Stranger Than Truth Ch. 02

"You said 'we hired.' I thought you were the writers."

"We are," Caroline answered. "However, for the first time, we are also associate producers. We wanted to have some control over what happened to our script. As you probably know, the best story in the world can be screwed up royally by an idiot director. Just look at Dune."

Charles smiled at the memory of the abomination that was the theatrical release of Herbert's sweeping novel. He was pleased with the reasons they had given. His lingering discomfort at his friends and submissives participating with the movie's production faded somewhat. He changed subjects to D/s itself.

"Good. I feel better. Let's talk about D/s. Domination and submission, also known as bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism is usually called a lifestyle, but that is a misnomer. There is actually an entire spectrum of lifestyles that comprise D/s. They can range from something as tame as a couple who ties one another up occasionally to people who live in a full time master slave relationship. It can include absolutely no painful activities at all to whippings so severe to leave bruises and injuries that last for weeks. It even includes activities that include no restraint or pain at all."

Thomas looked confused. "Bondage and discipline with no bondage and discipline. That doesn't make sense."

Charles took a deep breath. "That's one of the common misunderstandings that people have. Bondage and discipline are only two parts of the lifestyle of domination and submission. The lifestyle is about the taking and giving up of power and control. A submissive chooses to give the dominant power over him or her. The amount of power that is given up and for how long is up to the both of them. A submissive can put limits on what the dominant is allowed to do or none at all. It's as much submission to choose to obey whatever you were told to do without question as it is to allow oneself to be bound and/or whipped. I know a dominant and submissive couple that engage in 'dare' games. She will perform any sexual act with any person he commands her to. He has had her fucking multiple partners, other women, total strangers in a bar. No pain, no bondage, just the handing of the power to make choices from one person to another."

"What if she refuses?"

"For them, her refusal is her safe word. To my knowledge, she has never refused his dares. They agreed in advance that members of either of their families are off limits."

"Fascinating. That sounds harder than submitting to pain," marveled Caroline.

"Depending on who you are, that would be true. Valerie had a much harder time allowing lesbian sexual contact than she did at taking pain."

"But, Valerie and Sally..."

"Didn't start that way," Charles finished for Thomas. "You should ask about the first time that Sally had Valerie at her mercy. About tonight. I wanted to let you know what I'm planning to have happen so that you can concentrate on dynamics between us instead of wondering what is coming."

Charles spent the next half hour briefing the writing team on what he was planning for the evening. By the time Valerie and Sally had arrived, all three were waiting in the basement.

Herman answered the door and looked over the pair. Valerie was naked, blindfolded, with her wrist cuffs locked behind her back. Her mouth was plugged with a penis gag and the leash attached to her collar was being held by Sally. She was equally naked, a ball gag in her mouth. A ring was hanging from chains connected to clips on her nipples. Two additional chains were strung from the ring to clips on each of her pussy lips.

Herman handed Sally two red rubber balls while he passed on Charles' instructions. "Master Charles wishes you to take these and join him in the basement."

Sally nodded her thanks and pressed on of the balls into Valerie's hand. She led Valerie at a normal walking pace towards the basement. Valerie's breath was coming short and ragged as she put her trust in Sally to not let her trip or run into anything. The edge of fear always hovered near her when she was led blindfolded. She had heard of Masters and Mistresses who would lead submissives into objects on purpose. She knew that Charles and Sally would never do that, but it was always unnerving.

At the stairs, Sally took a short hold of the leash and stopped Val. Valerie slid her foot forward and felt the edge of the step. She nodded and the two lovers edged their way downstairs one step at a time, while Sally held Valerie's arm to guide her. Each step brought a moan from Sally as the chains pulled on her tits and cunt. In the basement they saw Charles standing near the stocks. She led Val there and both of them knelt before him. Sally saw a blindfold on the ground and, understanding what was required, put it on herself. Charles stepped forward and put leather cuffs on Sally, clipping the behind her back.

Charles then led Val to the stocks where her hands and head were pinned in the wooden restraints. Her legs were also locked into the foot portion.

"Are you okay, Valerie?"

