Pandemonium Cycle: The Potion Wars
Episode 2: Back Alleys

Andrew Russell

June 26, 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-_nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

IMPORTANT The transcript treats the player character as a woman named "Juliana." Your gender and name are customizable in-game. The transcripts simply default to "Juliana" and "she" to make them read more naturally.

Episode 2 Scene 1

###1: ep2 wakeup

Location: Adventurer’s Guild or Maria’s Home

Speaking With: Self

Author: Andrew Russell

A month passes...

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 2

’boarding_with_Maria’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 57

###2: ep2 guild wake up

Author: Andrew Russell

Music: Play the pwutilities.ALONDRA theme

’extrovert’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 3

’introvert’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 24

True Turn to Section 41

###3: ep2 extrovert

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana weaves out of Talan’s Tavern, giggling excessively. She is wearing a dark grey, backless dress with a plunging neckline. The hem of the dress is slanted so that her left leg is exposed up about two-thirds up her thigh, while the left is only exposed about a third of the way up her thigh. The hem is lined with a large number of thin, freely hanging tassles.

Carrie bursts out a second later, her eyes wide and bright, and her face flushed. She is wearing a tight, light-grey dress. The bottom of the dress clings like a second skin to her curvy bottom, and only barely covers her bouncy globes. She is laughing feverishly, and gives Juliana a light smack on the bottom. "I can’t believe you did that. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that my friend Carrie needed an excuse to ditch him," says Juliana, plopping an arm around her shoulder, and giving it a squeeze. "Aren’t I a good friend?"

"The greatest," says Carrie. She wraps an arm around Juliana’s waist and returns the squeeze. "But let’s get out of here before his beer-addled brain puts two and two together, and comes out looking for a fight."

As if on cue, there is a great bellow from inside the tavern.

"Good call," says Juliana. She snaps her fingers and creates a small sphere of Spectral Light. Then, the two hurry into the night. Though their steps are a bit wobbly, they’re far better than those of their newest nemesis.

Carrie keeps her arm around Juliana’s waist all the way back to the Church, her warm hips pressing against Juliana’s, and her bare leg occasionally brushing against the young Taironan’s equally bare thigh.

Soon, the two are standing at the foot of the stairs leading up into the Church. Carrie pivots so that she is standing in front of Juliana. She flashes the Taironan a dazzling grin. She wraps her fingers around Juliana’s neck, and pulls herself tight against her companion, her ample breasts pressing against Juliana’s chest. She rocks her hips, grinding her pelvis against her friend. "I’ve got a theory that you’ve got a crazy hot body, but I can’t tell with all this clothing in the way. Hows about we go back to your place, and run a little experiment?"

’lesbian_in_denial’ in universal.state.player.keywords Turn to Section 4

True Turn to Section 6

###4: ep2 carrie in denial

Author: Andrew Russell

"Hmm. That feels–I don’t know..." Turn to Section 5

"I don’t really, you know. I need to go. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if I were a guy, I’d be all over you like scales on an alligator. But you know. I’m not." Turn to Section 16

"Sorry Carrie. You’re a nice girl, but I’m not interested." Turn to Section 22

###5: ep2 extrovert carrie desire denial

Author: Andrew Russell

Despite her words, Juliana’s hips grind against Carrie’s, and her nipples stiffen beneath the painfully thin wool of her dress. A warm, electric sensation flows through her torso and gathers between her legs.

"Why not?" asks Carrie. Her voice is soft, her lips centimeters from Juliana’s and drawing closer. Her left hand begins kneading one of Juliana’s shoulders, while her right slides down Juliana’s torso, and begins lightly rubbing Juliana’s hip. "I want you, and you clearly want me."

"Because..." says Juliana breathlessly, her chest heaving. Blood pounds in her ears, while Carrie’s faint, flowery perfume fills her nostrils. Her eyes are riveted by Carrie’s wide brown eyes. The pale girl’s hips sway sinuously, and the faint rustle of cotton on cotton wafts through the cool night air. "Isn’t your Church all about having children? We can’t-"

"The only people who claim crap like that aren’t worth listening to," murmurs Carrie. "Besides you’re dodging the question."

"I’m not dodging-oww!"

Carrie’s right hand reaches around Juliana’s hip and gives her round bottom a sharp slap.

Juliana pouts, and rubs her bottom, but doesn’t pull away from Carrie. "I’m just not interested in women."

"You’re gonna get that cute bottom of yours spanked if you keep lying to yourself like that," says Carrie.

"I’m not–"

"You spend at least half the time we’re together ogling me. Every time we’ve gone out, as soon as you start getting a little bit tipsy, you start flirting with me. The more you drink, the closer you dance to me, and the more risque your dancing gets. I can hear you panting, I can feel your chest heave, and your hips rub against mine." She leans in close and whispers into Juliana’s ear, her warm breath tickling Juliana’s earlobe. "There’s nothing wrong with wanting a woman. We make better lovers anyway."

"Hmm. Fine, fine." Kiss Carrie. Turn to Section 7

"No. No, I’m not comfortable with this." Turn to Section 16

###6: ep2 carrie no denial

Author: Andrew Russell

Clap your hands around her juicy bottom, pull her tight, and kiss her deeply. Turn to Section 7

"Not tonight. My bed is sweetly singing my name." Turn to Section 16

"I’m sorry, Carrie. You’re a beautiful young woman, but I’m just not interested." Turn to Section 22

###7: ep2 extrovert take carrie home

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2CarrieSex’

Juliana gains the keyword ’attractedToCarrie’

universal.state.player.is_female() Turn to Section 8

True Turn to Section 9

###8: ep2 take carrie home female

Author: Andrew Russell

Carrie moans against Juliana’s moist lips, and pumps her hips against the Taironan’s, and pushes her chest against Juliana’s. A sharp, hot surge of pleasure spreads all the way down Juliana’s front, from her eager lips, to her nipples, to her tingling pussy. Carrie pulls away slightly, and looks into Juliana’s eyes, an eager smile on her plump lips. "You eager minx. Should probably get off the street, though. Someone might see us."

Juliana takes Carrie’s hand, and begins to guide her back towards Juliana’s home. "Come on, then. The night isn’t getting any younger."

Soon, the two are standing outside Juliana’s door. Juliana opens it, and ushers Carrie in. As Carrie enters the dark room, Juliana eases the door shut, then grabs Carrie’s curvy hips, and thrusts her pelvis against the blonde’s firm, protruding, bouncy bottom. Carrie moans, and leans against Juliana, crushing the Taironan’s average breasts against her back, her hands reaching behind her to caress Juliana’s face. Juliana thrusts against Carrie’s bottom a second time. Carrie pushes her hips back, and starts to bounce her bottom up and down, and Juliana groans. She guides Carrie towards her bed. She pushes the young student facedown into the blankets, and wiggles the blonde’s tight skirt up over her deliciously curvy hips, exposing her round, bubbly cheeks, clad only in a tiny G-String.

"You know, there are other types of panties out there," says Juliana, kneading Carrie’s succulent bottom, and giving it a few light smacks, just hard enough to make the soft flesh ripple.

"Uhhh. It’s not my fault I keep running out of fabric," says Carrie, thrusting her bottom up against Juliana’s hands.

"Of course not," says Juliana, pulling off her own dress, and slipping out of her panties. She begins sliding Carrie’s dress up her smooth, arched back, while rubbing her vulva against the other woman’s pillowy bottom. "You’re just a victim of circumstance."

"Exactly," moans Carrie, as Juliana pulls the dress free, and flings it to the side. "Oh, woe is me!"

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 10

’boarding_with_Maria’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 58

###9: ep2 take carrie home male

Author: Andrew Russell

"I’ll take that as a yes," says Carrie breathlessly when Juliana comes up for air. She puts her hands on Juliana’s chest, and grins up at him. "I get to be on top this time. Gonna ride you like a pony."

"Oh? Where are we going?" asks Juliana, kissing Carrie again.

"And people call me cheeky," says Carrie. She starts to tug Juliana towards the street. "Come on. It’s sexy time."

"That’s because you are cheeky," says Juliana, lightly smacking Carrie’s bottom.

Carrie sticks her tongue out at her.

Soon, the two are pushing their way into Juliana’s room, their tongues intertwined, and their hands exploring every crevice of the other’s body. When they reach Juliana’s bed, they half-fall, half-kneel onto the blankets. Carrie gives Juliana a light shove, pushing her onto her back. She straddles her, and leans down to give her a kiss. As Carrie’s plump lips meet hers, Juliana wraps her arms around her back and pulls her tight against her chest. She groans as the woman’s soft, succulent breasts press against her toned pecs. Carrie begins to rock forward and back. Juliana’s hands slide down to Carrie’s curvy bottom, and begin to tug up her dress.

Carrie breaks the kiss and rocks her hips. "Hmm. Someone’s getting a little eager."

Juliana grins as he tugs Carrie’s dress up over her hips. He pauses long enough to slide her right hand down Carrie’s bare left cheek. "No panties? Tsk tsk. Naughty girl."

Carrie puts a hand to her chest and takes on an expression of mock hurt. "I’m totally wearing panties."

"I’m not finding any evidence of them," says Juliana. He slides her left hand down Carrie’s equally bare right cheek.

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 10

’boarding_with_Maria’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 58

###10: ep2 take carrie home guild

Author: Andrew Russell

"No. No no no no." Alondra’s sharp voice cuts through the midnight air. "I am not going to stay up half the night listening to you two have sex again."

"Silly girl, nobody’s forcing you to just sit and listen," says Carrie, turning and smiling at Alondra.

"Carrie, why is your voice tone making my hair stand on end?" asks Juliana.

Carrie grins down at Juliana, and leans forward slightly, mashing her soft breasts against Juliana’s chest. "How do you say ’The more the merrier’ in Taironan?"

Alondra curses. "It is the middle of the night. Do you have any idea how early I have to get up tomorrow? Do you have any idea how late I was up cleaning the kitchen, while you and your little sextoy were out getting drunk off your asses? Just shut up and let me sleep."

"Well, you can just kiss my ass." Turn to Section 11

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just wanted to have some fun." Turn to Section 14

###11: ep2 take carrie home alondra fight

Author: Andrew Russell

Alondra grits her teeth. She grabs something off of her end table, gets up, steps up to Juliana’s bed and looms.

Carrie quietly slithers off of Juliana, and plops down at the end of the bed. She slips a strand of hair into her mouth.

Juliana sits up in bed, crosses her arms and smirks. "Yeah? Says you and what army?"

"My hairbrush." Alondra grabs Juliana’s arm. "Now get that fat ass of yours over my knee!"

"No."

"Selfish brat." Alondra yanks on Juliana’s arm. "You’re getting a paddling, whether you like it or not."

Juliana wrenches her arm free, grabs Alondra’s wrist, and yanks the woman forward. As Alondra lurches, Juliana grabs her around the shoulders, and pushes the young woman across her knee.

"Hey! Let go of me," cries Alondra, drumming her feet against the ground. But Juliana holds the struggling girl easily. A side-effect of many hours spent in the various sparring rooms. "When I tell Ildri-"

"You know, Juli, maybe–" says Carrie.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, hide behind Ildri’s apron strings." Juliana picks up Alondra’s dropped hairbrush, and flips up Alondra’s nightgown. "The only selfish brat in this room is you. And the only one getting a spanking is you."

Alondra snarls. She reaches back and tries to slap Juliana across the face, but Juliana catches her wrist, and pins it against her lower back.

"Maybe we can–" says Carrie.

Juliana strikes Alondra’s right cheek with the heavy hairbrush. The solid sound of bone on bare flesh echoes. Alondra’s fleshy cheek flattens and bounces beneath the blow. Her hips jump, and her feet scrabble against the wooden floor. A sharp cry bursts from her lips.

"I won’t warn you again," says Alondra. "Let goww!"

Juliana starts paddling Alondra faster. She tries to cover Alondra’s mouth with her hand, but the girl is squirming so badly, Juliana needs her full arm to keep the girl pinned across her thigh. Finally, she gives up, and just lets Alondra howl, while she paddles the other girl.

Then the door bursts open, and Ildri stands in the doorway, with her hands on her large hips. A few curious faces peek over Ildri’s shoulder, and through the crook of her arms.

The cook takes the whole scene in at a glance, and her expression darkens dangerously. She steps into the room, and closes the door. "Do either of you know how late it is? Or how much noise you’re making?"

"Don’t look at me. Alondra’s just being an ass," says Juliana landing a few more thwacks to the center of Alondra’s right cheek.

"Oww! I’m the ass? You’re the one who brought that blonde bimbo-oww!" Alondra bucks and kicks beneath a particularly sharp blow to her right sitspot.

"Excuse me?" says Carrie, starting to crawl across the bed towards Alondra. "I’ll show you–oww!"

Ildri gives Carrie’s bouncy bottom a sharp slap. "Don’t you get involved. Spanking two bottoms at once is going to be hard enough."

"What?" say Juliana and Alondra in sync, Juliana frozen in mid smack, and Alondra in mid squirm.

Ildri steps forward and grabs Juliana’s wrist. "Alondra get up. The two of you have woken up half the city with your carrying on. So I think the both of you could learn a little consideration."

Alondra rolls of Juliana’s lap. "But that’s not fair! I didn’t do anything."

"You didn’t do anything?" says Juliana, glaring at Alondra. "You’re the one who started carrying on, because you couldn’t step outside for a quarter glass-"

"I shouldn’t have to," says Alondra, scrambling to her feet. "This is my room–"

"It’s my room too–"

"Enough," says Ildri. She jerks Juliana to her feet, and lands three sharp blows to her dress-clad bottom. Then, she lets go of Juliana long enough to grab Alondra, spin her around, and land three blows to the seat of her thin nightgown.

Juliana tries to bolt for the door, but Ildri spins and grabs her upper arm. "Oh no. You’re not going anywhere. When I’m done with the two of you–"

"By why are you spanking me?" whines Alondra. She points at Juliana. "I didn’t do anything. It was all her fault!"

"Madre’s tits it is," says Juliana, reaching around Ildri and smacking Alondra. "You’re the one who threw a hissy fit!"

"Oww! Bitch!" Alondra returns the smack with one of her own.

Ildri growls. She marches the two girls to Juliana’s bed. Then she sits down, and hauls the both of them across her large thighs, Alondra pressed against Ildri’s torso, and Juliana pressed against Alondra. Despite their rapidly worsening predicament, the two continue to shove and slap at each other.

With two brusque motions, Ildri yanks up Juliana’s dress and Alondra’s nightgown, exposing a pair of quivering brown bottoms. Juliana’s round cheeks are practically bursting out of her teeny tiny thong, while Alondra’s protruding, curvy bottom is completely naked. Their naked legs grind against each other, while the two shove and slap at each other.

Ildri raises her large, callused hand, and lands a quick one-two to the exposed, naughty behinds of the two brats across her lap.

The two yelp, and they finally stop slapping at each other.

Ildri raises her hand a third time, and smashes it against Alondra’s right cheek, and Juliana’s left cheek simultaneously. The two brats squeal and squirm.

"Wait, wait Ildri I’m sorry," says Alondra, craning around to look at Ildri with wide, pleading eyes. "I didn’t mean it, please–oww!"

Ildri’s hand smashes against Alondra’s left cheek, her face a thunderstorm. The girl’s hips jump, and press hard against Juliana’s, while her kicking right leg gets entangled in Juliana’s left.

"Me too! I’m really really sorry, please don’t spank us!" Turn to Section 12

"Hmmph. I’m not. You’re a bitch, Alondra, and a spanking isn’t going to change that." Turn to Section 13

###12: ep2 ildri double spanking apologize

Author: Andrew Russell

"Glad to hear it," says Ildri, her hand not slowing. "Now, let’s make sure you mean it."

"Wait, wait we do mean it, we do! Please don’t–oww!" cries the two girls.

Ildri’s hand rises and falls, rises and falls. It thwacks sensitive sitspots, and quivering globes. It pushes away kicking legs. Sometimes it alternates between cheeks, and other times cracks against the same spot until the chastised owner is begging Ildri to spank somewhere else, anywhere else! Then, it smacks a thigh, before turning its attention to the other pair of orbs.

"I am ashamed of you two," says Ildri. She lands half a dozen quick blows to Alondra’s left sitspot, then half a dozen quick blows to Juliana’s right.

The two yelp, and cling to each other, all animosity forgotten in a desperate need for comfort, any comfort at all.

"Alondra." Ildri’s voice is as sharp as the slap to the middle of Alondra’s right cheek. "What were you thinking?"

"She had no right to bring a girl in without my permission," says Alondra. She sniffles.

"Does she make a habit of it?" asks Ildri.

"Well, no..."

"And I take it you never worked out an arrangement for private time?" says Ildri. "Just hoped Juliana would never bring someone home, thinking you wouldn’t mind just one night?"

Alondra shakes her head.

Ildri slaps Alondra’s right cheek. "You going to communicate better next time?"

"Yes ma’am," says Alondra.

Ildri slaps the middle of Alondra’s bottom, right across her crack. "Good. Now, let’s make sure you two never make a ruckus like this again."

There is a sharp slap, and Alondra cries out. Her hot thigh presses against Juliana’s, while her grip on Juliana’s hand tightens.

A long staccato of cracks assault Juliana’s ears. Alondra whimpers, yelps and cries. Her hips buck and grind, bumping repeatedly against Juliana’s.

"Now," says Ildri, rubbing her hand across Juliana’s stinging bum. "It’s Juli’s turn."

Juliana whimpers, and squeezes her eyes shut.

Ildri lands a hard smack to Juliana’s right sitspot. "Care to explain your actions?"

"I just wanted to have some fun," mutters Juliana.

"And you didn’t consider that maybe you should talk to your roommate before barging in, kissing and moaning and thrusting?" says Ildri.

Juliana shifts on Ildri’s lap. "No. I mean, come on it’s just one night. Not like I’m making a habit of it."

Ildri smacks Juliana’s left cheek. "One night or a dozen, it’s still inconsiderate. Understand?"

"Yes ma’am," mutters Juliana.

"Good. Now, let’s drive that lesson home," says Ildri. She grabs the waistband of Juliana’s teeny thong and tugs it down to Juliana’s knees.

Juliana groans. She reflexively clenches her bottom, and squeezes her thighs together. Then there is a sharp crack, and another wave of pain washes across Juliana’s bottom. Juliana starts to cry. Her naked hips squirm desperately, rubbing against the rough wool of Ildri’s nightgown, and pressing against Alondra’s warm hip. Her legs kick in time with Ildri’s heavy blows, while her right hand grabs Ildri’s ankle in a deathgrip, and her left tightens its hold on Alondra’s. The young woman’s hand is small comfort, but it’s comfort nonetheless.

Finally, Ildri gives them another overlapped slap, then rolls her eyes at Carrie. "Two girls sharing a room, and they don’t set up sex rules? What is up with kids these days?"

"We’re all just full of foolishness," says Carrie with a nervous smile. She is chewing on a strand of hair, her eyes fixated on Juliana’s and Alondra’s red bottoms.

"Indeed," says Ildri. "Well, here’s how it’s going to work. After dinner, Juliana has the room to herself for two glasses, while Alondra helps me clean up after dinner. Then, Alondra gets two glasses of private time. You interrupt each other’s time, and you’re getting spanked. Get it?"

"Yes ma’am," say Alondra and Juliana.

"Alright, now I don’t want to hear another peep out of either of you until tomorrow morning." Ildri guides the two chastised girls off her lap. The two hiss and clutch at their burning bottoms, dancing little dances.

Ildri stands and leaves, as she opens the door, she bellows. “What are you all still doing out here? Get your asses in bed before I tan the lot of you!"

There is a loud scrabbling as frantic adventurers bolt for their beds. Meanwhile, Juliana and Alondra glare sulkily at each other, and rub their stinging bottoms.

"So," says Carrie. "I’d be happy to rub your..."

Both Taironans glare at the Sister-in-training, before shuffling off to their own beds.

"Aww come on, don’t be like that," says Carrie. "Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been over somebody’s knee? I’m an expert bum rubber, I promise."

"Just let me sleep," mutters Alondra, crawling into bed and pulling her covers over her head.

"Let’s just go to bed," says Juliana, gingerly removing her outfit, and crawling into bed. She winces, and slowly eases herself onto her stomach, rubbing her bottom and cursing silently.

Carrie slips out of her own clothing, and slides in behind Juliana. She presses her breasts against Juliana’s back, and begins slowly kneading Juliana’s tender bottom with soft fingers.

Juliana sighs, and closes her eyes. "Next time, we’re going to your place."

"Tried that once," says Carrie, nuzzling against Juliana’s neck. "It didn’t end well."

"Couldn’t end much worse than this," mumbles Juliana.

"Nah, this wasn’t bad. A bare bottom OTK hand spanking is nothing compared to a bare bottom switching," says Carrie. "Turns out the Church only tolerates our fun when it’s not happening inside their cathedral. Plausible deniability, probably."

"Hmm..."

Carrie closes her eyes, and wiggles closer against Juliana. "Yeah."

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s round, plump cheeks have acquired a nice, even red blush. Scattered along the edges of the red blush are hints of Ildri’s fingertips.

universal.state.get_character("Alondra.person") acquires bum marks: Alondra’s curvy, bouncy bottom is covered in throbbing handprints, giving her a bit of a tender walk.

Juliana gains the keyword ’alondraSexAgreement’

Continue Turn to Section 15

###13: ep2 ildri double spanking unapologetic

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’unapologeticToIldri’

"Juliana!" cries Alondra, sounding hurt.

WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM!

Juliana unleashes a long, high-pitched howl.

"You cruel, insolent little brat," hisses Ildri, her hand smacking every centimeter of Juliana’s plump, quivering, naked cheeks.

"Doesn’t matter how hard you spank–oww!" cries Juliana, kicking her legs. "I still won’t be sorryaaah!"

"Sounds like a challenge," says Ildri. "I accept."

Ildri’s hand begins to rise and fall faster. Juliana’s firm globes quiver wildly beneath the bombardment, and an all-consuming sting burns across them. Ildri’s hard, callused hand smashes repeatedly into every centimeter of Juliana’s plump flesh, until her entire bottom is a white-hot mass of pain.

Juliana kicks and bucks. Cries of pain burst from her lips with every blow. Her hips squirm frantically, pushing Alondra against Ildri’s torso, forcing Ildri to pause periodically and readjust Juliana’s position. On the one hand, the slight pauses are like manna from heaven. On the other, they seem to make the (inevitably) resumed spanking all the more painful.

Ildri even begins sharply slapping Juliana’s bare thighs, making the chastised girl squeal.

"Ok, Ok I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Alondra’s not a bitch! I’m suh, suh, sorreee!" wails Juliana after a mere three blows to her sensitive thighs.

"Good. Now we can get back to your proper punishment."

"What?" cries Juliana. She reaches back to clutch her scalding cheeks. "But I thought–"

"That was for being an unrepetent little brat," says Ildri, pushing Juliana’s hand away. "Now, I can start punishing you for being an inconsiderate roommate, and for waking up the rest of us with your childish argument."

Juliana moans, and starts to cry. "Please, Ildri, I can’t anymore. I’m really really sorry, and I won’t do it again, I promise."

Continue Turn to Section 12

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Every centimeter of Juliana’s bottom is covered in large, purple, hand-shaped bruises. Sitting is almost completely out of the question. A poignant reminder to always act penitent when getting paddled by Ildri (even if Juliana has to fake it!).

###14: ep2 take carrie home alondra apologize

Author: Andrew Russell

Alondra insists on giving both Juliana and Carrie half a dozen strokes with her hairbrush for being so inconsiderate, then agrees to set aside some time each evening after dinner for the two to get it on if they so desire.

"Well you did disturb me," says Alondra sharply, tugging at her sleep-gnarled hair.

Juliana hangs her head, and picks at the bedsheets.

"Aww, come on, don’t you think you’re being a little unfair?" asks Carrie.

Alondra shoots a scowl at Carrie. "She knew she has a roommate. She knew I need to get up at the ass-crack of dawn tomorrow. Hell, you knew we shared a room, and I need to get up at the ass-crack of dawn tomorrow. There’s no excuse for this. None."

"Well maybe–"

"Carrie," says Juliana, putting a hand on Carrie’s arm. "Alondra’s right."

Carrie grumbles a bit, then gives Alondra a hopeful look. "Are you sure you don’t want to join us? Blue walls suck. It’d solve all our problems."

"Yes, I’m sure I don’t want to join you," says Alondra

Carrie crosses her arms and pouts. "Shoulda gone home with the lumberjack."

"Wasn’t he married?" asks Juliana.

"What makes you say that?" says Carrie quickly. "He wasn’t wearing a bracelet–"

"Yeah, but there was a tanline around his left wrist," says Juliana.

Carrie taps her chin thoughtfully. "Huh. Never thought to look for something like that."

Alondra rolls her eyes. "Whatever. How about you two get a few hours after dinner every day? I’m stuck in the kitchen and mess hall for at least two hours after dinner, helping Ildri clean up after the adventurers. Filthy creatures."

"Works for me," says Juliana, crawling beneath her covers.

"Sure," says Carrie. She shucks off her dress and crawls into Juliana’s bed.

Alondra narrows her eyes. "You better not–"

"Relax," says Carrie. "I’m just going to bed. If I’m not going to get any action tonight, I’d at least like to get some sleep."

Alondra gives Carrie a suspicious look before crawling back into bed. She pulls the covers up, and rolls onto her side, away from Carrie and Juliana.

Juliana turns towards Carrie, who is lying facing away from Juliana. Juliana wraps one arm around the woman’s waist, and pushes herself up against Carrie’s mostly bare flesh.

Carrie sighs, and rocks. "Keeping me warm?"

Juliana plants a kiss on Carrie’s neck. "That was the plan. Still gets cold at night, sometimes."

"Not really..."

Juliana gains the keyword ’alondraSexAgreement’

Continue Turn to Section 15

###15: ep2 carrie guild wake up

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana awakens to the feeling of Carrie slipping out from beneath her gentle grasp. Her eyes open just as Carrie clambers out of bed, her soft bottom bobbing as she hunts for her clothing. Juliana watches Carrie get dressed, a small smile on her lips.

Carrie turns and blows Juliana a kiss. "I gotta get going."

"Not gonna stay for breakfast?" asks Juliana.

Carrie glances out the window, likely estimating the time. "Better not. If I don’t get back to the Church and changed soon, I won’t sit for a week. But stop by later today, will you? I’m going to need your help with something."

She pulls on her slippers, then hurries out the door, giving Juliana one last wave.

Juliana falls back onto her bed. So last night could have gone better. Least Carrie didn’t seem too miffed about it. Probably happens to her all the time. Juliana sighs and clambers out of bed.

###16: ep2 carrie refusal but interested

Author: Andrew Russell

"Aww, come on," says Carrie, tracing her finger across Juliana’s bare shoulder. She thrusts forward, and grinds her hips against Juliana’s. Her breasts press against Juliana’s chest, and she grins at her. "Let your hair down, and have a little fun."

"I said no," says Juliana, gently pushing Carrie away. "Not tonight."

"But–"

"Keep this up and I’ll bend you over one of your own church’s pews," says Juliana, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the church.

Carrie’s eyes lit up. "Ooh. Shrine sex. Never tried that before. Sounds dangerous."

Juliana rolls her eyes. "Actually, the plan was to spank you silly."

"Aww come on, don’t be like that," says Carrie, her plump lips pouting prettily. She twines a finger through Juliana’s hair. She eases her face towards Juliana’s. "Let’s have some fun."

Spank Carrie. Turn to Section 17

Sigh. "Fine. Stupid girl and your stupid...sexy...luscious..." Turn to Section 7

"Dammit, Carrie I said no, and I mean no." Turn to Section 20

###17: ep2 carrie extrovert refuse spank

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana’s hand closes over Carrie’s upper arm, and she starts dragging her towards the church.

Carrie’s expression goes from sultry to anxious in an instant. She tugs vainly on Juliana’s grip of iron, and digs her heels into the cobblestone. "Wait, stop, ok, so you don’t want to have sex, I get it, I’m sorry, come on it’s not a big deal. You’re overreacting."

Juliana pulls Carrie up the steps.

"You stupid prude," says Carrie, pounding her free fist against Juliana’s bicep. "Mother’s love, who ever heard of spanking someone because they wanted to have sex with you?"

Juliana scowls at Carrie, before turning and pulling open one of the large double doors. "Not everyone has sex at the drop of a hat."

"So you just say no," says Carrie. She grabs the stair railing in a white-knuckled grip, keeping Juliana from dragging her inside. "I’d have backed off."

"I did say no," says Juliana. She tugs on Carrie, but the woman just tightens her grip on the railing.

"I thought you were kidding. It’s not my fault you suck at communication," says Carrie.

Juliana growls. "You know. I could just bend you over the railing and spank you here, in front of the whole damned city."

Carrie steals a glance back at the courtyard. At this late hour, the courtyard is mostly empty. Emphasis on mostly. She turns back to Juliana, a pleading expression her face. "You wouldn’t."

Juliana grabs Carrie’s shoulder and spins her around so that she’s facing the railing. She presses her hand between her shoulder blades, and starts to bend her over.

"Wait wait wait stop stop," cries Carrie, snatching her hand away from the railing. "I’m going, I’m going."

Juliana guides Carrie into the shrine, and pulls the large door closed. The room is empty, the small statue of the Mother sitting on the altar their only company.

As soon as the door closes, Carrie stomps her foot. "This is stupid. Why do you have to be such a–yee!"

Juliana tugs Carrie forward and bends her over the back of the nearest pew, her bottom blooming into a full moon, the tight, protruding cheeks pressing tightly against her short dress. The dress rides up a little, giving a peek at the lower curves of her quivering bottom.

"This isn’t fair!" Carrie squirms in Juliana’s grip, her bottom swaying back and forth. "I just want to have a little–oww!"

Juliana’s slightly cupped hand snaps down and up, catching Carrie’s right cheek at the bottom of the dress and pushing upward. Carrie’s cheek bounces up and down, and the girl squirms. Juliana’s hand snaps down again, this time catching Carrie’s left cheek. Carrie yelps and squirms, her legs flexing and kicking.

Juliana shakes her head. "Cut the act Carrie. You’ve been spanked too many times for a few swats to elicit this kind of reaction."

"Your hand hurts," says Carrie. She reaches back to cup her bottom, and gives Juliana a doe-eyed look, her bottom lip quivering ever so slightly. "I’ve learned my lesson I promise."

"Well, you do seem like you mean it. Alright fine. Just don’t do it again." Turn to Section 18

"Hah! Nice try. I know crocodile tears when I see them." Turn to Section 19

###18: ep2 carrie extrovert refuse spank sissy

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’playerIsAWimp’

A smirk flits across Carrie’s face so fast Juliana isn’t sure she didn’t imagine it.

Carrie stands and straightens her dress. Then she gives Juliana a kiss on the cheek. "You’re so nice. I’ll see you later."

Then the girl turns and scampers out of the shrine, all signs of contrition gone as quickly as they came.

Juliana returns home.

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 23

’boarding_with_Maria’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 62

###19: ep2 carrie extrovert refuse spank stern

Author: Andrew Russell

Carrie pouts, and turns her head away from Juliana. She straightens her legs, and sticks her butt up. "Can’t blame a girl for trying."

"Actually, yes I can," says Juliana. She grabs the hem of Carrie’s dress and tugs it up to her waist, revealing the young student’s firm, large, round bottom, "covered" by a dinky little g-string. Juliana shakes her head. "Didn’t Sister Samantha spank you good for wearing a g-string? Don’t you ever learn?"

"I’m an adult," says Carrie snottily. "I can wear whatever I want."

Juliana bends down, gently grabs Carrie’s shin, and lifts her foot up a few inches off the ground.

"Hey," says Carrie, looking over her shoulder. "What are you–"

Juliana removes one of Carrie’s slippers.

Carrie’s eyes widen. "No. Come on no, please not the slipper."

"I was going to just use my hand, but then you had to try to get out of your punishment with crocodile tears." Juliana slaps the slipper against her own thigh. Carrie winces at the sharp report.

Carrie’s face contorts like a three year old’s during a tantrum. She slams her palm against the pew seat. "That’s not fair!"

"Neither is having to literally beat you off with a stick." Juliana claps her left hand over the small of Carrie’s back and cracks the slipper against the girl’s right cheek.

Carrie yelps and hops a little bit, her jittery cheek bouncing and rolling. Juliana cracks the slipper against Carrie’s left cheek, and Carrie yelps again as the blow ripples across her left globe. Juliana settles into a staccato, right-left, right-left rhythm. Carrie’s upthrust bottom rolls and bounces beneath the swift blows, her hips rocking, and her legs dancing.

"I hate you!" screams Carrie, hopping her hips up and down after a particularly hard blow to her left sitspot. "You ugly brute! Go die in a fire!"

Juliana’s retort consists of a quartet of moderately light (but still stinging) smacks to the backs of Carrie’s thighs. Carrie yelps, and tries to jerk her leg away from the slipper, only to bang her knee against the back of the pew.

Carrie curses, and reaches back to rub her knee. Juliana takes a step back and lets her.

"You gonna stop carrying on now?" asks Juliana.

Carrie glares at Juliana. "Ass."

"Immature brat." Juliana plants her hand back on Carrie’s lower back and raises the slipper.

"What is going on here?" asks a stern voice from the back of the Shrine.

Carrie eeps, and her face turns even redder.

Juliana looks up to see Sister Samantha, swathed in a thick robe, standing inside a doorframe with her hands on her hips. Her hair is all over the place, and a small scowl planted firmly on her face.

"Sorry Sister," says Juliana hesitantly. "Carrie...erm, wouldn’t take no for an answer."

"I see," says Sister Samantha, glaring at Carrie.

Carrie turns her face away from Sister Samantha and pouts. "I just wanted to have some fun."

Samantha grimaces. "Carrie, how would you feel if a man you weren’t interested in kept pushing after you said no?"

"I wouldn’t–"

"Don’t give me that. Even you won’t sleep with everyone," says Samantha.

Carrie’s pout fades. She gnaws on her lip and shoots a quick glance at Juliana, before studying the backs of her hands in minute detail.

