Blooming Rose Ch. 01

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone. This is another story that takes place in the universe of the Zenrist religion, otherwise known as That Lesbian Nudist Cult. This story serves as something of a sequel to Finding Goddess and even picks up close to where it left off. However, this is written to be a standalone story starring a new protagonist, so you don't really need to read that novel to understand this one. Anyway, whether you're an old fan of the Zenrist 'verse or just hopping right in for the first time, I hope you enjoy Blooming Rose. So without further ado, let us begin...

*

Another day, another...steaming hot cup of coffee with no milk, no cream, no honey, and four cubes.

Rose Yuren sighed as she watched the pool of black liquid bubble and swirl while she stirred the sterile mixture together, the smell of charcoal laced with burnt sugar sticking to her sinuses like a fetid wad of gum. Just as she had done last week on Friday. And the day before that, the day before that, and almost every day before that for the past two or three months. Such was the glamorous life of an intern in the Trilo Publishing Company.

Maybe I should have taken a summer job as a barista instead.

Deciding that the lifeless black void of liquid dark matter had been sweetened enough, Rose placed the mug on her supervisor's desk, making sure it stood firmly on a coaster with the handle pointing away from the computer monitor at a 45-degree angle, just the way Mr. Whatever-His-Name-Was liked it. Then she stood off to the side and waited for him to come in with her first assignment of the day.

Sure enough, he was there within minutes. Rose nodded and gave him the usual "Good morning," pleasantry, as was customary. However, the man didn't return it; he just took a seat at his desk, looked over some papers, and drank a sip of coffee with an oddly shaky hand. Rose quirked an eyebrow. That was strange. Normally, her supervisor was polite and professional enough to address her when she greeted him, but it seemed that today, he just didn't notice her. Something must be on his mind, she mused as she looked him over. His skin and hair were shiny with perspiration that she was sure was not coming from the summer heat, and his eyes were wide open with what could only be described as trepidation. Something's definitely on his mind. I hope this won't translate into even harder work for me.

"Miss Urine," he said, mispronouncing Rose's surname for the fifty-billionth time, and for the fifty-billionth time, Rose wished she could just work up the courage to correct him. "It seems we have an...assembly being called. In the auditorium. All employees are required to go."

"An...assembly?" she asked. "So soon? I didn't hear an announcement of such a thing."

"It's still early, and apparently it was arranged on short notice. But it will be announced on the intercoms very soon, so we should probably both get a move on."

"Of course," said Rose. The man took another nervous sip of his coffee before he stood up and left the room with what the intern could only describe as an urgent march. Rose promptly followed after him.

"Do you know what the assembly is about?" said Rose as she struggled to keep up with him, her high heels clattering on the floor more noisily than usual.

"I...do," said her supervisor in a tone that was uncharacteristically stilted for him.

"Can you...say what it is?"

"I...suppose I could," he said, though it was looking more and more clear he was struggling to find the right words to. "You saw the news over the weekend, right?"

"Um." No, Rose in fact didn't. She had spent the whole weekend holed up in her apartment playing video games "What news exactly?"

"The news about the...you know, the cult of women who...the religion that has the...they were called the...Z-somethings..." The man grew more and more flustered as he talked. His skin turned increasingly more feverish and a bead of sweat could be seen running down his temple. "Look, you'll see for yourself in a few minutes."

"Oh, okay," Rose murmured, feeling ashamed at not being able to provide the right answer to his previous question. It was just like her to always screw up at the most important moments in her life. If only she could find the time in her day to watch the news and keep up with current events. If only she could act like the responsible adult she was supposed to be and not the scared little kid she still felt like she was. If only she could...

"Attention all workers," the voice on the intercom announced, interrupting her train of thought. "All Trilo Publishing personnel are to report to the auditorium for a mandatory assembly. I repeat, all Trilo Publishing personnel are to report to the auditorium for a mandatory assembly. Please report to the auditorium immediately. Thank you."

