Awakening Ch. 01: Setting the Stage

The following story is intended to be a full story, with many chapters and a longer story line. It will however grow as I have time to write it. It takes place in a world very similar to our own, but much darker in a way. For those who know it, I'm basing it on the world of Mage: The Ascension. Although it starts out as BDSM, with only some reluctance in this first chapter, I wish to warn the reader that the story is likely to continue on darker themes and will venture into non-consent and other topics that may be offending to you. If so, you may not wish to get involved in this story. At the risk of this being a spoiler, this story will also involve magic. If this is not your thing, you have been warned.

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Chapter 1 - Setting the stage

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I dressed up in a short dress. It was a simple dress, strapless, with a zipper on the side and it stopped above my knees, flaring a little from the hips. I did not wear a bra, because my breasts were small enough to be able to go without. They may not have made for an erotic sight, but I blessed every moment I could go without wearing the infernal contraption that is a bra. The black color of the fabric did well to hide my slightly less than flat tummy, but showcased my shoulders and legs. In my opinion my best assets, even if they were far paler than most people would consider normal.

It was a dress that did not scream submissive, nor did it scream Domme. Let them guess. I usually didn't go to the club to play, anyway. Tonight was different, but I didn't see a reason to dress differently. I took my car and drove over at around 8pm. It was early and there wouldn't be many people yet, but I just liked the atmosphere and the moment I walked into the hall, it came over me. I breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of.. of what? I didn't know, but it was unique to this place. It smelled dark, dangerous and clean. Sometimes I thought I smelled oranges, sometimes it was just the scent of furniture. Whatever it was, it soothed me whenever I came in.

I scanned my member's card by the door to the main hall and the picture that was taken when I signed up flashed back at me from the display. I stared for a moment at the face with some freckles, blue eyes, framed by reddish gold hair that hung to to the shoulders. Some guard somewhere must have verified this with a live camera feed and the door beeped and opened.

It was a member's only club and every member was checked out thoroughly before membership was granted. This way they could assure a safe environment. Safe, sane and consensual. The BDSM motto was actually very subtly visible all throughout the main area.

As I entered the long rectangular room, I saw the familiar bar area to the left of me, where the motto was glittering in small letters on the bar itself. I stood on the welcome mat, which had the same text printed on it, but the letters were almost the same color as the rest of the welcome mat. In front of me was the main area where I knew various play areas existed. They were hidden from view by matte glass walls, arranged like a maze.

When you entered the glass wall maze you might find a different scene around every corner and you could never see many at once. Only if you walked through this maze to the back of the room, you would find several doors that led to private areas. I had never been there. After all, I never played.

To my right, opposite the bar, was a small area for just sitting and enjoying each other's company. There were lounging couches, with small tables, spread out in what seemed to be a chaotic set up to me. It felt very organic. The entire room had curtains covering the walls damping the sounds. With the low ceiling and the dimmed lighting, the place had a very hushed feel. It made you want to speak softer and it made everything feel closer to you than it may really be. Despite that, the complete look was far more modern than I had ever seen in any other club.

I turned left and took one of the empty bar stools. I smiled up at the bartender.

"Good evening, Amy," he welcomed me.

"Evening, Jason! Can you mix me up an orange juice with vodka?"

"You're drinking alcohol tonight? That's a first." He replied, his eyebrows climbing.

He was right. I never drank, but I had a special reason tonight.

"It's a special occasion. Surely you've heard about the new rule in this place? I never came to play here, only to watch, but as of last week you have to participate at least once a month to keep your membership. I guess they want to encourage interactions..."

Jason chuckled and turned away to make my drink. When he was done he sat it in front of me and leaned on the bar.

"Well good luck then, I suppose? I don't see what the big deal is. Surely you like this kind of thing if you come here to watch it. Are you that afraid of all the big bad Doms here?"

I bit the inside of my lip. I did not like being mocked, but it would not do to get worked up so early if I wanted any chance at keeping my membership here.

