The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

I glanced in concern as Sioban returned to her office, letting out a deep sigh before sitting down again. “Okay, I know that sound all too well. What’s wrong?” I asked, walking behind her to rub her shoulders.

“Mmmm,” she sighed, relaxing under my trained touch. “Oh, it’s nothing major. My boss, Dean Brown, had to leave suddenly. The nurse said it was food poisoning, or something,” she said with a shrug. “If I didn’t mention it earlier, I’m very glad you went off campus to grab lunch for us.” She sighed. “However, it also means that I’ll be taking over her six PM class tonight, instead of escaping the campus at five as I’d hoped.”

I sighed inwardly. As enjoyable as this day had been thus far, I’d also been looking forward to leaving here at five, and being able to spend some free time with my Mistress. More worrying, however, I hadn’t been briefed on what the Dean taught, and was worried how I could assist her without knowing the lesson plan.

“Don’t worry about staying, Katie,” she replied, answering my unspoken question with a smile. “Dean Brown’s last class is a simple freshman level chemistry class. Pure lecture, the lab meets on a separate day. So I won’t need your help for this one. You can head out with Tawnya if you like, and catch up with her.”

“But...” I protested, somewhat torn by my desire to stay with her—and to help and serve her in any way she needed me to, of course—and my desire to legitimately leave this place and let my brain decompress a bit and unwind. Teaching at a University, even assisting a teacher, was for the most part a full eight hour work day. And, as I still wasn’t back to a hundred percent physically, I was feeling tired and worn down from all the learning.

“Uh uh uh, no arguing,” Sioban answered with a smirk, somehow finding a perfect balance between playful yet commanding. “I can tell you’re tired, baby. It was a pretty eventful first day. So go on, head out, and meet up with Tawnya. I promise, I’ll catch up with you both as soon as I can. And we’ll do something fun tonight, just the three of us.”

“Yes ma’am,” I said, nodding. “And thanks. I have a few ideas on how we can spend the rest of the night...”

Sioban laughed, and I moaned softly, feeling myself dampen at that sound. Goddess, I was such a slut sometimes! “I’m quite sure you do, Kitten,” she said gently, “but let’s try and keep it fairly simple, okay? Remember, we all have another early day tomorrow as well.”

“Oh. Right. Gotcha.” Heh. This wasn’t a one-time event after all. Mistress taught four days out of seven, all of which started around seven AM. On top of staying late for an extra class, she still needed to go over her preparations for her own classes tomorrow... meaning I couldn’t keep her up to til one AM partying. Not that I would be able to function the next day after staying up that late, either... but making sure Mistress got her rest came before my own concerns.

Teeheeehee. It was funny sometimes realizing how off that concept would have seemed a few weeks ago, yet it was so second nature to me now that the only weird thing about it was that it should feel weird.

“Well, do you have any ideas on dinner for tonight, then?” I asked, packing up my leather briefcase. Not that I really needed one, but I’d wanted to look the part of a professional, and had purchased one a few days ago, a Brunello Cucinelli like the one my mom carried. Sioban had liked it so much, I’d picked out one for her as well, as a gift.

“Hmmm... how about Chinese? We haven’t had that for a while. I can pick up something on the way back—”

“No, no, no,” I cut her off, insisting, placing a fingertip lightly against her soft inviting lips. “We talked about this, Mist... um, Ms. MacMillan,” I amended, remembering that we were still at the University. “I take care of the food preparations and such. You’ve been pretty adamant about what my role is in our relationship, and what you prefer over what you need... but making sure you’re well fed and taken care of is one of my duties. You want Chinese food, then you’ll have Chinese food. I’ll make it happen. All you have to bring with you is your appetite.”

Sioban nodded ruefully. “Very well, if you insist,” she conceded, graciously. “But in return, Kitten, I get to give you a full bodied massage afterwards—uhh uhh, no backtalk,” she chided me as I opened my mouth to protest. “Call it ‘Owner’s Prerogative’,” she said with a predatory glint that made my breath catch, “but the truth is, I just want an excuse to run my fingers all over your helpless body.”

Fuck... if we weren’t in a semi-public place right now... “V-very well,” I managed through my very dry throat. “If you insist. I’ll see you at home, then.”

“See you at home,” Sioban replied back, sighing softly as I left the office. She smiled blissfully for a moment, simply staring at the door before shaking her head. Damn. I’ve got it bad. I guess I can’t tease Patricia anymore about the way she used to space out whenever Nigel would leave a room. She sighed again, thinking of her former Master. I really do need to catch up with him and the others. I appreciate them giving me my space, and time to get settled in with Katie... but I do miss them as well. Tawnya has no problem commuting back and forth from the Tower to the mansion. Maybe I should give Nigel a call later, and arrange to spend some quality time with him and the girls...

“Hmm. Nice place you have here,” Venus Satore mused aloud, glancing around at the living room decor. “I like it. It’s very much you, Veronica, my dear... a perfect blend of Japanese aesthetics and English sensibilities.”

“Save the small talk,” Roni replied coldly, pouring herself a small glass of red wine. “You said you needed to talk, and you wanted to do so away from prying eyes, so we allowed you into our home. Now talk. What do you know about these kidnapping attempts? And how did you know about the ninkyo dantai?”

