Kindred Spirit Lodge Presents
Flight
(Hurt & Comfort)
by Lord Nessa, Klancy, Dj, & Killian
February 14th, 2002
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(Lord Nessa) --
tris sat straight up in bed as she comprehended her Lord's words. Her cold was waning. She lost her fever last night and slept through, breathing easily. Nessa waited till now to tell her she had punished killian. "Why!? tris yelled.
"Because she needed it, tris."
"Somebody else can do that Nessa! You... you might... hurt her!" tris' big hazel eyes narrowed. "Did you hurt killian?" she screeched.
"No."
"Because if you did, I will never forgive you! You better leave killian alone!!!" tris was on her feet now, shaking a little fist and yelling loudly at Nessa.
"I said I didn't hurt her, tris." Nessa tried to speak over the shrieking wench but tris was on a roll. "I'll hate you forever if you hurt her!" tris lost control and sprang for the Warrior, fist and feet swinging.
Nessa pulled her head back in time to duck a furious blow to her face. She caught two little wrists in mid punch and pulled in close. She wound tris' hands back behind her. She gripped both wrists with one hand.
tris was spitting out vindictive threats when she felt a hard slap to her face. Her head swung away to the side only to be batted back from the other side of Nessa's hand. She stopped all fight. She went limp in the Warrior's arms.
Nessa unwrapped her arms and shoved tris back hard onto the bed. She watched her land and bounce. She was certain that tris' protectiveness of killian was just as it should be. She understood the love tris had for the one person who befriended her for the first time in her life. Yet, something about the tirade stung the Celt to her heart.
She suddenly saw nothing but haze. Nessa knew in her deepest self that she really did not want to kill her little tris. She bolted. She backed up staring at the little figure. She turned and ran. She ran through the corridors of the Lodge. She ran through the great hall passed the tables and the stage. She ran toward the stables.
killian just came back from a ride with Tuttle. She was dismounting when she saw the Lord come running up. Tears were flowing down Nessa's cheeks. killian felt a panic. "What is it, Nessa? What's wrong? Is it tris?"
killian's worried frown struck Nessa. She found it amazing how these two worried over and protected one another... from her. She growled as she grabbed the reins from killian. "Yes, it is tris. It is your little sister. Go to her."
The Warrior swung herself astride Tuttle. She spurred the mare into a lope across the meadow. She headed for the forest. There were oaks and sweet flowers and mushrooms, and all the magical healing things of her Goddess to surround her.
She felt a pain in her and a rage. She didn't know if she felt rage because she felt pain, or if she felt pain because of the rage. Whatever the meaning, she didn't know what to do with it all. She would go to the trees and invoke their spirits. She would eat the right herbs and she would get her answers in dreams. It was the way of the Celt. It was all she knew.
____****____
(Klancy) --
Klancy sent another trilling whistle through the fragrant twilight of the forest, urging Bracken up a small rise. Always sensitive to her master's signals, the scruffy mustang paused atop the grassy ridge, and the Courtly Butch scanned the sun-dappled woods around them.
"When that ruffian wants to hide, she stays hidden," Klancy growled to her mount. She reached back and untied the leather satchel laced to her saddle, and drew out the small, wiggling dog. "All right, Kirb, you're on. Find Nessa."
Kirby Warrior Westie looked doubtfully at the yawning gap which separated her paws from the grass below, then yelped as Klancy dropped her callously to the ground. She snorted in indignation, and Bracken swung her head around to peer at the affronted dog.
"killian's worried about our sister," Klancy reminded the westie sternly. "She sent us to find the Dark Butch. Do you want to face kil, little burrito, if we return to the Lodge without her?"
Kirby cocked her head, forlorn at the thought of killian's unhappiness. She heaved a gusting sigh, then trotted off into the underbrush, searching for Nessa's scent.
