Stranger Than Truth Ch. 06

"Hi Rachael. I was thinking about Sally. Are you on break now?"

"Yep. If you want that teddy, go ahead and put it behind the counter. We can talk in the back room."

Once they were away from the bustle in the store, Rachael sat Val down.

"So, what's up? I assume you're not here for a social call."

"No, though I wouldn't mind one of those either. Did you know I'm dominating Sally 24/7 right now?

"Yeah, I heard. It was a little surprising. I didn't think you were that strong a switch."

"I'm not, but it's what Sally needs right now. It's more than that. Sally doesn't have a safe word right now. She asked me to take it away and I did."

Rachael whistled softly. "I'll bet Charles is not very happy with that."

"No, not really. In fact, he won't dominate her without it, so I'm her sole dominant. Rach, it's so hard, especially since she needs such deep submission right now."

"And with your pain problem, you're having trouble doing that, am I right?" She continued at Valerie's nod. She could tell that Val was on the verge of tears. "Do you know that a sub can go deep with no pain at all?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure I know how to do that. I've tried to make her slavery intense. No, that's not the right word. I've tried to make it complete, take her far into a slavery…I'm not sure how to put it."

"Tell me what you've actually done, both what she's asked you to do and what she hasn't."

"We've been playing it by the seat of our pants. I've taken her job away, given her sole responsibility for keeping the house clean, kept her on orgasm denial for extended periods of time, and engaged in some pretty intense play. This afternoon, we realized that she wants, no, needs, less choices, less freedom. We've talked about me taking so much away from her. It's a little frightening, Rach. How do I do it? How do I give her depth without hurting her? Early on, I gave her to Sir Calvin for an entire day and she came home with bruising over her entire body."

Rachael took Valerie's hand while the tears started to slip out, waiting for the woman before her to catch up with herself. "Valerie, you're not the novice that walked into this store eight months ago, desperate for information about what this whole BDSM thing was. Your growth has been incredible, especially in light of what happened seven months ago. I don't think you are capable of really hurting Sally, not in any way that is bad. Painful and visible bruising, yeah, that might happen. Has Sally given any sign that her time with Calvin was something she regrets?"

"No, in fact, she said, 'He is so hard. He is so cruel. I hurt so much. I feel so good.' She asked me to treat her that way."

"See what I mean. She wasn't hurt. Bruised and battered, yes. I've seen Susan after one of his hard scenes with her, so I can imagine what Sally looked like. I've seen this happen a couple of times in the past. Val, Sally needs to have one and only one focus in her life right now, you. Make everything be about you. Has she made you happy? Has she met your standards? Are you the first thing she thinks of as she makes every decision? To that end, yes, you have to take choice away from her. Decide what she wears, what she eats, when and where she sleeps, when she has sex and with whom. It won't have to stay this way, but it needs to start this way."

"I think we realized that earlier. I'm just frightened of going too far. You don't think I can go too far?"

"Not in this, no. There's something else, Valerie. When was the last time you submitted without receiving anything at all for yourself?"

Valerie thought back to her scenes in the last few weeks and realized that there was only one. "It was a couple of weeks ago, I think. I wasn't even receiving Master's attention directly. He wanted to gauge how well I could witness Sally in pain. It didn't go well."

"That's what I thought. Tell me, what do you want from your submission more than anything else?"

"To know that I was pleasing, that Master enjoyed using me." The answer came easily and naturally.

"Is that more important than an orgasm or even being aroused?"

"Oh yes. It's the most important thing for me. I can handle long denials if I know that my suffering makes Him happy."

"It sounds like you've been having your needs met a lot. That's not bad, per se. But, for you, especially now, I think you need some time under someone that has nothing to do with you, but is entirely about pleasing Him or Her. There are lots of ways to do that, and it's not important what actually happens, just that you know by the end of it, that it was all you pleasing someone else."

As Valerie listened, she felt a longing in her heart. She recalled being given a choice between pain and pleasure once and choosing pain because pleasure felt like a temptation. Fred and Daphne had come close. Other than the one orgasm from the caning, they had used her for their pleasure, extracting submission out of her. It had, ironically, left her fuller and more able to dominate Sally afterwards.

"Rachael, I think you're right. But Master is out of town. He can't do that for me."

"Val, would you like me to take you like that?"

