[User]
Mary watched Evan carefully as he took her in, she could see desire in his eyes, but along with that, earnest admiration, and even a bit of mirth. there was a bit of hardening in his expression, not to callousness, but rather merely firmness, seemingly both for her and for himself. She couldn't be sure, but his expression seemed to tell that he wanted to make sure that he did things properly as well. A smirk, confidant, and amused, came over his face as he looked down at her, and she couldn't help but shudder as she saw it. Gods. She wanted this so badly already, why did he have to stoke that desire even more within her?

Her breath hitched as he knelt down, right beside her, breathing gently on her ear, then nibbling on it, which made her bite her lip and clench her eyes shut to stop a whimper from slipping out, but only managing to muffle it. he reprimanded her gently for following orders before they were given, informing her, in a way that felt somewhat like reminding, and somewhat like teaching that her job was not to guess his will but to execute it. Her lips parted, and she softly whispered. "Yes, Master. I'm sorry Master." She felt his hand alight on the small of her back and another on her stomach and opened her eyes as he pushed her forwards slightly, straightening up her back, She felt her muscles stretch slightly. His hands moved hers to her thighs, and he told her this was how he wanted her to kneel. She nodded with understanding, "Yes, Master"

His hands went back to her core, and he pushed her forwards onto her hands and knees, pushing up on her sternum in order to make her arch her back, and push out her ass. She took the position, looking down at the floor, and repeated again. "Yes, Master." She could tell that this position wouldn't be easy to hold for a long time but was far from the most stressful position he could put her in. She nodded again at his mention of a reward, finding herself already hoping that she would be able to earn it, wanting him to feel proud of her.

The feelings were intense. So many times in meetings both public and private she had had to tell him bad news, and then take his reactions, which were predictably displeased, and simply file them away. She hadn't ever let it affect her and had been able to take his reactions so easily, but now... she knew that if she saw that face of displeasure, mild, diluted, and subdued loathing, it would break her. Was it just because it was personal now, and everything before had just been business? No... there was something more to it, it was the vulnerability of giving herself over to him, and the deep internal hope that it wasn't a mistake, that it would work out. The idea that the reward for successfully pleasing him would be so much greater than that despair could be.

[Assistant]
Mary wasn't Evan's favorite person in the world to be sure, most days he was lucky that he could keep his displeasure limited to just a frown or a glance, and the few times they had really gotten into it, well then it got into shouting. But now that he'd seen her like this, a new and different side, Evan knew that she had needed this with every fiber of her being and the incredible trust she'd placed on him by letting it go this far. Tomorrow would be tomorrow and they might have shouting matches in the future, in fact he could probably bet on it. But tonight, tonight he was going to help her find this pleasure and his own.

He stood up and walked around her in a slow circle as she remained in table position for him, she could feel his eyes appraising her positioning, waiting to see if she could hold it or if she would break for him so easily. One of his hands stroked her ass, a light pat before making his way all the way around. "Not bad. You must really want this. Now we're going to push you to humble." kneeling back down he took her hands, helping her slide forward into the new position, face down to the floor and arms over her head, splayed out onto the mat. "When I say humble, this is what you are to do for me. Do you understand?" He was hitched behind her, so close and pressed up to her from behind, teasing her now, just a bit. A hand reached up and tweaked the tight bun of her hair, just a bit though.

"I think we can do some rope play tonight since you've been a good girl so far. I want you to get to collar position. It's the same as modest but your hands go behind your head. Now." The only stern part was the last word, making sure she understood that this was to be and order and she was to obey. Not that she needed much coaxing, she was primed to be submissive it seemed, completely natural to her. He could think of all the fun they could have once he'd properly broken her in. He scolded himself a bit, this was supposed to be a one night stand wasn't it? how was he going to plan future sessions with this woman? Still, the thoughts danced around in his mind as he stood and walked over to the side of the room to gather some length of bright red rope for the next part of the scene.

[User]
Mary held still as Evan walked around her. She felt his eyes on her keenly and did her best to relax and breathe evenly while she held the position. She almost flinched as she suddenly felt his hand reach out and stroke her ass, but just managed to hold herself together with a small hitch in her breath, and her muscles tensing to lock into place as her eyes widened, and he patted her gently. "Yes, Master." She breathed as he speculated that she must really want this.

She pliantly let Erik push her into the ''humble'' position, her face pressed down beneath her arms, with her hands stretched forwards. She couldn't see anything from this position and she could feel her heart pound faster as she took this into consideration. She had been following orders so far, but this position made her more vulnerable. She had to trust Evan if anything was coming towards them, or if anything interrupted. She couldn't see if anyone was watching them. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, placing her trust in Evan. "Yes, Master." She responded as he asked if she understood.

The sensation of a hand tweaking her hair bun once again made Mary want to flinch, but she managed to only tense instead. She couldn't help but blush as Evan called her a good girl, making her breathing hitch. She hesitated for a moment when he told her to move to ''modest'' position except with her hands behind her head. She couldn't remember a position that he had called that. There was only one position that he hadn't given a name, however, so it wasn't a stretch in logic to assume that was what he meant, but doing so would be making an assumption in his commands. Hopefully, he would be understanding. He hadn't given her any commands to be silent, so she couldn't imagine that he would see her asking for clarification as warranting punishment.

Mary moved back up to her knees, lifting her torso up straight, and lifting her hands to the back of her head, pushing her elbows out to either side and leaving her breasts on full display. "I don't remember you teaching me the modest position Master. Is this what you meant Sir?" She said, looking straight ahead, and trying not to seem nervous at the prospect of having potentially disobeyed a command. After a beat, she couldn't stand the tension in her head, and added "Please forgive me if I have misunderstood."

[Assistant]
It sounded good when she said it, 'Yes Master', she'd given it freely and without hesitation. She was ripe for this training, she needed it as much as he needed to give it to her. Everything, every issue they'd had with one another melted away in this space, it was so easy to lose themselves in the roles and forget about the nastiness they'd both inflicted. In this they could each see one another as they truly were rather than the artifice they presented.

Evan realized he hadn't set that for her yet and yet all she wanted to do was please him. But he wanted to leave her to dangle just a bit, let her wonder if she'd upset him, he doubted that she really could though, it was in her nature to be pleased like this, to be trained. But if she did well... perhaps he'd indulge a bit of discipline sometime too. Leaning down he let a hand stroke the side of her neck. "You are fine. You are being a very good girl tonight." God she had wonderful breasts and left them on display for her so brazenly. It was all he could do to control himself, but he knew they had a lot more time to wring every ounce of pleasure from this night.

"I'm going to collar you now. It is not permanent for us yet, but in this place we can play with it." He produced a velvet black collar, a thin one that would go around her throat and just be a tad too tight but not so that it would hurt, just enough to appreciate it's presence. He sidled behind her, his body close to hers as he secured it around her throat. "Calm yourself, in this space you are owned and your master is here. I can see your eagerness to submit. I take good care of what is mine." his lips nibbled at the back of her neck as he secured a thin leash to the collar. "You're well on your way to earning your reward..."

She was so earnest it was infectious and he couldn't fight a smile any longer as he stood back up and held the leash in his hand "How about we take a walk and I show off how good of a sub you are?" It was phrased as question but didn't leave any doubt, this was what will be happening tonight.

[User]
The seconds dragged on, as Mary emotionally dangled, wondering if she had disobeyed without intending to. She couldn't help but frown slightly, the worry creeping onto her face. She desperately didn't want to disappoint him. Something she normally had absolutely no problem with. It had been her job to do just that, make him mad because his bosses were too scared to do it themselves. A tremble threatened to pass through her entire body, right up until Evan leaned down, and gently brushed against her neck, calling her a good girl.

"Good girl" The words washed over her, and the entire world became a little bit brighter. Mary couldn't help but share, as she looked up into Evan's eyes. "Thank you, Master." She murmured gently. She nodded with understanding as he told her that he was going to collar her, but that it was not permanent. She couldn't help but notice the "yet." that he added to the end. Was he thinking about it being permanent one day? Did he want to do this again already?

Her thoughts quieted as soon as the thin velvet collar encircled her neck, and her Master pressed into her back gently. She breathed deeply, obediently trying to calm herself, and letting it out slowly, closing her eyes. She felt his lips gently nibbling her neck, right where it met her shoulders behind her. She nodded again as he mentioned that she was well on her way to earning a reward.

She felt a gentle tug at her neck and looked up to see a leash in Evan's hand. "Yes, Master." She murmured, starting to stand up, then realizing that he had not given her any commands yet, putting her leg back down, and waiting for directions, still holding her hands behind her head, her elbows splayed wide.