They found her before the sun set. Nessa seemed to be in prayer, kneeling motionless in the middle of a small copse of aspen trees. Klancy stopped Bracken well apart from the grove, not wishing to disturb her friend's contemplation. She whistled Kirby back, bent, and scooped her up on her lap.
Klancy saw that Ness was well and whole, and that would suffice for now. She sat motionless on Bracken, keeping watch over the praying Celt. She would stay, guarding her friend, as long as she was needed.
____****____
(Nessa) --
She found the herb. She was never good with the names of the powerful plants of the forest, but she knew many of them by sight. This one had the most stunning blossom of purple and white with an intricacy to it's design that assured Nessa that it's maker was indeed thoughtful.
She found her trees. They were not the oak she sought, but they were perfect for her needs this day. They seemed to whisper to her. The spirit of this tree with the quaking leaves was strong.
The ride settled her a bit and now she was ready. Nessa sat on the forest floor aware of Tuttle grazing just beyond this grove. She rolled several leaves of the plant together and stuffed them in her mouth. She chewed and sucked the juice from the leaves. When she knew it was enough, she spit out the pulpy green mass and closed her eyes.
The Celt felt the mist rising around her. It swirled. It entered her nostrils. She was careful to keep her eyes closed even though she heard sounds around her. These were friends. They lived in this place of mist. They were faery. She crossed through the veil. Nessa sat among the whispering trees and traveled. Her body felt light felt like it was rising. She went with it. She was escorted by faery to a faraway place while she sat.
Then she was still. Everything around her was older than old. She listened to the whispering trees. "Which daughter is thisss?" Nessa swallowed in reverence and answered. "Daughter Nessa, Lady."
"What do you whishhhh?"
Nessa searched. "I... I don't remember. I mean it is my feelings. Something about my feelings." She thought she could almost hear a chuckle.
"Yessss, you have them. My gifftt, daughter Nesssaaa."
Gentleness wafted over and through her. Nessa felt filled with something. Her feelings were there, not erased as she hoped. They were vibrant. But something else was there now. The Warrior drifted. She slumped over where she sat and drifted back to the world she knew. She carried a new gift with her.
The faery were gone. The mist was gone. She opened her eyes. The fear was gone. That was her answer. Her gift was courage to face her feelings. Most of those were driven by fear. Fear of losing tris, fear of appearing too brutal or to soft. Fear of not pleasing, fear of pleasing too much. Fear. She recognized her enemy. It was not tris.
Nessa rose up in one movement. The air moved with her. She was not alone. She looked up between the trees and spotted a figure on a horse... both familiar. Then Kirby came running to her. The joyous animal jumped up and rested front paws on Nessa's boot. Nessa laughed and scooped the blessed Warrior Westie up to scruffle waiting ears.
"Klancy! Are you out for a ride this fine evening?" She knew her friend had come to find her. killian would have seen to it of course. Nessa's heart warmed. She gave a low whistle for Tuttle. "I'll be riding back with ye, Klance. The darkness falls fast in this forest."
Klancy stayed in her spot. She watched the Celt mount Tuttle and release Kirby to the ground. She looked for a storm in the gray eyes as Nessa got closer. But she saw only a clear sparkle. The two friends smiled their understanding. They turned and rode for home.
____****____
(killian) --
killian climbed in bed with tris, and held her dear little sister so close. killian was filled with guilt about tris getting slapped in protection of her. This made killian so angry with herself. Then there was the anger killian felt for the Dark Warrior. Who brings a warrior to task when they have done wrong? Who would take Nessa to task for the hard slaps that left marks, split lips, and still stung her little friend. killian was fit to be tied. Warrior. Argh. They shouldn't always get their way, and be able to strike out at will without any accountability.
killian loved Nessa deeply, and was beginning to truly count her as someone killian could let in to that very private inner her. The her that is serious, and not humor minded, but rather broodish, and difficult. Klancy knew this side of killian, and to be honest, the lass was quite often more than just a mild frustration to the Noble Butch. Lady Alison had known this killian from when they were subs together, and were still deeply and soundly bonded to each other for life. Yet, Ally too could find the intense and determined lass to be a pain in the patooty from time to time.
