You're obviously not feeling like yourself right now. You should just stay here and rest." He says it more like a command than a suggestion, and looks at your sternly with a forced smile as he opens the door to head out. <<linkappend "\"I'll be right back.\".">><<audio door play>>
--
You stare at the door for a long moment, the sound of it closing seeming to echo in the empty space.
Outburst aside, he was acting so normal, like nothing had happened. And there was a show of cordiality, like nothing was out of the ordinary, like he hadn't just hurt you. So...maybe he hadn't? Maybe it was a misunderstanding, maybe...
While you're incapable of pinpointing what exactly is wrong, a voice screams in your head that something is. And the sight of the remote on the ground spurs you to action. You put your shoes on and flee your apartment (locks be damned! Your neighbors have never broken in the last three years of your lease, here's trusting they won't today). Almost without thinking, without noticing the scenery around you change, you find yourself infront of Jeff's apartment building. After a brief conversaton on the intercom that you only remember as confusing, you enter the building after the front door buzzes. In a rare change of events, Jeff greets you on the first floor instead of waiting for you to make it to his unit on the second.
A blur of scenary later, and you're huddled on his couch with a cup of lavendar tea infront of you. You look up and see Jeff nervously blowing over a cup of his own, and find yourself wishing he were sitting next to you. You don't know how long the cup has been there, but you realize that you're thirsty again, and it doesn't look too hot. <<linkappend "You lean to pick it up,">><<audio tearattle play>> only to find you can barely lift it a centimeter without the cup vigurously shaking and sploshing liquid.
"Fuck," you murmur as you drop it again, surprising yourself by the sound of your own voice.
"Here," Jeff offers a straw, and you realize just how frightened he looks. You look down at the straw - impressed at his foresight - and accept it. After managing a few sips of the still warm liquid, you somehow find yourself explaining how you'd been getting closer to what's-his-face, that you had him over thinking you'd have the same old session you always had with him at parties, and that things...didn't end that way. You do your best explaining his behavior at the end that you can only manage to describe as odd. You end by sharing your sudden flight, and how you hope you're neighbors don't steal your TV.
<<linkappend "\"It's probably the most expensive thing I own,\" you scoff as you finish your tea.">><<audio couch play>>
At some point during your story, Jeff had made his way to the couch and embraced you, cocooning you under the weight of his arms and the blanket you're wrapped in. You widen your eyes in concern at his subtle shakes and convulsions. "Dude, why are //you// crying, you didn't do anything?"
"It's my fault you met him in the first place," he manages to say through haggard breathing. "If I hadn't brought you to the party or, or maybe I should've never mentioned rope to you and-"
"And let me live in vanilla ignorance all my life?"
Jeff snorts in to the blanket but continues shaking.
You sigh, not having expected to take the role of comforter, but pleassantly surprised how quickly you're able to shift in to the role. "Honestly...I think I've always had the interest, even if I didn't realize there was a whole community for it a while ago. At some point, I would have found out another way. That being the only studio of its kind in the city, I would've stumbled across it at some point. We would have had a really awkward and funny interaction when we met each other at my first party, I'd call you a stud and...he woulda been there anyway..." you trail off, suddenly feeling the need for a role reversal so you can be the one comforted. Jeff sighs, stills his breathing, and gives you a kiss ontop of your head. You suddenly feel very warmed by it.
"We should call Martinez."
"Who?"
"The studio manager. You have his number right?"
"Oh yeah. But my phone is back at..."
Jeff nods and shifts to his knees infront of you.
"I'll call him. I'm gonna be right back, okay?"
"Okay."
"I mean it, alright? Even if it takes me a while" he assures you, looking very anxious to make his point.
<<linkappend "\"Al-alright,\" you reassure him.">><<audio jeffbreath play>>
With that, he grunts to his feet and goes to find his phone. You lean forward for more tea, managing to still your hands this time to finish the cup. Feeling a little more stable, you decide to brew more for yourself. Getting to your feet makes you wobbly, but you manage to make your way to the kitchen. <<linkappend "As you find and prep what you want,">><<audio martinezphone play>> you overhear Martinez's familiar voice, calmer and more serious than usual. Coupled with Jeff's energetic summary of things. A few minutes pass, you finish filling your mug and return to your spot on the couch, and Jeff gives you a nervous smile in an attempt to reassure you as he steps out.
You stare at the steam from your mug, finding the shapes and swirls it makes meditative. A few minutes later, as the steam dies down, Jeff returns, proudly shaking your keys in his hand. Your eyes widen, "How did you...?"
"Martinez beat him up."
"What!?"
"Hah, I wish. Nah, but he definitely scared the guy. Made a scene infront of your building, made him hand these over, banned him for life from the studio. Can you believe the other guy had the nerve to get upset over that? Said...well, he tried to lie his way back in to your building but Martinez and your neighbors were having none of it." He tosses you the keys. "Pretty sure your TV's safe."