“Blunt and straight to the point. All the earmarks of a perfect hostess,” Venus remarked dryly, walking past her, grabbing a glass and pouring herself a drink, a double-shot of single malt scotch. “That said, I’d prefer to go through this only once, instead of repeating it, so why don’t we wait until your husband returns, shall we?”

“I’m back,” Parker remarked, coming down the stairs, “so feel free to continue. I got Lucy all settled in, though she wouldn’t let me leave until I promised ‘not to do anything bad to mean to the nice Miss Venus’,” he said, rolling his eyes. Venus chuckled.

“Goddess Bless... she is truly adorable,” she murmured softly, making her way back to the couch, sitting down and kicking up her heels. “All right. I promised you all a story, and so I shall deliver. First, I should ask you... how much do you know about the history of the Yakuza?”

Veronica and Parker glanced at each other. “Well, from what I was told,” Roni began, “it was started ages ago, back in the late sixteen hundreds, the culmination of a group of gamblers, merchants and refugees, low class citizens that decided to band together in the face of an oppressive rule by the government of that time.”

Venus nodded. “That’s pretty much correct. The year was 1689 as I recall,” she said, frowning. “And the original goal was a pure one—for the lower class to band together and support themselves, to take back what the privileged upper classes had taken from them.” She shook her head ruefully at that. “Nowadays, it’s one of the most feared and ruthless criminal organizations in world, but back then it was mostly an unorganized rag-tag group of outlaws... a Japanese version of Robin Hood and his merry men.” She sighed. “As you can guess, the reigning government wasn’t exactly happy about having a large group of its citizens basically revolting. When using force didn’t work, they tried to consolidate the problem by organizing them, to a degree.”

“You mean by legitimizing them?” Parker asked, sitting down across from her. “I know a little bit of the history, too... didn’t the Tokugawa government actually appoint heads for the various branches of the Yakuza themselves?”

“To try and keep them in line, yes,” Venus answered. “And it worked, for the most part. Many of the so-called ‘outlaws’ reformed, enjoying the power and prestige of their new positions, taking full advantage of the situation to basically form their own little kingdoms, under the watchful eyes of the Shogun, of course. Anyone that didn’t fall in line was crowded out, or crushed. And they, in essence, eliminated the problem of the ‘poor people’ complaining of having no power by giving them exactly what they wanted: power. A token step, really, compared to the power the Shogun and his court still wielded, but it satisfied them.”

“Yes, well, thanks for the history lesson,” Roni replied drily, “but what does any of that have to do with you, and the Yakuza trying to kidnap my daughter?”

“Well, first of all, it’s not simply the Yakuza, it’s the Aizukotetsu-kai, specifically,” she clarified with a smirk. “And, again, specifically, I know... because I helped create them.”

“Wait, what?!?”

“Well, not the Aizukotetsu-kai, specifically,” she clarified, “but the version as it exists today. I just so happened to be living in Kyoto during the end of the Tokugawa regime, during the time of upheaval. I’d held a dalliance with the then-Oyabun, and taken a liking to him, choosing to stay on as his Saiko-komon. And yes, before you bother to ask,” she said, cutting Parker off, “yes, that incarnation of me was Japanese. My heritage may be Greek, but I have bloodlines spanning seven continents and countless family lines.” She sighed, taking another drink. “Oyabun knew his time was coming to a close, as was that of the present ruling class... and he wanted to ensure that his clan, his family, endured through the trying times. And I... after all the violence and bloodshed of the past era, I wanted to remake the clan into what it had originally meant to be—a force of goodness and equality for the people, the less fortunate and downtrodden.”

She stared for a moment into her glass, swirling the dark colored whiskey. “Well... I guess it’s obvious that things didn’t work out as I’d planned. Oh, to be sure, they started out with good intentions. The new leader and his advisor were truly of the people. Their hearts and intentions were pure. Of course, it was only a matter of time before they came into conflict with rival clans. And though I advocated non-violence, I was enough of a realist to know that sometimes force if the only way to make someone back off. So, I pushed them to develop overwhelming fighting superiority, such that the others would not dare to provoke them. Alas... it seems that Aki-chan and Sora-kun took it bit farther than even I imagined—”

“WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Hold on a second!” Veronica cut in. “Did you say ‘Aki-chan’? As in Madame Fu Aki?”

Venus’ smirk returned. “The one and the same. Who do you think helped her refine her technique?”

“But... but... she couldn’t be... the same... no way,” Roni protested. “She’d be two hundred years old!”

“A hundred and fifty-seven,” Venus said, nonplussed. “And the man who later became Oyabun after dear Sugiyama passed on was three years older than her.” She sighed. “Both of them were... special. To me. One of the few times I let myself get close to normal humans... I ended up sharing my essence with them... a tiny bit of my life force. It made them strong, increased their vitality and life force, and gave them an almost supernatural influence over those around them. They were the closest thing I’d ever had to children... but in the end they took my gifts and perverted them, turning the Clan into just another criminal organization craving power and influence, not to make the world better, but for their own sakes.”