"Hardly. I just have trouble finding one that doesn't expect me to do as he says," I said and watched Jason's eyebrows climb even further.

Before he could say anything else though, I jumped off of my bar stool and grabbed my drink. "Thanks! I'll see you later," I called out and walked away towards the play areas with my drink in hand.

That was the whole problem. I liked submitting, in a way. There were just very few people I liked submitting to. I did not submit easily. I did not give up my control to just anyone. In fact, I liked it best when they were strong enough to take the control from me. I would sass them, push limits, just to see how far I could get before the Dom would tighten the reigns. Sadly, most of them just considered me either not submissive, a fake, a brat or just someone they didn't want to spend their time on. Why work to get a sub to do what you want, when there are plenty of who will do it out of the goodness of their hearts? Maybe they are right. I don't really have a drive to please a Dom.

So I had tried out several clubs, but after playing there several times other visitors had made it clear they didn't really want me around. After a while I decided that it was better for me not to play at all, so I ended up in this club instead. I had ruled it out before, because of the membership fees, but it was my only option by now and at least there was always plenty going on to watch. If only they had not come up with this absurd new rule.

So here was my dilemma. I needed to play with someone to keep my membership, but there weren't many around that would want to play with me, not longer than a few minutes I guessed. I had to try, though. I didn't want to stop visiting this place, because short of moving to a different city, there was nothing left.

I wandered through the play areas with my drink in hand, wondering how to go about this. I knew there was an area at the back where submissives who wanted to play could sit and Doms could begin negotiations there. The place was starting to get busier, but it wasn't that full yet, so I decided to walk around a bit more and decide on what I might want to do.

I considered all the things I saw happening here and decided on bondage. That way it would at least feel like some of the control was out of my hands and I could pretend to be a beginner. Perhaps that would help them forgive some.. mistakes in my behavior. I snorted at my own thought, earning me a curious glance from a passerby.

The first areas were starting to be used. I did not really see this, but I heard it, since the used areas were on the other side of the glass from where I was. I saw only shadows. I heard a muffled sound of a hand smacking on skin and murmured voices that indicated a scene, rather than a conversation. I took a few turns through the maze, following the sound until I saw what I was hearing. The girl I had seen on the lounge couch earlier was on her hands and knees on a sawhorse. I saw the straps had not been fastened. Thoughtfully I sipped my drink as I watched.

The Dom whispered something in her ear and she laughed, her eyes radiant. She wiggled her naked backside at him, invitingly. He smacked it again and I watched her skin turn a light shade of pink and she laughed again. I shook my head. Well, everybody is different, I thought. When I went to take another sip I realized my drink was empty and wandering through the maze I returned the glass to the bar. As I returned to the play areas again I saw more people playing. The noises were still soft, murmurings, light smacks and laughs for now.

I went to the roped off area in the back where subs were waiting to negotiate with Doms and for the first time I joined them. One even looked up in surprise. I just smiled politely and shrugged. Kneeling down I noticed that this area had carpet, rather than the wood that was used throughout the place. I chuckled to myself when I noticed that 'Safe, Sane and Consensual' was again printed on the carpet.

I mimicked the position of the others here, one that I had seen before. I sat on my heels and had my knees slightly apart, my hands resting in my lap, then held my back straight and looked up brightly.

Several people walked by in the first ten minutes, but none stopped here. Then a Dom did come over, but he seemed more interested in another girl sitting next to me. It seemed they had played before, because their negotiation was short and soon she was gone. It was hard not to admire her grace, which I woefully lacked.

Shortly after a Domme came and picked up another of the girls sitting next to me, leaving me alone with a guy, who must have been about my age. He was perfectly content staring at the floor in front of him, though, so I did not start a conversation.

It could not have been longer than twenty minutes since I sat down here, but my legs had begun to lose feeling. My feet were falling asleep and I wiggled where I sat to try and get some blood flowing. I wondered how some subs managed to sit like this for a long time. Or did it not happen to them? Another five minutes went by without anyone coming and I was starting to get seriously annoyed. This was not fun. Even watching was more fun than sitting here.

