Chapter 30: SM03-Eta, Day 5, concluded

Steve, Johnny, and Andrea entered Steve's home and Johnny and Andrea's new home quietly, with no fuss or fanfare. That lasted about three seconds, until the first of Steve's wives saw him.

"He's home!" shouted Yoshi, who jumped from her seat and ran to throw her arms around him. "We missed you terribly, and were worried, even after you called." She backed off slightly, and untangled herself from Andrea's leash, which she'd nearly pulled from Steve's hand. Fortunately, he'd picked a long leash, and left plenty of slack, or Andrea might have strangled.

Yoshi looked at Andrea, glancing briefly at her nude form, and noting that her hands were cuffed behind her, before meeting her eyes and saying, "On behalf of my fellow wives, welcome to our home and our family. You will find Steve a good master, and his wives, his slaves, and his associates to be eager to become your friend."

Yoshi glanced at Steve, then looked back at Andrea, and asked, "Has he fed you properly? You look like you haven't eaten much lately. I assume he hasn't actually taken you formally into his service; once he has you're getting a big meal, a warm bath, and a long nap. Are you hungry now? Or thirsty?"

Andrea was somewhat intimidated, and looked to Steve for guidance. "Always answer my wives' questions as fully and truthfully as if I had asked them, unless I tell you explicitly to do otherwise," Steve told her. Turning to Yoshi, he said, "We've had lunch, and I fed her fairly well, but you're right that she hasn't been eating properly, recently. I'll explain why later, unless she tells you first.

"You are correct in your belief that I have not yet taken her formally, and that I intend to do so. I have unfinished business to attend to first. In the mean time, allow me to introduce Johnny Armstrong, our new family member."

Yoshi turned to Johnny, and bowed formally. "Please forgive my rudeness in not greeting you properly. Welcome to our home and our family."

Johnny sketched an equally formal bow, European style, and replied. "You were excited at the return of your husband, and concerned about the health of Andrea, so no apology is expected, nor would it be accepted, for to accept one would be to imply that offense had been given, and honor forbids that."

Yoshi smiled at Johnny, and said, "Your courtesy is noted, and appreciated. You will do well in our house."

While they had been chatting, the rest of the household had arrived. Steve was pleasantly surprised to see that while everyone was excited, they were keeping the noise (and intimidation) level down, so as to avoid stressing the new members of the household.

When everyone had had a chance to greet Johnny, and to sneak peeks at Andrea, Steve called for their attention. When everyone was quiet, he began to speak.

"I have a number of announcements. I apologize in advance for this first one, but Johnny's had bitter experience with people who just don't get it, so I'm going to be talking to you like little children to make sure there are no ambiguities in the translation, or misunderstandings, or any of that kind of thing.

"Johnny is gay. If your translation gave you a word that means 'happy', then it didn't translate properly. Another word is 'homosexual'. If that didn't translate, then we'll try it in context, 'Theresa is homosexual; Theresa has sex with other women. Theresa does not have sex with men.' Johnny is homosexual. Johnny has sex with other men. Johnny does not have sex with women. Theresa has been known to make exceptions. Johnny does not make exceptions.

"There is nothing wrong with Johnny. Johnny is a grown-up and entitled to his own likes and dislikes. It is not a measure of your femininity for Johnny to be uninterested in sex with you. You will not help Johnny by trying to convince him that he should try sex with you, because you're so much better at it than the last woman he tried.

"Johnny may, from time to time, comment favorably on your appearance, or your clothing, or the way something 'looks on you'. This does not mean he's suddenly interested in sex with you."

Steve stopped, and looked around. Everyone seemed to be following him, and nobody looked offended at the baby-talk way he said it. "I'm driving this into the ground because in Johnny's previous household, he was the victim of a woman who steadfastly refused to believe what I've just said, no matter how many people told her. The other women weren't offensive to Johnny the way the perpetrator was, but they didn't act properly to defend him, either. As a result, Johnny became very depressed, and stressed. And I was sent in to calm him down.

"I accomplished this by the simple process of accepting him for what he is, and not trying to change him into what I want him to be, or acting as though he is what I want and ignoring the evidence to the contrary. In the process of doing that, I came to care for him in much the same way that I care for Moesha, for example. I loved him, even though I wasn't going to be making love to him.

"Further conversations revealed that I knew less about the subject than I thought I did, and it is no longer out of the question that I might someday make love with him."

Steve switched back to the baby-talk voice he'd slid into during his previous escapade.