"I'll be sitting near the front," said the supervisor as he and Rose entered the room, which was massive and lined with chairs from end to end, each one facing a stage that could have belonged to a proper theatre. "Because my position will, uh, require it. You can...just sit anywhere you like, Miss Urine."

"Um...of course," she stammered, but by the time she was able to get the words out, the man was already out of her sight. "I guess I'll just...sit here in the back then."

Like I always do in class, she thought glumly as she slid into one of the metal chairs in the center of the row. It was without a doubt the most suitable place in the entire hall for a lowly intern like herself and it would ensure she wouldn't obstruct the way for more important people. It was an area where she could be safely ignored.

For the next ten or so minutes, Rose sat idly by as more and more people filed into the room to hear just what it was the company thought was so important that it had to disrupt the regular flow of the work day. Whatever it was though, the bespectacled girl didn't think for a moment that it would concern her. She wasn't a longtime employee at Trilo Publishing; she was just an intern looking to gain work experience over the summer and in a couple of weeks, she would be out the door and back to being a fulltime student. All because her parents had taken a summer vacation for themselves this year and weren't around to watch over their 21-year-old daughter. That, and because the only other person willing to give her room and board during her time off was her Aunt June, and Rose, she...she...

...Already screwed things up irreversibly with her.

Crap. She hated when this happened. She hated it whenever her thoughts turned to her crazy and wild aunt. She might have been the family pariah, but for the longest time, June had been Rose's most favorite person in the whole world. But...things weren't really the same between them anymore, and it was Rose's fault. It was all Rose's fault.

At last, the auditorium was filled up and a man who Rose assumed to be the president of the company took his place behind the podium on the stage. He lightly tapped at the microphone to test out if it was working, and when a percussive sound echoed across the grand chamber, he nodded with satisfaction. "Good morning, everyone. May I have your attention, please?" he said.

The mass ineligible murmuring quieted down as everyone ended their inane conversations and gave him their undivided attention. "Thank you. Now, first, I would like to apologize for this impromptu assembly and whatever business I may have interrupted in calling it. Believe me, it's not something I planned for either and it came almost as suddenly for me as it had for the rest of you." He paused to give an exaggerated nervous smile to indicate it was meant to be a joke and that everyone should laugh right now, and a few people even obliged him. Likely more to kiss his butt than because they honestly found the comment genuinely funny. "But it is an important matter because circumstances have been raised that will demand this entire company's attention. Before I go on, I understand that last week, there were some rumors that an employee had done...something in company property that in most circumstances would be considered inappropriate and highly unprofessional. Note that I too normally would not condone such behavior."

Rumors? What rumors had been going around last week? Rose tried to wrack her brain for what they could be, but couldn't recall anything. She never really talked to anyone about what the latest gossip was. She was just an intern. The only things that concerned her were her errands, her assignments, and the names of the people she was required to meet. Nothing else mattered to her, especially the conversations of her co-workers.

"However, as you will no doubt see in the handout we are distributing," continued the president, "you will no doubt learn that there is an exception to everything." As if on cue, Rose felt a stack papers slap onto her lap. Out of simple habit, she took the topmost sheet off the pile and handed the rest to the person next to her. She didn't bother looking at it though. She doubted it would be anything interesting, and with the president speaking, she wouldn't be able to comprehend whatever she read off it at this time. Besides, it would mean nothing to Rose in a couple weeks anyway.

"I'm sure many of us are familiar with Miss Caroline Connors. She has been a valuable member of the Trilo Publishing family for about a decade now, and we hope she will continue to be one for many more years to come."

Caroline...Connors? Had Rose heard that name before? It sounded familiar, but she couldn't recall where she got it from. She had to deliver messages and do favors for a lot of people in this building and after a while, they all just kind of blended together. But something about this Caroline Connors just seemed to stand out in the intern's mind.

"But now, Miss Connors has entered a new chapter in her life. She has found religion, and as a company that has long stood for tolerance and acceptance, we feel it is our obligation to welcome her and the lifestyle her...beliefs require of her. So without further ado, Miss Connors, would you please step forward?"