Valerie felt fear. The one time Rachael had dominated her, Valerie had been subjected to, for her, extreme humiliation and objectification. Valerie had let it go past her limits and was hurt, emotionally. Later, Rachael and Valerie promised each other to not let that happen again. But, the fear of that happening again was still there. There was trust too, but Valerie could not help but shudder at the thought of Rachael having her way.

"You frighten me Rachael. Since that day at Divine's Devils, I've feared the day when I was to be given to you again." Val was not surprised at the smile on Rachael's face, nor at the way the dominant woman licked her lips. "I think I need that, though. I want to let you, but I don't have permission."

Rachael leaned over and grabbed a fistful of Val's hair, pulling her head close. "Then you need to e-mail Charles and ask."

"Yes, Mistress." Rachael let go and Val shook her head. "That felt so wonderful and scary. Thank you. I'll ask as soon as I get home. How did you know?"

"Valerie, the scenes you gush about the most are the ones I just described, ones in which you received nothing for yourself. I've seen you before and after some of them and the change in you is simply lovely. Right now, you look like a classic before picture. Come on, my break's over. Get permission from your Master and we'll schedule something."

"Thanks Rach. You're a good, but terrifying friend."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

Val picked up the teddy and several more articles before she left. Valerie knew that by now, Sally would be masturbating and fighting off her orgasm. She smiled at the thought. Orgasm denial had always been a favorite ploy when she dominated Sally. This was the first time, however, she had forced Sally to do it to herself continually. As she opened the door to the house, she could hear moans from the bedroom, desperate moans of pleasure. She looked into the room and saw Sally in the kennel, her fingers stroking her pussy. The aroma of sex filled the air. Sally's eyes were closed and it appeared that she was unaware of Valerie's presence. Sally's eyes flew open when Val grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her cunt.

"Mistress! I'm so sorry. I tried to…"

Val interrupted her plea with a shake of her head. She sat down on the bed and pulled her lover onto her lap, cradling her like a child. "Did you cum?" Sally nodded her head and started to cry. "It's okay, dear. I'm not disappointed." When Sally looked up in surprise, Val continued, "I told you to do something incredibly hard. I know you wanted to obey with all your heart. You would have stopped if I had not told you that you couldn't. Do you want me to spank you?" Sally nodded. "Good girl. I'm so proud of you."

"Mistress, would you hold me so I can't get loose?"

"Of course, love. Fetch the cuffs."

Sally slipped of Valerie's lap and retrieved the leather cuffs from their toy drawer. She handed them to her Mistress and turned around, holding her hands behind her. Her sigh, as they were wrapped around each wrist, was one of release. Her tears dried up as she put herself into the hands of the woman she trusted more than any other person in the world. Valerie bent Sally over her legs, locking her own leg over Sally's to hold her in place. Val pulled the butt plug out and set it to the side.

"How many should I give you, slave?"

"As many as you wish. Please give me as many as make you happy."

"Just let yourself cry as much as you need."

With that, Valerie held Sally's bound hands against her back and started to slap her ass. Valerie did not use much force, just enough to bring a momentary pink to the skin that started to fade right away. Sally gasped with each slap, jerking slightly with the impact. Valerie ignored the knot in her stomach, beyond noting that it seemed to take more time to become seriously unpleasant.

Sally felt the pain, more of a sting really, of each slap as an expression of Valerie's love for her. She knew how much this must be hurting Val inside, yet Valerie did not stop. The tears she was shedding were not from the pain, but were a sign of the joy she felt to be loved so deeply. Sally found that she was looking forward to the tenderness she was going to feel whenever she sat tonight.

Neither lady counted the swats, not caring to know. When Valerie stopped, she pulled Sally back up and cradled her for several minutes, relaxing in her presence. Sally tugged a few times at her cuffs, smiling when they did not give.

"Thank you, Mistress."

Taking the cuffs off again, Val instructed, "It was my pleasure. Run me a bubble bath. We need to wash up before we go out. I'll be in shortly. I need to send Master an e-mail."

"Yes, Mistress."