"Answer me, child," says Samantha.

"I’d probably be a little bit uncomfortable," mutters Carrie. "Maybe even a little bit scared."

"Well, I wasn’t really scared," says Juliana, shrugging.

"But you were uncomfortable," says Samantha.

Juliana shrugs again. "Yeah."

"Both of you come with me," says Sister Samantha, turning on her heel. "Juliana, you’re going to continue this in my office, where you won’t wake up half the Church."

The two follow after Samantha, Carrie hunched and gently rubbing her bottom, her eyes downcast.

Soon, they’re in Samantha’s office, with Carrie bent over the woman’s padded desk, her dress gathered at her waist, and her pink bottom clenching and unclenching in dread.

Samantha gestures for Juliana to continue the slippering. Juliana takes a deep breath, and puts her hand on the small of Carrie’s back. Carrie sucks in a breath. Juliana draws back, and snaps the slipper against Carrie’s right cheek. The fleshy orb wobbles, and Carrie hops and yelps.

"You need to spank her harder than that," says Samantha, folding her hands in front of her, and resting them against her waist. "Trust me, she carries on like you’re poking her with red-hot irons, but that’s just a ploy to keep the spanking light. You don’t give it to her hard and fast, and you’ll just be wasting your time."

"That’s not true," cries Carrie. "It does hurt, I swear."

Sister Samantha presses her lips together for a moment. "She talks like I haven’t spanked her hundreds of times over the past few years. I’ll tell you when she’s actually contrite."

Juliana draws the slipper back and cracks it harder against Carrie’s right cheek. As soon as the slipper connects, Juliana draws it back again and strikes Carrie’s left cheek. Carrie yelps, and bucks her hips, her cheeks rolling and rippling. Juliana cracks the slipper against Carrie’s right sitspot, then the middle of her right cheek, then two-thirds down in a rapid 1-2-3. Then she does the exact same thing to the left cheek. Then she starts rapidly alternating between cheeks, drawing back for the next blow almost as soon as the previous lands.

Carrie howls and squirms through the slippering. Her hips buck and her bottom sways. Her legs jitter, and her hair flips through the air as she shakes her head.

Juliana casts a quick look at Samantha, who nods for her to continue. She does. Carrie squeals even louder, and bucks even harder, the red blush on her cheeks deepening with every blow.

After another minute or so of fast, merciless strokes, Carrie collapses onto the desk and sobs, her breath coming in deep, fast gulps.

"Alright," says Samantha. "I think she’s learned her lesson. Have you Carrie?"

"Yes ma’am," says Carrie, sniffing, and wiping her nose with her sleeve. "No means no, and I shouldn’t try to trick Juli into thinking a spanking hurts more than it does. I should accept my spankings like a good girl."

"Very good," says Samantha. She turns and pulls a long, thin cane off the wall.

Carrie gasps, and her eyes go wide. "What–"

"I’ve spanked you. I’ve paddled you. I’ve strapped you. And still you insist on wearing these absurd, inappropriate, non-existent panties," says Sister Samantha, stepping forward and tugging gently on Carrie’s G-string. "To say nothing of your dress. Don’t think I didn’t notice how your naked bottom peaked out from underneath it when you first bent over the desk. Well, enough is enough. From now on, it’s a panty check every morning, one every night before you go out, and one every night when you get home. And whenever you fail your check, it’s half a dozen with the cane, wherever we happen to be."

"No! Not a panty check, please," says Carrie, twisting around to give Sister Samantha a pleading look. "That’s sooo humiliating!"

Samantha hits the desk with her cane. The loud bang makes Carrie wince.

"But it’s so humiliating," wails Carrie.

"Just be glad I’m not dressing you," says Sister Samantha.

Carrie mutters something less than complimentary.

"You think I like this?" asks Sister Samantha, slapping Carrie’s bottom with her hand. "You think I like checking my adult ward’s underwear? Grow up girl. You’re going to be a full-fledged Sister in a few weeks. Start acting like it."

Carrie pouts.

"Do I need to cane you tonight?" asks Sister Samantha, shaking the long wooden stick. "Because I will."

"No ma’am," mutters Carrie.

"Then get to bed," says Sister Samantha, putting the cane back on the wall. "I’ll be in your room bright and early."

Carrie gets up and wiggles her dress back down over her sore bottom, hissing in pain, and dancing in place a little. Juliana hands her the slipper, which Carrie takes with a glare. A glare that dissolves into a yelp when Samantha slaps her bottom.

"Don’t you go glaring at Juliana. It’s not her fault you’re going to bed with a sore bottom and a panty-check in the morning," says Sister Samantha.

"Yes ma’am," mutters Carrie, rubbing her bottom, and brushing past Juliana.

Juliana follows them out of the office, then returns home.

universal.state.get_character("Carrie.person") acquires bum marks: Carrie’s round bottom is a bright red, faint, slipper-shaped bruises visible as deeper red splotches, if one looks carefully.

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2BeginningSpankedCarrie’

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 23

’boarding_with_Maria’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 62

###20: ep2 extrovert refuse Carrie again

Author: Andrew Russell

"Come on," says Carrie impatiently. "What are you so worked up about? It’s just a bit of play. Like kids playing tag. Only we’re adults. And naked. And doing more than running around touching each other. Or maybe less, because we’re not running."

"Carrie, I mean it," says Juliana, trying to extricate herself from Carrie’s grasp. "Let me go."

Carrie suddenly turns around and pushes her ass into Juliana’s crotch. Juliana’s pussy starts to tingle as Carrie’s succulent bottom grinds against her crotch. "Come on. You know you want to."

Spank Carrie Turn to Section 17

"Oh alright. That ass of yours should be illegal." Turn to Section 7

"For the love of... No means no, you stupid woman." Turn to Section 21

###21: ep2 extrovert refuse Carrie adamantly

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana pushes Carrie hard enough to make the young woman stumble.

Carrie turns and gives Juliana a wide-eyed look. "But-"

"What part of ’no’ don’t you understand? Dios de la Madre, it’s one of the shortest words in the Carnutian language. Three year olds have a better grasp of it than you do."

"I thought you were joking," says Carrie, hooking some hair behind her ear.

Juliana throws her arms up in the air. When she speaks, her voice is thick with sarcasm. "Of course. I apologize for how serious my joking voice sounds. I’ll work on that."

"I’m sorry–"

"Don’t care. I’m going to bed. Now get lost." Juliana turns and stomps down the street.

Carrie runs after her and grabs her arm. "Come on, Juliana. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean–"

"Madre, Carrie are your ears just for decoration?" asks Juliana, yanking her arm from the young woman’s grasp. "I said leave me alone. Now Leave. Me. Alone."

Carrie’s lips quiver, and her eyes were wide and wet. "I just–"

Juliana growls in disgust and turns away. "Don’t make me ask you again."

Carrie says nothing, and Juliana stomps home.

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2BeginningLostTemperWithCarrie’

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 23

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 62

###22: ep2 extrovert carrie refuse not interested

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’relationshipWithCarrieKilled’

"Oh." Carrie backs up a step. She swallows.

Juliana shrugs awkardly.

"I thought...you know, last month when we–" says Carrie, her voice faltering.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe we rushed into it, or something. But I mean, at the time there weren’t really any expectations of anything serious right? Just some fun? I thought maybe it could become something more, but you’re just not my type. You’re gorgeous, and smart, and fun, but you know..." says Juliana.

Carrie nods. "Yeah, yeah I get it. I’ve been in your position before. More times than I care to count really. Can’t really blame you."

"Right, uh. I guess I’ll see you?" says Juliana, awkwardly rubbing the back of Juliana’s neck.

Carrie nods, and forces a smile. "Of course. Things’ll probaboly be a bit awkard for a while, but give me a few weeks, I’ll find myself a new toy, and we’ll just be friends."

"Alright." Juliana gives Carrie a wave. Carrie waves back, then turns and hurries up the steps into the Church.

Juliana returns home.

’boarding_with_Adrian’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 23

’boarding_with_Maria’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 62

###23: ep2 guild wake up no carrie

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana wakes up and stretches, reveling in the warm sunlight streaming through the window. A few months from now she’d be thoroughly sick of it, but the just-passed winter night is fresh enough in her memory to make her savor every last drop of those golden rays. Then, she rolls out of bed, ready to start a new day. Hopefully one with a little bit of excitement.

###24: ep2 guild introvert

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana’s eyes flutter open, to a thin ray of golden sunlight shining through the window. She stretches for a moment, then rolls out of bed.

Alondra is already sitting on her bed, pulling on her boots. "Morning sleepyhead. Ready for another exciting day as an adventurer in Avaricum?"

Juliana grunts. "Oh yes. Another day playing at carpentry while waiting for an actual job. I swear, if something doesn’t happen soon, I might join the Vengadores. Just for something to do."

"Don’t even joke about that," says Alondra, sharply.

"Right," says Juliana awkwardly. "Sorry."

Alondra shrugs, and starts running a thick, wide bone hairbrush through her hair. "Not a big deal."

Continue Turn to Section 25

###25: ep2 alondra borrow brush

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana runs her fingers through her own unruly hair, and gives Alondra’s brush an envious look. "So, think I could borrow that? My brush broke the other day. Cheap piece of crap."

Alondra gives Juliana playful look. "I don’t know. This brush is a family heirloom, you know. Passed down for generations from mother to daughter. Can’t just loan it out to anybody."

"I won’t throw it down the well." Juliana flutters her eyelids and gives her best impression of a trustworthy, and dedicated friend. "Trust me,"

Continue Turn to Section 26

###26: ep2 alondra brush hair

Author: Andrew Russell

Alondra’s slight smile widens into a grin. "I trust nobody. You want your hair brushed? Then, I’ve got to do it."

"Fine, you can brush my hair. You big jerk." Turn to Section 27

"Fine. I’ll go without." Turn to Section 40

###27: ep2 guild alondra hairbrushing

Author: Andrew Russell

"Who you calling big?" asks Alondra. She walks over to Juliana, and gives her a playful swat on the thigh.

"Only in the figurative sense, of course," says Juliana, grinning.

"Of course." Alondra crawls onto the bed, and sits on her heels behind Juliana. Her legs brush against Juliana’s hips, as she scootches forward to better get at the other Taironan’s tangled hair.

Feel a flutter in your belly at Alondra’s contact. Turn to Section 28

React neutrally to Alondra’s contact. Turn to Section 39

###28: ep2 alondra hairbrushing attracted

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’attractedToAlondra’

Alondra shifts a few times while brushing Juliana’s hair. Each time, Juliana can feel the other Taironan’s generous breasts brush up against her back, leaving a tingling fire across her skin. Alondra’s knee-length wool skirt has hiked itself about a third up her thighs, leaving bare skin touching ever so lightly against Juliana’s hips. Juliana’s stomach tightens, and she opens her legs slightly, pressing them a hair more against Alondra’s.

"You have very nice hair," says Alondra, just before her hairbrush runs into a knot. "Stubborn hair. But nice hair."

She starts tugging.

"Oww!" yelps Juliana, reaching back to grab her hair. "Careful."

"Oh, hush," says Alondra, guiding Juliana’s hands away. "Seriously, if you can take getting stabbed, you can take a rough hair brushing."

"Just because I’ve felt worse, doesn’t mean it’s pleasant," mutters Juliana.

"You are such a whiner," says Alondra as her hairbrush finally breaks through the knot. She pauses, and runs her free fingers through Juliana’s hair, her fingers lightly brushing the back of her neck. "There, that wasn’t so bad was it?"

"Oh, it was terrible," says Juliana, a smile playing across her lips. She leans back a little, reveling in the warm softness of Alondra’s chest against her back. "Worst pain ever."

"Cheeky brat," says Alondra playfully. She gives Juliana a slight push forward. "But lean forward a little. Can’t get at your hair from this angle."

"No. I don’t want to."

"Oh really?" says Alondra, her hot breath tickling Juliana’s ear. Her fingers begin to dance across Juliana’s sides, sending squirmy tingles through Juliana’s skin. "You better lean forward right now, or I’ll have no choice but to punish you."

Juliana turns her head, flashes a mischievous grin, then leans further back.

"Ohh, that does it." Alondra drops the hairbrush. The fingers of one of her hands slip up and begin dancing lightly across the skin of Juliana’s neck, while the fingers of the other start crawling across Juliana’s stomach.

Juliana squirms and giggles at the tingling bolts racing across her skin. Her firm bottom pushes back against Alondra’s groin, her swaying hips rubbing her plump cheeks against Alondra’s warmth. Her torso writhes beneath Alondra’s tickling, mashing Alondra’s cushiony breasts against her back.

She can feel the rapid rise and fall Alondra’s breathing, the soft grind of the woman’s shapely legs against her own. She can even feel the rapid thud of Alondra’s heartbeat. Or maybe that’s her own.

"Surrender," hisses Alondra into Juliana’s ear, the hand tickling Juliana’s neck slips down, and starts tickling her armpit.

"Never," says Juliana breathlessly, as her squirming intensifies.

"Then you leave me no choice." Alondra wraps one arm around Juliana’s waist. With the other (and her legs), she heaves herself slightly off the bed, and spins around, rolling on top of Juliana.

Juliana gasps as Alondra’s warm softness is replaced with the softer (but cooler) bed. She finds herself looking up at Alondra’s cheerily determined face. Alondra straddles Juliana, locking her legs around Juliana’s hips.

"You know," says Juliana breathlessly. "Can’t comb my hair from there."

"Who said I was going to comb your hair?" Alondra leans forward slightly, and begins mercilessly tickling Juliana’s sides. She grins wolfishly.

Juliana squeals and giggles, her body writhing ever more desperately beneath Alondra’s dancing fingertips.

"Ok, ok, I surrender!" cries Juliana through her laughter.

"Are you going to let me comb your hair properly?" asks Alondra, her eyes inches from Juliana’s.

"Yes, yes," says Juliana.

"Are you sorry for not letting me comb your hair?" asks Alondra.

"Yes, yes I’m sorry. I won’t do it again."

"Liar." Alondra gives Juliana one last tickle.

Juliana pouts. "I’m not a liar, I swear."

"Oh yeah?" Alondra’s voice is soft, and her eyes flick up and down, taking in Juliana’s prone, panting form. Her lips are inches from Juliana’s, and her hands cup Juliana’s torso, pressing ever so softly against Juliana’s sides. "Prove it."

Kiss Alondra. Turn to Section 29

Pull away. Turn to Section 38

###29: ep2 guild kiss Alondra

Author: Andrew Russell

Kiss interrupted by Ildri’s impatient bellow. Apparently, she wants her kitchen girl in the kitchen yesterday.

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2KissedAlondra’

Juliana lifts her head a few inches and presses her eager mouth against Alondra’s moist lips. Alondra moans, and shifts her body. Her grip around Juliana’s torso slides down to her round hips. Her fingers tighten, and she wiggles her body against Juliana’s.

Juliana moans, as her eyes flutter closed. Her pussy tingles, and she squirms. Her fingers slide down Alondra’s back, and grasp the spongy flesh of the woman’s ample bottom.

Alondra mashes her tits against Juliana’s breasts, sending an electric thrill through Juliana’s body. Alondra’s hips start to pump up and down, slowly at first, but then with greater speed.

Juliana breaks the kiss, and leans her head back with a groan. She wiggles her torso, her breasts rubbing against Alondra’s.

Alondra grabs Juliana’s hair in a tight grip and pulls her lips back to hers. Her tongue snakes out and pushes its way into Juliana’s partly open mouth. It slides across Juliana’s teeth, then dances across her slick tongue. Her hips pump faster, each thrust sending another jolt through Juliana’s body.

"Alondra!" bellows Ildri from the kitchen. "Hurry up girl, the first wave’ll come pouring in at any minute!"

Alondra sighs, and starts to pull away from Juliana

"Just a few more seconds. One more kiss." Turn to Section 30

Let Alondra go Turn to Section 37

###30: ep2 guild kiss alondra wait

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2KissedAlondraTooLong’

Alondra hesitates for a moment, so Juliana pinches her bottom. Alondra yelps, and her body spasms delightfully. She grins down at Juliana. "Fine. One more kiss."

Alondra’s lips press against Juliana’s, and she starts to rock back and forth, grinding her body against Juliana’s. Juliana squeezes Alondra’s bottom, and gives it a light slap. Alondra retaliates by giving Juliana’s bottom a stinging pinch. Juliana jerks, and squirms, her body grinding against Alondra’s.

"Hmm," murmurs Alondra against Juliana’s mouth. "That felt good. Do it again."

"Sorry," says Juliana, smiling against Alondra’s lips. "One time thing. Not repeatable–ooh!"

Alondra pinches Juliana’s bottom a second time.

"Seems repeatable to me," says Alondra.

Continue Turn to Section 31

###31: ep2 Alondra kiss unpleasant turn

Author: Andrew Russell

Then the door swings open.

Alondra leaps off of Juliana, and falls off the edge of the bed, her butt hitting the ground with a dull thud. Standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips, a spatula in hand, and a scowl planted firmly on her lips is Ildri.

"Ildri," says Alondra, scrambling to her feet and straightening her skirt. "It’s not what it looks like–"

universal.state.player.is_female() Turn to Section 32

universal.state.player.is_male() Turn to Section 34

###32: ep2 guild kiss alondra wait female

Author: Andrew Russell

"Really?" says Ildri. "Because it looks like you were making out with Juliana, instead of helping me in the kitchen."

Panic contorts Alondra’s face, and she grabs Ildri’s arm. "Please don’t kick me out, I don’t have–"

"Kick you out?" says Ildri. She frowns. "Who said anything about kicking you out? I’m just going to give you a few swats with my spatula, threaten you with a harder spanking if I catch you slacking like this again, then drag you to the kitchen so you can do your job."

"Really?" says Alondra hesitantly.

"Trust me, if I kicked a woman out of the guild everytime I caught her with another woman, we’d lose a third of our members," says Ildri. "Most people don’t get into adventuring by choice."

Alondra breathes a deep sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Don’t thank me until after your spanking. Now turn around and bend over." She glances at Juliana. "You too, Juli."

"Me?" cries Juliana, as Alondra turns around and touches her toes. "What did I do?"

"What do you mean what did you do?" says Alondra, looking up and scowling at Juliana. "Just one more kiss you said. Only a few more seconds you said. If I’m getting spanked, then so are you."

"No. You didn’t have to keep kissing me, you know." Turn to Section 33

"I guess. I’m sorry." Turn to Section 35

###33: ep2 guild kiss alondra argue

Author: Andrew Russell

"I don’t have time for this." Ildri grabs Juliana by the ear, puts her foot on the edge of the bed, tosses Juliana across her lap, and begins peppering the Taironan’s backside with the spatula.

"Oww, hey let go!" cries Juliana, squirming and kicking.

"Any minute now, a hoarde of very hungry, very impatient adventurers are going to storm my dining room," says Ildri over the sound of her strokes. "I don’t have time for your brattiness. Now get next to Alondra and bend over, or I’ll beat your naked ass at breakfast, in front of the whole guild, every day for the next month!"

"Alright, alright stop oww!" cries Juliana, kicking her legs.

Ildri lifts Juliana up off of her knee, and sets her down.

Juliana rubs her stinging bottom and pouts.

"Now, girl!" Ildri grabs Juliana’s forearm, spins her around and lands another three stinging smacks to the seat of Juliana’s pink pajama pants.

"Ok, ok," yelps Juliana, squirming in Ildri’s grip. As soon as Ildri lets go of her arm, Juliana bends over to touch her toes.

"Don’t know why you didn’t just bend over when Ildri told you to," mutters Alondra. "All you earned yourself were a few extra swats."

"It’s the principle of the matter," says Juliana. "If I learned one thing from Cat, it was to never submit quietly to a spanking."

Continue Turn to Section 36

###34: ep2 guild kiss alondra wait male

Author: Andrew Russell

"Of course you were. Because Juliana’s lips have special teleportation powers," says Ildri. "Turn around and bend over."

"But–"

"Now girl."

Alondra gives Juliana a nasty look, then turns around and grasps her ankles.

"You too, Juliana," says Ildri, gesturing with her spatula.

"What, me?" cries Juliana. "But I didn’t do anything."

"Didn’t do anything?" says Alondra, throwing another nasty look at Juliana. "Just one more kiss you said. Only a few more seconds you said."

"No. You didn’t have to keep kissing me, you know." Turn to Section 33

"Yeah, ok. I’m sorry." Turn to Section 35

###35: ep2 guild kiss alondra spanking prep

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana clambers out of bed, and steps up next to Alondra. She turns her back on Ildri, and bends over to grab her ankles.

Continue Turn to Section 36

###36: ep2 guild kiss alondra spanking

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana watches between her legs as Ildri steps into the room, and the door closes. She shivers as Ildri tugs Juliana’s pink pajama pants down to her knees, and then lets it drop the rest of the way to her ankles, exposing her bare, plump bottom.

"I’m going to give each of you four swats," says Ildri, lightly tapping the spatula against first Juliana’s, and then Alondra’s bottom. "If I have to do this again, it’ll be a full-fledged over-the-knee spanking with some corner time in the mess hall. Understand?"

"Yes ma’am," says the two simultaneously.

"Good." There is a sharp crack, and Alondra rocks forward on her toes.

A second later there is another sharp crack, and a sharp sting burns into Juliana’s bottom. She hisses, and bounces up onto the balls of her feet.

"I hired you to help me tend the kitchen, Alondra. Not to make out with your roommate." Another crack, this time drawing a short yelp from Alondra.

"Yes ma’am," says Alondra. "I’m sorry ma’am."

"We put you two in the same room, because we figured you’d be most comfortable together, both being Taironans and all," says Ildri. She cracks the spatula against Juliana’s left cheek. "But if you, Juliana, continue to encourage Alondra to be lazy, then we will separate you two, understand?"

"Yes ma’am," says Juliana, clenching her stinging cheeks.

"Good." Two quick rapports echo throughout the small bedroom. The two Taironans rock, squirm and cry out. Alondra reaches over and grips Juliana’s hand, who returns the grip with a squeeze.

Ildri rubs the spatula against Juliana’s aching bottom, and the girl tenses. "Relax your bottom. It’ll only hurt worse if you keep it tense."

"I know. It’s just hard." Juliana takes a deep breath. As soon as her bum relaxes, the spatula draws back and snaps hard against her right cheek. Juliana squeals and wiggles. Her grip on Alondra’s hand tightens.

Then there is a second crack, and Alondra squeals.

"One more girls" Two quick smacks follow, and two bottoms wiggle.

"Alright," says Ildri. "Let that be a warning to the two of you. Make out on your own time."

"Yes ma’am," say the two Taironans. They straighten and cover their stinging bums.

"Come along Alondra," says Ildri. "We’re about to get swarmed, and I need every pair of hands I can get."

Alondra touches Juliana’s arm and flashes her a quick smile, before hurrying after Ildri.

Juliana watches Alondra’s hips sway as she hurries from the room, a small smile on her own lips.

As soon as Alondra leaves, Juliana plops down on the bed, and puts her head in her hands. She sits there for a moment, her mind whirling and churning. Then, her stomach grumbles. Like it or not, she will need to go and get some breakfast. She stands and gets changed, her motions slow.

###37: ep2 guild kiss alondra let her go

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana reluctantly lets Alondra get up.

"Coming Ildri!" calls Alondra as she straightens her skirt and blouse. She flashes Juliana a smile. "See you in the world."

Juliana returns the smile. "See you."

Alondra slips on her sandals, then walks out, her hips swaying with a bit more vigor than usual.

As soon as Alondra leaves, Juliana’s smile fades. She stares blankly up at the ceiling, her mind churning. Then, she rolls out of bed and gets dressed.

###38: ep2 guild pull away Alondra

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gently pushes Alondra away, and rolls onto her side. "I should probably get changed. Only so many hours in the day you know. Besides, Ildri’ll probably want you in the kitchen soon."

"Yeah," says Alondra, her smile fading. She rolls off the bed. "I’ll see you in a few minutes."

Alondra leaves. Juliana can’t help but watch Alondra walk out, her round, plump bottom rolling with every step beneath her plain skirt.

Juliana shakes her head, runs a hand through her hair, then gets changed.

###39: ep2 alondra hairbrushing not attracted

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana sighs, and relaxes.

Juliana finds herself going back years and years, to a few fragmented memories of her mother combing her hair, and humming gently. It was part of their morning ritual. Every morning, mother would comb her own hair, then she’d comb Juliana’s, before helping her get changed.

Least, until those men came.

Juliana shudders.

"Sorry," says Alondra, tugging the brush through a particularly stubborn knot. "Your hair’s stubborn enough to put an oak to shame."

"Oh, it’s not that it’s...nevermind. Ali, what’s your family like?"

Alondra’s strokes stop for a moment. "Crowded. Five kids, you know? And only two parents."

"One now, though right? Didn’t you say your mom had passed?" asks Juliana.

"Right. Yeah. Forget sometimes, you know?" says Alondra, her voice strangely emotionless considering the subject matter.

"Yeah," says Juliana. "My mom had to leave when I was little. No more than five."

"What happened?"

"Debts my dad accrued during the Wail, before he died," says Juliana. "A potion dealer turned warlord sent a few thugs to collect. We didn’t have anywhere near enough money. But according to Nana, Mom had known one of the guy’s rivals, back when Bonda was still a city. She was beautiful too, early forties, still fit. Grew up pampered, so she’d aged better than the whores, beggars, and thugs the guy was used to. So she basically, well, she, she sold herself. To pay the debts. To be an advisor to the warlord, and well, you know. Few years later, when Maria and Catalin came of age, they went to find her. That was about ten years ago, now."

"Sorry."

Juliana shrugs. "Whose taking care of your siblings now?"

Alondra doesn’t speak immediately. "Younger sister. I’m the oldest. Second oldest is Belicia. She’s looking after them."

"What are the others’ names?"

"Don’t want to talk about it." Alondra pulls the hairbrush away, and gets off the bed. "Did what I could. Hopefully your hair’s in better shape than it was."

"Sorry," says Juliana. She runs her fingers through her tangle-free hair. "Much better. Not sure how long it’ll stay that way."

"Maybe if you stopped playing with it quite so much, it wouldn’t always be such a mess," says Alondra with a smile.

"Never."

"Alondra!" bellows Ildri. "Where in the Grand Sands are you?"

"Coming!" calls Alondra. She gives Juliana another smile. "See you in a few."

Alondra hurries out, while Juliana gets ready for the day.

###40: ep2 guild alondra refuse hairbrushing

Author: Andrew Russell

"Party pooper," says Alondra. She tosses the hairbrush onto Juliana’s bed. "Have fun. Put it back on the nightstand when you’re done, alright? I’m heading for the kitchen."

As Alondra leaves, Juliana picks up the hairbrush and gets to work on her mess of hair. Then, she gets changed. Next step, breakfast.

###41: ep2 guild no bar

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana enters the guild late at night, after another fruitless night trying to track down the Vengadores in general, and Catalin in particular.

Juliana pushes aside the thick, hanging blanket that serves as a makeshift door to the guild. The guild is even darker than the midnight streets, the three quarters moon too high in the sky to shine very much of its silvery light through the windows. Juliana snaps her fingers, and a small, dim globe of light comes to life in the air above her palm. A flick of the fingers, and it sails into the air, and comes to a hover above and slightly behind her right shoulder.

Another night of people hemming and hawing, and not saying anything. Another night of being chased through alleys because some punks figure Juliana’s a Vengador sympathizer, and they’ll get a few matrons, maybe even a free potion or two, for handing her over to Tristana’s goons. And she’s got nothing. She is no closer to finding Cat, or even a damned Vengador, than when she first arrived in this wretched city. Juliana collapses into the nearest chair, and slams her fist into the table. The table wobbles, one of legs snaps, and the whole thing comes down on her thighs.

Upend the table. "Fuck!" Turn to Section 42

Straighten the table, then go to the kitchen and find a stiff drink. Turn to Section 55

###42: ep2 guild no bar tantrum

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana bolts to her feet. She grabs the edge of the table and upends it with a crash. She starts kicking one of the table’s undamaged legs. "Stupid motherfu-"

A large ball of bright light flies into the room, nearly blinding the young Taironan. She shields her eyes, with one hand, while her other goes for her sword.

"Oh. It’s just you. What do you think you’re doing?" The light winks out. Ildri is standing in the doorway into the back of the guild, her hands on her hips. Several adventurers are standing in the holes in the wall between the kitchen and lobby. Each one is armed.

"Nothing," grouses Juliana, giving the table another kick.

"Hey, be careful," says one of the adventurers, a weathered, moderately broad-shouldered man. He hurries over to study the table. "Do you have any idea how long I- Mother’s tits! You broke the leg! I spent hours fixing that thing."

"Well, then you suck at fixing things," says Juliana, giving a leg another kick. "It broke as soon as I put weight on it."

"That’s because the glue wasn’t done setting you miserable little-"

"Ron, that’s enough," says Ildri, hastening forward, as if afraid that Ron is going to attack Juliana. Though the way he’s gripping his sword, he very well might. "We’ll fix it tomorrow. Not a big deal."

"You better believe it’s a big deal. I spent the entire afternoon on that wretched thing," says Ron, passing his glare between Juliana and Ildri.

"Well then next time make a sign," says Juliana.

"I did." Ron crouches and picks up a pair of wooden scraps that had been tied together into a rough X. He shakes it at Juliana. "See this? You were paying attention when Adrian told us how to mark tables and chairs that shouldn’t be sat on, right? Or were you too busy quaffing a potion, you mud-"

"Ron!" Ildri smacks Ron’s backside. "Go to bed."

"No," says Juliana quietly, tightening her grip on her weapon. "Let him finish. I could use a fight."

"Ron. Go to bed," says Ildri again.

Ron spins to glare at Ildri. He points a finger at Juliana. "I’m not fixing this cursed table again. She is."

"Fine. Now go to bed," says Ildri. She matches Ron glare for glare.

Ron throws one last nasty look at Juliana. He tosses the X at Juliana’s feet, spits on it, then stomps off, grumbling and cursing under his breath.

"The rest of you go off to bed," says Ildri, looking at the other adventurers. "We’ll have a lot to do tomorrow. Slightly more than we expected."

No one needs to be told twice.

As soon as the others have left, Ildri grabs Juliana’s forearm, spins her around, and lands two hard smacks to the seat of her trousers. "What the hell do you think you’re doing? This place is enough of a mess already without you throwing a tantrum."

"Not my fault Ron sucks at-oww!"

Ildri gives Juliana another few swats.

"Look, just leave me alone alright? I’ve had a bad day," says Juliana, tugging on her arm. "I don’t need you spanking me too, you overbearing-"

"You do not want to finish that sentence," says Ildri, landing another swat on Juliana’s warming bottom.

"You bet I do! You’re an overbearing bitch!" Kick Ildri in the shin. Turn to Section 43

Sag. "I’m sorry. It’s just, I look, and I look, and I just can’t find her. I know they know more than they’re saying. But they won’t tell me! Why? Even Maria and Alondra won’t tell me shit." Turn to Section 45

###43: ep2 guild no bar tantrum push it

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2AgeRegression’

Ildri’s eyes widen, and her jaw clenches. "You did not just kick me."

"What are you senile, you ugly old hag?" says Juliana, rearing her foot back to give Ildri another kick.

Ildri bends over and slams her shoulder into Juliana’s gut. Her thick arms wrap around Juliana’s waist, and she lifts the smaller girl into the air, throwing Juliana over her shoulder.

Juliana kicks and screeches. She pounds her fists against Ildri’s back. Ildri tugs Juliana’s trousers down to her knees. Then, Ildri grabs the waistband of Juliana’s thong and tugs it halfway down Juliana’s thighs. Finally, Ildri’s heavy hand begins clapping Juliana’s vulnerable cheeks.

Juliana shrieks louder.

"Stop that carrying on, or you’re going to wake the whole guild. Again." Ildri’s hand beats a continuous tattoo against Juliana’s bouncing cheeks.

"If you don’t stop spanking, I’ll just shriek louder," says Juliana, squirming around on Ildri’s broad shoulder.

"Fine. Then I’ll just give you a bare bottom spanking in front of the entire guild. Then, once your cheeks are nice and rosy, I’ll bend you over a table and let everyone give you three swats with the implement of their choice."

Juliana stops squirming. "You wouldn’t."

"Try me." Ildri swats Juliana’s right sitspot.

Juliana glares at Ildri’s heels, but doesn’t say anything.

"Good." Ildri carries Juliana back to Juliana’s room, swatting the young Taironan’s naked bottom the entire way. Once they reach the room, Ildri dumps Juliana on Juliana’s bed. "Get some sleep. We’ll discuss your gross immaturity in the morning."

Juliana curls up on the bed and rubs her cheeks, glaring at the wall.

"Good night," says Ildri, stepping out and closing the door behind her.

"Juli?" asks a quiet voice from the only other occupied bed. Alondra. "Are you alright?"

"Shut up and leave me alone," mutters Juliana, her voice thick with tears.

"Alright," says Alondra. "Good night."

It seems like Juliana has only just fallen asleep, when Ildri’s stern voice jerks her awake. "Get up Juliana. Time for your punishment."

Juliana opens her eyes. Ildri is standing over the bed, her broad spatula in hand. Juliana crosses her arms over her chest and scowls at Ildri. "Don’t know why we couldn’t get this over with last night."

"It wouldn’t have been as effective," says Ildri. She gestures with the spatula. "Now get up."

"No."

Ildri nods. "Right then."

She steps forward and grabs Juliana around the waist. With a heave and a grunt, she lifts Juliana up into the air, and throws her over her left shoulder.

"Hey!" cries Juliana, flailing uselessly in Ildri’s grip. "What are you doing?"

Ildri undoes the dropseat to Juliana’s pink pajama pants and cracks her spatula hard against Juliana’s exposed left cheek. "I’m going to paddle you good, then put you in an outfit that accurately represents your behavior last night."

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s firm, plump bottom has developed an even pink blush, with a few hints of large handprints.

Continue Turn to Section 44

###44: ep2 ildri start age regression

Author: Andrew Russell

"No! Let go of me," cries Juliana, kicking her legs, and pounding her fists against Ildri’s back. "I’m an adult, I can act however I want."

