Rule of Thumb

Before I even knew what was happening, Mamiko had unfolded, reaching her hands out and up to grab Loren before she could fall. Anna spilled her drink, moving far more quickly than I would have expected, holding Loren up with one hand. Moments later they had laid her out on a nearby chair, her feet elevated on a foot stool, the trainer trailing behind her onto the floor.

Anna made no attempt to revive her, motioning Mamiko to stand by the fireplace.

"Rick." She took a seat on the couch nearby. "I think it was very wise of you to accept my invitation." She looked over at Loren and then back to me. "She is like a tree that needs pruning - gone wild and unkempt. She has developed...habits...to compensate for her need. These may have led to some behaviors we'll need to extinguish."

I had no idea what she was talking about, or how she had come to these conclusions from the little time she'd spent with her.

"You need to take this process much more slowly than I had originally thought." She motioned to Mamiko to refresh her drink. Seeing mine was empty she handed her my glass as well.

I wasn't sure I needed another drink but didn't protest.

"Is what Elke...Loren did...unusual?"

She invited me to sit on the couch, my cock still hard but ebbing slightly. As we sat, she brushed her hand on my thigh - perhaps an intimacy or maybe nothing. My cock jumped a little.

"Well, the name thing. That's part of it. She can't face her need as 'Loren,' preferring to lose herself in this alter-ego, 'Elke.' She makes up reasons to be punished. These two things alone are common enough in submissives, but there's something else." She moved her hand to my thigh and left it there, looking at my face and down to my cock. "I haven't put my finger on it quite, but there's something lurking beneath her surface."

Mamiko returned with the drinks, still naked, that deep golden luster in her skin like polished wood. After serving us, she knelt in front of Anna, her hands behind her head, her legs spread open.

Her mistress reached over and lightly stroked her hair. "When Mamiko arrived, she had no idea what she had signed up for, but it was very clear to me she just needed a little push in the right direction. Similar to Loren, her childhood had been a series of abuses, leaving her unable to enjoy what the kids call 'vanilla sex.' Isn't that right, my pussy?"

"Yes, Mistress." She kept her eyes open and on Anna's face.

Loren moaned a little, her head moving slightly.

"Loren says she wants punishment, and she clearly responds well to it, yes?" Anna looked to me for confirmation, her hand still on Mamiko's face. I didn't know where to look first: Mamiko, naked, her tiny slit now spread open, the landing strip catching my eye, her breasts, small, almost flat, the areolas large brown disks with tiny nipples. Anna, fondling her, not in any directly sexual way, but in a way that suggested Mamiko was almost an extension of her own body, an intimacy I couldn't explain. And Loren, spread out on the lounge, her pussy still attached with wires, the probe still penetrating her rectum, the dress cravat-like, her hands trapped beneath her ass cheeks. I realized the trainer must still be on: she jerked slightly every once in a while. My cock stood rock hard and pulsing, my own contractions mixed with its independent need to fuck something.

"Master Rick?"

I realized I hadn't answered or acknowledged her implied question. "I...I...yes, of course. It's clear she responds to punishment...but isn't that why we're here?"

She sat back and let her fingers trail up my thigh, her nails playing with the edges of my pubic hair. The sensation added to my arousal, the anticipation of her next move made me harder.

"In Mamiko's case," she continued, her fingers pulling slightly at my hairs, brief, intense pricks into my lower spine. "She knew pain was just a natural consequence of disobedience. She craves obedience, don't you my little cunt?"

"Yes, Mistress." Her eyes never left Anna's face.

"Mamiko hates to be humiliated, for example." I looked over at the young woman's face but didn't see a reaction. "It has to be done, every once in a while. Training is a combination of positive and negative reinforcement after all." Her hand stopped playing with my hairs and moved swiftly to grab my cock. I yelped in surprise, followed by an inrush of gratitude.

"You have a very nice looking penis, Master Rick." She looked at my face as her fingers did something I'd never felt before. A pulling up on the skin, stretching it all the way down to my sac. The initial pleasure of having her hold it was quickly giving way to a very uncomfortable sensation. "What do you say when someone pays you a complement?"