Valerie logged onto her computer and sent the request for Rachael to dominate her in the near future. She joined Sally for a shared bath, each bathing the other. Leaving Sally to clean the tub out again, Valerie picked out clothes for the two of them. Sally would be wearing the new emerald green teddy beneath a darker green dress that came down to the slave's knees. The dress was one of Sally's more modest gowns. It would only reveal what was within to someone willing to make an obvious gesture of peeking from above. Tan stockings held up with garters would cover her legs. Black two inch pumps finished the selection.

Valerie dressed in a burgundy floor length skirt and turquoise blouse with a moderate cleavage. Blue heels over silk socks finished her outfit. She set aside one of her special purchases next to the butt plug. Sally came back out.

"Mistress, may I use the toilet?"

Val looked up in surprise. It took a few seconds to catch that Sally wanted Valerie to take control of this basic function as well. She nodded with a smile on her face, accepting the gift Sally offered. Valerie knew that she would never actually deny her that privilege. "Yes. Very good for asking."

"Thank you Mistress."

After she returned, Valerie instructed, "Lie down on the bed. I have something special for you."

"Yes, Mistress?"

Valerie held up a package of four very small, key alike padlocks and looked at the rings in Sally's pussy lips. Sally gasped as she took Val's meaning.

"More punishment, Mistress?"

"No, this is not punishment. This is because I wish to."

Sally tensed. She did not want what Valerie was intending to do. When Valerie had first met Sally, Sally was being punished by having her cunt locked up to prevent anything from penetrating her. Charles had kept her that way for three weeks. It wasn't just the closure that made the locks so terrible, it was the constant rubbing against the folds of her pussy, making sure she was aroused all the time. By themselves, the locks would not send her into a climax, but they would keep her on edge as long as she was moving.

"Mistress, please," she begged, shaking her head.

Valerie knelt down between Sally's feet and brushed a finger along the surface of Sally's pussy, enticing a bead of moisture. Slowly, Val flipped the eight rings so that each pair lay looped one on top of the other.

"It will give me pleasure to lock you, my dear. Will you beg for me to be denied pleasure?"

Her low whisper of, "No," was almost inaudible over the deep breaths that Sally was taking.

As each small lock snapped shut, Sally gave a convulsive sob. When all the rings were locked together, Valerie brought her mouth close and licked lightly at the pussy before her. She savored the beads of cunt juice that formed, as well as the small cries of pleasure from her lover. Val stopped well short of Sally's climax and sat next to her.

"Mistress," Sally whispered.

"Slave, whose cunt is this," Val asked, tracing a finger across the closed pussy.

"Yours Mistress."

"Yes, mine. You gave it to me. Can I lock it if I wish?"

"Yes, Mistress. Mistress, being locked is so hard. How long?"

"Until I decide it comes off. I know it's hard. I remember how desperate you were the last time. You can feel the emptiness already, can't you?"

"Yes, Mistress. Knowing it can't be filled makes it so much more present."

"Do you want me to open you back up?"

Sally gave a single sob before replying, "Only if you want to Mistress."

"Not right now. Roll over, I want to replace the plug and then we'll dress you."

Valerie made sure that Sally was wearing a collar and cuffs in addition to her outfit. They went to the Gotham Club, the dance club where Valerie met Charles for the first time. Every time Valerie returned here, she felt her eyes tear up at the thought of how much that fateful trip, in search of a good fucking, changed her life. She never regretted that change, even when the changes were frightening in their breadth and depth. If the Valerie of now and the Valerie of then were to meet, they would be complete strangers.

One advantage to having been publicly outed as a submissive is that, over time, the stares grow less intense and less frequent. The Gotham Club was the premier dance club in the city and Valerie came here fairly often, at least a couple of times a month. The regulars and the staff were well used to the collared lady who frequented their establishment. Sally's collar and cuffs drew a few looks, but nothing that was rude or overbearing. The couple enjoyed an evening of dancing and drinking (they had used a cab), pairing up with themselves (which drew more stares than the collars) and willing single men of various skill levels. Most of the people there had no clue that the pretty ladies were a slave and her Mistress, or at least which lady was which.

Once they were home again, several hours later, Valerie removed the butt plug and the couple went to bed. Valerie held Sally close, lightly caressing her breasts and belly.

"What are you feeling Sally?"

"I love you Mistress. I feel so close to you, and horny."

"Me too," Val chuckled. "Orgasm restriction sucks. Am I owning you enough?"

"I don't know. Probably, because I feel very dependant on you, yet very safe with you too. Are you going to be okay, Mistress?"

