Chapter 4

Some know instinctively how to treat their partners, most though learn as they play, Linea was no exception. She wanted to be together with both Carl and Dawn, but she also needed some control of it. You might be tempted to call her a dominant but that would only be a small part of it.

We all play roles with each other. When we work, or go to the gym, or just meet up with that presumptive partner, we do it, not bothering to label it. The truth is that most of us are a little of both, in fact that's normal, the one's that we find being to the outside of this norm is our true submissive's and dominant's.

So Linea was a little of both, but in Carl's case she found it easiest to adopt to the dominant part. And Carl didn't mind, as he already was of two minds. The one sitting between his shoulders said one thing but the head sitting between ... Well, you get my drift. As it was he found it easiest to just allow things to evolve on its own.

And Dawn you may wonder? Well, if you were her age, knowing what she knew I would probably expect you to come out as a rather strong-willed person too. And true dominance is more a matter of being right, not to make people do your will, but to actually try to find and create what's best in all situations. And that was Dawn in a nutshell. Linea was like a younger sister and together they were like a black powder keg of sweet emotions, ticking away with Carl as their new fuse.

After Linea had examined Carl's back to her satisfaction she allowed him to go up and get dressed. When Carl came down to the kitchen he felt extremely relieved to see Dawn again. 'Dawn.' He said. 'Ahh, I think we have a problem. Linea is so strange today, I just don't get it?' Dawn smiled watching as Linea came in stopping unheard just behind Carl. 'Oh?' Dawn said. 'What do you mean by strange?' 'Well.' Said Carl. 'She seem somehow to believe that she is in charge of me.'

Linea smiled wickedly at Dawn and then in a perfect commanding voice, same as once built that great empire, she asked him 'Carl! Is this how you behave when I turn my back.' Carl almost got himself a heart attack, unprepared as he was for this verbal attack. He felt himself shrinking mentally to a ten-year olds level as he leaped away from the danger 'Linea, don't sound like that. Honey.'

Now it was Dawns turn to play him 'Since when, did she become your honey Carl? Is there anything you want to tell me?' And now Linea again 'Sit down Carl and for Gods sake, keep quiet. Can't you see what mess you've created here?' They then proceeded with discussing him as if he wasn't there at all.

It ended with them both concurring that it probably would serve all best if they helped Carl to behave. Linea turned to him with a most severe expression on her face. 'Carl, you need to learn how to listen, is that clear.' Carl who slowly decided that it all was just an ongoing hallucination wisely played possum and nodded. 'Not good enough.' Said Dawn. 'We expect you to say, yes Ma'am.' They looked at him, boring their eyes into him. 'Yes, Ma'am, may I go up to my room now? Ma'am.' Carl heard his voice say. He shook his head feeling shell shocked as he went up. There was something truly strange going on here he thought.

With Carl gone the two vixen's broke down in laughter. ''Awh, I almost feel sorry for him.' Said Linea. 'Don't.' Said Dawn. 'Not if you want to share us. This is the only way he will accept it. Let it be for now, you can check up on him later.' Carl who by now was sitting on his bed, feeling somewhat like a newly drowned kitten, wondering confusedly what bus had hit him. Both his girls turning against him? What had he ever done to be treated like this? As he sat there he could feel his resentment slowly building, if that was what they wanted? Well, then that was what they were gonna get.

He decided to give them back an even measurement of pain. When Linea came in a little later to ask him to come down and socialize, she found him on his back staring up on the roof, totally ignoring her. She tried her commanding tone, and then her sweet, and in the end even the whining but nothing seemed to help, he just acted as if she didn't exist. Trying for a long time she at last sat herself down beside him.

'Oh come on Carl.' she said wearily. 'We were just having a little fun, we love you. Please, talk with me.' she started to worry if they had overreached themselves playing with his mind. She bent over to look him in his eyes, with her face only inches from him he could see her now so nervous gray eyes searching his for forgiveness. 'Please, pretty please Carl.' then she leaned even closer, her eyes starting to tear up.

He abruptly griped her waist and pulled her roughly down on him. 'Ïs it fun feeling like this?' He growled. She shook her head tearfully. 'Then don't do that to me.' he said. She was so relieved that he was talking again that she didn't even care that he had tricked her. And as she was lying there upon him she noticed that his allergy to her seemed to be gone too. 'Can I be with you two tonight, please.' She asked. He thought it over and to his surprise he found that he didn't really care any more. He wasn't going to have her any way, the only problem was if and when he woke up on the wrong side.

'Was it that what this was about?' he asked. 'Look, you don't need my permission to use our bed, if Dawn is alright with it then so am I' 'But you wasn't this morning.' Linea said. Thinking back he had to admit to himself that he had been feeling awkward earlier. 'you might be right.' He admitted. 'But I don't care anymore, as long as you can stand me of course.' Strange how right Dawn had been Linea thought. Somehow their treatment had beaten down his defenses and allowed him to enjoy them both. On the other hand her first idea of 'training' him seemed more complicated than she first had thought.

But it was still interesting to see how he answered to the right tone of voice she thought, well mostly at least. 'Now boy, get your lazy ass up and follow me down.' Said Linea, testing her new no nonsense voice. Carl raised himself immediately still holding her in his arms and then looking down at her, as if to assure himself of going in the right direction, he carried her down the stairs into the kitchen where he carefully put her down beside Dawn. 'Yes Ma'am.' He said as he gave her a peck on her forehead. He then took hold of Dawn and just stood there for a while, ending it with a small kiss on her nose. 'My own two favorite manipulators.' He said mildly smiling at them both.

After they had eaten a late breakfast Carl asked Dawn to tell him something about this strange place where they so suddenly had found themselves in. Dawn leaned closer to him with Linea sitting on the other side resting on his other arm and started to tell. It was a long and involved story, there seemed to be strange alliances in this place, twisting and binding humans with nature. It seemed that nature itself could be sentient here, creating minds of its own. One had to thread carefully indeed when walking this green earth Carl thought while listening to Dawn. As one of the caretakers of this earth Dawn's primary responsibility was to secure the world lines and try to direct the influx of people and ideas.

Although they bartered using the same concept of money as Earth, the extreme greed and shortsightedness controlling Carl's world yet had to get a grip of those living here. 'But it's a never ending task to hold sway of it.' Dawn said. 'That's one reason why we take it so slow with your concepts of mass production.' And there were dark forces on this world too. Forces that one needed to watch closely that they might not surprise and, in the end, overturn both her's and Carl's world.

It seemed a remarkable though very complicated world to Carl. 'It makes me wonder if I ever will be able to handle it on my own? ' He said. 'How will I ever learn all your customs?' Dawn mulled it over, then she smiled. 'Oh, we have a solution for that.' She said. 'We will go to Briars cove tomorrow, there they have potions that will help you both to assimilate knowledge.' Linea looked excited hearing this. 'What is Briars cove ' she asked. 'It's a meeting place and it also holds the legislature of this area.' Dawn looked thoughtful for a moment. 'Next week there will be a fair hold there. It would be good if we started our journey somewhat before it.'