"Not in my guild you can’t." Ildri walks out of Juliana’s room, her broad spatula smacking against Juliana’s exposed bottom with every step.

By the time the two reach Ildri’s room, Juliana’s bottom is stinging fiercely, and her cries have as much pain as anger in them.

Ildri dumps the girl onto the blankets. Juliana rolls onto her hands and knees, and tries to crawl away, but Ildri grabs her hips and drags her towards the edge of the bed. The cook puts a firm hand on Juliana’s back, and pins her securely to the bed. Then, the spatula begins to rapidly rise and fall, peppering Juliana’s naked bottom with loud, stinging blows. Juliana yowls, and her body flops about on the bed. But Ildri’s grip is unbreakable, and her aim barely affected by Juliana’s flailing. At one point during her flailing, Juliana’s fingers close over one of Ildri’s pillows. The young woman wraps her arms around the pillow and wails into it. Eventually, Ildri stops. Faint steps can be heard moving away from the bed.

"I know I’ve got it in here somewhere." Ildri’s voice is muffled, as if a thin wall is between the cook and Juliana.

Juliana turns around, and looks in the direction of the voice. Ildri is half-buried in a large, ornate closet, ruffling through various sets of clothing.

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s tender bottom is a nice shade of red. If one looks closely, one can see the broad marks of Ildri’s spatula.

universal.state.player.is_female() Turn to Section 46

True Turn to Section 51

###45: ep2 guild no bar drink offer

Author: Andrew Russell

Ildri gives Juliana another few swats, then offers to get Juliana a drink, and talk.

Ildri sighs, and gives Juliana a few more swats. "I know. But you must control your temper. A hot head’s a dangerous thing for an adventurer to have."

"Yes ma’am," says Juliana quietly.

"Come on. Let’s have a drink, seems like you could use one. Then we can talk about the problems you’re having." Ildri lets go of Juliana’s arm, and gives her a gentle push towards the kitchen.

"Not like there’s anything you can do about them," says Juliana, rubbing the lingering sting from her bottom.

"No, but I can listen," says Ildri. "And nothing like a sympathetic ear to make a person feel better."

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: A few large, red handprints are scattered across the swell of Juliana’s firm bottom.

Continue Turn to Section 56

###46: ep2 ildri child female

Author: Andrew Russell

"Ah-hah!" cries Ildri, pulling out of the closet. Gripped in one hand is a bright pink dress, and in the other a pair of pink bows.

"What in La Madre’s name are you doing?" asks Juliana as Ildri walks over and lays the outfit on the bed next to the Taironan.

universal.state.player.shirt().name != items.emptyUpperArmor.name Turn to Section 47

True Turn to Section 48

###47: ep2 ildri remove shirt

Author: Andrew Russell

Ildri grabs Juliana, and begins removing the adventurer’s tunic.

"Hey!" cries Juliana, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and fighting to keep it down. "What are you doing?"

"You’ll barely fit into this thing as it is," says Ildri. "Let alone when wearing two layers. Ah, there we go!"

Ildri successfully pulls Juliana’s tunic over her head, and tosses it onto the bed.

Juliana yelps, and tries to bolt past Ildri, but the woman catches her and throws her back onto the bed, facedown.

universal.state.player.is_female() Turn to Section 48

True Turn to Section 52

###48: ep2 ildri put on dress

Author: Andrew Russell

"Stop struggling," says Ildri, giving Juliana’s flaming bottom a hard smack. "Or I’ll start paddling you all over again."

Juliana stops struggling, her face burning fiercely as Ildri pulls the dress over her head, and tugs it down to her knees.

universal.state.player.long_hair() Turn to Section 49

True Turn to Section 50

###49: ep2 ildri put in bows

Author: Andrew Russell

Next, Ildri braids Juliana’s hair into a pair of pigtails, and ties them off at the end with the two bows.

Continue Turn to Section 50

###50: ep2 ildri female done

Author: Andrew Russell

"There," says Ildri, getting up off of Juliana, and backing up. She walks over to her vanity, and grabs a small mirror, holding it up in front of Juliana so that she can see the end result. "Much more appropriate."

Juliana stares at the reflection as Ildri gradually angles the mirror so that Juliana can take in her full body. Her hair has been pulled back into two very childish pigtails, tied off with garish pink bows. She is clad in a knee-length, bright pink dress. She could almost be mistaken for a child.

"You must be kidding me," moans Juliana, reaching towards the bows.

Ildri slaps Juliana’s hand. "You want to act like a child? Fine, I’ll dress you like a child."

"But when can I change out of it?" whines Juliana.

"Since this is your first time, I’ll only force you to wear it during breakfast," says Ildri. "But you act like a child again, and you can expect the same, except the paddling will be longer, and you’ll have to wear the dress for the entire day. Understand?"

Juliana nods glumly. "Yes ma’am."

"Good, now let’s get you some breakfast," says Ildri.

The two enter the mess hall. It’s still empty except for Alondra, who has just finished setting a large plate of bread down on the buffett table. Her eyes widen when she sees Juliana. She glances at Ildri. "You weren’t kidding, were you?"

"I don’t kid when it comes to discipline," says Ildri. "Adventurers are an unruly lot. They’d tear the place apart if they didn’t understand whose in charge." She gives Juliana a hard swat on the back of her dress. "Now go have breakfast."

"Yes ma’am," mutters Juliana sulkily, grabbing a plate and some bread and eggs.

"And don’t get food on that dress," says Ildri.

Juliana spins around and sticks her tongue at Ildri.

"What was that?" asks Ildri in a low, warning voice.

"Nothing, nothing," says Juliana, scurrying towards a table in the far corner. "Just want to eat."

Continue Turn to Section 54

###51: ep2 ildri child male

Author: Andrew Russell

"Ah-hah!" says Ildri, backing out of the closet. Gripped in one hand is a pair of pale blue shorts, a white short-sleeved shirt, and matching blue vest.

"What in La Madre’s name are you doing?" asks Juliana as Ildri walks over and lays the outfit on the bed next to the chastised Taironan.

universal.state.player.shirt().name != items.emptyUpperArmor.name Turn to Section 47

True Turn to Section 52

###52: ep2 ildri put on shorts

Author: Andrew Russell

"Stop struggling," says Ildri, giving Juliana’s flaming bottom a hard smack. "Or I’ll start paddling you all over again."

Juliana stops struggling, her face burning fiercely as Ildri pushes the shirt over her head, pushes the shorts up her legs, tucks the shirt into the shorts, then makes her put on the vest on.

Continue Turn to Section 53

###53: ep2 ildri male done

Author: Andrew Russell

"There," says Ildri, finishing the last button, and backing up. She walks over to her vanity, and grabs a small mirror, holding it up in front of Juliana so that she can see the end result. "Much more appropriate."

Juliana stares at the reflection as Ildri gradually angles the mirror so that Juliana can take in her full body. She is clad in a white shirt, blue vest, and matching blue shorts. She could almost be mistaken for a child.

"You must be kidding me," moans Juliana, reaching towards the buttons of the vest.

Ildri slaps Juliana’s hand. "No."

"So when can I change out of this wretched thing?" asks Juliana.

"Since this is your first time, I’ll only force you to wear it during breakfast," says Ildri. "But you act like a child again, and you can expect the same, except the paddling will be longer, and you’ll have to wear the shorts and vest for the entire day. Understand?"

Juliana nods glumly. "Yes ma’am."

"Good, now let’s get you some breakfast," says Ildri.

When the two enter the mess hall, Alondra’s eyes widen. She glances at Ildri. "You weren’t kidding, were you?"

"I don’t kid when it comes to discipline," says Ildri. "Adventurers are an unruly lot. They’d tear the place apart if they didn’t understand whose in charge." She gives Juliana a hard swat on the back of her shorts. "Now go have breakfast."

"Yes ma’am," mutters Juliana sulkily, walking across the kitchen.

"And don’t get food on that vest," says Ildri sternly.

Juliana spins around and sticks her tongue at Ildri.

"What was that?" asks Ildri in a low, warning voice.

"Nothing, nothing," says Juliana, scurrying over to a table at the far end of the mess hall. "Just want to eat."

Continue Turn to Section 54

###54: ep2 guild tantrum breakfast

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’metMikeAndAaron’

Juliana plops down, planning to wolf her meal down and get–

She yelps, and tries to jump back to her feet, clutching at her very tender tushy. However, heavy wooden benches don’t move very well. So instead of jumping to her feet, Juliana instead slams her knees into the bottom of her table, spills her morning beer all over the table, trips backward over the bench, and lands flat on her back.

Juliana unleashes every curse she knows in Carnuitan and Taironan both. She even makes up a few on the spot.

"Are you alright?" asks Alondra, hurrying over with a rag. She helps Juliana to her feet, then starts wiping up the beer.

"Of course not. My ass is killing me, I’m dressed like a child, and I spilled my beer," says Juliana, rubbing her bottom and glaring at her breakfast. She blinks away a few tears. "Should have just stayed in Chengue."

"Oh, that’s no fun," says Alondra. She flashes Juliana a smile, and pats her on the shoulder. "Day can’t get any worse. Just sit down and have some breakfast. I’ll get you another mug."

Alondra sweeps up the mug, and hurries back to the spigoted barrel.

Juliana grumbles darkly to herself, but sits down very very gingerly. Then, she breaks her bread, and starts spreading some of the eggs over it, still grumbling and muttering. Alondra returns and plops a new mug in front of Juliana, flashes her another smile, then hurries off to help Ildri. Juliana’s grumbling fades, and a faint warmth spreads through her chest.

Though Juliana tries to eat fast, she is only halfway through her breakfast when adventurers start pouring in. A few see her and give a whoop of laughter.

Juliana blushes. She grabs her mug and takes a deep gulp.

"Aww, look at that," says a deep voice in a syrupy sweet tone. "Someone’s misplaced their kid. Don’t worry little lady. I can get you a dolly if you’re scared."

Juliana glances up to see a towering mountain of a man, six and a half feet tall, and well over 200 lbs, the vast majority of it muscle. He is carrying two plates full of food: eggs, bread, a few slabs of sausage. Standing next to him is a rather short, slender man. Or at least, he looks short. Hard to tell next to the man-mountain.

Juliana scowls, and turns her attention back to her food. "Go away."

"Aww, don’t mind him," says the shorter guy, sitting down. "He wasn’t here two days before Ildri had him tottering around in a pair of those blue short shorts and matching vest."

"Aaron," says the larger man, aghast.

"Hey, no fair mocking someone who doesn’t know your history," says Aaron, taking a swig of his drink.

Juliana raises an eyebrow, and looks between Mr. Mountain, and Ildri’s distant figure.

"Yeah, yeah I know what you’re thinking," says Aaron. "How on earth does a big guy like Mike here get forced into a pair of shorts and a vest? Turns out, it’s with amazing ease."

"Aaron..." says Mike, his face turning red.

"Hush you I’m in the middle of a story," says Aaron. "So anyway, here’s Mike. It’s his second day, and he doesn’t take kindly to Ildri, a freakin’ cook, telling him what to do. So he throws a tantrum–"

"It wasn’t–"

"It was totally a tantrum." Aaron shoots Mike a sharp look, clearly telling Mike to be quiet and let him finish. Mike closes his mouth, and slides onto the bench next to his friend, his face turning redder with every word. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. So he’s throwing this tantrum, culminating in an attempt to punch Ildri. Well, he’s barely started swinging, before Ildri’s sitting on one of these benches, with this guy sprawled across her lap. His trousers are around his ankles and he’s yelping like a virgin-bottomed eighteen year old, while Ildri goes to town on his ass with that spatula."

"I’m telling you, that thing’s enchanted," says Mike, shooting a wary look at Ildri.

Juliana squirms a little. She wasn’t about to argue that!

"Then, she drags him off by his ear. Few minutes later, in he comes, his face redder than blood. He is dressed in the smallest, sexiest damned shorts I ever did see."

"Aaron!" cries Mike.

Juliana chokes on her drink.

"Took him to my favorite tavern a few days later. Been together ever since." Aaron winks at Juliana. "Total submissive too. You wouldn’t think it from looking at him, but he likes nothing more than for me to make him–"

"Aaron, come on stop," says Mike, his face so flushed it’s a wonder it hasn’t spontaneously combusted. "That’s none of her business. Doubt she even wants to know about it."

"Remember, when we first got together? How you always whined about the others mocking you? How humiliating it was?" asks Aaron, turning to his large companion.

"I guess..." mumbles Mike. The man seems to deflate.

"And yet, at the first opportunity, you mock someone in the exact same situation," says Aaron.

Mike fiddles with some of his eggs. "Sorry."

Aaron grunts. "Finish your breakfast. We’ll finish this talk in private."

"Interesting. Well, thanks for the story, but I really should be going," says Juliana. She finishes her own breakfast, and walks to the door as fast as she can without appearing to bolt. A few jeers and mocking comments from dining adventurers assaults her ears, but not as much as she feared.

Soon, she is back in the sanctuary of her room, free to change out of this childish outfit, and into her proper clothing. Assuming she wants to.

###55: ep2 guild no bar drink

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana growls in frustration, and slips out from underneath the table, gently easing it to the ground. A quick inspection shows that one of the legs had come loose. Apparently, it’d been repaired and glued back on, but the glue hadn’t set yet. There should have been...

Juliana spies a crude wooden X lying on the ground next to the table. She grimaces. Right, there it is. The marker that this table isn’t stable, and shouldn’t used.

Juliana hunts around for an urn of glue. She finds one eventually, and spends a few minutes fixing the leg. She decides against trying to straighten the table. Be tricky to do without knocking the leg off again by herself.

Instead, she heads for the kitchen, and the liquor cabinet.

"Finally, back huh?" says a voice from the kitchen door.

Juliana jumps and swings away from the cabinet, quickly closing it shut. "Ildri! Hi, um. You’re up? Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. And I wasn’t, I was just looking for–"

"Relax," says Ildri, entering. "I wasn’t sleeping well, you didn’t wake me, and you’ve seemed pretty frustrated the past few days. Care to talk about it?"

Juliana shrugs.

"Come on. It’ll make you feel better."

"Alright, alright."

Continue Turn to Section 56

###56: ep2 guild no bar drink start

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2IldriHintsAtAJob’

Juliana gains the keyword ”’Maria’s_Home”’

Ildri gently shoos Juliana to the side and reopens the cabinet. She pulls out a bottle of white whine.

Ildri pours a couple of mugs, and plops them down on the counter. "Sit down."

Juliana slips into the seat next to Ildri, and takes the cup. She takes a drink, and sighs as the sweet liquid flows down her throat. Is it the kind of drink to put hair on your chest? No. But Juliana finds herself too tired for anything more intense.

"No luck finding Cat, I assume?" says Ildri right before taking a sip of her own drink.

Juliana fiddles with her mug. "Yeah. Jerk shows up in the middle of the night completely uninvited, makes a few snide remarks, and then runs off. Doesn’t give me an address or anything. Doesn’t even give me some inane riddle that I’ll solve when I’m finally ready to see her, or some such garbage."

"To be fair, she did have the law snarling at her heels," says Ildri. There is a faint hesitation in her voice, and she shifts a little in her seat. "About that–"

Juliana flicks her wrist in dismissal. "Not much you can do about it. Besides, it’s not like the Vengadores have done much to get on your good side."

"That’s true," says Ildri, staring into her drink.

"Girl’s had a month, though," says Juliana. "She could have, I don’t know, ambushed me in an alley or something. Dropped off a letter in the middle of the night. Something. An apology for bringing the guards down on my head, or for her friends stabbing me, burning me, spanking me."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, girl was just as incorrigible when she worked for us," says Ildri. She smiles fondly. "Her and Maria were quite the pair. Practically drove me to drinking. Was just about to buy a new paddle all for them, with holes and everything, when the riots happened."

Ildri’s smile fades. "Cat and Maria vanished after that. Maria showed up again about six months later, but... well... She moved out. Only shows up once a week or so, to see if Adrian’s got a job for her. Sometimes not even that often."

Juliana grunts. Ildri takes another drink.

"What’s with these riots I keep hearing about?" asks Juliana.

Ildri shrugs. "Before Roland took over, the city guard was run by this rotten son of a bitch, Lord Alfred Redstar. Under him, the guards were more rotten than a dead tree. You think the Taironans have it bad now? You guys had it worse then. Guards only gave a damn about people who could throw them a few extra matrons, and most Taironans don’t have enough to feed themselves, let alone bribe city officials.

"Except Tristana. She had enough to bribe the guard to look the other way, a few of the more corrupt ones even slipped her some weapons from the city armory. Started to set up shop in the slums, selling potions, creating her own police force. A few other warlord wanna-bes tried to challenge her, but a few matrons to the guards got them hauled off to some dank hole somewhere. So she quickly takes over the slums, starts doing terrible things to consolidate her power, and the guards don’t pay any attention. So, people get pissed.

"A woman named Sofia manages to convince people to join her in mass protests. You know, blocking streets, blocking off the main route into the city, that sort of thing. Neither Tristana nor the city guard are having any of it, and both take rather brutal measures to shut it down. Doesn’t take much for the protests to devolve into riots. In the aftermath, Lady Amelia Silverstone managed to get Redstar replaced with her son, Roland. Guy’s been working his ass off since then to clean up the guards. Now they’re only as rotten as a dying tree. Doesn’t like us much, though. Doesn’t like how we skirt about the gray edges of the law, and all that. Adrian isn’t too happy about that. Like everyone else with money, Adrian had a very comfortable relationship with Redstar."

"I see," says Juliana. She takes another drink. "And Maria and Cat got caught up in all that?"

Ildri nods. "I don’t suppose you’ve seen her in the past month, have you? Maria, I mean."

"Hell no," says Juliana. She takes a long, deep drink. "Want nothing to do with her."

"Come on, don’t be like that," says Ildri. "She was so excited you were coming. Closest to her old self I’ve seen."

"I don’t want to talk about it," says Juliana. Juliana finishes her drink.

"Alright, well you should probbaly get to bed," says Ildri. "A lot to do tomorrow. And don’t tell Adrian I said this, but he’s finishing up negotiations for a job that he thinks’ll be right up your alley."

Juliana grins, and perks up. "Really?"

Ildri chuckles. "Thought that might cheer you up a bit. Now get to bed. Don’t want to be nodding off while he’s briefing you. He doesn’t like that. I’ll clean up."

Juliana hops from her seat and leaves, a light swat from Ildri speeding her on her way.

A few minutes later, she is in her pajamas, in bed, and trying to fall asleep.

It takes a while, but eventually Juliana nods off, and the next thing she knows, early morning sunlight is streaming through the window.

###57: ep2 marias wake up

Author: Andrew Russell

Music: Play the pwutilities.MARIA theme

’extrovert’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 3

True Turn to Section 63

###58: ep2 take carrie home maria

Author: Andrew Russell

"What in the Mother’s name are you two doing?"

Carrie and Juliana jump. Juliana yanks her lips away from Carrie’s body. Her hands fly to cover her more sensitive bits, while Carrie wraps the blankets around her mostly naked body.

"Nothing," says Juliana quickly, fishing about for her dress. Finally, she gives up and wraps a bit of blanket around herself. "Just, you know. Getting ready for bed."

"Since when did ’getting ready for bed’ involve stripping and kissing?" asks Maria, her silouette rising from her blankets.

"Since yesterday?" says Carrie, smiling innocently.

Maria scowls at Carrie, before turning her attention back to Juliana. "Do you know why I lived alone before you came, Juliana?"

"Because you’re a grouchy loner?" asks Juliana.

So I wouldn’t have to put up with this." Maria’s left hand sweep through the air to take in Juliana and Carrie, while her right picks up her bone hairbrush. "My roommate stumbling home in the middle of the night, some handsome boytoy on her arm, moaning and rolling and carrying on. Meanwhile, all I can do is put my pillow over my head and hope her newest partner suffers from premature ejaculation. Well, this is my apartment, and I am way too old to put up with that kind of shit anymore."

"And here I thought it was because nobody could stand you. Even Cat got tired of you. Ditched you for a bunch of thugs." Turn to Section 59

"I’m sorry. But, I mean, it’s not like we ever worked something out. I didn’t know this would be such a big deal." Turn to Section 60

###59: ep2 take carrie home maria fight

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2CarrieSexSpanking’

"Oh yes, Cat threw her lot in with a gang because of some spat with an old friend," says Maria. She stands, advances on Juliana, and grabs her ear in a twisting pinch. "You want to be nasty? Next time try something a bit less ridiculous."

"Oh yea-agh!"

Maria yanks Juliana forward onto her hands and knees. Then, Maria kneels and hooks her arm around Juliana’s waist. Juliana tries to throw Maria off, but Maria drops her hairbrush and thwacks the inside of each of Juliana’s elbows hard enough to make her arms buckle. Then, Maria yanks Juliana’s arms out from underneath her, and pins them against her back. In less than a second, Juliana’s face is pressed against the cool dirt floor, with her naked butt thrust up in high in the air, fully exposing everything to Maria and Carrie. Maria picks up her trusty hairbrush, and smacks Juliana’s bottom.

Juliana yelps, and squirms. "Prudish harpy! When I get out of this–"

"You will apologize for being inconsiderate and nasty. Then you will go to bed," says Maria sharply, her hairbrush thwacking painfully against Juliana’s tense bottom. "Also, I’m not a prude. You can have all the sex you want, I don’t care. I just don’t want to listen to it."

"Get buried! Oww!" Juliana’s feet drum against the dirt floor after a particularly hard smack to her left sitspot.

Maria begins a steady, metronome-like spanking. Left, right, left, right over and over again, each blow at the exact same strength, spaced at the exact same time after the previous. With each blow, Juliana squirming gets more frantic as the heat in her firm bottom builds, and builds, and builds. Five minutes later, Juliana is crying, her red bottom awash with dark, hairbrush-shaped bruises.

"Please, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, please stop!" says Juliana.

"Good." Maria gives Juliana one last thwack, then releases her.

Juliana crawls away, clutching at her throbbing bottom.

"Your turn Carrie," says Maria, lightly smacking her palm with the hairbrush.

"Me?" asks Carrie, her voice squeaking. "What did I do?"

"Can’t dance without a partner," says Maria. "You knew full well that Juliana and I live together, and that I’d almost certainly be at home and asleep. And I know you well enough to know it was probably you pushing for some play time, my sleep be damned. Now turn around and stick your butt out, before I make you."

Carrie gnaws on her fingernail for a moment, and glances at the marks mottling Juliana’s beaten buttocks. Then she sighs, and drops the blankets from her body. She shuffles around on her hands and knees, and sticks her curvy, bouncy bottom at Maria, her G-string hiding almost nothing.

"Good girl," says Maria. She shuffles over to Carrie, and puts her free hand on the small of Carrie’s back. The hairbrush arcs through the air and cracks against Carrie’s right cheek.

Carrie yelps softly, her body rocking forward, and her plump bum cheek rippling beneath the blow. "I’m sorry, Maria."

"You were being very inconsiderate, you know that?" says Maria, drawing the hairbrush back for the second blow. "You and Juliana both."

The hairbrush crashes into Carrie’s left cheek. Carrie yelps and wiggles her bottom back and forth. "I’m sorry, Maria. It won’t happen again."

Maria spanks Carrie for a solid minute, the hairbrush spreading an even pink blush across Carrie’s pale, quivering, squirming bottom, with a few darker, oval marks scattered throughout. Carrie apologizes throughout the hairbrushing, her words a little bit more choked with each blow.

"Alright," says Maria. She rubs Carrie’s bottom. "We’re done. Now both of you go to bed. We’ll work out some regular playtime for you two in the morning."

Carrie nods, and crawls into Juliana’s blankets. Juliana joins her. As she slips in next to the young blonde, her hand starts gently massaging and kneading Carrie’s bruised bottom. Carrie winces, then sighs as Juliana rubs away the worst of the sting.

"Thanks," murmurs Carrie. She turns around to face Juliana, and slips her hand behind the Taironan. Her hands start massaging Juliana’s scalding cheeks. She also wipes the tears from Juliana’s face.

Juliana’s sigh of relief mirrors Carrie’s.

"I’m sorry," whispers Carrie. "I should have–"

"Eh, it’s not your fault." A bit of bitterness enters Juliana’s voice. "It’s hers."

"Um, maybe we should just go to sleep," says Carrie. "I’m sure we’ll feel better in the morning."

Juliana doesn’t argue. She just snuggles closer to Carrie, and closes her eyes.

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s plump globes are covered in round bruises, centered around her sit spots and lower cheeks.

universal.state.get_character("Carrie") acquires bum marks: Carrie’s soft, jutting cheeks are marred by a mass of circular bruises.

Continue Turn to Section 61

###60: ep2 take carrie home maria apologize

Author: Andrew Russell

"Yeah. I guess we should have." Maria runs a hand through her hair, and considers the two. Carrie picks meekly at her blanket, while Juliana fiddles with the blanket’s corner. She tosses the hairbrush back onto the ground next to her blankets. "I guess it’s not fair to get mad at you for something we haven’t really talked about. Especially since we’ve lived together for a month, and I still couldn’t be bothered to lay down some proper rules. Just go to bed. We’ll discuss this in the morning."

"You’re not going to spank us?" asks Carrie, looking up at Maria with wide eyes.

Maria lies back down. She rolls herself into her blankets, her back to the pair. "Just go to bed, before I change my mind."

Juliana throws on her pajamas, then crawls the blankets with Carrie. "Better do as she says. That hairbrush stings something fierce."

Carrie squirms against Juliana, her mostly naked bottom rubbing against Juliana’s crotch.

Juliana gives Carrie a playful swat. "Don’t do that, or I won’t be able to help myself, then we will get spanked."

"Just getting comfortable," says Carrie, wiggling backwards until her smooth, warm back is pressed against Juliana’s chest. Juliana wraps her arms around her waist, and pulls her tight. Juliana kisses Carrie on the neck, then snuggles into the pillow and closes her eyes.

"I’m going to wake up to horrible morning breath aren’t I?" whispers Carrie.

"Life sucks then you die," murmurs Juliana.

Continue Turn to Section 61

###61: ep2 maria to sofias carrie leaves

Author: Andrew Russell

The next morning opens with Carrie scooping up her dress, and hunting for her slippers. Juliana rolls onto her side, wincing a little as her bruised bottom twinges.

"Worried Sister Samantha will find out you spent the night here?" asks Maria, as she cooks some porridge for herself and Juliana.

"Worried she’ll see my outfit," says Carrie, her voice muffled by her dress. She gives one last tug and her head pops out the top. "She grows less tolerant of my outfits every day."

"Can’t imagine why," says Maria sardonically.

Carrie sticks her tongue out at Maria, then blows Juliana a kiss. "Stop by later today will you? I could use your help with something."

With that, Carrie bolts out the door.

Continue Turn to Section 69

###62: ep2 maria wake up no carrie

Author: Andrew Russell

The next morning finds Juliana and Maria sitting next to the small cookfire Maria is using to cook some porridge for the two. Juliana is staring dully into the flickering flames, her mind more than a little turgid from the previous night. She is clutching a crude wooden spoon like a sword, ready to eat her breakfast no matter the danger.

Continue Turn to Section 69

###63: ep2 maria no bar

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana leans against the warped, humidity-swollen door leading into her and Maria’s apartment. The door slides an inch or so. Then another inch, then finally flies open. Juliana stumbles forward a few steps, and nearly faceplants. Once she regains her balance, she shoves the door closed.

"Where have you been?" Maria sits next to the firepit, stoking the embers with a thick stick she affectionately calls her "poking stick." Her eyes skim over Juliana’s mud-stained boots, and the mud-splatter on her legs. "Looks like you’ve been running."

"What do you care? You’re not Nana," says Juliana, sitting down on her blankets.

"You’ve been out looking for Cat, haven’t you?" asks Maria, setting her poking stick aside.

"So what if I have?" Juliana pulls off her boots, then starts to squirms out of her clothing, and into her pajamas.

Maria sighs, and massages her forehead.

Juliana rolls her eyes and groans.

"I can’t believe this," says Maria, throwing her arms into the air. "Like Roland isn’t breathing down your neck as it is. Or did you think that little midnight visit was a one time thing?"

"Like I care," says Juliana petulantly. "I just want to find my sister."

"Oh yes, and I’m sure she’s keen to see you too. I mean, it’s not like she didn’t get her stupid ass arrested last time. I mean really, Juliana, do you honestly expect she’d let you find her? She knows Roland’s keeping an eye on you."

"Whatever."

"Don’t you ’whatever’ me girl," says Maria, her voice rising. "Do you know what Roland will think if you keep hunting for Cat? He’ll think you want to join her! You know what Cat’ll think if you keep looking for her, even though you know Roland’s watching you? She’ll think you’re working for the guards! So you’ll have Roland on one side thinking you’re a Vengador, and Cat on the other thinking you’re a guard. That is not a good place to be."

"Maybe. But I don’t care. I need to know if she found any hint of mother, and I need to find out why she joined the Vengadores. If things are so bad here, why didn’t she just return to Chengue? Hell, why didn’t you come back to Chengue?" Turn to Section 64

"I don’t care! I haven’t done anything, and if Roland tries to throw me in a dungeon for trying to find my sister, I’ll ram my sword so far up his ass people’ll have to call it a rib." Turn to Section 65

"I guess so. I guess I’ll stop. It’s just...I haven’t seen her in ten years, except a midnight chat-and-run." Turn to Section 67

###64: ep2 maria no bar articulate

Author: Andrew Russell

Maria relents grudgingly. She refuses to help Juliana, but neither does she try to forbid Juliana from looking.

Maria doesn’t respond immediately. When she does, her voice is soft, hesitant. "You know, I was with Cat all the years she lived in Bonda. You can just ask me about your mother. You could have asked me at any time."

"Yeah." Juliana’s anger withers, and is replaced by dread mixed with despair. "I just, I...I don’t know. I don’t want to hear the answer. But well, did you find out anything?"

Maria shakes her head. "Nothing. The guy who took your mom? His operation was broken up, and his territory claimed by some other potion lord a few years after your mother left. Then that guy got killed in a coup, and his operation suffered some internal strife. No idea what happened to your mother after that. Maybe she’s somewhere on the streets, just another nameless beggar. Maybe she’s managed to make something of herself, she was very politically savvy, you know. Maybe she managed to carve out her own niche somewhere, admist the chaos."

"Or maybe she’s dead," says Juliana. "That’s most likely isn’t it? She wasn’t taken just for her skill in politics. And she’d be pretty old by now. I mean, not super old or anything. But old enough. Enough to be ugly. To be useless. Not worth feeding. Maybe even a liability. After all, she was old nobility, who tried to flee, and..."

While Juliana babbles, Maria slips over next to her, and puts an arm around her shoulders. Juliana rests her head on the older woman’s shoulder, and lets her voice trail off.

"I have to find Cat," says Juliana after a few minutes of silence. "She’s all the family I have left. I mean, I have you and Nana of course, but—"

"I know," says Maria. "She’s your sister. Of course you want to find her. Just be careful, ok? When we couldn’t find your mom, well, it drove Cat a little crazy. The whole ’working as a mercenary in Bonda for five years’ didn’t help much either. Woman’s angry, and she doesn’t know who to be angry at. So she’s angry at everyone."

"Maybe you could help me–"

Maria shakes her head. She stares into the embers of the cookfire. "Sorry sweetie. I love your sister, I do. But I don’t want anything to do with her. Not anymore. It’s too hard."

Juliana frowns. "What? But you two were inseperable. What happened?"

"It doesn’t matter." Maria extricates herself from Juliana and stands. She wipes her hands on her skirt, and forces a smile. "Just get some sleep, alright? Busy day tomorrow."

Juliana had heard that tone in Maria’s voice often enough growing up to know better than to push it. At best, it’d be a waste of time. At worst it’d lead to a shouting match.

Instead, Juliana crawls into her blankets, and dozes off to dreams of Bonda.

Continue Turn to Section 68

###65: ep2 maria no bar bratty

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’forbiddenFromSearchingForCatalin’

"Don’t give me any of that tough girl crap," says Maria. "He could kick your ass with one eye closed, a hand tied behind his back, and a twig. Assuming he even wanted to. More likely he’d just sic the city guard on you, toss you in a dungeon, and have Deidre break your brain a dozen ways to Tyrday."

"You don’t know that," says Juliana. She tosses her head petulantly. "Probably an overweight, soggy-skinned bastard beneath all that armor."

"You’re being stupid," says Maria. "Guy’s a Matirian knight. He’s been playing war games since he was a toddler. He became a squire at 14. He served Avaricum on the frontlines of the Vellaunodunum campaign. He’s led skirmishes against the elves. How else did you think he wound up captain of the guard?"

"Nepotism."

Maria considers for a moment. "Touche. Ok, how else do you think he’s managed to stay captain? Despite, you know, the whole ’I think criminal nobles should be thrown in dark rat-infested cells just like the peons.’ Can’t imagine that’s a popular view past the inner gates."

"Nepotism."

Maria throws her hands in the air. "Fine. Be a cheeky brat. I don’t care. Just stop searching for Cat. You’ll only bring trouble, and I’ve had enough of that for one lifetime."

"No." Juliana crosses her hands over her chest. "I won’t stop, and you can’t make me."

Maria’s eyes narrow. "Am I going to have to spank you?"

"Of course. Threaten me with a spanking. That’s all you ever do isn’t it? You say ’No’ I say ’Yes’ you spank me into submission. Get buried."

"I’m trying to protect you," says Maria. "I won’t just sit by and let you ruin your life. I’ve gone through that once already, and I won’t go through it again."

"Cat seems to be doing fine," says Juliana petulantly.

"Only because you’re an ignorant–No. I’m done arguing with you," says Maria. "It’s late, and I’m tired, and Nana should have taught you more sense than this. You can either stop chasing after the Vengadores, or I can spank you until you stop."

Juliana meets Maria glare for glare.

Look away. "Fine." Turn to Section 67

"No." Turn to Section 66

###66: ep2 maria no bar bratty spanking

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’forbiddenFromSearchingForCatalin’

"Fine." Maria reaches out to grab Juliana.