"Danielle is bisexual. Danielle enjoys sex with men. Danielle enjoys sex with women. Danielle loves Steve and loves having sex with Steve. If Danielle has sex with a woman, it doesn't mean she doesn't love Steve. Steve enjoys sex with women. Steve loves sex with Danielle. Steve loves Danielle. If Steve has sex with Johnny, it doesn't mean he doesn't love Danielle. Is that clear?"

Again, no confusion, no upset, and no offense taken at the tone.

"OK, then we're all clear. I'm not saying I will be making love with Johnny and I'm not saying I won't be. And if it happens, I won't be announcing it, either. I suspect you'll all figure it out, though."

Steve looked around, and nodded. "That's the end of my speech on that piece of business." Johnny was looking at him with even more love and awe than he'd had when they left his old home. Steve's simple assertion of facts had touched him deeply, because of what it showed about his fundamental acceptance of Johnny and his passions.

Steve moved on to the next topic. "Second item of business. I have a new slave. Andrea Kosta came into my possession in response to a joke on my part that she took as an opening to assert her true nature and her true needs. Having provoked the response, however inadvertently, I felt it necessary to honestly evaluate the offer, which I accepted. I have tested her obedience and devotion, and found them acceptable, and I will be formally taking her into my service, just as I took Nytoya and Ko into it.

"Toy, Ko, you will take Andy into the room you have been using and prepare her, physically and mentally, for her submission ceremony. It will most closely resemble Ko's, so be sure she is cleaned up and ready for what is to come. You will keep her wrists secured, so she will require your assistance and will be at your mercy. Be sure you are merciful, for tomorrow, you will be the ones secured, and at her mercy. Andy, the services you require of them will be required of you tomorrow, so do not attempt to exploit the situation.

"Among the other tasks before you is to select a new slave name for Andy. I used the name 'Andy' more or less at random, and continued to use it to test her ability to submit in the face of small annoyances; it was obvious to me that she did not like the name. Select a new one for my approval. Be warned that Nytoya is 'Toy' because it is a shortening with a humorous side meaning. Calling Andy 'Pet' or 'Spot' would not be appropriate.

"Before you leave, however, there is one last task I must accomplish."

Steve turned and walked up to where Abema had been standing, off to the side of the rest of the women. She'd been maintaining her poker face, but Steve was certain that she was unhappy that Andrea would be getting Steve's attentions before she would.

Steve stood before Abema, and said, "Abema told my wives that in our old life she had been a young adult, twelve years of age. My wives, and I, believed that being twelve and being adult were exclusive alternatives. When Abema suggested that she wanted to be my wife, my first reaction was to reject the idea, because of her age. After talking to her further, my wives told me that they weren't so sure; that perhaps she was mature enough to be treated as an adult.

"When I finally spoke to her, I told her of my concerns and told her I would reconsider her request once I had formulated an opinion on how mature she was, independent of how many years she had breathed in our old life.

"When I awoke this morning, I realized that she had, in fact, proved herself, and so I stand before her now and acknowledge her status as an adult, offer my apology for doubting her, and offer her the chance to become one of my wives, should she still wish to do so."

Abema beamed, and said, "As I told you the day you first told me of your concerns, I was and am confident that you would treat me fairly, and your judgment would be unbiased by your previous beliefs. I am pleased to see my confidence was not misplaced. I would join your family gladly, and look forward to a long and happy life as one of your wives. I am already close friends with them, and I see that relationship as only growing closer. I know that your approval is supported and guided by their approval, and I thank them and you for it."

Steve repeated the speech he'd used when he took Mary, Danielle, and Yoshi as wives, and Abema recited her own minor variation on the reply they'd used. When she finished, her fellow wives mobbed her, and hugs and kisses flew. Once they'd pulled back, Theresa and Conseula moved in, followed closely by Moesha.

Once the emotional storms had receded, Steve spoke up again. "I'd like to put Johnny in the unused room at my end of the hallway. Abema will be moving in with us, but I think we're going to have to rearrange the living quarters rather drastically before too long. Be thinking about what you'll want, because I want to realign things to match the current family situations, and plan for the arrival of the children that most of you carry.

"Abema, I offer you the choice. We can consummate our marriage now, and then I will take Andrea into my service, or you may wait until I've taken her before I make love to you for the first time."

Abema considered the question, then said, "I believe that I wish to go now. Once we have pleasured each other, you will be better able to prolong your slave's initiation, which should do wonders for your control of her."