Journey
of Discovery
By
Victoria Mystere
Edited
by Studbound
Chapter
Seven
Sunlight creeping through the window finally found his eyelids and in a show of power managed to shine through the thin membranes and force his eyes open. A glance out of the window showed him blue skies and bright sun. The first part of June in the northern part of the country is always open to question. While the skies might be blue and the sun high – the temperature might be anywhere from the low forties to the mid seventies. It simply was not possible to tell by looking out of the window.
Walking stiffly down the stairs he entered the kitchen. Lillian said, "Hi, how are you doing, sleepyhead?"
"Pretty good I guess. I am a little sore . . . "
"Well, that's to be expected. Maybe I can give you a back rub after breakfast. We haven't a lot of time, though. We have to head up to the lake."
"Oh, that's right. So, what's for breakfast?"
"I am having bacon and eggs. You are having a piece of melon and coffee with low-cal sweetener."
"Why?"
"I just think you need to lose a few more pounds. Last night was a start. But I think it will be necessary for you to lose at least twenty-five pounds before I start making you bacon and eggs and such."
This was a turn of events he never envisioned. For the life of him he could never remember being aroused by a lack of breakfast -- but he obviously was.
Over the next few weeks, Lillian and Allan continued to experiment with bondage. Then, one morning the children had barely boarded the bus when Lillian heard the phone ringing inside of the house. Running quickly, she managed to answer on the fifth ring -- the one that usually signals the last. Breathlessly she answered, "Hello."
"Hello, Lillian, this is Barb"
"Hi, Barb. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I don't think it is so much what you can do for me. I think I can do something for you. I was wondering if you would like to go shopping again. You know - for some more equipment."
"Yes, where do you have to go?"
"Not far. I have a friend just outside of town whose husband is a tremendous craftsman in leather. I was going there myself and I thought that you might like to come along. You will probably enjoy it."
"Okay, when are you going to pick me up?"
Thirty minutes later Lillian was seated in the Mercedes once more. The road out of town was passing quickly and Lillian tried to relax. "Where does this woman live, Barb?"
"She runs a tack store out on Route 90. It's not too far. I would guess we will be there in five minutes. Have you ever been to a tack store?"
"No. What do they sell?" At that moment she realized that they probably sold harnesses, saddles, and such. "I guess that's a silly question, isn't it?"
"No, the silliest question is the one you don't ask. Well, how do you like being the top?"
"Yes. I guess I do. It's still all pretty new. There seems to be so much to know. While I want to please myself, I want him to be pleased as well. But, I just don't know what he wants."
"Have you tried talking about it?"
"A little."
"The first steps in bondage relationship should be negotiated carefully for the very reasons you just mentioned. No relationship is ever built to last on the demands of one partner. There are things that must be decided and agreed upon. After you learn the ropes, so to speak, there is room for variation. But, in the beginning the limits must be set very carefully."
"How do you do that, Barb?"
"It's not that difficult. The easiest way is to use questionnaires or surveys. While we are there I will make sure that Sarah gives you a couple to choose from. They are actually quite common."
"What is this Sarah, an expert?"
"Certainly. She is the source of most of the information in this area. Sarah has been fashioning esoteric accessories for over twenty years. Not only that but she has studied the subject extensively. I know she has spent quite a bit of time investigating the finer points of the art. She is the one to go to for questions. I remember when Andy and I first started -- I spent many hours listening to Sarah. If you want to know about how it works, I suggest you do the same."
"Well, I guess we shall see."
Barb turned the car into the parking lot of Whitney's Tack Store. There were few cars in the lot and Barb parked near the front. The building was neither old nor new. The white clapboard had been freshly painted and the building seemed in good repair. As they entered the door, a bell sounded. Lillian was overwhelmed by the smell of leather. She thought that if someone were into leather – this might be as strong an elixir as possible. She felt her own passion starting to rise and carefully tried to dismiss the feelings.
"Barb, how are you doing?"
"Very well, thanks. You?"
"Can't complain. I guess I could -- but no one would listen."
Sarah Whitney was older. Lillian guessed her age to be about 60. Her long gray hair was gathered in a ponytail and she wore a straw cowboy hat. She smiled easily and her eyes wandered over Lillian's body. She tried to smile.
"Barb, you here for the things?"
"Yes, I am. I brought along a guest. This is Lillian. Lillian, this is Sarah."
Looking around the store she caught the eye of a young girl and waved her over. "Melody, we are going downstairs for a while. Can you take care of things? If it gets busy, just buzz." Turning to Barb and Lillian Sarah said, "Well, come along then."
Barb led the way as they moved behind the counter to a door situated to the right of the cash register. Sarah turned on a light and they went down a cement staircase. Arriving at the bottom, Sarah took a key and removed a heavy-duty padlock and opened another door. Lillian noted the same three-part symbol that Barb wore was carved into the door. She smiled.