Juliana rolls backward, and jumps to her feet. She bolts out the backdoor and into the small courtyard they share with a dozen other apartments. The courtyard is lit only by the stars. A single tree sits in the center of the courtyard, a stone bench situated beneath it.

"Dammit Juliana, you’re only making it worse on yourself," says Maria, chasing after her.

Juliana bolts around the tree, and puts the trunk between herself and Maria.

Maria stops when she reaches the bench. She puts her hands on her hips and glares at Juliana. "I am not going to chase you around that tree. You can’t hide behind there forever."

"You can’t wait for me forever," says Juliana. "This is totally unfair. If Nana could see you now, she’d die of shame. Then she’d bring herself back from the dead, spank you silly, and die of shame again."

Maria sighs, and sits down on the stone bench. She swings her feet up onto the bench, and stretches out. She puts her hands behind her head, and lays her head down on the cold stone.

Time passes. Juliana isn’t sure how much. An hour? Maybe two? A few minutes?

Maria’s breath is soft and regular. Her body is relaxed, but occasionally twitches, as if reacting to a dream.

Juliana gnaws nervously on her lip, then glances towards the apartment. If she could just slip past Maria...

Slowly, ever so slowly, Juliana slips around the tree and starts to creep past Maria one slow, careful step at a time. She stops and tenses when she gets within armsreach of the older Taironan, but nothing happens. She breathes the smallest sigh of relief, and resumes her creeping.

Suddenly, Maria’s eyes shoot open. Her body snaps up, her hand lashes out, and she grabs Juliana’s wrist. "Gotcha brat."

Juliana yelps, and tries to pull away. "Let go of me!"

Maria swings to her feet, yanks Juliana towards her, and wraps her arm around Juliana’s waist. She sits down, hauls Juliana across her knee, and lowers Juliana’s pink pajama pants to her knees, exposing Juliana’s firm, plump bare bottom.

"Let go of me!" cries Juliana, squirming in Maria’s lap.

"No." Maria clamps her left hand over Juliana’s mouth, and slaps Juliana’s bottom with her right.

Juliana screams against Maria’s hand. She tries to bite, but Maria’s hand is too thin and gaunt, and the skin too tight. Maria lands half a dozen stinging blows to Juliana’s bare bottom, the sharp slap of hand to flesh echoing throughout the courtyard. Then, Maria reaches back and snaps off a whippy branch from the small tree.

Juliana tries to scramble off of the older Taironan’s lap, but Maria wraps her leg over Juliana’s thighs, and pulls back gently but firmly on Juliana’s head.

Maria gives the switch a few test swings. Juliana’s bottom clenches as the switch whistles through the air mere centimeters above her. Her stomach tightens, and her heart starts to pound.

Maria makes a sound of satisfaction. Then, the switch whistles through the air and snaps across the center of Juliana’s plump bottom. Juliana shrieks against Maria’s hand, and her hips buck. Maria administers the switch swiftly and precisely, flicking her wrist right before each blow to add extra sting. Juliana kicks, flails and shrieks through each stroke. Before long, her bottom is a throbbing mass of pain. Tears flow freely down her face, and her body is wracked by sobs.

Maria sets the switch aside, and gingerly touches Juliana’s stripes. Juliana tenses, and her sobs are punctured by a pained moan. However, as Maria’s fingers continue to lightly trace and rub Juliana’s welts, the younger Taironan starts to relax.

"Now," says Maria. "Are you going to keep looking for Cat?"

Juliana shakes her head frantically.

"You better not be lying to me. Because I’ll give you twice that and then some if you are," says Maria.

Juliana shakes her head again.

"Alright, then, come on," says Maria. "Stand up."

Juliana clambers to her feet, and clutches the tops of her thighs, as close as she dare get to her throbbing cheeks. She whines, and starts dancing about the courtyard.

"I’m sorry," says Maria, when Juliana finishes dancing. She puts an arm around Juliana’s shoulders and gives her a kiss on the forehead. "I know this seems cruel, tyrannical even. But it’s for your own good, I promise. Don’t make the same mistakes Cat and I did. Please. It’s not worth it. It’s really, really not worth it."

Juliana doesn’t say anything. She just rubs and sniffs.

"Alright, now let’s get to bed."

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s bottom is heavily criss-crossed with the long, slender welts of a switch. She walks tenderly, and has to periodically stop to try to rub away the lingering sting.

Continue Turn to Section 68

###67: ep2 maria no bar cave

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’forbiddenFromSearchingForCatalin’

"I’m sorry you have to do this," says Maria. "I really am. In a perfect world, Cat and I would both have been waiting for you–"

"In a perfect world, I’d be living in Bonda with my family," says Juliana bitterly. She crawls into her blankets and pulls the sheets up over her head. She rolls onto her side, away from Maria.

"I know." Maria rubs Juliana’s shoulder. "I’m sorry. But I won’t let you make the same mistake Cat and I did. Even if I have to tenderize your bottom a few times to do it."

"Just let me sleep," says Juliana.

"Alright." Faint footfalls sound as Maria returns to her blankets.

Continue Turn to Section 68

###68: ep2 maria no bar next morning

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana awakens to the (almost) mouth-watering smell of cooking porridge. She sits up and stretches, wincing at the twinge of pain from her welts.

She rolls out of bed and crawls to the cookfire. She plops down on her belly in front of the fire, being very careful not to look at Maria.

"About last night," says Maria.

"What about it?" asks Juliana warily.

"I feel like I should explain myself," says Maria. "Why I don’t want you chasing after the Vengadores. Besides you know the whole they’re criminals thing. Look, before Roland took over the city guard, it was led by this pig named Alfred Redstar. Guy was rotten to the core, and all but in Tristana’s pocket.

"So, Sofia the woman we’ll be visiting today, she starts to organize protests, to bring people’s attention to Tristana’s iron grip on the slums, and corruption in the city guards. Cat and I, we were fresh from Bonda. Didn’t want to see history repeat itself. So we joined the protestors. Neither Tristana nor Redstar were too happy about us, so it didn’t take long for the brutal crackdowns to start. The protests turned into riots. The riots rocked the city for weeks, and Redstar proved completely incapable of handling it. When the dust settled, Redstar was forced to resign in disgrace, and Roland took over. He then proceeded to completely ignore the slums while he cracked down on corruption within the guards. Now, the guards are mostly honest, but Tristana’s grip on the slums is almost unbreakable. Nothing short of a street war will shake her loose. Those riots, they were bad, Juli, and they started peaceful. I can’t imagine how an armed resistence will turn out. I just don’t want you caught up in it."

Juliana shrugs. "I’m not necessarily saying I want to join the Vengadores, or anything. I just want to see my sister."

"And I understand that. It’s just, it’s dangerous. She’s at the center of a maelstrom, and I don’t want you caught in it."

Juliana doesn’t respond. Maria grimaces, and turns her attention back to the porridge. A few minutes of relative silence pass, while the porridge cooks.

Continue Turn to Section 69

###69: ep2 maria to sofias

Author: Andrew Russell

"Ready to go to Sofia’s?" asks Maria. She scoops some porridge out of the cookpot and into a crude wooden bowl, then hands it off to Juliana.

"Uh?" says Juliana, taking the bowl, and digging in.

Maria rolls her eyes. "I swear, you’d forget your name if I didn’t use it everyday. We’re going to help at the Clinic, remember?"

"Oh. Right," says Juliana, hunching over her bowl.

"You sound less than enthused," says Maria, taking the cookpot off the flames, and eating her porridge from it directly.

Juliana shrugs, and shoves a spoonful of the rather bland, but filling porrdige into her mouth. "Tired."

Maria is too consumed with the task of consuming her breakfast to answer.

After breakfast, Juliana and Maria get changed.

"Make sure to bring your weapon," says Maria. "We shouldn’t have any problems, but the Clinic is in a rather rough part of the slums, and seeing as we’re both women...

Right. "Easy" targets. Wonderful.

"Don’t get me wrong, we shouldn’t have a problem," says Maria, strapping on her wicked dagger. "Most people have a lot of respect for Sofia, and messing with volunteers at her clinic is not how you make friends. Even Tristana’s efforts to find the clinic and shut it down are little more than token efforts to please some of her more militant supporters. But you know, it happens. Plus there’s the stray dogs to worry about. Most of them avoid people, but if they get hungry, desperate, or rabid enough..."

"I get it," says Juliana testily. The thought of slogging through the slums to watch people suffer through withdrawal does not sound particularly appealing. Perhaps she should just bolt of the Adventurer’s Guild, or something as soon as they step out the door? Maybe if she ran fast enough, and talked fast enough, she could get out of this whole clinic thing. At least for today.

"Ready to go?" asks Maria.

Juliana gains the keyword ’travelingToSofias’

###70: ep2 wrong way

Location: Slums

Speaking With: Maria

Author: Emily the Eccentric Emu

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2WrongWay’

As Juliana starts out the door, Maria’s hand falls onto her shoulder.

"Just a moment, girl," says Maria firmly. "Where exactly are you headed?"

"Um... I was going to... I was just going to head toward..."

"’To the Clinic’ is the only acceptable end to that sentence right now, Juli. I don’t like that you’re looking for a different one." Maria’s voice betrays her disappointment and anger, and Juliana’s stomach sinks, knowing what’s likely to come.

"I was... going to go to the Clinic!" says Juliana desperately.

"Sure you were. You just had one or two little things to do first, right? Some date, some pointless fetch quest, maybe stop by the Guild and see if there’s a job going, and eventually you’d make your way to the Clinic if you couldn’t think of any more excuses. But I’m sure your intentions were good, right?"

Juliana blushes and looks at her feet.

"Uh-huh. You’re about to get a reminder of just where the road of good intentions leads, but more than that, you’re going to get a reminder that as long as you’re under my roof, I feel responsible for you. And as long as I’m responsible for you, you are not going to be toddling off to hell while telling yourself that you really mean well."

"I get it, I’ll go straight to the Clinic–," says Juliana.

"And when you get there, if they ask why you can’t sit down, you can tell them that you had trouble remembering to taking your commitments seriously."

Maria sits down, and pulls Juliana across her strong lap in a single practiced motion.

Juliana winces in advance as Maria bares her bottom. She’s (mostly) learned better than to resist, but it means that what’s coming is going to sting that much worse.

Maria rubs Juliana’s plump bottom with her hand, as though scouting the territory. "We’re going to get this over with quickly this time, but if you try to duck out on something like this again, you can think of this as a small sample." With that, she brings her hand down sharply in a hard smack, making Juliana yelp quietly.

One spank after another comes down until Juliana’s bottom is noticeably pink all over.

"Okay, okay!" says Juliana, squirming. "I get the message!"

"Oh, that wasn’t the message," says Maria, picking up her good bone hairbrush. "That was the preamble, the polite introduction to the message. This is the message."

Sharp, stinging strokes of the brush begin punctuating Maria’s words, making Juliana kick and cry out slightly with each blow. "You... will... not... duck... out... on... your... responsibilities... young... lady." Several hard smacks in quick succession serve as punctuation. "When... you... promise... to... do... something... you... will... DO IT!" Several more hard strokes underline the last two words. "Am I making myself clear?"

"Y-yes," says Juliana through gritted teeth.

"What message is getting through to you?"

"That I have to honor my commitments, even... even if they’re not fun."

"Good, you’re getting the message. And to make sure you get it, you’re going to count down from twenty for me."

"No, please, I’ll go, you don’t have to..."

"Want to go for thirty?"

"Twenty," says Juliana resignedly, then yips as the brush smacks hard against her already-sore left cheek.

"Nineteen!" she says reflexively, which summons the next smack on her right.

By the time she gets down to one, Juliana’s bottom is burning and tingling all over, the sharp sting of the brush fading into a hot soreness that promises to linger for a while. Maria picks her up off her lap and stands, hugging Juliana gently. "I’m sorry I had to do that, but if I let you ignore the Clinic once, we both know you’ll just do it again whenever you don’t feel like going."

Juliana returns the hug with one arm, rubbing her sore bottom with the other hand.

"Right then," says Maria finally. "Off to the Clinic!"

###71: ep2 clinic

Location: Sofia’s Clinic

Speaking With: Sofia

Author: Andrew Russell

As Juliana and Maria enter the Clinic, Maria waves to an older Taironan woman. The woman is short and relatively squat, with greying hair that she keeps pulled back into a bun. Her face is heavily lined, especially around her eyes and forehead, and there are deep bags under her eyes. The woman looks to be in her sixties, but considering the hard life she’s likely led, she could very easily be younger.

She smiles brightly as she approaches Juliana and Maria. She pulls Maria into a hug and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Maria. How are you? City guard hasn’t been hassling you too badly, I hope, what with Catalin and her band of outlaws."

Maria returns the kiss and the smile. "They asked me a few questions of course, but nothing more than that. Knocked down my door last month, but I think I told you about that, didn’t I?"

"Indeed." Sofia turns her smile on Juliana, and pulls her into a hug and a kiss. "Because this one is unfortunate enough to be Catalin’s sister. Hello, Juliana. I am Sofia. A humble healer."

Maria grunts. "Healer? Maybe. Humble? Certainly not."

Sofia playfully swats the side of Maria’s thigh. "Respect your elders girl. And don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt introductions? Kids these days. No manners."

Sofia turns her attention back to Juliana. "A pleasure to meet you, Juliana. Maria and Catalin, well before Cat went off the deepend anyway, have both told me so much about you. I almost feel like I know you."

"A pleasure," says Juliana, smiling politely. There’s something about Sofia that tickles Juliana’s memory. Something about her voice, or her mannerisms. Maybe her face.

"Here to help us, I hope," says Sofia, stepping to the side, and sweeping her arm to indicate the twenty or so men and women lying, sleeping, thrashing, and moaning in ratty blankets. "La Madre knows, we could use it."

"Umm, yes," says Juliana, glancing briefly at Maria. "How I’m paying for last month’s rent."

Sofia raises an eyebrow, and glances at Maria. "Had to drag her here kicking and screaming I take it?"

"Just about," says Maria.

"Well–" begins Sofia.

"No, let go of me I can’t take it anymore!" cries a male voice.

The trio turn towards the back of the room. A young Taironan man, about Juliana’s age, perhaps a few years younger, is fighting against a couple of volunteers.

"I need to get out of here. I need, I need one!" wails the man.

"Maria," says Sofia, pointing at the struggling man.

"On it." Maria dances nimbly around the volunteers and patients on her way to the back of the room.

"Should I help?" asks Juliana, stepping forward.

Sofia shakes her head. "Sorry, but I don’t know you well enough to feel comfortable with you working with the more... rambunctious patients. Nothing against you dear, I just want to make sure you won’t accidentally hurt them. People suffering from potion withdrawal are much more fragile than you’re probably used to. Just go amongst the quieter patients, chat with them a little. See if they need anything."

"That’s it?" asks Juliana, glancing at the various men and women, all in various stages of distress.

"You’d be surprised what a bit of chitchat can do for a person," says Sofia. She tries to smile, but it doesn’t last very long. "And, there’s not really much else we can do. The–actually, nevermind."

Juliana nods, and starts wandering amongst the patients. She settles down next to a rather quiet man who looks to be in his seventies. Juliana can’t help but feel a small chill. The old man looks old enough to have served in the Goldenwood War, a three way conflict between Vellaunodunum, Bonda, and the Elven tribe Ambarri. What a life. The Goldenwood War, the Wasting Wail, the Potion Riots, now an addict in the slums of Avaricum.

"What’s this? A lovely young lady come to visit me? Must be my lucky day," says the old man, lifting his head to look at Juliana. His voice is thin, and quiet, but steady.

"Umm..."

"Sorry," says the old man. "Probably not the first thing you expect out of a strange old man you’re meeting for the first time. Especially not in a place like this."

"Not the first thing that comes to mind, no," says Juliana.

"Good. Day I get predictable is the day I get boring. Day I get boring is the day life stops being any fun. I’m Esai, by the way."

"Juliana," says Juliana, offering her hand.

"None of that hand-shaking garbage," says Esai, weakly pushing himself into a sitting position. "In my day, you gave a girl a hug and a kiss when you met her, and you liked it."

Juliana rolls her eyes.

"Don’t you roll your eyes at me girl," says the man. His tone is light-hearted, and there’s a sparkle of mirth in his eye. "Didn’t your mother teach you to respect your elders?"

"Is that all you old people say?" asks Juliana. "I’ll start respecting you when you stop trotting out tired cliches."

"Impertinent whippersnapper."

"Senile geezer." Juliana leans forward and gives the man a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"That’s what I thought," says the man. His eyes touch the serpentine green dragon engraved on the haft of Juliana’s weapon. "Hey, I know this sigil. Verdugo, right?"

"My father was Senor Gervasio Verdugo Pimentel, and my mother was Senora Ora Silva Josefa de Verdugo," says Juliana. "Did you know them? Are you nobility?"

The old man laughs. "Not quite. I was the primary stagecoach driver for the Mendoza family. Drove past your family home every time I took the ladies Mendoza to the market, or a ball, or whatever. Still remember the serpentine green dragon engraved on a plate in the middle of your home’s gates. Thirty years I drove that stagecoach. Thirty years I’d glance through the gates as I drove past. Saw your father practicing his swordfighting, or getting his horse ready for travel. Often saw a young girl playing in the grounds, just before the plague hit. Was that you? No, you look too young. You’d have been an infant then, if your mother wasn’t still pregant."

"Probably my sister," says Juliana. A small smile tugs at her lips.

"Probably." The man’s look is distant. "Her clothing was always a muddy mess. Fancy dress, plain trousers, didn’t matter. Can’t imagine your mother was too pleased."

"Probably not," says Juliana. "Nana tells me Cat was always driving Mom up the wall."

"Hmm. I remember one time. Lady Mendoza’s sister was visiting. I forget which city she lives in. Been so long. Anyway, she was visiting, and the two got into a bit of a fight. So, Lady Mendoza ordered me to pull over. Couldn’t argue over the racket of the stagecoach. Plus, the street your family lived on was pretty quiet. The Verdugo weren’t particularly influential, if I remember right. Neither were the Mendozas.

"Anyway, the lady probably figured it’d be better to settle the fight there, instead of in the middle of a crowded market, with all her friends tittering behind their hands. So, we pulled over next to your family’s house, and I spent the time watching the little girl, (Cat you said? Short for Catalin I presume?) play. Your family had a guard just inside the gate. Ceremonial more than anything else, every family had one. Good enough fellow. Shared a few drinks with him, bitched to each other about our employers. Anyway, he was standing just inside the gate, trying to look all serious. Said he did that whenever a stagecoach rolled by. Otherwise, some other family might give your father flack for ’undisciplined guards.’ Nevermind that standing around twelve hours a day was stupid. Thieves don’t care if you’re standing or sitting, they care about the big hunk of wood and steel you’ve got gripped in one fist.

"Anyway, your sister comes running up with a little wooden practice dagger. Course in her chubby little hands it was more of a practice sword. Anyway, she starts wacking at his spear, and he tries to ignore her. Though he does start slightly jerking the shaft back and forth, giving her a moving target. Then she decides to go for the shins. Madre, the look on his face was priceless. You could tell that a part of him just wanted to kick her clear over the gates. Just about killed myself laughing. Still, he tries to ignore her, but she whacks his other shin. So then he decides to hell with looking disciplined, and starts chasing her around the grounds. She took off, shrieking with laughter." Esai’s distant look fades, and he shakes his head. "Well, that was a long time ago, and you probably didn’t want to hear me drone away like that."

"I don’t know about that," says Juliana. "All anyone talks about is what Bonda’s like now. Or during the wail, or during the riots. It’s nice to hear a story from before everything collapsed."

"I suppose." Esai raises one shaking hand and runs it over his bald head. "Didn’t know how good I had it. I mean, I knew I had it good. Good, safe job, lovely wife. Four healthy kids. You know, my granddaughter-in-law’s expecting. My first great-grandchild. It’s why I’m here."

Esai coughs violently for a moment.

"Do you need some water?" asks Juliana, as she gently grasps the man’s spasming shoulders.

Esai shakes his head. When the coughing fades, he smiles at her. "Just trying to get away from me eh? Sorry girl. Won’t get rid of me that easily. Anyway, the first thing my grandkids saw of me was an old man with a potion in one hand. Now, three of them are addicts. Not the one whose wife is expecting, thank los Padres. I don’t want that for my great-grandkids too. Figure, maybe if they see me, the patron of the family, free of addiction, maybe between me and their parents, they’ll know better than to let themselves... Madre, it’s so hard these days. Kids got no prospects, not here. Have to choose between throwing in with Tristana, abandoning their families to move to some other city, or struggling to scrape together enough food to see themselves through the summer day, let alone the winter night.

"Don’t get me wrong, things were hard for a lot of folk before the plague too. But not my family. When I got that stagecoach driver’s job I figured, I beat it. My family’s secure. Madre, I was wrong. So cursed arrogant. And Madre, She struck me down, to teach me some humility, and now my grandkids are paying the price."

"Oh come on, Madre doesn’t work like that," says Juliana, rearranging the old man’s blankets.

"Not according to the local local Tios and Tias. I don’t know," says the old man. "Fate, arrogance, or rotten luck, it doesn’t change anything. Granddaughter-in-law’s still gonna be hurt. Hurt bad. She’s a sweet kid, too. I don’t want to see anything happen to her. But her kid’s probably gonna be hungry. Even if he survives childhood, he’ll grow up angry, get in fights. Maybe throw in with Tristana, or some gang, like those Vengadores."

"Hey, Juliana, could you help me with something?" calls Maria from across the room.

Juliana acknowledges the call and turns back to Esai. "I need to go."

"I know, you’re young and busy, and it’s selfish of me to take up all your time. Thanks for listening to an old man blabber," says Esai, patting Juliana on the hand. "Hopefully next time you see me, I’ll have this kicked, and I’ll be a little bit less pathetic."

"You’re not pathetic. Pathetically old maybe, but not pathetic," says Juliana.

Esai’s reedy laughter follows Juliana across the room.

After a few hours, sometime in early afternoon, Maria stretches, and knuckles her back. "Alright, Juliana, you can get going. Sure Adrian wants you back at the guild. Even if he doesn’t have a job for you, he’ll probably want you to help with fixing things."

"You’re not coming?" asks Juliana.

Maria shakes her head. "Nah. I’m gonna stay here. You think you can make it back on your own?"

"No problem," says Juliana, turning to leave. "See you."

###72: ep2 ildri chat

Location: Adventurer’s Guild

Speaking With: Ildri

Author: Andrew Russell

’risqueScene’ not in pwutilities.keywords() and universal.state.player.risque() >= 4 and ’Ildri_no_pants’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 73

’risqueScene’ not in pwutilities.keywords() and universal.state.player.risque() >= 4 Turn to Section 75

True Turn to Section 94

###73: ep2 ildri indecent no pants

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’risqueScene’

Ildri sighs dramatically and shakes her head at Alondra. "Alondra could you answer a question for me?"

"Hmm?" says Alondra, tearing her eyes away from Juliana’s rather exposed body.

"Could you tell me why I have to give every adventurer at least half a dozen solid thrashings before they start believing my threats?" says Ildri.

"Umm...?" says Juliana.

Alondra makes a big show of tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe because you have to be both stupid and reckless to become an adventurer?"

"Hey!" cries Juliana.

Ildri nods. "Yes I suppose that makes sense."

"What are you–" begins Juliana.

Ildri rounds on Juliana, spins her around and lands a heavy smack to Juliana’s bare cheeks.

"Oww!" Juliana hops, and tries to scurry away from Ildri’s smack, but Ildri holds the Taironan fast.

"What did I tell you?" asks Ildri, her hand repeatedly striking Juliana’s quivering cheeks. "When the Vengadores attacked and I had you bent over the counter. What did I tell you?"

"I don’t know," wails Juliana, hopping and skipping in a vain attempt to avoid Ildri’s large hand. "I was kind of busy!"

"Yeah, busy getting spanked for wearing one of the most inappropriate outfits I have ever seen," says Ildri. "An outfit very much like the one you’re wearing now! Now what. Did. I. Say?"

"I don’t remember, honest," says Juliana. She manages to slip free, and bolts for one of the holes in the kitchen wall.

But then a glowing white cord wraps itself around Juliana’s waist.

"Oh shi–"

The cord tightens, then snaps back, yanking Juliana into Ildri’s arms. The woman then spins Juliana around, picks her up, and drapes her over her shoulder, and wraps her arm around Juliana’s legs.

"In that case, let me remind you." Ildri starts smacking Juliana’s trousers-clad, plump bottom. "I said that I would sling you over my shoulder and carry you to the tailors. There, I’d buy you an outfit that actually covers your ass."

Juliana freezes, and her heart leaps into her throat. "Oh, no. Madre, please no."

"You got nobody to blame but yourself," says Ildri, landing a particularly hard smack to Juliana’s right sitspot. "I warned you."

"I thought you were kidding!" cries Juliana, kicking and struggling in Ildri’s grip.

"I can’t even begin to imagine what would make you think that," says Ildri. She grabs her spatula off the counter and begins smacking Juliana’s firm bum with it.

Juliana shrieks.

Then, Ildri starts walking to the kitchen door.

"No, wait Ildri don’t, I’m sorry, it won’t happen again," says Juliana, squirming and kicking. "I’ll go to the tailors and get a new pair of pants right now, please!"

"Of course you will, because I’m going to take you there," says Ildri, her spatula never slowing.

"No!" Juliana’s face flushes as they walked out into the main room. Adrian stands behind the main counter doing paperwork. He glances up as Ildri comes out, shakes his head, and returns to his forms. Various other adventurers stop chatting long enough to watch Ildri walk out, cracking her spatula against Juliana’s bottom the whole way.

"Hey isn’t that the new girl? The Taironan?" mutters one man.

"Looks like it," says a woman as she sharpens a dagger.

Ildri stops in the middle of the main room. She pushes Juliana’s trousers up over Juliana’s slim hips and resumes smacking Juliana’s exposed cheeks. Juliana finds herself stuck between focusing on her backside bonfire and listening in on nearby conversations.

"I hear she can’t go more than ten feet without getting her bottom smacked."

"What was her name?"

"Juliana Tendercheeks I think."

"Can we leave now?" asks Juliana in a pained voice.

"I thought you didn’t want to go the tailors," says Ildri over the sharp crack of her spatula against Juliana’s bottom.

"I changed my mind. Can we please get this over with?" asked Juliana, staring at the back of Ildri’s heels, wincing and squirming at the horrible sting that suffuses her bottom.

"Young people," says Ildri to the nearest adventurer, a woman in her mid to late thirties, her spatula making Juliana’s naked cheeks quiver. "So impatient these days. When are they going to learn that sometimes you just need to stop, take a breath, and really let a lesson sink in?"

"It’s sunk in, it’s sunk in! Let’s just go!"

The adventurer shrugs. "My momma always said it took three good thrashings. One to catch your attention. One to teach the lesson. One to drive it home."

Ildri nods. "Sounds about right."

"Come on!" cries Juliana, pounding her fist against Ildri’s back. "Either get this shit over with, or let me down you fat cow!"

There is a moment of silence, as everyone takes in what Juliana just said. Then a single voice wafts through the air.

"More like Juliana Tendercheeks of the Numbskull tribe."

"Well, if you insist." Ildri tugs Juliana’s thong down to her ankles, then walks out the door.

"Hey, what are you doing? Leave my panties up!" cries Juliana

"Why? I thought you liked showing your ass off," says Ildri as she steps out into the (busy!) street, her spatula continuing its merciless tattoo against Juliana’s blazing, bouncing bottom.

"Not this much!"

"Oh. Oops. Oh well, too late now."

Ildri wades through the streets, her spatula never slowing. Juliana’s face somehow manages to get even hotter as she watches people’s necks crane around to watch her very very public paddling. She squeezes her legs tightly together in an attempt to keep as much hidden as possible. Fortunately, Ildri’s left arm is wrapped tightly around Juliana’s legs, keeping them pinned tightly together despite their treacherous desire to spread wide open in frantic kicking.

Soon, they enter Terry’s Tailors. Ildri carries Juliana into the store, sets Juliana down, and makes her sit on a very hard wooden bench.

"You stay still, while I find something appropriate for you," says Ildri, before turning her attention to the nearby clothing.

Juliana crosses her arms over her chest and pouts. She shifts on the hard stone bench, and considers making a break for it, but then decides against it. She would only be delaying the inevitable (and making it worse).

Ildri comes out a moment later with a powder blue dress.

Ildri then grabs Juliana throws her back over her shoulder, and carries her to a small cubbies in the back used to change. Naturally, she is paddling Juliana’s bottom with her spatual the whole way. Tittering and gossip follow Juliana back into those wretched cubbies.

"You weren’t kidding! Who is that woman?"

"I hear she’s one of the owners of the Adventurer’s Guild."

"Well, that explains a lot doesn’t it? Adventurers are such unruly creatures. And did you see that girl? She was a Taironan! I bet they’re twice as hard to handle as a normal adventurer. You ask one of them to lend you a hand, and they’ll spit in your face just because they can."

"So right."

Ildri set Juliana down and in a flurry of flying of clothing replaced Juliana’s outfit with her outfit of choice. She steps back, and studies Juliana for a moment. "Perfect! Nice and decent, just like a good girl."

Juliana glares down at the outfit. "I don’t wanna wear this."

"Hey, you had your chance," says Ildri. "Next time wear some real clothing."

Juliana kicks at the ground and mumbles something.

"What was that?" says Ildri sharply.

"I said I can’t afford real clothing," says Juliana a tiny bit louder.

"I see. Well, I’m sure Terry will be happy to exchange that dress for something you’d prefer." Ildri grabs Juliana’s ear and drags her back onto the main floor. "Now come on. I need to buy it, and get on with my day. You’ve wasted enough of my time."

Ildri drags Juliana back through the store, pays for the dresses then drags Juliana back to the guild. When they enter the kitchen, Ildri spins Juliana around and gives Juliana one last smack. "Now get on with your day, and let me get on with mine."

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s plump bottom is covered with an even mixture of large handprints and spatula marks.

Continue Turn to Section 74

###74: ep2 equip clothing

Author: Andrew Russell

###75: ep2 ildri indecent

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’risqueScene’

"Hey Juli," says Ildri, not looking up from her bread dough.

"Hey." Juliana approaches Ildri, and breathes in the savory smell of baking bread. "Hmm, that smells good."

Ildri turns to respond to Juliana, and gets a good look at Juliana’s rather risque outfit. Her expression darkens, and her hand snaps out to catch Juliana around the arm.

"Hey, what are you doing?" cries Juliana.

Ildri doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, she just glares down at the large amount of skin exposed by Juliana’s tunic and trousersthong.

Continue Turn to Section 76

###76: ep2 no pants

Author: Andrew Russell

Ildri turns her gaze from Juliana’s exposed body, to her face. "You’re not seriously planning on going out like that, are you?"

"What? No, of course not! I just you know, forgot to put on some pants. Happens to the best of us you know? In fact, I think I’ll go put some pants on right now." Turn to Section 77

"Well, yeah. All the most famous women adventurers run around with their bottoms hanging out. Like Red Sonia, or Emma the White Cheeked." Turn to Section 84

###77: ep2 ildri bare backpedal

Author: Andrew Russell

"Yes," says Ildri flatly. "You do that."

Juliana turns and scurries back into her bedroom, and begins frantically looking for something, anything that would cover her ass.

acceptableClothing == [] Turn to Section 78

True Turn to Section 83

###78: ep2 no acceptable clothing

Author: Andrew Russell

Crap. Crap crap. Crap crap crap crap. Crap crap. Crap. How could she possibly not have any clothing at all that actually covers her ass? How???

Ildri’s going to beat her ass until it glows in the dark. Then she’s going to be walking down the street with a freshly spanked bottom hanging out, yelling to all the world "I’ve been a naughty girl!"

Could have sworn she owned a pair of trousers at least. Did she sell her trousers or something? Why did she do that? Why???

Wait. When did she do that, and how did Ildri not notice her wearing ass-baring clothing before?

Oh. Right. She sold one pair of pants. Then she had to scrounge up some money to buy them back when Alondra warned her that Ildri would spank her so hard she’d skip black and go right to blue. Then that pair of trousers got damaged yesterday when they got caught on an exposed nail.

Ok. Don’t panic. No panicking. This is a strictly no panic zone.

Juliana’s takes one last desperate look, and lights on three options. The first is the blanket on her bed. The second are the ragged remnants of Juliana’s old trousers, currently hiding beneath her bed. The third is the small chest where Alondra keeps her spare clothing.

Just wrap the blanket around yourself, and hope Ildri has mercy. Turn to Section 79

See if you can salvage the trousers Turn to Section 80

Borrow one of Alondra’s skirts. It’s an emergency after all. Surely she won’t mind. Turn to Section 82

###79: ep2 bedsheet

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana pulls her blanket off the bed, and wraps it around her waist as an impromptu skirt. Half the cursed thing drags across the ground, and she can’t go more than three steps without tripping over it, but it covers her by golly!

Holding her head high, Juliana marches, trips, and stumbles back into the kitchen, and proudly presents herself.

Ildri takes one look at Juliana, and bursts out laughing. "Don’t tell me, that pair of pants you ruined yesterday were your last pair."

"It wasn’t my fault," mutters Juliana, fidling with her "skirt." "I didn’t put that nail there."

Alondra frowns. "Actually, I’m pretty sure-"

"No!" says Juliana quickly. "I wouldn’t have just left it hanging out in pants ripping range. I mean, who would do such a silly thing as pound in a nail before all the wood was in position?"

"A woman with a hammer and a grim determination to make use of it?" says Alondra.

"Right. Not me," says Juliana.

Alondra rolls her eyes. "Whatever. You want to borrow one of my skirts?"

"Is that all you have?" asks Juliana.

"Don’t like trousers," says Alondra. "No airflow. Now come on. Let’s get some real clothes on you."

A bit later, Juliana is dressed in one of Alondra’s skirts. While on Alondra, the skirt extends to a little bit past the knees, Juliana is shorter, so the skirt goes about halfway down her shins.

Fortunately, Alondra and Juliana are roughly the same height, so the skirt extends down to a little past Juliana’s knees, like it does on Alondra.

