It Isn't Just an Orgy

They were getting close to the Gate and switched seats at the next halt. They could see the Gate personnel talking with people in the vehicles ahead of them, as well as opening up trunks and looking for obvious violations of the restrictions. The list of things not allowed in was lengthy. Beyond the typical bans on explosives, guns, and fireworks, there were other things.

"Leave no trace isn't a slogan at Burn Man," Isabel said. "It's a way of life. They don't want things like glitter or feathers that disintegrate. Nothing that can cause MOOP!"

"Material out of place," David said. "I know. Whatever we bring in, we need to bring out."

"This is all US government land. The Bureau of Land Management watches to make sure it's preserved... We only get to use it as long as we can meet that standard. They have to issue a new permit every year," she added. "I hope we never lose that!"

The line started to move again and she followed along. This time, it was their turn. An older man wearing a battered fedora, a dusty black vest, and shorts walked up to her SUV. A pair of goggles were hanging around his neck, over a dust mask. He carried a barcode scanner and had on a decidedly grumpy look. Isabel wondered how much longer his shift was. Dealing with the inbound hordes wore on them. Even if offered, they didn't want hugs.

"Hey," he said as he got to them.

"Hi there," Isabel said, unable to keep the cheerful tone out of her voice. She handed him their tickets and he scanned them in, followed by scanning the vehicle permit on her windshield. Looking ahead, she could see people pouring out of the RV so one of the gate workers could check the inside.

"It's going to be a few minutes," the man said, nodding towards the RV.

"No problem. It's been 15 hours, a few more doesn't really matter in the scheme of things," she said. "Hard day?"

"Pretty normal. Would you get out, and I can check you so you're ready when they are," he said. As she got out, he went through the list of forbidden things. "Got any of those?" he asked.

"No," she replied. As far as she knew, she was answering honestly. She brought alcohol but no other mind altering substances. If David had any, she didn't know. She never asked and he never mentioned it. While she didn't indulge, she didn't care if others did. She went to the back of the car and opened it up. The man took a look but he didn't look too deep. Generally only people who were blatant got caught here.

He gave her a nod and told her to have a great time. "Remember to stay down to five miles an hour from here on in. They will ticket you," he said as he headed to the car behind them.

It was another ten minutes before the RV got the clearance to move on. As they followed it, Isabel saw a cop car just past the other side of the line with a car that had been pulled out. The Burners were leaning against the cop car with handcuffs on. She sighed and shook her head. That was a quick burn for them. There was an empty lane to the side of the RV and she moved over into it. A little ways farther, there were teepees set up in between the lanes and there were people there. Once again, there was a line of stopped vehicles.

"Greeters," Isabel told David. The line was shorter and they were soon there. The contrast with the ticket checker couldn't be starker. There were three people there. Two were pretty young women wearing fur bikini tops and hot pants with boots. The last was an older man, Isabel guessed he was in his sixties, and he wore nothing at all. He was tall and seemed to be very bony. He sauntered up to the SUV with a complete lack of self-consciousness over being unclothed. Isabel's couldn't help being drawn to his cock, as it swung free. "Uncut," she thought to herself.

"Welcome Home," the man said with a huge smile. "Any virgins here?"

"Not me, but my friend is," Isabel said with a grin. While getting dusty was inevitable, she didn't feel the need to help it happen.

"Well let's go, my friend," the man said, giving David a wave. Isabel grabbed both her phone and David's and got out as well. As David hugged both of the women, she captured the moment. Their hugs were flirtatious and accompanied by squealing giggles. Pausing, Isabel gave the older man a hug of his own. David was a little shyer with him. Since he wasn't attracted to women, it was easy to brush that off as part of the experience. He didn't find the man particularly attractive either, but there was something about hugging an unknown naked man that made it more real. In the right circumstances, he wouldn't necessarily reject an advance from him. That realization was enough to trigger his aversion to touching, but he forced his way through it and even returned the hug.

There were other people joining the little group now. David hung back from hugging everyone, feeling the tension in his chest, while Isabel went around to hug each person. There were about ten of them when the man spoke.