Parker and Roni sat there for a long moment, absorbing all of this new information. “So basically, my earlier assumption was right,” Roni said finally. “They want Lucy to serve as my replacement—a young Super of my blood and lineage, with special powers that they can brainwash and train to become their ultimate assassin.”

And considering that little power display she put on earlier when she had that temper tantrum, they might me onto something, Parker thought grimly. She normally can’t control people without her bear or some kind of toy to use as a conduit. But when she got upset, she MADE Roni let her go, and forced me to release Venus. And I don’t even think she realized that she did it...

Venus nodded, draining the rest of her glass. “That would be my guess. From what I gather, you were truly exceptional in your day, a phenom among phenoms. And little Lucy may be small and young, but she is also extremely powerful. I could sense the potential within her. Having her under their sway would allow Oyabun to dominate and decimate all the other clans, and make himself a true power in Japan, and in time, even the world. And that’s why... we have to stop him.”

“We?” Roni asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yes. We. As in you and I,” Venus replied wearily. “I’m a part of this now. It’s my responsibility... one of many it seems lately,“ she murmured, taking a deep drink of scotch. “The bottom line here is that if we don’t do something to stop Oyabun and Aki, they will keep sending people after you and your daughter. You know it as well as I do. He’s not going to accept defeat gracefully—he’ll keep coming after you until he eventually gets you.”

Parker shook his head, standing up, pacing back and forth across the floor. “Okay. So I get that the clan is bad news. Heck, I dealt with them myself when they sent an assassin after Grimalde a few months back. They even sent someone to take out Patty his wife, and Justine and Robbie, his kids! These guys are scum. I get it.” He paused, turning to glare at Venus. “What I don’t get is why you’re offering to go to help us! Why the hell do you even care? They are after Lucy, our daughter. This has nothing to do with you!”

“It has EVERYTHING to do with me,” Venus snapped, causing Parker to blink in surprise. “This is MY mess... a mistake from my past.” She sighed, closing her eyes, bringing the glass to her lips briefly before remembering it was empty. “Just one of many it seems,” she muttered, shaking her head. “The Clan I established would NEVER have condoned kidnapping young children, and separating them from their parents!” She turned to stare at Roni. “The Fu Aki that I knew would never have sanctioned abducting a young Veronica Mitchell and killing her parents, either... nor would Oyabun have given such an order. They’ve changed... perverted the gifts I gave them. So it falls to me to shut them down. But,” she admitted with obvious irritation, “I can’t do it alone. With the restrictions the accursed Nornir placed upon my powers, I would be unable to even reach Sora-kun and Aki-chan, let alone stop them.”

“So, you need our help then. That’s what you’re really saying, isn’t it?” Parker replied, scowling. “Basically, it’s a personal issue for you that has nothing to do with us. Our needs just happen to coincide for the moment, that’s all. Is that about it?”

Venus’s mouth twitched slightly. “I wouldn’t have put it that way, but fine. One thing, though. It’s Veronica that I need with me. Not you. I neither need nor WANT you help with this, Parker Albinn.” Her smirk returned. “Besides, one of you needs to stay with the child and keep her safe, right? I hardly think bringing her along with you to the lion’s den is the smartest move.” Parker growled.

“Just me alone with you, hmm?” Veronica stated, scowling as well. “And I’m just supposed to trust that this is all on the up and up... that you don’t plan to try and convert me into your newest thrall the minute we’re alone together?”

“Yes,” Venus stated bluntly. “I could assure you that I’m speaking the truth, but there’s nothing I could say to make you believe me. And you could simply choose to do this without me, to take on the entire Yakuza and the ninja under their employ, on your own, without my help. But we both know that you’ll stand a better chance with me, with someone who knows the inner workings of the Clan as deeply as you do. Someone who can anticipate the kind of moves they’ll make.” She crossed her arms, nodding in satisfaction. “So choose to work with me or not. Just keep in mind what’s at stake here... the precious little girl sitting upstairs in her room right now. Consider her safety... and then decide whether or not it’s worth it to trust me.”

Whitney glanced up in surprise as the door opened and her mother walked inside. “M-mom?!?” she yelled in surprise, nearly dropping the backpack from her hands. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Janet Meyers frowned, weaving slightly in place as she gave her daughter a baleful glare. “I happen to live here,” she said, walking past her to toss aside the shear cut off jacket and kick off her heels before making her way into the kitchen. “Bigger question is, what are YOU doing here?”

Whitney sighed, shaking her head. “Doesn’t matter. I won’t be here long,” she stated, picking up her backpack again, walking over to the main hall closet. “I’m just picking up a few clothes and knick knacks, and I’ll be out of your hair.” Her mother merely huffed, returning a moment later, clutching a bottle of Cimmaron Blanco tightly in her hand. Whitney wrinkled her nose, rolling her eyes.

“What?” Janet snapped sharply, catching her expression. “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”

Whitney sighed, closing and locking her backpack straps in place. “I was just thinking to myself that you were drunk when you came in,” she said, hand on her hips, “so it might be a nice change in pace if you sobered up before getting your drink on again.”

Rather than yell or shout, Janet laughed gleefully. “Damn... told off by my own offspring... that’s low.” Shaking her head, she weaved her way over to the couch and flopped down, propping her feet up on the coffee table. Nonplussed, she twisted off the cap and took a deep swig. “But fuck it. I just worked an eight hour shift, and if I wanna relax in my own damned house, it’s my fucking business.”