Juliana is quite a bit taller than Alondra, so the skirt stops several centimeters shy of Juliana’s knees, about two-thirds down her thighs.

Meanwhile, Juliana has much slimmer hips than Alondra, so the two had to track down a bit of string to tie around Juliana’s waist, to keep the skirt from falling down.

the skirt hangs a little low on Juliana’s hips, because her hips are a little bit slimmer than Alondra’s.

Juliana and Alondra have comparable hip shapes, so the skirt hangs fairly naturally, neither too loose nor too tight.

"That will do," says Ildri. "Though you might want to purchase some proper clothing for yourself."

"I’ll keep that in mind," says Juliana.

###80: ep2 salvage trousers

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana pulls out the knife she uses for non-combat activities, and pulls her trousers out from underneath the bed. One leg has been split in half, but fortunately, the most important part of the pants (the part that covers her ass and crotch) are intact. Juliana quickly saws off the trouser legs. Unfortunately, the one leg was so badly damaged, that she had no choice but to saw off the entire leg, leaving her with a very short pair of rather ragged shorts. She pulls on the shorts, and gives herself a quick look and feel-over. OK, so the ass is covered (barely). Also, the pants were kind of tight, and cutting off the legs doesn’t have any impact on tightness. But the ass is covered. So long as she doesn’t bend over. Better make sure to only bend over when Ildri isn’t looking.

Juliana takes a deep breath, then returns to the kitchen.

Ildri glances at Juliana’s new attire, and her eyebrows go up. "You know, you could have just worn the pants."

"One leg was ruined," says Juliana, shrugging. "Can’t very well wear one-legged trousers, now can I?"

"Well, I’m sure you could have borrowed something from Alondra," says Ildri. She glances over Juliana. "Assuming you’d fit. Right, Ali?"

Continue Turn to Section 81

###81: ep2 alondra stares

Author: Andrew Russell

"Hmm?" says Alondra, her eyes briefly flicking to Ildri, before returning to Juliana’s bare legs.

Ildri rolls her eyes, and gives Alondra a light swat on the bottom. "Stop staring. You’ll make her uncomfortable."

Alondra blushes, and her eyes turn back to Ildri. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Sure you don’t. Anyway, I said she could probably borrow a skirt or something from you, yes?" says Ildri.

"Oh, I don’t know," says Alondra, her eyes turning back to Juliana’s form. "Different body shapes and all. My skirts are kinda, you know. Made for me."

"You two have the same body type, and are the same size," says Ildri.

"Uh-huh," says Alondra.

Ildri rolls her eyes, and gives Juliana one more look over. "Well, I guess getting you adventurers to cover your asses is a feat enough for one day. Now is there anything else you need? Besides breakfast?"

Continue Turn to Section 96

###82: ep2 borrow skirt

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana roots through Alondra’s trunk, and pulls out a skirt that looks good. Alondra probably isn’t going to be particularly happy, but surely she’ll understand.

A bit later, Juliana is dressed in one of Alondra’s skirts.

While on Alondra, the skirt extends to a little bit past the knees, Juliana is shorter, so the skirt goes about halfway down her shins.

Fortunately, Alondra and Juliana are roughly the same height, so the skirt extends down to a little past Juliana’s knees, like it does on Alondra.

Juliana is quite a bit taller than Alondra, so the skirt stops several centimeters shy of Juliana’s knees, about two-thirds down her thighs.

Meanwhile, Juliana has much slimmer hips than Alondra, so Juliana to track down a bit of string to tie around Juliana’s waist, to keep the skirt from falling down.

the skirt hangs a little low on Juliana’s hips, because her hips are a little bit slimmer than Alondra’s.

Juliana and Alondra have comparable hip shapes, so the skirt hangs fairly naturally, neither too loose nor too tight.

Juliana takes a deep breath, and makes her way back out into the kitchen.

Alondra glances at Juliana as she enters, and she frowns. "Is that one of my skirts?"

"Yeah, sorry it was kind of an emergency." Juliana points furtively at Ildri.

"Ah," says Alondra. "Well, I’m mildly annoyed you took a skirt without asking, but considering the circumstances, I think I’ll let it slide."

Juliana flashes Alondra relieved smile.

"Borrowed one of Alondra’s skirts I take it?" says Ildri. "I suppose that’ll do."

Juliana smiles uneasily. "That’s uh, that’s good to know."

"Indeed. You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today," says Ildri. "Now is there anything you need? Besides breakfast?"

Continue Turn to Section 96

###83: ep2 acceptable clothing

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana throws on her trousers, and returns to the kitchen.

Ildri glances at Juliana, and nods in satisfaction. "Much better. Now is there anything else you need? Besides breakfast?"

Continue Turn to Section 96

###84: ep2 ildri bare

Author: Andrew Russell

Ildri raises an eyebrow. "And you’re idolizing them because..."

"Because they’re sexy!" Turn to Section 86

"I’m not really idolizing them. I just hate constantly fixing my clothing." Turn to Section 85

###85: ep2 ildri hate sewing

Author: Andrew Russell

"Oh," says Alondra.

Juliana feels a brief stab of regret. Was that dissapointment in Alondra’s voice? Perhaps she said-No, of course not. No way she could be serious.

Juliana feels a jolt. Was that disappointment in her voice? Perhaps later, she should have a little chat with Alondra...

"Anyway," says Ildri, giving Juliana a warning glare and shaking her spatula at Juliana. "I don’t care how little clothing other adventurers wear. You go and cover your ass, or I’ll really give you something to show off."

"Yes ma’am," says Juliana quickly.

Continue Turn to Section 92

###86: ep2 ildri sexy idols

Author: Andrew Russell

universal.state.player.is_female() Turn to Section 87

True Turn to Section 88

###87: ep2 ildri sexy idols female

Author: Andrew Russell

"You know, she makes a good point," says Alondra thoughtfully.

"Better believe it. ’Course, they’re not as sexy as you." Turn to Section 89

"Better believe it. Gotta love the female body." Turn to Section 91

"Nah, I’m just kidding. In all seriousness, it’s just because I hate having to constantly fix my clothing. So long as you got health, skin heals instantly. Wool or cotton, not so much." Turn to Section 85

###88: ep2 ildri sexy idols male

Author: Andrew Russell

Ildri rolls her eyes. "You know, some people believe it’s sexier when you don’t just let everything hang out."

"Well, they’re weird," says Juliana. She crosses her arms over her chest. "And probably boring."

"Time to get boring then," says Ildri. She points with her spatula at the door. "Now, get that ass of yours back to your room, and get it covered properly, before I give you a reason other than modesty to cover yourself."

Juliana considers Ildri’s request for a moment, then decides today is a good day to not challenge the big lady with the spatula. "Yes ma’am."

Continue Turn to Section 92

###89: ep2 alondra sexy compliment

Author: Andrew Russell

Alondra blushes prettily, and a broad, beautiful smile breaks across her face. "Thanks"

A small smile tugs at Ildris’ lips. That doesn’t keep her from reaching around and giving Juliana’s bum a light smack, however. "Seduce my kitchen girl on her own time. Now go and cover your bottom, before I tan your hide."

Juliana considers Ildri’s request for a moment, then decides today is a good day to not challenge the big lady with the spatula. "Yes ma’am."

Continue Turn to Section 90

###90: ep2 ildri sexy idols cover ass bounce

Author: Andrew Russell

As Juliana goes to leave, she glances over her shoulder at Alondra, throws her a wink, and gives her ass a quick wiggle. Alondra’s blush deepens, then deepens even more when Ildri’s hand comes around and gives Juliana another, harder smack, making Juliana’s bottom bounce.

Juliana eeps cutely, and hops forward a few steps.

"I said, stop seducing my kitchen girl, and go get changed," says Ildri.

Continue Turn to Section 92

###91: ep2 alondra appreciate

Author: Andrew Russell

Alondra stares at Juliana for a moment, apparently taken a bit aback by Juliana’s bluntness.

"I don’t care what you appreciate or how much," says Ildri. "You get that bum of yours back to your room, and you get it covered properly before I cover it in bruises. Understand?"

"Yes ma’am," says Juliana quickly.

Continue Turn to Section 92

###92: ep2 ildri sexy idols cover ass

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana returns to her room, and begins searching for something to wear that Ildri would find acceptable.

acceptableClothing == [] Turn to Section 93

True Turn to Section 83

###93: ep2 ildri sexy idols cover ass no clothing

Author: Andrew Russell

No clothing that covers her bottom at all. Well, that doesn’t make any sense. Could have sworn she owned a pair of trousers at least. Did she sell them or something? Why did she do that?

Wait. When did she do that, and how did Ildri not notice her wearing ass-baring clothing before?

Oh. Right. She sold one pair of pants. Then she had to scrounge up some money to buy them back when Alondra warned her that Ildri would spank her so hard she’d skip black and go right to blue. Then that pair of trousers got damaged yesterday when they got caught on an exposed nail.

Juliana’s takes one last look, and lights on three options. The first is the blanket on her bed. The second are the ragged remnants of Juliana’s old trousers, currently hiding beneath her bed. The third is the small chest where Alondra keeps her spare clothing.

Just wrap the blanket around yourself, and hope Ildri has mercy. Turn to Section 79

See if you can salvage the trousers Turn to Section 80

Borrow one of Alondra’s skirts. It’s an emergency after all. Surely she won’t mind. Turn to Section 82

###94: ep2 ildri scene 1 chat

Author: Andrew Russell

"Hey, Juliana," says Ildri, looking up from a mess of dough and smiling. "How’s life?"

"Boring," says Juliana, putting an elbow on the counter, and her cheek in her hand.

"Get your elbow off the counter," says Ildri, lightly jabbing Juliana’s forearm with her elbow. "The Mother only knows where it’s been, and I’m sure She regrets the knowledge."

Juliana slides her elbow off the counter, crosses her arms, and leans her hips against the counter.

’ep2IldriSceneTransition’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 95

True Turn to Section 96

###95: ep2 ildri scene 1 transition again

Author: Andrew Russell

"You know, if you’re that bored, you could help repair the guild," says Ildri, shaking her spatula towards the large hole in her kitchen wall.

"Oh fine. Stupid carpentry." WARNING: This ends all pre-dungeon exploration. If you still have business at the Matirian Church, or the smithy or anywhere else, DON’T choose this option just yet. Turn to Section 97

"Eh, no thanks. I’ll see you later." Turn to Section 119

###96: ep2 ildri scene 1 transition

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2IldriSceneTransition’

"When is Adrian gonna give me that job you mentioned?" asks Juliana.

"Hush you," says Ildri, glancing about furtively. "If Adrian finds out I dropped a hint, he’ll tan my backside from now until the solstice."

Juliana grins. "There’d be a sight to see. The massively intimidating Ildri squealing like a virgin-bottom while Adrian spanks her silly."

"I don’t squeal," says Ildri, giving Juliana a stern look. The effect is spoiled by a small smile tugging at her lips. "I don’t make any noises, or kick or anything. I take my licks like an adult. Something you could benefit to learn. Now, since you’re here you’re going to help Alondra clean up after breakfast."

Juliana groans, so Ildri shakes her spatula at her. "Now none of that. If you’re gonna bother me with silly questions, then I’m gonna bother you with chores."

"Yes ma’am," says Juliana, making her way to the dining room.

It takes a year and a day to get everything cleaned up. At least that’s what it felt like. Never in all of Juliana’s short life had she ever seen a group make as much of a mess as hungry adventurers. It didn’t help that Alondra and Juliana kept playfully flicking food at each other and playing chase-the-other-around-the-hall-because-said-other-got-snarky. At least until Ildri burst in and promised grim consequences if the two didn’t stop messing around and did their job. Things sped up after that.

Eventually, however, the two finish, and both are back in the kitchen, Alondra helping Ildri bake, and Juliana leaning against the counter with a bored expression on her face.

"You know, if you’re that bored, you could help repair the guild," says Ildri, shaking her spatula towards the large hole in her kitchen wall.

"Oh fine. Stupid carpentry." WARNING: This ends all pre-dungeon exploration. If you still have business at the Matirian Church, or the smithy or anywhere else, DON’T choose this option just yet. Turn to Section 97

"Eh, no thanks. I’ll see you later." Turn to Section 119

###97: ep2 help repair guild

Author: Andrew Russell

Ildri sets Juliana to work on helping place wood panels on one of the holes in the kitchen. After an hour or so, Adrian walks in and looks around.

"Ah, there you are," he says. He gestures for Juliana to follow him. "Come along. I have a job for you."

The other adventurers groan and shoot Juliana envious looks.

"What are you all complaining about?" asks one guy, a mousy fellow in his early thirties. "Don’t tell me you’d rather run through an oversized sewer, chasing giant rats?"

Juliana follows Adrian into his office, a rather spartan affair dominated by a large, plain desk, and an equally large chair behind said desk. Juliana considers joking about overcompensating for something, but then she notices two things. First, there is a very whippy looking cane hanging on the wall above the oversized chair, suggesting that not-so-subtly needling Adrian about his penis size was less than wise. Second, sitting in one of the (much smaller) chairs in front of the desk is a leggy blonde woman in a beret and elegant black dress.

Deidre the Puppeteer.

Then a hole in reality rips open and a brown-haired, blue eyed, long-legged, but rather scrawny guy enters. He’d be completely forgettable if it wasn’t for the strange aura of unbridled sexiness that surrounds him. If you’re into guys. If you’re into girls, then he’s actually a brown-haired, blue eyed, long-legged, rather scrawny girl. She’d be completely forgettable if it wasn’t for the strange aura of unbridlged sexiness that surrounds her. If you’re into both genders then he/she is whichever gender you’re most interested in at the moment. If you’re also poly, then shit gets really crazy.

He/She turns to you, and grins broadly. "Thus ends the current content. If this is your first time playing Pandemonium Cycle: The Potion Wars, then thank you for playing through to this moment. If you’re a repeat customer, then thank you for coming back for more. It’s nice to know that the keyboard thrashing I call writing hasn’t completely scared you off. I hope you enjoyed yourself, and went through many tissues if you have a penis. If you have a vagina, then I hope you went through...whatever it is people with vaginas use to aid in their masturbation. Lip gloss? I’m pretty sure women use lip gloss for everything. Though I suppose you could be a transgender man, in which case you wouldn’t have lip gloss. I guess there’s no guarantee that all women have lip gloss either. You know, maybe I should just stop talking."

He/She coughs. There is a moment of silence. It is awkward.

"Oh, there’s one last thing. There’s some content in this episode that you’ll only see if you didn’t go to the tavern with Elise and Carrie in the previous episode. Not a whole lot, but there is some, and there will be more."

The (wo)man waves good-bye, then steps back through the hole in reality. The hole closes with a sharp zippering sound.

Continue Turn to Section 98

###98: ep2 end scene 1

Author: Andrew Russell

###99: ep2 peter

Location: Wesley and Anne’s Weapons and Armor

Speaking With: Peter

Author: Andrew Russell

’teaching_Anne’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 100

True Turn to Section 116

###100: ep2 peter teaching anne

Author: Andrew Russell

"Oh, hey you’re here," says Peter. He reaches underneath his desk and pulls out a few matrons, which he sets on the counter. "About time. Anne’s been getting impatient."

"If I’d known you were paying me today, I’d have shown up sooner," says Juliana. She snatches up the matrons, and after a quick check to make sure they are in fact worth 35 matrons, slips them into her coinpurse. "So where’s the rapscalion?"

"Waiting in the small yard behind the smithy," says Peter. He turns and opens the door into the back of the shop. "Come on, I’ll take you there."

"Somehow I doubt I’d get lost," says Juliana, peering through a small foyer, past an open-air anvil and forge, and out into a small open space.

"Yeah, but I’ve got work to do at the anvil anyway," says Peter, leading Juliana towards the backyard.

universal.state.player.is_female() Turn to Section 101

True Turn to Section 103

###101: ep2 peter attracted or not

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana has developed a crush on Peter over the past month. Turn to Section 102

Juliana is not interested in Peter. Turn to Section 103

###102: ep2 peter crush

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’attractedToPeter’

Continue Turn to Section 103

###103: ep2 peter teaching anne continued

Author: Andrew Russell

"Worried I might ruin your daughter?" says Juliana, smirking at Peter.

Peter shrugs and steps towards the smithy. "Just want to make sure you don’t try to teach her firebolt or something."

"Trust me, she’s a long ways from that," says Juliana. "I only just mastered firebolt a few weeks before leaving Chengue. Even the most basic combat spells are hard to learn."

The two enter the backyard. An older man is standing in front of a small deciduous tree, an over-the-top quizzical look on his face: Sebastian, Peter’s father. He is as broad shouldered as Peter but nowhere near as muscular. He also has much the same standing pose, and facial structure as Peter. At the far end of the backyard is a well with a simple wooden hatch secured to the top to keep Anne from falling in, a small woodshed, and a smaller outhouse. A small stone wall a little bit taller than Peter surrounds the yard, likely meant as much to serve as a fire retardant as for privacy.

Sebastian’s eyes light up when he sees Peter. "Ah, good, you’re here. Maybe you can help me. It seems that your daughter is a master of stealth and I can’t seem to find her."

Faint giggling wafts through the air, apparently from the somewhere inside the tree.

"Indeed," says Peter, his lips tugging. "Sure you’re not just getting deaf in your old age?"

"Bah. I’m only a decade or two older than you," says Peter’s father. "Maybe three. We could be brothers."

"Gonna slide right on past that," says Peter. He raises his voice. "I’d love to help, but I have work to do. Maybe Juliana can–"

As soon as Peter speaks Juliana’s name, there’s a high-pitched squeal from the tree, and a five year old girl comes flying out. She slams into Juliana’s leg, and wraps her little arms around her calf. Then she jumps backward, and starts bouncing up and down.

"Hi Juli! Hi hi hi! Didn’t know I was there did you?" says the girl in the Bondan dialect of Taironan. She is speaking so quickly, her words are tumbling over each other, making her a little bit hard to understand.

"Can’t say that I did," says Juliana in the same language. She crouches down in front of Anne, and ruffles her hair.

Sebastian frowns slightly, but after a quick glance at Peter, remains silent.

"Ready to practice magic?" asks Juliana.

"Yeah!" says Anne, throwing her arms up into the air and dancing on the balls of her feet. "Can we play with the sparkles? Those are fun."

Juliana winces internally. "Actually, today we’ll be doing meditation exercises."

Anne groans and lowers her arms. "But that’s boring."

"Yeah, but remember how frustrated you got yesterday? It took you half a dozen tries just to create two sparks," says Juliana. "These exercises make that easier."

Anne shifts her feet reluctantly. "I guess. But it’s so booring! I wanna make sparks!"

Juliana glances at Peter, who has made his way to the anvil, while Sebastian has gone inside.

"How about this. If you do a good job of your meditation exercises, we’ll play a little prank on your daddy." Turn to Section 104

"Alright look, if you do a good job on your meditation exercies, we’ll play some sparkle games, alright?" Turn to Section 111

###104: ep2 anne prank

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2AnnePrank’ "But daddy doesn’t like me to bother him when he’s working," says Anne, gnawing on a fingernail.

"Oh come on, it’ll be fine," says Juliana, sitting in the dirt, legs folded up and crossed. "We’ll just make him jump a little. It’ll be funny."

"Well, ok...But if we get in trouble, it’s your fault." Anne crawls into Juliana’s lap, and shifts around so that she’s facing the same direction as Juliana.

Continue Turn to Section 105

###105: ep2 anne meditation

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’mothersSong’

Peter glances over at the two, and flashes them a smile "Meditation exercises? You going to behave Anne?"

"Yes daddy," says Anne, smiling at her father.

"Good. I’d hate to have another talk like last week," says Peter.

"Oh, don’t worry about that," says Juliana, sharing a mischievous grin with Anne. "We’ve got a deal worked out, no problem. Isn’t that right, Anne?"

"Yup." Anne nods.

"Good." Peter turns his attention back to his work. "Glad to hear it."

Juliana and Anne share a giggle, then settle into the meditation exercises.

"Alright," says Juliana. Her voice is soft, and has taken on a soothing, melodic quality. She gently squeezes Anne’s knees. "Close your eyes, and take a deep breath. You feel the warm sunlight bathing your face? Take another deep breath, but don’t just breath in the air, breath in the warm, life-giving light of the Father–"

Anne opens her eyes and giggles. "The Father isn’t the sun, silly. The sun is why the Mother and Father came here."

"I see," says Juliana, her voice carefully controlled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Well, close your eyes, and let’s try again."

"Can we prank Daddy yet?" asks Anne.

"Have you completed your meditation yet?" asks Juliana.

"No..."

"Then what makes you think we’re ready to prank your father?" asks Juliana.

"Oh alright." Anne huffs dramatically, then closes her eyes.

"Right." Juliana starts to repeat the chant, but then stops. A memory floats up from the deep recesses of her mind: sitting in her mother’s lap, her eyes closed, while her mother sang softly, the women’s soothing melody guiding her unerringly towards the small, glowing orb of holy life deep within her. Following on the heels of the memory are words, and a tune. An old Taironan tune about a search for a father’s strong embrace. Juliana shoots a glance at Peter, admiring his muscled, round bottom as he bends over to peer into the forge. Juliana hums a little, and starts to sing.

Anne stops fidgeting. Her breathing falls into step with the song’s slow, steady beat. Juliana stumbles a few places, where her memory fails her, but she half-mumbles, half-hums until she reaches a line she does remember, and then picks up the song again.

When the song ends, there is a moment of silence, then Anne’s eyes fly open and she bounces up and down in Juliana’s lap.

"I almost got it, I almost got it," she says, craning her head back to look at Juliana. "Again! Again!"

Juliana laughs lightly, and pats the girl on the knee. "Ok, ok. Calm down."

It takes two more tries before Anne can touch the talent deep inside her. But she doesn’t just lightly touch it, like she had every other time she’d succeeded. This time she grabs it with both hands and holds it tight. The girl practically hums with power.

Anne’s eyes open, and her eyes have an extra sparkle to them, not jut reflected sunlight, but something much more internal. "Wow..."

Juliana grins, remembering well the first time she successfully opened her mind’s eye, and could see not just a tree, but the glowing aura surrounding every leaf, and every twig. When she looked at her mother, and saw not just a happy, soothing, kind woman, but an enduring, unshakeable aura of light and power. Everything seemed brighter, sharper, more colorful, more alive.

Anne looks up at Juliana and grins, then looks over at her father, who has hooked some red-hot metal over the spike on the end of the anvil, and is shaping it with careful taps of his hammer. Then the extra sparkle fades from Anne’s eyes.

Anne’s face falls. "Aww. I lost it..."

"That’s ok. We’ll get it back," says Juliana. "Close your eyes."

Juliana sings the song five more times, and Anne manages to get her hands on her talent twice more.

’ep2AnnePrank’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 106

True Turn to Section 112

###106: ep2 anne start prank

Author: Andrew Russell

After Anne’s second success, while she is still holding onto her talent, Juliana grins, and whispers into her ear. "Ready to play that prank?"

Anne nods, and a bright grin spreads across her face.

"Ok, now open your eyes." Juliana opens her own mind’s eye. "Take a little bit of your talent, and fling it into the air, like you’re throwing a pebble."

Anne’s hand draws back, then awkwardly lurches forward. Nothing happens.

"Try again."

Anne tries three more times. On the last time, a small spark of talent flows from her fingertips and into the air. Juliana mentally snatches it up, coaxes it into a full blown spark, and flits it through the air.

"Is that mine?" asks Anne with big wide eyes.

"Yours and mine," says Juliana. "Most of the power is from you. I just made it a bit bigger, and I’m controlling it. Now, what should we do with it?"

"Put it down daddy’s pants," says Anne with a giggle.

Juliana blushes. "Well, alright."

The spark zips through the air, and down Peter’s trousers.

Peter jumps, and yelps, one hand going back to grab his slightly singed bottom, while he instinctively swings to face whatever was behind him. Unfortunately, he was in the middle of swinging a hunk of red-hot metal from the forge to the anvil when he jumped. His tongs open slightly as he whips around. The man’s aura briefly intensifies as adrenaline surges through him, fueling his muscles with magical strength. The tongs whip through the air, and the red-hot hunk of metal held within them goes flying.

Right at Anne.

Anne shrieks, and hunches back against Juliana. Juliana twists, wrapping her arms around Anne a fraction of an instant before the red-hot metal strikes. It slams into Juliana’s forearm, eliciting a scream of pain as it burns into her skin. The sickly smell of burned flesh fills the air. Juliana’s arm spasms before the wound closes. The red-hot metal bounces across the dirt, and comes to rest against the slightly raised stone floor of the smithy.

Peter drops his tongs, and bolts over at the speed of a charging bull, while his daughter cries at the top of her lungs, and Juliana curses.

Peter sweeps Anne into his arms. He brushes her hair back and studied her eyes and forehead carefully. "Oh Mother, honey I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Are you ok?"

"She’s fine," says Juliana, shaking the lingering agony from her arm. "I managed to block it. She’s just scared."

Peter, finding no signs of damage, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He pulls his crying girl tight against his chest and rocks. "Thank the Mother."

Juliana starts to shake, as the adrenaline fades. If she had been a split second slower, if it weren’t for all the reaction drills Nana put her through...A child’s health doesn’t really develop until the preteen years, right about when puberty first starts to appear. Anne’s face would have been very very badly burned. At best she would have had very painful injuries for a few weeks, and more than a little scarring. At worst she would have lost an eye.

"Come on baby, let’s go inside," says Peter, carrying his daughter into their home, temporarily leaving Juliana alone.

Make a break for it. Turn to Section 107

Wait guiltily for Peter to return. Turn to Section 108

###107: ep2 peter run for it

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana tries to run away, before Peter gets back. Peter does not take kindly to this.

As soon as Peter is out of sight, Juliana scrambles to her feet, and bolts for the back of the yard.

"Hey!"

Juliana glances over her shoulder to see Peter barreling out of the smithy after her.

"Get back here!"

Juliana eeps, and turns to run harder. She reaches the wall, and jumps onto the top of the well, then leaps up to grab the top of the wall. With a mighty heave, Juliana yanks herself up, and bends over the top, preparing to roll over onto the dirt beyond. Then a large, rough hand grabs the waistline of Juliana’s trousers. Almost as soon as Peter’s fingers close over Juliana’s clothing the other hand claps against her right cheek. For a fraction of an instant, Juliana feels nothing but an impact, her hips driven lightly against the wall. Then, the hot pain catches up, and Juliana yelps and kicks. Peter lands another half a dozen hard, heavy blows to Juliana’s vulnerable bottom, while Juliana squirms and squeals. Juliana’s stomach clenches in anxiety. That smack hurt. It hurt a lot worse than the spanking Peter gave her a month ago. Madre, Peter was holding back then. This is for real. Oh boy...

"Care to tell me what Anne was babbling about?" asks Peter curtly. "Something about a sparkle and a prank?"

"Prank?" says Juliana. She laughs, but the laughter is laced with fear. "Umm. I don’t–owww!"

Peter’s hand strikes Juliana’s right cheek. "Don’t waste my time."

"It was just meant to be a little fun," says Juliana, her voice rising to a desperate whine. "I didn’t think you’d be–"

"Moving a red-hot hunk of metal from the forge to the anvil? Half my time is spent moving red-hot hunks of metal!" Peter’s heavy hand strikes Juliana’s bottom twice more. "Mother’s love woman, I assumed you were smart enough not to mess with a blacksmith when he’s working. Was I wrong in that?"

Juliana squirms in Peter’s grip, but doesn’t answer.

"And what’s even worse is that you ran." Peter yanks Juliana’s trousers and thong down to her knees. Juliana gasps as the warm spring air tickles her naked bottom and crotch. The gasp turns into a yelp when Peter’s callused hand strikes Juliana’s bare right cheek.

"What kind of example do you think you’re setting?" asks Peter. He shifts his grip on Juliana’s waist, and starts cracking his iron-hard palm repeatedly against Juliana’s left cheek. "Running away like that. What do you think Anne would think if she saw you running away? That it’s ok to dodge responsibility? That when you mess up, you should run away, rather than accepting the consequences of your actions? Well?"

"I don’t know..." moans Juliana, squirming and pounding her toes against the wall as the heat in her left cheek builds to match that in her right. "I’m sorry!"

"Not as sorry as you’re gonna be." Peter lifts Juliana off the top of the wall, and sets her down. Then, the burly blacksmith points towards the woodshed. "Into the shed. March."

Juliana dances in place, her hands flying back and rubbing the worst of the sting from her throbbing bottom.

"I said march." Peter grabs Juliana’s left arm, tugs the hand away, half-spins the Taironan around, and lands two hard blows to Juliana’s left cheek. Juliana yelps, and dances away from Peter’s hand. Peter’s grip on Juliana’s arm tightens, and he starts tugging the tender young woman towards the shed. "You do not want me to carry you."

Juliana takes one look at Peter’s stern expression, then lowers her head. She follows after Peter, walking quickly to keep up with the large man’s long, angry strides.

He opens the door and gestures for Juliana to enter.

"Ladies first?" says Juliana, smiling weakly. Juliana’s smile fades beneath Peter’s harsh glare. She lowers her head and ducks into the shed.

Peter enters behind Juliana, closing the door behind him, and bathing the two in darkness. "Make light, if you will."

Juliana creates a small orb of light, and tosses it up into the rafters. The shed feels much smaller on the inside than it looks on the outside; most of it is filled with logs and scraps of wood, likely used by the house for heating and by the forge for charcoal. There is however, a rather tall stool situated in front of the door. Hanging on the wall behind the stool are a variety of tools: an axe, a saw, a wide paddle, a leather tawse, a thin wooden cane, a thicker wooden cane, and a coiled leather whip. Juliana’s eyes latch onto the whip, and her legs start to shake.

"Congratulations," says Peter sardonically. "You’re the first person to earn a trip to my woodshed since my ex-wife left."

Juliana swallows, still staring at the whip. He wouldn’t really use that? Would he? For almost disfiguring his daughter, and then running away? "Umm. So this is where you punished-"

"We would be more precise." Peter reaches past Juliana and removes the thicker of the two canes. Juliana feels a small bit of relief, followed by fresh anxiety.

Peter flexes the cane, a distant look in his eyes. "This is where Marcela and I came whenever one of us stepped out of line. My parents and grandparents used it for the same purposes."

A small feeling of intimacy worms its way through Juliana’s chest. Peter had spent many emotional moments here, with his ex-wife. How did Peter spank her? Was he quiet? Scolding? Was he regretful? When he was done, did he comfort her, or leave her here to think about it? Was forgiveness granted then and there, or later, after they’d both calmed down? Was forgiveness given at all? Juliana feels a jolt of fear. Oh Madre, what happens if Peter doesn’t forgive her? What if he hates her? Gives her a caning, and then stops letting her teach Anne? Stops talking to her?

"I’m sorry," says Juliana. "I didn’t mean it, it won’t happen again, please don’t fire me..."

"Relax," says Peter, patting Juliana on the shoulder. "Anne wasn’t hurt, and I’m not going to fire you for doing one stupid thing. No, I’m just going to cane you silly, and plop you in the corner of the yard for a while, before sending you to the rest of your day, with plans to see you bright and early tomorrow."

Juliana feels a surge of relief. "Thank Madre. I was afraid...well, I don’t know. Anne’s a lot of fun, and I, um, well I need the money."

"We’ll see if you’re still singing the same tune when we’re done here," says Peter. "Now bend over and put your hands on the stool."

Juliana bends over and puts her hands on the stool. She locks her knees, and thrusts her tender, pinkish, plump bottom towards Peter. Juliana is surprised by a faint tingle spreading through the pit of her stomach, as she considers her position: half-naked, bent over, with her bare ass and pussy thrust out at Peter.

The cane whips through the air and cuts into Juliana’s sitspots.

Juliana shrieks. Her fingers dig into the wooden stool, while her hips rock forward, and her feet dance while a deep line of stinging fire burns through her bobbing bottom.

"What were you thinking?" asks Peter. "Did it ever cross your mind that Anne could have been hurt?"

"I, I was just trying to, I don’t know, offer her a deal. ’Do what you’re supposed to, and we’ll have some fun,’" says Juliana, her voice thickening.

The cane whishes and thwips again. Again Juliana shrieks, and again her hips buck forward, as another line of fire burns its away across Juliana’s cheeks, a few inches above the previous stripe.

"Did Anne tell you that she isn’t to play with me while I’m working?" asks Peter.

"Yes," says Juliana.

"And you insisted anyway?" The cane goes up, whips down and digs into the middle of Juliana’s bottom, right at the peak of her swelling globes.

Juliana throws her head back and howls. She stomps her feet, and a few tears start to trace down her cheek.

"Y-yes," says Juliana between pants. "I’m sorry, I was stupid–"

"Yes. Yes you were," says Peter. "Very stupid, and very dangerous."

"I won’t do it again," says Juliana, her body starting to shudder.

"No. No you won’t." Peter raises the cane.

Twice more the cane cuts into Juliana’s bottom, each stroke punctuated by a howl and a sob. Juliana is left with six parallel lines of agony, overlaid on top of an even blanket of soreness. Each stripe is a few inches apart and ranging from the very top of her cheeks to the very bottom.

"It’s over." Peter sets the cane back in its hooks on the wall, and gently pries Juliana’s fingers off the stool. Then, to Juliana’s surprise, he sits down on the stool, his legs open, and guides Juliana onto his lap, positioning the sobbing woman so that she is straddling Peter, with her striped bottom hanging in empty air.

Juliana buries her face in Peter’s warm chest, and clutches the front of his shirt. She alternates between sobbing, and mumbling apologies. Peter holds her tight, and rocks gently, murmuring words of comfort and forgiveness. As Juliana’s sobs slowly fade, she nuzzles deeper into Peter’s chest, basking in the warmth and stability of his strong grip.

"Alright, come on," says Peter after a moment, gently patting Juliana’s thigh. "Day’s not getting any younger, and I’ve got work to do. And keep your bottom bare. You’ve still got corner time, remember."

With Peter’s help, Juliana clambers off of her lap, and follows him back towards the smithy, rubbing her bottom and sniffing.