Several thoughts came at once: Anna's intention as a counselor was clearly extending beyond Loren - her hold on my penis was evidence enough of that. I didn't know how to respond - blame it on alcohol and libido. The feeling of being mastered flooded from my head down to my cock, swelling the head a little more in spite of, or perhaps because of the discomfort from her manipulations. At least my brain, crippled as it was, had concluded I was being mastered based on her holding my cock and her change in tone. Regardless, her question demanded an answer.

"Thank-you Mistress Anna." I looked her directly in the eye - I had not agreed to be a submissive, but I would treat her with respect.

She nodded slightly to Mamiko who rose in one fluid motion to leave the room. Anna's fingers continued to pull at my cock, 10% pleasure, 90% discomfort, but ultimately making me harder.

"Loren may not like humiliation," she took up the conversation, never stopping her fingers. "Or then again, the pain may be a mask for it. From her comment earlier, she's clearly in denial about being a submissive at all. She may simply want to feel pain. But, in answer to your original question from a while ago: Yes, what Loren has done in the last 30 minutes is not 'usual' in my experience. She could be emotionally disturbed, for example. Because I'm not a psychologist I'm not qualified to say. But I can say I've seen similar behaviors in people who ultimately did need true psychological therapy. This is where you need to make an ethical decision, Master Rick. Do you continue to satisfy your need," she gave my cock a hard squeeze sending a rush of pleasure to the base of my spine, "or do you help her find treatment." She let me go, my erection now throbbing with my pulse.

Mamiko returned, holding yet another wood box in her hands. The top was inlaid with a complicated pattern of dark wood. She knelt down in front of us, again spreading her knees open to reveal her sex, glistening, and placed the box at Anna's feet.

I wasn't sure what to do or say. Naturally I wanted nothing more than to fuck the daylights out of my neighbor; that was the animal in me. The sober insurance advisor 'tsked' at the thought of hurting someone who might be emotionally disturbed. The tension between the two reduced a little of the pressure in my cock.

"Mistress Anna," I looked at her to see what she might think, "seriously, I don't want to hurt Loren if she is truly in need of counseling. My hope was that you could provide a professional assessment, tonight. Have you concluded something, or are you asking for my opinion?"

She smiled tightly, moving her glass over the top of my cock, the cool drops from its base like needles pushing into its swollen head. "I can't tell you whether there is a deeper problem, Rick. Not yet, at least.

If

we take this slowly, and

if

Loren is a willing participant in determining if there is a problem,

then

I am willing to approach this as a potential emotional problem taking the necessary safeguards."

She pushed the glass against my shaft, the icy condensation shooting pain into me. I gasped.

"...will take a little longer, of course."

Anna's strategy dawned on me, the alcohol, my arousal and the distractions from the pain she was putting me through having slowed my thinking. I smiled at her. "I like your style, Anna. Very nice. But let's be more upfront about this. I'm willing to put a plan together with you. Now. Tonight. Based on your best guess of what you've found so far. I'm not willing to leave this open-ended. If I can't afford the plan, we'll figure something else out."

She smiled back, taking a sip from the glass. I felt a warm inrush on the skin of my shaft where it had been. "I like your style too, Richard. In spite of you being an amateur at this," she waved her glass at Loren, spread eagled on the lounge, "you're no stranger to business. Since you've shown a willingness to be professional about this, I'm willing to offer you a professional discount. I think you'll like the terms. I think you'll like the terms very, very much."

I never like it when my opponent tells me how much I'm going to like the terms. Big red flags go up. I waited for the punchline, giving her my best open-eyed, inquisitive look.

"Let's start by saying I'm prepared to provide a deep discount. My fees usually run $200/hour; sessions can last as long as five hours (can, but not usually. Most sessions run about three hours). I already think this will take a couple of months, based on my past experience and what I've witnessed here tonight. Sessions will likely get shorter nearer the end as the two of you become more experienced with the basics."

I did the math before she had finished - figuring an average of 3hours per week for 8 weeks, almost $5K. A serious chunk of change. Not that I didn't have it. Marnie's life insurance policy was the best we could get, being in the business does have its privileges after all, but I wasn't sure any of this was worth $5K.