“Huh. Fair enough,” her daughter replied with a shrug. To be honest, she really didn’t care what her deadbeat of a mom did. She’d been half convinced when she’d broken in that she’d find her passed out on the floor, drink off her ass, or in a stupor, stoned out of her blessed mind. It had actually been something of a surprise to find her gone, and the house empty, without one of her ‘boyfriends’ staying over.

“You didn’t answer me, earlier,” Janet prompted her after a moment, causing her to glance up. “Where have you been all this time?”

“Oh? Do you actually care? Or are you just asking to ask?” Whitney shot back, bending down to dig around in a large trunk at the bottom of the closet. “I mean, it’s not as if you’ve made an effort to find out where I’ve been the past few months, or anything!”

“Fine then,” Janet groused, taking another deep drink. “So tell me then, since you’re so fired up about it. Where were you all this time?”

“I was in prison!” Whitney snapped, whirling around to glare at her mom, who immediately burst into laughter. “I’m serious! I’ve been in jail for the past nine months! Nine months... and you never called or wrote or came to visit me! Not once! Hell, you didn’t even show up for my goddamn trial!”

“I was busy,” Janet replied snippily, shaking her head. “I couldn’t take time off to go to a stupid trial in the middle of the day!” She took another swing, then grunted. “Besides... you’re twenty-one years old now. You’re a full grown adult. I did my job raising you, working my ass off to feed you and clothe you, and put a roof over your ungrateful head. I did my part... the rest is up to you.”

“But you’re my goddamn MOTHER!” Whitney insisted. “You’re SUPPOSED to be the one person in the world that I can count on, the one person that gives a damn about me! My age shouldn’t have anything to do with it!” Whitney glared at her for a long moment, but Janet ignored her, refusing to say any more. “So... that’s it, then?” she asked finally, all the anger and frustration burnt out of her in the face of cold indifference. “Fine. I guess I should hurry up and go, then, so you can call up one of your regular little boy toys from the fucking strip club you dance at to come on over so you can work off some of that ‘stress’ from your damned job!”

“Hey! Dancing at that fucking club is what allowed us to live here!” Janet shot back, affronted. “Ever since your no account dad ran off, I’ve been the one supporting us. So you just remember that the next time you feel like looking down your nose at your poor old mom! You might not have lived in luxury like your little friend, that Frasier girl... but you sure as hell didn’t starve or walk around naked!”

“Fine.” Whitney replied, sliding her backpack over her shoulders, and turned to walk to the door. “You want a thank you for keeping me fed and clothed for twenty one years? Okay. Thank you, mom. Thank you for making the best of a bad situation, and not simply abandoning me as well, or dumping me off in an orphanage somewhere. I give you props for sticking with it, even if it wasn’t exactly what I would call a ‘great childhood experience’.” She paused at the door. “But don’t expect me to apologize for the life you’re living now. Dad left us because of you. Yes, he was a fucking bastard, and he could have tried harder, instead of just giving up, but YOU cheated on HIM. So yeah, it’s kind of fitting that you work as a stripper now, that you get by using sex, since your slutty nature is what broke this family apart in the first place!” She had the satisfaction of seeing the look of shock on her mother’s face before she closed the door and left.

“So long, mom,” she murmured softly, taking one last look back at her family home before walking away. Have a nice life. It guess it was just fate that I ran into you here today. I’m about to move on with the rest of my life anyway... cutting off all ties with you is just the encouragement I need to move forward. Now there’s only one thing connecting me back to my old life... and once I take care of her, they’ll be nothing to stop me or hold me back. I’ll finally be free.

“No.”

“Parker...”

“No! I’m telling you, we can’t trust her! It’s gotta be some kind of setup!”

Veronica sighed wearily. “Parker, listen to me. I agree, she’s not trustworthy. And she probably does have some private agenda of her own in this. But... she’s right. We can’t ignore this and we can’t keep playing defense. It’s only going to get worse from here on if we don’t do something. This time they tried taking Lucy at the park. It’s only a matter of time before they go after here here or at school.” She shook her head ruefully. “As much as it pains me to say this... working with Satore on some kind of offensive strategy is our best possible option.”

“And, again, I respectfully and tactfully say, BULLSHIT!” Parker argued. “I’m not exactly keen on leaving Lucy alone, or depending on Eugene and Lacie, or... “ he visibly shuddered, “Grimalde, to help guard her. We obviously need some help with this. We can’t watch over her twenty-four/seven, and Lucy herself would freak out if she figured out we were sheltering her.” His expression darkened. “But HER? NO FUCKING WAY! The best possible option? Literally ANYONE else would be a better option! Hell, asking one of the kidnappers she beat up earlier for help would be a better idea!”

“You DO know that I’m in the room with you, right?” Venus asked archly, looking through the small stack of bottles on the bureau, selecting a dark colored bottle of whiskey. “Hmm. Glenfiddich. And a good year, too. I approve.”

“STAY OUT OF THE DAMN LIQUOR CABINET, YOU LEECH!” Parker yelled. “And yes, we KNOW you’re in the room. As if we couldn’t ever forget it,” he muttered softly.