From the side of the stage, behind the curtain, she appeared. Tall, busty, raven-haired, ivory-skinned...and completely naked. She wore absolutely nothing. No jacket, no shirt, no skirt, no underwear. She didn't even have any shoes on! Carol was bare as the day she came out of her mother and judging by the smile on her face, absolutely proud of it. A collective gasp fell over the audience as everyone gaped at her brazen nudity, but Carol paid them no mind. She simply strutted to the podium like a runway model, walking with a seductive swagger in her hips and a luscious bounce in her breasts.

Rose felt her jaw drop and her glasses nearly followed. A naked woman? What is she...wait. No. It couldn't be!

"Hello, everyone! It's so good to see you," chimed the nude woman, her voice just as bright as her smile and her skin. "Some of you may know me as a few things. Editor. Athlete. Health nut. Mother of two beautiful girls. Total bombshell." She paused a moment to let the audience laugh at her joke. She was met only with an uncomfortable silence. "Ah...right," she mumbled, her smile flickering briefly. "But what even fewer of you may know of me is that I am also a nudist. I love being nude, I love running around naked, I feel absolutely no shame about showing off my body." For effect, she twirled away from the podium like a dancer, giving the audience a complete 360-degree view of her form and letting everyone see her butt. Then with a girlish giggle, she twirled again, giving everybody a second look at her before returning to her original position. "And more than that, as of last week, I am now also a proud adherent to the Lovers of Zenriah!"

Lovers of...Zenriah? No, that couldn't be true. Rose was just hearing things. There was no possible way this woman was part of...them. There was no way it had snuck its way to this city. She looked down at the paper she was still holding in her hand. It was a flier. It had on it a painterly image of two naked women holding each other in a loving embrace. And it was entitled "What is Zenrism?"

No. No, no, no, no, NO!

"What does it mean to be a Lover of Zenriah, or Zenrist as we are also called?" Carol continued. "If you want to go into the nitty-gritty, the handouts you've been given should give you the rundown. I believe you will all find their contents enjoyable. I know I do, hm-hm-hm. But I digress. The first and most important thing about my new religion is that...I don't need to wear clothing anymore. In fact, I can't wear clothing anymore! It's against my religion to wear clothes. Which means every day I come here, I'm going to be naked. In fact, everywhere I go, I'm going to be naked. Not a single one of you will ever see me wearing a stitch anymore because I intend to be like this for the rest of my life. I am going to be naked forever!"

'I am naked forever now.' That's what she told me. 'Naked forever now, naked forever now, naked forever now...'

"Oh, but that's not all," said Carol as she placed a finger on her ruby-red lips and tilted her head coyly. "As a Zenrist, it is very important that I fulfill my...how shall I put it professionally? Womanly needs. And I'll need to fulfill them regularly in a way that will look something like...this."

She stepped away from the podium again, letting everybody get a look at her full frontal nude figure. Then she slid one arm across her chest, beneath her breasts, and gave one of her globes a gentle squeeze, distorting the flesh and making the nipple, which Rose imagined must have been very hard right now, poke more sharply at the audience. Meanwhile, her other hand slithered down to her groin, where her fingers wrapped sensually into the dark patch of pubic hair before disappearing down the curve of her crotch. Or more likely, into the slit of her vulva.

"Mmm. Mmm. Mmmm!"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the crowd. People turned to their neighbors to confirm if they were seeing it too. Eyes fell upon the fliers in their hands to check if anything this woman was saying was true. Some heads turned to the security officials lining the walls to silently beg them to stop this woman, only to be ignored. But most could only gaze in absolute stupefaction as the naked lady stood before them all and masturbated.

Rose was among them. She couldn't take her eyes off the woman, off her jiggling breasts, off her hand that bobbed and curled against her crotch, or off her face, with her eyes closed and her mouth open as gentle moans seeped from her lips. Nor could she stop the deluge of feelings that began to seize her heart, which threatened to speed it up...or halt it completely.