"I can see you're considering it, but I haven't finished. That's my retail rate. I said I would offer you a discount. I'm considering a flat rate of $200 per session, regardless of how long they take. Still think we'll need the 2 months..."

$2K. Okay, a good deal, but still a lot of cash.

I knew she hadn't finished; I kept my mouth shut.

"...that, I'm considering offering you a twofer - you let me help you train Loren, and for that same reduced fee, you let me train you. Now wait, before you protest..."

I had started to sputter something, but fell silent waiting for the rest. Now that she'd actually said it, the thought of being her submissive did something to my gut.

"...you know. Training animals is as much about the owner as it is about the animal, right?" She didn't expect or wait for my response. "It's only fair - if I was training Loren just for herself, then I would expect her to be available to whomever she chose, with the hope she would find someone who understood how well she had been trained. Not a lot of folks in this city, I'm afraid. But if she really wants to be

your

sub, then training you both will be an amazing thing...truly amazing."

I smiled again, seeing an opportunity to wiggle in. "What's in it for you, Anna? Why would you discount your rate, not just for one, but two people? It seems to me, you're leaving money on the table." My cock had sagged now that we were discussing business: it stood out at a 45 degree angle, inches from Mamiko's mouth.

She smiled again. "I like you Rick. I like the way you think, I like the prospect of working

with

you on this project. I've been looking for a good portfolio piece. It would add a nice feather in my cap to have the two of you trained at the same time. The opportunity doesn't come that often when I see such a great canvas to work with."

Crap. It was standard crap. She was hungry. She wanted

me

. Other ideas popped up, standard reasons why people discount their services. She expected me to market her services to my clientele. Now that was an interesting possibility I could use. It was amazing to me how much my clients revealed about their personal lives. Scanning back over the past several months, I could think of at least a couple who might have been interested in the counseling Anna provides. Time to counter-offer.

"I'm beginning to like you a lot as well, Anna. Can't say we started things off this afternoon on the best of terms, but now," I waved again at the two naked women, bringing my gaze back to my slowly deflating cock, "...this evening has been very pleasant so far. But, I have to say, $2K for something I figure Loren and I could learn about from the Web. I'm not sure it's worth it. But I can suggest something that might be good value in exchange for your obvious talents."

Her eyes narrowed, even as her mouth set into a grim smile. It was her turn to wait.

"I run a fairly good business - insurance - with a lot of clientele. I'd be willing to consider a 'partnership' - a co-marketing thing. I was just thinking of the clients I've seen in just the past few months. I suspect there's at least a few who would be very interested in the counseling you do. I'd be willing to send them your way in exchange for your services."

"Oh hoh!" She sat back, grinning. "Richard, it is tough to make a living these days, isn't it? Well, you're the one who wanted a plan in place before we proceeded. I'm not sure I'm ready to go as far as two months with nothing from you but the promise of some clients. Regardless, I think it would be prudent for you to understand exactly what I'm proposing before you put a value on it. I said tonight would be free, and I stick to my promises. But I want you consider a little change in plan for the evening.

"I'm going to let Loren rest for a few more minutes. I don't like that she passed out. That she climaxed was not unusual - it was intended to be the basis for further punishment. She understood that; I suspect the intensity of her anticipation may have contributed to her fainting. This is a good thing, but it means we don't need to go as far or as deeply as you've done today with the whipping. Or apparently as little as we did so far tonight. It will make the training much easier in that regard." She looked down at the box briefly, apparently a sign to Mamiko, who knelt forward, gracefully unfolding slightly but never completely blocking our view of her open pussy. "I'm a little concerned about the Elke thing. For now, let's not reinforce that, hmmm?

"True dominants have great empathy for their submissives, Master Rick. It is often the case they have a secret urge to be submissives themselves. In any event, for a dominant to really appreciate what their submissive is going through, they must understand it, not just in their head," she pointed to my head, "but in their body."

I looked down at the box. In the deep blue velvet lining were a set of...implements...at least a dozen of them, each in their own depression. Some of them were obvious: phalluses that I could already feel penetrating me, concentric rings too small to fit around my dick but obviously designed for that purpose, and other things I had no idea about. A set of clamps too large for my nipples, chains and what looked like fish hooks. I shivered at the implication.