“Parker,” Roni said gently, “I know how you feel. But you have to take your feelings out of the equation. This is real. Satore knows the Clan. She knows the country. She knows the language. And dammit, she knows how they think, even more than I do.” She sighed. ”We need her. Like it or not.”

“Damn,” Parker sighed heavily, conceding. He hated the idea of placing his trust in a vindictive and unstable woman such as Venus Satore, especially considering her pledge to destroy him and everything he held dear. But Veronica was right. He had no choice. The Clan was serious about going after his daughter, and obviously willing to go to any extremes to make it happen. They’d sent several ninja to attack he and Veronica at the park, even threatening the other children there, just to divert their attention from their real objective—obtaining Lucy. They’d even suicided once beaten, killing themselves rather than let themselves be captured. They were fully committed to obtaining his daughter at ANY cost. It seemed the only way to beat them once and for all was to be just as committed.

“Well, seems like you’ve come to the obvious conclusion,” Venus remarked, walking over to them, the open bottle of scotch on one hand, a half filled glass in the other. “But before we go any further, answer me one thing. And, an honest answer, please. I’m being serious for a change.” Turning to look them both in the face. “How are things between you both. Sexually, I mean?”

Parker’s face reddened immediately, and a growl escaped his curled lips. “Sexually?” Veronica spat, glaring at her with barely contained fury. “About as well as can be expected, considering that you yourself went through all the trouble of BREAKING the bond of love shared between us in the first place!”

Nonplussed, Venus took a long drink before answering. “And... if I were to restore that bond?” she asked simply, shocking them both. “I would imagine that would go a long way to establishing some trust between us,” she said offhandedly, her eyes focused intently on the glass, purposely avoiding their gaze. “I mean, not that you HAVE to accept my offer. It’s completely up to you. I was just thinking—”

“Yes! We accept!” Roni blurted out, causing Parker to do a double take.

“R-Roni?” he asked, questioningly.

“Parker,” she said tersely, “you KNOW what it’s been like for us! The sessions with Eva haven’t been helping. My mind isn’t the problem! All the mental manipulation in the world can’t bridge the gap from what I know and what I feel.” She closed her eyes briefly. “If Satore is offering to fix when she broke—“

“But for what price?” Parker interjected, staring at Venus, who continued to avoid his gaze. “The devil always demands a price. So tell us, Venus... why the offer? Why the uncharacteristic generosity?“

That provoked her enough to turn and meet his eyes. “Uncharacteristic?” she bristled. “I’ll have you know I am the epitome of generosity itself!” Softening, let out a small breath. “And.. if you MUST know.. it’s... because of your daughter.”

“Huh? Lucy?”

Venus nodded, staring down at her glass again. “Yes. Little Lucy. She’s so.... sweet,” she said wistfully. “I was never that sweet at her age.” Her expression hardened. “Of course, you both know why. My point is... I do not wish for that poor sweet girl to suffer from a broken home, especially one caused through my own selfish actions.”

Parker and Veronica stood, utterly speechless, not sure what to say. Despite her devious nature, the one thing they both knew and accepted without question was Venus Satore’s love and compassion towards young children. “Um... uh... so,” Parker said after a moment, his anger completely blown in the face of such an honest and sincere motive. “What, um... what do we... how does this work?” he asked awkwardly. “I mean... the last time we, um... Roni and I just kissed... but that was after WE... um...you and I.... uh...”

Venus chuckled softly. “Fucked like rabbits?” She shrugged. “Well... I have good news and bad news. Yes, to be able to restore your bond again, we will end up having to become... intimate... once more,” she stated, giving him a predatory grin, “but I won’t be making you my thralls this time. Basically, we’ll just be friends, with benefits... only in this case, the ‘benefit’ will be a renewed bond of goddess blessed love that will surpass what you both felt from the previous bond.“

“And we should trust you in this because...”

Venus sighed softly, rolling her eyes. “BECAUSE, Albinn, I literally can’t make you my permanent thrall!” she growled. “Your dear and beloved FRIEND, Lacie-the spirit-of-Verdandi-Frasier, put a damper on my powers, remember?!? Even if I DID take you and Veronica as my thralls, my utterly adoring love slaves, the moment I attempted to enslave a third person, the enchantment on you two would fade.” She sighed, taking another deep drink. “Alas... My charm is only transitory now, a temporary state that fades away without my constant attention... a little something she cooked up to keep me from attempting to create my own kingdom of worshippers again. So... are you satisfied now? Happy that the once mighty Aphrodite has been reduced to a mere shell of her former glory?“

Parker grunted, biting his cheek, struggling not to burst into laughter, shaking his head ruefully. “No... no, actually,” he managed after a moment, despite Venus glaring heatedly at him. “And no.... I’m not laughing at you. When this is over and all settled, I’ll explain just why the phrase ‘Mighty Aphrodite’ was so funny,” he managed, biting his cheek again. “But yes... for now... um... yeah. Lacie did say that she took care of things like that happening again, she just never gave the specifics on it. “

Veronica sighed softly. “So... I guess this means you’ll be sleeping with my husband in order to fix everything then? Forgive me, that just seems ironic to me, fixing our failing marriage with overt adultery...”