I slid my legs out from underneath me and sat cross legged, folding my dress in to hide my black lace panties. It wasn't very lady like and definitely not very submissive, but whoever came would just have to take me as I was. I grit my teeth as pinpricks filled my feet and legs as blood returned.

Just then another man walked over and stopped before the rope. He glanced down at the guy and then at me. I looked up at him, straight at him and tilted my head in a sort of appraisal. He had blonde hair, short and messy. His eyes were an average blue behind a set of glasses without a rim. He was wearing a black suit and all together it made him look a bit odd.

"Are you new here?" He inquired. I waited a moment with answering. Clearly he had not seen me here before if he asked and it might be in my best interest to be new here.

"I am. I joined recently and discovered there is a rule that you must play. So here I am." I lied, smiling sheepishly.

"I do enjoy new ones," he said. "It is still easy to teach them and watching them discover submission can be such a joy. I'd be happy to do a scene with you. What would you like to explore?"

I grinned inwardly, but on the outside I smiled a shy smile. "I don't know... I think I'd like to try bondage. I'm ok with being touched pretty much everywhere. Oh, except anal." I grimaced, which made him laugh. "That sounds fine. That's not something I would start with anyway. Please, follow me."

I sighed inwardly. Why do they say 'please'? "Yes, Sir," I said to him instead and added in my head 'Right away, Sir. Whatever you say, Sir'.

I rose to my feet and followed him, straightening my black dress around me as I walked. It felt strange to participate here and it made me feel like everyone was watching. Of course, nobody was. We took a few turns through the corridors of the glass maze and as we walked I idly I wondered if he had mentioned his name. If he had I couldn't remember it.

He stopped at a large X shaped contraption with cuffs attached to it. It wasn't in use, so glasses guy stepped towards the cross and held out his hand for me to join him. He smiled again and I made an effort to smile back.

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. We'll start easy," he said and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. It would not do to antagonize him so soon. It seemed my plan to be a beginner had some down sides.

I stepped closer to him and put my hand in his. He guided me towards the cross and put my back to it. I spread my legs apart and watched as he fastened the cuffs around each of my ankles. It was not an uncomfortably wide spread. The cuffs had a piece of chain attached to them, which could be wrapped around the cross for a wider spread, but he had left them as they were, which gave me a bit of room to move. For his amusement, I tested the restraints and found to no surprise that I could not close my legs.

"How does that feel, girl?" He said as he looked up at me, still on his knees by the restraints.

"Not too bad, quite a bit of movement still, but I suppose that's ok. Shouldn't you do my arms, too?"

He got up and frowned slightly at my tone. Apparently I had not succeeded completely in keeping the impatience from my voice.

"While you serve as my submissive I want you to be respectful. You can speak, but if you do speak to me directly, call me Sir. Got that?"

"Alright." I said, knowing full well it was the wrong answer, but I couldn't help myself. Now he stood up and looked me into the eyes directly.

"I know you're new, but at least try, ok? Once more, do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir." I replied, although I think it might still have been a bit too insolent. He seemed to accept it though, although he frowned.

"To answer your question," he continued, "no, I will not do your hands for now, since it's your first time. Place them behind your back yourself and keep them there." I did as he asked.

"Say 'yes Sir' when I give you a command".

"Yes, Sir", I said, feeling like a trained parrot.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied. He turned around to rummage in his bag and I looked around as he did. The particular area we were in had glass walls on three of the four sides. To my front was open, but on all other sides were the long matte glass panels. I saw shadows moving behind them, people walking, but nothing detailed.

He said nothing as I heard him putting some things down on a small table behind me. He returned to my field of view and without further speaking started caressing my body above my black dress. His hand ran from my neck, over my left arm down to my elbow and then back up to my neck. He repeated this motion on the other side. Both of his hands then slid over my sides to my back, caressing me through the black fabric. I was following his motions with my eyes where I could.