"I know, I was half joking. It's a small building, everyone more or less knows each other." You sigh, and after a pause admit: "I'm not ready to go back, though."
Jeff nods, and you look up sheepishly. "Would it be weird if I spent the night here?"
"Girl, it'd be weird if you went back after all this!" he says, throwing his hands in the air and stressfully running them through his hair. "I can take the couch-."
"What? No!"
Jeff looks back in surprise, and you blush slightly at your outburst.
"Hey if you want the couch, I won't fight you for it."
"No, I...I wanted the bed...with you..." you mumble in to your mug before taking a loud sip.
"Oh." He looks out the window and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. It isn't until now that you notice how dark it is outside, and how exhausted you are. "Well, it's late enough...I'm ready whenever you are."
The sound of you loudly sipping tea again punctuates the silence.
"I was kinda hoping we could watch an episode of Elementary before bed."
"Hehe, sure." Jeff brings a change of spare pajamas and lends you a toothbrush, and you soon find yourself curled up on the couch with him watching (or attempting to watch) an episode. You loose track of the plot halfway through as you struggle to keep your eyes open, and eventually feel yourself scooped up and carried over to the bedroom, too tired to feel embarassed over it.
You feel yourself sink into the mattress, and it shifts gently as Jeff takes his place on the other end. "Good, oh-," he starts as you roll over and nestle in to him.
"Good night," you finish for him.
[[FIN.->CORRESPONDENCE]]<</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><<audio remotesmack play>>
A loud smack sounds in the room. You jump, taking a moment to realize it's the sound of the remote hitting the far wall. "Do you hear how selfish you're being right now?!" he yells back.
You take a step back. "What?" you respond, halfway between indignation and fear. You glance at the remote on the floor. The impact of which had somehow signalled the TV to turn off, and the silence feels defeaning. "What the hell was that?" you ask, failing to stop your voice from quivering this time.
He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, as if the question is a nusiance. "I just get like this when too much is demanded of me. Don't worry about it."
The way he says it is reassuring...and yet the words he uses can't help but make you worry about it. Almost on instinct, you find yourself receeding to the foyer. You don't know yet how you'll get back to the city, but it now seems like a good time to take your leave. You hardly take a few steps, though, and he's suddenly infront of you blocking your path.
"What do you think you're doing?"
You look up at him, noting a wild look in his eyes. Has he always had those eyes? Why did you never notice until now?
<<linkappend "\"I'm, uh, gonna be late for a meeting,\" you find yourself lying on instinct.">> <<audio aegisannoyed play>>
"Ugh, can't you just reschedule for tomorrow?" he says with exasperation. "You're obviously not feeling like yourself right now. You should just stay here and rest." He says it more like a command than a suggestion, and looks at your sternly with a forced smile.
"I, uh, wow, I, appreciate the offer. But, I can't. It has to do with my lease and if I don't make this meeting, oof." You stressfully run a hand through your hair, hoping your nerves make the lie more believable. "They're gonna be knocking at my door to move out later tonight."
He sighs, as if dissapointed in you. You hope that dropping the detail of others looking for you might spur him to letting you go, and perhaps you're right, because he grumbles something about getting in the car. As if in a trance, you somehow procure your belongings, shoes, and find yourself watching the countryside go by out the window. The light is darker now, and the isolation of these roads seems all the more apparent in the twilight.
//That looks like an easy corner to drag someone to chop them up. Or he could ditch me in this bend here...I wonder if I could find my way back to the city in the dark.//
You find yourself wondering if the only reason he hasn't dragged you to the side of the road is because he knows (or rather, thinks) people would look for you later tonight.
Fortunately, you don't have to find out, as before you know if you're outside your local bank. Whether he somehow knew its address or you told him, you can't recall. But when it dawns on you that the car has stopped, you immediately unbuckle the seat belt and jump out.
"Thanks for the ride!" you say enthusiastically - the eager energy genuine as you feel like a sailor returning to land after an endless voyage. You nearly sprint to the main entrance of the bank, catching a final glance at the car over your shoulder as you slip in the building's double doors. You can't put your finger on why, but something about the crease you spotted in his brow as he pulled away struck you as dangerous...
Your gut screams not to go home. After your carpool taking far too long to leave the parking lot, you find yourself wandering the streets, seemingly aimlessly. But when you come to, you recognize your surroundings and find you're outside Jeff's apartment. Your internal alarms start to go off again as you realize how close you are to your own apartment (if your host tries scouring the streets for you, does he know where you live?)
After a brief conversaton on the intercom that you only remember as confusing, you enter the building after the front door buzzes. In a rare change of events, Jeff greets you on the first floor instead of waiting for you to make it to his unit on the second.
A blur of scenary later, and you're huddled on his couch with a cup of lavendar tea infront of you. You look up and see Jeff nervously blowing over a cup of his own, and find yourself wishing he were sitting next to you. You don't know how long the cup has been there, but you realize that you're thirsty again, and it doesn't look too hot. <<linkappend "You lean to pick it up,">><<audio tearattle play>> only to find you can barely lift it a centimeter without the cup vigurously shaking and sploshing liquid.