"It's time to get dusty. Who is going to be the first?" He looked at David who smiled shyly and nodded. "Excellent. Lay down and get dusty!" he told him. They all screamed encouragement to David and he flopped down on his back and did a dust angel on the ground before rolling over. The playa dust readily adhered to him. There was a big smudge on his cheek, but David seemed more relaxed. His smile was more genuine.

"Now ring the bell and shout, 'I'm not a virgin anymore!'" the man said, handing him a mallet.

There was a bell hanging in front of them. Walking up to it, David swung with all his strength. The tone was loud and pure. The sound carried on as David threw back his head and screamed. "I'm not a virgin anymore!"

Everybody cheered and there were more hugs as he stepped back into the group. One by one each of the first time burners went through the ritual. Each time, David felt a little more comfortable with hugging someone he didn't know. When they were done, Isabel gave him a long hug. When she moved away, his smile truly lit up his face.

"Welcome Home," she whispered.

"Thanks, Isabel," he replied.

Looking at him sternly, she shook her head. "It's not Isabel now. I'm Moonshine on the playa," she told him. She took a deep breath and let it out. Truly, it felt like she was letting Isabel go. As they moved back to the car, she practically danced. As she got to her door, she leaned back and shouted. "I love this fucking place!"

From there, it was one slow but constant drive to camp. As soon as she could, Isabel turned and went up a street into the city until she reached C Street. Not only was there less traffic, but it was a much shorter drive. The closer to the center, the shorter the circular streets were. The camps were going up as they drove past. It was a hodgepodge of tents, big and small, yurts, geodesic domes, RV's and trucks. Many spaces were still empty.

Driving down C Street, they passed 7:00, 7:30, and then 8:00. Finally, they passed 8:30 Street and she slowed down to a crawl. They looked back and forth from one side to the other. About halfway down on the left side of the street, Isabel found what she was seeking. A box truck was being unloaded; on the side was a banner. "Camp Rain City & Piano Lounge" it proclaimed. It was decorated with drawings of many different umbrellas.

"Here we are," she said as she parked beside a pickup truck. Even while getting out, people were coming over from what they were doing. Most of them surrounded Isabel. From the way they called her Moonshine, it was clear that they knew her from past years. Each one of them gave her a big hug.

Some of the people further back came over to introduce themselves to David. Despite feeling uncomfortable, he accepted hugs from those who offered. A few of the more aware ones recognized his reaction and held back, only offering handshakes or friendly nods. There were about 20 people in camp. He thought about what it would be like when they had the full group of 60. "Hopefully I can just ease into it," he told himself.

One of the people around Isabel came over to him, and he smiled as he saw who it was. "Hey, Deborah, how are you doing?" he asked as she gave him a hug. This one he returned with enthusiasm. It was always easier when he knew someone, and the longer the better.

"On the playa, you have to call me Gumdrops. And we are going to find you a playa name of your own before the week is out," she said, planting a big kiss on his cheek. "I'm so glad you made it here," she added.

"Me too," he said. The rest of the group gradually drifted over to say hi to him, but Gumdrops stood next to him with her arm around his waist. It was her subtle way to help him protect his personal space. As a friend of his mother, she'd watched him grow up and knew something of his struggles, both before and after the army. She hoped this would be a healing experience for him.

Isabel was already in the back of her SUV, getting out what she needed to set up her camp. In addition to her camping tent, she had a bigger tent that would go over it for extra shade. She wanted to get done as soon as possible so she could help with the rest of the camp. After a few minutes, David joined her. She offered to let him use the shade structure, and he readily accepted. His time in the Middle East taught him to take advantage of anything that would decrease the heat.

Once done with that, they both joined in the effort to get the camp in place. It was made up of a series of tent carports, two for the kitchen, three for the communal space, and one for storage. With the sides down, they provided protection against the wind as well as the sun. On the other side of their camp, they put up a very large hexagon dome tent. That was the space for the Rain City Piano Lounge. On one side they built a long bar. Opposite it was a piano, battered and covered with the dust of past Burns. While it didn't look like much, it was well tuned and had a lovely sound. David helped Gumdrops to hang a sign at the entrance.