Val nodded. Charles stroked her exposed pussy once, smiling at the wetness that coated his fingers and the moan from behind Valerie's gag. Charles went over to Sally and brought down two ends of a rope that was threaded through a pulley. One end was tied off to her cuffs behind her. He had her stand and attached the other end through a pulley on the floor and up to the ring connecting the chains to her clips. As he pulled on the other end, her arms were lifted behind her, forcing her to bend over. Once she was tied off to both ends of the rope, she discovered that standing pulled against all the clips, torturing her nipples and pussy. Relieving the tension on her clips could only be done by bending over, forcing her arms back painfully. She moved back and forth, looking for the non-existent comfortable medium.

Off to the side, Thomas and Caroline were watching the proceedings. They found the idea of Sally's predicament bondage fascinating. There was no way for her to avoid pain, but she had the choice from moment to moment of which pain to endure. Charles had picked up a cat and walked back over to Valerie. She jerked as the strands were drawn over her back. An unintelligible moaning sound was coming from her. The writers watch in awe as Valerie thrust her hips up, as if begging for the lashing to begin.

Charles brought the cat down on Valerie's back and she grunted at the impact. The next strike impacted her ass and she gave a muffled scream. The beating continued for 25 strokes. Valerie's muffled cries filled the basement. Yet she lifted herself towards the strokes each time and clenched the ball tightly in her fist. When he was finished, he motioned the two writers forward and showed them Valerie's cunt, coated in juice and engorged in arousal. She was slowly thrusting her hips back and forth, begging for attention of a different sort.

Charles left her there and moved over to Sally. She was still looking for that elusive sweet spot in her bondage. He moved behind her and stroked her pussy. Sally jerked, screaming into the gag at the pain she brought on herself. Charles continued to stroke her cunt, covering his hand with her juices and driving her to more movement as her body responded to Charles' skillful caresses. Higher and higher he drove her, moans of pleasure mixing with screams of pain. When her orgasm hit, her body jerked upright and screamed in agony as the clips were yanked off her nipples and her pussy lips were stretched obscenely.

Sally dropped the red ball and Charles immediately pulled the quick release knot at her wrists, ending the tension on her pussy lips. He caught her as she collapsed and set her down on the floor. Her cuffs were unclipped and he said, "You can take your gag and blindfold off."

He left her there to finish freeing herself and went over to release Valerie from her confinement. Soon Sally and Valerie were sitting together on the floor holding each other. Charles was crouched beside them, smiling and caressing their legs.

"How are you two doing?" Charles asked.

Sally, tears still escaping from her eyes, answered with a trembling voice. "That was very intense Master." Looking at the still crushed nipple she added, "I don't think I can take any more breast play, but I would like to go farther."

Valerie nodded. "I would as well Master. I want to give you more."

"Then more I shall have. Go over to the suspension chains and wait for me."

The two women went to where several chains hung from the ceiling while Charles detoured to the storage bench to retrieve some more toys. He carried the box over and set it down.

"Stand up, facing each other, hands extended towards one another."

He clipped their cuffs together, right hands and left hands joined so that their arms had to cross. Then he took a double dildo and inserted the end into their pussies. He moved them closer to each other, raising their hands as he did. Once their bodies were touching, her clipped their ankle cuffs together as well. Finally, they were suspended on a chain until they were standing on tip toes, only possible because they were close to the same height.

"It's time for a game. You are to fuck yourselves on each other until one of you cums. The one that cums will win. The loser will pay the penalty. That penalty will be three strokes from this."

The pair gasped in unison as he held up a cane. Sally whispered, "Master. Please. Not a cane." Tears filled her eyes as she imagined the agony of being struck by the quarter inch thick length of bamboo.

"Yes, a cane. Valerie, if I think you're holding back from an orgasm to protect Sally, you both will be caned. You must both play the game to win. Do you understand?"

They both nodded and began to thrust against each other. Valerie's mouth sought out Sally and kissed her. Their tongues danced in the dark recess that was their joined mouths. They rubbed their breasts together scraping nipple against nipple. The dildos in their cunts twisted and rubbed against the insides of their pussies. Both sought to rub their clits against the other.