[Assistant]
She was so full of a desire to please Evan, to take every order from him that it thrilled him even. Maybe he did want to do it again, well, he supposed they would see how it worked between them, there was no way they could reconcile what they got up to during the day with what they were enjoying here, but they were already well past t he point of no return on it, so it was really a question of how many times as opposed to yes or no. Now that the collar and leash had been secured though they could move to the next step of the evening. He slipped a hand under her bottom, easing her forward. "All fours, now." His tone was impassive but commanding, as if the idea of opposition or refusal was not even a possibility at all. But never cruel either, perhaps he would need to punish her should she truly warrant it, but Mary had set her limits on that end, and he was certainly not going to be the one to overstep them. As he eased her forward his hand took a handful of her bottom, squeezing it in his hands before giving her a light slap, not enough to even leave a mark but enough to make a satisfying sound when hand met exposed flesh.

Standing up after he'd gotten her into the required position he wrapped the leash around his hand and looked down at her. "You're going to walk now, you're going to show yourself off to the other patrons and how well you've been trained. You're my perfect pet and you're not to disappoint me or embarrass me with insolence. They will not touch you because you belong to me this evening, but you are to show off for them, show them what a fine slave I've collared this evening. Do you understand me? Now crawl for me."

[User]
Mary leaned forwards onto her hands as Evan pushed her forwards, commanding her onto all fours. She obeyed but looked up at him questioningly. He wasn't going to make her crawl around like this, was he? She let out a soft moan as Evan... her Master, groped her ass, followed by a quick yelp as he slapped it. It stung a little, but really she had been scared by the sound more than the impact.

But then the moment came, he told her that she was going to walk, and show herself off to the other patrons. Mary hadn't even considered being shown off in front of other people. Were they going to make fun of her, laugh at her? Mary felt like she would die if that happened. Mary's face flushed crimson, and she looked up at her Master with unease. She didn't want to upset or disappoint him though, and this was what he had decided to do with her, so she'd do it. She had a safe word if she needed it... if she could remember in the moment, and not just melt into a puddle of tears, and then die of embarrassment on the spot.

He asked if she understood, and she nodded, murmuring a soft "Yes, Master." She hoped she didn't sound too nervous. He ordered her to crawl, and for a brief moment, she hesitated, then she obeyed, crawling forwards into the club, letting the leash and collar around her neck lead her. It felt like so many thoughts were rushing through her head, that she wasn't thinking anything at all. She couldn't help but feel like she was a ball of nerves and tension. She was doing it though... she was letting someone else control her, she was submitting.

[Assistant]
Evan didn't show it on his face, but Evan frowned inwardly, he could feel her resistance to it, she was trying to submit and be good but he knew this might be difficult for her. It was perhaps too much too soon, that was OK, she'd indulged him, done what he'd asked without a complaint and for that she deserved her reward. He liked rewarding his subs when they pleased him, it was incredible to see the elation in their faces when they knew they had achieved their greatest pleasure, to satisfy him. He led her only briefly through the club and certainly wouldn't take her all the way through it. He knew enough of the patrons, the regulars, that would help her get where she wanted to be.

One woman, a bit older than the both of them, clearly a domme, with fiery red hair in a long shock down her back. They shared knowing smiles with one another, not allowing Mary to become the immediate topic of conversation. They carried on with one another like old friends, and they were. Though they'd never crossed paths in a personal sense, they'd known each other long enough to consider each other well. Finally after a bit of small talk, Evan looked down at Mary and smiled before turning back to the woman "Janice, this is Mary. She's being very good tonight, can you tell?" He knelt down beside her, resting a hand on the small of her back and sliding it down her hind quarters. "She's new but she's learning so very quickly what it means to be here. I just wanted to show you how good she was being, I think she's earned herself a reward though." his other hand slid around her bottom, pressing his fingers subtly against her womanhood, hoping to provoke a reaction from her as he did. he loved it when they tried to control themselves only to fail, it was adorable to see their shame, and then to reward them for their earnestness. "I don't think I'll have anyone else pet her tonight, we haven't really broached that yet, but maybe some day. Tonight she's my pet" The woman smiled, complimenting Mary on her look and how well she was doing, but soon enough the woman had other affairs to tend to, and Evan led Mary back towards their little alcove, leading her calmly.

"Kneel for me." He unhooked the leash from her. "You did well, keep this up and you'll make it very hard for me to give you up. Do you like being collared Mary? Is it everything you wanted it to be?"

[User]
Mary crawled into the more open part of the main room of the club, she felt gentle tugs at her collar to guide her in the direction Evan wanted her to go. She was feeling very controlled, and very aware of how exposed she was to the eyes of everyone in the club... but no one seemed to notice, or at least... no one seemed to care. people looked at her for a moment, some of them smiling, others simply expressionless, then went back to their conversations.

Evan lead Mary up to a gorgeous red-haired woman, in tight, severe, black clothing, that seemed to be some combination of leather and latex. She was very clearly a domme, and very clearly used to being in control and getting whatever she wanted... at least eventually. Mary noticed the woman noticing her, and expected her to comment... but instead She and Evan just greeted each other. Evan and Janice, as Mary learned was her name, made small talk for a bit, and then Evan introduced her. Telling Janice that she was being very good tonight. The words brought a hot blush quickly to her cheeks, even as a smile plastered itself on her lips, and the warmth of the praise flowed through her.

Mary wasn't exactly sure what Evan meant when he said that she had earned herself a reward, it seemed like she had done basically nothing. She hadn't even crawled fully across the club. Not that she particularly wanted to, but it felt like she hadn't done nearly enough to be getting praise and rewards already. She felt the firm, confident hand alight on the small of her back, then slide back, over the swell of her generous ass. She was expecting him to simply cup and hold her cheeks, but instead, his hand simply kept sliding around the curve, and suddenly there was a subtle brush of fingers against her vulva. Mary simply couldn't help herself, she gasped, and flinched, not expecting the touch. She tried desperately to quickly regain her composure, as a fresh blush flooded her face with crimson. She smiled, and let out soft "Yes Ma'am"s and "No, Ma'am"s to Janice's questions and compliments, feeling flustered and overwhelmed.

She almost entirely missed the comment about not having anyone else pet her, and was very glad to retreat to the alcove he had prepared her in. He commanded her to kneel, and she lifted up her torso straight to assume the position Evan had taught her. She watched as he reached for her neck, and uncooked the leash from her collar, letting out a long breath after he did. A huge grin spread across her face as he told her it would be hard to give her up, and asked if she liked it. "It's been wonderful, Master. Not exactly what I thought it would be like, but I don't think I really could have guessed how such a simple experience would affect me. It was... I mean... it was amazing but also pretty overwhelming I think? I don't know, it feels like I did a lot, but I know that we couldn't have done too much. We were out there maybe, what ten, fifteen minutes? and it feels like I was out there for an hour and a half. I think I might still be shaking slightly. But it scratched some sort of itch deep inside me. I... I really needed that in ways that I didn't understand before."

[Assistant]
Evan often had to stifle his inner laughter as he continued to project the stern, paternalistic image of a Dom. Not that he wanted to mock her, but her enthusiasm was adorable to him, and the fact that it had clearly had such an effect on her left him deeply touched. Nodding his head along with her words, he offered only a small smile as he looked her over. "I think we'll keep the collar on for tonight then. I'm not quite done with you after all."

The grin widened and took on a bit of a devious nature to it as he walked over to the table in the corner of the room and produced a length of red, silk rope. He weighed it in his hand as he walked back over to her, looking her over, checking her posture, even going as far as to kneel beside her, resting a hand on the small of her back to see how she held the position he'd ordered.

"Excellent, you're making me very pleased tonight Mary. I think we'll try some rope play now. Do you still want to be tied up tonight?" He teased the rope between his fingers and locked eyes with her. "Speak freely and feel no shame in it. It's been a big night for you. If you like, there can be further opportunities for us to explore."

Well that was Evan giving up on the idea of it just being a one time thing. But how could he not? She was a breath of fresh air and attacked this life with an earnestness that was infectious.

"But... I'd like you to ask your master for this release. You've proven yourself exceptional this evening as my pet. You should feel quite valuable." He knelt down in front of her. A finger trailing down her chest lightly. "The evening doesn't have to end..."


[User]
"God... is dead," Razor intoned, scowling at the teensy number that represented her after-tax pay for the last two weeks. The dramatic pause would have been more... well, more dramatic, had she had an audience, and the whole thing would have been more believable if she hadn't renounced traditional religion at 16, to piss off her parents. Since then she'd dabbled in Wicca, Satanism, some weird sort of Tantric Buddhism and half a dozen other systems, mostly to find new people to have sex with and whom she knew Mumsy and Dadsy wouldn't approve of. So, if there were Anyone Out There (and there wasn't, she was sure) he/she/they/it were being a right cunt.