Those who were allowed in to killian's true self, needed to know that this killian was a complex and moody creature, who needed your complete respect, or she saw none of it at all.
Right now, killian wanted Nessa to get slapped hard across the face, twice, by a big bad warrior, for what she did to tris. killian herself would slap her, even if it meant a serious whipping at the end of it. But killian just was not strong enough to make an impact on the Dark Lord. tris was not a punching bag. And to be hit for protecting killian, this made killian rabid about wanting to set it right, and bring back some of that safety tris may have lost with her Nessa.
The love killian had for tris could not be easily understood. It was intense and mutual. They each had been abandoned, though tris had a far harder time of it than killian. killian was devoted beyond reason to this fledgling of a girl. killian loved tris' spirit, and her brave and true heart. She didn't manipulate or play games. Her heart was true. And she loved her Lord beyond words. killian knew that she herself could not go to the places the Dark Lords' passion asked tris to go. And tris does go, deep and rough, and beautiful. killian, truth be told, was in some awe of her precious little sister.
killian treated the split lip, and gave the small lass a cold compress for the swelling over her right eye. Together, they got into bed, and killian held tris, rocking her, singing Amazon folk tunes, and caressing her hair and face, any chance she got.
"you are special tris. Lord Nessa knows it. Lady Alison and twilight know it. Klancy knows it.. And i know it. So don't you ever forget it, or i will just have to take you over my knee and spank you til they hear you begging me to stop from here to the boat house. You can soothe yourself with the knowledge that, if i did feel the need to spank you good and hard, i wouldn't be asking permission from the Dark One. I would just do it. So you could safely bet that she would be coming after me and doing Gaia knows what to me as punishment. So you better remember that you are special, for both of our sakes."
There they lay in each others arms, sound asleep when Lord Nessa walked through the door.
____****____
(Lord Nessa) --
The room was quiet and warm. Nessa shut the door quietly and moved softly toward the bed. She saw killian first. She figured she would be here. She loved the once waif, tris as her own sister. It was killian who made the girl feel like she belonged somewhere... killian and some others in the Lodge. But not Nessa.
Nessa knew tris was with her because she had to be. Nessa held her with the bond of tradition. Nessa owned her because she saved her life. Nessa made all her decisions from what she ate to who she would sleep with. Nessa was a pompous Warrior who seemed to give but only took. She was not anyone a wench ought to love.
These were her thoughts as she leaned over killian to look at tris. She pulled back with a start at the sight of the poor battered face. The Warrior fell to her knees. She held her arms tightly over her stomach as if it might ease the pain. "Oh sweet Mother Brigit,I can't have done that!" she thought. Nessa began to sob quietly.
She thought about just coming home and apologizing for slapping tris and then explaining her feelings. But now she knew she had to do something very different. Nessa unfolded her body and stood. She pulled in a deep breath of resolve and went for her trunk. She lifted out several of the britches tris had made for her and some shirts.
She was stuffing these things into her pack when she sensed movement. Nessa turned to see two sets of eyes glaring at her from the bed. "What are you doing, my Lord?" cried tris.
Nessa could not look at the beautiful face so bruised and hurt. She resumed her packing. "Don't worry tris, I am not leaving the Lodge. I'm just going to get another room. I'll be here if ye need me."
"No! Nessa wait!" tris jumped out of bed and ran to the Warrior. She stopped at the sight of tears on her lover's face. The only other time she saw Nessa cry was when she lost sarah. She started to embrace her but stopped when a hand came up in signal for her to stay back.
Nessa knew she could not just do this without trying to make them understand. She looked over at killian who sat wide eyed. Bringing her focus back to the girl she loved so much she spoke. "Come, sit back on the bed under the covers where it is warm, and I'll tell you what I am doing and why." She took tris by an elbow and led her back to the bed. She sat down next to her. Swallowing hard and stretching for the courage to face the fear of revealing herself she tried to explain.