If the smell of leather was strong in the store – it was nearly overwhelming in the room they were entering. Lillian looked around and could see it was a workshop as well as a showroom. There were workbenches that lined three of the walls. Rolls of leather material were attached on the walls and in the middle of the room were several large sewing machines.
The fourth wall displayed Sarah and Carl Whitney's wares. Lillian's yes traveled from one wall to the other. In one section were bondage hoods. Each was displayed on a wire rack approximately the size of a human head. There were ten different styles. The next section consisted of cuffs and collars. The third section had whips of all sorts. Everything from leather paddles to small bullwhips. The last section had harnesses of one type or another.
"Come here, Barb, I think you will like this," Sarah called.
Barb said, "Excuse me, Lillian. I have to take care of my business first. Look around if you would like." She said with a smile.
"Thank you. I think I will."
Lillian made a point of ignoring what they were doing and started her examination at the section featuring hoods. Her fingers touched the leather -- it was soft and seemed to have an inner warmth. She looked more closely and saw that some had both eyeholes and open mouths. Some covered only the back of the head and the eyes -- some covered everything with nothing more than breathing tubes leading from the nostrils.
Touching the soft leather caused her to become aroused once more. This was all so new to her that she didn't understand it. Prior to a couple of weeks ago she could never remember anything putting her in the mood for sex. Now her passion rose with the simple smell of leather. It was a strange feeling and one that was not easily ignored. As she examined the hoods, it was easy to imagine Howard being encased in one of these. She touched one particularly attractive hood. Her attention was riveted to the piece and she failed to hear the women approach from behind.
"That's the one I would pick."
Lillian turned around and jumped slightly. Sarah laughed, "No, I mean it that is my favorite of the group. Let me show it to you."
Sarah moved past her and took the article from the wire rack and handed it to her. "The thing I like about this one is the flexibility of the implement. The gag, eyepieces, and earplugs are all removable from the outside. See what I mean?"
"Gag?" said Lillian.
"Yes," said Sarah.
"Don't you gag your husband?"
"No, never."
"Oh," Sarah said, the gag is the most important part of bondage. It's what really makes you the dominant. A good gag is a must, and you should put it on him and keep it on him."
"Why?"
"It's only with the gag that he committs himself - that you are in control. Speech is a powerful weapon, a tool. Without it, he cannot direct you, influence you. The more effective the gag, the better. It's the critical piece of equipment."
She watched as he took the eyepieces and ripped them out from the inside. "Everything is attached with Velcro. Once it is in place, the bottom cannot tell they were ever removable. I covered every bit of the Velcro with soft leather. The same goes for the other attachments. This is the best one we make. It is not even overly expensive at $100."
"But the price says $299?"
"Ah, but you are a special customer. I can afford to make a deal to a friend of Barb's, she has been keeping me in business for years," she said with a laugh.
She handed it back to Lillian and she examined it more closely. The stitches were fine -- so fine you could hardly see them. She tried removing the mouthpiece and it ripped out fairly easily leaving plenty of room for a gag. The edges of the round hole over the mouth were carefully reinforced with a thick bead of leather. "Why, do you have this?" She asked Sarah while pointing at the hole.
"A top can fit a gag either inside of the hood or outside. If you put it inside, the reinforcement will prevent it from ripping. If you put it on the outside -- it will prevent it from being injured."
Lillian had her checkbook in her pocket and with hardly a thought said, "Okay, I'll take this one."
"No, that's not the way it works. These are my samples. If you want one. You put some money down and come back when I have completed it. It usually only takes a week or less. Is that okay?"
Lillian was embarrassed. She should have known that since there were no two the same -- these were the samples. Clearing her throat she said, "Of course. Will you please make one for me?"
"Certainly. Can I show you some of my other things?"
Barb moved to the back watched as Lillian began her introduction to leather, bondage, and craftsmanship. She watched Sarah as she took Lillian's arm and moved her to the section with restraints.
"The important thing to remember about all of this is that the bondage must be secure -- a man wants to feel completely tied and unable to free himself -- but not painful. A lot of people think that pain is the main thing in the relationship and it simply isn't. You can use those four-dollar handcuffs all you like but they will abrade the skin, be uncomfortable, and not actually do what you want them to do. Take these cuffs for example, "
Reaching up, Sarah took a cuff off the rack. It was black leather and had a white soft lining. He handed it to Lillian and continued, "This is lined with fleece. It will be comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Another thing about these types is that they nearly eliminate the chance of the bottom's circulation being cut off. You are aware that if you tie someone up tightly you must make certain that you are not cutting off their circulation, aren't you?"
"How do you do that?"