Valerie desperately wanted to lose the game but was terrified of Charles' threat to cane both if she played to lose. As her arousal grew and waves of pleasure radiated out from her breasts and cunt, she cried for her partner. Sally's tears mixed with her own and Val could only hope that the feelings of helplessness that Sally thrived on were enough to enable her to climax first.

Valerie broke the kiss and sobbed, "Please Sally, cum. You've got to cum first."

Sally whispered in her lover's ear, "I'm scared. Please, I'm so scared."

When Valerie came, she was in tears, unable to bear the thought of Sally suffering three strokes of the cane. "Please Master, cane me instead. Don't cane Sally."

Charles had come over to remove the dildo from their pussies. "Valerie. It does you credit that you are willing to take Sally's caning, but you will not. You need to accept that you cannot always be the one who takes the pain when there is a choice."

"I'm sorry Sally, I didn't want to win."

"I know. It's okay, I really tried to win too. He is Master."

"Sally, this is not a punishment. This is something to please me. Do you understand?"

"Yes Master. Let me please you, Master."

Sally cringed as Charles move behind her with the cane. Valerie tugged at her bonds, trying to lower her arms so she could hold Sally in a tight embrace. Val watched in horror as Charles pulled the cane back and swung it forward. Sally heard the swish and felt as if molten metal had splashed across her ass. She screamed in agony, the sound tearing at Valerie's heart.

Sally was whispering to herself, "I love Master. I want to please Master."

The second swish was heard as Val closed her eyes and tensed. Another line of fire crossed Sally's body, this time against her thighs. The wail of pain lasted well over a minute and Valerie's tears became sobs.

"Safe word, please Sally, safe word," Val begged.

Sally shook her head. Valerie's closeness to her was making it possible for her to suffer what was happening. Valerie was whispering, "No," to herself over and over. As the third swing came, Valerie twisted and spun, moving Sally out of the way of the cane. The spin had not completed when the cane hit and struck against Valerie's hip. The thinly covered hip bone met the bamboo and stopped it cold, at the price of searing agony. A high pitched squeal erupted from Valerie and she was dancing on her toes as the pain continued unabated.

Charles dropped the cane and grabbed the women. Twisting his leg around Val's, he immobilized her and looked at the mark on her hip. There was no blood, but the welt that was raising was ugly. He felt the spot and hoped that the damage did not extend to bruising the bone itself. under the skin. He reached up and released Valerie's cuffs from Sally's after he separated their ankles.

"Valerie," he barked, his voice coated in anger. "That was foolish and disobedient. You will be punished. Not only that, but you did not stop Sally from receiving a third stroke. Go to the St. Andrew's cross and wait for me." As Valerie limped to the cross, Charles turned to Sally. "Are you ready for your third stroke?"

"Master, please forgive her. She did it because she loves me so much."

"Sally, she defied me. She knew she was doing wrong and that must be punished. Be glad her punishment is not to see you get another three strokes, to know that she increased your pain instead of decreasing it."

Charles walked behind her and picked up the cane again. Taking a moment to calm his emotions, he gave Sally her third stroke. Once her scream had ended, her released her and helped her to the recovery room. He applied ointment to her marks and left her there to rest.

Valerie was waiting on her knees at the foot of the cross. He went to Caroline and Thomas and asked them to wait in the recovery room with Sally. He did not want them to see or hear what was coming. Charles picked up the cane on his way to join her. He stood over her for a few minutes. He was angry with her, very angry. He felt he needed to get across just how angry he was and why. He could see tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Valerie. Never before have you truly made me angry with your disobedience. You've been punished before. This is different. Your actions endangered both Sally and yourself. The cane cannot be safely used on any area of the body that is not protected by a think mass of flesh. I could have bruised your hip Valerie! I could have bruised Sally's hip. Is that what you wanted?"

In between her sobs, Valerie tried to answer. "No Master. I'm so sorry Master. I couldn't take seeing her in that much pain."

"Then you should have used your safe word. That is what it is for, when you can't stand any more. Stand up against the cross, facing it."