Peter makes Juliana put her hands on her head, and stand in front of the tree, butt towards the smithy. Juliana stares at the tree in front of her, listening to the rhythmic, soothing sounds of Peter working. A few times, she hears Sebastian come out to speak with Peter, and Juliana tenses, expecting some nasty remark, or scolding for endagering the man’s only grandchild. However, Sebastian never says anything to Juliana. He merely exchanges a few quiet words with Peter before returning to man the storefront. This doesn’t keep Juliana from blushing furiously, and squeezing her legs even tighter together.

"Alright, Juliana," says Peter, his voice soft. "I think that’s long enough."

Juliana sighs, and quickly tugs her panties back up, then yanks her trousers back up.

Juliana has only barely finished covering herself, when Sebastian and a relatively short Carnutian man come through the house and into the open-air smithy.

"Peter," says Sebastian. "Dan’s here to see you."

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s plump bottom has received a new layer of redness, along with half a dozen straight, evenly spaced lines of the cane.

Continue Turn to Section 115

###108: ep2 peter wait

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana takes a step towards the smithy, then backs up. She takes another step, then stops and stares at the door. "Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid."

She starts to pace, alternating between running her hands through her hair, wringing her hands, and gnawing on her fingernails. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Peter briefly looks out, sees Juliana, and ducks back inside. Juliana feels a jolt of adrenaline, then a brief bit of confusion. Probably making sure Juliana isn’t making a run for it. Did he really think she’d do that? That she’d be so craven not to admit and apologize for her stupidity?

"Madre, playing a prank on a man working with molten metal, what was I thinking? It’d be bad enough if it was just the two of us. But it wasn’t just us! Of course Peter would jump a little if a hot spark went down his pants. Of course if he was holding a hunk of molten metal it’d have gone flying. Anne could have been hurt! Madre, she almost was! If I’d been even a fraction of a second slower... And she doesn’t have any health. Anne’d be screaming her lungs out right now. She could have ended up blind in one eye. Madre, how could I have been so stupid? Peter probably hates me now. W-well, well he should. Because I’m stupid. I’m a horrible, stupid little–"

Peter comes outside, his expression stony. Juliana’s babbling stops. The bottom drops out of her stomach. Her knees go weak. Her eyes flick down to her sandals.

Peter’s heavy boots come into Juliana’s view, and he towers over Juliana. "Anne told me what happened. Care to explain what the hell you were thinking?"

Juliana starts gnawing ferociously on a thumbnail. "I...I don’t know. I guess, I just, I wanted Anne to cooperate. So I thought a little fun–"

"You thought shoving a hot spark down my pants while I was working with molten metal would be fun?" Peter’s booming voice slams into Juliana like a ton of bricks.

Juliana backs up a step, locking her teeth around her thumbnail. "I–"

"It’d be bad enough if it was just you and me out here. A bit of wasted effort." Peter’s boots step forward. He grabs Juliana’s chin and yanks her face up, forcing her to look into Peter’s blazing eyes. "But Anne was with you! She could have been hurt. Mother, she almost was! And she doesn’t have any health you dimwit. She’d be screaming her lungs out right now! I’d be holding her thrashing body down while Paloma treated her! And what could Paloma do? Wrap a few bandages around it. That’s it. My baby girl would be in agony, and there’d be nothing I could do. You almost maimed my baby girl! She could have ended up blind in one eye. Permanently blinded! She–"

Peter stops. Juliana is bawling her eyes out. Her body is shaking, and she’s bitten her thumbnail down to the quick.

’attractedToPeter’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 109

True Turn to Section 110

###109: ep2 peter wait attracted to him

Author: Andrew Russell

Peter sighs. He lets go of Juliana’s chin. The two stand there for a moment, Peter looking awkward, while Juliana sobs. She opens her mouth and tries to to apologize, but no words come out. They get stuck in her throat. They start choking her.

"Mother’s curse woman, I haven’t even started spanking you yet," says Peter, his voice soft.

Juliana’s mouth works soundlessly. Images flash through her mind. Images of Anne crying. Of the scalding agony of a burned hand, only the pain doesn’t go away. Of burn scars, the first thing potential suitors would see. Juliana slips past Peter and runs for the street.

Peter catches her around the arm in an iron grip. "Where do you think you’re going? If you think you can escape the spanking of your life–"

Juliana shakes her head, but doesn’t try to pull away. She just hangs, letting Peter’s hold support her.

"That’s not why you’re running is it?" asks Peter. Peter pulls Juliana into a firm hug. "Come on, it’s not that big of a deal, and I’m sorry I overreacted. You just scared me, is all."

Juliana’s mouth works. She tries to apologize, but again she chokes on the words. Tears of frustration join her tears of guilt. Why do they keep getting stuck?

"Come on. Let’s get your thrashing over with." Peter guides Juliana towards the small woodshed situated at the back of the yard.

Once inside, Juliana’s eyes flick over the sawdust covered piles of wood that dominate the shed. Just inside is a rather tall stool that’s just large enough for Peter to sit comfortably on. Hanging on the wall above it are a variety of implements. There’s a cane, a paddle, a rather short tawse, even a whip. Juliana’s eyes widen when she sees the whip.

"Grandpa used to have a few horses. The whip was for them," says Peter. He sidles past Juliana and sits down on the stool. He pats his knee. "Now come here and lay across my lap."

Juliana grabs the waistband of her trousers.

"I’ll take care of that," says Peter, his voice firm but not unkind. He grabs Juliana’s hips in a firm hold, and guides her to a spot next to the stool. "Now over you go."

Juliana takes a gulping breath. She tries to hop up onto Peter’s lap, but doesn’t quite hop enough, and starts to slide back down. Peter grabs the back of Juliana’s trousers with one hand, cups his hand under Juliana’s bottom with the other, and lifts Juliana fully up onto his lap, leaving Juliana’s hands and legs dangling in mid-air. Juliana quickly grabs Peter’s hard, solid leg with one hand, and the stool leg with the other.

"I won’t let you fall," says Peter.

Juliana nods.

"Bend your knees," says Peter. "I need to reach your sandals."

Juliana does as ordered.

Peter removes the sandals, and let’s one fall to the floor, while he pins the other between his hand and the small of Juliana’s back. "Alright, straighten your legs."

Juliana does as ordered, her body shuddering with tears and dread.

Next, Peter lowers Juliana’s trousers and pushes them completely over and off of Juliana’s bare feet, leaving them to pool on the floor. Juliana’s thong follows soon after.

Peter presses his right hand against Juliana’s bottom, his large hand enveloping Juliana’s right cheek, and his fingers pressing lightly against Juliana’s side. Juliana squirms a little bit at the acute vulnerability of her position: naked from hip to toe, dangling helplessly from Peter’s lap, with Peter’s callused hand pressing against her soft bottom.

Peter’s hand leaves Juliana’s bottom. His grip on Juliana’s back tightens. Then, his hand arcs through the air and strikes her naked cheeks. A resounding crack echoes through the shack and Juliana gasps. Not only was the blow loud, but it stung something fierce, especially over the welts lingering from a previous spanking. Juliana doesn’t have much time to process the blow before another lands. And another, and another. Each blow is administered with every ounce of strength contained in Peter’s large muscles, and it isn’t long before Juliana’s cheeks are scalding, and the girl starts squirming and yelping. Peter doesn’t slow his barrage however, his large hand striking Juliana’s exposed cheeks repeatedly and without mercy.

Juliana’s sobs, which had started to die down, return with full force. She kicks her legs, then yelps even louder when her toes crack against the hard wooden wall.

"Sorry. Forgot to warn you, walls a little close," says Peter. He shifts Juliana more fully onto his left knee, then swings his right leg over Juliana’s quivering thighs, holding her pinned. A tingle races through Juliana’s body, centered on her pussy at the intimate contact, despite the growing inferno in her bottom.

Then Peter shifts Juliana’s sandle from his left hand to his right. He slaps the hard leather sole against Juliana’s left cheek, and all thoughts of intimacy are chased from Juliana’s mind by the blaze of pain. Peter applies the sandal with the same merciless strength he applied his hand, leaving Juliana to buck and squeal. Her cries and the sharp thwack of leather on bare flesh intermingle into an all-consuming cacophany, and Juliana’s world narrows to the inferno spreading across her cheeks, and the harsh sounds seeming to batter her from all directions.

"I’m sorry!" cries Juliana at last, the words finally dislodged by the pain and helplessness. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so su-sorry!"

Peter lands another half a dozen stinging slaps, then tosses the sandal onto the ground. He rubs the worst of the sting from Juliana’s bottom. "You’re forgiven."

Peter awkwardly pulls his large leg off of Juliana’s thighs, and slips it back underneath them. His large hand gently massages Juliana’s flaming cheeks, while his other rubs small circles on Juliana’s back. At first, Juliana just lies across Peter’s knee and cries. Eventually, as she calms down, she becomes more and more aware of her hips pressed against Peter’s large, solid, warm legs, and of his gentle hands massaging her sensitive cheeks and back. Juliana rocks her hips a little, as a different kind of warmth spreads through her body.

"Alright," says Peter, patting Juliana lightly on the bottom. "Let’s get you up. Day’s not getting any younger."

Juliana pouts, but lets Peter help her clamber off of the blacksmith’s lap.

"Get yourself decent again, well, mostly decent anyway," says Peter. He shakes a finger at Juliana. "And don’t go thinking that I’ve fired you, or that you can quit over some foolish guilt trip. You did something stupid, you got punished, it’s over. If you’re not here bright and early tomorrow to continue Anne’s training I will smack your bottom again, and this time it won’t be in the privacy of the woodshed."

"Yes sir," says Juliana, feeling more warmth in the pit of her stomach. She wipes the tears from her face and gets changed.

As the two return to the forge, they find Sebastian and another man, a fairly short Carnutian man, waiting for them.

"Peter," says Sebastian. "Dan’s here to see you."

Continue Turn to Section 115

###110: ep2 peter wait not attracted to him

Author: Andrew Russell

"Come on," says Peter, gesturing for Juliana to follow him. "Let’s take this someplace more private."

Juliana follows Peter to a small woodshed set at the back of the property. Most of the woodshed is taken up by piles of wood, some likely used to heat the home, others to provide charcoal for the forge. However, just inside the door is a small stool. On the wall above the stool are a variety of implements, including a cane, a paddle, and a whip. Juliana’s eyes widen when she sees the whip.

"Grandpa used to have a few horses. The whip as for them," says Peter. He sidles past Juliana and sits down on the stool. He pats his knee. "Now come here and lay across my lap."

Juliana grabs the waistband of her trousers.

"I’ll take care of that," says Peter, his voice firm but not unkind. He grabs Juliana’s hips in a firm hold, and guides her to a spot next to the stool. "Now over you go."

Juliana takes a gulping breath. She tries to hop up onto Peter’s lap, but doesn’t quite hop enough, and starts to slide back down. Peter grabs the back of Juliana’s trousers with one hand, cups his hand under Juliana’s bottom with the other, and lifts Juliana fully up onto his lap, leaving Juliana’s hands and legs dangling in mid-air. Juliana quickly grabs Peter’s hard, solid leg with one hand, and the stool leg with the other.

"I won’t let you fall," says Peter.

Juliana nods.

"Bend your knees," says Peter. "I need to reach your sandals."

Juliana does as ordered.

Peter removes the sandals, and let’s one fall to the floor, while he pins the other between his hand and the small of Juliana’s back. "Alright, straighten your legs."

Juliana does as ordered, her body shuddering with tears and dread.

Next, Peter lowers Juliana’s trousers and pushes them completely over and off of Juliana’s bare feet, leaving them to pool on the floor. Juliana’s thong follows soon after.

Peter presses his right hand against Juliana’s bottom, his large hand enveloping Juliana’s right cheek, and his fingers pressing lightly against Juliana’s side. Juliana squirms a little bit at the acute vulnerability of her position: naked from hip to toe, dangling helplessly from Peter’s lap, with Peter’s callused hand pressing against her soft bottom.

Peter’s hand leaves Juliana’s bottom. His grip on Juliana’s back tightens. Then, his hand arcs through the air and strikes Juliana’s bottom. A resounding crack echoes through the room and Juliana gasps. Not only was the blow loud, but it stung something fierce, especially over the welts lingering from a previous spanking. Juliana doesn’t have much time to process the blow before another lands. And another, and another. Each blow is administered with every ounce of strength contained in Peter’s large muscles, and it isn’t long before Juliana’s cheeks are scalding, and the girl starts squirming and yelping. Peter doesn’t slow his barrage however, his large hand striking Juliana’s exposed cheeks repeatedly and without mercy.

Juliana starts to sob. She kicks her legs, then yelps even louder when her toes crack against the hard wooden wall.

"Sorry. Forgot to warn you, walls a little close," says Peter. He shifts Juliana more fully onto his left knee, then swings his right leg over Juliana’s quivering thighs, holding her pinned. A tingle races through Juliana’s body, centered on her pussy at the intimate contact, despite the growing inferno in her bottom.

Then Peter shifts Juliana’s sandle from his left hand to his right. He slaps the hard leather sole against Juliana’s left cheek, and all thoughts of intimacy are chased from Juliana’s mind by the blaze of pain. Peter applies the sandal with the same merciless strength he applied his hand, leaving Juliana to buck and squeal. Her cries and the sharp thwack of leather on bare flesh intermingle into an all-consuming cacophany, and Juliana’s world narrows to the inferno spreading across her cheeks, and the harsh sounds seeming to batter her from all directions.

"I’m sorry!" cries Juliana. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so su-sorry!"

Peter lands another half a dozen stinging slaps, then tosses the sandal onto the ground. He rubs the worst of the sting from Juliana’s bottom. "You’re forgiven."

Juliana relaxes, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"Alright," says Peter, patting Juliana lightly on the bottom. "Let’s get you up. Day’s not getting any younger."

Juliana clambers off of Peter’s lap.

"Get yourself decent again, well, mostly decent anyway," says Peter. He shakes a finger at Juliana. "And don’t go thinking that I’ve fired you, or that you can quit over some foolish guilt trip. You did something stupid, you got punished, it’s over. If you’re not here bright and early tomorrow to continue Anne’s training I will smack your bottom again, and this time it won’t be in the privacy of the woodshed."

"Yes sir," says Juliana. She wipes the tears from her face and gets changed.

As the two return to the forge, they find Sebastian and another man, a fairly short Carnutian man, waiting for them.

"Peter," says Sebastian. "Dan’s here to see you."

Continue Turn to Section 115

###111: ep2 anne carrot

Author: Andrew Russell

"’Kay," says Anne.

Juliana sits down cross-legged, and pats her knee. Anne clambers into Juliana’s lap, and turns so that the two are facing the small tree.

Continue Turn to Section 105

###112: ep2 anne play

Author: Andrew Russell

After Anne’s second success, while she is still holding onto her magic, Juliana grins, and whispers into her ear. "Ready to play?"

Anne nods, and a bright grin spreads across her face.

"Ok, now open your eyes." Juliana opens her own mind’s eye. "Take a little bit of your magic, and fling it into the air, like you’re throwing a pebble."

Anne’s hand draws back, then awkwardly lurches forward. Nothing happens.

"Try again."

Anne tries three more times. On the last time, a small spark of magic flows from her fingertips and into the air. Juliana mentally snatches it up, and coaxes it into a full blown spark, and flits it through the air.

"Is that mine?" asks Anne with big wide eyes.

"Yours and mine," says Juliana. "Most of the power is from you. I just made it a bit bigger, and I’m controlling it. Now, what should we do with it?"

Anne frowns. Juliana feels a gentle tug on the sparkle, but doesn’t fight it. The sparkle jerks a little to the left, then to the right.

"Wow," says Anne.

Juliana conjures three more sparkles, one red, one green, and one blue, and sends them dancing around Anne’s white sparkle like faeries dancing in a forest glen. Anne laughs, and claps her hands together. Her sparkle flickers and starts to fade as Anne loses her concentration, but Juliana snatches it up, and sends it dancing with the other two.

"Can I try?" asks Anne.

"Of course," says Juliana. She puts her fingertips against the sides of Anne’s head, and concentrates. Small tendrils of magic slip into little girl’s mind, giving Anne a connection to the tiniest sliver of Juliana’s talent.

The sparkles start to dance chaotically about the courtyard, starting and stopping randomly as Anne’s attention shifts awkwardly from one to another, like a novice harpist trying to keep track of both hands at once.

"Your turn!" Anne jumps out of Juliana’s lap and runs off to chase the sparkles.

Juliana sends them dancing around Anne’s head, zipping between her fingers, past her ears, and skipping across her forearm.

The girl squeals happily, and pulls her forearm tight against her body. "That tickles!"

"Better not let them touch you then," says Juliana, sending the sparkles zooming for Anne.

Anne laughs, and starts racing around the yard, ducking and dodging the flitting sparkles, squealing every time one manages to touch her.

Eventually, her running slows. She walks over to Juliana, and flops into her lap.

"All tuckered out?" asks Juliana as she extinguishes the sparkles.

Juliana glances at Peter, and realizes with a start that he isn’t working. Instead, he appears to have been watching his daughter play.

Juliana rubs the top of Anne’s head, then glances up at Peter. Peter is leaning against the stone pillar holding up the smithy roof. A small smile is on his lips as he watches his daughter cuddle with Juliana. Peter shares the smile with Juliana.

’attractedToPeter’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 113

True Turn to Section 114

###113: ep2 peter small conversation

Author: Andrew Russell

It isn’t long before Anne has fallen asleep.

"Didn’t think she’d played that hard," says Peter, his voice pitched low to keep from waking her. Anne stirs a little at the sound of his voice, but doesn’t awaken.

"Magic’s exhausting." Juliana lightly traces her fingers down Anne’s cheek, just like her own mother had done with her. "Even something as simple as touching your talent can be hard for a girl Anne’s age."

"Hmm." Peter sits down next to Juliana, his eyes never leaving his child.

"Shouldn’t you be working?" asks Juliana.

"I needed a break," says Peter.

The two sit in silence for a moment.

"So that song you were singing," says Peter.

Juliana blushes. "Sounded pretty terrible didn’t I?"

"Well, court musician isn’t exactly in your future," says Peter, casting a careful look at Juliana. "But it was still nice. What was it about?"

"Thought it’d be obvious," says Juliana. She shifts a little to keep her legs from falling asleep.

"You were singing in Taironan," says Peter. "I’ve picked up a few words here and there: ’hola,’ ’papa,’ ’mama.’ Not enough to understand a song."

"Right, sorry. It’s about a little boy and girl, brother and sister. Their father’s vanished, so they go in search of him," says Juliana. "The verses are about the adventures they have trying to find him, while the chorus is about him. His warmth, his dependability, his anger, his love."

"Do they find him?" asks Peter.

Juliana shrugs. "There are dozens of different varieties. Some only have three verses, others have twenty or more. Some are whimsical, others horrifying. But they never find him. At least, not in any of the versions I’ve heard."

"Dark." Peter shifts a bit closer to Juliana.

"Maybe. But I’ve never heard a version where the kids gave up either," says Juliana.

Another beat of silence.

"Anne seems to like you," says Peter. "I was a little worried, because you know, her mother."

"What happened to her? Did she die?" asks Juliana.

Peter shakes his head. "Left."

"Why?"

"I don’t want to discuss it," says Peter curtly, pushing himself to his feet.

"You’re the one who brought her up," says Juliana defensively.

"It was a mistake. Sorry. Didn’t mean to snap at you," says Peter as he pays careful attention to brushing off his trousers. "Brings back bad memories, is all."

At that moment, Sebastian, and another, relatively short and squat man, enter the backyard.

Peter smiles. "Dan, hey. How’s life?"

Peter’s smile wavers before Dan’s grim look.

"Sebastian, could you take Anne inside?" asks Peter.

Juliana pulls Anne into her arms and pushes herself to her feet. Anne stirs and her face presses against Juliana’s shoulder.

Sebastian takes the girl, whose eyes flutter open.

"Daddy?" asks Anne.

"Just go inside and see grandma, sweetheart," says Peter, giving the girl a tender smile.

"Hmm. Bye Juli," says Anne sleepily as Sebastian carries her inside.

As Sebastian and Anne leave, Juliana becomes aware of Dan studying her. Juliana shifts from foot to foot.

Continue Turn to Section 115

###114: ep2 anne goes to grandma

Author: Andrew Russell

"’Kay." Anne skips into the home.

Peter smiles as he watches his daughter leave. "You know, I really am grateful for your help with Anne. Means a lot to me. And Grandpa was so dissapointed that his magic skipped not one, but two generations. I’m sure he’d be delighted to see his great-grandkid learning magic."

Juliana shrugs. "Well, you are paying me, and I do need the money."

"Yeah, but I still appreciate it," says Peter. He turns back to his forge. "Makes me sleep a hell of a lot better at night."

Juliana nods. She decides to run through a few of her own meditation exercises. Things have been chaotic at the guild for the past few weeks, and Peter’s yard is nice and peaceful. Perfect place for a bit of sitting and thinking.

When she finishes, Juliana stands and brushes off her trousers. "Well, I should be going. See you tomorrow."

"Bright and early," says Peter.

Before Juliana can leave, Sebastian enters the yard, a small and squat man coming up behind him.

"Peter," says Sebastian. "Dan’s here to see you."

Continue Turn to Section 115

###115: ep2 peter buckles canceled

Author: Andrew Russell

"Is something wrong?" asks Peter.

"Yeah," says Dan. He shifts his stance, his eyes flicking between Peter and Juliana. "Look, I’m sorry, Pete, I am. But I’m going to have to cancel the order."

"You’re kidding," says Peter. "Why?"

Dan shrugs. "My order got canceled too. You know Jake the merchant, right? Tends to circle through the Thousin in the spring, summer and fall? Spends his winters farther north to escape the winter night?"

"Yeah, I know him," says Peter impatiently.

"Well, just got a letter from him." Dan holds up a crumpled piece of paper. "Bastard’s not coming here this summer. Too unstable he says."

Peter takes the letter and reads it. He sags, and hands it back. "I see."

"I’m sorry," says Dan. He glances about the small yard, careful not to look at Juliana. "I know things have been hard for you lately, and you were depending on this. I mean, it hurts me too, but I’ve got other projects. Might have to patch old clothing a bit longer than my wife’d like, but we’re not in danger of starving or anything."

"I’ll be fine," says Peter. "Making nails for Adrian. Guy needs a ton for his repairs."

"Nails?" says Dan. "Come on Pete, that’s apprentice work–"

"Do you see any apprentices here?" roars Peter, his arm sweeping out to take in the smithy, his heavy hand almost hitting Dan.

Dan and Juliana back up a step. Peter’s voice echoes and reechoes through the yard.

Sebastian puts a hand on Peter’s shoulder. "Calm down, son."

Peter takes a deep breath. "It’s keeping us fed and sheltered. The food is crap, and the shelter’s cold, but it’s something."

"Sorry," says Dan. "Wish I could do more, but–"

"I know, I know, coming to me was risky enough as it was," says Peter. "Barely justified by the size of the order and my light workload. I appreciate it, Dan, and I’m sorry for yelling like that. I’ll make it work. There’s actually been a project I’ve been thinking of proposing to Adrian, to make his guild a bit more secure. It’ll be pretty complicated, and I’ll probably have to charge barely above the cost of materials, but it should be enough to get us through the summer. I hope."

"If you want, I can talk to Adrian," says Juliana.

Peter shakes his head. "I appreciate the offer, but Dad or I’ll take care of it. Probably Dad. He and Adrian get along better."

"Ok," says Juliana. "But if you need anything, ask."

Peter gives Juliana an appreciative smile. His smile fades as he looks back at the forge. "I need to get back to work. Nails, you know."

"Yeah, see you around Pete," says Dan. "Maybe you should come over for dinner sometime. Bring Anne."

"Yeah. Sometime," says Peter, turning back to the forge. "See you around Dan."

"I should get going too," says Juliana.

Peter waves over his shoulder. "See you."

###116: ep2 peter conversation

Author: Andrew Russell

"What can I do for you, Juliana?" asks Peter.

"I have a question. Been meaning to ask you about this, but I kept forgetting. I have this enchant gem I got off one of the Vengadores attacking the guild. Think you’d be willing to help me imbue a piece of my equipment with it?" Turn to Section 117

"Well, I need to be going. See you." Turn to Section 118

###117: ep2 peter shop mode

Author: Andrew Russell

Peter frowns, and studies the gem for a moment. "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of these. Not since the campaign. I’ll need to do a bit of research, refresh how to enchant equipment, alright? I don’t want to break anything."

"OK," says Juliana, slipping the gem back into her bag. "See you around."

###118: ep2 peter leave

Author: Andrew Russell

"See you," says Peter, turning his attention to other things.

###119: ep2 dont help repair guild

Author: Andrew Russell

"Well, get along then," says Ildri.

###120: ep2 elise prologue

Location: Shrine

Speaking With: Elise

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana enters the orphanage, and asks one of the nearby Brothers about the location of Elise. The Brother points towards Sister Samantha’s office at the end of the hall. Juliana makes her way to the door, and knocks.

"Come in," calls Sister Samantha’s voice.

Juliana pushes the door open and enters.

’second_hand_tragedy’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 121

True Turn to Section 126

###121: ep2 elise second hand tragedy

Author: Andrew Russell

Elise tenses when she sees Juliana, and glances at Samantha, who has also tensed.

"Juliana," says Sister Samantha. "I, I wasn’t expecting to see you here, all things considered. And I’m sorry, about what I said. I know nothing about your history, or how much you’ve suffered because of the Church’s actions. I was too wrapped up in my own pain to see yours."

"Obviously. Now if you’d excuse me, I’d like to talk to Elise for a few minutes." Turn to Section 122

"It’s not that big a deal. You said something stupid. I say stupid stuff all the time." Turn to Section 125

###122: ep2 elise second hand tragedy still annoyed

Author: Andrew Russell

"Of course," says Sister Samantha. She stands. "I should probably check in on my Sisters anyway. Make sure our kids aren’t eating them alive."

Sister Samantha leaves the room.

"You really should let her apologize," says Elise. "She said something stupid, she knows she said something stupid and it’s tearing her up."

"I don’t want to talk about it," says Juliana curtly. "I just wanted to see if you needed anything for Carrie’s graduation party."

"Making up with Sister Samantha so that things aren’t awkward at the party?" says Elise with an uneasy smile.

Juliana scowls.

"Come on, Juli," says Elise. "Don’t you think you’re making a bit of a big deal out of this? I mean, yeah, she said something stupid and hurtful, but if I had an apple for everytime an otherwise decent person said something stupid and hurtful to someone else, no one would go hungry again."

"So because everyone does it, it’s ok?" asks Juliana, crossing her hands over her chest.

"No, of course not. I’m just, it’s a part of life, you know? Alice is a jerk to Bob. Bob gets pissed. Alice feels bad. Bob forgives her, they move on. Sister Samantha raised us, and it sucks seeing you scowl everytime one of us mentions her."

"I suppose you’re right. All right, I’ll talk to her." Turn to Section 123

"Look, can we please just not talk about it?" Turn to Section 124

###123: ep2 elise second hand tragedy still annoyed forgive Samantha

Author: Andrew Russell

"Great. I’ll go get her." Elise hurries out the door, a broad grin on her face.

A few seconds later, Elise and Sister Samantha return.

Sister Samantha and Juliana stare at each other for a moment.

"I’m sorry," says Sister Samantha. "What I said was insensitive and cruel."

"Yeah," says Juliana. "But whatever. It’s not that big of a deal. I guess. Just don’t do it again, alright?"

Sister Samantha smiles. "I’ll do my best."

"Yes," Elise pumps her arm. "Score one for Elise’s diplomatic acumen."

Both Juliana and Sister Samantha give Elise incredulous looks.

"What? It was totally my irresistible charisma that convinced Juliana to forgive you," says Elise.

"If you say so dear," says Sister Samantha, sitting behind her desk.

"It was!"

"And I was agreeing with you."

"Not according to your voice tone."

Sister Samantha turns to Juliana. "So, is there anything you need?"

"Well, I was just wondering if Elise needed my help with anything. You know, besides trying to smooth things over with you so that Carrie’s party isn’t awkward or anything," says Juliana.

Continue Turn to Section 127

###124: ep2 elise second hand tragedy still annoyed dont forgive Samantha

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2EliseAnnoyedAtPlayersStubbornness’

Elise turns away and glares at the wall. "No. I don’t need anything. Thanks for asking. Feel free to go about your day."

The two stand in awkward silence.

"Come on, Elise, don’t be like that," says Juliana at last.

Elise doesn’t answer.

"Fine." Juliana yanks open the door and stomps out. She gives it a good slam as she leaves.

###125: ep2 elise second hand tragedy make up

Author: Andrew Russell

Sister Samantha smiles, and bows her head. "Thank you. Now, is there something you need?"

"I just wanted to drop by, see how Elise was doing, and if she needed anything for Carrie’s graduation party," says Juliana.

Continue Turn to Section 127

###126: ep2 elise greeting

Author: Andrew Russell

"Hey, Juli," says Elise with a broad grin. "What’s up?"

"Just wondering if you needed my help getting ready for Carrie’s graduation party. It’s coming up, right?" says Juliana.

Continue Turn to Section 127

###127: ep2 elise gripe

Author: Andrew Russell

"Well for starters you could assassinate Amelia Silverstone," says Elise sardonically.

"Sister Elizabeth," says Sister Samantha. She leans over the desk and swats Elise’s bottom. "That was grossly inappropriate."

"I was just joking." Elise hops a little, and snaps her hands back to shield her bottom. "Can’t you take a joke?"

"Joke or not, it was very disrespectful," says Sister Samantha as she settles back into her chair. "Not only is she a member of the king’s inner circle, but she will be your mother-in-law in a little over a month. A proper lady does not joke about murdering her mother-in-law."

"Then being a proper lady sucks," says Elise as she rubs her bottom.

"Well, you won’t get any argument from me on that one," says Sister Samantha, folding her hands on her desk.

Juliana frowns. "What does your future mother-in-law have to do with Carrie’s party?"

Sister Samantha groans, and buries her face in her hand.

"Excellent question, and one that’s afflicted me for weeks. The bi–" Elise stops and glances at Sister Samantha.

Sister Samantha doesn’t return the look. She’s too busy studying her wall of implements.

"Dame Silvestone has decided that I should invite a variety of young noblewomen my own age to this party, despite the fact that none of them even know Carrie exists, let alone care about her graduation. Apparently, she thinks this would be a great way for me to start ingratiating myself with them. Because nothing is so sacred that Dame Silverstone won’t try to use it for political gain," says Elise in a syrupy sweet voice. "She’s so very brilliant. When I grow up, I want to be just like her."

"Elise, words aren’t the only way to be disrespectful," says Sister Samantha in a warning tone.

"Well it’s dumb," says Elise, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am not going to use my best friend’s graduation as an excuse to score political points. This party should be about Carrie. The wedding will be plenty of opportunity to ’ingratiate’ myself with whoever the hell Amelia wants me to ingratiate myself with. And you raised me with too much integrity to fake respect."

Sister Samantha rests her cheek in her hand, and gives Elise a look containing a mixture of pride and exasperation. "Indeed. Just one of my many mistakes. The nobility are going to eat you alive, and Roland won’t be able to help you. Guy’s as crafty as a box of rocks."

Elise bristles. "Roland is perfectly intelligent."

"I didn’t say he was stupid, I said he wasn’t crafty," says Sister Samantha. "Big difference. Dame Silverstone on the other hand, is politically savvy enough to be downright dangerous. While I agree that Carrie’s graduation should be about her, and not about you, I would suggest that you do give some thought to Dame Silverstone’s suggestions in the future. Following her suggestions will ensure you a solid position in the gossip hierarchy."

"Like I care about that," says Elise. "Anyway, is Brother Mathew still at the Lowen Monastery?"

Sister Samantha makes a face. "You’re not really suggesting we invite him, are you? Last time he saw Carrie, she slipped a laxative in his drink."

"Oh come on, that was like five years ago," says Elise.

"Three."

"Whatever. I’m sure he’s over it," says Elise. "He always did have a good sense of humor. And he was one of our best teachers."

"I’ll just be going," says Juliana.

"You better not miss the party," says Elise. "Carrie’d be devastating."

"Speaking of which, where is Carrie?" asks Juliana. "I want to drop by and see how she’s doing."

Sister Samantha cocks her head thoughtfully. "Umm...I think she’s working with Sister Terese right now. You know, trying to create a version of potions that aren’t as addictive, but just as potent. Just head back to the Shrine. I’ll send a message to Carrie in a second."

"Alright," says Juliana. "See you."

"Bye," says Elise. "Anyway, is he–"

Juliana steps outside and returns to the Shrine.

Note: To wait for Carrie, simply select (T)alk and choose Carrie.

###128: ep2 carrie

Location: offStage

Speaking With: Carrie

Author: Andrew Russell

’ep2BeginningLostTemperWithCarrie’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 129

True Turn to Section 134

###129: ep2 carrie lost temper apologize

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana paces anxiously around the shrine, the events of last night cycling endlessly through her head. A lead weight sits in the pit of her stomach.

"Hey," says a small voice.

Juliana turns to see Carrie standing in one of the doorways in the back of the shrine. Her hair is pulled back into a three-strand plaite. A light blue headband helps to keep her hair out of her face. She is wearing a long-sleeve shirt that completely covers her chest and a pair of light blue trousers. Both the shirt and trousers are marred by a small collection of minor stains. A pair of worn, heavily stained brown oxhide boots finishes off the ensemble. Carrie’s shoulders are hunched, and she is staring fixedly at the floor. She holds a heavy wooden hairbrush in front of her, twisting and turning it.

"Hi," says Juliana.

There is a moment of awkward silence.

"I’m sorry," says Carrie at last. "I didn’t mean to be a jerk. I was kind of tipsy, and not really thinking right and, and I’m sorry."

"I’m sorry too. I never should have yelled at you like that." Turn to Section 130

"You should be sorry. How would you feel if some guy who wanted to sleep with you wouldn’t take no for an answer?" Turn to Section 131

###130: ep2 carrie lost temper double apology

Author: Andrew Russell

Carrie smiles a little. Then she holds out the brush. "Would you umm, would you paddle me?"