Rain City Piano Lounge

Drinks and Music

Open 8-11 M, T, Th, F

It was their camp's gift to the city. While there were many theme camps that had various types of electronic music, they wanted to offer a more mellow sanctuary where people could talk and enjoy any style of music as long as it could be played on a piano. People took turns to act as hosts for at least one night during the week. Some were there more than that, enjoying the opportunity to chat with whomever the winds blew in.

On Wednesday, they were closed for a camp-only party. There were always some guests, but it was the one night when almost everyone was there gathered together. Isabel loved that night. The people were what bound her to this particular camp. Even though there were several more days and nights left to go after Wednesday, it always felt like things changed afterwards. The weekend partiers started to show up and the sense of community weakened some. She still loved it, but it definitely evolved.

By the time the sun began to sink down behind the hills to the west, the camp was completely up. There was still only about half of the people there; most of the rest would show up on Monday, with a few dribbling in throughout the week.

After grabbing some things out of her cooler, Isabel walked over to the kitchen. She felt her muscles ache a little, and she paused to stretch. David passed her by and chuckled.

"Are you okay, Moonshine?" he asked. He sounded both amused and concerned at the same time. The use of her playa name was a little forced, but he was getting used to it.

"I'm fine, you young pup," she replied, as she felt her back pop slightly. "I'm pretty active, you know."

He paused and turned to face her. His shy smile easily mollified her. "I know, but skiing and running are a lot different than working with your hands. I've got some healing creams if you need any," he said as he waited for her.

Restraining herself from giving him a hug, she shook her head. "Thanks, I'm fine. Hawk promised me a massage after dinner. That is all I need." They walked along to the main tent. She added her food to the collection that was set out. Her contribution was a quinoa salad with mozzarella cheese and peeled oranges. The peels were back in her compost bin in Seattle. It was less MOOP to pack out. While not everyone was a vegetarian, there were enough that she brought meatless dishes for the nights she would share.

After filling her plate, she went over and joined a group of old friends. There were camp chairs and throw pillows scattered all over the tent. She sat down on one and leaned against another. She had a big Nalgene water bottle along with her plate of food. It had been her second time refilling it so far today. It was always hardest in the first couple of days to drink at least a gallon a day, but the last thing she wanted was to get a dehydration headache.

"I love the meals people make through the week, but this is always fun. Eating whatever people brought that's ready to eat," Isabel said. She picked up a large shrimp in a spicy lime sauce and slurped it down. "Mmmm, did you make this, Miyah?" she asked a small and quite pretty Japanese woman. She smiled and nodded.

"I did. Do you like them?" the woman replied. David had joined them and it was obvious to him that she was actually from Japan, just one of a number of people from around the world.

"They are delicious. I'm glad I'm not a vegetarian," Isabel said. She laughed as a tall, strong man pushed her in the shoulder with enough force to make her sway back and forth a little. "Hey now, Hawk. It's your choice to deny yourself."

"True, but you don't have to rub it in," Hawk told her. "You know why I am." He looked over his shoulder at a short woman with long hair. It was a deep grey, despite her appearing to be in her thirties, just like Hawk. She was talking to someone over by the food.

Isabel noticed something in his eyes, a little mischievous glint. After a moment, she figured it out. She picked up her other shrimp and held it so that the woman couldn't see. Hawk dipped his head down and bit it in half. Straightening up, he chewed it as if savoring the most delicious thing ever.

"God, Miyah. That is tasty," he told the Japanese woman. He licked his lips with gusto, both to catch the last big of sauce and to remove any last bit of evidence. They all laughed, although it died down as his partner looked over at them. Pretending not to notice, Hawk took a bite of Isabel's quinoa salad. It was spicy and had lots of garlic, perfect for hiding the smell of shrimp on his breath. "Good veggie salad, Moonshine," he said with a toothy grin.

"I'm glad you like it. You owe me an extra-long massage now," Isabel said.