Valerie did as she was told. Her cuffs were clipped to rings on the sides of the cross. Additional straps took her from being restrained to being immobilized. Rope was strung through and knotted at the leash ring on her collar. The ends were tied to the arms of the cross. Every part of her body was incapable of movement.

"Valerie. Your punishment is to be five strokes from the cane."

Valerie gasped and started to beg. "Master. Please, not the cane. I'm so sorry, I won't do it again. Please don't punish me with the cane."

"Valerie, you need to understand. You could have caused yourself or Sally an injury that would take weeks to heal. Your act of compassion was no such thing." He put his hands on her shoulders. "I can't be lenient with this. It's too important. I don't want to simply prevent a serious injury in the future, but, if you do this again, I will expel you from my service. If you had caused serious injury to Sally, you would never forgive yourself. Do you understand?"

Valerie nodded her head. Her breath came in great heaves as she struggled to stifle her sobbing. "I'm so sorry Master. I don't know how to not care about Sally being in pain. Help me."

"Valerie. I don't want you to not care. I simply want you to not interfere. Do you want training in this?"

"Yes, Master, please. I couldn't bear it if I should hurt her at all."

"Then we will do that. Now, are you ready for your punishment?"

Valerie nodded. Charles stepped back and picked up the cane. The cane slashed at her ass and a wail of grief and pain was torn from her throat. She struggled against the straps, trying to escape what she knew was still to come. The second blow impacted and her wail seemed even louder, if that was possible. She began to plead with Charles, begging for mercy and saying how sorry she was. The third blow took her on the thighs. Her voice seemed gone, but she simply had no breath to scream with. She knew she would never make it and drew in a great breath as the fourth blow fell. As the fourth line of agony tore at her legs, she screamed her safe word, "Red Light! Oh God, Master, Red Light!"

Charles stopped, dropping the cane to the floor. He went up and put an arm around her waist, careful not to touch the welts he had left on her. His other hand reached up and stroked her face as Valerie sobbed. They stood there in silence, Charles' mere presence a comfort to Valerie in her pain. When her sobs had diminished to tears, she found her voice.

"Master, I'm so sorry. I didn't know I could hurt Sally so badly. It's so hard to see her in pain. I love her so much. I couldn't help myself. I had to do something. The cane is so painful, I would do anything to spare her that."

"I know. It warms my heart that you love her as much as you do. Love doesn't always interfere, sometimes it allows. I'm sure that Sally will have her own reasons for not wanting you to stop her pain. I want the two of you back on Saturday after next. We'll start training you to be able to watch Sally's submission. I should have started this earlier. I know that you have dominated her on occasion, and I have had the two of you submitting together, but you have never just watched her submission to me. It is time to rectify that omission."

"Yes, Master. Thank you Master."

"I'm going to treat your welts before I let you down."

Charles applied a generous coating of the famous antibiotic and anesthetic that players in the local scene had been using for years. While technically illegal, as one of the components was a prescription med, it was an ubiquitous presence in many a dungeon's toy storage. The pain faded from her welts and any bacteria contemplating an invasion of Valerie's body were stopped dead. Once she was treated, he took her down and helped her to the recovery room.

Sally was leaning up on her elbows, talking to Samson. She was in the middle of a sentence. "... is a love/hate thing. It feels great, obviously, but the shaking I go through when I cum pull at any pain inducing and restraining devices I have. So I experience the most painful orgasms when I cum in predicament bondage." She looked up and saw Charles half carrying Valerie. "Val! Are you okay?"

Sally got up and walked stiffly to where Val was laid down. She gasped when she saw the four cane produced welts on Val's body. Kneeling down, she hugged Valerie's back. Val's arm reach back to touch her lover.

"Val. How are you?"

"I'll be okay. I deserved it Sally. I could have seriously injured you."

"Forget me! You could have hurt yourself. You took a cane stroke to the hip. Those can shatter bones." Sally was underestimating the resilience of the hip. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."

"I know. I'll try not to. Master wants to start training me to watch without interfering."

"Good. I think it's easier for me, since I can inflict pain on you. In fact, it's kind of fun. So watching Master do it is not something the bothers me."