"Oh! Oh! OHH!" Carol stiffened. Her every muscle went taut, her toes curled, her fingers dug deeper into her sex. Then she jolted. Her knees bent, her hips bucked, and her whole crotch bounced forward and back once, twice, three times! "Ahhhhh." And then her moaning ended. She withdrew her hand, slick and shiny with womanly dew, and licked it seductively, running her tongue slowly up her drenched fingers as she savored the taste of her own juices.

"Mmmm," she murmured. "It's about time I got to do that...in front of an audience. And I guarantee you, there's more where that came from. As a Zenrist, it is my duty to orgasm whenever the mood strikes me. That too is a core tenet to my religious beliefs. If you don't like that, then I'm afraid you're just going to have to look away, because I'm not going to hold myself back for your sake. Public onanation is a right that women of my faith, and only women of my faith, get to enjoy. The laws are written right there in your pamphlets.

"But...it won't just be me that I will be pleasuring," Carol continued, her smile brightening. "I hope that I will get to pleasure some of you ladies here as well. I know from experience how stressful work can be for us and that we often just need a release. And should you ever feel the need for that release, you just come to me. Because lesbianism is also a core tenet of Zenrism. Lesbian kissing, lesbian fingering, lesbian licking, lesbian intercourse...these are all things that I am lawfully permitted--and spiritually obligated--to engage in...publicly. And looking at all of you right now," she paused for a moment to scan the audience, picking out every female face she could find, "I can see that some of you are really going to need it soon."

She looked from one end of the auditorium to the other, brought her gaze back to the center, and then stood statuesquely still. She spoke no other words and made no further movements. All Carol did from that point on was stare transfixed at whatever it was that commanded her attention, like a sentry turret that had just locked on to its target. And that target appeared to be in the direction of...

Rose stiffened. It can't be. She can't seriously be looking at me right now...could she?

"So...does anyone have any questions?" Carol said with sharp abruptness, snapping out of her trance and returning to a more relaxed, casual attitude.

The assembly seemed to go back to normal at that point. But it did little to abate the loud, forceful hammering in Rose's heart.

***

"Alright, looks like we're finally here."

"Are you sure you don't want to come in just for a drink, Dad? I don't think June would mind, you know."

"I'm sure she wouldn't. But me and her...well, we were never close. And I don't think your mother would approve of me talking to her for any length of time."

"Yeah, I guess she wouldn't," Rose said, sighing sadly as she climbed out of the car. "Dad, why don't Mom and June get along anyway?"

Her father merely shrugged as he exited the vehicle as well. "I've been asking that for over 20 years now. Never been given a clear answer. Sister rivalries aren't something I've ever had to deal with, and at this point in my life, I'm not sure I want to get started." He opened the trunk to pull out his daughter's luggage. "Don't let it bother you, Rosebud. Whatever's going on between your mother and aunt is between them and them only. They still love you."

"If you say so."

"I do." Placing all of Rose's suitcases on the ground next to her, the man gave the young woman a hug. "You have fun, Rosebud, and if you need anything from me, well, you got my number, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Good. Well then, I'm off! See you next week."

"Yeah, see you, Dad."

With that, he was gone and Rose was all alone. She really wished someone would just tell her why there was such a huge rift between her mother and Aunt June already. The two had been fighting for as long as she knew them, but neither of them ever wanted to explain why. It seemed like it was getting worse as well; the two of them weren't even talking now, which meant there was practically no communication going on between Rose's aunt and her parents. Only one thing kept June from being completely estranged from her family and that was her niece, Rose herself. She liked Rose and doted on her like she was her own daughter. Heck, one could say she spoiled her even. And Rose liked June too. She was always way funner than Mom. She just wished the woman would be a little more open and honest about the mutual grudge she shared with Rose's mother.

However, that was a problem for another time. Right now it was Spring Break, and Rose just wanted to take it easy and have fun with her favorite aunt while she still had time off from college. Gathering up her bags, the bespectacled girl walked up to the doorstop of June's house and rang the bell.