"I see now that the time has come for me to free you from the bonds of tradition and law. I have been trying to keep you, to hold on to you and you continue to change. You are not the little girl child who couldn't tie a lace or eat with a fork anymore, tris." Nessa held her hand up when tris tried to protest. "You must let me finish, lass. I believe you love me. But you do not believe that I would not hurt that which you love most in the world." Nessa looked over at killian who now sat with her arms around her bent knees. "In fact, you were very sure I hurt her even when I told you I did not. I need you to believe me tris."
"I think I got so angry because I knew I lost all that shine I once had in your sight. I want you to see me a certain way and instead you see me for what I am, and I don't think you like it." Nessa looked at the sore little face, "I know I don't."
tris put her face down into her hands and cried. She stayed like that while Nessa got up and finished packing. killian was crying too. Hades! Everyone was crying. Nessa promised to see to it that tris would not want for anything. She would be here in the Lodge, but she would no longer have claim to tris. She walked to the door with her pack slung over her shoulder feeling sad and feeling right about the move.
____****____
(dj) --
It had been a slow, lazy type of afternoon. The Lodge's historian hadn't done much these last few days. She spent the majority of time closed up in the Library, relaxing, just thinking, contemplating life and all it's complexities, on all of it's levels.
As grayness overtook the room, the young girl shook herself from the stupor. She rose from the worn, padded bench near the window, stretched, cracked her neck, as achy knees creaked their displeasure.
Glancing at the cluttered desk, she whiffed out a small snort, rolled her eyes, then padded towards the door. Grabbing the lantern off the sidebar, dj stepped into the hallway, gently closing the door behind her.
Down the far end of the semi-darkened corridor was Lord Nessa. The young Celt had just left her bed chamber's, about to head somewhere. There was a pack of some kind slung over the Warrior's slumped shoulder.
'uh oh, this doesn't look good', the blonde inwardly thought. 'Sure hope everything's okay.'
Before the girl could clear her throat, Nessa's head snapped sideways. Gray eyes bored through the hazy light. Instincts were still sharp even though emotions appeared high. Seeing sadness and sensing hurt, dj quickly hurried to the troubled woman's side. She cocked her head in a questioning, but caring manner.
"Hey there, butchy, you okay?", her smoky voice softly spoke. "If you'd like to talk, need anything, I'm here for you."
____****____
(Nessa) --
Somehow this wenchy always seemed to show up when Nessa least wanted and most needed. The Warrior took a deep breath. She was allowing herself to feel in ways she always tried to stuff away somewhere. It was like there was no more room to push anything into. This was Brigit's gift. The courage to feel. Grand. There were so many, she didn't know how to separate them.
Nessa looked down at dj standing there with that lantern like the beacon that she was. She saw the concern coming from those sweet glittering eyes, then knew it would turn to disgust when the wenchy saw tris. Nessa straightened her burdened shoulders. "Uh, yes lass, there is something you might help me with." She lowered her pack and stared at the floor. "It seems I'm in need of a room."
dj glanced at the door Nessa just came through. "Is there something wrong with the one you got, butch?"
"Too small" Nessa felt like there was a battering ram in her chest pounding away. Tears fairly burst out of her. She grabbed the railing at the top of the stairway and just held on to it. The Warrior wept, her broad shoulders heaving with every sob. Finally, she looked up at the silent dj and asked, "Do you think you could help me get a room, lass? I can't be standing out here in this hallway weeping like a bloody half wit without a home."
"Alright, butchy, I'll help you get a room, but you better talk to me." dj was sure this was as serious as it looked. "Wait here." She scurried down the stairs toward the Register desk.