"Fuck," you murmur as you drop it again, surprising yourself by the sound of your own voice.
"Here," Jeff offers a straw, and you realize just how frightened he looks. You look down at the straw - impressed at his foresight - and accept it. After managing a few sips of the still warm liquid, you somehow find yourself explaining how you'd been getting closer to what's-his-face, that you visited his place thinking you'd have the same old session you always had with him at parties, and that things...didn't end that way. You do your best explaining his behavior at the end that you can only manage to describe as odd. <<linkappend "You end by sharing your sudden flight, how you managed to get to the bank, and found yourself at Jeff's address soon after.">><<audio couch play>>
At some point during your story, Jeff had made his way to the couch and embraced you, cocooning you under the weight of his arms and the blanket you're wrapped in. You widen your eyes in concern at his subtle shakes and convulsions. "Dude, why are //you// crying, you didn't do anything?"
"It's my fault you met him in the first place," he manages to say through haggard breathing. "If I hadn't brought you to the party or, or maybe I should've never mentioned rope to you and-"
"And let me live in vanilla ignorance all my life?"
Jeff snorts in to the blanket but continues shaking.
You sigh, not having expected to take the role of comforter, but pleassantly surprised how quickly you're able to shift in to the role. "Honestly...I think I've always had the interest, even if I didn't realize there was a whole community for it a while ago. At some point, I would have found out another way. That being the only studio of its kind in the city, I would've stumbled across it at some point. We would have had a really awkward and funny interaction when we met each other at my first party, I'd call you a stud and...he woulda been there anyway..." you trail off, suddenly feeling the need for a role reversal so you can be the one comforted. Jeff sighs, stills his breathing, and gives you a kiss ontop of your head. You suddenly feel very warmed by it.
"We should call Martinez."
"Who?"
"The studio manager. You have his number right?"
"I...think so?"
Jeff nods and shifts to his knees infront of you.
"I'll call him. I'm gonna be right back, okay?"
"Okay."
"I mean it, alright? Even if it takes me a while" he assures you, looking very anxious to make his point.
<<linkappend "\"Al-alright,\" you reassure him.">><<audio jeffbreath play>>
With that, he grunts to his feet and goes to find his phone. You lean forward for more tea, managing to still your hands this time to finish the cup. Feeling a little more stable, you decide to brew more for yourself. Getting to your feet makes you wobbly, but you manage to make your way to the kitchen. <<linkappend "As you find and prep what you want,">><<audio martinezphone play>> you overhear Martinez's familiar voice, calmer and more serious than usual. Coupled with Jeff's energetic summary of things. A few minutes pass, you finish filling your mug and return to your spot on the couch, and Jeff gives you an attempt at a ressuring smile, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"Hey, I got good news for you."
"Did Martinez beat him up?"
"Hah, I wish!"
He takes a seat next to you. "But nah. The dude's banned from the studio. Martinez warned the receptionists. We got them on the phone and they pulled up the dude's legal name and realized...well, turns out this isn't the first studio he's been banned from. It's just...there was no reason to investigate sooner, it's not like every patron is a criminal, and he seemed so...normal. He didn't stand out like, at all!"
You realize how tense you are, thinking back to incidents and slips of the tongue and other things that in hindsight feel like a million red flags. And yet...Jeff was right. The guy didn't stand out, he seemed so //normal//. There's something oddly reassuring that even Jeff and the studio didn't notice.
"I'm sorry," he half whispers.
"It's...not your fault," you reassure him. "Hey, would it be weird if I spent the night here?"
"Girl, it'd be weird if you just went back home after all this!" he says, throwing his hands in the air and stressfully running them through his hair. "I can take the couch-."
"What? No!"
Jeff looks back in surprise, and you blush, startling even yourself by your outburst.
"Hey if you want the couch, I won't fight you for it."
"No, I...I wanted the bed...with you..." you mumble in to your mug before taking a loud sip.
"Oh." He looks out the window and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. You look out as well and realize how dark it is now, and how exhausted you are. "Well, it's late enough...I'm ready whenever you are."
The sound of you loudly sipping tea again punctuates the silence.
"I was kinda hoping we could watch an episode of Elementary before bed."
"Hehe, sure." Jeff brings a change of spare pajamas and lends you a toothbrush, and you soon find yourself curled up on the couch with him watching (or attempting to watch) an episode. You loose track of the plot halfway through as you struggle to keep your eyes open, and eventually feel yourself scooped up and carried over to the bedroom, too tired to feel self conscious about it.
You feel yourself sink into the mattress, and it shifts gently as Jeff takes his place on the other end. "Good, oh-," he starts as you roll over and nestle in to him.
"Good night," you finish for him.
[[FIN.->CORRESPONDENCE]]
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