OK, maybe signing a lease for a 2-bedroom in a decent part of town her freshman year hadn't been the swiftest move. She'd been sure she could make it work, the up-front payment coming from money she'd saved during her two gap years from various family gifts, odd jobs, and the occasional amateurish drug sale. Mom had never missed the couple of Valium a week Razor had snitched and remarketed, and it had always been easy to turn grass around to wannabe cool geeks at three times what she'd paid for it.

As it turned out, though, there wasn't much call for a budding psychologist-photographer in the commercial swamp that surrounded Western Liberal College. Especially not one who looked, dressed, spoke, and acted like her, and insisted her real name was Razor Dulhaney (it wasn't, at least not yet; she hadn't gotten the money together to make it legal. But she refused to use the drab, Middle-American Irish-Catholic tag her parents had so thoughtlessly saddled her with). The local uptight business drones wanted clean-cut Aryan men, and soft-spoken perky girls with short skirts, preferably who had never heard of #MeToo. The coffee and book and smoke shops who would hire someone like her---welcome her with open arms, in fact (and legs, hopefully)---were all marginal enterprises that paid dick.

She'd take a second crap job, but her double major was already eating her life. She hadn't been to a party in ages, and was getting laid barely once a week. Her progenitors would gladly receive her back into the bosom of the family home---oh, wouldn't they just, and gloat over every second of it---dagger to my heart! But Daddums had already said he wasn't happy about her living off campus instead of in the dormhives with all the other drones, so there was no way he'd pony up. It was sink or swim. Put up or shut up. Trick or travel.

That was a thought... nah. A girl had to have some standards. So, she did the unthinkable, and scribbled the ad... for a roommate.

[Assistant]
Esti let out along sigh. She was once again without a place to stay. It was a real shame too because the cozy little apartment her last paramour had set her up in had a view she would certainly miss. They had a good thing going too. He was a busy man so he only managed to see her once or twice a week. Too bad he had gotten careless and his wife had found out. Honestly, she did not see what the big deal was. She was an attractive woman and even he said how intelligent and driven she was. She could obviously do better. He was average in looks and average in bed even before he lost points for having sex with his socks on. Humans were strangely hung up on the antiquated notions of matrimony. Then again, in the year and a bit that she had been topside, she had learned that humans were strange in general.

It had been a rather intense first few months, with learning how to blend in. Luckily she had a way with people wanting to help her out. From the nice officer that understood that there was a simple misunderstanding and the gentleman that grabbed her ass had simply fallen on the pavement multiple times and that was how his teeth had ended up everywhere to the taxi driver that had basically become her chauffeur because she batted her eyelashes at him (and possibly flashed him a time or two) people always wanted to help her out. Most recently, she had gotten bored of lounging around the apartment and decided to try a human experience that had come highly recommended, university. By all accounts it was a fun way to learn how humans thought and acted while also engaging in all manner of fun and salacious behavior.

The admissions officer had been quite a challenge, but eventually she agreed that there was no need to see records of grades and all that. She even was able to convince the wonderful woman that she should be recommended for a small stipend to help her focus on her studies without the need for one of those boring jobs. The mere thought of such bone-jarring monotony made her shudder. Right now she was trying to find a place to live. On campus was not at all an option. She liked more privacy than a dorm would afford because sometimes she really needed to be au naturale. It was not strenuous to use a little glamour to fool mortal eyes into see her as human, but every now and again she wanted to be truly herself. Flipping through ads for roommates on her phone, the demon found herself rolling her eyes repeatedly. ''No noise'', ''quiet required'', ''no one allowed to stay over''... why didn't these people just live in a convent. Then she saw it.

JACKPOT! She had that phone ringing in an instant, practically squirming in her seat. When the voicemail message was a simple 'you know the drill' the slender demon in disguise was giddy. The voice was cute in that feisty, fuck the world way that she was so fond of. This was going to be perfect! "Hi, my name is Esti," the voice was soft and calm, pleasing to the ear and sounding mush more innocent than the woman the bore it. "I was looking to see if you still needed a roommate. Definitely not a nun but not a crazy person either. I'm not a slob, I won't be in the way and I'm a reasonable cook if I do say so myself. As long as you don't mind things a little on the goth side we should get along fine." She hung up the phone and cursed under her breath. Shaking her head, Esti called back. "So, hi. Esti again. I imagine you have fancy things like caller ID, but just in case you don't I thought I should leave my number. 555-2469. Thanks." Now all she had to do was wait. Satan's sweet ass, did she hate waiting!

[User]
The name sounded ethnic, but the accent was a Jane Q. as average could be. Not that it mattered, especially as it was a pretty mellow sounding voice. Razor was mostly on the sausage plan, but a little seafood never hurt anyone now and again as a palate cleanser, she figured.

Getting ahead of herself, a bit, she was, though. While it was great to get a response so quickly---she needed the cash pronto---she wasn't so stupid as to accept someone sight unseen. This Esti could be a freak or a psycho, or something else again. Naturally, it was the 'something else again' possibility that concerned her, since all of her few friends fit nicely into category A, B, or both.

When she was off-shift at the Cuppa Kindness, she dialed her back. "Hey, Esti. this is Razor," she said to the answering system---or at least she assumed it was the mailbox, since she wasn't really paying attention. "You called about the flat share? Why don't we meet up some place, so we can see if we're a good fit. Gimme a call, I'm off the rest of tonight."

[Assistant]
Patience was not one of Esti's most developed traits. Waiting drove her crazy so she wandered around, ending up at the mall, sipping at a smoothie and splitting her time between window shopping and people watching. There was always so much to see, so much to wonder about. Like the couple walking and holding hands but with enough space to seem awkward. Was it the awkward steps into new love or a relationship crumbling while they held onto the last outward appearances of normalcy? Was the longing stare of the girl at the cellphone kiosk directed at the lovely young lady hawking makeup at the next stand over, or was she daydreaming about someone else, unaware of where her eyes lingered? Humans were fascinating, especially in their inability to be direct about things. It had been a lesson learned quickly once she was topside. A few people had responded positively to her initial directness, but it was definitely more the exception than the rule.

Thankfully though, the phone rang and she was quick to fish it out of her pocket. "Hello, this is Esti." Her voice was sweet and melodic and despite trying to keep the excitement out of her voice, she did not quite succeed. Her beaming smile morphed into a look of confusion when the other woman told her to call her back and she giggled softly. "That seems a tad redundant since you are talking to me now. I'd love to meet up. I'm at the campus mall right now, but I can meet you wherever you would like." Biting her bottom lip, Esti felt the excitement bubble back to the surface, both at the prospect of a place to live and because, while mildly confusing, Razor sounded pretty cute.

[User]
Soon they'd agreed on a juice bar both knew---busy enough to be seriously public, and no hint of flirtatiousness. I mean, come on, who tried to set up a hookup a freaking juice bar? Of course, it wasn't just that simple. 'Business' meeting or not, one had to make the right impression. Which definitely did not involve showing up in a t-shirt that read 'Caffeine with a Grin' looking like a total service economy drone. So she had to go home first.

A little makeup. Not much, she wasn't into the whole whiteface thing, just some eyeliner and some dark lipstick. Drag a bit of hair gel through, to keep her shaggy mop under control. Clothes were the tough part: what to wear that said 'this is who I am, deal' without saying 'wanna fuck' at the same time? Finally she settled on jeans---black, of course, and ripped strategically at knees and at one spot on the butt. Fishnets, kicking boots. Leather jacket... well, you get the picture.

Anyway, it meant she was ten minutes late, which sent several messages. One: ''I'm not desperate.'' Which was total bullshit, but you could never let the bastards see you bleed. Two: ''I don't take anything all that seriously.'' True, but maybe not the best time for it. But hey, this Esti chick deserved to know what she was getting into. Assuming she hand't split already. If she had, fuck her, who needed her? She hadn't. The place was crowded with the usual catalogue-cover jockettes with no asses or tits but with tiny little rolls at the belt that gave away their real ages and the guys who thought stupid looking tight pants with padded asses and three thousand dollar bikes would stave off middle age if taken with just enough wheat grass and protein powder.

Esti was different, and real easy to spot. About Razor's age maybe a tiny bit older. Cute, tight,as out of place among the Second Wave hippies as Razor was. She was also... red. Not blood red, not 'American Indian' red (which wasn't really red, anyway, assholes). Not the bright lobster-in-a-pot red of sun-roasted nitwit. Kind of the purplish side of brick red. Maybe Dejah Thoris red. Red... and horny. As in she had horns. Not that Razor was a judgy sort---she knew a lot of folks with some mods that were kind of out there. It was more curiosity as to how the hell it had been done. And how much it had cost. Even more curious was that no one else seemed to notice. A few people looked at the petite Goth and rolled their eyes or sniffed as if she'd tracked a pile of dog shit in with her, but Esti drew not a single jaded eye.