Nessa watched as dj padded through the dark inside the glow of the lantern. She thought of the Beltaine fires and a wild Celtic dance through the night. It was as if her mind was finding a more pleasant avenue in memory. But she knew she would not be escaping. This time, she would do things differently. "Yes, I'll talk to the keeper of souls. Maybe she can help." The Warrior was glad dj showed up when she did. After she got to a room, she would sit with the wench and talk.
____****____
(dj) --
With key in hand, dj grasped Nessa's arm, tugging lightly and motioning upwards. "Come on, butchy, your quarter's await." The two headed back up the stairs and silently walked down the firelit corridor. Off at the far end, right next to the back stairwell, stood the Celt's new chambers.
As they entered the room, the dejected Warrior shrugged off the pack which had been draped across her shoulder. She sank down onto the bed, slumped forward, elbows on thighs, with head buried in trembling hands. The young Celt was flooded with a rush of emotions.
Dragging a chair across the floorboards, dj pulled it up next to the bed, in front of the small nightstand. She sat directly sideways from Nessa, their one knee touching. Her hand patted the distraught woman's leg.
Speaking softly and low, "Whatever happened, Nes, no matter what, it may not be as bad as you think it is. Sometimes, you Warrior types, have this sort of...thick head." She couldn't help but smirk at that, but quickly turned serious again. "Once in a while, a type of haze can cloud the vision, wench or Warrior, making the path difficult to see. What can help guide their way then, is to take the offered hand of a friend. Mine's here for you now if you'd like to grab hold."
Knowing how difficult it can be to start, the blonde woman continued, "ya know, butch, I heard about the hand-smacking-ass event you had with killian, and portions of tris' tirade towards you over it. That kinda confused me - it didn't seem to make sense. Then, someone told me about the face slap she received and how you took off deep into the woods afterwards. If you were in search of something, Nes, I hope you found peace and understanding there."
The beautiful wench went on, "Nessa, you slapped tris across the face, right? It wasn't done in anger, nor out of rage. You quieted the near-hysterical woman down, slapping sense back into her. There's nothing wrong with that." Speaking introspectively, dj thought back, "And ya know what, butch? There's many different types of characters among us. Some partners have slapped their lover's faces, and many other body parts too, in all kinds of situations." The young woman lightly snorted, "My own insolent tongue has yielded it's fair share of stinging blows too."
Green eyes looked compassionately up into the bloodshot greys before her, "Lord, you have a certain darkness inside which directs you. Some people are attracted to it, others aren't, but that's okay. What's important, is to be you. Follow your pullings, Lord, there's a reason why you have them."
She lightly touched Nessa's forearm, "Butchy, we each have our preferences, traits, and habits - they're a part of our beings. It's our characters, dark and light in all it's respects, which connects and binds us together. Just don't forget that your own dark lusts do attract those of like desires. Tis the truth, m'Lord, just look, actually feel the sexual vibrations coming off your partner. That should tell you everything, Lord."
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(Lord Nessa) --
What gate of Brigit's Paradise did this little wench come out of? Nessa felt the truth of dj's words melt into her like honey. How nice that she had no fear of the Lord. But then Nessa was more vulnerable with dj than with any of her kindred. It was just that way.
Maybe it was all the reading the fair historian did, or maybe it was because she had a continuity of spirit that was old as the Goddess herself. Whatever the reason, the wenchy had wisdom. Nessa was in sore need of it now.
The Warrior thought it kind that dj referred to the thick headedness that seemed to plague some as "a kind of haze." In truth, Nessa could see that she was being far too hard on herself once again for being just who she was. dj's words echoed, "Follow your pullings Lord there is a reason why you have them."
With the self loathing rapidly fading as the same old understanding looked new again, Nessa was able to be a little more clear about feelings. She had a clue from her visit to the forest grove that this was what it was really about. All that concern about hitting tris harder than she meant was just a smoke screen to confuse this issue. She wondered at herself that she did this automatically.
