The Hanover House

"Come on in, I'll show you around. It's bigger than my old place and the view is much better. I overlook some of the grounds. All apartments in the main residence are pretty much the same and all have terrific views. This is really splendid. I want to thank you for being such a good novice. It got me my gold button sooner than I expected. We should celebrate. Would you like to go out for dinner or eat in? I have room service privileges so we can eat here if you prefer. Last, of course, is the apartment's kitchen. I don't know how to cook so that would be my choice of last resort."

"Oh, let's eat in and I'll prepare our dinner. I can cook and depending upon what it is, I can cook quite well. Let's see what's here." After rummaging around the kitchen she concluded, "We'll have to go to a supermarket so start thinking about what you'd like to have. We'll need to stock in some wine and liquor so let's get moving."

The apartment came furnished with the essentials giving Brian opportunity to personalize it. He brought some items over from the pavilion but it was clear even to him that more was needed. He was happy Sophie volunteered to help decorate his apartment.

They christened his apartment with a long bout in bed. Both have voracious sexual appetites and used each other shamelessly to achieve their desired results. By now each knew the others body quite literally inside and out. For example, Sophie had never had anal intercourse prior to coming to Hanover House and had grown to enjoy it immensely. So much so that she carefully managed her food consumption and toilette so that they could have as much of it as they chose at night.

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Max frequently required her to have sex with others both within and without the Hanover House. All Concierges and Masters from other Houses knew of her and were eager to get more information about her. When they were in town she was at their disposal. Occasionally she would travel to meet them and spend one or more nights with them. She did not mind, after all they were expert in giving sexual pleasure and she received full measure from them. She had much to learn and enthusiastically took every opportunity to do so.

At other times Max used her to square outstanding obligations. These took one of two different forms: those that were part of the Hanover House resident community and those that were part of the extended community. Both were almost always positive experiences. Those that were part of the House would not want to put their status and prospects in jeopardy by abusing her. They all knew she enjoyed special status within the House but most were unsure of what it was so they played it safe. Some were notably more physical than others but that was to be expected, they and she were part of a BDSM community. She particularly enjoyed their rough treatment, after all that was what was missing from her sex life with Doug and the impetus for him seeking a BDSM solution to it.

Those that were part of the extended community, i.e., patrons had use of her and others to satisfy their interests in BDSM. Initially, Sophie accompanied Max for these sessions where he instructed patrons on dominating submissives, giving them opportunities to dominate her under his watchful eye. More advanced patrons could enjoy her without Max's supervision. As with internal Hanover House practitioners, patrons did not abuse her with treatment outside that normally associated with BDSM. Unknown to them, Sophie was debriefed after every session and the information stored in the patron's file maintained by Security. Indeed, part of Sophie's duties while working under the Chief was conducting debriefings of other submissives' encounters with patrons. These files were scrutinized frequently and carefully to assess patrons' continued good standing with the House. She enjoyed it all being a submissive directly under the control of another and vicariously through another submissive.

At some point during her first six months she felt that to those outside her community she might be considered a slut or whore. Of course, those terms have different meanings when used by someone in the 'lifestyle' compared to those outside. Certainly, it is not a pejorative being a slut or whore within the BDSM community if that is what your Master wanted. Her self-image changed as her perspective changed. As she was given as a sexual favor to others she grew in knowledge and expertise. By the end of the first six months she was just beginning to understand that she was barely competent giving sexual pleasure to those at a connoisseur or virtuosos level. She looked forward to the day when she could give and enjoy sex with them as an equal. Brian was very good but he was not a 'performer.' He was staff. Her curiosity and ability quickly outstripped him. Nevertheless, because there was a bonded emotional commitment between them their sex was different from that to be had with others.

During those first six months Sophie had sex with different men and women on average twice a day, everyday. Sex sought on her time with others at her level and with Brian was over and above that required by her training. She made the necessary psychological and physical adjustments and thrived on them. Along the way she experienced her first la petite mort, achieving a level of enjoyment and fulfillment that transcended 'normal' reactions. The experience was addictive, compelling her to seek out more and more rewarding sex at every opportunity. This was the beginning of Sophie being remade into a performer and practitioner that was sought after and praised.

Helping Sophie were Marisal and Stan. They were the most sexually expert in the performance troupe. Marisal would be her teacher for pleasuring women and Stan for men. They were not a team. Both had subs. (Lucky subs!) The Concierge had already told them of their duties and responsibilities with Sophie for the next six months. He impressed upon them that she was going abroad following their instruction to learn local customs and practices and he wanted the House well represented by her.

Each began their instruction by having sex with her. She was charged to pleasure them as best she could. Sophie rarely had sex with women. Her one-off experiences on her birthday weekend at Hanover House had been her first. Because of her altered state at the time, she had been intoxicated and sleep deprived, it was novel and little more. Subsequent liaisons with women as part of her training had certainly been enjoyable but she remained naïve and inexperienced relying on her instincts and knowledge of what she enjoyed. Her time with Marisal would be spent sober and intent on giving her (Marisal) pleasure. She didn't know what to expect.