"Yes. Dr. Gloush said that I'm improving with each appointment. The flashback is supposed to be a normal reaction. If that's so, I'm not sure I want to be normal. I asked Master if Rachael could dominate me sometime soon."

"Rachael? Mistress, she went too far last time. You were hurt. You were a basket case for over an hour."

"I know, but I didn't use my safe word like I should have. She promised to watch me closer and I promised not to let her go too far. I think I need what she's going to take from me."

"That's an interesting way of putting it. Are you sure you don't mean, 'give you'?"

"Definitely take. It's been a long time since I've submitted to just please my dominant. There has been something in it for me."

"I see what you want. You want someone to just have fun with you and use you."

"Yeah. I may end up feeling miserable and desperate in the end, but it will be joyous to know that I made Master, or in this case, Mistress, happy. I like the pleasure, the orgasms, but it's really about being pleasing. I know that's what Master Tom and the others are trying to do, but there's an intensity that just isn't there."

"I know what you mean." Sally paused for a minute. In a soft voice, she asked, "Will you use me that way?"

Valerie hugged her tightly. "Is that what this deeper slavery is about, the need to be pleasing?"

"Partly, Mistress, but I'm sure there's more. If there wasn't, I could just ask for it like you did. I don't know what will happen in the long run and I'm scared."

"I know, love, I know. You won't go through it alone. I'll be with you for the entire journey. We should go to Mephisto's tomorrow night."

"I'd like that. What will you do with me?"

"That's a surprise." In reality, Valerie had no idea what she wanted to do. Sally's request stuck with her though. If Val herself needed times when her submission was all about pleasing someone else, how much more would Sally need that? Yes, there was sure to be more to it, a need for depth, for change, but to have those needs manifest as 24/7 full slavery meant that the need to be pleasing to a dominant, to a Mistress or Master was there as well. She made a mental note to ask Rachael how to balance pleasuring a submissive and taking pleasure form one. She recalled a conversation with Calvin. Calvin had been talking about the difference between discipline and punishment. Valerie was beginning to see that there was a difference between training, play and use as well. As she fell asleep with Sally in her arms, it dawned on Valerie that Sally needed all three from Val.

The next morning, Valerie woke to find Sally no longer beside her. The flash of worry was quickly put aside by the smell of bacon wafting in from the kitchen. Throwing a robe on, Val found Sally in front of the stove cooking breakfast.

"Good morning Mistress. Would you like breakfast?"

"Yes, that smells great." Val ran her hand along Sally's butt. "Do you remember how I like my eggs?"

"Yes, Mistress. Sunny side up with lemon pepper. I'm looking forward to tonight."

"I am too. I'm supposed to bring you with me when I submit to Sir Tom tomorrow. I don't know why."

"Okay. I'm sure it will make sense."

An hour later, Valerie was in her office, going over correspondence that had piled up. Fortunately, nothing was critical. Val had not worried, knowing that June would have brought anything that was to her attention right away. There was nothing from Yara's Leather Emporium yet, though Valerie was not expecting anything before Monday. The quiet routine of the publishing house was a pleasant break from the tension and bustle of the movie set.

Val checked her personal e-mail and found that not only had Charles sent her an answer, but there was a response to the e-mail she had sent to Master's Fuck Toy, a slave she had written the previous week. Val's Master gave her permission to submit to Rachael, so long as it did not interfere with her duties towards his four friends. The e-mail from Fuck Toy was very interesting.

"Valerie, I want to apologize for not responding sooner, but I thought your questions and concerns needed more than a passing answer. I've tried to come up with explanations that will help you. I'll start with motivation. Why do I allow my Owner to treat me with such harsh cruelty? Understand that I am not a weak woman. I won't let just anyone treat me this way. In fact, I believe that it takes a strong woman to choose to allow someone to be so cruel. If you could ask anyone I work with, they would not use the words weak or timid to describe me. I let Him treat me the way he does because the desire to belong wholly to another person is a deeply ingrained part of who I am. Until I met Him and gave myself to Him, I was less than whole. I don't know your lover, but I suspect that she has felt the need for domination most, if not all of her adult life, and that need has been slowly growing. That's the way it was with me. It sounds like, from what you wrote, that she experienced a quantum leap in her needs.