Nessa looked at the beautiful woman and opened. "I was hurt that she didn't believe me, that I didn't hurt killian. I have been working to gain her trust and killian's trust, and it seemed to fall apart in one instant." Nessa looked to the floor. "But more than anything... tris is growing. She has a quick mind, and she is developing a sense of herself that she didn't have before.
I was afraid, because I think she has outgrown the need for me. She sees how her sister killian is all on her own. She watches you like a hawk, drinking in every bold and free move. She wants those things for herself, I think, and I am standing in her way." Nessa looked back at warm eyes. "I was hurt and scared of letting her go. I still can't let her go from my heart, but I have to set her free. I'll not be holding her back. I...I.. just didn't know I could feel so much for anyone again... " Nessa stopped.
dj sat straight. She took in a breath and queried, "Have you talked to her about any of this, Ness?" She watched Nessa shake her head. "Well then, don't you think you ought to ask tris if she thinks you are standing in her way? If you'll pardon my saying so, butch, you are still making her choices for her. I think you might just bother to ask her what she wants."
It was true. Nessa had it all figured out without once asking tris how she felt. She looked at dj as if she had just been struck by the simple once again and she had been. Damn.
Nessa stood and brought the blonde up with her. She lifted the lady's hand and kissed it softly. "I'll be talking to the lass in the morning." She smiled gratefully at dj. "I'll be blessing you with my soul's last breath for your friendship, Lady."
____****____
(dj) --
Blushing from the butch's heartfelt love, dj lowered her eyes and nodded thanks. The young wench instinctively wrapped her arms around Nessa, embracing her tightly to the small woman's bosom.
Kissing her upon the cheek, dj pulled back and looked up into the beautiful grey orbs of the handsome Warrior. "Hey, butch, once you talk with tris tomorrow, it's possible she may desire a bit more freedom. Please don't let that shake you if she does. It's just a sign of growing is all. Her heart is still filled with much lust for you, Lord. But as she grows, her needs and wants may want to expand out too...just like yours may."
Winking at the tall Lord, dj backed up a step. Her smile shone throughout her whole being. "I'll bid you goodnight now, m'Lord. Rest well and peacefully, dear friend."
____****____
(killian) --
killian sighed and looked up at the ceiling of tris' room. The girl had cried herself to sleep on killian's lap just a short while ago, and killian didn't want to move for fear of waking the lass, and having her begin to cry all over again.
tris loved the Dark Lord, deeply, and possibly more than Nessa could even comprehend. killian would have run after Nessa, and tried to get her to change her mind about leaving tris, but tris had fallen apart when the gray eyed Butch walked out. It had taken killian 3 candlemarks to calm the girl down. tris felt bad now that she had gotten mad at her Lord, and not trusted her to not hurt killian. And killian felt bad cause she got mad at the Lord for smacking tris around regarding her.
Still, killian was troubled. Did Nessa have the right to hit tris over this? Over the girl's protection of her friend? Namely killian herself? killian didn't think so. killian still fumed at her Dark friend for losing control like she did over this. They would have to talk about it in the morning. killian could see that Nessa had had tremendous remorse, so much so that she left. That was quite a Noble gesture on Nessa's part, killian thought. She would have to tell her friend that when she saw her alone tomorrow, after she gave her a piece of her mind for hitting tris like that. killian would need to let her friend know that there was a line, at least in her mind, that made the dark tastes turn into abuse. Something in killian broke when she saw tris' face earlier. Knowing it was not from a night of torrid loving, but from tris worrying over killian. Oh, this was murky territory.
The troubled lass sighed deeply and pulled her hand through her hair as she looked down at the trusting face of her sleeping friend. killian caressed tris' swollen face. "I will look after you my friend. We, all of us, will make this ok. You sleep my sweet friend. I don't think i shall be able to this night."
____****____
(Klancy) --
Upstairs, killian stared sleeplessly at the carved rosewood ceiling, while in the Lodge's lower level, Klancy unwound her tall form to sit beside dj and Nessa, next to the roaring fireplace.