His hands ran back over to the front, now stroking the underside of my breasts, my belly, lower still until he reached the hem of my dress. They went beneath the dress and drifted back up over my hips, grazing over my panties, then back to the outside of the dress and further up until they grazed the underside of my breasts again.

Although I felt his hands and their warmth on me, I had trouble appreciating the touch. I thought that this should at least arouse me somewhat. Sure, I did not like him all that much, but I was bound at my feet and had my hands clasped behind me. It seemed to me that I should at least enjoy this a bit. I felt nothing. I needed more.

"Eyes on me, please."

I licked my lips instead of speaking, which felt safer. I looked at him and he looked straight into my eyes.

"Can I touch your breasts?" He said and for a moment I actually stared at him, a bit perplexed that he was asking.

"Yes, I told you at the beginning I'm ok with being touched anywhere... Sir" I added after a heartbeat, with emphasis. Was I getting myself in trouble? Did I want to?

He narrowed his eyes. I guess he wasn't stupid after all. His hands moved up and pinched both my nipples at the same time. I felt a mild sting, but no more. I feigned pain, and let out a hiss.

"I told you to be respectful. You may be new, but I have a feeling you're purposely baiting me, to what end?"

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'm not, really. I'll do better, Sir."

"Alright. It seems you can do this." He paused thoughtfully. "If you purposefully disrespect me again, though, I will punish you."

I noted that in my head. "Yes, Sir."

He searched my eyes a moment longer and must have found truth, because he let go of my nipples and resumed his search across my body with his hands. He knelt down again to let his hands run over my legs and I looked out over him. I saw that two other men were watching me. Or at least, they were standing at the edge of the area, but they were talking to each other.

Mister glasses now caressed my right calf. I glanced at the guy on the left, who was still talking and suddenly recognized him. I wasn't quite sure of his age. He might have been in his late thirties, but it could have been more or less. His hair was black and messy, as were his eyebrows. Black that is, they were angled, but not messy. He had a chiseled face and his jawline was covered in a light stubble. This was the owner of the club.

He gestured and looked at me and I caught his eyes. I couldn't tell their color from this far away, but his entire face held a displeased look that I couldn't place. I noticed that he had stopped talking and this drew my attention to the man next to him that he had been talking to and I had to swallow hard when I did.

At a glance this man looked tough, amiable, dangerous and kind all at the same time. His hair was short and a dark blonde or brown, and it connected to a well kept short beard covering a square jaw. My eyes roamed across his body in record time, taking in the short sleeve black shirt and the arms that hinted at the muscles lurking beneath the shirt, and the stance of his legs.

While I looked I had avoided his eyes, but when I caught his intense gaze my breath caught and I quickly averted my eyes.

Unfortunately, that was the same moment that the guy currently caressing my legs ran his hands across the back of my thighs and he seemed convinced he had drawn out my reaction.

"You like that, do you?" He said to me, while he stood back up from his crouched position. I blinked my eyes a few times, still a bit distracted until he held his head squarely in front of my face.

"Uh.. I.." I stammered. "What?"

He audibly sighed, which brought me back to the moment and annoyed me. This wasn't going to work. He started to speak before I could, though.

"Perhaps I'm a little too intense for a first-timer. Do you want to stop?"

My mouth opened a little in shock and I stared at him. When I recovered a second later I let my arms go behind me and brought them to my front while I spoke.

"Uhm, yeah.. you know what. You're right, this isn't going to work, but just for the record that has nothing to do with you being 'intense'", my fingers produced the quotes as I said this, "in fact go take a lesson on dominance somewhere and then maybe we can try again."

Now it was his turn to stand there gawking at me and when he didn't move after a few seconds I huffed and bent over to start undoing my own cuffs on my ankles. He still didn't say anything and my spirits sunk. This was such a mistake. I would just have to find a different way to deal with my lack of interest in a vanilla sex life. I finished my left cuff and bent my left knee, sitting down to finish my right cuff. I heard steps and shook my head as it looked like glasses guy gave up without saying another word.