“Oh, it’s a bit more twisted than that,” Venus replied with a chuckle. “I’m not just sleeping with Parker. I’ll be fucking BOTH of you.” Veronica blinked in surprise. “A threesome, to be precise. Which, considering your current sexual slant, you should be overjoyed with.” Roni had the good grace to say nothing, though her blush spoke volumes. “But, um...” Venus said, glancing away again, suddenly shy. “Before we... um... commit to this... I do have one stipulation. And it is NON-NEGOTIABLE.“

“Huh. I knew it,” Parker muttered, shaking his head. “Just as I said, there’s always a cost. So... what is it? What do you want for your services?”

Venus sighed heavily. “I just... want you to... h-hold me. Afterwards,” she said in a soft voice.

“Excuse me?” Parker asked in disbelief, only to go silent as Venus met his gaze again.

“I want you to hold me afterwards,” she repeated in a stronger voice. “When we’re done, when we’ve had wonderful, mind blowing, life-changing sex, and we’re ready to nod off to sleep, I want to bed down with both of you, and be held comfortably as we all drift off to sleep together. So, am I being unreasonable? Am I asking too much?”

“Uh, I... n-no,” Veronica said, confused by such a strange request. “That’s... fine. Fine with you, Parker?”

“Um, yeah, I guess.”

“Okay. Sounds like we’re in accord,” Venus replied softly, draining her glass with a sigh. “So... no time like the present. Shall we?”

“Huh. Sounds like a plan,” Parker murmured softly, taking the bottle from Venus, and taking a deep belt of his own. “What a day. Normally, I’d bring a bottle of champagne,” he mused, “but what the hell. Any port in a storm.” He passed it to Roni, who likewise took a long pull. “All right! Let’s do this! Let’s go to the basement so we don’t wake Lucy...”

“So, how was it today?” I asked Tawnya idly as we stood in line, waiting for our food order at the restaurant. “Class, I mean. I know, it’s just the first day, and all, but... it is kind of a big change from high school. How are you holding up?”

Tawnya shrugged, a simple gesture that caused her luscious breasts to jiggle enticingly inside her shirt. “It’s not bad. It was a little overwhelming at first, navigating the campus to get from one class to another. I mean, in high school, all your classes are in one building. At the University, I have two classes in one building, then one in a building on the other side of the campus, and one last one on the opposite end of campus. And seven minutes to get from one class to the next!” She shook her head ruefully. “It DID help having figured out where all my classes were and walk the path back and forth beforehand,” she admitted, “but it was still a little hectic. And Dr. Hannigan told us all, point blank, that she does not allow students to wander in later and disrupt her classes. Once class starts, she will lock the door.”

I nodded at that. I’d met Dr. Sheryl Hannigan in passing earlier, and just from our brief interaction she’d struck me as a bit of a hard case. “Well, sorry to put it this way, T, but, better you than me!” I said with a chuckle.

“Well... maybe not for much longer,” Tawnya replied with a smirk of her own, causing me to pause and consider.

“Wait, what?” I asked her, concerned. T just grinned, doing that ‘I-know-something-you-don’t’ grin that always drove me nuts. “Tawnya, do you know something? Did Mist... grr, did Dr. MacMillan say something?” I asked, pressing the issue. She had seemed somewhat distracted earlier before we’d parted ways. I’d had the inkling that perhaps she’d been pondering a major decision of some importance, but until now I hadn’t considered it had anything to do with ME! “Does she... want me to enroll?” I asked, feeling that fluttery feeling in my stomach.

“A better question is, do you want to enroll?” T asked me back. “You know Bonnie. She would absolutely love it if you became a student and worked on getting a degree of your own. But she’d also never push you to do it if you weren’t confident that you could do it. She doesn’t want to see you fail, that would be devastating, not just for yourself, but because, well,” she said, glancing around before whispering, “your slave side would push you to think that failing school would be failing Bonnie herself.” I stiffened at that. T was right—THAT thought alone was nearly enough to make me reconsider the whole thing.

I really have no poker face at all. I apparently show my expressions clearly for anyone to see, because Tawnya picked up immediately on my distress. “It’s okay, Katie,” she said, squeezing me into a hug. “Believe me. I KNOW what that feels like. And so does Bonnie. It’s why I’m bringing this up now, pointing all of this out to you to let you work out for yourself what you want to do. If Bonnie suggested it, you’d snap to as if it were a command. But as your friend, we can talk this out without any pressure of commitment.”

“Yeah. And thanks for that, T,” I said sincerely, letting out a short breath as I considered her words. “To be honest, the thought did cross my mind more than once today,” I admitted. “I... okay. I will concede that I’m no genius like you and Sioban—” to which Tawnya burst into laughter.

“Me? A Genius? Are you freaking serious?” she said, nearly tearing up. “Oh, man... oh, Katie... oh, sweetie, you have no idea! I’m NO genius. You brother, and your girlfriend? Hell yes. Those two... yeah, the word genius works there. Me? Not even close. I’m kind of smart, I guess, but the reason I graduated high school with a perfect four point oh was because I worked my ass off studying! Any time I wasn’t with you guys, or out doing the, um, you-know-what stuff,” she said, glancing around again, “my nose was buried in my books. Seriously, it was even my mantra. ‘Straight A’s’ or Bust! And I did it because I didn’t want to disappoint my Ma, uh, um, Nigel. You know.”

