Chapter 12

When my eyes next opened, we had shifted in our half-sleep. Carol and I were now happily yet comfortably entwined. Cathy was spooned onto Gerri. Carol whispered, "Relax for now. I'll start the water when I wake again."

"Mrrrp?"

"Hmm? Yes, dear?"

"Meow?"

My eyes flickered open, and I discovered that the only pussies still in bed with me had exceptionally fine hair, and tails very different than those I had last seen on three lovely ladies. Several head butts got me more awake. Bajra, the Siamese who I was learning was the most dominant person in the apartment, leaped down, then looked back to say "Are you following, silly human?" Brussja, her somewhat more diplomatic associate, head-butted me from the side.

"Yes, yes, I'm following." When I was a child, I was afraid of cats, but in recent years, I found I got along well with them. As yet, I was not owned by a specific cat.

Following Carol's owners, I entered the bathroom, which could have been called a bath suite. It was candlelit. Carol reached over to hit a switch, and music started Ravel's Bolero. As Bajra jumped to the edge of the hot tub, I remembered Carol saying that these weren't typical cats around water. Cathy was holding Gerri, and both waved. Brussja joined Bajra, and the two circumnavigated the tub, sniffing heads and occasionally chewing hair. When they got back to Carol, she opened a container and gave them some treats.

"That's all for now."

"MrrROWROW!"

"All."

With a martyred meow, Bajra jumped into the tub, followed by Brussja. I wasn't sure if the tails held high were periscopes or snorkels, but they swam around the people, and then into the whirlpool at the center. Tails happily spun. In her most Vulcan tones of the School of Engineering, Cathy inquired, "May I confirm? Those are cats? Felis catus?"

"Yes, Cathy. May I point out that the tiger, Panthera tigris, also likes water? Some small tigers do as well." The four-legged people being discussed climbed out of the water, using a cat-sized step, and jumped onto a platform with a shielded heat lamp. They had Carol very well trained, for the bathroom to have been made cat-accessible complete with dryer.

"Yawn. Grumpf."

Carol looked at me and giggled. "Ah. It's the man. Ladies, as you probably know, the male lion, as spectacular as it looks, has the lionesses work while he eats, sleeps after eating, fucks, or sleeps after fucking. Into the tub and next to me, my lion. Ladies and lionesses, will his beard serve as a mane?"

Gerri and Cathy giggled and agreed. As I slipped in, Carol respected my need to adjust to the hot water. I wondered if it would cool to a level that allowed erections, and then mentally chastised myself, confident that Carol would have thought of that. She had thought to bring munchies from the table, carefully selecting those not of interest to the cats, and put them on the edge of the tub. As I thought that, Bajra looked at me and sent in thought waves, "Never assume you know what a cat will decide to like."

Carol gave me an affectionate hug, and some less family-friendly wiggles. "I'm glad I have you here, dear, with our other friends. It's been an amazing if short time, but I'm more and more convinced that we are building something that's good for all of us. The good is both creative and emotional.

"I know this is a lot warmer than my family, and they weren't bad people. They did buy into lots of social stereotypes. Once I became a cheerleader that was more of an identity than anything else. Going to college as a commuter didn't help. It was only after I transferred down here, and started dancing, that I could afford an apartment and a social life.

"Still, I tended to go out with guys, and occasionally girls, that first thought about my looks, second about sex, and only a little about brains and heart. Stripping let me enjoy being watched, without necessarily setting up expectations. It was really hard to find nonsexual pleasure, other than in a couple of New Age workshops.

"It was only at the end of those workshops that I learned that people hesitated to approach me because they thought I was unattainable. That's part of why I picked some nice but ordinary exercise clothes when I got here. I do like to look good when working out. Maybe I should be wearing sweats and no makeup."

I slipped to Carol's side, and lifted her in my arms. "Gerri, Cathy, come over here and help cradle Carol. Press against her while the water of life circulates. Nothing sexual, just loving." They nodded and complied instantly. Cathy was the first to lean forward and give a little kiss. We all started to do that. "Relax into our arms, Carol." She sobbed, softly, but happily.

An unknown time later, it felt right for Carol to go back to sitting at my side. She sipped some wine, and started to talk. "I don't want to ruin the mood with details, but I should share that the idea of being more artistic in the club is attractive to some of the owners. There's even consideration of making it a private club, where we can have a more established artistic group."

Gerri commented, "That is even more promising than the great night, and, for that matter, a couple of days. Carol, yes, I think we are creating an extended family.