Juliana approaches the student. "I don’t think thats necessary."

Carrie bites her lower lip, and holds the brush up higher. "Please? It’ll make me feel better."

"Well, alright. But only because you’re asking me to." Turn to Section 132

"No. You don’t deserve it. And I just wouldn’t feel right spanking you for it." Turn to Section 133

###131: ep2 carrie lost temper chastise

Author: Andrew Russell

Carrie shrinks further into herself. She slips a strand of hair into her mouth and starts gnawing frantically. Still staring at the ground, she holds out the hairbrush for Juliana to take.

"Are you asking for a paddling?" asks Juliana curtly.

Carrie nods, and starts chomping harder.

"Then look at me and ask for it," says Juliana.

Carrie slowly raises her eyes up to Juliana’s, then flicks them back down again.

Juliana crosses her arms and waits.

Carrie forces her eyes to meet Juliana’s stern gaze. She holds out the hairbrush, her hands shaking slightly. Her voice is choked, on the verge of tears. "Would you, would you spank me?"

"Yes."

Continue Turn to Section 132

###132: ep2 carrie lost temper paddle

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana takes the hairbrush and guides Carrie to one of the front row pews. She sits down and pats her lap. "Pants down, and over my knee."

Carrie gnaws anxiously on her lower lip, but obediantly shimmies her pants down her legs. Then she lays herself across Juliana’s lap, her large, bouncy bottom dominating Juliana’s view. As usual, the young woman is wearing only a g-string beneath her trousers, leaving her wobbling cheeks completely exposed. She squirms a little, setting off a little fire in Juliana’s belly.

Juliana presses firmly on the small of her back, and raises the hairbrush. "Ready?"

Carrie squeaks and squirms.

Juliana snaps her arm down, cracking the hairbrush against Carrie’s right cheek. Carrie yelps and kicks, her sensitive bottom rolling and bouncing beneath the heavy blow. Juliana flicks her wrist and snaps the brush against Carrie’s left cheek next. Carrie’s bottom wiggles in pain as her left cheek flattens and bounces back. Juliana flicks her wrist again, and again, and again. She smacks Carrie’s rolling bottom with a rapid fire rhythm of wrist-flicks, letting the hairbrush’s heavy oak do most of the work. Occasionally, she punctuates the wrist flicks with a full armed swing that makes Carrie yell.

It doesn’t take much for Carrie to start to cry. She pounds her fists against the pew, and pounds one foot against the pew, while the other hammers the floor. However, for all Carrie’s wailing and carrying on, Juliana doesn’t slow, and she doesn’t stop until Carrie’s bottom is a solid red from top to bottom.

"Alright. Get up," says Juliana.

Carrie clambers off of Juliana’s lap, then throws herself into a hug with Juliana, burying her face in her punisher’s shoulder and crying. Juliana wraps her arms around Carrie’s bobbing body, and rocks gently.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry," says Carrie through her sobs and Juliana’s shoulder. "I’ve felt terrible about it all day."

"Hush. It’s over. You’re forgiven," says Juliana.

Carrie’s cries a bit longer, but it isn’t that much time before her sobs slow, and she pulls away. She clambers off of Juliana’s lap, and hikes her pants back up, wincing as the cloth rubs against her flaming bottom. She smiles at Juliana, while wiping lingering tears off her face. "So, you up for a walk? I need to get out of this stuffy Church."

"Need a break from all your crazy potion magic, eh?" Juliana stands.

Carrie nods. "Mother’s love, yes. Sometimes, I wonder if we’ll ever make potions truly safe."

"I’m sure you’ll figure it out," says Juliana, giving Carrie’s shoulders a squeeze. "You’re a smart girl."

"Except when I’m not," mutters Carrie, scuffing her boot against the floor.

"Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself." Juliana gives Carrie’s bottom a light tap, and starts to walk towards the double doors. "Everyone’s smart except for when they’re not."

Carrie smiles, and skips up next to Juliana. "Well, you’re not wrong."

Continue Turn to Section 135

###133: ep2 carrie lost temper refuse to spank

Author: Andrew Russell

"But you forgive me right? We’re good again, right?" asks Carrie, meeting Juliana’s eyes with her watery gaze.

Juliana pulls Carrie into a hug and gives her a kiss on the forehead. "Yeah, we’re good."

Carrie’s smile widens. It’s still a bit hesitant, but it becomes less so with every second. "Great. So come on, let’s go for a walk. I need to get out of this stuffy ol’ Church."

"Need a break from all your crazy potion magic, eh?" says Juliana.

Carrie nods. "Mother’s love, yes. Sometimes, I wonder if we’ll ever make potions truly safe."

"I’m sure you’ll figure it out," says Juliana, giving Carrie’s shoulders a squeeze. "You’re a smart girl."

"Except when I’m not," mutters Carrie, scuffing her boot against the floor.

"Kinda describes us all, don’t you think?" Juliana starts to walk towards the double doors.

Carrie smiles, and skips up next to Juliana. "Well, you’re not wrong."

Continue Turn to Section 135

###134: ep2 carrie subplot begin

Author: Andrew Russell

Music: Play the pwutilities.CARRIE theme

Crazy shenanigans with Carrie. Note: It doesn’t actually take place off stage, however I don’t want Carrie to be in the Shrine until after the conversation with Elise.

Juliana paces about the small shrine. She considers sitting, but a quick rub of her still tender bottom convinces her otherwise. At one point, a young man, wearing the light blues of a student, enters and starts cleaning the altar. He ignores Juliana, but that doesn’t make things any less uncomfortable.

Eventually, Carrie comes bouncing in, her eyes sparkling, and a broad grin on her face. Her hair is pulled back into a three-strand plaite. A light blue headband helps to keep her hair out of her face. She is wearing a long-sleeve shirt that completely covers her chest and a pair of light blue trousers. Both the shirt and trousers are marred by a small collection of minor stains. A pair of worn, heavily stained brown oxhide boots finishes off the ensemble.

"Hey," says Carrie. She gives Juliana a quick hug, and kiss. "Sorry for the wait, I was in the lab with Sister Terese."

"No big deal. Working your terrible potion magic as usual?" asks Juliana, giving Carrie’s shoulders a squeeze.

Carrie rubs her forehead and shakes her head. The sparkle fades a little from her eyes, and her face grows drawn and tired. "Terrible doesn’t even begin to describe it. Our latest variation is even more unstable than usual. And since instability is correlated with addiction... Which, ok, that doesn’t prove anything of course, but it’s a pretty strong correlation, so it’s a good rule of thumb, least until we get a better handle on why these wretched things are so addictive in the first place... Gah! Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever make them safe."

"Unstable?" says Juliana uneasily. "What do you mean by unstable?"

"I mean potion plus flame equals bigger boom than normal," says Carrie, spreading her arms out in semblance of an explosion.

"And you experiment on them. In the same building as an orphanage," says Juliana, glancing towards the door. "And did you say ’bigger boom than normal?’ As in, regular potions can explode too?"

"Relax." Carrie flicks her fingers. "The miniscule quantities we work with, there wouldn’t be an explosion, so much as a brief burst of flame that might burn a hand. Nothing your health can’t handle. And our normal potions are kept deep in the cellar downstairs, surrounded by moist dirt, and without anything but dirt above them."

"I see."

"Anyway, come on, it’s a beautiful day and I’ve been stuck in that stupid lab for hours." Carrie grabs Juliana’s hand and pulls her outside onto the Church steps. Juliana follows along only too eagerly.

Continue Turn to Section 135

###135: ep2 carrie outside

Author: Andrew Russell

Music: Play the pwutilities.CARRIE theme

As the two step out into the warm sunlight, Carrie throws her hands into the air, arcs her back, and stretches. Then she gives herself a little shake. "Hmm. Sunlight. Best invention ever."

"So you say now," says Juliana. She leans against the handrail. "Dirt to gold says you’ll be sick of it in two months."

Carrie shrugs. "Prolly. All the more reason to appreciate it now. Come on, I need to get away from the Church for a bit."

The two dive into the crowded town square. The sparkle returns in full force to Carrie’s eyes as the two weave through the crowd. She starts to skip a little, as if drawing energy from the chaotic crush of people all around them. She stops and surveys the baubles and bits of food from street merchants, stops to watch shows by street magicians, or listen to the music of street musicians, tossing a few matrons to particularly good acts.

Eventually, the two find themselves at the entrance to the Craftman’s Corridor, just outside of Terry’s Tailors.

A sly expression spreads across Carrie’s face. She puts her hands behind her back and leans towards Juliana. "How’d you like to do me a favor, Juli?"

"What kind of favor?" asks Juliana.

"You ever wonder how Terry’s Tailors manages to make so much clothing?" asks Carrie. She bobs her knees, bites her lower lip and just does her level best to be as cutely innocent as possible. "Well, how’d you like to find out?"

"Why do I get the feeling that ’ask Terry’ isn’t a part of your master plan?" says Juliana, leaning backward slightly to maintain some space between herself and Carrie.

Carrie pouts. "I tried that. Jerk told me to mind my own business. So I’ve got a better idea!"

Carrie jumps up and down in excitement, then grabs Juliana’s hand and pulls her towards the side of the road. The two stop next to a cooper’s, so marked by a pair of large barrels sitting in front of the shop. She tugs Juliana’s head close, and speaks in a whisper. "The way I see it, there are probably clues hidden in Terry’s office, back behind the counter. Thing is, she spends most of her time in the office, so we need to draw her out. She usually only comes out if a customer makes a big enough fuss."

Carrie gives Juliana a crafty look, but doesn’t say anything, as if waiting for Juliana to fill in the gaps. Juliana however, remains silent.

Carrie’s pout returns. "You’re no fun."

Juliana shrugs. "Your idea. You gotta say it."

"We won’t get caught," says Carrie, grinning broadly. "Now come on, all I need from you is a teensy tiny distraction. Just make a fuss until Terry comes out of her office, and keep up the fuss while I search her office for something interesting, ’K? Trust me, nothing bad’ll happen. I mean, if she pisses you off, she’ll lose a customer. And no shop owner wants to lose a customer. She might even give you a free article of clothing."

"Carrie, you do realize what you’re proposing is kind of illegal, right? What happens if we get caught?" Turn to Section 136

"Sure, but only if you’re the one providing the distraction." Turn to Section 141

"Sure! Sounds like fun." Turn to Section 142

###136: ep2 carrie illegal

Author: Andrew Russell

Carrie reveals that if they get caught, Samantha will probably just invoke Sanctuary, and give them both a good hiding.

"Oh, that’s not a problem," says Carrie breezily with a dismissive flick of the wrist. "If we get arrested, Sister Sam will just invoke Sanctuary. Roland will complain, but he always complains, sourpuss that he is. Granted, Sister Sam’ll probably cane the skin off our butts, but eh. Not like we’ll be hooked, or forced to sit in a dank cell eating rat meat or something."

Juliana frowns. "Sanctuary?"

Carrie nods. "Yeah! See, the Matirian Church is special, being the manifestation of the Mother’s will on earth and all that. So the Church’s primary obligation is to the Mother’s laws, not the king’s. So any full Brother or Sister of the Church can invoke Sanctuary on someone, basically shielding them from persecution from the city guard."

"That’s horrible," cries Juliana, backing up a step. "So a Sister could literally get away with murder?"

"Of course not," snaps Carrie. "No one would ever invoke Sanctuary for something like that. Only for silly little things like what we’re gonna do, you know, harmless little things, or to protect Brothers and Sisters against unjust laws. For example, suppose one of those Vengadores or whatever is severely hurt in battle against the guards and is dying. Well, technically if a Sister goes to the Vengador’s aid, she’d be helping a rebel, right? She could easily be arrested for that. But she was also obeying the Mother’s tenet to care for all Her children. In that case, another Sister would invoke Sanctuary on the Sister and her patient, least until the Vengador has been fully treated. Then, the Sister isn’t forced to choose between doing what’s right, and staying out of prison."

"But what’s to keep you guys from abusing it?" says Juliana.

"We wouldn’t abuse it. We’re the Church," says Carrie.

"That’s not a reason," says Juliana.

"Whatever," says Carrie curtly. "You gonna help me or what?"

"Well, fine. But you’re the one whose going to be providing the distraction." Turn to Section 141

"Hmm. Sister Samantha would probably bail you out, but she might not me. Guess I’ll distract everyone. Being a whiny customer isn’t illegal, after all." Turn to Section 142

"I don’t think so. Thanks to Cat, I’m on thin ice with the guards as it is. Think I’d rather not push my luck." Turn to Section 137

###137: ep2 carrie refuse

Author: Andrew Russell

"Aww, come. On!" says Carrie. Her fists clench at her sides, and she stomps her foot. "What’s the big deal?"

"What part of ’against the law’ don’t you understand?" hisses Juliana, her eyes flicking to the passerbys. However, if any of them were at all interested in the two, they made no sign of it.

"And what part of ’we won’t get caught, and even if we do, Sister Sam’ll bail us out’ don’t you understand?" asks Carrie.

Juliana throws her hands into the air. "Avoiding jail isn’t the only reason to obey the law! How about the fact that every now and then, it’s the right thing to do?"

Carrie rolls her eyes. "Please. Morality doesn’t play into this. It’s not like I’m gonna try to steal her business or something. I just wanna know how she does it. Nothing wrong with that."

"Breaking into her office and stealing her secrets is still wrong," says Juliana, folding her arms across her chest.

"No it’s not," says Carrie. "We’re not hurting anyone. Just having a little fun, and maybe solving a little mystery. Life’s full of mysteries just begging to be solved. If you’re not solving mysteries, then what’s the point of living?"

Juliana rolls her eyes. "Breaking into the tailor is not going to give either of our lives meaning."

Carrie pouts for a moment, then sidles up next to Juliana. Her hands slip around Juliana’s waist, and she pushes her warm hips against hers. "Aww come on. It’ll make me happy. And you want me to be happy right? A happy lover is a good lover."

"Trust me, there are plenty of other ways I can make you happy," says Juliana. "Like going for a walk through the fields around the city, or telling you more about the history of the major Taironan cities, or about our faith."

"Come on!" says Carrie, hopping up and down. "You gotta help me, you won’t get in trouble I promise. Let your hair down and live a little will ya? Stopping being a jerk, and help me. And I won’t stop pestering you until you agree!"

"Alright, alright! But you’re serving as the distraction." Turn to Section 141

"Oh, alright, fine." Turn to Section 142

"Yeah, I’ve had enough of this." Spank Carrie Turn to Section 140

Ignore her. Turn to Section 138

###138: ep2 carrie ignore

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ignoredCarrie’

Juliana gains the keyword ’didnotHelpCarrie’

Juliana leans against the wall of a nearby building, pulls out her utility knife, and begins cleaning underneath her fingernails.

Carrie watches Juliana for a moment. Then, she begins to speak in an irritated voice. "Hello? Juliana? Kinda in the middle of something here, aren’t we?"

Juliana studies her fingernails, then swaps hands.

"Dammit Juliana don’t ignore me," says Carrie, stomping her foot.

Juliana plops down in the dirt, pulls off one of her sandals, and starts cleaning beneath her toenails.

"OK, now that’s just gross," says Carrie.

Juliana scrapes her knife against the sole of her sandal, cleaning off the worst of the dirt.

"Fine, forget I asked," says Carrie, throwing her hands in the air. "Let’s go, I don’t know, beat up some old ladies or something."

Continue Turn to Section 139

###139: ep2 practice spectral magic

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana grins. "How about we work on your spectral magic? You could use the practice."

"Hate it when you grin like that," says Carrie, petulantly. She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts.

"Really? ’Cause I love it," says Juliana. She slips her sandal back on, and stands. "How about the public sparring fields?"

"Fine," says Carrie. She gestures for Juliana to lead the way, and smiles sweetly.

By the late afternoon/early evening, both Juliana and Carrie are sweaty, dirty and kind of sore. The two make their slow way back to the Matirian Cathedral.

"See you later," says Carrie, giving Juliana’s arm a squeeze. "And remember, I’m graduating soon. I won’t make you come to the ceremony, it’s in competition with watching grass grow for most exciting show of the year. But you need to come the party."

"Sure. When’s it happening?" asks Juliana.

Carrie shrugs. "Eh. When I get around to finishing my requirements."

"So, never," says Juliana.

"Yeah, yeah. Snark snark snark." Carrie sticks her tongue out at Juliana, then heads towards the doors leading deeper into the church. "See you later!"

Juliana chuckles.

###140: ep2 carrie subplot spanking

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2SpankedCarrieInsteadOfHelping’

Juliana gains the keyword ’didnotHelpCarrie’

The player spanks Carrie for throwing a tantrum, and threatens her with a harder one if she tries to break into Terry’s Taylors on her own.

"Enough of what–hey, let go!" cries Carrie as Juliana grabs Carrie, spins her around, and bends her over the nearest barrel. She raises her other hand over her head. Carrie hops up and down, her luscious bottom bobbing. "No, wait, stop, come on Juli–oww!"

Juliana begins battering Carrie’s bottom, the soft, plushy cheeks rolling and jiggling beneath her hard, callused hand.

"Come on Juliana, you can’t–oww–solve all your–oww–problems by spanking–oww–me," says Carrie as her bottom rocks and bobs in a vain effort to evade Juliana’s hand.

"I’m not solving all my problems by spanking you. I’m just teaching you what the word ’no’ means," says Juliana. She wraps her arm around the small of Carrie’s back, and picks up the pace.

"But I’m not your–oww–responsibility," wails Carrie. She slaps the flat of her hand against the side of the barrel, and stomps her foot. "Stop it!"

"I’m your lover. That makes you my responsibility," says Juliana. She leans over and administers a burst of heavy slaps to Carrie’s sitspots. Carrie squeals and shakes her bottom. "Now stop whining, and stop squirming or your pants are coming down."

"You wouldn’t," says Carrie, her face is scarlet and turning redder by the second. She glances towards the crowded street, while Juliana continues to batter Carrie’s soft bubble butt.

"Mommy, look that girl has been naughty!" says a young boy, pointing at Juliana and Carrie.

"Yes she has," says the mother, giving her son’s arm a light tug to keep him moving on.

"What do you think she did?" asks the boy as the two wander off into the crowd.

"Now that’s not really our business, is it?"

"Look at that girl’s bottom bounce," says a man. He is standing outside a cobbler, with his arm around a woman’s shoulders. "How come your bottom doesn’t bounce like that?"

His girlfriend glares at him, then sniffs dismissively. "Because I work for a living. Not some fancy pants noble in well-made clothing sitting around eating rich food all day. Now come on, you’re starting to drool."

"If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Nana, it’s never make empty threats when dealing with bratty girls," says Juliana. She cracks her palm against the fleshiest part of Carrie’s left cheek, making the girl squeak and squirm.

Carrie stomps her foot. "This isn’t fair!"

An older woman walking by shakes her head. "When will young folk learn to just shut up and take their licks? When I was their age..."

Then the coopery door opens, and an irate, middle-aged man sticks his head out. "Hey, you stupid kids, what do you think you’re doing? Those are display pieces, not whipping posts. Get out of here ’fore I whip both your asses."

"Sorry sir," says Juliana. She pulls Carrie up, and guides her back towards the street, her hand clapping against Carrie’s bottom the whole way. "We’ll move along then."

The cooper grunts grumpily, and disappears back into the shop.

"Ok, ok you can stop now," says Carrie, her hands snaking back to deflect Juliana’s hand. "I’ve learned my lesson I promise."

Juliana snags Carrie’s wrists and lands three final stinging blows to Carrie’s bottom. "You going to go through with your little scheme?"

"No," says Carrie, dancing a few steps away from Juliana and furiously rubbing her bottom. She pouts at Juliana. "Why is your hand so hard?"

"Magic," says Juliana. She puts her hands on her hips. "You better not be lying to me. Because if I find out later that you are, you’re going over my knee, and you’re not getting up until you’ve grown a beard."

"But I can’t grow a beard," says Carrie.

"I know." Juliana strokes her cheek thoughtfully. "Which I guess makes that threat kind of absurd, doesn’t it? Well, whatever. The point is that I will smack your bottom quite hard, and for quite a long time if you’re lying to me."

"Eh, don’t worry about that," says Carrie. She gives her bottom an extra vigorous rubbing.

"I’d be more willing to believe you if I hadn’t also paddled you last night," says Juliana.

"Hey, that’s not fair. That was for something totally different," says Carrie. "And I learned my lesson, see? I haven’t propositioned you once all day. But whatever, I’m bored, and I don’t want to go back to the Church just yet. Let’s go do something."

Continue Turn to Section 139

###141: ep2 carrie distraction

Author: Andrew Russell

The two head to Terry’s Taylors. Carrie serves as the distraction, bratting it up and generally being a miserable customer, until Terry comes out and starts giving her a good spanking, while the player looks for some clue into why Terry’s shop produces so much clothing.

Carrie’s smile slips a little. "No, no, I think it’s best if you serve as the distraction. I mean, you don’t know what to look for right? But I do, seeing as how I’m a hobbyist seamstress and all."

"Not that complicated. Look for documents that look interesting," says Juliana. "Directions on how to make a dress, or communications with her seamstresses, or whoever she gets her fabric from, you know. That type of thing."

"Well, yes but you won’t be able to filter out the important from the unimportant–"

"Oh come on. At this point we have no idea what’s important and what isn’t," says Juliana. "Besides, what are you so anxious about? You just said it’s not a big deal. If anything, I’ll be the one taking the bigger risk."

"Well, I suppose," says Carrie, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. "Oh, alright fine. I’ll provide the distraction, while you slip into her office. You go in first, start browsing, make your way towards Terry’s office. I’ll come in a few minutes later, and start making a scene. Once Terry comes out, you slip in, find a few things that look interesting, and grab them. Don’t grab too much though. The more you grab, the more likely it is she’ll notice something’s missing."

Juliana nods, and makes her way to the tailors. As she enters the large shop, Carol approaches with a large smile.

"Hello," she says. "How can I help you?"

"I’m just browsing, for now," says Juliana, her eyes sweeping the large space. It doesn’t take her long to find Terry’s office, situated next to the...women’s panties. Well, nothing like a little bit of lingerie shopping. Maybe there’s something here Alondra would enjoy...

Juliana slowly meanders about the store, looking at various trousers, shirts, and dresses. Eventually, she makes her way to the lingerie section and begins a careful study of the thongs, g-strings, garters, boyshorts, frilly panties, plain panties, purple panties, pink panties...

"Excuse me," says Carrie from the front of the store. She is holding a white sundress against her body.

Carol approaches Carrie. "Yes miss?"

"I think I’d like to purchase this," says Carrie. "Ten mats, right?"

Carol looks at the dress, then over at the dresses next to it. She frowns. "Actually, ma’am, it’s fifteen."

"No it’s not," says Carrie. She reaches over and grabs an obviously-misfiled, ankle-length skirt that was hanging next to it. "See? This is ten? Don’t you guys price similar things the same?"

Carol looks at the skirt. Then at Carrie. "Miss, that is clearly a skirt. You’re holding a sundress."

"Oh come on, what’s the difference?" says Carrie. "Besides, they use practically the same amount of fabric. I’ll give you ten."

"Miss, this is not a market stall. We have neither the time nor the staff to negotiate with each customer. That skirt is clearly in the wrong spot." Carol reaches for the skirt. "I’ll just take it from you–"

"No!" Carrie snatches it back. "Maybe I want to buy this too. You ever consider that? Where do you go snatching things out of your customer’s hands? Mother’s mercy, didn’t whoever owns this dump teach you a thing about being polite to your customers? You know I could make a dress ten times as good as this for a tenth of the price. So don’t think I’m going to put up with your crap because I have to. Because I don’t. I’ll take these two for twenty matrons."

"Sorry miss," says Carol. She is clearly working to keep her smile fixed firmly in place. "But it will be twenty-five."

"I already told you, I’m not paying fifteen for this stupid dress," says Carrie, her voice growing louder with every word. She stomps her foot. "It’s a simplistic piece of crap that looks like it was stitched by a three year old. Mother, this thing isn’t even worth five, so you should be thanking me for offering ten!"

"Then why are you buying it?" asks Carol sharply.

"Don’t get snippy with me," says Carrie. By now she’s practically shouting, and every eye is drawn to the spectacle. "I’ll buy whatever I damn well please, and I’m not going to pay a matron more than it’s worth!"

At this point, the door to Terry’s office finally opens, and the woman steps out. She’s a short, squat, hard-faced Carnutian woman, and if the black scowl fixed on her face is anything to go by, a serious spitfire. She is also carrying a wooden hip curve in one fist. Juliana backs up a step, making sure to give Terry a wide berth. And Carrie wanted her to confront that? Juliana glances at Carrie. The woman has stopped shouting, and is now nervously gnawing on her lip while watching Terry approach. Juliana feels like a bucket of ice is dumped on her head as she comes to a horrifying realization. One. Carrie is about to get her bottom smacked, and smacked hard. Two. She knew that whoever made the scene was going to get their bottom smacked. She knew. And she lied to Juliana about it.

Juliana is tempted just to stand there and watch. But a quick pleading look from Carrie makes her sigh. She glances around, and seeing everyone still transfixed by the scene, slips through the open office door.

And is confronted by the site of what must have been a bitter days-long battle in a bitter, decades-long war. Dozens of scrambled, collapsing piles of parchment cover the desk. More piles are scattered about the floor, many of them sagging and mixing with each other. There are three chairs in the room, two of them are covered in piles of fabric and dress making tools. A thin ratan cane and a paddle lean against the far corner, a strap laying curled up on the floor in front of them. Against the other wall is a slab of wood with a cord woven through two holes in the top.

This is perfect. Grab a few things from one of the less important piles (one of the ones on the floor), and Terry will never miss them. If she does, she’ll figure she lost them in the realm of chaos that is her office.

Nice and quick, in and out–

THWACK!

"OWW!"

Juliana cocks her head, and listens to the sound of wood on (bare!) flesh, accompanied by Carrie’s wails. Yes, must definitely be quick. Juliana hurries over to the nearest pile and starts rifling through it.

THWACK!

"I’m sorry!"

Juliana studies one of the documents with a bunch of drawings. Unfortunately, the text is all gibberish. And not shorthand gibberish. It looks like full text beneath the design, but the letters are scrambled.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

"Stop, stop please stop! I’ll pay, I’ll pay, just please stop!"

Juliana grabs a few more sheets. Gibberish. Gibberish. It’s all freaking gibberish!

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK!

"Owwwww! Mother’s love it huuuuurts!"

Wait. Wasn’t there something Nana said? Ciphers, or something.

THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK! THWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACK!

"Waaaaaah!"

Right! People would obscure texts using some sort of key, telling you how to rearrange the letters. Most aren’t very good though. Best you can expect from a cipher is to delay a determined enemy, not stop them. Of course, in wartime delay might be all you need, but here-

THWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACK!

"Waaaaaah!"

Juliana snatches up four parchments and shoves them into her satchel. Then, she slips back out.

Terry is sitting on a bench in front of the dresses, with Carrie sprawled across her lap. Carrie’s pants are around her ankles, and her naked, bright red cheeks are exposed for all to see. Terry has even gone so far as to tug down Carrie’s panties, bunching them up around Carrie’s knees.

"Look at her bottom bounce," says a nearby customer.

"I know. I swear, sometimes I think I shop here just to watch the bouncing bottoms of blubbering brats," says another.

"And how long have you been waiting for a chance to say that?" asks the first.

"About two months."

"I’m so jealous," says a man, as he watches Terry whale away at Carrie’s bobbing bottom. "If I spanked one of my customers..."

"Just one of the many rewards for success," says his wife, while she holds a dress up to her squirmy daughter. "So maybe you should be trying to find new customers, instead of shopping with me."

"Nah. Paddling a dozen entitled customers isn’t worth a minute of unnecessary time away from you two."

The mother smiles. "And here momma was worried."

Terry lands a particular hard blow right across the middle of Carrie’s cheeks, flattening both of the pillowy orbs and making them bounce. Carrie’s legs kick, but the only sound she makes is a deep, continuos cry. "Now, I want you up, and against the wall there."

Juliana’s gaze follows where Terry is pointing, and sees a large column right in front of the door. It’s the first thing customers see when they enter. Juliana cocks her head thoughtfully. She’d always wondered why that column was where it was. Always seemed kind of silly to obscure the merchandise with a bare wooden column.

"Carol, fetch me the sign," says Terry. She keeps a firm grip on Carrie’s ear as the young woman clambers off of her lap.

Carol nods and hurries towards Terry’s office, her grin on the verge of splitting her face in two. Juliana tenses, but the woman comes out almost as soon as she went in, the large wooden sign under one arm. If she noticed anything amiss, she doesn’t show it.

By this time, Carrie has shuffled over to the pillar, and is standing with her hands and nose squashed against it. Terry takes the sign and slings it over Carrie’s head so that it hangs against her back. Juliana circles around to see what the sign says. It reads "Another Satisfied Customer."

Terry stands behind Carrie, studying the woman’s bottom like a painter studying a just-finished piece. "Now, how will you treat my employees?"

"With respect ma’am," mumbles Carrie.

"Good. And if you don’t like one of our dresses, what will you do?"

"Put it away and find another one," mumbles Carrie, her bottom clenching and twitching.

"Good. Carol, keep her here about a quarter-glass or so," says Terry, turning to her employee.

Carol’s smile slips a little. "That’s it?"

"Compared to some of the brats we’ve had to deal with, she wasn’t all that bad," says Terry. "No foul language. Didn’t throw anything at you. Yeah, I think a quarter-class will be fine."

Juliana stares at Carrie’s heavily welted bottom. That’s the mess Terry makes when a customer "wasn’t all that bad?" May La Madre have mercy on customers who are "that bad."

Carol nods. "Oh fine."

Terry raises an eyebrow. "Your shaudenfreude does you no favors young lady. Now, if you’ll excuse me." Terry returns to her office, closing the door behind her.

At that point, Juliana decides to leave.

Juliana makes her way to the Guild, and plops down on a bench in front of it. She sits and just watches people move and shop through the Corridor. Eventually, Carrie comes shuffling through the crowd, one hand rubbing her bottom, and the other wiping her face.

"Please tell me you found something useful," says Carrie. She hops back and forth a little bit, and furiously rubs her bottom. "Mother’s love, that stupid hip curve hurts even more than I thought it would."

"More than you thought it would," says Juliana flatly. "Because you knew that crazy lady was going to soundly paddle whichever one of us provided the distraction."

Carrie smiles sheepishly. "Maybe? Oh come on. You’ve been here a month. Surely you’ve seen her deal with an obnoxious customer before."

"I’ve only been there a few times," says Juliana. "Hard to shop for clothes when you have no money."

"Oh. Well, anyway what does it matter?" says Carrie hastily. "I mean, it’s not like you’re the one who got her booty blistered–"

"No, but I would have been if you’d had your way," says Juliana, scowling at Carrie. "And what was it you said? Oh nothing will happen, I’m a customer, and they don’t want to lose a sale. You knew that you were asking me to get my butt smacked. You lied to me."

Carrie’s smile fades. She slips a strand of hair into her mouth, and scuffs the ground. "Sorry."

"The only reason you’re not across my lap and squealing yourself hoarse right now is because Terry spanked you hard enough for the both of us. Well, that and I kind of suspected you were fudging the truth."

Carrie nods. "Sorry."

"Moving on to happier things, check it out." Juliana pulls out the sheets of parchment and hands them to Carrie. Carrie’s eyes light up and she snatches them up. As soon as she sees what’s written, her glee turns into confusion.

"It’s just encrypted. Don’t worry, a few months of steady work, and we’ll have it broken," says Juliana. "Probably."

Carrie nods thoughtfully. "A friend of mine is really into this kind of thing. Says they’re like puzzles, you know like those smith puzzles or whatever. He and a bunch of his friends get together regularly. They each try to come up with a more clever scheme, and then use it. The one whose message is broken first has to buy the beer. I’ll have to talk to him about it."

Continue Turn to Section 143

###142: ep2 carrie agree

Author: Andrew Russell

Carrie goes first, and Juliana waits a short while before entering the store as well. Juliana glances about the store, and spies Carrie in the lingerie section. Carrie flashes her a smile, before returning to a careful study of a rather small strip of fabric. Or maybe several strips. Hard to tell, really.

Juliana approaches the shirts, and starts rifling through them, while trying to figure out the best way to make a scene. What did one make a scene about anyway? The price? The fact that they didn’t let you barter? What kind of merchant doesn’t let you barter? It’s a wonder they stay in business.

"May I help you maam?" asks a voice behind Juliana’s right shoulder.

"Globos de la Madre!" Juliana jumps ten feet in the air.

A bunch of other customers glance over and chuckle. Juliana’s face heats.

"I’m sorry, maam," says the woman, Carol. "I didn’t mean to startle you."

"Well then you shouldn’t have snuck up on me like that," snaps Juliana.

"Again, I’m sorry," says Carol. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Juliana opens her mouth to dismiss the whole thing and move on, but then an idea occurs to her. "Yeah, you can stop sneaking up on people! Madre, woman you scared me half to death! Do you know what I do for a living? I work for the Adventurer’s Guild! You know how fighters like me react to surprises? We attack them!"

Carol’s face goes pale, and she backs up a step. "Are you threatening me maam? Again, I’m sorry."

"What? No, of course not, what do you think I am, a thug?" snaps Juliana. "Look, I’m just warning you to be careful, alright? I mean, what if I’d hurt you? Or lit some of these shirts on fire? Then your money-grubbing boss would probably make me pay for them all. Doesn’t matter that it’d be your fault for making me panic and sling a spell in the first place, I’d still be the one who pays for them. Do I look like I can afford to replace half a dozen shirts? Madre, I can barely afford the ragged piece of crap I’m wearing right now!"

Carol stares at Juliana. "Umm, but you didn’t maam, so I don’t see–"

"Sure, but I might have. Maybe one of my friends will come in later, and you’ll sneak up on them all creepy like and you’ll startle them and–and what are you doing walking up and bothering me anyway? It drives me crazy when I’m just minding my own business, and browsing your goods when you people come waltzing up and start badgering me. Of course I don’t need any help. If I needed help, I’d come and get it! So why don’t you–"

"What seems to be the problem here?" asks a sharp voice behind Juliana.