"Hey," Razor said with a thin smile as she slipped onto a stool across from her prospective new roomie. Her face was cute, too. Once you got past, you know. The color. And the horns. And the little fangs. OK, maybe the fangs were part of the cute. But WTF? "Sorry I'm late," she went on, trying to be slick, trying to not stare, while also not look away. "Had to change and got jammed up at the crib. Anyway---I'm Razor. Duh?"

[Assistant]
Esti was not quite as concerned about her appearance as her would-be roommate. She knew that she was hot and with her ability to influence mortals, it would not be a problem. She did not want to have to use her gifts though. Razor sounded fun and she could use an honest to goodness friend. It seemed like so much fun. Despite the girl's weird phone conversation, the vibe she gave off had Esti thinking that they could be fast friends. The fact she sounded positively adorable did nothing to sour that first impression. Getting to the juice bar early, she did slip into the bathroom to give herself a once over. Wetting her short mess of black hair, Esti smoothed it out a little. It always reverted to the same style eventually but one had to try. Doing a slow turn in front of the mirror, she admired her curves and the way that the fitted black t-shirt and similarly tight black skirt that she wore complimented her figure. The knee-high black leather boots with the chunky soles gave her short stature a needed boost. Seeing that all was right, glamour intact, she wandered out and ordered another drink, even though she had just tossed her empty cup out before coming inside. Finding a seat that was visible from the door but still afforded some privacy, she sipped at her drink while she played a stupid time-wasting game on her phone.

Looking up a couple of times when someone came in, she realized that they had not given each other descriptions but looking around she realized that she would certainly know her when she saw her. Glancing around, she saw more than one woman with her nose in the air like Esti had shit on her boot, but even more humorous was the guys that they were with trying to be subtle while fucking her with their gazes. With a roll of the eyes and a shake of her head she sipped her drink and stared at her phone. Until the door opened and a person that had to be Razor walked in. At least she certainly hoped that it was Razor. The girl was sexy, but in an understated way and just oozed a duck you attitude. Esti swore she saw a smirk cross the young woman's lips at the glares that she got. Before they ever said a word to each other in person, Esti was already wondering what she looked like under the suitably monochromatic wardrobe. The dark eyes cute little nose, and multi-colored hair had her feeling practically giddy. Suddenly she was not missing the view from her old apartment in the least. Reminding herself that using her power was cheating, she simply sat, holding onto her drink so that she did not fidget.

"Hey." She replied, but her voice was a little higher than normal and she nervously cleared her throat. "No need to apologize, I just got here." The nearly empty cup said that she was a liar, but she was just trying to be nice. "I know how it goes, but I like the outfit so a worthwhile reason, right?" The soft laugh was sweet and melodic not giving away the nervousness that she felt. Sticking out her hand, Esti smiled wider, showing off the cute little fangs. "Nice to meet you in person, I'm Esti... also duh." Razor would notice that despite just holding the cold drink, the red-skinned girl was pleasantly warm. "It is a pleasure to meet you... I said that already. Sorry, I've been looking for a place for a bit and your ad was the first one that did not make me think I would be pulling my hair out in two weeks. So, it's kind of god that whole job interview or first date feel. I really want you to like... me." The last sentence kind of puttered to an end and it was clear that Esti realized she may have said too much.

The conversation continued in and she was quick to notice Razor's eyes drifting off of her face. It seemed odd like the other woman was looking over top of her head at someone. Was this some sort of scam or something and she was signaling to a partner? Casually, Esti stretched her arms over her head and gave a quick look around. There was no one behind them, not a single soul. What the hell was she looking at so intently? She couldn't be... could she?! Slowly Esti moved her head from side to side like she was stretching her neck. When Razor's eyes followed, she bit her lip, brandishing her small, pointed fangs. She could see the real her... humans were not supposed to be able to do that. This one was interesting. Time to see what was going on and see about catching her in a lie. "So, you don't have a problem with an Asian roommate do you?" It was a trick question, her glamour was a pale as fuck, very obviously Caucasian woman with the same short hair she had and brown eyes. She waited intently to see what was about to happen, practically vibrating in anticipation.

[User]
The question caught Razor by surprise---as well as still staring. Fangs. Bitch had honest-to-God FANGS? What the hell must that have cost? Perky tits, too. And the boots were a good sign.

"Whu? Asian?" Duh, play it cool, pretend the other girl wasn't a whirlwind combination of Tales From The Crypt and Horrorgoth modder's wet dream. "Oh. Hell no. Why would I? Skin is just fucking skin. We're all red and wet on the inside." OK, maybe not the best choice of words to use to a chick was was literally red on the outside, and was making Razor kinda squirmy in the panty area. And also looked like any Muffy or Carly on campus, not a Kimi or a Lu. "Besides," she added with a smirk, trying to play it off. "I know who to ask if I need help with my math homework." Oh, good job. Direct segue from the woke playbook to Stereotype City. Well, not the first time her mouth had gotten her in trouble. Or out.

"So, like---what's your major? And what's your fave band? I get it, we might not be audio-compatible, but if you say some shit like Barry Manilow? We can just be done now." And does that red go all the way down? And wouldn't those horns be fun to gold onto as she rode Esti's---

Shit. What was getting into her? She wasn't anti-lez, anything but, had tongue-toured the valley more than once. But to flame up over a chick like this wasn't like her. Especially one so freaky. Was that it? The fact that Esti was such a freak, she felt like a soulmate? But why didn't anyone else seem to notice? "Uh---hold that thought. Lemme grab a smoothie. You want a refill, or you good?"

[Assistant]
Razor's answer had Esti staring at her in awe. There was two explanations for the answer and both seemed utterly fucking impossible. Either the cute punk girl had never in her life seen an Asian... or she could see through her glamour. "I am good at math, that is true." She gave a soft smile. It was a struggle to listen to the conversation while her mind was trying to piece together how the hell the woman could see her true self. The only thing that she could figure was that the woman was a powerful practitioner or was somehow touched by demonic forces. Taking in a deep breath, Esti let it out in a soft sigh. While she smelled pleasant enough, she did not have the scent of home. So she had no idea what was going on.

"Major?" She tunes back into the conversation and it took a second for her to remember what was going on. "Oh, yeah... I'm thinking sociology. Human behavior fascinates me." She smiled at the little inside joke with herself, flashing those cute little fangs. "As for music, it's pretty much anything but country. Whatever you play will be fine. I'll keep the headphones handy if the craving for some Barry Manilow hits me." The comment was punctuated with a teasing wink. "What about you with the major and all?" She was still distracted, but tried to contribute to the conversation even as she eyed the other woman with curiosity. Apparently it was mutual because Razor was rather openly staring.

"Sure, a refill would be lovely. Thank you, you're a sweetheart." Another toothy grin. Her eyes stared at the young woman walking away from her, her eyes drawn to the strategic rip on what seemed to be quite a nice backside. It had not been her intention to be more than roommates with the woman, but she was not immune to those charms. Besides if the woman could see her true form and had not run away in fear, it would make her home life much easier. The demon licked her lips at the thought. The girl was tough for sure, but there was some interest there. Esti was familiar with that look. Seemed that when Razor returned, they were going to have to have a talk about what was going on, even if it was tempting to see how long the other woman would play along.


[User]
The rental stopped in the visitors parking at the university. A gorgeous Latina woman stepped out of it. It was Adriana Santos, the mother of one of the many students at this fine establishment. Marco, her son, whom she loved sooo much! She was missing her little baby, now a grown and independent man.

Adriana looked around. So many young people moving about. It seems most classes were over as it was Friday late afternoon and she could hear the excited voices of students making plans where to party and with whom. She missed those years. Now she was mostly stuck at home and at work. Her husband too. He had to stay back home as there was urgent business that he had to attend to. She was disappointed but at least she could come. The Skype calls were not enough. She missed the real thing.

Adriana headed towards the area where the dorms were located. Hopefully she would be able to find Marco's building. She was not sure of his schedule so she hoped that she would catch him in his room. Or if not, hopefully that nice roommate of his could let her in to wait. She gave a mental smile, Adriana was going to catch him unprepared as she was supposed to arrive tomorrow, for the weekend, but she could not wait. So she wondered if she would find some naughty magazines on his bed. That made her blush slightly and chuckle in her mind. She was being silly.

Adriana noticed that some of the boys were checking her out, as well as even some of the girls! That sent a warm feeling through her, she was still being desirable. Very flattering! She had dolled up a notch as she was going to take Marco for dinner, she did not want to embarrass him too much.

Or maybe there was another reason, deep in the darkness of the subconscious? Who knows...