"Touching. If you have your bottom tied up in strict bondage, it is important to touch their hands and feet and make sure they are not cool to the touch. If they are, you are cutting off their blood supply. You must loosen them immediately. If you don't, you might end up causing them extreme discomfort and there can even be further complications. When you use cuffs like these, the chance of that happening are very small."
Lillian took the cuff from Sarah and placed it on her wrist and tightened the strap. She felt the fleece compress as the cuff became tighter. It felt strong and powerful -- even though it was soft. "I see what you mean, but what about these other ones?"
"They are for more advanced play. Some of these should only be used by an experienced top. These for example," She said as he reached to the top shelf. Taking down a pair of cuffs that were constructed of leather no more than a half-inch wide, she handed them to Lillian.
She felt the roughness of the material. The edges were hard and the cuffs seemed as if they were made to be uncomfortable. She handed them back and Sarah continued, "These are not for beginners. As a matter of fact, if you wanted them, I probably wouldn't even sell them to you. My inclination would be to point you toward the padded cuffs."
"I see. So, if I want a set of these padded cuffs, you'll make them, right?"
"Sure, how many do you want?"
"Isn't four the usual number?"
"Not necessarily. Although they are usually sold in sets of two, it is not unusual for a top to order as many as four sets."
"Where do the others go?"
"Remember when you are placing someone into strict bondage the idea is to make them immobile. While attaching the wrists and ankles is good – sometimes it is necessary to attach the upper arms and legs above the knees for example. Beyond that, there probably isn't much use to doing more. If you want my recommendation, I would say go for the whole set. I can do that for another hundred -- because you are a friend of Barb's of course you will still have to pick out a collar, if you want one?"
"Of course. What do you recommend?
"This is a nice one for beginners. It is made of soft leather and the padding makes it comfortable. You see, it matches the others. The best thing about this one is that it has D rings in four locations. One in the front and back and on either side."
"Go for it. This is getting expensive. " Lillian said nervously.
"Yes, it is. But, these will last a lifetime and think about the fun they will provide."
"I don't know. Would you two like a cup of coffee? I could use one myself and it might give us a chance to visit for a moment. There are some things we should talk about.”
"That would be nice, Barb. Do you have the time Lillian?"
"Sure, I don't have to be home until this afternoon."
Sarah Whitney busied herself with clearing a spot on one of the benches. She moved three stools to the vacated area and then went upstairs to retrieve the refreshments.
"So, what do you think of Sarah, Lillian?" Barb asked.
"She seems to be very very knowledgeable. I like the way she explains the reasons behind everything. I never knew it was this complicated. I assumed that one just tied the other person up, had sex, and untied them. There seems to be a lot more to it than that."
"There certainly is. The fact is that you have found yourself beginning to look inside the human psyche for the first time in your life. Dominance and submission are only reflections of our personalities. There are many other expressions as well. I think the scariest thing is that people condemn that which they have never thought about. They assume that since it doesn't do anything for them, it is wrong."
"Barb, it still feels wrong. I don't know how to say this exactly. It is like when I was a young girl and I was afraid of getting pregnant. It is like I am walking around pregnant and unmarried all of the time."
"Well, Lillian, I can't speak to that feeling but I know that coming to grips with our own sexuality is sometimes a process that takes years. I hate the condemnation but I can appreciate it. There are sexual activities that amuse people that I find repulsive. When that happens it is hard not to dismiss their practitioners as evil perverts."
"So, what is the answer."
"The answer can only be found within you. Expressions of love are never wrong. I would never participate in these activities with anyone other than Andy. To me the sanctity of marriage is more important than my feelings. I guess we are blessed because we have found an expression for our love that is satisfying and beneficial to us."
Sarah returned from upstairs carrying a carafe filled with coffee, three cups, condiments, and a selection of cookies. She distributed the cups.
"How do you like yours, Lillian?"
"Black is fine. Thank you for doing this, we probably shouldn't have put you to the trouble."
"Nonsense. It is no trouble to fuss over one's friends. It is a pleasure." She poured the coffee and said, "Help yourself to the cookies. They are from the bakery down the road. I think they are excellent."
"I guess I still don't understand why he likes bondage." Lillian sighed.
"And you probably never will," smiled Sarah.
"Some men like tits, some play with a woman's ass. There are leg men, and some get off on shoes or ankles. There is no explaining it. Some like to dress up as women and a good many love leather or rubber. The more complicated the man, the more complicated his need. But whatever a man, or woman for that matter, needs, it is something necessary to fulfil them sexually. The other partner should try to fill that need if at all possible. Remember, to make him happy, tie him up tightly and securely, gag him – never forget the gag and don't take it off no matter how much he begs -- and see that you are the boss!"
The three sat in silence and consumed the refreshments. When Lillian
finished her cup she placed it on the workbench. Looking at the two women
she noticed they were about done as well.
story continues in Journey of Discovery 8 by Victoria Mystere - Edited
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