"You must make a decision, Master Rick: if you wish to continue with Loren's training, regardless of our business arrangement, you yourself must truly appreciate the torture she is putting herself through. You must know how far to push her and when to hold off. It is clear she doesn't know herself. I do not recommend BDSM as means of therapy - it is truly best enjoyed when individuals are well integrated - but Loren needs this and will pursue it with or without you. Again, regardless of how we work out the business details, I am willing to help to a lesser or greater extent, but only if I have your deepest commitment."

I licked my lips, my cock suddenly throbbing again. I could practically feel the endorphins injecting into my bloodstream. When Marnie and I played, she would never go very far - once dripping hot wax on my nipples that drew tears to my eyes, once threating to shave me if I didn't do exactly as she demanded - but never with any kind of equipment that looked like this. I knew Mistress Anna would know exactly how far to push me and I could already feel the pain. I wanted to help Loren. I wanted to do more than help her: I enjoyed whipping her, I wanted to dominate her. The images of what I was likely getting into blended with what I would be doing with Loren, stretching into the far future.

I looked at Anna and at Mamiko, who had returned to her kneeling position, and then at Loren, still spread open and moaning.

"Thermostat." I said quietly.

She smiled and nodded to Mamiko. Her voice was soothing, the business edge gone like smoke. "We'll take it slowly tonight, Master Rick. Even though it's free, I don't want you to think it's worth only what you're paying for it."

I licked my lips again, my heart pounding at the step I was about to take. Had taken. I could always use my word and put a stop to it. She'd already said I would be the one in control. The possibility I might learn something deeper from this experience convinced me to let go.

"Once you are prepared, we'll wake Loren and have some dinner. No doubt the two of you are getting hungry."

Mamiko had already begun to remove several items from the box, laying them on the open cover.

"Hmmmm...interesting choice, Mamiko. I think you might be on to something. Master Rick, if I could bother you to stand up and then bend over at the waist?"

Although stated as a polite request, there was no choice involved. I arose from the couch, my cock springing to attention. Mamiko slid out of the way to let me bend down, my ass cheeks pointing directly at Mistress Anna.

"Very nice," she murmured, taking something from Mamiko's hand. I could just barely make out a black rod with a silver chain. "Spread your cheeks for me Master Rick, as wide as you can."

I complied, feeling the cool air on my ring, my cock pulsing against my navel. I breathed as quietly as I could, focusing on relaxing my sphincter. Moments later I felt her apply some gel, cool and slippery to my entrance, then her finger pushing the lubricant in and around my sphincter and then whatever it was pushing into me, firmly and deeply. It was up against my prostate, pushing on the base of my cock.

"I need you to stay very very still now, Master Rick. This is a little tricky because of your proportions. You may feel the need to push this rod out of you. I would ask you to control that urge. It will take a moment or two."

Seconds later I felt a pulling sensation that seemed to open my rectum up, a tugging that demanded I expel whatever the invader was. I grabbed my ankles holding tight, closing my eyes against the intensity. And then the feeling of cold metal wrapping against the juncture of my sac and my shaft. More pulling and I cried out, tears leaking from my eyes.

"Just a moment more, Master Rick, and you'll be set."

The rod in my rectum suddenly ballooned, pushing at the walls with an intense pain; I almost fainted. For some reason I wouldn't use my safe word. It was bad, but it wasn't bad enough to give in. And then it subsided back to a dull throbbing, the rod deeply seated in my rectum, the chain cold and tight against my cock, pulling hard on the tight strip of flesh between the two.

"There," she said, patting my ass lightly. "Try standing up...slowly. Tell me how it feels."

I tried to stand, the rod/ball shoving deeply into me, my cock harder than I'd ever felt it. I glanced at the head and saw it blooming a deep shade of purple, the hole open and spasming. I lifted as high up as I could, the pain washing through me in deep waves as the rod/ball tried to bury itself inside me, pulling on the chain to my cock, my cock pulling back, the chain trying to pull the rod out. I stopped, my legs bent, my hands resting on my thighs and breathed through it.