[Assistant]
Marco Aurelio Santos was in a shit mood that afternoon, which was moving towards evening in the slowest possible manner. A third year student, the 21 year old Marco had a life most envied and would happily change places with. Tall, built, co-captain of the lacrosse team, excellent grades that he worked hard to achieve as was expected in his family, and possessed of chiseled, yet romantically irresistible good looks that were the result of both incredible genes and taking care of himself with a healthy, as university students go anyway, lifestyle. He was never the big man on campus, that wasn't his more laid back and cool style, but his brooding good looks and all the rest made him a catch that many women tried for, but far fewer could ever claim to know him more than as a charming friend.

A natural romantic, Marco was hardly virginal, in fact he was an incredibly attentive and skilled lover, but born into a family that was stable and connected by strong ties, especially to his Mother, he tended towards being what his roommate called a serial monogamist. Not a player, but also picky, his relationship life was a series of longer term connections, weeks to months most of the time with one woman at a time. Had there been a few one night stands? No arguing that, but they were usually the exception and tended to hit at times just like this one... right after a breakup with a long-ish time girlfriend and lover.

He was oddly dressed, black T shirt atop the dress pants and matching shoes he was wearing when Rachelle sent him the breakup text, not even a goddamned call. A statuesque blonde stunner, Rachelle and Marco has reservations that night to celebrate Valentine's Day, even though it was several days past the actual day, it was the first day he could get reservations because of the goofy Hallmark holiday that Rachelle was really into. Marco was the kind of man that didn't need a special day to be utterly romantic and the sort that totally spoiled his woman... problem being, Rachelle was incredibly spoiled and was nervous about his plan for her to meet his family when they arrived the next day. So that was that, and yeah, maybe he moved that along too fast, and truthfully, he knew she was not the right woman for him forever, too much of a high maintenance brat at times, but the breakup still stung and sucked. He was so mopey that his roommate stopped trying to make him feel better and left Marco have some space to himself. Marco was maybe a third heartbroken, a third insulted and hurt by the breakup text move that was so classless, and a third horny as fuck, with his connection with Rachelle always having been a more physical one, more in lust than love, but a little of that too.

There was a knock on his door, he and his roommate sharing a suite in the upperclassmen dorm that was much more spacious, almost like a private apartment and nicely styled and new construction. No annoying room or dorm monitors so people could come and go as they liked. The knock was light, feminine, and he sighed heavily as he moved to answer it, figuring it was one of Rachelle's friends with some bullshit story, or worse, wanting to hit on him... hmmm, maybe that wouldn't be so bad after all, might resolve that last third of what he was missing and make him forget the rest. Opening the door Marco could have been knocked over with a feather. There she stood, the girl and woman of his dreams, the incredible beauty and elegance of his Mother, Adriana, with no other family members with her and here a day earlier than expected. More than one woman had figured out that they all had to compete with her, with the beauty, intelligence and charm that Adriana possessed in droves, and of course the close bond she and Marco had always had.

"Mom, hey, I, um, you're early," he said and leaned in to hug her tightly and kiss her cheek, the pair, the entire family always affectionate. He couldn't help but notice how dressed up she was and to breathe in the scent of her perfume mixed with the scent of the stunningly beautiful woman that she was and would always be. Thank the gods he was wearing dark dress slacks and so tall that his pelvis did not press to his Mother when they hugged as he leaned over to match her more petite height as his body's reaction to that intoxicating scent, her sudden and unexpected presence and his still unsated plans to bed Rachelle that were now kaput was a reaction he could not control and one that had him blushing even as he invited her in,

"Sorry for the mess," he offered, and when she saw his strange outfit, Marco could never hide things from her, "Rachelle and I had a special date planned, but, well, she dumped me, so I am a little between outfits at the moment. My fancy dinner reservations are going to waste, but hey, want to grab a bite at the diner you love, I could use some comfort food about now," he offered, knowing her favorite hole in the wall place wasn't fanciful, but the food was amazing, and he liked making her happy always. She was dressed for more than a college diner date, but it was their usual Mother-son go to spot, still...

[User]
Adriana had to ask a couple of students where the dorms were located. The looks that one of them gave her told her that he would have preferred to take her to his room. She was used to it. Marco's friends were always ogling her when they came for a visit. Adriana paid not attention, after all a healthy interest in her was alright. Besides she would not fall for such a young guy.

There were far too many people going in to notice her entering the building. Everyone was too busy with their own plans to care anyway. Hopefully she would not cause trouble for her boy. She remembered the floor and the room number so it did not take her too long to find it.

Pausing for a second she knocked on the door. She saw that the passing students gave her a weird look. She could hear one saying something odd to the other. It was something along the lines of Marco finding a new one after the last. Adriana frowned, what did they mean? Didn't they know that she was his mother? Didn't they see the family resemblance? Well there were probably hundreds of people in the building so maybe they had been away when she last came to visit. Once Marco opened the door she gave him a broad grin. "Heeeyy baby!" she almost cooed, Adriana liked to call him like that in front of others, he always looked embarrassed. Especially now that he was taller than her.

Was it her or he had grown even handsomer? There was a strange sensation in her loins, but pushed it away. After all this was her son. Adriana stepped inside and shook her head "I guess, some things don't change." she pursed her lips but a smile crept back on her lips. "Good thing mommy's here to help you clean up." Adriana was oblivious as to how this could be taken if one did not know their relation.

"Aww... I never liked her anyway." she touched his bicep and paused at his offer "We are a bit overdressed for that." she chuckled "Maybe we can go to the place you had in mind? Don't let a good reservation go to waste. You never know when you might need to make another one."

[Assistant]
"Madre, please," Marco pleaded, not despairing over her calling him Baby in her dulcet and excited tone, her Latino accent still there and just one more thing that men found insanely attractive about Marco's Mom, but the 'Mommy' word usually brought back a response of Mother or Madre from him. He was a grown man after all, and didn't mind if she used the Hispanic accented Mamá as a compromise, but Mommy was entirely embarrassing when others were around. It sounded like he was a true baby or something oddly kinky and he always pushed back, though never too strongly as the two enjoyed an almost telepathically close connection.

"Ha, if nothing ever changes than why do you only come up to my shoulders now, Mamá?" he teased back and her touching his bicep felt natural, the entire family affectionate in ways that a completely anglo family might find uncomfortably touchy, but that was there problem. He moved about cleaning up the messiness of the suite before she could start doing so, and the moment she admitted she didn't like Rachelle, his former girlfriend was an immediate afterthought. Call him a Mamá's boy if you liked, but no woman that Adriana Santos disapproved of stood any chance of capturing Marco for more than a meaningless fling, if that.

He paused when she mentioned how they were dressed and suggested keeping the reservation. It was a good point that canceling at the last minute might have consequences in the future. He nodded, on one condition, "Fine, you are a far finer date than she ever could have been and very deserving of the best, but you have to let me pay or no deal?" Marco told her. Their family was well enough off, Adriana's stylish clothes, and in truth his own, were reminders of that, but though he accepted his parents' help when needed, Marco strictly limited that as he grew into his independence and worried that she would insist on paying, or slip her credit card to a waiter under the sway of her immense beauty and charms to pay for their night out, or the date as he just called it.

If she agreed, Adrian found herself being warmly kissed on each cheek by her handsome son, his mood entirely lifted and his eye winking her way as he grabbed his tie and dress shirt and headed for his bathroom, "One of us is only half dressed for dinner, give me five and pleeease, don't go searching through my things, Mamá," he pleaded, knowing she was naturally curious and loved teasing him and there were certainly things of his, and of former lovers, that were in the room that he would rather she not find.

It was ten minutes later when he returned, stubble shaved more closely, her favorite after shave of his filling the air and his shirt and tie in place as he grabbed his jacket and offered her his arm, "My Lady, if you will... the evening awaits."

[User]
"Madre?" Adriana cocked an eyebrow amused "You suddenly became all formal." she teased him "You embarrassed by your mamá?" she pouted which was followed by a girlish giggle. Adriana knew how he disliked her referring to herself as mommy especially when they could be overheard. But that did not deter her, after all one of the roles of the parents is to embarrass their children in public. She shrugged off his question, but there was pride in her eyes. Marco had indeed grown up. "Even if you grow to two meters you will still be mamá's baby." she smirked "Also, have you been eating properly?" Adriana quickly added "You seem like you have skipped a meal or two." that was not true, but that too was part of a parent's job "I should have invited your grandmother to feed you." she shook her head in a mock exasperation.

"Let me help you." her instincts kicked in as he started cleaning up his room "You can focus on getting ready." she grinned. Cleaning up the room was her way of snooping to see if he was being a bad boy. Finding a crusty pair of socks, maybe some women' pieces of clothing left by Rachelle or some other floozy (to her every girl he went out was one). "You remember aunt Lavinia?" she asked, Lavinia was their neighbor "Her daughter will be coming back for the summer, I have heard she has grown all pretty and proper." she grinned, though did not know that once Lavinia's daughter had left the nest turned from a shy and timid girl into a wild party animal.