After her initial demonstration trials Marisal and Stan thought her skill and knowledge level was sufficient to make her into an expert sex provider in six months, and reported those assessments to the Concierge in person. He wanted progress reports every week.

After Sophie's initial evaluation, Marisal and Stan reversed roles and demonstrated what was possible. They coordinated their lessons to give Sophie a chance to recover before subjecting her to another round of high intensity sexual arousal. She was glad they did because it was the most scintillating experience of her life. She found out later that Marisal and Stan held back during their initial encounters with her. Both felt that for her to truly appreciate what was possible they had to bring her along to ever increasing levels of arousal. At the conclusion of their six months with her both gave Sophie an idea of what was possible at the outer reaches of human sexual arousal. Had Sophie not been trained by them she would have passed out long before reaching her complete satisfaction. After making the rounds with the other Houses six months later her respect and awe of them became even greater. To her, they were quite simply as good as it gets. The only thing that could give greater pleasure would be to have sex at that level with someone she loved, maybe someday.

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Her first meeting with the professor was not what she expected. Oh, he was professorial in personality and manner all right but as an expert on the psychology of sexual behavior he was not what you would expect. He looked and acted androgynous. Unsure if his sexual persuasion Sophie felt there was a distinct possibility he was a hermaphrodite. On reflection she felt this would make for an interesting course of study. He reviewed her curriculum with her and to her surprise found there was fieldwork with sex workers: strippers, streetwalkers, pimps, prostitutes and call girls, and a tour as a working prostitute!

He explained it was not his intent that she have intimate encounters with illegal sex workers people but to become familiar enough with them personally and professionally to write research papers of their industry and roles in it. When asked about her vulnerability to having run-ins with the law he assured her it would not be a problem. He would coordinate her research with the vice squad. He had done this in the past and his students had never had a problem.

That said he wanted her to work in one of the Nevada brothels for a few weeks to better understand the legal industry. Yes, he wanted her to prostitute herself. Would that pose a problem for her? She couldn't answer. Six months ago it would have been unthinkable. Now, she wasn't sure if it was.

[She did prostitute herself and found the women working in the brothel had many things in common with her and most other women. So much so that she concluded there were no discernable differences other than their choice of work. Her training caused her to be the highest earning 'working girl' for one of the five weeks she was there. Her potential was not lost on the manager; she tried to recruit her into a more permanent arrangement with the brothel. Flattered and surprised at her earnings she would have given the offer serious consideration if she were not already committed to the Hanover House and the Concierge.

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The Security Chief was a retired Special Forces operative. Because they can retire after twenty years he was still a young man when he sought a position with the Secret Service. His military time counted toward his time with the Secret Service allowing him to retire after ten years there. Now in his mid-fifties he was the only married department head. Department heads fell on the same level in the House hierarchy as Masters or 'gold buttons.' He was given no special consideration for being married. His wife lived with him in his apartment. She is Thai and occasionally acts as an interpreter for Southeast Asian patrons and guests. She also works with the Executive Chef to plan Thai cuisine when offered in the dining pavilion.

As you would expect, she is tiny and elegant, like a porcelain doll. Her demeanor is classical Thai and is very, very beautiful. Being Thai, she understands BDSM and its attraction although she is not a practitioner. Sophie had seen her about but never had an opportunity to meet her. Why is it that big burly, rough-cut Americans gravitate toward, tiny, diminutive Southeast Asian women? It would be interesting to observe their sex practices. (She would in her third six-month rotation) More interesting was that this powerful man, afraid of no one or anything, and having done everything dangerous was so gentle, kind, solicitous and deferential to his little wife. If you were an alien newly come to Earth and they were the first humans you'd met you would think that she was the more powerful and dangerous of the two.

Her first meeting with Mi was in her apartment. The Chief had invited her to dinner. She spoke stilted English but was perfectly understandable. Being so gracious it was hard not to like her. Her smile was dazzling and fire danced in her eyes. My God, what a gorgeous woman! Sophie would like to get to know her better. She did.

[Mi became her confidant and best friend over the years. Whenever she needed someone to talk to but could not confide in any of the House associates, Mi was always available. They also developed a sexual relationship. Intense at its origin it mellowed over time to become a very pleasurable pastime for both. The Chief came to know about their relationship (he was, after all, the Security Chief, and the best security is based on good intelligence) and accepted it but not without a lot of internal turmoil. Had he not liked and respected Sophie so much his acceptance of her relationship with his wife would not have been forthcoming.]

Sophie's tour in Security began with a file audit. She came to know about all Hanover House employees, associates and patrons, who were risky and required close watching, and who were not a threat to the House or its operations. Next she learned House security protocols. After a month of desk-bound duty she was assigned to the more experienced agents to accompany them on their rounds. Rounds included maintaining good relations with local law enforcement, keeping the House and it's grounds under surveillance, performing background investigations on patrons to ensure they could return or be turned away, coordinating physical security for visiting VIPs and their security details, and keeping uninvited visitors out. Her last assignment was taking shifts in the communications center. Security and public safety functions were housed in the carriage house opposite the main residence. Their physical separation reinforced their authoritarian image as being different and apart from the remainder of the community. Creating and maintaining this image was a conscious decision made by the Chief and endorsed by the Concierge.