"Worth it," he whispered as his partner approached. They made room for her to sit down and Isabel was forced to move a little closer to David. He was quiet, preferring to just listen to the conversation. She could sense his nervousness and after reflecting reached out her free hand and rested it on his thigh. There was a momentary flinch but then he smiled at her and seemed less nervous. She left it there as she picked at her food, joining in the ebb and flow of the conversation. Gradually David started to as well.

After dinner as they walked back to their tents, David looked at her. "You know, you seem different from when I met you in Seattle. I'm not sure exactly how," he said.

Isabel smiled. "I was already different then from when I'm working, or even skiing. I'm always in control in some way or another. But here, I can let go and allow things to just happen. It starts when I leave, but I can't fully embrace it until I start getting dusty," she said, and then sharply laughed. "You should have seen me as a virgin. The randomness of this place was scary. It took me a couple of days, but I found it. And I loved it once I did." She gave his arm a rub. "I hope you do too."

"Me too," David said as he ducked into his tent. "See you back at the main tents," he said.

"Okay," she replied as she got into her own tent. The temperature was starting to drop. It didn't seem like it would get too cold but she got out her faux fur coat anyhow. "I'll need it," she thought as she took off her shirt and then her bra. Her large breasts swung and she bent down to pull off her shorts over her boots. She only left her panties on before putting on the coat. It went down to her boots. She sighed as she felt it around her. It was something she wore most nights here as the best way to stay warm and was like a comfortable second skin.

"Most of the time I have more on," she thought to herself. While many were comfortable completely exposing their bodies at Burning Man, it wasn't everyone. "Hell, it isn't even that many who get totally nude. And usually they aren't the ones anyone wants to see nude." In the dim light from her flashlight, she looked down at herself. "Like me," she thought, even though she knew she still looked pretty good. "For my age," she added aloud. "For my age."

Pulling her coat tight around herself, she went back to the main tents. David was already there talking with a couple of guys that Isabel didn't know. The makeup of the camp always changed from year to year. She thought both of them were returning from last year, which was why she hadn't met them.

Hawk was in the most secluded part of the main tents. The only open side was facing into the rest of their private space. People wandering by couldn't see into this part. Hawk was there beside his massage table, getting his oils ready. "All ready for you," he said. "Should I turn my back?" he said. His toothy grin showed how he was kidding.

"I'm not that reserved," she said as she took off her coat and hung it up on a hook. Her curvy body may have been exposed, but she forced herself not to hurry to get onto the table. While she didn't go out of her way to expose herself, she wasn't going to act embarrassed either. A few of the guys looked over and watched. It was still early enough that even partial nudity was still eye catching. At least a couple of the women watched with equal interest. Isabel knew she wasn't the only lesbian in camp, but after her first year, she was careful not to play with campmates. It was too hard to find space if it didn't work out.

Climbing up on the table, she stretched out on her stomach. Hawk paused for a second before putting a towel over her bottom. "Old or young, you have a lovely caboose, Moonshine," he said. "Almost a shame to cover it up."

"Too bad it's no man's land, eh?" she asked.

"I didn't say that!" he said slightly defensively. "But it's true. You have a nice ass."

"Thank you sweetie. I appreciate the compliment."

Hawk started to work on her body, beginning with the arms. Since this was how he made a living, he was very good at it. Isabel was soon muttering soft moans as he found and removed spots of muscle tension.

"I see you didn't bring anyone special again this year," he said softly. "Unless you've changed a lot more than I think."

"David? I don't think so. He's a sweet guy, but he isn't any more interested in me than I am in him," she said equally as quietly. She met Hawk her first year and he'd been with the camp every year she went after that. She knew him even longer than his partner did. In the way of Burning Man, they became good friends and occasionally saw each other back home, although it had been well over a year since the last time.

"That still ignores the first part of my question," he said as he moved down to her legs. Pausing first to take off her boots, his strong fingers worked the calf muscles.

"You didn't ask a question. You just made a statement," Isabel told him. "Yes, you observed correctly. I'm alone."

His fingers found a tight muscle that could turn into a cramp later and he carefully worked it until it was gone. As delicate as he was, Isabel still whimpered a bit.