I nodded again, grinning. It was comforting being able to talk to Tawnya like this, knowing that as close as we’d been before, we now shared an even deeper connection. I’d always heard it was a ‘sisterhood of slavery’, but it was just now starting to sink in how true that was. And it was true. I mean, I wasn’t stupid. I’d already proven that I could learn the material and retain it, with the proper motivation. I seriously doubt I could graduate from RCU magna cum laude, that was completely unrealistic. But yeah... I think I could graduate at least with honors.

Maybe I should make the offer to Mistress tonight when she gets home... kind of test the waters. She might have her own ideas on better ways for me to spend my time, however. And in the end, it was her choice. I was her slave as well as her love. I’d surrendered the ability to choose when I surrendered everything to her. And I didn’t regret it, not for a second. Still, if she approved, I would certainly give it my all.

“Fidtee?” the hostess running the front desk called out with a heavy accent. “Number fidtee?”

“Heh. We’re next,” I said, glancing again at the ticket I held in my hand containing our order, number fifty-one. “Finally! The food here is great, but it takes forever.”

“Heh, you know what that say, it’s worth the wait,” T replied with a chuckle.

I nodded in agreement, then blinked, going wide eyed as a familiar redheaded woman walked back us, going up to the desk, picking up her order. I stood there for a moment, frozen, wondering if I should turn away, or hide my face. She hadn’t seen my face walking past, but as soon as she turned around with her order, she would see—

“Katie? Katie Frasier?” the redhead said, pausing to peer at me closely.

“Um, y-yeah, it’s me,” I said shyly, coloring deeply as Tawnya looked on confused. “Ms. Lee. You’re looking well this evening,” I said awkwardly, not really knowing how to respond. Luckily, she just laughed.

“Oh please, sweetie, you can call me Ginger,” she stated, shifting her order around, holding it with one hand, using her free hand to extend it towards me. “I mean, we’re not exactly ‘bosom buddies’ or anything, but we’re definitely past the first name basis, don’t you think?”

“Y-yeah,” i said, laughing nervously, rubbing the back of my head. “You ha... have a point there. So, um, Ginger... just grabbing some dinner? My friend Tawnya and I were doing the same—”

“Katie, dear, would you mind coming outside with me for a moment?” Ginger asked sweetly. “There’s something I wanted to discuss with you the next time we met. And I really need to get this loaded in my car before I slip up and drop something,” she said, gesturing to the multiple bags of take-out food.

“Um... I... guess so,” I said slowly, glancing again at Tawnya. “That should be okay. We still have a few minutes before our number is called after all...”

“Great! I’ll see you in a few,” she said brightly, walking out the door. Once the door closed behind her I let out the breath I was hold, visibly sagging in relief. I was completely at a loss here. After my visit from Red Rocket, I knew I’d eventually meet up with one or more of the people I’d enslaved, most of whom would still harbor ill feelings towards me for everything that had happened. Ginger Lee was one of those, one of the first ones I’d taken and twisted to my own designs. But her reaction at meeting me here threw me off. She hadn’t seemed upset or anything. She’s been nice and friendly, even somewhat flirtatious. But... was she really okay with seeing me, or just masking her feelings while we were in public?

“Okay, so what was that all about?” Tawnya asked, still staring towards the exit. “Who was that woman? Where do you know her from?”

“Ginger Lee,” I murmured softly, mindful of anyone around overhearing. “Otherwise known as Spice Girl. She’s one of the people Supernova... sigh, one of the people that I enslaved and turned into my personal enforcement squad. And now... she wants to have a ‘chat’ with me,”

“Spice Girl,” T replied, frowning. “I saw most of what happened here during The Incident,” I winced again, at the reminder, we’d all taken to referring to the time when I went crazy and nearly blew up the world as ‘The Incident’, “from that Udrebrunnr well back in Norn Land, so I didn’t really get a feel for all the players involved. What are we dealing with here? How powerful is she?”

“She’s very strong and very tough... almost as strong as Mom, definitely in her weight class, but not quite as tough. She once took a tank round to the stomach, and afterwards, she said ‘Ouch... that stings a little’...”

“Great! She took a howitzer shell to the gut and winced slightly in pain?!?” Tawnya stated dryly. “So she’s only mostly invincible. Gee, I feel so much better about our chances now.”

I shook my head. “No, T. Not OUR chances. Mine. I made this mess, and I’ll be the one to deal with it. I don’t want you getting involved.”

“Are you serious? No way I’m going to just stand by and watch her maul you in an angry rage—”

“Tawnya, please,” I said quietly but forcefully, holding up a hand. Her frown deepened, but she went quiet. I almost had a laugh at that. I guess it was true—of the two of us, I actually WAS the more dominant one. And considering that she could actually put me under and make me obey her with a few simple words, that was really saying something. “I know you want to protect me,” I told her gently. “I know you want to help. But you can’t. At least not for this. This is MY mistake,” I said again, stubbornly, even as her jaw tightened, a precursor to her going into argument mode. “MY mistake. And I have to deal with it MY way. The truth is, I’ve been avoiding this, running from this, for a while now. But not anymore. It’s time that I faced up to my responsibilities.”