"Maybe you can mow the lawn or clean the car when you two come back. So that she could see how you have grown." she teased him. Deep down she would not mind seeing him shirtless, but that was something she did not want to admit. Adriana opened her mouth to protest. She was very much willing to cover their expenses. Marco could use the money for something else. But looking in his eyes she decided not to. Marco was like his father, stubborn and there was no time to use her charms to change his mind. "If you insist." she said softly "But there is no need to prove to me that you are a gentleman." she smiled.

Adriana managed to sneak a kiss to his cheek on her own and quickly reached to wipe the lipstick from the skin. The thought of him changing clothes in front of her strangely excited her. "I can't promise anything." she said with a mock innocent look. "But if I see Rachelle's panties I might have to throw them out." she grinned and shrugged. "I will leave you the naughty magazines." she added with a conspiratorial tone and grinned.

She was not in the mood to snoop, besides she had to admit begrudgingly that Marco has grown enough to be given SOME independence. She was checking out the textbooks left on the desk. The smell of the aftershave made her turn. She loved it. It made her feel things she should not. "Aren't you a handsome young man?" she smiled and offered her hand. "I have the car parked in the visitors' parking lot."

[Assistant]
As he got ready, at times moving out into the room to grab something he forgot to bring into the bathroom, Adriana did indeed get to see a quick flash of his muscled and masculine form sans shirt for a moment, even as she seemed to be pimping him out to Lavinia's daughter, "Aren't you the matchmaker? So am I to bed this one or marry her, I mean you seem totally enthralled with the possibility. Does she look anything like my favorite girl?" he teased back, with Adriana knowing full well that she was his favorite girl and everyone else had to compete with her for his attentions in one way or another.

He stuck his tongue out as he moved back into the main room, "Rachelle never wears panties, just the kind of woman you love to hate," he grinned and admitted to himself in that moment that he like teasing and making his Mother jealous, even as she stood next to the bed where his conquests had writhed wantonly atop and beneath his powerful and sexy frame. For a moment her impossible beauty made those memories merge in his mind with how incredible she looked right then... which had him thinking a moment later of the issue that her presence there raised. Condoms, she was standing right by the drawer where he kept those and for a long moment he seemed to forget that she was not a date that required or called for such things. Still, his loins ached a bit, both from Rachelle dumping him on a night planned for some very physical relations, and this gorgeous and rightly forbidden women seeming to be in a teasingly flirtatious mood. Adriana was a natural flirt, Marco knew his own nature was like hers and he came by that honestly at least.

Pushing those thoughts out of his head, and elsewhere with less success, Marco reached for her hand... and snatched her keys from her grasp even as his other hand and arm slipped around her waist and hip, pulling her close the way he would with any other date, and rather more so than he should with his Mom, but he was a flirt too after all, "Good to hear, and I am driving. No arguments, we both know I am an excellent driver and that no gentleman allows his lady to drive them to a date where he is the one taking her out," he insisted and Marco, she well knew, had an old fashioned nature about him with things like that. Super feminist women might find his ways a bit chauvinistic, but the truth was that Marco admired and desired a woman as accomplished and brilliant as his Mother, but he also knew when they deserved to be treated like a lady and was a dyed in the wool romantic about such things.

The chit chatting and teasing, and yes, flirting, went on as they walked out to the car, everyone they passed gazing in awe and jealousy at the winsome and sexy couple an few even noticing the age difference as neither truly looked their given age. Soon they were at the restaurant, the car taken away by the valet service and this time Marco taking Adriana's hand as he moved quickly around the car to open it for her, "My lady, you look more ravishing with every passing moment," he gushed, his eyes refusing to avert their gaze even as her lovely cleavage was exposed more deeply as she was drawn out of the car and into his company and presence.

It felt odd calling her Mother, not that he was at all embarrassed by the situation, but the restaurant was decked out in classy and romantic themes and touches for the evening and it just seemed right when he asked, "Adriana, will you be my Valentine tonight?" even though it made him blush visibly beneath his deeply tawny complexion. He had never called her by her first name before, not in this way, and somehow it felt like what she deserved and desired, though he might just be overthinking that as he lead her into the restaurant more fully and soon they were at their table, allowing her to decide if wine was on the menu for both, with Marco having just come of legal age months ago.

[User]
Good thing Marco was not facing her or he would have seen her blush at noticing his bare back. The comment about her being his favorite girl did not help either. She loved when he called her that way, but back then he did not look like a woman's wet dream come true. It sent certain... lewd flashes in her mind about them on his bed, her legs spread and him between them... thrusting...

"Well, you can bed her first, marry her later." she grinned and shrugged, relieved for the change of subject. "Though you know how your abuela sees things, so you have to keep telling her that you are saving yourself for the marriage." she giggled "It was hard to hide from her when I was your age." Adriana sighed. That bit of information about Rachelle surprisingly had an opposite effect on her. She used to do that with her own boyfriends and later with Marco's father. There was another flash in her mind about her and Marco again. This time she was sitting at the table of the restaurant and spread her legs so that he would have a good look at what she had to offer.

_You need to get laid Adriana..._ she chastised herself. "Well, good riddance then." she pursed her lips, trying to look disapprovingly at Rachelle who was not even there. She opened her mouth to protest that the car was rented on her name, but deep down she enjoyed him being such a gentleman towards her. It had been some time since she had such experiences. Her husband still loved her, she knew that, but these little things were gone. And she needed some spark in her life. If only it did not come from her son... "Only this time!" she said, wanting to have the last word.

As they walked and teased Adriana noticed the glances they attracted. She loved being the center of attention. To the onlookers they must have looked like a couple. Maybe a sugar mommy and her younger lover? That added a certain sparkle in her eyes. She really enjoyed this!

They reached a fancy looking restaurant "You have taken up your father's good taste." she commented as they entered. "Good thing Rachelle decided not to show up." she knew it was not a nice thing to say, but at that moment she mixed over protective mother and a jealous girlfriend. "Also your slick manners, just like your father." she sighed and giggled.

Normally she would have commented on the romantic setting of the place. But somehow it felt appropriate. It certainly beat the diner they liked to frequent. There was a pang of concern whether Marco would be able to afford the meal. The fact that he had been ready to spent so much on Rachelle of all people added fuel to her indignation! Not wanting to embarrass him she decided to keep her mouth shut. She was going to give him some more money afterwards. Play it as if his abuela asked her to give it or something like that. His question surprised her. She considered it for a moment. Adriana was sure that it was going to be make-believe, not a real Valentine's day date. But the fact that he called her by the first name... caused a reaction in her loins. The way he said it and the way he looked at her when he did so... the whole setting... everything. "Yes, I would love that." she blushed and smiled.


[User]
The days between Alice and Cassie's parting and the lunch date were something of a blur to Alice. She was suddenly aware that the house was full of boxes and there was an increased enthusiasm to unpack as many of them as possible before she had someone visit. The rushing from box to bed to office to hair salon to box seemed relentless. Everything came to a screeching halt, however, when Cassie texted. Alice focused entirely on making the best reply she could, and really liked the look of the bakery. Apart from looking like a nice place to have lunch, being able to see the place meant Alice had some idea of the tone of the place and gave her ideas about her main worry, what to wear.

One of the dubious joys of being a worker-of-the-internet was the flexibility it provided. It had really only occurred to Alice a day or so beforehand that instead of spending Friday morning mentally and physically with one foot out the door, she could log on from home and just spend the morning being mentally one foot out the door. She spent twenty minutes in the morning making sure everyone knew she was online and working, and the rest of the morning keeping her nerves in check, checking her email and curling her hair, getting her makeup right and eyeing her phone, waiting for Cassie to announce an emergency at work and having to call off the date.

All that changed when her phone beeped, she swiped it open to read the words "On my way!" and realized that she wasn't dressed. A colorful spray of language trailed behind her as Alice rushed to her bedroom. Fortunately, she'd had the presence of mind when she got up to lay out her outfit thinking she had plenty of time to get dressed.

Fortune smiled on Alice, and she heard the rumble of a car on her otherwise quiet street just as she was closing the clasp on her leather wristband. The wrap dress was black, floral, knee length, crepe that clung to her curves. The neckline wasn't especially deep but showed just a little hint of lace along its lower edges. It was the sort of dress Alice found she could make more or less formal depending on the circumstances and it had become a staple before she moved. Alice decided in the end to keep the accessories to a minimum. The black leather t-bar heels weren't the highest she owned by any stretch but they were safe to go perusing antiques in while remaining a little sexy. 'A little sexy' was definitely the theme Alice was aiming for, between the destination and it being a first date, she didn't want to overwhelm Cassie, but she didn't want to give her the idea she was disinterested either.

