Postby bigsmile21 » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:47 pm
I apologize for not posting in weeks. I have always been consistent with my updates. This weekend was Dragon*Con, a big comic and geek-culture convention in Atlanta, and I have spent most of my free time these past weeks preparing costumes and decisions on which panels to attend. That being said, here are the next two installments for this series.
Chapter 15 – Back to (Un)Reality
The rest of the weekend was a rollercoaster. I found out many things. One of which was that Brandon was more strict than I had anticipated. Despite a crash course in Puppy 101 with Philip, I was still not up to Brandon’s standards by noon. Apparently, he thought I was holding back. An hour later, and he told Philip to show me what I had learned. By then, I was in the right mindset. I barked when I was told to speak. They set the shock collar to remote-only mode, so I could bark all I want but they could shock any words I attempted to form. I begged when commanded to. I rolled over (the best I could), and a few other tricks. By 2:00, Brandon had okay’ed my release. All restraints, plugs, etc. were removed from my body, leaving me completely naked in front of them. Brandon said I could shower.
The rest of the day consisted of Round-robin rotations of myself, Brandon, and Philip getting dressed up in certain roles and then bound. One person would be the judge, who determined when the bound person would clear that role. Another person would be the trainer/coach, who would assist the bound person in getting into their role. Puppy play, cops and robbers, baseball player and coach, the list of roles went on for a few more. I noticed each person reacted differently when bound. Brandon would not struggle for a second while being tied up, but would put all of his energy into working the knots holding him. He never resulted to brute force, but would think about how to escape and then attack the weakest point in the tie-up system for that role. Philip would fight the ropes of cuffs as they were being applied, but soon settled down into submission. You could see his face go from struggling defiance to acceptance. Of the three of us, he would settle into each role the quickest.
Despite having all of Sunday to still play with them, I left Saturday night to head back to my room. Playing with them was fun, but I wanted to sleep in my own bed. I never slept so well. I dreamed about potatoes attacking Tokyo, instead of anything tie-up related. Disappointing, I know. When I woke up Sunday, I almost wanted to go back to sleep to see if I could change the channel. Philip sent me a text around breakfast, asking if I wanted to hang out. I thought about asking him where. I had tie-up’ped out for this weekend, but wouldn’t mind meeting them outside their place for a movie or something. I sent him back a reply saying I was going to catch up on some homework and studying for a test Friday. I felt kind of bad having to turn him (and maybe Brandon) down. But I wasn’t about to let this new aspect of my life completely consume the rest of me. One step at a time.
The school week flew by. Classes were the same. Homework was the same. School events were the same. Friday evening rolled around, and my favorite gaming group gathered in Philip’s living room. Philip spent a few minutes reviewing everyone’s situation: I was still missing (captured by the wizard, but their characters did not know that yet). Brandon had been snared in some of the pathways booby traps, leaving him magically manacled an unconscious in the arms of the goblins. Also, Johnny had been bolted to the tunnel wall, and had discovered an evil wizard had appeared in front of him, with Adam next to him.
Every player looked around the room at each other. We all had the same face: we’re screwed. How did we keep getting ourselves caught? We had healed me, and now just had to escape the mountain. But between the goblins and evil wizard, that would be easier said than done. Philip told us that Adam and Johnny would play out their character first. Adam had been put under a spell by the wizard, and every out-of-game hour Adam would be able to roll dice to see if he could break the spell.
Johnny’s character, still pinned to the wall, began throwing insults at the wizard, demanding he and Johnny be released. The wizard laughed, “You cannot leave, young warrior. Not now and not ever. You and your companions are mine to experiment with. Fortunately, I believe Adam here is exactly the caliber of person whom I have been searching for.” Adam’s eyes looked dazed. Johnny tried telling him to snap out of it, and to blast the wizard unconscious, but nothing phased him. “Try all you like, but my will is stronger. His magical talents are impressive, and having a younger body would be nice, too.”
Johnny replied, “What are you talking about? What do you intend to do with Adam? And with the rest of us?” The wizard grew more serious. He responded, “You foolish barbarian. Can you not see the facts laid out in front of you? This body of mine has grown too old for my tastes. While Adam’s skills are nowhere nearly as powerful as mine, he has plenty of potential. Once the ritual is complete, I will be walking around in your friend’s body. As for the rest of you, I will show you.” He made a flick of the wrist, and Johnny’s metal manacles holding him to the wall were joined together. He quickly went from a standing spreadeagle to a balled up position on the pathway floor. Johnny was barley holding himself up on his feet. He looked like a child squatting down ready to leap like a frog. The wizard moved his hands again, and Adam moved to raise his own. Together, they lifted Johnny and brought him down the corridor. Several twists and turns, stepping over booby traps and choosing one of several paths, they stood before a large iron door. Johnny tried to remember the way they came, but lost the path after about five minutes. If this was where Warren was being held, it could have taken their party days to find the correct path.
The iron doors opened with a wave of the wizard’s hands. Johnny soon found himself in a cold and dark room. He makes out skeletons hanging on the walls by their chains wrist bones. The wizard and Adam stopped their levitation spells, and the wizard manipulated Johnny’s metal cuffs to force him into a stockade position on his elbows and knees. The metal was acting like it was fused to the floor, and he could not budge his wrists or ankles. The wizard sneered, and beckoned Adam to follow him out of the closing iron doors. Once the doors shut, the room lit up with a few magical candles, but not enough to make out clear details. Yet laying in the middle of the floor, it was Warren! He looked like hell. Johnny called out to him, and eventually Warren (or I) responded. I told Johnny that the wizard’s ropes had this room had been hexed to move on their own.
At this point, Johnny (out of game) asked if Philip could describe the room and the layout again. I was not sure if he was confused, or if he was working a plan of escape. Almost too perfectly in his timing and reaction, Philip asked Johnny and me to find a spot on the floor behind the couch. Johnny stood and so did I (reluctantly, knowing Philip). “You are here,” Philip pointed to where Johnny was, “and Warren would be there.” He pointed to a spot on the opposite end of the couch. “Now Johnny, you are stuck to the floor on your elbows and knees. Go ahead, do it.” Johnny had a small moment of hesitation, but went along with it. “And Warren is bound in a different position. Warren, since you said the wizard’s ropes had been working you over, what position does Johnny find you in?” Instincts kick in and, I reply ‘hogtie’. Philip tells me to lay on my stomach and pretend to be hogtied. Once we are both in position, Philip goes to his room. Oh no. Please tell me he’s not going to break out the toys in front of Adam and Johnny. A minute later, Philip brings out a handful of black strips. But instead of leather strips or zip ties, these appear to be Velcro strips. Sure enough, Philip begins by removing the plastic from the adhesive of both sides and separating the Velcro. For Johnny, he places one of each strip half around his wrists and ankles. The other halves go underneath and are stuck to the carpet. Philip moves to me and wraps a rough half around my left wrist and right ankle, and a soft half for my right wrist and my left ankle. The adhesive itself is not very strong, and it doesn’t even pull my hair that much. The Velcro is moderately strong, but can be separated with a decent tug.
“Now then,” Philip said, “let’s continue”.