Tawnya sighed, shaking her head. “Girl... I really do admire your courage... but this is insane! She will KILL you!”

“Maybe not,” I said lightly, handing her the claim ticket for our food, trying not to show how badly I was shaking inside. “She’s a heroine after all. She’d probably just beat me up... really... um... badly.” I swallowed again. “Maybe she honestly DOES want to just talk. And if not... well, I’ve always got luck on my side.”

I kept that strongly in mind as I stepped outside, finding the Assistant City Planning and Development Chairman standing idly beside a nice red 2016 Fiat. I took a moment to take in the car itself; it was pretty small, and Ginger is a pretty big lady. Big, as in tall, and muscular, I mean, not big as in ‘big boned’. She was actually pretty slender, and shapely, with curves in all the right places—you know what, I’m getting sidetracked. Forcing my attention back to the here and now, I glanced from the car back to the car’s owner, and forced a smile onto my face as I stepped forward to meet her.

“So... um... you wanted to talk to me?”

Ginger nodded, her expression stern. “Yes. I did. In fact, I’ve wanted to talk to you about what happened a few weeks ago ever since that day.” She crossed her arms at her chest. “You’re a hard person to track down, Luminaire.”

“It’s just Katie these days,” I replied wearily. “Luminaire is retired. And after the reception at that press conference I held, it’s probably better that way.”

“Perhaps,” Ginger said, musing aloud, “or maybe that’s just what you’re telling yourself, to make it easier to accept. A nice little half-truth to help you sleep at night.” She uncrossed her arms. “I say you’re hiding out to keep from facing up to your responsibilities about what happened. Luminaire has fallen from grace, so now Katie Frasier is moving on with her life, putting everything that happened in the past. Out of sight, out of mind, is that it?”

“Wha... I... no!” I protested weakly, even as my face turned beet red. Her words stung. I mean... yes, I was trying to move past the Incident, I was, kinda, moving on. But I hadn’t forgotten anything. I still lived with the shame and the disgrace. “You’re wrong!” I told her. “I loved being Luminaire more than anything in the world... er, except being with my family, and loved ones, I mean. It was a major part of who I was! Giving it up in penance for my misdeeds had so unbelievably hard! You have no idea—”

“Penance?” Ginger countered, angrily. “PENANCE? You think everyone, the people you hurt and abused, the people you betrayed... you think they wanted that from you? Did anyone ask you to give up being a heroine?” I blinked, stunned. “If anything, the BEST way you could have made up for your mistake would have been to work HARDER as a heroine, not to stick your head in the sand and wait for it all to blow over!” She growled, slamming her fist down on a blue post office box, then winced as it crumpled like a piece of aluminum foil. “Ah, crap,” she murmured, glancing around uneasily before quickly unfolding the smashed box. “Just great. The city’s already over budget for repairs and maintenence and I have to go and destroy a public mailbox...”

I swallowed painfully, reminded again just how strong the woman standing there glaring at me was. I was no slouch. I could lift a two ton truck over my head, yeah, but Ginger could crush that truck into a small ball with her bare hands and play hackey sack with it. “Ginger,” I said plaintively, “I... that is... you’re right,” I admitted after a moment. “You’re exactly right. I did it again. I got caught up in my own pain, my own misery, so deeply I didn’t even consider how my actions would affect everyone else. I shouldn’t have settled with making a gesture. I should have done this,” I said dropping to my knees before her, bowing my head. “I’m so very sorry, Ginger. Please... forgive me?” I asked, sincerely.

The stunned redhead, sputtered for several seconds before grabbing me by the arm, jerking me back to my feet. “Geez! Yes, yes, I forgive you, just... cut that out, will ya?” she said, blushing slightly. “I didn’t expect you to actually grovel, you know... but, um, yeah. The apology was nice. That’s really all I wanted, you know? To hear the words from your lips... and not just a token ‘I’m Sorry’ from the masses, but a sincere and heartfelt one like you just gave.” She sighed softly, shaking her head. “You know...I suppose I should actually thank you,” she told me after a moment. “You DID rescue me from Tommy and Lucy, after all. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be in a drug induced stupor, obediently sucking and fucking anyone they pointed in my general direction.” She shuddered, glancing away in shame. “Of course... what you did AFTER freeing me wasn’t much better, just trading one slave owner for another. But at least you did restore my mind back to me. And for that, at least, I’m very grateful.”

She hugged me then, and I sighed softly, relaxing finally. If I hadn’t mentioned it a few dozen times before, I HATE confrontation! The idea of someone being angry at me, hating me... it turned my stomach. Sioban occasionally joked that part of the reason I was such a good and attentive girl for her was that I was such a people pleaser. But she was right. Yes, I loved to, LIVED to, please my Mistress. It fulfilled me in ways I can’t even begin to describe. But... I also needed to please the people of my city, and the one’s I’d hurt. I’d thought giving up my identity as a heroine would be enough. But maybe what I really needed to do was exactly what I’d just done with Ginger. As Tawnya came out of the restaurant with our order, I decided to talk it over with her, and tell her my thoughts...