The engine switched off as Alice looked herself in the mirror. Her typical darker red 'going out' lipstick, a slight hint of eyeliner wing and a black velvet choker the width of her little finger around her neck, the small metal ring holding the two ends together sitting above the hollow of her throat. Taking a deep breath, Alice checked she had everything she needed and stepped out to meet Cassie.

[Assistant]
The last time they had gone out, Cassie had worn what Alice called her 'Greek Goddess' dress. It was hard not to try and recreate the magic, but she wanted to try out something a little different. Casual yet deliberate. Comfortable but also appealing. She had picked out the mini pleated skirt first and built the rest of the outfit around it. It was a dark shade of brown like the eyes of a begging, precocious dog, and showed off her legs all the way up to her mid-thigh. Cassie might have had her self-conscious moments like any other person, but when she wasn't beating herself up, she knew she had great legs. On top, since she had already leaned into showing some skin down south, she put on a floral printed blouse, sleeveless and taken in to expose the shoulders in the back in a halter top cut. Lest she forget, she and Alice had their first conversation wearing swimsuits and nothing else.

Her blonde hair was done in a fun, lazy crown braid. Loose enough that little strands came out, here and there, feathering her forehead and the nape of her neck, but tight enough to hold. Her lipstick was seashell pink, and her eyeliner a frosted blue drawn on thick to draw attention to the gold glitter eyeshadow just for the extra ''wow'' factor. Her shoes were a pair of black suede block heels, and, naturally, she wore the lock and chain necklace and heavy bracelets on each wrist. If Alice looked closely, she might notice that the key attached to the chain links of her necklace was absent.

Cassie got out of the car to walk up the drive and met Alice coming out her front door. The sight of the other woman gave her heart a flutter, but it was the dress that made her---literally---squeal. "Oh I love it!" she exclaimed, coming up and giving her an arm's length embrace so she could look her up and down. "I didn't realize we were at the sexy little-black-dress phase or I would have gone in too!" And without hesitation, she leaned in, kissing Alice boldly on the mouth and touching her cheeks, not caring who might witness the intimate greeting.

"Oh hey," she said before turning back to the car. Her head tilted as if concerned. "You have a little something behind your ear." She reached out a hand, and with a flourish, made a red rose boutonniere appear in her hand. She had palmed it, holding the flower and the small section of stem in her cupped hand while positioning her wrist so that Alice could only see the side of her hand and a portion of her ''empty'' palm as she reached for her ear. Basic stagecraft, and the kind of thing you felt like an idiot practicing for hours in front of a mirror.

"Why are you growing flowers in your ear?" Cassie giggled, attaching the rose to the neckline of her dress, very much aware of the intimate positioning of her hands and the nearness to... well. "I'll drive," she said. "Want to take the scenic route past the reservoir or are you hungry enough that you want to get your shrimp on?"

[User]
Her smile becoming broader, Alice admired the leggy woman exiting her car and coming toward her. She felt a mixture of relief that Cassie clearly liked what she saw as much as Alice did, along with a quick pang of concern that she'd overdressed. Alice then reminded herself that she would not chasten herself for overdressing. Dressing up was a greater percentage of what she considered 'fun'. "I'm afraid that, being a goth, the sexy little black dress phase never really goes away for me." Alice drawled, adding with a wink. "It really comes down to context and how much I think I can get away with."

The kiss caught Alice, very pleasantly, by surprise, after a quick stutter she leaned into Cassie, her hands drawing her Cassie's waist against hers. In other circumstances, she might have been a little more circumspect about a move like this, but Cassie knew the town better than she did and she was happy to follow her lead.

The sudden appearance of the rose made her laugh in surprise, Alice was far too busy wondering what Cassie had meant by the flower quip to see the sleight of hand and it's arrival. As she relaxed enough to let Cassie attach the rose to the her neckline, happy to give away two pieces of information. The first was that, yes, she was quite comfortable with Cassie's hands being where they were. The second was that from Cassie's angle, if she was able to see a hint of black lace beneath the dress, it would be clear that there wasn't a lot of it.

The two of them transitioned as they turned and headed towards the car. Alice's hands remained on Cassie's hips as long as they could, which included a slight hiccup when she realized she was heading to the wrong side of the car. "Oh right, not Australian." was the only murmur she made as she got into the passenger side. "Oh, I've heard that the reservoir is nice, and besides, while I'm a little hungry, I have all of the rest of the day with you, or at least as much of me as you can stand."

[Assistant]
"Admit it," Cassie said. "You really want to drive because it's a power move." She tipped the Australian woman a wink and waved her finger from side to side as if to say that she'd been caught out for being naughty. She got in, driver's side, and buckled up the seatbelt, leaning over and kissing Alice quickly on the cheek before starting up the car. "It's better if I drive at least this trip. It's easy to miss the turnoff the first time and you have to be a little careful since we go off the road and into a gravel parking lot, around a sharp turn, past the nuclear beehive, and right under the Kraken's dominant tentacle. If you don't know what you're doing it can be hard to get out alive."

It was a ten-minute detour to locate the entrance to the park, but once there, Cassie turned off the road with confidence and brought the car to a tree-sheltered gravel clearing, roughly divided into four longish rows where cars were parked. As it was Friday, it was fairly well busy, but not so much that they couldn't find a spot if so desired. Past the lot was a huge, manmade lake where you could see the bright colors of kayaks, the starting points of a half dozen hiking and bicycle paths, and pavillions beneath which groups had assembled and were manning the grills, cooking burgers and hot dogs. "The primary trail around the lake is almost exactly two miles," Cassie said. "It's a great spot for jogging. Even in mid-day during the summer, there's not a patch of it where you're not in the shade, and being close to the water helps keep it cool. And, not that I know this from personal experience, but if you cut off the trail at any given point, you have enough privacy to risk outdoor hookup if exhibition and violation of public decency laws are your things." She winked at Alice and returned to the drive when the other woman had taken in the sights.

Ten minutes later, they were on a picturesque two-lane main street, with three-story shops on either side of the boulevard. The pines that gave every town and village in the area their names were in full supply here as well, and Cassie parked in front of a tall specimen that threatened the pavement and asphalt where the street had been put down around it. "Before we go in, I just want to check with you. I'm reading this as a date. Last time it was drinks with a new friend, but I'm into you and I feel like you're into me. If I'm wrong, that's fine. And I have no problem just having lunch and hanging out with a friend. I just don't want to get the wrong impression about anything."

[User]
Alice paused for all of a moment before adding with a smirk, "Oh... yeah, sure, but don't underestimate my ability to get left and right completely backwards."

The quick and unanticipated peck on the cheek had both sides blushing, little things like that got under her skin in the best possible way. "Mmhmm, let's not crash into the nuclear beehive. It's hard to walk away nonchalantly like it had nothing to do with you if you're glowing. Also, tentacles, I've seen waaay too much anime to feel safe around those things, dominant or otherwise."

If Alice wasn't already not in a good mood, the gorgeous lakeside scenery and the pleasant weather were a balm. Looking down at her dress and heels momentarily, then up at the picnickers and joggers, she felt ever so slightly like someone who was looking for an outdoor wedding and had turned up to the wrong park. Not that she minded at all, it was really a lovely place and the idea of going for a run with Cassie here seemed a more than pleasant idea. "Well, far be it for me to kink-shame on that front. Though to be fair the closest I've come to public indecency has been the distance from my car to certain nightclubs."

Getting out of the car back in town, Alice reminded herself that she really had to come to grips with the place she was living in. Even in the relatively short time she'd been here, she'd done little more than move, kind of unpack, join the gym and stick to her work/gym/home/work routine. She wondered what else she was missing out on around town.

Alice took Cassie's hands gently as she spoke, getting closer as Cassie laid her position out to her. "So let me make it clear then. This is absolutely a date. I don't claim to ...well, there's a lot of new stuff going on here, I guess. We have a lot to talk about but... yes," The kiss that followed was gentle, not expecting pressure back but definitely centered on Cassie's lips. "This is very much a date with someone who's very into you."

[Assistant]
Everything about Alice was checking all the right boxes. Sense of humor, check. Self-deprecating chillness, check. Willing to give and get affectionate touches and kisses to be close to the other person. Big old check. Cassie was not sorry at all at meeting Alice in the hot tub, being open and frank about her sexuality and proclivities, and pursuing this.

"Good," she said when Alice told her that she was into her. "I would hate to think that I didn't wear underwear for just friends having lunch." On that saucy line, she laughed, and got out of the car, trying to be slick about it and getting out faster than Alice could have a witty retort. Parting Shot Cassie strikes again!

The Ivy Wall Cafe was a converted house in the little town, with the front room converted into the dining area. It would have been appropriate to call it a solarium at some point, as the windows were large, extending from floor to ceiling and offering a view of the street and the park across the way that made it prime dining real estate. The building faced north, so the light was indirect in the afternoon, and hanging baskets of overflowing ivy further diffused the light and gave the diners some degree of privacy. It had a seasonal menu inspired by the offerings of local farms, and in the heat of the summer, many dishes were forward on squash, zucchini, and eggplant.