Juliana jumps and spins around. "Gaah! What is with you people and sneaking up on people? Do you have any idea how annoying that is? Circle around to the front like a normal person would you?"

The woman raises an eyebrow, and Juliana gets a good look at her. The woman is short, a little shorter than Juliana. She is standing with her fists on her hips, a wooden hip curve clutched in one of them. She is glaring at Juliana, and despite her short stature, Juliana can’t help but feel the woman is towering over her. With a terrible sinking feeling, Juliana starts to realize that a free shirt is not what she will be getting today.

"Like I said, what seems to be the problem here?" says the woman.

"I was just standing here, looking at shirts, minding my own business, when your employee snuck up on me. Scared me half to death. Then, she asks me if I needed anything. Was I looking at her? No. Did I flag her down? No. I was just standing here minding my own business, looking at shirts, when she comes up and starts bothering me. Can’t a woman have some privacy?"

"So in other words, you were shopping, my employee did what she was supposed to do, accidentally startled you, and humiliated you, big tough adventurer that you are. So, you decided to get some payback by humiliating my employee," says Terry. She begins tapping the hip curve against her thigh.

Juliana bites her lip, and glances briefly at the office door. No sign of Carrie. What was taking that girl so long? She takes a deep breath. "I’m doing no such thing. I don’t care about them. Not like I’m ever going to see them again. I’m just telling your obnoxious employee there how to do her job–hey!"

Terry grabs Juliana’s wrist and drags her towards a nearby bench.

"Hey, what do you think you’re doing?" asks Juliana. She tugs a little bit on her arm, but doesn’t really put her heart in it. It doesn’t help that the woman has a much stronger grip than Juliana expected.

"If you don’t know an impending spanking when you see one, then it’s no wonder you’re so obnoxious." Terry sits down. "Now get that bratty bottom across my lap!"

The order is spoken with such force, that Juliana is halfway across the woman’s lap before the order even fully registers. By then, it’s a simple matter for Terry to push her the rest of the way down.

A few seconds later, Juliana’s trousers are pooled around Juliana’s ankles.thong is pooled around Juliana’s ankles. A few other customers titter when they see Juliana’s minimalistic panties

"Hmmph. Looks like you do know what a spanking is. A pity your last one didn’t take." The hip curve swishes through the air and slaps against Juliana’s right cheek. Juliana squeals at the sharp sting, and her feet kick.

"You obnoxious little brat," says Terry, unleashing a flurry of stinging blows. "Of all the inane things to complain about. I suppose if Carol hadn’t come up to you, you’d have complained about being ignored, hmm?"

Juliana yelps and squirms.

"Do you have any idea how much of my time you’ve wasted? Do you have any idea how busy I am?" Carol leans over and somehow manages to spank Juliana even faster. "I don’t have time to be dealing with troublemakers like you! I’ve got a business to run!"

"Here here!" calls a man’s voice. "I know your pain Terry, give it to her good! Maybe she’ll treat other merchants with some respect to."

Terry pauses long enough to flash the man a self-satisfied smile, before returning her attention to Juliana’s rapidly reddening bottom.

"That’s the problem with young people today," says an older woman to her friend over the slap of wood to bare flesh, and Juliana’s yelps. "No respect for anyone. Not their peers, not their elders, nobody."

"I agree," says her friend. "Way I see it, the only respectful whippersnapper, is a red-bottomed whippersnapper."

Juliana glances around. She spies Carrie near the pants section, behind a couple. She flashes her a thumbs up.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again," wails Juliana.

"Good. Now let’s make sure the lesson sinks in."

"Buh? Waaaaaa!"

Terry unleashes another unholy spate of swats, spreading a wave of flaming agony across Juliana’s throbbing bottom. Juliana squeals, kicks and squirms, babbled apologies pouring out of her mouth.

"Remind me never to get on Terry’s bad side," says one of the other employees to Carol.

"If you really need a reminder, then there’s no hope for you."

"Please no more!" wails Juliana, squirming about on Terry’s lap. "I can’t take it!"

"Don’t be silly, of course you can. It’s just a paddling. You’d think a tough adventurer like you could handle a few slaps to her bottom." Terry slaps Juliana’s bottom half a dozen more times, three blows to each cheek. Juliana howls and thrashes her way through each then. "See? Not so bad."

Juliana answers with a sob.

Alright then, get up," says Terry, giving Juliana’s bottom one last swat. "Carol, go get the sign please."

Juliana scrambles to her feet, and moves to fix her clothing.

"Hey now, what are you doing?" says Terry. She gives Juliana’s thigh a swat. "I didn’t tell you to cover up."

"But–"

"You need some corner time first," says Terry as she stands.

"Corner–what?"

Terry grabs Juliana’s ear in a painful pinch and drags her towards a large pillar situated in front of the doors. Juliana’d always wondered what that was for. Always seemed kind of weird to have that blocking the merchandise. Terry pushes Juliana facefirst towards the pillar. "You’re going to stand there until Carol tells you can come out. And no rubbing. You try to rub the sting away, and I’ll have to put it back. Understand?"

Juliana nods. Carrie is going to die. Carrie is going to die. Carrie is going to die! Then Terry drapes a sign over Juliana’s head. Juliana groans and leans her head against the pillar. Carrie isn’t going to die. No. Dying’s too good for her. Something worse than death. She’ll have to...clean Juliana’s toenails!

"Another bratty customer?" says a woman’s voice from the shop entrance. "Carol, isn’t this like the third one this week? What’s going on? You rearrange the store or something."

"I don’t know. Terry’s getting really pissed though. She doesn’t like being constantly interrupted like this," says Carol.

"I should think not." The woman gives Juliana’s exposed bottom a stinging slap, making her jump. "She’s a busy woman."

"Ma’am, please don’t spank the other customers," says Carol in a long-suffering voice. "Or you’ll be joining her."

"If you insist. Though you ask me, girls like her deserve every smack you can give them and then some," says the woman, before she walks deeper into the store.

Eventually, after what feels like an eternity, Carol tells Juliana she can come out. Before Carol’s done speaking, Juliana’s bottom is covered, and she is out the door.

She finds Carrie sitting on the bench in front of the Adventurer’s Guild. She smiles hesitantly when Juliana comes out. "Hey Juli–"

Juliana grabs Carrie by the ear and drags her into the guild.

"Hey, wait Juli," says Carrie, shuffling after Juliana. "Come on, I know you’re mad, but–"

"You be quiet," says Juliana. "Hey Adrian, mind if I borrow a bedroom for a few minutes? Need to have a private chat with my friend."

"Your clothes going to stay on?" asks Adrian without looking up from a piece of parchment he is writing on.

"Well, my clothes will."

"That’ll work. Let me know if you need to borrow an implement. Third door on the left."

Carrie starts to whimper. "Come on, Juliana, what’s the big deal?"

"Big deal? You knew that woman was going to spank me didn’t you?" Once the two are in the room, Juliana bends Carrie over the bed, tugs down the girl’s pants, and begins slapping her bottom through a pair of surprisingly modest white panties.

Carrie yelps and squirms. "Aww come on, I didn’t know that. And maybe if you’d found something reasonable to complain about, you wouldn’t have been spanked. Who complains about an assistant sneaking up on them?"

"Well it’s not like we actually discussed what I was supposed to say," says Juliana. She starts slapping Carrie’s bouncing cheeks harder. "I mean, what do you even complain about in a place like that? Bunch of people waiting on you hand and foot like you’re nobility. And you don’t even have to pay them, unless you by something!"

"Well, like the prices or something, oww!" says Carrie, squirming. "Come on, Juli stop!"

"No. My ass is on fire because of you, you stupid girl," says Juliana. She pulls off her sandal.

Carrie’s eyes widen. "No, not that, it’s covered in mud!"

Juliana glances at the mud-covered sandal. "So it is."

Juliana proceeds to wipe it off on Carrie’s thigh.

"You stupid ass, stop it!" cries Carrie. "Mother, I’m covered in mud now."

"So take a bath." Juliana cracks the hard leather sandal against Carrie’s bare right cheek. The girl shrieks and bucks, her soft round bottom bobbing, bouncing and bucking.

"You miserable–oww! Fine, I won’t share what I–oww–found!" yelps Carrie.

"Like I care," says Juliana, the sandal never slowing. "You’ll probably drag me off on another hare-brained scheme that ends with me red-faced, red-bottomed, and smacking your ass."

"Ok, ok, you’re right I’m sorry," says Carrie, wiggling and squirming. "Please no more, it hurts!"

"You going to lie to me about your schemes again?" asks Juliana.

"No," says Carrie, sniffling miserably.

"Good. Now let’s drive the lesson home." Juliana unleashes another dozen hard and fast blows, six to each cheek. Carrie thrashes and wails her way through each one.

Once Juliana finishes, she gives Carrie’s cheek a brief rub. "Alright. Now what did you find?"

Carrie reaches back and rubs her marked bottom. "Mother, I think there’s mud on my ass too."

"Yeah, yeah. What you allergic to mud or something? Now what did you find?"

Carrie pouts, but she reaches into the top of her shirt, and pulls out a few pages of crumpled pages. "Bunch of gibberish."

Juliana takes the pages and studies them for a moment. "Nah. This isn’t gibberish. It’s ciphertext. Basically, Terry has some key that tells her how to rearrange the letters in the word so that nobody can read it unless they have the key. In theory anyway. In reality, most ciphers aren’t that hard to break. They can delay a determined attacker by a few months, but not stop them. Now, in wartime that may be long enough. But for us..."

"Really?" Carrie spins around and grabs one of the sheets, and studies it more closely, while hitching her pants back up. "You know, now that I think about it, I think one of my friends, one of the other students, he’s really into this stuff. Him and a bunch of his friends are always designing new schemes. They get together once a month and try to break each other’s codes. The guy whose code gets broken first has to buy the beer. I’ll have to get him to look at it. Anyway, I need to go. Got stuff to do, if I’m going to graduate."

Juliana walks Carrie back out to the corridor.

The player starts bratting it up at the taylors, only to discover that Carrie was fudging the truth when explaining Terry’s likely reaction. Spankings ensue.

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s plump, firm bottom is covered in large, circular blotches that sting like the dickens whenever she touches them (or they scrape against her clothing, or she sits).

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2spankedHelpingCarrie’

Continue Turn to Section 143

###143: ep2 carrie subplot end

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2HelpedCarrie’

"So I’ll see you later?" asks Carrie as they walk back to the shrine. "You’ll be coming to my graduation party right? Don’t bother with the graduation itself. Just a pompous ceremony with boring, pompous speeches about the ’next generation’ and ’holy vows’ and ’the Mother’s pride’ and blah blah blah. But the party’ll be fun!"

"Of course. When will it be?" says Juliana.

"Soon. Not long after I actually graduate," says Carrie.

"So, never. Well that was easy," says Juliana with a cheerful grin.

Carrie sticks her tongue out at Juliana, before walking back towards the Church. "See you!"

The two figure out that they have a letter written in some sort of cipher. Carrie resolves to break it. She thanks the player, and goes off to do her own thing, leaving the player to do their own thing.

###144: ep2 airell

Location: Adventurer’s Guild

Speaking With: Airell

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana gains the keyword ’ep2TalkedToAirell’

’punched_Airell’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 145

’talk_with_Airell’ in pwutilities.keywords() Turn to Section 151

True Turn to Section 155

###145: ep2 airell face punch

Author: Andrew Russell and Bonemouth the Boxfish

Juliana runs a hand anxiously through her hair, as she considers the door into the back of the guild. Four weeks she had been putting it off. How many times had she gotten up and decided "Is today the day?" The day she finally confronts Airell and takes the hell of a licking she has coming? Not that it was her fault or anything. Airell’s a pompous ass. But a pompous ass whose got Adrian’s ear.

Best get it over with. Should have "gotten it over with" a month ago. Why didn’t she get it over with a month ago? Juliana enters the back of the guild, and makes her way downstairs to Airell’s classroom.

Notice that Airell is in the middle of a class, and wait until it ends. Turn to Section 146

Walk right in and confront Airell. Turn to Section 147

###146: ep2 airell wait

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

Juliana paces anxiously back and forth in front of the hallway, her stomach clenching nervously. A few times she hears a sharp crack, followed by a cry of pain emanate from Airell’s classroom. She winces each time. That’ll be her in a few minutes, only it won’t be a single smack. Oh no, it’ll be so much more.

At one point, Cosima exits her own training room. She smiles when she sees Juliana. "Hey Juli. What’s up?"

Juliana gestures to Airell’s room.

A knowing smirk creases Cosima’s lips. "Oh I see. Finally paying your dues eh? I heard you punched Airell in the face. Is that true?"

Juliana nods.

"Bet you’re regretting it now, huh?"

Juliana shakes her head.

Cosima throws her head back and laughs. "Mother love, you’ve got spunk if nothing else."

Juliana shrugs. "I’ll be happy when it’s over, though."

"Doesn’t surprise me. Don’t forget we’ve still got a little sparring match, you and I. Though you might want to wait a few days. My paddle stings like you wouldn’t believe over stripes."

With that, Cosima turned and headed up the stairs.

Then, Airell’s six students filter out. One of the adventurers throws Juliana a confused look. Then her friend leans in and whispers something. The girl’s confusion turns into a smirk as the three make their down the hall towards Mai’s maze. Juliana takes a deep breath, then enters the magic training room, her eyes downcast.

"Ah, I’ve expected you. Juliana, is it?" asks Airell as Juliana’s footsteps echo across the room.

Juliana looks at the pale-skinned slinger whom she had dared punch. She had the same wild red mane and bushy beard as always. Juliana wonders idly if the man has ever heard of a razor. Airell is sitting at a desk in the corner of the damaged training room busying himself with paperwork. After several awkward seconds, he tells Juliana, "Well, don’t just stand there. Bring that stool out of the corner and place it in the middle of the room."

Juliana complies. Airell opens his desk drawer and slides out a thick, 16-inch-long wooden paddle with two rows of holes running down its length. He then gets up from his desk and strides over to Juliana. "Very well! Now, Morey was attempting to teach you a very important lesson when he punished you, initiate. Do you remember what it was?"

Continue Turn to Section 148

###147: ep2 airell dont wait

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

Juliana nonchalantly enters the magic training room without so much as knocking.

"Stop right there, young lady!" cries the instructor, the pale-skinned slinger with the same wild red mane and bushy beard whom Juliana had dared punch in the nose. Juliana notices he’s standing next to a stool and brandishing that wicked switch she encountered earlier. "To the front of the class, please!"

The students, paired up and hunched over small desks to try and light a candle, look up to see the fit, average girl stand in front of Airell. Juliana takes another breath, and tries not to wither under his stern gaze.

"I imagine you know why I’m here," says Juliana, trying to hide her discomfort as the eyes of the six students bore into her. "Err, couldn’t we get this over with in private while the kids here do some busywork?"

"Impertinence!" The slinger’s voice booms again as he snaps the switch down to his side. "You dare to interrupt my class, then insult my diligent students? Unlike you, girl, they have been nothing but respectful." Airell strokes his hand through his thick beard and continues, "However, I surmise they won’t be the only ones learning lessons today."

Juliana rolls her eyes. "How clever. Think of that all by yourself?"

"Indeed. Thought of this too." Airell brings up one hand, then the other in a swift motion. Energy immediately flows from them and coalesces into the ethereal hands of the Spectral Spanking spell Juliana is beginning to see far too often. However, this time, there’s something new – though the hands are smaller than the ones she’s used to, there are three sets.

"Wha–?" says Juliana as each of her wrists is clenched by a spectral hand. With a flick of his wrist, Airell directs them toward the tall stool at the front of the room. They drag their helpless captive towards the stool. Once at their destination, the hands easily bend Juliana over the stool, which is lifted slightly into the air by two of the spectral hands, forcing Juliana to point her toes downward to support the weight of her lower body. The hands holding her clasp her wrists tightly beside the legs of the stool’s far side. Though she has a good idea of what will happen next, Juliana nonetheless cranes her neck around behind her to see not only the eager eyes of the students, but also the two remaining spectral hands come into an ominous position several inches behind and above her bottom. She groans.

"Now, you keep it down while I finish today’s lesson, girl," says Airell. He flicks his wrist again. One spectral hand smacks the curved top of Juliana’s left cheek, and almost immediately after, the other smacks the same place on the opposite cheek. Juliana tenses at the sharp pain. This one-two motion is repeated five times in the same place before moving down half an inch.

Juliana swiftly learns that unlike the usual spell, each one of these Spectral Hands is uniquely shaped to her plump hindquarters. They don’t even have to move laterally to perfectly cover the full swath of her plump, quivering bottom.

Seeing that his spell is acting as intended, Airell nonchalantly turns back to the classroom to finish his lecture. Meanwhile, Juliana struggles to remain silent as her firm butt is endlessly drummed by two tireless, stinging hands. She quickly begins to deeply regret interrupting the slinger’s class. Then the methodical hands reach her sit spots.

At that point, she can’t hold back the vocal protests. She also begins violently rocking her hips to ease the sting.

"Jessica! Leena!" exclaims Airell as he walks over to the desk shared by two young Carnutian women. The first is a raven-haired girl with large breasts spilling over onto her desk, and the other is the girl she was giggling with, a smaller, auburn-haired girl with a build not unlike Maria’s. Both stop and sit upright at the instructor’s roar.

"How many times have I had to tell you: if you can’t focus while someone is being spanked, how can you expect to focus during a battle?" Airell sweeps the candle off the desk, and conjures yet another set of spectral hands, each of which roughly lifts a girl by the collar and bends her over the desk. Their bottoms wave in the air as a spectral bar presses against the small of the girls’ backs, forcing them to arch their backs and push up their bottoms, their short pleated skirts riding high up the girls’ thighs.

"W-we’re sorry, sir," pleads Leena, while Jessica thrashes her legs from side to side in an attempt to right herself, giving the portion of the class not red-facedly looking away a glimpse of her pale butt cheeks.

"I have had it with your apologies!" Airell strides up behind Lenna and lifts her skirt to reveal a pair of boyshorts that hug the girl’s compact bottom. "It’s a full dozen for you this time, girl!"

With that, Airell sets the girl’s bottom ablaze with strokes from his switch that leave crimps in her boyshorts from top to bottom. She’s sobbing by the time he crisscrosses the strokes across her entire bottom, which is firm enough to make the switch bounce right back after it lands, again and again. She howls after each and bucks her hips but to no avail.

"Let that be a lesson to you, girl," Airell admonishes with a final stroke of his switch, turning to Jessica. "As for you, troublemaker, it’s double! Don’t think I’m oblivion as to who instigates these outbursts."

"You mean ’oblivious!’ And I hope that old stick of yours breaks on me!" Jessica snarls as Airell drapes her skirt across her back, revealing an unmarked, creamy bottom with lacy panties flirting across its wide expanse.

"We’ll just have to make sure there’s nothing in its way, then!" Airell exclaims as he tugs down the tight-fitting panties, leaving Jessica’s most intimate parts exposed to most of the class as several students gasp (and several more leer).

Jessica barely has time to gasp herself, as the switch begins tattooing her vulnerable ass from top to bottom. It doesn’t take long before the girl begins apologizing and pleading, but the flexible switch inexorably falls a full 24 times. The girl blubbers apologies, wetting the floor below her with her tears.

"Now, girls, concentrate on the lesson!" says Airell as he lands the last of Jessica’s stripes to her voluptuous, but now angrily red, behind. "Magic is too powerful to treat with irreverence. We’re training for the battlefield. Never forget that!"

"Y-yes, sir!" the girls stutter through sniffles. The spectral bar that had been holding them so tightly dissipates, and each student rights herself. Jessica carefully pulls her panties up over her chubby behind with a wince. Both punished girls turn their attention back to the candle that Airell sets back on the desk.

Finished with his unruly students, Airell turns his attention to the wailing Juliana, whose screams have begun to echo throughout the classroom. He sighs. "Excuse me, pupils," he says. He motions his hands in a way that makes the spectral versions holding Juliana’s wrists bring them up over her head. Then, the other set unbuttons her trousers and begin sliding them down her hips. Juliana begins to protest but stops when Airell tuts. "That’s enough out of you, naughty girl. Class is nearly over, and if you want to get through it with any dignity at all, you will not interrupt again."

Now that they have mostly revealed their target, the hands return Juliana to her position of penitence and begin slapping her ass right where they left off. Juliana resigns herself to the punishment. She wriggles her butt lewdly, but manages to keep her moans of pain muted enough to not draw more attention from Airell.

There is no doubt many of the students’ lessons ended prematurely, but after what seems like an age to Juliana, Airell finally finishes his lecture and dismisses the class. Seeing that his ethereal hands have covered every inch of Juliana’s bottom at least twice over (depending on the spot), he pauses them, and whisks down Juliana’s thong to inspect their progress.

After inspecting her battered butt, Airell asks, "That should be enough to teach you not to interrupt the most important class in the guild, yes?"

Juliana nods her affirmation.

"Good. Corner time for you, then!" exclaims Airell. "I will get to you shortly. Until then, you will stand silently with your nose pressed firmly against the wall, and you will keep your hands on your head until I say otherwise. Even think of deifying me, and I give you a very thorough demonstration of exactly what that spell is capable of."

The spectral hands gripping Juliana’s wrists loosen enough to free her of the stool. Once Juliana stands, they guide her toward the far corner of the room. Juliana hobbles quickly, but not quickly enough to prevent several more swats from the other pair of spectral hands. They dissipate (thank La Madre!) once Juliana is in the desired spot, where she quickly does as instructed. Satisfied for now, Airell retires to the other end of the room to deal with paperwork.

Thirty minutes pass. Thirty minutes of staring at the most boring wall imaginable. Thirty minutes of shifting from foot to foot, trying to find some comfort for her burning legs. Thirty minutes of resisting every overpowering urge to rub her throbbing, burning, pulsing bottom.

"Very well! You may replace your clothing!" exclaims Airell. As Juliana eagerly takes him up on the offer, he opens his desk drawer, reaches into it and slides out a thick, 16-inch-long wooden paddle with two rows of holes running down its length. He then gets up from his desk and strides over to Juliana, tapping the paddle ominously against his thigh. "Now, Morey was attempting to teach you a very important lesson when he punished you, initiate. Do you remember what it was?"

Continue Turn to Section 148

###148: ep2 remember what morey was trying to teach

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

Hang your head dejectedly. "That I should only strike an instructor if my safety is threatened, sir." Turn to Section 149

Turn your head to the side in a huff. "That you get to treat me however you want, because you’re a cranky old windbag, right?" Turn to Section 150

###149: ep2 airell recall moreys lesson

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

"Yes, that is correct. Now, we shall drive that lesson home," says Airell as he sits on the stool and stands the ominous paddle up against a rear leg of the stool. "Over my knee, girl!"

Juliana drapes herself over the slinger’s lap, her bottom stretching the fabric of her trousers. The spectral hands holding the stool adjust it to Juliana’s height, arcing the woman over Airell’s thighs, making her butt her highest point, and her toes barely touching the floor.

"I hope you didn’t think I’d use Spectral Spanking for meting out all my discipline! Even I believe that a corporeal aspect is sometimes needed when delivering corporal punishment," says Airell as he takes hold of Juliana’s right hand in his left, and smacks her behind with his right.

If Juliana expected the slinger to be a weak bookworm, she is sorely disappointed. Airell’s practiced hand rises and falls methodically across every part of her quivering behind while she ineffectually squirms.

"You’d just as well crease your movement right now, young lady." Airell tightens his grip on Juliana.

"You mean–OW! You mean ’cease’!" says Juliana between smacks.

"Whatever! Don’t you know better than to interrupt your instructors?"

Airell hikes a knee up so he can get to Juliana’s trouser buttons and undo them. Then he quickly shimmies the trousers down Juliana’s fit hips to bunch around her knees.

"This" SMACK! "is" WHAP! "a very" SLAP! "important" CLAP! "lesson, my girl!"

As Airell continues lecturing Juliana while manifesting his inflections with his hand against plump, thong-covered bottom, Juliana begins to wish she had never antagonized Airell and begins to plead for him to stop.

"Very well!" says Airell to Juliana’s surprise. "However, I want to see nothing but bare skin below your waist and for you to bend over this stool intermittently. I’m a very busy man."

Continue Turn to Section 152

###150: ep2 airell moreys lesson bratty

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

"What. Did. You. Say?" roars Airell. If Juliana had had her eyes on his, she would have seen them flash. She only has a moment to consider whether the thunder she just heard was a coincidence as she is jerked in the direction of the stool. She hops in midair as the holey paddle strikes her trousers-clad bottom with full force, but the slinger maintains his harsh hold on Juliana’s appendage. Juliana’s plump butt and thighs are battered with the hard paddle as the two slowly make their way to their destination despite Juliana’s protests.

The sore-bottomed girl and an angry slinger arrive at the stool, over which Juliana is roughly forced. Airell never stops swinging the paddle, tattooing the girl’s bottom even through her trousers and panties.

After Airell has covered Juliana’s entire plump bottom with his hard swats, he tugs her trousers down,and her panties down with a vengeance and repeats the entire process on her bare ass, which violently bounces left and right with Airell’s staccato rhythm. Juliana is weeping openly by the time the slinger addresses her again, asking if she is ready to cooperate. Just as Airell finishes his sentence, Juliana hears a "whoosh" followed by a loud "SPLAT!" as the paddle slams into the very center of her bottom harder than it had before, covering both cheeks. The girl’s tears flow freely as the swat is immediately followed up by another to the top of her behind and a third directly on her sit spots. Juliana howls and drums her feet against the floor but keeps a death grip on the stool’s legs.

Airell gives Juliana a minute to get herself under control, after which she realizes that holding her position has required her to spread her legs a bit, revealing her most sensitive parts to the slinger. She curses herself for getting in this situation.

Airell inspects the considerable damage he has wrought to the girl’s plump backside. "Hmm. You do seem to finally be acting sincerely, and with a bit of discipline. After a few more strokes, you will be free to go."

"A-a f-f-few, sir?"

"Aye. You’re due seven more licks. To show mercy on this already battered bottom, I’ll allow most of these to be on your thighs."

Juliana groans and contemplates challenging this sentence on account of having taken several swats to her thighs already, but decides not to risk any impertinence again. Besides, she is pretty sure her sensitive ass can’t take much more punishment.

Her reverie is quickly interrupted by four rapid swats, two to each thigh. Juliana’s tears run in a stream down her face, but she somehow maintains her position. Then two more strokes land on the same spots. She begins to moan as the final stroke is swung, landing directly on her sit spots in a mighty "WHAP!"

Juliana is gently helped off the stool. Dressing is done with care and only after some tender rubbing.

"Alright, we’re done here," says Airell. He returns to his desk and returns the paddle to its place. "Now get out of here. I’ve got a sparring match with Morey in a few minutes."

Juliana hussles out of the classroom.

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s plump bottom is coated in handmarks, overlaid by more than a few large paddle marks.

###151: ep2 airell talk

Author: Andrew Russell

As Juliana approaches Airell’s training room, half a dozen students are filing out. Two of them, a buxom raven-haired girl, and a slender brunette glance at Juliana and giggle to themselves. Juliana ignores them, and enters Airell’s training room.

Airell is sitting behind a desk in the far corner, riffling through sheets of parchment. Juliana shakes her head in bemusement. She would have to thank Nana for forcing her to learn how to read. It’d be so embarassing, being illiterate while surrounded by all this writing.

"Ah, Juliana," says Airell, breaking into a broad grin. "Finally here to pay for your blatant disrespect?"

Juliana’s lips tighten, and she nods.

Airell nods, and waves his hand. A pair of small spectral hands appear in the air above him. Juliana tenses, but the hands instead float over and grasp a stool sitting in front of the room. Airell flicks his wrists a few times, and the hands lift and carry the stool towards Juliana. "Good. Now bare your bottom and bend over that stool."

"Bare? Oh come on, it wasn’t–"

"Indeed it wasn’t, but it’s taken you a full month to report for your chastisement!" roars Airell, bolting to his feet. "A month! I’ve known elves with more spine than you! Now bend over that stool intermittently! I’m a very busy man!"

Continue Turn to Section 152

###152: ep2 airell finish

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

"Y-yes sir." Turn to Section 153

"You mean ’immediately!’ Why don’t you–" Turn to Section 154

###153: ep2 airell finish cooperative

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

Juliana nimbly climbs off the slinger’s lap, this time ignoring his mistake in speech. She removes her trousers and panties, then bends over the stool and reaches toward the bottom of the legs furthest from her. The spectral hands holding the stool raise it to a height that begins to be uncomfortable. As it the hands lift her hips to a point where she has to stand on her toes, she feels her sore round bottom bloom, the skin stretching tautly across it.

"Now," says Airell. "You will receive your promised paddling. And just in case you think I may have forgotten, I recall guaranteeing you ’a thorough paddling that will have you crying and begging me to stop afore we are even half done!’"

Juliana moans. She has nothing more to say as she silently curses the uncanny memory of this old fart.

Airell has retrieved his wicked paddle and is tapping it against the palm of his hand menacingly. "Excellent! I see this is not the first time you’ve followed such orders. Let this be a reminder that none of mine are to be ignored!"

Just as he finishes his sentence, Juliana hears a "whoosh" followed by a loud "SPLAT!" as the paddle slams into the very center of her bottom, covering both cheeks. The girl’s tears flow freely as the swat is immediately followed by another to the top of her behind and a third directly on her sit spots. Juliana howls and drums her feet against the floor but keeps a death grip on the stool’s legs.

Airell gives Juliana a minute to get herself under control, after which she realizes that holding her position has required her to spread her legs a bit, exposing all her most sensitive bits. She curses herself for getting into this situation in the first place.

"You have taken your paddling so far with discipline, which I respect," says Airell. "After a few more strokes, you will be free to go."

"A-a f-f-few, sir?"

"Aye. You’ll only be getting the minimum of 10 today, and to show mercy on this already battered bottom, I’ll allow most of the remainder to be on your thighs."

Juliana groans but decides not to risk "interfering" again. Besides, she is pretty sure her sensitive ass can’t take much more punishment.

Her reverie is quickly interrupted by four rapid swats, two to each thigh. Juliana’s tears run in a stream down her face, but she somehow maintains her position as two more strokes strike the same spots. She begins to moan in pain as the final stroke is swung, landing directly on her sit spots in a mighty "WHAP!"

Juliana is gently helped off the stool. Dressing is done with care and only after some tender rubbing.

"We are done here," says Airell. He returns to his desk, and replaces the paddle in its drawer. "You are free to go. And remember what you learned here: You will treat me with the utmost respect at all times."

"Yes sir," mutters Juliana as she scurries out of that accursed classroom.

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s plump bottom is coated in handmarks, overlaid by more than a few large paddle marks.

###154: ep2 airell finish combative

Author: Bonemouth the Boxfish

Juliana doesn’t have time to finish her sentence before she is yanked up onto her feet, had her trousers and panties whisked down to her ankles, and then draped back over the slinger’s lap. This time Airell locks Juliana’s arm tightly locked against her back, and traps one of Juliana’s legs under his own. Juliana hears the grating of wood on wood to her right and doesn’t have to guess that the paddle is being brought to bear, as it crashes into her already-sore bottom with a sharp "WHAP!"

Airell pummels the Taironan’s bottom with the heavy instrument, the impacts of which shake her round globes as gale winds shake trees. Juliana squeals and bucks, succeeding in nothing but offering fresh territory to her punisher. As her thighs part, Airell dexterously swats their interiors, making sure that Juliana will be walking (as well as sitting) gingerly for quite some time.

Eventually, the girl stops fighting Airell and moans apologetically as hot tears roll down her face. This time, when asked if she will put herself in position for her final swats, she quickly climbs off the slinger’s lap. She bends over the stool and grasps toward the bottom of the legs furthest from her. The specral hands holding the stool raise the stool height (and Juliana’s hips) until Juliana has to stand on her toes. Juliana’s sore, plump bottom blooms, the skin stretching tautly.

Airell retrieves his wicked paddle and taps it against the palm of his hand. "Excellent! I see this is not the first time you’ve followed such orders. Let this be a reminder that none of mine are to be ignored!"

Just as he finishes his sentence, Juliana hears a "whoosh" followed by a loud "SPLAT!" as the paddle slams into the very center of her bottom, covering both cheeks. The girl’s tears flow freely as the swat is immediately followed up by another to the top of her behind and a third directly on her sit spots. Juliana howls and drums her feet against the floor but keeps a death grip on the stool’s legs.

Airell gives Juliana a minute to get herself under control, after which Juliana realizes that holding her position has required her to spread her legs a bit. She curses herself for getting into this situation in the first place.

Airell inspects the considerable damage he’s wrought. "Hmm. You do seem to finally be acting sincerely, and with a bit of discipline. After a few more strokes, you will be free to go."

"A- a f-f-few, sir?"

"Aye. You’re due seven more licks. To show mercy on this already battered bottom, I’ll allow most of these to be on your thighs."

Juliana groans but decides not to risk "interfering" again. Besides, she is pretty sure her sensitive ass can’t take much more punishment.

Her reverie is quickly interrupted by four rapid swats, two to each thigh. Juliana’s tears run in a stream down her face, but she somehow maintains her position as two more strokes land in the same spots. She begins to moan as the final stroke is swung, landing directly on her sit spots with a mighty "WHAP!"

After the final blow lands, Juliana is gently helped off the stool. Dressing is done with care and only after some tender rubbing.

"We are done here," says Airell. He returns to his desk and slips the paddle back into its drawer. "Let this be a lesson to you. You always treat me, and all your instructors, with respect."

Juliana nods, and waddles out of the room.

universal.state.player acquires bum marks: Juliana’s bottom is coated in a layer of paddle shaped bruises overlaid on top of myriad handprints. Her thighs are also more than a little red.

###155: ep2 airell busy

Author: Andrew Russell

Juliana drops by Airell’s training room, and peeks in. Airell is in the middle of teaching a group of six fledgling adventurers some of the intricacies of magic. Juliana decides not to bother them, and closes the door.