"My characterization focused on my resentment and rebellion. Hey, if it works in performance, I'll keep doing it. But doing the Little Black Dress tonight reminded me that not everything from my parents was bad, although I'll probably prefer a sexier LBD than they'd approve. I realized that as long as I can also go out in jeans or even sweats, I really don't mind a preppy look in the right place. Cathy, I'd feel a little awkward going to see a professor wearing a business suit like yours, but preppy could be fine there.

"And yes, I'm thinking of getting more education. I do read some academic stuff, and I've been following writings in something called humanistic psychology, which blends the more scientific psychology with anthropology and religion. Another possibility is dance therapy. You know, I'm not even bothered that dance would be performance art, of which my parents would approve. The important thing is making choices because they're what I want

"But I also am finding I like to be a sexual submissive. Not sure if I'd like any other forms of submission, but it feels good to be overpowered by someone that I trust, like Cathy. I look at Betty and then regret I've heard that she will not do anything with women, and, in any event, I'm not sure I trust her. But among us, she's incredibly hot."

"Oh hell, yes." Carol softly said, "I can get frustrated with Betty as well. Let's not talk about that now, because it could be a downer. Curt, how are you doing?"

"Let's face it. I'm unqualified for the stage at the club." There were shouts of protest, but I continued.

"Carol and I have something magical. Maybe we should have done it earlier, or maybe it wouldn't have worked until now. We have additional shared interests, such as military history, which we will explore. I consult in areas related to that.

"All of you are helping us expand on our past inhibitions. Believe me, it's amazing to get the frankness and acceptance that I'm getting from all of you, as well as others at the club. I want to give it back. In talking with the girls, I haven't heard a lot about supportive men, except, perhaps Aimee's husband.

"It adds something very special to have Carol encouraging, way beyond my partner or partners being welcoming. I'm grateful to her -- and to you, Gerri -- for dealing with my being short on sleep.

"Maybe I have a male friend or two that might add to this extended family. Realistically, this sort of group is going to be more of a matriarchy.

Cathy moved closer to me. Her hand dropped under the water, and found my crotch. "Oh, don't worry. I'm just sharing computer science stuff with Curt. There's a mechanism for interprocess communication called named pipes. Maybe your pipe will stand up and tell us his name?"

She leaned over, wrapped an arm around my head, and gave me a scorching kiss. It was very natural to reach to her, caressing her breasts. Touching them, I realized that they looked good not just from the breast shape alone, but how her underlying chest muscles supported them. Carol stroked my back as Cathy and I embraced. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gerri move to kiss Carol's neck.

"Curt, it's really, really great to be able to make computer science jokes to you, and, for that matter, to Carol. At this lovely moment, I'm being appreciated for my intellect and my erotic appeal and my physical strength and even for my emotions. You guys were first to see this body harness and boots, which I ordered from a shop in Canada, the only one I could find that would listen to me and make it other than black.

"I'm realizing I'd like to start exploring the heroic fantasy genre, at fan conventions, in my act, and even modeling. You're giving me the motivation to try.

"I also want to bring more physical power stuff into my sex life. Gerri, it was a lot of fun trapping you in my legs! I've had customers want physical domination, but that felt creepy. Maybe there's a way to do that more as performance. I might want to try some erotic wrestling with someone who might take me, and even try deliberate submission.

"Gerri, I kept looking at your thigh above your stocking, and wanted to rub my pussy on it." Gerri purred.

Carol added, "Cathy, I love tribbing as well. I'm next after Gerri!"

I thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I'm just a guy, but I do like pussies rubbing on my head ... the furry sort ... and the human sort on my leg. That also reminds me of something I haven't done very often.

Cathy, already aroused, asked, "what is it?"

"Woman in cowgirl. I rub the bottom of my cock against her clit."

A strange and happy sound came from Carol. "I've done that a couple of times and it was wonderful! I was young, though, and we were worried about birth control and cum getting inside. You, sir, have a command performance in your near future." Gently, she bit my ear and pinched one of my nipples.

"Melina might be good to get involved with your ideas, Cathy, as she's got at least some sword skill. We can hunt around. I'd imagine we could find some people in the fan scene that would love to work with you.

"I've never gotten involved in the BDSM scene, but I have gone to some parties at the local Dark Lotus club. Cathy, that's another potential resource. You and I, and anyone else who is interested, could go to one of their parties. We can put together black leather outfits that will be more than acceptable there, although we won't be doing characters yet. Hmm. Need to talk to Aimee, as she seems to like that look.

"When we get there, we can look around for women in the heroic fantasy style, mostly dommes but probably some would be subs. You'll have would-be male subs all over you. You may have some would-be doms, but the place is absolutely safe for saying no. They've got volunteer dungeon masters and dungeon monitors, and the culture is such that everyone will run to help someone under nonconsensual pressure."