"I realize," Cassie said as she sat down, ordering an iced tea. "That I'm presuming a lot. I don't know if you're..." She looked around, checking for privacy. "I don't know if you're out and if I'm making it hard for you. If so I need you to tell me that because I sometimes have a lack of filter that can make things awkward and I would hate to do that."

[User]
Any witty rejoinder Alice might have come up with was lost when Cassie breezed out of the car. Of course, Cassie's was the sort of suggestion that left Alice with nothing but a couple of leftover syllables, and no way to express them properly. Instead she came out of the car in a mixture of smirking and flustered.

The menu looked amazing, as did the venue. Alice particularly liked that everything was local, she liked that kind of integrity. She looked out across the park as their drinks arrived and smiled thoughtfully at what Cassie said. "Hmm, I appreciate it. Discretion's a funny thing. Firstly, I wouldn't say that I'm 'out' as such, but I've no problem with being publicly so. That said, I..." Alice pursed her lips a little. "Sorry, this is hard to explain simply. I've never been scared of being open about what my status is or who that applies to specifically. We can be as together in public as you're comfortable with, whenever you like. I'm not sure how well this town might take that, but that's something I'm willing to make their problem, not ours. That said, I'm more careful about the..."

Now it was Alice's turn to look around. She could say this much about Cassie, she sure knew where to pick in a room for discrete conversation. Alice wondered if the woman moonlighted as an audio engineer. "...the more unusual aspects of our particular interests. I'm happy to answer open, serious questions from almost anyone about kinks and so on, but I tend to be a lot more careful about actual play. On the one hand, I don't mess with our work-space unless it's absolutely safe to do so, y'know fun selfies on lunch break, things like that. On the other, I have played in spaces where I had to consider the likelihood of being caught. I was fine, so long as that likelihood was very low. Does that make sense?"

[Assistant]
"I think I'll have the pasta alla norma," Cassie said when the waitress came to take their order. It was, in part, a strategic decision as much by the fact that she loved eggplant and tomatoes. Looking over the menu, the alla norma was one of the few menu items that didn't list garlic on its list of ingredients. Cassie absolutely loved garlic, and frying a bit of garlic in oil was practically step 1 of whatever cooking process she began in the kitchen. But garlic was also notorious for its effect on the breath, and Cassie was anticipating being in a position to avoid offending Alice with her breath in the near future. Best to avoid garlic until she determined Alice's position on the matter.

"I get where you're coming from," she told the other woman. "Exhibitionism and the risk of discovery isn't something you enjoy pushing to the utter limit of what you can get away with. A little risk is fine so long as it stays at the level of a little. And I'm not disagreeing with you that this is a sensible way to practice our play." She stopped, listening to herself for a second, nose wrinkling. "Ugh. Practice our play. That sounds like a really awkward thing. Why did I put those words together like that?"

Alice's 'fuck them if they can't take it attitude' was emboldening and Cassie reached out and took her by the hand. "I'm out. You can't see it on mom's car but I've got the rolling billboards advertising on mine, and a rainbow flag in the front yard and everything. So hit me with the levels of public affection that you enjoy the most and I'll meet you there." She held onto a moment of sustained eye contact before moving the conversation back to less intimate ways of learning about this new person. "Have you ever done tech support for my office? I'm curious. I'm with Perkins and Associates. I'm one of the associates. General family dentistry, but Perkins is like a million years old and I would imagine he needs more tech support than most. But he might also never need to touch a computer so maybe not. Either way, we have small-town vibes here... our work might have touched up on one another without us even being aware of it." Her eye twinkled mischievously. "Or... oh lord I just thought of this. Who's your dentist? Do you go to Perkins? I mean obviously, I've never been in your mouth before but that doesn't mean you don't go to us and have Perkins or one of the other dentists. That would be too funny."

[User]
Alice gave a little finger wave to the waitress to indicate that she'd have the same. She was having trouble deciding what to have until she saw the word 'eggplant' and her eyes glazed over. She was suddenly grateful that Indian cuisine wasn't as prevalent here as it was back home. While it was a delight for the senses, it also had the threat of being slightly messy and, well, spices could be a tricky thing to navigate when you're trying to make a good impression.

Cassie's embarrassment over her phrasing drew a chuckle. "No it's OK! We're intelligent so there's a need to be articulate but this particular topic and use the exact words to say what we mean. At the same time, you want to say what you mean without making anyone in earshot twitch because you made indiscreet selections from the exciting words list."

Alice took a sip from her wine glass, then focused on keeping her voice conversational. "The first munch I went to... munch... see? Not 'the first time I met people as kinky as I am in a safe social setting', oh no, 'munch' anyhow, I swore at times I wasn't certain that I had the right table. Everyone was 'percussive' this or 'accepting control' that. It took a little while to get used to the discreet terms. Though, admittedly, I still laugh a little when I remember someone back home who was fond of school roleplay, after carefully describing a scene finished with ''...and he educated me until I screamed.''"

Still smirking over the memory, Alice was caught a little off guard when Cassie took her hand. She had to admit though it felt nice that she had no inclination to pull away or look to see who saw it. On the contrary, Alice's fingers curled around Cassie's, making it clear that the move was acceptable, desired, even. Her hand squeezed a little tighter. "Oh that's perfect, I'm not always, I don't know, soppy or anything, but I'm usually pretty clear about who I'm with in the room, and can be a little bit of a flirt in the right circumstances. Perkins? I don't know, but probably? I'm still getting used to the scope we work in, but it's likely. We have the main hospital contract, but everyone's hooked into the network in one way or another so a bunch of the auxiliary offices are part of the deal except the uh... gah, I can't remember the proper name, the x-ray guys. Apparently we need additional training to get into their space. That said," Alice's mouth curled up in a slow smile. "I can confirm that I haven't been to the dentist since I got here but by the time I do, I can promise you will have been in my mouth."

[Assistant]
Hearing about Alice's experiences at munches and the euphemisms she'd picked up made Cassie giggle. Hand over mouth, let's not make a scene, but really, she was dying of laughter kind of giggle. Her experience had been not like that at all, and she said so. "I went up a few times for a few munches," she said. "People tended to be more open about it. We were in public places and while it was a no-children-allowed sort of environment, the beer garden had a huge yard and it was adjacent to a public street, so there were civilians of all ages walking by. So it was, at worst, PG-13. Explicit without being graphic, plain without being in your face, you know?

"Like one example. I talked up a woman, pretty lovely, and since it was summer we were both wearing shorts and hers went all the way up to. Well. All the way up. And her legs were pretty thoroughly bruised by finger-print-sized bruises and handprint spanks on the backs of her calves if you know what I'm implying. So while I would LOVE to be in a room where people talk about educating one another until screaming happens, I haven't been in that crowd. Is that an Australian thing, I wonder?" Holding hands with her date brought Cassie a warm rush of endorphins and, for want of something to do with her other hand, she reached out and adjusted the rose boutonniere she'd pinned to Alice's blouse a little while ago. Not that it needed straightening, but doing so was another way of being intimate and affectionate. "I'm a cuddler, and a kisser, and a petter 90% of the time," she said. "There are times when I turn on a dime on that, though." She looked around. There were a few others in the dining room, and the glass walls and tiled floors made acoustics a factor, so Cassie leaned in and whispered.

"After masochistic stuff, it shuts down for me. So if you were to... ah... percussively educate me, I would not want to be held or touched after. I'm saying this now because if we go there I don't want you to feel like one, you screwed up, or two, I'm screwed up, by the activities. It's just how I process it." Her nose wrinkled and cheeks turned red as she was forced by the room to say this all but in Alice's face. Cassie liked to lead with a frank and open discussion of limits and desires and fantasies, and have that conversation repeatedly and in an ongoing fashion, throughout the relationship. Being on the same page as her partner and knowing how their emotional and sexual barometers were calculated was something she spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about.

Soon thereafter the food came out, two large bowls with colorful flower patterns hand-painted on the white china, and fresh-cracked pepper and grated cheeses were offered. Cassie spread out her napkin and turned the bowl to admire it. "There is a pretty big pottery art scene just a bit west of here. Lot of good clay in the ground here beneath the sand, I guess. A million and one galleries and studios. If we're not sick of each other by next weekend, maybe we could take a drive up and visit a few of them.

Cassie grinned as Alice used her own words against her when it came to discussions about who her dentist was and which she'd worked with. Her professional urge to scold the other person and make sure they were taking care of their teeth was balanced by the images that floated across her brain as she imagined having Alice in her mouth. "You know the best part about dating a kinky dentist? If you have any particular medical scene ideas or fantasies, I can go ahead and help you out with that."