Security and public safety specialists were kept apart from the rest of the Hanover House community for another reason. Both the Chief and the Concierge wanted their instructions and leadership accepted implicitly when situations arose that could threaten the community. No truly consequential situations had arisen (a testament to their proficiency) but the need for propriety demanded their guard never be let down, frequent drills were conducted without divulging their nature until after they were complete. They had their desired effect, the community was well trained in threat responses and aware of their possibility at all times.

The job expectations of these specialists could easily cause them to devolve into using Gestapo-like practices and attitudes with their charges. To combat this tendency the Chief carefully screened each applicant prior to their hiring and kept them on probation for extended periods. Even after probation all were kept under greater surveillance than the remainder of the community and patrons to ensure their not becoming liabilities. A final condition of the authoritarian posture maintained by security and public safety specialists was their being prohibited from engaging in sex with the rest of the community. Sophie was the only exception for as long as she was assigned to Security.

At the Chief's direction Sophie began martial arts and firearms training. All House security agents were licensed to carry concealed firearms. While Sophie became proficient with a pistol, shotgun and MP5 she was never licensed. Throughout her time with the security force she never carried a firearm nor operated alone, a senior operative accompanied her at all times. Her purpose was not to become an operative but, rather, to become intimately familiar with their operations and capabilities. Though rarely discussed, she also became aware of House security weaknesses and vulnerabilities. She spent a lot of time talking to the Chief about her observations. He was aware of them and pointed out others that she hadn't yet uncovered on her own.

Although the Chief was not authorized to award her 'black button' status he wholeheartedly approved her wearing black pearl earrings. Informally he called her 'Captain Jack' or 'Sparrow' after the character in The Curse of the Black Pearl. (Indeed, 'Sparrow' became her call sign and was only retired upon her becoming Concierge when it was changed to 'Captain Jack.' In keeping with the tradition she responded to hailing by saying, 'This is Jack.') They enjoyed a good working relationship forged during her tour that stood the test of time over the years she was at Hanover House. One of her most challenging and saddest moments was staffing in his replacement when he retired. When he did, he and Mi moved out of the area leaving her without an incomparable colleague and professional confidante, and a personal confidante and female lover.

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The Troupe Master started Sophie off with simple bondage techniques and quickly worked her up to S&M. She learned her pain thresholds and the point where her pain became pleasurable. Her pain tolerance was typical of most others at her level of training. She marveled at more experienced submissives' abilities to accept pain and enjoy it. She was told and came to believe that that tolerance and enjoyment came with experience and desire. By the time her rotation with the performance troupe ended her pain tolerance and enjoyment had noticeably increased. In the hands of someone that knew what they were doing she could easily achieve orgasms from punishment. They were not substitutions for straight sex organisms. Pain brought on a different high, bitter sweet that the contrast made more intense. She did not readily bruise but healed well when she did. She did not enjoy butterfly clamps used on her nipples or clitoris (butterfly clamps tighten when pulled). Her dislike came from her tendency to move around a bit when she was aroused. If the clamps were used the pain came on quicker than she preferred. But if her Dom/Domme required them she willingly submitted. Over time she learned how to self-regulate her pain (and gratification) by playing the clamps.

She experienced piercings and abuse that made her bleed. Unless the bleeding was profuse it was no different than being beaten. And, because she healed so well it was never a problem. She observed several suspensions (suspended by body piercings) but was not asked to do it. She didn't volunteer, either. Her observations were that those that did sought a spiritual experience and release (and, for the most part, achieved it); her interest in sex was physical not spiritual.

The second six-month rotation was a difficult time for her. Her obligations included performance troupe training, security orientation and operations, and academic research. She had little time for Brian and less for Doug. What time she did have was spent with Mi building a relationship.

The end of the rotation was celebrated by accompanying the Concierge to Prague. She met all the Concierges and was surprised at the familiarity they had with her. It was then that she found out the Concierge had been keeping them up-to-date on her training and progress the past year. Each expressed interest in her planned visit to their Houses. A schedule was developed while she was in Prague to coordinate everyone's availability to make sure they would be in-residence while she was at their Houses. She would spend a week in each with their masters and performers, and have the opportunity to participate in at least one theater performance for their patrons.

She was a novelty for patrons of other Houses and greatly revered by their staffs and performance troupes. Humbled by the respect and deference shown her she didn't realize that her own humility and discipline engendered those responses quite apart from her reputation. Because part of her training included learning different sex customs and techniques she received it from the best practitioners in each house. In six months she received a breadth of experience that most connoisseurs would be jealous to claim. Her ongoing academic obligations caused her to keep a journal of this grand tour from which she wrote a comparative paper for her professor. It was well received and submitted for publication.