"I hope it's all right if I add my unsolicited thoughts, in this matter." Klancy smiled crookedly at her two sisters, who grinned back. They knew that expecting the Courtly Butch to refrain from adding her two cents to any discussion was nigh onto futile.
"Our little sisters, killian and tris, love each other fiercely." Klancy crossed her cowboy boots thoughtfully on the lip of the stone hearth. "killian's reaction to her friend's injuries sprang from her protective affection for the girl. And she's brought up a vital topic -- I think it's crucial that all our dark sistren be able to stare the issue of abuse straight in the face, and talk about it."
"Ness, I believe you set out to write us a hurt/comfort tale, as you said in your subject line. You understand how that theme appeals to so many of us in the Xenaverse. When the violence in your tale upset killian, you were very pained yourself -- your love for that spirited lass is strong, and you hated hurting her. But while I surely understand killian's objections, I feel you did not abuse tris, in your post."
"Your entire point was to create a situation in which hurt/comfort was possible, si? You were not writing a scene of domination, in which you wanted to show how you overpower tris, and can make her to what you want her to do. Your intention was to share with us the warmth of your comforting her, to show a gentler side of your passionate nature."
"Now that I'm on a roll, I will pontificate about the incident itself." Klancy swirled rootbeer in her rootbeer snifter. "tris was doing something you didn't like. You struck her, to make her stop doing it. You are, physically, much more powerful than tris, and you did this without her permission. Therefore, hitting her was wrong. It would have been, even if your slaps left no more than a reddened area on her cheek, which soon faded."
Nessa looked downcast, but the tall butch smiled, and nudged her with her boot.
"You are a dark Warrior, and you lost your temper. When you saw what you'd done to tris, in your post, you were stricken by remorse. Genuine remorse. True?"
"Yes," Nessa replied.
"As Xena was, after striking Gabrielle in The Reckoning. But you are not abusing tris, any more than Xena was abusing her bard. You would never abuse any woman. If you ever hit tris again, in anger -- without her permission, to get her to obey you -- that would be abuse. If your relationship became a succession of such violent scenes, it would be an abusive and unhealthy relationship. Doing anything to a woman, without her permission, is abusive. But permission is the key."
Klancy lifted dj's delicate hand, and kissed her long fingers. "When this lovely historian and I were paired, she let me glimpse a side of her that welcomed rough play. It was understood between us that if she insulted me, I would chastise her -- harshly, if necessary. Any blow I inflicted on this creamy skin was delivered with dj's complete, stated permission. Those blows were not abusive, either."
"Nor are the ones you administer to tris, or to any wench, with their full knowledge and consent."
"So thinketh Klancy7, at any rate."
____****____
(Lord Nessa) --
Nessa sat still for a time. Klancy's words gave her much to think about. The fire crackled through the silence of the three women staring pensively into it. This subject of abuse was very difficult to sort out when one was right in the center of it.
The thought that kept coming up for Nessa was the separation of fantasy from reality. She spoke at last. "I am grateful for your words of wisdom Klance and I agree with all that you've said. There is one thing I would say here. I am part Warrior and part bard. When relating tales, as with all bards, I tend to interject certain... coloring to the content. I write about what turns me on sexually... it's that darkness you were talking about."
Nessa looked up at the Courtly Butch and caught a look of understanding shining from her eyes. It gave her the support to continue. "I have often written about taking a woman without her consent. I have written about hurting her without her consent. That is very much part of the darkness of desire in me as in many. However, to act on that dark desire would not be part of who I am. Acting on it is outside the realm of sexual fantasy and inside the realm of rape, an act I abhor... a fantasy I adore."
Nessa was aware that she had tris' permission for the dark rough sex they had. She wanted so much to talk to the wench. She guessed she could hold off til morning. She sat back comfortably. She let go of thoughts. It felt good to be with Kindred.
____****____
The End - 'Flight' - by Nessa, Klancy, Dj, & Killian